Aura Art, 888, and Learning to Open My Heart Again
TGIF. Wow, Friday could not come soon enough.
It’s been such a crazy, busy week. Not that this is anything new for me, but this week felt especially intense because I had a few major projects happening at my full-time job, plus a sound bath I facilitated after work…. and that full moon energy!
By Friday, I was ready to exhale.
Thankfully, the day ended up being filled with movement, creativity, meaningful connections, and so many little synchronicities felt like the universe was reminding me I was exactly where I needed to be.
Finding the Perfect Birthday Gift
One of my best friends has a birthday coming up, and I have been trying to figure out what to get her.
She is one of those people who already has anything she could possibly want, which makes shopping for her a little challenging.
Gift-giving is one of my love languages. I love choosing something special and being really intentional about what I give someone, especially when it’s for one of my closest friends.
I didn’t want to buy her something just to check a box. I wanted to find a gift that resonated with her.
Then, while scrolling TikTok, I came across a live video from an artist I had never seen before.
She was painting people’s auras live.
A Custom Aura Painting
During the TikTok Live, you could purchase a painting, send her a photo and date of birth, and she would channel the person’s aura and paint the colors that came to her.
I thought this was so cool!!!
I love aura photography and have had my aura photographed 3 times. Each experience has resonated with me, especially when I consider what I was going through during those different seasons of my life.
I already know I will continue getting my aura photographed at least once a year.
This felt different, though.
Instead of using a camera, the artist sees colors in her mind and translates them onto the canvas.
That reminded me of what happens when I enter what I call the Reiki zone. Sometimes, while channeling Reiki, I see colors and symbols or hear song lyrics in my mind.
For whatever reason, I instantly connected with her process.
I watched her create several beautiful aura paintings during the live and then visited her website. I kept thinking that this could be such a special gift for my friend.
So I purchased one.
Discovering We Both Lived in San Diego
I asked the artist whether the painting could be ready by the following Saturday, since that was when I planned to celebrate my friend’s birthday.
She asked where I was located.
I told her California.
She said she was also in California, so shipping should be easy.
Then I told her I was in San Diego.
She responded, “Oh my gosh, I’m in San Diego too. I’m in North Park.”
North Park is soo close to me, so instead of waiting for shipping, I arranged to pick it up after work.
The entire interaction felt aligned, but then the number patterns started appearing.
Seeing 888 Everywhere
While driving to pick up the painting, I kept seeing 888.
The phone number she texted me from had 888 in it. Her username also included 888.
Then, on the drive to her house, I saw two license plates with 888.
One of the cars actually cut me off, which was not exactly the peaceful delivery method I expected from the universe, but I still noticed the number.
I also saw 222 on another license plate.
By the time I arrived, it felt like there were synchronicities everywhere.
The painting itself was beautiful.
She created a crescent moon surrounded by shades of blue, gold, turquoise, and a little green. The energy of the painting centered around manifestation and abundance.
I plan to find a beautiful glass frame for it before giving it to my friend.
An Unexpected New Connection
When I arrived to pick up the painting, the artist and I ended up talking for about 20 minutes.
We instantly connected.
It felt like we were aligned and supposed to meet. I enjoyed her energy, and I know I will order more art from her in the future.
I could also see us hanging out outside of her artwork because the conversation felt so natural.
I’ll include her information below for anyone interested in ordering a custom aura painting of their own.
Accidentally Booking My Instructor’s Final Pilates Class
Earlier that day, during my lunch break, I had another unexpected moment of divine timing.
Work had been stressful, and I could feel that I needed to move my body.
I don’t usually take Pilates on Fridays, but I checked the schedule at Honor Pilates and saw that there were only 2 spots left in an afternoon class.
On a whim, I booked it.
One of my favorite instructors, Irene, was teaching. I take many of her classes throughout the week and always enjoy how much she challenges me.
What I didn’t know was that it was her final day teaching before moving to Florida. Without realizing it, I had signed up for the very last class she would teach at the studio. It felt like another moment of perfect timing because I got the chance to say goodbye.
We all took a group photo at the end, but before that, she absolutely kicked our butts. I told her she was going out with a bang. She had us doing all kinds of movements and exercises, and the class was hard in the best way.
I love being challenged in power Pilates. I want to leave feeling like I had a solid workout, and that is exactly what happened.
Decompressing After a Long Workday
After work, I still felt mentally drained.
2 of the projects I was working on felt never-ending, and I needed a way to clear my head.
I took a walk around my neighborhood while listening to Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza.
I’ve been enjoying the book. It has been encouraging me to think more deeply about the relationship between the mind and body, as well as how our thoughts may shape the way we experience our lives.
After the walk, I started getting ready for the evening.
My best friend Megan picked me up, and we headed to my version of a Friday happy hour.
My Kind of Friday Happy Hour
Instead of cocktails, my Friday happy hour involved breathwork and contrast therapy at Breathe Degrees.
Honestly, this is my perfect way to end a stressful week.
JoJo, one of the facilitators at Breathe Degrees, was leading the Aufguss ceremony. The week before, I had attended Breath After Dark, but there were so many people that I wasn’t able to get into her session. This Friday’s Healthy Happy Hour was much less crowded, so I finally got to experience her class.
She was fantastic.
The breathwork was also energizing and done entirely through the mouth. I had some intense visuals during the session, and the experience felt powerful.
I love using breathwork as a way to decompress after a long week and transition into the weekend. It felt like the exact reset I needed.
Catching Up With My Mom
When I got home, I called my mom. We caught up, and she told me about everything she had been doing that week. One of her best friends, whom she has known since high school, is coming to visit. They already have a bunch of fun plans, including Disneyland and a spa day.
Hearing that made me so happy for her. I love that she stays active in retirement and continues doing things that bring her joy. I also love that she has maintained such meaningful, lifelong friendships.
The Gift of Lifelong Friendship
My longest friendship began in 4th grade, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have friends who have been part of my life for that long. I believe that when I am in my 70s, I will still be friends with the people I have known since childhood.
Not everyone gets to say that.
There is something special about having people in your life who remember so many different versions of you. They knew you before the career, the business, the certifications, the stressful work projects, and all the personal growth.
They remember who you were before you became who you are now.
A Message About Being Open to Love Again
After I got off the phone with my mom, I realized I had forgotten one of the most meaningful parts of the week.
On Wednesday, I facilitated a full moon sound bath and pulled cards from my Moonology deck for the collective. But all week, I had also felt called to work with my Rider-Waite tarot deck.
When I got home Friday night, I finally sat down, shuffled the cards, and asked the universe for a message. I’ve been single for almost 2 years. During that time, I’ve done a lot of healing work, emotional capacity work, and inner reflection. I’ve tried to remain clear in my mind, body, and choices.
I didn’t want to mask the heartbreak I had experienced or rush into dating just to avoid feeling alone. I needed time to heal, and grow. For almost 2 years, I’ve stepped entirely away from dating in every physical and emotional form.
I wouldn’t trade those past romantic experiences because they taught me so much. But I also feel I have reached a point where I might finally be more open to love again.
So I asked the universe what message it had for me regarding love/relationships……
I pulled the Ace of Cups, the Two of Swords reversed, and the Seven of Wands reversed.
The Ace of Cups and an Overflowing Offer of Love
When I read tarot for myself, I often work heavily with the Minor Arcana.
I usually open the Notes app on my phone and start talking through whatever comes to me intuitively when I first see the cards. I let the app record my thoughts raw and real.
It was basically sounded like this:
Girl, the universe is sending you love in so many forms that it is literally overflowing from the cup. The Ace of Cups shows an overflowing cup being offered by a hand extending from the clouds. Love is already being offered by the universe. Not only romantic love, but connection, friendship, creativity, healing, and emotional fulfillment.
The cup is right in front of me.
The question is will I be open enough to receive it?
Taking Off the Blindfold
Next came the Two of Swords reversed.
The suit of Cups connects with emotions, while Swords are associated with the mind, thoughts, and decisions. In the Two of Swords, a woman sits blindfolded while holding two swords across her body. She is surrounded by water and a blue sky, which I connect with emotions.
She is also dressed in white, which I connected with purity, clarity, and the intentional way I have lived over the past two years. The card felt like a direct reflection of what I’ve been doing. I’ve spent so much time in my mind, protecting myself, weighing every possibility, and keeping the blindfold firmly in place.
The message felt like……. I need to open my eyes/heart and see what the universe is offering me.
Love may already be appearing around me in ways I haven’t allowed myself to fully recognize.
Realizing the Battle Was With Myself
The third card was the Seven of Wands reversed.
Wands carry fiery, passionate, creative energy. In the image, a man stands holding one wand while appearing to fight against six others. But no one is actually holding the other 6 wands. It is him versus himself.
That part hit me.
I have built barriers around my heart through work, education, certifications, my business, and constant personal development. None of those things are bad. I’m proud of everything I have invested in myself. But at some point, all of those commitments have also become a very socially acceptable way to avoid vulnerability.
Instead of taking off the blindfold and opening myself to love, I stay busy. I always find another project, training, class, event, and goal.
The cards seemed to be showing me that I wasn’t necessarily fighting against outside obstacles.
I was fighting against the walls I had created myself.
I sat there thinking, “All right, universe. Fair enough. Thank you for the message.”
It resonated because see it happening in real time.
But How Do You Open Your Heart Again?
The next question was obvious.
How do I actually do that?
How do I open myself again after heartbreak? How do I become vulnerable without abandoning everything I’ve learned? How do I allow love in while still protecting the person I worked so hard to become?
I felt called to pull one card from my Rose Oracle deck by Rebecca Campbell. Before drawing a card, I read the attunement included with the deck. The final line of the poem completely stopped me:
“And when the time comes, and we will know when,
may we throw our petals to the wind, for the chance to do it all over again.”
Wow.
That line felt soooooooooooo powerful!
A rose grows and blooms, and eventually its petals fall. Love can be like that too. We experience it. We bloom through it. We grow through it. We are changed by it. Sometimes love ends, and we have to release the petals.
We cannot hold on to every past heartbreak and every version of what could have been. We have to learn from those experiences, allow them to change us, and then let them go. Not because they didn’t matter, but because they did.
We release the petals for the chance to fall in love all over again.
And what a beautiful experience that could be.
Release the Petals
I shuffled the Rose Oracle cards and asked……
What am I supposed to do to become open to love again?
How do I let go of the petals from my past so there is room for a new bud, a new seed, a new flower, and a new beginning????????
The card I pulled was Release the Petals: Transformation, Death and Rebirth, Shedding, All Change.
Of course it was.
The guidebook described the moment when we realize we can no longer return to who we were before. Something has ended, something has changed, and something new is beginning to call us forward. There is no going back. We are different now.
The card explained that the rose must release its petals for the rosehip to form. What once was has to be surrendered to the earth so it can eventually become something new. We may try to hold on to the petals of the past as the winds of change begin to blow, but change is already coming.
Change is near.
Change is here.
We must release what was, even when we don’t yet know what will take its place.
What are you clinging to because you are afraid nothing new will come in to replace it?
Making Room for Something New
I knew my answer. I have to fully release and let go. I’ve been writing a lot of poetry and turning it into music, and I hope to eventually release those songs publicly.
Writing has helped me move emotions out of my body and put language around experiences that once felt impossible to explain. In many ways, writing has been part of how I’ve released the petals.
But releasing the past is only half of it. I also have to be open to what comes next. I have to believe that letting go does not mean I will be left with nothing. It means I am creating space. Space for a different kind of love. Space for love that meets the version of me I am now, not the person I was 2 years ago.
Space for friendship, intimacy, creativity, trust, vulnerability, and connection in all their forms.
The Ace of Cups was already being offered.
Maybe the next step is simply taking off the blindfold, lowering the defenses, and allowing myself to receive it.
Good night.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an aura painting?
An aura painting is an artistic interpretation of a person’s energy, often represented through colors, symbols, shapes, or intuitive imagery. The artist I found created the painting after receiving a photo and date of birth.
What does 888 mean spiritually?
In numerology and spiritual communities, 888 is often associated with abundance, balance, manifestation, and receiving the results of past efforts. I personally view repeating numbers as meaningful synchronicities and opportunities for reflection.
What is contrast therapy?
Contrast therapy typically involves alternating between hot and cold environments, such as a sauna and cold plunge. Many people use it as part of a wellness, recovery, or relaxation routine.
What is energizing breathwork?
Energizing breathwork generally uses a more active breathing pattern intended to increase energy, focus, or emotional release. Breathwork experiences can feel different for everyone, so it is important to follow the facilitator’s guidance and modify when needed.
