Ready for the New Moon in Sagittarius on Saturday, December 4? Ready or not, it’s coming for you. Fortunately, it promises to bring good tidings and positive blessings just in time for the holidays! This month’s New Moon features a total solar eclipse. Solar eclipses are extremely significant events that usher in new beginnings and bright new opportunities.
Inevitably, when something new begins, something old comes to an end. Whatever is outdated or that no longer holds a relevant place in your life is likely to be eclipsed out of it during this time. Whatever leaves your life now wasn’t intended to remain with you on the next stage of your journey. Let it go with grace, gratitude, and peace of mind.
The energy of an eclipse doesn’t exist only on the actual day of it. Instead look at the five days preceding and five days following the date of this eclipse for any significant messages, occurrences, or epiphanies. You may experience something as significant as moving to a new place, or something as small as a casual remark from a family member or friend that delivers a startling wake-up call to you.
As significant or as insignificant as these experiences may seem, they are likely to have a long-standing impact on the way you approach your life moving forward.
Examples of experiences that eclipses often bring are:
- News of a birth
- Marriage
- A proposal
- A new job opportunity
- The establishing of a business
- A home purchase
- A breakup
- The loss of a friend, family member, or pet
- Graduation
- Divorce
- Surgery
- Sudden epiphanies
Eclipses mark a major turning point in your life and this one is no different. The Sagittarius energy of this eclipse amplifies and expands this energy even further, providing you with the courage and boldness to go after what you need in your life at this time and the bravery and decisiveness to let go of what’s no longer relevant, despite how painful and reluctant you would normally be.
Eclipses provide the energy, drive, and reassurance for you to accomplish things you normally would avoid or be too timid to pursue. They also bring experiences that speed up decisions that the universe knows are inevitable for you - whether you choose to remain in denial about that or not!
Eclipses often bring the blatant and inescapable truth about a person, place, or situation right to your doorstep and psyche. Trust any hunches or gut feelings that you receive during this time, even if they come in the form of something as insignificant as gossip or social media posts, the messages that you receive and that resonate with you on or near an eclipse are extremely significant.
Lean into them.
The energy of the New Moon in Sagittarius is optimistic and positive. Because it features a solar eclipse, this energy will feel especially strong and hopeful. Carry or meditate with an empowering sacral chakra crystal, like Carnelian, or an intuition-strengthening crystal, like Amethyst, in order to make the most of this powerful energy.
If you are a Sagittarius or Gemini, you will be particularly affected by this eclipse. This is especially true for those born between November 30 and December 9, and between May 31 and June 9.
Here’s what you can expect for your sign amid the Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius:
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1. Aries
Expect new beginnings and gut instincts as it relates to the way you approach child-rearing, dating, flirtation, sexual and/or creative expression. You are likely to receive insights about your kids and potential lovers, Aries.
2. Taurus
Don’t be surprised if you receive revelations about your health or your job during this time, Taurus. Picking up a new lifestyle habit, exercise routine, or diet is favored by this eclipse.
3. Gemini
Are you looking to take things to the next level in your relationship, Gemini? You may find yourself falling in love. Expect to begin a significant new chapter in your relationships and with those closest to you.
4. Cancer
Your intuition will be at its height during this Moon phase, Cancer. Lean into any hunches or gut instincts that you experience during this time. Sexual experiences are likely to be deeply transformative under this influence. You may unexpectedly receive money and/or find yourself reflecting on mortality a bit more than usual. Take time with yourself and allow yourself to experience the full range of emotions that you are inevitably going to experience.
5. Leo
It’s time to expand those horizons, Leo! Lean into your natural-born courage and boldness. Whether you’re contemplating a trip to an exotic locale, registering for college courses, or exploring a discipline you don’t know much about, don’t be surprised if you decide to finally check something off of that bucket list this week!
6. Virgo
New job opportunities are highlighted for you during this period, Virgo! You may finally receive that job offer or promotion, otherwise, you’ll decide that the career you’re in actually isn’t the one for you after all. Check-in on a father figure of your life during this time.
7. Libra
Any revelation that you receive about a friend should be taken seriously now, Libra. If you’ve wanted to know who, when all is said and done, will have your back until the very end, you are likely to find out for sure now.
8. Scorpio
The time you spend alone, in contemplation or in meditation, will be especially valuable to you during this time, Scorpio. Take time to journal, introspect, or enjoy a spiritual bath. The insights you receive now, while alone, will be significant and potentially life-altering.
9. Sagittarius
You are in the spotlight during this eclipse, Sagittarius! You are likely to make a significant decision or to experience a strong epiphany ushering you in a brand new direction regarding the way you approach and experience your life. Any conservatism that may have hindered you from pursuing your truest dreams and deepest desires will be unveiled and released now.
10. Capricorn
Your focus will be on fine-tuning the elements of your life that make you feel valued and secure - or the complete opposite of that! Whatever is getting in the way of you being your best self at work or in relationships are likely to feel intolerable to you right now, Capricorn. This eclipse will give you the decisiveness and drive to go after what builds your confidence or to remove the aspects of your life that tear down your self-esteem.
11. Aquarius
Expect significant news and messages via text, social media, or from siblings and neighbors. Take whatever information you receive now seriously, Aquarius.
12. Pisces
Your family arrangement or living space is likely to be spruced up or changed altogether, Pisces. Home purchases, signing a new lease, a new roommate, or a new addition to your family are highlighted during this eclipse.
Here’s to bold moves and fresh new beginnings this December!
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"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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“I’m in constant discovery and learning about myself, about life, about love, about communicating, and I just say discovery is my current era, and to me, the possibilities are endless of what my capacities are,” the “Motivation” singer told xoNecole during an exclusive interview.
A part of that discovery is acknowledging all of the different looks she’s trademarked over the years, whether it’s her classic short red cut or the blonde she’s been known to lean toward recently. She attests a lot of her iconic looks to her bonus mother, Tina Knowles.
“I’m really grateful to Mama T for that because since she owned and worked in a hair salon, she would say, ‘Well, let’s try this. Let’s cut it off. Let’s grow it back. Oh, it’s just hair,’ you know what I mean?” the 43-year-old recalled.
“I’m definitely in that spirit when it comes to hair and glam and just seeing what pops and what doesn’t. I think that there are no rules.”
“For a long time, brown girls were told you can’t do this, you can’t do this, and you shouldn’t do this. It won’t look good on your complexion. That’s not our story. That does not belong to us at all.
"Our possibilities are endless. If anything, we make the trends and we make it look good. We make gem tones look wonderful because of the brown skin that pops off of the gem tone. We make it look wonderful.”
As the mother of two boys, Noah and Titan, Rowland still aims to create tradition through a good meal. She notes how she manages to balance maintaining quality time with her family as a woman who wears many hats.
“One thing that we’re trying to stay on top of right now is one-on-one quality time,” she shared. “I like to do that with my boys. They both get their own afternoon or day with me, so we have these little dates. Noah and I were sitting at this ice cream spot in LA the last time, and we just sat there and talked. It also made me sad because I was like Oh my God, this three-year-old is growing up so fast. I can’t believe he’s even three, and we’re sitting up here and having this whole conversation.”
“One thing that we’re trying to stay on top of right now is one-on-one quality time. I like to do that with my boys. They both get their own afternoon or day with me, so we have these little dates.”
Rowland added, “Then, with Titan, he likes a sushi spot that we go to for hand rolls, and so, we definitely bond over food and over certain outings that we might have. I just like for them to be one-on-one so that we can create our memories together, and they feel seen by me, their mother, and we just enjoy each other’s time. We laugh, and that means a lot to me.”
She is also very intentional in stressing the importance of giving back, something that was instilled in her at a young age by her mother that Rowland is ensuring her sons get a taste of.
“For Christmas, we like to be home, but we also like to give back,” said Rowland.
“Around Christmastime, I want my kids to understand how important it is to give back. So this year, I think we will pile it on because both of them will understand now even more.
"The three-year-old might miss it, but the nine-year-old is definitely starting to catch on. My mom poured that into me about the spirit of giving, and I want my kids to have that same tradition that my mom gave me.”
Today, she continues to give back by pouring into a locally owned eatery that made her, even having a meal named in her honor in a new partnership centered around spreading the love when it comes to patronizing local restaurants nationwide.
This Is It! is one of her childhood favorite Black-owned restaurants in her home city of Houston. During the earlier DC days, she recalled bonding with her bandmates-turned-family members over a delicious plate of soul food at This Is It!, a fourth-generation, family-owned establishment known for its comfort dishes.
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“I love the idea that a huge corporation like Pepsi wants to make sure that in their budget, they’re giving back to communities that have supported them for many years,” she said.
Rowland added, "This Is It! is a place that grew me up and helped me to keep my feet on the ground. This always brings back such fond memories for me.”
In honor of Rowland’s favorite This Is It! meal being named after her, which includes pepper steak with rice and gravy, green beans, peach cobbler, and an ice-cold Pepsi, the “Like This” crooner discussed her recipe for a good time.
“I would say good food,” she laughed. “Not that I need it, but a good Espresso Martini or a French white wine. Sometimes, I might lack energy, so I need a Pepsi to pick me right back up.”
“What else? Good energy. You need good energy. Like, good people with good energy who know how to have a good time. Who aren’t going to look around and see what the other person is doing," Rowland added.
"Because just when people are so good in their body and self-aware and self-assured, they are the funnest people to hang out with because they don’t give a crap about what’s happening around them. They just want to have a good time. I like those people.”
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