In The Community
The first Mercury retrograde of 2024 runs from April 1 to 25. Mercury entered its pre-retrograde shadow on March 18, so if you're already feeling a bit of the unanticipated chaos, that's the reason why. So how does this affect Latinas, who let's be honest, some tend to have a bit more chaos than others. Does the retrograde hit a little differently for Latinas? Luz Media caught up with Luz Community contributor Sisther Pravia to ask the clarifying questions we all need right now.
Let’s dive in.
LM: What is retrograde, exactly?
SP: It's when the planet appears to travel backward across the sky. This is an optical illusion caused by the position of Earth in relation to that of the planet since a planet in orbit always travels in one set direction and can’t suddenly reverse course.
LM: What's unique about this time?
SP: This period can cause confusion and uncertainty, but the retrograde can offer some insight. Just as we see the planet from a different point of view, the retrograde asks us to look at our journey the same way. When we see things differently, they become different. What in your life needs redirection?
LM: What are some best practices for people navigating this time?
SP: I always recommend the 3 C's: Cleanse your aura weekly, carry protection (like obsidian crystal), and cojelo suave. Overall best rule: be patient there's no need to rush into anything or anyone we're not ready for. Take this time to reflect and reassess.
LM: What should people know about retrograde? How often does it occur?
SP: Retrogrades invoke planets to do the opposite of their traits. Therefore since it’s in Mercury, the ruler of communication, technology, travel, and home it can disrupt these areas of our lives. So be mindful of your words, back up all your tech, plan to leave early so you're not late for work and possibly disrupt travel plans and make sure home is your safe space to relax. This transit occurs about 3-4 times a year.
LM: Are certain signs more impacted than others?
SP: Because Mercury rules Virgo they might feel it the hardest. On the contrary, people born during retrogrades are lucky and won't be affected by it.
LM: What is the impact of retrograde on the Latina community?
SP: The Latina community already puts so much hard work into building their dreams and doing the inner work to heal generational trauma that it means every retrograde, it's especially important to rest. What will help is to reevaluate your “how to become the first millionaire in the family game plan” or any other game-changing plans and meditate on the why.
LM: Do you have any specific guidance for Latinas managing retrograde? Suggestions on resting?
SP: Latinas can definitely manage this retrograde and live in peace. Mindful practices are important because this transit causes confusion, delays, and uncertainty.
For example, starting the day with an intentional morning routine can be a big game-changer. It's a righteous practice that says, "I come first," especially since Latinas' energy is asked off in so many directions (eldest child, 1st family graduate, financial provider, breaking cycles, healer, etc.). A morning routine can be like this: Wake up, stretch your arms up to the sky, and say, "Gracias divina vida." Next, step outside and take three deep breaths to ground yourself. Then come back in and try a guided meditation for 15 minutes. Finally, brew your cafe and nourish your body.
The same is true for the evening; you want to have a night routine to experience proper rest. The world can feel challenging for us today but don't let it tear you up. Come home and unplug from it all.
For instance, start by putting your phone on DO NO DISTURB. Next, run a hot shower/bath with some essential oil/herb like Eucalyptus. Then take time to journal. Here are some prompts I focus on "What’s one thing that went right today? What’s something you did today that you’re proud of? What’s one thing you can do tomorrow that your future self will thank you for?" Finally, when you're ready to sleep, listening to a sound bowl meditation will help you fall asleep with ease.
So again, take it easy, rest, and evaluate your journey rather than push yourself to work hard.
Sisther Pravia comes from a native Nicaraguan background. Born and raised in Miami, her ability to harness her inner magic through practices such as moon magic, tarot, astrology, yoga, meditation, sound healing, and more has led her to use her divine connection to counsel others. Dedicated to serving the Latino community, her specialty revolves around her healing practices.
You can learn more from Sisther at her website, Instagram, and TikTok.
Have you ever wondered how people can get so popular promoting things that aren't backed by any evidence whatsoever? Have you ever wanted to become known for having special health and nutrition information that is unknown to anyone else?
If so, then you are going to want to read this blog post.
The Case of the Medical Medium
I am going to discuss the step-by-step formula for how people position themselves as nutrition and health gurus. We will outline the tactics that are used, how to gather compelling testimonials, and more!
The reason that I decided to write this blog post is because last week, Vanity Fair released the story of Stephanie Tisone, a woman who lost her life to breast cancer after delaying conventional medical care in favor of alternative health remedies.
In the article, Stephanie is described to have been a devoted believer, client, and employee of “The Medical Medium,” and her friends and family believe that this connection that she had with the Medical Medium was partially responsible for her decision to delay conventional medical care.
If you don’t know, Medical Medium is a man named Anthony William who claims to have been “born with the unique ability to converse with the Spirit of Compassion, who provides him with extraordinarily advanced healing medical information that’s far ahead of its time” (this is directly from his site).
Now you might be thinking, “How can anyone believe this?"
Well, Anthony has published 8 New York Times best-selling books and operates a very popular brand with a cult-like following he has been known to work with many celebrities, including being featured on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
He has done quite a good job getting people to believe his story, and he is not the only one. Dozens and dozens of similar nutrition and alternative health gurus have convinced large groups of people to believe ideas that are lacking any type of evidence.
And I want to discuss how they do so in this article. What I am going to share now is the blueprint for persuading people that you have some specialized health/nutrition knowledge which is how someone can become very popular (and make a lot of money) as an alternative health/nutrition guru.
This formula is also the foundation of nearly every course that promises to teach you “How to Build a 6-Figure Coaching Business” and is a method that you will see employed throughout the health/fitness space as a marketing tactic.
I hope that this article helps you to be better equipped to identify when these tactics are being used and helps you understand how some people can build very large platforms promoting special protocols or dietary approaches that often lack evidence and are not special at all.
Step 1: Identify a vulnerable population
The first step is to start with a problem that a lot of people struggle with and are looking for answers for. It could be losing weight, hormonal issues, digestive problems, autoimmune conditions, etc. Any problem people struggle with and are desperate for a solution will work. These people are often vulnerable and desperate and willing to try anything.
Step 2: Come Up With a Solution and a Story
Second, you come up with a magical plan that is going to be the answer to those problems, and you pair that with a good story about why this works. When you talk about the plan or tell the story, it’s important to make bold claims with 100% confidence that what you are saying is true to give the perception that you have THE ANSWER to the problem.
For example, people who promote a keto diet say that the answer to people’s weight loss struggles is cutting carbohydrates. Often, they say that it works because cutting carbohydrates lowers insulin levels and insulin is our body’s “fat storage hormone.”
Step 3: Get People to Try What You Are Promoting
Beyond speaking with 100% confidence, it is important to repeat this claim as much as possible to as many people as possible. Even if what you are saying sounds fishy, if you keep repeating it with confidence and telling people it is THE ANSWER, many people who are desperate for a solution will try what you are promoting.
Another thing that you can do here is say something along the lines of “Don’t believe me, then try it yourself.” This is a great way to get people to start trying whatever you are promoting.
If what you are promoting is some version of a restricted diet, such as avoiding carbohydrates completely, completely cutting out processed foods, or cutting out long lists of foods, this is likely going to lead to improved health outcomes. This is because when you force people to cut out a bunch of foods from their diet this often causes people to 1) reduce their energy intake, and 2) improve the nutritional quality of their diet.
When people try your method, they experience weight loss/improvement in their health, and this serves as the most effective method of persuasion. Even if you were skeptical of the information at first, that skepticism will be put to rest when it “works” for you.
If you develop a large enough platform you can get hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people to try what you are recommending. If what you recommend is a nutritious dietary approach, this is likely going to be helpful for a percentage of people.
In the case of the medical medium, he recommends following a mostly raw vegan diet and doing extremely restrictive cleanses while following rigorous supplement protocols. In most cases, this is going to be a much more nutritious diet than people were eating before, it is going to lead to weight loss for most people, and it is going to remove the top food allergies and food sensitivities that can exacerbate symptoms in individuals with chronic illnesses.
Not only that, but this diet incorporates lots of juices and smoothies, which can be helpful for many people with digestive issues who don’t tolerate whole foods very well and increase nutrient availability and absorption.
This combination of attributes will cause most people to feel better if they follow this type of plan in the short term. It can even produce what seem like transformational health effects for a percentage of people with chronic illnesses.
Step 4: Share the Positive Results (While Downplaying or Ignoring Anything Negative)
So, let’s pretend you get 1,000 people to follow the protocol, and 40% felt a little bit better, 40% of them felt no difference, 10% felt terrible, and 10% experienced transformational health benefits. The 10% who experienced transformation would think that they have found “the answer,” and they will likely rave about the program.
It is important to highlight these positive testimonials EVERYWHERE and as much as possible. This is how you create the perception that the claims that you are making are “true”. Endlessly sharing these stories helps build the perception that what you are saying really is a magical solution, and it sets many people up to believe that it will have similar benefits, which can perpetuate a placebo effect.
A placebo effect is when you experience a positive change from doing something because you expected to experience a positive change. So, if I start drinking celery juice and I believe it has magical healing properties, I will look for every reason why it has a positive effect on my health. This can lead to a perception that whatever you are trying is having a larger positive effect than it is.
In the case of the 1,000 people above that tried the method, some of the 40% who felt a little better might also think that they feel better than they do after they hear the stories, the 40% who no better may think they need to try whatever method is being promoted for longer, or in a different way to get the benefits, and the 10% who feel terrible are often told they are detoxing and can also be made to feel like they are not doing something right or need to keep doing it for longer…
And you rinse and repeat this process repeatedly to build up the testimonials and convert as many people as possible towards believing in your methodology. Because of the way you set it up, “I have this special answer that the government is hiding from you and you won’t find elsewhere,” the people that believe in you will usually tell lots of other people about it.
This helps grow your reach and build a larger and larger following of people who believe that you have specialized answers.
Occasionally you will have people from that 10% who are harmed by the protocols that you are recommending who will speak out about their experiences. But it can be easy to block and silence these people from reaching the audiences that you are trying to persuade.
Additionally, if you do a good enough job at positioning yourself as a guru you will likely have built a strong cult-like following of people who will also step up and defend you from any criticism because “it worked for them.”
And there you have it, this is how you position yourself as a health and nutrition guru.
But this is not without consequences.
The Harm That This Does
Let’s say that you are living with a chronic health problem. You are desperate for an answer, and you come across one of these gurus who claim to have the answer to your problems.
You buy into the belief, and you give it a try. You feel a little bit better at first, so you stick with it and continue to double down on these methods expecting them to produce the magical healing results that are being promoted.
But they never come…
And you have been led to believe that this is THE ANSWER.
Often paired with marketing that also causes you to distrust the medical system and believe that no one else can help you because that is how these GURUs often position themselves.
And this is how we have cases like Stephanie’s that were covered in the Vanity Fair article outlined above…
Or one of my clients, Emma, was led to believe that one of these restrictive diets was going to heal her Crohn’s disease, which led her to become malnourished and hospitalized on the verge of death.
Or a mother who I spoke to who put her child on a \Medical Medium protocol for Eczema which caused her condition to worsen and left her feeling lost and scared.
Or the 100s and probably 1,000s of people who have experienced negative health consequences buying into the idea of a carnivore diet.
These cases are not uncommon. People just don’t like to talk about them. They are often embarrassed that they fell for it and are often afraid of the backlash that comes with speaking out.
I, and several others, have received letters directly from Anthony William’s lawyer threatening litigation.
These exploitive tactics can have grave consequences, and the gurus that promote them are often willing to do anything in their power to keep the truth from being exposed.
Curious to learn more? Listen to the in-depth discussion on how self-proclaimed gurus exploit the public at the Nutrition Science Podcast.
- Unmasking the Exploitation Tactics of Self-Proclaimed Gurus ›
- Instagram Imposter Fraud is a Massive Problem, but Meta Isn’t Doing Much to Address it ›
On Wednesday, April 19th, there will be a solar eclipse and a new moon in Aries. For some of us, this energetic alignment brings an end to an old chapter we've been trying to close and the beginning of a new one we've been manifesting. It will also bring momentarily feelings of internal death and detachment, but remember, with death comes rebirth.
Growth and awakening are inevitable, especially during the spring season. This new cycle will lead to a reality check and exposure of self-sabotaging patterns or karmic partnerships. This energy may have already been making you feel uncomfortable in your own skin or in situations you normally have prospered; then it's most likely telling you it's time to shed old skin and let go of old habits holding you back.
The eye-opening effects of this eclipse may either make you or break you, but no matter where you land on the spectrum, the Aries energy is there to light the fire to the things we may have been avoiding and allowing to hold us stagnant.
Aries is a cardinal sign, and their season is all about embracing new beginnings and not thinking twice about burning off what no longer serves them. Libras, Cancers, and Capricorn suns and risings, also cardinal signs, will be amongst those who will feel these changes more deeply and emotionally.
Eventually, the assessment of our current reality and how we embrace this new energy will help us manifest in the outside world and set in motion new favorable beginnings.
It is not recommended to manifest during an eclipse due to the imbalance and shock of multiple energies around us. This solar eclipse will specifically supercharge the new moon and amplify our visions, emotions, and have polarizing effects on our current reality.
All of this will help us select the best way to grow into our truest potential, and sometimes that means coming out of the shadows to see things for what they truly are. The truth may hurt when we realize we have been self-sabotaging ourselves. We may discover we are the villain and hero of our own story and that we have been blocking ourselves in order to save ourselves.
So, if we can't manifest during this new moon, what can we do to help stabilize and ground ourselves? First, we must understand the purpose of this cosmic alignment. The message is to observe and not absorb and to connect with our purest energy by allowing ourselves to feel our emotions or conflicting situations without judgment.
Having grace and empathy during this energetic shift will help alleviate our emotions, bring peace to our ego, and initiate mental clarity. This may urge us to do sacred cleansing rituals or do more practical rituals such as exercising, journaling, speaking things out loud to people we trust, reading quietly, and practicing gratitude.
Remember, the only thing we can truly control is ourselves, our actions, and our emotions. This will be the truest test to understanding that surrendering to the Universe also means we trust our own intuition deeply.
Now let's take off the rose-colored manifestation glasses for a second and see the truth of our current reality. Yes, it's not ideal times, there are unfavorable things happening daily, and there are hardships on this journey that can feel draining. We may avoid certain situations to avoid waves of emotions and mental setbacks. However, this is the time to ask for guidance, find counsel or therapy if needed, and connect with our energetic powers.
Allow these moments of uncomfortability to pass us by without being consumed by them. The new moon graciously allows us to open new doors with our intuition and the solar eclipse is uncovering self-sabotaging blockages to heal ourselves. While Aries is lighting fiery energy to all of it and adding a breath of fresh air to our journey. It may feel overwhelming, or you may have already been feeling it for the past few days.
Again, having grace, empathy, and losing judgment of ourselves and those around us will help ground and stabilize us. A social media break may be needed to disconnect from outside negativities, we may crave solitude for moments of reflection, or we may need to connect with loved ones and friends to help give us new perspectives and clarity. Regardless of what you choose to do, allow yourself to sit back, relax, breathe in, and trust your intuition more than ever.
Try these cosmic affirmations to guide you back to your center during moments of anxiety, depression or when you need a little reminder of how powerful and loved you are.
- I focus on the love within me and align with it cosmically
- I break all patterns blocking me and let go of anything not aligned with my prosperity
- I sit in my gratitude and move freely
- I attract peace and tranquility in every room I step into
- My energy is prosperous and in harmony.
- I am open to receiving good energy and all good things meant for me
- La Brujita Del Jardin’s 2023 Full Snow Moon in Leo: What Does this Energy Mean for You? ›
- Full Moon Transformation: Stop Faking it and Start Manifesting it! ›
- Manifesting Mindset Guide with La Brujita del Jardín ›
