Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Monika Carless
When You Know It's Over With Someone But Can't Move On, These 6 Questions Always Help
If you're struggling to figure out how to get over a breakup, you're not alone. Learning how to move on and deal with the stages of a breakup — particularly if it was a difficult one — might leave you questioning how you could have done things differently. Every relationship reveals a different part of your psyche and emotional state. Perspective usually leaves the room when a love relationship ends.
The Tiny Emotional Quality All The Best Wives Have
Reasons why the best wives nurture — not 'mother' — their husbands. By Monika Carless Last updated on Jan 22, 2024 Photo: Katerina Holmes | Canva "Don't do everything for him, you'll regret it later." This was the sage marriage advice I received from my mother-in-law quite a few years ago. I shoved those words aside at the time, too new to relationships to know that they were golden crumbs on a path to healthy love and on how to be a good wife.
I Was 5 When my Mother Died—But that’s just Part of the Story. | elephant journal
I can’t say I remember the exact realization of my mother’s absence. I just remember that one day, this undefinable energy that kept me connected to everything in the Universe, this warmth that surrounded me and through which I was able to understand what was outside of myself…was gone.
The Danger & Trauma of Conspiracy Theory Rhetoric about the Ukrainian Conflict.
Ukrainians escaping Russia’s invasion crossed into neighboring nations like Romania, where at least 19,000 people had reportedly entered since the fighting began. “It’s surreal, we’re shocked,” one refugee said. https://t.co/OT4jZaMSEX pic.twitter.com/IwedBI3vWb — The New York Times (@nytimes) February 26, 2022 I don’t usually write politics—leaving that to those who can articulate the matter better than I can.
5 Essential ThĂch Nhất Hạnh Relationship Quotes on How to Love.
View this post on Instagram My first intimate relationship was all about romance, hormones, and beginning my life. As if I’d not been living before? Somehow, this man I’d set my eyes on, the one who would trust me with his heart and become the father of our children, was going to facilitate all my security and dreams while providing everything I’d read about perfect partnership. No wonder our relationship came to a painful end 15 years later. Who can live up to such expectations?
Mercury Retrograde & Full Moon in Cancer: A 30-Day Wellness Forecast. {January 2022}
View this post on Instagram Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed. ~ Oh, you may say, not this again! Mercury Retrograde and Full Moon can be sticky times, with all kinds of emotional or circumstantial obstacles thrown at us willy nilly. Add to this Venus Retrograde and the start of Aquarius season.
Wake Up & Smell the Smoke-This Documentary Exposes Wildfire’s Horrific Scale.
“The greatest tragedy is that we saw it coming.” ~ “Burning,” the Documentary. I know Amazon is the devil, but have you seen their documentary “Burning,” about the 2019/2020 bush fires in Australia? I heard about it on the radio one day, as I was washing some leeks I’d just dug up from the garden. I was intrigued to watch it, as a West Coast Canadian, having lived a few months in Australia and fallen in love with the land.
8 Ways to Wrap up the Old Year & Greet the New One with Intention.
View this post on Instagram “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” ~ Nido Qubein ~ The week between Christmas and New Year has traditionally been a time when I tie up loose ends and organize my life.
4 Questions to ask this Winter Solstice.
Winter Solstice is my most favorite Pagan celebration. (Okay, I may say that about every one of them!) “Also called Yule, or Midwinter, it is the shortest day and longest night, when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn, heralding the birth of the ‘Infant Sun’ born of the White Lady, after which the days begin to lengthen in the Northern Hemisphere. We’ve been descending towards this darkest of days since Summer Solstice, when the sun was at its height.
4 Essential Pillars of Long-Term Relationships.
“How many times do you think you’ve left me in the last 27 years?” This question popped up between my partner and me one day over dinner. “I’d say once a year?” I answered. “Probably more like twice,” he countered. “So that’s 54 times,” we laughed. By “left me,” we mean, talked about leaving. The truth is, our relationship has hit some pretty high notes. But anyone who knows us well knows that we have also hit rock bottom, true rock bottom, a couple of times. I’m a runner.
Vaxed & Shunned by My Spiritual Community.
I’m the last person one would imagine to take the vaccine within the sphere of my spiritual community. Aside from my personal circle, that community is about 40,000-strong on social media. When one is public with their life and has taken on any kind of leadership, their “persona” is at once real and imagined.
A Chocolatey Sex-Magic Recipe for Samhain.
“Suppose… the body is a God in its own right, a teacher, a mentor, a certified guide? Then what?… Are we strong enough to refute the party line and listen deep, listen true to the body as a powerful and holy being?” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes ~ Samhain is the perfect time for sultry celebrations.
What to Expect from Full Moon in Aries in Mercury Retrograde’s Post-Shadow. {October 20}
“Whether it’s science or magic, if it’s of fun benefit, enjoy!” ~ ed ~ Full Moon in Aries – October 20 Our ability to self-regulate during the next two weeks will be based in part upon what we do with the amount and quality of thoughts passing through our psyche. At Full Moon, we will be in the post-shadow phase of Mercury’s retrograde, meaning – it has stationed direct, but left are the tail ends of that energy, much like the wake left behind a moving boat.
A 15-Minute Practice for Embodying Gratitude & Calming the Nervous System.
View this post on Instagram Sometimes it’s difficult to drop into gratitude. We talk about gratitude, mindfulness, and presence because we know that that is the way we wish to experience life and wholeness within ourselves. Talking about it is one of the first steps toward that life; it informs our minds about the benefits of such practices.
Ecosystem’s Winning Writers: September 24-30, 2021
Our Ecosystem” makes it easy to Get your message out to thousands—& get paid. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, Elephant is independent, and mission-driven—and despite having (slightly) fewer resources, we believe in paying our writers to offer quality to our readers. Elephant was one of the first major sites to pay our best, consistent writers.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself during 2021’s Final Mercury Retrograde. {Sept 27-Oct 18}
“Whether it’s science or magic, if it’s of fun benefit, enjoy!” ~ ed ~ Mercury Retrograde September 27 – October 18 in Libra “Retrograde motion is an apparent change in the movement of the planet through the sky. It is not real in that the planet does not physically start moving backward in its orbit. It just appears to do so because of the relative positions of the planet and Earth and how they are moving around the Sun. Normally, the planets move west-to-east through the stars at night.
The Last of Summer’s Full Moons: Pisces triggers Emotions & Relationships. {September 20th}
View this post on Instagram “Whether it’s science or magic, if it’s of fun benefit, enjoy!” ~ ed ~ It is called the Harvest Moon, associated with autumnal bounty, but September’s Full Moon in Pisces is the very last of Summer’s full moons, rising just before Autumn Equinox on the 22nd. Full moon is Mother Moon. She is the fortress that has gestated our new moon dreams. She is expansive and illuminatory, often stretching us in uncomfortable directions.
Is Tiny Home Living a White Folk Hipster Trend or a Social Movement?
It could be that I’ve watched every tiny home video there is. Over the last five years, I’ve been exploring alternative housing and what it could mean to society. I’m fascinated by the idea of simplifying one’s life, reducing or eliminating debt, and participating in grassroots movements that could have a positive impact on human life as well as the environment.
She Took me to a Gay Bar, but Things Didn’t Go to Plan.
“I’m not much for labels,” I replied when, at age 19, someone asked who exactly I was attracted to. To be honest, I was only just figuring out that I identified as bisexual—attracted to my own gender as well as another, but not all genders I’m a cisgender woman who prefers the pronouns she/her. I have known since I was young that I was not hetero, though of course I didn’t have the words for describing what that meant.
Everyone should Watch this Eye-Opening Interview with Russel Brand & Vandana Shiva.
“In my latest Under The Skin podcast, I spoke with Indian scholar, food sovereignty advocate, and environmental activist #VandanaShiva.
Create a “Dark Moon in Aries” Altar according to your Sun Sign. {April 12}
View this post on Instagram *Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed ~ The dark moon in Aries falls on April 12. April’s dark moon is in the element of fire, which is either consuming or transformative, depending on one’s state of being in the moment. Either way, the crone moon phase (waning crescent to dark moon) is a journey into the depths of the soul.
Veganism is not a one-size-fits-all solution—we must go Beyond Vegan. | elephant journal
I live on Bear Mountain, on the south-western tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. It is the traditional and unceded land of the Lkwungen People, where for centuries, hereditary leaders, matriarchs, their ancestors, and creatures of the land and sea, have stewarded rich, visible, and invisible resources. It is the land of rolling mists, bears, deer, and cougars, and I am fortunate to see ravens and eagles circling nearby Mount Finlayson every single day. Bear Mountain is also a resort community.
If you Care about the Planet, Wildlife, or anything Remotely Green, please Watch these 2 Netflix Documentaries.
I readily admit that I’m addicted to planet Earth documentaries. If it has anything to do with sustainability, environment, wildlife, the mystery and beauty of nature…anything remotely green, I’m in! We all know the adage “out of sight, out of mind.” Isn’t it true that if we become disengaged with something, when it is no longer visible to us, we can become less attuned to the importance of it? I believe so.
The 2 Emotional Wounds that Cut the Deepest (& How to Heal Them).
View this post on Instagram “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” ~ Mary Oliver ~ It took me forever to conceptualize that core wounds are sacred allies. A core or emotional wound can be compared to a veil or filter of sorts that colors the perception of our human journey. We look and operate through the eyes of the wound, to the extent that it shapes our choices, relationships, and the quality of our life.
69 Unconventional Ways to Self-Care.
View this post on Instagram Commissions are open message me if you’re interested ? A post shared by annie miteva (@_minimalista) on Nov 13, 2019 at 12:10pm PST “You are the waterfall, not the cup.” ~ Kyle Cease ~ Sometimes we practice releasing, sometimes, filling. Sometimes we look for the balance, which can be more difficult than one might think.
Deep Questions To Ask Yourself To Get Over A Breakup & Move On From An Ex
Get some much-needed clarity after your breakup and learn how to let go. If you're struggling to figure out how to get over a breakup, you're not alone. Learning how to move on from an ex you might even still love and dealing with the stages of a breakup — particularly if it was a difficult one — might leave you with a lot of questions about how you could have done things differently.
Crack Open your Heart & Ease your Journey with these Mercury Retrograde Affirmations.
*Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed. Mercury is in Retrograde until July 31st and a little bit after that due to the after shadow effect. So, during this time, many of us have been feeling the pull of our core wounds.
Summer Solstice & the Dark Moon: Nothing is Impossible.
Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, where I live, spans June 20th to 23rd. I like to use the whole three days for celebrating as the Summer Solstice is bursting with promise and hope for the future, and is intensely powerful. June 21st marks the longest day and the shortest night in the solar year and brings completion to the dreams we invoked on the Winter Solstice. Nothing is impossible now. All that awaits the birth of our future ventures is focused intention.
Choose a Woman who will Serve you Truth.
It is a piece honoring the divine masculine in its widest embodiment. Those words have circled the world a few times over, found a home in the hearts of “lovers and other strangers,” as Leonard Cohen would say; all of which has been my honor to witness. I have quite often been asked to write a corresponding piece focusing on the divine feminine, and finally, the time is right.
The Empowered Empath’s Survival Kit.
Every time you read, share, comment or heart you help an article improve its Rating—which helps Readers see important issues & writers win $$$ from Elephant. Learn more . 0 Heart it! Do you love this article? Show the author your support by hearting.
Can we still Love Osho after watching “Wild, Wild Country”?
0 Heart it! Do you love this article? Show the author your support by hearting. “Why shouldn’t truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.” ~ Mark Twain “Wild, Wild Country” is an exposé of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho) and the commune, Rajneeshpuram, built by his followers in some proximity to the tiny town of Antelope, Oregon. Say what?
Aquarius the Non-Conformist & July’s Full Blue Moon. What Every Sign can Learn.
I carry the Sun In a golden cup And the Moon In a silver bag By an older definition, if there are four full moons in an astronomical season versus the normal three, the third full moon of the four is then the Blue Moon. A rarer occurrence than the above. A moon that actually appears blue is caused by a rare type of dust in the atmosphere. This Full Blue Moon is wickedly influenced by the sign of Aquarius.
Ooh! A Coconut Oil Recipe for My What? {Adult}
“The first wealth is health.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson . Every time I think I’m over my love affair with coconut oil, I find more ways to incorporate it into my lifestyle. My favorites over the last two years have been: Oil Pulling. This helps with white teeth and healthy gums. I’m addicted to the insanely clean mouth feeling, and colds and sore throats are a thing of the past Body moisturizer.
Eckhart Tolle Quotes to End Emotional Suffering
I was at the Findhorn Community in northern Scotland when I first heard of Eckhart Tolle and his book, The Power of Now. The Power of Now was many things to me but mainly it taught me how to escape emotional suffering by connecting my thoughts to the present moment and end the emotional turmoil found while living in the past and the future. I had already done a lot of work around releasing trauma and abuse from my childhood years, which was wonderful.
Running on Empty: 7 Tools to Heal Emotional Exhaustion.
“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” ~ Pema Chödrön “I’m so tired! I just want to close my eyes.
Men Don't Leave This Kind of Woman
Eleditor’s note: Elephant is a diverse community. We are reader-created. Many blogs here are experience and not fact or “The One Right Point of View.” We welcome all points of view, especially when offered with more sources and less invective, more frankness and less PR. Dislike an Op-Ed or opinion? Share your own take here. . “Find a woman who makes you feel more alive. She won’t make life perfect, but she’ll make it infinitely more interesting. And then love her with all that’s in you.” ~ Gayle G.
9 Morning Habits That Will Change Your Life.
A healthy body, spirit, and mind are just a few simple habits away. I know this because over the years I have gathered up the following, in a quest for balance throughout the day. On their own, they have an incredible impact. Together, these habits create a fertile bed for a life well-lived. As a general rule, I wake up quite optimistic. Do my habits have anything to do with my exuberant view of mornings? Do they help me tackle the day with vigor and enthusiasm?
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Monika
Contact Monika, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack