Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode!

Today, I’m honored to be joined by Noa, an intuitive Western tropical astrologer and artist with a deep love for nature, live music, and the occult.

Noa is the astrology columnist for The Whidbey Weekly—the only independent and locally owned newspaper on Whidbey Island, Washington—and she also publishes a free weekly horoscope on her website, readingsbynoa.com.

With over 10 years of experience, Noa is dedicated to making astrology more accessible and digestible, offering practical insight for navigating everyday life. Be sure to follow her on Instagram for updates on local and in-person events.

In this episode, we dive into astrology starting with the birth chart—the snapshot of the sky at the moment you were born that offers insight into your life’s purpose.

We explore astrology’s Big Three: your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, and how these placements reveal how you show up in the world, how others perceive you, and the deeper landscape of your emotional life. Noa also breaks down the many types of astrology and the different ways you can work with it to support your personal journey.

We talk about:

We close our conversation by looking ahead to upcoming astrological events, including the powerful 2026 eclipse season and the square between Uranus and Aquarius, culminating in a collective call to action on February 17.

Shortly after, we discuss a once-in-recorded-history moment: on February 20, structured Saturn and imaginative Neptune unite at 0° Aries, the very first degree of the zodiac—amplifying 2026’s wildly unscripted and transformative energy.

✨ Are you ready for the unexpected? ✨

Connect with Noa https://www.readingsbynoa.com/ 

Follow Noa on Socials! https://www.instagram.com/readingsby_noa/ 

Why This Episode Resonates With Me

I remember the very first time I heard the word Reiki. A friend invited me to hear a holistic practitioner speak about connecting with spiritual guides.

I was curious and excited—but I had no idea that gathering would introduce me to an entirely new world of mind, body, and spirit healing.

There were about 20 people in the room—different ages, different backgrounds—all settling in. As one couple walked toward the front, the man suddenly tripped and fell hard in front of the stage. He was clearly in pain and couldn’t get up on his own.

What happened next left a lasting imprint on me. People rushed to help instantly. They gathered around him in a circle, some gently placing their hands on his injured knee. The speaker herself joined them.

After a few quiet minutes, he was helped to his feet and guided to a chair. He thanked everyone, saying he already felt better. When the speaker returned to the stage, she said something I’ll never forget: “It’s so beautiful to see a community that truly cares for one another. And while we’re not here today to focus on Reiki—your hands supported this man’s healing through the flow of Reiki energy.”

I was stunned. People around me nodded knowingly. I had never heard of Reiki before—but I had just witnessed its effects firsthand. That moment sparked a deep curiosity. In the months that followed, that speaker became my Reiki teacher—and eventually, a dear friend.

Over the years, Reiki has opened an entirely new world of healing, awareness, and connection for me.

🌿 What Is Reiki? Reiki is a gentle energy healing technique that works with what’s often called Universal Life Energy. • Re means universal • Ki means life force energy A

Reiki practitioner acts as a conduit, allowing this energy to flow through their hands to support the healing and well-being of people, animals, and even plants.

Reiki is not religious and it is not massage-based. It works with the natural energy that flows through all living things.

🌿 Where Does Reiki Come From? Reiki originates in Japan.

• In 1914, Japanese therapist Mataji Kawakami developed a healing method called Reiki Ryoho and later published his work.

• In 1922, Mikao Usui, after a spiritual awakening on Mount Kurama, refined and shared what we now know as Usui Reiki. He taught over 2,000 students before his death in 1926.

• One of Usui’s students later taught Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to Hawaii in 1938, helping it spread throughout the United States.

Today, Reiki is practiced worldwide and has evolved into many different lineages.

🌿 How Does Reiki Work? Reiki supports the body’s natural healing process by helping energy move freely through the chakras and energetic pathways. It is not forced and always respects free will.

I often remind my clients: Reiki knows what it’s doing. The energy flows where it’s needed—and where you’re open to receive.

🌿 What Does Reiki Do? Reiki helps relax the nervous system, moving the body out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and restore,” where healing can naturally occur.

Common benefits include:

• Deep relaxation

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Improved sleep

• Energy balancing and emotional clarity

• Physical support for pain, fatigue, and general discomfort

🌿 How Do You Become a Reiki Practitioner? Reiki is learned through study with a Reiki teacher, who shares techniques, symbols, and energetic attunements.

Each level works with specific symbols, including: • Cho Ku Rei – Power symbol • Sei He Ki – Harmony and emotional healing • Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen – Distance healing • Dai Ko Myo – Master symbol

Training typically includes: • Reiki Level I • Reiki Level II • Reiki Master • Reiki Teacher

My own Reiki journey has unfolded over many years of study, mentorship, and self-practice.

🌿 What Happens in a Reiki Session?

During a session, practitioners channel universal life energy through light touch or hovering hands. Sessions can be in-person or at a distance.

Clients remain fully clothed, and practitioners usually work with the chakras and energetic field. Many people feel warmth, tingling, or deep calm—others feel very little in the moment but notice shifts afterward. Hydration and rest are encouraged following a session.

🌿 What Does Reiki Feel Like?

Experiences vary, but many people report:

• Deep relaxation and peace

• Warmth, tingling, or pulsing sensations

• Emotional release

• Visualizations or memories

• Temporary healing responses like fatigue or mild discomfort as energy shifts It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the body can release old emotions or trauma—and how immediate relief can follow.

🌿 Is Distance Reiki Real?

Yes—many practitioners and recipients experience distance Reiki as effective. Using intention and symbols like Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, energy is sent beyond physical space.

Many people feel relaxed, grounded, or emotionally lighter afterward—even from miles away. Distance Reiki is often viewed as a complementary practice alongside conventional care, especially for stress and emotional support.

🌿 Is Distance Reiki as Powerful as In-Person?

For many, yes—sometimes even more so. Being in your own environment can allow for deeper relaxation, which is key to healing.

🌿 Where Can You Experience Reiki?

Reiki is offered in:

• Wellness centers

• Yoga studios

• Hospitals

• Private practices

• Homes

• Distance sessions worldwide

I invite you to join a guided self Reiki practice with me that you can do daily to attune your body to the healing energy of Reiki!

Thanks so much for joining me today!

If you would like to learn more about the topics we covered, see what events are going on in the Be Well Darling community, or have a free sound bath check out my website at BeWellDarling.com and follow me on socials!

Until next time, Be Well Darling

Episode 2: How Gratitude Improves Mental Health, Self Love & Well Being

Podcast: Be Well Darling 

Host: Laura Darling

Episode Overview

Hello Darling, Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode of Be Well Darling. Today, we’re diving deep into the meaning of gratitude — what it is, why it matters, and how it touches every aspect of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

You’ll learn how to cultivate both gratitude and self-gratitude, and how making gratitude a daily practice can align you with your most authentic, fulfilled life.

🌿 Why This Episode Matters

This episode is especially meaningful as we enter the holiday season — a time when many of us gather with loved ones to share meals, stories, and appreciation. gratitude was at the top of my list when I envisioned the Be Well Darling podcast.

I wanted our journey to begin by holding gratitude for you, and for the life experiences that brought our paths together. I also share my personal reflections on self-gratitude — stepping forward bravely to share my voice, and honoring myself in the process.

🧠 Why Gratitude Is So Important In this episode, we explore how gratitude uplifts your whole health. Research shows that gratitude can:

If gratitude has this much power, why reserve it for the holidays? Let’s make it a daily practice.

💛 What Gratitude Really Is

Gratitude isn’t just a polite “thank you.” It’s a deep appreciation for the goodness in your life, seeing experiences as gifts, and choosing an outlook filled with value, hope, and generosity. It’s your emotional signal that you are experiencing something good — and your mind and body respond in kind.

📝 Gratitude Exercise #1: Your Top 10 Grab a pen and paper for a guided practice:

Many of us forget to include ourselves. Today, we begin shifting that.

🌸 Deep Dive: What Is Self-Gratitude?

Self-gratitude is not about achievements, milestones, or doing. It is the practice of appreciating who you are — your inner worth, strengths, resilience, and humanity.

Together we explore its four key aspects: 

🌙 Benefits of Self-Gratitude Practicing self-gratitude can:

📝 Gratitude Exercise #2: Reframing Gratitude

Now let’s shift the perspective.

You’ll begin to see the pattern: Everything in your life begins with you.

✨ Final Thoughts You are the catalyst — the spark — behind your relationships, dreams, and growth. Over the next few weeks, try adding 1–2 things each day that you are grateful for about yourself:

As you head into the holiday season, remember: You can bring the food, the décor, the energy… but the most important thing you bring is you — present, grateful, and whole.

🌼 Connect & Continue the Journey If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone seeking more gratitude and self-love in their life. Let’s continue this journey of wellness together. With love, Darling.

💛 Tune in for the next episode where we talk about aligning your energy through Reiki, learn what Reiki is, the foundations of Reiki, how it can support your energy and physical well being.

Welcome to the Be Well Darling Podcast, your space to explore wellness for the mind, body, and spirit. I’m your host, Laura Darling—a holistic practitioner, Reiki Master, sound healer, life coach, and psychic medium with more than two decades of experience helping others reconnect with their authentic selves. In this very first episode,

I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing the true backstory behind Be Well Darling—my personal journey through spirituality, trauma, healing, reinvention, and the deep calling that brought this podcast to life. 🌿

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

💫 Why This Episode Matters

If you’ve ever felt lost, disconnected, or unsure how to balance a spiritual identity in a modern world… this episode is for you. My hope is to guide you through the vast world of wellness so you can discover what resonates, what heals, and what helps you create the life you dream of.

🔔 Weekly Intention

A Moment to Connect Before we dive in, I invite you to pause, breathe deeply, and settle into a 30-second sound healing designed to raise your vibration and bring you fully into the present moment.

🧘‍♀️ What This Podcast Is All About Be Well Darling is built around three core pillars:

Each week, you’ll learn practical ways to integrate different modalities into your daily life—so you can build a wellness practice that aligns with your unique needs.

🌸 A Glimpse Into My Story In this episode, I share: 

This episode is an invitation to walk beside me as we begin this journey together—one rooted in truth, courage, and wholehearted authenticity.

✨ My Intention for You May this story inspire you to: 

We’re in this together, Darling—learning, healing, evolving, and becoming our most authentic selves.

🎧 Listen + Subscribe Join me each week as we explore tools, stories, and conversations designed to support your wellness journey. From spiritual insight to practical techniques, this podcast is your safe space to grow, heal, and reconnect with who you truly are.

🤍 Connect With Me If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who may need it. Thank you so much for joining me in this weeks podcast!