Ever found yourself in a job that seemed to lack substance? What if you could create a hybrid between the physical and spiritual world? Here is a woman doing just that, Ruby Warrington. She is a business owner, astrology buff and now a published author. Her oozing love for fashion and her equal love for spirituality birthed The Numinous and led to her becoming a book author. Imagine if more people were marrying the things they love with their own mystical curiosities! Ruby has some very mind-opening words about how she was able to create a life she loves...
Q: Tell me about your cosmic lifestyle platform! What is The Numinous and when did you realize it was resonating with people? The Numinous is an online magazine and live event series that I launched in 2013. Coming from a background in fashion magazines, I felt there was a big gap for a magazine that made esoteric topics like astrology, tarot, and shamanism, for example, accessible and cool. I like to say I've updated all things "new age" for life in the Now Age! What I didn't expect was that so many people would say my site had helped them, but about six months after I launched I began getting emails thanking me for creating a platform about modern spirituality that finally spoke to them.
Q: Your book Material Girl, Mystical World just been published by Harper Collins! Congratulations, that's a big accomplishment and you've coined the term 'now age.' If you met someone in an elevator and they asked you why you wrote this book, what what you say? Thank you! I was actually approached by an editor at Harper about a year after I launched The Numinous, asking if I had a book proposal as she liked my different approach to all things spiritual. So I quickly got one together! The book is an intro to all the subjects I talk about on the site, but through the lens of my personal experiences—and subsequent transformation. Walking this path has been game-changing for me on every level, and the book is a memoir too.
Q: You've taken on a voice for women. When it comes to goals in our careers as women, how do we find more happiness? Wow—big question! I truly believe this will be different for everyone, since part of what makes us unhappy is trying to follow a path that's based more in what we "should" be doing vs. what really makes us come alive (meaning express ourselves fully and use our unique gifts to create lives that feel fulfilling and meaningful to us personally). This is a problem for women and men, but in general the options for how we're expected to show up in the world are narrower for females, so there can be more work when it comes to breaking the mold.
Q: I understand you have a background in fashion, how did you integrate fashion and spirituality? In its purest form, fashion is a way to express who we are—and if you look at all the ancient spiritual and religious icons, they are often adorned with incredible clothes and jewelry!The disconnect between these two worlds occurs when brands co-opt our innate desire to fit in and be loved / accepted, and try to sell us fashion and trends as a way to achieve this. It pays to be super wary about this—especially since buying endless new outfits as a way to feel more accepted / lovable, is also a major contributor to the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry.
Q: Your career in journalism has opened up to the mystical world. Can you tell us about how you became a writer and some of the highlights thus far? I've always been a story-teller—my mom even used to call me "radio Ruby" when I was a kid as I used to talk all the time! Add to this my love of reading, and as I grew up I became obsessed with the written word as a way to express our unique POV. I studied fashion journalism at collage, and began working in magazines right after I graduated.
Q: You came out of the metaphysical closet! Congrats! For those who aren't surrounded by crystal shops and don't live within a stone's throw of ten yoga studios, how do they get over the fear of showing up as a spiritual person? Own it! In the years since I started The Numinous, it's become way more acceptable—cool even—to show an interest in the spiritual side of life. I like to think my work has been a part of this shift in perception. Mission accomplished! But I also appreciate it's easy for me to say this, living in NYC. Lack of access to a like minded community is one reason I started Moon Club, which is an online community and spiritual mentoring program that people can access from anywhere. We have members all over the world, and meet weekly for virtual workshops and Moon rituals.
Q: Your book has been written up by Vogue, People and The New York Post, wow! Do you have a book tour scheduled where we can meet you? Yes the response has been so rad! I've been hosting events, talks and readings since the book came out, and the latest dates and locations are listed on my weekly newsletter.
Q: Were you always a bad ass self employed woman or did you have to shed some layers of self doubt? What advice do you have for those wishing to break the mold? Wow—those layers of self-doubt are never ending, and just a part of our evolutionary process. With each one that's peeled back we get stronger ... so we can begin work on the next one! As an Aries, I have always been a self-starter and pretty fearless about going after what I want, but turning what began as a passion project into my career / business is like the Mount Everest of learning curves. My advice is to just start. Then to ask a lot of questions, and ask for help when you need it.
Q: You share our love for astrology. What are your go to resources for astrological updates? I've recruited some amazing astrologers to write for The Numinous—Sandra Sitron, who writes weekly horoscopes and New and Full Moon posts; Jennifer Racioppi, who reports on each Waning and Waxing Quarter Moon; and Bess Matassa, who creates an amazing sensual overview of each transition into a new Sun sign. I also love Rob Brezsney's weekly newsletter.
Q: Thanks so much for letting us get a glimpse into your empowered life! How can we keep up with your writing and work? Any last words of wisdom for our magical readership? My weekly newsletter is kind of like a mini magazine—and people always tell me how much they love it! It has details of events and new posts on the site, as well as a weekly astro mantra for each sign. You can find it here. I'm also super active on Instagram and Facebook. As for words of wisdom ... the best ones are all in my book!
