After so much reflection and digestion—eliminating what served its purpose over the last month, last season, last year, and what no longer contributes to your desired and current direction.
After tending to the little, or not so little, deaths within—saying goodbye, giving room for grief, and honoring how far you’ve come already.
Lift your head.
We are in a season of the NEW. The world looks different now in so many ways than it did this time last year. Wisdom and clarity gained through experience wash away the fears we once had and empower us to face what is next; knowing that what we once found so daunting holds very little power over us, or none at all. Being new allows so much room to explore, to learn. When you are new, it is unreasonable to expect that you would have all the answers. In fact, it’s impossible.
In the northern hemisphere, we will celebrate the vernal equinox tomorrow heralding the season of Spring. Spring as in leaping, popping up; as in arising from, preceding, pre-seeding. Over the last few years, spring has felt like a sliver of optimism lapping at the edge of our experiences. This year, we’ve got a chance to catch a big wave that could have a long-lasting influence.
The sun has moved into Aries and we begin the zodiac year again. Represented by the ram, the energy of this sign and this season is that of scaling the mountain in front of you and of meeting your challenges head on. Aries is not only the initiator, but I also think of it as the baby of the zodiac; all big eyes searching and little teeth set for gnashing, a strong and adventurous body launching itself forward into the world. Aries takes no issue with being new, and is almost zealous in its affinity for beginnings. As a fire sign, it can have the tendency to take action first and think later, but sometimes you just gotta get out there!
If you’ve ever seen the movie Superstar with Molly Shannon, the opening scene is of children at a swimming pool. One child gently dips their toe in the water, sits down on the edge, and eases themself in. The next shot is Shannon’s character as a little girl—glasses, pigtails, flip flops and all—taking a running leap and cannonballing into the pool sending a tidal wave of chlorinated water over the sides. THAT is Aries energy.
—New Moon in Aries—
Tomorrow’s New Moon in Aries embodies this youthful energy. New moons are a time of clearing the slate and embarking on the next project or a new direction. When the moon is dark in our sky, her fullness is all potential. We know that with attention and energy, our projects will come to some kind of fruition, but what that looks like is a beautiful and infinite mystery in this moment. And it’s okay to not know! Remember that uncertainty is a portal. And being new is an invitation to exploration. This is a season of first steps, not rehearsed choreography. After a season of contraction, there can be a little discomfort when switching gears into expansion. Allow yourself some surrender to the surge inherent in this season.
We are invited to resolve conflicts and emerge emotionally transformed. This moon makes a square to Mars, which can fuel a desire to act on and achieve your dreams, or create emotional tension that instigates impulsive action. But a wide conjunction with Mercury can smooth out communication and add poetic license to thoughts and ideas. It may be easier to express yourself now, but don’t go looking for conflicts or starting fights. With the Moon sextile Pluto, we have an opportunity to transform our emotional approach to situations. Assert yourself with others if necessary, but more importantly find and own your inner resolve.
FOR THE BODY
Aries rules the head, face, eyes, teeth, and brain.
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Time to book your check up with the eye doctor and the dentist. It's easy to forgo check-ups, but finding a provider that you trust and getting an objective evaluation can help to avoid problems down the road.
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TMJ issues? A dysfunctional TMJ can be a factor in neck and upper back pain, sleep issues, eyestrain, and it can contribute to anxiety by keeping the sympathetic nervous system activated. Book a CranioSacral session**, facial massage, or gua sha treatment to release muscle tension in the jaw. In fact, try relaxing your jaw right now!
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On your next hair wash day, indulge in a scalp massage! Starting at the hairline in front of your ears, use your fingertips to make small circles up and around your face along the hairline. Then from the ears again, make rows of small circles along the hairline moving toward the back of the head. Finish with small circles coming up from the hairline at the back of the neck.
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Eat plenty of orange foods high in beta carotene to support vision health (carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe and bell peppers); the crunchy fruits and vegetables can also help to keep your teeth and gums clean through their fibers and by balancing out sugar intake.
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Work with carnelian, red jasper and bloodstone to boost your confidence. Alternatively, tiger's eye and unakite will soothe any impulsive behavior and protect your energy.
*I am not a doctor nor registered dietician. Please consult your PCP to make sure that any changes are correct for you and your body.
** Interested in CranioSacral Therapy, but not local to PDX? Feel free to email or DM me with any questions you have. I love to talk about the experience and benefits, and I'm happy to help you find a provider where you live!
—Pluto in Aquarius—
Pluto moving into Aquarius on March 23 will give us a dose of collective transformation over the next three-ish years. So for this initial season, allow yourself the liberty of unburdening. Step into this spring with wonder of what may come and notice what space opens up when you’re not carrying it all. Of course there are things that will follow us until we have created new operating systems that no longer use outdated tools. For example, we’ll continue the spiral of late-stage capitalism as long as we continue to prioritize profits over people, a perspective that is carved by the blade of individualism over the unifying concept of individuation. (For an explanation of individuation, click here!) But the obsolescence of such tools will become obvious as we strengthen our collective resolve and move into new contexts and new relationships.
Individualism is a practice of being wholly independent and therefore self-serving. While it is a healthy practice to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others, individualism would suggest that helping others might slow you down or is otherwise not in your best interest.
Individuation is defined as the simple act of being identified or distinguished from others, but it is inherently relational. One cannot be distinguished or identified without the other. Therefore, individuation also upholds our integral relationship with the other and with the Whole.
—To Make Manifest—
AIf you have a manifestation practice, this is the moon for you! Manifestation as a concept is often misinterpreted as “wish for a million dollars and you’ll wake up to find it in your bank account!” And, while unexpected events can surely fulfill wishes, manifestation is more of a mindset than a magic trick. When working with the framework of Human Design in INITIATION and Counsel, I caution Manifestors, Manifesting Generators and even other types with defined throats, or a current transit defining their throat, to be careful of what they say about themselves and their current challenges or desires. Spoken words are energy, vibrations traveling through and altering the sea of neutrinos around us. But manifesting a desire into reality generally takes a greater attunement to one’s perspective and energy before the words are even spoken.
How are you approaching a current challenge or a desire for change?
Is what you desire something that will nurture your unique expression?
When we get honest with ourselves about whether we are in our integrity or not, it is much easier to attune to the perspectives and desires that harmonize with our individuation and our direction.
All creative endeavors by the nature of bringing things into being, are manifestation practices. By which I mean to say that you are way more magical than you think.
I personally love a theatrical ritual but if lighting candles, meditating, and chanting aren’t your thing, journaling is a great practice to hold yourself accountable to your dreams and desires.
Create a vision board that you can look at throughout the day. I’ve been known to make digital collages and set them on my home or lock screen on my phone, and I keep a Pinterest board called “Desired Outer Reality” that grows with my dreams and goals.
Another option is mind-mapping. Start with your ideal outcome of a situation or the highest potential of your goal and work the steps backwards to where you are now. I find that a whiteboard is super helpful for this process.
—Gate 25—
When the New Moon reaches its zenith tomorrow, the Sun and Moon will be in Gate 25.3—the Gate of Innocence, in Line 3: Sensibility. Gate 25 is located in the G-Center of love, identity and direction and has the energy of transcendental love, the love of all things equally through a reclamation of innocence. With the Sun and Moon in this gate, we are offered a chance to tap into our innocence, and express ourselves through love… yes, as cheesy as it sounds. In Line 3: Sensibility, this expression is most harmonious when it comes from the recognition that innocence in action or intent does not guarantee success. We approach things with a sense of innocence in order to support our flexibility when we inevitably encounter shock or failure.
Let us remember this openness and curiosity as we step into the NEW.
As always First name / my dear friend, I hope that this resonated with you and I am so excited to share more about what's to come. I'm happy to answer any questions via email or DM (@honoredbody). If you want to share the Moonsletter with others, feel free to pass it along! And if you're reading this and you haven't signed up, join here!
