​Today we have the first new moon in 2024.  In numerology, 2024 is an 8 year for the collective, which represents abundance and infinite possibilities.  I see the number 8 as a symbol of life which reminds us to return to a center point continuously.  What I hear and feel is that this center point is trust.  As we move through the ups and downs of life, we must continuously remember to return to trust.  To trust the process, to trust the support that we receive, to trust the divine timeline of life.

With a new moon, we can set intentions for this lunation cycle.  As I am working with my 2024 Moonology Diary, I am deciding to do things differently.  In the past, I set intentions loosely with the New Moon but failed to maintain consistency on how each moon was affecting my chart specifically.  Author of Moonology, Yasmin Boland, recommends using your rising (or star) sign to see which house is involved in order to hone your intentions.  I’ve decided that this year I would commit to doing things differently and do my best to align with the stars.  If you are interested in doing the same, I recommend picking up a copy of this Diary to follow along with the year as well!

Back to the Moon…

With the combined support of numerology and astrology, today is a wonderful day to set both short term and long term goals.  Capricorns are symbolized by the Sea Goat.  They are driven, practical, and determined.  They are connected to both the earth and water elements and are skilled at navigating both the material and emotional aspects of life.  I also like to think of them as being grounded in stability while also being connected to their intuitive wisdom.

The number 1 in numerology represents new beginnings.  But today the 1 is not standing alone.  It is paired with 2 others, amplifying the energy three-fold.  We take the number one and apply it to every aspect of our life.  Past, present, future.  Mind, body, spirit.  This is why we can channel this energy for the rest of the year ahead.

Are you interested in working more with the moon, or have you done so in the past?  If so, what impact has it made in your life? 

Today is a day all about transition.  A hinging point between worlds: light and dark.  It is a time of equal day and night; a time for balance.  For those of us in the northern hemisphere, this means we will slowly begin our transition towards shorter days and longer nights.  It is the beginning of the autumnal season.

We have already begun to experience the shortening of days and cooler temperatures, while the leaves have begun to change and fall to the ground.  The excitement of the summer has waned and we have begun to slow down in honor of the seasonal transition.  If you are anything like me, you already feel the desire to slow down and spend more time indoors.  With this transition, I have also found myself desiring to nourish my body in a very different way.

In the summer months I grew accustomed to eating on the go, whatever was easiest.  At the end of summer I was in the middle of moving and training for the New York City marathon, while also balancing work, family, and personal activities.  To say I was feeling ready to slow down is an understatement.  I didn't realize how exhausted I was until after I moved and also realized how I was living was not serving me to the fullest.

I was reminded to return to what I have learned over the years and began to show up for myself in a way to foster and develop self love.  I began to experiment more in the kitchen and strive to improve my relationship with how I fuel and nourish my body.

In Chinese Medicine, late summer is associated with the organs of the Stomach and Spleen, which not only help us digest food, but also help us to digest information as well.  The Spleen in particular is effected by over-thinking and worrying; which can be due to ruminating about past events but may also be due to cognitive activities such as studying, memorizing, and learning.

The Spleen also plays a crucial role in the creation of Blood. If you are feeling tired, depleted, and exhausted, or if you have a tendency towards having digestive issues, this oatmeal is a wonderful way to nourish your Spleen and Stomach in order to help you feel nourished and energized.  As a side note, the season of Autumn is associated with the Lungs and the Large Intestine, which this recipe is also beneficial for as both of these organs like to feel and operate best when moistened.

If you give it a try, let me know, I would love to hear your feedback.

I hope you enjoy!

Fear.

Isn't it interesting how some of us crave safety and security?  So much so that when we are in the presence of fear, we want to retreat, run, or hide away in order to avoid the situation completely.  On the other hand, some of us actually crave adventure or even risky situations; we have a warrior-like mentality and rise to meet the occasion, daring to embrace whatever the situation to be.  Both of these are normal reactions in the body, and we are hard wired to have a physiological response in the presence of fear.  How we handle the situation, however, is based on a variety of factors.

Fear is a normal physiological response that occurs when in the presence of stress, whether that is a perceived threat or any other form of exciting situation.  It is a time when the sympathetic branch of our autonomic nervous system becomes activated, more commonly known as the "fight or flight" response.  Our body either wants to run from the threat, or rise to face it head on.  When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the brain sends a signal to the adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys, to release adrenaline.  We experience an increase in heart rate, breathing becomes easier, the pupils become dilated, and we receive a rush of stored energy, while other "non-essential" activities such as digestion slow down.

Although this response is normal, it can become overactive when we are persistently exposed to a threat, whether it is real or imagined.  This means that for some, there is no "real" danger, only a perceived one.  We see this phenomena in the manifestation of phobias and irrational fears.  Some of us may even be genetically predisposed to having an overactive response or have experienced some sort of disease which disrupts the nervous system or glandular function.  Even modern day living can trigger this response through the heightened use of technology and the constant exposure to stressful information.  Less commonly, we can see an under active stress response where, despite perceived danger, an individual is unaffected.

So what can be done? 

First, simply bringing awareness and noticing how you respond in certain situations can be incredibly helpful.  Allow yourself to experiment with the feelings of fear.  Instead of going through your immediate response, pause and take notice of how you are feeling before taking action.  This, of course, does not apply if you are in immediate danger such as in some sort of attack.  In those situations, please, by all means, allow your sympathetic nervous system to do its job! 

Secondly, reach out for help.  Depending on the underlying reason there are so many different avenues to take towards restoring balance in the body.  This may be meditation, acupuncture, bodywork, talk therapy, supplementation (whether natural or synthetic), the list goes on.  Find the route that works for you with where you are at now, and be open to the idea that your needs may change and a different course of action may be required somewhere along the road.

The reason that this topic was on my mind today was because last night I went for a walk in the woods to enjoy the Full Moon.  This was not the first time I was out in nature at night, and we were not in the deep back-country; however, I still felt that creeping sensation of fear climbing up my spine and a minor panic from the unknown.  Because I knew that I wasn't in any immediate danger, I was able to pause and reflect on what I was feeling.  I took a deep breath and allowed myself to fully take in my surroundings.  My vision adjusted and I was able to see more clearly, my hearing became sharper, and my feet became more attuned to the terrain.

See if you can pause the next time you experience fear and ask yourself what your body is trying to communicate with you.  Are you in true danger or is it simply a habit your body has learned?

The Full Moon.

Today the Moon is Full in the sign of Libra.  According to Yasmin Boland, in her book Moonology: Working with the Magic of Lunar Cycles, the energy is focused on relationships and partnerships.  It is reminding us to see the beauty in life, and find balance between our individual needs and what we do for others.  Some questions to consider at this time include: