Lunar Love Letter 🌒 - April 8, 2024 — Pink Moon*

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes (+ 5 for the activity)

Important dates this cycle (in EST): 

Lunar Cycle Duration: 4/8-5/6

New Moon: 4/8

Total Solar Eclipse: 4/8

First Quarter Moon: 4/15

Full Moon: 4/23 Pink Moon*

Third Quarter Moon: 5/1

Happy magical new moon to your sweet soul 🌑

This past lunar cycle, I focused on releasing the effort of control, and in some ways, it’s led me to recognize inhibitions and hangups I have about some things — several of which are works in progress to release or at least ease up on. 

Trying to allow experiences to unfold takes a surprising amount of discipline — to notice when I’m trying to grip the wheel too hard, to remember to step back, to remember to breathe, and to remember that this is all new even though it seems so familiar. 

So I’m going to stick with it and keep exploring this vein for a good long while.

What about you? Did you loosen your grip on anything? Perhaps notice that a loud roar of strength was actually disguised fear of not being in control? If you have anything you’d like to share, I’m all ears.

—

Today not only marks the beginning of the newest lunar cycle for the pink moon*, it’s also the long-awaited total solar eclipse ☀️, which only happens a few times a year, and the path of totality changes so much that it’s pretty rare to find your home along the path. 

This year, mine is, and I’m stoked to experience this with my daughter. If you’re near me, you’re on the path too, and I hope you’re drenching yourself in this special astrological and astronomical event. Let’s seize these opportunities when they are literally right outside our front doors 🚪

This lunar cycle already feels so alive. Maybe it’s the solar eclipse. Maybe it’s Mercury retrograde. And maybe — just maybe — this is just spring 🌷

Maybe it’s just that it’s time. Do you feel it?

Time to revisit how we are seeing and experiencing things — specifically the things we tend to gloss over 🕶️

In spring, we hear lots of talk about new life that’s blooming big (which is very magical and important), and yet there are still all these other things that only show subtle signs of time passing. 

A tree grows a ring thicker. The ground has tiny new moss patches. House colors bleach a little more in the sun.

Before we know it, the whole outside world looks different, and we ask ourselves what were we doing that we didn’t notice time was passing?

Were projects, chores, and appointments dominating our lives? Where was our attention? Were we busy just trying to pass the time? 

Whatever was happening, was it worth it?

What did you miss? How do you feel about that? 

Obviously we can’t do all the things and be there for all the moments, but were you there for the moments you wanted to be there for? Did what you experienced fill you up from toes to crown? In mind, body, and spirit? 

I find this easier at times than others. I tend to go through phases that feel like this and then fall off or wander off. And I have a hard time recognizing this until something feels painful ⚡

In my physical yoga practice, this happens when I’m crunched for time, too focused on meeting the schedule and checking the boxes. I’m just showing up rather than being present, and I throw my body into the movement and shape without another purpose other than to just do it. Complete the task ✅

Then my body starts to hurt — some muscles grow tight and joints get extra clicky. My balance feels off. Granola and rocks set up camp in my neck and shoulders.

I’ve caused harm because I’ve wandered away from a practice of intention and alignment.

So I’ve got to pull myself back — and this doesn’t have to be some big overhaul. That would seem way too daunting and I would no doubt procrastinate and dodge it. 

Instead, it’s about reinvesting in the experience through nuance. What happens if I don’t worry about the end shape and instead focus on how things develop from small shifts? 🤏

This can look like checking in with our toes in mountain pose. Which ones are doing the most work? Can we shift that effort across all of our toes? What about the muscles around our collarbone and upper chest? Can we broaden and loosen them? 

Neither of these things change the shape remarkably, but they will drastically alter the experience we have because the intention shifts profoundly. It’s no longer about making a specific outward shape, but instead expanding our inward experience so we can embody the energy more fully 🧘

Off the mat, this can look like checking in with our main activities and seeing if these align with our values and priorities.

What would a list of your top 5 priorities and/or values look like? 

Mine first draft looks like this:

My own wellness and growth
My daughter
Kinder humanity
Nature
Authentic relationships

What does a rough draft of yours look like? Take a few minutes to jot a quick list down on a scrap piece of paper or your phone. It doesn’t have to be perfect or in any sort of order — there’s always room for change later.

How about a list of 5 things that take up most of your time, energy, and attention?

Mine might look like this:

My daughter
Caring for myself
Working/earning money
House chores
General bullshit

Side by side, how well do these lists complement each other (without a big long explanation of how one thing relates to another — I see you rationalizers)?

There’s some overlap in mine, but not as much as I’d like. 

Honestly, sometimes it feels like there’s not much I can do about that, and that feels discouraging 👎

Realistically, we can’t immediately check out of the systems contributing to some of the discrepancies. But we can create change in how we operate within those systems. I think this is a case where we need to revise what we already have in front of us. 

For me, I can’t stop working on things I don’t find as meaningful as others — bills don’t stop because I’m not feeling it — but I can use discernment about what projects I take on by making sure they align with my priorities and values. My house still needs to get tidied AND I want to play with my daughter, so I can make that playful. 

What can you do? How can you shift that effort over more of your toes or use your creativity to infuse more intention in what you do?

Think in terms of a gentle pivot after a quick, mindful reflection 🪩

Play with a few ideas and pick the simplest, easiest ones to start with. Let’s not make this hard — save that energy for something else ✨

I also encourage you to make this a recurring activity for yourself. I like to set up reminders to do these things every lunar cycle or every couple of months to designate time to check in with myself. This is a big act of self care and love 💜

My invitation is for you to take 5 minutes to make your lists and then let what you observe soak in and marinate, and then ruminate on how you can embed more intention with small shifts 🌟

Do it before you close out this email. Don’t put it off. Seize this day and this charged up moment ⏲️

If you’d like to share what comes up for you, I’d love to hear about it, so hit reply on this email or holler at me on the socials

🪄May we experience our days with more fullness and vitality of spirit ✨

From my heart to yours 💜

photo credit: Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash