I’m excited to share that our move has officially begun, and with that, I will be keeping these weekly letters quite short while we situate ourselves & tend to the building of our new sanctuary.

With that, here’s a muse in the form of a song for your week ahead ~

If You Haven’t Heard…

My Moon Den sale is still active! If you place an order before the 22nd you’ll receive an automatic discount of 15% off, regardless of your order total. This is a great time to restock your personal collection, and I’m so grateful that many of you have already claimed much of what is in stock! I love seeing all the different candle combinations & sharing this magic with you. <3

🕯️Browse The Shop🕯️

I’m also dropping a link to August’s Skygazing Report below which is full of wonderful info that will surely inspire you through the rest of the month. Tomorrow is a significant day, with a conjunction of Venus & Jupiter taking place in the pre-dawn eastern sky whilst the waning gibbous Moon passes Saturn near the meridian midheaven. Read the report below for all the details!

✨August Skygazing Report✨

Patience & Perseverance, Prudence

Maybe it’s because the Siouxie and the Banshees cover of Dear Prudence just started playing, but the notion crossed my mind earlier, and we shall take it as a delightful synchronicity.

The Muse asks, how do you practice patience? How can you patiently persevere?

It almost feels like a paradox. To persevere is to move, to act, to continue, to press on. To be patient is to accept the circumstances at hand, to pace yourself. So how does one assist the other? Or, are they obviously intricately connected?

In my own life, there are dozens of things requiring me to be more patient right now. Drafts that are still drafts. Paint that is drying. Song mixes that aren’t mastered. Poems that haven’t been edited. Lifetimes waiting to be lived.

Patience, Prudence.

Yet, at the very same time, there are deadlines on the horizon. Earth spins on its axis again & again & again. Days go by, lunar cycles begin & end, and even though we haven’t even reached the September Equinox, it feels like the year is almost over. Madness!

We have to maintain momentum, but we must moderate our movement. (My more mystical friends might be starting to draw some connections to the recent Mars-Saturn opposition & the sagas that has brought to the main stage.)

When unpacking glassware, who is more likely to drop something… she who is breathing steadily & reaching carefully, finding a quiet rhythm all her own - or she who is constantly having to catch her breath, anxiously glancing at the clock every few seconds?

Maybe both, maybe neither. But this is no zen parable. It’s just an inquiry.

Can we stop glaring at the time?

Can we breathe deeply?

Can we persevere with patience?

Maybe to persevere is to be patient. Maybe to be patient is to persevere.

What do you think?

Leave a comment

But enough from me, let’s hear what Jon Kabat-Zinn has to say about patience.

The following is from his book Wherever You Go, There You Are.

If you cultivate patience or forbearance on a regular basis, inwardly and outwardly, you almost can’t help cultivating mindfulness, and your meditation practice will gradually become richer and more mature. After all, if you really aren’t trying to get anywhere else in this moment, patience takes care of itself. It is a remembering that things unfold in their own time. The seasons cannot be hurried. Spring comes, the grass grows by itself. Being in a hurry usually doesn’t help, and it can create a great deal of suffering- sometimes in us, sometimes in those who have to be around us.

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We know that things unfold according to their own nature. We can remind ourselves to let our lives unfold in the same way. We don’t have to let our anxieties and our desire for certain results dominate the quality of the moment, even when things are painful. When we have to push, we push. When we have to pull, we pull. But we know when not to push too, and when not to pull. Through it all, we attempt to bring balance to the present moment, understanding that in patience lies wisdom, knowing that what will come next will be determined in large measure by how we are now.

It is Monday again, and I’m writing you from a disheveled den. Candles are cooling, packages are waiting for shipping labels, sauté pans are covered in the remnants of dinner, and we just ran out of toilet paper. We’ve also just begun moving out of our apartment!

Every night & every morning I give thanks for these trivial tasks & troubles. It is so overwhelming to realize how lucky we are, and when I say we - I truly do mean you & I. Those of us trying to cultivate some sort of unshakeable inner peace so that we can be more resilient in the face of struggle, and in turn, support others.

With that in mind, today I pulled cards for us.

May they inspire new ideas, personal reflections, solutions to problems, or other creative endeavors in the coming days ~

Musings For The Week Of August 4th

A 2 Card Pull

Immediately after shuffling, I was intrigued to see the Sagittarius card emerge, because the Moon is currently moving through that zodiacal realm. The Personal Transformation card came next (equally interesting), thus, this is our pair for the week.

When I think about Sagittarius as an aspect of our human consciousness, I think about our tendency to believe that our beliefs are universal truths. ‘Believing our beliefs’ is an act which itself can be attributed to Sagittarius, and that idea alone is a tremendous concept to contemplate.

When it comes to personal transformation, this awareness of objectivity is a crucial thing to consider. I wonder sometimes, how different the world would be if all the many religions of the world never cared to be “true” or “right”. On a smaller scale, how many petty arguments could we avoid in life simply by hearing each other out rather than clinging to our aggravations simply because they are our own.

And when it comes to all this personal transformation stuff, it’s so.. well.. personal! We have to zoom out, widen the lens, take it all in, and leave no stone unturned. No lesson unlearned! Because transformation might not occur within the parameters that your personal trainer promised or your Sunday School teacher declared. It might not even come from reading the book that guaranteed monumental perspective shifts.

You have to remain curious, and devoted to freedom of choice. Together, these two cards remind me of the constant work required when we choose to grow… to understand… to evolve. Hundreds of people will tell you how to do it, the best way to do it, the quickest way, the real way, the most enjoyable way, etc. But only you can pave the particular road you’re meant to travel.

The quote above is from this May musing ~

Now that you’ve read my interpretation of these cards, what’s yours? Take this invitation to practice intuitive writing (stream of consciousness), and allow the mind to ramble, watching words reveal themselves one by one. You never know what might come through.

Enjoy the practice, and enjoy this Full Moon week !

~ Alyssa

My plan today was to share the August Skygazing Report, but I’ve changed my mind! There is no order without chaos!

However, fear not, I am less erratic than you might think, and I’m simply going to start publishing the monthly skygazing pieces in their own space rather than absorbing them into The Monday Muse. You can expect the August calendar to land in your inbox by Friday.

Musings For The Week Of July 28th

With that, welcome to a new week.

Nature Musings

Today I’m sharing a short piece by Hal Borland, which was originally published on July 20th, 1969. It is the selected work for July 28th in his wonderful almanac style collection Twelve Moons Of The Year, which was released posthumously in 1979. It’s a delightful book. At times a bit outdated, but, other times, unbelievably timeless & essential.

I smiled with surprise as I began reading this piece. I never know what to expect with Hal’s writing. Some pieces are strictly about bugs, others mention birds, some are about plants, and yes, sometimes, the Moon is a muse!

Read, breathe, and see what happens next . . .

Queen of the Night, by Hal Borland

No matter what they bring back from the moon, the men who arrive there today will not alter the moonlight that has fascinated man and warmed his dreams since he first took shelter in a cave. It is still Queen of the Night, out there in the darkness. It is still the goddess that a dozen civilizations have named to their pantheons - Diana, Phoebe, Cynthia, Artemis, Hecate, Selene, Luna, Astarte. No rocket or module or chemical formula or equation can destroy it.

There it is, a gleaming, golden crescent in the western sky; then through its phase of waxing till it rises in the east at sundown, a great coppery disk that becomes the silvery full-moon sentinel of the whole night; then waning, a wasted half-moon high in the sky at dawn, a last-quarter crescent low in the east, and gone again in that dark phase which ends with a new moon in the west again.

Long before he calculated the earth’s seasonal relationship to the sun, man based his calendar on the moon’s predictable phases. We still recognize the Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon. For generations, farmers and gardeners planted and reaped by the moon’s phases, believing that it influenced growth and yield. Now we know that the moon is responsible not only for the ocean’s tides but for an earth tide that also ebbs and flows.

June moon, October moon, January moon, March moon - moon of visions and poems, of love and dreams, of tides and the throbbing pulse - still in its orbit, unchanged through the eons, predictable as today’s sunset.

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Lunar Musings

I also want to encourage you to meet the moon this week! She is waxing, and at the time that I am typing this, she has just passed the planet Mars. I’m hoping to get a few pictures after sunset - prime viewing time!

Watch the Moon transform from that gleaming, glowing crescent to a half full disk between tonight & Friday evening. Let a sense of amazement wash over you.

Let it be a reminder to reconnect with the natural cycles around you & within you.

How is an Aquarius Mars different from a Virgo Mars? Is it as simple as contemplating the difference between the elements of Air & Earth? Is it too personal for us to possibly conceptualize without experiencing it first hand?

When I woke up this morning, this stream of consciousness began to flow from my mind. I had to promptly open a sketchbook and stand by the window to let the first words escape.

So today, we’re musing on the twelve different zodiacal lenses through which we can experience & interact with the archetype of Mars.

Mars holds the sword which marks a boundary. The athame which pays tribute. The dagger which protects. The blade which separates. The torch which burns bridges. The candle flame which enchants.

It is one thing to possess a weapon. But, how will you wield it?

Selfishly? Recklessly? Compassionately? Honorably? Will you act on physical principles? Spiritual ones? Emotional ones? To be aware & conscious of the full spectrum of possibility is to know the scope of Mars' potential.

These short descriptions are not meant to replace or contradict your understanding of Mars. These are simply examples of how I have come to perceive the archetype in its most resonant forms.

In Aries,

Mars is the one who leads the group through crowded city streets, turning their head, not often, but often enough, to keep track of those behind. Mars will take you toward the overlook that awaits at the end of the woodland path… toward the restaurant that expected your arrival 3 minutes ago. Aries Mars cares less about repercussions and more about asserting their truth - whether in debate, discussion, or private deliberation.

In Taurus,

Mars is the one who establishes that “it really isn’t worth it to go all the way out there when we have everything we need right here.” Taurus Mars says “I’ll preheat the oven. I’ll light the candles. I’ll put a record on.” There is no conceivable reason to tolerate that which does not feel good. To fight for what creates a sense of comfort in the body & the soul is paramount.

In Gemini,

Mars is the one constantly adjusting their perspective while following every curious impulse that arises. Gemini Mars does not let spiraling thoughts crowd the mind, rather, ideas are experimented with playfully as a way to make better sense of what it is we actually want to understand more deeply. There is great potential in every fleeting moment, within every itinerary, in every plan to play things by ear - and this is where things get interesting.

In Cancer,

Mars is the one who possesses a powerful emotional resilience that is not going to settle for being mistreated. Not the common “mama bear” cliché, for without shadow work you are overprotective at best & overbearing at worst. The desire to create a personal safe haven is the ruling motivator here, and Cancer Mars will follow their heart to pursue this no matter what it might entail, defending the castle walls with compassion rather than cruelty.

In Leo,

Mars is the one to let the light in. To fire up the heart. To add more wood so we can be here all night. “Tell me about the things you love”, Mars beckons. Hear the cadence of the question and know that it translates to “tell me you love me, tell me your most joyous visions, and tell me how you love your self.” Leo Mars is at times insatiable, eager to turn passion into something that has potential. Never for the sake of the return ceremony, but for the sake of doing what feels true.

In Virgo

Mars is the one behind the drum kit. Taking power of the body and pairing it with distinction & discernment. Movement is swift, the skin begins to sweat, but the mind keeps time. The spirit and the sounds work in tandem. Virgo Mars is methodical, holding tempo & rhythm in each palm, but it is the heat of the action which rules the soul and defines the path forward as self discipline becomes something tangible to offer others.

In Libra,

Mars is the one who acts with caution. There is too much at stake to waste energy jumping to conclusions. Libra Mars trains amongst others, observing what might require a real fight and what requires a middle path to be cut through the brush. But who walks the path first? Fair is fair, but honesty takes precedence, and that which the self needs must always be honored.

In Scorpio

Mars is the one who will listen intently as you bare your soul and read your first poem aloud. Like a lit candle’s reflection in a ruby bowl of water, Scorpio Mars can be difficult to completely make out, yet its presence is immediately felt. Social dramas are nothing more than incessant distractions to the task at hand - diving into the murky depths of personal truth where meaningful transmutations can take place.

In Sagittarius,

Mars is the one who is willing to walk into the unknown. The fiery spirit who will try new things with enthusiasm, who will perhaps overexert themselves and run out of gas before even reaching the state border. Even so, the next step is clear, to walk along the alien highway finding not only a station to refuel, but a few keepsakes and trinkets as well. Sagittarius Mars might be constantly wondering how far the limits can be pushed, but the soul is fueled by devotion & instinct.

In Capricorn,

Mars is the one who acts with persistence. It might not always be directed toward that which is constructive in the moment, but it will matter in time. Capricorn Mars must remember that restorative practices that soothe & sustain the soul are essential for longevity. There can only be so many hours dedicated to the honing of skills. The desire to burn the midnight oil, to plan accordingly, to cultivate, to calcify, all of this is essential, thus the inner work becomes learning to trust that pausing is not the equivalent to giving up.

In Aquarius,

Mars is the one who is thinking for themselves & questioning social constructs. There is an understanding here that there are far too many beings in this day & age for absolutes to exist. Nuance and complexity are necessary ingredients in every recipe. If Aquarius Mars is to fight for freedom, it is freedom for all, not just those who share their specific values.

In Pisces,

Mars is the one treading through dark waters, unable to sense where sea becomes sky or where sky becomes solid ground. Trusting that the battle is over, Pisces Mars breathes with a power that knows no bounds. Drive beneath the haunted overpass, stand at the shoreline at midnight, walk into the basement alone, and cultivate courage you never knew you could possess.

What other unique expressions of Mars have you experienced?

What is Mars in Virgo currently teaching you?

Leave a comment

Interested In Working With Mars?

If you found these musings inspiring, you might consider adopting a Mars Altar Candle from the shop (linked via the button below). Obviously I am going to refer you to my creations as I can attest to the fact that they are made with reverence & great care, in accordance with planetary timing techniques, but of course, any well-made red candle you can get your hands on can work as a Mars tool!

Mars Altar Candles

Light your candle any time you require a bit of fire, any time your energy is waning, or any time you desire a boost of motivation. Honor Mars on his day, during his hour, when the planet itself is rising or setting, or during a significant transit unique to you.

Additionally I also create herbal blends that can be used as spell candle dressing, burned as loose incense, or any other way you see fit.

Planetary Herbal Blends

Lastly, I’m leaving the link to Tool’s album Fear Inoculum, which is bursting with Mars energy, both lyrically & sonically.

Wishing you a fiery, inspiring week ahead ~

The two are so deeply entwined. Interconnected. Almost symbiotic. I truly can’t think of one without the other.

Maybe some curious thoughts have started to swirl around your mind. I’ll continue to write, but what do you think? Are they two halves of the same coin? Are they connected in some other way? Please fill me in !

Leave a comment

Maybe you’ve heard this phrase before:

“Look on the bright side, things could be worse!”

Stirs up a lot, right? Like okay thank you for the spiritual bypassing Sharon, I know it could be worse. It can ALWAYS be worse. But it still sucks (whatever it is).

So now gratitude feels like an annoying older sibling asking “did you die though?” and grief feels like a song we’re not ready to stop listening to on repeat.

As if grief must be immediately quelled. As if it is something to recover from. Something that we must cope with. Yes we can be thankful when a circumstance is nothing more than mildly stressful or upsetting, but we need not resist the urge to grieve, regardless of the reasons.

I keep wondering when we’ll stop trying to suppress our emotions.

Through mindfulness practices, we grow conscious over time of our own tendencies, and how we interpret & express our feelings.

Mindfulness has taught me that grief is not something we are meant to avoid. Maybe it’s taught you the same thing. Maybe you were already on to this simply by being an observant human.

Grief and gratitude are equals, and when we are immersed in one, it is the memory of the other that deepens our experience of whichever one we are sitting with. One is no better than the other, rather, they create balance.

I’ve learned that gratitude isn’t just some synonym for being thankful. It’s a feeling of reverence. It’s an understanding of how miraculous the most simple aspects of our fleeting existence are. It’s an extension of feelings like love, empathy, acceptance, and awe.

Acknowledging gratitude in moments of grief can either alleviate the weight of that grief, or add to it. We can never know what will happen until the moment arrives. Sometimes I feel so grateful, I become wildly overwhelmed, and my body experiences physical sensations similar to grief.

Sometimes the two arrive in tandem.

Sometimes nothing makes any sense whatsoever, and all we can do is ride the wave.

Welcome grief. Greet it like any other emotion. Name it. Trust in its transient nature. Contemplate whatever heavier feelings it arrives wrapped within and allow them to transform into something profound, poetic, or allow them to carry you back into the present moment by simply reminding you that you are alive.

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The desire for solitude is acute - studies find that 85% of us are craving time alone. Yet most of these same people also fear such time. Psychologist Bill Plotkin writes in ‘Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche’, “Maybe we’re afraid of solitude because it threatens us with boredom or an anxiety that can lead to difficult truths, unfinished emotional business, and the shadow side of human nature.”

Haupt goes on to say,

“Within hours or days, this sense of recollection [which she feels when she finds serenity in solitude] is often displaced by a teeming, shivering anxiety. All of my schemes and plans call to me. Solitude mocks them all, and me along with it. I get edgy and fretful.”

I’m immediately reminded of a meme I’ve seen a few times already this Summer….

Ha!

Now, obviously there’s unspoken nuance at play, and because I am a member of the Nuance Spokesperson Association (I made that up), I’m obligated (I’m not) to say the following…

For every perceived truth, an opposite truth exists. For every person trying to tune out their internal monologue with music and media and shallow conversation, is a person who just wants to enjoy the sounds, the sights, the fleeting banter, etc. with no ulterior intentions.

Alright, but maybe you’re wondering, what are we musing on anyway?!

• Is it the idea that solitude is essential, despite it being a catalyst for discomfort?

• Is it the idea that being alone is imperative to our well being, even though it feels like the most impossible thing to claim?

I mean, try telling that to someone who is alone constantly, who feels trapped in both his head and his house. Try telling that to someone who feels isolated even amongst a group of friends. Again, everything is complex. There are no absolutes, and nuance is so so so important.

Haupt takes the conversation further, writing,

In the 1990’s, Dr. Marcus Raichle (a professor of radiology and neurology at Washington University) and his colleagues were studying the parts of the brain activated by certain tasks. They unexpectedly discovered that there are a variety of areas that light up only when there are no external distractions. These include highly potent “self-referential” processes, including the recall of personal memories, emotional states and feelings, and the evaluation of sensory input. When external distractions are removed, these parts of the brain are allowed to work at full capacity.

No wonder solitude is so unnerving, powerful, and essential. Solitude lets the enormity of our brainscape roam free. Solitude allows our most sensitive feelings and memories and self judgments to surface. Solitude frees us from what psychiatric science calls the spotlight effect: the tendency that we have in public to overestimate the attention others pay to our accomplishments, our errors, our appearance, and the words that come out of our mouths.

Find A Used Or New Copy Of 'Rooted' Here

Haupt goes on to describe that many people feel a sort of compulsion to present their lived experiences in group settings or on social media in a way that leads to acceptance & approval, rather than doing such in a way that feels personally fulfilling & rewarding - which has become increasingly more common as time spirals on. Again, nuance! Not everyone is doing this. There are still wholesome examples of people sharing what brings them joy and lights up their spirit, and I’m lucky enough to see it first hand in my own community.

She also establishes that there is a fundamental difference between solitude and isolation. She states that solitude must be willingly chosen.

I find myself now biting my tongue, as “working in isolation” is something I’ve said to describe myself. I’m going to reframe this as “working in solitude”, because though I do feel quite lonely at times, more often than not, the solitude is chosen, and the time is well spent.

However, if we are not ready to sit with silence, a great way to acquaint ourself with it is to embody it. To be the observer.

To quote another article...

“When you get good at observing your self you will notice it the moment something triggers you. You will notice the first sensation of feeling uncomfortable, the impulse to want to do something in response, such as move, speak, or to withdraw from someone. When you are very skilled at being an observer you will be able to observe this impulse and refrain from acting on it. In this moment you will notice a second response, the one that happens in our body and emotions when we don’t follow the automated response of the first stimulus. It is in these moments that we grow out of old patterns and begin to consciously create new patterns and behaviors.”

As usual, within the mindfulness practice of observing our thoughts, of stepping out of the conscious experiential headspace and into the perspective of the witness of our life, of our thoughts - however briefly - is where things transform.

Not between the pages of self help books, not in the hours spent listening to podcasts or astrology reports, not in between the lines of even the most inspiring substack articles. These things can awaken new thought, yes, but only your mind & body can integrate what you retain.

Things transform in quiet fleeting moments.

When we stop trying to fill the space, or optimize the moment, or smother ourselves by daydreaming of improvements to be made, better case scenarios, answers to personal questions, or things we should have said or done.

When we finally fucking pause,
look around our environment,
breathe in,
and breathe out,
(hi, I just did it, and it took 9 seconds)
we are slowly integrating mini moments of solitude.

This is how we can truly tend to our nervous system.

There is no need to obsess over it, no need to create goals around it, no need to learn more about it, no need to somehow hack it.

We just need to observe.

& solitude can show you the way.

Before you go,

This month’s Skygazing Report can be found here, in case you missed it!

Feeling The Friction

Lately my days have been riddled with existential dread, the resurfacing of self doubt, the overthinking of choices, and an avalanche of trivial fears surrounding material matters. More than anything else, I’ve been feeling the friction again.

But let me define friction, because as with everything, there is a spectrum of experience, and the word itself is neither inherently good nor bad.

In contrast to what I perceive positive friction to be [friction that might leave you feeling a bit uncertain, a bit frustrated, or even a bit insecure for a moment in time], negative friction is a kind of friction that is reoccurring. It is the kind that leaves a sensation much like stubbing your toe on the same dislodged sidewalk stone every day. When it repeats, you know, this isn’t just an obstacle to overcome. This experience is asking you to do something different. To find another route.

I’ve been feeling this friction every time I sit down to write something new. It starts with an overwhelming sense that I’m still trying to “play it safe” with what I share. That I’m still not saying what I want to say. That I’m still biting my tongue. That I’m still trying to appease every single potential reader, even whilst I sit here in what often seems like an empty room. That I’m still hiding what might be considered too mystical - because, “how selfish is it to focus on that which is meaningful when so much of our global experience is cruel & meaningless”? Or that I’m still censoring this other side of my mind that wants to focus on the practical - contemplating the absurdities of pseudo-spirituality with some Palahniuk sense of humor.

But what if astronomy friends are turned off by astrology musings? And who really wants to hear about mindfulness again & again & again? Or if I mention the candles I create simply because I love them, is someone going to roll their eyes at me for ‘shamelessly marketing’ myself?

I’m left feeling the ridiculous friction of constantly piecing together posts in some manic effort to prove my worth while neglecting what I find truly interesting & inspiring. It doesn’t feel good. That’s not what I’m here to do.

Then I go outside, and I start to remember why I’m alive.

The whole point of this substack is simple: to share personal reflections & contemplations - musings, if you will - that I hope will provide creative inspiration.

It can be literal, like feeling inspired to create a poem, or it can be conceptual, like feeling inspired to create a new thought or belief.

Share Your Insight:

• What inspires you most?

• When you feel inspired, what is your first instinct? To create? To be present? To behold without attachment?

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Jupiter Comes Back Around

Sunday felt like a turning point amidst all these thoughts, and though I strive to catch myself before falling into any kind of mental ditch, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. But more often than not, there is something cosmic happening simultaneously that inspires me to remember how many possibilities are always just a consideration away.

In his book The Inner Sky, astrologer Steven Forrest writes: An individual can respond to a birthchart in an unimaginative way, or vibrantly and creatively.

I think of Steven’s words often, especially when my social media feed is filled with posts attempting to define zodiac signs by personal idiosyncrasies or correlate transits with wildly specific world events. Of course, I am sometimes a walking contradiction, and sometimes a very “textbook” Cancer Rising person.

Still, I’d prefer language like “that happened at the same time of this transit, how interesting” rather than “that happened because of this transit, of course.” Because in my heart, I don’t believe planetary transits are the cause of earthly happenings. Which might make me sound like a jaded astrologer, but I also struggle with giving myself that label in the first place. I believe we can be spiritual mystics, and we can acknowledge the symbolism, the cycles, the patterns, and the various colors that come with specific astrological aspects, without trying to affirm that the chicken appeared before the egg. But that’s a philosophical rant for another time.

So, when I was born, Jupiter was measured to be 3 degrees from the Cancer Solstice Point - the astronomical point found 90 degrees from the First Point Of Aries (where the Ecliptic & Equator intersect). So along this cosmic racetrack, defined by Earth’s directions & the apparent path of the Sun, Jupiter is noted at 3 Tropical Cancer, otherwise known as 93 Ecliptic Longitude.

Look to the outer wheel and you’ll find what our skies looks like currently. The Jupiter-Sun alignment known as the Jupiter Cazimi is happening tomorrow, and my own personal Jupiter Return is happening now along with that event. Hopefully that is easy to see by noticing the matching numbers near the glyphs on the left side of the wheel.

After this low energy period of second guessing myself, worrying that I’m not living up to my potential, Jupiter offers an invitation. The letter reads: How do you truly want to meet the world? You’ve only got one life. It’s time to start living it.

Now, though the return only applies to me (well, maybe you too, depending!), something we can all consider, is this:

How can we recommit ourselves to the evolution of Cancer Jupiter, what it hopes to achieve, and the sense of meaning & connection that it stands for? We’ll be here for a full year, and then Jupiter moves into the realm of Leo (6/30/26), so regardless of where your natal Jupiter is, these are still questions to be asked. Colors to be used. Mediums to experiment with.

Ritual Recommendations:

• What rituals, practices, or routines are you calling in this year to embody Jupiter in Cancer?

• Consider sharing one thing related to working with Jupiter that someone else reading this might be inspired by!

Leave a comment

It’s a big week, and my intention is not to force my hopes or dreams, or as Robert Hand wrote “focus on exaggerated expectations.”

But I do hope that by listening to my instincts, and by nourishing the ideas that feel most meaningful, I will be able to cultivate connections and share more of what matters in this lifetime. Did I mention we are also going to be moving into our first home one month from now? Cue the astrology jokes. More musings to come.

Until next time !

~ Alyssa

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~ one ~

the limit of our desire?

as if to say

what i’m doing is

acceptable, of course.

of course

see

it’s not so bad

just one

just a taste

just

j

u

s

t

o

n

e

and i wonder

wtf

is the issue with two,

or more,

then what?

what actually happens?

why do the words

~ just one ~

even enter the air?

an impulse of the mind, maybe.

but from where does the thought emerge?

and why?

and

what will happen

if you eat more than one mozzarella stick?

at first i laugh

and then i want to cry

because for some reason

you believe

that to have a second one

would disrupt your entire world…

but life is too cruel,

too fleeting,

to deny the equally fleeting joy

that comes

from the magnificent gift

(may we all be so lucky)

of more than one mozzarella stick.

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In addition to this manic musing…

June playlists can be found here

June Skygazing Notes can be found here

Rambles on mindfulness can be found here

Thank you for reading :)

- Alyssa

After two days of transporting heavy boxes, walking up & down hills, packing, unpacking, doing two weeks worth of laundry at the laundromat, and driving across the island & back - I sit in contemplation wondering how many others, having taken on similar all-consuming weekend itineraries, might say that finding a moment for mindfulness amidst the madness was simply impossible.

I wonder if mindfulness itself seems inconvenient.

I wonder if pausing feels like a waste of time.

I wonder, also, if we feel we don’t deserve to be so present, because how can one speak of mindful awareness when the world can be so cruel?

I do feel conflicted talking about spiritual concepts during the current state of the world, but I find balance by keeping my political resources close, and I trust you do too.

What I’m here to share, is mindfulness.

For the parent, for the activist, for the artist, for the anxiety-ridden, for every human walking the earth with a brain & a spirit.

But before I start to ramble, I want to remind you of two previous Muses that were sent out this month!

June Skygazing Notes can be found here, giving you a complete calendar of what you can plan to see in the sky this month, which includes this week’s Full Moon!

June Playlists can be found here, curated to provide numerous soundtracks for your work day, beach day, afternoon commute, or evening wind down.

Well… after working a vendor market on Saturday dealing with the most overwhelming traffic logistics, navigating torrential downpours, and carrying boxes of inventory from car to table & back again, I returned home around 1am.

Quite late.

I knew the next day would be another laborious one so I unpacked as quickly as I could. But as I walked toward the trunk from the driver’s side of my car, I caught sight of a hazy light glowing low in the Southern sky behind a layer of quick moving clouds.

“Waxing… floating just above the neighbors fence…must be a Scorpio moon”, I thought to myself while taking a moment to sigh deeply for what seemed like the first time all day.

It was a brief moment of ease.

Of connection.

Mind gazing at the moon. “Wow”

Body breathing with relief. “Ahhhh”

It was effortless.

It was a moment made possible by a series of moments that came before it.

I didn’t need to put my boxes down & pull out my phone or run inside to find a book to know what the moon represented because I have my memories, and I know my environment.

I know the realm of deep space from which certain stars like Zubenelgenubi beam light in our direction.

We call it Scorpio, and it notes a portion of the apparent path of the Sun (the ecliptic). In reality it is a distant segment of our own orbital path. This realm lies between the 210th & 239th degree of the ecliptic, as far as astronomy is concerned.

The Scorpio realm has its ritual correspondences as well. Tarot pips 5, 6, & 7 of the Cups suit are associated with this astrological sign, as is the element of Water, and the planetary archetype of Mars - to name a few.

So this short mindful moment had me thinking of all these things. The waxing gibbous moon. The essence of Scorpio. The ways I’d been expressing my emotions as the busy weekend begun.

It wasn’t inconvenient to breathe.

It is never inconvenient to pause & reflect.

It does not waste time, because the time is yours & yours alone.

No one asks you to clock in to your thoughts.

No one is telling you to stay for a specific amount of time.

It is your physical body that must do the breathing, the being.

It isn’t work to regulate your nervous system.

To turn mindfully inward.

To tune out & drop in.

When was the last time you released a sigh so long you started to feel funny about it?

Why not try it now?

I feel like I rarely “frame”

the various practices I share here

and I wonder

if that’s purposeful or not.

{ as if I must at all times rebel against

constructs & their implications

(some kind of aquarius mars thing) }

{ as if to say

listening to music

is explicitly connected to

seasonal living // mindfulness // spirituality

is too specific of a musing }

But just as quickly as the worry arrives,

I instantly remember

that my experience is my own,

and I am never pushing a persepctive.

[[ 19.68 million humans in New York alone ]]

Anyway..

I love the way life feels

when music & sunlight come together.

So enjoy perusing these summer playlists.

Thinking of spending some time outside while listening?

Read through the post below to plan your adventures accordingly!

Happy listening ~

But I am not dwelling on this error, and in lieu of missed musings, I’m hoping I can still offer a bit of inspiration through sound.

Maybe this was nothing more than a logistics mix up on my part, or maybe it was some divine interference so that you’d have one less thing to read today, and one new thing to hear. Maybe, maybe not. But, maybe..

Though music taste is a wildly complex and subjective thing, I suppose my hope is that you’ll be reminded of something you’ve forgotten you love, or that you’ll find something new that you can’t get enough of.

A girl can dream!

Anyway, we’ll be back next week with the aforementioned skygazing notes. Until then, enjoy these records, and if you find yourself particularly fond of one, consider hunting down a vinyl or checking out what kind of merch is available :)

1. Slow Air by Still Corners

2. Mezzanine by Massive Attack

3. Kid A by Radiohead

4. Advaitic Songs by OM

5. V. by Wooden Shjips

6. Blackwater Park by Opeth

7. With Teeth by Nine Inch Nails

8. MTV Unplugged In NY by Nirvana

9. On Dark Horses by Emma Ruth Rundle

10. The Universe Smiles Upon You by Khruangbin

click the audio file above to listen to a recorded version of this post which includes a guided meditation practice ~

Happy Moonday friends,

I’m sure your inbox is currently collecting quite a bit of full moon mail - as is expected around this time of the month - so rather than pouring more ideas into that glass, our musings are a bit different this week.

Of course, I still encourage you to meet the moon as often as you can in the coming days as the full moon begins to wane toward last quarter. May Skygazing Notes can be found here, and will give you the scoop on what to look for through the remainder of the month.

& here is the almost full moon over the Atlantic ocean on Saturday 5/10:

But when you go out tonight, will you only gaze towards the east?

My guess is that you will first breathe in the air of dusk, admiring the colors of sunset as earth spins away from the center of our solar system. The moment the disc of the sun sinks below the western horizon is the moment the moon will rise in opposition, but something else will be happening.

Once the sun is no longer visible, bright stars will begin to appear, starting with the brightest planets. Those of you who had been tracking evening star Venus with me through the winter likely remember how quickly the planet appeared at dusk - and right now, it is Jupiter who sets second after the Sun.

So we set our sights this week (and for the rest of the month really) on Jupiter, who will soon be hidden from our view as the annual Sun-Jupiter cazimi approaches (occurring on June 24th). A cazimi occurs when a celestial body is conjunct the Sun, both aligning to the same ecliptic degree. After the cazimi, Jupiter will reappear at dawn, but we’ll talk more about that in our July Skygazing Notes.

The photos below were taken on Saturday over a period of 60 minutes.

1st photo: 7:55pm
2nd photo: 8:15pm
3rd photo: 8:35pm
4th photo: 8:55pm

Even the most practiced skygazers will find themselves looking up at a daytime sky wondering again & again, where will this star I’ve been observing appear? We can estimate of course, even with precision, tracing some invisible arc from the sinking sun, but the excitement of spotting that first glimmer against the vast expanse is unparalleled.

For the sky to transform from a blank canvas of orange, yellow, and blue hues, to a shimmering work of art, we must be patient, and with that patience, our practice can deepen with such potency.

In the space between anticipation & expectation, we can learn presence. We can learn acceptance. We can say wow without wondering why.

“Implementing wellness routines are vital to catalyzing improvements in all parts of your life.”

At first, I am irked.

I say to myself, watch this be some oddly specific list of things you must do, without any nuance. Then I pivot. Maybe whoever said this was simply feeling super grateful for their personal practices, and just had to share. No harm in hoping to reach like-minded others who might find support & motivation from your experiences.

So I read on through the list that followed. It included things like meditating, working out, etc. Simple & straightforward enough.

But a few lines down, I came face to face with the thing that I had feared I’d find.

“I highly suggest lifting weights four times a week.”

Ah, specifics. Why!

Am I irked because there was no disclaimer? Am I irked because someone might see this article and come to the conclusion that they won’t see improvements in their life because lifting weights four times a week isn’t something they want to do? What about once a week? What about gaps in exercise supplemented by other things? Useless? Not worth it? Will I no longer be catalyzing my journey toward a better quality of life?

I wonder how often things like this are said.

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It is wonderful to share the idea of a routine or practice.

Tend to your muscles.

Tend to your joints.

Tend to your cardiovascular system.

Tend to your lungs.

Tend to your nervous system.

Tend to your thoughts & feelings.

Tend to your nutrition.

Tend to your skin, hair, eyes, nails.

But there are so many different types of humans.

Maybe you won’t lift weights four times a week.

Maybe you won’t cook dinner every single night.

Maybe you won’t attend that 75 minute yoga class every, single, Friday.

But…

Just because you aren’t adhering to a highly specified schedule or method, does not mean you are somehow failing, or struggling, or not trying hard enough.

Find your pace.

Find your practices.

Find your peace.

Free yourself from specificity.

Sometimes, the most meaningful change you can make is adjusting your approach.

Sometimes, peace comes not from more effort—but from more reasonable expectations.

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ICYMI

Check out May’s Skygazing Report below!

& here’s a photo of the waxing crescent Moon & Jupiter from 4/30

Thanks for reading :)

Today I’m throwing form into the lake. So no form, and maybe no particular function, but hopefully a bit of fun and, as always, a bit of inspiration ~

A POEM

after midnight
i had said,
“those experiences are universal, regardless of who you are”,
in reference to something about fatherhood -
or what was it?

maybe i’d remember if there were no sirens.
but suddenly we’re here.

and the thought that followed that one
possessed me to say
grandmother energy is saturnian.
because it absolutely is.

and later he’d said

“what will it take for you
to be okay with being yourself?
it’s like, the question of the decade.”

but we only laughed.

now i’m listening to planet caravan.
and i’m swirling my wrists & hands.
i’m breathing in rhythm with the drums.
i’m having the best fucking time obviously.
(and don’t dismiss yourself, mom&dad,
never underestimate the 5 minutes)

inhale inspiration.
exhale expectation.

i know i know i know -
they’re saying that in the new age circles too.
and the weird wellness whirlpool that tries to pull everyone in.
(of course some maintain a mindful mystical sensibility
while others mindlessly misconstrue it,
but most are well intentioned - if that matters)

as if the only way to practice presence is to spend
hours, months, weeks, & days.
preposterous!

presence is found in fleeting moments,
in the space between each breath,
in the split second of silence
before a siren goes off.

A PLAYLIST

Sometimes I want to rip my ears off - full Van Gogh.

Sometimes I can’t just ‘take a breath & reset’ even though I always talk about it.

Mindfulness is an experiential ongoing practice, and some tests are going to be tougher than others. I think of a test as an experience that pushes you to the point of a primal response, whether that’s screaming, crying, or anything in between those extremes. We can’t be at peace 24/7 - we only rest in peace, after all.

A Second For Sky Gazing

Before we talk mindful musings, let’s set our sights to the sky.

The date & time of each photo below can be found in its bottom right corner.

The Moon is currently waning, rising later with each passing night as it floats ‘round the earth & separates further from the Sun. Luna will meet royal star Antares (found within the scorpius constellation) on the 17th, with both rising just before 12am (see above). This is worth staying awake for! The last quarter phase will follow, occurring on Sunday 4/20, at the start of the tropical Taurus solar season (which denotes the sun moving along the 30th-59th degrees of the ecliptic where it can be seen tracing an arc from northeast to northwest).

Winter constellations will soon be hidden by the light of the Sun, but bright stars like Capella (Auriga), Aldebaran (Taurus), Betelgeuse (Orion), & Sirius (Canis Major), amongst others, are still immediately visible at dusk. Visit these stars a few more times, as well as Jupiter who can be found floating in the horns of the bull through the end of the month. Jupiter will only be visible in the evening sky for about one more month until it aligns with the Sun on 6/24. About 15 days after that solar conjunction Jupiter will rise as a morning star in early July.

Venus, Mercury, & Saturn are in the eastern pre-dawn sky this week, but might not be visible if you have mountains, tall trees, buildings, etc. near your horizon. I’m putting 4/24 & 4/25 on your radar now, when the waning crescent moon will join these wandering friends for a great photo opportunity or meditative ritual.

Liberate Your Soul

By the way, I only want to rip my ears off when the 8th propellor plane in a two hour window flies over the house while I’m still figuring out where I can set myself up so that I have enough room for all my books & my forearms. Or the times when there are landscapers outside and I had really wanted to keep the windows open. It is what it is.

But I wonder, when was the last time you lost your shit?

Forget justifications, excuses, guilt, grief, whatever. What happened?

I cried HARD through a panic attack on Sunday after bickering with my beloved. Such is life! Whether it was because him closing the temple door caught me off guard, or a dream I’d had earlier left me annoyed, or the conversation from two days ago was still fresh in my mind, or because I hadn’t recharged fully after three full moon readings the night prior, or a million other variables & possibilities, is irrelevant.

Because it happened.

I sat in my crossover with Domino in the passenger’s seat and I cried, I yelled, I took moments of silence, and I surrendered to this absurd selfish sadness & pathetic privileged problem. Cue the “married life” memes, sure. But I needed to release the struggle from my body so we could then work our way around every feeling carefully, though still chaotically, and eventually arrive at some helpful conclusions.

We’d been to cosm the night prior to celebrate the Full Moon & the month’s theme: Libration. Free yourself from yourself. It’s all I kept thinking while trying so hard to look at myself from outside of myself, to see where I could have acted differently - where I was indulging in anger & where I was actually transmuting it carefully. Because in order to liberate ourselves, we must be clear on what it is that we are being freed from.

Only the self can free the self from the self!

The small stuff starts to seem less dramatic when we realize the truth that life is a series of unfortunate events. Do you disagree? See, even when things aren’t explicitly “bad”, there will still be traffic, expired groceries, children with colds, delayed flights, funerals, bad dreams - you get it.

The Four Noble Truths is a core component within all buddhist schools, with the first truth outlining that, essentially, to live is to struggle. Pretty straightforward, right? I’m kidding, obviously there is a deep well of philosophy & practice to submerge oneself into here, but it actually is that simple. Even when things are going well, we might still feel uncertain about life or anxious about the future. Even when you’ve completed a project, folded all your laundry, and enjoyed a delicious meal- you might still be feeling uneasy about opening mail or scheduling that endoscopy. Trivial shit is the shit that our lives are made of!

I think my breaking point on Sunday was a personal realization regarding a pattern of conversational semantics. I’ll add that depending on the time, the place, what you’ve recently consumed, how you’ve slept, how your muscles feel, how your clothes fit, how quickly your brain has been processing information, (again, you get it), you might just have to lose your shit.

To suppress an emotion and label it inherently “bad” - or to see it as something we are forever working to avoid or “fix” (maybe via substances, medications, limited social interactions, or obsessively self improving1), we keep ourselves stuck in a cycle that will repeat again & again.

We are not separate from the full spectrum of our emotions, and this is continually revealed to me time & time again. Spiritual work does not solely happen in the serene silence of the sacred space - it happens in the mud, in the real world, in the line at the excruciatingly loud grocery store, during the argument with your partner, and during the evening commute.

Once the circumstance is acknowledged, the mind must mull over various considerations so you may never endure the same fate twice. So that you may evolve. So that you may understand yourself better than you did yesterday.

Questions For Liberation:

What can you liberate yourself from this week?

What kind of chaotic wild moments have you been trying to avoid?

Where can you cultivate compassion for that which is less than ideal?

Where can you let go of entitlement to cultivate understanding?

When have you overindulged in overreactions, and what can you do to grow from this pattern?

Wishing you clear skies & clarity of mind.

Here’s a musical muse to inspire you this week ~

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How interesting, that we observe these earthly milestones.

“It’s your birthday! You’ve grown. You’ve evolved. You’ve orbited the Sun, completed a full revolution ‘round it, and returned to the specific place in local space where you were born. All of this happening within the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy…. somewhere in deep space…. while the universe expands…. and, well, yes, you’ve aged a bit.”

So we celebrate our birth day. We celebrate a moment in time when the Sun returns to the degree of the ecliptic which hosted it back when we took our first breath of life. Which is wild, because on a very fundamental level, celebrating your birthday is an astrological ritual.

I know we don’t all think of it this way - some humans simply see time as squares of the calendar, numbers of the month. But I’ve heard phrases like “another trip around sun” spoken by those with little to no interest in, or understanding of, astrology. Color me perplexed.

I’m turning 35 on Wednesday.

Something about round numbers makes certain years feel more significant than others, and with that, years ending in 5 feel equally important. A decade goes by. We reach the halfway mark. On & on & on & on. With that, I’m thinking about what I can do to honor the feeling. Where will I walk? What will I witness?

Most of us cycle through the same rituals year after year. We look back on the previous year, we make wishes or set goals for the year ahead. Maybe there’s a feast, or dancing, or maybe we schedule some time in sacred solitude.

To think about your self, and your life…. in pursuit of self awareness & understanding…. well, the birthday is an amazing time for these practices.

I call this spiritual mindfulness. Which is my way of trying to bring specificity to an otherwise impossible-to-describe, all encompassing philosophy & lifestyle. Mindfulness itself is a multifaceted practice. A practice, because it isn’t simply a way of thinking, it is a way of existing in the world. Mindfulness can apply to your internal world as well as your external world, but when talking about spiritual mindfulness, we talk of coming home to the self. We reflect on what has been, and contemplate what could be. It’s nothing new. Channeled writing, journaling, divination, visualization meditations, etc. - all of these things can be traced back through their root systems to the same tree.

For the astro-curious, I think it’s interesting to share what’s transpired over the last 5 years, and I wonder if anyone has had similar experiences….

Here’s the timeline:

2020 - 2021: Saturn return ends, Saturn rx creates a ‘second’ Saturn return - the profected double Saturn ruled years commence

2022 - 2023: Pluto grinds across the degree that hosts my natal Saturn until finally creating an orb of 5* separation by Jan 2024

2024: solar eclipse AT the degree that hosts my natal sun the day of my solar return

2025: now here we are with a libra full moon coming up, where sun & moon will square my rising degree, while mars in cancer speaks to my luni-solar soul !!

So as I enter this new year, and I think about sharing my creativity, my voice, my thoughts, my experiences, my music, my poetry, my existential frustrations, my anti-bullshit-but-pro-mindfulness perspective, and my most sincere SELF, I acknowledge that I am terrified and I proclaim that I am doing it anyway…

… and I invite you to do the same!

Wait until your birthday, sure, or just go ahead and call it in right here right now.

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If you need a boost of motivation, I’ve been listening to Jagged Little Pill basically since the beginning of the month with no intention of setting it aside any time soon. Alanis has always been a monumental source of inspiration, but now that I’ve been going through the motions of recording my own songs, I really feel an intense connection to this album in a way I hadn’t before. Music is so fucking amazing.

Get in your car, throw JLP on, and drive to your sky gazing spot to connect with some amazing sights this week. I’ll be spending my birthday doing exactly that.

Venus, Saturn, & Mercury can be spotted in the pre-dawn sky this week hovering close to the eastern horizon (beach trip!!), and a Full Moon rises on Saturday 4/12 within the constellation Virgo, otherwise known as the Priestess. The Moon will align with bright star Spica, but with Moon at 100% illumination it’ll be a bit harder to pick out our starry friends.

Outside of dawn skies & full moon moments, another fun sight is Mars aligning with bright stars Pollux & Castor. The photo below shows the constellation of The Twins setting at around midnight later this week. Remember when we saw Mars creating a “pizza slice” with these two stars? Time to go connect the dots!

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As always, I’m wishing you clear skies & clarity in your personal reflections.

It’s a gift to share this digital space with you!

~ Alyssa

I referred to myself as “an aries”, and Dom (my partner) as “a virgo”! Gasp!

I make it a point to always emphasize that we are not simply our sun sign. Hearing things like “I’m an aries, so.. [insert nonsensical stereotypical justification here]” drives me a bit mad tbh. Automatically dismissing our multifaceted all-encompassing inner nature is such a disheartening byproduct of pop astrology. I am not solely an aries, and neither are you, because we all have an inner aries, regardless of whether the Sun, the Moon, or any planet was there when we were born. We are all signs, all things!

That being said, I made note of our solar sides for the sake of simplicity, and -counterpoint - I can call myself an aries whilst knowing that it is not my entire personality, and so can you! I also feel that the discourse between fire & earth is very palpable here (lmk if you hear it).

The whole first portion of this post is in fact feeling very Mars-centric.

The Musings

Maybe it’s odd to bounce from writing to recording, or maybe there should always be both(?), but I am a chaos witch & I struggle with consistency, so this week is unique, and most likely will not repeat in the exact same format ever again. Who knows. Listen here:

Sky Gazing Notes

On a lighter & brighter note, let’s now set our sights on the sky ~

Highlights This Week:

• The Waxing Moon meets Jupiter & Mars

• Moon’s First Quarter Square occurs on April 4th at 10:15pm

• April is the last month to observe winter constellations like Orion & Taurus

& Last But Not Least- Music!

I’m sharing a lunar themed playlist with you that features an eclectic mix of meditative, electronic, classic rock, and metal music - all inspired by the Moon. Maybe you’ll hear something you haven’t yet, or a familiar song you forgot about. It’s v random, just like me, and maybe just like you too.

Found your way to the bottom of the post? Thanks for reading!! Wishing you clear skies, moments of sonic bliss, and a balance of digital & real world experiences :)

We brush our teeth.

We fill our car with gasoline.

We schedule colonoscopies.

We charge our phones.

We stand in the shower beneath cascading warm water.

We wash our bed sheets.

We vacuum our carpets.

We cut our nails.

But there's something we're not doing as often, if at all.

Something just as important, but far less “normal”.

That something is, tending to our spirit.

Making time for practices that support the YOU inside the you.

The you that perceives.

The you that believes.

Because it isn’t your bones, or soft tissues, or organs that feel awe, inspiration, amazement, and excitement when a sunset suddenly turns the sky shades violet, pink, and gold.

It is the animated, miraculous, electric mind.

The soul within the body.

The spirit within the skin.

But it’s hard to prioritize spirituality.

Yes, there’s the whole debate between western science & eastern spirituality, and all the fun rabbit holes in between. The new age cults, the hot headed skeptics, the dreamers, the non believers, the religious dilemmas, the existential obstacles, etc. etc. etc. [Sidebar- I actually recently started War Of The Worldviews and I have to say, it’s amazing so far. If you’re interested in learning about both sides of the consciousness coin, I highly suggest it.]

But on a more tangible tangent…. I think it’s just that our daily external considerations outweigh the internal ones, thus making things like a spiritual practice seem like either a luxury, a sacrifice, or worse - a waste.

Think about it…

What’s for dinner?

Is the recycling plastic or paper tonight?

What day is laundry? Are we also washing towels?

You’ll pick the kids up from school?

Did we hear back from your sister about dinner Friday?

Can you stop at the store after work?

Fuck, I have to reschedule that appointment.

I need an oil change soon.

I wanna watch that show!

Okay we’ll go to the gym Tuesday instead.

I have to pick up my prescription.

We should see that movie.

We ran out of garlic powder!

I have to teach in the morning.

Tend to my spirit? LOL ummmm… when?

It’s an easy thing to write off, especially when it feels insanely unattainable.

As a Yoga teacher, it’s normal to speak of spirituality & self understanding through the lens of the 8 Limbed Path, but lately, I feel that there is a vaster concept that is more universal.

As if the only way you’re going to find mindful presence & inner peace is to read an entire book on the subject, sign up for an unlimited monthly membership at a local yoga studio, and basically sacrifice all your free time & all your money in pursuit of it!

It reminds me of this side plot in The White Lotus where the daughter of a wealthy family expresses her desire to take up Buddhism, proclaiming that she intends to live in a Thailand monastery “for at least a year”, as though to seek the wisdom of the tradition in between classes, chores, & challenges at home wouldn’t yield the same kinds of results or understanding.

Spiraling further, the storyline reminds me of this passage from Jack Kornfield’s book, A Path With Heart:

“Although I had arrived back from the monastery clear, spacious, and high, in short order I discovered, through my relationship, in the communal household where I lived, and in my graduate work, that my meditation had helped me very little with my human relationships. I was still emotionally immature, acting out the same painful patterns of blame and fear, acceptance and rejection, that I had before my Buddhist training; only the horror now was that I was beginning to see these patterns more clearly. I could do loving-kindness meditations for a thousand beings elsewhere but had terrible trouble relating intimately to one person here and now.”

Tending to the spirit isn’t something that happens in isolation, only when our clothes are folded & put away, when the dishes are washed, when the children are sleeping, when the taxes are filed, when the commute hosts no traffic, or when the work week is over. It doesn’t strictly occur in bursts of 75 minutes on Thursday mornings, weekend retreats across the pond, $1,111 intensives, or 4 week healing summits.

No, this ability to connect with our selves & tend to our spirit through what are known as spiritual practices - in an effort to cultivate self awareness - is something that knows no borders or perfect parameters.

Those who seek spiritual practices need not wonder, “now” !?

They only need to ask, “how” ?

Of course it is true that books will help. Classes will help. Retreats can be wildly fulfilling. But to pretend that these are the only paths forward is counterproductive.

You will meet many guides along the way, but it is the relationship with your own inclinations, thoughts, patterns, and choices that is above all else, your greatest teacher.

That relationship with the self is something many consider when thinking of the Aries archetype. So for the duration of this solar season of light, I invite you to reflect on this important relationship - the one with your spirit. The one with your self.

Do you consider silent moments of reflection to be as important as flossing?

Do you realize how valuable 5 minutes of mindfulness can be?

Have you written off the very idea of “knowing yourself” simply because “the time isn’t right”?

Let’s take a beat by the fire, spin a record, and let the mind wander.

As with everything in life, moderation is key.

Even something as supportive as self study can turn problematic if we become obsessive in our search for deeper understanding. Taking time away from our spiritual practices provides opportunities for integration & real life application of any insights gained.

In my experience, the best way to “take a break & assimilate” is to get out of the mind & into the body. My favorite body practices are mindful movement, sky gazing, cooking, and dancing.

As always, I’ll share a few sky gazing highlights here to help give you something other than yourself to set your sights on this week.

Moon Gazing Notes:

• On Wednesday morning - look to the Eastern horizon about a half hour before dawn to meet the Waning Crescent Moon right below the star Deneb Algedi of the Capricorn constellation. Stay with the sky as sunlight slowly ascends, and receive the gift of Venus rising just below the Great Square of Pegasus further north of east.

• On Saturday 3/29, a Partial Solar Eclipse occurs! We won’t see much here in New York, so I’ll be treating this as a quiet New Moon day. Time & Date offers a livestream if you’re interested which can be found here.

• On Sunday 3/30, the Moon will have separated from the Sun by about 13 degrees, and will be visible over the Western horizon at dusk, beginning a new lunar cycle for us to observe.

Thanks for tuning in!

Wishing you clear skies, clarity, & new mind/body connections !!

~ Alyssa

This week is a turning point, though I know it might not feel very real. Sometimes all of our systems seem entirely arbitrary. Sometimes they feel unbelievably accurate! Some days are better than others.

Message From Ganesha

For the week ahead, the Blessings card flung itself from the deck! As always, I placed it upon my altar, holding on to its imagery while contemplating what it could mean for us here & now…

Do we consider the blessings in our life to be uniquely ours? Are they desirable to others? Are they unusual? Do they feel at times like a burden? When blessings do come our way, do we feel they are a result of all the hard work & effort we put in and the values we maintain to push ourselves forward? Said differently, are we meant only to earn our blessings, or are they lawless gifts that know no set of rules.

Perhaps a blessing is inherently magical. To refer to something as a blessing is to proclaim gratitude without having to explicitly announce it. Blessings also surpass the material, and can be found in good health, meaningful relationships, revelations, auspicious moments, and so on.

When we feel we are lacking in apparent blessings, we might feel we have lost our way. But, in acknowledging our blessings in the first place, we also acknowledge the essential balance that sustains them. Some gifts may keep on giving, but others will be temporary, uplifting us, shifting our trajectory, fueling our desires just long enough so we may endure greater stretches of deeper work.

Most importantly, through mindfulness, we find that the greatest blessings of all are often the most simple. The most sacred. The ability to see. To breathe. To rest in warm spaces. To wash with clean water. Our perspective truly transforms our reality, and the way we name our blessings as well.

Waning Moon Music

We can’t spend all of our time in contemplation of course, so we stimulate the senses with the magic of sound now. This week we’re sampling some moody delights from Mazzy Star, Earth, and others.

The Libra within me is a stronger-than-usual presence via the Moon having been in this sign when I was born, so things like tending to the atmosphere of my space are not only pleasurable acts, they are balancing acts. Opening the curtains to let just enough light in, selecting a playlist that enhances the feel of the day, lighting incense & specific candles in specific places - these are more than ambiance adjustments, they are adjustments made to help me maintain equilibrium!

So with the weather forecast calling for rain, during a waning Moon week, I’m sharing the tracks below to offer a taste of sonic longing with a drop of ambient optimism. Let me know how they find you, and let me know what your personal gloomy day albums/songs are ~

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Sky Gazing Notes

Now that we’ve begun to build our mixtape for the week, we’ll shift from sound to sight. Here are our sky gazing notes at a glance:

• Sun crosses the Aries Equinox Point Thursday 3/20

• Waning Moon meets royal star Antares on Thursday 3/20

• The Last Quarter Moon occurs on Saturday 3/22

• Venus & Mercury depart from the evening sky & shift into the dawn sky

The Equinox Sun & The Tropical Zodiac

It’s not entirely true that day & night are equal on the Equinoxes, but what is true, is that no matter where you are on the planet (minus the polar extremes), the Sun will rise due east & set due west. Not slightly to the left or right of these cardinal directions, but aligned to them exactly. On the March Equinox, the Sun shines directly over the Equator, and in terms of how we measure the Ecliptic, this is where the circle begins. This is both 360* & 0*. This is an astronomical point named the First Point of Aries. This is the Aries Equinox Point.

An easy, colorful, symbolic way to combine the practice of sky gazing with the practice of spiritual reflection (if you’re into that kind of thing), is to follow the Sun from this point using the Tropical Zodiac, which is a solar system (lol!). If you do this, moving through the twelve signs as the Sun moves along the 360 degree ecliptic path, you will eventually meet the Cancer Sun when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer (90* Ecliptic Longitude) rising as far north of east as it ever will, then you will meet the Libra Sun when the Sun is aligned to the First Point of Libra (180* Ecliptic Longitude) rising due east again, and eventually you will meet the Capricorn Sun when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (270* Ecliptic Longitude) rising as far south of east as it ever will.

So this week we will see the Sun rise due east, and as the weeks progress, it will begin to rise north of east, with the days lengthening as the height of the arc it traces in our sky dome increases.

Moon Moments

Those meeting the sunrise on Thursday morning can receive an additional blessing if they head out before dawn, as the Moon will be in a prime location for viewing while nearing its Last Quarter phase.

Look south around 6am, and you will see the Moon near Royal Star (& red supergiant) Antares, the heart of the Scorpion. Scorpius is my favorite constellation, so I’m going to do what I can to make Thursday a very early morning, gods be good.

Astrology friends: Keep in mind, this scorpion does not mark the realm of Tropical Scorpio. That astrological archetype is associated with degrees 210 - 239 of the Ecliptic. Though they correspond to each sign, when we are discussing constellations in the sky, we are not talking about Tropical Signs.

Venus & Mercury Become Morning Stars

Finally, on a bittersweet note, the beautiful dances at dusk are over for Venus & Mercury, as the two will soon align with the Sun and be reborn into the dawn twilight. Come next week, those looking to continue connecting with these inner planets will have to shift their practice to the early morning hours.

The photo taken below was the last moment I spent with both planets - a lucky blessing for me last week amidst many overcast evenings & limited free time. It isn’t the best photo, but I captured what I could!

A Short Story As A Muse

I’m wishing you clear skies & bursts of warmer weather so you can see the sights this week, but I have one more segment for you.

This is a short piece of prose I wrote a while back titled, Objectivity & The Healing Journey.

I talk about inspiration more than anything else here. Rightfully so, as it is the main intention of The Monday Muse! But inspiration is not explicitly feel good, fuzzy, enlightening, comforting, peaceful babble. A creative work can inspire you to take uncomfortable risks. It can lead to more complex questions. The muse might motivate you to face what is hidden, disheveled, or dissolving.

Objectivity is a theme I find astrologically relevant right now, so forgive me if this post was a bit longer than usual, but it felt right to include it here!

OBJECTIVITY & THE HEALING JOURNEY

Why can’t we just be honest?

Every day, people withhold their needs, bottle up their desires, and keep the entire world in the dark about how they truly feel.

I wish we could say things like, “I’m wildly in love with you”,

without sounding “desperate”.

Worse yet, we fake acceptance.

We live in a world of soup & salad.

Of coffee & capitalism.

We romanticize our struggles & glorify our codependencies.

It’s no surprise we’re often awful to each other.

Yet, this all makes it that much more meaningful when we’re able to witness authentic acceptance. Genuine joy. Sincere love.

May we all be so lucky.

If I sound jaded… I don’t mean to. But maybe that’s part of my own struggle. A constant need to disagree with myself. As if affirming my feelings is nothing more than playing favorites.

I’m obsessed with objectivity.

People say that no matter how much someone tells you, it’s often one sided & biased. Usually this refers to social scenarios, like how batshit crazy your Aunt Ilene is or how cruel Jake Kowalski was to you in the 6th grade.

Is it true?

Is it “real” ?

Is that, just like, your opinion, man?

Are some of the important context clues missing?

Does it matter?

A voice says “If we objectively assess the big picture….”

Yes, she said objectively.

What a notion, right?

To view something with objectivity.

To zoom the fuck out.

To step outside of your preconceived notions & your bullshit & your biases.

If we objectively assess the big picture, we realize we can never really assume anything.

We might also realize we can never truly know anything.

The objective mind has an almost incessant need to work things out.

To understand itself & those around it.

It surveys its sources before arriving at any kind of conclusion,

and even then, it wonders, what if?

In many ways, the mind protects the heart,

but in just as many ways, the mind drives the heart mad.

As always, thank you for being here & parsing through my words. I hope what you’ve received supports you this week, and would love to hear any personal reflections you might have. Until next time.

~ Alyssa