A WIDE FOCUS
Last week as I was contemplating the act of maintenance for the newsletter, my daughter was peeking over my shoulder. She’s a writer too and at 13 she already surpasses any idea I’m lucky enough to incubate and release out into the ether. My husband has said, “she has IT.”
As such, it is common for her to take interest in what I am doing here. As she read last week’s essay over my shoulder and without invitation provided a most critical eye, she asked me this, “So if you do not advise your people (she refers to my Mentorship clients as my people) to do the coaching thing, like the vision board stuff and goal setting right now, what do you suggest they do this time of year?”
Good question.
First, I do not have an issue with the normative coaching route. It works really well for some and with good reason. There is neuroscience behind why vision boards and goal setting works. A lot of it has to do with the nervous system. Our nervous system likes to be in resistance to new things especially when it is in overdrive. Right now for many of us - deep breath, I’ll just say what I mean here - for ALL of us our nervous system has been workin overtime in fight or flight. If after the dumpster fire of the years 2017-2021 (wonder what happened then) and the pandemic your nervous system is not stuck in fight or flight at least some of the time, you are either really lucky or perhaps a sociopath.
For real though, an overactive sympathetic nervous system keeps us in a state of hypervigilance which has us responding to many non-threatening things as a threat. And newness is a threat. So our entire system resists it. The idea behind vision boards, goal setting and the like is to create something outside of yourself, do the coaching exercises to integrate your ambitions and not only see them as possible, but imagine what it will feel like to realize them so your nervous system can adjust and not resist what you are working so hard toward. And yeah, it’s an effective strategy.
But I tend to take a wider view of things. When I pull back and take into consideration my experience as a psychotherapist and a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, I tend to appreciate a bigger picture that most miss entirely. If we are aligned with the science supporting nervous system resistance, then it makes sense to wait on implementing such methods until we are not coming down from a very stressful season.
I’ve written before about the cluster fuck of August and September (you can read more here). In short, the societal anxiety regarding the start of the school year is real and it has a tendency to be infectious whether or not you have children. When I worked on college campuses as a campus psychotherapist, the beginning of the school year was always fraught with intensity. Anything that could fall apart would and in the most wild and unexpected ways. To plan for the madness was futile, so each year we planned for any plan being upended. August and September would be weird. And each and every year they were.
Acknowledging anxiety, psychology and mindset on a societal level is not really a coaching thing. It’s a psychoanalytic thing and one of the reasons I LOVE analytic thought and theory. It is the emphasis placed on pulling back to take in a very wide focus that is so valuable to hold while guiding others. Psychoanalysts have always done this and we are now finally seeing psychoanalytic theories being proven with neuroscience and genetics simply because we now have the modern scientific method available to test these theories. One of my favorites is Ghosts in the Nursery, introduced in 1975 by psychoanalyst Selma Fraiberg. She outlined what we now know to be epigenetic trauma, or trauma passed down by generations via our genetic markers. She did this by taking a very wide focus of what could be impacting the connection between parent and child during infancy. If interested you can read one of her best known papers on the topic here.
Once we move through September, November is close behind. Halloween is over and the shift to “the holidays” is fast and furious. For most of us the time between August and January 1 is a blur. A single week of respite in between Christmas and New Year is not enough time to come down from the beauty and terribleness of it all. The push to come up with a plan for the new year during this time is really capitalism at its best. We are ripe for being sold ideas on getting our shit together and finally doing the thing we’ve been putting off. This is exactly why most resolutions do not stick. We are vulnerable this time of year. The messaging is to hurry up and know where you are headed and you will definitely have clarity about your life choices after spending the holidays with family, getting through end of year work commitments, travel, and eating your feelings. Ha! A truly unrealistic expectation. This time of year tends to put everything in a pressure cooker, which makes us even more resistant to change and aspirations we intend to put in place for the coming months. How much clarity can be reached in the days between Christmas and New year? I argue close to none.
To navigate the pressures of August to December, including the heightened expectations of Q4 for many Mentorship clients, I guide them through energy work. This approach allows them to experience the highs and lows of the holidays without losing their creative spark. Cultivating creative genius during this time requires maintenance, but it's achievable. By doing so, my clients gain an advantage as they approach January 1.
Now is the time to emulate nature.
While seemingly quiet on the surface, nature undergoes deep integration during winter, preparing for the blooms of spring. This period isn't one of emptiness but of rich preparation, involving stillness, integration, noticing, and bearing witness.
Look within.
Be inspired. Engage in activities that light you up. Connect with others and practice being instead of doing. For my clients this includes energy work, meditation, and creating a space for reflection. Embracing this approach allows ideas to unfold organically. We don't rush into action but instead marinate. Some need a few weeks, others a few months, but through patience, clarity and neutrality emerge. Intentions and ambitions can then be reflected upon with sovereignty and without baggage, resulting in a profound sense of fulfillment and minimal resistance. What feels like magic, is just well timed action.
When I shared this strategy with my daughter she said, “I think this makes you the anti-coach,” while placing her fingers in devil horn formation above her head, sticking out her tongue and laughing.
Yeah. I guess it does.
xxx
LAS
NEW MOON
1-11-24
Capricorn
Gate 54
Gate of Drive
The energy of the New Moon beckons us to delve into the depths of our intentions, urging a focused commitment to nurturing the aspects we hope to see flourish and expand in our lives.
In this fresh lunar phase set in Capricorn, accompanied by Gate 54, the Gate of Drive, we embark on a transformative cycle. It begins with the crucial task of acknowledging the energy you have available for ambition and drive.
Gate 54 embodies these dynamic energies firmly rooted in the material realm that encompasses time, money, and resources—a conduit for profound spiritual growth. Navigating this transit requires a foundational practice of trust, allowing you to cultivate a meaningful relationship with both yourself and the universe, affirming your level of havingness and connection to abundance.
The influence of Gate 54 can manifest as blind ambition, potentially leading to bitterness and a tendency to abandon pursuits prematurely if immediate results are not evident. To elevate the energy of Gate 54, it becomes crucial to challenge and rewrite beliefs that link financial success with a lack of spirituality. Instead, and instead embrace the empowering notion that material prosperity is a valid and enriching path toward spiritual evolution.
The New Moon is an opportune time to release what no longer serves you within this transit and welcome a high level of havingness around your purpose.
The New Moon in Capricorn, positioned in the cardinal earth sign and illuminating the 10th House, prompts reflection on our individuality, wisdom and power. With Saturn as its ruler, Capricorn energy evokes powerful themes of boundaries, responsibility and discipline. This moment invites introspection to examine our career, work, and responsibilities all under the hue of that wise, perceptive and grounded Capricorn energy!
Welcome this New Moon as an opportunity to focus on innate wisdom, exploring how it can be illuminated to facilitate personal growth and contribute to the collective. The Moon assures us that, with synchronized energy and steadfast commitment, substantial expansion awaits when the timing aligns.
Journaling Prompts for this New Moon:
1. Reflect on a specific ambition or goal you are nurturing during this lunar cycle. What steps can you take to ground this ambition in the material realm and cultivate its growth over the coming weeks?
2. Explore your relationship with trust. How can you deepen your trust in the unfolding of your journey, both in relation to yourself and the universal energies at play?
3. Reflect on the wisdom, responsibility, and discipline associated with Capricorn energy. How can you embody these qualities in your career, work, and responsibilities for personal and collective growth?
4. Reflect on instances where blind ambition may have led to challenges or premature abandonment of pursuits. How can you stay focused on your goals while remaining open to adapting your approach as needed?
New Moon Ritual: Cultivating Ambition, Wisdom, and Prosperity
A little something new for you! Be sure to let me know if you like this offering :)
If you are not familiar with grounding and running neutral energies, I cover this work in Mentorship.
Materials needed:
Journal or paper
Pen
Crystals associated with ambition and wisdom (such as citrine, amethyst, or clear quartz)
Quiet, sacred space
1. Set the Scene: Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
2. Center Yourself: Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and connect with your body. Close your eyes and visualize a calm and grounding energy surrounding you. Ground your energy and run neutral earth and cosmic energies.
3. Reflect on Intentions: With your journal or paper and pen, reflect on your intentions for this lunar cycle. What aspects of your life do you wish to nurture and see flourish? Write these intentions down with clarity and purpose.
4. Connect with Ambition and Drive: Hold the crystals associated with ambition and wisdom in your hands. As you do, focus on the energy of Gate 54 and the drive within you. Visualize your ambitions taking root and growing steadily, anchored in the material realm.
5. Affirmation of Trust: Write an affirmation or statement that embodies trust in your journey. Affirm your deserving connection to abundance and declare your commitment to trusting the process.
6.Release and Let Go: Take a moment to identify and write down anything that no longer serves your ambitions. Acknowledge these elements and release them with gratitude, allowing space for new energy. Allow what no longer serves you to release through your grounding.
7. Illuminate Wisdom: Visualize the Capricorn energy of wisdom and discipline surrounding you. Envision this wisdom as a guiding light, illuminating your path to personal growth and contribution to the collective.
8. Express Gratitude: Express gratitude for the energy of the New Moon, Gate 54, and the wisdom of Capricorn. Acknowledge the synchronicity and commitment required for substantial expansion.
10. Closing: Close your ritual with a final deep breath. Invite the release of what no longer serves you. Carry your charged intentions with you as you move through the lunar cycle.
May you welcome this lunar phase with open hearts, focusing on the illumination of your inner wisdom. As you engage with the journaling prompts set forth on a journey of self-discovery and personal transformation. The promise of substantial expansion awaits you, and you are poised to share your insights with the world when the time aligns. This New Moon encourages you to trust in your inner wisdom and embark on a path of growth and self-realization.
SOLAR TRANSIT
1-12-24
Gate 61
Gate of Mystery
On January 11, the sun gracefully journeys through Gate 61, also known as the Gate of Mystery. During this celestial shift, you are invited to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery. Gate 61 provides a welcome opportunity to delve deep into your inner realm, with a specific focus on understanding how you approach the unknown and mysterious.
As the sun makes its way through Gate 61, it casts a luminous light upon a path ripe for exploration—an exploration of the energies propelling you toward the discernment of how to let go of needing to find an answer or know why. soil for your creativity instead of limitations or experiences of scarcity.
Gate 61 acts as a catalyst, inspiring contemplation on your inner truth, marked by a profound awareness that distinguishes between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge resides in the mind, whereas wisdom emerges when knowledge is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the body. This gate also recognizes the subjectivity of Truth, encouraging an open-hearted and open-minded approach.
Gate 61 contends with the burden of addressing life's paramount question: Why am I here? It grapples with a sense of being lost or overwhelmed by the weight of this existential query.
The key to elevating this energy lies in the cultivation of practices that create space, facilitating a surrender to the mysteries inherent in life.
Here are some journaling prompts to deepen your understanding and engagement with this transit:
1.Recall a time when you got lost in the "why" of a situation. How did it feel, and what steps can you take to ground yourself and find clarity when faced with existential questions?
2. Consider a knowledge or skill you've recently acquired. How can you integrate this newfound knowledge into your daily life to transform it into wisdom?
3.Identify a mystery or uncertainty in your life. How can you create space to surrender to the unknown and find peace in embracing life's mysteries?
4. Reflect on a recent experience where you felt a deep sense of inner truth. How did this awareness manifest, and what insights did it bring to light?
During this transit of Gate 61, explore the interplay between inner truth and external pressures, recognizing the transformative potential of integrating knowledge into wisdom. Embrace the subjective nature of truth, navigate existential questions with grace, and cultivate practices that allow for surrender to life's mysteries, elevating your energy and fostering a deeper connection to your inner self.
NEW PROMPT!!
Do you know about Tapping? It can be an effective addition to energy work and nervous system regulation. Many of my Mentorship clients include Tapping as part of their daily ritual. You can learn more about Tapping and how to do it below.
EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique Tapping Prompt for this transit.
“Even though I do not know all the answers, I now choose to surrender and trust that I am loved, supported, and nurtured by sovereignty and the energy that is the Universe”
Have a great week exploring these transits! Ready to learn more about your Human Design? Hit the buttons below to schedule a reading with me and download the free Human Design information sheets to learn more!
THE CREATIVE
Welcome to The Creative. Twice a month I will be sharing quotes from the books, Art is the Highest Form of Hope and The Creative Act. I find perspectives on the creative process to be so meta when it comes to life. We are a creative process and everything we do is subject to the same rules. Creation is non-linear. It's messy. It moves forward and backward. And also gets stuck. Oftentimes we do not realize the purpose of a singular creative process until years later. Creativity likes to surprise us.
“I must see new things and investigate them. I want to taste dark water and see crackling trees and wild wild winds.” Egon Schiele
For creatives, every moment contributes to our creative journey. What we observe, hear, and experience all serve as raw material to integrate, digest, and express through our unique perspective. Life, in its beauty and complexity, unfolds for us to decipher and communicate. Whether it's through work, relationships, or leisure, engaging with the world - exploring, seeing, and connecting nurtures our creative process. The unpredictability of what sparks our next idea, whether grand or subtle, underscores the importance of embracing new experiences, be it a simple song or a brief interaction. Despite the potential overwhelming nature of our role as perceivers of the unseen, consistently welcoming the new is crucial. The risks, the freshness, and the encounter with the unknown are all vital elements in the creative process, shaping the nuanced comparisons we draw to illuminate our observations.
