Category Sprituality

Do you feel like the world gets faster every day? Like no matter how quickly you move, or how you habit stack your day you’re just a little bit behind speed, rushing to catch up and get to the next thing on your to-do list? Do you frequently feel like, as happy as you may be, there’s always something right on the edge of your peripheral you’re missing, or missing out on? Do you struggle to stay grounded with all of the multitasking, multi-focusing that society expects everyone to maintain in modern society? 

ME TOO.

I’ve spent a lot of time feeling that way. Even if I enjoyed what I was currently doing or working on, part of my brain was always focused on whatever my next “thing” was. Next idea, next obligation, next appointment.  The constant mental dialogue and running “to-do” list in my head not only led me to be distracted all the time, but anxious and tired. I would miss important details in conversations, zone out, or when looking back on positive experiences, be mad that I couldn’t remember the details as much as I wanted to. 

I get over stimulated easily, and really struggle with anxiety; especially in loud spaces (I recently discovered Loop Earplugs- and they have become my best friends). If you knew me as a child this is 100% ‘a catch 22 meets irony’ moment. Focusing my attention without getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff (good stuff, bad stuff, exciting stuff, boring stuff, chores, ideas, music lyrics, internal monologue, anything and everything stuff) in my head is a frequent challenge. I struggle to feel grounded and mellow. I do not hold still well, never have (except for when I accidentally zone out standing in front of a bookshelf and don’t move for an hour and a half because I’m staring into space). 

If this is starting to sound a lot like a severe case of ADHD…. Well, surprise, surprise; turns out I do in fact suffer from ADHD. Who knew? BUT this isn’t an ADHD self- diagnoses post. In fact, if you suspect you may have ADHD I cannot urge you enough to seek out a medical expert and get tested instead of schlogging through hours of articles and tiktoks or instagram posts. While there’s nothing wrong with doing your own research, I think it is better to see a specialist.

I avoided getting tested because it seemed too complicated and quite frankly a little part of me was afraid of it. I was afraid of what it indicated, and what feedback I might get from certain people in my family. But that’s a discussion for another day. Having finally decided to get tested at the ripe old age of 27 and get not only an answer, but help for some of the aspects that have been causing me issues, I wish I had done so sooner. Not just for the sake of knowing, but because I am learning that there are so many things I could have made easier for myself sooner, and in some ways I was fighting a battle with myself that I didn’t need too. I’ve been able to out hack my brain in certain areas as a result of learning more about the actual science behind ADHD and what it means in my day to day life. 

And while I am still learning, and still have things I need to work on (like time blindness), I have a better understanding of HOW to set myself up for success and how to help me get what I need. I also have more patience for myself and I’m learning to have a certain amount of grace with myself. It’s taken stress off of me, and by extension, my family. 

Which brings me to my real point. I reencountered something that I have on some level been aware of for most of my young and adult life but never really used or practiced. Now, at a much different point in my life, its been retaught to me and am learning to use as a tool when I get overstimulated, when I panic, when everything is just going too fast. It’s not specific to ADHD. Anybody can practice it and use it. Honestly, I think everybody should. The positive side effects are endless, and the process itself is relaxing. Its been an absolute game changer both mentally and emotionally; but also physically and spiritually. 

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE ART OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION.

Sounds fancy. Sounds New Wave. Sounds like the kind of thing practiced by hippies in the 70’s or gate-kept by rich tech moguls with an excess of time on their hands. Or at least, that’s how I felt every time the head sensei of my dojo or my yoga teacher talked about it when I was a kid. It was ‘hippie woowoo’ and way over my head. 

I didn’t have the patience or the attention span for it, and at 11 I couldn’t fathom how on earth thinking about how learning to let go of your thoughts could make you feel present in the moment, or how “letting them go” could really calm my mind or my body. I couldn’t even figure out what ‘letting the thoughts go’ really meant. 

11 year old me was like “If I could do that, I would, trust me. I can’t just turn my brain off” 

Young adult me also tried to dabble in meditation for a brief period of time around the age of 22 at a Tibetan Cultural Center in Phoenix, Arizona. I had slightly better success, but not by much. At that point, I was more receptive to the idea and I was fascinated by the concept, but I could just never get the practice to stick. Partially because habit forming is really hard when you have ADHD it turns out, but mostly because part of the meditation practices I was attending went through a process of acknowledging the body and its sensations as part of the opening. They did this through a process of focusing your attention to each area in turn and really turning your attention to how your body feels. This was at a time when I was really struggling with getting my Fibro Myalgia under control. I had a particular ongoing problem with my legs and I had spent a lot of time trying to teach myself to IGNORE my body and the sensations attached to it to try and keep myself calm, and that part of the process was acutely uncomfortable for me bordering on panic inducing. So I didn’t stick with it. I wish I had. 

FAST FORWARD

I’m about a year into practicing now. And I’ll tell you why it has become one of the biggest tools in my belt. (It EVEN helps me overcome the nerve pain sensations I was struggling so hard to ignore). 

You can do it anywhere. At home. In your cubicle at your desk. In your car at lunch. In the bathroom hiding from your kids. In your kitchen while you cook. Practicing mindfulness and meditation does not mean sitting cross-legged for hours in a dim room in silence. You can if you choose to, but it’s not like you’ve either reached a buddha state of enlightenment or you haven’t. Meditation is a constant practice, and you can practice it to whatever degree is useful to you. It’s not a destination or something you can achieve, but instead you can pull out of your back pocket whenever and use as much as you need to. 

Once you understand the principle of it, anything can be meditative. I do enjoy sitting meditations, but there’s also walking meditations, laying meditations, and interactive meditations. 

What feels like the biggest secret ever kept to me is what mindfulness and mediation actually is. Its not some big fancy right or wrong process full of mojo and specific processes. Stated simply, Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, and environment in the present moment, without judging or evaluating them.  

Meditation is a tool used to practice mindfulness. It is taking a second to breathe, to center yourself, to observe your surroundings. To acknowledge when you feel overstimulated, or anxious, or tired, or even happy. Mindfulness is the practice of allowing yourself to feel whatever it is that you feel in the present moment and acknowledge the emotion or feeling for what it is without feeling guilty or angry. Sometimes half the emotional spiral is how you feel about your feelings. Mindfulness helps to work through that. It helps create the tiny bit of a barrier that I sometimes need to work through something. It removes me from the feeling just enough to allow me to examine it calmly, and in the privacy of my own thoughts. In some ways, its more about being intentional with your thoughts and actions than being some uber calm zen guru. 

It costs you nothing to practice. And it does take practice. 5 minutes here. 2 minutes there. 45 seconds here. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. The more you practice, the easier it gets. 

I started with focused meditation. I set aside 5 minutes a day to reflect and to go through the process of meditating. It was awkward and I was bad at it and it felt weird. It did. But the more I did it, not only did I get better at it and start seeing the benefits of it but I also began to see different ways I can do it. 

Overwhelmed making dinner because your family is settling in for the night? its loud, people are asking you questions, the kitchen is already a mess and you’re trying to keep track of the things you still need to do tonight while setting up your to-do list for tomorrow to include any of today’s overflow and how to prioritize the most important things on that list? Feel like your heart is going a million miles and hour and it might rupture because you’re not actually a racehorse? Now I can breathe a few times, focus on the crunch of carrots when I chop them, feel the weight of the knife in my hand, smell the rosemary in the pan and remind myself that I am making dinner right now, and that makes dinner the most important thing on my to-do list. And therefore I can focus my attention on the moment and what I’m doing instead of everything I need to do or haven’t done. 

Does it work every time? No. That’s why it is called practicing meditation. But it has greatly bolstered my ability to regulate myself instead of needing somebody else to help me do that. 

Additionally, Meditation has also been show to decrease stress, promote emotional health, lengthen your attention span, reduce age related memory loss, help fight addiction, increase sleep health, control pain, and decrease blood pressure. 

It slowly and gently teaches you to be more aware and more open in the present moment. I do feel less ambiently anxious and less rushed. And when I do still feel overwhelmed, I have something at my fingertips that can take the edge off. 

The practice of being mindful is not a new concept. It has been integrated in the Hindu religion for millennia. The concept of “mindfulness” traces to the Pali words sati, which in the Indian Buddhist tradition implies awareness, attention, or alertness, and vipassana, which means insight cultivated by meditation. It didn’t truly migrate and gain popularity in the United States until the 1960’s with its more medical approach being introduced by John Kabat-Zinn in 1979 when he started his Stress Reduction Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

The mindfulness movement: How a Buddhist practice evolved into a scientific approach to life

There are a number of different styles of mindfulness and meditation, but the overall concept is the same. The hardest part for me, of beginning to practice and find out more about the mindfulness concept was getting out of my own head, and being unafraid to ask questions and meet new people; something I don’t always excel at. As well as finding information that resonated with me.  

There is SO MUCH information out there which is both a pro and a con. You don’t have to look very far, but the sheer amount of resources can be overwhelming for someone who is unsure where to start.  

If you are interested in starting your own journey, below are some of my favorite resources- from books to do some more learning to audio programs with guided meditations for beginners. I hope that this helps make the journey a little less daunting.  

1. An Invitation to Meditation by Howard Cohn. This is a VERY short easy read. Bordering on Poetry. This really helped me breakdown that feeling of unattainability surrounding meditation. I had the opportunity to meet him at a Meditation event in Phoenix and it was him that sat down with me and answered some questions and helped me work through the struggles of focusing ON my body instead of ignoring it. He gave me the copy of the short book as a gift.  
2. Mindfulness Minutes on the Fitbit Premium App. There are sooooo many different meditation apps out there on the market. I am partial to this one because it syncs with the rest of my fit bit, and I find it fascinating that I can see the correlation between my heart rate and my meditation sessions after the fact. Additionally the library has hundreds of different length and topic meditations for those just figuring it out. anywhere from 20 minute longer sessions to 2 minutes breathing exercising. Cooking meditations, shower meditations, focus meditations. Great for somebody like me who really needs that guided portion because your attention span is shorter than that squirrel from ‘Over the Hedge’. 
3. The waking up app. This one is something my Fiancé uses more than I, but I’ve listened to a lot of them. The bonus to this particular app is it was written and designed by Sam Harris who is a Noted Philosopher, Neuroscientist, & Author. You will notice that his name appears multiple times on this list. This App also includes a number of vintage recordings by Alan Watts, those are worth the membership themselves. The talks are fascinating and I could listen to the man speak for hours.  
4. Waking up by Sam Harris. The book of the same name by Sam Harris is another amazing resource for those of you who prefer to read and be able to make notes in margins, save/ highlight things.  
5. John Kabat-Zinn’s Masterclass on Mindfulness. This was an amazing experience, straight from one of the leading experts themselves. Broken up into small bites sized pieces. He has over 40 years of teaching experience and is basically the father of the Medically applied concept. He is an expert at saying things in simple layman’s terms that are easy to understand and digest.  

If you are just starting your journey, I’d love to hear if any of these help you as much as they do me. If you’ve been practicing for a bit, I’d love it if you’d chime in with any other resources that have been incredibly helpful to you. the art of intentionality and mindfulness has so many applications and uses. If nothing else I think it helps make us more self-aware and as a result, kinder, better people with more compassion for ourselves and others. It can be hard to stay in the moment. It can be hard to find inner peace with everything going on in the larger world and around us. This has helped me find peace in a lot of ways. What would having the ability to flip a switch and find peace do for you? What would that inner calm help you do during your day? 

See you on the journey!  

With love, 

Mikaela 

Hey guild members!

I have been researching some new topics and prepping for a move so it has been a couple weeks since I continued our Astrology 101 posts BUT it is time to look at another part of the natal chart! If you haven’t been following along for the last couple installations, I have included a couple links at the bottom the page that can take you to previous posts or you can find them in the Spirituality portion of our blog.

A QUICK NOTE GOING FORWARD… for the purpose of examples, I am going to say you are somewhere in Western Washington like I currently am. This means that when I talk about the different hemispheres etc, I am basing this off of living in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth… BUT I will get into the relevance of that distinction in just a moment.

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of todays’ Astrology conversation: Organization and Terminology for Natal Charts

We have previously covered that the natal chart is:

• divided into 12 ‘pie’ pieces AND
• that the chart is a map of where different celestial bodies were in relation to YOU at exact time and location of your birth

Inner and Outer Parts of the Chart

The next thing we are going to do in looking at a natal chart is split our 12 pieces of ‘pie’ into an inner and outer circle.

The outer circle is our Zodiac and rotates according to our birth data and the location of the constellations around us as they appeared to be moving around earth.  It is fairly common knowledge that zodiacs are associated with different personalities, traits, elements, etc.

The inner circle is the astrological houses and that does not move. EVER. This circle is stationary. This is because this represents the earth and original astronomers thought we were the center of the universe. Each house is associated with different traits, elements, and parts of your life. I originally was going to go over these in this post but realized this would get too long very quickly. Going into detail on the 12 houses will be our next post.

Hemispheres and Quadrants

Imagine looking at the horizon facing either North or South. Which direction is determined by our ability to see the sun. If you are in the Northern hemisphere of earth, you are looking South and mapping what you see in the sky. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this is reversed, and you look to the North. This flips our North/South and East /West Hemispheres in the pictures I drew. There is some debate, that I will not dive into at this point, about whether such a north centric astrology practice is still accurate in the Southern Hemisphere, if sign meanings should be reversed, etc. etc. etc. But I digress once again.

Imagine you are in Washington… you are facing South, looking at the horizon. Now hold a blank natal chart up in front of you. The line bisecting the top and bottom of our circle is our horizon (both the -name of the line AND symbolically the one in front of you). The houses 7-12 sit above the horizon and any celestial bodies (this is planets, stars, meteors, etc) shown above the horizon at the time of your birth show up there. Think of the top of the chart as being directly overhead. Anything below that horizon line is not visible but we know where they are because of astronomy, and we still take them into account in houses 1-6.

This sounds a bit backwards BUT, we call the top half of the chart the Southern Hemisphere and the bottom half of the chart our Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere is associated with Ambition, being career oriented, wanting fame/recognition, being extroverted, and having material values/goals. The Northern hemisphere is associated with having a subjective view on life, a need for a private life, introversion, and an introspective outlook. Having clusters of planets in either the Southern or Northern Hemisphere can hint at whether you are more of a private or public person.

Now, because we are still facing the South, our left side is actually the East and to our right is the West. This is also seen in our natal chart; the left side is called our Eastern Hemisphere and the right side is called our Western Hemisphere. They are divided by a line called the meridian.  The Eastern Hemisphere is associated with being more independent, strong-willed, individualistic, a self-starter or leader. It is also associated with individuals who are self-motivated, self- employed, or risk-takers. In contrast, the Western Hemisphere is associated with being adaptable but dependent, passive, subtle, being a follower, and partnerships. Having clusters of planets in the Eastern or Western Hemispheres can hint at whether you are more of an individualist or a collaborator.

So as quick practice, here are a couple of examples of what someone means when they say something vs what you see on the chart vs where it actually is in the sky. Just a reminder. This is based on someone living in the North (think Washington) and they are looking south.

Verbiage	What it looks like in the sky	What it Looks like in the Chart
Pluto is in the Southern Hemisphere	Pluto (though too far away to see) is somewhere above the horizon	Pluto is somewhere in the top half of your chart
Venus is in the 2nd House	You can’t actually see it because it is below the horizon line and to your east	Venus would show up towards the bottom, left of your chart
Mars is in the Northwest Quadrant	You can’t actually see it because it is below the horizon line and to your west	Mars would show up in the bottom, right of your chart

Chart Points

You may have noticed in the visuals I made above that there are points named in the four cardinal directions. We do not usually associate these with celestial bodies in this context because the chances of landing exactly on one is low. What you will hear though are zodiac associated with a point. Ever hear “I am a [insert zodiac] rising?”

The very top of our chart has a point called the Medium Coeli (AKA Midheaven, AKA M.C.).  This shows your aspirations, where you are aimed, and your legacy. At the very bottom point of the natal chart is your Imum Coeli (AKA I.C.). This is your root of home, memory, and soul.

Just like the Southernmost and Northernmost points on the chart are named (the M.C. and I.C.), so too are the Easternmost and Westernmost points. On the far left (furthest East) with have our Ascendant (often called our rising) and this our social mask and how we integrate into world around us. On the far right we have our Descendant, and this is what you wish you were like, what you admire, and areas of life you wish to grow in. It can also represent what you are looking for in a partner.

Putting the Inner and Outer Circles Together

Remember that outer circle of zodiacs? Remember that it actually moves? The position of that outer ring of zodiacs is based on your birth data (where in the world you are born).  

The next visual is not of my own making but hopefully seeing it 3D will help illustrate how they fit together. The inner circle is lined up on the horizon, not rotating. The outer circle of zodiacs could twist any way depending on where the constellations line up.

That being said… a planet can be in any number of combinations of house/hemisphere and zodiac. And a zodiac can be in a house. And a chart point can be in a zodiac. And… Have I started to lose you again?

I am going to stop for now before I start to really lose you all which would be counterproductive. These are just basics but hopefully it will help untangle what you are looking at when you see a natal chart. Next, we will be talking about the 12 houses and I will be working on getting a post up that is just reference for associations, symbols etc. Let me know if you want me to add the visuals I made!

Happy Charting!

Taylor

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CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Chart
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

Stories and storytelling are such an integral part of humanity and how it has evolved that it can by and large be credited for the shaping of modern humanity. For millennia, humanity has used stories to explain the unexplainable, pass down heritage, teach children lessons, to entertain, and even to explain why things are the way they are. As cultures grew and melded and travel and emigration became more common, stories were retold, and they changed a little with each retelling. We merged our stories with new discoveries in science and changes in religion. They evolved a little at a time to stay relevant with their current cultures. Some of them fading from memory, but many others lifting into legendary status (no matter if modern science or the newly discovered world could empirically prove they did not exist or weren’t what we thought). Story telling is how we connect with our past in the present.  

Our ancestors have been telling versions of these same stories for time immemorial. You know the ones I mean. Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the Lochness Monster, the Tortoise and the Hare, The little mermaid. From fairytales to fables and even religious representations, hundreds of these stories permeate cultures around the world. No matter how old we get, these stories hold a place near and dear to our hearts. As children they enchant us and as adults sometimes, they are the glue that holds our childhood together when we need something nostalgic and magical to believe in, even when we know better. 

The history of such stories fascinates me. Especially when you look in relation to how those stories shaped religions and cultures and vice versa. Today, I’d like to take a look at the history of the Easter Bunny with you.  

Everybody raised in a Christian home knows that The Easter Bunny is responsible for Easter Egg hunts, sweet treats, and pretty baskets filled with goodies on Easter morning. For some kids this happens overnight- much like Santa Claus; and they wake up Easter morning to a house that has been visited by the crafty bunny in question. In my house, The Easter bunny came while we were at Sunday Mass (I honestly think my parents “reasoning” behind this was that there was no way one bunny to get to everybody overnight and he needed the overtime). 

From ancient times all the way up to today, where stores are filled with fake grass, packages of peeps, stuffed bunnies, the ubiquitous Jelly-Belly, and Chocolate Bunnies of all sizes. I even saw peep flavored Pepsi in a store this year. The holiday is so large that the White House even hosts an Easter Egg Roll every year. Families have been building traditions around this elusive rabbit for generations. One year my parents even wrote a letter from the Easter Bunny saying that there would be “No Chocolate Bunnies that year because everybody always eats the Ears off first”. My dad and I had a tradition where every year he’d try to find me a slightly bigger chocolate bunny, because that’s all I ever really wanted. We had a lot of fun each year sharing that bunny between us until we had to stop for obvious reasons as the rabbits in question had gotten titanically large (Our record was a 4-foot-tall chocolate rabbit that stood as tall as I did at the time). But why a bunny? Why Eggs? Rabbits do not lay eggs. Who started the tradition and where did it come from?  

In more modern history, The Easter Bunny made the jump to the United States in the 1700’s from German Immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and told stories to their children of the Osterhase (https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols). At this point in time Easter was already a well-established Christian holiday and observed even more strictly by the Catholic See and the Orthodox Church.  

But where did they get a rabbit from? The Hare was considered a sacred animal by many cultures and religions dating all the way back to the Neolithic Age. There’s Even documentation from Julius Caesar in 51 B.C.E. about how in Britain, hares were not eaten because even then they had religious significance. Though visually rabbits may not come across as overly sexual, being primarily cute and fluffy, the expression “breed like rabbits” exists for a reason. In Greece, Hares were sacred to Aphrodite and her son Eros was often depicted holding a Hare as a symbol of love and sexuality. Other ancient cultures who used the Hare or rabbit as a symbol of fertility, love, and sexuality include the Celts & the Chinese. The Egyptians in the form of the goddess Wenet. The Aztec god Tepoztēcatl, God of both fertility and drunkenness. Even the Norse goddess Freyja (Eostre: The Mystery Goddess Who Gave Easter its Name | History Cooperative). Take a jump to Christianity, where the Virgin Mary was frequently depicted with a white rabbit, representing her overcoming sexual temptation and the birth that was a “new spring” for men.  

But despite the rabbit’s long history as a symbol for birth, love, and all things sexual, it’s a far cry from that to the fairytale of a candy depositing, dapper rabbit, and the universal symbol for Christianity’s biggest holiday. 

Like many fairytales- the Brother’s Grimm play a part. although ironically, they did not write the tale. In 1835 Jacob Grimm theorized that the Easter Bunny was a direct holdover from Pagans converting to Christianity. In fact, in 731 C.E. the monk Bede, who is often referred to as the father of English history, wrote that the month of April was referred to as Eosturmonath after the goddess Eostre. The German’s may have called this same goddess Ostara (as in the holiday of the same name symbolizing the start of spring). In ‘De Temporum Ratione’ Bede even went as far as to say that a pagan Spring festival in the name of the goddess had been assimilated into the Christian holiday symbolizing the resurrection of Christ (which is of course in turn a celebration of the new beginnings as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice).  

It was Jacob Grimm however, who argued the connection between the Anglo-Saxon celebration of Eostre in Eosturmonath and the Old High German counterpart of Ostara in Ostermonat. (The Anglo-Saxon’s were a Germanic people). This is also in keeping with the fact that the German Emigrants to the U.S. later celebrated the ‘Osterhase.’ 

While most European languages refer to the Christian holiday with names that come from the Jewish holiday of Passover, such as Pâques in French or Påsk in Swedish, German, and English languages retain this older, non-biblical word: Easter. (The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny | History| Smithsonian Magazine) More recent archeological evidence has supported proof of Esotre’s worship in England and Germany, with the Hare being one of her primary symbols along with eggs. 

It is fascinating just thinking about all the ways that stories and beliefs shape our culture and our surroundings. Even though Eostre hasn’t been prominently celebrated in almost two thousand years and most Christians may not have knowledge of the evolution of certain symbols & celebratory practices- in a way the story itself lives on. That even though Pagans and Christians have very different beliefs, their stories are still interwoven in the fabric of the universe. That the number of overlapping symbols and beliefs in the world shared among cultures thousands of miles apart, feeds into the idea of a bigger greater shared ‘human story.’ This is usually where I have this small moment of existential reflection about ripples, and the echoes of the lives of people long dead. But the idea that in a way you are telling the same stories as your many times over great grandmother when you observe those traditions or share them with your children; and that someday many centuries from now you will still be alive among your descendants in some tiny way because of the stories you tell today, will always be a magical one to me.

Happy Rabbit Day,

Mikaela

This learning experience was so fun for me. It was easy to lose myself in a rabbit trail of information and compare different things from different places. I have always been interested in Astrology but have never made it past the superficial layer before. Taylor is much more knowledgeable in this particular area, so it was fun to finally delve a little deeper and then compare what I learned to my own birthdate as practice and compare my findings with how I see myself. 

To get a more accurate in depth look at your Astrological relationship with the world you need: date, time, and general location (the day of the week is irrelevant, I just happen to know it was a Tuesday thanks to my mother’s dedicated ‘baby book record keeping’). 

Let’s go over my Sun Sign first:

This is the one most people know. The stereotypical ‘what’s your sign?’. As discussed previously, your sun sign represents the core of who you are. It showcases your strengths and understanding of the world. I am a Capricorn. We tend to be hard working, loyal, & pragmatic. We are the ‘keep your head down and just keep chugging’ group of people. It is an earth sign. This was interesting to me because on a nerdy surface level: I am a Hufflepuff (5 points to Gryffindor for J.K. Rowling’s intuitive sorting test). On a deeper level, I find this fascinating for several reasons: between the business team that is Taylor and I- I tend to be the more grounded of the two of us, not to say that I don’t have a deeply creative side, but Taylor is the visionary, I’m the auger. I have a strange ability to put the blinders on when things get stressful; I have a ‘deal with it now, melt down afterwards’ approach (and I do have my meltdowns- we’ll get to that). I take it as a strange point of pride that several of my best friends have told me that part of the reason, I’m so close with them or still in their lives is because ‘I just don’t go away’ or ‘you kept checking in even when I stopped answering everyone, and it made me realize you really cared’. I don’t mean that to sound braggy- because it’s not always a great thing. I am stubbornly loyal, and I accept that. Can that come off as pushy? I’m sure it probably can- but I am a persistent person if nothing else. 

Next step is our Lunar sign:

Your moon sign is the soul side of your identity, the inside of your sun sign, your subconscious- it makes up a lot of your emotional side. My moon sign is Cancer. This is as close to opposite from Capricorn as possible and makes an interesting pairing if not a sometimes difficult one.  Cancer is associated with strong empathy, being intuitive to others, a strong need for alone time and recharge time, & quality over quantity with friends. It is a water sign, and they frequently need to find a way to ground themselves. While Cancers are not known for being lazy, they are much moodier than Capricorns. A Cancer’s tendency towards strong emotions and a need to communicate with others through emotions can frequently catch the Capricorn side off guard. When I was reading about this particular relationship it caught me right in the solar plexus. Both Taylor and Thomas can vouch for the fact that if I do not get my ‘alone time’ or my ‘recharge time’- I turn into a mess. I get moody, emotionally distant, and drained. Little things start to irritate me, and I get overwhelmed easily; My stress level goes up, I begin having flare ups and inevitably get sick. I love doing things with others and being with people, I NEED that connection- but I have a limit and I know exactly what that limit is. The alone time balance is an absolute necessity for me, and it took a long time to learn that you can’t pour from an empty cup. I am emotionally intuitive and connect with the people and world around me emotionally before anything else, and that requires setting certain levels of boundaries or it can bowl me over. This can lead to bouts of depression and anxiety if I’m not careful. I have a small collection of very close and private friends that I hold near and dear to my heart and I protect them with badger-like loyal fierceness (see what I did there?). There are definite upsides to the pairing of Capricorn and Cancer, It’s not all ‘clash of the personalities’- I am not quite Golem. The water aspect of Cancer adds some fluidity and adaptability to my Capricorn side; and the Earth nature of a Capricorn helps me ground my emotions and gain perspective in moments of importance instead of letting them run away with me (I still have my meltdowns- but Capricorn says ‘lemon juice in your eyes? You don’t need your eyes to make lemonade, just keep juicing and rinse your eyeballs later.’). In some ways, my own internal conflict balances me out. 

Let’s move on to my Ascendant:

This is how the world sees you, your outward expression of yourself. The personality you present to the world.  For me, my ascendant is Scorpio. On one hand, this can be a difficult ascendant according to many; Scorpios can be abrupt, abrasive, and moody, and frequently struggle with negative, toxic, and emotionally obsessive states. On the other hand, Scorpio Ascendant can offer you magnetism and charisma as well as make you deeply perceptive. Let’s pick this one apart, shall we? I have always had best friends or worst enemies. I know I can be abrasive, and I suppose a lot of people probably consider my rapid-fire way of talking to be abrupt. Negative and emotionally obsessive states? Here’s the funny thing about that: I am probably one of the most upbeat, high energy, bubbly people I know, BUT the minute that ‘alone time’ tank dips too low- all of me dips. I go in waves. I always have. My brain gets in a ‘place’ and it frequently stays there for several weeks at a time until it works out a way to get out of it. I’m great at grounding other people (see Capricorn). I get in ‘I’m not enough’, ‘I can’t do this’, ‘the world is overwhelming and falling apart’ moods. I don’t know if I would call myself Magnetic or Charismatic necessarily, but my kindergarten teacher did tell my parents I was precocious (technically I don’t think it was meant a compliment). The fact of the matter is I tend to put myself out there, organize people, and take control of situations. I used to think it was a problem, especially as a little girl being labeled ‘bossy’ or ‘overbearing’ hurt. But the older I get and the more I learn about myself and other people the more I’m okay with it. I have had some luck in leadership and management roles, and I would like to think that the bit of leadership I have can be attributed to a combination of Charisma/ Magnetism, decisiveness, an emotionally perceptive understanding of others and a little bit of a mother hen caretaker habit.  

There is still so much more that I need a better understanding of and want to know more about because reflecting on what I already learned has led to some interesting insight and self-awareness. Things that you know about yourself but don’t always admit. Reading the explanations of things allowed me to pause and look at myself in a more pragmatic way. I had a few ‘oh my god, I DO that moments’ (some in excitement and some with a grimace). My next steps will be exploring my Mercury, Venus, and Mars and I hope you will join me for that.  

If you are interested in learning more but aren’t sure where to start, a fun exercise/ tool to help you find out your own is: Free Chart – Astrodienst 

From there you can go through the process of looking up and learning about the connotations behind your own Astrological relationships. Remember that this is a guide and intended to give you insight into your predispositions, but it does not dictate or limit who you are. If anything, this can be a tool to expose areas of your life that you may need to work on or stay on top of.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela 

Good evening! (Or at least it’s evening for me).

In our previous post about Ostara we touched on one of my absolute favorite things to do: Take a floral milk bath. They are relaxing, fun, and a great way to give yourself some classy spa time on a budget. Self-care is important, especially in finding balance. Remember: you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking a little bit of time every week to decompress and recharge yourself is so important to your overall health and effectiveness. There are all sorts of tiny things you can do to fulfill this need for yourself, but if I’m taking extra care with myself, or at certain time of the year (i.e. Ostara) this is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It is ridiculously easy to do, and a relaxing way to add mindfulness to your life. 

Managing stress is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Stress can also lead to higher risk of stroke and heart attack. It may not seem like a cool or dramatic way to take care of yourself, but stress management is more important now than ever in today’s perpetually fast paced world. Baths in general to me are a good way to help me slow down because it’s all about the process, the soak; the whole point is to slow down and focus on doing nothing except being.  

A few quick tips to add to the experience: 

• Get yourself some candles: Even the dingiest room looks like a palace in candlelight. Turn your lights off and light some candles. If you have scented ones, great. But scentless dollar tree ones work just fine. If you are going the scented route, I try to stay on season. It helps focus your energy (i.e. Ostara= florals like primrose or jasmine, dogwood, rosewood, and vervain. Incense works great too to add to your ambiance if you go the dollar store unscented candle route.  
• Grab a glass: of something, anything. Some ladies like wine, and that works. Honestly for me though, I like my water really hot so I tend to stick to cold beverages to avoid light-headedness and accidents. If I really need to relax, then sure, a glass of red will do. But nothing is worse than putting all this prep work in, getting in the tub, and deciding you’re thirsty. Water, Juice, whatever it may be- you’ll thank me later. 
• Music: this is a tip especially if you live with roommates or in a loud place. It’s hard to relax, unwind, or meditate when you can hear your roommate’s comedy tv show, or the dryer thumping down the hall, or your siblings or spouse shouting. Again, this comes down to personal musical preference but some of my favorite ambiance music includes Celtic instrumentals & nature soundtracks if I want things that have no words. Another personal favorite is to turn on some Etta James or Andrea Bocelli if I’m feeling up to vocals.  
• Find a space heater: This one isn’t a necessity at all, just a preference. It can still very much be chilly in March, and while the bath feels great, eventually I must get out… to a frigid bathroom. The best way to avoid this is to turn an oscillating space heater on to a low setting. Helps take the edge off.  

Let’s Begin.

To make this floral soaking milk bath you will need: 

To make:  

1. Clear your workspace, focusing on your intentions as you do so. Try to stay relaxed and comfortable. 

2. In a medium bowl combine Sea Salt and Oats. 

3. In a separate small bowl, combine essential oils with carrier oil. Add this to the oat/salt mixture. It is important to mix this thoroughly to avoid the risk of skin irritation. 

4. Add your remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.  

5. Fill clean cotton bags and cinch tightly.  

To use:  

1. Let your cotton bag soak in hot bathwater for 5 minutes. Remember, this is all about the process. Take your time drawing your bath and getting the temperature where you want it.  

2. Squeeze gently to release oat milk and essential oils more effectively.  

3. The cotton, potpourri filled bag can also be used as an exfoliating scrub. Focus on dry ares for extra moisture. 

4. Bags can be emptied, washed, dryed and reused.  

Twist your hair up out of the way, grab a hand towel as a pillow & Soak. Enjoy the aromas, breathe deep, meditate and just let it all go. Whatever is bothering you, whatever bad thing happened today, however hard the winter was- let it go. Take a few minutes genuinely for yourself, get out when you feel like it, and not before. Wrap up in a soft robe or big fluffy towel. Take the time to treat your body by applying lotion or an oil, you deserve it. Flush the negative and the weight down the drain with your bathwater and close your ceremony by rinsing your tub and blowing out your candles.  

You just completed a mindful self-care ritual. Super simple. Not nearly as hocus-pocus as a lot of people will try to make it sound. You can also always play with the florals/ oils as well (try cedarwood or tonka bean in the winter- you’ll thank me later).  

The hardest thing with this is to be intentional. To slow down, focus on what you are doing, let nothing rush you, and don’t multi-task. Put down your phone. You can live without instagram or facebook or even a paper book for forty-five minutes. You are focusing on you. I get it, I love to read too, but that’s not the purpose here.  

All the best,  

Mikaela 

What is Ostara?

Not to be confused with the Christian Holiday of Easter, Ostara is the festival of growth, new beginnings and the dawning of a new season of life. It is traditionally the celebration of the vernal equinox, a sign that truly warmer days are ahead. A time to plan the upcoming season of hard work.  

While there are some symbolic overlaps in the celebrating of Easter and Ostara, they take place several weeks apart and celebrate two very different things. For those that follow the Christian Faith, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ. The spring Equinox has been known by many names: Ostara (Germanic), Eostre (Saxon), No Ruz (Persian) etc. Ostara has been celebrated in one form or another for hundreds of years, evolving and changing as civilizations grew and moved. 

Through the evolution of language, and the migration of beliefs many people came to celebrate Ostara and Eostre as one in the same: a time to rejoice, to honor Eostre: the goddess of the dawn, spring and fertility. Some religious studies even suggest that whilst the Easter holiday celebrates something entirely different, the Christian church adopted a similar name during their attempt to convert pagans to Christianity.  

There is even overlap in the symbolism behind the Painted eggs, and the Easter Bunny, but we’ll get to that in a later post because the evolution of legends and beliefs is one of my favorite topics, and the Easter Bunny is a fascinating tale.  

Celebrating at home is easy and doesn’t have to be a massive production. We’ve included some of our favorite ideas below, some are even things you can do in groups or with family, while others are more suited for those of you that want solitude. 

Ways to Celebrate:  

Painting Eggs

Arranging Flowers & Your ‘Hearth Space’

Prep Your Garden, Spend Time With Your Plants (setting intentions while you do so)

Herb Wreathes & Floral Wreathes

Alter Updates

Spring flowers (avoid lilies if you have a cat that likes to chew on plants), painted eggs, or decorative eggs, carvings or figures of rabbits and hares. The goddess Eostre was considered a guardian of portals, often depicted with keys hanging from her belt, old skeleton keys make great decorations for your Alter. Focus on whites, Yellows and Greens in your candles. Moonstone, Amethyst and Quartz make great energy focuses this month. If you like to include plants or spices look to primroses, clover, dogwood, daffodils, and tulips. Incense commonly include rosewood, vervain, violet, myrrh, geranium and jasmine. 

Pack Away Cold Weather Clothing

Take a Floral Milk Bath

Smudge & Cleanse

Dawn Ceremony

On the morning of Ostara wake up early (before the sun rises). Put on a pot of coffee or tea (I prefer a floral tea for this occasion). Find a quiet place to sit and meditate while you watch the Eastern horizon, again I prefer to do this outside in the quiet, but a nice large window will do. Sit, enjoy the sunrise, greet the day, and set your intentions. 

Ostara Baking

Our Ostara Feast: 

• Berry and mixed greens salad 
• Hard boiled- painted eggs 
• Kielbasa 
• Pierogi 
• Sourdough rolls 
• Vanilla Bavarian cream filled Packzki 

Remember…

Spirituality is a personal journey. It is your journey and nobody else’s. How you choose to experience it is up to you. These are just ideas, here to help you if you are new and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities. Go with what resonates with you, you could pick one, you could pick ten. You could use none of these, but let it spark something else.  

We always love to see how you make something your own. So Celebrate! We also welcome you to chime in- suggest the things you love to do.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela.  

What are the parts of a natal chart and what does each one represent? 

We talked about what astrology is a bit in a previous post. Feel free to reference our What is Astrology? post if you do not remember. But more than likely, if you are here, you have a basic idea of what astrology is and want to dig into its meat and potatoes. Brief recap though… 

Astrology looks at a snapshot of the celestial bodies in the sky at your birth and how that affects who you are and how you interact with/view the world around you. This snapshot is called your natal chart. 

To find your natal chart you need: 

1. Your time of birth (because every couple of minutes everything is shifting as the earth turns) 

2. Location of birth (because the sky looks different depending on where you are on the planet) 

3. Patience and research (or a free website- see a couple good ones listed in our What is Astrology? post)

Basic astrology takes into consideration 4 main things to give you your natal chart: 

• The planets (including the sun, moon, and Pluto) 
• The Zodiac signs which the plants are located in  
• The Houses 
• Aspects 

So back in the day (note I am saying this in an exaggerated old timer voice), astrologers would divide the heavens around us into 12 sections or archetypes. These are the 12 signs of the zodiac. Now we know (hopefully) that we are traveling around the sun, but from our perspective on Earth, it appears that the sun, moon, planets etc travel through the sky around us and as our observant ancestors noticed, it takes a certain amount of time for them to travel in set patterns “around” us. As astrologists tracked the path and patterns of celestial objects around the zodiac, they started noticing things like the fact that it takes the sun a year to make it through all 12 zodiacs and the moon a single month.  

Because the planets visual path across the sky is basically straight and “flat”, we can draw a 2D drawing to represent where everything is at a given time in the sky from our perspective at any given moment. We draw this as a circle and split that into 12 pieces like the ancient astronomers. Now imagine you lay down on the ground, look up at the sky and mark off exactly where all the planets are on that circle at the exact moment and location of your birth. Each one of those planets is in one of the 12 houses (will get into that in a later post). Because all the planets are in a circle, we can also look at the degrees of separation and the relationships between the planets on the chart (which is what we call aspects). Now if I look at the sky and chart this at 10pm in Seattle vs 10pm in Tokyo vs 4am in Tokyo, what I will see in the sky will be different each time which is why the time and location is key.  

Once all of this is drawn out, I now present to you…. your natal chart. 

It is still most likely a bit confusing which is I will be further diving into how that chart looks, the symbols, the houses, the aspects, elements, how to read the chart, etc in upcoming posts but for now let’s just talk about the 3 big pillars of the chart. The 3 big kahuna’s that most people have at least heard of even if they aren’t particularly interested in astrology or horoscopes.  

What is our sun, moon, and ascendant signs? What do they mean?  

Sun Sign 

Moon Sign 

Ascendant/Rising Sign 

I can tell you that my sun sign is Pisces, my moon sign is Gemini, and I am an ascendant Leo. I am not going to get into my interpretation of what those mean to me yet BUT I will in the next couple posts as I further break out the zodiacs, planets, and houses and what their meanings are. I can tell you that astro café though does a FANTASTIC job of breaking out the meaning of your chart. I honestly felt a bit attacked with how accurate it was about parts of my personality, what makes me tick, and even how I act at my day job.  

Until next time,  

Taylor 

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CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

So let us start with the basics. The sky and space have always held a lot of humans’ attention. It is mysterious, expansive, and mostly unexplored. Ancient cultures observed it for both practical (when to plant crops) and religious purposes (oh no! the gods are angry and flooding our fields!). To many of the ancient civilizations, it is not an over exaggeration to say that they believed much of their life and the events of the natural world around them were determined by the gods. Many cultures believed that the gods lived in the sky/space or were in fact the planets like in the case of the Sumerians. This led them to watching the sky and stars to find meaning. They relied on it to determine when to hunt, plant, get married etc.  

No matter if you believe in the spiritual or if you are a person of science, we can all agree that to an extent there is some validity to their methods. Obviously, our calendars are a bit different, and our gardening schedule is no longer based on our father sitting outside, looking at the stars and telling us it is time to plant the turnips. Modern science has progressed, and we can predict and make more sense of weather, movement of celestial objects, etc without attributing everything to a god. On the other hand, the sky and the celestial bodies do influence earth and the world around us. For example, the moon controls tide in the ocean and can be linked to changes in people’s moods.  

Astrology vs Astronomy vs Physics

Despite our development of modern science, people are still fascinated by the sky and how it influences our lives. Based on this, we were forced to split the study of the sky/space into more rational, calculated fields of Astronomy and Physics vs the philosophical/psychological/interpretational study of Astrology.  

• Astrology [əˈsträləjē]; NOUN; The study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world. 

• Astronomy [əˈstränəmē]; NOUN; The branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. 

• Physics [ˈfiziks]; NOUN; The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics, distinguished from that of chemistry and biology, includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. 

We all need a starting point…

I used to believe that Astrology was- and I quote- “froo froo woo woo hippy shit”. All I knew was that it had to do with Zodiac signs and horoscopes. As I have done more research over the years and admittedly loosened up a lot to alternative beliefs outside what I was raised with, I have also realized that it is much deeper and more involved than teenage girls looking up if they are compatible with their crush. That said, it can be confusing when terms start being thrown at you like sun/moon sign, ascendant, ruling planets, hemispheres, and houses around.  

What houses? Hogwarts houses?  

Never fear though! I am going to break down what they all mean and how they are found. Maybe you are honestly looking for another way to look at your personality and strengths and weaknesses and you are just starting your exploration into astrology.  Or maybe you think it is just froo froo woo woo hippy shit and are just curious. Maybe your ex broke up with you because “you are a scorpio” and you are trying to decipher what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks she was yelling about in the bar at 2 am. Either way, let us start with the most obvious, cookie cutter, pieces. The bread and butter of Astrology if you may.  

First things first…

First, I would say to use a free natal chart calculator online. A natal chart is an astrology birth chart and a cosmic map showing all the planets placement and movement around the sun in relation to where you were born. Because it is down to the minute and specific to the place of your birth, it is unique to everyone. I have used several and even cross checked them for accuracy. The following two are favorites. The first has a ton of different options if you are more experienced and want to tweak some different things or pull a non-standard chart. The second site (my favorite) is great for beginners, straight to the point, and even gives a description of what it all means.  

Free Charts & Data – Astrodienst 

Free Astrology Birth Chart Report (cafeastrology.com) 

Co – Star: Hyper-Personalized, Real-Time Horoscopes (costarastrology.com)– This is a phone app

Both Mikaela and I have looked up meanings and interpretations and pulled information from quite a few places online and from our bookshelf. To really understand the chart, it is always best to look in multiple places. Part of it will also come from experience. That being said, the point of the astrology posts I will be putting out is to break down some of that info in small bite sized pieces so you have to do less digging around.

In the next few Astrology posts, you will see Mikaela and I use ourselves as examples and as we build on this info we will continue to delve into our own natal charts, what the pieces mean to us and then how that can be applied to various parts of our world. I would encourage you to do the same.  I know that some cultures do not believe this information should be shared as people can use that knowledge against you so, please only share if you are comfortable.

Remember! This is supposed to be fun. It is a tool and very much up for interpretation. It is also going to mean vastly different things for and to everyone. We want to hear from you! What do you think this all means to you and what did it say?

Happy Charting! 

Taylor 

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CHECK OUT THE FULL ASTROLOGY 101 SERIES:

• What is Astrology? Where Does One Start?
• Astrology Symbol Reference Page
• Astrology 101: What Is In Your Natal Chart?
• Astrology 101: Natal Chart Organization and Terminology
• Astrology 101: The 12 houses & Their Symbolism
• Astrology 101: The Energy of Planets and Other Celestial Bodies