Author: TheMuse

Illuminated Gathering: Virgo, Spinner’s Full Moon

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0% 0 0 0″]A Virgo full moon masterfully weaves itself into our lives this Sunday, making it the perfect day to plan a moon gathering for this weekend. Seasonal Astrologist, Allie Couch, brings us some fated insight and ideas to get your gathering spun with perfection.

ILLUMINATING SUNDAY’S HIGH TIDE OF FATE

As we swim our way through the dreamy, mystical, and artistic seas of Pisces Season, a grounding full moon will come along in the not-so-emotional sign of Virgo. In opposition to this solar season’s vitality; a vitality that influences all of us to use symbolism and composition to attach meaning to the full spectrum and complexity of life, we blossom with a new found ability to actualize practical purposes in the outer world.

Virgo is a sign of fate and as we stepped into the Virgo new moon initiations, in early September, we started a six month journey to analyze, refine, and hone a skill or skills that we saw as being ‘useful’ or ‘purposeful’. There is a purity to this sign of the Virgin which conflicts with the messiness of human relations. Because of this, a pendulum swing happens as we refine and develop this ‘pure’ and ‘useful’ purpose, one that may have taken us between moments of needing the help of others to develop to one of utilizing what was learned to purify our own lives. At the full moon, this skill is actualized in some way that pushes it, and us, out into the world. An ability to refine, organize, and analyze has gifted us with a beautiful capability and now we recognize that it’s this capability that can bring a recognized purpose and usefulness to our lives. We see that this is a service we can offer and one that is needed by humanity.
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[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]We now start a six month journey to offer our useful purpose to our close peers, communities, and then to the world at large, all the while, spinning a web of connection that maintains purity from needing to engage in the messiness of emotional interaction or subjectivity. Rather, this web is spun to bring support and connection to an objective fate or specific need, purifying health and process. This is where Virgo gets it’s connection to the principle of serving. [/two_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[two_third padding=”0% 0 0 0″]THE GATHERING

We love us a full moon gathering at CosmoMuse as the high tide that full moons bring creates an opening to put our needs in the spotlight. This complete illumination is urging us to step into the outer world with what’s developed and celebrate the things coming into actualization—or mourn for things that didn’t make the cut and are now needing to phase out of our lives. With a close group of loved ones, either side that you are spilling over with (actualizing or releasing), is given communal support and nurturing.

At this Virgo full moon, take the time to ask your gatherers what it is that they’ve been honing and training in, or taming, in their lives. At 22 degrees of Virgo, the Sabian Symbol speaks to a readied faith in yourself after taming and mastering a wild aspect of ego: An ego refinement.

Here are some great questions to allow each person to address in the moon circle:

What part of yourself do you feel is ready and more polished to give to the world?

Do you feel a rising purpose or fate in your life?

Is there a skill, service, or aspect of your ego that is feeling a need to phase out of your life right now, no longer serving the fate, or usefulness of your life direction?[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]With all that is illuminated after these questions, use some critical thinking skills to see if there might be some way to help each person feel more comfortable with spinning their web of use and purpose in the outer world. Do any of the skills or purposes of those at the gathering relate or can some of these things be practiced on others there to help boost confidence in this coming-out time? How does each moon gatherer see the use of each other’s new fateful callings? Maybe allow a bit of response and reaction to each person, adding to the never ending need of Virgo energy to refine, analyze, and purify. [/two_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]SEASONAL ACTIVITIES

Some kind of seasonal art or activity is always a lovely, grounding, and communal enhancing thing to start your moon gathering off with, followed by a shared meal, and then the moon circle. To learn how to organize the flow of a full moon gathering and our version of what you need, you can find this info in our 2017 Seasonal Astrology Guide (download the PDF version here or purchase the print version here).

With this being a very practical and earth oriented full moon, we think it’s the perfect gathering to actually learn a skill and bring in a professional or one of your crew who’s good at this skill to give a simple and short 101 class: knitting, macrame, crochet. With Virgo being tied to the sympathetic nervous system, making epsom salt bath soaks is another great thing that might encourage everyone to go home and take a relaxing soak, taking a bit of pressure off of the perfection that Virgo is tied to. Have each person bring an herb, dried flowers, or essential oil that’s seasonal so people can make their own soak mixtures that speak to them. Chamomile and lavender are especially great relaxers. As this is the Native American Magpie Full Moon, having soil and little containers for planting seedlings, could also be fun. Have each person bring spring seeds so there’s a nice variety and make cartons of seed starters for herbs, veggies and flowers. Here’s a great tutorial.
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Inner Musings: 1/24th of your Day

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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]Lauren Eimers-Wangrud brings us some very caring mental health advice for this Pisces Season as we are urged to find a little extra personal space during this meditative and ethereal time.
Images via Pinterst


“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
– Audre Lorde, poet, writer, activist, 1934 – 1992

1/24th of your Day

You’ve heard it a million times before: you have to put on your oxygen mask before helping anyone else with theirs. This Pisces season I challenge you to make self-care a new priority. It sounds self-indulgent, but as Audre Lorde so eloquently states, caring for oneself “is self-preservation.” In today’s climate, taking care of oneself is as important as ever. We will explore simple ways to reframe your days or weeks to allow for this important and sustaining practice.[/two_third_last]

[two_third]Self-care can nurture different aspects of your life. You can take time to care for your physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, personal, and professional self. Sometimes a self-care ritual will help just one portion of your self, but often something that is sustaining for one aspect can be buoying for another. For example, taking time to have lunch with a dear friend not only cares for your personal self, but can be supportive to your emotional self as well. A long walk is great for physical self-care, but it can also give you time to reflect and recharge psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.

In our culture, self-care can be conceptualized as self-centered, greedy, or weak, so it may be difficult at first to attempt to carve out a bit of time each day or week for yourself. It may help to remember when you are stepping away from the computer, project, or your partner or family, that helping yourself will better enable you to conquer the tasks that may be wearing you down in everyday life. Recharging for an hour a day can give you the resolve and energy you need to conquer the other 23 hours you have ahead of you.

Conceptualizing your day as 24 hours for you to use can be helpful in finding that one hour for yourself. You’ll need 8 hours to work and another 8 to sleep, most days (this is an important part of self-care, as well!), so that leaves approximately 8 more hours for eating, commuting, chores, childcare, and living your life. If you can first commit to 15 minutes a day for a few weeks, you’ll find it less stressful to jump to a half-an-hour, and then an hour in the weeks following.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]What are things that only take 15 minutes that can be solely for you?

o Set down your phone and pick up a magazine, periodical, or book. Read.
o Lock the bathroom door. Parents know this is a gift to oneself.
o Breathe deeply. Meditate.
o Prepare yourself a cup of tea, coffee, or your favorite morning beverage and sit down to drink it while it’s still hot. No, you may not reheat it.
o Listen to a bit of music that you love.
o Cuddle with your person or pet.
o Paint your toenails.
o Write in a journal.
o Take a power nap.
o Call a friend or family member that lifts you up.[/two_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]See? Self-care can be squeezed into a busy day, even if it’s only for a few moments. Once you are comfortable asking yourself for that time each day, gradually increase that amount of time. You may need to get creative with how you can fit an entire uninterrupted hour into your day. You may need to wake up before the rest of the house or physically remove yourself from your normal routine to get that time to yourself. You may have to get a babysitter or swap childcare days with another parent that is as in need of self-care time as you! Whatever you do, remember that this is an act of self-preservation, not self-indulgence.

This schedule-bending is worth it as you’ll begin to see the benefits of self-care spilling over into the other hours of your day. This could manifest itself as more energy to take on the challenges a day can bring. You could notice you’re calmer in situations that previously made you upset. You could find your creativity sparked or a readiness to connect more with others. Hopefully this Pisces season will help you in putting on your daily “oxygen mask” and realizing that in caring for ourselves first, we are better prepared to care for others and give improved attention to our families, careers, and responsibilities.
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Pisces Solar Eclipse: Life’s Symbolic Meaning

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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]It’s time to get your CosmoMuse 2017 Seasonal Astrology Guide out to make your Pisces New Moon Eclipse Intentions. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get our printed guide OR PDF download in our online shop (HERE). Our seasonal discount code: PISCESSEASON will get you 10% off. Get ready to explore this big lunar event that will bring deeply spiritual shifts into our lives as Seasonal Astrologist, Allie Couch, gives us a glimpse into this moon-y cycle.

THE NEW MOON
Every zodiac solar season, an opening graces our lives rich with opportunity for fresh starts and new initiations. This is the new moon’s gift to us: a new cycle with new opportunities to grow and push ourselves in the things that that season represents. It’s like planting a seeds that needs tending to, and that will go through different phases over the course of the year until the next new moon of the same season comes, in a year’s time.

THE NEW MOON ECLIPSE & THE SIGN OF PISCES
This Pisces Season, we get an extra helping of new starts for this sign’s purpose in our lives. As new moon’s happen, we often build on them with each new round. We may start with a rose bush seed, and then next year we decide to expand and plant 3 more rose bushes, next we make a whole entry path lined with rose bushes, and so on. Enter the eclipse. Eclipses always fall on the full or new moons, and when they coincide with a new moon, the progressions we’ve been making each year with our new moon initiations, or new seeds for that sign, gets a complete overhaul. [/two_third_last]

[two_third]Maybe we’ve grown tired of the same rose bushes, maybe a tornado destroys them, or maybe a different flower catches our eye that we become fixated with. Either way, every six years, we begin a fully new cycle for a two sign polarity, over the course of two years. With Sunday’s Pisces new moon eclipse, we will see our lives take on a newly evolved meaning within the area that this sign rules in our lives: dreams, fantasy, compassion, healing, arts, symbolism, chemistry, the quantum field, and spirituality. It brings a lot of overall symbolic meaning into our lives.

Whether we consciously decide we want to take on a new phase of evolving for these things or an event happens that rocks your world, forcing these changes, much shifting takes place. As the trickle down happens and others around us start to shift, this impacts our shifts and we see a several-week impact with all sorts of news making waves and changing circumstances.

THE INTENSITY
Not every eclipse is equal, and the intensity depends on the connections the eclipse forms with other planets as well as whether it connects to any planets or cardinal lines in our own chart. This Pisces eclipse feels especially potent as it’s slow moving nebulous ruler, Neptune, recently returned to it’s own sign after a 165 year tour of the zodiac. This eclipse falls very near to the same degree of Neptune in Pisces. In short, this new and evolved Pisces phase that we are entering is graced with it’s own ruler’s gifts, quadrupling our ability to heal, dream, and find symbolic meaning in life. If working Pisces in the negative, watch out for disillusionment, lies, addiction, narcissism, and/or a victim mentality.
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[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]The most ethereal and inspired energy comes from this sign, so it makes sense that we also see some of our most difficult issues arise here as well.

With us being in a 1 universal year, ruling new starts, this Pisces solar eclipse may take on even more significance of new beginnings in our lives. [/two_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[three_fifth][/three_fifth][two_fifth_last]PISCES IN YOUR CHART
Depending on your rising sign, Pisces will rule over (or gives its dreamy filter to), a specific area of your life, and this is the area that will get a complete revamp, under the Pisces umbrella of energies.

Aries: Pisces is in it’s natural 12th house in your chart so it’s themes are triple. It may be hard for you to notice as this house lies in your shadows. Arts, your spiritual connection, covert works, connection to institutions, healing, life meaning, compassion, and retreating are all getting a makeover.

Taurus: Your 11th house of systems, friends, networks, future hopes, and groups or industries is starting a new phase in its connection to compassion, art, healing, and institutions. You may find more compassion and chemistry in the groups you discover now or see makeovers in your circles that uplift and inspire you.[/two_fifth_last]

[one_half padding=”4% 0 0 0″]Gemini: Your 10th house of career, aspirations, and reputation is getting an overhaul in its connection to arts, healing, spirituality, inspiration, and building lasting structures in fantasy and dream driven fields. Much composition will flow out of you this year to create the building blocks you need for your rise to success.

Cancer: Your 9th house is about to undergo some big changes. Finding compassion and spiritual connection in your world views and beliefs is important to you and you may see yourself blurring boundaries in order to see outside of your current views, broadening your compassion for more ways of life. Compassionate expansion brings opportunity.

Leo: Your 8th house is beginning a newly evolved cycle, helping you soften your heart and find compassion for those dark places that have been hiding way down inside of you. With some psychological digging and healing, you start to better allow others into your life who may provide resources for your needs. [/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]Virgo: Your 7th house of partnerships, relationships, sense of balance and equality is getting an overhaul. You may find a deeply spiritual way of relating with others at this time that opens up a much more composed and symbolic way of creating harmony and elegance around you.

Libra: Your 6th house is ruled by Pisces so a new cycle is starting in the way that you go through your day-to-day life, the processes you use to get things done, and how you like to be productive. You may find more art, mediation, retreat, and compassion become available to you, helping you to better hone your ability to compose your days in an artistic fashion rather than checking things off in a linear mode.

Scorpio: Your 5th house is ready to shine in new and inspiring ways. You may not be an overt and bossy leader, preferring to inspire rather than command, and this eclipse is surrounding you with a soft, memorizing glow that makes your vitality and star powers enchanting and magical to watch. Much artistic, healing, and/or spiritual expression is available to you this coming year.

Sagittarius: Your 4th house is about to go through a big change making home, family, and your roots a little wobbly for a minute. As changes take place, you may find yourself needing to uproot and plant new roots or metaphorically having that feeling with some big revamps in family dynamics. Once settled, the new soil you find your home and/or family in will be much more glamorous and spiritually rich, allowing for a beautiful and meditative vibe. If moving, something near the ocean, or a large body of water, could bring you more fluid, soothing energy. [/two_third_last]

[two_third padding=”3% 0 0 0″]Capricorn: Your 3rd house of communication is up for a reset. Poetic, psychic, and compassionate in thought and thought patterns, you may find this new reset utilizing your poetic and integrally composed way of thinking being put to better use for healing, arts, and/or institutional purposes. More life meaning could unveil itself in the information, newly acquired knowledge, or learning experiences that come your way, helping you make compassionate and artistic connections in your community. You think symbolically so do be sure that people feel clear about what’s been communicated to them as you tend to have the most communication issues of any sign.

Aquarius: Your 2nd house is in line for an revamp with this eclipse. Hone in on your senses and how much pleasure and connection to value they bring you. With Pisces here, you may see new doors open to you that allow you to utilize your love of the arts in newly inspiring and composed ways. This will in turn boost your sense of self-worth.

Pisces: This is a major eclipse for you, Pisces. Your whole agenda and personal desires are up for a makeover. The things you wanted over the past six or seven years may be feeling less interesting as new and evolved maturity and compassion seep into your soul. With your ruler also in your 1st house, your heart’s desires are very supported at this time, or at least feel very personal. Inspiration and healing are at your fingertips all year. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][two_third]JOIN OUR VIRTUAL PISCES SEASON INTENTION SETTING CLASS TO GET MORE IN-DEPTH WITH THIS NEW MOON AS WELL AS TO GET OUR SEASONAL VISUALIZATION< DESIGNED TO HELP CREATE NEW BEHAVIORS IN OUR PISCES AREA OF LIFE. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

CREDITS:

Model/Dancer: Sayaka Ohtaki

Hair & Makeup: Lesley Lind

Words & Photography: Allie Couch

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Mindfulness & Polarities: Creative Possibilities

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]Dive into the life activating forces of polarity work as John Kesler, renowned mindfulness expert, guides us through the pole of clarity & confusion, and how holding both of these can give rise to creative and experimental possibility.


CREATIVE POSSIBILITY

If we are present in the moment it can create new possibilities.

A primary polarity for holding this sense of abundance is “clarity/confusion” If we are present to what is arising we can be clearer about the reality before us instead of being immersed in a narrative based on our biases grounded in experiences of the past and/or in fears of the future. Related to this is that we have greater clarity by not being in denial and accepting what is before us.

We should also face the reality that any mental framing we have of what is arising has to some extent inevitably been constructed by our minds. If we realize this we may be thrown into confusion. Or on occasion we experience confusion in any event because we have no sense of what is going on. Such confusion is a gift, though, because we are freed from the unconscious limitations of our own faculties.[/two_third_last]

[two_third]The challenge is learning not to swing dramatically from clarity to confusion and back again. It is optimal when we can lightly hold the interplay of perceiving with our latest framing capacities as things arise from moment to moment and also noticing that any act of framing is limited in its grasp. In this way we live in an endless series of moments of clarity/confusion.
Buddhists call this “beginner’s mind”. Having beginner’s mind implies the courage to look at everything with fresh eyes with minimum bias, to have the integrity to be responsible for what is arising but humble enough to realize that we must stay open to the possibilities of every moment. This can gives each moment an element of surprise and delight.

When our awareness can access a stillness underlying this free flowing dance of clarity/confusion, another phenomenon happens. That stillness is an opening to our deepest wisdom and compassion, which transcends the thinking mind. This is also a place of abundance giving rise to hope, possibility and experimentation.

Because of this opening to something deeper beyond the everyday conceptual mind, we are also more prone to be open to inspiration. In this moment there is an opportunity for the emergence of creativity and with others, co-creativity.

All this depends on being present and being aware of these basic universal dynamics of consciousness. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Feel It All: Come Together

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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]The Deeply feeling Katie Chirgotis of Eothen entices us with some Aquarius Season sensing and a call to action of coming together, during this new age we find ourselves in; an age that is asking us to step out of the shadows of great revolutionaries to keep watch over the freedoms that have rightly been fought for and are our responsibilities to uphold.
Photography also by Katie (view her instagram here).

Perhaps you remember “20 Questions” played at a slumber party when you were young. There’s a range of asks: the name of a major crush to ketchup v mustard preference to a brush with a ghost. A question I remember was, “if you could live in any age, what decade would it be?” My answer, shushed out from behind a mangle of braces and bad bangs, “the 60’s!”

Several reasons:

Peace, Love and Rock n’ Roll.
Flower Power and all the daisy crowns that came with it.
Low-waist bell bottoms (back en vogue at the time).
Something about the way my body felt and my heart synced up when “Come Together” played on my parent’s Abbey Road album. A call, a thrum, a delicious idea of rebellion.[/two_third_last]

[two_third padding=”5% 0 0 0″]I was in love with the titillating juxtaposition of kumbaya anarchy, hand-holding, and peace-sign flashing. As a young person who so often felt alone and strange (along with almost every teenager that ever was), I imagined myself surrounded by others who felt and sang and danced like I did to the same Drum.

Decades later and more informed, I am sobered by the horrors of war and racial inequality that lit the flame of resistance. I recognize the cost of a generation disillusioned by and divided from the one before.

Generation( S ).

When we connected during Sagittarius season, we named that many of us haven’t needed to resist the current state of being. Rather, we distractedly stood on the shoulders of past radicals, artists, and truth-speakers who came together in protest of growing ugliness.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”9% 0 0 0″]This Ugliness. Let’s sense into what reaction or feeling lights up in each of us. Division. Accusation. Acceptance. Disbelief. Hope. Doubt. Fear. Grief. Resolution. Revolution. Whatever the light may be, it is not just us alone. It glows within the person beside us, facing us, following us. As we turn to acknowledge the flame burning within each other’s heart, we see our Community.

In Aquarius embodiment, we are again gathering as Fire-keepers and High Idealists have done before. Creating tribes to support, keep watch, and act. Whether you have marched, called your Senator, or opened your heart/mind/mouth in kindness to connect with someone who feels differently than you, community is formed. Our former limits of time and space are rendered boundless by the seamless interplay of reality and virtual reality, (the use of the Internet/social media, by the way, is SO AQUARIAN). With no limits, we are drawn to one another. [/two_third_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third padding=”3% 0 0 0″]At the end of March, I am co-leading a gathering to hold space for this fire, and what we need to do to sustain it. For a few days, we’ll spend time in the wild nature of Big Sur, a place that I feel is incredibly close to Source. Through the practice of yoga, artistic creativity and spiritual healing – men and women will be a community that honors the need to feel safe AND free. Grounded AND in flight. An honoring of something bigger than ourselves, and longer than our brief time here on Earth.

I know you, you know me. So, let us beat the drums, gather around the fire, and see each other through the flames. [/one_third][one_third][/one_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

Illuminated Gathering: A Theatrical Leo Eclipse

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[one_half][/one_half][one_half_last]Illuminating Tomorrow’s Dramatic High Tide

A SPECTACULAR LEO LUNAR ECLIPSE
How do you plan to gather at tomorrow evening’s full moon, a time of illumination and integration when dreams come to life, events challenge us in new ways, and manifesting prevails?

Gatherings bring connection. Toss in a full moon and you’ve got high tides of feelings and events, making the ping pong of communing rich and deep. Layer in the moon in Leo and excitement, creativity, warmth, and generosity encompass the mood—but tack on an eclipse and a wild card of the unexpected arises.

Beyond the above string of glow-y themes; themes that make this one of the most anticipated and possibly the most dramatic full moons of the year, we also have a large pack of planets that are gathering to watch and contribute to the spectacle on deck, spinning a beautiful web of supportive cosmic formations (two kites and a mystic rectangle). Things are arranging nicely to usher us into a new two-year cycle of Leo-Aquarius eclipses, honing and evolving our creative-expression and command (Leo), while also uncovering ways in which we can plug into collaborative efforts that move beyond our own ego expression (Aquarius). [/one_half_last]

[two_third padding=”2% 0 0 0″]Symbolism of this Full Moon

PERFORMANCE
I love looking at the degree in which full moons fall to get some insight into what they are telling us to integrate and illuminate in our lives.

SABIAN SYMBOLS (archetypal images for the zodiac degrees):
Leo Moon 22 Degrees – In A Circus the Bareback Rider Displays Her Dangerous Skill
Aquarius Sun 22 Degrees – A Big Bear Sitting Down and Waving All Its Paws

The illumination of our moon in Leo focuses on a need to get self-disciplined in order to gain control of our egos and natural vitality so that we can perform spectacular feats with showmanship. In this, we also need to integrate control and the refinement of our natural impulses to use them for a purpose greater than ourselves. Overall, troops come to mind: circus, dance, theater, etc––the honing of your personal performance and skill to contribute to a bigger performance element. Spectacular inter- and intra- coordination. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]The Gathering

GATHER YOUR MOON CREW
If you are doing a moon circle, practice performing a ritual, ceremony, a piece of poetry, mannerisms. Make this the most choreographed, performance enhanced, ritual and ceremony you’ve ever done. Get theatrical and dramatic with gestures, think about the how to make fire more prominent, coordinate your efforts with others. Rehearse this an hour or two before your gathering starts with anyone else involved in leading the moon circle. Ask people to wear certain things or bring certain things. (Our printed 2017 guide has moon ritual info – purchase here).

If you aren’t into the whole circle and ritual thing, grab your lady friends and plan a theatrical night on the town. Go to a decadent dinner where the service is honed and impeccable, dress up and head to the theater or ballet, and then find a fancy place for cocktails and desserts, after. Think grand and dramatic and prepare for a brilliantly glamorous night.

SEASONAL MATERIALS
Do a bit of Pre-Galentine décor or theme-ing: Roses are heart-openers, which is the part of the body related to Leo, where our full moon resides. Incorporate rose tea, rose head-wreaths, a rose mandala. Oranges, cocoa, ginger root, garlic, and cayenne are great for circulation, ruled by Aquarius, where our sun is. Get creative with these seasonal materials, tying them into your moon circle, dinner, and décor. [/two_third_last]

Mid-Winter Yoga: Finding Familiarity with Failure

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[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”2% 0 0 0″]Yogi, Brooke Musat, joins us with insight from our Seasons of Greatness, Winter Workshop on how to use failure as a way to reinvent your goals after we’ve all had blunders with our New Year’s Resolutions. Get curiosity, relax your standards, and negotiate with yourself! Photography by Ann Whittaker

It’s no longer the season of New Year’s Resolutions, instead, it’s that tricky time of year when resolutions of the New Year start to lose their “newness” and motivation starts to dry up. If your start of February is anything like mine, you may have found yourself failing to stick to what you promised yourself you’d stick to in January, and swore you’d stick to throughout the year. That’s okay, a lot of us are in the same boat, and actually, I am encouraging you to continue to fail.

Yup, that is right, I think you should fail more often. Build a familiarity with failure, and generally get more comfortable with committing to do so.

Just saying “fail” out loud feels slightly taboo, maybe it’s because it’s a 4 letter word that begins with an “F”, or maybe it’s the weight the word carries. “Fail” is defined as “being unsuccessful in achieving one’s goal.” Yikes! Just reading that might make your shoulders slump, your lip droop, or your stomach begin to turn. The definition of “fail” is 2 parted, with an element of expectation and an element of disappointment. But what I think the dictionary’s definition doesn’t include, is the importance of failure in achieving one’s goal.
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[full_width]Before successfully inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times. When asked about his number of failures, he said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Failure lets us know we must amend, redefine, adjust, reroute, modify, alter, revise, and so forth. Each failure is a breadcrumb on your path to success, a nod from the universe you are 1 step closer, and an opportunity for you to reevaluate or pause.

So how do you begin to build a familiarity with failure? Read below for 3 tips that may help. [/full_width]

[full_width]GET CURIOUS
When you fail, because you will, we all fail, get curious about WHY you failed. If, for example, you failed by falling out of a balancing yoga pose, investigate whether you fell forward, backward, or to one side. If you fell forward, you need to lean less forward, if you fell backward, you need to lean more forward, and if you fell to one side, you need to find strength in the opposite side for which you fell. This example may seem obvious, but this type of investigation is important and 100% appropriate when deciding your next move.
Try the sequence below, but keep curiosity top of mind. If you can’t get curious about poses you’ve done a million times, think about how you can make them feel different. Maybe try thinking about how 1 particular body part is positioned in a pose, stare at that body part, push down, pull up, or direct your breathe toward it. Take time to explore the boundaries of each pose. If this doesn’t work, try adding weights to the hands or feet. If you can commit to remaining curious, you’re sure to make a better next step.
“We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney [/full_width]

[one_half padding=”7% 0 0 0″]o Upward Salute Pose
o Standing Forward Bend
o ½ Standing Forward Bend with arms out to the sides (3X)
o Focus on squeezing shoulder blades together (pictured)
o Chair Pose with feet hip distance
o Bring hands to the outside of the knees (push hands into knees and knees into hands)
o Standing Forward Bend with alternating bent knees
o High Plank
o Four-Limbed Staff Pose
o Downward Dog with legs turned out and then in
o 3 Legged Downward Dog
o Low Lunge with knee down
o High Plank
o Four-Limbed Staff Pose
o Sphinx, Cobra, or Upward Facing Dog
o Repeat sequence on opposite side. [/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[full_width]RELAX THE PROBLEM
If you’ve experienced failure because you were unable to solve the problem right in front of you, then this tip is for you. Inspired by the science and application of algorithms, this tip reminds us that sometimes success can’t be achieved through intensity, but rather finds its way to us when we are relaxed.

Have you ever focused so hard on solving a problem, decided to give up after a significant period of time, then later, when you’re completely unfocused on solving the problem, the solution comes to you? If you’re nodding your head “yes”, then try this sequence. Each of the poses in this sequence have an advanced version, and slightly less advanced version. Try the advanced version first (it will appear first in the sequence), if you fail at embodying it comfortably and safely, then “relax the problem” and go for the less advanced variation. Give yourself permission to fail, and you might be surprised how “permission” temporally allows relaxation to sneak in.

“When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.”
– Eloise Ristad[/full_width]

[one_half][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”11% 0 0 0″]o Dolphin or Short Downward Dog (Step feet 6-12 inches closer to hands)
o Low lunge (Transition Pose)
o Crescent Lunge or Crescent Lunge with back knee down
o Revolved Side Angle or Revolved Side Angle with back knee down
o High Plank or Forearm Plank
o Downward Dog (Transition Pose)
o Warrior II with hands reaching toward the diagonal or traditional Warrior II (pictured)
o Side Angle with hand on mat or Side Angle with hand on block
o Triangle with hand on shin/mat or Triangle with hand on block
o ½ Moon or ½ Moon with hand on block
o Flow to Downward Dog
o Repeat sequence on opposite side.[/one_half_last]

[full_width]BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH YOURSELF
If you are that individual who sets the same goal ever New Years, and you fail every year, this tip is dedicated to you. It’s clear, the goal you make every year, isn’t going to pan out exactly as you imagined. Your failure to achieve that goal year after year, is a clue that you need negotiate with yourself.
What about the goal would you being willing to reshape, reframe, or redefine? Let’s say your goal was to run 10 miles each week, but by mid-February you’ve consistently only run 7 miles each week. Clearly, you’ve failed at achieving your initial goal, but instead of getting down on yourself, take the hint from the universe, and use the failure as an opportunity to reflect on the goal. Maybe, you’d be okay with running an average of 10 miles each week. In a month, that could be 2 weeks at 7 miles, 1 week at 12 miles, and 1 week at 14 miles. At most, that is only 2 miles each day!
Try the strengthening poses in this sequence, and think about how you’d be able to build on them over time. If the suggested number of breathes, or recommended time holding the posture does not feel appropriate, negotiate with yourself until you feel comfortable with the terms.[/full_width]

[one_third padding=”21% 0 0 0″]o Plank Pose – hold for 30-60 seconds

o Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II – hold for 10 breathes each side

o 3 Legged Downward Dog – 7 breathes each side

o Low Lunge (transition pose) – do not hold

o Warrior III or Warrior III with blocks – hold for 30-60 seconds (pictured)[/one_third][two_third_last][/two_third_last]

[full_width]“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
– Michael Jordan

With the remaining 11 months of the year still ahead of us, find comfort in the length of runway we still have to achieve goals we initiated at the start of the New Year. Whether you are on track to achieve your goals, or you’ve lost a bit of steam, recognize that failure will likely play some role in your story of success. If at any moment you find yourself failing, falling, or in the aftermath of a major F***up, remember these tips: get curious, relax the problem, and be willing to negotiate with yourself. If you keep these tips at arm’s reach, you’ll be sure to find success in 2017! [/full_width]

Cultivating Networks of Generosity: Aquarius Rituals

Posted on by TheMuse

[two_third] (Photo by Ann Whittaker of our Seasons of Greatness Workshop, January 28, 2017)[/two_third][one_third_last]Ann Whittaker, our muse of eloquence, guides us on a journey through beautiful mid-winter rituals to help us take advantage of Aquarius Season’s connection to humanity.

“Conquer the angry one by not getting angry; conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity, and the liar by speaking the truth.”
– Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada

My desire for tenderness, compassion, and generosity are potent these days. It’s midwinter, and all I want to do is make sure that hearts are warm, and that we are gathering to propel each other’s dreams forward–working together to unearth any dormant resources or to uncover the pathways that will move humanity into inspiring systems that can create beauty.[/one_third_last]

[full_width]None of us can do anything meaningful alone. We need each other. We need collective courage when we are afraid; we need collective trust when we are uncertain; we need collective imagination when we forget that darkness is where creation begins; we need collective tenderness when criticism lashes out.

DAILY, WE REACH OUT
Aquarian Rituals

Most days I run into fear, anxiety, anger, self-doubt, stinginess, or regret in some form or another. I’m hoping to be more present and aware when the ego creeps up by tending to these daily rituals that will keep me focused on contributing to this good world and the humans who inhabit it. [/full_width]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third padding=”3% 0 0 0″]MORNING: Light up your room, light up the world
Light a candle in the dark of the morning. Take notice of your breath. Notice if you have any fears, any self-doubt, any feelings of scarcity or possessiveness. Notice. Then present yourself with other options. If you are worried a new project isn’t gaining traction, reach out to friends or colleagues that you admire. Or, better yet, take a break from your own work, and be a light for someone else–who can you give your time, your heart for an hour or two? [/one_third][one_third][/one_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third][/one_third][one_third padding=”3% 0 0 0″]MIDDAY: Turn on the music, identify the patterns
Find some inspiration in music or any art that you particularly enjoy. We love art because we love patterns. How can you tap into an art world of ideas, patterns, composition, and imagination to move forward on a project? Let the work of others inspire you–continue and expand upon conversations that have been going on for centuries.

(Try our Aquarius Season Spotify playlist: a mix of all our Muses Aquarian inspired faves)[/one_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][one_third]EVENING: What have you gained, and how will you share it?
Each day we acquire new knowledge, new hopes, new wounds, new insight, new resources. The truth is, none of it is really ours. How does a person actually “own” knowledge? Do we even really “own” our wounds, or can we let them pass through us, and let them exit us with tenderness? Can you be vulnerable without being dramatic? How can your new insight help someone who is struggling? What knowledge did you gain that can help a friend? Perhaps you are sitting on an abundance of resources that need to start flowing into the community. Write down the things you gained during the day, and identify a person or group who you would like to share it with. [/one_third][one_third] (Another image by Ann Whittaker of our recent Seasons of Greatness workshop, gathering and sharing with our loved community)[/one_third][one_sixth_last][/one_sixth_last]

[full_width]“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.”
– Jean Vanier[/full_width]

Aquarius New Moon: Complex Progress with Eris

Posted on by TheMuse

[two_third][/two_third][one_third_last]Wander with us as Astrologist, Allie Couch, takes us on a tour of a new moon post that is complex and longer than usual, as it’s a pertinent one. Don’t worry if you don’t grasp it all, take what you can, and use it toward making the best Aquarius new moon intentions that you can.

Tomorrow marks our yearly return of the sun and moon aligning in the sing of Aquarius, or, the Aquarius new moon. New moons mark times to plant new seeds, walk through new doors opening to you, and to set new intentions. In Aquarius, our group orientation and need to see progress for humanity are the focal points. It’s time to break out your CosmoMuse 2017 Seasonal Astrology Guide, review Aquarius Season, if you haven’t yet (or get yours here if you don’t have one yet), and starting tomorrow evening, write out your new moon goals in this guide so you can refer back to them during the year. [/one_third_last]

[full_width]It’s been a complex year in the Aquarius realm, as seems obvious with the angst and powerful movements currently rising up, and the trend will continue with plenty of cross-roads, challenges, and oppositions to contend with regarding the initiations in the Aquarius realm of our charts, this year. It’s a mess really, but not without golden nuggets. This new moon is quintile Uranus and Eris, bringing creative activation through a warrior goddess (hence the successful Women’s March), and planet of earthquakes, lightening and awakening. We also look at the planetary co-rulers of Aquarius, Uranus and Saturn, to get the whole picture of what will play into our initiations at this time.

Uranus is conjunct the goddess of retaliation, Eris, in the ultimate warrior sign of Aries. Aries is great for getting things off of the ground but is also rash, confrontational, and more than a bit selfish. Be sure that your new intentions have the good of your relationships or issues of equality in mind or you’ll have some equilibrium problems this year. With Eris here, feelings of wanting retribution may arise, a negative thing that will ultimately lead to discord—this goddess asteroid, in Aries, has lots of symbolism and linking to the epidemic of terrorism. We need to ask ourselves: With things initiating now, are we just trying to make progress in the race for personal glory and advantage? As well as: If there’s a fight aspect involved in an initiation, will it bring warranted and important winning for the collective or is it flavored with a need to see others fail badly and bloodily, out of retaliation (here’s a whole article about just Eris’ discovery and alignment with our seasonal ruler of Uranus, that I would HIGHLY suggest reading). Jupiter is in opposition to these two planets, so our new goals will also find opposition around expansive themes of fairness and equality. To make it even more complex, Pluto, planet of transformation, as well as messenger, Mercury, will square off to Uranus and Eris. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, these are some pretty heavy aspects bringing cross-purposes and issues of control. Get creative by pushing into the challenge, or heat, brought and take initiative to solve things in this vein.[/full_width]

[two_third]Luckily, our second seasonal co-ruler, Saturn, sheds a bit of relief, but not without its own challenges. Saturn makes a nice angle to Uranus and Eris, so some responsible planning and structuring can help us in our new initiations. Jupiter and Saturn are also in good angle, so this same planning and structuring can be used to alleviate and bring peaceful mediation to some of the oppositions coming our way from issues of fairness, partnerships, and equality. This is the thing that could actually spark responsible innovations that are inspired from the strife and competitive atmosphere. On another note, Mars, planet of war, and Venus, planet of beauty, are at odds with Saturn, throwing some illusionist and delusional traps at our feet. Ugh.

We all have this sign of Aquarius reigning over an area of our charts so we all have new things that will initiate, connected to the area this sign rules for us. Check your guide for the cycle it brings up for you.

My plea: Remember, no matter what area of your life this group, cause, and future oriented sign ignites for you, the divide and contentions in our communities, nation, and world, are already fragile. Really, all anyone wants in this part of their chart is to feel progress and hope for the future. This is the root of all of the dramas that will play out over the course of the year in connection to what starts in the next week. Give positive energy and a collaborative spirit to all that surfaces at this time, as well as remember that when conflicts arise, you do not have a full perspective of anything unless you have listened with kindness and empathy (putting yourself in another’s shoes) to your foe’s story. Although you may still feel that they are incorrect, once you’ve listened, if you understand where and why they are taking the stances they are, you can create movement and foundations that are more inclusive, whether or not they recognize that. [/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[full_width]I like to call this the power of yin. When we listen to another with compassion, if we do not agree and still decide to act in opposition to them, minimally they have felt heard, softening them to you and your actions, even if only slightly. A seed has been planted, and it may take a year, or the seed may never break open, but when and if it does, you are the originator of a heart opening in this foe, who may then feel comfortable seeking you out for guidance on how to graciously change their stance. There is no guarantee, and likely no immediate gratification in this yin practice, but just that act of empathetic listening has the power to change people, in time. This also takes place in you, and you may suddenly feel a jolt of insight, helping you realize you have been on the wrong side of things.

Those who can see the positive side of competition and challenges are our greatest hope for this year’s Aquarius new moon initiations, and as always, AMAZING work can come from such issues of complexity (such as this musical piece). Look for those who rise above vengeful feelings, be inspired by them, and model yourself after them. This is the season that can ignite our greatest forward thinking and out-of-the-box solutions to propel our species forward in more harmonious alignment with our dying earth and polarizing issues. We also need to confront the initiations and goals put in place now to make sure they are not related to vengeful feelings towards others, rather competitive and progressive hopes for humanity. [/full_width]

Inner Musings: Discovering Your True Self

Posted on by TheMuse

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”1% 0 0 0″]Resident mental health counselor, Lauren Eimers-Wangrud, is back with us today—this time sharing exercises and musings on how to get in touch with your unique self—a very Aquarius Season topic. Images via Dreaming Soul.


“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver, b.1935

How much of yourself have you become? – Aquarius Season Insight

The past few years have seen a cultural phenomenon of scaling back and paring down one’s material possessions in search of true happiness. Call it minimalism or the Konmari method, this winnowing of possessions has struck a chord with many disillusioned and unhappy individuals. This Aquarius season I challenge you to do the same in the uncovering and discovering of your true self in shedding layers that do not serve your life and fail to reflect who you really are.

Aquarius season is a time for experimentation, progression, and open-mindedness – the perfect time to get better acquainted with your true self. This can be a scary journey to embark on, but in recognizing who we want to be and then pouring our energies wholeheartedly into fulfilling our unique destiny, we begin to get closer to our personal truth.[/two_third_last]

[full_width]To start this journey, you’ll want to give yourself at least an hour of solid “you time,” free of your mobile device, computer, television, or distractions. You want to create a space where you can focus solely on yourself. If that means you need a hot cup of tea and your favorite music playing or heading out on a long walk with a small notebook and pen to jot down your thoughts, great! Just find the space and time to allow yourself to let your mind wander.

Next, you’ll want to tell yourself that you can worry about all of your stresses and pressing matters in your life in an hour. You’ll also want to let your inner critic know they can pipe down, at least for a bit, while you work out some important things. It sounds silly, but giving yourself the mental space and direction to process some thoughts is imperative in this exercise. If you find your inner critic or everyday stresses needling into this you-time, calmly tell them to take a seat and you’ll get to them in a few.

Now, time for the digging to begin. You’ll want to imagine a scene where you are completely at ease. It could be a place from your past, a place you’ve visited, or even a place that only exists in your imagination. What does it look like there? Are there buildings? Are you indoors or outside? Is it present day? Who is there with you, if anyone? What feelings or emotions are brought to the surface while you’re in this serene place? Continue looking for details about this place and write down things that resonate with you. Be sure to try and keep that inner critic out of the observation, since this is a judgement-free zone.[/full_width]

[one_half padding=”8% 0 0 0″]After you’ve really mined this scene for details, sit back and look at what observations really stuck with you. These elements that have boiled to the surface is your true self giving you clues as to how to make your way to self-actualization. They could be the emotions elicited from your scene, to people you met there, to the surroundings.

Everyone will have vastly different scenes and details. You could have found yourself in a lecture hall learning something new or in a kitchen whipping up a recipe with a dear family member or friend – the possibilities are truly endless. The key here is to look for themes and elements that really resonate with you.

Once you’ve teased out the themes of your exploration, think of how your life now is mirroring that. Is it on a similar or on a divergent path from your exploration? If you’ve envisioned yourself very differently from your present state, what small changes can you make to start to align with that vision of yourself?[/one_half][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_third][/one_third][two_third_last]For example, if you imagined yourself in a lecture hall, but aren’t a student, maybe you just need to feed your thirst for knowledge with more books and time to read them. If your life as a chef is restricted to watching cooking shows on Netflix, maybe buying a new cookbook and preparing a meal each week is a way to get closer to what makes you really tick. You may not need to enroll in classes or run a restaurant to find your true self, but these clues are imperative in helping you get there.

Shedding layers of yourself from your past can also help in getting closer to the true you. Don’t let yourself be tied down by perceptions of yourself that are outdated. Clinging to old definitions of yourself is a disservice to you and your growth. Make a promise to yourself to let your present self, and the self you want to become, dictate how you spend your precious time.

Just as Marie Kondo states objects in our life should “spark joy,” so should our pastimes, hobbies, friends, and work. While we may not be able to overhaul our jobs or friends in a weekend of self-exploration, I guarantee you’ll be able to change the way you spend your free time or try a new hobby that excites you in the matter of a few weeks. Starting with small changes is what leads to bigger and more impactful shifts. Use this Aquarius season to dive in and rediscover yourself. [/two_third_last]