creative heatwave
shen spirit, venus in virgo, in person events! // july 5 - 11
It’s been one hot, crazy week, my friends. I hope all my East Coast friends are starting to cool down now. I’m sure wherever you’re reading this, it’s quite hot. Peak summer, baby. And yet, amid this heat, I’ve felt more invigorated and inspired than I have all year. I made an analog journal template for myself with sharpies, rulers, the typewriter, and washi tape. I wrote a lot and talked on my new pink phone. (pictured below)
I went through a creative heatwave of sorts. And according to Taoist theory, this is right on time. As you’ve heard me mention before, summer is the season of fire. It is ruled by the shen spirit. It is the time of year when our creative and spiritual expression is at its peak. We’ve spent all year (since peak winter) cultivating and gathering enough energy and resources to get to this point; so now it’s time to let it out! (cue fireworks)
To be in alignment with this season is to express what is on your heart and embody your truest self. The one that maybe doesn’t make perfect sense to everyone else, or fit neatly into a box. The version of you that allows your eyes to sparkle and your heart to feel full. That is the epitome of the shen spirit… expressing your birthright essence.
I feel like it’s really important to specify that the shen spirit and living in alignment with it doesn’t necessarily have to relate to the work you do to pay your bills. Our society conflates soul’s purpose with career ambitions. For some people perhaps the two are deeply woven, but if that’s not the case for you, THAT IS OKAY.
The shen spirit, the heart spirit, the sparkle in your eyes can come from so many other places. It can come from the deep bond you have formed with your friends, the meaningful meals you share with your partner at the end of the day, the triathlon you are training your butt off for, or the poetry project that keeps pulling at your attention.
Your heart spirit, and creative essence are not always directly tied to your career, and sometimes it’s healthier if it’s not!
I got sidetracked on that rant, and I’m not sorry about it.
Back to our creative or spiritual heatwave. Although it’s hottt outside, I encourage you to engage in some sort of expressive or creative activity over the next few weeks. Allow yourself to get lost in a sweaty haze of passion as the peak yang energy of this summer supports your endeavors.
I will add that taking my projects offline and in the sun (when its below 85° LOL) made me feel even more connected to my creative self.
Nothing I’ve worked on in the past week will be for you or my clients or my students. It’s all for me. But from that place, my cup is filled to the brim with inspiration and ideas that I most likely won’t be able to help myself by pouring back out to you at some point.
And that’s how the cycle of the seasons works. We get so full at the peak of summer with fire and inspiration that we have to share ourselves and our work with others. The fruit from the trees is so abundant, they can’t help but fall into our laps with generosity. And from that place we begin to empty. We share our gifts and release our struggles only for the cycle to begin again come winter.
Your invitation: Align with your own creative heatwave of sorts. What does it mean for you to embody summer and the shen spirit in this way?
In the Sky
☉ 7/8 Venus moves into Virgo - our planet of pleasure and values moves into the discerning earth sign of Virgo this week. Considering that Mercury is currently retrograde, this transit is extra delicious. If we think of Mercury as ruling our head and Venus leading our heart, we may find ourselves more easily able to make decisions from a place of instinct rather than logic. In areas where we might find ourselves overthinking things or crossing wires during the retrograde period, Venus in Virgo might help us follow our inner compass with more clarity.
☾ Moon moves - This week, the moon is on a waning cycle. On Tuesday, we will see a strong last quarter square in the sign of Aries. This is another cosmic signature this week that will invite us to follow our gut instinct before talking ourselves out of something. It encourages us to filter out the noise of the external world and stay true to that inner compass.
Your invitation - With the moon waning and Venus moving into Virgo, the vibes of this week are pretty straightforward. Anything that is clouding your vision or causing you to do mental gymnastics needs to be burned away. Your invitation this week is to tune in to your inner compass — listen to which direction it is pointing you towards. Take the steps needed to follow your inner knowing, even if they don’t make sense right now. There is a lot of cosmic support this week for attuning to the more subtle aspects of yourself (not just the loud mind).
In the Studio:
Last week, the studio was pretty quiet. I didn’t stray far from my desk and central AC. When I did leave the house to go into Manhattan, I refused to do it without an iced herbal infusion in hand. (This week it was a refreshing blend of oatstraw, morninga leaf, rosehips, and orange peel).
I jumped at the opportunity to sub two back-to-back yoga classes last minute, teaching my first vinyasa class in over a year! Otherwise, I have been busy behind the scenes preparing for the following upcoming events!
UP NEXT - MOON CENTERING
I am hosting my first in studio yoga nidra meditation to celebrate the Cancer new moon in mid-July. I will guide us through a deeply relaxing guided visualization that allows the body to rest while the imagination plays. Afterwards, we will journal and share space to honor the dark sky! It is free and open to everyone!
AFTER THAT - LEO FLASH READINGS
Starting this month, I will be holding 30-minute in-person flash readings for each season! This is a perfect sneak peek into your birthday month (hello LEOS!) or a way to learn more about where each sign lands in your chart (what the heck does it mean to have Leo in your 2nd house?) I only have 8 spots open per month - they will be held in my greenpoint studio on Saturday July 25th!
Until next week! xx