I am at Peace...
Welcome to Monday Morning Mettā
A new + beautiful way to experience Mondays.
I am at peace. May I continue to experience peace. May all beings be at peace.
Being at peace doesn’t necessarily mean walking on air or being completely happy with yourself and your surroundings. Being at peace can also mean being content with where you are and how you are doing, even if it’s not all perfect. Because it probably isn’t.
Saying these words, this loving-kindness, to yourself out loud, doesn’t make it so right away. But it’s better than saying the opposite.
Which is what most of us do, so much of the time. The negative self-talk that runs through our brains, by habit mostly, doesn’t end there. It becomes a part of our very being. Habits -> personality. I definitely don’t want my personality to be run by the unconscious loop of blame and shame, or of fear and doubt.
So, speak deliberately and with love about yourself and others, at least a few times a day. It’ll help balance the other stuff.
May you be at peace!
So glad you’re here.
Fun Tarot Card Reading!
Use your intuition to guide you to a specific card below. Choose the card with the crystal on it that calls to you.
At the end of this newsletter, you’ll see the cards flipped over, with a reading for each one. The card that you choose here will have your reading for the week.
Wait to scroll down to the bottom until you’ve chosen your card!
Card 1: Blue Apatite Choose this card if you need some help communicating.
Card 2: Moonstone Choose this card if you are in need of a new beginning, or a little luck.
Card 3:Peach Quartz Choose this card if you said this morning’s mettā and are still not feeling it. You need peace.
My Class Schedule This Week:
In Person:
Monday / Wednesday / Friday: 7:45-8:45am at Sruti Yoga Center.
Online:
Tuesday: noon // 1 hour
Wednesday: 5:45pm // 45 minutes Yin Yoga
Friday: noon // 45 minutes
Thursday noon classes will begin in October!!
Yin Yoga will move to Tuesdays in October!
Next FREE breathing class is Monday, October 4! 8:15pm (eastern).
Connect with me for Zoom link and password!
Autumnal Equinox Altar
Autumn in New England is perfect. The smell of the (yes, they’re dying… ) leaves, the crisp blue sky, the wavering between cool and warm, the apples. It’s always been my favorite season, marred by almost 30 years of back-to-school panic.
Panic or no, it’s nice to set up a little altar that matches the season. I have mine, populated with season-less items and also with gifts I find on my walks, representative of autumn.
This year comes with late-blooming flowers, a pinecones, a heart rock (obviously) and my staples: candle, singing bowl, crystal, Buddha. I encourage you to make your own! It’s fun and, like any ritual, has only the meaning we give it.
Guest Blog Post: Mercury in Retrograde (#happeningnow)
By Diane Fergurson. Diane blends art and astrology to create personalized birth charts!
There are numerous astrological aspects which transit our chart every day, every year. Mercury going retrograde is one that has always caused my antenna to rise higher and pay closer attention to not only my own actions, but situations going on around me.
In astrology, when a planet goes retrograde, the degrees of the planet affected actually back up in the birth chart. This often results in triggering repeat experiences or causes mistakes and confusion. An individual may also have the feeling of everything they are trying to do being blocked or stifled. The old saying, “One step forward, two steps back” comes to mind.
I grew up with a mother who practiced astrology. Every time this aspect would approach she would begin her lengthy mantra warning me against signing important documents, beginning anything new, engaging in transactions, and of course...making travel plans. Why? Because if a person initiates any of those activities when Mercury is retrograde, things often don’t work out as planned, or people find they have to redo them in the future.
The planet Mercury rules communication. So when it goes through a retrograde period, anything having to do with mental structures and expression is affected. Things become easily confused or muddled. You can have computer issues, car problems, ans miscommunications. You might make a breakfast date with a friend, only to arrive and find that you not only have the wrong day, but the wrong restaurant as well! I’ve personally experienced that one more than once!
On the positive side, Mercury retrograde can also offer us time to go back and redo things, to rethink situations and reorganize ourselves. It’s a chance to review and reflect on what is working and what is no longer needed in our life. Friends, social situations, jobs, etc... It is also the perfect opportunity to revisit any old ideas or projects we may have started in the past and put aside.
Although my mother transitioned several years ago, when Mercury goes retrograde I still automatically expect to receive a letter from her, AND phone call, reminding me of it’s arrival. Although some people may shrug off this transit as make believe or no big deal, my mother, as well as numerous others familiar with astrology have learned through experience to take this retrograde period seriously. Even my husband, the great non believer, has learned to take notice of these particular retrograde periods because of the numerous business snafus that he has experienced over the years regarding communication, contracts and travel.
I recently came across a good description of Mercury retrograde by James R Lewis in his book The Astrology Encyclopedia. Here are some excerpts:
“Retrograde refers to the apparent backward motion of a planet in its orbit. Because all planets in the solar system are moving in orbits of different sizes at different rates of speed, there will be periods in the orbit of the Earth when each of the other planets seems to reverse direction for a period of time. The effect can be compared with that of a jet as it passes a slower-moving airplane that is flying in the same direction at a lower altitude: As the pass is made, the slower craft appears – particularly when viewed against the backdrop of the Earth – to be moving in the opposite direction. Similarly, retrograde planets appear to move in reverse direction when viewed against the backdrop of the fixed stars.”
Lewis continues: “Astrologers tend to pay particularly close attention to the retrograde periods of Mercury, ruler of the Mind, communications, travel, and related matters. The period of Mercury’s retrogradation may be considered fortunate for introverted activities like reflection and meditation but it is considered unfortunate for traveling and making important decisions (e.g., signing contracts). Travel is sometimes delayed while Mercury is retrograde, and decisions made during such periods are often reversed after Mercury goes direct.”
Mercury goes retrograde 3 or 4 times every year. The next period this year is from today (!) September 27 until October 18. It will take place at 25 Libra. So look at your birth chart and find 25 Libra to locate the house where you will be affected.
Best of luck to everyone!
Thank you for reading Monday Morning Mettā! It means so much to me to have this little community newsletter actually go somewhere. Please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested in getting a little love in their inbox each week.
Much love,
Rachel
xo
Your Tarot Reading, Revealed!
Your Tarot Reading, Explained!
Card 1: Blue Apatite You are working hard, nurturing others, and bringing abundance to your life. Make sure to ask for what you need, not simply what others need. Finding your voice and communicating well means learning to ask yourself first: what is it I truly need right now? The better you know how to care for yourself, the more you can ask of others. And ask them. Because I’m sure they ask you!
Card 2: Moonstone If you’re starting a project or making a change, go for it. You have your ducks in a row and you are ready. Be prepared to work hard and to start from the bottom— as Thoreau said, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” Dream big, believe in luck (you have it!), but do the work.
Card 3:Peach Quartz It’s time to connect to your inner child. Creepy, maybe. Necessary, yes. You are the three figures in this card: the little one, the flower-giver, and the figure walking away. Don’t turn your back on yourself— if you need to find some peace, start within. Love the little you and the parts of you you routinely put down. Not sure how to start doing this? Louise Hay, the grandmère of affirmative self-talk, can get you started.