New Year's Retreat & Winter Solstice
New Year's Retreat & Winter Solstice
Satisfied in Moments // 12.19.22
Monday Mettā
A new + beautiful way to experience Mondays.
May I be satisfied in this moment as I am. May all beings be satisfied as they are.
A bite-sized loving reminder that you are beautiful and lovely just as you are. Of course you can reflect, learn, and grow. But as you pause and say these words, remember, you have inherent love for yourself. You may have to dig deep, through layers or walls or hard exteriors to find it, but it’s there.
May you be satisfied in this moment as you are.
So glad you’re here.
Intuitive 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.
Card 1: Opalite Choose this card if you’d like to access more self-confidence.
Card 2: Clear quartz Choose this card if there’s someone in your life you’re taking care of.
Card 3: Jasper Choose this card if you’re feeling uprooted.
Wait to scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter until you’ve chosen your card!
🕯Annual New Year’s Day Retreat - Register Today!
What could be better than staying in your cozies and doing a bit of tea-drinking, yoga flowing, loving-kindness meditation, guided journaling, zoom-smiling on New Year's Day? Join me yet again for my…
New Year’s Day Virtual Retreat: Let’s honor 2022 and 2023 together.
My annual New Year’s Day Retreat is happening again. It will be held on Sunday, January 1, and asks nothing of you except for an internet connection and comfy clothes. The schedule is varied, with something for everyone, and is designed to help you float your way into 2023. This year, Leonor Daley, educator, yoga instructor, and Mindful Schools practitioner, will join me in leading a few offerings.
Choose your own adventure, dip in and out, or come to them all--you do not have to do or even like yoga to participate! More information below:
Yoga Classes:
Follow this link to book a 1/2 hour yoga (or breathing, or meditation, or all of the above) with me. You can book a class almost instantly, or weeks in advance. It’s all up to you.
This week:
Tuesday at noon
Wednesday Winter Solstice Yin Yoga at 5:30pm
In February and beyond ($15, 45 minutes, drop in):
Mondays at noon (flow with yin elements)
*Email me for the Zoom link or if you have any questions!
Do you very specifically live in Door County, WI? If so, come to my Yoga and Meditative Journaling class on January 21st at 10:00am!
🕯❄️Winter Solstice ❄️🕯
It only gets brighter from here.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21st, and brings with it the sparkles of new light. The solstice itself actually lasts only a moment (4:48pm US Eastern), when the northern hemisphere is tilted as far from the sun as it can be.
As we in the northern hemisphere have all been experiencing deeper, darker afternoons and mornings with a dull blue glow of light, on December 21 we’ll begin to rotate out of the darkness. What the light brings with it, ironically, is winter, a period of hibernation and, if you’re feeling cute about it, hygge.
A few recommendations for December 21 and winter in general:
📚Read. Dip into Wintering, Seed to Dust, The Scent of Light, or Forest Walking.
✨Spark. Light a fire, candle, or personal fire-pit. Bring the budding light from outside, in.
🛀🏻Submerge. Get yourself into a bath stat! Drop some oil in there, some salts, and enjoy.
🔥Heat. If you live near a gym with a sauna, or better yet, a bathhouse… splurge. Sit yourself in a hot room and let those muscles relax.
🍲Eat. Make soups (I made this one for Thanksgiving, substituting goat cheese for the crumble), risotto, bake breads, share meals with people you like.
🌞Bask. Take yourself outside at the moment of the solstice, or any day really, to bask in the cold winter air and the new light. It’s easy to stay tucked in tight during the winter, but I encourage you to get out as much as you can.
🎵Listen. Help yourself to songs about a winter’s forest. If I may, the first track off of my husband’s album is an arrangement of an old Russian folksong, V Lesu Rodilas Elochka (In the Forest was Born a Pine Tree). For some of us who grew up listening or going to The Nutcracker, this short tune will be a sweet reminder of childhood and a Christmas tree growing in size.
🧘🏽♀️Retreat. Shameless plug!! 💞 Come to my New Year’s Day retreat to relax and reflect on the New Year. There are eight different classes/workshops to choose from (come to one! Come to all!), and I promise there’s something for everyone.
Have a beautiful day and a comforting winter.
With Gratitude,
There are three beautiful ways you can support my work writing and teaching!
Make a micro-donation, either through Buy Me a Coffee (or in my case, a love note), or after you’ve listened to one of my meditations on Insight Timer.
Come to my New Year’s Retreat, book a personalized yoga class or contact me for a Tarot or Akashic Records reading.
Forward this newsletter on to anyone who might want a little love! Ask them to subscribe! Tell them you love them!
Thank you thank you!
Much love and gratitude,
Rachel xo
PS- I love hearing about the cards you pick and your related experiences. Please email me or comment below to share what came up from your card reading this week🔮
Your Tarot Reading, Revealed!
Card 1: Opalite // Princess of Cups
The Princess of Cups represents intuition at its highest. If you’ve been doubting yourself, this card is a great mentor. The Princess connects with her subconscious more than her conscious mind, and understands when emotions and moods need either action or quiet reflection. Her whole purpose is to connect with her higher self (in this case, represented by the Holy Grail, or cup, that she holds in her palm). Your self confidence begins in those quiet spaces where you ask yourself what you really need.
Card 2: Clear quartz // Queen of Pentacles
The Queen of Pentacles is a major nurturer. It can be both energizing and exhausting to be a caretaker, and the Queen reminds us to pay attention to both experiences. Notice the sleeping bear under her feet. In order for you to take good care of others, you need rest and time away. The outpouring of love that you are giving means the world to those you care for (notice the heart rocks among the waterfall)—even if they don’t say. Lastly, look at her beautiful surroundings. Is there a beautiful space you can go to in order to recharge?
Card 3: Jasper // Eight of Swords
This card is all about clarity and forward progression. If you’ve been feeling unbalanced and uprooted, it’s a good idea to fly high above that feeling (like the eagle). Take in the perspective of those feelings by acknowledging that a) they feel very real right now and b) you won’t feel like this forever. What can you do to feel more connected and embodied? The more you can stay aware, and with perspective, the less uprooted you will feel.
✨intuitive tarot inspired by Sarah Greenman, who was in turn inspired by Chris Corsini, because inspiration is contagious✨