Preparing for Growth: Lifeboat Check!
Do you ever get the sense that your feelings are building so much that you just might pop? Cancer season has begun, and with it comes big emotions and feelings. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re being “too sensitive” ever - especially not now. This is the time to let your feelings fly free, while doing the responsible heavy lifting of balance and self management. Yes, it is possible to liberate our emotions while also not letting them take the helm.
This collage is one of the busiest ones I’ve made yet, and for good reason. The energy of this moment is a bit cluttered. Rocky. Fun! Beautiful. Spooky! Intense. Provoking! We see a few Capricorn kin in a small boat together. They are supporting each other during this dark voyage through the fog. By the light of the moon, they spy a lighthouse not far away. They are, together, headed in the right direction.
This sudden Capricorn moon (paired with a Cancer sun, a loud request for stability and grounding), illuminating a spotlight directly into our most personal cores, may cause our spirits to initially recoil in shock. Capricorn is known as a straightforward worker, a master of productivity, and sometimes a militant sign, splashing water on our faces when we sleep in. But you know, out of true intentional care. Capricorn *wants* us to succeed, and for those of us who have been knowingly or unknowingly dawdling on our passions, there may be a kick-in-the-pants sensation, brought to your ass with love from the rams celestial horns. What do we do with such a seemingly rude awakening? Accept it, learn from it, and possibly even enjoy it. With a splash of crisp water comes more than alertness - we also get a dose of fresh growth, and sharp inspiration to boot. I don’t know about y'all, but as it’s begun warming up outside, my garden has taken OFF. The arugula, lettuce, chard and cilantro are growing at a breakneck pace - and all they needed was some sweet sunshine and a few splashes of water. Sure it can be a sudden change, but once the hurdle of challenge has been accomplished through acceptance and bravery, this powerful call to action can finally be rightfully answered, and the garden of the soul can continue to flourish more than ever before. ‘Tis the season of growth. This is a deeply optimistic moon, but one does not thrive on dreams alone. You must throw off the covers, get out of bed, and greet these dreams - stepping into them - drawing them into reality with each and every dedicated step forward into your newly ascended self.
This earth-driven moon conjures up visions of success - but perhaps your personal definition of success has changed. When was the last time you plopped down and really asked yourself: how do I define success? I’ll share one of my favorite quotes about the subject, gifted to us by author David Orr (but constantly mis-contributed to the Dalai Llama because internet):
“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”
— David Orr
My notions of success have changed, a lot. Or rather they’ve become more distilled. Personal. Less nervous about who thinks what. Sincere. The word “success” has a certain charge to it, but it’s malleable. And like every other concept under the sun and moon, it can be made personal. The last few years have created some serious ripples in the landscape of our realities, both the individual and the collective. Surely there have been some adjustments made, whether we wish to admit it or not. And here’s a little secret: the quicker we do, the easier and more fruitful life will become. You can only stare at an apple tree for so long waiting for it to be full of oranges. Life gives us many different gifts, and to turn them down is rude. Perhaps you’re waiting for a beautiful new Vitamix blender to land into your life, but all you got was some old hand whisk. There are two options: either complain about what is lacking and learn nothing, or use what is available and build stepping stones towards the future. Patience + learning = divinity and true ascension.
Sometimes these lessons are difficult to learn, especially when the things we’re holding expectation around aren’t things at all, but people. If you find yourself waiting around for an individual or even a collective of people, wondering why are they like this, if only they were this that and the other thing, or any other defeatist and codependent utterance, Capricorn sighs, smiles gently, and hands you a mirror. We are each flawed. And during these times of spiked emotion, it is easy to point the finger and play the blame game. If we are truly being wronged, Capricorn gladly asks you why you allow it. If you happen to be the one doing harm, the same question applies. There are some harsh but necessary truths to get to know with the help of Capricorn:
not everyone can go with you.
working with others requires self-sacrifice.
the nature of life is change and growth.
change and growth is not always comfortable.
discomfort is a necessary part of life.
Who and what you allow to remain in your sacred lifeboat is up to you. The responsibility is yours and yours alone. I’ll tell you what, though - things are changing and they’re changing fast, with or without you acting consciously. To agree to change even if it’s uncomfortable will lead to powerful growth, whereas blithe resistance causes suffering to all involved. I say this because I believe in us all to wield our power with care and grace, even if we stumble here and there. We will, we have, and that is okay. It’s more than okay, it’s part of the fullness of life. The lifeboat contains more than other people, but tools, skills, and energies. It also has plenty of room for ancestors. If you’ve been slacking off on your veneration practices, ancestral skills like crafting or cooking, or even acknowledging their presence, this is a time to celebrate them loudly, extend some invitation towards them from the heart, and feel your blood and spirit glow with their support and presence. If you have trouble connecting to ancestors or do not know who they are, the simplest thing you could do to initiate contact is to pray. I know, I know - prayer is not a trending title right now. But as this supermoon glows full in the sky, allow it to illuminate the corners that have been forgotten and abandoned. Prayer is an act of humility, and absolute grace in flow. It is not a “please do this for me” type of experience, though that desperation is often what drives people towards prayer, sadly sullying its power and reputation over time. To pray is to connect to source, and to genuflect to the greatness of the everything. In closing our eyes and allowing our bodies to momentarily melt away, our souls can remember their rightful place in the web of all that is, was, and will be. In this, we may feel the presence and power of our ancestors. We must simply ask to be heard, and willingly listen, too.
This kind of energy - the effects of prayer - they imbue us with a different kind of strength. We may be terrified of being seen or heard in our everyday lives. For those who sense they do not fit in, this is a way to be held and to be supported in your truth. Your truth is your power! Ancestors know it, those who share your lifeboat should know it too. There may be real life conflicts, spiritual disagreements, or to-each-their-own moments. That’s okay. The lifeboat and the connection that prayer facilitates have a great lesson in common: support does not mean agreeing on everything all the time. It means making space for difference to the extent of harming none, challenging our own opinions for the sake of creative understanding, and holding our truth all at once. It can feel like a daunting task. But prayer and divine connection will make it possible. Your lifeboat should amplify your sensation of being. Put away the needs to only seem right in the eyes of others. Capricorn doesn’t go for that. You are the heart-led leader and participant of your lifeboat, the teacher and student, the champion of your life who shares the trophy. You get to choose - and you are chosen by others, too.
Let’s talk about the complimentary lessons of Yarrow, a very special healer of Capricorn. Yarrow, achillea ageratum, currently blooming all around the Pacific Northwest and growing wild in Morocco as achillea ageratum or “sweet yarrow,” is a happy herb, a natural defender - an anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. Yarrow has a powdery, honey-like fragrance when it’s reached its peak bloom, and enlivens the spirits, banishing the fog of self-doubt and numb unknowing, both of which are especially thick these days with the effects of groupthink. Pray with yarrow! Allow it to support you in the connecting to the everything. Yarrow can be found around dry, disturbed soils for a reason. It is resilient. The roots of the yarrow are its secret beneath the surface. Tremendously deep and strong (just like ours!), they seek the nourishing waters from far below. In this way, yarrow is a mission-driven survivor and thriver. Like Capricorn, it has a job to do - a purpose - and does it gladly. It reminds us that it takes strength to be gentle and kind, working hard to grow, and thus offering its pollinator power, a place of residence to small insects, spiders and critters, and its healing to the human world. The flowers and leaves make for a wonderful tea, especially for those experiencing menstrual discomforts. It is a friend of the blood and circulatory system, and rather famous for its work as a pain soother and wound stopper. It is a sweet soldier, and a gentle giant; a noteworthy ingredient in SUNMOON’s First Aid Poultice Powder. On an energetic level, yarrow draws out the unnecessary and harmful. It is a harmonizing and intentional herb, supports psychic and emotional protection, distinguishing what is healthy and healing, and what no longer has room in your lifeboat. It also shows us where we may be overstepping with others, helping to reestablish our sense of self. Yarrow is like a kindly auntie who will not hesitate to stop harm, but without causing it either in the effort. Yarrow is a time-stopper, staunching it in the same way it does blood when there’s a sudden rupture. Drinking yarrow tea or enjoying an essence is to slow the speed of things, and to deeply consider where we are, and who we are. It also helps us be in the moment, pulling our heads from the fog of the past, or the intoxicating dreams of the future. Dreaming is wonderful - but we must return from them to see our present through, to hear those around us who love us, and to thoughtfully catch a glimpse of that faithful lighthouse just past the fog in the distance.
Take the opportunity during this full supermoon to clarify some things to yourself. Put a pen to the page and ask:
How do I define success? How has it changed over time?
Where is the concept of “self-sacrifice” uncomfortable for me?
Where do I see myself going?
Who and what is in my lifeboat?
Enjoy 15% off storewide! Use discount code LIFEBOAT at checkout, good until Friday 6/25 at midnight.
Thank you for being here. You are appreciated beyond measure.