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June 21, 2024
Full Moon in Capricorn 🌕 ♑
Sun in Cancer ☀️ ♋
Hello, dear friends❣️
Thank you for meeting me here on this potent full moon in Capricorn, which coincides with the summer solstice. Happy Juneteenth to those who celebrated! It's Cancer season, with the Sun, Mercury, and Venus now in this watery sign, bringing up themes around family, home, emotional awareness, and nourishment.
Today's edition of Human Being includes a narrative essay about my current physical and mental state through the lens of Ayurveda as I face some challenging issues around my daughter's death. Sharing my journey through grief and mourning with you in this space is part of my healing process. I have always been very open about my life and wish to share as an act of solidarity with other human beings who face challenges of such magnitude.
I also aim to balance the intensity of my struggles with a bit of beauty. This is how I live my daily life. I must seek out and be present with small moments of joy and the beauty surrounding me. I share a song, an art feature, images of flowers blooming in my garden, and upcoming planetary movements and aspects. Finally, I share my latest offerings at my online meditation space, planetprana.com, and some resources for those interested in learning more about the life science of Ayurveda.
I'm grateful for your time and presence and wish you many blessings.
With kindness + care,
Jennifer 💫💖💫
Fire 🔥 + Water 💦 = Steam ♨️
Over the last two decades, I've been studying, exploring, and learning to view life through the lens of five elements. According to the life science of Ayurveda, considered the sister science of Yoga that explores how these elements exist within our bodies and throughout the natural world, the elements of Ether (Space), Air, Fire, Water, and Earth provide wisdom and guidance on maintaining optimal health by balancing these elements within ourselves.
This essay isn't meant to be a lesson on Ayurveda. I intend to share how the elements of fire and water are manifesting for me at this moment of peak solar energy (fire element), on the full moon in Capricorn (earth element), and at the beginning of Cancer season (water element).
The beauty of the writing process is that I never know where it will take me. It often surprises me and brings me somewhere unexpected. Thank you for taking this ride with me.
It's prudent to share some basic principles as a foundation for how this manifests for me personally. I encourage those reading this newsletter to consider their exploration into Ayurveda if they feel compelled to. I will certainly reveal my go-to resources later in this newsletter.
Ayurveda teaches that humans are part of the whole, a microcosm of the universe always in a flux of transformation, within a constant rhythm of expanding and contracting, within the energies of these five elements and throughout the cycle of life and death. Its guiding principles are about balancing the elements within ourselves for optimal health. The act of seeking balance follows the guidelines of like increases like - and opposites balance.
You might be sitting here reading this, perplexed and asking what the heck that means and why I should care. Understood! These teachings are so far out of society's current daily rhythms, guided by the principles of producing and consuming. Capitalism doesn't mix well with these principles, other than the wellness products being marketed and sold to believers and followers of these practices.
Either way, I find it fascinating and wholeheartedly attuned to our existence as a species and our place within the cosmos. This moment's elemental energies manifest in plain sight for us to notice and feel to the best of our awareness. This wisdom provides a compass and map to orient me regarding how I feel at certain times of the year and throughout the rhythm of each day—consistently, like clockwork.
Allow me to orient you to the elements predominant at this moment.
As the Earth rotates around the Sun and the Earth rotates around its axis, it manifests as the seasons and days for all inhabitants living on the Earth. The Sun's current position in the northern hemisphere is at its peak in the sky. At this peak of the Sun's energy, the element of fire is most prominent at the Summer Solstice. The power of the elements also peaks and wanes daily. Around noon, the energy of the Sun and the element of fire are at their daily peak.
According to this science, the most predominant elements in summer are fire and water. The summer solstice ushers in Cancer season when the Sun moves into this constellation in the western zodiac. I'll note that Ayurveda has its own system of astrology called Vedanga Jyotish, which means the study of light (Jyoti). Cancer is a water sign. This makes sense to me as we need the cooling, nurturing water element this time of year to balance out the intense solar energy at the Solstice.
The element of fire in the body governs our digestion and the ability to turn food into fuel and energy. Therefore, our digestive energy is at its peak this time of year, and we can better digest all the raw fruits and vegetables harvested throughout the summer. When the fire element is balanced in our body, our digestion can efficiently absorb nutrients through food. We digest and eliminate in perfect rhythm and harmony with the cycles of the day. We feel energetic and motivated and can confidently move through the day.
The other end of the spectrum of balance of these elements is deficiency or excess. Humans all tend to experience the same expanding and contracting of these elements throughout the year. We may experience an excess of the fire element this time of year and be deficient in the elements of air and space since these energies are lower in the natural world. If you have more earth, air and space elements in your constitution, you may feel fabulous this time of year, as the fire will help balance out these other elements.
According to Ayurveda, we are all born with a signature constitution that combines these elements, which governs our physical and mental health. My constitution includes more fire, water, and earth with less space and air. I need to be extra careful this time of year to avoid creating an excess of the fire element.
Excess fire in the body manifests as inflammation, skin rashes, hot flashes, agitation, and anger. I need to incorporate more water and earth energies into my diet and lifestyle this time of year to cool down the excess of the fire element. Reminder: like increases like - and opposites balance.
Other narratives peaking with the Solstice - Justice for Sierra
There's another story in my life that's been playing out since January regarding justice for my daughter's death with those partially responsible. I'm reluctant to write about Sierra until there is a resolution in this case.
On January 3, 2024, I was notified by the detective on her case that two people were charged with three felonies each by a federal grand jury for the death of my daughter. These two humans are her boyfriend at the time of her death, who was there with her when she overdosed, and who used with her. The drug dealer who sold the boyfriend Sierra's lethal dose of fentanyl is also charged.
Sierra's boyfriend was picked up and arraigned immediately back in January. The prosecution of his case has been slowly playing out with pre-trial hearings since January. Yesterday, on the Solstice, the defense waved the trial, and he took some responsibility by accepting a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to one felony, while the other charges were dropped. This plea will put him in prison for 9 to 36 months, as determined by the judge.
The drug dealer was apprehended on Monday of this week and also arraigned yesterday on the summer solstice. Her case will play out over the upcoming months.
Sitting in the courtroom yesterday morning, watching and listening to this man plea guilty to Corrupting Another with Drugs, was surreal. As I listened to the judge explain that with this plea, he would have to serve time in prison, I began to cry uncontrollably. It was the first time I cried in the courtroom. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about all this yet because, in the end, two young lives have been harmed. One is dead, and the other going to prison. There's nothing good about this other than a moment of justice for Sierra.
It feels fated that this narrative of justice for my daughter will play out and peak with the Sun and the element of fire. This narrative has turned my body into a pressure cooker of emotions that must be worked through and released. I will share more as I'm ready. This story is still ongoing.
Fire + Water = Steam
Fire and water make steam, creating pressure to release from my body.
Have you heard the expression about blowing off steam when agitated or angry? Imagine sitting in a sauna, and you need to juice up the heat and steam. You pour water over the hot embers, witness the steam rise, and fill the space. When we put a fire under a pot of water, it boils and evaporates into steam. If there's a lid on the pot, the steam creates pressure and starts to jiggle over the steam as it escapes from under the lid.
I'm experiencing that now, physically and emotionally, as the energy of the Sun and the moon peak simultaneously. Spring is a watery season, and we are transitioning from Spring to Summer. As the Sun's energy increases, it burns off the water into steam, manifesting in the body in the same way.
Right on time, we are experiencing our first extended heat wave this summer in the Great Lakes region. The air is now hot and humid, and it feels steamy when you walk outside from a climate-controlled environment. It's like walking out into a sauna or an oven. It feels stagnant and heavy, especially midday when the sun peaks in the sky. Because the Sun stays up for so long during this time of year, the nighttime is too short to cool down the earth before the Sun rises again the next day. There is little relief besides air conditioning and dips in the pool or lake.
As stated previously, like increases like, and the fire energy builds throughout the season. This is the beginning of the summer, and I'm already feeling the excess. The fire and water in my body are building pressure that needs to evaporate and be released. I've been agitated and quick to snap with anger. The inflammation has manifested as headaches, seasonal allergies, a mysterious skin infection, and swollen lymph nodes in my groin. I just finished a round of antibiotics, which fought off the illness, and now I'll have to tend to my gut health as well.
The experience of the prosecution, grief, menopause, heat wave, and the summer solstice have all come together to create the perfect firestorm in my body. The summers have also become the peak season of grieving and mourning as Sierra's death anniversary is in July, and her birthday is in August.
I know how to take care of myself using the wisdom of these elements. I plan to spend this summer tending to and nurturing my mind, body, and spirit to help bring some cooling relief, balance, and wellness back into my being. I will work with the opposite energies and include a seasonal diet of watery and cooling freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. I'll seek out and enjoy the local water sources to immerse my body in and be held in the calm and nurturing waters to provide instant relief.
I will take my walks in the morning or evening, never midday. I'll stroll without urgency to feel my body move with each step. I'll notice the beautiful gardens exploding with blooms and take time to enjoy them. This ritual of my daily stroll when the Sun is low in the morning or evening sky will help release some of the pressure I feel building in my body.
And I will mourn Sierra and pray for relief. Relief for myself and for all those who are grieving, and for all who struggle with addiction and the families who support them. I will pray for wisdom and guidance from the Earth, my ancestors and teachers, spirit guides, animal guides, and angels who protect me.
Planetary Bodies 🪐
Full moon in Capricorn today, June 21, 2024 🌕 ♑
Waning half-moon in Aries on June 28, 2024 🌗 ♈
Mercury in Cancer moves into Leo on July 2, 2024 ♋ ➡️ ♌
New Moon in Cancer on July 5, 2024 🌑 ♋
Full moon in Cancer affirmations: I offer myself care, nurturing, and grace as I navigate turbulent waters. I embrace the disciplined energy of Capricorn and channel it into my resilience. I release self-limiting beliefs and doubts, allowing myself to embody my fullest potential, even while grieving.
Art Feature 🎨
Water and Moon (Potala) Guanyin, 900–1100. China, Five dynasties (907-960) - Song dynasty (960-1279). Gilt bronze; overall: 17.6 cm (6 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1984.7
Many Blooms 🌼
Ayurveda Resources 🌌💨🔥💧🌱
Current and Upcoming Offerings - Planet Prana Meditation Space 🕉️
Weekly Group Meditation Sessions Live on Zoom: We meet for 30 minutes every Monday + Wednesday at 12:30 pm. Monday Meditation offers an opportunity to create a purposeful and intentional mindset for the week. The Midweek Mindfulness Break on Wednesdays allows us to connect with our body, mind, and spirit, fostering calm, ease, and acceptance.
If you prefer flexibility - practice on-demand ▶️
🪷 10-minute short practices: Simple 10-minute guided meditation can help you feel grounded, present, and connected to your body. These practices cater to the varying needs of our body, mind, and spirit, helping us understand our needs at different times. Click the links to access.
Enjoy these new practices recently added.
🪷 Exploring the Water Element
🪷 Mantra Meditation
🪷 Standing Meditation
🪷 Center + Circumference
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