Finding Nourishment in Simple Things 🐦
Grounding into the promise of a new day 🌅
Volume 3, Issue 8
April 27, 2025
New Moon in Taurus 🌑 ♉
Sun in Taurus ☀️ ♉
New Moon Greetings, dear Friends❣️
I woke up before dawn on Friday morning after a warm and restless night. The outside temperature nearly reached 80 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, and our bedroom, which faces west toward the setting sun, warmed up in the evening. While I certainly welcome the warmth after a very long winter, my body needs time to adjust to it.
It seemed the perfect moment to reflect on what I was experiencing and write this newsletter to you. As I wrote, all the windows in the house were open, and I drank my coffee while listening to the chorus of birds in the foreground and the sounds of the city waking up in the background.
All these sounds combine to create a vibration, a humming that intensifies as the light of the rising sun breaks through the quiet darkness of night. I believe this is what the ancient yogis referred to as the primordial sound of the Universe — the sound created by the activity of all life forms blending into one constant hum that sounds like OM. OM is always there, humming in the background of existence, ready for us to tune in when we need it.
It was still dark, and the sun would rise in the next 30 minutes. I was gently taking it all in as I slowly sipped my coffee, imagining how the planet slowly turns and life surges awake with the promise of a new day. This promise — the steady reliability of the sun rising each morning throughout our lifetimes — is the one constant I am grounding into during this time of great uncertainty and chaos.
I’ve been reflecting on two moments from the past five years that instantly changed me, moments that forced me to slow down and witness what was right in front of me: 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, and July of 2022, when we lost our beloved Sierra.
There were no distractions, nothing to do but watch, witness, and feel the impact of such life-changing events. While painful, it was simple. I had to adjust my mindset entirely, learning to appreciate grounding myself in the simplicity of each day. In both moments of confusion and chaos, I relied on the daily promise of the rising sun and the way my neighborhood evolved with the changing seasons and shifting light.
Another constant I leaned on during those times was my walking habit. To me, there’s nothing more grounding than a long walk through my neighborhood, especially in the spring. Each day looks different as the local flora and fauna burst forth with life. Tree buds bloom, perennials slowly creep through the soil before blossoming into miraculous beauty, and birdsong fills the air with the energy of new beginnings.
It’s pure magic, happening right in front of me every day. I’m grateful to be mindful enough to pay attention to the Earth’s constant dance of change and cycles, and to recognize how deeply I value the daily bounty of beauty and consistency life on Earth offers. Paying attention to the simple and constant rhythm of life—expanding and contracting around me—has become my most grounding practice. It’s what I feel drawn to lean into during this dark Taurus new moon.
Bob and I spent the winter making plans to lighten our debt and focus on our home this year. We made moves with our finances and hired a painter, who will begin painting the entire exterior of our 105-year-old home this spring. His work starts in May; while he preps and paints the wood siding and trim, we’ll support him by making necessary repairs and completing smaller painting projects on our front and back porches. This work on our home will be our focus over the next couple of months, and I’m excited to get started.
While we maintain and repair our physical home together, I am also committed to supporting my dwelling—my body. I’m grateful to have good health and habits, but I’ve recognized how I’ve used food as a way to comfort myself through the pain of loss over the last two and a half years. Along with accumulating debt, I accumulated extra weight that isn’t serving my aging body well.
I can’t help but notice how these two issues developed in parallel. Both grief and debt feel like weights I carry daily. At the same time, my body is 20 pounds heavier since Sierra’s loss. Both the debt and the extra weight accumulated while I was disassociating from my grief, mindlessly comforting myself by buying things, seeking experiences, and snacking when I wasn’t truly hungry. It was an attempt to avoid feeling the pain of loss all the time.
I recognize that these habits are unsustainable, and I’m now reckoning with the consequences.
And so, once again, I adjust and recalibrate. My intention under this Taurus new moon is to ground myself in the moment, in the truth of what is right in front of me: the beauty and bounty of the Earth and the promise of a new day. To remember that even in sadness, even while missing my daughter, I am whole and nourished. Both can exist at once.
To remember that I am kin — a wife, a sister, a mother, and a daughter — not only to my family and other humans but also, perhaps most importantly, to the Earth itself. I am kin to all the living beings and plants that inhabit this planet with me. When I remember these deep connections, I remember that I am already whole and nourished. There’s no need to seek comfort in unfulfilling ways.
Thank you for spending your time and energy reading this newsletter. I hope it resonates with you and that you feel comfortable sharing your experiences with me in the comments sections. I would love to hear your thoughts around these themes.
We all need to feel nourished and whole. How might you think about these things?
Do you find comfort and nourishment in simple things?
Do you seek comfort elsewhere, outside of yourself?
May we all remember the simple truths that nourish us. May we find beauty in the mundane, strength in the simple, and belonging in the life that surrounds us.
With love,
Jennifer 💫💖💫
Mindfulness Prompt: Tuning In 😌
Today, pause and listen for the quiet hum of life around you — the birdsong, the wind, the distant sounds of waking life.
Notice how the Earth steadily renews itself without rushing.
As you witness this simple, constant rhythm, ask yourself: Where in my own life can I root more deeply into trust, nourishment, and belonging?
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The Planets 🪐
New moon in Taurus on April 27, 2025 🌑 ♉
Venus in Pisces moves into Aries on April 30, 2025, ♓ ➡️ ♈
Waxing half moon in Leo on May 4, 2025 🌓 ♌
Mercury in Aries moves into Taurus on May 10, 2025 ♈ ➡️ ♉
Full moon in Scorpio on May 12, 2025 🌕 ♏
🌄 Sun rise today in Cleveland at 6:26 am
🌇 Sun set today at Cleveland at 8:20 pm
New Moon Intentions: Under this Taurus new moon, I root into the steady rhythms of nature and trust the quiet unfolding of my life. I honor my body and my home as sacred spaces, tending to them with care and love. I release unfulfilling habits and return to the simple, beautiful truths that ground me: connection, wholeness, and the constant promise of renewal.
Blooms in the Neighborhood 🌷
Art Feature 🎨
Birds Gathering Under the Spring Willow
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I am always in awe of your ability to articulate your thoughts and challenges as we face our lives without our children. Your words and struggles are also mine in so many instances. It sounds like you and Bob will be busy, but the finished projects will be amazing. Sending hugs and positive energy to you my friend.