HB Volume 1, Issue 1
5 February 2023
Full Moon in Leo
Sun in Aquarius
On My Mind: Surrendering to winter
My brother was visiting from Denver and he asked how we deal with the cloudy and dreary Cleveland winter? The sun shines a lot in Denver, even in the winter time. My answer was to surrender and accept it. It’s not easy, but I don’t know any other way to deal with winter on the Great Lakes.
So what does that mean? Winter is cold and dark. The light is low. The days are short. It’s cold. It rains and snows a lot. Much of the natural world is dormant. But this time of year has its own magic and beauty if you tune into it. The full moon over a blanket of snow creates a night time glow. The snow sparkles when the sun is out. Fresh snow on evergreens and tree branches turns the neighborhood into a winter wonderland. The winter birds are active. There’s something special about a formation of Canadian Geese flying overhead, in formation, and talking to each other. You hear them before you see them. Even better is to witness the landing and take off on water. A brisk walk in the winter air is enlivening and refreshing. There’s a natural urge to slow down, to be still and quiet, and sleep more, and to feel nourished. There's a natural urge to surrender. It’s a time to practice stillness and deep listening.
Early winter invites us to connect with friends and family, and celebrate the holidays, and the changing of the year’s calendar. Then following that surge of activity is the deep quiet of mid winter inviting reflection and resolution.
Some ancient and non western traditions consider this time of year the actual new year. The Lunar New Year was on 22 January 2023. The traditions of Groundhogs Day, Imbolc, and The Feast of Saint Brigid are celebrated in early February. Imbolc, which marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, is translated to “in the belly of the mother.” These pagan traditions recognize that the seedlings of spring begin to stir beneath the earth. Rebirth and renewal are forthcoming as the light of the sun waxes toward the Spring Equinox, then toward the Summer Solstice. Creative life force energy strengthens and new life is thrust from the earth and into the light of the sun.
The science of Ayurveda recognizes all life through the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space. According to Ayurveda, these elements exist in all of nature, including the human body. Our bodies respond to the seasons the same way nature does. We are of the natural world as much as we resist this in modern society. The predominant elements of mid winter are earth and water. The earth is saturated and our bodies are congested with mucus and lymph.
This time of year can be challenging. Personally, I’m recognizing signs of seasonal depression, which is not uncommon in a cold and cloudy climate of the great lakes. I’m grieving the loss of my daughter Sierra, so I’m sad a lot. I’m not getting enough sun and vitamin D. I’m not getting enough time outside. I work full time away from home, and when I was working from home during the pandemic, I could go outside for long walks in the midday. I don’t have that luxury anymore. I started a new role at work and my routine is totally off. I’m trying to adjust to not being able to walk and get outside everyday. I’m not really allowed to show much emotion at work other than enthusiasm and steadiness, and so I’m beginning to recognize that I’m not giving myself enough space to grieve and express my sadness, to allow it to move through me. Most days I want to be still, to numb out watching TV, and I’m not craving much social activity. But, I am feeling the urge to move my body. I’m craving more strenuous exercise. Yet I’m not fully acting on that craving. I’m trying to figure out how to fit in the non negotiable self care tools for my health and wellbeing, as a full time working, grieving, menopausal mother.
It all feels pretty heavy. I’m feeling frustrated, stagnant, and stuck. I wonder if I start to move my body more, as I’m craving, can I move the stagnant nature of this energy out? Can I move through it? Do I have the strength to motivate myself? Can I find some sense of balance? I want to move and exercise my body, AND I want to be in the safe, quiet, and still atmosphere of my home, on the couch, numbing out watching TV, with my husband and puppy. I’m trying to figure out this balance while working away from home, full time, while being a supportive wife, and grieving Sierra. Sigh.
Coming back to the concept of surrender. At the moment, all I can do is surrender and accept. To take each day of this mid winter time of year as it comes. If I wake up energized, then I’ll act on it. If I wake up stuck and stagnant, then I’ll surrender, accept it, and feel it all. It’s okay. I’m going to be okay. I hope you’re okay too.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be safe
May you live with ease
PS. The purpose of this almanac newsletter is to help me grieve and heal from the loss of Sierra. The rest of this newsletter are things I use in my daily life to help make sense of the crazy journey of life in the jungles of time and space. Use what you can and leave the rest. I hope some of this is helpful and useful to you as well.
Planetary Bodies
Full Moon in Leo moves into Virgo on 7 February 2023
Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio on 13 February 2023
New Moon in Pisces on 20 February 2023
Sun in Aquarius moves into Pisces on 18 February 2023
Mercury in Capricorn moves into Aquarius on 11 February 2023
Venus in Pisces moves into Aries on 20 February 2023
On this Full moon in Leo, I vow to live authentically, and to be unapologetically me. My beautiful Sierra was born with the moon in Leo. She lived more authentically and honestly than anyone I’ve ever known. In the end she was my hero. I begin this journey at the perfect time to honor her legacy.
In my neighborhood
I live near the southern shore of Lake Erie. The ground is frozen as I write this, which is normal for a Great Lakes winter. We’ve only had three freezes this winter, and we are headed for another thaw. The sky is overcast most days this week. It’s dreary. The forecast includes a warm up to 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no snow on the ground, which is unusual.
Embodied: What I’m feeling in my physical body
I’m feeling stiff and a little sore in my joints. After taking a restful vacation in warm weather last week, I feel more energized. I felt exhausted in December and January. My shoulders and rib cage feel tense coming back into the cold. My sinuses are slightly clogged but not blocked. I’m getting lots of good restful sleep, but I feel sluggish in the evening. I’ve been getting to sleep by10pm and awake by 6am with very little restlessness. I’m beginning to get urges to move my body more and eat less.
What piqued my interest this week?
Tyre Nichols Photography
1619 project on Hulu
Ayurvedic diet for February
How to stay warm on cold days
Art Feature
No matter what we wear, we are beautiful when moon-viewing
The Haiga Portfolio
Stanton Macdonald-Wright
(American, 1890–1973)
Clifton Karhu - printer
(American, 1927–2007)
Cleveland Museum of Art (not on view). This piece is part of a series of 20 woodcut prints housed in a Japanese style wooden box. Here’s a link to the rest of the series called the Haiga Portfolio. It’s worth a few moments of your time to view.