Breathing Dreams into Being

The Latin word anima includes a diverse range of meaning, including soul, breath, wind, and life. There seems to be some understanding in our human past that breath and the numinous were intertwined, and that the act of breathing forms a bridge between the material and transcendent realms.

This month, develop your breath-bridge. Notice when it weakens - when you hold your breath, or when it gets shallow. Fortify those fissures. Bolster the supports of your bridge. When our breath-bridge is strong, our physical body is strengthened by forces beyond the physical realm. And that's just what's needed now.

Sun in Gemini: 5/20/17 - 6/20/17 (PDT)

Gemini rules the respiratory system. When the sun transits through the sign of the twins - one human brother and one divine brother - it's time to attend to our bridge between spirit and matter, heaven and earth, inspiration and manifestation. This is especially true this month as Saturn (reality) and Uranus (insight and innovation) are in a harmonious relationship. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the planets are at odds with each other, so use that supportive energy - and your breath - to help you push through the inherent tension of this month.

Herbs for the Gemini month:

For supporting your respiration (your bridge), I recommend Yerba Santa, which gives flow to both the breath and the emotions, and Oregano, which helps in letting go of desires to control situations: let go and let flow. This month's planetary tensions will strain your nerves, so I highly recommend Lemon Balm, which will soothe both mental and physical tension, and Gotu Kola which gives a calm alertness that enables smoother flow of thought and action.

Super New Moon in Gemini: 5/25/17 at 12:44 PM (PDT)

The new moon corresponds with the moment in the breath cycle when we are empty. It's a potent moment in the purest sense of the word - potent as in powerful and full of potential - because we can, at that point, choose to be filled with something new. This potential is increased by the moon's close proximity to the earth at this particular new moon. The potential is visceral. Meet it in your body, in your mind, in your spirit. Breathe it in.

Some inquiries to help you harness this Gemini-infused potential:

Where is your curiosity guiding you these days?

What kinds of exchanges do you enjoy (verbal, written, monetary, trades, etc)?

What bridges can you build between disparities in your life, relationships, thoughts, etc?

Our tender new moon moment won't be entirely quiet. Among other tensions, Mars (action, will, desire) applies growing torque to a longterm Saturn-Chiron square (scroll down to "Ouch + Acceptance = Understanding"), inspiring either impatience and anger or a more controlled impetus towards right action. As always, planets choose the intensity and character of the psyche-ingredients, but we get to choose how we use those ingredients.

Super New Moon in Gemini Herbal Recipe:

This is a perfect opportunity for a solar infusion. Here's a recipe for a calm, thoughtful and inspired start to this lunation:

Put these dry herbs in a quart mason jar (double the amount if using fresh herbs):

1 Tbsp each Oregano, Spearmint, Gotu Kola and Rose Petals, plus 1/2 tsp of Fennel Seeds. Fill the jar with warm (not boiling) water, cover the top with a cheese cloth or mesh, secured with a rubber band, and then set in the sun for 2-4 hours. Strain and drink. You can do a second infusion of boiling water after straining out the sun-tea.

Full Moon in Sagittarius: 6/9/17 at 6:10 AM (PDT)

The full moon corresponds with the moment in the breath cycle when we are full of air - or spirit, if we consider the wisdom of the Latin anima. The potential has been realized, and it's time to let that potency do whatever it does - let the anima out, and see what happens. This full moon brings some skeletons out of the closet. All full moons do this in one way or another, but this time, the particular alignment of the Sun and Moon awakens the skeletons we danced with quite a bit last year (scroll down to Saturn squares Neptune).

Generally, a Sagittarius full moon helps us understand how to use our mental zoom lens - enabling us to get both the broader understanding offered by the big picture, and still benefit from the curiosity about all the parts that make up the whole. It can also inspire over-extension, though, so manage your time, energy and nerves with care. This full moon is super-charged with the lightning bolts of Jupiter. Read on in the next section for further insight on that.

Full Moon in Sagittarius Herbal Recipe:

Howzabout a lunar infusion? This recipe promotes inspired wisdom, aligning action with belief, and invites helpful opportunities. Before retiring on the night of 6/8, set a quart mason jar with these ingredients in it in a window that will catch moonlight, or outside in a moonlit area with a cloth or mesh secured over the top:

1 Tbsp each: Yerba Santa, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage

5 whole Cloves

Cover the herbs with boiling water. Strain in the morning, and drink throughout the day.

Jupiter stations Direct: 6/9/17 at 7:03 AM (PDT)

Less than an hour after the full moon peaks, Jupiter stations direct (retrograde since 2/5/17 PST). Jupiter is the natural ruler of Sagittarius, the sign where the moon is now peaking and Saturn is retrograding. This is one of those moments when we have a repetition of themes occurring, strengthening their impact.

If your beliefs and ideals constitute the "north star" that guides your course, are you on track?

How have your beliefs, confidence, relationships - and if you're in the arts, law, or activism, your projects - shifted since early February?

What leaps are you poised to make now?

This shift in Jupiter's direction indicates that projects and activities - especially in the arts, in social justice, and in the law - and relationships of all kinds that have been in a re-working phase since February are about ready to move forwards. Jupiter will be moving at a slower pace throughout June, so expect your growth in these areas to pick up more speed this summer.

Neptune stations Retrograde: 6/16/17 at 4:09 AM (PDT)

Neptune - another key player in that full moon - is also poised to shift directions (exact on 6/16). As it stations, Neptune (opening new capacities of awareness... or escaping from awareness) is aligned with the Moon (the subconscious, reflexive part of the mind), and in challenge to Mercury (the perceptive and connective part of the mind). Put it all together, and here's what you get:

What happens when you face your emotions with curiosity and presence?

How does your thinking shift when your perspective is one of compassion? - of love? - of forgiveness? - of gratitude?

What are your avenues of escape? Do they serve you, or is it time to let them go?

And thus, we exhale the last few days of 2017's spring season. Inflating the lungs stimulates the heart, which will serve you well for the coming energies. Breathe well and deep before summer picks you up in its fiery whirl.

Next month...

Summer begins, and shortly afterwards, we have another super new moon as ongoing tensions and pending breakthroughs percolate in the background. Until then, feel free to contact me or schedule a consultation or healing session. Wishing you an inspired and transporting month, Rae