The Autumnal Equinox 💫🍂 has arrived today and the day and night are equal length. This begins the change in seasons toward the darker days and nights of winter. It is not a coincidence that the equinox occurs on the first day of Libra season ♎️, a season that invites us to seek more balance in all that we do and get cozy with the people who mean most to us.
We are also in the midst of Mercury Retrograde. Retrogrades exist to teach us lessons from the past, to illuminate our desires, and to force us to slow down with how we communicate 🗣. In addition to this Mercury Retrograde, we are also experiencing a little bit of planetary chaos -- 6 out of the 8 astrological planets are all in retrograde currently. It's a great time to ask yourself to slow down, reflect, and see what lessons we can glean from our current perspectives on past events🪞.
I have been going deeply inward during this retrograde and lead up to the equinox. This season is full of milestones for me, but most pointedly, it marks 5 years since I began my healing journey 🙏. I feel so very lucky to be where I am today and I am in a place now where I feel like I can share the gifts of my healing with all of you.
5 years ago, I was in the midst of the darkest period of my life -- a life that I would say has had more than its share of struggles compared to most. It all changed when I found my first tarot deck and recognized the power of introspection and healing 🎴. Because of that deck, I am here now, writing to you, and telling you about all the great things that are coming in your future. And I am more hopeful than ever 🤩.
You might remember that 7 or 8 months ago, I sent an email that essentially put Rise on hold indefinitely. After receiving my certification in reiki, I realized that so much about my energy needed to shift before I could continue sharing my healing practices with you ❤️🩹. One major part of this process was recognizing the negative role that alcohol was playing in my life. I gave up drinking completely, and since then, my psychic and energetic gifts have blossomed in ways I never could have predicted 🔮. And my clarity for where Rise is headed is stronger than ever. I appreciate your patience while I figured this all out, and I am thrilled to share more with you about that journey.
What I have been focusing my full energy toward in recent months is ✨healing✨. I have spent much of the last 5 years healing myself and using my business, the cards, and even sourdough as a form of medicine to heal internally. But, the message has become very loud for me now: I need to share my knowledge and energy with those in my community and work towards becoming a ✨healer✨.
I recently read a quote that really resonates: "A healer's most sacred work is not the offering of their medicine to you. It is the work of guiding you to the medicine you hold, to re-member the healer within you." 🌟
For now, I just want to invite you to go inward, too. The Autumnal Equinox coupled with Libra Season is an excellent time to reflect to seek balance. So, I hope you enjoy the ritual I have included below, as well as the tarot reading for our collective 🤗
One final thing before we get to the goodies -- my interview with Live True with Lisa Lucca will be re-airing live on KTAL tomorrow at 10am. You can access it locally on 101.5 FM or stream it at https://www.lccommunityradio.org/ 📻. It is being re-aired in honor of Pride Month in Las Cruces 🏳️🌈. And while some of what I have to say about my healing journey is now outdated in that interview, I do hope you find something in it to enjoy and heal the self within.
With Healing Love,
Gina
A Ritual for the Autumnal Equinox
The theme of the Autumnal Equinox is balance -- and this can be physical balance or a more figurative, internal balance. The first step of this ritual is to identify where in your life you would like to experience more balance. Is this between your work and home life? Are you struggling to find a way to be more moderate with your mood? Is physical movement feeling too much like a chore and not a release? Choose one of these or pick one of your own.
Light a candle and take time to concentrate on the flame before beginning. Tell the universe that you are open to letting go and bringing newfound balance into your life.
Take a piece of paper and make a circle in the center. This circle represents you. Write the thing(s) that you desire for yourself in the inside of the circle.
Next, draw all the commitments you have to the outer world on the outside of the circle. Make the ones that take up a lot of your energy larger.
Now that all these commitments are in front of you, check to see which of the outer commitments align with your inner desires. Feel free to draw lines connecting them or color code them.
See what is left on the outer circle and take note of whether or not they are necessary. If they are necessary, note if they can be changed so that they align better with your inner circle. If they do not, ask yourself how you can let these things go. Cross them out or cut them out as you eliminate them.
You can burn the circle drawing using the candle as you repeat your intention out loud or to yourself. If you would rather keep the circle drawing as a reminder, write out what you are trying to let go of and let those words burn in the fire, symbolically releasing them for good.
Tarot Reading for the Collective
The Empress
The Empress invites us to tap into our inner nature and nurture ourselves just as we nurture those around us. The Empress can also mean the birth of a new idea, business, or project on your life. She symbolizes fertility -- in both the literal sense, but also when it comes to the seeds we symbolically plant in our lives. The time is ripe for you to start taking baby steps toward your dreams, but to go into the process with kindness toward yourself. Go in with big expectations, but balance that with humble softness. Know your rewards are coming in due time and enjoying the now is just as important as what is to come.
Updates
Next Rise @ The Bean
Mark your calendars! Rise @ The Bean was a huge success this month, and our next popup will be October 26. I will be creating a special cafe menu including lots of fall specialities that you won't want to miss!
New Yoga Packages
Ashtanga Yoga is now Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:30am at Dwell Yoga or on Zoom. Accessible pricing available! Get unlimited yoga, discounts on bread and merch, and a monthly tarot reading or reiki session for one low monthly price.
Cute Merch
Stickers, tee shirts, tote bags, and more! Get your Rise goodies and rep your favorite self love witch everywhere you go!
