Authenticity
As we spring into the season of wood
Season: Spring
Element: Wood
Moon: Quarter
Happy Friday!
And happy spring! Hope you all had a good spring equinox on Thursday. I had a lovely time with Kara Markovich at the chalet for her sound immersion. And, thank you to all who came to celebrate the equinox with us. I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to spring this year, especially after this particularly harsh winter. I’m not a fan of very cold and very snowy. But now that we have entered the season of spring, tomorrow’s quarter moon will be the first moon in the element of wood. If you are needing support through this transition of seasons and elements, the next Rest Curation is coming up on Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm. Please sign-up to reserve a spot and remember, as Tricia Hersey writes in her aptly named book, Rest is Resistance.
In feng shui, the spring equinox moves us from the winter element of water to the spring element of wood. The wood element is a yang element and represents growth and expansion. It is the seeker and is always looking to learn new things, explore, and create. Wood is bold, purposeful, and moves forward with confidence and authenticity. Trees, the most obvious example of wood, are a perfect model for authenticity. They are true to their designs and stand firm to their nature. In How To Be More Tree, Annie Davidson writes about the wisdom of trees and, through beautiful illustrations, shares what they can teach us about everyday life. Here are just a few examples from Annie Davidson:
Hornbeam = Be authentic
“Take the humble hornbeam: It doesn’t grow particularly tall, or produce fancy flowers or delicious fruit. But it’s been around for many thousands of years, growing strong and solid, without expecting a round of applause.”Red Cedar = Live in harmony
“The mighty red cedar seems like a tree that can look after itself, but it still prefers to grow in stands and forests where its roots intertwine with others’ to help one another out.”Silver Fir = Get plenty of rest
“Conifers like the silver fir are pros at knowing when to take it easy. They keep their needles all year so they can photosynthesize a little bit on sunny days in winter. But they still slow right down at this time of year and focus on preventing water loss through their leaves.”White Poplar = Set your own boundaries
“The white poplar hates shade. It needs light to flourish, so that’s where it grows. Simple.”
I love the wisdom from these trees because being authentic, living in harmony, getting plenty of rest, and setting boundaries are unfortunately not modeled very often in our human society currently. Over the years I have struggled with living into the above wisdom due to societal pressures to conform and I have spoken to many of you who have also said the same. So many of us struggle to be authentic due to fear of judgment and a desire for acceptance, leading to suppressing our true selves to fit in or avoid conflict. But research has shown that there are strong links between authenticity and happiness. Here are the three main reasons from a 2014 study:
The more authentic you are the more likely you will be to be following your own path in life, whatever that is.
The more authentic you are, the more able you are to withstand the pressures from other people around you to be the person they want you to be, rather than who you are.
Authentic people will have deeper and more meaningful relationships with others.
“Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better and more interesting place.” -Captain Raymond Holt (played by Andre Braugher) on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 5 Episode 10 Game Night
If authenticity is a subject that interests you and you want to learn more, check out this wonderful video from Rituals.com which outlines a 10 minute self reflection to reclaim your authentic self. This may come in helpful as we move through Spring 2025 when the energy demands us to release habits that are inauthentic and start being our true authentic selves:
One last aside, I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken to people about the Rest Curations and they tell me, “I could never do that.” This is so perplexing to me. How can these people believe that they cannot rest, especially since they also tell me that they are exhausted and burnt out? Is this because the American society is based off of productivity at all costs? Or is it the belief that if we rest we are lazy? Since 2023, I have been trying very hard to live into the authentic truth that we are all exhausted and we need much more rest. If you are reading this post, I’m sure you feel similarly.
So, give yourself permission to REST. Information on upcoming Rest Curations, Rest Walks, and Sound Curations are at the bottom of the post. And please pass this Substack onto a friend or family member to broaden this amazing CRC community and to give the gift of rest to those who need it. If you don’t live in West Michigan and want to hold a Rest Curation in your local community, please email me at abby@cascadefengshui.com for the script and music information. Or email me if you would like to organize a private Rest Curation for friends, family, or colleagues.
Note: Rest products are still in the works, but I am leaving the paid subscriber Rest Readings, Rest Recipes, Rest Rituals, and Rest Recordings on the newsletter for a month or so. If you want to contribute, consider becoming a paid subscriber through Substack:
REST READING
Check out all of the rest reading recommendations in Resources on my Substack page.
REST RECIPE
For the past two years, I have been making this tea cake at the beginning of spring because to me it just smells like spring. This tea cake recipe is adapted from Smith Tea’s Meadow Cake and, although you don’t necessarily need to use Meadow tea leaves in this butter infusion, I highly recommend if you want to achieve the “spring” smell. So, here is the recipe for Tea Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 tablespoons tea leaves*
6 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/3 cup super fine almond meal
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 oranges
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest the oranges. Over medium heat in a small saucepan, melt butter. Sprinkle the tea leaves into the melted butter. Continue to cook over low heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit to infuse longer while the cake is prepared. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add in the sugars and combine with a whisk until uniform. Add in the almond meal, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined. Add in the zest of the oranges and pour the infused butter into the batter over a sieve to prevent the larger tea from getting into the batter. Discard the tea. Whisk the batter again to incorporate. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and place in the preheated oven on middle rack for 40-45 minutes. The cake will be done when it no longer has any jiggle in the middle and a toothpick will come out clean. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate. When the cake has completely cooled, top with a dusting of dust with powdered sugar. You can also serve with mascarpone or crème fraiche.
*Smith Tea’s Meadow is a blend of golden Egyptian chamomile flowers, fragrant hyssop, Cape rooibos, rose petals, and linden flowers. You can also use a straight chamomile for a similar taste or any tea you love.
REST RITUAL
As I mentioned above, trees are a brilliant model for authenticity. In the paper Nature Nurtures Authenticity: Mechanisms and Consequences the findings “establish nature as a correlate and determinant of authenticity, chiefly via the mechanism of self-esteem, and further establish authenticity (preceded by self-esteem) as a mediator of the positive influence of nature on psychological well-being.” That said, this post’s rest ritual is all about getting into nature to connect to your authenticity. In Japanese culture "forest bathing," or shinrin-yoku, is a practice of immersing oneself in nature, specifically forests, to promote relaxation, stress reduction, and overall well-being through mindful engagement with the surroundings.
If you want try shinrin-yoku but need a guide, In Your Element Wellness in the Grand Rapids area provides classes and events with certified forest therapy guides in plant walks, foraging, wild tending, and forest bathing. These guided forest therapy experiences provide natural stress relief, technology detox, and connection to nature and oneself. After meeting the founder, Katie Venechuk, recently for coffee, I am so looking forward to signing my daughter and I up for foraging classes this summer. If you are interested also, check out the IYE calendar.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful and calm weekend.
Below are the upcoming 2025 Cascade Rest Curations (links to Eventbrite are underlined):
REST CURATIONS
Guided body scan, energy clearing, vagus nerve reset, yoga nidra exercise, rest / sleep, wake up, and meditation over an hour and a half. All Rest Curations will take place on the Sunday near the new moon at the Liebestraum Chalet in Alto, Michigan:
Rest Curation - Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Rest Curation - Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Rest Curation - Sunday, June 1, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
REST WALKS
Monthly dynamic walks to bring both energy and relaxation. These guided walks will start with a circle to stretch and to set an intention to ponder based on the element of the season. The first 30 minutes of the walk will be in noble silence and the last 30 minutes will be open to conversation and observation. The walk will finish with a circle to reflect, share, integrate, and finally stretch. If you have been hesitant to join a Rest Curation, please consider signing up for a Rest Walk since this a more active entry into yin energy. All Rest Walks will take place on the Saturday near the full moon at a park near Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Rest Walk - Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm
Rest Walk - Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm
Rest Walk - Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm
SOUND CURATIONS
Join us to celebrate the element of each season with sound immersions by Kara Markovich at the Liebestraum Chalet in Alto, Michigan:
SAVE THE DATE: Fire Sound Curation - Summer solstice, Friday, June 20, 2025 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
And if you are interested in my feng shui and interior design services, please see my website at www.cascadefengshui.com and contact me at abby@cascadefengshui.com. I’m also on Instagram at cascade.feng.shui.