Courage for Calm
In these times of chaos
Season: Autumn
Element: Metal
Moon: Quarter
Happy Wednesday! Happy Snow Day (for some Grand Rapidians)!
Tomorrow is the last quarter moon in the element of metal. We have one more moon next week in the element of metal and season of autumn before the winter solstice. After solstice, we move into the element of water and true winter. As a reminder, please sign-up for the Winter Solstice Rest Curation on Sunday, December 21, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm to help with this transition between elements and seasons. It will also be the final event within the calming and restorative space of the Liebestraum Chalet. If you are available and can join, please register in the link above to reserve a spot. It is $26.00 to attend and remember, as Tricia Hersey writes in her aptly named book, Rest is Resistance.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, the energy imbalance of the metal element is grief. The energy of grief is hard and many in the Western world have turned away from it because of fear — fear of death, fear of loss, fear of feeling the feelings. In feng shui, while the imbalance of the metal element is grief, the balance is courage. Not only does courage allow us to grieve and process this energy, but moving through grief allows us to be more courageous. It allows us to see the bad and the good in our times of loss and learn from the people and/or situations we let go. Embracing this information allows us to lead with courage in our lives and to be courageous in new and exciting endeavors. I’ve written this poem many times before, but nothing sounds more courageous than Mary Oliver’s last four lines of her poem The Summer Day:
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?I know that courage, like grief, is also hard. It means acting despite uncertainty, not in the absence of it. To be courageous, you have to be vulnerable to ensure balance and move beyond your worries (earth element imbalance). You have to feel the joy of tasking risks and work through your anxieties (fire element imbalance). You have to embrace patience and not dwell in anger (wood element imbalance). And, you have to live into your values with calmness and overcome your fears (water element imbalance). All of these imbalances of the elements to me are bookended by this balance of the metal element, especially if we truly move through the energy of them. As we move from fear to calmness (water), anger to patience (wood), anxiety to joy (fire), worry to balance (earth), and finally grief to courage, I believe that courage is the cherry on top. It gives us the energy to fill our lives with authenticity, passion, and accountability so that we can stay true to our values, spend each day doing our ikigai / purpose, and live a full and whole life of balance.
This year has been a time of chaos and for most of us it has been quite overwhelming. Even in these difficult times, I have been in awe of so many of my friends who have had the courage to find their passion and bring it to life. Here are just two stories I wanted to share of living courageously that I hope will inspire you:
The Meeting Kitchen - my friend Monica Joy Krol is transitioning from her full-time job of many years to start this facilitation company where strategy meets humanity, AI meets empathy, and outcomes don’t come at the cost of your wellbeing. Even though Monica was comfortable in her full-time job and has two young kids, she knew that facilitation was her ikigai and worked this year to take the leap of courage to start The Meeting Kitchen. When an illness in her family came out of nowhere, she had to truly decide if she should play it safe by going back to full-time or to take a risk. She had the courage to keep going with her passion and I know that courage will pay off. If your company or organization is looking for some facilitated workshops and/or AI sprints or if you personally need facilitation training, please book a Discovery Call with Monica. You can also sign up for her Substack Confessions of a Facilitation Artist to learn more.
The Origami House - my friend and sound curation collaborator Kara Markovich bought a building in July to transform into a sanctuary. The Origami House is not only for sound but also for gatherings, teachings, and experiences to nurture moments of creativity, reflection, and community. Kara’s ikigai is sound, but it is also to create spaces and events for deep listening, rest, and transformation. Despite Kara’s husband losing his job last year, having four kids, and caretaking aging parents, Kara and her husband had the courage to re-envision their work when this beautiful building came into their energy. It was not an easy process — a small step here, a small step there, and plenty of hurdles and a leaps. But after much hard work and some magical moments too, The Origami House is open for events and rentals. There is also an Open House on Saturday, January 3 from 10am - 1pm, so if you are interested stop by to visit the space and say hello. Check out the The Origami House Events and join the newsletter to learn more.
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
It is a snow day here for many of us in Grand Rapids. On these cold days, all I want to do is get cozy, read a book, drink some hot tea, and eat a hearty meal. I’ve recently tried this Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie from the New York Times several times and it is delicious. That said, I have adapted the recipe a bit to not be so rich. I want hearty, not fattening. This recipe adaptation is still super yummy but not, I believe, as caloric. So, here is the recipe for Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie:
TOPPING
2 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
FILLING
3/4 cup lentils*
3-1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
4 tablespoons butter
8 ounces mini portabella mushrooms, diced
1 shallot, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. In a small saucepan, bring the lentils and 2 cups of the broth to a simmer with 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the lentils, uncovered, until they are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer the lentils to a bowl. In the small saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using a masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Mix in the hot butter mixture just until blended. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until they are deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add shallots, carrots and garlic, and continue to cook until tender, another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups of broth, cooked lentils and peas, and cook until thickened. Top the mixture with dollops of the mashed potatoes, then spread them out over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Transfer to the oven and, if the mixture is at the top edges of your pan, set a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any drips. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
*Lentils can be good for sleep because they contain sleep-promoting nutrients like tryptophan (for serotonin/melatonin), magnesium (for relaxation), and fiber (linked to deeper sleep), but they should be eaten earlier in the day or with a 2-3 hour gap before bed, as heavy, late-night meals can hinder sleep
REST RITUAL
In honor of this snow day, I wanted to share this calming papercraft in honor of the weather and soon to be winter season. Snowflakes, just like most elements of nature, can teach us a lot about the universe and ourselves. Snowflakes in particular represent universal laws like symmetry and gravity. They also offer lessons on uniqueness, the beauty of imperfection, the power of small actions, and finding joy in each moment. Today of all days, snowflakes remind us that even delicate things create vast impacts (i.e. changing up today’s routine because of the snow day).
Consider slowing down today by folding and cutting paper to create your own snowflakes. Delight in the uniqueness of each one and laugh when a snowflake turns out very differently than you expected. If cutting your own stresses you out, check out How to Make Paper Snowflakes from One Little Project for instructions and printable templates. Display your little beauties on a window with tape or on a Christmas tree.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful end to the week!
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:
Winter Solstice Rest Curation - Sunday, December 21, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
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.
Thank you. This seems really self serving to say this but it really helped to read about myself. I actually cried because having this courage and working through so much grief and fear IS SO HARD. Thank you!