Full Strawberry Moon
Practicing patience
Season: Spring
Element: Wood
Moon: Full
Happy Tuesday!
Tomorrow is the Full Worm Moon in the element of wood. If you need support, the next Rest Walk is on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm. And Kara’s June sound curation, Sound + Space Summer Solstice Sound Immersion, is on Friday, June 20, 2025 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm. Please sign-up to reserve a spot 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 wood element is anger. I know that I don’t particular enjoy living in anger and, although it seems that a lot of our world wants to live in it constantly, I believe many of us want to move through it into balance. In feng shui, while the imbalance of the wood element energy is anger, the balance is patience. This spring has been a real test for me in both balancing my anger and practicing patience as we renovated our house after the flood in January. There have been many times in the last few months that I could have gone into full blown furious while coordinating contractors, deliveries, damage returns, drawn out timelines, and overall clutter and chaos, but I tried my hardest to remain patient knowing that once it was done I would love it. And you know what? We are almost done with the renovation (carpet on the stairs went in today) and I do indeed love it! My house is functioning better than it ever has and when I look around I am filled with joy at the selections I have been dreaming about for 11 years finally coming to fruition. It was worth the wait!
In this fast pace society we live in, it is so easy to get angry because we don’t have the time to be patient. If things go wrong we go directly into anger mode most of the time because we believe they need to be fixed right away. Yes, when something breaks or goes wrong, we need to fix it but why can’t we realize that it will take time to patiently work through the steps to make it right? Looking at the news and world events, it seems to me that a lot of people want to live in anger rather than do the work to fix the problem and often blame others for what went wrong. But we are all in this together — we cannot blame the wrongs away and only we can fix our mistakes or the breaks we create. So why not live in patience rather than anger knowing that, although it will take energy to move into balance, through it we can learn along the way and that we actually do have more time than we have been lead to believe.
This sense of urgency only makes us more angry so if we can settle into patience we can ride the flow of the energy and be pleasantly surprised by how things evolve. On some of my home renovations, I could feel myself getting angry when install dates moved or when the product I selected was not cooperating (i.e. the carpet for the stairs had to be reordered since the original delivered lot had a non-flexible backing on it). But I tried to lean into patience and go with the flow knowing that it would eventually get done. Yes, it made me tired and I did complain to my husband, friends, and family members who would listen, but I tried not to get into the energy of anger. Anger can provide a surge of energy and motivation, but if left unchecked it can become destructive and can burn you out. Trust me, I have experienced this a lot in my life. So, like feng shui teaches and the Tao Te Ching emphasizes I am trying to live in harmony with the natural order and the underlying principle of existence, the Tao. This means accepting the natural ebb and flow of life, letting energy meander not rush, surrendering to the present moment, and working in alignment with the universe's inherent processes. Patience is a key to this and as I continue this journey in trusting the universe, I am going to practice it whenever I am angry or when the changes around me are coming too fast or too slow. Things are in chaos at the moment and we must be patient, not angry, in order to truly see what is unfolding.
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
At the silent retreat* I attended last December, our hostess, Erinn Jacques of Guiding Owl, made this amazing green bean dish that I fell in love with. It was so delicious and nourishing that I had to ask Erinn for the recipe and she so graciously sent on this green beans with whipped feta dish that I am so happy to share with you all:
GREEN BEANS
1 cup salted pistachios
2 tablespoons everything bagel spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1/4 cup unsalted butter
LEMONY WHIPPED FETA
8 ounces feta cheese
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
GARNISHING
3/4 cup pomegranate arils
Lemon zest
To make this dish, start by preparing the pistachios. Remove the shells from the pistachios and chop them finely. Add the chopped pistachios to a bowl alongside the everything bagel spice, cinnamon, and cumin, and toss until the nuts are fully coated in the seasonings. Next, prepare the green beans. Wash the green beans thoroughly and trim the ends. Then, set them aside and bring a large pot of water to a boil, on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add in the green beans to the pot and cook them until they're crisp-tender – this should take approximately 4 minutes. Once the green beans have finished cooking, drain the water from them. Add the beans to a bowl of ice water and allow them to cool for a few moments. After the green beans have cooled off, drain the beans well and place them onto a towel to dry. Next, prepare the toasted pistachios. Heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the butter. Once the butter starts to brown and turn fragrant, reduce the heat to low. Add 3/4 of the pistachio mixture to the pan, reserving 1/4 of the topping for later. Toss the pistachios in the butter, then add in the green beans and sauté until the beans are heated through. This should take approximately 5-6 minutes. Once the beans are heated through, remove the pan from the heat and set them aside. Next, prepare the lemony whipped feta. Add all of the ingredients (the feta cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon, olive oil, and garlic) to a food processor and process until the feta is smooth, fluffy, and creamy. This should take approximately 2-3 minutes. Finally, assemble the dish by spreading the whipped feta out evenly, across a large serving platter. Then, transfer the green beans on top of the whipped feta, alongside the remaining pistachio mixture. Garnish with pomegranate arils and lemon zest, then serve and enjoy!
*If you are interested in attending a silent retreat, Erinn has some throughout the year at Guiding Owl and the Somatic Wisdom Institute. I highly recommend these retreats for bringing yin energy back into your life.
REST RITUAL
Now that the weather is warm, it is a great time to start digging in the dirt and planting with friends, family, and/or kiddos. This Seed Ritual, which is a beautiful celebration of plants from tinyritual.com, connects you to the earth and puts your intentions into a physical form you can nurture and grow:
Select your seeds. Rosemary has protective and cleansing qualities. Burn dried leaves to purify your house. Basil brings prosperity, happiness, and love. Lavender promotes relaxation, calm nerves, and promotes sleep.
Smudge spray the space you are planting and sit quietly for a few minutes, breathing slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth to ground yourself and connect to the space.
Meditate on your intention for planting these seeds. Write it down on a piece of paper. Now hold your seeds and visualize your intention as if it’s already come to fruition. Feel that energy of excitement, joy, pride, peace, and/or wholeness come over you and feed that energy into your seeds. Whisper your intention into your seeds as if it’s a secret between you. At the bottom of your pot, place your written intention.
Cover your intention with soil. Establish a communication with the soil you’re using. Dig your fingers right into the dirt. Feel the aliveness of the earth in your hands! Send waves of blessings and gratitude into the fertile soil.
Plant your enchanted seeds according to the package directions. Again, come back to your intention visualization and hold your hands over your pot. Trust and believe that this intention or goal will come to fruition. Impress upon your mind that this goal has already come about.
Gently water your seeds, again sending your blessings and gratitude. Give these seeds love and nourishment and your patience will be rewarded when their green sprouts pop out of the soil.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful week and full moon.
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, July 27, 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, 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:
Sound + Space Summer Solstice Sound Immersion - 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.