Full Worm Moon Lunar Eclipse
Calmness in chaos
Season: Winter
Element: Water
Moon: Full
Happy Thursday!
Tomorrow is the Full Worm Moon, a total lunar eclipse, and the last moon in the element of water. Because the eclipse is total, this will also be a blood moon. The energy is BIG right now, so if you need some support join us at our Rest Walk this Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Aman Park from 10:00am - 12:00pm. Sign-up for a meditative hike in noble silence with a focus on calmness. Or join Kara Markovich on March 20, 2025 for Sound + Space | A Sound Immersion to Honor the Spring Equinox in celebration of the spring equinox. Don’t forget to reserve a spot for this restorative sound immersion. And there is also availability for the Rest Curation on Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm. 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 water element is fear. I am seeing a lot of fear right now in the news and on social media. I am trying to stay away from all the negativity, but it is getting harder and harder to stay informed without getting sucked into fear or become angered by the lies. Although fear and anger aren’t necessarily created by lies, they can be triggered or amplified by them, especially when a lie leads to betrayal, disrespect, or manipulation. Unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of lies swirling around currently and it seems nearly impossible to counter their spread. Maria Ressa, a Noble Prize winning journalist in the Philippines who uncovered unsanctioned illegal killings by the government, has been researching the speed by which lies spread after encountering intense negative information disseminated about her online. In her research, Maria Ressa found that lies spread six times faster than true facts. As we all have experienced in the last few years, the more scary or shocking or scandalous the lie the more people repeat it. And the more it repeats, the more true it feels, and then it can spread like wildfire.
So how can we counter these lies? Maria Ressa found in her research that there is one thing that can spread just as fast as lies — surprisingly it is not truth, it is inspiration. Inspiration is the balm to calm the lies, the anger, the fear. Inspiration can spread fast but can create a calm path to the future. In feng shui, while the imbalance of the water element energy is fear, the balance is calm. Let’s try to find our inspiration and spread it to lessen fear, to balance the energy, and to bring about calm.
In Maria Ressa’s commencement address at the 2023 Loyola Schools General Commencement Exercises, she shared three lessons that I think are helpful for developing inspiration:
Draw the line now for your values (see my post Curating Our Values for more on values)
Embrace your fear (see my post Befriending Our Fears for more on fear)
Build your community, but beware the mob (see my post Full Moon Lunar Eclipse for more on community)
Once the lessons above are gasped, consider writing an inspirational list of how you want to live in this world or as Gandhi said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Here is a great example from Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual, who recently sent out a newsletter entitled “I want to live a committed life.” In it, he listed out the inspiration for how he wants to live in this world. Here are just a few of the items on the list that inspired me:
I want to live a committed life.
I want my friends woven into my days instead of my calendar.
I want to start every meeting with a poem—and put a poet in every boardroom.
I want the house to be filled with laughter and costumes instead of YouTube.
I want to swap homemade cookies on the subway.
I want a best friend of 86 and another who is 7.
I want to create more than I consume.
I want to abolish GDP and measure what matters—healthy babies; the count of salmon; street parties.
I want to say yes to this vision together, and mean it. Because that is how revolutions become inevitable.
2025 is the year of the Wood Snake and snakes are known for shedding their skin. The scientific term is called "ecdysis" and it is the process where a snake sheds its entire outer layer of skin at once to accommodate growth, remove parasites, or get rid of damaged skin, essentially revealing a new layer underneath. The snake is our model for 2025, so let’s shed the habits that allow lies, fear, and anger to dominate our lives. Instead, let’s live with inspiration in our hearts and our minds to make this world the place we want it to be and to turn chaos into calmness.
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
Here is my last winter soup recipe for you with a wonderful March veg that is so emblematic of Michigan’s snowy winter — cauliflower. This recipe, inspired by Pinch of Yum, incorporates turmeric into the mix and turns blended cauliflower into a golden, creamy soup. So here is the recipe for Golden Soup:
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cauliflower head
1 cup cashews
1 tablespoon turmeric*
7-8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Chop the onion, garlic, and cauliflower. Add the oil to a large saucepan and heat. Add the onion, garlic, cauliflower, cashews, and turmeric and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and 4 cups of water to start. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until creamy. Put the mixture back in the saucepan and add more water as needed to achieve a creamy soup consistency. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and green onions.
*Turmeric has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which can help to improve sleep quality.
REST RITUAL
As I mentioned above, fear is the imbalance of energy in the element of water. In nature, animals shake after fear and trauma as a natural way to release stress and tension, and to return to a normal state. I am not quite sure when or why us humans stopped this practice, but I have recently learned the wonderful benefits of shaking from my qi gong training.
In qi gong, shaking is considered beneficial for releasing tension, improving circulation, promoting relaxation, reducing stress, boosting energy, and generally allowing the flow of energy throughout the body. It can be particularly helpful for areas with built-up tension like the shoulders and neck. In Follow Your Tao, Stephanie Nosco writes that shaking “is great for releasing fear, as well as stimulating the bones and bone marrow.” Give shaking a try, especially if you are feeling fearful, angry, or stressed. And if you want a video to help you shake, check out the below from Stephanie:
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful end to the week 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, March 15, 2025 from 10:00am - 12:00pm
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:
Sound + Space | A Sound Immersion to Honor the Spring Equinox - Thursday, March 20, 2025 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
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.