Season: Spring
Element: Wood
Moon: New
Happy Monday!
Today is the new moon in Gemini and the element of wood. I am a Gemini in Western Astrology, so this is my time! Growing up, I always thought I was like the Gemini twins — adaptable, curious, sociable, and mercurial. But now looking back, perhaps I was and always have been more of a Taurus which is my sun sign in Vedic Astrology. Definitely during midlife I try to be more stable, loyal, and reliable like the Taurus bull. And as I learn more about Western and Vedic astrology, I wonder why can’t I be both? Why not integrate all the knowledge I can? Each of us is navigating an ever changing world in our own unique way, so all of these modalities (astrology, enneagram, human design, and religion in particular for me) that are becoming more assessible via the internet are navigational tools we can use for the road map of our lives. If you are interested, check out the links above for Western and Vedic astrology charts and remember that we are all unique so be open to whatever works for you. As one of my ancestors, the great Walt Whitman, wrote in Song Of Myself, “I contain multitudes.” That said, if you need support, the next Rest Curation is this Sunday, June 1, 2025 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm and the next 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.
To wrap up the topic of seeing, which is associated with the element of wood, let’s explore the different ways we see the world. As I have mentioned before, I love synchronicity and am always so pleased when people I subscribe to write posts about topics I am thinking about or even drafting. It makes me so hopeful that these topics are swirling around the collective and are taking hold. Imagine my delight, when Casper ter Kuile posted Another Me: Practicing Seeing the World Anew, which has so many perfect nuggets of information about how we see the world. Here is an excerpt from Casper ter Kuile’s post but please feel feel to read it all since it is short: “It’s not news that how we look at the world shapes our experience of it. Rowan Williams’ book Passions of the Soul has a delightful exploration of this theme—drawing on the wisdom of Evagrius of Pontus.” In the book, Williams describes how Evagrius systematized how we look at the world in three ways:
The angelic way of seeing things is seeing things just as they are, just as they emerge from the hand of God, we might say—an almost Zen-like clarity, perceiving the world in its simple thereness, resting on nothing but the creative act of God, glowing in its reality.
The diabolic way of seeing the world is the opposite—the world of kind of supermarket consumerism in which we experience and assess what is around us simply in terms of its profitability to us, as if it had no meaning except what our wants and fantasies projected on to it: never mind what it is, what can it do for me?
The human way oscillates between these two, wobbling between the extremes, trying hard to see things straight but constantly slithering back into the self-referring mode of perception—stuffing the world into the bag of the ego.
I’ve been trying to live more in the angelic, or as I like to call it “trusting the universe,” way of seeing the world these days. It helps tremendously with keeping my scarcity spirals at bay and being in flow with the chaos and change all around us. Of course, my mind always wants to take me into the diabolic and human ways of seeing the world, but if I stay grounded and in my body I can live quite comfortably in the angelic. As I study more about feng shui, Taoism, and qi gong, the constant is to be in flow with the universe, or the Tao, and ensure that the energy (qi or chi) all around and in us is flowing. Not rushing flow, but meandering energy that brings about balance. When seeing the world, perhaps look for the imbalances that come out of chaos and trust that once we see them we can work to create balance. For me, the angelic way of seeing gives me clear eyes and hope that what is happening is indeed needed to make the world better. Trusting that this post will get to all of you that need to see this also.
These times are trying, 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
Last year at this time, I sent on this amazing, relatively healthy recipe from Healthy Emmie inspired by Erewhon’s Raw Cinnamon Roll. Thought it was time to post it again as a yummy breakfast option now that it is warmer and we are busy with wrapping up school. I am always pleasantly surprised how easy these rolls are to make and how tasty they truly are — very similar flavor profiles to baked cinnamon rolls. So here is the recipe for Healthy Emmie’s Raw Cinnamon Rolls:
CRUST
1 cup oat flour
1 pecans
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons psyllium husk
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
FILLING
1 cup dates*
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of salt
To make the crust, soak the psyllium husks in water for 15 minutes. In a food processor, blend the pecans. Add all of the other crust ingredients and blend until a dough forms. Push out into a rectangle on a piece of parchment paper. The rectangular should be around 10” long by 5” wide by 1/4” thick. To make the filling, blend all the ingredients in the food processor. Spread a thick layer of the filling onto the crust. Using the parchment paper, roll the crust widthwise to create the signature swirl of the roll. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into 1” slices to serve.
*Dates help your body to produce melatonin, which in turn helps your sleep quality. They are also high in fiber, which takes time to digest and can keep you feeling full throughout the night.
REST RITUAL
As I mentioned in other posts, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the wood element is connected to the sense of sight or the eyes. Sighted people use their eyes constantly and as our computer and phone usage increases it has been shown that blinking decreases which creates dry eye. Also, the content that we view on these devices can overstimulate our eyes and lead to strain. Your eye muscles need a break just as much as the rest of your body so let them rest.
To combat dry eye and eye strain, here are 3 simple exercises:
The 20-20-20 Rule = When you’re focused on a task, pause every 20 minutes to focus on something that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Blink Break = You blink less when you’re focused on a TV or computer screen. If you start to notice dry eyes or the beginnings of a headache, stop and try to blink at a normal rate.
Palms for Relaxation = Gently cup your palms over your closed eyes until all the afterimages fade to black, about 30 seconds. Make sure not to put any pressure on your eyes.
If you like these, here is a video for some more eye exercises to try out.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this has been enjoyable. May you have a restful and calm start to your 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:
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, 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.