Dear Friend,
It's a pleasure to imagine us in a place of shared awareness as we reflect on the potent energy of the Aries Full Moon. With a focus on embodiment and reconnecting with the Earth, how can you/me/we harness Aries's fiery and courageous spirit in a way that nourishes us and the world we share? How are we being invited to embrace our inner warriors, encouraging us to take bold and fearless steps toward our desires for ourselves and the greater good? One suggestion is to tap into this energy by noticing what brings you into a place with the most aliveness.
I facilitated a retreat at Menla Retreat Center last weekend with the theme The Strength to Soften.
We began our journey by delving into the power of compassionate curiosity. We called on the sequence of a Qoya Inspired Movement class to begin to trust and feel safe within our bodies. What arises here is often vulnerability. For many of us, there are evolving ideas about what is brave. I invite you to notice where your bravery can be connected with your heart's authenticity.
Our second day of the retreat was dedicated to softening to release and softening to reclaim, which culminated with an Autumn Equinox ceremonial fire where we placed a nature offering we had made earlier in the day. We danced to come into right relationship with ourselves, we made offerings to nature to come into better right relationship with Mother Earth, and we opened our minds and hearts to listen to the fire about how to be in right relationship with the world at this time.
Aries is a fire sign, and I'm curious if you have the space to make an offering today to the fire in some way, to attune to the fire and maybe even dance with it? As you do, I invite you to listen for the transformational guidance that is for you.
On the last day, we danced with the theme of Embodied Presence and noticed how important it is to feel present in our bodies. Some of the characteristics of this place have some Aries qualities. They often call on our courage, are energetic, and can be impulsive.
For example, on the last morning, I was wide awake and guided to go outside into the forest. When I got there, I was guided to get naked and submerse myself in the creek, and then I was guided to run around the woods on a scavenger hunt of sorts to make a beautiful altar for everyone. As I was in this place of embodied presence, I felt the best and the most alive I had in a very long time. I felt a teaching emerge from the land, "Do not confuse fear with aliveness." I started to feel into the places where fear drags or holds, and in contrast, the places where I feel aliveness is infused with life force and lightens. A feeling of aliveness often carries the joy of being alive! As Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, I invite you to notice the places where you feel the most aliveness and dance in that direction.
To ignite a spark of aliveness in your body we invite you to do this Shaking video. Over the last few years, I have worked with dear friends and musicians Luci and Sam to create the first Qoya Inspired Movement album, and the music in this video is from that album! I'm also teaching a class to the album on Sunday, October 1st, and you can purchase the album here.
May the strength to soften be yours today and always.
May the fire ignite a spark of aliveness you can see and meet.
May we step into the world today, guided by the full moon, united as warriors of love and agents of positive change.
With love,
Rochelle