“Anyone who perceives their shadow and light simultaneously sees themselves from two sides and thus gets in the middle.” – Carl Jung
Shadow and Light
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Category Archives: Photography
Full Moon in Taurus
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” —Buddha
The future of democracy might be uncertain but we can always count on the moon to wax and wane and become full again.
November’s full super moon is in my sign of Taurus and that brings us to a moment of deep release, grounded empowerment, and unexpected transformation.
This Full Moon isn’t a typical Taurean lunation—it’s charged with electrifying energy because of the moon’s conjunction with Uranus, the planet of rebellion and liberation.
In this, we are being shaken from our comfort zones and propelled toward needed change.
Alongside this energetic framework is a potent T-square involving Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn urging us to re-evaluate our beliefs, thoughts, and the structures we live by.
Adding further intensity, Pluto sits at the critical 29th degree of Capricorn, a karmic placement pushing us to transform old patterns that no longer serve our growth.
This full moon is an invitation to step into our most empowered self while remaining grounded in our values and truth. risingwoman.com
Easy full moon rituals:
Reflect on what you want to release.
Create a gratitude list for the past year.
Set intentions for personal growth.
Here’s a little reminder about some beneficial crystals :
Black Tourmaline for protection.
Amethyst for spiritual growth.
Moonstone to enhance intuition.
Sodalite for emotional balance.
Happy Full Moon!
The Lightness of You
I wish that I could show you,
when you are lonely or in darkness,
the astonishing light of your own being.
— Hafiz
Vibrant Pacific Northwest
Here’s a tour of the dramatic, colorful state of Washington:
Check out the Northern Lights (My son took these pics of the Aurora Borealis, not me)
A spectacular sunset, no filters needed:
Leaves in full color; red…
…and yellow:
So very green, the rainforest of the Pacific Northwest:
Morning blues:
Evening; a kaleidoscope of colors during sundown on the Salish Sea:
Autumn Leaves
And Autumn did say.
“Why the hurry, such a hurry
Why such haste to end the day
Slow down, slow down I say
Look around
For there’s so much beauty,
just waiting to be found.”
Athey Thompson
It’s time to take a few deep breaths, slow down, and discover joy in fallen crimson leaves, joined together by a sudden gust of wind.
It seems like eons ago that we had that heatwave I thought would never end, but the temp has cooled down quite a bit.
We still haven’t had any rain, but it’s a comfortable Southern California autumn with cool evenings and pleasantly warm days, not too hot or too cold.
Like Goldilocks found Baby Bear’s bowl of oatmeal in The Three Bears, it’s “just right.”
African Violets: Tender Loving Care
My plant obsession isn’t all about monsteras and fiddle leaf figs, I lovelove African Violets, too.
The African violet symbolizes devotion, faithfulness, and commitment. They’re also supposed to be great for indoor air purification because African violets absorb toxins.
They appear delicate and precious but they’re actually quite hardy and sturdy and not really high maintenance at all, at least not in my opinion. The flowers last for a long time.
Their botanical name is Saintpaulia and they belong to the Gesneriaceae genus. I started propagating my own violets a few years ago. Creating new life gives me a great deal of pleasure, plus it’s pretty easy, so there’s a high success rate.
A couple of my very own babies are flowering. I’m so proud of them!
They’re not too finicky or hard to take care of if you follow a few tips:
❀ Don’t water from the top and try not to get the leaves wet.
❀ They love bright, indirect light.
❀ Fertilize about once a month.
❀ Some websites suggest an Epsom salt drench every two weeks to assist flowering.
❀ Remove dead or faded flowers.
❀ They don’t like to be too wet or too dry, I use filtered water because our SoCal tap water is disgusting.
❀ It’s almost funny but the best performing violets are in the smallest pots, much smaller than you’d think for dinner plate sized foliage.
❀ Propagating is simple. The traditional method of propagating violet leaves is to place the stem into water until roots begin to grow. Select a healthy leaf. It doesn’t take very long for roots to form.
Good luck!
Come With Me
“I know you’re tired but come, this is the way…” Rumi
It may look like a hot and dusty trail, but I think it’s paradise. Let’s explore this path together.
A Wonderful Day
This is a wonderful day.
I have never seen this one before.
~ Maya Angelou
Hearts and Sons
My son is the classic dictionary definition of an absent minded professor (which he is). His beautiful brain has multiple trains of thought all speeding along at the same time, so sometimes, day-to-day mundane tasks fall by the wayside.
It was early morning and he had returned from a dawn patrol surf sesh. We were having a lively “discussion” about where to put his surfboard…”Mom, Mom, I’m going to leave it right here, don’t worry. I’m going to surf later, too.”
Whenever he says “don’t worry”, there’s an eighty to one hundred percent chance that it’s something I SHOULD worry about. I learned that after forty-three years of being his mom.
I told him I’d prefer it if he took the extra few minutes to put it away in the garage where it belongs.
This discussion took place as we’re standing in the driveway. It could have been today or a couple decades ago; some things never change!
We were at an impasse. Hands on my hips, I stubbornly stuck to my position that the surfboard needed to go back where it belongs or I would end up trying to lift up a longboard that’s twice my size. Something would break; either the board or me.
Finally, I said, “Look how much time you’re wasting. If you had simply put it up instead of trying to convince me to allow you to leave the surfboard in the way, you’d already be in the house eating your breakfast burrito!”
Well, that’s the kind of logic that works with him. He finally put his board away. Like I told him his entire life, he should take his arguing and debating skills and become a lawyer like his grandfather.
As we wrapped up a twenty minute negotiation, I looked down and found this perfectly formed heart leaf. I took a picture, picked it up, brought it in the house, and I’m looking for a suitable frame while my (annoying) child inhales his breakfast.
It’s all about love. It always has been, and always will be. That child IS my heart, whether he’s being annoying or not.
Weekend Vibes
Just picked a cluster of gorgeous grapes; might pour myself a glass of some chilled and fermented ones a bit later. (Of course I’m talking about chardonnay.)
Happy Friday!
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 