Evolition Summertime Workshop Poll: Give your opinions!

Hello friends! The Akasha Collective teachers are discussing a summertime workshop series. If I were to give a 2-3 hour long workshop on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in August or September, what would you like to see me do?

Mercury Retrograde early Libra-late Virgo, September-October 2022

The planet Mercury goes retrograde on Sunday, 9/11/22 at 8 degrees 53 minutes Libra, and enters direct motion again on Monday, 10/3/22 at 24 degrees 14 minutes Virgo.

But what does this mean?

Retrograde motion is an astronomical phenomenon whereby, due to the planets orbiting the sun at different rates, a planet appears to be moving backward from the Earth’s vantage point. Think of it as an optical illusion.

In astrology, retrograde motion is a symbol of a lessening of or interference with the planet in question’s energy, sort of like a reverse tarot card. Mercury rules the daily mind—our thought processes—communications, commutes, siblings and neighbors. During Mercury retrograde, we may find ourselves thinking less clearly, making poor decisions, feeling like we just can’t get our point across, and miscommunicating.

Mercury retrogrades typically happen 3-4 times per year. They are generally considered to be inauspicious times for making major decisions, negotiating, or signing contracts because of the potential to overlook important details.

The planet Mercury.

As in all of astrology, however, energies that seem daunting are often blessings in disguise. If you have a problem plaguing you, the retrograde may usher in new perspective. Things may cross the mind that haven’t in a while, like an old friend or activity you used to enjoy. As with all things, it’s the attitude that you hold that often determines your experience.

That is doubly true with this particular retrograde through early Libra and late Virgo. Virgo is the ruler of our house of health and attitude and Libra the experience of our personality in the context of relationships. Over these next few weeks, we may be called to observe our attitudes and how they play out in the larger world, especially in our relationships with those close to us. Conversely, to understand how our close relationships impact our health.

If we’ve fallen into pessimistic or critical thought patterns, how are our relationships affected? What about our overall health and vitality? If we cultivate more productive, positive attitudes, do things improve?

Under stress, Virgo energy can lead to a paralysis by analysis pattern, where we overthink situations to the point of getting stuck or making ourselves unwell. Likewise, unbalanced Libra energy may place us in a bind between opposing forces, opinions, or needs that prevents us from moving in any direction because we can’t find the middle ground.

In the event that you find yourself in such waters these next few weeks, hang tight. Clarity will catch up with you by mid-October!

The Vishuddha Chakra in the throat region is ruled by the planet Mercury. Over many years, I’ve noticed that, by the end of a retrograde period, stiff necks and shoulders arise. Keep them moving and mind your sleep posture. Sarvangasana (All Parts Pose/Shoulderstand) and Sirsasana (Headstand) are auspiciously practiced during this time, provided your form is good and you’ve robustly warmed your body for your practice.

Please mind that all of these things are generalizations; to know more specifically how any astrological phenomena will affect you, we’d need to compare them to your birth chart specifically. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Soup

I spent two successful months on the State of Slim this summer. Lost 20 pounds, felt better in my skin and in my clothes, and then life happened. Stress increased, socializing increased, and slowly I fell away from the plan. And re-entered some of my old disordered eating behavior: pairing periods of indulgence with periods of withholding intake.

But I learned some things from 6 months of eating disorder therapy, one of which is that self-neglect is a deeply entrenched behavior born of deep self-loathing. And I’ve set a boundary that I don’t neglect my own needs any more—and that includes my need to fuel my body when it’s hungry.

As I turned in to myself with the intent to love and provide care, I realized that I was struggling to stay on-plan because I was depleted. Two months of very strict dieting paired with multiple sources of deep heartache AND the work involved to get both of my business back on track post-pandemic . . . I was exhausted. Those cravings were a cry from my body for deep nourishment. So I created this soup with the intention feed myself—and craved it all week long until it was gone and I made a second batch.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

This recipe is more of a concept than an actual recipe—open to many interpretations and possibilities. It is soup. Feel free to add anything you have on hand!

Preheat oven to 475*

Dice a large variety of different vegetables—enough to substantially fill a large baking sheet. In this batch, I used:

a small red kuri squash

a handful of Brussels sprouts

the kernels from one ear of corn

a diced carrot

a diced jalapeno pepper

two diced bell peppers

sliced button mushrooms

1/4 head cauliflower.

Toss with high-heat appropriate oil (I used 1/2T avocado oil mixed with 3T water to minimize the amount of fat in the soup) and copious amounts of dried rosemary. Roast on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until beginning to brown on top, around 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large soup pot, I sauteed:

2 small onions

several stalks of celery

the diced stems from some swiss chard

6 or so diced roasted green chilis.

Once they were soft, I added

two boxes of chicken broth (keep an eye on those ingredients—stocks and broths often contain added sugars, which you may not want!)

the leaves of the aforementioned swiss chard

some kale and sliced cabbage I had left over from other dishes

some sliced snow peas left over from the previous night’s dinner.

Once the roasted vegetables were beginning to brown, I added them to the pot, along with salt to taste, a hearty pinch of dried thyme, and some fresh sage from the garden. I brought the pot to a low simmer, long enough to wilt the greens, and, BOOM, dinner’s ready!

Serving Suggesions:

For weekday lunches, I pair a small bowl/thermos of soup with a serving of lean protein (often grilled chicken breast). I believe this is a State of Slim Phase II compliant meal depending on the vegetables that you choose.

I LOVE this soup in the morning with a diced boiled egg or two on top.

For my kids for Sunday’s movie night dinner, we added some cooked tortellini and a sliced grilled ring of fresh Polish sausage from Bavarian Sausage Express.