Retrograde- directed or moving backwards "all the planets will at some time appear to retrograde"
Retreat- the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
I’ve been reflecting, as it’s a good time for that whilst Mercury, the planet of communications is stationed retrograde and won’t be direct until March 9th. (If you want to learn more about Mercury Retrograde I recommend Yasmin Boland’s book about it). So what do I mean by that crazy statement? Am I just getting on the spiritual trending wagon, like ‘Light is the New Black’ and ‘Sensitive is the New Strong’? Maybe, who cares, I’m just sharing my musings with you!
So over the past 20 years I’ve seen many wellness trends come and go, mostly they are short lived because they are not easily sustainable. Realistically a yoga or pilates class, a 10 minute meditation with your headphones on and a cup of hot water with lemon is much easier to fit into a busy, stressful lifestyle. I realise I’m in an unusual situation where I’ve chosen not to be busy and stressed anymore. Those of you that have followed my story will know that my choice didn’t arise through luxury but more through personal growth, awakenings and adversity. This has enabled me to observe myself more easily, simply because I have less going on.
So the question came to me, “how can I share the benefits of a slower pace of life to those who are still busy?” Being a yoga teacher and spiritual lifestyle guide it would seem obvious to organise retreats for this purpose and I’m certain that I will be doing that at some point in the future. But for now until I have a team to help me organise that, I’m searching for ways we can all look after ourselves regardless. On doing a bit of research, it seems like anything that was once niche becomes saturated very fast due to the increasingly faster internet. I saw a site that has 491 retreats and that’s just in Europe, so even choosing a retreat could potentially be stressful!
So my obsession with all things Moon related, (I’m a cancerian moonchild!), has led me down a fascinating path of discovery. In fact I’m studying to become an astrologer so I can have more understanding of the bigger picture. One of the things I do now that is pure fun and really not a money thing, (although I do charge for my exchange of energy), are Moon Circles. Women gather in a circle, we share our stories, we meditate together, I add a little sound healing with crystals and we learn about Moon magic. We forgive and release on the Full moon and make our wishes manifest at the New Moon. The re-discovery of how the moon cycles affect our female cycles has been so helpful, even now I am going through menopause it still helps me to know when to rest and when I’m strongest. They call this Lunar Sadhana, which simply means committing to a daily practise supported by the moon.
‘A disease can only take hold in a woman when her shakti is depleted and her rhythms are out of sync with mother moon.’ Sri Swamini Mayatitananda.
Another astrological phenomenon that has been all over the info web is Mercury Retrograde. It gets a bad rap as the negatives always get focussed on in the media, but basically when a planet goes retrograde it appears to be going backwards. All planets do this but Mercury spins the fastest, known as the Swift planet, so it happens 3-4 times per year for up to 3 weeks at a time. As Mercury affects all forms of communication things like travel plans can be delayed, it’s not a good time to sign a contract, you should back up your data and explain yourself fully to avoid misunderstandings. But it’s also a brilliant time to finish things that you started and perfect for re-everything! Review, redo, reflect, revisit, reclaim, rewrite, renew, retreat!
So if we only looked at the downside of these retrogrades, we would have to be hermits for up to 4 months of the year! That’s a long time to hide away and waste such a potentially magical time. Of course there could be a full moon or a new moon during this period and that will enable you to make even better decisions for your own wellbeing and really for the benefit of those around you too. Coming up on the 23rd of this month is a New Moon in Pisces during a Mercury Retrograde so with Pisces being the most psychic of signs and with dreamy Neptune having a strong influence it’s a perfect time to go within, keep a dream diary, journal, connect with yourself and just be present. If it was a full moon it may be a good time to revamp or redo something that requires strength and energy.
So with all of that said, if you were to truly commit to following the guidance of the galaxy, you may find that your intuition gets stronger and you just ‘know’ when to retreat and when to thrive. On that note I’m off to Australia for some rest and reflection time until the end of March, which will bring me back in time for a Super Full Moon in Libra! With a Jupiter and Pluto link the same week I will definitely be holding a circle so we can support each other through truly transformational times.
I’ll let you know as soon as I have secured a space for this event, best to book that after the 9th! In the meantime I have a little Meditation and SelfLove class at FitnFab on the 26th Feb so be sure to book some retrograde time for yourself.
With love, Kellie 💛