Happy LunarNewYearRamadanLentRetrogradeEclipse Season

February was somehow a month and a half, but also two days long. On the first day of Lunar New Year, Lent, and Ramadan, I was utterly sick at my family's home in Connecticut. It seemed to be a normal cold, but all I could do was eat, sleep, and sometimes poop for 72 hours straight. When I got back home to NYC, I started to feel a little better until I suddenly began the longest menstrual phase of my life (8/9 days, I think). As much as I was a train wreck, I pushed myself to work my server job AND workout, to the point where my body was too physically sore and exhausted to even exist publicly. Since then, I've been trying to rest and get back to some state of normalcy. This week, I've been connecting with some friends that I haven't seen in a while, and my heart feels full to the brim. Then it happened again. After a week of bodily reset, I am now back on another menstrual phase...

For some context on the energetic sphere we are currently living within, Lunar New Year began February 17th, and Lent and Ramadan started February 18th. Mercury Retrograde began February 26th (in Pisces) and the full moon on March 3rd was actually a total lunar eclipse.

In terms of my beliefs, I grew up Christian in the Episcopal/ Protestant church. Today, I consider myself to still be a Christian — less in an institutional and conventional way, and more in a spiritual alignment and practice way.

This is all to say, I am no astrology expert nor guru of the universe, but I know the past two weeks have been extremely important energetically for everyone, regardless of beliefs.

I have always loved Lent. This is the season before Easter — a time for Christians to remember that Christ died for us for the forgiveness of our sins. The main way to observe Lent is to give up something of one's choice, whether it's a physical item or a negative habitual practice. Growing up, I gave up items like chocolate and my pillow. I became a vegetarian for Lent once (which ended up continuing into a three year stint), and I've even given up on going out to eat. (Shoutout to the friends who remember me ordering hot water and lemon at every hang).

In my adult life, I've switched to adding more positive habitual practices for Lent, like praying or journaling daily or reading the Bible every night.

Since dating my Muslim partner, I've also learned a great deal about Ramadan. Similar to Lent, Ramadan is a deeply spiritual time to reflect on our moral obligations and connection to God. This is a season of intentional fasting that is part of the pillars of Islam, written in the Qur'an. Muslims fast during the day and eat between sunset and sunrise. In plain terms, they all give up food and water during the day, slightly adjacent to Christian "fasting," but more structured than self-guided.

Even if you are not religious, Lunar New Year and Mercury Retrograde are planetary / cosmic shifts that have many meanings.

Mercury Retrograde is usually perceived as a time of disruption, chaos, confusion, and misunderstanding. This makes sense since Mercury is the planet of communication, but because we are currently in the season of Pisces, retrograde takes a slightly different form. Pisces tend to lean more into imagination, escapism, and emotional guidance. This retrograde may blur emotional clarity and hinder logical thought, but it is also supposed help people dive into some necessary self-reflection. Pisces are also associated with spirituality, and some people may have some serious revelations and self-awakenings at this time.

In the Chinese zodiac within the lunar calendar, it is the year of the horse. The horse represents speed, strength, and divine vitality. This year is also particularly special because it is the year of the fire horse. This only happens every 60 years, and a fire horse typically brings radical change.

We are in a meditative time — a month of introspection.

So if you haven't felt it yet, there is currently an immense amount of transformation happening right now, both internally and externally. Our world is continuing to fall into the same pattern of colonialism, greed, violence, and destruction, AND we are also in a very sacred month.

Observing it all

I highly recommend using this time to pause and observe one or all of these holidays / cosmic occurrences in a variety of ways:

1) Share a meal with family and/or friends.

Lunar New Year (or Seollal in Korean) is a celebratory time, mainly centered around families gathering together for a meal. It is also a time to pay homage to ancestors. During Ramadan, it is often encouraged to break fast in community/ with family. Not everyone may live around family, so if not, try cooking a meal for you and a friend one night! Or maybe visit a new restaurant that's been on your list. To the meal, bring intentions of gratitude, empathetic connection, and radical joy. Let this time feel commemorative of life.

2) Rest purposefully.

We are still fighting the winter season, up until its end. Here in NYC, it has been nothing, but blizzards, brief glimpses of sun, and then back to dark, rainy days. Instead of getting mad at any lack of socializing or productivity in your life, think of these days as a call to take a step back. Put your phone down maybe an extra hour every day. Sleep a little earlier if possible or don't set an alarm at least one day a week. Winter is meant to be for hibernation and reset, so why force yourself to accomplish it all? Maybe even treat yourself to a day at the spa or a day where you just doodle and paint. Really reflect on what can help heal and restore your soul at this time.

3) Journal.

If you didn't get the memo from all the explanations above, then here it is, clear as a cloudless sunny day. Write down your thoughts. It may feel unnatural or uncomfortable if you haven't done it before, but push yourself to write at least one page. If you don't have a proper journal, just grab a piece of paper. My advice for those new to this is to write down your surroundings first. Where are you? What is in front of you? What are you wearing? Then, start to take stock of how you're feeling physically. Do you have pain in any muscles or bones? Are you hungry? Finally, go inside yourself. Are you feeling calm or stressed? Are you anxious? What do you have going on later? What happened yesterday? How did you feel yesterday? How do you feel about what's going on later? Do this at least once during this time.

4) Better yourself.

This can mean giving up something like desserts and pizza or this can also mean pushing yourself to workout at least twice a week. Maybe this means smoking or drinking one day less a week or it could be as simple as making your bed every morning. Lent and Ramadan are seasons of deprivation in order to stay humble and reflect on our blessings in life. Fasting is a practice of discipline and respecting the feeling of personal discomfort. Change doesn't happen if everything stays the same. The year of the horse also encourages switching things up, so why not use this time to pick an item to give up OR a habit to let go or start.

5) Tap into your needs.

As much as I'm giving you a suggested list of ways to observe all the holidays all at once, this is also a good time to ask yourself what you need. Have you ever stared at yourself in the mirror and wondered who you are and why you're here? Don't just stare. Sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes, breathe slow and deeply, and begin to be aware of your body and mind. At the end of the day, the internet can tell you a million ways to fix your life and feel better about the world, but only you can understand yourself. Detach from generic "easy" fixes and begin to tailor this time of change and rest to you.