Five days ago my husband almost died. He had a complication from a surgery to extend his quality of life, after being diagnosed with stage 3 liver disease. I have been with him on the journey to a liver transplant, and it’s been quite the epic. Based how quickly the medical team in our city transferred him to the transplant hub 4 hours away, tells me all I need to know about that.
But this essay isn’t about him, really. It’s about how I lost myself through all this. It was only a short time ago that he was diagnosed, and in just a few months, I became an empty husk of my former self. Granted, before he got sick, I was already feeing like I was being hollowed out from the microaggressions I had toward myself. The times that I said yes, when I meant no. Times that I kept silent when I should have used my voice. Slowly shrinking to “keep the peace” in an increasingly inhospitable realm.
Anticipatory Grief
I only recently discovered there was a word for the feeling I have been carrying these last several months- Anticipatory Grief. The stage of grief before the actual grief event happens, where you expect the tragedy and prepare for it. This grief comes in waves of hope and tragedy. Highs and lows that can vacillate so wildly within seconds, if feels like a perpetual food processor. One second you are hopeful for an outcome that doesn’t result in the unspeakable. The next, you are in the depths of despair, preparing for your existence without them. As time has worn on and my patience worn thin, it has been increasingly difficult to wrap my head around the possibility that this wasn’t “the end”.
Winning or Losing
Around the new year, an author that I deeply respect who has a skool community I am a member of, posed a question regarding resolutions for the coming year. While I have never been one to do resolutions, my response was telling. I shared to the thread that I did not want to lose myself, and instead wanted to stay dedicated to the projects I had started long before diagnosis, no matter the outcome.
I had that thought before we came within a paper thin margin of life or death. I didn’t want to lose myself in the process of loving and supporting someone else. I remain steadfast in that goal right now, as I write these words. My own Soul Death is not worth the price.
How often do we shrink ourselves to love others? How often do we shame ourselves for living fully in our authenticity, so that others can be more comfortable? How often are we conditioned to hide the parts of ourselves that make us unique, brilliant, and strong? It is a genuine tragedy to the psyche. We hide, quiet, and even destroy the pieces that are the best parts of us, and for what?
Current State
As of this writing, my husband is on the path to gaining strength and stamina back, to ensure a successful transplant. I have resolved to keep my spine straight through whatever comes in the future for us. By doing that, I can be my whole self- the compassionate, kind, strong caretaker/mother/daughter/friend/wife that is my nature. One who will not shrink to fit the expectations of others, but instead will be the authentic, imperfect version I am and am becoming.
I owe it to myself, my children, and those around me. I owe it to my own inner child too. She worked very hard to keep me safe, to get me here. I owe it to her to be brave and make her proud of who we became.
Since the beginning of time, humans have shared stories long before we shared written language. We carved them into cave walls, whispered them into the night, and passed them through the generations like treasure. But if you look closely at the history of storytelling — really look — you’ll notice something powerful:
Women have been the ones holding the threads.
Across continents, cultures, and centuries, women have been the keepers of memory, the carriers of truth, the weavers of identity. And the magic of storytelling isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about survival, belonging, and happiness. It’s about stitching ourselves into the world.
Today, we’re going to explore the magic of storytelling through a feminine lens — not as a nostalgia piece, but as a reminder of the power that lives in our voices right now.
Storytelling Is the Oldest Form of Healing
Before we had therapists, self-help books, or mindfulness apps, we had stories.
Stories are how humans make sense of chaos. They help us stitch meaning into moments that feel senseless. They give shape to grief, language to joy, and rhythm to the in-between spaces of being human.
When people are overwhelmed, they instinctively reach for stories:
A favorite childhood movie
A comforting myth
A spiritual teaching
A joke or memory
A prayer they learned from their grandmother
Stories calm the nervous system because they offer structure. A beginning. A middle. An end. A path through the unknown.
And this is where women historically stepped in as guides.
Women as the Carriers of Culture
In almost every ancestral culture, you’ll find the same pattern:
Women held the oral traditions.
They told the stories that taught:
values
community expectations
spiritual beliefs
the rituals of birth, love, and death
the lessons embedded in nature and seasons
They passed them along while braiding hair, cooking meals, grinding herbs, nursing babies, or sitting together under stars. The transmission was woven into everyday life. Not formal. Not ceremonial. Simply present.
Across the world:
In West African traditions, griots and griottes preserved history through song and story.
Indigenous grandmothers across the Americas shared creation stories and survival wisdom.
In Celtic cultures, women kept the lineage stories alive during times of war and displacement.
In Asian traditions, mothers and aunties used folktales as moral maps for children.
In Jewish families, women safeguarded cultural and spiritual continuity through the stories told in the home.
Everywhere we look, women ensured that culture didn’t end when times were hard.
They kept language alive when colonizers tried to erase it.
They held genealogies when written records were destroyed.
They carried spiritual traditions when practicing them openly was forbidden.
They were the living libraries.
Storytelling Is How Women Have Built Happiness, Too
It’s easy to forget this now, in an age where everything is fast, digital, and disposable. But happiness has never been a product, it’s always been a practice.
Storytelling is one of the oldest happiness practices we have.
When women gathered, they didn’t just share stories of heroes or gods. They shared:
how they survived heartbreak
how they cooked when food was scarce
how they found joy during hardship
how they soothed a crying child
how they learned to trust themselves again
how they found magic in the mundane
These weren’t just stories. They were maps of resilience.
And we still need them, maybe more than ever.
Why Storytelling Feels Magical
Storytelling activates imagination, memory, and intuition all at once. It opens the heart space. It reminds us that we are more than our to-do lists, more than our anxieties, more than our survival mode.
When you share a story — even a small one — something alchemical happens:
A part of you becomes known.
A part of someone else becomes understood.
Connection forms where isolation used to be.
This is what magic actually is:
A shift in energy.
A softening.
A remembering.
This is why women’s circles, community gatherings, and spiritual spaces have always included stories. It’s how humans root into each other.
Your Story Is Part of This Lineage
You may not sit around a fire or gather the village like your ancestors did. But every story you tell, on social media, to your child, to yourself in the quiet moments, adds to the collective tapestry.
When you share truthfully, you:
validate someone else’s experience
preserve something worth remembering
create a moment of belonging
contribute to culture in real time
Your voice matters because your story is part of a continuum that stretches backward through generations of women and forward into the future.
You carry the wisdom of those who came before you.
And someone- someday- will carry pieces of your story, too.
A Gentle Invitation
As you move through this week, notice the stories you tell:
About your life
About your spiritual journey
About your worth
About your possibilities
Are they stories you want to keep?
Are they stories that nourish you?
Are they stories that reflect the woman you’re becoming?
If not, you have the power — like every woman before you — to change the narrative.
Because storytelling is not just how we remember.
It’s how we rewrite.
How we reclaim.
How we rise.
And that… is magic.
If this post resonated with you, please consider joining us at Mystic Harmony Circle, a soulful Skool community built for slow reflection, reclaiming, and aligning with yourself.
Finding Yourself in the Aftermath of a Difficult Year
There are years that feel like a slow unraveling – threads pulled loose one by one until you’re no longer sure where the original pattern even began. Maybe this past year was one of those years for you. A year that asked too much. A year that took too much. A year that left you standing in the quiet aftermath, wondering how to stitch yourself together again.
Grief has a way of stripping everything down to the bone. It silences the noise, dissolves the masks, and leaves us alone with ourselves, our truth, our questions, our unmet needs, our unspoken longings. It’s uncomfortable, raw, sometimes brutally honest. But within that discomfort lives something sacred: an invitation back to authenticity.
Where Grief Meets Introspection
When life shakes us, the first instinct is often to reach for something familiar: routine, responsibility, distraction. But eventually, there comes a stillness we can’t outrun. In that stillness, we meet ourselves again.
Introspection during grief doesn’t look like tidy journaling prompts or beautifully structured epiphanies. It’s more like:
Sitting quietly with the ache in your chest
Realizing the things you used to tolerate no longer feel tolerable
Noticing which relationships held you, and which ones disappeared
Feeling exhausted by pretend versions of yourself
Wanting less noise, fewer expectations, and more truth
Grief changes our inner landscape. It shifts priorities, clears illusions, and sharpens our understanding of what matters. Not in a dramatic, movie-like way, but in tiny, everyday moments – choosing rest over obligation, honesty over performance, slowness over survival mode.
Authenticity Often Begins in the Ruins
It’s strange, but grief can make us more real than anything else ever could.
When the old ways of being fall apart, it becomes harder to hide behind “I’m fine.” Something in us whispers:
Be who you actually are.
Say what you actually feel.
Stop carrying what is not yours.
Authenticity isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment. And grief, for all its heaviness, is a powerful realignment. It clears away the unnecessary and asks us to show up barefaced, imperfect, and entirely human.
You might find yourself:
Speaking with more honesty
Setting boundaries you once avoided
Prioritizing joy in small, quiet ways
Letting go of roles that drained you
Reclaiming parts of yourself you forgot
That internal shift is not weakness. It’s transformation.
Moving Forward With Tender Courage
If you’re reading this and nodding quietly, please know: nothing is wrong with you. You aren’t “behind.” You aren’t failing. You’re simply in a brave season of becoming.
Healing isn’t linear. Some days you’ll make tea, breathe deeply, and feel grounded. Other days you’ll stare at the laundry and wonder why everything suddenly feels heavy. Both are part of the journey. Both count.
Be gentle with the version of you that is trying to rise while still carrying the weight of what you’ve lost.
There Is Magic in Returning to Yourself
As painful as this year may have been, it’s also offering you something: a path back to your inner wisdom. A chance to hear your own voice again. A doorway into a life that feels more aligned, more intentional, and more you.
This is the quiet magic that grief leaves in its wake—not joy exactly, but truth. Not certainty, but clarity. Not perfection, but presence.
If you’re moving through this intersection of grief, introspection, and authenticity… take it slowly. Let yourself feel. Let yourself soften. Let yourself rebuild in your own time and in your own way.
And if you want a place to explore these moments more deeply, with others who are walking their own healing path, you’re warmly invited to join us inside Mystic Harmony Circle—a gentle community for connection, grounding, and rediscovering your inner voice.
You don’t have to navigate this season alone.
You deserve support, spaciousness, and a soft place to land.
As we move into the quieting days of autumn, the skies welcome the New Moon in October — traditionally called the Beaver Moon. This year, it begins on October 21, 2025, marking the perfect time for reflection, planning, and intentional living.
Why “Beaver Moon”?
The name “Beaver Moon” dates back to early North American traditions. Indigenous communities and European settlers alike used this term to signal the time when beavers prepared for the winter by building and repairing their lodges. It was also a time when people laid in supplies and prepared for the colder season ahead. Symbolically, it’s about preparation, resourcefulness, and building foundations for the future.
The Power of the New Moon
New Moons invite us into beginnings, fresh starts, and seed planting. Unlike the illumination of the full moon, this lunar phase is about quiet intention, rest, and creating space. The Beaver Moon’s energy encourages us to consider what we’re preparing for, not just in our homes but also in our relationships, work, and inner lives.
This is an ideal moment to:
• Clear physical clutter to welcome fresh energy.
• Reassess what is truly necessary and let go of distractions.
• Strengthen connections with those around you through mindful communication.
• Align your goals with your authentic self.
Ritual Recitation
To work with this Beaver Moon New Moon, try this simple practice:
1. Find a quiet place in your home where you feel safe and at peace.
2. Light a candle, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.
3. Speak aloud the following words, letting them resonate in your heart:
✨ “I am clearing space in my home, my mind, and my spirit for positive changes.
I balance things I want and need, with those of others effortlessly.
My relationships are stronger because we communicate better every day.
I am working toward harmony in every step I take, while also living my authentic self.
Opportunities abound but my intuition pulls me toward the ones that are right for me in this season.”
Repeat this recitation as often as needed during this lunar cycle to anchor your intentions.
Closing Thoughts
The Beaver Moon teaches us that preparation is power. By honoring this New Moon, you align with nature’s rhythm of balance, harmony, and readiness. Allow this lunar energy to guide you toward building strong foundations for the months ahead.
On October 6, 2025, we’ll witness the Full Harvest Moon—a luminous full moon that carries both tradition and potent spiritual energy. This year, the Harvest Moon lands in Aries, bringing a dynamic mix of harvest, initiation, release, and bold new beginnings. In this post, we’ll journey through the history and symbolism of the Harvest Moon, unpack its astrological dynamics, and offer a short ritual you can do at home to work with its magic.
History & Symbolism of the Harvest Moon
What is the Harvest Moon?
The term “Harvest Moon” refers to the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox. In many years it occurs in September; in some years—like 2025—it shifts into early October.
Historically, this moon was a boon to agrarian societies: because its rising time is unusually close to sunset for a few nights in a row, it casts extra early-evening light, allowing farmers to continue harvesting crops after dusk.
In folklore and spiritual traditions, the Harvest Moon is woven into themes of:
• Abundance & Gratitude: It signals the culmination of what you’ve sown and tended.
• Gathering & Culmination: It is a time to gather your “harvests” — whether material, emotional, relational, or energetic.
• Release & Transition: As the year tips closer to winter, it invites letting go of what no longer serves.
• Balance of Light & Shadow: With days and nights shifting more evenly, the Harvest Moon resonates with the balance of dark and light, growth and rest.
Cultures around the world celebrate moon-related harvest festivals. For example:
• In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) is centered on the full moon in autumn and the harvest.
• In Japan, the tradition of Tsukimi (moon-viewing) involves offerings of seasonal foods and grasses to honor the moon.
These cultural observances echo the timeless human impulse to pause in awe of lunar light, gratitude, and seasonal cycles.
Astrology of the October 6, 2025 Harvest Moon
Sun, Moon & Zodiac Placements
In 2025, the full moon peaks on October 6 at 14° Aries (Eastern Time) while the Sun resides in Libra.
Thus, the lunation occurs along the Aries–Libra axis, a polarity of self / identity / initiative (Aries) opposite relationship, harmony, balance, and others (Libra).
Key Astrological Dynamics & Themes
Here are some of the notable energetic threads in play:
ThemeInterpretation / Guidance
Ego, impulse & self-assertion Aries energy empowers courage, initiative, and the drive to act. This can stir bold moves or abrupt shifts. Yet the square to Jupiter may exaggerate confidence, risking overextension.
Balance & relationship With the Sun in Libra, relational harmony is highlighted. The pull to act (Aries) may clash with diplomacy, compromise, or considering others.
Power & communication Mercury forms a square with Pluto, which suggests potential friction in conversations or interactions—avoid force or control in communication.
Blessings & challenge in love Venus is making a favorable sextile to Jupiter (supporting grace, beauty, expansion), but is opposed to both Saturn and Neptune—suggesting tensions between idealism, boundaries, and realism in relationships.
Focused energy Mars, the ruler of Aries, is relatively unengaged, which can create fewer distractions and allow more inner clarity and direction.
Long-term growth Jupiter trines Saturn during this period, offering grounded expansion and perseverance in long-term goals.
Deep societal & spiritual shifts Outer planets (Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto) are in harmonic aspects, suggesting unseen spiritual or structural transformations in culture.
What This Means for You
• What to release: Inflated expectations, overcommitments, relationships or roles built on imbalance or illusion.
• What to claim: Your authentic voice, the next “step forward,” seed ideas you’ve held quietly, courage to initiate with integrity.
• Where to watch: How your desire intersects with partnership, the tension between “me / us,” and when your impulse to act may outpace discernment.
• Supportive practices: Grounding, meditation, pause before speaking, small acts of bravery, journaling to distinguish ego from deeper intention.
A Mini Ritual You Can Do at Home
This is a simple 5–10 minute ritual to align with the Harvest Moon energy — gathering, releasing, and opening to new life. You don’t need elaborate tools; use what you have.
What you’ll need (optional but helpful):
A sheet of paper or journal
A pen
A small bowl or dish
A white or silver candle (or any candle)
A quiet window or outdoor spot where you can see the moonlight
Step-by-Step Ritual
1. Set your space & intention
Find a calm corner or spot near a window or outdoors where the moonlight is visible. Place your candle, paper, and pen. Quiet your mind with a few deep breaths.
2. Light the candle
As you light it, say (quietly or in your mind):
“I call in the light of the Harvest Moon, to kindle clarity, gratitude, and release.”
3. Harvest reflection
On your paper, write down 3–5 things you are grateful for — these can be tangible, relational, internal, or spiritual. Then write 1–2 things you are ready to let go of (habits, mindsets, relationships, burdens).
4. Release
Fold or crumble the part of the paper with what you’re letting go and place or drop it into your bowl or dish (or even gently burn a corner if safe to do so). As you do, say:
“I release what no longer serves. May clarity and ease emerge.”
5. Affirmation / Claim
On the remaining portion (gratitude / blessings side), read it out or silently affirm:
“May I receive the harvest of my efforts. May I walk forward with integrity, clarity, and courage.”
6. Moon gaze & gratitude
Take a few moments to gaze at the moon (or imagine her light). Breathe deeply. Absorb her calm illumination. If you feel inspired, whisper a word, intention, or gratitude into the moon’s light.
7. Close
When you feel complete, gently extinguish the candle (or allow it to burn safely). Keep the gratitude portion of the paper somewhere you can revisit it, as a reminder of your harvest and blessings.
You can do this ritual anytime during the day or evening of October 6–7, but performing it under the moon’s glow amplifies its resonance.
Closing Thoughts
The Harvest Moon is more than just a poetic name for a full moon—it’s a cosmic moment inviting us to pause, gather, shift, and claim. In 2025, with its energy in Aries, this lunation awakens our inner pioneer, asking us: What is ready to be harvested? What next action is lit from within?
May this moon’s light help you see clearly, release gracefully, and step forward with a grounded, radiant heart.
⸻
References & Further Reading
Farmers’ Almanac — Full Harvest Moon & astrology of October 2025
Spells8 — Harvest Full Moon ritual ideas
Pagan Grimoire — October full moon spiritual meaning & rituals
California Psychics — Spiritual meaning of the Harvest Moon
Almanac.com — explanation of Harvest Moon timing and tradition
