I turned 36 today as I’m writing this on a cool Saturday evening. I spent the day at home with my son. We listened to music, read books, made art, and nourished ourselves with yummy and nutritious meals. Last night, my ancestors told me to make the day a meditation (I channel them regularly).

As I did that, I truly felt the power of the sun on my side today. I felt lightness and clarity streaming into my system in droves. I’ve never quite spent my birthday just tuning in. Tuning in is always something I do as a part of each day. Spending my birthday tapping into myself, my body, and the energy all around me added dimensions of color, texture, and meaning to everything I did.

I’ve been guided to go on an information fast, which has helped my sleep tremendously the past week. It feels as though much of my ceaseless and feverish quest for wisdom has come to a halt. I by no means believe I’m done learning or have reached some pinnacle.

I just know that there are some points on a journey where it’s good to stop and observe the view.

I celebrated my solar return early with my sister. We went for high tea and a stroll on some truly gorgeous grounds. I felt the treetops transmit their ancient knowings to me while the fountain waters whispered of flow. The feel of the cobbled stone earth beneath me told the tale of consistency and precision, while the light of the sun brought warmth and vision. The billowing breeze coated our time with freshness and ease. No blessing was missed or lost on me.

Though I am never left to enjoy the good in isolation, time and time again, I am shown that there is one force here playing the role of light and dark. Good and evil. Ease and struggle. Not two. 🎭

There have been some upsets and blindsiding challenges that arose this year for me personally, and as the news makes its way to me (by hook or by crook), I sense the same is true for the collective.

And yet I know that it is through anchoring deeper into the self that any of us has hope of the liberation and peace possible with transmutation.

A few things have been revealed to be true beyond doubt this year. One of them is that if I allow rivalry to have a dwelling place in me, then I will create wars on every dimension of reality I traverse.

Sometimes it really seems like we're on the darkest timeline, but then I look inside myself and find an unextinguishable light. Every day I wake up to greater and greater puzzles, upheavals, and challenges, I am pushed deeper and deeper within.

There’s no real power out here, the world seems to scream to me from its screens.

Seek ye first…

And so I’m obedient. If nothing else, I am obedient. I run back in when boredom and curiosity coax me from the cave of my vibes. I run back in. When I’m there, I sense what I can do. How can I be of service? And how can I reconcile myself with myself? How can I end the rivalry and the wars? The conflicts and the upheavals. The stress and the strife. How can I ingest, digest, and manifest?

I’ve always been a big picture and ideas girlie, but my son has taught me that the big picture is made of small strokes. So I summon my calm, hold on to my crystals, light my incense, feed the lamp of mindfulness with my steps, and embrace my mission and vision.

35 taught me to move in alignment with the elements, to live a life of creativity and artistry, and to let go of my conditioning or drown with them. Above all it taught me the alchemy of the hermit. What it means to be hermetically sealed to that which I know to be illusory.

May 36 be a year of basking, instinctive mothering and boundless sharing.

What a time to be alive!