Happy Earth Day! It really was my intention this month to find all kinds of yummy, nature-based goodies for you to play with. And there are a few in my Deb’s Picks below.
But — full disclosure here — I’m actually fresh out of inspiration as I write this, coming off a magical final benefit production of the 4thU Artivists last weekend — HUGE thanks to those of you who supported our powerful offering of “The Good Body“! It looks like we’ve raised over $8000 for our beneficiaries and I’m so proud of what we created over the last 15 years, raising well over $200,000, as a little church theater group, to support organizations who work to end gender violence and to empower women and girls worldwide. Yaay us!!
Then for the next 5 days our apartment was transformed into a set for the long-running TV series, “Law and Order” — very exciting, completely disruptive, fascinating, surreal, and fun! It truly was amazing to see the time, energy and $$$ that went in to filming what will probably end up being just a few minutes of air time. I think the episode is going to air on May 16th… be on the lookout for it if you’re a fan.
So you won’t get my usual ruminating blog this month, but I’ll give you an overview of what this month’s Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon energy is about… and even though you might not be reading this until after the actual Full Moon date, remember its energy is still beaming to us for ~ 3 days before and after:
The Moon is in water-y Scorpio and ruled by the planet Pluto, who was the god of the underworld. So we’re talking about deep, transformative juju here. Death and rebirth, confronting our deepest fears and wounds, and turning them into wisdom.
What do you need to excavate within yourself to transmute pain into power, darkness to light, anxiety into acceptance?
As always with a Full Moon, the Sun is opposite the Moon, moving through earthy Taurus from April 19th–May 21st, which means you can literally EMBODY all this transformative energy and use it to ground yourself, to be fully present, and to create practical, tangible ways to nurture and sooth your whole being.
[And if you really want to dive into that earthy, grounded Taurus vibe, definitely tune into my virtual Taurus New Moon SisterCircle I’ll be facilitating through the Wellness Universe on Tuesday, May 7th. Our theme will be “Stop and Smell the Tulips” and I guarantee you’ll come away feeling more grounded and soul-nurtured!]
But before then, be sure to join us for my upcoming Scorpio/Taurus Full Moon TeleMeditation on Tuesday, April 23rd at Noon — click HERE for details on how to join us. Hope to “hear” you then! (And if you miss it, contact me and I’ll send you the recording, or look for it on Facebook & Instagram)
So, as always, my Deb’s Picks this month are a creative mix of all of the above, sprinkled with a few random offerings, all designed to support, uplift, heal, and/or nurture you mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
WELLNESS UNIVERSE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE VLOG — Earthmending
I’m having such a good time sharing my favorite spiritual practices in this year-long series at the Wellness Universe! And this one is particularly apropos for this full moon, diving deep literally and figuratively (Scorpo) into the healing energy of trees and the Earth (Taurus). This meditation is one that I “downloaded” many years ago and I lead you through it in the video. Click on the image to check it out and let me know what you think!
POETRY IN THE NATURAL WORLD w/AVA LIMON, U.S. Poet Laureate
This book is one half of Ava Limon’s dual projects in her year as Poet Laureate. The other one is You Are Here: Poetry in the Parks,” a series of poetry-centered picnic-table-style installations in seven national parks. In her travels around the country, the main theme she hears everywhere is that people are overwhelmed. She says, ““It’s so meaningful to lean on poetry right now because it does make you slow down. It does make you breathe.” A poem is built of rests. Each line break, each stanza break and each caesura represents a pause, and in that pause there is room to take a breath. To ponder. To sit, for once in our lives, with mystery. If we can’t find a way to slow down on our own, to take a breath, poems can teach us how. What a perfect way to sink into the healing power of nature! I may not be able to make it to any national parks this year, but maybe you can, and we can all read this lovely book!
8-WEEK GRIEF RECOVERY PROGRAM w/Siobhan Murphy — staring April 30, 7pm ET
I’ve known Siobhan almost as long as I’ve been coaching, which is a looong time, and she continues to blow me away with her compassion, vulnerability and continual commitment to personal growth and exploration. Those are just some of the qualities that make her a fabulous coach and dear friend. One of those explorations led her to become trained as a Grief Recovery Specialist after she experienced several different losses of her own, and she now offers that work to others who are in the midst of any kind of difficult transition. She works 1:1 with people, but is also starting a Grief Support group on the Full Moon. If that resonates with you, definitely contact her to join.
Mental Health Awareness Month has become a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. The Wellness Universe is supporting your best mental health with this Wellness for All special event and I’m thrilled to be one of the featured experts. We’ll offer talks on a variety of wellness theme and share a self-care practice you can incorporate into your life to support your mental wellbeing. You’ll gain tools to: reduce toxicity to help find mental wellbeing; use gentle tapping to manage stress; heal wounds from entrepreneurial mistakes; stimulate brain function through meditation; up-level your nervous system to transform emotional debt to embodied wealth. Sounds powerful, doesn’t it? Click on the image to join us!
SOHARMONIUMS WOMEN’S CHORUS SPRING CONCERT — May 11, 8pm; Alice Tully Hall
I’m so excited… my wonderful women’s chorus is performing in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall AND we’re joining voices with the University Glee Club of New York City (founded in 1894)! So, this concert will deliver a rare and impressive breadth of musical genres and voicings… even more than usual. Sadly, there’s no live-streaming this time so I hope a bunch of you can make it live. Ticket sales are also a little different from past concerts — from now until May 1st (so midnight April 31st) you can buy as many tickets as you want for $50 using code “SoHa” at checkout. On May 1st the price will be $65. Let me know if you’re coming so I can look for you afterwards!
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I hope some of these Picks will help ground you or maybe uplift you during these crazy times. And as always, if you have any events or resources to share, I’d love to hear them.
With bright Springtime blessings,
Deborah