Earth Phase Support in Times of Great Transition
Collectively we are in a huge global transition. Every being on earth, human and otherwise, is having to adjust to rapid change due to the unraveling of a stable, reliable climate, and the social and political fabric that held us all in a reasonably functional relationship that had endured for hundreds of years. Now we are in a liminal time. It is like standing in a doorway, and though some would like to take us backward, the only way through is forward. We don’t have a clue as to how to live in harmony with Nature, which would give rise to Life on Earth thriving.
We have two presidential candidates who have very different views of reality and a path forward. We have a population that is also deeply divided in its views of reality and the best path forward. And that is just in this country. Every place on Earth is struggling with its version of the same issues. It is a very unsettling time.
Understanding a bit about how the energy generated by the Earth’s journey around the sun, and how we are individually and collectively affected by them, can help you navigate the next month or so.
Looking at the diagram above, you can see that there are four yellow slices per year. These are the Earth transition times. On October 28th the energetic that gives rise to Autumn will be complete, but the energetic that gives rise to Winter won’t start until November 15th. This is the Earth transition phase, the time in-between the seasons.
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In normal times, these transitions give rise to an unsettled feeling, because it is like slack tide in the harbor. There is no clear current for all the boats to follow so they float around every which way for a while, waiting for the current to shift so they can all line up again. For humans, the in-between, every which way, Earth-time energy feels unsettled, and it is easy to get overwhelmed with the stress of life. It can make it harder to hang on to our good, rhythmic habits of eating well, getting to bed on time, regular exercise, and so on. This slack tide, transitional energy also makes it hard to keep complicated projects, with a lot of moving parts, progressing forward (e.g., a plan that involves a lot of people doing their part). People often will get sick during these transitional periods, sometimes on an annual basis.
Because globally we are in a once-in-an-era transition, requiring humanity to rethink and rebuild our relationship with Gaia and all her beings, when we enter the Earth energy of transition on the 28th of October, the unsettled, chaotic feeling will get more intense. The transitional places in your individual lives will get more intense, and the transition we are in collectively will get more intense. And, we have the election right in the middle of it. At the very least, we can know that no clear guiding current will start emerging until after November 15th, the start of the Winter/Water phase. Thankfully, we don’t enter the next Earth phase until the end of January. The Winter/Water phase will encourage deep reflection and soul searching up until the Solstice when the gifts received can begin to be brought back to the surface as we move toward Spring.
practical, everyday ideas to reduce stress in this upcoming earth phase transition
Care and feeding of a toddler: Think about how toddlers do best when there is a predictable rhythm to their day of eating, playing, and resting. This rhythm of care nourishes Earth energy in all humans and you too will do better with a predictable rhythm. Consistent bedtime/wake time, exercise time, play dates, and nourishing food go a long way toward steadying you amidst chaos.
Energy Direction: Earth phase energy direction holds the center, like the hub of a wheel, in contrast to Spring/Wood energy, for example, which is the bursting forth, up and out, new beginnings energy. It can be difficult to stay centered during Earth transition time. It is hard to find the best direction to head in, making big decisions and executing complicated logistics is more difficult during this phase. Do what you can to relax into major decisions, knowing that once the tide turns on November 15th, you won’t have to push so hard and your choices will become clearer.
Nourishment: The Earth phase is about nourishment and how you transform Life into yourself. The organs are the digestive organs of the body/mind/spirit. This is the food you eat, the books you read, the news you consume, the company you keep. Be extra mindful to offer your BMS the highest quality nourishment on all levels, in moderate amounts.
· The biggest, most helpful, Earth supporting habit you can adopt is to stabilize your blood sugar. Start by eating a breakfast that includes around 30 gm of protein and low carbohydrates (25 gm or fewer), within an hour of getting up in the morning. The goal here is to keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day and if you start with breakfast, avoiding the sugar/grain/alcohol group is easier for the rest of the day. You will feel more grounded, less stressed and able to make better choices for yourself. Like a lot of people, I like to get up early and do a routine that includes exercise, and I don’t want to eat first. I have my first cup of tea with collagen and that gets me through until I can eat.
· When we feel overwhelmed, it tends to be because we cannot process (digest) our emotional lives quickly enough to keep up with it. Limiting emotional stressors and triggers (like too much news, or difficult conversations) is really important because it is like overeating day after day at the level of the mind. The mind has a digestive capacity just as your body does and can only digest so much emotional material in a day. Too much yucky emotional stuff, is like too much poor quality food. You won’t feel well and your physical digestion will be impacted. Many people have digestive upset when they are under stress. This is why. All the digestive capacity for the day gets used up at the level of the emotions leaving nothing to digest the actual food.
· Invite friends for a potluck supper. Sooo nourishing to be with good people you love and care about with good food to share.
Gratitude and Satisfaction: The Earth Phase gives us the capacity to be grateful and satisfied with everything we have. When our physical and emotional digestive systems are taxed, we tend to worry, ruminate and obsess about things. This is indigestion at the level of the mind. When the mind is going round and round on something, it is like a meal churning in your stomach. Ironically, we tend to overeat, especially sweets, in an effort to comfort ourselves which only stresses the digestive capacity more.
The antidote to worry, rumination and obsession is actually gratitude. Mind-level medicine to address a mind-level problem. Really, on the spectrum of human life scenarios, we have it about the best there is. Let’s be grateful for it. Sure, we are all worried about the future, but is there anyone on the planet who isn’t?
Right now, in this minute, think of something you are grateful for and see what happens in your body/mind. It can be the simplest thing… the way the sun is hitting the branches of a tree outside the window… a blooming orchid on the sill… the hot cup of tea at the push of a button… food in the fridge… kids are doing well… time for a walk today… a hot shower… See if you can sense how it relaxes you to focus on gratitudes.
So much of what we already have, we just take for granted and want more. It is like an eating disorder where a person never feels satisfied. Naming the small things we are grateful for as a practice is a powerful tool. You might make a quick list as part of your morning ablutions. Bathe yourself in gratitude rather than worry as you start your day and see what happens. Send and email to let me know, I’ll be curious.
