Each season, we turn a corner, enter a threshold; a transitional period through an equinox or solstice. This one is equipped with eclipses, and disorientating time changes for many of us.
On the day of equal day and night, we are invited into our version of re-emergence.
Yet even though the sun is entering aries with the turn of the equinox, there is a sort of resistance present as it is accompanied by neptune in pisces conjunct, as well as saturn + venus in pisces nearby.
The equinox is a time for activation and emergence, but with this presence of resistance, it is a reminder to remain in our bodies and depths as we do so, and to listen to our subconscious beneath it all.
We're not done with swimming through the deep end of the collective subconscious through pisces - nor will we be for the rest of this year and next as saturn stays in pisces, inviting us to dissolve harmful borders and open up into more wholistic restructuring.
With pluto in aquarius also sextile the sun, we're in the midst of healing and revealing a lot of collective trauma. This is a long game, and we're here to find the hope and reality in all of it.
For what is the self without the all?
Every seed that sprouts does not do it alone - yet tending to its own roots is essential and not to be overlooked.
Being in aries season this year means our eclipse season is beginning since the moon's node are on the aries-libra axis this year - representing our focus of collective change. I'll talk more about this in next week's moonletter for the first eclipse of the year on March 25th, and the following for the total solar eclipse on April 8th.
For now just keep in mind that we're in a time of intensity (if it wasn't already obvious), so take care of your nervous system and don't underestimate your basic needs (water, food, rest, hygiene). Let the bare minimum be enough when it needs to be.
Whether it feels like spring outside or not, whether it's warmer than it normally is this time of year or not - how are we being asked to awaken and participate?
This equinox also happens to fall within Neurodiversity Celebration Week (it seems it likely always does actually) which feel like a supportive layer to me.
As we awaken from winter's realizations, we emerge to seek better balance between all things; day and night, matter and spirit, mind and time, individual and collective, me and you, human and non-human...
What I think we're really working towards is non-duality, non-polarity: there are never just the extremes, but always the in-betweens.
My mental health journey has been most supported by coming to honor the beauty of the in-betweens; that I am not my diagnoses but I can be empowered through them in finding how they support accommodative shifts for a better, more accessible world.
Neurodiversity represents for everyone the spectrum of non-singularity; how we are not a one-size-fits-all species. This involves all of us, but especially those marginalized and not accommodated by the normative culture of cis, hetero, white, capitalist-colonial dominance.
I believe we are all shifting into realizing that is it not radical to stand up for what is deemed "different" - or perhaps that radical/radicle is not a bad thing but fundamental (the meaning of the word literally means "of the root". We're done being gaslit for what is really oppressed.
We are redirecting the narrative of "what's wrong with me" to "what's wrong with society" - not to project blame, but to call in accountability to see the whole picture that projects upon us that we are not enough as we are.
There is a need for both self-reflection and autonomous initiative throughout all of this, but it is not separate from the whole.
We are re-membering all parts of who we are - and that includes our environments and communities too.
Moment to moment, it can feel overwhelming to consider it all, and so this is where cognitive wellbeing ties into collective wellbeing.
Honor your nervous system, tend to your creativity and your desires, and remain open to change for we are best when we are letting our own internal seasons and phases ebb and flow.
Root into what grounds you and where you feel whole.
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While you can adapt Cycles Journal to your desires and needs, and there's technically no right or wrong way, we recorded a video of how we designed it with an intentional structure to support you.
Please note that there may be some small changes to the journal year-to-year, but generally the structure and way to use it stays the same!
To receive the printable bookmark and symbol key shown in the video for free, visit our Free Resource Library here!
]]>I think repetition is important for slow, natural awareness-building.
But it's easy to get jaded and want to move on.
I know I’m not the only one with a brain who seeks out dopamine in the form of what’s NEW, and simultaneously requires the self-regulating nature of the EXISTING.
A continued confession; lately I still keep missing days in my cycle tracking space of Cycles Journal. I’ve been showing up more like 1-3 times a week rather than daily. I find this happens more often when I’m in a state of transition or change in my life… like as the holidays + new year approach, family needs arrive, relationships shift….
I've been questioning myself - why do I spend all of my out of pocket money to create this tool each year if I myself don't even use it enough?
(a fearful exaggeration because I do use it, just at my own pace and in new evolving ways...)
I put this unrealistic pressure on myself, and my inner critic convinces me it will be the downfall of my livelihood and this movement…
(funny how this tends to happen more intensely near full moons or my luteal phase…)
Shouldn’t be better at this by now? Shouldn’t I be a “healed leader”?
(an unrealistic expectation of perfection which is fueled by colonial-capitalism - but hey, all these reframes, how I’m catching these internalized lies… that’s a sign that I HAVE made progress and this slow, essential work is benefitting me in the long term.)
Why would anyone, including myself want to use this tool again after years of the same thing?
(I question as if I or anyone can master the art and continual practice of Cyclical Mindfulness & embodied living within a year or even a lifetime?)
Each of these doubts and self-distrusting questions reminds me... Oh yeah, that's why I'm here, that's why I make and use Cycles Journal!
Because I'm still on this continual journey of cyclical self-awareness and Earth-based living - everyday, against the tides of our linear society.
I'm still on this journey not out of shame that I'm not "healed" yet or that I'm haven't grown and learned from my years of practice already, but because of the elephant in the room... IT'S ALL CYCLICAL.
Remembering to show up and use my tools is a practice of returning, re-cycling our wisdom, practices and rituals.
Allowing space to do nothing, forget my tools, and then come back when I’m ready is ALSO a practice of honoring the cycles.
This journal is more than a space to write and track, it's a guide to show up, when you can, AS YOU ARE.
Yes, that means even if you skip or miss days, weeks, months out of this journal - the days you do show up count exponentially because it helped you remember this practice, it helped you have a space of support to return to when you were ready.
So whether you didn't use your journal as much as you thought this year, or youre unsure if you need it again next year - you don't need it, you don't have to show back up in this way, but you will gain continual support and cyclical, spiralic growth when you give yourself this gift of trust, acceptance, unlearning and remembrance.
Cycles Journal is structured in the way nature and our modern world works - with dates and time existing with consistency yet pressure for better or worse, simultaneously as the cycles of the earth/our bodies orbiting around the sun and moon through cycles of seasons and weather patterns...
Teaching us that we can continue showing up, fluctuating and trying - beautifully imperfectly, as the world turns and this anchor of our body, this book, this Earth remains.
I created Cycles Journal to offer myself an anchor of grounding support in this ever-changing, fast paced world.
It serves to help me root into my own personal cycles of mental, menstrual and habitual wellbeing, and following of the inner and outer seasons and orbiting bodies. It connects me to both matter and spirit - and is a valued companion that is sitting nearby, patiently waiting no matter how many days I take away.
I continue to offer it to you, year to year, self-published out of my own pocket, heart and hands with the hopes it can continue or begin to be this for you too.
We are practicing productivity as presence with our own pace, and practicing presence not perfection in this space.
When I remember the cycles, I am not jaded or insufficient - I am simply human - embodied in my own ecosystem. ;) (foreshadowing an upcoming tarot deck I'm working on… of which you can witness and support the journey of while receiving supportive early-bird practice + messages here.)
And if you'd like to a guide to help this practice beyond the pages as well, please check out the Cyclical Mindfulness Method Guide!
xoxo,
Rachael Amber
This also means sustaining our own community commitments and mission through what we create for both collective and person liberation.
I am a strong believer in the in-betweens rather than extremes. So we are str!king through reprioritizing.
We will dedicate our platforms this week to action and awareness, but still tend to essential and order-related emails and community needs to ensure all are considered in this process.
Spending will be reduced to a bare minimum and all purchases will be screened to ensure they don't fund g3nocide.
Our shop will remain open in order for us to continue to share our support with the world and sustain our tiny microbiz revolution, and we will also be rallying a percentage of all funds to go to the Pal es tyne Fund. Especially our Cyclical Mindfulness Guide - a larger a percentage from this very relevant tool will go to the fund.
In all, we encourage you do what you can and honor your needs an boundaries as this is a part of showing up for the collective too.
We fight for liberation and justice for ALL beings. No one excluded - because trauma breeds trauma and we are here to heal not bypass our own.
Blessings 🫶🏼✊🏼🇵🇸🕊️🌿🇵🇷💚🌈✨👁️🙏🏼
Rachael & team Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
P.s https://5calls.org/ literally makes it so easy to take practical action!!!
]]>Welcome to this Moonletter - where we orbit around a focused theme of a cyclical archetype, highlighted during, but not limited to this transit/time & space.
I've been finding it hard to pause and feel grounded, and maybe that's just to be expected right now (especially on strike). It's still important to try, but I'm trying to give myself credit for doing my best and not compare it to others or how I am at other times.
For me, this fiery full moon is hilighting the grief-filled rage that I feel as unfair violence continues in Gaza and beyond, and as I am reminded that I am not solely an individual. I finally feel this not in a disempowering way or a way that negates personal responsibility, but in a sense of shared care and interdependence.
"Nobody's free until everybody's free." - Fannie Lou Hamer
I feel this deeply. I am aware of and grateful for my personal privileges, but am simultaneously wildly aware of our collective limitations when so many of our species do not even have their basic needs met.
I want to care deeply for my personal needs while also fiercely advocating for the needs of others.
This is the tension and potential for better balance within the Leo/Aquarius personal/collective polarity - which we always are interacting with like all the signs/archetypes, and yet this week is highlighted with our full moon opposition on the 25th.
The card/archetype of Leo is STRENGTH. It's the warm flame that envelops your grieving heart. It's the energy of the unapologetic nurturer and advocate. It's the embers that remain ignited when we feel . It is our creative vision for the world we seek to change and recreate, together, with all considered.
As we're now in the year of 2024, the numerological card for this time period is Strength, because of the reduced number 8 that comes from the year. So this is a big theme that isn't going away anytime soon - we are invited to be immersed in this energy of creativity, compassion and where the heart leads us for the rest of this year and beyond.
Strength is trusting that we are enough - each one of us individually & together. and through this, not giving up.
Zooming out from this transit within this season...
In the midst of the Aquarius archetype, I feel we are currently being asked to face our fears of losing ourselves in the collective or rocking the boat when neat and tidy just isn't possible or realistic. There are of course valid reasons to fear a lack of autonomy and the dangers of a group mentality. But this is about ethical coexistence and community - what we will and will not allow in the witness of one another.
The STAR is the archetypal card of Aquarius - HOPE. This is our numerological counterpart in the tarot and in real life, as it's the 17th card and 1+7 is reduced to 8.
Shit, Hope can feel so distant these days. But when I look at this card in any deck or even just feel the energy of the star (the north star, the star of Bethlehem, the light we follow home...) I get a sense for what it really is - not always some exuberant feeling of positivity... but often (at least for me) it's a droplet falling into the deep, dark well of my heart... rippling out into a potential I can't ignore.
On top of all this, Pluto has just entered Aquarius, where it will stay (aside from a short retrograde back) for the next 20 years. The dwarf planet of transformation & the underbelly of all things we cannot ignore was in Capricorn (except for a few short retrogrades in 2023) since 2008. These are big generational themes that span decades.
So the revolution of remembrance isn't coming, it's here. We're in the midst of it all. Every day, whether the sun comes out or not, whether we feel progress is being made or it seems like we're backtracking, no matter how you feel... things are changing - for the collective, for all. And I'm determined to make it for the betterment of all.
This is big picture stuff AKA long-term stuff. It's not happening overnight, but thankfully we're in this together with all our internal and external resources, big and small.
So what of the individuals within this collective experience? You and I are still oh so valid...
While we can of course impact others directly at times, but we cannot choose for anyone but ourselves.
We can affect others through our actions and ripple out inspiration, but it always starts with us.
Practices that ground and re-center us in these ever-changing times.
This is where I lean on a practice for exactly when I feel I'm in this full moon mood(s)...
I'm sharing this Collective Care practice again because it's still relevant.
I hope it brings you some support, and if you'd like to go deeper and learn more about Cyclical Mindfulness Foundations, I've updated the course to include a workbook and more for endless use. 30% of proceeds will continue to be redistributed to the Palestine Fund to get essential resources such as food, water, blankets, etc. into the hands of civilians.
I also invite you to directly support how you can! I found this amazing list by this wonderful organization here: https://scienceandnonduality.com/roots-run-deep-resources/.
By far the easiest way to make your voice count is using the 5 Calls app/website. I'm SO grateful to the volunteers who made this - if nothing else, this made it doable on days I had low spoons.
Check your local activist organizations for demonstrations, calls to actions, and call/email scripts to your local representatives - every bit of help counts.
Even if you can only send one email, it counts. <3 Together, step by step, we can persist & Respond from a grounded place.
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
P.S. {This is all throwing me back to the New Moon in Leo letter I wrote in August post-retreat with Lama Rod. It was life-changing and it's more and more relevant every day... I invite you to (re)visit that post too if you'd like on my notes from him & more.)
Now more than ever, I know many of us are looking for what can help in ever-changing times of grief, chaos and uncertainty.
There is no one way, perfect way, or necessary way to process it all - and you already hold everything you need inside of you.
This is just one way that helps me find my way when I'm feeling a bit lost.
And that's why I recognize the necessity of working with the cycles to counteract and balance and work within the existing ones.
These states of anxiety or freeze or obsessive thinking feel harder to break than perhaps someone who's in a normal state and experience.
Regardless of your experience, you might also find it helpful to have a layered approach to your mindfulness practice which is really just a practice of detaching from an uncentered point and coming back to a centered and zoomed out perspective of acceptance and awareness.
And so I begin with writing or speaking to myself however I can in each moment.
Like when I'm in the car driving alone and my mind is stuck on that thing I said to the person at the event that was ridiculous, I will speak out the stages of Cyclical Mindfulness to myself and repeat each stage as much as I need to unravel and detach from an accept what is true what is unnecessary and what is present and what is needed now in the present.
When I'm in a group setting and I don't feel comfortable pulling out my journal I might type on my phone, or if I don't feel like it's the place for that, I will silently in my head practice the same measure.
Or I will pull away and go into the bathroom and use that time to practice the same method on my phone and my notes app.
When I'm at home and too angry at myself or my partner to hear my own voice, I'll rip out my journal or a piece of paper and scribble alleged allegedly my frustrations throughout the stages of single mindfulness until I can so I can release it all.
Somehow, miraculously, this brings me to a state that feels more objective and in right perspective with myself and others.
This is what I find to be the most helpful first layer for me.
Once I've done this I'm in a more regulated state then I was before where I can actually consider sitting and breathing and working on my somatic experience, or continuing to untangle.
Depending on the intensity complexity and recurring nature of the instance theme or experience, I might need multiple rounds of this or multiple rounds of a more silent and somatic practice after the conscious part.
Then we go to the embodied part where we recognize the impact that these thoughts and experiences have on our bodies, and work untangle them.
You might experience some of this within the verbal or written part the practice, but this is meant to help us go deeper there and really tune into our body is that are never separate from our mind and nervous system. I call this the subterranean layer. Then there's the subconscious layers...
It might take 2, 5 or 10 rounds of this practice to feel regulated and centered.... And I might become dysregulated minutes later depending on what happens or if I'm still in a dysregulated triggered state.
I might need to practice this multiple times throughout the day or the hour and that's perfectly okay.
I guess my point is that I'm better off with this practice than without, and I'm better at not shaming myself for when or how often I need it, because it's a tool that truly helps me get back to who I'm meant to be.
It's also a tool that's helped me get the help I need and realize when I need to talk to a friend or a loved one or my therapist, or when my dysregulation is so consistent that I need the help of herbs or medication.
It helps me to not have shame or resist reality.
It helps me realize that whatever happens I still have my center.
Cyclicality is all about layers. We exist within larger cycles of the universe and our Earth's seasons, within weather cycles of the Sun and Moon, and our personal inner cycles of sleep, emotions, hormones, mental health and/or menstrual health.
It makes sense that layers of debris build around us, layers of attachments, and more that we need to unravel and process.
This is one practice to help you process.
If you'd like to receive this or learn more, click here to read on about the Cyclical Mindfulness Foundations Course. :)
]]>Breathe deep - you deserve a moment of pause.
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What are the origins of cardinal Capricorn energy but the archetype of deep fertile Earth; the roots & soil beneath; the initiatory origins of rest and growth between; the slow steady turning of Saturn's rings.
Boundaries and limitations, timelines and protection - they can all be used compassionately or maliciously, and anywhere in-between.
The minutia, the matters, the micro and macro are never mundane, but miraculous if you consider the possibilities.
What do you notice when you think of systems & structure?
It's normal that those of oppression come to mind first - especially while we are witnessing a genocide and other world crises, while also trying to manage our lives and commitments.
But what happens when we also remember that there are primordial structures that existed before all of this, and still exist now and always?
Capricorn in its essence to me is radical embodiment, rooted in systems of support and not force.
Structure and stability doesn’t start or end in institutions, financials, industrial complexes or biased systems - it starts in our bodies, with our basic needs being met, nourishment, foundations like the bedrock and soil beneath all of us. Our Embodied Ecosystems(tm).
May we remember not to underestimate the fundamentals, like water, sleep and connection to ourselves and others.
May we give gratitude for what we have access to in honor of those who don't.
This doesn't negate the reality of time but rather attempts to speak to how we can't exist within honoring our personal timeline too.
I invite you to give yourself a moment to consider what your personal root system is in need of right now - how can you tend to your foundations?
I've been sharing lots of embodiment practices alongside affirmations, excerpts and previews of the cards from my upcoming in-progress Tarot deck here if you'd like to receive. :)
There is so much that feels heavy right now - please remember to let the Earth hold you. May we trust that the soil remembers and can help us honor the life and death we witness each day in every way.
I invite you to reflect somatically on what feels good today, and write down the things that support you in maintaining a sense of stability within reality.
I have some response ideas for you as well if you are available and able;
If you see this before tomorrow, please check out this resource to contact your senators & reps to voice your support on the South Africa v Israel genocide case before the hearing tomorrow on our new moon.
I also updated that our Cyclical Mindfulness Guide will now forward funds to The Palestine Fund which directly supports on the ground people receive fundamental support items (water, food, blankets, medicine, etc.) to distribute around them.
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
Current Offerings ;
Cyclical Roots is devoted to ethical, anti-oppressive business practices that advocate for intersectional justice, collective healing, and marginalized communities.
We redistribute a portion of our profits to these people and movements, and as 2023 comes to a close, we are publishing our End of Year Impact Report!
Pay it Forward Funds:
In an effort to do our part in dismantling unjust systems & hierarchies of capitalism, we created a fund dedicated to awarding journals to financially-affected folks with a prioritization to those who self-identify as BIPOC &/or are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
We believe in equitable access to offline cycle tracking tools. We recognize there are often barriers from receiving the education and care we all deserve – and so wanted to find a way to create connections and opportunity instead.
This is why we started the Pay It Forward Program. Our goal is to pave paths for Cycles Journal to support as many cyclical beings as possible.
Environmental Justice
As part of our Core Values of being intentional & nature-centric at Cyclical Roots, we carefully consider our decisions, collaborations, and productions to ensure ethical standards are prioritized for people & planet over profit.
Sustainability and transparency is always our goal, and as an artist-driven, independently funded and created micro-business, we can prioritize it.
This is why we self-publish and are independently-funded, so that we can ensure that every part of the creation process aligns with our values.
Advocacy
We aim to empower, center and uplift marginalized communities and individuals through our Advocacy Efforts. We acknowledge that forwarding funds is not the whole solution, but an important part of the whole efforts to rebalance equity in the midst of imperialism. Your purchases make this possible!
Your support of our small, micro-business means a lot and we are happy to be able to make a difference.
Thank you to all who have supported these programs. Thank you to our community -- you've made this work possible.
And thank you for allowing us to serve and be a part of your cyclical journey. <3
]]>You’re not alone if you’re feeling tension and overwhelm in your body & mind as we near the new year and close out this one.
This time of year tends to be full of pressure which we feel from our society, and since the planet Saturn (which rules Capricorn time) represents constriction. Yet we must contract in order to expand – and so goes the balancing of life.
In the midst of it all we’re not here to pressure you into new year’s resolutions (unless that’s something you choose & enjoy). Instead, we invite you to reflect on how far you’ve come and to focus instead on intentions & rituals of self-devotion; You can still watch the replay from Rachael’s workshop on this – plus you get access to 11 other workshop replays AND the next live workshop in January when you join for just $15!
Whether you filled out just a small portion of the pages in your Cycles Journal this past year or showed up most days, whatever you did is more than enough! We want to celebrate you no matter what.
We challenge you to block off at least 30-60 minutes on your calendar to spend time reflecting this week or next!
Although it’s really never too late and this ritual can be done at any point in time, we recommend making a commitment to yourself sooner than later so it isn’t forgotten.
Reflection Ritual to honor, integrate & release your past year with your Cycles Journal:
Later when you’re ready, you can dive into filling out the “Where you’re starting” prompts on page 28 inside your new 2023 Cycles Journal.
We often get the question “what should I do with my Cycles Journal now that the year is over?”
Even though, yes, your journal is completely recyclable (minus the elastic band + ribbon bookmarks), we have some suggestions before you toss it to your town.
It's easy to think that our annual journals/planners are useless once the year is over and the dates become irrelevant, but I've actually found my dated tools to become useful records for years upon years to come.
Instead of throwing your expiring journal in the recycling bin (please not the trash!), we hope you’ll give this precious time capsule a chance on your bookshelf.
On top of the timeless rituals, educational resources and more, you now hold a priceless detailed record of your well-being, experiences, growth, health records, cycle patterns, and so much more. This is an intimate timeline that you can use not only for reminiscing, but also for practical reference over time.
4 Ways to Reuse or Recycle Your Cycles Journal in the New Year:
We’re wishing you a Happy New Year filled with flow, intention and deep care for yourself and all you touch.
With each new year comes hope and a sense of renewal. We hope you join us in holding space for this transitional time and be gentle with yourself as this season carries on.
Stay well, cyclical one,
Rachael Amber & Team Cycles Journal
]]>Welcome, to the season of depths, the parts of ourselves we resist, and the nourishment of the season that finds stillness and resilience beneath the frozen soil.
Welcome, Capricorn season, ruled by the "malefic" planet Saturn - embodiment of reality, limitations, and the cycles of time.
It's the darkest day of the year - a reflection perhaps of how control is often a wounded attempt at care (not an excuse, but an observation).
You've worked hard this year - it's time to allow yourself to rest and deepen. I'll remind you again come the full moon. I know it's the reminder I never want to listen to.
I don't have a ritual for you this Solstice, no special sale, nor prompts or anything specific to do.
I just have a channeled message & reminder that is for you as much as it is for me;
Time is not the problem and neither are you.
Even if it's not possible in every moment, in any moment you can, remember to;
I follow my circadian cycles, not the colonial clock.
Wishing you well this season & always,
In gratitude,
Rachael Amber
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
Pausing into the present...
I've been praying a lot lately.
I don't consider myself religious, but I have a great respect for spirituality and religious traditions (especially the Earth-based traditions and origins of people & place - which history shows exists at the core of all religions). I admire and revere anyone's belief and devotion to a higher source or religion.
I am honestly curious about and want to honor all religions and spiritualities to gain a multifaceted understanding of the various cultural perspectives and traditions for honoring what seems to be some unified source of creation and life force. I only criticize the structures and individuals when their beliefs do not align with their actions and fuel hate towards "others".
Yet I pray. I've worked to reclaim this word from where I learned it in the Church, or in the context of any other religious establishment or practice it relates to. I pray because my living & deceased ancestors pray(ed).
You can call it an intention, invocation, wish, petition, poem, song, whatever. But I choose to pray in hopes that it connects to all lineages, people, religions, lands and spirits.
I have many prayers/poems I speak and sing, some old and written by others, some written as channeled messages from my own hands.
This one came to me the other day:
I pray for a better way. I pray for a change. I pray for tomorrow to surrender to today.
I believe this is all relevant for obvious reasons. What's happening in the world weighing heavy on our hearts, especially as we are in the midst of Holiday season. But also, it's Sagittarius season bbs. My first house is ruled by sag & Jupiter's hanging out in there too, so I'm pretty driven by this sign and its energy.
Jupiter is the gaseous planet of expansion, mutable intervention, and hope. Yet its archetype can be too idealistic and imposing at times if not balanced with mindfulness and objectivity.
Sagittarius is shaped by this energy, as well as the mythos of Chiron, the wounded healer, the centurion ally who put others before himself, and yet gained favor from the gods because of his devotion to service, wisdom, and healing arts.
We don't have to be self-sacrificial to be wise or healing. Chiron's wound is resembled by inattention to this - partially due to external pressure pulling one away from this. We have to tend to our inner wounds, and from this wisdom energes. Healing is not a destination, but a practice and recurring theme.
It reminds me of this Rumi quote: "The wound is the place where the Light enters you."
The centaur's invitation is to believe in our own inner wisdom's ability to contribute to the collective. What seeds you hold within, what wisdom is passed down from your lineages, studies and contemplations - it grows stronger when it is shared - like a public library grown from the contributions of many individuals.
We can balance what we give and contribute with what our boundaries and needs are in order for it to be sustainable and ethical for all - yourself included.
Our New Moon in the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius exacts at 6:32 pm EDT on Tuesday, December 12th, 2023.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
The sun & moon meet at 20 degrees of Sagittarius on Tuesday. Conjunct mars in Sag, this new moon is fiery and active - it might even feel closer to the energy of a full moon with this group hanging out in the sky.
This gathering is happening trine our collective north node & Chiron in Aries (our shared evolutionary direction & wound we are tending to). We are learning and experiencing layers of larger collective and personal life themes here. This may feel like a lot at once, for better or worse - but it's nothing new and nothing we can't handle together.
This is clearly a heightened time for our collective world, which feels engulfed in flames of harm and injustice in so many places. No one is separate from this - yet these are collective, systemic issues.
Evolution only happens through revolution - which can take many forms. Sagittarius asks us to educate ourselves, tap into our resources, and give back from where we have an abundance to offer (big Jupiter energy) from our own fire we've tended.
We are healing big wounds, tending to the flames, guided by insight and a vision of a better future and way. Fire can be both destructive and healing. Fire is energy, the sun - which gives life but also takes it away. Fire is in our cells and beating heart, but it's also how we see and envision a better future. It is also the extremes of bombs and hostile reactivity. As we call for a permanent CeaseFire everywhere, for liberation of everyone, we can tend to our inner flames as we try to put our the collective firestorms.
From (re)activity and re-igniting flames, to tending to the warmth of collective energy and compassionate creativity.
During this time, it's important to remember your autonomy and inner compass. You are wise and guided - tune into that and don't feel like you have to do it all alone. All this mars & Aries energy is initiatory, but Sag as a mutable fire sign asks us to work with what we already know, feel educated on, and where our spirituality guides us.
This is a time to tap into your creativity - explore the ways you can serve the inner & outer revolution (you're probably already doing it)
I love this example of Callings & Roles for Collective Liberation by The Slow Factory.
It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Howard Thurman, which to how our passions can be of service, not bypassing if we are mindful; "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
It's easy to get swept up in the flames, but look to the support of your Earth placements for where/how in your life you can ground. Use your tools and resources to remain rooted as you engage.
Finally, this is all happening square to Neptune - so there may be a lack of clarity, a lack of obvious progress. But do not lose hope - even if we are not seeing the results yet, the shift is happening at the subconscious level.
Pay attention to your dreams, set your boundaries before bed, ask your spirits for guidance and protection during these dark days. There is no need to fear the dark when you are careful with your intentions - always return to your foundations (as my spiritual teacher Kaitlyn Graña says) of grounding, cleansing and protection.
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
I've been working on a LOT of new and exciting things :")
Very soon I will be announcing some exciting shifts in our community, that will allow space for something new and exciting to be shared !
Most of you likely have your 2024 Cycles Journal already, but if not... NOW IS THE TIME before holiday shipping gets messy! This year's starts right around Christmas due to when the new moon starts, so you'll wanna have it by the new year! Regardless, whenever you start is just perfect, and you can always fill in what you missed or leave it. :)
This isn't just another journal, it's a guide, companion & space that holds space for you for the next year & beyond.
Some journaling reminders I've been trying to share more :
Giving Back / PIF Updates: current fundraiser and/or funds raised!
Thank you all for your support during our extended BFCM sale! We were able to raise $150 and we split it between the First Nations Institute & the Pal. Children's Relief Fund. Receipts for transparency on our Advocacy & Giving Back page!
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
Current Offerings ;
Catch the replay of the most recent Moonthly Meets Workshop, and join us for our Final Workshop of the Year: Release & Reset: Clear 2023 and Manifest a More Fulfilled 2024
When you join you also get access to 20+ past replays, and you support keeping our community open + guest presenters supported!
But if you are looking for some meaningful artist-made gifts for yourself or others, look no further! :)
I'm excited to share our 2023 & beyond Gift Guide with you! :)
Many of you may not know that here at Cyclical Roots, I (your nature-lovin' artist friend, Rachael Amber) make more than just our infamous Cycles Journal. All of our goods are intentionally designed & carefully sourced, and we have a myriad of gifts & goodies within a wide price range!
We also have gifts for all - including & also beyond those in your life who bleed or have wombs, we honor the full cycles of life. Think of anyone in your life who loves nature, pollinators, & living in sync with the seasons and cycles :)
You can still let your loved ones know you're thinking of them around the holiday season (or anytime!) while sticking to your budget!
Plus, all orders come with a cute little Cyclical Roots bookmark. :)
Here are some ideas to gift yourself or others!
We have many decorative accessories & adornments like stickers, single patches, pins & more under $10 here!
Last but not least, we have a whole directory of AMAZING community members who all offer their owns goods and services! Browse this space to keep shopping small no matter where~
No matter what, we hope you have a lovely holiday season!
Be well,
Rachael Amber & Team Cyclical Roots
]]>Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
Descending into winter, the sprinkles of frost and snow I wake to remind me to slow down. The darker, shorter days remind me that my energy is not limitless, and so I am being mindful where I direct and spend it, in order to preserve it.
Titration is a word that really resonates this time of year, to maintain a flow, back and forth, to prevent burnout beyond my limitations.
Also, I can’t believe it’s time for Cycles Journal 2024 to shine! Just about a month until it begins. :)
We’re currently doing a special where any order over $25 receives a free Cyclical Notebook! So it’s a great time to grab your journal, or any other gifts like a notebook, youth journal, stickers, merch, etc!
(simply add both items to your cart to receive the deal)
Additionally, 5% of this sale's proceeds will be forwarded to organizations focused on Indigenous sovereignty & environmental justice. Please let us know any recommendations you have of who we could best support!
Our Full Moon in the air sign of Gemini exacts at 4:16 am EST on Monday, November 27, 2023.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
We just entered the season of sagittarius - the wounded healer, wisdom seeker, liberatory teacher, and mystical transmuter. There is much energy and potential for change and creation at this time. There is also a lot of fluctuating mental focus - ideas are liminal but essential.
With our full moon in gemini, this is a time where communication, language and choice are very important. Clarity can feel distant and difficult, especial with our fast-paced world. It’s important to harness your grounding tools during this time of movement and cognitive exhaustion. Take breaks, baths, walks, breaths whenever you can.
The ongoing struggle for understanding continues, especially with mars in sagittarius opposing our full moon and conjunct our sun.
The sun illuminates our search for liberation via shared, collective wisdom channeled through our very planet and origins. Mars amplifies this understanding but can also conflate with the ego via reactivity in opposition to the details that are important in order to avoid bypassing.
Beyond the facade of complexity is an essentiality of wisdom - gemini energy is important to understanding the local and communal details, but can take us out of the larger picture of collective wisdom.
Yet square saturn in pisces, there is a calling towards a softening and opening into the intuitive in-betweens. This may feel more like a resistance and a tension due to this sharp angle amidst the heat of all the current and ongoing suffering, trauma, injustice, and confusion. Pisces can distort, but in the context of saturn, it invites us to bring our spirituality into reality. This can also look like an over-identification with organized structures; valid in our modern era of boundaries, borders, and self-preservation. But pisces asks us of collective resourcing and subconscious needs. Don’t be afraid to reach into the depths during this time - it may just be where you find deeper support.
Last week I offered a reflection & guided meditation practice with our card of the week, the Teacher of Fluidity on my Patreon. You can receive the Wisdom Emerges from the Depths Guided Meditation and much more, including this week’s card & practice, for as little as $4/month.
I heard something along these lines recently, but I can’t remember where;
“when there aren’t answers, maybe it’s time to open up to questions.”
Allow space, and see what surfaces.
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
This week… our CARD OF THE WEEK is the Root of Stability - 4 of Pentacles.
I also offer a guided visual & somatic meditation with prompts to help you embody and practice its essence.
…if you’d like see the full channeled offering for this card - including related practices, prompts & more - please consider joining my Patreon for only $4-12 per month (sliding scale - you choose!) to receive a weekly card pull, special discounts, more exclusive behind the scenes looks at my forthcoming Embodied Ecosystems tarot deck & more!
Thank you SO much to everyone who has become a Patron so far! I’m thrilled to be in this intimate space of sharing with you~
• • •
What’s been supportive & inspiring for me lately:
a note of transparency that the book links support both indie bookstores and myself through affiliation if purchased, because I believe in the power of print, writers, indie bookstores, and accessible knowledge-sharing!
• • •
Giving Back / PIF Updates: current fundraiser and/or funds raised!
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
Current Offerings ;
Catch the replay of the most recent Moonthly Meets Workshop, and join us for the upcoming workshop live or recorded!
When you join you also get access to 15+ past replays, and you support keeping our community open + guest presenters supported!
Discounts | Current Sales • Order Cycles Journal 2024! • DEAL: Cycles Journal 2023 is only $5! • Fundraiser for Our Rights
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
As beings of spirit & matter, we are the embodiment of unity within duality. Nature shows us there is a way to exist on Earth through an interconnected lens - which can create reciprocal healing for yourself & beyond.
My purpose is to channel through reminders to you which help us remember our roots, and return to our resources through visual and written cues.
My goal is to translate these feelings and knowings into something within your reach - tools that can support your wellbeing and help your show up grounded for what life may bring.
I’m thankful to create to support us; the change-makers and creators, sensitive souls and divergent ones. The fluid and multi-faceted, the caring and connected.
We who may struggle with physical, metal and spiritual health, marginalization and societal upkeep… but we keep showing up because there is some part of us that remains connected to a better way. We are not just hopeful, we are present with potential.
Yet sometimes we feel overwhelmed and disconnected - I know I do. So that’s why I create these reminders and tools, for me and you.
In this distracting life, everyday is a process of returning & remembering.
We are born to be, but we are taught to act. Here I reconnect to the space between, where we can better find a response rooted in our bodies.
If you’d like to join me in this journey of creation, presence in process, and embodying our ecosystems (without and within), I’d love to be in community and reciprocal support with you through my Patreon membership.
For just $1-5 per week (your choice/sliding scale), your support will allow me to continue on this long but loved journey to create The Embodied Ecosystems Tar-Oracle Deck: a tool for interconnected remembrance, resourcing and rooted resilience in times of change.
My goal is to help us remember our inherent resources, and equip us with practices, tools and hope through embodiment and envisioning a better future through becoming present with potential.
Through supporting my Patreon, you’ll not only be helping this offering come to live sooner and smoother, but you’ll receive exclusive behind-the-scenes updates along the way. Including a weekly card reading and share from the in-progress deck, with practices (meditations & more), prompts & affirmations to help you integrate the medicine and message of the card!
Additional benefits of merch discounts in my shops, future early-bird and special deal access, and more will also be included for you! And of course, we’ll be in an intimate space where I’m excited to be able to connect more deeply with you, answer questions, and share outside of the overwhelming space of social media!
You can access all of this for just $4 or more a month. (you’re welcome to choose higher on the sliding scale if you are able to, but my goal is to make this accessible regardless of your income level.)
Thank you for considering this invitation! If it feels good to you, I can’t wait to see you there and commune through all I have to share. :)
https://www.patreon.com/rachaelamber
xoxo,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
I am tired. Sometimes I feel guilty for this. Then I remember empathy does take energy. But is a natural exchange, one I feel is fundamental.
Collective grief is present, and today I realized...
Current cycles and energy...
Our New Moon in the fixed water sign of Scorpio exacts at 4:27 am EST on November 13th, 2023.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
In the depths of a scorpio stellium, we are invited into not stagnancy but stillness. Not forcing our nervous systems, but honoring and listening to them.
There is both a heaviness and a buoyancy in the marshy/swampy depths - the kind of place where lily pads & lotuses emerge from the muck.
We are swimming where the lotus might emerge.
In scorpio we have our moon, sun and mars in mid-late degree scorpio - very fixed energy - accompanied by mercury in early sagittarius. Scorpio is a sign of the depths but it can also feel weighed down by all the subconscious awareness present here.
Today the fixed water sign is ruled by pluto, but its modern ruler is mars. This is really felt during this new moon conjunct mars, giving it the 'phoenix rising from the ashes' feeling. So beneath the debris of trauma, turmoil and injustice - there is an active hope still brewing, shifting the surface as we face the darkness of the depths.
These subcutaneous/subterranean layers are reminders of this hope that exists in our foundational personal, relational and collective bodies. This can also feel overwhelming and pressureful at the same time. Where do you feel this weight? Where does hope still live within this space?
Mercury in sag asks us; how can we honor our mental health and nervous system's need for support and expressive expansion during this contractive time? Can we honor our individual needs within collective change?
To make things feel more blurry, this new moon is happening in opposition to uranus in taurus. There is a grounded revolutionary present with us during these long 7~ years with this transit in our collective sphere. This is part of the strife we've been experiencing since March 2019, and will continue to perservere within through July 2025.
SO we are in need of sustainability in our responses and actions. We can maintain choice and autonomy even while holding ourselves to collective accountability.
Where can we find support? We can find clues in what aspects the tension of this opposition line.
We have saturn in pisces (which recently went direct) in a wide square to our new moon, offering us to find the softness, malleability and fluidity within all of the structures and systems in our lives. Where can we implement compassionate boundaries, or where are we unintentionally letting down our boundaries completely?
Our new moon is also trine neptune in pisces, which is where this sign is at home - inviting us to blur the lines of what we are told is right, and find what actually feels right at a deep, sub-dermal, vascular level. What subconscious symbols represent this vision of your values?
There's much to say about the unseen but felt during this time and beyond. There is medicine beneath the topsoil that allows it to emerge with more accessibility and awareness.
What have your dreams been trying to tell you lately? Sometimes dreams hold solutions, and sometimes they hold stressors to nudge us towards the stillness within in the storm.
All signs, in my opinion, point to going beneath the conscious realm to find the support we can't see but only can feel and follow.
Silent walks, humming in the shower, meditating with anchoring tools, prayer and poetry... that's where I'm being called right now. This does more than you know. What practices help you deepen into your non-dual depths?
So far we have raised $33 for the PCRF to help the innocent children of Palestine receive aid, support and care. I rounded up to $40 and donated this today, and I will continue to donate every Friday what we earn from proceeds through sales of The Cyclical Mindfulness Guide.
I wish I could donate more myself right now, but in transparency, lately my expenses in the business have been larger than income, but I know that every little bit counts, so I am grateful to be able to forward these funds.
If you have yet to purchase the guide for a sliding scale of $11-33, this is an invitation if you are able. If not, please share with others!
There is still so much more we can do aside from financial support. Please continue to call your reps, and advocate for ceasefire - as many lives are lost everyday, and compounded trauma prevails. I listed some direct resources in the last blog post, and you can also check out our IG saved stories for resources & accounts to learn from and take action in ways accessible to you.
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
I had many prompts pop up through out writing this. I left them as they were for context, but I'll copy them here for clarity:
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
Current Offerings ;
Catch the replay of the most recent Moonthly Meets Workshop, and join us for the upcoming workshop live or recorded!
When you join you also get access to 15+ past replays, and you support keeping our community open + guest presenters supported!
Discounts | Current Sales • Order Cycles Journal 2024! • DEAL: Cycles Journal 2023 is only $5! • Fundraiser for Our Rights
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
{~7 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
These past weeks I've created, cried, hiked & meditated for 5 days straight on a pre-planned retreat, watched the leaves fall, given gratitude, prayed for justice...
When I went outside today, I was not greeted by the curious red squirrel or the raven. The forest was full of silent sympathy and a cautious distance kept between. They did not blame me, but they have a growing distrust and concern for our species. The soil sent signals from Lewiston to our town and all around the state - mycelial awareness of the pain, suffering and causality. We never endure alone as parts of the whole.
The season of change reminds me that our foundational practices are essential to remaining present through it all.
Sometimes when I'm feeling everything, I feel this saran-wrap layer on top of it all that makes it seem like I have nothing to say or share or do that is impactful enough. The opposite is true, but it's the voice of anxiety and perfectionism that holds me back.
The indecision of Libra season - the struggle of the archetype which blockades true justice - has passed me by and now exists this Scorpio season, not in polarization but instead in a clear voice for the need for liberation.
First, I want to invite you into a Practice that might help with any overwhelm you may be feeling right now.
A Cyclical Mindfulness Practice for Collective Care:
If you'd like to go deeper with this method of practice, you can find our Cyclical Mindfulness Guide here.
Current cycles and energy... (astrologically, earthly, bodily, communally, collectively...)
You KNOW we're in eclipse season, if it wasn't already obvious in the collective (which is where these transiting nodal themes are focused).
Our Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in the Earth sign of Taurus exacts at 4:24 pm EST on Sunday, October 28th.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
The sun is in Scorpio, opposing this full moon. Almost never alone in the starry sky, our sun is joined by mercury, mars, the south node and asteroid Ceres. The moon is joined by Jupiter and the north node. This opposition is full of both personal ignition in the subconscious depths of our emotional bodies, as well as collective expansion towards a deeper truth and the values we are devoted to living out.
To me this combination of planets, stars, signs and nodes says that nothing exists alone, and that whether there is heaviness there is also support through density, gravity, and connectivity.
This full moon in Taurus roots us back into our values, our sense of worthiness rooted in our and every human's bones.
Scorpio can feel like obscuration, but when we lift the veil we find space for inspiration. Yes, even in the shadows, it exists.
So what does it mean to face towards this eclipse, the eclipsed parts of ourselves and our world?
We must face inwards to our deepest needs. And, at the end of the day it's not just about us, it's about place-based right to exist.
With Taurus rising from the Earth, and Scorpio looming deep beneath, we are asked to face the unfaceable in the Middle East & beyond. And how is this done but with our hearts and insight?
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin
In times of overwhelm when we feel no personal action could possibly make a difference, this is the signal that this is when YOU are needed most. In whatever way, in whatever capacity.
Standing up against injustice is not radical, it's relational and reciprocal. It's what we can do, no matter our beliefs, to help the innocent from being harmed in the line of corrupted politics.
After you've grounded yourself, I'd like to invite you into a potential actionable step if you, too, believe in liberation for all humans and to stop genocide.
If you can only spare a minute, it counts.
Each of these takes about a minute (+/-) to do and costs nothing. Please consider if...
If you can spare financial support even in small amounts:
Cyclical Mindfulness™ is as a tool that can help us individually not burn out in flight/fight/freeze mode at this time, so we can show up for collective awareness and response.
My hope it that this guided meditation & digital guidebook can support you as a part of your toolkit in these times and beyond.
This offering is useful and relevant in many (or any) ungrounding or uncertain situations (from your menstrual cycle, to mental health, to personal/collective/communal trauma triggers). These are simple, tangible ways we can remember our inherent resources and be able to show up more wholly in the present. They are not the whole picture, but they can be part of your whole.
I believe in justice and freedom for the people of Palestine. I stand in solidarity with all oppressed communities and innocent people who are harmed by the choices of their governments, including Jewish people. I empathize for all communities and peoples who endure the trauma from the choices of unjust systems of power and militarized governments. I acknowledge that no action is perfect, but I believe in doing something rather than nothing.
We try not because we know what will happen, but because we know what is possible.
To act out of what is possible is not idealistic, it's prolific.
This is part of how we break ancestral trauma, patterns of harm, and build a better future for humanity - for ourselves, the children of the present & future and beyond, and all beings on this planet.
As Tema Okun teaches us, "perfectionism is a product of white supremacy". This made me reflect on how I believe perfectionism does not exist in the spirit realm. Therefore, at our most essential level, it is obsolete and we must find other ways of living that are not hyper-critical but humbly human.
Please do what you can in this important time in presently-unfolding history. I hope this comes off not as pressure or dogma, but as helpful possible steps and support.
Then rest, release, keep hope, cry, repeat. At least that's what I'll be trying to do.
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
*Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your undated notebook (which are 30% off right now!)
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
Current Offerings ;
Catch the replay of the most recent Moonthly Meets Workshop, and join us for the upcoming workshop live or recorded!
When you join you also get access to 15+ past replays, and you support keeping our community open + guest presenters supported!
Our Next Community Reflection Circle (where we co-work on our cycle checkin pages) is November 7th, and you get access when you are a part of the Moonthly Meets group via the link above. :)
Discounts | Current Sales • Order Cycles Journal 2024! • DEAL: Cycles Journal 2023 is only $5! • Fundraiser for Our Rights
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
{~7 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
Our New Moon Eclipse in the air sign of Libra exacts at 1:54 pm EST on Saturday, October 14th.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
There is just a LOT happening right now. As always, but who isn't feeling the tension right now? Our new moon eclipse is of course conjunct the sun in its later degrees of libra, but is also accompanied by mercury and the south node.
Eclipses recur in cycles of alignment with axis of the lunar nodes - the north/south poles of the moon. In evolutionary astrology, the south node is where we collectively are focusing on releasing and unlearning. Mars is also close by just a few degrees away but in scorpio. This is heavy, heart-full and transformative already - but it's also all happening square to pluto in capricorn AND opposing chiron (the wounded healer) and the north node (our collective evolution and focus towards) in aries. What more could say we're in the midst of revisiting deep, complex cycles of collective & communal trauma.
We're seeing the intensity of all this in world struggles for justice and freedom in Palestine, struggles for peace beyond trauma in Israel, collective themes of power-hungry governments causing harm to the innocent peoples and communities contained within labels and borders. The aries-libra polarity represents our current collective themes since earlier this year and through the next year+. You'll experience this tension yet compliment personally and communally too, but it just depends where you are and how your personal placements align with these current and long-term transits.
If you're confused by all the astrological archetypes and energies, no worries - the prompts below will help you reflect on these themes in more plain language.
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” - Rumi
The planetary alignments with the Earth's seasons from our perspective is where western astrology roots. These themes and realizations are reflections of reality and liminality. They are not fixed fates, but energies for us to consider, feel affirmed in enduring no matter the struggle, and trusting that there is a way forward living somewhere within the grief, pain, and injustice.
This new moon in libra we are experiencing an eclipse - a collective, deepening that we cannot avoid as we face the underside of reality. There’s a lot we cannot control, that we can only grieve in the world or contribute in ways that don’t seem big enough, but Venusian values of libra remind us that every small response or non-response impacts the pendulum.
I think this eclipse is asking us to pause and consider how non-reactivity can be just as impactful, and sometimes even more powerful than reactivity. Non-reactivity does not mean passive or apathetic, it means to pause long enough to trust that there exists an empowered and equitable action rather than an urgent reaction.
If even just for this moment, could you pause long enough to recognize your resources, and resilience through community?
Asking for or taking a pause can feel counterintuitive or even like bypassing, and there are moments when it’s not possible, but from where you’re standing right now, could even a few deep breaths bring more clarity and realization of autonomy? Autonomy to realize you’re not alone and that you have options even when there seems like none.
Our modern world speaks in trauma response from all directions, through the inequity of borders instead of bridges, projections of suffering instead of mutual solutions or extending a hand. Libra as an air sign asks us to face these realities to use our voices when necessary, and to listen when it is not our turn to speak.
I feel this post by solutions not sides is a really great example of what we can work towards as the struggles for justice continue in Palestine, Israel, and beyond. Can we remember not to condemn innocent people or communities, but instead hold governmental systems accountable?
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin
I believe to live in alignment with the cycles is to recognize the holistic multitude of the ways in which these lessons show up, even if they’re hard to face or seem irrelevant to your current time, lineage or place.
I believe we are here to honor and learn from the inbetweens and multiplicity of life - I can advocate for freedom and justice for Arabs & Palestinians and peace and healing for Jews beyond the Israeli military and government. I can be against wars and violence but also recognize the need for defense in instances of abuse. I can condemn white supremacy, colonization and apartheids and still want all people to be well. Life is sacred, no one deserves to die or be confined within walls - how can we heal?
“God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere.” - Voltaire
It’s not up to me to figure that out for anyone, nor is there a single answer. I just wish to be a conversation-starter in mind- and heart-opener, and introducer of perspectives beyond linear one-sidedness.
Eclipses are a time for rest and reflection - and so just make sure you do so before taking any sudden actions.
Venus (the planet which rules libra) asks us of our values, not our opinions. What is beneath the polarized surface?
"What or who are you really serving in this world? What is love calling you to do?" - bell hooks
I used to feel odd "promoting" myself during any time of wordly turmoil. But now I realize that my offerings are just optional resources for anyone who may seek support - this is part of what I can contribute. These are just reminders and invitations to receive, and in exchange support my continuation to be able to create what I hope can benefit many. It's a privilege to be able to do so.
I’ve been using my cyclical notebook as a dream journal and it’s been really helpful to use one side for writing out the dream on the other side for reflections on the themes and pulling cards for clarity. Let me know if you’d like to see how I do this and I can share more in the next moonletter.
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
Perhaps some invitations to reflect on during this new moon eclipse in libra especially, but also throughout the continuation of our collective evolutionary journey through the nodes of aries/libra this year & next, are;
Wishing you all wellness on this journey towards collective liberation.
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
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~~~
"When we "other" others, we other ourselves" - Camille Hykes
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Wanna know a "secret"? I missed 10 days of journaling/cycle tracking in my Cycles Journal last month. And so I wrote this message on the pages...
How is this true? Why did I forget to show up? Well, I guess I needed a short break to release obligations. Also it was on my shelf for a bit when I normally leave it near my altar or on my couch book pile so I interact with it visually.
When I allowed myself this space or time off (usually it happen unknowingly - I just release my 'doing' mind) and realized it later on, at first there was guilt, but I tried to reframe the guilty feelings like my therapist recommends. I realized it was just remembrance of something I missed - instead of regretting what I had missed, I could use this opportunity to reunite with something I really appreciate, feel connected to and supported by.
So returning was easier when I looked at it this way. I reminded myself too that I could just leave the pages blank, or fill in little notes on what I could remember or significant noticings, or add some affirmations to help counter all the judgmental and shameful thoughts.
Honestly, sometimes when I'm away or forgot to journal, I just write why on that page, and let that be enough! "Tired", "headache", "visiting family" is enough to remind myself that there was a reason, and my energy was occupied.
Even with a daily dated journal - the blank pages are there not as a pressure but as a placeholder for you to show up at your own capacity.
If it's blank one day - instead of feeling like it was a waste, could you see it as simply holding the place to show you needed space that day? How can that be a part of your observations of cyclical mindfulness?
Sometimes knowing the space is there if or when you need it is enough. It's great when we feel safe enough to miss a day or two or more and trust that we'll come back to it when we're ready. That's not a weakness, it's a sign of flexibility.
And sure, sometimes if this happens too often it can be a signal that something needs to be shifted or adjusted in our rituals and processes - what it causing the road block? Is it the location, the time of day (I used to journal in bed before sleep but now I get too tired for that, so I either do it on the couch or at my altar before I get into bed, or sometime in the morning). It's only natural to evolve and change up your practices, or even shift your own commitments, like "I show up every other day and fill in what I remember".
So next time you "miss a day", or if you're looking back in your Cycles Journal (or any dated planner/journal), I invite you to say this out loud to yourself and/or write your version of it where/when you have blank space: (and believe it's true)
these pages hold space for me even when I can't show up.
this is a practice of returning, not regretting.
when I return to these pages I remember that I deserve compassion not shame...
this is about our cyclical nature, not linear consistency.
as you are, as you show up, is always enough.
You are enough and so are your blank pages, which are there as a reflection that you deserve space and breaks, and that they're open for you to reclaim if and when you choose.
xoxo,
(of revolving or recurring cycles) which are (implanted or established deeply).
Creations for radicle self-awareness & collective wellbeing.
Reminders of our interconnected nature.
Where we find stability in the ever-changing cycles of it all.
Spaces for rest, contemplation, & renewal
to deepen our connection to nature, ourselves, & one another.
Cyclical Roots™ is a movement; an ongoing, ever-evolving collaboration between artist Rachael Amber, Earth & Spirit. It is both a home for creation, as well as a liminal space of in-betweenness that welcomes anyone who resonates.
Cyclical Roots is a reminder of our resources, our contradictory nature, and the potential that lives between all form and fluidity; deep beneath the surface, deep into our ever-changing bodies of being.
Through Cyclical Roots, we create tools and space for rest & contemplation to deepen our connection to nature, ourselves, & one another.
Cyclical Roots is a reminder of our inherent resources, our contradictory nature, and the potential that lives between all form and fluidity; deep beneath the surface, deep into our ever-changing bodies of being.
It is both a home for creation, as well as a liminal space of in-betweenness that welcomes anyone who resonates.
It's the way in which rings of sapwood inside a tree create a current flowing down to the roots – granting growth through grounding for oneself and in communal reciprocity.
It's the way in which the rooted tree's body is only given growth through the seasons and cycles of all elements and nutrients in interdependence – its stability is a part of the whole.
It's how a tree stump shows the cycles at its core, and despite suffering and disruption, life continues in a never-ending cyclical form. Rebirth is a part of the cycle of decay.
We have a lot more in common with the trees and other sentient beings than we often think or are told.
It's also the lunar legacy of the dance between orbiting spheres, reminding us of relationality beyond the seen.
As Octavia Butler said it best, "The only lasting truth is Change."
...it's the anchor of the body in a world of thought.
...it's the turbulent tides beneath the consistency of the moon.
...it's the part of you that knows the land yet is made of stardust.
...it's the voice within sentience within trees and our body parts.
...it's your fearless fluidity within rooted reality.
At the core of it all there are roots that ground us within the ever-changing cycles and spirals of life. There is pattern, ritual, trauma, tradition, and newness. There are seasons and weather, there is change together.
Beyond the linear and binary, we find truth encircled at our rooted cores - held within the orbit of a greater whole.
Our cyclical roots are both individual and collective - caring for where we stem from in order to branch out and care for a greater wholistic wellness.
Because transformative healing isn't something that happens overnight, or linearly, or just on the surface.
If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that knowing something and embodying it are two very different things.
I've known about cyclical living for decades, practiced it for years and yet have only recently begun to truly embody it. And it's a never-ending process - it's actually a practice we show up for each day. That's why it's cyclical - and it's also foundational. No amount of thinking, planning, doing or trying will work until we go beneath the surface to root causes and support systems.
For everything begins and ends within a cycle.
Born under a full moon that I bled under each month, I was reminded that I am meant to notice. I am meant to create - safe space and supportive structures, and connective tools to bring us home to our bodies & earth bodies.
And I had been doing so, or at least trying my very best to. I had been directly advocating for the environment and my mental health and more. But I was doing so screaming from the inside out - kicking and fighting without a ground.
So I’m thankful some spark or spirit lit me up that October evening and pushed me to create the tool I so desperately needed to slow down, to notice, to give myself the space I had been giving to everything and everyone else.
We all do it for good purpose - we are taught to be givers, grievers and goal-makers.
But what about our roots? What about where it all stems from?
I have learned and still continue to learn that our rooted foundations are the prerequisite for any possibility of sustainably living in balance with the self we perceive as separate from the other.
It’s true we can harm others when we are stuck in separation, defense or ego. But most of all we hurt ourselves from our true chances of connection.
Our web of connection is our stasis, still ever-changing but balanced in reciprocity and mutual interdependence. How we connect is as important as connecting at all.
So we show up messy. I showed up messy and made what I could in a crunch time before the new year. And then I improved it as I improved my self-awareness and cyclical discoveries. I was learning to flow within structures - breaking down patterns of generational trauma alongside mental health pathways and the physical and spiritual reaction to it all.
And I’m still messy sometimes, but I have this guidepost always bringing me back. The spine of a book that continues to be written - the book of my body. And that’s what Cycles Journal is - a book of the body to bring us back down onto this Earth body so we can exist how we are meant to - connected with our senses, aware enough to be present, and digging things up from the roots to replant them anew.
Without conspiring with the roots we cannot holistically heal or branch out from our own limited view point. I find this true for all for all bodies we are trying to honor and heal - our bodies, social bodies, and the Earth´s body.
We need an anchor to ground into - the Earth, plants and our bodies teach us this.
We also need a mirror to reflect upon - the moon & stars show us this.
From grounded observation a way forward is reflection. There is growth in looking up and outside of ourselves and our experiences and circumstances.
The roots we were born with, the nature and nurture, the habits and rituals and addictions and dreams… they are our starting point.
The cycles are our pivot point. The moon lights the way.
Great teachers of Earth wisdom and the lessons of mindfulness exist in humans and other sentients, and from this place I am guided and called to share, continue, and practice trusting in the cyclical, impermanent methods of noticing and slowing, growing and flowing.
From this place it was never just for myself - but for the greater web. The cosmic womb. The earthen tomb we live in. This gift of life that we are learning to navigate - not alone or all at once, but slowly, cyclically…
The Earth below and the cosmos above are great teachers and reminders of where we come from.
Yet where we came from we have not left - so we continue to find rituals that bring us back to the homes in our bodies and in our environment and within other humans and creatures.
Honor your phases, attune to the seasons. The weather within and without is just another layer in the cycles that keep us interconnected.
This faith and remembrance is what the water and land bodies on this planet needs; this is a practice of cyclical mindfulness.
Embodied living, intuited activism, cyclical being, Earthen dreaming…
May it start with us, and ripple out to support the collective healing - and may that begin on our planet who we heal when we heal and who heals us when we are Here.
The journey continues to be embodied through our bodies and Earths'.
Ecology is what helps uproot trauma and heal holistically.
It all comes back to Earth and the other spheres in the sky.
Focusing in on the menstrual cycle was and is an essential layer for someone with a bleeding womb like myself to recognize first. Yet there are so many other layers that are just as important for all of us. We can all honor this original cycle that allows us all to be here, and then tune into the layers of hormones, sleep, dreams, seasons, emotions, and other embodied rhythms.
It all connects and comes back to the elements we are made of.
When you know your cycles, you touch the Earth.
When you touch the Earth, you are held.
The Earth, Nature, can be found in trees, stones, rivers and you.
Listen to the land beyond and within. Listen to the unexplainable, intangible and uncomfortable.
We each are given a path and a center point within the cycles of our inner & outer connected nature.
Cyclical Roots is a home, a space, a collection to hold all the offerings and tools I create with this intention in my heart. This is the tree from which all else branches... welcome.
Our roots are the origin, our connections our lifeblood and living systems. Our roots are not just in our feet, but the veins of our whole being, the rivers of our shared larger body that orbits other bodies, life-giving and generous.
Sub-dermal origins, held by the sentience of subcutaneous soil, sea and spirit...
There are invisible roots of spirit - liminal origins of energy, and physical roots of matter - in our bodies and the world around.
Our first set of roots is the umbilical cord tethering us within our mother's womb, and yet even this connects deeper to our greater mother and caregiver the Earth.
Our roots are our terrestrial origins of land and matter, elements and people lands and spirits. We all share collective roots as well as we each have our personal roots connected to our familial lineage, spiritual lineage, and perhaps the lineage of our work in the world.
I keep coming back to this... showing up, practicing, attempting to make connections. If life is cyclical and not just linear like we are taught, then we must remember to stay centered rather than just in a singular direction.
We must remember that no matter how much we branch off from our/their expectations, we are rooted deeply from a central axis within our bodies and the Earth's body.
In my opinion, roots are the greatest visual and energetic reminder of this because they connect sentient beings to the Earth, directly, non-linearly, radically, cyclically. Like how our veins extend down to our feet and extremities, roots are the foundation of where we meet the Earth to anchor, so that we can sustain ourselves throughout the winds of change and perspectives of time.
Roots are not singular or independent - despite being centered and autonomous in ways - they are also interconnected and interwoven, inter-dependent on the species and environments we co-exist alongside. We are primordially linked to so much from our center-point, which is just our perspective of a collective experience without a center.
We may also think of our roots as our ancestors, ancestral practices of our own lineage and that of others, the various non-familial lineages we branch from, indigenous ways of living and the people who still uphold this. Through this we can honor both and all of the differences that make us a better whole. All of these branches from our being and our communities shape who we are and how we live, enrich our soils and guide us towards a more wholistic way of living when we consider the past, present and future we want to create.
Roots are our support system - and so is my hope in creating these nature-centric collaborative offerings, tools and ideas to share with you.
May you know your own innate roots. And may you receive support from the root systems of others and all - the things that help us remember we don't have to do it all on our own.
Honoring the cycles and seasons, the rhyme and reason of our bodies & the Earth's body - we come to understand the simplicity of listening, flowing, being.
Like perennials allowing the weather and seasons to transform them as it will, whilst roots remain strong - tethering them to a greater sense of inner knowing, leaning on primordial foundations that go deeper than and beyond, but include, the self.
Remembrance of not just the past, but the totality. Remembrance of our earthen lineages but also our spiritual ones as well.
May we remember our roots - where they intersect and where they part. Despite direction, depth or destination, we are supporting and supported by the soil.
Thank you for being here and reading this.
In gratitude,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator & founder of Cyclical Roots & Cycles Journal,
Cyclical Mindfulness, Embodied Ecosystems & more.
{~8 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. Inspired by the framework of Cyclical Mindfulness, this space is both a practice for myself and an offering for you. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
Pausing into the present...
It’s one of those mornings I want music over silence after my routine as I eat breakfast. Is 9am too early for reggaeton? No!
Yet this is in such contrast to how I start my day, and beautifully so. Before I embraced the active energy of the day, I always start slow though as that’s what I tend to need.
Waking up and embracing the elements is helpful - I drink water and enjoy the message of a shower, I speak my morning incantations and gratitude sentiments into the air, I stand in the sun’s warmth or tune into it behind the clouds (in winter the SAD lamp stand in for this lol), and I sit or walk on the Earth and tune into this support. Surrounding and embracing all of the layers, forms of matter and molecules I sense and thank spirit/energy/source/whatever you call the divinity of space and love.
As I work on Embodied Ecosystems more and more each day, these practices reflect what I’m visualizing and encapsulating in writing to share with you as practices and reflective anchors in our wild, wise, wavering world.
I’ve finished all 80 sketches, and am working on the final imagery and writing for the book! I’m so in love with all it is and is becoming and can’t wait for it to support more than myself.
I’ve been sharing progress in my stories or the feed on IG, but tbh the algorithm doesn’t like my WIP (work in progress) posts much… I wonder i f you feel the same or if you’re just not seeing my posts? Maybe you’re not so active on social media, which is awesome. I want to share here more too but at the same time I seek another form that feels less structured, quick and easy. We’ll see! Either way, i’ll save them to my highlights there so you can still see.
All of this inspired creativity feels resonant to…
Current cycles and energy...
Our Full Moon in the cardinal fire sign of Aries exacts at 5:57 am EST on Friday, September 29th 2023.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
The full moon in Aries always feels like a lot to me, but in a fun exuberant kind of way? Kind of overwhelming though - it reminds me of this pic of my cat from another year;
The moon in Aries can feel the subconscious bubbling up into action, internal overwhelm, creative impulsivity driven by intuition, and so many other expression depending on its alignment in your personal chart, and where you’re at in your other body & life cycles.
The full moon naturally opposes the sun which is newly in Libra as we had our equinox just a few days ago, we’re in a transitional season of release and rebalancing.
The abundance of mars-driven energy during this peak time can be activating, but remember your venusian values and boundaries in the midst of it all.
These themes will follow us for the next year or two as the lunar nodes in Aries/Libra represent our current collective theme.
Autumn feels like a time of slowing, releasing, taking inventory, harvesting and preparing. The days’ lengths wane, and the temperatures lessen as my layers of clothing needed for comfort increases. I’m sad I can no longer swim, but glad I can enjoy warm soups and sweaters, pumpkins and candles. Light comes in other forms during the darker days.
Maybe it’s the opposite for you if you’re in the souther hemisphere, but it’s interesting how it’s always a mirrored reflection of what was or is in contrast to the now.
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
Next week - expect an exciting announcement of additive change - yes it’s about Cyclical Roots! Some of you may have seen hints of it starting to emerge, but I’m excited to launch our new website/home for everything next week! :) Stay tuned…
What’s been supportive & inspiring lately:
a note of transparency that the book links support both indie bookstores and myself through affiliation if purchased, because I believe in the power of print, writers, indie bookstores, and accessible knowledge-sharing!
Please join us inside our Cyclical Community's free Reading Club if you like to talk books & more!
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
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Six years ago from writing this I began creating Cycles Journal during my Jupiter return; a chaotic year of growth inside & out. I felt like my emotions were controlling my life and I was constantly burnt out from overdoing it, people-pleasing, and trying to make it as an artist living in the city post-college... so naturally there was a lack of general self-care or boundaries, especially around the times of my menstrual cycle when I needed rest and space. Being disconnected from my nature and the nature around me was calling something new to be crafted...
My pain and emotional disregulation each cycle was unbearable, and I needed solid ground to figure out what was influencing it all. I was in constant suffering physically, self-destructive, and always irritable or anxious. I hated my own cycle — I was not at peace with myself, inside or out. There was a deep disconnect and war of body against mind raging inside of me.
I felt frustrated by my body and mood swings, yet I simultaneously felt a sense of something deeper, even if I couldn't understand it yet. Amongst the discomfort, I felt curious about the patterns and relational influences that might be impacting it all.
I sought to mend my lack of connection between my mind and all parts of myself, especially my womb. Alongside my constant writing and journaling, I began trying different methods of noting my moods, physical wellbeing and more. I tried a few apps but they never stuck and I found myself getting frustrated by the added screentime and notifications that took me even more out of my body.
Slowly I started to find pieces of understanding and consistency within the chaos of change as I recognized the first the brightest signal outside that invited me to look within; the full moon shining into my window brighter than any streetlight, keeping me company as I writhed in pain and self-doubt.
That during was the year I bled in alignment with the full moon for 12 consecutive months. I had always sensed a connection to lunar influence, but now it was confirmed, and intense as hell. Yet that was an anchor in the turbulent sea of emotion that gave me hope.
As I continued to sync up with the full moon, the intensity fueled me to know more. I felt called to dive deeper through a more organized approach. My designer's mind wanted to solve this problem tangibly. Creating a tool seemed like the only way I could figure out what influenced me and where it all linked — to uncover the answers I was starting to feel lying beneath the surface.
I wanted something to track it all in one place. Somewhere grounding and safe. Something that would inspire and motivate me to actually feel dedicated to it. So I realized that if it didn't exist already, this was my sign to create it.
It happened like most of my favorite things do; an undeniable magnetic pulse that drags me in to channeling mode.
I think I stayed up all night sketching and then creating in Adobe what would then be the first ever "beta" edition of Cycles Journal.
It was early October 2018, and once I started I couldn't stop. The necessity of this tool for myself felt so real, and I knew it would support others who felt like me too.
As I was creating I realized I had unintentionally skipped the research step my teachers had taught me - to ensure the idea was worth investing in and wasn't stepping on anyone else's toes or unintentionally copying.
I fearfully checked the internet and was shocked to see nothing this specific existed at the time. There was no guarantees, but I felt the pulse of possibility for change even stronger.
I launched a Kickstarter for the 2019 edition the next day.
Within a month I raised my goal of $1,200 with the help of 42 people who believe in such an early version of the journal, so I could print 200 copies at a local printer in Philly. At the time the journal was only 60 pages spiral-bound with monthly spreads, rituals written by me, and some reflection pages. Oh, and it was horizontal because I wanted to be ~different~.
In 2019 for the 2020 edition I upgraded the journal into what felt like the first real edition of Cycles Journal. It was about 160 pages, spiral-bound, soft-cover newly formatted to allow more space for writing. This also the first year I invited friends on a healing path to contribute their wisdom and teachings to the pages – I knew I didn't want it to just be from my perspective anymore; this was truly a communal effort.
We did a larger pre-sale on IndieGoGo which didn't do great, but I still managed to print 1,000 copies out of pocket savings. The interest widened by word of mouth, lots of craft shows and zine fests in Philly & Pittsburgh, and as I grew an online presence and began to connect to more menstrual-focused activists around the world.
In 2020 for the 2021 edition it was time to give the journal a more sturdy frame with a hardcover, and some essential items like the ribbon bookmarks and closure band. It took its most radical change and final form as I put all my energy into the design so that it would have monthly tracking spreads, a half page of space for daily check-ins and journaling, monthly check-in overview pages, and more.
Although the pre-sale did okay, it wasn't enough to help me put out the funds needed to self-publish on my own to make this happen. So I introduced what felt like the most reciprocal way possible to make this thing happen – sponsorship feature spaces to spotlight those doing the work in the fields. It's the exchange of mutual support that really makes this all possible.
All this during Covid with a fascist for a president - a really challenging year for us all, but one that proved this tool was more needed than ever.
Lots of adjustments and finding support on the backend, logistical and operational side of the biz - all things I never thought I could or wanted to do, but that were all essential and I could NOT do on my own any longer.
There were delays and time stressors in the world and my life - more lessons of the ever-changing nature of life; the struggles and wisdom of cycles that I had to embrace and learn from rather than resist.
This was also the hardest year because someone let me know on new year's eve that there was a huge date error that threw off the entire 2nd half of the journal's accuracy. This destroyed me for a time and I thought I'd never recover.
But alas, I learned from it - a lesson of needing to allow more time pre-press, with many eyes and multiple rounds of review, proofing and editing before print.
I apologized, did my best to right this wrong, and graciously regained trust as I promised to do better in the future by getting more help through a team.
In 2021 for the 2022 edition I was focused on a more spacious schedule that honored my boundaries and integrated learnings from cyclical living and cycle tracking.
I systemized my timelines more, kept track of and recycled my to-dos to ensure all was done on time and with equal care for myself as my creation. I truly started to embody that self-sacrifice was missing my own point - yet I was trying, learning, and practicing.
I made some final tweaks to the form, and it truly felt at its best now.
As always, with new art, contributions and features it came together in time.
some updates to final forms
More systemizing, stabilizing, and making space.
This is the year I also created the Cyclical Notebook and much requested Youth Journal.
In 2022 for the 2023 edition I was finally more clear and stable, but I had a lot of rebalancing and recovery to focus on due to over-shooting quantity. I realized the dark-side and pressure of overdoing it again, and learned from this lesson in a way that will affect what true sustainable growth looks like forever on.
It seems I learned some similar lessons but in new ways - always evolved from where I've been but taking new forms and making me stronger, wiser and more aware. Sounds cyclical to me - yet I am not fixed in a single cycle.
And here I am now in 2023, where the 2024 edition is ready and I feel like we've reached a flow of consistency – the structure is how it will stay, yet each year we have new dates, artwork, community wisdom, educational content, and more to keep the journal's space feeling both unique and stable.
Stacked upon bookshelves to create an encyclopedia of you, an archive of your wholistic health and
We still rely on pre-orders, sponsorships, my out-of-pocket funds, and sometimes small loans to make this self-published venture happen. Yet I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's also exciting to see how I'm able to branch out now and honor the wholistic ecosystem that Cycles Journal is a part of; Cyclical Roots.
I launched cyclical mindfulness after wanting to share it for a while, and I'm excited to expand upon this in time and if there is interest in going deeper with it!
In addition, I'm starting to work on more complimentary tools such as The Embodied Ecosystems Tar-Oracle & more!
I know now that my ancestors and spirits guided me into this purpose of creation as they always have. Everything is a co-creation with Earth & Spirit.
I realize I made this for all the women and queerfolk who came before me who didn't have access to a tool or community that supported this kind of self-empowerment and cyclical mindfulness. For all those who have been oppressed and marginalized by gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, or ability.
I am honored to be able to ensure our values remain at the forefront of this all.
Birthing is a blessing that our cyclical nature encourages - to procreate ideas, art, healing, teaching, guidance, movements, connection, facilitation, innovation, pleasure & love... it is limitless and not just limited to birthing offspring (as blessed as that is as well if it is an aligned path one chooses). The great potential lives within us all. My hope is that this is a space where you can remember this for yourself, too.
This journal is more than a project or tool - it's the trusted companion I always needed to help keep me accountable in forming and healing a deeper relationship to myself and my cycle. I couldn't find it anywhere else, so I decided to create it for me, you and everyone else who feels called to this self-healing path.
THANK YOU to everrrrryyyyoneee who has supported this journey in any way at any point!
I am ever-grateful for the community that has evolved surrounding and adjacented to this movement.
I truly couldn't do this alone, so thanks for being here and thanks for listening.
With love,
Rachael Amber
{~7 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and creations, and leave the rest behind.
Pausing into the present...
September is a nostalgic month – the waning of summer where I live, back to school remnants of those feels for many, preparing, gathering, harvesting, consolidating, etc.
Virgo season has always felt like virgo season, even before I even knew what it was.
I have a really exciting new offering that feels super relevant to this season, new moon, the approach of the equinox, and World Mindfulness Day!
I've been working on some tools and practices to help sensitive beings find wisdom and support in the ever-changing cycles of life, even when they feel resistance and fear around change.
Cycles Journal is of course one of these tools, but I'm excited to offer new supplemental and accompanying tools.
Ready for the first of many?
Introducing... Cyclical Mindfulness! This is a practice method I've created from my studies, working with teachers, and my own experiences.
In this Cyclical Mindfulness Guide offering, for just $11/22/33 (you pick!) you receive:
Current cycles and energy...
Our New Moon is in the mutable Earth sign of Virgo, exacting at 9:39 pm EST.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time / season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
Virgo is the healer, the "virgin" or "maiden", or really just someone forming their purpose of service to others in the world. Virgo energy is always aware, seeking the most effective and efficient solutions for all, including oneself.
Virgo can also be the "inner critic" if we are not mindful of our patterns and internal dialogue. Maybe certain times of the month are more filled with this energy for you, too?
Mutable Earth can be seen as the way all of nature grows and decays, how plants are never stagnant but always changing. This all feels so relevant to Cyclical Mindfulness.
Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury, our planet of communication - based on the roman god Mercury / greek god Hermes aka the messenger. It speaks to the origins of hermeticism and how the Hermit card in the tarot represents going within to seek answers, as well as remaining open to support from the unseen.
This is what makes Virgo very mentality-focused even as an Earth sign. Yet virgo's goal is grounded awareness and mindful action after careful consideration.
The air sign Gemini is also ruled by mercury. These two signs are square to one another as one is an earth sign and one is air, but are both mutable energies.
Nearby, not quite conjunct but very close by and in the same house, mercury in virgo is retrograde which may make things less clear in this moment. There may be set backs and frustrations, but are they possibly inviting you in to a better or simpler alternative? Are they simply asking you to reflect?
Recently I realized that when I'm getting vague answers (from others, myself, to the cards or my guides), it's because I've been asking vague questions! So I've gotten more specific and guess what, so did the answers.
Yet sometimes a lack of clarity is a sign to rest and pause, to come back to it later.
All of this revolves around discernment and a non-judgmental awareness. This is part of what we practice in the Guide to The Cyclical Mindfulness™ Method - Wholistic Cycle Awareness Packet
As always, how this new moon aspects your chart will affect how you feel during it. You don't need to speak astrology to just tune into how you feel during this time and remember to be gentle with yourself during these peak energy times (and always!).
Other than being near mercury, this new moon is only aspecting our slow-moving outer planets (which all happen to be in retrograde).
To me, this means that there's a lot of reconfiguring happening in our collective & communal realms. There are big changes happening at a large scale, and you can see it in the media, politics, the environment, the way we communicate, technology, etc. There's a lot of tension, heaviness and injustice happening – but this isn't without much push back and restoration as well.
With our new moon in a grand Earth trine to the outer planets of Pluto & Uranus, this feels like a reminder of the role we each play in the whole. Even in difficult and uncertain times, the ground still supports us, we have nature on our side, to listen to and act through.
Maybe sometimes you feel overwhelmed with all that is going on – me too! Pluto + uranus in earth signs is ungrounding - yet there is an essential restructuring happening. Sometimes we don't know how we can help the larger structures with our (at most) two hands, but you count and your voice and actions and/or inactions make a difference. You've heard it before, yeah yeah... but it's true. You can't do it all, but you can focus on your immediate impact with what you feel passionate about and what is accessible and immediate to you.
Solutions & support are not always fiscal, defined or linear – they are often energetic, love-based and creative.
Our new moon is also opposing Neptune in Pisces - asking us to get creative and let there be in-betweens.
Reflection before action is important – retogrades remind us of this.
You can view / read my two newest poems here, and please follow me if you're on Medium too! :)
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
This Virgo new moon asks of you;
As always, I hope you take what resonates with all this and release the rest.
Be well & talk to you soon - between the next peak moon~
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
Current Offerings;
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
{~7 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast episode}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this bi-weekly In-Between Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of the valid value of the in-between moments and how they inter-relate to the whole.
I hesitate, “how is this relevant to Cycles Journal & the things this community cares about?” And these are the thoughts that are part of the my mindfulness practice....
Questioning relevancy feels like a way to gaslight the interconnected actuality of our lives intertwined with the environment.
If you are here, we may not have the same exact values or beliefs, but I trust there is interest in listening and relating to one another in this journey of healing.
I want to share stories, not shame or force or guilt. I want to share experiences, of how the outer world teaches our inner landscapes and how the cycles all around us inter-relate.
They’ve been logging across the street for months now. A summer of disruption for the local wildlife, tree-huggers and sensory sensitives.
I knew moving to Maine and living in the woods/rural area would involve confusion as much as pleasure, as much beauty as bitterness. I know this is part of the economy and livelihood here, and elsewhere too, where we just don’t always see or experience it firsthand. I know there are sustainable ways to log and that I can’t do anything about it because they "own" that land - a concept I know is ‘legally sound’, but my decolonial values won’t ever fully understand.
So I wrote a poem & prayer about it, since when I feel powerless I write and ask the unknown for support. You can read it here if you'd like.
Simultaneously, I realize the lessons here, of witnessing destruction and trusting in regrowth - and learning to hold space for both. This is the same type of cyclical work and grief-filled honoring we do in Cycles Journal with our own bodies. This is the ecological and mindfulness work I actively work with in this context as well, and maybe some of you feel these fears about the environment too. I want to offer reflections and invitations to bring our personal practices into the communal and collective as well.
We all start from a rooted place underground, but when we emerge we also interact and there is both benefit and harm experienced and enacted.
Yet there’s so much movement, distraction, interruption... everyone is moving faster than they’re sustaining or growing and that’s what worries me. I'm included in this and it's not our own faults. But it is our choice to catch it.
Working with the cycles is raw and vulnerable as we step into the center while being pulled in all phases and directions. But little by little the promise of pleasure balances the pain, and the in-between of presence ultimately guide us somewhere seemingly stable; in surrender to the cycles.
Buddhist philosophy and traditions teach that suffering is inevitable, and that this not as a sentence or excuse, but an opportunity for finding wisdom and motivation for justice beneath pain and triggers. This does not mean we deserve to suffer or that it’s required to create beautiful things - focusing on joy and humor is also essential. But I can’t negate that some of my favorite and most healing things have come out of great depths of suffering, transformed into space for new possibilities. Cycles Journal is one of those things I'm not sure I would've been driven to create if it weren't for the struggle.
Cycles Journal was never just about the menstrual cycle - yet for those of us who experience one, it is one of our greatest portals into this awareness and deep experiencing, whether we like it or not, and so of course it is central and vital. None of us would be here without this integral, live-giving cycle. And from it, we continue to create with choice and honor this way.
I wrote this on the full moon in pisces and I’m laughing at myself because on that day I felt everything, crying in the rain because I didn’t communicate my grief properly and everything felt uncertain and hyper-sensitive. Other days I feel anger and frustration from the same things. And some days I just feel numb and complacent admittedly, but can you blame the nervous system for needing a break some days?
Realizing this is also the medicine. If things were certain, if change didn’t exist, what would give us connection and progression? What would cause our creation-driven fear and hope?
This is my Tower card year, I have a grand water trine in my birth chart, and i’m a hyper-sensitive neurodivergent queer person from lineages deeply devoted to the Earth like most if not all of us.
I believe we are here not to discover and conquest, but to feel, experience and reconnect to being of and from the whole.
This is why I create spaces for reflection. This is why I share. This is why I am working on some new projects that bring these practices into new forms, that can accompany existing tools like Cycles Journal or the Cyclical Notebook, or be used on their own.
I’ve been afraid to share but I promised to practice courage and trust through vulnerability, so here’s what I’m excited to share and is in the works;
I’m really excited!!! :) When I create new projects, I wait until it feels right and is bursting from me not out of desperation or obligation, but out of true loving inspiration and a need I feel within and around myself for the work and support.
It’s never just to produce and sell and profit (although I do need money to survive in this world and it’s not wrong to attend to that), and I trust you can all feel that with Cycles Journal and my other work… ;)
I create to share and I trust that you’ll benefit from even the free things I share, the writings, meditations and presence of these new ideas, concepts, creations and tools that interweave to the work I know i’m not doing alone in this world.
Thank you for respecting and supporting my creative process by being here!
If you’re on this email list, you’ll be the first to know about all of this, and will get access to some early bird opportunities and deals as always.
If you’d like to follow along on social media, I’m most personally active on my art account @rachael.amber which will likely soon be @cyclicalroots + will be sharing more on the new @embodiedecosystems IG!
I’m grateful for your witnessing and trusting me as I expand our cyclical ecosystem!
That was a long update, so here's an abbreviated recommendation section;
What’s been supportive lately:
a note of transparency that the book links support both indie bookstores and myself through affiliation if purchased, because I believe in the power of print, writers, indie bookstores, and accessible knowledge-sharing!
I could go on...
Thank you for being here, thank you for being you.
In gratitude,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal / Cyclical Roots
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
I'm having a super clearance sale with grab bags as low as $5 via my IG!
[pic]
Discounts | Current Sales • Pre-Order Cycles Journal 2024 Now! • DEAL: Cycles Journal 2023 is only $8! • Fundraiser for Our Rights
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
{~10 minute read... or listen to me speak about even more here on our new podcast!}
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
*My hope is that this Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection to the whole.
Pausing into the present...
Today I write to you from where the loons cry for silence and the pine sap sticks to my fingertips, inviting me to slow down. I honor the invitation and sit in half shade so I can feel both the sun and the trees gentle breeze.
A week of rain is fortunate but will also make you appreciate these moments even more. I am almost always filled with a mixture of gratitude and grief, for where I am and what happens elsewhere as greed-driven disasters take these moments of peace and privilege away from so many. My practices teach me I can hold both.
My body is waning into its release & reflect phase, deeper into the luteal depths where I am invited to honor more time for rest. Rest is a mixture of privilege and prioritization, yet I now realize I do so when I can, for more than just myself. I rest for my ancestors who could not, I rest for those who choose or think or are told they cannot. I rest to contribute to the movement of reclamation & cyclical remembrance.
Perhaps it's this upcoming full blue moon in pisces that reminds me of how we do nothing alone. (Someone shared a quote related to this from The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck and I can't find the photo now, but I plan to get this deck soon! It's been stuck in my head since.)
A blue moon happens once a year as a second full moon within a month when there is usually just one, and this year ours is in pisces as the start of virgo season. I may feel the deep pulsations of the interconnected ocean & space often, but the brings it to a new level in all realms, phases and places. My body feels there are answers or pause points here.
Sometimes rest is not doing nothing, but doing what is restorative, nurturing, even playful, creative or regenerative.
Even if you are not where the sap meet soil and shorelines, these elements are always available for you, too. I hope you feel their messages here through.
Current cycles and energy...
Our second full moon of August takes place on Wednesday, August 30th at ~9~:36 pm. EST in the watery mutable sign of Pisces. This of course opposes our sun newly in virgo of mutable Earth.
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
(If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on your life around this time/Virgo season, especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As we near the end of summer in the northern hemisphere, I feel quite a bit of fomo (fear of missing out). Is August’s end the time of regret? When here summer's end nears and I think of all things i didn’t do, won’t be able to do in a month or two? ...like swimming :"(
This fresh energy of the Sun in Virgo in its early degrees is opposing the upcoming Full Moon in Pisces, so you may be feeling the feels, too. And if there’s resistance to face them, or confusion, even numbness, you are not alone!
Virgo season transitions us into the layers of mutability within the Earth; there is a beauty and a fault to constant change and connectivity… or is it just the condition of being part of a time and space of living contradiction?
Through a mercurial tonality, Virgo energy invites us into the deep complexities, beyond efficiency or productivity, but further into the truth of reality.
Maybe it’s just my natal mars/chiron/midhaven conjunction in my Virgo-ruled 10th house opposing Saturn in Pisces that makes this time extra potent for me. If that was jibberish to you, no worries - it just means I have a lot of healing and complexity in this area I'm working with! But to be honest, I think this links to my purpose in creating Cycles Journal and the work I do in the world both inside and out.
What house does Virgo tone within your chart? Are there any planets near or not? Even if you don’t know all the layers or the houses in your chart, what does this time of month feel like to you?
Full moons are both a time of tension and illumination. Illumination can be casting light into dark corners, as much as it could be feeling uplifted and empowered. Sometimes both? There is a complexity and a familiarity to duality, yet that doesn’t make it any easier to be present with as human being!
Moving into harvest season is a time of abundance and also easily a time of rumination on what never fruited or formed. There is a simultaneous letting go, collecting our resources, preparing for the next season, and still basking in the dreaminess of summer. This moon is inviting us to remember that it’s not over yet, but also that there is always so much magic, fluidity and possibility that lives within each of us - no matter the season!
Pisces energy is dreamy, subconscious and limitless. It's an inter-connective water sign of seeking and sifting through the depths of emotion and creativity. Watery pisces asks us how we feel in forms of non-fixity? Where does pisces exist in your chart, or how does this energy feel to you?
With our moon also conjunct Saturn retrograde in Pisces around this time, the planet of time and structure may create some tension and feelings of contraction holding us back during this flowing time that seeks open expression and integration. Yet Virgo is a sign that blends form with flexibility, mercurial analysis with a rooted heart-center.
I have hopeful feelings for our time with Saturns in the 12th zodiac sign of Pisces which remains with us until mid-2025. It feels like collective support from elsewhere into new beginnings as well as the closure of endings. But maybe i’m biased with my natal placement there, even though it doen't come without struggles and inner conflict, as Saturn hangs out in the house of my natal placement and I near my saturn return. :) Look to your Virgo and Pisces placements and/or the house that these signs rule in your natal/birth chart to see where this full moon is shining into your life. As always, if you don't know the technicalities, what does this feel like to you?
P.s. also note that Venus in Leo & Mercury in Virgo are also retrograde right now, so there's a lot of reflective requests happening!
I have some fun prompts for you below, but first...
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
A friendly reminder that Cycles Journal is discounted until the end of August! I'm not sure when the next sale will be so it's a good time to secure yours, and grab the current year for 80% off while you're at it!
Currently Reading:
I'm someone who reads multiple books in various genre at once to keep my neurodivergent brain engaged, yet somehow they always connect back to one another.
The Madonna Secret by Sophie Strand - if you like historical fictions and are curious about the mysteries of Mary Magdalene.
You Are Only Just Beginning by Morgan Harper Nichols - if you like poetic illustrations and inspirational musings.
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown - if you like self-empowering research on building shame resilience and challenging norms.
a note of transparency that these links support both indie bookstores and myself through affiliation if purchased, because I believe in the power of print, indie bookstores, and accessible knowledge-sharing!
& SPEAKING OF BOOKS.... We started a Casual Reading Club inside Cyclical Community. :) Hope to share the love of reading with you there!!
Listening to...
Writing...
I'll share some new poems soon, but for now you can check out my Medium writings to see what I've already shared!
If you missed it...
If you missed it, I shared the story behind the cover of Cycles Journal last week. It was a much more intimate share than I anticipated, but I'm happy to let you know about the love and humanity behind the creations!
What I've been working on...
I'm really excited about the creative projects I'm working on right now! :) I'll share more about what I've been drawing soon, but first I'm almost ready to share something I've been waiting to release!
There's a methodology & guide I've developed that I feel will really support your practices - within Cycles Journal or in any form of reflection, healing and self-care really - that I'll be sharing next month (right around the corner!). So stay tuned~
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook...
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
*Creator of Cycles Journal
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s.
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
For me, art starts with a feeling, a message, then words weaving into visuals. formations, symbols & sensory images.
There's always an incubation process before formation. Do you want to hear the story behind Cycles Journal's cover art for 2024?
Each year it comes forth in springtime. This time it bloomed around the time I went home to visit my grandmother in the hospital before she passed. A time of sadness but also of celebration and gratitude.
In between our visits, I rested at my first home. I felt stuck, yet my mother helped me recognize a theme in the part covers of Cycles Journal. She reminded me that flowers are the centerpiece of it always.
Flowers are more than meets the eye. Flowers are the sex organs of the plant, which feels relevant to cycle-tracking, reproductive autonomy and embodied sensuality. This is where flowers attract pollinators to help them share & humans to create a cycle of 'supply/demand' as we garden, tend and eat plants. Yet they are also so much more than their appearance - each with an integral energetic signature and ecological purpose (just like us!.
To some flowers represent the feminine, to others allergens, and primordially they are often nourishment and medicine.
This year I was called to Iris. Iris means rainbow in Greek, and she is a messenger to the gods. Iris is the rain and clouds that are part of the whole cycle. She uses the rainbow as a bridge between the spirit and earthly realms, a light in the dark after the storm. The goddess and her archetypal energy represents a spectrum, a sphere of inclusive potential.
Iris is also the name of the part of an eye that regulates the amount of light which enters our eyes. Our ocular system takes in light and transforms it into sight, alongside our brain which registers insights as well beyond the seen.
Iris shows up in the tarot card temperance - a card of adjustment, balancing, and alchemical autonomy. Temperance, ruled by the sign Sagittarius, teaches us about the balance of intuition and action, of learning and procreating. It makes sense that iris flowers are shown in this card where archangel michael tempers the elements of water and fire into transformative healing. Since these flowers often grow on the margins - within wetland edges and shorelines, they represent transition, integration and allowing the in-betweens to be a place of importance and growth.Iris is a perennial flower that returns annually in spring from its rooted bulb, up through leaves like open arms, into an unfurling star.
I've had a special connection to iris since my childhood, because there is a photo of me from back then next to my abuelos in their beautifully tended jardín outside their sky blue house. It's one of my favorite memories from before my abuelito passed away when I was only 3 – I remember him through the irises he cared for alongside my abuela. I think gardening kept them grounded in place. I keep this memory framed next to my desk in the art-making corner of my studio.
It is said that the essence of Iris links us to our creativity, expression and inspiration. The flower itself is a work of art within its structure, painted veins, and color variations.
They are seasonal symbols and pollinator allies. Iris emerges organically without much need for intervention, like our insights can if we trust. Iris is a web weaver and cycle tender.
Of course, the moon and often its phases is always on the cover because it is one of our greatest anchors and reminders of our cyclic impermanence - a duality to be present with in this existence that just is. It represents how we can follow and learn from our ever-changing cycles even if we cannot fully control them.
I truly enjoyed creating this piece with the support of all this energy. If you'd like, click here to see a timelapse of me drawing it.
My wish is that this artwork reminds you to embody your full spectrum of awareness and unique abilities. A signifier of the deep wisdom we each carry within, beyond the surface of our sacred vessels.
May it adorn your Cycles Journal for the year of 2024 imbued with these reminders and support for your grounding writing & tracking space.
If you haven't already, you can order Cycles Journal 2024 for a discount at checkout before August ends.
And since I've gotten a few requests, I've made some apparel, wall art & accessories with this artwork on it; including tote bags, art prints posters, tshirts, sweatshirts and holographic stickers.
Thank you for listening, and I hope to share more stories with you soon about past years' covers, and the story of how this whole creation started. Speaking of, Cycles 2023 is on deep clearance if you'd like to try it first.
I'll share more after the next moonletter – which will be for our upcoming Full Moon in Pisces near the end of August.
Until then, be well~
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal
All words, photographs and artwork are by Rachael unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
Current Offerings as of ___ ;
Discounts | Current Sales • Pre-Order Cycles Journal 2024 Now! • DEAL: Cycles Journal 2023 is only $8! • Fundraiser for Our Rights
Enjoy Always;
Free Community • Free Healing Library • Browse Our Healing Resource Directory •
Questions?
Check out our FAQs, or email us back!
Hello to you as you are in this moment.
My hope is that this Moonletter meets you well exactly where you are at, and is a reminder of your inherent enoughness and interconnection. May you take what resonates from these musings, inspirations, and pieces of the whole, and leave the rest behind.
This is Rachael Amber, the creator of Cycles Journal, writing to you from my creative corner in my studio/office/meditation/altar room.
If you didn't see my last message to you, feel free to check it out! In it I share a bit about myself and my intentions in writing these moonletters to you moving forward. (the full post wasn't live when we sent it, oops! but you can check it out here.)
Pausing into the present...
One thing I'm really grateful for right now is the space I'm now able to give myself in the mornings, like I did today before writing this.
Waking up has always been a struggle and still is. But when I ease slowly into the day through routine/ritual, connecting to myself and spirit before I connect to the digital world, and nourishing my body and my creativity first... I am the truest version of myself, and it really sets me up centered for the rest of the day.
It's not always easy, like yesterday when I had to be up earlier than my body was used to for some maintenance work and wasn't able to start my day with my usual grounding routine or a proper breakfast. It's not always possible, but days like that are great reminders of what to prioritize and what gives me a headache for the rest of the day. Maybe you can relate, or maybe you have a different relationship with mornings?
Current cycles and energy...
Our New Moon in the fixed fire sign Leo exacts at ~5:37 am EST on Wednesday, August 16th, 2023. (If you're reading this at a much later time, it's still relevant to reflect on yourself around this time/Leo season! Especially in comparison to what's happening now.)
As always, this peak of the lunation cycle is just that; the energy of a transit affects our collective before and after this moment as well. Additionally, we continue to integrate the lessons of a transit well after it shifts - whether we're aware of it or not.
New moons begin a lunar cycle when the moon meets the sun, which is always a good time to revisit or set our intentions and needs. In Leo, the sun highlights our innermost values and desires. Through this solar-ruled sign, these areas may come into clearer focus and upliftment, and what doesn't align may begin to show up in the form of irritation, resistance or other difficult emotions – especially with Venus retrograde conjunct this transit.
There is a big focus on meeting our own needs in order to better support the collective. Have you been listening to what your inner self is asking for, or what your body is trying to tell you? If not, there's no shame (we live in a world of distractions) - but this is your reminder to tune into your inner flame and follow what sparks it.
Leo can be seen as selfish, and while a lack of external perspective can be a shadow aspect, this can also be a projection from a world that profits off of our lack of foundational care and self-acceptance. Leo energy at its core seeks empowerment and consent, creativity and expression, not manipulation or shame.
With Uranus in Taurus square this new moon, something is stirring and shifting at the roots of our being collectively (maybe personally too). Sometimes triggers are unavoidable, but are they sometimes showing us a boundary that needs to be created or a shift to enact? Is all of the trauma, fear and chaos in today's world a calling for you to bring your gifts to the table and contribute to the whole, rather than hide them out of fear of it not being enough? We can't do Uranus work alone, and Leo + Taurus energy brings us into allyship with self. So how can you meet your own needs first?
This is just my interpretation of this collective energy. How this affects you specifically may vary depending on where Leo/this transit shows up in your chart.
For me, Leo doesn't rule any planets, but it still rules my 9th house, which governs 'higher' education, spirituality, exploration through learning, etc. (Sag-esque things). This feels very relevant to what a retreat I just returned from is related to.
Behind the scenes of creativity / reflections on recently...
I just attended a meditation retreat with Lama Rod Owens called The Dharma of Homecoming in Times of Fear, and there's so much I want to share and reflect on as I integrate. You don't need to be Buddhist to benefit from the teachings of this Earth-based lineage, or to relate to the concept of fear causing disconnect in your body. so I wanted to share some of what this pivotal teacher has brought to light (which feels sooo relevant in the middle of Leo season).
It's funny how going on retreat feels selfish at first, but it's truly a gift back to others when we can integrate and carry this work through our fields. I intend to do so here and beyond, especially as I continue to work on creating my oracle deck and more to come... :) Lots of inspiration is flowing!
Homecoming means returning to our bodies and selves as our first vessel of stability; filling our own cup so we can support others. In our capitalist world, this is radical and it ripples. It's the work we do when we track our cycles and tend to our self-care.
We worked with Green Tara - a nurturing mother figure who is The Liberator. She can be compared to many other motherly figures across spiritual traditions, but she ultimately is a symbol representing space and the Earth. Meditating with the essence of space felt like being rocked in a safe boat, held in the womb of the Earth.
Lama Rod is such an authentic gem, who creates a truly safe space for everyone, especially queer folks and BIPOC. We not only sat and practiced, but we also sang, chanted, moved, and rested; proving that practicing our self-care and empowerment work does not have to look one way for anyone!
In true Leo energy, he spoke about radical notions of the un-selfish nature of meeting our own needs first, and how we're taught this is not okay as a form of oppression. This blocks true connection and love. Can we say to ourselves as he said, "I love myself more than other people's projections of their insecurities." Can we make choices out of this place of autonomy and self-trust? It's part of the practice.
This is not easy work, but in the flames of Leo energy reflected in both the moon & sun, we are asked to bravely embody strength and self-trust. "To work for liberation and be in the world at the same time creates a tension to tend to... " yet we are not alone in any of this.
The river teaches me fluidity, I watch them bend and shape with ease.
Many paths, one destination. Here lives an example of embodied liberation.
What if everything within me is actually conspiring to support me?
What a gift it is to find and feel this clarity, and what a practice it is to hold it with me through all the fear and grief that exists personally, communally, collectively, generationally...
I hope that something within all of this resonates with and supports you.
At the retreat I practiced using my voice and sharing – trusting that taking up space is important to add to the collective pool of wisdom and perspectives. Such a solar practice, that my very lunar self is grateful to be growing within. This newsletter will continue to be a practice for myself.
Invitations for you to sit with - you can pull cards about these, meditate on them, and/or reflect in your journal or notebook.
There are quite a few questions scattered above in the new moon report, so feel free to use those as well!
Gratefully connected,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Creator of Cycles Journal
All words, photographs and artwork are by me unless quoted or otherwise stated. You're welcome to share (for non-commercial reasons only) so long as credit / links remain attached! Thanks for supporting living artists <3
p.s. I know I said I'd share about the journal's cover art, but there was just too much to share post-retreat lol! So I'm going to dedicate a separate blog post to this very soon! I'll let you know once it's ready, promise. :)
Current Offerings as of 8/15/23;
Our upcoming Moonthly Meets Crystals & Aromatherapy Workshop is happening on Sunday, August 27th – but you can always catch the recording, along with our entire library of 15+ past workshops!
You can still get a discount when you pre-order Cycles Journal 2024 right now! Save more when you buy more than one or bundle any of our merch~
Enjoy Always;
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This is the beautiful challenge I face with my creativity everyday – and I know I'm not alone in this!
I'm embracing this challenge as an invitation to just show up as I am. To just write at the page like Morning Pages (from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron) has helped me to do. This is also part of why I created Cycles Journal - to work through these layers and phases.
I want to start by re-introducing myself briefly. My name is Rachael Amber, you can also call me Rae, and I use they/she pronouns. I'm neurodivergent and queer creative. I live on the unceded lands of the Wabanaki peoples, known also as Maine. My ancestors span multiple land masses and continents yet I am trying to be a good steward to where I've landed. I believe in justice and equity for all beings, and breaking binaries without bypassing. I honor where we may differ or relate, and I'm truly glad to connect with you - thank you for being here with me!
I like to call myself a nature-centric illustrator & designer, but lately I've been embracing the title of artist, writer & intuitive. It still doesn't capture all that I am, but I feel like it brings more of the whole picture into play... like how my spiritual and mindfulness practices are as much a part of my work as the visuals and written word.
I've been wanting to write to you more to share the "behind the scenes" of creating, human-ing and channeling. You might be here because of Cycles Journal, meeting me at an event in person or online, or some other art-form I've shared. Yet there is so much more I want to connect into this web of being...
As much as there are ups and downs in the collective and personally in the realm of mental & menstrual health, I am grateful to be in a place of more support, stability and okayness with uncertainty than I've ever been before. I have lots of people, teachers, supportive systems, privileges, and efforts to thank for this. I'm no where near perfect, I'm still deep in student debt and I'm learning hard lessons every day as much as noticing the miracles too. I'm so human, and I'm just thankful to be practicing openness through my writing once again, and feeling ready to share it more in many ways alongside my art, offerings & all the rest.
There are so many parts to the whole. Cycles Journal has always been about Wholistic Cyclical Awareness, and it continues to be an important core branch on this tree of creation in this little sphere within the larger sphere of the world.
I'm excited to be continuing these Moonletters in a slightly different form as our much loved team member Valencia helps us focus on other areas of the biz more, like our Cyclical Community and our Monthly Reflection Circles! I'm so grateful for all she has shared here in the past months, and how she continues to help our community and offerings sustain.
So ultimately, this is just a little shift / expansion from a new perspective. But I wanted to set my intentions openly so you can know what to expect going forward.
Next time, near the new moon, I'm going to share with you the story behind the upcoming Cycles Journal's cover art! I always have a reason and words behind what I visualize (the words and feelings come first for me), and I want to share that more! :)
I look forward to sharing more with you then~
Grateful to be in connection with you,
Rachael Amber (they/she)
Founder & Creator of Cycles Journal
p.s. Thank you all so much for your support in the 2024 Cycles Journal PreSale so far!! We still have a ways to go to meet our self-funding goal, but we are so much closer thanks to all who have shared and supported! Please keep helping us spread the word if you can, as pre-orders will still be discounted through the end of month!!
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The Cancer New Moon takes place on July 17, 2023, at ~2:31 pm ET in the element of Water.
New moons serve as new beginnings, new cycles. Many folks use new moons to clarify what they want to manifest and build on. New moons can also typically feel very grounding (you may even notice that you or your loved ones feel more sleepy or tired around the new moon each cycle!).
This new moon in Cancer gently puts a spotlight on what feels familiar, even as we grow in whole new ways. Some things change, and some things stay the same. We may find ourselves at this time examining traditions and patterns passed down from our ancestors. We may find ourselves looking to ground ourselves as we navigate the seas of transformation, or we may need a nudge to let go of what’s no longer working so we can be on our merry way.
Inviting familiarity into new spaces might look like recognizing what qualities lie within us that we can depend on no matter where we are. For example, you may recognize just how intuitive, protective, sympathetic, and kind you are - just like the Cancerian archetype!
Cancer encourages us to tap into our sensitive nature and intuit how we can connect with love, even when we find ourselves in what feels unfamiliar to us.
Regardless of where you are in your cycle or what season of your life you’re currently experiencing, this can be a nurturing time to invite familiarity into new spaces of evolving comfort.
Valuing Family and Generational Blessings
Cancer, symbolized by the crab, is a water sign that rules the chariot card in tarot and understands the value of family, harmony, and nurturing community. What does family mean to you? Whether you feel most comfortable with your biological or chosen family, feeling connected to your loved ones is important. Consider the value that family has in your life.
With our biological families, mixed feelings can be present. We may fully recognize harsher realities or patterns we have to deal with due to our upbringing. At the same time, we can make space to acknowledge the generational blessings given to us as well.
Some generational blessings are passed down to us consciously, and others we inherit subconsciously due to the presence or absence of something we need in our lives. Take some time to consider what traditions and generational blessings made their way to you and how they serve you.
Be careful during this time not to get stuck in what is familiar and over-identify as the “giver.” Prioritize movement and set appropriate boundaries for balance and emotional protection in your relationships. When balanced, this gentle water sign encourages us to intuit needs and connect to others wholeheartedly.
The Cancer archetype represents intuition, family/home, emotions, and nurture. Let us benefit from the sensitive nature of this new moon and invite familiarity into new spaces of evolving comfort.
Inviting Familiarity into New Spaces of Evolving Comfort
Here are some prompts to pull cards for or journal about (or both!) to help you reflect on this new moon.
No matter how your journey interacts with these archetypes, it's a good time to reflect on these themes of inviting familiarity into new spaces of evolving comfort.
As always, take your time answering and reflecting upon these questions – you can revisit them throughout the year and beyond this new moon.
This new moon’s invitation to invite familiarity into new spaces of evolving comfort may inspire you to document your progress tangibly. We would love to support you along this journey with the healing tools we have available for you, such as our 2023 Cycles Journal (now more than 65% off) or Cycles Notebook! Use this physical, intentional space to acknowledge how you’ve grown, and have a grounding spot to reflect no matter where you are (e.g., traveling or navigating a new chapter in your life). As we expand, let’s harness all the goodness of this new moon and reflect together!
May this new moon remind you that home is where the heart is and that you can always invite familiarity into new spaces of evolving comfort <3
With Gratitude,
Team Cycles Journal
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The Capricorn Full Moon takes place on July 3, 2023, at ~7:38 am ET in the element of Earth.
Full moons can signify completion, fertility, and transformation. These lunations can prompt expression and intuitive insights. Full moons also serve as apexes where we get to consider how our new moon intentions are playing out and what may need adjusting in our lives.
This full moon in Capricorn puts a spotlight on our ambitions and our perseverance. We may find ourselves examining what we are committed to and what the process of pursuing what we are committed to develops inside of us. Capricorn is a businesslike, practical, cardinal earth sign which lends itself to being a realistic and determined leader.
Capricorn encourages us to get all our ducks in a row and follow through with our plans by taking pragmatic steps to get there. Remember: Small steps, great distances. Let us consider how our habits, routines, and pragmatic markers of progress contribute to our growth.
Remember to ground yourself with this full moon, like with all full moons. As exciting and energizing as full moons can be, for some folks, they may feel overwhelming. Take care in ways that feel best for you during this time.
Regardless of where you are in your cycle or what season of your life you’re currently experiencing, this can be a satisfying time to find fulfillment in foundational growth.
Capricorn, symbolized by The Sea-Goat, is an earth sign that rules the devil card in tarot and understands the value of discipline and prioritizing self-mastery. Capricorn reminds us that we are the bosses of our lives, the captains of our ships, and the masters of our fate!
Be careful not to let this ambitious energy get out of hand. Remember to prioritize rest, connection, and flexibility when necessary. When balanced, this cardinal sign helps us crush our goals and feel good about the process.
The Capricorn archetype represents structure, stability, logic, and work/finances. Let us benefit from the masterful and resourceful nature of this full moon and find fulfillment in foundational growth.
Finding Fulfillment in Foundational Growth
Here are some prompts to pull cards for or journal about (or both!) to help you reflect on this full moon.
No matter how your journey interacts with these archetypes, it's a good time to reflect on these themes of finding fulfillment in foundational growth.
As always, take your time answering and reflecting upon these questions – you can revisit them throughout the year and beyond this full moon.
This full moon’s invitation to find fulfillment in foundational growth may inspire you to document your progress in a tangible way. We would love to support you along this journey with the healing tools we have available for you, such as our 2023 Cycles Journal or Cycles Notebook! We're having mega clearance sales on Cycles Journal 2023 – so get yours for 65%+ off!
Use this physical, intentional space to acknowledge the ways you’ve grown, plan your next logical steps, and harness all the goodness of this full moon!
May this full moon encourage you to embrace all the ways you’re growing <3
With Gratitude,
Team Cycles Journal
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The Gemini New Moon takes place on June 18, 2023, at ~12:36 am ET in the element of Air.
New moons serve as new beginnings, new cycles. Many folks use new moons to clarify what they want to manifest and build on. New moons can also typically feel very grounding (you may even notice that you or your loved ones feel more sleepy or tired around the new moon each cycle!).
The new moon in Gemini highlights curious, relational, creative, and connected energy. We are encouraged to collect information, explore new ideas, and develop our relationships. Gemini is a social and mutable air sign, after all! This air sign is also intelligent, adaptable, and playful.
Gemini encourages us to prioritize intellectual discovery and weave together new connections.
With all new moons, consider where you can begin again or have a beginner’s mindset. At the same time, embrace invitations for rest and reflection.
Regardless of where you are in your cycle or what season of your life you’re currently experiencing, this can be a fertile time to open up and clear mental space to invite fresh perspectives.
Embracing Intellectual Discovery and Playful Exploration
Gemini, symbolized by The Twins, is an air sign that rules the Lovers card in tarot and understands the value of ideas, adaptability, and not taking life so seriously!
Gemini inspires us to prioritize learning new things and weaving together new connections. Think of encyclopedia-meets-chameleon energy. This lighthearted archetype likes to roam and shapeshift, enjoying all there is to know and bring together.
The Gemini archetype represents communication, ideas, relations, and decisions. Let us enjoy the curiosity of this new moon and lean into the new perspectives, intellectual discovery, and playful exploration that come with it.
Opening & Clearing Mental Space to Invite in Fresh Perspectives
Here are some prompts to pull cards for or journal about (or both!) to help you reflect on this new moon.
No matter how your journey interacts with these archetypes, it's a good time to reflect on these themes of opening and clearing mental space to invite fresh perspectives.
As always, take your time answering and reflecting upon these questions – you can revisit them throughout the year and beyond this new moon.
This new moon’s invitation to explore new perspectives may inspire you to search for new ways to connect, take care of your womb, and learn new topics that matter to you (like herbalism, natural remedies, and more!). We support you in doing so and encourage you to join the Moonthly Meets group in our Cyclical Community.
Cyclical Community is a free, intentional community space where we can all come together on our journeys of inner healing & cycle awareness to support one another and grow our collective empowerment.
Our Moonthly Meets sub-group within the community is a paid subscription space where you can access over 12+ workshops, all within the realms of cyclical living, womb care, liberation (as well as live share circles and so much more!) for $15 a month. We encourage you to learn, connect, and share with us if you feel called to join Moonthly Meets or simply be a part of our free Cyclical Community.
May this new moon encourage you to open up to more of what’s possible for you on your journey <3
With Gratitude,
Team Cycles Journal