With this new moon and Venus and Jupiter conjunction all in Aquarius, the astrologers and magical folks are telling us to rest and to delight in pleasure. To find some sweetness, to connect to joy, to experience the abundance available to us.
Right in this moment—11:12 am eastern time (just missed the magical 11:11, darn it!) February 11—I’m reaching deep to connect to sweetness, to joy, and especially abundance. I didn’t sleep well, my sweetie and I had a hard conversation, and #AllTheThings are weighing on me. I want to take a nap, but giving myself permission to rest is a challenge, no matter how much I intellectually understand the harms of capitalist, productivity culture.
But all week in anticipation of this new moon, I’ve been collecting little sweet things to share with you today. Because I believe in the medicine of joy and pleasure. Because I believe in the power of living into abundance—of love, of delight, of rest, of wonder, of curiosity, of air, of breath, of life—that is all of our birthright.
Maybe you are already joyously riding the wave of this astrology. Or like me, you are dog-paddling toward it with determination. Or maybe you are completely uninterested in astrology altogether. Regardless, I hope these ideas, links, and offerings will sweeten your day and weekend ahead.
Sweet to drink. I recently made myself an infusion of nettle leaf, licorice root, and mint and was delighted by how sweet, refreshing, and nourishing it was. So if you have these herbs handy and like the taste of licorice, I highly recommend it. (But not if you are pregnant.) Here’s how you do it:
Put about an ounce of herbs in a quart-sized mason jar. I used about 1/2 oz nettles, 1/4 oz licorice root, and 1/4 oz mint. Pour boiling water over the herbs to fill the jar and stir so that the herbs are fully saturated. Let it cool for 30 minutes or so, then screw on the lid and put it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, strain out the herbs, and enjoy!
Sweet to eat. I made these “not-derby pie” bars from Smitten Kitchen for my mom earlier this month and they were a huge hit. They are sweet but not too sweet, buttery, and satisfyingly chocolaty. And, they are very easy to make.
Sweet to read. “if you’re good, say you’re good,” by the always wise and inspiring adrienne maree brown. I’m usually feeling good overall, and this post was a beautiful reminder to own that goodness.
a lot of the possible good in this time is circumstantial – the physical space you’re in and how many people are there with you, the guidelines and practices of covid-19 safety in your town and community, economic status, how many people you’ve lost and how close they are to your heart, how many crises you’re holding, your own health.
and inside all of the circumstances, there’s the possibility of this being one of the most beautiful, connected, grounded, liberating, fertile, creative, abundant times of your life.
Sweet to hear. Andra Day’s gorgeous rendition of “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”
Sweet to see. Barley, the dog of hearts.
Sweet to read. From my forthcoming collection, Last Days. (Learn more the new kind of book launch I am forging.)
Sweet Branch Stitched to Bitter Tree
After many sleight-of-hand
days the sun squares itself
on the wall. Tart is what my tongue
says against the slice I lay
across it. Sweet say my molars.This apple grown from graft. Cut
open the myth starred in every core.
Seeds are just one way to abundance.
Come, love—we spin
and spin to our very own pleasure.
Now, I’m off to make myself that infusion and maybe take a little nap. I’m starting to feel a little stirring of sweetness. I hope you are too.
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