Latest / Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul / Moon Phases & Feminine Power: Your Weekly Cycle Sync | The Both/And of the New Moon: Where Endings Meet Beginnings

Transcript

Moon Phases & Feminine Power: Your Weekly Cycle Sync | The Both/And of the New Moon: Where Endings Meet Beginnings · Healing Her Story with Riva Jean-Paul

• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the Healing Her Story podcast.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: I am so delighted to be here with you today.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: We are going to be diving into a whole new cycle.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll tell you, I am really feeling this new cycle energy myself.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll share a little bit more about where I'm at personally and where I've been at the past couple of weeks in our cycle check-in.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: But for now, I just want to really warmly welcome you into this space as we are making our way through the season of spring here in the northern hemisphere.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: You may be getting to experience life speeding up, calendars filling up, and just a um, yeah, just a general picking up of life, if you will, which I feel is really reflected in the natural world.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: I went on my walk today and saw so many flowers beginning to bloom and life just growing everywhere, and people also being outside working in their yards and the birds chirping.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And so, with all of that, I just want to remind you that this community here, this space here, is really intended to be a place where you can slow down, a space where you can softly land, and a space where you can not only tune into your natural rhythm, which may or may not be the rhythm that aligns with the rhythm of the the rest of the world, and also where you can begin to explore how you can really work with your natural rhythm.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because the world that we live in is very fast paced, it's very stimulating.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: We all have so many obligations and things to take care of and things to show up for, especially as a woman.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I think sometimes we can really lose sight of a pace that is more true and right for our bodies, for our spirits.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the fast-paced world that we live in generally doesn't really honor that.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think there are places like the one that we find ourselves in where we can really honor that.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't think that that is uh what's common.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so may these episodes continue to be an antidote to the busyness and the fullness of your life.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: And may this particular phase that we're in right now also be an antidote for that, this phase of the new moon.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll explore a little bit more about the opportunities presented here.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And before we do, I do want us to begin with a minute of silence.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are new here, I'll let you know that this minute of silence is something that we always do at the start of our episodes.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's an opportunity, again, for you to slow down, to really tune into what's here for you in the here, in the now, and to have a pause.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Just a moment to pause in your busy day.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think that can be so helpful to our system.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: I know it is for mine, and perhaps you can explore if this is new for you, if if it's helpful for you.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll invite you to just come into a place of more presence with yourself, whatever that may look like.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: You may be driving or doing something in the background, and wherever you are is just fine.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: But perhaps seeing what it would be like to maybe slow down, to maybe bring more awareness and focus to what you're sensing in this moment.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you are doing something in the background, maybe you want to pause doing something and take a moment here to just be.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And getting really curious about the experiences you do.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's uncomfortable.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: And if it is, that's okay too.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe it feels really nourishing and really supportive.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: So just kind of noticing what it's like to just be in silence for a minute.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And as you're being in that silence and that pause and that space, you may also want to inquire within and see what it's like inside today.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's a a phase that you can sense within, whether that's more of a new beginnings or an ending.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're in more of a fall or a summer or winter.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: So just kind of noticing where you are in your rhythm as well.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And our one minute of silence will begin now.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: That went by incredibly too fast for me today.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: I could probably use about uh five to twenty minutes of stillness and silence.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: So taking that in is as good information for me.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: As far as where I'm at cyclically, I am cycle day 11 today, and I'm just starting to make my way into what my Mira app calls the fertile window.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: So that means my estrogen is starting to rise, and um my LH hormone, I think.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'll have to take a look.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still kind of getting to know all the nuances of tracking all of the different hormones.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's been really helpful and quite fascinating, and I've really enjoying this product a lot, the Mira Hormone Tracking Device.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, it looks like my LH is um, yes, my LH and my FSH are both trending upward alongside my E3G, which is estrogen, suggesting suggesting uh your body is preparing for ovulation.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: These rising levels are a great sign.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Since your fertile window is now active, keep up with your daily testing to help Mira pinpoint your LH peak.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: So that's straight from the Mira assistant, which um yeah, kind of pops up each day I test and gives me some insights and things to focus on for um yeah, based off of the data that that they they gathered through my test.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: So anyway, super nerdy stuff, but um I'm loving it.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: And um yeah, I'm I'm quite low energy today, if I'm being honest, with the dark moon as I'm recording a couple days before the new moon.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, just closing out a really, really big cycle of creative work.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Some of you may know if you've been here a while or if you you know me uh more personally.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: I do also work part-time as a teaching artist and program specialist for a local school district here.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: And we've been working on our big spring showcase.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: I teach dance, and we've been coming up with routines and making decorations, and it's been so much fun and also so much work.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm definitely feeling myself moving into a recovery period as we just had our showcase on Thursday, and for the most part, it went well.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's always opportunities to learn and improve, but overall, uh, it was a good experience, and um, I'm on the other side, and so I'm really feeling this new cycle beginning where I can take a break from the work that I do with children for a little bit, which is warmly welcomed, love them, and it's nice to have a break.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: And um, yeah, being able to focus more on the podcast and my practice and my art.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I'm really looking forward to this shift in um yeah, in my life, both personally and professionally.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Very warmly welcomed.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a little bit about me and where I've been at personally.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: I know that's not what you're here for, though.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: So let's begin to explore uh where we are now with the moon.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: This week we are attuning to the energy of the new moon.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: And we just had a new moon in Taurus on Saturday.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: As I said, I'm recording ahead of time, but when it comes out, the new moon will have passed.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the last major moon phase of Taurus season.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: I do hope that you've been enjoying our episodes for Taurus Season.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: To give you a little recap, our cycle sync episodes were focused on the elements.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: We did a little mini-series on the elements, and that is because Taurus is deeply connected to the earth and to the elements.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: So to lean into that Taurian energy, because I'm always working with the cycles as well, that is what we explored in our Monday episodes.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: We also had a solo episode on the senses and how we can use our senses to create this felt sense of safety within our bodies and within our own systems.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't listened to that, I do recommend giving that a listen, especially if you are desiring to feel safe and secure within your own body, within your own nervous system.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: In that episode, I guide you through a very simple yet highly effective practice that can help support you.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: And it's something that you can integrate in your day-to-day to continue developing that felt sense of safety within.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Oh gosh, if you listen to the episode, you know that I'm I'm just learning how to say this word.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it is not a word bourdois.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: There we go.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Bourdou, there we go.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, bourdois photographer.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I really loved this conversation.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: We talked a lot about the body, about sensuality, and Ren's journey from living a life steeped in religious culture to reclaiming her sense of self, her sense of sovereignty, and her sensuality and sexuality.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's such a juicy episode.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't listened, uh I invite you to go give that a listen this week.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then to close out Torah season, I'm actually going to be bringing you one bonus episode this week with a woman who lives locally here in Sacramento.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: I really wanted to have one more conversation in Torah season centered on eco consciousness.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm looking forward to this conversation.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: We haven't recorded it yet, so it will be coming out as a bonus episode dropping this Friday.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: And technically we'll be in Gemini season, but I really wanted to get this one last episode in.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's a great episode for season, uh, the season of spring that we're in as well.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So stay tuned for that.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: By the time we move into the middle of the week, this week, we will officially be in Gemini season.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll be shifting from what I've been experiencing experiencing as a more grounding body-based energy into a more ethereal mental-based energy.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: So you may begin to notice that shift over the next few days.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, with the start of Gemini season, I'm feeling inspired to center our next uh few cycle sync episodes around this topic of duality because Gemini is connected to the sense of duality, the sense of both and I think on the healing journey, sometimes it can be very easy to become fixated in certain ways of being in old stories.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: And when we do that, we don't always allow space for things to for two things to be true at the same time.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna talk a lot more about this in another episode, but for now, I want to ground us into the sense of polarity as it relates to the new moon.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: This idea actually has roots in modern psychology too.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: In dialectical behavior therapy, there's a foundational principle that two seemingly opposite truths can exist at the tank at the same time.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: This tells us that there's more to life than just either or or maybe black and white, that there really is a complexity.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: And in that complexity, we have to honor the both and.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: So this is around the new moon and the full moon.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: So this is an ancient understanding that our bodies are in deep relationship with the cosmos.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just woo-woo folklore.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: There are actual real measurable threads connecting us to these larger, these larger natural rhythms, even in our in even though our individual experiences may vary.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: So the question then becomes: how can we honor both?
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: What is beginning?
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: What is new?
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: And what new ideas do we want to start bringing into the world?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: What new ways of being do we want to start embodying within ourselves?
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: And how do we acknowledge the ending that inevitably comes with the beginning?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because in order for something to begin, something old must end.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: So there are some conflicting ideas here that you might experience with the new moon.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: How this relates to your own life, you may in fact have some new beginnings starting to form.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's new projects, new ideas, new commitments, new parts of yourself that you are meeting.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's really important to honor the newness that is beginning to emerge.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: And with that newness, there can also be a sense of openness, a sense of dreaming into what is possible, and also this desire to start fresh or to wipe the slate, if you will.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, there may also be a part of you that still needs to honor that which is ended.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's an old way of being, an old relationship, or an old situation.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: So, how do we hold both?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: What is new in beginning?
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: What is ending?
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: And that is something I'll invite you to explore this week as we finish this new moon portal and start to make our way into the waxing moon, where that sense of newness and openness may begin to come in a bit more energetically.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: You may feel very low energy during this time.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: I know I'm certainly feeling it today.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: And even in that low energy, there can still be this sense of wanting to get new things going and getting new things started.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hence me being here, getting this new batch of episodes ready.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: So there may be a desire to call, uh, excuse me, a desire or a call to rest, to slow down, to be more inwardly focused, and there may also be a desire to prepare for the newness that is coming.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: And you may want to do this through something called nesting.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: To me, nesting is really about getting your nest, your space ready.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: So that might look like decluttering, going through your closet, perhaps getting rid of some clothes that no longer bring you joy, maybe going through parts of your work area or your kitchen where things are old and stagnant and beginning to pile up.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want to begin clearing some of that out and making some space.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: So there is this dance between resting and reflecting, and also maybe honoring a part of you that does feel like she wants to use some of this energy and to channel it into something that can set her up for the next cycle.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: So there's that polarity in action right there.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: Some practical ways to work with this dualistic energy of the new moon.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: You might want to plan a day or set aside a day or a time to rest, to journal, to maybe do a meditation or spend some quiet time in nature.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: And you also may want to pick a day to do some decluttering and to clear out some space.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's what I'm going to be doing over the weekend.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Again, a couple of days before the episode is airing.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: You may also want to begin writing new moon intentions.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: What is it that you're desiring in this coming cycle?
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, you may also want to explore rituals for endings.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: These can happen in any way that feels right for you.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: One of my closing rituals that I like to do is I'm closing out a big creative project, which I just did this past week, is to write about it.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: I have a Substack account where I often will reflect on my creative projects and my creative practice.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: So when I am ready to close out a creative project, I like to write a Substack that talks about the whole process and what I learned through that process.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: That is a closing ritual that I like to do.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And you may want to begin to explore a closing ritual that feels right for you.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're closing out a creative project or relationship or an old aspect of yourself.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think there can be something really powerful about marking the passing of time, marking the closing of something.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: So you may want to explore that this week as well, as you are feeling into your new intentions and creating space for the new.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you're wanting some more support to work with the qualities of each phase a little bit more, I have created a cycle support map.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is a tool that you can use to help guide you through the different energies and themes for each phase.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: You can follow along with this map as we're moving through our cycle check-ins, where I'll be sharing a little bit more about each of the phases, and then you can use your map to help you establish your self-care practices for that particular phase.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that tool is available to you for just$4.95.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a perfect time to begin because, of course, it's a new moon, and because we're in the season of spring.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: Springtime is such a lovely time to begin filling into new life, new ways of being, new tools, new practices.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll leave that for you in the show notes.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: I look forward to connecting with you in our next episode, and I wish you a wonderful rest of your new moon portal, and I'll connect with you soon.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: Take care.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: Bye for now.