“As the sun moves through Libra before crossing into Scorpio’s shadowed terrain, October asks us to trade politeness for truth. In the Northern Hemisphere, the days shorten and the light turns amber and low; below the equator, the world stretches open into spring warmth. Something in the air sharpens our attention, pulling us away from small talk and toward what actually matters. With Venus retrograde from the month’s opening days and Mercury joining her late in the month, this is no season for rushing. Let October be a place to look honestly at what you’re holding onto and what’s ready to be composted, released, or simply acknowledged.”
Keep in mind that the last Mercury In Retrograde of 2026 will happen October 24th-November 13th.
During this Mercury In Retrograde season, may we rewind, reflect and remember the co-creative trails that we have blazed together already during this Year of the Fire Horse.
Please enjoy this newly created podcast version & the original 1st post galloping into 2026 by cicking on the links below:
Please check out the original post at the link below:
Candles, herbs, books, and autumn leaves create a cozy moonlit ritual scene.
Energetically, Libra season officially kicks off on September 22nd, which is also the date of the Autumn Equinox. Libra’s seasonal imprint will last till October 23rd.
Coming right up, a Full Harvest Moon on September 26th honors sacred ancestral rituals like moon-viewing dinners outdoors, harvest blessings, candle-lit gratitude circles, and a Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes.
Looking ahead to the New Moon in Libra on October 10th, balance and harmony are dually noted.
Are you feeling driven to be nice rather than speak your truth authentically?
Are you taking an honest look at your deeper feelings and sharing them when the situation calls for it, despite of what is expected of us by others?
As we blaze trails further into this Year of the Fire Horse, ponder how the energies around the next Full Hunter Moon on October 26th may affect a personal sense of safety that could depend on the need for stability.
Remember that an awakening of Fire Horse’s archetypal energies reveal greater movement, decision, freedom and courage so that we can effectively explore unknown frontiers.
What old narrative have you noticed fading away into the rearview mirrors of yesterday?
Have you observed healthier relationships emerging and leaving you feeling a more perceptible sense of emotional, financial, and spiritual rebirth?
Do you see people embodying love, empathy, compassion and kindness?
Although this moon goes by many names, the name Hunter Moon was inspired by the hunting of game animals like deer, turkey and pheasants in mid to late autumn.
Cooler temperatures also make it easier for storing and preserving meat for the winter. Falling leaves and more moonlight allows for better vision to see and hunt animals at day and night because brush is not as thick, making tracking and hunting easier.
The energies of Fox are also associated with this time of year. Fox reflects the art of camouflage, which also reflects adaptability and shapeshifting. Meditation on Fox can help you fade into the backdrop, and blend into your surroundings without being noticed.
Around this full moon, connections with Taurus can be seen as a friendly reminder to accept that change is a natural part of life. Regardless of a Bull or Bear market, our own sense of self-respect does not really come from the coins we circulate in this world of 10,000 things, if you’ll pardon the animal spirited financial pun.
Truly, self acceptance for who we really are does make it easier to see peace and tranquility in the outside world.
In this blog, we have been exploring self-care rituals and strategies.
Full Moons are certainly a powerful time to reinforce self-care rituals and strategies.
Just as an example, consider writing down what needs to be released on a small piece of paper, and then burn it down safely outside under the moon. At this time, fire rituals can be a powerful way to release and let go of whatever we need to let go of in our lives that no longer serves us to clear space for what’s next.
Additionally, the last Mercury in Retrograde of the year will happen on October 24 to November 13, 2026
Mercury in Retrograde aka The Twilight Zone is a good time to look into the rearview mirror, and take a closer look at what issues we may not have resolved in the past yet.
Speaking of reviewing rewiring revolutionary energies, it’s always a good idea to check your own inner state of consciousness as you navigate life’s everyday aches, pains, pleasures, situations and moments. Remember that you can’t feel good when you’re feeling bad about feeling bad!
And then we can reexamine the direction we need to go so that we can move forward to see from new vistas. When we change the way we look at the world, the world changes the way it looks right before our eyes.
The Samhain will happen on October 31 to November 1, along with other thinning of the veils energies falling on All Saints’ Day on the 1st, and All Souls’ Day & The Day of the Dead on November 2nd.
This is a powerful time to honor our ancestors who have passed on and tune into the spirited energies that will be more perceptible during this time where the boundary between the spirit & material realm becomes less concrete and more permeable.
Meditation on the medicinal energies of Bat can awaken transformation through the dark cave of death of the old self, and resurrect the process of rebirth into who you are becoming.
What messages does spirit have to say to you about this?
Keep in mind that playing around with wearing masks can stimulate movement through portals into consciousness, and awaken sacred connections with animal spirit guides like Bat.
Are you aware that a growing body of brain science has consistently shown that brainwaves do change during this extra or non-ordinary states of consciousness?
People who become consistent meditators often learn how to change their brains, their DNA, and their general experience with life. That’s why it’s really hard to go back to the old ways once you awaken to these novel neuronal pathways. This transformation is Alchemy.
It can be enticing to get too caught up in the material world or the spiritual world. This is why our ancestors came up with the mantra of walking with one foot in spirit, one foot in ground.
Our ancestors honored the thinning of the veils; where the lines between the spirit & material realm can be perceived as thinner. That’s why it can be harder to differentiate between the 3-D & spiritual realms during this season.
Costumes, including masks are traditionally worn during the thinning of the veils period. From a consciousness perspective, wearing masks can awaken shapeshifting, transformation, and portals into other alternate or imaginative realms.
Meditation on the archetypal energies of the Shaman awakens new pathways revealed in our field of vision. The capacity to acquire and access novel ways of thinking are key dynamics of Growth Mindset. Meditation on shamanism reveals extraordinary, non-localized and linear free states of consciousness.
May All Beings Be Free Of Suffering and Awaken To Planetary & Universal Peace,
A glowing lion constellation roaring amidst a starry cosmic background
Pip: August arrives with grain harvests, eclipses, and a moon named after a very large fish — which honestly sounds like the universe decided to pack a lot into one calendar page.
Mara: This episode draws on Ari Joshua Bouse’s recent posts for Classroom Mothership Earth, covering the seasonal and astrological energies of August — Lammas, eclipse season, Leo’s New Moon, and the Full Sturgeon Moon in Pisces. Let’s start with the whole sweep of what August is actually asking of us.
Lammas, Eclipse Season, and the Moons of August
Pip: August opens with Lammas, a harvest midpoint honored by ancestors in the Northern Hemisphere, and then barely pauses before stacking two eclipses, a New Moon in Leo, and a Full Moon in Pisces into the same calendar month. The question the post is really sitting with is: how do you move through that much cosmic pressure without white-knuckling it?
Mara: The post opens with a Gandhi epigraph that sets the whole tone — “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. We need not wait to see what others do.”
Pip: That framing matters because the post isn’t treating eclipses as things that happen to you. It’s treating them as invitations — specifically, chances to release what it calls the heavy luggage passed down by ancestors, so you can become the change you want to see.
Mara: The post describes eclipse seasons as “major cosmic reset periods that trigger rapid personal growth and sudden life changes,” and it’s careful to add that there’s nothing superstitious about that framing. The language is more about being guided than being controlled.
Pip: And then the Leo New Moon on August 12th arrives via a Total Solar Eclipse. The post calls new moons during eclipses “new moons on steroids” — amplifying new beginnings, identity shifts, sudden breakthroughs.
Mara: Leo’s energy, the post notes, thrives on visibility and praise, but the more interesting moment is when the spotlight finds you and you still feel at a loss. The post is honest that feedback, not just admiration, is what actually fuels creativity and confidence.
Mara: Then August closes with a Partial Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on the 28th, illuminating the Full Sturgeon Moon. Sturgeons can live over a century, grow to twenty feet, and weigh nearly a ton — the post uses that resilience directly as a meditation on surviving challenging times, including what it calls the deeper waters of Climate Change.
Pip: The closing instruction is genuinely disarming: let go of the oars.
Mara: The thread running through all of this is that the season’s intensity — harvest, eclipse, release — is an invitation rather than a threat.
Pip: Let go of the oars, trust the sturgeon, and we’ll see what the next tide brings.
A Full Sturgeon Moon rises above a mist-covered ocean at night
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change… We need not wait to see what others do.”
–Ghandi
August kicks off on the 1st with the Lammas, which our ancestors honored as a marker for the first grain harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. The Lammas celebrates the approximate mid-point of summer between the Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox, and gratitude for the bounty of food the earth provides.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the Imbolc, or the approximate mid-point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. At this time, it’s as if the seeds underground are starting to think about waking up in their neck of the woods.
Wherever you are on the Planet, astrological eclipse seasons are major cosmic reset periods that trigger rapid personal growth and sudden life changes, which represent karmic past and spiritual identity.
Nothing to be superstitious about. Sometimes, especially during eclipses, it might feel like we are tempted by fate. During times like these, it can feel like we are being guided rather than in control of our destiny.
And yet, we can transform the heavy luggage that has been passed down to us by our ancestors by letting it go and giving it back . . . So that we can become the change we want to see in the world.
In much the same way as letting go of any dark edges of old selves, we can release and envelop old stories in the Mirror of the Mind meditations.
We can consciously work with the energies of eclipses that have the power to permanently close doors that no longer serve our spiritual evolution. Picture them sealed up in a black hole where they can transform into the light.
Eclipse season is a friendly universal reminder to nudge us back on the path of deeper and higher soul purposes. Their energies inspires us to let go of stagnant habits, emotional baggage, and limiting beliefs.
Furthermore, a Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th kicks off the final leg of 2026 seasonal eclipses by way of a New Moon in Leo. The energies of this New Moon are fuel injected by the Solar Eclipse. New Moons are always associated with new beginnings.
Keep in mind that new moons during eclipses are like new moons on steroids.
Moreover, these energies amplify radical new beginnings, light a spark of external changes, sudden breakthroughs, and unexpected shifts in identity. Talk about a Thunder Road, if you’ll pardon the Boss pun.
Leo’s energy loves the spotlight and thrives on feeling safe in moments that allows Leo to impress and receive praise and admiration from others. That’s a natural state for them.
But what about when the red carpet is rolled out, the spotlight shines brightly on your soul, and you are still feeling at a loss?
Like Leo, this writer can relate to having a hard time with criticisms.
If we can accept feedback however, we can use it for visibility, creativity, confidence, and self-expression. Deep meditation can be a good ally during this process.
And then on August 28th, a Partial Lunar Eclipse in Pisces shines on a Full Sturgeon Moon. These energies trigger internal emotional releases, exposing hidden truths and serves as a catalyst to break toxic patterns or relationships.
Keep in mind that Full Moons during Lunar Eclipses are like Full Moons on steroids.
Like a sturgeon’s spiritual significance, we can awaken the power of resiliency by trusting the flow of life, and surrender to the changing tides of universal oceanic waves.
Setting aside time for non-linear, non-localized and non-productivity is truly important, especially during intense energies. Some folks like to take a forrest bath, so to speak. Getting out in Nature, connecting with the animals and nature spirits is good energy medicine.
If you’re into rocks, it’s always a good idea to recharge them outside under the Full Moon cycle which lasts a few days before and after the actual Full Moon.
Do whatever you can to rest so that you can effectively integrate the energies of this last eclipse season of the year.
Remember that the aftershocks of the Eclipse season can be felt for quite some time.
Try not to push the river. Rather, let go of the oars and let the flow of the Universe guide you to wherever you need to go.
Pisces energy associated wiht this full moon breathes in sensitivity and perceptiveness of surroundings. The Fish love to go with the flow. Yet paradoxically, engaging in creative and spiritual forms, awakens imaginative waters. This lunar eclipse releases illusion, boundaries, and emotional truth.
Remember that Sturgeons are tough fish that can live over a century, grow up to 20 feet, and tip the scales by weighing nearly a ton. They are the largest freshwater fish, and have especially thrived in the American Great Lakes.
Their peak catch is traditionally in early August, which is in alignment with the harvest of plentiful seasonal crops that are on their way. As such, their energies reflect abundance that want to yield to your bounty.
Because of their natural ability to survive and thrive, meditation on the energy of sturgeon can help you build resilience in challenging times; particularly in preparation for darker days ahead, and also while diving into the deeper waters of Climate Change.
May all Beings be free from suffering, awaken to God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity Within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth.
Sunlight beams illuminate neat rows of young plants in a rural field at sunrise.
Pip: Classroom Mothership Earth — where the astrological, the political, and the deeply personal all share one frequency, and somehow it holds together.
Mara: Today we’re working through a piece by Ari Joshua Bouse that moves across a lot of terrain — political transition, the Aquarian Age, disclosure, and the spiritual calendar between winter and spring. Let’s start with that overarching question of where we actually are right now.
We Are Only One Song Away From Spring
Pip: The frame here is a moment of overlap — a political transition happening inside a much larger cosmic one, and the question of how those two timescales interact when you’re trying to stay grounded.
Mara: The post anchors that overlap in the seasonal calendar, and near the end it lands on Groundhog Day specifically: “Meditation on the in between times, mystical, mysterious energies, inner planes, echoing silence, void, and heartbeat” are offered as the right callbacks for this moment.
Pip: So the upshot is that Groundhog Day isn’t a punchline here — it’s the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and the post treats that threshold as genuinely instructive about how change actually moves.
Mara: Right, and that’s the structural argument running through the whole piece. The political relief of a new administration fades fast — the post is direct about that — because the chattering monkey mind starts up again quickly. The deeper shift is astrological: a move from the Pisces Age to the Aquarian Age, measured in millennia, not election cycles.
Pip: Which is a useful corrective to anyone who thought January 20th was the finish line.
Mara: The post makes a careful point there about the people on different sides of that political moment. It says that most Trump voters “are not Nazis, Klan members or racists” but have been shaped by a divisive mindset that pushes everyone toward an us-versus-them frame — and that neither progressive nor conservative values hold a monopoly on the way forward.
Pip: And then it pivots — genuinely pivots — into UFO disclosure, which lands as less of a detour than you’d expect, because the argument is that ET concern for Earth is tied to humanity’s development of nuclear weapons. The stakes are planetary either way.
Mara: The post treats disclosure as a process, not an event. And it closes with something practical: I-messages, feeling statements, the right to say “I feel offended by that comment” and stand there without having to defend it. Personal authority as the ground-level version of the same sovereignty the post argues for cosmically.
Pip: Spring is underground. It’s firing, just not visible yet — which is maybe the whole thesis in one image.
Mara: The thread through all of this is the in-between — politically, seasonally, cosmically. The darkness isn’t the destination; it’s the passage.
Pip: You can’t get to the light if you won’t go through the dark. We’ll be back with more from Classroom Mothership Earth.
Pip: Classroom Mothership Earth — where the lunar calendar, indigenous ecology, and the occasional ET sighting all share the same cosmic waiting room.
Mara: Ari Joshua Bouse has a post out that moves through a stretch of celestial events — strawberry moons, mercury retrograde, a full buck moon — and what each one asks of us emotionally and spiritually. Let’s start with the moons themselves and what they’re tracking.
A Full Strawberry Moon, A Buck Moon, And The Space Between
Pip: This segment covers a sweep of sky events from late June through late July — and the post isn’t just listing dates. It’s asking what each moon, each season, and each planetary shift is actually inviting us to do.
Mara: The post opens with a grounding claim from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” That framing sets the tone for everything that follows.
Pip: So the celestial events aren’t decoration — they’re a curriculum. The moons and retrograde periods become prompts for inner work rather than just astronomical footnotes.
Mara: Right. The Strawberry Moon on June 29th connects to Algonquin and other North American nations who tracked the wild berry harvest by this moon. Mercury retrograde runs concurrently — June 29th through July 23rd — and the post frames that overlap as an invitation to slow down, reflect, and work with subconscious material rather than resist it.
Pip: Mercury retrograde as a scheduled appointment with your own programming. Honestly, worse things have been on the calendar.
Mara: The New Moon in Cancer on July 14th follows, and Cancer season carries its own specific energy — nourishment, emotional safety, hearth and home. The post notes that Cancer encourages reconnecting with the feeling realm and stepping back from negative self-talk.
Mara: Then the Full Buck Moon arrives July 29th. The post traces its names across cultures — Native American, Native Alaskan, Celtic, Anglo Saxon — each name anchored in what the land was doing that month: antler growth, salmon runs, herb harvests, honey.
Pip: That cross-cultural naming is doing something real. It’s a reminder that people everywhere were paying close attention to the same sky, just through different lenses.
Mara: Leo season closes the arc, running July 22nd through August 22nd. The post calls it a time for “radically confident self-expression through the heart chakra” — but also cautions against chasing praise or applause as substitutes for genuine inner authority.
Pip: The whole sequence builds toward that: not outward performance, but grounded presence. The moons are a map, not a stage.
Pip: Spiritual beings, seasonal moons, and the quiet work of not outsourcing your sense of self to the crowd.
Mara: Next time, more from Classroom Mothership Earth — same sky, new questions.
Please enjoy the original post that inspire the podcast version by clicking on the link below:
A magical lion adorned with glowing flowers sleeps peacefully in a mystical forest at night.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Please enjoy the following videos below that capture the sentiment. Perhaps listening to them together in peaceful alignment, will be music to your ears, if you’ll pardon the pun . . .
We Shall Overcome
A Full Strawberry Moon on June 29 reflects lineage connections to the Algonquin and other North American nations who noticed the connection between the wild berry harvest to this Full Moon.
Also, Mercury will be in Retrograde on June 29 – July 23. These energies are in alignment with slowing things down, reflecting on the past, and focusing on the here and now.
Energetically, Mercury in Retrograde is a good time to be mindful of subconscious thoughts, including past programming. These energies can be a healing and highly intuitive time when we work with its energies intensionally.
Moreover, our psychic abilities and dreams can become triggered so that we can tap into deeper insights by working with our subconscious minds in ways where the unseen realms yield useful information to light our way.
A colorful New Moon in Cancer rises in the skies on July 14, 2026. Cancer season continues till July 22nd.
As always, new beginnings are in the air. And specifically, the new waves coming into the shores bring back feeling safe in family matters of the hearth, and other related activities like cooking and gardening.
Crabs are known to weather their emotional fluctuations. Might as well be mindful of co-creating a sense of belonging in the world.
Cancer the Crab is a time when we are encouraged to focus on nourishment, self-care, and our emotional health that breathes in a softer tone that supports reconnecting with ourselves and our hearts. Crabs reflect emotional sensitivity and tapping into the feeling realm.
Remember there is God in forgiveness, and it can be good to get out of our heads; especially when getting seduced into negative self talk narratives.
Or perhaps merely an atheistic appreciation the mysterious forces of Nature are enough to be shelter from the storm.
Looking ahead, a Full Buck Moon will happen on July 29. This Moon gets its name from the Native American observation that male deer antlers began growing in late spring and reach peak growth in July. Many Native Alaskans called this moon the Salmon Moon for its timing with salmon runs.
Whereas in Celtic culture, this moon has been known as the Wyrt (Wort), Mead or Herb Moon because most herbs can withstand harvesting by July. And in Anglo Saxon lineage, this moon was known as the Hay Moon. Bees buzzing out and about reinforce that honey is the elixir of life.
It is important for all humans to remember our shared history. This includes our lineage connections to our indigenous ancestral roots that are part of our planetary history before Colonization. This has impacted everyone and continues to do so.
Of course knowing our spiritual roots connects to that truth as well. Because we all have stardust in our DNA, not to mention oral traditions passed down about our cosmic connections to the Sky People.
Speaking of cosmic connections, a growing body of people are talking about Disclosure these days:
Late July’s full moon cycle amplifies a strong need for emotional freedom that can heighten emotional complexities.
Whether you’re an ET, human or otherwise; the resonate point is that harmonizing with groups can be challenging for everyone till you get into the right vibe, if you’ll pardon the multidimensional pun.
Moreover, Aquarian energies that also constitute July’s full moon cycle can intensify in those of us with strong rebellious streaks, our need to assert ourselves, and can make getting along in groups feel more challenging.
But then again, that’s just part of the human condition.
Speaking of the human condition, fear, anger and jealousy aren’t particularly healthy emotional cravings. And yet, all emotions are fleeting and transient, so we might as well see them as they are; no more or no less.
Besides, the power of community shows that people can be good mirrors for each other to reflect on what triggers us, and can shed light on better understanding of our humanity.
Finally, the tides of Leo season roll in from July 22-August 22. Tis the season to broadcast radically confident self-expression through the heart chakra, and a friendly reminder to nurture our inner child. Leo’s energies encourage movement out of the shadows, and stepping into the light with courage and passion.
Of course dominating the spotlight and always stealing the show can be blinding; as is self-stimulation as a form of meddling into the affairs of others. Besides, it can come across as an arrogant form of defensive pride.
Truly, the 3D realm we live in still carries a strong identification as an outer directed culture. Might as well see this reality as a friendly reminder that we stand in a deeper and higher personal authority when we stop chasing after happiness in the form of “praise, likes, or applause.”
May all Beings awaken to God Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Diversity within Unity, Inner Peace and the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth,
A glowing full moon rises over a peaceful countryside at dusk
Check out this newly created experimental AI Podcast feature that aligns with my writing, compliments of WordPress.
Full Disclosure: Truly, I do take pride in my writing, and have yet to use AI for the written word. However, I have been having fun with playing around with AI for illustrations.
This podcast version of 1 of my more recent writings stars 2 AI created characters named Pip and Mara.
Please enjoy the podcast & transcript below:
Pip: Gemini season, a solstice, a strawberry moon, Mercury going sideways — June is apparently doing a lot.
Mara: This episode covers one post from Ari Joshua Bouse, mapping the celestial events of late June and what they invite us to pay attention to — new moons, seasonal turning points, a full moon with Indigenous roots, and a retrograde worth taking seriously.
Pip: Let’s start with the sky.
A New Moon in Gemini Through Mercury Retrograde
Mara: June opens with a New Moon in Gemini on the fifteenth, and the question this post is really asking is: what does the sky this month want from us, and how do we work with it rather than against it?
Pip: The post frames the Gemini New Moon as a prompt to balance thinking and feeling — and it puts it plainly: “Harmonizing with our heads and hearts helps support effective communication.”
Mara: That’s the throughline for the whole month. The New Moon opens a window for setting intentions, connecting socially, and letting communication projects move more freely. The post specifically names storytelling and sharing topical truths as things that can come to life with greater ease right now.
Pip: Then June 21 arrives carrying two things at once — the Summer Solstice and Father’s Day, a pairing that won’t repeat until 2037.
Mara: The post draws a real contrast there. In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice carries what it calls Grandfather Sun-Yang energy — outward, expansive, growth-oriented. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the longest night, Grandmother Moon-Yin energy, a turning inward.
Pip: The planet literally experiencing opposite seasons at the same moment — that’s the kind of thing that makes the phrase “duality of living on this planet” feel less like a bumper sticker.
Mara: The Full Strawberry Moon follows on June 29. The post traces that name to the Algonquin and other North American nations who connected the wild berry harvest to this moon, and notes that other cultures named it for whatever mattered most to people on the land at midsummer.
Pip: History embedded in a calendar. That’s not nothing.
Mara: June 21 also opens Cancer season, running through July 22. The post frames Cancer as a softer emotional register — nourishment, self-care, reconnecting with feeling. Then Mercury stations retrograde on June 29, lasting through July 23, and the post treats that as a genuine invitation: slow down, reflect, and pay attention to subconscious patterns.
Pip: So the month ends with two overlapping energies asking for the same thing — quiet and inward attention.
Mara: And the psychic and dream life, the post says, can surface real insight during that window if you’re working with it intentionally rather than just waiting for it to pass.
Pip: Which points straight toward how we actually tend our inner lives day to day.
Mara: A month of thresholds — new beginnings, a solstice, ancestral moons, a retrograde. The invitation seems to be: meet each one with some awareness.
Pip: More sky ahead. We’ll see what it asks for next time.
Please enjoy the original post that inspired this new podcast version at the link below:
