Hello Friends:

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” -Anne Lamott.

I'll add that they should not be what Anne calls "beggy" prayers with a god playing the role of Santa. Courage shows up differently for each of us, but it often appears when we least expect it, disguised as necessity or opportunity.

I left home at the age of 16 and moved into a tiny apartment in a white Victorian house in historic Old Wethersfield, Connecticut. After school, I worked at Comstock, Ferre & Co., the oldest seed company in North America making dried flower wreaths and arrangements and teaching classes in the attic of the main front building.

When I interviewed for the job, I assured the hiring manager that I knew how to do floral design, touting my family’s import and export enterprise in the Philippines and throughout the U.S. I think at age 7 I would assemble and play the paper snakes at the entrance of our store in the Seattle Center. I made $.01 for each one I sold. It had nothing to do with flowers. After the interview, I went to the library and learned about the flowers I saw in the store and how to do basic floral design.

That courage to say "yes" and figure it out later would become a pattern in my life.

I got the job and not only did I make arrangements that would sell quickly, but I also packaged herbs, made handmade bows, worked in the Christmas Attic, lectured at garden clubs and tree conferences, and went to learn from Adelma Simmons, the local witch in Coventry, CT, who owned the world-renowned Caprilands Herb Farm. Her Christmas event in the barn sold out every year and we would cook and decorate with clove pomander balls and fresh evergreen wreaths for an experience that was magical and unforgettable. She would sign her books in the library on her Celtic wooden throne wearing her felt green elf hat and cape.

Back then I made $110 a week working after school and my rent was $300 a month. My triple Capricorn and stellium in Virgo made me exceptionally practical and frugal. I made my own gifts, including quilts from salvaged fabrics, themed presents from flea market finds, and baked goods like banana bread that revived overripe bananas.

Kelly, the hiring manager at Comstock and I eventually started a business together, selling dried wreaths and arrangements to Crabtree & Evelyn, and other retail stores. It was 1984 and my creativity kept me alive, in school, and constantly learning.

I mention this bit of history because astrology is about cycles, patterns, and timing. Less of a circle and more like a spiral in my opinion. Revisiting old events, but hopefully we’ve grown and changed so that the events are handled in a new way.

Co-creating those visceral, sensory, life-changing experiences, relational selling, and finding resources, would inform hosting my global yoga retreats, gastronomic tours, and monthly lunation ceremonies.

My courage now shows up in the startup world and in brand strategy, diving in even if I have no idea how to do something. I trust that I’ll figure it out or find the experts. Columnist Ann Landers said, “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.” Such a Capricorn vibe.

Courage is what’s needed right now. “Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide.” - Donald Woods Winnicott. Please don’t hide.

Astrologically Speaking

2025 marks a significant shift as Pluto settles into Aquarius (an air sign) while Saturn and Neptune move into Aries (a fire sign) and Uranus enters Gemini (another air sign). This combines innovative thinking (air) with bold action (fire). They are all at/near the anoretic degree—29, which means complete endings, but also a time of “void.” So feeling like we have no idea what to do or where to move or when to go is normal.

This follows a major transition that began in 2023 when Pluto first crossed into Aquarius. All of us Capricorns cheered with relief because Pluto had been doing a transformative number on us for the past 16 years. For context, in 2020, we entered a new 200-year cycle where Jupiter (expansion) and Saturn (contraction) meet in air signs—think of this like switching from one long chapter of history to another, where themes of communication, technology, and social connection become especially prominent.

Having both Uranus (revolution) and Pluto (transformation) in air signs is a kind of initiation into what astrologers call the new "Air-a," a period where big ideas and new ways of thinking could lead to dramatic changes in how we live and work together. I wrote about my experience with flights of fancy and a stare-down with a hawk on my porch. Birds of prey remind me of air and fire. Plane catastrophes, Eagles winning against fiery Chiefs, AI consuming our attention, fires in L.A…

The meetup of Saturn and Neptune in fiery Aries in 2025 adds another layer—while the air signs bring fresh ideas and perspectives, this fire energy is seen as a catalyst for actually putting those ideas into action. It's like having both the strategy (air) and the spark to build it (fire).

Art as Revolution

We're seeing this air-and-fire energy play out in fascinating ways. The fact that Kendrick Lamar, an award-winning music artist (including a Pulitzer Prize for Music) was able to deliver a performance that called out pedophilia and the president in front of millions, speaks to expressions of creativity as revolution. There are many saying they “didn’t get it,” but even conspiracy theorists make an effort for subjects they’re interested in.

And Kind Academy is offering this for free:
“Engage your students with this powerful FREE lesson plan and worksheet using Kendrick Lamar’s iconic halftime performance to teach figurative language, symbolism, and critical thinking! Designed for students ages 10 and up, this resource encourages meaningful discussions about music, social commentary, and literary devices in a format they can connect with.”

When was the last time a lesson plan was available to study a controversial halftime show?

The bigger question is both astrological and practical: As we face the need to reimagine and rebuild various aspects of our world, will we move beyond just thinking about new possibilities to actively creating them?

Despite the fact that Mars debilitated in Cancer has been retrograde for weeks, leaving us with ambivalence in our actions, other factors are at play. Making decisions and taking action from an unsure or fearful place are never advisable.

Here is another reason for the feeling of uneasy change in the air. So many outer planets (affecting the Collective) are changing signs this year—sometimes going back and forth! Astrologer Georgia Stathis points to the “void,” when a planet is making its last Ptolemaic aspect. “Transit Neptune stationed retrograde at 29 Pisces 55’ on July 2, 2024. It FEELS like it is void until the first ingress to 00 Aries on March 30, 2025. Then it’s at 29 degrees again! October 23, 2025 - January 26, 2026.” Neptune is also on the fixed star Scheat at this 29 degree, and as the name sounds, it implies catastrophes, shipwrecks, crashes, misfortune and disasters. But it can also mean “freedom from bondage” helping to release things.

This is why we are feeling in the fog but still wanting to take action. The advice is to use this time for “subjective, spiritual, non-material concerns.” This reminds me of our current Pisces/Virgo nodal axis for the next 18 months. Spiritual flow vs. control, perfection.

Depending on where all of these planets are placed in your chart is where you’ll experience these energies the most. Knowing will help you make the best use of this time.

The astrological patterns of 2025 mirror what many of us already know in our bones: we're built for evolution. Whether it's through artistic expression, technological innovation, or social revolution, we're being called to harness both the visionary power of air and the purifying forces of fire. The fog of Neptune's void period isn't a barrier—it's an invitation to trust our intuition as we step into this new Air-a. After all, courage isn't about having all the answers; it's about setting our intentions or saying our prayers and taking that first bold step anyway. The sky suggests we're entering a time of profound change, but our human history proves we were built precisely for such moments.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” -Rumi

The Healing Power of Story

Entrepreneur, astronomer, and literature scholar, Joi Chevalier and I are co-hosting a stargazing and storytelling event in the Dark Sky city of Wimberley, TX. Titled “Tea, Tales, and a Telescope: Myth as Medicine,” and takes place on Friday evening, February 28, 2025 from 5-9 p.m. with an overnight option. In this intimate gathering, we'll share ancient wisdom and modern science, discovering how the stories written in the stars have guided travelers, seekers, and dreamers throughout human history. Learn to read the night sky like a book, understanding both its scientific mysteries and mythological significance.

We know there are only bunk beds left for the overnight option, but if you like the people you're going with, it's a nice option. We can also see about other rooms that might be available last-minute in the other houses on the property. Please share our event with anyone that could really benefit. This is our effort of activism: to return fear back to wonder.

Purchase tickets at Ritual Resonance. I'll talk about different aspects of story, which give us morals, virtue, and values in context to culture here so I'm not inundating your inbox. I'm struggling with participating in social media until I can figure out a way to completely delete it or make peace with it.

Things That Make Me Smarter

• Krista Tippet, On Being’s article about “The News That Is ‘Breaking’ Is Never Seeing Things Whole: On deep truth, deep time, and the world ahead” is incredibly insightful and reassuring.
• Many of you know Rich Roll's podcasts, but re-listening to the episode with David Goggins (fire) helped me back into perspective.
• Although I'm devouring pastry and fish and chips as my go-to comforting eating, this recipe for Creamy Mushroom Soup is also comforting and satisfying.
• Speaking of delicious food, The Cook's Nook is hosting A Texas Table: A Feast for a Cause on February 25, 2025 at Lenoir. Proceeds benefit: Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas (AAAHCT) and Austin Youth River Watch (AYRW).
• Come reset and renew every Sunday at The Yoga Common for Kripalu Gentle Yoga & Sound Meditation at 6 p.m.
• Here's my Substack of personal writing if you'd like to subscribe.

Lastly, I wanted to celebrate this. My son Gabe works really hard with a lot of strategy, focus, and resourcefulness--this will be quite the learning experience. Thank you to those who put the word out to find affordable housing for him this summer. He's found a great place in Park Slope, just a few stops from the financial district in NYC.

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Thank you for reading and your support of my work.

With so much love and gratitude,

Monica