AstroloTea

By Etheric Medicina

As we move closer to the initiation of spring in the northern hemisphere, the animals and plants are preparing to awaken from their winter hibernations. Coming out of their cozy slumbers, they open their eyes and petals to a familiar, but new world. The snow melts into the earth, the ice turns to bodies of water, and the sun shines its bright and warm rays of light for a longer amount of time during the day. Even though things might not look dramatically changed from the previous spring season, there will have been an undeniable death and rebirth process that touched every living thing since then. Even if we are unaware of it at first, we humans undergo a very similar cycle through the winter season, and it is important to reflect on what forms our own death and rebirth processes took.

It helps to understand the deeper, spiritual meanings of “winter” when wanting to look into what our own personal winters have offered us. In many indigenous cultures and earth-based spiritual belief systems, winter represents a halt of movement, a period of rest, a phase of deep introspection, and a time of death for some.

Etheric Medicina

Etheric Medicina

It is during the winter season that we experience the shortest days and longest nights, the coldest temperatures, and the quietest moments with the earth. These experiences act as watermarks on our day-to-day lives, creating widely felt themes. Why do you think winter is “cuddle season,” brings up so many challenging internal processes for people, and is generally a time where we want to get cozy and stay indoors? Isn’t it interesting that there are so many of us humans (especially in the western world) that do not recognize this season as a period of rest and rehabilitation, but even the plants and animals surrender to the nature of it?

Before winter officially melts away at the end of March, I invite you into a space of reflection, introspection, and retrospection. The Astrological New Year takes place on March 20th every year, the day of the Spring Equinox. This is a day of awakening, new cycles, and fresh starts. The entryway to warmer and longer days, blooming flowers, chirping birds, and outdoor adventures. In many cultures, the Spring Equinox is an indicator of a rebirth and an initiation into a new way of being. Closing out winter with intentions of renewal that are birthed through the death of the cold and dark is a powerful way to embody what a “new year” can really mean for you. What has this winter taught you, about yourself, your life, your surroundings, your work, your social settings, your driving forces in life? If you choose to look closely, you will uncover common themes and foundations that your winter season has been built on.

Some common denominators that have been showing up in a grand way this winter have been those of spiritual enlightenment, deep personal healing, heightened emotional availability, and sharpened intuition. This is due to what is called a stellium, a large collection of planetary bodies that are located in the same star constellation. We have recently been under the influence of a stellium that is transiting the Pisces constellation. The specific planets and asteroids that are currently located there are focused on resolving old and deep wounds, dissolving illusions, connecting us to truthful reality, creating a powerful connection to our intuition, and bringing large and prosperous rewards and opportunities to us. Now is a wonderful time to start asking yourself some questions to see if you have been taking the universe up on its offers: Have I been choosing to walk a new path lately, or have I been playing into the same patterns and cycles that I always fall into? Have situations and people been reminding me of my old childhood traumas and insecurities recently? Have I been allowing myself to sit with difficult emotions, or am I in a space of avoiding uncomfortable feelings and potentially even trying to numb them? Have I been following my intuitions and gut feelings? Do I even know what my intuition looks/feels like? In what areas of my life have I been living in the illusion or fantasy of something instead of the truth of how it is showing up?

This last question is especially important and one of the heaviest foundational energies of this Astrological phase. Sometimes it can be easier for us to ignore reality and create a story to exist in that feels nicer to experience. This can look like putting on rose-colored glasses (or even shit-stained ones) and being a bit dishonest with ourselves about what is going on around us. We can do this for many reasons; not wanting to judge others, justifying staying in a job or relationship, trying to see the best in people, avoiding emotional pain, being afraid of making big foundational changes, not knowing how to cope with difficult truths, seeing what someone or something “could be” and not wanting to give up on that, etc. In this space, we are disconnecting from reality and trapping ourselves in a paradigm that is not reflective of reality. This can cause a lot of harm and act as a form of self-sabotage but when we choose to see things and people for what they actually are in the present moment, we can make healthier, more empowering decisions for ourselves.

So, I encourage you to take advantage of our last weeks of winter. Rest if you haven’t. Get warm and cozy if you’ve been powering through it and making yourself work hard. Reflect on what pieces of your life can wither away with this last freeze. Decide what plants you want being reborn, or what new seeds you want to plant come springtime. Get clear on which parts of your life are enriching, supportive, healthy, and aligned for you, and which parts are actually not the most beneficial. Set yourself up for a blossoming spring that only grows the flowers, trees, and crop that you truly want to exist in your beautiful garden.

Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine - Issue 43

This article was originally published in the 2023 Winter Issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.