An End-of-Summer Pause for Rest & Reflection 🌞
Volume 3, Issue 15
August 9, 2025
Full Moon in Aquarius 🌕 ♒
Sun in Leo 🌞 ♌
Full Moon Greetings, dear Friends❣️
First, I want to thank you for being here, for reading, for showing up, and for sharing this space with me. Your presence means more than I can say. Whether you’ve been here from the very beginning or just found your way into this little corner of the internet, you are part of what makes writing and sharing worthwhile.
Where has this year gone already? I’m finding it hard to grapple with the realization that it’s August and that 2025 is moving at a pace beyond comprehension. I think my brain and nervous system are still stuck back in January, trying to process the reality of a second Trump administration. My stress levels are hard to ignore, and I’m feeling a deep exhaustion.
This post is a patchwork of thoughts, feelings, and experiences percolating in the heat of Leo season. I’m tired, and I need a little break from some of my current demands, so I plan to take the rest of the month off from Substack and my meditation offerings.
Here’s what’s been on my mind:
- A speaking invitation that both humbles and terrifies me. I’ve been asked to share the story of our daughter Sierra’s organ donation at Lifebanc’s annual donor memorial service in October. I’ll have 15 minutes to speak to an audience of 400 donor families — people who, like us, have had a loved one give the gift of life after death. I’ll spend the rest of this month gathering my thoughts and writing the speech so I can share it with the Lifebanc bereavement team beforehand. This is an honor I could not turn down.
- Sierra’s 30th birthday. Our late daughter’s birthday is August 25, and this year she would have been celebrating her milestone 30th birthday. We have established a tradition of watching the sunset over Lake Erie at Edgewater Beach, a place where Sierra loved to spend her special day with friends. This year, I hope to spend more time at the beach, soaking in her vibrant spirit and energy through the water, sand, and sunset.
- Considering changes to my rhythms. Part of me wants to restructure my routines and adjust my creative output. Another part wants to crawl into bed for the rest of the month. My goal is to have more energy when my son comes home for a two-week visit later this month. I’ve found that creating in tune with the moon’s cycles keeps me grounded, so that rhythm will likely remain.
- A literal pain in the ass… and what it’s teaching me. I’ve started physical therapy for SI joint misalignment that’s irritating my sciatic nerve. Sitting aggravates it, so I’m setting up standing desks at home and at work. Still, I can’t help but wonder if this is also a metaphorical push to “get off my ass” and move forward in life with something that hasn’t revealed itself yet.
- Walking as medicine. Walking offers relief for my pain and so much more. It keeps my body supple, my mind fresh, and my spirit connected to the beauty all around me. Each step feels like a small act of forward momentum, both physically and emotionally.
- The tightening grip of finances. Like so many people, we’re feeling the squeeze of the rising costs of utilities, taxes, insurance, groceries — all climbing with no relief in sight. We’ve cut our budget to the bone, and while we have two full-time incomes, it’s still a stretch. If we are feeling it this deeply, I can only imagine how many others are struggling far more.
- Nature as balm. While travel isn’t on the horizon, we’ve finally been able to get our kayaks back in the water after Bob’s surgery. Exploring the waterways near home has been a reminder that peace and beauty don’t always require a plane ticket.
The planet Mars just moved into Libra and has me questioning how I spend my time — working, playing, resting, and whether I’m striking a healthy balance. I want my offerings to feel resonant, accessible, and in true alignment with my heart and the collective heart. Growth, whether in gardens or in creative work, requires care, flexibility, and the courage to adapt. Too much rigidity can lead to stagnation, and I’m trying to keep things fluid.
This quote by astrologer Lorna Bevan in this week’s astrological forecast on Substack resonates. “By shifting your attention from what you can’t do, can’t get, can’t make happen to giving up the struggle and allowing yourself to stop, rest, and wait with no expectations, the third way will emerge.” Read the full post by clicking here.
So, I’m taking an end-of-summer pause, just as I did last year. This will give me time to reset, to focus on crafting my talk for the Lifebanc Donor Memorial Service, and to savor the last warm weeks of the season, including time with my son when he visits.
This week is filled with live music, which serves as a balm for my weary body and soul. On Thursday, we had Wilco performing at Cain Park, right in my neighborhood. Tonight, the amazing Elim Chan will conduct The Cleveland Orchestra as they perform Mahler’s Titan (First Symphony). Next week, Cain Park will host The String Cheese Incident and Moe. Although this is more activity than I usually enjoy in a week, live music reenergizes and inspires me, allowing me to feel joy and share in a collective experience of music and happiness.
May the coming weeks bring you moments of stillness, clarity, and joy in the simple things. May you find rest when you need it, courage when you seek it, and beauty in the spaces between. May the turning of the seasons remind you — and all of us — that pause is a vital part of growth.
Until we meet again next month.
With gratitude and warmth,
Jennifer 💫💖💫
Two-Minute Mindfulness: Pause & Reset 🌻
Get comfortable
Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Let your spine lengthen naturally and your shoulders soften. Close your eyes if you wish.
Arrive with Your Breath
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold gently for a count of 2.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of 6.
Repeat for three cycles, letting each breath feel like a gentle release.
Notice What’s Here
Without judgment, scan your body from head to toe. Where do you feel tiredness, tension, or tightness? Where do you feel ease?
Simply observe.
Anchor in the Present
Imagine roots extending from your feet or the base of your spine into the earth, steadying you. Feel the support beneath you.
Set a Gentle Intention
Silently say to yourself: I give myself permission to pause. I trust that rest is part of my growth.
Return
Take one more deep breath in, feeling gratitude for this moment.
Exhale fully, slowly opening your eyes and carrying this grounded presence into whatever comes next.
The Planets🪐
- Full moon in Aquarius on August 9, 2025 🌕 ♒
- Mercury retrograde in Leo ♌ stations direct ➡️ on August 11, 2025
- Waning half-moon in Taurus on August 16, 2025 🌗 ♉
- The Sun in Leo moves into Virgo on August 22, 2025 ♌ ➡️ ♍
- New moon in Virgo on August 23, 2025 🌚 ♍
- Venus in Cancer moves into Leo on August 25, 2025 ♋ ➡️ ♌
🌄 Sunrise today in Cleveland is at 6:29 am
🌇 Sunset today in Cleveland at 8:33 pm
Full Moon in Aquarius Affirmations: Under this Aquarius moon, I honor my need for rest and renewal. I trust that pausing is not falling behind, but aligning with my own true rhythm. I release the pressure to have it all figured out and welcome clarity to arrive in its own time. I choose community, authenticity, and spaciousness over hustle, knowing that what is meant for me will meet me where I am.
Current Offerings – Planet Prana Meditation Space 🌿
🎧 Guided Meditation Practice Library on YouTube
Explore a growing private on-demand library of guided meditations designed to nourish your well-being. You’ll find short, supportive practices for grounding, presence, embodied awareness, relaxation, and seasonal practices as well. Plus, a brand-new Midweek Mindfulness Break is added every week to help you reset and recharge.
Your subscription also includes full access to my signature course, Meditation Demystified—a step-by-step introduction to building a practice that works for you, whether you’re brand new or returning to the cushion.
Subscribe monthly, semi-annually, or annually—flexible options to meet you where you are.
Not ready to commit? No pressure—head over to my YouTube channel to enjoy a generous selection of free practices and get a feel for what’s inside. 💛
Become a paid Subscriber to the Tides of Being Lunar Almanac Newsletter❤️🔥
Please consider subscribing to this work at a rate of $55 per year. This will demonstrate our belief as creatives that artists and writers can and should earn a living wage and show the world that we value their contributions.
