A morning practice can elevate your parenting. Here’s one based on your Moon Sign.
Because the Moon rules our intuition, inner compass, and emotions, and because mothers of children with complex and challenging behavior often crave big time support to create calm in their days and confidence in their parenting, I've written a guide to creating a Morning Practice based on your Moon Sign. It’s for any mama who longs to experience greater peace, ease, and satisfaction in her day.
The Moon isn’t just a big, beautiful light in the night sky.
It’s the celestial body that stirs us to tune into our inner landscape (our emotions and emotional needs)— when we actually slow down long enough to listen.
As you’re likely aware, the Moon moves through various phases, expressing qualities that affect everything from the ocean's tides to women's menstrual cycles to our emotions.
La Luna expresses a unique rhythm based on her particular phase (New, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Full, etc.) as well as the zodiac sign in which she's beaming.
The energy of the Aries moon, ruled by Mars, is dynamic and enterprising.
The energy of the Taurus moon, ruled by Venus, is stable and determined.
The energy of the Gemini moon, ruled by Mercury, is airy and connecting.
The energy of the Cancer moon, ruled by the Moon, is protective and empathic.
The energy of the Leo moon, ruled by the Sun, is dynamic and fun-loving.
The energy of the Virgo moon, ruled by Mercury, is industrious and conscientious.
The energy of the Libra moon, ruled by Venus, is harmonizing and idealistic.
The energy of the Scorpio moon, ruled by Pluto, is powerful and perceptive.
The energy of the Sagittarius moon, ruled by Jupiter, is freedom-seeking and adventurous.
The energy of the Capricorn moon, ruled by Saturn, is practical and responsible.
The energy of the Aquarius moon, ruled by Uranus, is humanitarian and idealistic.
The energy of the Pisces moon, ruled by Neptune, is dreamy and empathic.
ARIES
Ruled by Mars (the ancient god of war, conflict, and tension) and ruling the head, brain, and eyes, Aries is the queen of doing, doing it first, and doing it now! Yet an over abundance of this masculine energy, not balanced with feminine energy, keeps us in patterns of emotional reactivity and losing it with our children, especially for my fellow Fire moons! Hello Aries Moons! I so see you! I am you! Mars can call us to war with ourselves if we're not careful.
Lunar Arians have an aura of childlike innocence that needs to be expressed— and a whoooole lot of energy that needs to be moved. Whether it's dancing, speed walking on the beach, kettle-belling, or stair climbing, move your body in a way that gets your heart rate up! An Aries Moon is naturally beaming with vitality, but a lifetime of self-abandonment dulls that shine. I highly recommend moving your body in a way that makes you feel sexy, opened up, and alive! Some mornings, you might choose to move the way you did as a child or in a way you deeply desired to move as a child, but weren't allowed to. Essentially, get your heart rate up in a way that feels GOOD to you. If you're resisting, remember you'll soon be enjoying the flood of endorphins that shall kicketh in!
Guidance
Get intentional. Not all motion is created equal. Drop out of your head about doing it "right" and drop into your body. Then let it guide you to the movement that will support your pleasure for the next 10 minutes or more. Do what feels supportive, sexy, freeing, or just plain fun! If time is short, a dance party to one song can be just the thing. Try Unstoppable by Sia. You can be a Porsche with no brakes and that's not always a good thing.
If your Sacral center is defined (human design), deeeefinitely move your body and do it daily. Your creative and higher self (the one you need to enlist to end the cycle of emotional reactivity to your child's behavior) is ignited when you're expending all that yummy life force energy.
Roll those hips, shake that ass, and dance, or step, or jump. Dance, I said!
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
TAURUS: Connect with Your Desired Feelings through Your Five Senses
Ruled by Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, connecting with pleasure isn't as challenging for Taurus as it is for the other signs. Yet if you're in burnout, you're out of balance. The scales are tipping heavily to the side of responsibilities and commitments to everything but your needs, desires, and pleasure. It's time to start guiding yourself out of burnout and here's how you accomplish that.
Guidance
Get intentional about your pleasure by asking yourself these or similar questions:
What or how do I most desire to feel? Grounded? Centered? Sexy? Abundant? Successful? Free? Supported? See pg. 23 for a longer list of possible desired feelings. Choose 2-3 to focus on cultivating in the next 21 days.
What will I choose to look at, taste, touch, smell, and/or listen to in order to foster these feelings?
What new habit(s), that foster these feelings, am I determined to create to meet my physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual needs?
Each time you find yourself in a loop of abandoning your own needs and desires, come back to this question— "What or how do I most desire to feel?". . . then go about connecting with those feelings through your one or more of your five senses.
Linger in the shower or bath for a few extra minutes, enjoying the crap out of your loofah or body scrub, feeling those desired feelings in your body. Sip your hot tea or coffee or water while you slowly and intentionally bring those desired feelings into the moment and into your body. Speak to yourself in your primary love language and listen deeply. Do what Venus would do— create space for a little more beauty and a little more love in your morning.
A Little Extra (Taurus loves a little extra)
Taurus rules the throat, neck, and vocal cords. What have you been holding back that needs to be expressed?
Feels good to give yourself all that love, right? Feeling good begets feeling good. Collect enough of these feel good days and before we know it— burnout is poof, gone.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
GEMINI: BRAIN DUMP
Ruled by Mercury, the planet of intelligence, Gemini rules the mind, intellect, and reason. As a mutable (versatile, flexible, scattered, restless, fickle) air sign (intellectual, curious, mental, overthinking, overanalyzing), a Gemini Moon can be quite entertaining, witty, and vibrant, dazzling others with their winsome ways. A Gemini Moon in burnout can be charming, yes. She can also be disorganized, superficial, discontent, and high-strung; thinking her way into overwhelm. If you've found yourself in burnout (frequent headaches or other dis-ease, physical fatigue, persistent sadness, & lingering anxiety are four signs), gift yourself the following.
Guidance
Grab a piece of paper, set a timer for about 20 minutes, and dump all the contents of your mentally-over?-active noggin. Anything and everything you've been thinking about, mulling over, worried about, stressing over— dump it. Anything from the past and most especially anything out there in the future that you're spinning about— write it down. Your invisible to-do list, appointments you need to make, events you might want to attend, big projects you're thinking of tackling (painting the house, organizing/ de-cluttering, taxes, ugh taxes, paper/mail, launches, all of it). Quick story: I received a notice from the IRS last week. I could have left it unopened, and worried for days or weeks it would be a bill for $3000, but instead, I opened it right away, and guess what? A bill for $15. Woot!!
After you've written it all out, burn it. Ok if that thought freaks you out, consider this alternative: highlight or circle the three things you want to give your time and attention to, transfer those to another piece of paper, then burn the first piece. That act of burning the paper can bring a feeling of closure— an energetic end to mental overwhelm, even if brief. And who doesn't love a beautiful flame? If fire isn't your thing, shred it, or tear it up. Simply bid an energetic buh-bye to all that extra thinking, planning to plan, and trying to remember to remember.
After the burn, pick up your planner and choose the 1, 2, or 3 things you'd like to focus on for the rest of this week or month. Make sure your pleasure is one of those 3, mmk?
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
CANCER: “INDULGE”
Ruled by La Luna herself, Cancer is a cardinal water sign, representing home, the mother, comfort, security, and nourishment. Ruled by the Moon, she is the nurturer and protector to all the other signs, to her children, the neighbors' children, her child's entire soccer team, and beyond. And because I love you, I have to tell you— your nurturing can easily lead to self-sacrifice and self-abandonment which can quickly turn into martyrdom and burnout.
You are the consummate Mother, yet you're reluctant to turn those nurturing impulses inward. This is why I wrote "indulge". I've been speaking to myself in my primary love languages and "indulging" in other self-love practices for so may years now, doing something for me and only me is now routine, and not at all an indulgence. But for a Cancer Moon, doing something purely and solely for your nourishment and pleasure might feel like a massive indulgence rather than a requirement. Cancer rules the breast, chest, and stomach and a Cancer Moon is more inclined to eat her feelings and bury her needs rather than "burdening" someone by expressing them.
Guidance
Do something extra special and totally out of the ordinary, for you and only you. Read a book purely for pleasure. Do that face mask you've been putting off for forever. Make a reservation for one for afternoon tea. Order that subscription box you've been thinking about for so many Moons.
And because some of the above ideas might be a bit more extensive than what you'd fit into a daily practice, DO "indulge" in a simpler practice that you can carry out every single morning, like reframing your time spent in the shower from a practical necessity to a sensory experience, or changing your habit of immediately stopping what you're doing for yourself to tend to someone else's needs just because they seem to need you right now.
Feels good to give yourself what you need first thing in the morning, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
LEO: SUpportive self-talk
Ruled by the Sun, Leo is the life of the party. Yet behind closed doors, you can struggle with insecurity and low self-confidence. Leo rules the heart, spine, and upper back. Your literal (and energetic) heart will feel the support of a daily practice of speaking to yourself with words of unconditional love, self-acceptance, and self-love. And of course, this practice will bolster your self-confidence.
I LOVE I AM affirmations. Some of my favorites to inspire you:
I am fully-expressed.
I am wildly successful.
I am so proud of myself.
I am supported at all times.
Others:
I get to choose.
I get to be me.
Creating a consistent Morning Practice is a priceless gift of self-love and you deserve that kindness.
Guidance (with a bonus practice)
Create a playlist of uplifting, playful, truth-about-me songs that will serve to inspire more supportive self-talk as well as to get your booty shaking. Dance is a great morning practice for Leo. My Aries Moon had to jump on it and create a playlist for you, mmmm us: Hear Me Roar. If your taste in music is completely different, chuck it and choose songs that lift you into your naturally playful and energetic state.
Feels good to love yourself through expressing yourself with love and kindness, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
VIRGO: CLEANSE
Ruled by intellectual Mercury, Virgo Moons tend toward holding it all in, both literally and figuratively. Have you ever wondered why you might experience frequent bouts of constipation? Do you have a hard time expressing your emotions? These often go hand in hand. Virgo rules over the digestive system, spleen, and intestines. Cleanses are for the mind, body, and spirit, not just the bowels. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Guidance
Start every morning with a glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon. If you don't mind the taste, add a teaspoon or more of apple cider vinegar. A gentle, physical cleanse is as simple as that. Sip your water slowly as you consider feelings you've been holding onto; emotions you've not expressed to your partner, spouse, parent, child, friend, co-worker or someone else. Grab your planner (of course Virgo Moons have a planner) and schedule in a time you'll contact that person to share those feelings you've been holding onto. If speaking to that person isn't an option, grab your journal and write them a letter. Release those pent-up feelings, say what needs to be said to release (cleanse) the gunk from your energetic and physical body.
Feels good to let it all go, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
LIBRA: YOGA OR PILATES
You gorgeous, harmony lovers crave balance. What better way to create that, as well as get out of your heads for a good 10-60 minutes, than to practice yoga or pilates? Even if "all" you do is sit in your favorite pose for one minute and breathe--- your body, mind, and soul with Love you for it.
Ruled by Venus, Libra loves all things beautiful and balanced. Libra rules the skin, kidneys, lower back and buttocks, so plant that booty on the mat and release all that unneeded tension stored in your body.
Guidance
I'm not a yoga teacher, but I've experienced quite a fun and good one on YouTube. Here are some of my favorite Yoga with Adriene vids:
Moon Practice Yoga. It's 15 minutes short and perfect for anyone under stress. Hello, moms are under stress.
Head & Heart Reset. Truly a practice of Self-love. Venus would be pleased.
Yoga for Anxiety Series. Yep, she has an entire series on yoga for anxiety (15 videos). As do all the air signs, Libra tends toward being up in their heads and experiencing anxiety. Truly enjoy these moments of decompressing.
Feels good to create balance in your mind and body, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
SCORPIO: JOURNAL
I lovingly refer to Scorpio as the deepest of the deep feelers. You, my dear, experience waves of emotion unlike almost any other sign. You're likely to have intense responses to your own emotions and journaling can support you in processing those feelings. Ruling the sexual organs and reproductive system, Scorpio's themes are death and rebirth, as well as transformation. There's no playing in the shallow end with you and your journal can be an outlet for your depths of emotion.
Ruled by Pluto, the planet of rebirth, self-analysis, and deep and intense interests, you're more than comfortable with taboo and the shadow side of life.
Guidance
Take some time to journal on the themes of Scorpio: vulnerability, power, secrets, hidden pain, death, and rebirth. Write about your deepest, darkest wants, needs, and desires and express radical self-acceptance of All of you-- the Freak and the Phoenix.
Immerse yourself in self-compassion as you write. Remind yourself that your inner child is always safe, protected, and loved.
This one's deep, so do a few things to support a pleasurable time in your journal. Make a cup of hot tea or coffee if your favorite mug. Diffuse your favorite essential oil. Throw on your coziest robe.
Feels good, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
Sagittarius: EXPLORE/EXPAND THROUGH READING
Lovers of adventure, exploration, and higher learning, Moon in Sagittarius, expanding your physical horizons might not be possible every morning, but expanding your mind sure is. Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck, philosophy, and prosperity, quench your thirst for learning and exploration in the pages of a book or blog.
Guidance
This one's easy. Choose a book and read a little, or a lot, every morning. Here are 22 Books That Expand Your Mind and Change the Way You Live,
and 50 Must-read Top Travel Blogs for the Experienced Adventurers and Aspiring Travelers.
A little extra:
Sagittarius rules the hips, thighs, and liver. Always on the go and down for a great party, take care of those hips with gentle stretching and your liver with a fresh glass of lemon water every morning.
Feels good to give yourself the gift of exploration, right? Feeling good is the point, my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
CAPRICORN: Self-nurture
If any sign is the responsible worker bee, it's Capricorn.
You are the consummate pragmatist, working diligently to maximize results and expand your material resources. You've been the dutiful one for as long as you can remember, so it's time to nurture other sides of you, if you're not already.
Guidance
Drop the urge to be responsible, just for a little while each morning. Slowly sip a cup of hot tea, self-pleasure, or sink into silence for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Resist the urge to start doing something other than dropping into something that feels good.
Ruling the skeletal system and joints, let yourself be supported rather than needing to be the one to support everything and everyone. Lay down in bed, on the floor, or in the tub (filled with warm water, of course) and visualize the support of Mother Earth. Let yourself feel uplifted by God (Universe, angels, ....) and guided into a space where all your needs are met without you needing to work at it.
Feels good to let go of doing, doesn't it? If it feels wrong or way outside of your comfort zone, that's only because it's foreign to you in this moment. Titrate in pleasure a little every day and feel the shift in what your body registers as good, comfortable, safe, and ok.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
AQUARIUS: START A REVOLUTION
Ruled by Uranus, the planet of originality, intellect, and special spiritual gifts, Moon in Aquarius, you are the rebel with a cosmic cause. You are the humanitarian; the one bridging heaven and earth to bring new systems to the planet. And we all thank you!
Aquarius is built for revolution (the benevolent kind), so you probably didn't chuckle when you read "Start a Revolution". You're down for it, right?
Yet, what I mean is a Revolution of One; an examination of and revolt against any patterns or practices you've been conditioned to accept as yours, but are totally not.
Guidance
You're frequently the most misunderstood of the signs, so take time every morning to choose what is absolutely true for you (wants, needs, and desires) and express radical self-acceptance of All of you-- the Freak, the Genius, and the Revolutionary. Do this in your journal by writing on the themes of Aquarius and Uranus which are: individuality, idealism, revolution, the supernatural, nervous breakdowns, and creative imagination. Choose what you decide to accept as yours and release the rest.
Extra
Ruling the ankles and circulatory system, share your "out-there" musings with a trusted friend to foster acceptance, release nervousness and remove "waste" held onto by bottling up your thoughts and feelings, and judging them harshly.
Feels good to let yourself be yourself, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear
PISCES: self-affirm
Because you "fishies" tend toward soaking up everyone else's stuff, you tend toward taking on beliefs that aren't yours.
Choose what YOU wish to affirm about yourself and then align yourself with it. Alignment is about setting your intentions/attention on and taking actions in line with whom you've affirmed to be, especially when you don't feel like it.
Guidance
I AM statements are incredibly powerful shifters of energy and I highly recommend them. Here are a few ideas to get your juices flowing:
I am connected to my power.
I am free to make choices that feel right for me.
I am strong in my vulnerability.
I am grounded in my truth and express it freely.
I am committed to my values and goals. Nothing will stop me.
Extra
Pisces rules the feet, toes, and lymphatic system. Start each morning with a fresh glass of water and then do one of more of these: soak or massage your feet, set your feet on the ground, use grounding essential oils like Vetiver, do some DIY lymphatic massage, or dance.
Feels good to ground, right? Feeling good is the point my dear.
Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.
-James Clear