Returning To Your Roots
Bloom Letter - Week of July 13th
Hello beautiful souls ♥︎
This week, the cosmic energy is asking us to come home to ourselves, to return to our roots and how we nurture ourselves. On Tuesday, the New Moon will be in Cancer, its home sign, conjunct a Mercury retrograde that’s less about “let’s set a new intention” and more about “return to one you have already planted”. So, the thread of this week’s Bloom Letter is going back to what’s already rooted in you — remembering — rather than beginning something completely anew.
A Little Magick From My Life
My Dad came to visit me on the island this week. It was his first time here since I moved out here almost two years ago. I had the chance to show him a couple of my favourite spots, where I keep my horse, and where I work. We also cruised around a bit in the Jeep, mostly along the coast, so that he could take in the ocean views.
It was nice to host him for a visit, as I don’t get many visitors to my home. We played crib, I cooked food, and we spent time sitting in the warm sunshine drinking coffee in my backyard. It was a lovely time, and it was wonderful to show him my life out here: the new roots I’ve been putting down.
I didn’t expect this visit to feel so grounding, but having company over forced me to slow down and actually relax. With no set plans and being out of my ordinary routines, this time encouraged me to reflect and remember why I moved out here: for a slower lifestyle — “island time”. To connect more with nature and live a simpler, yet more fulfilling, life.
Not only was I able to show my Dad the new roots I’ve been planting, but we also revisited our own roots and where we come from, reminiscing about old stories and family. Quite a serendipitous time for him to come out.
Messages From The Mat
This week in our yoga class, we sat with Sankalpa — the practice of setting a heartfelt intention or vow. Not a goal to attain, but a higher truth to remember. San means connection with a higher truth, and kalpa means vow or commitment. Sankalpa is a vow or commitment to a higher truth.
This vow must be a positive phrase stated in the present tense, as if it’s already happened. Examples would be “I am at peace” and “I feel grounded”.
It is more than an affirmation; it is an alignment with your highest truth.
Lately, my sankalpa has been “Everything is working out in my favour.” I’ve been through some challenging situations recently, and this is my vow that I know there is a higher purpose for them. It keeps me grounded and rooted in my faith.
Grounded Goodness
Something that has been grounding me and nourishing me in the kitchen lately is beef tallow. And it is soooo good. Plus, it provides vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as choline. Beef tallow is purified, rendered beef fat, usually from the fat around the kidneys and loins, and it has a lovely, rich aroma and flavour.
It is a good alternative to cooking oils because it can be heated at high temperatures without becoming toxic to the body, generally around 400°F. You can use it for frying, searing, baking, roasting, and even to pop popcorn!
The one I am currently using is WhoaNelly’s, a Canadian beef tallow brand. Their cattle are pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed and finished, and free from GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. It is also gluten-free and wheat-free! The cattle are raised in Alberta, and the tallow is produced in British Columbia…so for me, it’s a pretty local product!
(This is not a paid ad! Haha.)
What I’m Loving Right Now
Aside from the beef tallow, of course, I’m loving my new hibiscus plant! It’s so pretty, and this weekend, two flowers bloomed.
I had been wanting a hibiscus plant for a while, since hibiscus is one of my favourite flowers. I finally bought one about a month ago, and in the time I have had it, it has bloomed four flowers. Every time one opens up, it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and vibrant the colours are.
Before buying the hibiscus plant, I didn’t know that the flowers only bloom for one day! It really makes you realize how special one day can be, and to live that day to the fullest.
Moon Medicine
Tuesday’s New Moon in Cancer, conjunct Mercury retrograde, is asking us to return to a sankalpa or intention. It’s not a moon for setting a whole new intention. It’s a moon for revisiting a past one: something that feels unfinished, a version of yourself that you were creating, or perhaps an idea that was pushed to the side.
What makes you feel at home? Where do you feel at home? Are you communicating how you feel, what you need, and what your intuition is telling you?
Mercury is the planet of mind and communication. When it’s in retrograde, it’s a time to reflect on how you communicate, remind yourself of past ideas, and revisit them. Paired with the Moon in a sign that is all about the past, family, and home life, it’s a great time to spend at home or in a place that feels like home to reminisce, reflect, and remember your roots.
This New Moon is also squaring Saturn, the planet of responsibilities, discipline, limitations, and boundaries. A square aspect creates tension and challenges the connection between the planets. This could inspire shifts in personal boundaries, responsibilities, and how you communicate your feelings.
It might feel like you are being tested by the people around you, especially in the places that feel like home. This might invite you to recall how you’ve handled similar situations in the past and strengthen that within you or readjust how you respond to them.
A small ritual for the week: Find your sankalpa — one from your current practice or one that you are reconnecting with. Write it down and place it somewhere you will see it daily. Let it be a reminder of what’s true and good within you. ♥︎
This week has reminded me that growth isn’t always about reaching for something new or long-lasting. Sometimes, growth is about reflecting on what’s already rooted within you and realigning yourself. Or as the hibiscus reminds us, sometimes it’s about expressing the beauty in you long enough that you leave a lasting impression.
With love.
