The Heart of Empire
Four days in D.C. and a walk with the Moon
I spent the last four days in Washington D.C. This is an annual affair I love and dread. I love the strengthening of relationships. I dread the energetic demand.
Balancing witch life with professional life is a challenge. My job provides access to health care and resources for rent and food. My job also drains my creative energy.
In the world I dream of we have our basic needs - food, water, housing, health care, education - met without working or paying for them. These needs are guaranteed to all.
Imagine what our collective energy and magic can create when everyone is lifted out of survival mode into thrival mode.
Being in the heart of Empire is a reminder we have so far to go. For years, I had tunnel vision on the political system and would become infuriated by people not "doing the work." Dr. Ayesha Kahn of Cosmic Anarchy wrote an insightful piece about this, and it is worth the read.
Living in an oppressive paradigm is overwhelming and painful. When there is so much injustice and violence how do we move forward?
Before, I channeled my anger and grief against these systems and anyone who I believed upheld them. Today, I channel my energy towards presence with the more than human and the cultivation of reciprocal relationships.
I no longer pour my energy into tearing systems down. I pour my heart into building communities of care. For me, astrology is an act of community care. It's how I support others in their journeys of healing and belonging.
So while in the heart of Empire, I went for a walk and there was the Moon. Ever present, always consistent, and she brought me a moment of peace.
The Moon is my greatest teacher in slowing down and resisting urgency. To notice her, to witness her phases, we must be present. And so I choose presence, even for the briefest of moments, over and over again.