058 – Mini Musing: Pausing for New Beginnings

Sarah Tacy [00:00:05]:
Hello. Welcome. I'm Sarah Tacy, and this is Threshold Moments, a podcast where guests and I share stories about the process of updating into truer versions of ourselves. The path is unknown and the pull feels real. Together, we share our grief, laughter, love, and lifesaving tools. Join us. Hello, and welcome to Threshold Moments. I'm loving that in season 2 so far. There have been so many nature representations, nature resources, nature as symbolism for grounding, for orienting, for hope. In season 1, we heard so much about various nervous system maps and theory on the body and regulation and resonance and moving from familiar to optimal in more neurological ways.

Sarah Tacy [00:01:18]:
And so far, I know it's early in the season, so we'll see how it goes. So far, we've had some astrological readings from some of our guests. We have also had in the mini musings, this idea of Imbolc, right? Like, February 1st, that big yawn. So to say, like, whatever your New Year's resolutions were, if it hasn't taken off as fast as you think, like, just the inspiration of it is enough. And actually, right now, it's like the first yawn and stretch of the day. That was from one of our guests, Jennifer Fox. And then we had the Sweetwater. That happens the end of February, beginning of Sarah, which has to do with titration where we make advances in the directions that we want to go.

Sarah Tacy [00:02:10]:
And then there's a little slide backwards, or we think that we've healed something and, woah, it's still there. And just how we can see how it happens in nature. We can see that actually we're getting something from it. It's natural too, the process. It helps us to get there and be well resourced once we get there. It makes it that we don't forget the lessons by speeding through the parts that are uncomfortable. And here we are at the spring equinox. And this point in the season can be thought of a not of another resource.

Sarah Tacy [00:02:46]:
So again, it's a threshold and it's worth pointing out. So to possibly state the obvious that in winter solstice, we have the shortest day of the year, marking the dark days, the colder days to come. So even though every day gets a little longer after the winter solstice, it does tend to be the colder season, the slightly harsher season if you're outdoors. A season where we're really looking for those internal resources. And then we have summer solstice, which is like high energy, long days. It's an energy of like coming out and being seen and putting our things forward into the world. And some people love it and some people think, it's too much outward energy. And so the beauty of this resource of this particular threshold is an invitation to pause.

Sarah Tacy [00:03:53]:
I'm sure you've all seen Mr. Rogers being interviewed and how how often he spoke about the importance of silence. And sometimes his kindest friends were the ones who could sit in silence, either listen or just be. A pause over momentum at times. And we will also look at how there are many overlaps with various religions and practices That align, I would say generally just like just after the Equinox. So, let's see. In Christianity, we have Easter and there's this idea of the rising of the sun. On the 3rd day, he rose.

Sarah Tacy [00:04:54]:
And so instead of it being about the crucifixion, the holiday has so much to do more with, in my opinion, the resurrection, that there is hope, that there is light after the dark. And of course, you can't have the resurrection without the crucifixion in that story. And in the story of nature and the 4 seasons, you could say you don't get the light and the rising without the cold winter before. In Passover, again, holiday that has more hope. The idea of passing over the forces of destruction, of moving from slavery to liberation. So this was the Hebrews liberation from slavery in Egypt. I know that there are many other cultures, many other traditions that I am missing here. These are the ones that I am most aware of that are in my life most often now, and I would be so open to hearing more.

Sarah Tacy [00:05:58]:
And I'm also going to share a little bit about Celtic practices because I feel like they're so aligned with nature and each one of you listening, in my opinion, is part of nature. And you could look out your window and possibly see nature. Maybe you're in a city and you might look at a plant. You might look at your own skin, feel your, feel your own pulse. So in Celtic mythology, there is often this really clear alignment with the messages of nature, the symbolism of nature. And so for me, it feels really accessible. At the heart of the spring equinox mythology, Celtic mythology is the goddess, Yostir. She's the patron of fertility, growth, and renewal.

Sarah Tacy [00:06:45]:
She's associated with the symbols like the hair and the egg. She embodies the essence of new life and rebirth. And I always think that it's interesting the way that Christian holidays line up with many pagan or Celtic or seasonal themes. Right? So I'm always just like, what is going on with the Easter egg and the Easter bunny? What does this have anything to do with the resurrection? Oh, well, you know, when we're trying to convert people over to something else, if we build a church around their sacred well, if we build a church around their traditions and let them keep some of that, then it becomes easier to integrate and possibly move over and colonize. And when I think of a hare and the egg now, instead of thinking Easter bit Easter bunny and hiding eggs, it seems so clear. Bunnies multiply so easily. What an amazing sign of exponential growth and an egg, the symbol of limitless possibility, the beginning of all potentiality. There's also Brigid, who is the goddess of fire, poetry, and Smithcraft.

Sarah Tacy [00:08:30]:
She represents the maiden mother, Anne Crone, and is a symbol of creativity and inspiration. Her association with fire makes her a powerful figure of transformation and change. Many believe in her ability to bring new life to the world. So something I could offer up to the listeners here is that at this time of year, if you are looking for a ritual, this would be new for me, and I'm actually pretty excited to do it. You could make an altar. And again, if this is against, religious beliefs to have an altar, it's more for me setting intentions. It's a focus of my mind. It's a clarification, an altar in which you would put things that represent new beginnings.

Sarah Tacy [00:09:24]:
So one could put things like eggs, seeds, flowers, handles for light and hope, all representatives of new beginnings. If you are looking for things to do with friends and family, having a bonfire symbolizes a return of warmth and light. You can have feasting and dancing and singing again, bringing life and energy. And when you go and begin sowing the seeds, you can look at it both literally and metaphorically. As the natural world comes back to life and you start to plant the seeds in the soil, what is it that you desire most? And when you think of what you want to nurture with your mind, with your thoughts Camille just shared with us, right, that she almost wanted to brainwash herself into a new way of being. What thoughts was she going to nurture as she was changing from what was familiar to what was optimal, what was in better alignment for herself? What seeds do you want to nurture? And with what, what is your fertilizer? What is your water? What is your soil? So you make an altar, have friends over, you sing, you dance, you have a fire, you plant seeds with your kids. And we begin to build ritual into thresholds by ourselves, with our families, with friends. I read all these things about like, as we're coming into this new energy, new projects, new goals, make changes in lives and which feels so new year's Eve to me, and maybe it is a more appropriate time to do it.

Sarah Tacy [00:11:23]:
But I would even say here that if we were looking for conditions that we want to create, choice is one of them. And if we were looking at the spring Equinox, which often comes before some of these other holidays, we could look at it as a pause, a reflection before we plant the seed. So we're not planting all of the seeds unless you feel like you have so much capacity. And then again, that's a choice. So what I would advocate here first is pause, tune in, have a ritual, gather in a way that feels good. Ending with a little prayer or a little reticular activation system mantra. May I dare to take a pause at vital thresholds and in little moments? May I notice that nature, which is free and all around me and within me is a resource showing me patterns about pacing, trust, letting go, hope, support a new life. Show me what it looks like to have any amount of readiness and any amount of support As I move forward into spring energy, as things start to emerge.

Sarah Tacy [00:13:25]:
This time, may I emerge with support? This time, may I emerge with my feet rooted in the ground, my heart full of gratitude. Thank you.

Sarah Tacy [00:13:45]:
Thank you for tuning in. It's been such a pleasure. If you're looking for added support, I'm offering a program that's totally free called 21 days of untapped support.

Sarah Tacy [00:13:58]:
It's pretty awesome. It's very easy. It's very helpful.

Sarah Tacy [00:14:01]:
You can find it at Sarah. And if you love this episode, please subscribe and like. Apparently, it's wildly useful. So we could just explore what happens when you scroll down to the bottom. Subscribe, rate, maybe say a thing or 2. If you're not feeling it, don't do it. It's totally fine. I look forward to gathering with you again.

Sarah Tacy [00:14:25]:
Thank you so much.