A new season

The Virgo New Moon was two weeks ago, and tonight, just two days past the equinox, the Moon moves into the warrior’s sign of Aries opposite the Sun in the lover’s sign of Venus. We are entering a new season – fall in the Northern Hemisphere, spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Where I live, it is time to pull out the sweaters and gather the last of the harvest, negotiating with the bears and birds over the late berry crops such as hawthorne and chokecherry. 

This Full Moon brings closure to a summer marked by Mars looking over my shoulder at every turn. The ruler of Aries, Mars signifies archetypal masculine energy such as will, the drive to create, and deep desire. For most of the summer, Mars has been moving backwards across the sky and has been at its second-closest to Earth in 60,000 years (really). Even as Venus has been at her brightest, the trees and mountains have allowed Mars to dominate my views, and seemingly my life.

As you know from some of my stories, it has been a long road re-creating myself from a corporate communicator to pragmatic mystic/astrologer/writer/teacher. I am still building my foundation both locally and online, which means I am still pulling together the bits and pieces of a sustainable income – of which Patreon is a small but beautifully supportive part, thanks to those of you reading this. 

One of the pieces over the summer has been a firewood business – cutting, splitting and hauling some of the logs left from our logging work last winter. It is physical work that feels good until one overdoes it by lifting a heavy piece or twisting the wrong way. And it was me and the guys nearly every week (and a puppy towards the end!) After several years of community with women, I was reminded how it feels to be with men. 

As Mars picks up the pace of its forward motion, Venus now prepares to turn backwards. Their dance seems to be asking me (and all of us) to learn to balance the masculine doing with feminine being; to know when to push and when to rest; to assert our selves when appropriate, and then follow the flow. I’ve seen so many ways I’ve tried to control and push and ‘make things happen’; there are also ways in which I hang back, get stuck, and wait to be rescued. Learning to dance with Mars and Venus means staying fluid and maintaining a strong intention. It also means continuing to take one step at a time on my journey.

This month, the balance comes from letting go of the wood-cutting efforts; making some short trips into the mountains to gather the last of the plant medicines I’m learning to make; and taking a part-time job in a community of women. The job means long days in a peaceful venue, a commute up the beautiful Yellowstone River valley, and enough money to cover some basic expenses. I’ve also received incredible support  – financial and otherwise – from family members and friends. 

The next step is the continued launch of a mentorship program for women – https://kristinebackes.com/embodied-service-mentorship/ 

Who knows what is after that? I’ll keep you posted!

Thanks for being here. If you make it to the end, it would be great to hear from you. Much love to all of you!