How are you feeling these days? Are things moving along, or are you feeling kinda stuck or stymied? I feel like every week is one long back-and-forth between these energies. So I’m doing my best to hold onto the “OM” inside like a zip line and just let it ride. 

This past weekend I found myself cleaning out files and drawers and getting things in order for no particular reason. Then I remembered something a wise woman said to me at a gathering I was at several years ago. After I told her I was feeling stuck but cleaned out the garage, she said,

“Move the material, and the spirit will follow.”

And just like that I knew what she meant! Energy begets energy, and overcoming inertia in one area can affect the others. 

I realized it was happening in the reverse. I know my Life is moving in a certain direction, but I don’t know what that looks like in the material world yet. So what was I doing with the files and drawers? I was preparing the way. Whatever is mine to do next will ...

I’m talking to friends, family, and students these days, and the theme of rapid change keeps coming up. To some it’s exciting; to others a bit terrifying. Either way, energy is shifting and nervous systems are up! Everyone responds to change differently, and in my podcast these days we’re looking into the many facets of change and some of the typical responses people have to change. Whether change is positive or negative, it can be a pretty big source of stress. 

If, during times of stress and change, you find yourself shifting into fear—worrying about money and resources or experiencing generalized anxiety about safety and security—you may be operating from the shadow energy of the first chakra. Chakra one’s main shadow is fear, which often centers on foundational aspects like money, resources, safety, and family.

So, what do we do when faced with a shadow? We turn on a light.

Just as light counters darkness, we apply the opposite of our experience to create change and...