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[email protected] youm're listening to the Wild Woman with Sarah Diop. Remembering your wild One Episode at a Time welcome wild women to the summer touchstone. I'm going to be taking a break from the podcast for July and August for the summer, but I'll be back with you on September 1st.
[00:00:37] Before I go, I just wanted to leave you with something to carry you through the summer and the warm, sun drenched months. This summer we're talking about passion, projects, creativity, and doing something just for the pleasure of it. On the last episode, my conversation with Lori Zos, the author of Under Caution and the founder of Growth Owl, she got me thinking. Laurie wrote her debut fiction novel while running a successful business, but she didn't wait for the perfect moment. She carved out time at night, gave herself some grace and space, and created something purely for the joy of it. It reminded me of something that Karma Brown talks about in the 4% fix. You have to take a slice of cake for yourself, and she suggests taking the first one because maybe there won't be any left at the end of the day. What she's really saying is if it's nighttime, daytime, you know, Lori said it was better for her at night. But the point is, it's not the leftovers. It's not the sliver that's left after a day of exhaustion. If you don't take the piece of cake for yourself, then you'll never get any.
[00:01:42] So years ago when I went to the shaman for healing, like I've mentioned in another episode, one of the exercises she gave me during that time changed how I thought about pleasure. She had me write down a list of things that brought me joy. Not the ones I already knew that I loved, not necessarily, but the things that I thought I might enjoy but never even tried. So for me, I had a really hard time doing anything that was for pleasure. I was super productive person. I read almost exclusively nonfiction because I had to read for knowledge. Pleasure wasn't really on my radar. It was. It wasn't a priority for me, but that exercise kind of cracked something open in me. While I was there, I went to a local bookstore and picked up a fiction that was about past lives and it's just so outside of my wheelhouse. But I completely loved that book and it really taught me that sometimes you just do things for the joy of it.
[00:02:40] So this summer, my advice is sit down and daydream. Let your mind wander wherever it goes. What makes you feel good, what brings you joy, what have you always wanted to try but you've never made time for? Then journal about what comes up. And here is the invitation. Make a plan to do something on that list at least once a week this summer.
[00:03:03] Now, while you're making these lists, make sure that the pleasures are all big. These pleasures could be very small, like watching a crackling campfire that was one of mine that I wrote. Or starting a fiction book like I did. Or maybe Lori's book Under Caution. Or going out for dinner with your close friends. Or it could be bigger, like taking art classes, traveling to see the northern lights, or going to a spa.
[00:03:28] The point isn't to add more to your to do list. It's to remember that you are a whole person, not. Not a machine. And machines don't need pleasure, but wild women do. All right, so this is going to be a bit long because I'm going to do July and August astrology, and I did try to break it down to major transits, but this is a little bit long. If you really want to know what the major dates are for July and August, now's the time to get your pen and pencil out and write those dates down. If you just want to kind of see the overview, you could Skip ahead for July 7th. Neptune stations retrograde in Aries. This begins a foggy period where it's difficult to see things clearly.
[00:04:08] Take your time and trust your intuition. July 9th. Venus enters Virgo. Love becomes more practical. You might be shy with new connections, but committed to what you have. July 14th. There's a new moon in Cancer. This is a beautiful time to focus on home, family, emotional foundations.
[00:04:29] A great moment to start something from the ground up or give something a second chance.
[00:04:34] This might be a great opportunity to do one of the items on your pleasure list that maybe you used to do when you were younger and you dropped it. July 20th. Sun enters Leo and Leo season begins. This is all about fun, creativity, romance, and play. It's time to let your heart lead. July 23rd. Mercury goes directly. Phew. The retrograde fog lifts and things start to get back on track.
[00:05:01] July 26. Saturn stations retrograde in Aries. This can feel limiting, but if you stay dedicated to your plans, you'll be rewarded when it ends. Remember, Saturn's all about karma. July 29 the full moon in Aquarius. This moon brings attention to change. You might feel extra motivated to finish up a change you've been working on.
[00:05:24] All right for August.
[00:05:26] August 6th, Venus enters Libra, one of Venus's home signs. This brings greater attention to love, relationships and balance.
[00:05:37] On August 11th, Mars enters Cancer. Action becomes emotionally driven. Remember, Mars is the action planet and Cancer is a water sign. You might find yourself taking action where your heart inspires you. Once again, this could be one of your pleasure items. On August 12, there's a new moon in Leo and a solar eclipse.
[00:06:00] This is a big one. This eclipse in Creative LEO encourages you to enthusiastically pursue creative projects, romance and heart centered ventures. It's time to Play.
[00:06:12] And then August 22, the sun enters Virgo. Virgo season begins. Time to get practical, productive and focus on the details. Then finally, August 28th, there's a full moon in Pisces and it's a lunar eclipse. The third and final Pisces lunar eclipse. This is super focused on endings, clearing out the old to make room for the new. This is what the arc for summer is like. We start July with a cancer New Moon on July 14, which asks us to tend to our emotional foundations. Then we move to leo season on July 20, which is all about pleasure, creativity and fun and play. We end August with a Pisces lunar eclipse, which is August 28th, asking us to clear out what no longer serves us. Use the cancer new moon to get grounded, use the LEO season to play and use Pisces eclipse to release what's holding you back from joy and pleasure. All right, well, with the summer coming, I thought it would be a good idea to make our health tip associated with summer.
[00:07:20] Summer means sun, and for a long time we've been told to avoid it at all costs. But the research tells us a different story. I recently stumbled upon someone who wrote an article about sun exposure and then it made me, as usual, go down a rabbit hole. And I thought this was a perfect opportunity to talk about it because summers means sun.
[00:07:41] So I looked into the research, the Missed Cohort study led by Dr. Pillai Lingqist.
[00:07:49] I butchered their name for sure and published in the Journal of Internal medicine, tracked nearly 30,000 women over 20 years. And this is what they found. They found that women who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy six months to just over two years shorter than those with the highest sun exposure. Sunlight helps us produce vitamin D, regulates our circadian rhythm, which also our first spotlight with Tamu she mentioned Arcadian rhythms too and supports our mood. It's not something to fear, but something to respect.
[00:08:25] That said, I'm not suggesting that you go get burned in the sun if you have fair skin or out for extended periods of time. There is obviously natural ways to prevent burning, like seeking the shade, covering up, you know, slowly building your sun exposure. Natural sunscreens are out there as well that don't have as many chemicals and preservatives. I actually recently saw someone that told you how to make your own with shea butter and zinc and a bunch of other things. Anyway, look online. Or you could also use your sunblock if you're going to be out for extended periods of time. Traditional sunblock is better than burning, obviously. Use what works for you. Just don't hide from the sun entirely. And I think another reason reason us women hide from the sun is because apparently it ages you but you live longer. So I think that's a whole other rabbit hole I just stepped into.
[00:09:20] So my health tip is spend a little more time in the sunshine, don't hide from the sun. And while we're talking about summer health, let's also talk about something that brings me so much joy and pleasure. And it's farmers markets. There's nothing quite like biting into a vine ripened tomato or, or a sun warmed peach that was picked that morning. Fresh local produce is not only delicious, it's nutrient rich, it's good for you, it's less processed, more natural, and absolutely bursting with flavor. I highly recommend not just farmers markets for the joy of supporting our local farmers, but knowing that there's been minimal done to the food that we're eating, that it's more nutrient rich than what we probably are getting from a grocery store and something that's been imported and traveled miles and miles and picked when it wasn't ripe. So this summer season is great for heirloom tomatoes in every color. Those are my favorite. Sweet corn so fresh you can eat it raw.
[00:10:20] Berries that taste like candy and basil and herbs that just make everything taste better. Let's be honest and so good for you. Let's make it a pleasure to nourish ourselves.
[00:10:31] Visit your local farmer's market, talk to the farmers, choose what looks the most beautiful to you and savor every bite. Because food that tastes this good is good for you too. I actually this year also signed up for one of those farmer baskets that come, you know, dropping out your door and you just never know what you're going to get. Those are amazing because oftentimes you get things that you are not things you normally buy. So then you have to look up recipes and things to do with them, and it just adds, adds to your palate. But also there's so many nutrients that we're not getting because we eat the same foods all the time. It's nice to have a spectrum, right?
[00:11:11] So let's get to our ritual. Our summer ritual is obviously the pleasure list.
[00:11:16] So instead of the formal ritual, like I normally do, I'm just inviting you to do something way simpler. Sit down, daydream and make a list.
[00:11:25] And after you make this list, maybe halfway through the summer you make a new list. And there's so many transits that are going to happen this summer that really should be making you think about. But like, what makes me feel good? What makes me feel truly alive? What if I always wanted to try but have never made time for what do I think might give me pleasure? Like what I might actually enjoy when I think of what do I think might give me pleasure but have never done? I think about my mother, because my mother loves, and we all tease her about it. Loves watching horse movies, absolutely loves it, any sort of horse movie. She is over the moon about how amazing it is, but she never rides horses, ever.
[00:12:05] Those are good signs and signals. Is there something you're really attracted to but you've never actually done? Those are the things you're like, maybe I'll explore if I actually would like that. Those are the kind of things you might want to put on your pleasure list. And finally, what brought you joy as a child and that you've forgotten about? You know, what are the things you love to do when you're a kid and just eventually didn't have time for? And why can't you go back to those things?
[00:12:28] Don't edit yourself. Write everything down, even the silly things. I think on my original list, I said I, I might want a sail, but you know, write down things that you might enjoy. I wrote so many things, and most of the things I did. The only thing I didn't do was sailing. But I even wrote that down, like, maybe I like sailing because I was like attracted to sailboats. But for me, I think it was more living near the sea or being close to the ocean. But still, write anything down, even if it seems silly or like a pipe dream. There's no such thing. Then once a week this summer, I want you to go through your list, pick something from that list and do it. Not because you should, but because you deserve pleasure, because joy is not A reward. It's a right.
[00:13:12] Let's live a life worthy of you. And don't forget to put small things, because some days in the summer will be very busy. So a small pleasure could be.
[00:13:22] I don't know, for me, eating heirloom tomato salad. Delicious.
[00:13:27] Okay, so let's get to our collective tarot and ancestor reading now. And we're going to do the same as we always do. I'm going to pull three cards from each. It's what our current situation is, what action we think we should be taking, and if we take that action, what the outcome will be. And remember, this is a collective reading, so take what resonates and what doesn't. Let it go.
[00:13:47] All right, here we go.
[00:13:57] The current situation.
[00:13:59] We got a major arcana. We got the Empress, which is demeanor. The appearance of the Empress suggests a more earthly phase of life. Demeter's Mother Earth. A marriage or a birth of a child may occur in the card. She's pregnant. Or the birth of a creative child or an artistic offspring. For this requires patience and nurturing of the Great Mother. This is exactly what we're talking about. If there's things that you have going on, creative projects, passion projects, this is the time. This is the time to nurture them and birth them. This card also represents the realm of the body and the instincts.
[00:14:38] And remember, she's kind of like. She is both peace and stagnation, life giving and life suffocating. Right? She has Mother Earth at the cycles of life. She's both.
[00:14:48] This is a card of abundance. You know, she brings in the harvest, and you're birthing something. That's what she represents.
[00:14:56] And then for the ancestor card, we have got winter, which is take care of your needs. Once again, take that first slice of cake for yourself. Or just make sure you have a slice of the cake. Do everything you need to do to be your best. Then move beyond the fears and limitations. You have an opportunity to move beyond your fears.
[00:15:19] Although you may feel in the dark, get comfortable with being in the unknown and trust that the light within you will sustain you through what may seem a challenging process. Ask yourself what you need to do to feel supported and alive again. We're right back to let's figure out what brings us joy, right? What gives us pleasure in life? What makes us feel alive.
[00:15:43] You may uncover something from your past that you have buried deep. Know when you unearth it and shed light on it, you create space for miracles. You may feel like a lone wolf right now, but it's. It's time for you to be the alpha. There's a wolf on this card as well. And I think also, you know, it might bring up things you used to do that you enjoyed, like maybe that's the past. And those are the miracles that come from doing something that makes you feel alive.
[00:16:12] All right, so the action to be taken for our collective is the ace of swords. Out of conflict, some new creative viewpoint will emerge. The mental powers are awakening, and this means change in one's life. The old order is threatened and conflicts are bound to arise. Ultimately, though, a resolution will be possible. And so there might be some struggle to try to take that slice of cake yourself and how to make that work, because this is the theme, the Goddess of Justice on this card.
[00:16:43] So yes, there might be some struggle. Struggle or collision. And being a conflict avoider, don't love that as an action.
[00:16:50] But this is what leads to the piece, right? Choosing yourself and new ideas. New ideas of how you want to live your life. Really what the action is.
[00:16:59] For the ancestor deck, we got Shaolin Master. Be graceful in movement and action.
[00:17:07] Slow and steady. Breathe and flow. Take a gentler approach. You are being guided to flow like water, blow like air, and connect to your purest intentions. Don't feel you need to rush ahead. A gentler approach will be more fruitful and rewarding. Move with subtlety and grace. Reach high. But also ask yourself how you can move with the flow of life rather than pushing against it. Do you have the capacity to refocus your gaze at this time?
[00:17:37] Can you slow down or take more time to soften and breeze as you move forward?
[00:17:43] All of this will be incredibly beneficial for what happens next. I think those two cards together are perfect.
[00:17:51] If we do these actions, we flow slow and steady, and we execute these new ideas we're having for our life.
[00:17:59] What will come the outcome Is the Two of Cups the beginning of a relationship? It can also suggest a reconciliation where already existing relationship has undergone difficulty or separation.
[00:18:12] It can also imply not just a romantic relationship, but it could be business partners as well, or friendships.
[00:18:19] For here too, the element of relationship is invoked. So the Two of Cups is really about a new relationship. But this could also be a new relationship with yourself, right? A new relationship to yourself and to your life.
[00:18:33] I guess it could also mean an actual new relationship. We're talking about pleasure here.
[00:18:38] All right. And finally we have the Elder card, Healing through Lineage. Your ancestral guides gather around you at this time.
[00:18:48] Great Healing is unfolding and carving a newfound freedom from your lineage. The Elder is the ancestor who comes with a message of healing change.
[00:18:59] He is the embodied soul, yet he has had journeys that go beyond the physical. Therefore, he represents the reclaiming of power when he appears. It is acknowledgment that you have the capacity to move beyond the limitations that have been placed upon you. If you've had expectations of success, failure, sadness, or even sickness placed upon you by your family, it's important to know that you are here to create your own story which is so perfect.
[00:19:33] This card represents personal healing that will bring healing to your family lineage past, present, and future.
[00:19:40] The freedom you claim is healing that lovingly supports your entire family constellation. All right, that's amazing.
[00:19:49] So this summer I want you to take a slice for yourself. Not as a treat, not as an indulgence, as a practice.
[00:19:58] Because a full life isn't about doing everything for everyone else. It's about showing up as your whole messy, creative, pleasure seeking self.
[00:20:07] Find your joy, follow your passions, eat fine riped heirloom tomatoes, watch the campfire, read a fiction book, and whatever you do, don't shrink.
[00:20:20] I'll be back September 1st, and until then, take gentle care of yourselves and take that slice of cake.
[00:20:27] Have a wonderful summer and I'll see you back here. Thank you for listening to the Wild Woman with Sarah Diop Remembering youg Wild One Episode at a Time.
[00:20:37] Don't forget to like subscribe and review. Every little bit helps and I'll see you next time.
