Lean Into The Whole Cycle. We can see there is value in The Dark now but what about the rest of the cycle? The first step can be simply acknowledging there is a whole cycle and accepting that The Dark is a valuable part of it. That can be challenging when the binary mindset has invested so much in the Light vs. Dark narratives. When you see the whole cycle you will see there is actually a perfect gradient in nature NOT just black and white, good or bad, light or dark.
The phases of a cycle, whether for The Sun or The Moon, carry the same energetic potentials. Let’s break them down using just five phases while also remembering there is no right or wrong way to see a cycle. We can break them into as many sections as we need to as long as we don’t try to skip the hard parts or ignore the areas that require discomfort.
The Five Phases of The Sun Cycle
The New Sun Phase | Best Laid Plans that Do No Harm. Use the composting WeRK we just did as fertile soil and fuel to rise up from The Dark Phase and be reborn. Being able to see what we need to do to continue our good WeRK, both for the Self and the collective moving forward. We use this energy to begin the act of understanding the assignments and goals for the next part of the cycle; where the Light returns and we remember that we survived another cycle with integrity and intention.
When? N.Hemisphere: Capricorn thru Pisces Seasons. S. Hemisphere: Cancer thru Virgo Seasons. Weather Season: Winter
The First Quarter Sun Phase | Actions Speak Louder. Initiating our intentions and goals we set in The New Phase with bravery, vulnerability, generosity, and clarity. Checking back on the cycle as a whole and adjusting our alignment to the original intentions we set, both to our Self and the collective. It’s encouraged to make always make changes; recalibrate. Knowing when to break through the blocks that come up in reaction to our actions AND when to accept a boundary that pops up instead.
When? N.Hemisphere: Aries thru Gemini Seasons. S. Hemisphere: Libra thru Sagittarius Seasons. Weather Season:Spring
The Full Sun Phase | Celebrate all the times. Seeing the halfway point and rejoicing in our achievements (even if our only achievement was getting to this point alive). Nourishing the intentions, being grateful for the process, celebrating our Self and the collective’s wins regardless of of how tiny they may be, and accepting the flaws in the plans as equally valuable tools in the overall cycle. Holding a knowing of what is not meant to be at this time and preparing to release it even if that release WeRK will be grief-filled and painful.
When? N.Hemisphere: Cancer thru Virgo Seasons. S. Hemisphere: Capricorn thru Pisces Seasons. Weather Season: Summer
The Last Quarter Sun Phase | It’s all about the process. A reminder that balance WeRK is not about weighing or measuring the value of one thing against another; balance WeRK is moving forward even when there is too much or not enough. Seeking partnerships, collaborations, and justice through compromise while also allowing the endings that are coming to reveal themselves without resistance or fear. Knowing all we can control is how feel when we let go of what needs to be released and it’s okay to be angry, sad, guilty, shame-filled or regretful for things you wanted to have but could not at this time.
When? N. Hemisphere: Libra and the first part of Scorpio Seasons WEATHER SEASON:mid- Autumn. S. Hemisphere: Aries and the first part of Taurus Seasons. Weather Season: Autumn
The Dark Sun Phase | Sitting In The Shit. Using reflection WeRK to honor how our ShadowWeRK served us (or didn’t) over this last cycle. Shedding the decayed layers of the self we can now acknowledge serves no good purpose. Inviting in endings and death. This allows us to see our edges and tend to them while also acknowledging that we can’t skip the act of composting or transmuting the shit we don’t want.
When? Northern Hemisphere: Begins midway thru Scorpio (Samhain) thru Sagittarius Season. Southern Hemisphere: Begins midway through Taurus thru Gemini Season. Weather Season: Mid-Autumn.
