Full Moon in Gemini: Follow Your Gratitude

As the holiday season kicks off and we move closer to the winter solstice, our focus shifts to gratitude. Here in the states, it’s time to gather around the dinner table with our friends and family in honor of appreciation and abundance.

Thanksgiving happens right after the full moon in Gemini. This full moon has enormous gravity, especially as Saturn, the planet of lessons, snuggles up closely to the sun and Mercury (the ruler of Gemini) while squaring dream provoking Neptune.

From an astrological perspective, it’s clear to me that the full moon (and the days following it) asks us to stand in our dignity, particularly as it relates to staying faithful to our dreams. We are entering a time where our dreams require us to dig deep, develop our resilience, and show up on their behalf. So, as we approach this full moon and the upcoming winter solstice, let’s do the work to grow, rise, and stay fiercely committed to our goals.

Here are seven ways to work productively within this full + waning moon period:

Practice Gratitude

Savor what you love and find thankfulness for it. Even during shitty moments, we can appreciate the good things in life. This doesn’t mean becoming a Pollyanna, but rather feeling the full range of emotions, even when emotions are anything but positive. If we are with our suffering productively, we can often make sense of our suffering in a way that enhances a resilient mindset. Honor the difficulty and stay rooted in gratitude for what is good in life.

Rest

It’s dreams we’re talking about, so sleep and pay attention to your dreams! Let yourself sleep. (Good thing turkey has tryptophan. Seriously.) Science shows us that getting adequate sleep allows us to not only access our creative mind more easily, thereby enhancing our ability to come up with better solutions to our problems, it also enables us to make wiser decisions.

Lead With Your Strengths

Resilient people understand the power of leaning into their strengths during difficult times. Each of us has natural character strengths that when utilized, open our ability to feel more confident, bolster our positivity, and increase our resiliency. The next time you find yourself being challenged, ask yourself, “What personal strength can I bring to this situation that will help me deal with this productively?

Exercise

Exercise is one of the quickest ways to expedite positive mojo. Moving your body triggers a positive neurochemical reaction that allows you to feel more in control, happier, and stronger. Honestly, exercising is non-negotiable. In the words of Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, “Not exercising is like taking a depressant.” Please don’t take depressants.

Practice Mindfulness

With so much activity happening with Neptune, spend time meditating. Scientifically proven, mindfulness, meditation, and other present moment based practices are irrefutably connected to lower stress levels. I know meditation may feel hard or confusing for some, but it doesn’t have to be—it can be as simple as closing your eyes and breathing deeply. If sitting feels too difficult for you, lie on your back fully or with your legs up the wall. Close your eyes and center yourself. Chill out for a bit and come back to the present moment. Even taking three, deep breaths can enhance your mood.

Write

Spend time journaling this week. We have the perfect setup in the sky right now to get down and dirty with our thoughts and words. Write your heart out! Writing allows you to not only have a cathartic experience of getting your emotions off your chest, but it also allows you to shift perspectives and derive alternative meanings from your circumstances. When writing, give yourself permission to download whatever comes to mind and try to steer free of grammatical guidelines—just discharge what you are feeling. It’s a gorgeous way to transform your mood, find the benefit in the current situation, access appreciation, and cultivate a vision for your dreams!

Know Your Dreams and Stay Faithful to Them

Stay true to you. It’s a choice. This means knowing your dreams and choosing them. That’s what resilience is all about.

I just want to acknowledge the heart-wrenching violence that recently happened across the world due to terrorism. In response, I’ve personally grappled with a multitude of feelings, including anger, fear, and sadness. Even though it’s easy to slip into despair, I believe we have to face the dark while staying fiercely devoted to the light.

Resiliency allows us to face things, as shitty as they may be, and still make positive choices. This means granting ourselves the permission to feel the full range of our emotions while making choices that bolster our ability to stay centered, wise, and clear hearted! Remember, your dreams matter. The world needs you—your light, your gifts, your positivity. Never underestimate your power to make the world a better place. Stay resilient.

As always, I send you all of my love.

Warmly,
Jenn

P.S. Come learn about my journey into resilience and be inspired by how my darkest moments made me into the woman I am today! Sara Avant Stover recently interviewed me on her new podcast. Come listen here.