Practices to Align us with
the Seasons & Celestial Events
Taoism is called “the Way of Nature” …And we are so often advised to observe the cadences of nature to live our life in a vibrant, grounted and healthy way. There are many ways to do this. One lovely way is to pause and honor the rhythms of the Earth at Solstice and Equinox. Another way is to align our practice with celestial movements, from the phases of the moon to the arrival of the meteors.
Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, Winter Solstice & Lunar New Year:
We will gather and mark the Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice and the Lunar New Year with Qigong, Meditation and connection. It’s likely these gatherings will continue to be on zoom so you are invited –no matter where you are on those dates.
Each gathering is held 7:00-8:30pm (Eastern U.S. Time). At this time, they will be held on zoom (so you can join from anywhere).
Summer Solstice: June 21 ~ Our Practice will center on the Fire Element and the Heart… We will also work with “heat releasing” and calming our Heart. As Summer is the time of ‘first harvest’ of summer fruit and vegetables, Bring your favorite summer fruit to “share”
Autumnal Equinox: September 21 ~ Metal Element and the Lungs… We will practice a collection of Qigong breathing methods to nurture our Lungs. We will also step through was to ritually release grief and sadness (the difficult emotions of the Lungs/Metal Element).
Winter Solstice: December 21 ~ Water Element and the Kidneys… We will sample “Mystical Warrior Qigong” (the Mystical Warrior is the name of the Turtle and Snake, the animals of Winter, Water and the Kidneys). We will also step through a ritual that aids in letting go.
Lunar New Year: February 1 ~ The year of the Metal Tiger. We will welcome the Metal Tiger with Qigong, Meditation, Tea and clarifying our intentions for the new year.
Fee: $26 Each
All 4: $90
Recruiting the Energy of the Meteors for Inner Alchemy
Meteorites bring the energy of the cosmos to the ground under our feet, and the special times of year when the Earth passes through a shower of meteors, surrounds us with that energy. Only a few of us have the dark skies needed to view meteor showers but we can connect with the unique energy of the flying fire balls overhead and use that energy as stepping stones upward ~ to the moon, to the planets and to the Big Dipper and North Star.
There are several “Formula” from Fusion of the Five Elements practice that reach upward into the cosmos. We will practice with the meteors on the nights of the major (Northern Hemisphere) showers.
Each Class is held 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern U.S. Time)
The Perseids: August 11
The Orionids: October 20
The Leonids: November 16
The Gemininids December 13
The Perseids
Class: August 11 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern U.S. Time)
Peak night: August 11–12, 2021
Active between July 17 and August 26, 2021, the Perseids will peak the night of August 11, 2021. This shower is the rock and dust left us by the comet Swift–Tuttle, last passing us in 1992.
The ancient Chinese story of the Weaver Girl (Altair) and the Cowherd (Vega) tell of star-crossed lovers who are only allowed to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th (Chinese) lunar month, roughly around early August, when magpies form a bridge across the silver river (the Milky Way.) This is celebrated in the Qixi festival in China (August 9th in 2016.)
Is it possible the magpies represent the Perseid meteor shower? The timing is hard to ignore, thought the stars Altair and Vega are pretty far away from Perseus (though Perseus is still on the Milky Way). Still, it’s a lovely image to think of the lovers stepping from meteor to meteor to reunite.
Orionids
Class: October 20 ~ 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern U.S. Time)
Peak night: October 20–21, 2021
The Orionids are produced by Haley’s Comet, last through our solar system in 1986. In 2021 expect between 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Unfortunately, the moon will be nearly full that night, but the shower is active between October 2 and November 7, 2021.
Leonids
Class: November 16 ~ 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern U.S. Time)
Peak night: November 16–17, 2021
The Leonids are from the comet Tempel–Tuttle, which visits us every 33 years. Lasting from November 6 to 30, 2021, the Leonids are known for particularly bright meteors, but the moon will be nearly full that night during its peak.
Geminids
Class: December 13 ~ 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern U.S. Time)
Peak night: December 13–14, 2021
The Geminids are the strongest meteor shower of the year. They are caused by “3200 Phaethon”, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a “rock comet” orbit. This would make the Geminids, one of the few major meteor showers not originating from a comet. This year, the moon will be nearly full on the peak night, making viewing more difficult.
Each two-hour class: $46
All 4 classes: $176
