Hello dear readers, Allow me to introduce myself, today’s guest collaborator in Julie’s inspiring newsletter: I am Magdalena Jensen, a transformational coach, conflict mediator and sacred space holder and I have really been feeling like 2022 was one of the weirdest years of my life. It was meant to be a breakthrough year - outta the pandemic (finally!) and into a new… something. Yet, 2022 was like that never-ending hangover that has you questioning your very existence, your purpose and why you do the things you do… and why everything around us is the way it is. Perhaps you feel something similar? Like this past year was some lengthy existential crisis that has you questioning every facet of your reality? Firstly: know that you are not alone. Many of us have been feeling like we’re in an extended void space, a lengthy liminal pause before “normal” sets back in. Secondly: know that there is no going back and there’s no one coming to rescue you from this murky discomfort. You are your own savior, you create your own future. [Bear with me - this is not meant to be a bleak message, but one grounded in a reality that many of us are facing as we wind down 2022 and face 2023 head-on. This is a message to myself as much as to any of you lovely souls reading this!] I actually find this idea - that I am a herald and create my own future - to be both liberating and empowering AND quite daunting. Daunting because there is endless possibility for what we may create. We are all creatures of the divine and we have the ability to do and be anything our heart desires. Liberating and empowering for those same reasons… So, how to actually hone in on what we desire? How to shift out of this liminal space and launch ourselves forward into 2023? There is no ONE way, but I would like to offer you a few bits that can support you on this journey… 1. Remember that all creation comes from darkness.
Seeds germinate in the darkness of the earth. Babies grow in the darkness of the womb. Fresh blades of grass always push through the ashes of destruction… When something new is coming through us (and, trust me - something new absolutely is coming through society as a whole right now), we absolutely need to allow that which no longer serves to die off, we need to allow these moments of sacred pause while new life germinates and we need to lean into this inevitable life cycle with grace (or risk feeling frustrated for as long as the germination period takes… and isn’t it “better” to focus on feeding the fertile ground rather than frustrating and disrupting the soil?). 2. Use this time of sacred pause to feed the fertile ground.
There’s always a calm before the storm and we can either fight it or feed it. Personally, I have spent a few futile days fighting this calm period and, literally, all I feel is frustrated and I keep fighting with my husband about nothing at all. Finally, now that I am nearly a week into this sacred pause, I am realizing that there are far better ways for me to spend my time… I am forgiving myself for being frustrated and, instead, turning my focus to feeding the fertile soil. What does this look like? Exercise, nervous system regulation and rest (plus planning a plant medicine journey to open the new year). Taking care of our physical vessels is a really great way to remain grounded and centered through the discomfort of change. Regulating and toning our nervous systems is crucial to growth - we need to feel safe at every new level of expansion. 3. Trust that you don’t need to know the whole vision - just focus on the next step.
It can be overwhelming to try to formulate a vision for the future when so many things are shifting in and around us. Release the need to know what is next. Support yourself to feel comfortable in the discomfort. Allow yourself to surrender to what is and will be. Trust that all is unfolding for your highest good. All you need to do, in this “meantime” moment, is be present. Use whatever favored tools you have to stay grounded, centered and in your body. Take advantage of the quiet to relax into simply BEing (BTW, this is not easy for me at all… I love DOing and often feel uncomfortable simply BEing). Trust that you will know exactly what you need to know when you know it… and see what unfolds. 4. Tune into your dreams to glean information.
After the turmoil of the past few years, many people are finding it difficult to envision their future, project themselves into their imagination and dream. This is completely understandable, for when we are in stress mode all the time, our pineal gland is not able to activate and create our future visions and dreams. That’s why it can be so important to both regulate your nervous system, and to relax your body into a hypnotic state and be guided to access your subconscious vision for a beautiful future. I invite you to check out this 10-minute guided meditation that will support you to glean information from your own subconscious. As without, so within. It is inevitable that we resonate with this moment of liminal space, of confusion, of sacred pause… the whole world is shifting and changing all around us and we need to take a collective breath to gather ourselves before we launch into that expansion. I encourage you to release any guilt you feel about not vibing with the “new year, new me” New Year’s resolutions hype. I encourage you to give yourself permission to simply BE and feel into the incoming inevitability of change. Remember to take it step by step and surrender to what unfolds. And allow yourself to daydream, to dream dream 😇, to sit with yourself in meditation and be with your vision of your future. Change is already in motion. It is inevitable. Lean into whatever is shifting in your life and watch it mirrored in the collective. Lastly, for the astrology lovers out there: Mercury just went retrograde and will remain so until the 18th of January, Mars is retrograde until the 12th of January and these transits are preparing us for the Lunar New Year on 22 January - this can be considered the real start to a new cycle… This lethargy, lull and liminal moment will pass on a collective level and we will all start to feel a natural progression towards our desires and intentions we are now planting. Sending you lots of love on your journey, wherever you are. Love, Magdalena PS: Feel free to reach out on Instagram and chat - I would love to hear what seeds you are planting and how this germination moment feels for you 😘 | 
