Awaiting Saturn Return

When was the last time you gazed at the sky? Did you remember to thank the moon for her never sleeping beauty? This past year I realized it was time to it was time to embark on a new adventure of my own, for my 27th-almost-28th- revolution around the sun. 2025 is for the planets and the stars to align for us, if we take notice. This year I will be returning to Saturn! Well, not actually, BUT I will be experiencing my Saturn return, which basically means when Saturn returns to the same position in the sky as it was during a person's birth.

I'll tell ya- it's taken me to some very interesting and scenic places so far, metaphorically and not. I need to be real with all my fam here for a moment, I've experienced some of the most lonely and sad moments during this transitionary time in my life. I went from my mid twenties feeling like I was really figuring things out for myself, to being so turned up side down, heart ripped out of my body, and consumed with grief.

It has been a challenge to figure out how I plan to communicate the depths of my feelings and subject matter to you, because I genuinely am in a metamorphic state of healing. Which, I do feel a smidge awkward and sensitive about, because I want to give off a light-hearted nature all the time!! I feel a little bit expected by societally to be a happy shining sun-beam. In order to be a truly healed person, I need to remain authentic about my honest and real lived experience, and unfortunately it's not always the happiest of moments in my genuine life and experience. Which, the more research I do on my own Saturn return, I realize how on par everything sounds with this astrological timeline.

So- I've been feeling a little blue. It really makes sense with such a huge life transition, and feeling generally a little chaotic and spun out like the top at the end of Inception where you're questioning reality. Okay, okay that is very natural, right?

So, how do we mitigate the suffering we have been feeling within?

2 words. DOPAMINE MENU.

I have created a cheat sheet for my brain to boost its hormones so you can get a natural high. This is more or less effective depending on the state of your neural-pathways.

DOPAMINE: Feel good hormones responsible for the brain's reward center

• listen to up beat music

• exercise

• get a good ass night of sleep

• meditate

• eat some chocolate

• complete a small task (i.e. go thru junk mail/ take out trash)

• doodle

• bake something

SEROTONIN : Hormones that stabilize mood, improve sleep, manage emotions, appetite and digestion

• listen to easy listening music

• spend time in the sun

• try a breathing exercise

• spend time actively thinking positive thoughts

• do yoga

• disconnect from technology

• punch a pillow

OXYTOCIN: Love hormone, warm fuzzy feelings that encourage us to bond with others

• consume caffeine

• vitamin C & D supplements

• sing

• do a good deed

• hug someone

• pet an animal

• talk to someone you like on the phone

• play a game or complete a puzzle

There ya go! Have your pick of whatever you'd like, it's all on the house! Give your beautiful brain a boost this new year. Remember that you are out here doing the work, killin' it! If you're at this point in the post, I love you, you're amazing.

Until next time,

xoxo, Just Charley

P.S. Secret Time: I recently taught myself one song on the piano :)