What’s your rhythm? Have you found your groove? Are you spiraling up or going round in circles?

Anna Halprin was famous for saying “Your body is a microcosm of the universe.” It’s no wonder that we often feel like we’re either lost in orbit, or hurtling through the universe at high speed.

Gabrielle Roth mapped the landscape of human dynamics into a cartography of rhythms. Her map gives us five ways to find our way; flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, or stillness.

When it comes to models of the universe, it turns out that the one we were taught in grade school is less than accurate. The idea that the sun sits still in space with the planets placidly circling around it isn’t how things work at all.

In that metaphor, things are just going around in circles, and whether you’re a planet or a human, that’s no way to exist. Spiraling ever upwards is the way to go.

A more accurate visualization is to see the sun soaring through space at high speed, with the earth and the other planets spiraling along with it. The fact that the sine wave of earths spiral matches that of our DNA is a coincidence to ponder.

Life comes at you with any number of rhythms. From the seasonal cycle of the solstices, to the 13 full moons in a year, the universe provides ample anchors. Bills are due on the first of the month, organizations like to make quarterly reports, this newsletter goes out every Monday.

Growing up, as I did, with an astrologer in the house, I was steeped in the lore of planetary cycles. My older brother consulted the ephemeris daily, so I was always up-to-date on the movements of Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, and the rest.

So here we are on the cusp of another infamous Mercury Retrograde. It’s an easily observable astronomical reality that Mercury’s orbit appears to reverse itself for a few weeks at a time about three times a year.

You know the drill. Woo-woo words of wisdom advise caution with communication, transportation, and technology. Rarely discussed is the silver lining. I’ll get to that in a moment.

When it comes to astrology, many scoff, yet some swear by it. As inhabitants of the modern rational world, I feel we do ourselves a disservice to dismiss the archetypes of the ancients, so kudos to moderns like Caroline Casey who help us illuminate the murky myths of old.

As for me, the rhythm of retrograde is a time for all things ‘Re’. Re-lax, re-new, re-turn, and re-connect. A rewind and reboot is in order. Whether the planetary influence is based on science or not, the three-times-a-year reminder to check on loose ends and unfinished business is a blessing.

It’s always a good idea to find time to catch your breath. When your spiral turns the corner and you start hurtling through space again, you’ll be glad you did.

Merci et à bientôt!

M+

ML #686

Mark Metz
Monday Love Movement Calendar