The holidays leave more than crumbs. There’s the leftover turkey, sure—but also the leftover feelings, old family patterns, half-finished conversations, and the weight of a year that somehow packed itself into one table.

Maybe you laughed a little too hard. Maybe someone said exactly what you didn’t need to hear. Maybe you noticed that familiar knot in your chest you thought you’d left behind months ago.

This week, let’s slow down. Not just to savor the last bites, but to really taste the emotional landscape we’ve carried to this table. To chew on the hard bits, swallow the awkward, and notice what lingers in our systems when the dishes are cleared, and the lights are dim.

No rush. No cleanup required. Just presence, and maybe a little permission to still be processing.

Today in 15 seconds:

🌱 Inner Growth: The echoes of family you still feel.
📚 Wait, What? Science Says...: Holiday smiles can sometimes feel empty…here’s why.
🌖 Daily Cosmic Weather Report: Stars, moons, and planets—oh my, all before sunrise.
💎 Crystal of the Day: A gentle reminder: your power hasn’t gone anywhere.

What if we flipped the script for a second?

Instead of listing what went well today, pick one thing that sucked—that awkward comment, that burnt toast, that lingering tension—and mentally toss it behind you. Picture it hitting the floor, evaporating, or flying out the nearest window. Done.

It’s fast. It’s weird. It’s liberating. And yes, it works. Giving yourself permission to acknowledge the suck, then release it, is sometimes way more satisfying than forcing another “blessing count.”

Try it. One crappy thing, 10 seconds, gone. And just like that, your emotional table feels a little lighter.

Final Call: Christmas Healing Sale Ends Today

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That's 80+ therapist-created resources — workbooks, card decks, trackers, guides — for less than the cost of a single therapy copay.

After today, these bundles go back to $200+. No extensions. No exceptions.

If you've been thinking about it, this is your moment. 💛

*Your purchase does double good: Not only do you get life-changing tools for your own healing journey, but you also help us keep this newsletter free for everyone who needs it.

Family Patterns You Carry

The holidays have a sneaky way of lighting up old family scripts—those patterns you thought you’d outgrown but somehow still show up in. Maybe it’s the urge to people-please, the reflex to stay quiet, or the way your stomach knots when certain topics arise. The weird thing is, you often don’t even notice you’re doing it until you feel the tension in your body.

These inherited habits aren’t just quirks—they’re emotional footprints passed down, quietly shaping how you respond to loved ones, stress, and even yourself. That tight jaw during a “friendly debate,” the instant defensiveness at a passing comment, or the automatic laugh when something isn’t funny? Those are the echoes.

The goal isn’t to fix your family, or yourself, in one sitting. It’s to notice the invisible threads, acknowledge their presence, and decide—consciously—how much space they get in your life. You might not untangle everything this season, but even seeing the pattern is a small, radical act of self-trust.

Why Being “On” for Family Drains You

Turns out, your holiday “emotional effort” might be working against you. A recent study tracking 293 parents over 35 days during the Christmas season found that the more burned out you feel in the moment, the less emotionally expressive you actually are—even if you’re trying really hard to be warm, cheerful, and present.

That means all those times you smiled politely, nodded along, or forced a laugh at the table? Your brain was quietly shutting down your genuine emotions. The study used thousands of real-time observations and found a direct, unidirectional link: burnout predicts muted emotional expression. Not only that, the way your burnout and emotional display fluctuate over the short term actually predicts longer-term patterns of emotional adjustment.

In plain English: emotional exhaustion doesn’t just feel crappy—it literally hijacks how you show up to the people around you, and those patterns can stick around long after the presents are unwrapped. So if you felt emotionally flat, irritable, or “checked out” during the holidays, science says: yep, that’s normal. Your nervous system was protecting itself.

So, stop beating yourself up for not being the “perfect, festive you.” Sometimes, shutting down a little is your brain’s way of surviving the emotional chaos—and noticing it is the first step toward actually processing it.

The sky’s current mood, and maybe yours too

First, we want to sincerely apologize for an error in last week’s edition. On Dec. 24, we mistakenly reported the Moon in Sagittarius—it was actually in Aquarius. We’re truly so sorry for getting it wrong. We know that details like this can throw off your plans, your rituals, or even just your trust in our updates. We truly appreciate all of you who catch it and point it out to us.

If you’re looking for pops of color in the night sky, keep your eyes on open cluster M41 in Canis Major, the Big Dog. It’s highest around local midnight, about 30° above the southern horizon, just below the brightest star in the northern sky, Sirius. Even a small pair of binoculars will reveal nearly two dozen young stars, and as you increase magnification, you’ll notice a rainbow of colors—blue-white, golden yellow, orange, and red. At the center of the cluster sits a bright red star, with more reddish suns radiating outward, almost like a starfish.

Tonight and for several nights around Dec. 29, the Copernicus crater on the Moon is particularly striking. Located in eastern Oceanus Procellarum, this 800‑million-year-old impact site shows terraced edges, a central peak, and a mix of smooth and rough floor terrain. As the Moon waxes toward full, Copernicus’s rayed patterns become easier to spot, and higher magnification will reveal tiny craters with bright floors and dark halos—echoes of ancient impacts on the surrounding basalt and anorthosite highlands.

Before sunrise, the Moon joins a lively celestial lineup. Jupiter, bright and approaching opposition in early January, dominates the morning sky, while Saturn lingers after sunset in the evening. Rising in the east before dawn, Antares and the stars of Scorpius complete the scene, giving early risers a gorgeous pre-sunrise show—if your horizon is clear and your coffee is strong.

Alurgite, also known as Red Mica or Red Muscovite, is a striking crystal that forms in delicate, bladed structures, often resting on schist or quartz matrices. Its hues range from deep red and maroon to softer purples and browns, colored by traces of manganese. First discovered in 1865 at the Praborna Mine in Italy’s Aosta Valley, its name comes from the Greek Halourges, meaning “genuine purple dye from the sea,” a nod to its rich, unique coloring. Today, Alurgite can be found across the globe—from Austria and Belgium to Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, India, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Zambia, and the United States.

Energetically, Alurgite is a powerful ally for grounding and emotional clarity. It resonates primarily with the heart and root chakras, helping to stabilize emotional energy while igniting courage, passion, and confidence. This crystal encourages gentle yet honest self-expression, making it particularly useful for navigating fear, creative blocks, or difficult conversations. Holding or meditating with Alurgite can bring a sense of renewal, helping you reconnect with your inner strength and approach life with clarity and boldness. It acts as a spiritual amulet, channeling fortitude and abundance toward the goals and ideas that matter most to you.

Alurgite’s influence also extends to breaking repetitive patterns, addictions, or unhelpful habits. By activating personal will through the solar plexus chakra, it supports the gut’s intuitive wisdom—the “second brain”—to reclaim authority over impulses and emotional loops. This process requires patience and self-compassion, but it can lead to profound shifts in both thought and action. With Alurgite, you are reminded of the power you hold to protect your peace, release negative patterns, and move forward with renewed focus and intention.

Reach for it when:

Alurgite doesn’t fix everything instantly, but it does help you remember: you have the strength, the courage, and the clarity to move through whatever lingers. Let it guide you back to your own power, one steady, bold step at a time.

3-8 minutes to see what comes up

Off the top of your head (3 min): What’s one feeling from the holidays that hasn’t fully settled yet?

Spill it (5-8 min): Does this feeling connect to something from earlier in the year—or even before?

Read it or keep scrolling — either way, it’s here for you.

Take a moment and step outside—or even just pause at a window. Listen. Feel. The world has quieted down after the holiday rush. The wind brushes across your skin differently now, carrying the crisp edge of winter or the soft hush of the season’s fading bustle. The trees stand patient and still, unmoved by the chaos that has swept through homes and streets.

Notice the rhythm of your own breath as you take it in. The quiet streets, once crowded with errands, shopping, and noise, now hum with a subtle calm. There’s a kind of magic in this pause, a reminder that the world continues to move gently even when our minds are tangled in leftover conversations, regrets, or expectations.

This is your invitation to breathe it in fully. Let the stillness meet the lingering tension inside you. Watch the way shadows play on the pavement, the way light glints off frost or leaves, the way the ordinary can feel sacred when you finally slow down. Even if it’s just for a minute, allow yourself to notice: the world didn’t stop, but it did make space—for you, for pause, for the slow digestion of everything the year has been.

Think about a message, call, or small gesture from someone today that made you feel seen—even if just for a second. Maybe it was a text that made you laugh, a voice note that reminded you someone was thinking of you, or a kind word that landed when you didn’t expect it. It doesn’t have to be monumental; in fact, the tiniest acknowledgments often hold the deepest weight.

Notice how it made you feel. Did it lift a bit of tension off your shoulders? Did it remind you that someone else noticed the effort, the chaos, or just you? That fleeting moment of connection matters. It’s proof that even in the leftover haze of holidays, the noise of obligations, and the lingering exhaustion of year-end, we are not invisible.

Take a breath and let yourself feel gratitude for this small human touch. The world can feel heavy right now, but even a brief recognition—shared across a screen, a doorway, or a coffee cup—can be enough to remind you that you are acknowledged, held, and seen. Carry that feeling with you as a quiet, grounding spark through the rest of your day.

If you could say one honest thing to yourself about this year (without judgment), what would it be?

Maybe it’s a confession: “I tried my best, and it wasn’t enough.” Maybe it’s relief: “I survived more than I thought I could.” Maybe it’s quiet pride: “I grew in ways nobody noticed.” Whatever comes up, let it land without critique. This is not a year-end report card. It’s a chance to acknowledge the real, messy, beautiful truth of your year.

Notice how it feels to voice—or even write down—that honest statement. Does it sting? Lift? Make you laugh at yourself? That’s okay. Those lingering emotions, the tension, the unfinished stories, are part of the “in-between” space you’re in right now. They’re part of digesting the year before stepping fully into the next one.

Once you’ve said it, even just to yourself, pause. Breathe. Honor what you’ve lived through. This small act of honesty isn’t just reflection—it’s permission to carry forward what matters and release what doesn’t. It’s your chance to step out of judgment and into clarity, right here, right now.

The holidays have come and gone, and maybe you’re still carrying a little of everything—the laughter, the tension, the leftover sugar buzz, the conversations that didn’t quite land. You might feel relief, exhaustion, or a quiet ache for what’s passed. And that’s exactly the point of this in-between space: it’s a moment to notice what lingers, to honor it, and to give yourself permission to just be before the year truly turns.

Even as the lights are packed away, and the tree sheds its final needles, remember: the warmth, the lessons, and the quiet sparks of connection don’t vanish. They live on in small gestures, in the subtle shifts of your own heart, and in the ways you carry them forward. This is your gentle pause—a chance to digest, reflect, and settle into the space before the new year asks for anything from you.

So take it slow. Breathe. Notice what remains bright in your world, even when the celebrations end. Hold it close. Let it remind you that you’ve survived, you’ve grown, and the light—your light—continues, steady and unwavering, into whatever comes next.

P.S. We made this because most spiritual content made us feel like there was something wrong with us for being tired, messy, or not “high-vibe” enough. If this made you feel a little more human today, that's all we wanted.

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