The Hurricane That Helped Me Find Joy

October 5, 2024

While Hurricane Helene destroyed my beloved city, Asheville, NC, I was in Boulder, CO, for a 4E workshop. One of my inquiries during the workshop was how to enjoy my blessings without feeling guilty for the suffering of others.

Before the hurricane, I used to wake up next to the two people I love most in our comfy bed. I often delighted in the beauty of a ray of light that sneaked through our forest-green curtains. I enjoyed my morning matcha latte on our kitchen bar stools, to the imaginary stories of my seven-year-old. At my desk, I was elated by a burst of creativity or a profound interaction with an astrology client. I loved having lunch in our spacious backyard with my husband.

But every moment of joy was flooded by a hurricane of thoughts. I thought about the families of the Israeli hostages who haven’t woken up next to the people they love and the hostages who haven’t seen a ray of light for months (now, a year). I thought about all those who weren’t safe, who were looking for love, who wanted children and could not have them, or who had children who cut them off. This hurricane ripped me from my joy and left me suffering.

Does taking on the suffering of others help anyone? Does it cultivate more peace and harmony in the world? It does not.

Hurricane Helene showed me how fragile our reality is. Food, water, shelter, electricity, cell connection, internet, gas, and fuel became precious overnight. All these things I don’t even give a second thought to, not to mention show gratitude for, are now the center of my being.

“Things were not supposed to be this way” is a thought that comes often. I was supposed to be home and take our running water for granted. I was supposed to be busy building my astrology school. I had a beautifully laid-out plan with due dates, milestones, and a team ready for the task. Now I don’t know where I’ll live tomorrow, when schools will be open, whether my city recovers, and how long it will take.

I could have decided to do everything I wanted anyway, despite the circumstances, but my experience through COVID taught me that if I did that, I would disrupt the harmony and get sick.

To be in harmony with the world, I need to listen to it and abide by its rules. It now asks me to live with less, want less, slow down, and focus on my family’s most basic needs. This time, I am going to listen. It is Libra season, after all.

Libra is a futurist sign that came to change the story and bring more harmony, light, beauty, and justice to this world.

But harmony is challenging. So much is out of our control, including our thoughts and emotions. I wish I could only feel gratitude and joy for the many blessings I experience right now. I spend much more time with family and friends. I cook more and enjoy long, pleasant family dinners. We now live in a beautiful Airbnb on the lake. As I write this post, the reflection of the lights from the shoreline across from me sways gently. I wish I did not suffer from living on a suitcase, not knowing when I could go back home, constantly looking for temporary housing solutions, and being unable to devote myself to my exciting work projects.

Harmony does not mean denying our pain or pretending everything is wonderful; it is not about rainbows and unicorns. Harmony requires us to look life in the eyes, acknowledge the suffering, hardship, and challenges, and then make a brave choice and ask, “What is life trying to teach me?”

Harmony means honesty and presence. If you are experiencing suffering, be honest about it. But if you experience joy, rejoice in it – don’t feel guilty about it, and don’t let your thoughts of the suffering of others destroy it.

To live in harmony, we need to adjust to the currents of the world. When hit by a hurricane, metaphorically or actually, collectively or individually, life can’t continue as it was. We can choose to be in harmony and accept the changes that are forced on us. More importantly, we can choose to hold on to our precious moments of joy and add to the collective joy of the world. Embracing our joy guilt-free is not the only thing we can do to change the story and help those who suffer, but it is one of the best things we can do to bring more harmony to our lives and the world at large.

This week, ask yourself, how can I cultivate more harmony in my life? In what way do I need to pace myself? What are the lessons that I need to learn from my current situation? What suffering do I take on myself in a way that does not help me or others? Can I hold onto my joy for the sake of alleviating this suffering?  

Wishing you a wonderful week,

With love,

Yael

More Astrological Information This Week

Dominant Elements: Water and air.

Missing Element: Fire.

Major Retrogrades: Pre-shadow of Mars retrograde started Friday, October 4.

Major Aspects: Sun square Mars and trine Jupiter. 

Details

  • Sunday, October 6, Sun and Mercury in Libra. Moon in Sagittarius. Venus in Scorpio. Mars in Cancer.
  • Wednesday, October 9: Moon enters Capricorn.
  • Friday, October 11: Moon enters Aquarius.

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