First Quarter Moon • First Monday of the Month • First Step Forward

There’s something electric in the air today. Can you feel it?

It’s the first Monday of the month
It’s the first Moon Day of June
And the moon herself is halfway between seed and bloom

first quarter and rising.

The energy of this phase is clear:
Build. Take action. Grow into the intention you planted.

So that’s what I’m doing.
Quietly. Imperfectly. Faithfully.

This week, I started something I’ve been circling for years:
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

I’ve started The Artist’s Way before. A few times. 

A few weeks in and I always start to feel... silly. Like I’m pretending. Like maybe I’m not a real artist. Like maybe this whole thing is just a game I’m playing with myself.

One I’ll eventually lose when life gets loud, busy, and I stop showing up for myself. 

The morning pages start strong, then feel forced. I forget my artist dates..or get busy..or feel stupid.

I get in my head. 

I wonder if I’m wasting my time. If I’m worthy of this healing. If I’m allowed to create.

But something in me is whispering or screaming, if I'm honest... to try again. 

And this time, I knew I wanted an anchor. Something to ground me when the doubts showed up. Something to hold onto when I want to let go.

So I pulled a card.

Seven of Wands.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But I stuck with my rule of never repulling. Just dig deeper.

What do I see and feel? What are the cards, my soul, my highest self, trying to tell me?

Then I felt this fierce little flame flicker in my belly. This card....this wand-wielder, standing tall on her hill... she’s me.

Or at least the version of me that’s trying to be born.

The Seven of Wands says:

“You’re going to feel resistance. That doesn’t mean you’re wrong. That means you’re right on time.”

This card is about holding your ground, even when it shakes. Even when others...or your own inner critic question your path. It’s about choosing to show up anyway.

It’s the perfect anchor for this journey because that’s what this book is really about: not becoming an artist, but remembering that I already am one. And that remembering takes courage.

The Seven of Wands tells me:

My creative voice is worth defending

I don’t need to justify my joy.

I’m not here to prove anything. I’m here to reclaim.

I love that it isn’t a soft card. It’s not gentle permission...it’s persistence. It’s saying: You’ve already climbed the hill. Now plant your flag.

This time, I’m not walking this path hoping not to fall. I’m walking it holding a wand of light, knowing the ground may shake, but I’ve got roots.

So here we go again. Not from the beginning. From the becoming.
And this time, I’m holding my ground.

My garden is my sanctuary, my soil, my stillness. As I begin The Artist’s Way again, I’m reminded that pulling weeds and writing morning pages do the same thing: they clear space in my mind for something true to grow.

The field knew my name

Justin called and asked if I could cut his hair today.
Of course, I grabbed my keys to make the short drive over. But something stopped me. I felt a strong, quiet pull…

Ashley, walk.

It didn’t make much sense…it was so hot outside, and I had clippers to carry…but the prompting was clear. Insistent, even.
So I listened. I packed up the clippers and stepped outside.

The moment I started walking, everything felt different. The air had that soft, slow kind of magic.

My mind quieted.

My heart opened.

I could hear the trees rustling, kids laughing somewhere nearby, and wind chimes singing from an unseen porch.

It was simple…it was beautiful.

On the walk home, I came to the wheat field…that wide stretch between our houses, golden and tall, swaying in the wind.

That’s when I heard it.

A soft shhhhhhhh.
The whole field was moving together.
Like it was singing something only my heart could understand.

It reminded me of a mother’s hush…that soothing sound we make when we rock a baby or hold someone close and say, “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
I felt that same comfort come over me.

Each stalk of wheat has its own shape, its own design, its own quiet intelligence.
But together, they created something more…a field that whispers.
A soft chorus of surrender.

Standing there, I could feel it in my chest: the feminine was speaking.

She was showing me….

The part of me that knows how to be still.
The part that doesn’t push, just listens.
The part that trusts the timing of things, even when I can’t see where it’s all going.

It felt like an answer to a prayer I’ve been whispering for years.
The question of… “Feminine, where are you?”

And she answered.

When I’m still, she answers.

I’ll never forget the sound of that wheat.

The hush of the Mother.

The way it held me…soft, sacred, and so alive.

Close your eyes, open your heart, listen.

She's there. 

Flow Into the Weekend

I’ve always craved rhythm. Not just routine but something deeper. A way to move through my days that feels soulful and rooted, not rushed and reactive. Over time, I began incorporating small rituals: 

lighting candles

pulling tarot cards

making tea with intention

These quiet acts became anchor points in the chaos of motherhood, work, and trying to be everything to everyone.

And somewhere in the swirl of it all, this weekend flow was born.

This little rhythm helps me through the weekend intentionally… not just a to-do list.

So today, I’m letting you into a little piece of my flow.
Not because I have it all figured out but because this has helped me feel again.

Feel joy.

Feel grounded.

Feel like I’m not just surviving the weekend, but creating something beautiful with it.

Because we don’t find balance, we create it. 

Flow Into the Weekend

Friday: Venus Day

Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Theme: Beauty, pleasure, connection, gratitude
Vibe: Soften into love. Tend to what you value. Make it beautiful just because.

Today’s Rituals:

Wear something you feel gorgeous in

Light a pink candle & say: “I soften into love today."

Share a nourishing meal with someone you love (including yourself)

Saturday: Saturn Day

Planet: Saturn
Element: Earth
Theme: Boundaries, rest, reflection, and ancestral wisdom
Vibe: Ground. Release guilt. 

Today’s Rituals:

Tidy your space slowly and with care

Write down what you’re holding and what you’re ready to release

Do one thing that honors your inner wise woman

Sunday: Sun Day

Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Theme: Spirit, joy, truth, radiance
Vibe: Recharge. Worship what’s good. Let yourself shine without apology.

Today’s Rituals:

Dance, stretch, or bask in the sun

Make or bless a meal with intention (a sacred Sunday brunch)

Light a gold or yellow candle & say: “I am allowed to feel joy. I am meant to shine.”

 

Weekend Nourishment:

• Lemon water with honey to cleanse & energize
• Root veggie bowls or roasted herbs for grounding
• Chocolate or berries for pleasure
• Keep it sacred: bless your food, even the snacks

Weekend Journal Prompts:

• What am I done carrying?
• How can I pour love into my family without emptying myself?

This is the kind of magic I never want to forget! Ember and I hiking the mesa. 

Happy weekend, mama. Don’t forget...you’re the magic.

Wellness Wednesday: Magic in the Basics

Let’s talk about the simple things.

Drinking water. Getting enough sleep.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not trending. 

But it is transformational.

We chase the big breakthroughs: new diets, fancy routines, elaborate rituals...but forget that true wellness often lives in the quiet choices we make every single day.

When you're hydrated, your body hums. Your digestion flows. Your skin glows. Your energy is more stable, your intuition sharper. Water is a literal life force...a potion your body brews into clarity.

When you're well-rested, you make better choices. Your nervous system can calm. Your mind is clearer, your heart more open, and your capacity to respond instead of react grows.

Make it Magical:

Water as Ritual: Add lemon, herbs, or berries. Stir with intention. Whisper a blessing into your glass. “This water nourishes every cell of my being.”

Sleep as Spellwork: Wash your face with love. Light a candle. Play soft music. Write down one thing you’re letting go of before bed. Let rest become sacred.

You don’t need to overhaul your life to feel better.
Start by honoring the foundations.

Drink your water.
Get your rest.
And trust that even the smallest spells can shift your whole day.

Here is a water and rest ritual for heavy days! 

My Water Release Ritual

When life feels heavy, when thoughts spin or emotions cling...I turn to water.

Not just to hydrate, but to heal.

At night, I write down something I’m ready to let go of. A fear. A frustration. A wound. A weight I don’t want to carry anymore. I fold it gently and place it under a glass of water by my bed.

As I sleep, I imagine the water absorbing the energy of what I wrote, literally soaking up the sadness, the overwhelm, the old stories. Water holds memory. She listens. She softens. She transforms.

In the morning, I carry the glass outside. I pour it onto the earth: into my grass, my garden, a thirsty plant. I whisper a thank you as I release it.

Let this be transmuted.
Let it return as power.
Let the Mother make it medicine.

It’s a small ritual, but it’s a powerful one.
A reminder that healing doesn’t always have to be loud.
Sometimes it’s just a cup of water, a slip of paper, and a quiet prayer under the stars.

Why this works:

Water is energetically absorbent..many traditions believe it holds memory and emotion. Words, intentions, and vibration can impact water’s structure.

In ritual, water is often used to cleanse, carry, and transform. You're asking it to absorb the heaviness as you rest..turning passive sleep into active release.

You're doing this overnight, while your conscious mind is at rest. This aligns with dreamwork, lunar magic, and shadow rituals. By giving your subconscious permission to release what’s on your heart, you're working with your inner world while your body rests.

Pouring the water into the earth is magic and alchemy. The earth, in her wisdom, composts what you’ve released, just like she turns dead leaves into fertile soil.

You’re saying: “Take this pain. Make it power.”

Hope you find a little magic in the mundane today.

Whispers of the New Moon

 Hey Mama,

There’s something sacred about a blank sky.

The New Moon rises not to dazzle but to invite. She’s quiet, soft, hidden. And yet, her stillness is full with possibility.

I’ve come to love this phase of the moon so much. Not because it’s showy or certain, but because it reminds me of the beauty in beginning again. It’s a cosmic exhale. A pause before growth. A moment to check in, breathe deep, and ask:

What do I need to feel rooted?
What do I want to plant?
What new beginnings do I want to create?

For years, I searched for wellness in all the usual places: diets, discipline, doing more/more/more. But nothing truly shifted until I started syncing with rhythm, with cycles, with something deeper than a to-do list or a quick fix... until I found my feminine flow. 

I didn’t know it then, but I was returning to myself through the moon.

Each New Moon, I slow down. Light a candle. Breathe into stillness. I journal, sometimes (or most of the time) I cry, sometimes I dance barefoot in the kitchen while the soup simmers and the kids yell about who gets the last roll.

And always...I feel more like me.

These rituals aren’t fancy. They're not about getting it perfect. They’re about connection..to self, to spirit, to seasons, and to the small magic of everyday motherhood.

So I created a series of family-friendly New Moon rituals to help bring this grounding energy into your home too. Simple, soulful practices to help you and your little ones reset, reflect, and root.

I hope these rituals feel like a soft place to land. A gentle rhythm and a reminder that you are allowed to begin again, as many times as it takes.

With love and moonlight, I hope you enjoy... 
Ashley

What is grounding you right now?

Having a dedicated practice to slow down, get grounded, and recenter when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or just plain overcooked is essential. It's not a luxury…it’s a lifeline. Taking a moment to check in with yourself, breathe deeply, and reconnect with your purpose helps you show up for the people you love and stay aligned with your own wellness vision.

Lately, I can’t seem to stay indoors. The house is there, but my soul keeps whispering, go outside. The kids and I are chasing sunsets, collecting rocks and memories, letting the desert wind untangle our thoughts. We're soaking in the sun, the air, the slowness and counting every single blessing like it’s a treasure hunt.

Nature has been our reset button. No big routines, just being present. Bare feet in the grass. Long walks with no destination. Little voices reminding me of joy in its purest form. And it’s been the most healing kind of magic.

What about you, love? What’s anchoring you lately? What small, sacred things are keeping you steady and soft in the middle of it all?

Let’s remind each other that there’s no right way to recenter…just the way that feels like coming home to yourself.

 

A mothers "why" - My "why"

Mothers "Why"

I want a strong, healthy spirit and body.

A body that moves with grace, feels deeply, and shines brightly.

I’m done with dieting. I’m done eating differently than the people I love most. I want to share meals with my family and always around a table filled with laughter, stories, and second helpings. I want to create memories in the kitchen and at dinnertime, not guilt or shame.

 Just nourishment. 

Just love.

I want to raise my children in a joyful, grounded home with a calm and steady mother at the center. I want the gift of responding instead of reacting, holding space instead of spiraling. I want them to grow up knowing what peace feels like… and where to return to when the world feels loud.

I want my children to have a healthy, balanced relationship with food and with their bodies. I want them to watch me take care of myself...not out of punishment or pressure, but out of reverence. Because caring for your spirit and body is a righteous desire.

I want to stop comparing. I want to celebrate other women instead of stacking myself against them. I want to rise and reach out, linking arms with mothers everywhere as we navigate this sacred, holy calling together.

 No more silent battles. 

Just sisterhood, solidarity, and light.

I want to be a lighthouse. A woman so full of love, her presence makes people feel safe to be themselves. I want to spread light as far and as wide as I can, starting in my own home and moving outwards like ripples.

I want to be the kind of woman and mother my Heavenly Parents smile upon. The kind of wife my husband still falls in love with, day after day, moment after moment. The kind of mother who sees her children for who they are and teaches them to live with kindness, courage, and compassion.

I want to wake up each day knowing...

 I’m living on purpose. 

That I’m making a difference, not just in the world, but in the four walls of my home, in the hearts of my people.

And I am.

One prayer, one breath, one choice at a time.