I’ve always been into observing cycles—lunar cycles, menstrual cycles, seasonal shifts, and, more recently, astrological cycles. There’s something grounding about seeing patterns unfold, recognizing their rhythms, and even learning to move with them instead of feeling consumed by them.
I remember a friend once telling me she noticed that every time she was in the luteal phase of her cycle, she wanted to end her relationships. Not just romantic ones—friendships, work relationships, the whole thing. My response? “Well, that’s good to know!”
Not for me to know that—but for her to know that. Because once she recognized this cycle, she could allow herself to feel all of it without mistaking it for her fundamental truth. She could hold space for the emotions, the frustration, the doubts, while also holding in tension that this wasn’t a deep revelation about her character or her long-term needs. She doesn’t actually hate relationships (I mean she has like three planets in Libra) — but she was experiencing a hormonal or energetic shift that amplified a temporary state of mind. The beauty of that is knowing what is temporary - gives such insight and access to what the parts of you that are not temporary.
Awareness of the transient grants clarity on what is enduring—that what moves through you, and even what shapes you, is not the timeless truth of what you are.
The Power of Observing Without Identifying
That’s what astrology does. When you understand transits, progressions, and annual profections—or when you have an astrologer share those insights with you—you begin to see what is passing through without identifying it as you.
You are not your Saturn Return.
You are not Mercury Retrograde.
You are not the heaviness of a Pluto transit or the restlessness of Mars on your Sun.
You are you, moving through these experiences.
Astrological cycles don’t define you; they provide a framework—a language for understanding the energetic themes unfolding within and around you. They offer insight into where life is inviting you to cultivate patience, assert yourself, embrace discipline, surrender to play, take action, or pause for reflection—all aligning you to receive in fulfillment of your desires, prayers, and what you’ve been calling in.
Just like my friend can observe her luteal-phase intensity without assuming she’s destined to be alone, astrology allows us to witness our inner shifts without making them the core of our identity.
So What Does This Mean in Practice?
• When you’re feeling lost, stuck, or emotionally heightened, pause before assuming it’s an ultimate truth about yourself.
• If you’re experiencing a heavy or disruptive period in life, check in with the cycles—both within you and around you.
• Let yourself feel everything, but also hold the knowledge that this moment will pass. Just like the luteal phase, just like the Moon shifting signs, just like Saturn eventually moving out of a difficult house.
This doesn’t mean cycles don’t matter. They absolutely do—but their power lies in giving us perspective, not imprisoning us in a fixed identity.
So the next time you feel an urge to burn it all down, to quit, to run, to retreat—maybe the first step is simply to ask:
“Is this me? Or is this something moving through me?”
That pause? That awareness?
That’s where your power is.
