This Little Light of Mine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bush? OH, NO! I’m gonna let it shine. Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. All around the world, I’m gonna let it shine.
Photo by Shyamli Kashyap via Unsplash
One of my earliest memories is singing, This Little Light of Mine, at Sunday School as a preschooler. After many, many years of not hearing or singing it, it popped in my mind last Sunday. Later that day when I listened to Chani Nicolas's weekly podcast, she began with similar words, "It is time to make sure that you are not dimming your shine."
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bush? OH, NO! I’m gonna let it shine. Don’t let anyone blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. All around the world, I’m gonna let it shine. (A line from each stanza)
The Layers of the Fire Element & Heart
One of the roles of the Heart's Shen is purely shining the light of our unique self out into the world without filtering, restraining, or restricting. It's an innate expression of self is to shine. Life experiences often teach us to diminish our light, or in the case of trauma, the Shen scatters into the stars, leaving us feeling like we're without a True North or a light to shine.
The Heart belongs to the Fire element, which is the only element that has 4 energetic organs associated with it. It's the Monarch and is protected by the other 3 Fire organs...San Jiao (or Triple Heater), Pericardium, and Small Intestine. How well these protect our Heart & Shen can impact the strength, presence, and quality of our light.
The San Jiao is the outer most layer and balances the movement & flow between the inside and outside, like a drawbridge. It controls the temperature & fluid regulation in the whole body and the flow of information the moves between our inner & outer worlds. It's our boundaries and asks the question, can something be allowed in or out?
It's yin partner is the Pericardium, the sac that surrounds & protects the Heart. It's energetically like a semi-permeable membrane, opening to allow warmth, love, & other supportive energies to enter while closing off with negative energies. It asks the question, yes or no? Will it support me?Is it worthy of my time & energy? Is it aligned with my Heart, True North, or Tao?
The final layer of protection, the Small Intestine, is yang partner to the Heart and discerns what will support the Heart's integrity & wellbeing and what won't. It separates the pure from the impure and asks the question, is this me or you? Is this worthy of being taken into my Heart and being integrated into my whole being & self? If I invite this in, what do I need to know to wisely protect myself?
The most inner Fire official, the Heart, is the keeper of the steady rhythm of life and houses the Shen. When we think about the physical heart, it contains a void and chambers, which is where the Shen resides. The Heart asks, to do or not do? Or to simply be?
So, how do you let your light shine? Do you have healthy boundaries in relationships & life? Can you discern what's worthy of your radiance? Do you feel safe to shine?
Interconnection
The Sun moved into Leo on Wednesday, Jupiter moved into Leo on June 29th (& will be there until July 25, 2027), and the South Node will move into Leo on July 26th (& will be there until March 26, 2028). Whoa, y'all. So much more Fire...in the year of the Fire Horse. And, it gives us so much courage & energy to shine...or see why we aren't.
Another piece to Chani's message ties into the Aquarius Full Moon next Wednesday...each of our shining lights is part of a constellation of lights. We don't shine alone, but the community that we choose to orient with impacts how we shine.
You are my community, and I have so much gratitude for you being part of the space where I am sharing my light and get to shine. Navigating the energy this Summer has been enlightening. I am making connections about the weak points in my Fire element and understanding how they are contributing to my diminished light.
The Alchemy Mentorship really is an inside out process, and I've realized that while there is value in sharing the intimate details of my process & challenges, it's a reflection of having semi-permeable boundaries 😂 So, it'll be interesting if that changes as I work with all of this.
Work with your Light in the Constellation of Community:
Sunday (7/26) with the Yoga + Acupuncture + Sauna at 1-4:30. Emily will begin with a 60 minute Vinyasa Flow, and then you'll receive Community Acupuncture from me to help you calm the fire. Afterwards, everyone travels to Robinson Beach for the Good Medicine Sauna (& optional cold plunge). 2 spots open! Register here; flyer below. We're hoping to make this a monthly offering!
Summer Recalibration Series...support your Fire element's boundaries and regulation of inner & outer worlds: 3 private, 45 minute acupuncture session with points focusing on relaxation, restoration, and recalibration. Take time to breathe and be. No detailed intake. Just time for your nervous system to unwind, let go of stress, and create space for wellness. Come feel cared for and nourished. In these final weeks of Summer, ignite the potential for a spark of joy and thriving.At your first session, you'll pay $265 for the series of 3 sessions. *Must use all sessions by Virgo New Moon on September 10th*
Aquarius Full Moon Community Acupuncture: Wednesday, 7/29 at 6:15. The pattern will help integrate knowledge into wisdom, connect with Universal Love & interconnectedness, work with Fire & Air, and balance all of the chakras and 5 elements. More to come on Monday.
Sending you so much love. May you let your little light shine! Sometimes just 30 minutes to breathe and let the needles do their magic allows our Shen to settle back home in the Heart and radiantly shine for the world to see!
xx, Vanessa
⭐️ PS. I am taking a pause from August 12-26th to tend to my Fire element and will only be seeing clients on Friday, 8/14 & 21. There will be no Moon Cycle Community Acupuncture during that time but will return on 8/29 to integrate all of the shifts and wisdom from the Leo New Moon & Pisces Full Moon during eclipse season.
