by Carmen Di Luccio, Collective Evolution

We are having a Full Moon in Capricorn on either July 8th/9th, depending on your location. The astrological energies of the Full Moon can start to become noticeable in the days leading up to it and will remain fairly strong in the days following. The planetary configuration at this time also influences the following two weeks, until the next Moon cycle begins.

Full Moons are the most emotionally charged time of the month. With the Sun being in Cancer, this Moon brings out the opposing polarity of Capricorn, and we may feel the energies of each sign either collaborating or challenging each other.

The Sun is masculine, which represents our ego needs/impulses, and the Moon is feminine, representing emotional needs/impulses. This polarity can play out in different ways, as we can feel it within ourselves as well as experience it influencing our relationships and the world around us. However, it can sometimes be hard to tell if each side of it is coming from a place of ego or emotion, especially this time around with the Sun in Cancer.

by Alexa Erickson, Collective Evolution

Music is one of the greatest joys on Earth. From those who play it to those who listen to it, it is a driving force and accompaniment for so many things in life. Many of us do not need scientific evidence to know it enhances our lives, but to learn of such evidence is surely important, especially for those who could benefit from it most.

Previous research has already found that music can serve as medicine, capable of treating symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. And now initial results of a five-year study by USC neuroscientists have found that music education can speed up brain development in young children, specifically in the areas of the brain where processing sound, language development, speech perception, and reading skills take place.

by Alexa Erickson, Collective Evolution

Optimizing digestive health is often associated with eating properly. And while that’s certainly a good place to start, there are other important parts of maintaining a healthy gut.

The gastrointestinal system, also referred to as the gastrointestinal tract, digestive system, digestive tract, or gut, is made up of a group of organs that includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. In recent years, much emphasis has been put on the importance of gut health, with experts now revealing the gastrointestinal system is more than the body’s primary site of taking in and absorbing nutrients, but is also a communication center to and from the brain. It also functions as one of the body’s primary centers for fighting diseases, and has even been referred to as “the second brain.”

by Alanna Ketler, Collective Evolution

Holotropic breathing is a powerful tool that can be used to unlock other states of consciousness, work through past traumas, heal anxiety and depression, gain wisdom, and so much more. There are many who believe that this is the only way to reach these realms of consciousness without taking psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, DMT, ayahuasca, and the like.

History of Holotropic Breathwork

The scientific method and alternative medicine aspect of Holotropic Breathwork was first discovered by Stanislov and Cristina Grof during the 1970s and 1980s. They both studied medicine and psychoanalysis at the Charles University School of Medicine in Prague, Czech Republic. From past experiences, they knew that the most powerful way to induce these higher levels of consciousness was through the use of psychedelic substances; however, there are some potential drawbacks and concerns that come along with the use of such substances. The Grofs then developed a safe and effective way to achieve comparable states of consciousness, using one’s breath alone.

by Carmen Di Luccio, Collective Evolution

We are having a New Moon in Cancer on June 23rd/24th, depending on your location. New Moons are the beginning of a new wave of energy influencing the upcoming month. However, the astrological configurations at this time have a stronger influence over the following two weeks.

Neptune recently went retrograde, on June 16th, and this will last until November 22nd. It is in retrograde motion roughly 40% of the time, and generally, throughout the bulk of its duration, its effects aren’t as direct as the retrogrades of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Rather, its effects are felt most strongly during the transitional period — which we are currently in — as the planet slows down and changes motion.

In recent weeks you may have been pulled back into something Neptune-related to help you shift the way you express its energies to serve your personal growth and development. Now is a time to consider how you will work with this planet, which could require some sort of action, revisitation, or reflection.