Grounding Rhythms: Seasonal Newsletter (Summer 2025)
July 2025
How do you find grounding in every season, even the challenging ones?
What does grounding look like in a season when your usual practices are not accessible?
These are the questions I’ve been sitting with as I prepared to write this newsletter.
If I’m being honest, this isn’t the summer newsletter I thought I’d send.
The vision I had for my summer – and this newsletter – was of savouring abundance, simple pleasures, connecting and laughing with friends. Picnics, time at the cottage, singing and praying at a queer Jewish retreat.
Instead, the reality has been less “live, laugh, love” and more “stay inside by the AC, watch Love Island, doomscroll.”
As the heat rose and air quality dropped, I experienced a flare-up of an autoimmune condition that had my body breaking out into hives on the daily and was made worse by heat, exertion, stress.
A lot of my consistent grounding rhythms had to fall away: walking my dog, going to pilates, visiting my favourite tree.
I navigated feelings of isolation and grief as I looked longingly at my friends’ Instagram photos of Pride festivities, cottage visits, and the retreat I had to cancel while stuck inside.
There is a particular grief to being out of sync with a season’s dominant energy – somehow feeling that I'm “doing it wrong,” squandering the precious days of summer, like an indoor cat with their nose pressed to the window.
I find strange comfort in remembering that summertime sadness is actually built into the wheel of the year:
Cancer season kicks off summer – a water sign in peak fire season; a sign with a shell to retreat into, known for being emotionally attuned, nurturing, self-protective.
In the Jewish calendar, summer includes a three week period that serves as an annual placeholder for collective and ancestral grief that includes a fast day and other rituals similar to when a beloved has died.
This reminds me that my experience is part of the whole; that taking time to rest, heal, and feel my feelings is not only okay, but right on time.
And there are a lot of feelings to feel: as a sensitive being who cares deeply about the world around me and the humans in it, of course I’m not okay. The world is literally and figuratively on fire. The escalating genocide in Gaza is on my mind and heart daily. Perhaps my body reacting in this way is a sign that I am connected to the web of life, that my heart is still open.
After 5 weeks of being in an illness/healing portal, I’m relieved to say that I’ve turned a corner and am (hopefully) on the other side.
I hope that sharing some of the practices that supported me in this challenging time may be helpful for you. Writing them out has been helpful for me.
If you have other things that you find grounding in hard times, I would love to hear from you.
MY GROUNDING RHYTHMS FOR SUMMER
Rhythm has a soothing effect on our bodies as mammals. Here’s a collection of rhythms that are really grounding me lately. Some of these are constants in my life, and other ones are just here for the season.
DAILY RHYTHMS
Eating my morning chia pudding with summer fruit. Lying with my legs up the wall to soothe my nervous system. Watching silly reality TV (Queer Ultimatum & Love Island) to offer a distraction when being in my body was too much, and give me accessible moments of connection when texting with friends who were also watching.
WEEKLY RHYTHMS
When I felt well enough to be outside, soaking in the bird song and luscious summer flowers that felt even more heightened after so much indoor time. Rocking in my backyard hammock and listening to an audiobook (two recent faves: Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature & Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza).
MONTHLY RHYTHMS
Sending money to my friend’s fundraiser for a family in Gaza. Listening to my monthly horoscope on the Embodied Astrology podcast (as a Sag rising, my 8th house is in Cancer, which makes for an emotionally murky month). Reading about the Jewish month of Av in For Times Such As These:
““Av, in the peak of summer, opens with destruction and consolation. The season grows hotter, the world intensifies. Over the journey of the month, grief melts away or burns up into love. Av is an emotional rollercoaster of a month.” ”
YEARLY RHYTHMS
Enjoying summer produce and being so grateful to the farmers. Spending time at the cottage now that I’m feeling better. Preparing for the High Holy Days, which I’ll be co-leading with some friends and collaborators in Toronto (stay tuned for updates here).
SEASONAL RITUAL: ‘GROUNDING IN UNGROUNDED TIMES’ SPREAD
What you’ll need:
Your Intuition Cards or your favourite tarot or oracle deck
A candle
A journal
What to do:
1) Open
Light your candle. Take 3 breaths. Call in Divine guidance: keep it simple, show up as you are, know that the Source of Life who flows within, between, and beyond loves you, wants to support you, and doesn’t need you to perform or show up “perfectly” (whatever that means!).
2) Pull your cards
One for each question, more if you want additional clarity. Or skip the cards and just journal on each question.
- What emotions / aspects of your experience wants to be witnessed?
- What story or belief is emerging? How is it supporting you? How is it holding you back?
- What might offer grounding in this moment?
- How can you open to receiving the support that is already here?
3) Close
Take a photo of your cards or put them on your altar. Blow out your candle or let it burn, if it is safe to do so. Have a drink of water, tea, or a snack to nurture your body.
MEME MOOD BOARD
Some of the memes that have helped me feel seen, given me joy, or inspired me lately.
WORK WITH ME THIS SEASON
BOOK A SPIRITUAL SUPPORT SESSION FOR SUMMER
Spiritual Support Sessions are 60-min online sessions where I hold space for whatever is on your heart, mind, and spirit and help you connect to your inner wisdom and divine guidance.
They’re deep yet playful, soothing yet energizing, and often unearth a gem of wisdom that offers clarity and meaning (be it a message from a guide or your wise inner self, a potent symbol, an impulse for a ritual).
This can be a wonderful way to set Summer intentions, create a custom ritual to embody your intention, or get guidance on creating an altar. I have a few spots available this coming month. Learn more here and reach out if you’re intrigued!
With love, gentleness, and a reminder that what you’re feeling is part of the human experience,
💖 Kohenet Or
(she/they)
Priestess of Becoming & Wholeness (Tzovat Gan HaMit’havut v’Shleimut)
P.s. Have a friend who might enjoy this newsletter? I’d be so grateful if you forwarded it to them so they can sign up.