Many Milestones

I’m writing this the morning of my 51st birthday. David and I spent the weekend in the Traverse City area–my favorite spot in Michigan. We did our usual two days, one night trip there. The reset up there always feels like a way longer vacation. A timeless space, captured by the old-fashioned look of this photo:

I had a jean jacket tied around my waist, but I love how it looks like a bustle! This was Good Harbor Bay Beach–a new place for us.

We had our usual amazing food in Traverse City–Poppycock’s for lunch, plus the next day’s breakfast and lunch from Oryana Cafe. We know what we like up here, and we returned to many favorites, including the Empire Bluff Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes:

Some highlights:

We remembered this overturned tree from last time, and it has only improved with age.

Throughout our drives and walks, we talked about how many milestones we’ve reached since our birthdays in 2023. David turned 60 this year, with a New Moon on his birthday. I turned 50 last year, and this year I’ve got a Full Moon the day after my birthday, with Venus conjunct Jupiter on my Midheaven. Today, the Sun exactly trines Pluto in Aquarius, and this reactivates the exact Grand Trine in Air in my birth chart–Gemini Sun-Aquarius Moon-Libra Pluto–all at 1 degree.

The energy feels expansive and auspicious after five years of precise and truly insane transits. I’ve told many people that I don’t know anyone else who would have survived this simultaneous onslaught of intense astro hits, let alone thrived. I feel incredibly grateful to have made it through a period for which I’ve prepared since 2018. Even with all that preparation, I’m not quite through them all. Still, Jupiter and Venus conjunct my Midheaven feels auspicious–optimistic–with a feel of “We did it!”

In addition to a perfect storm of ongoing activation and progressions, David and I both honored our last remaining parents this year. David’s dad died during David’s Second Saturn Return, and my mom passed during Pluto conjunct my natal Moon. Those are extreme expressions of the transits, like symbols made manifest in outer life. I could write a much longer post about all the loose ends we’ve tied up in the past year, as well as those final pieces obviously falling into place, but not quite yet. Instead, I’ll end with more symbols made manifest.

When we began our drive to Traverse City, David noted how his work van hit 100,000 miles last week. He started in that van six years ago at around 65 miles, so the turn of his odometer felt big. He noted that our 2012 Jetta was also in the 99,000’s, but he didn’t think we’d reach 100K on this trip. The more we drove around gorgeous scenery, the more likely that became, until David realized that we would hit 100,000 miles before returning to Kalamazoo. Having not one, but two of his vehicles hit 100,000 miles in such a short time span seemed extra significant, so we intended to photograph the moment.

On the way home, David wanted coffee, and so he turned off the highway. There was literally nothing available, but he realized we were only a couple miles from 100K, so he drove up the road. Without planning it, the turnover to 100,000 miles occurred at 5:07, which is David’s birthday time. It even says 5:07 D (for Daylight), but also identifying David, the “D” born on May 7th:

The synchronicity blew us away, because it happened so organically after we’d spent 36 hours talking about major milestones. Afterwards, the stereo song titles and clock continued to tell an uncanny story. Perhaps I’ll share those photos some other time.

For now, I’ll just say how grateful I feel to have made it through the past year. It wasn’t easy, but it was extremely fertile. You always get regeneration in addition to the death and rebirth of Pluto. With Chiron–that April 8th Sun-Moon-Chiron Eclipse exactly conjuncted my natal Chiron–you always get healing. I cannot describe how intense this past year has been, but we made it, with room for joy, liberation and expansion. A long exhale … after a long, surreal journey.

This afternoon we’ll head out for an early (and yummy!) dinner, but then, we rest. We’re both looking forward to lower key living and a chance to catch up with ourselves.

Yesterday, I decided only to plant the front garden this year. Unless something radical changes my mind, I’ll let some of the back, hidden beds and the Garden Tower lay fallow this year. I have plenty of perennials, but I just don’t feel like watering both front and back gardens every morning. I’m deep in the throes of book research, and I want mornings for yoga. I’ll still plant some veggies in and among the perennials up front. I just don’t have it in me to battle groundhogs so much this year. David says we can go to the farmer’s market more often, so we’ll still have super fresh food.

Easing up on the gardening feels huge to me–in part because they are finally, supposedly digging up our street this year at some unknown time. I might need to go elsewhere due to noise, but I don’t know when that will occur. We’re also on the edge of the cicada emergence. I don’t feel like fighting them either. I have a weird feeling about this summer, and I welcome more flexibility to any potential plans. Everything feels fluid.

After eighteen years, I’ve also stopped hennaing my hair. It didn’t change the color much anyway. I did it for texture and easy maintenance. My knotty hair gets much smoother with henna, and I used to LOVE the henna ritual. It used to be my main self-care splurge, but after this intense five years of transits, self-care feels like a full time job. I have so many nurturing things built into my day that I don’t crave henna like I used to. I also have more than two white hairs now! Not a lot–but I don’t want a stark red and white line at some point. At 51, I can let some silver sparkle.

That may seem like a small shift, but it marks yet another end of an era milestone. As I said, I could write a much longer post, but I think you get the idea. Big shifts! I am grateful.