You Have 100 Days To Change Your Life

Time to Release Something! (Mars Conjunct South Node)

My summer healing journey began on June 1st, mostly because of the chronic pain I have been experiencing, but partly because of a comment made by a podcaster. The comment was “you can do something productive every day, or not, time will still move forward”. It hit at the just the right moment for me. My goal is to live a healthier, more active life. Most of all, I want to see if I can actually commit do something every day for 100 days. This is the most difficult aspect of it for me. I am not someone who loves routine. In fact, I have a real problem with it. I am a Sagittarius rising and moon sign, meaning I value my freedom and flexibility above all else. My daughter, who is an incredible Leo and a constant source of inspiration and information, shared her knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with me and encouraged me to start drinking golden milk, which is loaded with turmeric and great for dealing with inflammation (see silly cat mug with filled with golden milk above). She writes a column for Substack called Warmth and Wisdom, and you can check her out here.

The golden milk led to some research about TCM, which led me down a rabbit hole or three, which ultimately landed me on Tai Chi. It sounded like a good place to start, as I knew two things for sure about my challenge: 1. I wanted to start with a simple program, 2. I wanted to exercise at home. I was careful not to put too much pressure on myself, so a five minute Beginners Tai Chi video on YouTube seemed like a good place to start. I find that when you make the first steps to any new endeavor easy, the successes tends to build quickly, and that raises your likelihood to not only continue, but to eventually take on even more. During that first Tai Chi video, the instructor said if you do this every day for 100 days you will change your life and have a lifelong habit. You don’t have to do everything perfect, you just need to commit to the practice. I liked her philosophy and here I am 50 days in, halfway through my challenge and happy to report that I do 40 minutes of Tai Chi a day and have not missed one yet!

Today is not only day 50 of my challenge, but it also happens to be a very special day astrologically. Mars and the South Node move into a conjunction. Oh the synchronicity of it all! The South Node shows us where we learn to let go and to release. If it conjuncts Venus for example, there would be a release around love and relationships, Jupiter, learning and wisdom, Saturn around your karma. Where the conjunction lands in your birth chart and how it interacts with your planets tells your story. Mars shows the way we go after what we want, assert ourselves and take action. Making this conjunction with the South Node is a great time to release anything that is physically draining you. I happen to have natal Mercury in Virgo close to the degree of today’s conjunction. I am letting go of some very old stories (Mercury) about myself that I am tired of telling. I am releasing my old habit of not caring for my body (Mars/Virgo).

The previous Mars and the South Node conjunction in Virgo happened in September 2006. What was going on in your life then? What about that period of time reminds you of where you are now? What needs releasing? In 2006, I was starting over after finalizing my divorce. I released my marriage, and an older version of myself. I also was extremely run down physically, due to the stress of it. My Mercury is retrograde in Virgo in my 10th whole sign house, and in my 9th house in the Placidus. Mercury rules my 6th house (health, routines), 7th house (marriage & partnership) and 10th house (career, public standing). Don’t you love how astrology works? All of those themes were up and running back then and are again now. Look at where Virgo lands in your birth chart and connect the events of 2006 with today to find clues about what releasing Mars in Virgo has in store for you. You can go back further to the previous transit of 1970 for more information (if you are old enough). Those time periods could help you choose the 100 day commitment you make to yourself today.

If you want to begin an exercise routine, I suggest looking at your natal Mars placement. I have Mars conjunct Neptune which for me shows up as a love of dance, slow movements, a connection with music and a desire to combine spirituality with exercise (Neptune/Mars). Tai Chi enables me to bring all of those elements together, allowing me to merge movement with meditation. Mars and Neptune together love a good merge. The slow movements of Tai Chi are fun for me to explore because there is visual representation for each move, like the snake’s tongue and parting the horse’s mane. Tai Chi for me is like writing a story with my body. This appeals to the Neptunian influence on my Mars - using my imagination while moving. The ethereal nature of the practice lets me escape into another world while I am helping my body. Mind and body are working in unison and although Tai Chi is a gentle practice, I feel more powerful when I am doing it. Mars equals power in Astrology. When you work with yours in a productive way, you can move mountains, or in Tai Chi, move water through air. Incorporating an exercise which taps into your birth chart makes success much more likely. I can’t say enough about the changes I’ve experienced already both mentally and physically since starting Tai Chi.

Regular practice of Tai Chi nourishes the body, mind, and spirit. Internal relaxation helps to regulate the flow of your internal energy (qi) through your whole body, bringing you not just health, but a sense of wellbeing, and more conscious awareness.

The Tai Chi Foundation

If you do start your a 100 day challenge today, I would encourage you to write things down. Something about the daily ritual helps keep you on track. I took a basic Oxford subject notebook and wrote June - August Summer Healing Journey - 100 Days, across the top of a random page. I write the date, day of the challenge, sleep, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and exercise. You can use your google calendar, notes on your phone, or whatever works best for you. Look at your Mercury placement, that will help you decide. Since my Mercury is in Virgo, I write lists!

There have been holidays, work obligations and many distractions to keep me from exercising, but honoring my commitment to myself keeps me going, and the results do too! If you want to commit to doing something good for yourself or releasing a negative habit, start today. October 28th will be here whether you do it or not, so why not do it? You can teach an old dog new tricks. I am proof. I will keep you posted on my progress, and you can keep me updated on yours. I will be back on day 100 to tell you all about it. If you’d like to share your planetary placements, leave a comment below, and I will comment back with suggestions that might help!

If you are looking for more in depth guidance about creating a 100 day challenge for yourself, starting a health routine or making positive changes to your life, you can schedule a personal reading. I am offering new clients a thirty minute session at my existing client rate for the next 100 days! Use the button below to schedule. We can look at your birth chart and find ways for you to succeed with your goals.

I hope this inspires you. Life is beautiful and an adventure is always possible, no matter what the circumstances. This Sagittarius Moon, Sagittarius rising girl travels to China, explores ancient cultures and practices Tai Chi with great masters, all without leaving the comfort of her living room. Change doesn’t have to be complicated, you just have to commit to it.

Good luck!