Lit Up: New Moon in Aries

It was the New Moon in Aries last night.
I felt churned up––with distress but also with zest to DO SOME THINGS.

Ram On

Aries has been blasting me with bad news this month.  (I mean, besides the state of the world and my city--unbelievably, but all too believably, another cop murdered a Black man here last night.)

I haven't felt like writing because––among other things (which I won't go into)––I've been sitting with the news that a neighbor boy from my childhood died last week in what the newspaper called "a fiery, single-vehicle crash".

We weren't friends, but I was blown away... How's that for the destructive energy of fire sign Aries?
(Aries = Mars, you know, the god of war.)

But Aries is also a baby ram, exploding with new life.

An aquaintance once described me as "rammy", not as a compliment.

I get that the energy can be annoying, or worse,
but it can be frolicsome and helpful too.

TAKE A LEAP!

Try, try again...

Ramadan starts tonight--
a time to fast for spiritual and social clarity.

I woke up at 5 a.m., feeling fed up (literally) with weight.
I'd gained 20-some pounds after I turned fifty, and now at sixty, I really feel how it weighs my body down.

I've tried this and I've tried that to help myself, but this past year has all been donuts and beer.
That's not helping.

So I rolled over in bed this morning, grabbed my phone, and signed up for a two-week trial of the weight-loss app Noom.
A friend of a friend started using it after he had a heart attack last year, and he's had had good results.
Noom is about $20 month (sale price), and there are lots of free options to track food online, but since the trial is free, I'll give it a go.

Get Out

I'm also going to start looking for a new job. Seriously this time, not just browsing like I did this past winter.

Last night I was telling HM about the latest craziness at work––a customer crazed-angry on drugs––and how the managers won't address it.
I surprised myself by saying, "I think I might be in a relationship with an abusive workplace".

Put that way, it made so much sense, explained why I feel crazy from my job sometimes.
The message is "we are friends working to create a more just world", but in practice, anyone who points out the many unfair practices at work is overlooked or even told to shut up.

This LinkedIn article lists things to do if you're in an abusive workplace, some of which I've tried without success.
The final suggestion hits home--especially because it includes "you may feel sad" (I will be very sad to leave the books and stuff):

Get out. I'll say that again - GET OUT.
The process may be painful. You may struggle.
Leaving behind an abusive employer may open up a whole set of anxieties about the future, but no one ever regrets leaving an abusive situation in the long run––much as some sadness may endure.
You owe an abusive employer nothing.

I'm so fed up, I want to quit today.
It's a day off; I will wait and reflect.
It would not be ideal to leave without something else lined up and to have so much free time on my hands when Covid cases are rising here again.
So, I'll wait.

Though I tell you, I feel like springing myself right out of there.

_______________________________

 "How will the new moon in Aries impact you?"
Image below from here, quotes via here and here

"The new moon on April 11, 2021, will feel especially motivating, thanks to the fact that it rises in passionate, impulsive, competitive, ambitious Aries. 

"Make an intention to connect with your inner warrior:
this cardinal fire sign packs a punch, inundating you with inspiration to fight for your future.

"Channeling that fresh Aries energy will give you a serious mental health and confidence boost—and it’s about friggin' time.
Having the guts to make changes and to realize how much of a difference that can make in your happiness will push you to be more daring.
Or perhaps you’ll need to accept that certain things will remain outside of your control and make the decision to leave."