Thoughts on Happiness
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This week’s featured printable is a new quote about happiness - this time from Albert Einstein. “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success accompanied by restlessness.” Einstein wrote this sentiment in 1922, but I think it rings more true today, than ever.
Capitalism tries to convince us that happiness can be bought, sold, and otherwise commoditized. Social media puts happiness on steroids, leading many people to feel like their lives are missing out. Thanks to the Internet we can connect with people from all over the globe - but still experience overwhelming loneliness. We can be successful in our jobs, but still feel like we should be more productive and hustle just a little harder.
I think the message that Einstein is really saying is that the source of joy in our life does not come from outer trappings. It comes from within us and our ability to appreciate the small things. As someone who grew up in general chaos, it’s taken many years to embrace the fact that happiness for me feels like peace, stability and quiet. I find abundant joy/contentment/happiness sipping my first cup of tea in the morning. I find it sitting on my back porch steps, watching the sunset. I find it when I am visiting with my kids.
These little moments of appreciation (I’ve sometimes heard people refer to them as glimmers) can be as simple as looking up at a starry sky or saying a whisper of gratitude to be back home, safe and sound.
I hope you find lots of little moments & glimmers to enjoy!
This printable is available in the Free Mabon House Library
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Ruling Planets for Each Day of the Week
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Did you know that each day of the week has a corresponding ruling planet? This may explain why certain days have a certain feel to them and a certain energy.
Here are all seven days and their ruling planets, plus a free printable set of daily planners.
Monday
Monday is ruled by the Moon and is a good day for peace, rest, healing, compassion, purification, fertility and spiritual awareness. It is also a good time to connect with friends.
Tuesday
Tuesday is ruled by Mars and is a good day for cultivating physical and creative passion, stepping out of your comfort zone and taking action.
Wednesday
Wednesday is ruled by the planet Mercury and is a good day for seeking knowledge, honing your skills and exploring mew ideas. It is also a good day for travel.
Thursday
Thursday is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is a good day for expanding your horizons, focusing on financial prosperity, giving to others, creating a budget and setting financial goals for yourself.
Friday
Friday is ruled by the planet Venus and is a good day for focusing on love and friendship. It is also a good day for focusing on your inner and outer beauty.
Saturday
Saturday is ruled by the planet Saturn and is a good day to focus on your home, cleaning, getting rid of negative energy and tying up loose ends.
Sunday
Sunday is ruled by the Sun and is a good day to focus on your individual spiritual path. It is also a good time to think about strength and protection for yourself and your loved ones.
Daily Correspondence Planners - 1 PDF
Find more free Wheel of the Year printables in the Mabon House Library
References & Recommended Reading*
Ruling Planets: Your Astrological Guide to Life’s Ups and Downs
On the Blog
How I Follow the Wheel of the Year for a Peaceful (ish) Life
This post may include affiliate links* and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Mabon House only features products that I use myself or that I believe my readers would enjoy. Thank you!
I recently started listening to Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. It got me thinking about the role that seasons and the Wheel of the Year are play in my own life. Like many of you, I don’t identify with any particular spiritual or religious group, nature-based or otherwise. But I take great comfort in following the seasons. It’s almost as if the seasons give me permission to slow down (winter); to be busy (spring); to spend extra time with friends and family (summer); and to spend time working on goals for the future (autumn). Every year I follow some iteration of this pattern.
As I think about the Wheel of the Year, I’ve been thinking about the contrast between following nature’s lead and my own reality. In our capitalist culture, there is no slowing down. Too often efficiency and production are the markers of a job well done. There is no time to slow down, no time to rest. We have to keep moving, moving, moving no matter the season. I struggle to reconcile the fast pace of everyday life with the my desire to follow nature’s rhythm.
I used to think I must be lazy because I didn’t eat, sleep, breath my job, like some people do. But as I’ve grown in my career, I’ve come to realize that my work-style and leadership style are just… different.
My strengths come from the fact that I do try to follow the seasons as much as possible, even in the office. I take more time off in the winter and summer. I capitalize on the energy of spring to start projects. I use the back-to-school energy of fall to get organized and start planning out new initiatives. And I encourage my staff to do the same. Of course, this doesn’t always go as planned, but following nature’s lead helps keep me from being swallowed whole by my job, running from fire to fire, with no end in sight.
Along with following the seasons, I use each of the Wheel of the Year holidays to pause, reflect and align/realign with my core values and intentions. If I am feeling off kilter, checking in with myself, even just briefly, during a WOTY sabbat helps to move me off autopilot and be more intentional with my time and energy.
Basically, my personal philosophy is kind of like the popular quote:
“Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu
Nature keeps me grounded, while the Wheel of the Year offers a path forward.
How do the seasons and the Wheel of the Year show up in your life?
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