astrology by adina hertzel
Some days, I hear bells ringing.
When I’m on, I’m on. The symbols speak. And when they speak, they speak clearly, explaining calmly that there is a story here worth telling, and that it must be told in this moment, for these reasons. That it exists in sacred time. Sometimes there is a spark of certainty, a passing word read as though it is a light just turned on, or a bell just rung. Sometimes intuition rings.
I often find myself struggling with the feeling of not doing enough. In American culture at least, time feels like a scarce resource. There’s a sense of competition around who can work the most and sleep the least. And we compare ourselves to others, constantly falling short of a mythic concept of ideal performance. For too many of us, this ideal would require sleeping minimally, working without rest, and maintaining health and mental and physical wellness while doing it.
Planetary returns mark points of transition. They ask us to revisit themes from our past and usher in new cycles that allow us to tie up loose ends and begin new cycles. Lunar returns occur monthly, and solar returns yearly, within a day or two of your birthday. You’ll experience returns of each of inner planets once every 1-2 years as well. Each brings an opportunity to revisit old themes and release old patterns related to each planet’s area of rulership. Moving past Mars, however, planetary returns occur far less often and last for longer (due to significantly slower transit speeds). These less frequent, slower returns often have a more significant impact than yearly returns.