This blog post was initially published on an old website and reproduced here.
And I mean when you are so exhausted, your soul feels tired.
The office had four chairs in a cosy square configuration around a round glass coffee table. The chairs were all different, and I sat in the white, tall-backed, and stylish chair. I wondered if my therapist could tell me something about my personality. Or my state of mind from the chair I chose to sit in. I chose that very chair at every appointment because it was the prettiest. And I felt powerfully akin to Dr. Evil in his ’60s egg chair. I was tempted to raise my little finger to the corner of my mouth to call for Mini-Me or my inner child if needed.
I felt exhausted. I felt stressed and that I was going mad. I looked at my astrological chart and transits. I was so stressed (did I already say that?) that I couldn’t make sense of it. I needed help. I told my therapist why I was there feeling like an idiot. You know when you externalise the thoughts you have that are plaguing you? Once you hear them, once they leave your mouth, the internal critic says, ‘Well that was nothing. You sound like an idiot! Why did you say it out loud?’
When I finished, I expected my therapist to whack out a pad of paper and fill it in. An enrolment form for the nearest psychiatric ward when all he did was listen and nod. Then he said when I finished, ‘You are not mad. Far from it. Your cup is full. That’s why you are feeling this way.’
He continued to tell me that life had thrown a lot of curve balls my way in the past couple of years. This included births, young children, elderly parents, deaths, house moves, travel overseas, pandemic! You name it! And my cup was overflowing. What I needed to do, was practice mindfulness, meditate, delegate, and empty my cup.
The validation was reassuring. After a couple of sessions, I started to feel better. Yet what happens when it gets to the point that once you relax, and things settle again, your cup feels empty?
I googled what to do in this situation, in blogs and articles. I meditated and grounded myself. I had finished the projects I was working on. It was a long period of non-stop activity. So I found I did not know what to do with myself. You see, as a stay-at-home Mum and business owner, getting on top of your to-do list is a never-ending quest. Yet I did it! Then the kids are at school, hubby is at work, chores were done (yes, I did them all), and projects were completed. Sure there are still everyday things to do, but when you reach a lull what to do with yourself?
I felt that my cup was finally empty, but the exhaustion was off the scales. Do I do what everyone thinks I do and sit in front of the couch and Netflix all day until it’s time to prepare dinner? I felt so tired. I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning. How do I fill my cup again?
It wasn’t until I saw a reel that I found my answers. Lisa Bulyeuer (Founder and Host of Women of Impact, best-selling author of Radical Confidence, and co-founder of Quest Nutrition) featured Lisa Nichols (best-selling author, CEO, and Impact Speaker) having a conversation over an interview. Lisa Nichols said that (I will regale it as I understood it) as women, we serve others from our cup. We keep giving and giving. What women need to do is keep their cup full for themselves. Serve others from what is in the saucer.
The reel ended, and I swear I heard the mike drop. This was brilliant! Sometimes, no matter your inner knowledge you need to hear it from someone else. I was tired, and I didn’t take care of myself like I used to. I always put my kids and family first. Yet my inner child was cowering in the corner, wondering when it was her turn again.
So I decided the way to fill my cup again was to be selfish. Now I don’t mean that I neglected my responsibilities. I mean that I put myself first. But how do you take care of yourself to be who you are again?
I knew that I was still me, yet an evolved version. To find out what would fill my cup, I had to do what I used to do to reconnect to myself. I had to get to know who I was and how to preserve the contents in that cup.
I hacked into my savings and devoted a part of them to taking care of myself. I booked a relaxation massage once a month (remedial massages are torture for me. Ouch!). I made sure I did pilates and a yoga class once a week. I go for walks, and when the weather is warm enough, I stand on the shoreline at the beach up to my knees to ground myself. It helps my migraines and headaches go away. I made sure I always had a book on the go to read. I write when I can download ideas (another headache pain relief method that works for me). I give myself facials and get a manicure every month. I watch what I eat. I have a weakness for sugar (the plight of a Taurus rising) and am mindful of eating processed food with refined sugars. Of course, there are days that I crave them or want to treat myself. I do but I don’t beat myself up about it anymore.
So how do I feel? The little Georgina is coming out of the corner. I am more like myself again, but the cup will take time to fill. It’s not a quick remedy, but it is a step in the right direction. It wasn’t until I looked at my charts again a few weeks later, that I saw transits for what they were. They indicated a time for me to pull away a bit from the world and do things for me. Didn’t I see it before? Yes and no. It’s hard for an astrologer to interpret their charts as they are too close to see the forest for the trees. It’s like an architect or builder having an incomplete home as the homes they build are complete for their clients. Same thing.
At the end of the latest session with my therapist smiled again. ‘You are better this time around. You are vibrant and a world away from when you first walked into my office.’ He was right. I was laughing, I was my mad old self again (I am a bit of a quirky gal). I was me again and my cup was starting to fill.
If you want to find out how your astrology can help you to fill your cup again, book a reading with Georgina here.
Georgina Sierra is an astrologer, writer, and scientist who looks after her Aquarian and Leo family when she is not helping kindred spirits on her life path. You can find her at a cafe or a beach reading and writing away or online if you want a consultation or collaboration (www.georginasierraastrology.com).