By Kate Downes, LAc TCM Practitioner
After a busy and abundant December, the New Year offers us a welcome transition, a blank slate. This is a time to reflect on what was, and envision what could be. It also provides the opportunity to “mark” this transition with a resolution to live better.
This year, consider a resolution that not only puts you on the path to a healthy year but one that also resonates with your astrological element.
Everyone has an element (based on your zodiac sign) or one that they gravitate to. (Not sure which element you are? Take the quiz here to find out!)
Understanding our elemental strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies helps us make self-care choices that are well-aligned with our deepest needs and truest selves.
Read on to find out which self-care resolution you should make this year based on your astrological element!
🔥Fire Signs: Resolve to ride the waves.
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Fire signs are daring, passionate, and creative. This energy is great when you want to get things done. But doing must be balanced with resting if you want to keep your fire burning. The trouble is, many fire signs find it hard to “chill out” and tune into their calmer sides. The solution? Embrace the yin to your yang: water.
Self-Care Resolution for the Fire Element: Create mental and physical balance with water-based self-care activities.
This year, rather than lean into your fiery passions full-force, consider playing with balance. Water is the natural complement to fire, offering coolness instead of heat and calmness instead of intensity.
Resolve to practice a water-based self-care activity, like herbal-infused evening baths. Or make a daily connection to your intuition while you nourish inflamed skin with Once in a Pink Moon Scorpio Hydrating Essence.
And don’t worry – water element self-care won’t drown out the fire that makes you you. Practicing more balance helps you enjoy all the sides of life (and gives your body much-needed rest to rekindle your fire later on).
🌱Earth Signs: Resolve to move.
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Grounded stability is what makes earth signs so reliable and resilient in the face of change. But, being so grounded can sometimes make earth signs feel stuck or lethargic. If you want to feel more freedom and aliveness in the year ahead, it’s time to make movement a priority.
Self-Care Resolution for the Earth Element: Find a favorite exercise and make it your ritual.
Exercise is not just good for the body, but good for the soul, too. If you struggle to find the motivation to stay active, simply lean on your other earthy characteristics for help. For instance, earth signs thrive with a routine. When you include a workout you enjoy as part of your daily ritual, exercise is no longer a disruption. Instead, it becomes the glue that holds your day together.
Or, bring the thrill of luxury into your exercise self-care habit. Earth signs often love the finer things in life, so treat yourself to something that will make you excited to lace up your sneakers and hit the road (or mat, or gym, or trail). Perhaps a decadent 3-step earth-inspired skincare ritual to look forward to after your post-workout shower? Or, how about a 10-minute face and body gua sha session to ease muscle soreness and maintain that just-worked-out glow all day long?
🌬️Air Signs: Resolve to be mindful.
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
The New Year is welcomed with open arms by most air signs, who love any opportunity for a fresh start or new beginning. As such, the challenge for air signs is usually not coming up with resolutions, but following through with them before jumping on to the next one. There is a remedy: presence. This year, be intentional with the goals you set and stay mindful during the rituals that help you achieve them.
Self-Care Resolution for the Air Element: Infuse your self-care practices with meditation.
Meditation is an essential self-care ritual for air signs, period. Many air signs spend a lot of time devouring new knowledge and ideas. While this is what keeps you “in the know,” it can also distract you from listening to your own inner wisdom (and wears you out).
This year, use meditation to guide you to self-care resolutions that excite you – but have lasting power. Then, infuse each self-care moment with meditation. That could mean listening to a guided meditation while you enjoy your Once in a Pink Moon Air Element skincare ritual, or doing a body scan while your botanical facial mask works its magic. Even if you do bounce between different self-care goals throughout the year, you’ll still have meditation as your rock.
🌊Water Signs: Resolve to honor your home.
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Water signs tend to be deeply intuitive and emotional – even if they don’t show it on the surface. Underneath their often tranquil demeanor can be a storm of emotions. The key to finding and keeping peace throughout the year is feeling at home in your home – all your homes. That means honoring your mind, your body, and your dwelling.
Self-Care Resolution for the Water Element: Create a self-care altar in your home and spend time there daily.
If feeling calm and stable is one of your goals this year, start at home. Create a self-care altar or sanctuary somewhere in your home where you can retreat. Leave a journal and a pen to write down thoughts, or a tarot deck to help you see challenges in a new light.
Along with rituals that clear your mind, include rituals that honor your “body home” as well. A gua sha tool, for instance, can be used to massage acupressure points on the feet that correspond to the Kidney channel and water element. And don’t forget to bring in other self-care products and rituals that evoke the water element into your home sanctuary, like the Species by the Thousands Moon Aromatherapy Mist, or the sea-like chrysocolla crystal.
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Adopting a new resolution for your year (or month, or week!) is just the start of an exciting new journey in self-care. Learn to weave healing self-care rituals and products into your everyday life by following @PinkMoon.co and @_OnceInAPinkMoon for more tips and inspiration!
P.S. Curious to see how your star sign element matches up with your Chinese zodiac element? Check out this blog…
