KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

September 7 through September 13, 2026

This week opens under a looming new Moon, which occurs in Virgo on Thursday. A retrograde and two sign changes also occur on that day, making it the most transformative day of the week. We’ll enjoy great progress on Monday and Tuesday as the Moon charges through Leo, moving us forward with power and determination. Things start to shift on Wednesday as the Moon marches into Virgo, turning our attention to minor details and humanitarian causes. When we awake on Thursday, we’ll experience Uranus’s shift to retrograde motion. This planet is far enough out in the solar system to make little obvious difference as it changes direction, but it’s important to note that for the next five months, it will be creating subtle changes in our thinking, as well as our future plans. Venus will move into ethereal Scorpio, bringing our love of spiritual and metaphysical pursuits to the forefront for the next few weeks. Mercury will enter Venus, the sign of love, turning our attention to our closest relationships. The Virgo new Moon will give us the chance to make a fresh start over the next two weeks, so make a wish on what you’d like to manifest this month! The remainder of the week unfolds under a balancing and easy-flowing Libra Moon.

The Nature of Happiness Is Nature Itself, by Mark Langenfeld

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

I think it is fair to say that nearly all people want to improve their lives, right? (Of course, right.) Well, as I describe in my book Wisdom from the Woods, one way to better your life is to deepen the connection you already have with Mother Nature. Utilizing nature metaphors, the Earth Goddess can teach you ways to increase your level of overall happiness, reduce stress, and let go of resentment through forgiveness. (What a deal!)

How to Create Happiness
One does not simply find happiness. Nor is happiness bestowed. You need to create it. It is essential to recognize that there are two types of happiness: Short-term and long-term. Short-term happiness is based on the emotion of excitement and is typically experienced when we make a purchase, win a game, receive praise, or accomplish a task. Long-term happiness, on the other hand, is a state of being, based on an inner sense of life satisfaction by acting in accordance with your values and standards. Like a mighty oak, people with long-term happiness reach their branches up to the Sun God and anchor their roots down deeply into Mother Earth. (So, mote it be.)

Let's address three myths about happiness: Myth #1: You cannot buy happiness. Fact: You can only buy the conditions for happiness, but not actual happiness. For instance, you can buy a wedding cake, but you cannot buy a loving marriage. On the other hand, if you are poor, money can buy happiness, but only up to the point of meeting your basic needs. Myth #2: Happiness is completely outside your control. Fact: You can always control some aspects of your life. Your thoughts, attitude, beliefs, and behavior all play a significant role in your state of happiness. Having said that, we also need to acknowledge that some aspects of happiness are biological, as genes contribute to it. Therefore, that part is outside our control. Myth #3: Accomplishments make you happy. Fact: The satisfaction you feel from an accomplishment is real, but it is also short-term.

Expectations usually lead to disappointment. Here are some expectations about happiness that I have heard over the years: 1) You should be happy at all times. 2) It's your spouse's job to make you happy. 3) Your children should always be happy. 4) Buying the latest things makes you perpetually happy. 5) The only way to be happy is to achieve the American dream. The problem is, if you chase that unrealistic dream, you inevitably feel frustrated and stressed when you fall short. (Sigh.)

Here's a breathing exercise to try: When you feel stressed, sit in a quiet place (preferably in the woods), close your eyes, and breathe in love from the universe. Then, upon exhalation, breathe out compassion for all those who suffer along with you.

As you continue to breathe, think about all the positive things in your life and be happy with what you already have. Take another slow, deep breath and consider adopting new behaviors that could enhance your positive emotions, such as giving more sincere compliments, doing favors for others, being kinder to yourself, or simply smiling more.

Spend time with people who energize you. The quality of your interaction with others is a major factor in happiness. Therefore, before you end this meditation, evaluate the quality of your current relationships. Taking one more deep breath, open your eyes, and journal in your Book of Shadows about what you learned.

How to Reduce Mental Stress
Let's start this topic with a relevant metaphor, shall we? Adding stress to your life is like drinking saltwater from the ocean: it only makes you thirstier, and things get worse. Far better it is to sit and relax on the shores, knowing that the tide (like stress) will inevitably come in and eventually retreat.

Mental stress can manifest as negative thinking and excessive worrying. Fretting is like putting a binding spell on yourself that prevents you from fully enjoying life. Worrying is passive and counterproductive. While you are agonizing, your mind imagines all kinds of terrible scenarios. Then, your body reacts to those negative thoughts by producing various stress hormones unnecessarily. So, you are basically turning your bloodstream into a toxic waste dump! (Oh, for the love of the Goddess. Stop it!)

You may be surprised to learn that most of our mental stress is not caused by real events, but rather by the fearful anticipation of those events. It is our fears that make our minds assume the worst. Instead of being passive, take some positive action to improve things. What kind of positive action? (Thanks for asking.) Well, it is up to you. It all depends on your situation. Personally, I prefer to go sit on a moss-covered log in the forest and let Mother Nature give me suggestions.

In our careers, we sometimes put stress on ourselves because our egotism tells us that we must be better than our competition and more productive than our coworkers. While it may be profitable for the company, is this hyper-competitiveness beneficial to your mental health? What good does it do to get the honor of being chosen as Employee of the Month if the price you pay is an ulcer?

Then, there are other times when we may intentionally cause unnecessary stress in our intimate relationships because we think it will make things more exciting. But don't confuse excitement with aggravation. I know couples who purposefully start arguments with their partners to heat things up or try to make their mates jealous. (What a mistake!) The added tension is neither romantic nor arousing; it is irritating! (There, I said it. Well, somebody had to.)

It is important to recognize and handle stress early on because prolonged tension can lead to a number of stress-related diseases. I find it beneficial to imagine talking to my stress to find out what it wants. Try this mental exercise for yourself and see how it works for you. What is your stress trying to tell you? Find out what it wants you to do. Then, make reasonable adjustments to your life.

Here are three practical suggestions that can reduce your stress: 1. Get proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep. 2. Engage in light exercise like stretching or yoga to help your muscles relax. Of course, first check with your physician. 3. Practice daily meditation, including diaphragmatic breathing. This can help you let go of ruminating thoughts and accept the realization that everything is in a state of constant change. Wanting things to stay the same is analogous to fighting Mother Nature's natural order of things. This, in turn, causes tension, conflict, and stress. (What's the saying? She changes everything She touches, and everything She touches changes.)

How to Let Go and Forgive
What is forgiveness, and more importantly, what is it not? Forgiveness is letting go of the resentment that you harbor towards someone or yourself. Pagans may refer to this process as releasing negative energy. A common misconception about forgiveness is that it somehow relieves the offender of responsibility. Forgiveness is not saying that what the offender did was okay. Nor does it obligate you to reconcile with the perpetrator. It is an expression of your compassionate spirit and your belief that all people have the capacity to get better. Forgiveness is about letting go of the past, not enabling current abuse to continue.

No matter how intense our negative feelings are about the offender, our resentment doesn't hurt that person; it hurts us. How? To begin with, it hinders our spiritual development and depletes our energy. It holds us back from enlightenment. Therefore, understand that holding a grudge is of no benefit. However, there are benefits to letting go of bitterness. Forgiveness lightens our spirits and frees us from negative energy, allowing us to move forward with our lives. It's like a fledgling finally able to fly free from the nest. (Whee!)

Or maybe, you would prefer this metaphor instead: Breaking free of resentment is similar to a pupa incased in a chrysalis longing to emerge as a butterfly. You are emotionally confined if you hold onto resentment. If you want to liberate yourself from your mental prison, learn to let go of bitterness. And, yes, just like the struggling pupa, it takes work—sometimes, a lot of work. But, in the end, it is well worth it. Your spirit can be as free as a butterfly that has broken out victoriously. (Insert the sounds of applause here.) Personally, I found that the more I forgive others, the happier I become. You see? You create peace from within. No one else can give it to you.

Perhaps a simple nature exercise would be beneficial at this point to illustrate a hands-on technique for releasing stress and resentment. If you are able to do so safely, pick up a dried leaf from under a tree. (Make sure it is not poison ivy, poison oak, or anything you might be allergic to.) Hold the leaf in your hands and metaphysically place all your resentment into that old leaf. Then, bury the leaf just below the surface of the ground. As the leaf decays, so, too, will your resentment as you slowly let go of bitterness. (Aww.) Remember, forgiveness takes time. So, take it gradually.

To wrap things up: the combination of life satisfaction, relaxation practices, and letting go of resentment is a three-fold path. Just as the moon has three phases (waxing, full, and waning), and life itself has three stages (birth, life, and death), so it is with your overall well-being. You need the three-fold blend of happiness, stress management, and forgiveness. (It's a magickal potion.)

Let me leave you with this final thought about happiness, stress, and forgiveness: Some say the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. And it is tempting to think that you can be happier there. But (listen carefully now) instead of jumping the fence, why not just water your own grass?

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2026. All rights reserved.

My daughter and I are living with my parents. My husband has a job many states away and we can't afford to move all of us there right now. I recently found out that my husband had an affair while there. His attitude about it all is puzzling because it doesn't seem remorseful or loving. Instead, he's very defensive. The night I had the following dream, I told him I needed to feel loved by him and to feel like I am number one with him. He told me that I think I am above everyone else. That night, I had a dream that my husband left to travel back to his job and he didn't call me for a couple of days. I tried calling but got no answer. Then his dead body was found, and I was trying to get information from his bank account to see where he was before he died. Then I started feeling very alone. An old friend of his came and I took him to get a tattoo of his wife's name on his chest. I remember telling the friend how much that would mean to his wife. Afterwards, I ended up at home and I was scared to go upstairs because my husband was upstairs. I just felt I needed to get out of the house because it felt unsafe, so I got my daughter and we left the house. What do you think this dream was trying to tell me?

Patricia

Astrea:

Sounds like you're in the same pressure cooker many of us find ourselves in due to the world economy being so terrible. That will change soon - I promise!

Living with your parents is difficult enough without having to worry about a misbehaving husband who is many miles away. Dreams like the one you describe are called ANXIETY dreams. Since your husband had that affair, you are more likely to have dreams of betrayal and abandonment than you would have been in the past.

As for why he was found dead, that's easy; your subconscious killed him off. That's how angry with him you are, and you have every right to be! Don't worry - he isn't going to die in real life. Often, our subconscious minds will destroy people we love dearly when they cause us great hurt and disappointment as your husband did to you.

While I'm NOT defending his behavior in any way, I have seen so many good men turn away from the right path during this awful time in the world's history. It is very easy to feel lonely and miserable when you're far from home, and temptation is everywhere.

While I don't blame the woman for this incident, I do feel she saw him coming and is a relentless home wrecker. She won't be able to wreck your home if you can find a way to understand that he was weak in that moment. It doesn't mean he will be weak in another moment or ever cheat on you again.

He is defensive because he is having a hard time facing how wrong he was to do what he did. He knows it was wrong to have that affair, but he is angry that something that meant so little to him means so much to you. He is also very ashamed, and all of this is making him seem unloving. Maybe he told you that you feel above everyone else because he's afraid you're too good for him.

The tattoo in your dream is the most interesting part to me. Your husband's friend represented your husband in your dream. You probably would like to tattoo your husband after what he did so that if he tried this nonsense again, his very married status would be all too obvious. If you tell him about your dream, it might open him up to really talking to you about what happened.

While I highly disapprove of cheaters, I know people make mistakes. It happens and is part of life. So is forgiveness. The world will go on, things will improve, and you can learn to trust your husband again if that's what you want for your life. You both need some counseling. He made this mistake from loneliness, NOT because he doesn't love and respect you.

*****

Susyn:

Though your dream isn't prophetic, it does speak to the turmoil you are in and the feelings of loss you are experiencing. It appears you are in a very difficult situation and without much recourse at the moment. However, there are actions you can take to feel more empowered. To begin, you must realize that your marriage is in trouble and that it is not your fault.

In your dream just as in real life, there are unanswered questions concerning your husband's whereabouts and dealings. Because he had an affair while he was apart from you and seems unconcerned about how it is affecting you, it's not surprising that you had a dream in which he died. The love between you has been harmed, and there is a threat to its existence.

In the dream, your attempts to get information from his bank account in order to see where he had been mirrors your real life situation in which you don't know where he is or what he's doing when he's away on the job.

The friend of your husband's who wanted a tattoo of his wife's name across his chest speaks to your deep longing to have a man who loves you dearly and puts you first. For your husband to defend his actions by telling you that you think you are above everyone else is akin to him trying to blame you for his infidelity. In other words, it's just ridiculous.

The aspect of your dream in which you felt unsafe in the house because your husband was upstairs is a strong message about how emotionally unsafe you are feeling in this relationship. If your husband wants to continue in this marriage, he will have to make some choices.

First of all, he needs to either quit the job he has that is far away or find a way to bring you and your daughter out to where he is living. If he is unwilling to do this and continues to act as if his affair is your problem, not his, I would advise you to get out of this situation. There is nothing more painful than remaining in a loveless marriage when you can't trust your spouse.

It may be time to seek employment of your own and begin the process of building up enough money to take care of you and your daughter. Though this might seem like a harsh reality, you'll feel stronger and more empowered by taking action, and you will have more options. Please don't remain a victim and allow yourself to be treated this way, for that will harm your self-esteem and teach your daughter that this kind of behavior is acceptable.

Stand your ground, and no matter what your husband does, have faith that Spirit will guide you to healing and new happiness.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.