by Serah Blackstone-Fredericks

There is an immense juxtaposition at the start of a new semester, especially in the new year. A clash of energies stir from the stillness of winter as we bid farewell to 2025 and dive back into the rigor of academia.

I find myself being energetically pulled into the madness of the news while the world simply loses its shit — maybe you feel this way too.

As the semester starts and you are being tugged out of stillness, remember to pause and rest. I’d like to invite you to find moments amidst your day of going from class to class to re-center and find the quiet our bodies need during this time of year.

The energy remains inwards with winter’s dormancy and it is important to lean into the fact that there are a lot of transitions externally but your inside world can still be still, slow and calibrating. 

Let it all flow and merge. Let yourself be still.

Now, I know we are in the middle of the week and a new semester is in full swing, but where are the spaces where you can invite stillness in? Where can you embrace your internal experiences while you process externally and move with your rhythms? 

If you can allow one thing to fall apart this week to allow space for rest, I encourage you to do it. If you live with other people, have a discussion about the importance of a pause and enlist in support from friends if you feel a bit overwhelmed. Maybe support looks like finding a time to head to the library together to collaborate on simply becoming oriented with your Canvas pages for the semester and calendar some preliminary due dates.

This week is the start of Aquarius season, a time of germinating ideas. This is not yet the season to do, it is the season to dream up what you will do when spring arrives. So remain in touch with your dreams, they might be telling you something.

Aquarius sort of wanders their own way and does things very unique and out of the box. Considering Aquarian energy can be quite rebellious and revolutionary, stepping into a week of pre-decided timelines and calendared events might not feel ideal. Although with Sunday’s new moon in Capricorn energy we are gifted with some clearness on what to focus on.

The new moon in Capricorn has me embodying my saturnian energy, so this week’s AstroloTea will feel especially practical. If we can drop into practicality with some grounding and clarity, our semester could go much differently and more positively than expected.

This week’s AstoloTea will be simple and sweet, offering tea recommendations to start the semester from a space of grounded clarity. 

For fire signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius (sun, moon, rising):

I know you are assertive and want to get things going, but it’s not time for that yet. This week is a good time to plan and use your initiative energy to prepare for what is coming. Let your fire guide you to what you love to learn and immerse yourself fully in it. If you need something to feel passionate about, find a good non-academic book you can lose yourself in, or maybe write a short story about a season you love. Good tea for this week would be mint, passionflower and sage. Pair the sage with a bit of ginger and lemon balm for a nice combo.

For water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces (sun, moon, rising):

Do not pre-stress. What does this mean? Try not to create things to worry about before they even occur. Try to focus on this week like a baby learning to walk — take in what needs to get done just for today. Then continue to process each day one moment at a time. Cancer placements, consider tracking the phases of the moon and cultivate a relationship. The moon impacts your mood a lot more than you may realize. Good tea for this week would be damiana, calendula, motherwort and rose.

For air signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius (sun, moon, rising):

Disconnect from the news and social media this week for a factory reset. Watch when you are stressed. Are you turning to the screen to distract you? Maybe this distorts your reality. Watch how much you are engaging with media and even calling people to distract you from your own mind. Ground in what you need to get done with your classes and drop the distractions so you don’t scatter your energy and burnout. If you want to do something, maybe gather with your community for some art parties or a stroll at the market. Good tea for this week would be chamomile, lemon balm and tulsi.

For earth signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn (sun, moon, rising):

I know you want to hit the ground running and get so much done, but try not to burn it all out in the first few weeks. Work on maintaining a steady pace with classes. Your worth is not tied to how much you can do, it is your way in which you remain steady for yourself and for the collective. Simmer on what you want to grow in the spring. You don’t need to have all the answers. Good tea for this week would be nettle, lavender, milky oats and skullcap.