The Serpent's Gate: Eclipse New Moon in Cancer ❤️

Dear Friend,

On August 12, 2026, the sky delivers one of the most powerful moments of the entire year: a Total Solar Eclipse New Moon, occurring precisely as the Sun and Moon meet in sidereal Cancer, within the deep and mysterious Ashlesha Nakshatra. This is not an ordinary New Moon. An eclipse New Moon is a “turbocharged” lunation — the Moon’s light is fully consumed by shadow, and whatever house and sign this falls in your chart becomes a spotlight for release, revelation, and rebirth.

Because this eclipse lands in Cancer — the sign of home, emotion, nourishment, and the inner mother — and within Ashlesha, the “serpent” nakshatra, this is deeply personal. It is not a loud, external event. It is a quiet, internal molting. Ashlesha asks us to shed an old skin: an outdated belief, a relationship pattern, a fear we've outgrown but haven't yet released. Ashlesha also carries gifts of penetrating insight — the ability to see what truly motivates people and situations, and the wisdom to navigate the real world with more discernment than before.

What Makes This Eclipse So Significant

This New Moon isn't isolated — it's part of a larger planetary story unfolding in the sky right now.

Jupiter is also transiting through Cancer this year, and remarkably, Cancer is Jupiter's sign of exaltation — meaning Jupiter is at its most dignified and beneficial expression here. With Jupiter sitting near the Sun and Moon at this eclipse, we are given a rare blessing: even as old structures dissolve, wisdom, guidance, and moral clarity rise to meet us. This eclipse is not simply about loss — it's about being handed exactly the insight we need to move forward well.

Mercury, the planet of thought, communication, and commerce, has also been active in this same region of the zodiac. In the weeks leading into the eclipse, Mercury moved through a retrograde cycle touching both Cancer and Gemini, and spent time close to the Sun in a state astrologers call “combustion,” where Mercury's light is symbolically overpowered by the Sun's glare. The good news: Mercury officially turned direct on July 23rd, easing us out of that foggy, re-thinking phase just in time for the eclipse. We're still moving through Mercury's “shadow period” as it retraces its steps through early August, so patience with lingering miscommunications is still wise — but the heaviest fog has lifted, and clarity is steadily returning as we approach this New Moon.

Saturn is retrograde in Pisces during this period, occupying a more distant house from this eclipse's axis. Saturn's placement adds an undertone of responsibility, quiet endurance, and the sense that real growth right now comes through consistency rather than dramatic leaps. If you've been carrying a heavier workload or a lingering obligation, Saturn is asking you to keep tending it faithfully.

Mars in Gemini sharpens the mind and the tongue — mental energy is quick, and this can be wonderful for tactical thinking, writing, and decisive communication, as long as it's channeled with intention rather than reactivity.

Venus, meanwhile, is placed in Virgo, a sign where Venus doesn't feel fully at home. This placement can surface tender spots around comfort, self-worth, spending, or relationship satisfaction. Rather than a warning, think of it as an invitation: this is a beautiful window to gently examine where you've been under-valuing yourself, your time, or your body — and to correct course with compassion.

Altogether, this eclipse carries a Cancer stellium — several planets clustered in the sign of the crab — making emotional truth, home, family, and inner security the central theme of this entire cycle. Whatever house Cancer occupies in your personal chart is where the most significant shifts are likely to unfold over the coming months.

A Mind-Body-Spirit Perspective

From a functional health lens, Cancer governs the stomach, the digestive lining, and our deepest sense of emotional safety — the same terrain Traditional Chinese Medicine associates with the Spleen and Stomach, our “Earth” organs responsible for transforming nourishment into vitality. Eclipse season is a wonderful time to support this system gently:

•     Nourish, don't restrict. Favor warm, cooked, easily digestible foods — soups, congee, stewed vegetables — that support the Spleen's transformative fire.

•     Protect your sleep and emotional boundaries. Ashlesha energy can stir old emotional patterns; give yourself permission to rest more than usual around the eclipse window.

•     Herbal support. Gentle digestive and calming herbs — such as chamomile, fennel, or a warming ginger tea — can help settle both gut and nervous system during this shift.

•     Journal what's surfacing. Ashlesha often brings buried feelings or intuitive downloads to the surface. Writing them down, without judgment, helps the “shedding” process complete cleanly.

A Ritual for the Eclipse New Moon

Because eclipses amplify whatever we set into motion, it's wise to avoid launching brand-new ventures on the exact eclipse day itself — instead, use this window for release, reflection, and quiet intention-setting. Consider:

1.   Light a candle and sit quietly for a few minutes of meditation, simply noticing what emotions rise.

2.   Write down one belief, relationship pattern, or fear you are ready to shed.

3.   Follow with one line of what you are ready to welcome instead — rooted in feeling safe, nourished, and at home in yourself.

4.   Close with gratitude for your body, your intuition, and your inner wisdom — Ashlesha's deepest gift.

In Closing

This eclipse asks us to trust the wisdom of our own inner knowing, even as familiar ground shifts beneath us. With Jupiter's grace so close by, what feels like an ending is truly preparation for something wiser and more aligned to take root.

If you'd like personal insight into how this eclipse is activating your own birth chart — and practical, holistic guidance to move through it with more ease — I'd love to support you.

Learn more and book a personal reading; please click here.

Please check the details of my new workshop on October 17th. 

With warmth and light,

Lucy Liu, RD

Registered Dietitian | TCM Practitioner | Healer | Vedic Astrologer

optimalhealthsolutions.ca 

The Inulin Effect ❤️

Hello Beautiful Soul,

Hope you are all doing great. If you've been exploring ways to support your gut health this year, you may have come across the term "inulin." This humble plant fiber has quietly become one of the most talked-about prebiotics in both modern nutrition science and traditional food wisdom. In this newsletter, I want to walk you through what inulin is, the ways it may support your health, where to find it in whole foods, and a few simple fermented recipes you can prepare at home to bring more of it into your diet — the traditional, food-first way.

What Is Inulin?

Inulin is a type of soluble fiber called a fructan, made of chains of fructose molecules that our small intestine cannot break down. Instead, inulin passes intact into the large intestine, where it serves as food for our beneficial gut bacteria, particularly Bifidobacteria. This is why inulin is classified as a prebiotic: rather than being a probiotic (a live bacterium), it is a nutrient that helps our resident microbes thrive. Inulin occurs naturally in thousands of plant species, though it is most concentrated in chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia tubers, and burdock root — the last of which will be familiar to those of you who know burdock (niu bang gen) from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional & Emerging Health Benefits

In both TCM food therapy and modern nutrition research, fibrous root vegetables and alliums rich in inulin have long been valued for supporting digestion and vitality. Here is what current research and traditional use both point to:

• Gut microbiome support — inulin selectively feeds beneficial bacteria, which may help maintain a favourable balance of gut flora and support regularity.
• Blood sugar balance — as a slowly fermented soluble fiber, inulin may support more stable post-meal blood sugar levels as part of an overall balanced diet.
• Satiety and appetite support — inulin absorbs water and forms a gel-like consistency in the digestive tract, which may help you feel fuller for longer.
• Cardiometabolic support — some studies suggest modest improvements in lipid profile markers, such as triglycerides, when inulin is consumed regularly as part of a fiber-rich diet.
• Bone mineral support — a small body of research suggests prebiotic fibers like inulin may enhance calcium absorption in the gut.

I want to be clear with you, as your Registered Dietitian: these are traditional and emerging areas of interest, not guarantees or treatments for any diagnosed condition. Inulin is best understood as a supportive, whole-food ally rather than a cure. If you are managing diabetes, IBS, SIBO, or another digestive condition, please read the safety notes below and check in with your own healthcare practitioner before increasing your intake.

Where to Find Inulin in Whole Foods

The easiest and gentlest way to increase inulin intake is through whole foods rather than concentrated powders or supplements, which can cause more digestive discomfort. Wonderful natural sources include:

• Chicory root and dandelion root and greens (also prized in TCM for supporting Liver and Stomach qi)
• Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke)
• Garlic, onion, leek, and shallot
• Asparagus
• Burdock root (niu bang gen)
• Slightly underripe bananas
• Barley and rye

You'll notice several of these — garlic, onion, leek, dandelion — are also warming, circulating foods in TCM food therapy, traditionally used to support digestion and the free flow of qi. This is a beautiful example of how ancestral food wisdom and modern fiber science often arrive at the same foods from different directions.

Fermented Recipes to Try at Home

Fermentation is one of the oldest ways humans have prepared inulin-rich vegetables, and it offers a lovely bonus: beneficial live cultures alongside the prebiotic fiber itself, creating a natural synbiotic effect. Here are three simple recipes to bring into your kitchen.

1. Honey-Fermented Garlic
Peel a jar's worth of garlic cloves and cover completely with raw, unpasteurized honey. Seal loosely (gases need to escape) and leave at room temperature, turning the jar daily, for 2–4 weeks. The garlic softens and mellows while the honey becomes fragrant and slightly tangy. Enjoy a clove a day, or stir a spoonful of the infused honey into warm water or tea.

2. Simple Fermented Leek & Onion Relish
Thinly slice 2 leeks and 1 onion. Pack tightly into a clean jar with 1 tablespoon of sea salt per 500 g of vegetables, pressing until submerged in their own brine (top up with a little filtered water if needed). Weigh down with a fermentation weight, cover loosely, and ferment at room temperature for 5–7 days, tasting after day 3. Once pleasantly tangy, refrigerate and enjoy a spoonful alongside soups, grain bowls, or roasted vegetables.

3. Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles
Scrub and thinly slice 500 g of Jerusalem artichokes. Make a brine of 1 litre filtered water and 2 tablespoons sea salt. Submerge the slices with a few slices of fresh ginger and a bay leaf. Ferment at room temperature for 4–6 days, then move to the refrigerator. These crisp, tangy pickles are a wonderful way to enjoy this powerhouse inulin source while supporting a healthy gut terrain.

A Word on Safety

Inulin is generally well tolerated in food-based amounts, and in Canada it is recognized by Health Canada as an acceptable non-medicinal and medicinal ingredient in Natural Health Products. That said, because it ferments readily in the gut, some people experience gas, bloating, or discomfort — especially with a rapid increase in intake, larger supplemental doses, or for those with IBS or FODMAP sensitivity. My general guidance is to start low and go slow, favouring whole-food sources over concentrated powders, and to drink plenty of water as you increase your fiber intake. If you live with diabetes, IBS, SIBO, or any other digestive or metabolic condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, please speak with your healthcare provider or with me before making significant changes.

The Metaphysical, Psychic & Wellness Fair is here next Saturday (July 25h). Let's support local events! I will give a talk at the fair; my topic is "The Master Molecule That Bridges Ancient Wisdom, Spirituality with Modern Science". It is a unique and interesting topic.

Here are the highlights:
What is the master molecule that regulates gut health, detoxification, brain health, mitochondrial function, aging, and much more?
 How did ancient masters utilize this wisdom and knowledge to boost their health and elevate their consciousness?

Please check my poster below for more details, and I am looking forward to seeing you there. 

I hope you enjoy the information and have a wonderful weekend!

• To schedule a healing session, please click here.
• To schedule a reading session, please click here.
• To schedule a TCM treatment, please click here.
• To schedule a group session on various topics, please click here. 

Full Moon in Shravana: Where Wisdom Comes to Rest ❤️

Beautiful Soul,

On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 7:36 AM PDT, the sky offers us a rare double blessing: a Full Moon rising in the sign of Capricorn, within the sacred Shravana Nakshatra, arriving on the very same day as Guru Purnima — the day we honor our spiritual teachers and the wisdom lineage that guides us home to ourselves.

This is not an ordinary Full Moon. It is a moment when the heavens themselves seem to bow to the guru within.

Guru Purnima has been celebrated across the Vedic tradition for millennia as a day of gratitude toward the teachers, sages, and guiding forces who help us move from darkness into light. It is traditionally honored as the day the sage Vyasa, compiler of the Vedas, was born — a reminder that wisdom is meant to be received, transmitted, and passed on with reverence. That this year's celebration falls precisely on the Full Moon in Shravana, the nakshatra of listening and sacred knowledge, makes the message unmistakable: this is a moment to open your ears, your heart, and your willingness to be taught.

The Cosmic Moment

At the moment of fullness, the Moon sits near 12° Capricorn, held closely in Shravana Nakshatra — the twenty-second lunar mansion, ruled by the Moon and governed by Lord Vishnu, the preserver. Its symbol is the ear, and its essence is sacred listening: the capacity to receive wisdom, tradition, and truth with a humble and open heart.

Opposite the Moon, the Sun continues its journey through Cancer, the sign of home, roots, and emotional nourishment — creating the classic full-moon tension between what we have quietly built within (Cancer) and how we give it form and structure in the outer world (Capricorn/Shravana). This Full Moon asks us to bring feeling into form — to give discipline and shape to what our hearts have long been asking for.

Planetary Alignment

Several other placements deepen this moment's significance:

✦  Jupiter, the great teacher (Guru) of the Vedic sky, sits in close conjunction with the Sun in Cancer — embraced within the Sun's own light. This is a sacred placement: Jupiter's wisdom becomes concentrated and deeply felt, even before it is outwardly visible. Fitting, isn't it, that on Guru Purnima itself, the planetary Guru is drawn into the very heart of the Sun?

✦  Mercury has recently completed its retrograde cycle (stationing direct July 23) and is moving through its post-retrograde shadow in Gemini, its own sign — softening communication confusion and inviting clearer, more grounded self-expression as we approach the Full Moon.

✦  Saturn, the ruling lord of Capricorn and a quiet co-author of this Full Moon, is preparing to station retrograde just days later, on July 26. With Saturn so close to stationing as the Moon becomes full in his own sign, we are offered a rare window to release rigid patterns and restructure our lives around what is truly sustainable.

The Spirit of Shravana

Shravana Nakshatra carries a gentle, receptive strength. Those touched by its energy this month are called to slow down and truly listen — to their bodies, their intuition, and the teachers trying to reach them. In Sanskrit, “shravana” means “hearing” or “that which is heard,” closely tied to the transmission of sacred knowledge through deep listening rather than mere intellectual study. This Full Moon invites you to ask: What have I not been willing to hear? What wisdom is trying to reach me, if only I would quiet the noise long enough to receive it?

Sit with this journal prompt as the Moon becomes full: “Where in my life have I been speaking or striving, when what was truly needed was for me to listen?” Let the answer arrive slowly, the way sound settles after a bell has been struck.

A Holistic & TCM Perspective

Beautifully, Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a resonant teaching here. In TCM, the Kidney system — governing our deepest reserves of vital essence, or Jing — is said to “open into the ears.” Our capacity to hear clearly, both physically and intuitively, is directly linked to the strength of our Kidney energy. Shravana's symbolism of the ear and sacred listening mirrors this beautifully: when Kidney Jing is depleted, we struggle to truly hear — ourselves, our loved ones, or the whispers of spirit. When it is replenished, our listening becomes an act of grace.

Health & Healing Suggestions for This Full Moon

✦  Nourish your Kidney Jing: bring warming, dark-colored foods into your meals this week — black sesame seeds, black beans, walnuts, seaweed, and bone broth are all traditional Kidney tonics.

✦  Protect your energy: with Saturn stationing so close by, avoid overexertion. This is a moment to rest more, not push harder.

✦  Practice sacred listening: spend ten quiet minutes in nature or meditation simply listening — to birdsong, to your breath, to the silence beneath the silence.

✦  Honor your teachers: in the spirit of Guru Purnima, write a note of gratitude to someone (or something) who has taught you deeply — a mentor, a healer, a hardship, or your own inner voice.

✦  Favor gentle, grounding movement: walking, yin yoga, or slow qigong rather than intense exertion, honoring both Capricorn's earthy steadiness and Saturn's call to conserve.

✦ ✦ ✦

An Invitation

If this Full Moon is stirring something in you — a question you can't quite name, or a sense that it's time to listen more deeply to your own path — I would be honored to support you with a personal Intuitive Reading Session, where we explore what the stars, your body, and your spirit are asking of you right now.

✦ Book Your Intuitive Reading Session ✦

With so much light and gratitude,

Lucy Liu, RD, TCM Practitioner, Healer, Vedic Astrologer

DIY Natural Sunscreen Recipes ❤️

Hello Beautiful Soul family,

Hot sunny summer days are here; everyone wants to get out to get a great dose of sunlight - nature's best medicine, but some may be concerned about sun spots on their skin. Here are some natural and easy-to-make sunscreen recipes that will make your skin smile. They are easy to make. 

Let’s make healthy and natural sunscreens that are free from toxic chemicals. You can add some skin-protective essential oils that have sun protection and also provide an aromatic scent, but avoid phototoxic oils because they can cause serious skin burns if used before sun exposure. Common phototoxic oils include bergamot, bitter orange (sweet orange is fine), cold-pressed lemon and lime oil (steam-distilled is fine).  Some better options include lavender, frankincense, sweet orange, or sandalwood.

Here is the list of SPF scores for the best sun protection from essential oils:

• Red raspberry seed oil: SPF 25–50
• Carrot seed oil: SPF 35–40
• Peppermint oil: SPF up to 7
• Olive oil: SPF 4–8
• Coconut oil: SPF 4–8
• Almond oil: SPF 4–5
• Shea butter: SPF 4–6

DIY Sunscreen Recipe One
Ingredients

• ½ cup sweet almond oil (or avocado oil or olive oil)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup beeswax pellets
• 2 TBSP non-nano zinc oxide powder
• 1 tsp red raspberry seed oil
• 1 tsp carrot seed oil 
• 2 TBSP shea butter (optional)
• 25 drops essential oils (not phototoxic ones)
• ½ tsp vitamin E oil (optional, to extend shelf life)

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients except zinc oxide in a double boiler.
• Place it on the stove over medium heat.
• Stir occasionally to mix the ingredients as they melt.
• When all the ingredients are completely melted, stir in the zinc oxide.
• Pour into a glass jar or tin.
• Stir a few times as it cools to make sure the zinc oxide is blended well.
• Store it in the refrigerator to increase shelf life.

You can add more beeswax to create a thicker sunscreen or less to achieve a smoother texture. Make sure not to inhale the zinc oxide and use a mask if necessary. Please note that this sunscreen is not waterproof, and you will need to reapply it after sweating or swimming.

DIY Sunscreen Recipe Two
Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup of avocado oil (or almond or olive oil)
• 1/4 cup of cocoa butter 
• 1/4 cup of beeswax pellets 
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil 
• 1/4 cup of non-nano zinc oxide 
• 15 drops of essential oils of your choice

Instructions
Melt the avocado oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat. Once the ingredients are completely melted, let it cool slightly and whisk in the zinc oxide and essential oils. Continue whisking the ingredients every couple of minutes until the sunscreen starts to set up. Then, transfer to a glass jar for storage.

DIY Recipe Three: Tallow Sunscreen
Ingredients:

• 1 oz. of beeswax pellets
• 2 oz. of tallow
• 2 oz. of coconut oil
• 15 drops of essential oils of your choice
• 2 oz. Non-nano zinc oxide

Instructions:

• Combine all the ingredients except essential oils and zinc oxide and put them in a double boiler. 
• When all ingredients are melted, mix well with a whisk. 
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly and stir in zinc oxide and essential oils.
• Pour the mixture into glass jars for storage.

These recipes are easy to make, and they are safe and effective; all you need is to take action.

Welcome to another amazing Metaphysical, psychic & Wellness Fair on July 25th in Parksville. As the timeline splits in the near future, it is very important to keep our vibration high. 5D is within you, and you project it into your reality. All these wellness events help raise the collective's vibration and accelerate the timeline for ascension. Together, we move forward. Let's support these local events. I will be offering palm reading, medical face/tongue reading, Sidereal astrology chart reading, especially related to past lives and chronic health challenges, 1 Ching with ancient wisdom for lifetime predictions, tarot card reading combined with Sidereal astrology for one-year predictions and predictions for specific events in your life, and much more. I am looking forward to meeting you there. Please check my poster below for more details.

I hope you enjoy the information and have a wonderful weekend!

• To schedule a healing session, please click here.
• To schedule a reading session, please click here.
• To schedule a TCM treatment, please click here.
• To schedule a group session on various topics, please click here.