Finding Ground Against Time
On Cycles, Seasons, and the Rule of Thirds
It seems to me that most people live by different cycles tied to time. That’s logical — and even conventional, in some cases.
For example, my close friend plans her life around her menstrual cycle. If, God forbid, she makes an impulsive purchase or there’s some glitch in her usual behavior, she’ll almost always say: it was probably ovulation. As strange as that may sound, there’s a lot of logic in it — relying on your body, your hormonal landscape, and your inner world (in every sense) might be the most trustworthy way to move through life’s uncertainties.
It’s hard to ignore that astrology has stopped being woo-woo. People openly say it’s a vertical they lean on in life. A famous Hollywood agent — a good friend of mine — casually mentions over dinner that he will never, ever close a deal during Mercury retrograde, because it affects communication. As a strong believer in “start with yourself,” I can’t fully rely on planets. Still, I have a thread in GPT with my natal chart, trying to learn myself as deeply as possible. That knowledge is for me — not for the outside world.
Okay, the most conventional way to think about cycles is reporting quarters. Not that I’m particularly interested in them, but even they sometimes force me into a certain frame. You have to pay taxes and talk to hated accountants. Still, they’re socially acceptable — and everyone on the planet is subject to them.
Since I moved to Israel, another obvious way of thinking about cycles has evaporated: seasons. I no longer have winter (I mean, what’s called winter here is really early autumn — though it does get genuinely cold), and it lasts no more than about 30 days a year. The rest of the year is spring and summer. There are no longer all those emotions, bad decisions, or rules that come with the seasons. Though I still love Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to my core (I love the recomposition by Max Richter).
Time just flows. And slips through your fingers. I don’t want to look at time anymore — it only makes me anxious.
But here’s my question: Why do we need all these cycles at all? I understand that they’re a useful tool for achieving goals, or simply for moving forward. A kind of deadline we need so we can pull ourselves together and not procrastinate our entire lives. Discipline. Structure. Call it whatever you want. It’s undeniably a strong support.
I decided to step away from cycles and apply “The Rule of Thirds” to my life. I accepted that one third of life will be magnificent, one third will be kind of fine, and one third will be complete shit. Any of these phases can last hours, months, seasons or even years. I decided to accept that life is long, and it unfolds in chapters. Life is long — and if you want to have it all (as I do), you’d better admit that you can’t have it all simultaneously, but you can have it all through the flow of chapters.
This approach helps me pull myself together every morning, stick to my routine and rituals, and move through awful periods when my diet is fully dependent on delivery and my only reason to go outside is walking Matteo. Accept it, and know the bright days will come. I’ve witnessed it already. Put all your effort into getting through the dark days with dignity — so you’re ready to meet the next chapter.
Spend some time finding your ground — the thing that holds you, instead of shaking you.
Meanwhile, I rewatched Scandal (All Seven Seasons!) - I’ve needed to suck in Olivia Pope’s vibes.
Yours,
Miri