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Have you noticed that the end of Summer brings on a particular kind of heaviness? Some attribute it to the conclusion of the holidays and the return to routine and the monotony of daily life. However, it’s all about the energy around us. Since early February, the energy has been building, but it began to diminish around mid-August. By early September, we find ourselves in the midst of a transition period leading us into the more Yin phase of the year. Yin is characterized by being more hidden, darker, slower, and less vibrant, balancing out the high vibe months we've just experienced.


Each seasonal change involves a transition period between the conclusion of one season and the start of the next. However, the transition at the end of Summer is unique. It is more than just a transition; it is a period of transformation. Transformation refers to altering form, nature, or appearance. Alternatively, it can be described as a metamorphosis, conversion, or transmutation.


Let's observe Nature; it's the last chance to transform flowers into fruits. This is the peak time for Nature to ripen its fruits before energy diminishes. Plants that have already borne fruit start to wither, undergoing their further transformation. It is truly the time of abundance, both of quantity and variety. This sense of satiety is one of the reasons for the heaviness left in Late Summer.


A close-up of the zucchini flower's vibrant center highlight its detailed textures and golden tones.
A close-up of the zucchini flower's vibrant center highlights its detailed textures and golden tones.

Just as changes occur in nature, similar shifts happen within human beings; we can also sense these transitions affecting our bodies. After following a quick "on-the-go" Summer diet, our bodies might signal a need for proper nutrition. The signs your body may exhibit in Late Summer can include digestive issues, slower digestion, fatigue, bloating, swollen legs and general swelling, headaches, difficulty falling asleep, exacerbation of some chronic conditions, and the return of candida and other fungal issues. These examples indicate that your body is struggling to transform food into nourishing blood. The organs involved are the Stomach and Spleen, and the symptoms appear when their energies are weak and in need of strengthening.


To enhance Stomach and Spleen health during this time, modify your diet to include more cooked foods (such as porridge for breakfast instead of cold yogurt), eliminate ice cream, and incorporate honey and warm water to support your Stomach and Spleen. Begin your day with a glass of warm water. If you experience digestive issues, consume some ginger after meals. Go to bed an hour or half an hour earlier than during holidays to adjust to gradually shorter days and ensure sufficient rest. If you are struggling with symptoms and a feeling of heaviness, eliminate gluten, dairy, and processed sugars from your diet until you feel better.


The Spleen and Stomach are two organs that will assist you in adapting to the approaching Autumn and also play a role in your current mental and psychological transformation.


We are experiencing a truly transformative period in September. It's an ideal time to mentally organize your life and transform the burden of new post-holiday responsibilities into a fresh routine. With the start of a new academic year, our daily habits can be reshaped. It's not about cramming your schedule, but rather creating a sustainable and nourishing rhythm. Let your days unfold like a dance routine—smooth, creative, expressive, and fulfilling. Analyze how you spend your time during the day: how much is dedicated to self-care versus house-care, how much time is spent working and commuting compared to being in nature, and how much time do you spend in front of a screen versus nurturing a hobby or relationship?


What thoughts fill your mind throughout the day? Engaging in conscious reflection, particularly during meditation, can help identify which thoughts should be transformed from repetitive or negative into more productive and positive ones. This practice of mental hygiene can release a significant amount of energy that might otherwise remain trapped.


This period offers your soul a chance to return to its origins after the erratic, vibrant, and social energy of summer. It's an ideal moment to reflect, find your center, and ground yourself to process everything that has occurred. Don't feel guilty if you're not up for hosting another dinner party! This feeling aligns with the present energy. Focus on your needs and nurture yourself with rest and beauty; for instance, enjoy a massage or another pampering experience. Receiving is crucial for transformation of the soul's nourishment.


In certain respects, it's another journey around the Sun since you last had the chance to re-center. What transformation have you already undergone and what aspects within you have matured for metamorphosis? Maybe you're prepared to take on new responsibilities that bring fulfillment and let go of those that are merely burdensome. Perhaps that is part of the heaviness you are feeling this month.


If you find yourself needing help during the transition period of September, schedule a seasonal treatment to support the transformation of food, thoughts, and experiences into nourishment for your body, mind, and soul.












On January 29, 2025, we begin the New Lunar Year of the Wood Snake. What implications does this have for our energy? In what ways will 2025 differ from the departing 2024 Lunar Year?


First, let's examine the characteristics of traditional snake symbolism, followed by an exploration of the energetics of the Wood Element. Finally, by revisiting key aspects of the retiring Wood Dragon, from my last year's blog, we can understand how the energy is set to change.


Snake Symbolism in the East and the West

Our initial instinct when seeing a snake is to back away. It provokes apprehension or even fear. Only by viewing this creature from its own perspective, free from the widespread fear ingrained in collective consciousness, can we truly appreciate its attributes. It is likely that the first lesson this year will teach us how to overcome our apprehensions.


Perhaps its poor reputation is due to its low visibility. As a crawling creature, it must stay hidden from many of its predators and operate away from the spotlight. Hence, the second theme for 2025 is that what is currently in the spotlight might have to hide and what is hidden will come to light.


The snake embodies more Yin than Yang traits, yet it is far from slow! Its renowned agility bestows upon this creature exceptional intelligence, enabling it to have the capacity to live a long live. Indeed, be it its lifespan or its impressive body length, make the snake a symbol of longevity. In the Far East, it is frequently represented as a circle of life or a symbol of 8 for eternity. Therefore, in 2025, we are likely to uncover more life sustaining secrets.


The snake of Asclepius, or the pair of snakes of the Caduceus, have long been symbols representing medical doctors and the pharmaceutical industry in the Western world. And just consider that it was Eve, Adam's other half, who's got all the blame for following the serpent, whilst we are doing it every day.


In Chinese Medicine, the snake is linked to both the Water Element, and thus the Kidneys, and the Earth Element, and thus the Spleen, as snakes can inhabit water or earth. This year, these two organs will receive a celestial boost but will also demand more of our focus. The blend of the two is beneficial for fertility, digestion, blood and liquids in the body and all transformative processes, including deep healing, within our bodies. This is an ideal year to address and heal deep-rooted traumas and chronic illnesses.


In fact, the association of snakes with longevity is referred to the physical body more so than to the spiritual aspects of our being. It is also founded on the distinctive phenomenon of skin shedding in snakes. As a result, in 2025, anticipate that people, including yourself, will change their image and the way they present themselves to the world. This transformative ability is more inherently feminine, making it more prevalent among women. It already occurs at various stages in a woman's life, when she becomes a mother, a grandmother, or matures into womanhood. And this year, anyone can have their Cinderella experience!


As a side note, the symbolism of a snake is commonly associated with a woman in both Eastern and Western cultures. Consider Eve again, who accepted the message of the serpent and gave life to first human successors. Similarly, in ancient Chinese mythology, the deity Nü Gua, known as the ancestor of humankind, is portrayed as being half woman and half serpent. In Eastern Europe, the tale of Eglé and the snake highlights the remarkable transformative power of femininity (pictured below).

"EglÄ—, Queen of Serpents" by A. Algminas(40 x 30 in. oil on canvas)
"EglÄ—, Queen of Serpents" by A. Algminas(40 x 30 in. oil on canvas)

Green is the Wood Element

What about the governing Element in 2025? It will remain the same, as both 2024 and 2025 are governed by the Wood energy. Wood Element is linked with green colour, Spring, with growth, childhood, creativity, overstepping the boundaries in order to find new experiences to learn from. Wood element is associated with Liver and Gallbladder, so these two organs will continue receiving an extra energetic boost in 2025. Utilize this energy to detox, particularly during the spring season. For inspiration, take a look at my Loving-3-phase-detox for ideas of a gentle detox.


The Wood Element will add Yang energy to the Snake in 2025, it will keep the snake out of its den most of the time. The qualities of agility, reactivity and creativity will get an extra boost this year. Therefore, dedicate yourself to creative projects, move quickly by avoiding obstacles, keeping in sight your goal. Have faith in the process!


With the addition of Wood energy to deep healing of the snake, it can be inferred that the healing processes in 2025 will be rapid. The healing will be both profound and swift. The rapid pace of healing will bring a certain ease to otherwise pain-staking processes. So, make the most of this by using the ageless method of acupuncture as the healing medium for your body, mind and soul in the coming year. The upcoming year presents the perfect opportunity to release old patterns and traumas that have become embedded in you but do not align with your future fulfillment nor destiny.


The balanced Wood Element, and therefore a healthy Liver, will offset the Snake's excessive energy of the Water and Earth Elements. Water is linked with the emotion of fear and Earth with the emotion of worry. If the Liver is weak, the fearful energy of the snake is likely to freeze the growth and a successful completion of a project or a healing process. Analogically, if Liver is weak it will not be able to push through the worry. Keep this in mind when you wonder why progress, particularly in regaining your health, is lacking.


In summary, unlike the highly Yang, dynamic, fierce, and daring Wood Dragon of 2024, the upcoming year will concentrate its energy on internal realms, which are less visible and profoundly transformative. Although, it will remain rapid, expansive, and action-packed nonetheless. Therefore, in 2025 harness the power of shedding your skin, moving between your life roles, embracing a new image, navigating obstacles in an almost shape-shifting manner. In Chinese culture the Green Snake is a symbol of hope, fortune, longevity and prosperity among other, which is what I sincerely wish for all of you in the coming new year 2025!


Click the button below to request a New Lunar Year gift from DoroTao. Enter: "NEW LUNAR YEAR 2025" in the email to get a 25% discount on your next treatment. Conditions below apply.


*offer available upon request exclusively during January and February 2025

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Initially, it might seem harsh to equate Love with a bitter flavour because of our cultural link between bitterness and displeasure. However, consider how many people enjoy drinking coffee or tea. Both beverages have a bitter taste, with coffee being more bitter than tea. This suggests that our negative perceptions of bitterness may need some reconsideration.


What is the function of bitter in Chinese Medicine? Bitter has the energetic effect of descending. Whether it is to send down a big and heavy meal or calming overly excited Heart, it has a downward directionality.


You might wonder, if love is about elevation and passionate energy, then bitter surely works in the opposite way, correct? Well, let's explore it further.


In Chinese Medicine (and likewise in Classical Greek philosophy) there are Five fundamental elements/energies on which all material and immaterial existence is based. The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood; and everything can be associated with these elements.


Fire is associated with the Summer season, with fire, with the red colour, with the Heart, with Love and with the bitter taste. That already suggest that bitter tasting herbs, especially blue-violet Chicory flowers, are going to be beneficial to the Heart and its emotion of love.


Studying Bach flower essences has helped me grasp the significance of this bitter herb in relation to the emotion of Love. Edward Bach wrote about people who need the Chicory essence:

"…people are full of love and care for their families and friends. But they expect to receive love and attention in return, with interest, and feel slighted and unnecessarily hurt if they don’t get all they expect.

Their great love can lead them to hold onto their loved ones and try to keep them dependent and close to hand.

This may stifle the development of other personalities, or simply drive people away.

When we fall into this state the remedy helps bring out the positive side of Chicory: love given unconditionally and in freedom."

Chicory flower essence. Edward Bach
Chicory flower essence

To me, the significance lies in how Chicory serves to strengthen and solidify the emotion of love, making it even more lasting. Reflecting on it, in any loving relationships there comes a point where we must acknowledge and accept something about our partner or family member that may not agree perfectly with us and we may attempt to impose our will rather than let the other be. The bitter-tasting Chicory helps us with accepting the other lovingly, sending it down, swallowing the facts, and by doing so our loving feelings are actually anchored down.


This process in Five Elements describes the dynamic of the Fire and the Water element. Water element corresponds to the Winter season, the colour blue, the Kidneys and the emotion of fear. By ancoring the emotion of Love in the depths of Water energy, the Heart may become unsure and insecure. Hence the blue-violet blooms of Chicory serve as a perfect bridge between the Fire and Water element; supporting the Heart and assuring its connection with the enduring and life-sustaining Water element.


In conclusion, enduring, profound and lasting love requires bitterness as a crucial ingredient. Without it, love may remain superficial, self-centered, conditional or fleeting.


Now... I am off to finish my Chicory flower essence I have harvested and infused earlier today, potentiated with crystals.


If you would like to get my Chicory flower essence contact me by clicking below:




Thank you for joining in!

Dorota Anna Kowal
C.F.: KWLDTN75D57Z127X
P.IVA.:07443590489
via San Francesco, 3
Fiesole (FI) , Italia

​© 2025 by Dorota Kowal. All rights reserved.

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