Self love is... holding space for both

Preorder Moon Garden from Boulder Bookstore and get a celestial gift <3

A poem from my new book, Moon Garden: Poetry for Manifestation, now available for preorder at Boulder Bookstore (with a free preorder gift!).

I had every intention to write a beautiful newsletter for you about tonight’s Strawberry Full Moon. I was going to inspire you with this moon’s luscious, joyful, playful and indulgent energy. I was going to invite you to look up, to lock in your dreams, to speak them, to dance them, to own them.

But perhaps even the Strawberry Moon isn’t strong enough to quiet the chaos that ensues beneath her. The past few days I’ve been feeling stuck. Stagnant. Tired. Slow. While I try to practice what I preach: to move, to play, to choose presence over my phone, to choose pleasure over perfection or productivity… I feel heavy. This year, not even halfway over, has asked us to remain resilient and move forward despite the perils we’ve witnessed one too many times. The fires that swallowed January and February. The loss of life that has seemingly become a way of life here and around the world. The raids happening in Los Angeles as I type. As an immigrant who owes my life to the welcoming embrace of this country… it is deeply painful to see what is happening in my city.

What is the solution, I ask myself, and I ask you. The best I can come up with is this: we hold space for both. We embrace the Strawberry Moon’s call for indulgence, pleasure and presence, and at the same time we allow ourselves room to grieve, to rage, to experience the pain that the world invokes in us on days like today. We hold space for both — because that is exactly what it is to be alive. We honor our pleasure, we honor our pain. We are both the rose, and the thorn.

I named the poem Rose Mandala because a mandala is a sacred symbol of wholeness, a repeating, circular pattern that represents the harmony and interconnectedness between the universe and our inner worlds. Just as a mandala holds every piece equally (shadow and light, beginning and end) so too does a rose hold its thorn, and a thorn its rose. In this moment, as we navigate the complexity of joy and sorrow coexisting, let Rose Mandala be a reminder that our fullness comes not from perfection, but from integration. When we accept all that we are, we become whole.

In Tibet, monks painstakingly create mandalas out of sand. Upon completion, they let them wash away. A symbol of not only interconnectedness, but also impermanence. Imagine how powerful we become when we can hold space for both.So

So while it may be difficult to look away from your pain tonight, do take a moment and look up. Thanks to a lunar standstill, the Strawberry Moon will be the lowest full moon in nearly 20 years. 20 years! She’s closer to us than ever… perhaps because she knows now is when we need her the most.

Self love is holding space for duality, and thus restoring our wholeness.
It’s letting go of our need to be only the rose in its beautiful perfection.
It’s remembering that even our thorns are part of our singularity.
It’s remembering that life is simply a mirror of our own complexity.
It’s knowing that in the end, nothing is forever.

What duality are you experiencing today?

Can you love all of it?

XO,

Melody (your resident lunatic)

Listen to my Strawberry Moon playlist as you embrace your duality.

PREORDER AND GET A FREE DIGITAL POSTER!

I’m so excited to share that everyone who has preordered Moon Garden so far is eligible to receive this free digital print, a 2026 Moon Phase calendar that has themes and dates for every new moon and full moon of 2026! Simply visit my website using the link below, upload your proof of purchase and it’s yours!

Want to get double the perks? Order your book from one of my preorder partners (like Boulder Bookstore below!) and you’ll get a signed copy and stickers, too. Just upload your proof of purchase at the link. below.

PREORDER MOON GARDEN FROM BOULDER BOOKSTORE AND GET A FREE GIFT!

I’m beyond grateful to partner with iconic independent bookstore Boulder Bookstore to offer signed preorder copies of Moon Garden: Poetry for Manifestation that come with a special, limited edition glow-in-the-dark sticker sheet with some of my favorite poems from the book. Use the preorder link below to get yours! Thank you for supporting independent bookstores and me. <3

Want to reconnect with your pleasure and abandon your quest for perfection? There are a few spots left for my Strawberry Moon workshop at the Proper Hotel in Santa Monica on 6/24. Join us!