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There’s a storm off the East Coast right now—a hurricane pushing its way up toward Delaware. At the same time, a new moon has settled into the night sky. And as I sit with the energy of both, I’m reminded of the strange way outer forces mirror our inner lives.
Storms and new moons alike are invitations to notice. They show us what’s fragile, what’s dying, and what’s ready to be released.
Think of a tree in the path of a hurricane. Any branch too weak to withstand the force of 70- or 100-mile-per-hour winds will inevitably snap. The tree doesn’t choose this—it simply happens. And though the break is painful, it’s also cleansing. The hurricane forces the tree to acknowledge its weakness, to shed what no longer sustains it.
If the tree were conscious, perhaps it would release those dying branches before the storm arrived. It could redirect its energy elsewhere and let go more gracefully. But often, just like us, it holds on. And sometimes it takes an external force—a hurricane, a life event, a loss, or a shift in our personal world—to show us what can no longer remain.
Hurricanes humble us. They remind us of how little control we actually have. As humans, we carry this strong-willed belief that we can master nature—that we can build stronger, manipulate weather, or bend the forces of life to our will.
But the truth is, we can’t. At least not fully. And when we try, we often create consequences we don’t understand. The complexity of nature—of global weather patterns, of energy flowing through oceans and skies—is far beyond our comprehension. A hurricane, in its own way, is a natural process of balance. It cools overheated waters, redirects energy, and reminds us that Earth has its own ways of maintaining equilibrium.
The same is true in our personal lives. When we cling to the illusion that we can control everything, we invite suffering. Fear, doubt, shame, anxiety—all of these grow when we grasp at what was never ours to manage.
What if instead, like the tree, we allowed the winds of life to strip away what’s already weak or dying?
This season—hurricane season, new moon season—is an invitation to release. To let go of the stories, the beliefs, the patterns that no longer serve us. Maybe it’s the story that you have to control every outcome. Maybe it’s the belief that your truth is the only truth. Maybe it’s an old wound, a judgment, or a self-perception that has outlived its usefulness.
When we release, we make space. Just as a tree grows new branches after a storm, or fresh leaves in spring, we too open ourselves to fresh energy, new possibilities, and perspectives that could never emerge if we clung to the old.
Our bodies teach us this as well. They’re complex, interwoven systems evolved over millennia to live in harmony with the natural world. And yet, in our attempts to control and manipulate them—through quick fixes, synthetic shortcuts, or disconnection from nature—we disrupt what was always meant to be in balance.
When we bring the body back into alignment, when we nourish it, rest it, and allow it to live in the patterns it evolved within, something opens. The nervous system relaxes. Homeostasis returns. And in that space—where we are not in constant fight-or-flight—we gain access to something deeper. To wisdom. To intuition. To the divine current that runs through us.
Storms—whether literal or metaphorical—are not punishments. They are teachers. They highlight the weak branches in our lives, the beliefs under tension, the stories that can no longer hold.
The question for us, then, is simple: what are we ready to release?
Is it the belief that you are separate, when in fact you are eternal? Is it the story that someone else’s truth diminishes your own? Is it the idea that control is safety, when in reality surrender is the greater freedom?
Hurricanes strip away. New moons invite renewal. Together they offer a powerful moment to pause and ask:
What am I still holding onto that is ready to fall away?
What beliefs feel strained, brittle, ready to break?
What new branches am I willing to let grow in their place?
Just as the Earth sheds, heals, and regenerates, so can we. The storms in your life—no matter how uncomfortable—may be doing the sacred work of clearing what no longer serves you.
So this week, as the winds move and the moon turns dark, I invite you to reflect: What stories are you ready to let go of? What beliefs no longer need to define you?
Because on the other side of release, there is always rebirth.
Ready to take the next step? I have a few openings for my Grace In The Storm coaching program. It’s a 1 month program to build the skills to navigate any change in life. When relationships, careers, consciousness, retirement, or any other major change comes into your life, it’s the perfect time to build new practices.
Schedule a free discovery call here! https://joegarner.net/lets-chat
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