Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves…
~~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Greetings to all my precious people!!
Jupiter, the planet known as the “Great Benefic,” is widely regarded as a planet of expansion, abundance, and wisdom. When it returns to Cancer, the Water Sign, on June 9, and stays until June 2026, it reminds us of its “benefic” offerings: a path toward spiritual growth, enlightenment, and a supported quest for knowledge. The last time Jupiter graced Cancer was between June 2013—July 2014, so let us take a moment to reflect upon what happened during that time in our lives. There will be a nugget of inspiration, insight, and possibility waiting to be acknowledged.
The focus here now requires us to move from Thinking to Feeling, so we begin to establish our Self in the space of honing intuition and feeling rooted in our inner sense of security. The message aligned with the astrology of June encourages us to find and/or create practical ways to be grounded in our daily lives as we manage the transitions and transformations that Saturn in Aries has promised. We need to contribute to our resources, tools and daily practices that will support the networks of people, places, and things being developed. Everything we do really matters! And the more curiosity we can manifest and conjure up, the more magic we can create.
Curiosity is where self-compassion begins—not with knowing and certainty, but with not knowing and observing. With leaning in, not looking away. With choosing to allow, and not disavow. It is the energy of the child, the seeker, the mystic. Curiosity does not ask “What’s wrong with me—or this situation?” Instead, it encourages us to consider “What is here, waiting to be understood?”
In a culture obsessed with certainty, practicing curiosity is radical. It turns the harsh glare of judgment into the soft glow of inquiry. It says:
- What if my anxiety is a messenger?
- What if my resistance is protecting something sacred?
- What if the tightness in my chest is an unopened letter from my soul?
To be curious is to pause, to listen, to touch life as it is, rather than as we think it should be. There is a moment, just before we judge, react, or flee, when something else is possible. A pause. A softening. A question. This, too, is curiosity—the first breath of becoming.
It is not idle. It is not frivolous.
It is the foundation of every great act of healing, connection, and transformation. It is what happens when we decide, perhaps for the first time, not to turn away from ourselves. To be curious is to honor our interior landscape as intelligent. As worthy. As alive. It is to become a student of our own body, our emotions, our instincts—not for the purpose of diagnosis or dissection, but for the purpose of intimacy.
This is not self-indulgence. This is self-encounter.
🌀 Consider these thoughts:
- Curiosity is the inhale before insight.
- It is the way a flower opens without needing to understand the sun.
- It is the soul’s way of saying: “I trust what I don’t yet know.”
- It is the willingness to greet your own shadow with a candle, not a sword.
Modern science echoes what mystics and medicine women have always known: Curiosity is healing.
In the brain, curiosity activates the mesolimbic dopamine circuit—the same system responsible for motivation and reward. This means that when we ask, “What’s happening to me right now?” with openness instead of judgment, we’re not just being kind—we’re releasing biochemistry that supports growth, integration, and learning.
Curiosity activates the dopaminergic system, increasing learning, memory, and openness to new experiences. It down-regulates the amygdala’s fear response, helping us approach emotions and challenges with more equanimity. Engaging in curiosity literally rewires the brain toward exploration over avoidance. It builds bridges between the default mode network (our storytelling mind) and the salience network (our present-moment sensing), allowing us to move from autopilot to awareness.
🧘 Curiosity & Psychology
- Carl Rogers, PhD, one of the founders of Humanistic psychology, noted that unconditional positive regard grows when we stay open to our own experience without judgment. He said: “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) uses “curious presence” as a core quality of the Self—one that can relate to parts (like anger or shame) with kindness and interest, not aversion. When we approach our inner parts and lived experiences with curiosity rather than criticism, healing begins. Richard Schwartz, founder of IFS, says: “You can access your Self’s natural curiosity and compassion and see past the extreme protectors of the other to their Self and to their vulnerable parts.”
- In Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the beginner’s mind is foundational—being present without preconceived stories. We stop being at war with ourselves. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR, says: “Mindfulness is paying attention here and now, with kindness and curiosity, so that we can change our behavior.”
🌙 Ancient/Spiritual Wisdom:
- In Daoism, wu wei (effortless flow) begins with noticing, attuning, and responding—hallmarks of curiosity.
- Buddhism teaches vipassana (clear seeing), a practice of observing the moment without clinging or rejecting.
- Celtic traditions revered the unknown and mystical, viewing questions as living beings.
Let this be the whisper behind every practice:
You are not broken. You are unfolding.
Curiosity doesn’t try to fix.
It bows to what is—not as a problem, but as part of the sacred pattern of being human.
The more you meet your life with wonder, the more you will see: Nothing is too messy, too confusing, or too painful to be held by the heart of your own awareness.
🌀 Beyond the Self: Curiosity as Social Alchemy
This is not only a personal practice.
Curiosity is the engine of empathy, the foundation of community, the spark of justice.
When we ask of another—“What’s it like to be you?”—we create the conditions for understanding, compassion, and collective healing.
Curiosity builds bridges.
It says:
“Tell me your story.”
“Help me understand your view.
“Let me lean in, even when it’s uncomfortable.”
Without curiosity, there can be no true dialogue.
With it, we soften the sharp edges of polarization, and make space for what is beautifully, blessedly human.
🌿 The Body as Oracle
And the body—our original home—the body with its miracle of pulse and breath and ache—is not a machine to be hacked or upgraded. It is an oracle, a compass, a guide.
Curiosity brings us back into relationship with the body’s messages:
- The restlessness in your legs before a decision…
- The tightness in your jaw after a conversation…
- The fluttering in your chest when truth is near…
These are not glitches to be optimized. They are wisdom signals.
To be curious is to trust the body’s timing, the psyche’s rhythm, the soul’s quiet unfoldings. To see symptoms as messages. To remember that you are nature in motion.
🔥 Not a Luxury, but a Lifeline
This kind of curiosity is not reserved for monks or mystics.
It is not a retreat from the world—but a way to re-enter it, eyes wide open, heart available. It is how we break cycles of shame, how we meet ourselves in the dark, how we show up better for others, how we remember what matters.
Curiosity isn’t the opposite of action. It’s the root of conscious action.
It whispers:
“Stay.”
“Listen.”
“Begin again.”
Let this be your orientation. Not to the self as a project to improve, but to the self as a beloved, mysterious terrain to explore.
To life as it really is—raw, wild, unfinished—and wholly worth knowing.
Let curiosity be your first act of self-compassion.
And your next act of belonging.
Practices & Invitations
✍️ Journaling Prompt: “What in me is asking to be seen with softer eyes today?”
👁️ Curiosity Walk: Go outside. Walk slowly. Let yourself be guided by wonder. What color draws your eye? What sound surprises you? What does the wind whisper?
🪞 Mirror Inquiry: Look into your own eyes for 60 seconds. Say aloud, “I’m here to listen.” Then simply observe what arises. Let curiosity hold it all.
🔍 Body Check-In: Ask a physical sensation (tight shoulders, fluttering stomach): “What do you want me to know?” “What would feel safe for you right now?”
📚 Curiosity Book Resource
- Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder by Dacher Keltner
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach (especially the RAIN technique)
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (Week 1: Recovering a Sense of Safety)
- The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
- How to Do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera (nervous system + self-inquiry)
