How you feeling Reader in the new year?

I'm feeling all right, but truthfully, my life is still in transition. Starting the new year has been slower than usual, but that's also because I've been hella tired coming into this year. My 2023 was heavy, disruptive, and confusing! But hey, my inner Light shines bright, and as Kendrick Lamar says, We Gon' Be Alright!

Have you ever wondered why we start the new year in January during the peak of Winter?

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII unveiled his calendar (with the help of Italian scientist Aloysus Lilius) to Europe because he was concerned by how the Julian calendar (installed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) miscalculated the solar year by 11 minutes. This miscalculation meant Easter would occur further away from the spring equinox with each passing year. While Catholic countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy adopted the Pope's calendar almost immediately, other European Protestant countries protested it and held out for nearly two centuries. Great Britain (England) and its "colonies" (aka stolen Indigenous lands) finally joined in 1752. Before this current calendar system, the European New Year used to be celebrated on March 25th or in springtime instead of January 1st.

The Chinese Lunar New Year has been celebrated for over 3,500 years and is also historically celebrated near Spring. The lunar calendar (which follows the cycles of the Moon) was abolished in 1912 when the newly founded Republic of China switched over to the Gregorian calendar system, and the Lunar New Year was rebranded to Spring Festival. China also has a sordid colonizer history similar to Western Europe, thus many other East Asian countries have been influenced by Chinese culture and also celebrate Lunar New Year such as Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This year, the Lunar New Year will occur from February 10th to February 24th.

Other New Year celebrations around the world include the Akan New Year (Ivory Coast) which is over 300 years old and is celebrated in November. Baha’i New Year or Naw Ruz takes place in March and originates from the Zoroastrian calendar. Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) typically occurs in late Summer/early Autumn.

The Yoruba people (Nigeria) had a calendar that predated the assault of European chattel slavery and colonialism and is at least centuries old, possibly even millennia. Although it was mostly known via oral record, scholars say it consisted of a 4-day week, 28-day month, 13 months in a year, and two main seasons (Dry & Rainy). Yoruba New Year traditionally falls on May/June of the current Gregorian calendar.

Why am I sharing all this history behind the New Year and calendars?

Because context and history are EVERYTHING! I think the better we understand WHY customs are present, then the better we can ask ourselves if they still serve us well. For years, I was perplexed about why we celebrate a New Year in the dead-ass of Winter when it's cold, dark, and oftentimes a struggle. Spring always made sense to me for when a New Year should occur because Spring marks renewal and rebirth.

This year, don't feel guilty that you're starting slow this month or want to give the new year a big flippant middle finger. Personally, it usually takes me until springtime to shift into gear for the year. If you're the same way, just know it's not your fault you feel this way. We're living with a calendar system that doesn't truly align with our human biorhythm.

Now, I'm not saying we need a new calendar system per se. But I am saying it's OK to not feel OK just because it's the top of a "new year". What I just proved is that "new year" is relative. Time is relative.

Pluto just entered Aquarius, and the last time we saw this kind of universal energetic upheaval in this land was the American Revolutionary War. This means we're in a radical collective social atmosphere where it is natural to reexamine what's working and what's failing. This is a time of revolutionary change!

Here are a few tips to support Winter Blues + Hibernative-Effect:

• Full-spectrum Light Therapy: use a HappyLight or sun lamp to help boost mood and focus.
• Keep Optimal Vitamin D Levels: request a serum test from your doctor to check your vitamin D. If deficient or near-low, take a daily supplement with 5,000 - 10,000 IU D3.
• Infrared Sauna Therapy: take a page from the Scandinavian wellness playbook and sauna a few times weekly to warm up, detox, and activate endorphins (feel-good hormones).
• Rest More, Do Less: If you feel tired, then you likely need more rest. Ignore the ego and allow yourself to sleep in, relax, or go to bed early. Avoid adding tasks beyond your capacity. Instead, either delegate or let go of dealing with anything causing unnecessary stress.

Final word, don't force-start the new year! You can return to your cave and hibernate until the Lunar New Year, or wait until Spring to bust out into your New Self. After all, Spring is for starting anew and you don't have to be or act in any way that feels unnatural.

Reader, how are you easing into the new year?

Please feel free to reply back to me and share your truth with no judgment. I love hearing how you're doing and sometimes you just need to release how you really feel.

This month's issue:

• Medical Medium YouTube Series
• Practice Updates
• Black Maternal Podcast - Common Prenatal Health Concerns
• This Month's Favs

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Medical Readings with Dr. Ray - A Mediumship Series

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This month I launched my new weekly Medical Medium video series on YouTube.

Ever since I was a child, I've had a sixth sense of seeing or hearing spirits, receiving vivid prophetic dreams, and being empathic. For years, I hid and denied my intuitive gifts because I didn't feel safe sharing them. For those who don't experience these phenomena, it can feel scary and off-putting, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Nowadays, there is more acceptance and it's mind-blowing how many people I know low-key get psychic readings or work with mediums when they need answers the material realm can't provide. Some of the most popular Western psychics include Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Sylvia Browne, John Edward, and Anthony William. But I also want to give a special shout-out to famous African/Black/Indigenous clairvoyants such as Harriet Tubman, Abiaka Hadjo, Shirley Ajayi, Miss Cleo (yes! the accent was fake but not her gifts), Bishop C H Mason, and Caroline Dye.

Lately, I've been highly annoyed by all the horrible charlatans pretending to be wellness experts or clairvoyants when in actuality they are complete idiots and grifters! With all that said, last month, I finally said "F*** it, let's do this thang!"

We all need to start being more honest about who we really are, then we can shut down the fake-ass facades and scams ruining our health and society. We are in critical times where we need Truth, Transparency, and Guidance more than ever!

Subscribe to my new medical medium podcast! Every week, I share which areas of our collective health to address and how to leverage natural medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle therapies for self-healing. The medical readings are a form of psychic mediumship and are used for educational purposes only. This month, I've already posted 3 readings and many folks have already expressed that the messages have been spot on. ​ Watch First 3 Videos Here

Please support this special space and work by subscribing to my YouTube Podcast here. Real talk, I hope you like it and will tune in weekly to learn how to best support your wellness!

Practice Updates:

Accepting New Patients In case you missed it, I'm currently accepting new patients nationwide. For New Hampshire and California: I can serve as your telemedicine Primary Care Physician (PCP). This means I can order labs, prescribe & manage pharma-meds (if needed), diagnose, and treat. For those who live in the other 48 states: I can serve as your Consulting Telehealth Physician to give you naturopathic wellness coaching, order labs, and recommend natural therapies. Telemedicine and Naturopathic Consults are available nationwide. ​Book a free discovery call to learn more.​

​ New Manchester Number There is a new main number for the practice and it is: (603) 546 - 2966 I will still have the Sacramento number, (916) 678-0173, operational for the time being; however, it will serve as a secondary line for mostly my California patients and prospective leads to call. ​

New Service Options New patients can now choose to start with a New Patient Visit or 3-Month Wellness Program. Book a free call to learn more.​ Return patients can now enroll in annual teleconcierge wellness subscriptions - Routine Care, Seasonal Care, or Premium Care plans which include lab testing, multiple visits, & unlimited triage calls and messaging. Plus, you pick your start date!

Black Maternal Health Podcast:

Season 3, Ep 6: Common Prenatal Health Concerns I had both the fortune and pleasure of being a guest on this incredible podcast hosted by Dr. Josephine Pugh and Russia Cardenas. In this episode, we discussed common prenatal illnesses such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, and I shared ways to prevent and treat them using natural medicine. Be sure to listen to the other episodes as well for great info on supporting maternal well-being! Listen to the Episode Here

Nourish...Be Well...Love:

Dr. Ray shares her current monthly favorites for food, wellness and love-promoting indulgences.

• This Month's Nourishment: Cosmic Crisp Apples - I'm obsessed and they are in season! Check your local farmer's market or grocery store to try them. They are so good!
• This Month's Wellness: Infrared Sauna Blanket - this is a great time to sweat and detox the Winter blues, weight, and toxins using sauna therapy. Visit a local bathhouse or gym with an infrared sauna, or you can purchase your own sauna here.
• This Month's Reading: I've been working my way through The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. It's been such a good, quick read and I'm doing some powerful inner work around the Law of Least Effort and Law of Detachment right now. IYKYK

Connect with Me:

Community is Everything! Without community, we cannot succeed, grow, or heal.

I depend on my subscribers and social followers to help me keep doing what I love - teaching and healing the world with naturopathic + indigenous medicine. Please take a moment to show some LOVE below by following or subscribing to my socials!

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