Week of December 18-24, 2017
Nearly everyone into astrology has heard of the dreaded Saturn return. Typically, Saturn brings up images of hardship and strife, where the Universe seems hell-bent on taking away all of our toys and our favorite blanket. While Saturn gets a bad rap, he's really not all that bad, he's just deeply misunderstood.
Saturn is the planet of restriction, boundaries, duty, and responsibility. When we're not doing our work, Saturn gets upset because Saturn is where we focus our will and practice self-discipline. This is where we have to face our fears of not being good enough, and go alone up the mountain with only faith in our destiny to guide us. Saturn provides the container for us to grow strong in.
The thing is, you can't just talk the talk with Saturn, you have to walk it too. On December 19, Saturn leaves Sagittarius, where he helped us get serious about our life philosophy and grand vision. Now, Saturn enters Capricorn where he will take the visionary blueprint we created in Sagittarius and start to steadily build it in practical, tangible ways.
How Saturn Transforms Vision Into Reality
Even better is that Saturn loves Capricorn, one of his traditional home signs. Capricorn the Sea Goat can climb the highest of mountains or plunge into the deepest of seas. So long as there's a dream to guide them, Capricorn will do everything in their power to see it become a reality. Somewhere in your life, Saturn in Capricorn is ready to get to work on building a dream of yours. However, in order to get you up to snuff, he will give you some challenges to test you.
Consider it cosmic exercise and Saturn in Capricorn is your hardcore personal trainer ready to whip you into shape. No cutting corners!
Aries
(March 21-April 19)
If you're really the boss you say you are, Aries, be prepared. Saturn is going to start swinging at you to see if you deserve the accolades you think you do. Expect more pressure on your career ambitions and reputation. Now is not the time to rest on your laurels or act on impulse. If you stay ready, you never have to get ready. Show that you have the focus and drive to work for what you want.
Taurus
(April 20-May 21)
When's the last time you had your worldview challenged, Taurus? Perhaps it's time to test out some of your life philosophies in practical ways. Saturn may create a crisis of faith just for you to to explore other ways of viewing the world around you. Don't be afraid to toss out old mantras you repeat to yourself that don't fit anymore. Should the urge to go back to school arise, follow it. It's a big, big world out there; go explore it.
Gemini
(May 21-June 21)
The Twins may like to keep it light and casual, but Saturn wants to address all the fears Gemini may have around being intimate with others. It's tricky receiving from others if we keep them at arm's length. Expect a workout around tackling uncomfortable topics like sharing resources, sex, debt, and death. Don't worry, Gemini, this will only make you a better communicator, it all works out.
Cancer
(June 21-July 22)
Saturn is here to help you clean up your relationships with others, Cancer. You may find loosey-goosey partnerships ending as new more serious partners come into your life. They'll help you face your fears around commitment and being responsible for your actions in relationships. You say you want a relationship, but can you maintain it?
Don't hide in your shell, Little Crab.
Leo
(July 23-August 22)
The day-to-day responsibilities may not be glamorous but they're necessary. If you've been dropping the ball on paying bills, organizing, and tending to your diet and health, Saturn will be getting you all the way together, Leo. You may hate it at first, but you'll appreciate it later.
Virgo
(August 23-September 22)
Believe it or not Virgo, Saturn wants you to have more fun and enjoy yourself more. Those hobbies and talents that have been collecting dust may become more demanding over the next few years. Unleash your inner creative spirit, go out and play, and try not to think so much about it. Remember perfectionism is just procrastination dressed up.
Libra
(September 23-October 22)
Time to take a look at your home life, Libra. What needs to be improved and changed? What's hiding out in your childhood memories that need to be released so you can have a sense of deep nurturing at home? Could be a great time to seek out talk therapy, clean out your closets, and put up a new coat of paint at home.
Scorpio
(October 23-November 21)
As tempting as it would be to keep your head down and stay silent, you'll need to work on learning to communicate with confidence. Refine and deepen your ideas, socialize, and learn something that will allow you to articulate with authority. Saturn wants you to "Say It With Yo Chest!"
Sagittarius
(November 22-December 21)
Saturn will be playing with your money, Ms./Mr.Centaur. Part of being an adult is not only making sure your finances are in order but also your values and self-worth. Saturn will help you to realize that security and stability aren't impossible to achieve. You deserve and can create both with a plan and a little effort.
Capricorn
(December 22-January 19)
It's time to really look in the mirror. Are you satisfied with what you see? Are you being hypercritical or are there some aspects of yourself that can use some polishing? If there's a version of yourself that you'd like to attain, Saturn will help you create it.
Aquarius
(January 20-February 18)
Saturn will be taking you on a journey to face deep underlying fears you may have about sitting with your own mind. Big existential questions may start to crop up for you. It's perfectly normal to wonder if there's something bigger than yourself. This would be a great time to pick up a meditation or spiritual practice to assist you when examining your self-doubt and unconscious fears before they undo you.
Pisces
(February 19-March 20)
Let's look at your friendships. Do you feel supported by the people you socialize with? Do you even share the same vision anymore? You may find your social circle tightening up as Saturn clarifies what you hope for and who you'd like to share your dreams for the future with. It may seem like hitting goals will be next to impossible, but slow and steady wins this race. If you wish for it, you shall have it with time and effort.
Janelle Belgrave L.Ac is a New York City-based acupuncturist, astrologer, and clairvoyant intuitive. You can catch her on Twitter chatting about a mixture of Astrology, healing, politics, and her unhealthy love of Game of Thrones.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
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And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
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We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Luckily, there are some things that you can do to either speed up the healing process of a cold or make having one more bearable than usual. Things that are affordable, all-natural, and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Are you ready to know how to nip a damn cold in the bud…before you even get one?
Here ya go.
1. Fire Cider
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Two drinks that I am gonna drink all the way down, each and every fall season, are hot chocolate and apple cider (that’s warmed up). So, when I read about something called “fire cider,” it absolutely caught my attention. If you’re not familiar with it, fire cider is a homemade drink that consists of things like apple cider vinegar, herbs and other ingredients that are specifically designed to boost your immune system.
I won’t lie to you — since some of the traditional recipes contain things like onion and garlic (sulfur has potent medicinal properties) and sometimes even hot peppers (which help to clear up congestion) — although fire cider might not be your favorite as far as your palate is concerned, the viruses (because there are reportedly somewhere around 200 of ‘em) that cause colds will lose a lot of their impact if you drink this; and that makes it worth a shot — well, swallow. Some fire cider recipes can be found here, here and here.
2. Probiotics
A few years ago, I wrote an article for the platform entitled, “80% Of Your Immunity Is In Your Gut. Take Care Of It Like This.” — and that alone should explain why and how a probiotic can help to prevent colds and make it easier to get over them. The reality is that a healthy gut is what helps to monitor how your immune system reacts and responds to harmful pathogens that may try and get into your system, including ones that cause the common cold.
And since probiotics feed your gut with “good bacteria,” this gives your gut the ability to be better (and quicker) at fighting off the bad. So yeah, take a probiotic — all of the time and definitely while you have a cold. It helps.
3. Peppermint (or Eucalyptus) Oil
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Although I rarely get sick (praise the Lord!), when I do catch a cold, I think what I hate the most is not being able to comfortably breathe. Well, something that is proven to help with that is peppermint essential oil. That’s because it contains properties that act as a natural decongestant as well as a fever reducer. Another essential oil that can hook you up in this department is eucalyptus oil. It’s bomb because it helps to soothe a nagging cough, it can clear up chest congestion and ultimately makes it easier to breathe.
So, before turning in at night, either mix a few drops of one (or both) of these oils with a carrier oil like grapeseed, avocado or jojoba, warm it up for 10 seconds in the microwave and apply it to the sides of your nose or on your best or back. Or put the oil in a diffuser. It can quickly ease cold-related symptoms while also making it so much easier for you to rest (which is something else your body needs to get over a cold; more on that in a sec).
4. Zinc Lozenges
Zinc is a mineral that helps to keep your immune system healthy and strong — and since a weakened immunity is directly connected to having more colds (2-4 a year is considered to be “normal,” by the way), it’s always a good idea to have some zinc in your body. As it relates to colds, specifically, aside from the fact that zinc can help you from catching one to begin with, there are also studies which say that sucking on zinc lozenges can help to shorten the timespan of a cold as well.
To be fair, some people have said that zinc lozenges make them feel nauseated; however, everything has its pros and cons and so, how would you know if you’re one of these folks unless you try it? Oh, and while we are on this topic, there are also zinc supplements and foods that are high in zinc (like red meat, lentils, hemp seeds, cashews and quinoa) if you want to try and get more zinc into your system that way (although lozenges are gonna be your best bet on the shortening tip; just sayin’).
5. Foods Rich in Vitamin C
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Speaking of foods that can fight a cold, out of all of what you’ve read here, probably what you are quite familiar with is the fact that vitamin C and colds are mortal enemies. In fact, one pretty significant study says that by taking one gram of vitamin C a day during a cold, you can reduce the severity of your symptoms by as much as 15 percent.
That’s because vitamin C is packed with antioxidants, it helps to reduce bodily inflammation and it helps to strengthen your immunity too. Foods that are full of vitamin C include chili and yellow peppers, kale, kiwi, papaya, broccoli, kale and citrus fruits.
6. Elderberry Tea
If you’re someone who likes to put preserves on your biscuits or toast, have you ever tried one that is made from elderberries (recipe here)? It’s actually pretty good — and good for you because elderberries are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. And that is why they are great whenever you are trying to hurry up and get over a cold because they also contain properties that are literally antiviral — and since a cold is a virus…well, there you have it.
One of the best ways to get elderberries into your system? Elderberry tea. If you add honey to it, honey can help to shorten symptoms like a stuffy nose, sore throat and cough by 1-2 days. Very cool.
7. REST
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Did you know that even one day of not getting the sleep that you need to weaken your immune system and increase bodily inflammation at the same time too? That’s because one of the benefits of a good night’s rest is it rejuvenates and recharges your system, so that your immunity can work at its optimal level.
Not only that but, according to science, if you already have a cold, getting plenty of rest can benefit you on a few different levels as well. First, your cytokines (proteins that boost your immunity) are released when you sleep.
Second, your body temperature elevates enough to kill some of the bacteria and viruses that are making you sick. Finally, sleep provides you with the energy that you need in order to get through the day while you are healing from your sickness. So, if you want to get through your cold ASAP, be intentional about getting as much rest as you possibly can.
BONUS: A Humidifier
When you get a chance, please check out “10 Really Good Reasons To Get Yourself A Humidifier This Fall”. There really are all kinds of solid reasons to invest in a humidifier around this time of the year — and one of them is to make getting through the cold (and flu) season so much easier for you. Since humidifiers bring moisture into the air, that can help to loosen up congestion, soothe an irritated throat, decrease coughing, help with the healing process of respiratory infections and it can help you to sleep better — so that you can get past your cold sooner.
So, if you don’t already have a humidifier, cop one ASAP. Your future colds will absolutely hate that you did. LOL. For a list of some highly recommended humidifiers that are currently on the market, click here.
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