ISSUE ONE | OCTOBER 2026
Somewhere to Go • Something to Taste • Something to Desire • A Little Magic • One Thing to Do
Sometimes Transformation Knows Your Address
A Solar Return in Laurel, Maryland & Washington, DC
Who says you have to travel across the world to discover something extraordinary? Sometimes the magic has been living right around the corner.
I had plans…. Beautiful plans.
There were cities I wanted to explore, hotel rooms I imagined waking up in, unfamiliar streets where I could lose myself for an afternoon, and restaurants where I could linger over a wonderful meal without having to be anywhere else. Or even going back to Santo Domingo.
After all, it was my Solar Return.
And I love a good birthday escape.
But somewhere between studying my astrology charts, looking at destinations, and imagining all the places I could go, something rather unexpected happened.
I began to wonder what it would feel like to stay home.
Not stay home in the ordinary sense.
Not laundry, errands, responsibilities, and the same familiar routine.
I mean really explore home.
To see Laurel, Maryland, and Washington, DC, through the eyes of a woman visiting for the very first time.
To find beauty in familiar places. To discover history I had never taken the time to learn.
To indulge in beautiful food, luxurious surroundings, a little spiritual shopping, and enough quiet to hear what my soul had been trying to tell me.
And perhaps most importantly, to celebrate the woman I am becoming.
Because this year’s Solar Return was never going to be an ordinary one.
The astrology made that very clear.
SOMEWHERE TO GO
A Little History, a Little Magic, and a Day of Discovery
My adventure began in Laurel, Maryland.
Now, Laurel isn’t exactly the first place people think of when planning a birthday getaway.
But that’s the beauty of being a traveler.
You learn that interesting places don’t always announce themselves with grand entrances.
Sometimes they quietly wait for someone curious enough to notice.
Laurel’s story begins along the Patuxent River, where the Snowden family established ironworks and later mills. In 1824, Nicholas Snowden established a cotton mill, helping shape the industrial community once known as Laurel Factory.
The town was incorporated in 1870, and in 1875, Laurel Factory
officially became Laurel.
I love that history.
A town built around creating, producing, surviving, and reinventing itself.
There was something rather poetic about discovering that during a Solar Return focused on building an entirely new chapter of my life.
I wandered along Main Street, imagining the generations of women who had walked these same streets.
What did they dream about?
What did they desire?
What were they willing to change?
And what parts of themselves did they leave behind?
At the Laurel Museum, housed in a former 1840s mill worker’s home, the photographs, artifacts, and stories offered glimpses into the lives of people who helped shape this community.
It reminded me that every place has a history.
And so do we.
Sometimes we spend so much time trying to create a future that we forget to honor the roads that brought us here.
My Favorite Kind of Detour: The Crystal Fox
Of course, no birthday adventure of mine would be complete without a little magic.
And right there on Main Street, at 311 Main Street, is The Crystal Fox.
A metaphysical shop filled with crystals, candles, incense, oils, tarot and oracle decks, spiritual books, and all sorts of treasures that make my inner witch extremely happy.
Now this is my kind of shopping.
Forget another handbag.
Give me a beautiful piece of labradorite, an intriguing oracle deck, and a candle that smells like something wonderful is about to happen.
I could easily spend an entire afternoon exploring a shop like this.
I imagined wandering through the displays, picking up different stones, admiring the jewelry, and allowing myself to be drawn toward whatever caught my attention.
Not because I needed anything.
But because sometimes it’s lovely to follow your curiosity without needing a reason.
For this Solar Return, I would choose three symbolic treasures.
Rose quartz, for love that begins within and flows outward.
Labradorite, traditionally associated with transformation, intuition, and the courage to embrace change.
And citrine, my little golden reminder of prosperity, creativity, and the abundant life I am building.
Not because a crystal is going to do the work for me.
But because I love having beautiful physical reminders of my intentions.
I also wanted to browse the oracle decks.
After all, I am creating my own LibraDreams Oracle, and there is something wonderful about seeing how other artists and writers translate spiritual wisdom into cards.
Every deck is its own little universe…. And I love visiting those universes.
As I imagined leaving The Crystal Fox with a few carefully chosen treasures, I realized that my day of discovery was becoming something much more meaningful than shopping and sightseeing.
I was gathering little pieces of the woman I wanted to carry into the coming year.
SOMETHING TO TASTE
Raw Oysters, Beef Carpaccio, and the Pleasure of Taking My Time
Now, let’s talk about food.
Because you know I was not going to spend my Solar Return eating something ordinary.
I wanted a beautiful restaurant…. Soft lighting…. Lovely surroundings… Excellent service.
A table where I could sit comfortably, enjoy every bite, and not feel the slightest need to hurry.
And I knew exactly what I was craving.
Fresh raw oysters and beef carpaccio.
There is something deliciously indulgent about starting a birthday dinner with oysters on the half shell.
Beautifully chilled.
A squeeze of fresh lemon.
A little mignonette and horseradish.
That first wonderful taste of the sea.
And then beef carpaccio.
Paper-thin slices of tender beef, beautifully presented, with delicate accompaniments that enhance rather than overwhelm the flavor.
I wanted both.
And I found a restaurant in downtown Washington that could make that happen.
Dinner at Ocean Prime
Ocean Prime, located at 1341 G Street NW, offers the kind of sophisticated dining experience I had in mind.
Its menu features oysters on the half shell and King Crab Beef Carpaccio, prepared with horseradish aioli, egg yolk, and a seasoned cracker. I do not eat egg but I’m sure it is amazing… ahhh…not.. lol… A little seafood…. A little beef…. A little luxury.
Exactly my idea of a celebration.
I imagined getting dressed for dinner, choosing something that made me feel beautiful, and arriving with absolutely no intention of rushing through the evening.
I would begin with the oysters.
Perhaps enjoy a beautiful glass of wine.
Then savor the carpaccio, letting the meal unfold slowly.
And somewhere between the first oyster and the last bite, I would raise my glass.
To everything I had survived. Everything I had learned. Everything I was still brave enough to desire.
And to the simple pleasure of being alive in a world where there are still beautiful places to discover and wonderful things to taste.
Sometimes that’s enough reason to celebrate.
SOMETHING TO DESIRE
My Solar Return: The Astrology of Becoming
Now for the part of this birthday adventure that truly fascinates me.
The astrology.
After studying Solar Return charts for different destinations, I found that staying in the Laurel/Washington area had a rather interesting story to tell.
The first thing that caught my attention was the Libra New Moon conjunct my Sun in the 8th house.
Libra speaks to love, relationships, harmony, and balance. But the 8th house takes us deeper, into intimacy, shared resources, financial security, trust, and transformation.
And with a New Moon there, it feels like an invitation to begin again.
Am I receiving as much as I give? Does my life reflect what I truly value? What would financial freedom feel like? And perhaps the biggest question…
What do I want when I stop worrying about what everyone else wants from me?
Not particularly comfortable questions.
But Scorpio Rising women are no strangers to uncomfortable truths.
Venus Retrograde and Mercury in Scorpio
With Venus retrograde conjunct Mercury in Scorpio in my 9th house, the journey becomes even more interesting.
The 9th house governs travel, spirituality, higher learning, publishing, and our search for meaning. In other words, much of what I love.
Venus retrograde invites me to reconsider my relationships and desires. Mercury brings reflection, conversation, and writing. And Scorpio?
Scorpio wants the truth beneath the pretty answers.
So here I am, a travel-loving writer spending her Solar Return close to home, questioning what love, freedom, and fulfillment really mean.
Sometimes astrology has a wonderful sense of irony.
Perhaps this year’s journey isn’t just about discovering another country.
Perhaps it’s about discovering a new relationship with myself.
Scorpio at the Midheaven
With Scorpio influencing my Solar Return Midheaven, career, creativity, and public identity become part of this transformation.
I’m a writer, an AstroNumerologist, an intuitive, a creative, a traveler, and a storyteller.
A woman with more ideas than there are hours in the day.
But this year, I don’t simply want to create beautiful things.
I want to build something meaningful and sustainable.
I want my writing to take me places, LibraDreams to become everything I’ve imagined, and my creativity to generate prosperity.
I want to stop treating those desires as distant possibilities.
I want them to become my everyday life.
Aquarius Rising: The Freedom to Become Myself
And then there’s my Solar Return Ascendant.
Aquarius Rising.
My natal Scorpio Rising knows transformation, intensity, and the courage it takes to face uncomfortable truths.
But Aquarius brings something different.
Freedom. Independence. Originality. Reinvention.
And perhaps my favorite part, the courage to live life on my own terms.
With Pluto in Aquarius in my 12th house, close to the Ascendant, this feels like a year of profound inner transformation.
The 12th house invites solitude, spiritual reflection, and releasing unconscious patterns. Pluto asks me to reclaim my power, while Aquarius encourages me to question the rules I’ve outgrown.
Who am I when I’m not taking care of everyone?
Who am I when I’m not waiting for something or someone?
Who am I when I finally give myself permission to want an extraordinary life without explaining why?
Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn and modernly associated with Uranus. One reminds me that freedom needs structure; the other encourages me to create a life beyond the familiar.
And perhaps that’s why celebrating my Solar Return at home feels so meaningful.
I don’t need another city to become another version of myself.
I can create new opportunities, expand LibraDreams, love deeply without losing my independence, and build a life that reflects who I am today.
My Scorpio Rising knows how to survive transformation.
My Aquarius Solar Return Rising wants to know what happens when I finally give myself permission to live that transformation.
And perhaps that’s the greatest gift of this birthday.
Not becoming someone else.
But finally allowing myself to become more of who I already am.
A LITTLE MAGIC
The Numerology of Home, the Master Builder, and My Birthday Sanctuary
And then there is numerology.
Because you know I couldn’t study my Solar Return astrology without looking at the numbers.
And the numbers have a rather beautiful story to tell.
October 2026 carries an 11/2 Universal Month vibration.
October is the tenth month, which reduces to 1.
The year 2026 also reduces to 1 (2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 → 1).
Together, they create 11, a Master Number associated with intuition, spiritual awakening, inspiration, and heightened awareness.
And isn’t that interesting?
Here I am celebrating my Solar Return close to home, with a chart asking me to look beneath the surface of my relationships, my finances, my desires, and the life I am creating.
And October brings the energy of 11.
The intuitive messenger.
The number that invites us to listen more carefully to the quiet voice within.
For me, October isn’t simply about beginning something new.
It’s about becoming conscious of what I am choosing to create.
2026 is a Universal Year 1.
A year of beginnings, independence, courage, and planting seeds.
It is the first year of a new nine-year numerological cycle.
And I love that my Solar Return arrives during this energy.
Because there are things I have wanted for a very long time.
Beautiful work. Financial freedom. A peaceful home.
Love that feels present and reciprocal.
More travel. More writing. More delicious experiences. More freedom to simply be myself.
But 2026 asks me to do something with those desires.
Not just dream about them. Begin them. Make the decision.
Take the first step.
Even when I cannot see the entire staircase.
And then comes 2027, a Universal Year 11/2.
2 + 0 + 2 + 7 = 11.
Another Master Number 11.
Whooo…
Because the seeds planted during the independence and initiation of 2026 move into a year symbolically associated with intuition, relationships, cooperation, sensitivity, and spiritual awareness.
The 2 beneath the 11 reminds me that I don’t have to build everything alone.
But it also reminds me that partnership should never require abandoning myself.
That feels especially meaningful with my Libra Sun and this Solar Return’s emphasis on the 8th house.
I want connection…. intimacy…. I want love…. But I also want balance.
I want to share a beautiful life with someone without losing the beautiful life I am creating for myself.
And perhaps that is the message these numbers are bringing me.
2026 asks me to begin.
October asks me to listen.
The 11th day ask me to Remember .. She who Whispers has been there since birth…
2027 asks me to learn how to grow alongside others without losing my own rhythm.
I don’t see these numbers as promises that everything will magically fall into place.
I see them as invitations.
To trust my intuition while still taking action.
To welcome love without abandoning discernment.
To dream beautifully while building something real.
And to remember that the future I desire isn’t waiting somewhere far away.
It begins with the choices I make today.
Perhaps that is why this Solar Return at home feels so meaningful.
I’m not simply celebrating another trip around the Sun.
I’m standing at the beginning of a new chapter, finally ready to become the woman I’ve been imagining all along.
ONE THING TO DO
Become a Tourist in Your Own Life
This week, I have a little invitation for you. Take yourself somewhere close to home.
Somewhere you’ve passed a hundred times but never explored…. A historic neighborhood…. A beautiful restaurant…. A little shop filled with unusual treasures…. A museum, garden or A waterfront.
Somewhere that allows you to step outside your routine and remember that there is more to life than responsibilities and the familiar rhythm of everyday obligations.
Go with curiosity…. Leave the hurry behind and Order something delicious.
then… Find something beautiful.
And ask yourself one question…
If I were visiting my life for the very first time, what would I fall in love with?
You might be surprised by the answer. And while you’re discovering what is beautiful about the life you already have, perhaps you’ll also discover something about the life you want to create.
BEFORE YOU GO
I began this Solar Return dreaming about faraway places.
And believe me, I am not finished dreaming about them.
There are still countries I want to visit, beautiful hotels I want to experience, foods I haven’t tasted, and stories waiting for me in places I haven’t discovered yet.
My passport still has adventures to collect.
But this year reminded me of something important.
Travel isn’t always about distance. Sometimes it is about perspective. Sometimes it is about wandering through your own neighborhood with fresh eyes.
Sometimes it is about finding a beautiful crystal, savoring a perfect oyster, or spending a quiet evening listening to your own thoughts.
And sometimes the greatest journey is the one that brings you back to yourself.
My Libra Sun wants aesthetics and balance.
My Scorpio energy wants depth and truth.
My 8th-house New Moon and Sun conjunction wants brilliant transformation.
My 9th house still wants the world.
And the Master Number 11 everywhere wants to create the life where all those desires can live together.
Perhaps that is what this Solar Return is really about.
Not choosing between home and adventure.
Not choosing between love and independence.
Not choosing between spirituality and prosperity.
But creating a life spacious enough to hold all of it.
A life I love living, even when I’m not going anywhere.
Until next Sunday,
Asa
The Sunday Escape
Writer • Traveler • Seeker of Beautiful Unordinary Things
There is always room around the fire moons!
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