There is a particular kind of courage required to begin again. Not the shiny, inspirational-poster version of courage. The real kind.
The kind that happens when you already know what it feels like to build something, lose something, outgrow something,
walk away from something, or discover that the thing you once thought was the destination was actually just another part of the journey.
But what does it mean to start over?
Starting over can feel like failure. Sometimes it feels embarrassing. Sometimes it feels exhilarating.
And sometimes it feels like standing in the middle of the ashes of a version of yourself that you worked very hard to become, wondering:
“Okay… now what?”
I’ve been asking myself that question again. And this isn’t my first time.
Starting Over Doesn’t Mean Starting From Scratch
One of the biggest misconceptions about starting over is that you’re going back to zero.
You’re not. You are starting from experience. You’re starting from everything you learned.
Every relationship, mistake, risk, or hard conversation. Every room you entered before you knew how to navigate it.
Every room you eventually learned you didn’t belong in. Every skill you developed or boundary you finally learned to enforce.
Every dream that changed shape. And every version of yourself that had to die so another one could have room to breathe.
That’s not zero. That’s a foundation.
And sometimes the most important thing you can do is stop measuring your new beginning against the life you just left.
Because you are not the same person who built the old thing. So why would you expect the next thing to look the same?
The Astrology of Beginning Again
Astrology has always fascinated me because it gives language to something many of us experience intuitively: Life moves in cycles.
We have seasons. Waxing and waning moons. Birth, growth, harvest, death, dormancy and rebirth. Even the planets move through repeating cycles.
Saturn is particularly interesting here. Saturn takes roughly 29.5 Earth years to orbit the Sun.
In astrology, that cycle became the foundation for what we call the Saturn Return—a major developmental threshold
that occurs when Saturn returns to approximately the position it occupied when you were born.
Astrologically, Saturn isn’t really about punishment. It’s about reality. Structure. Responsibility. Boundaries. Time. Consequences. Maturity.
And the uncomfortable realization that something can no longer continue simply because it has continued for a long time.
Saturn asks:
Does this still work?
Is this structure actually supporting you?
What have you built that deserves to stay?
What needs to be rebuilt?
What are you willing to take responsibility for now that you couldn’t—or wouldn’t—before?
That is the deeper question behind starting over.
Not: How do I get back to where I was?
But: What am I capable of building now that I know what I know?
I’ve Started Over in the Cannabis Industry More Than Once
My relationship with the cannabis industry has been a series of beginnings.
I’ve been a publisher, connector, educator, market director, speaker, marketing strategist, community builder, media professional,
spiritual practitioner… And, eventually, The Cannastrologer.
I’ve watched this industry transform dramatically. I’ve watched opportunities appear, disappear, evolve, and come back wearing an
entirely different outfit. And I’ve learned something important: You can leave an industry without leaving the knowledge you gained from it.
You can change your title without losing your expertise. You can close one chapter without invalidating the chapters that came before it.
And you can return to something with an entirely different perspective.
That’s where I am now.
I’m not trying to recreate an old version of my career. Instead, I’m building from everything I’ve learned.
The cannabis world taught me about community, entrepreneurship, advocacy, media, communication, resilience and the
power of people who are willing to challenge outdated systems.
Plant medicine taught me something else: Growth isn’t always linear.
Sometimes the most important work is happening underground.
The Plant Doesn’t Apologize for Going Dormant
Think about a seed.
You put it into soil and, for a while, it looks like nothing is happening. No flower. No fruit. There’s no impressive Instagram content. Nothing to announce.
Just darkness.
But, darkness isn’t necessarily the absence of growth. Sometimes it’s where growth begins. Roots have to develop before the plant can support
what eventually becomes visible. And that’s one of the lessons I keep coming back to whenever life asks me to begin again:
Not everything happening beneath the surface is visible yet.
Cannabis itself offers us a powerful metaphor here.
The plant is complex, and so is our relationship with it. Modern research continues to investigate the cannabinoids produced by Cannabis sativa
and their interactions with the human endocannabinoid system, a biological signaling system involved in maintaining homeostasis.
I don’t think plant medicine is a magic eraser for life’s problems. It isn’t. And neither is spirituality. Or astrology. Or tarot.
What these tools can offer, when approached responsibly, is perspective.
A different way of observing ourselves.
A way of slowing down long enough to ask better questions.
A way of noticing patterns.
And sometimes, that’s where transformation begins.
Starting Over Is Not the Same as Escaping
This distinction matters. Sometimes we tell ourselves we’re “starting over” when we’re actually running away.
There’s a difference between: “I need to become someone else.” and “I need to become more fully myself.”
There’s a difference between abandoning everything because you’re uncomfortable and intentionally releasing what no longer fits.
There’s a difference between burning your life down and pruning it. One is reaction. The other is discernment.
And sometimes starting over doesn’t mean changing everything. Sometimes it means changing one thing.
One boundary. Relationship. Habit. Belief. Business model. Conversation. Decision.
One morning where you finally say: “I’m not doing it that way anymore.” That can be a beginning.
The Version Who Survived Is Not Exactly the Version Who Builds
This might be the hardest lesson of all.
The version of you who survived difficult circumstances deserves enormous respect. But survival skills aren’t always building skills.
You may have learned to hustle because you had to.
You might have learned to over-function because nobody else was going to do it.
You could have learned to say yes because opportunities felt scarce.
You may have learned to stay quiet because speaking up came with consequences.
You possibly have learned to accept less because you were just grateful to have something.
And then one day, life changes.
Your awareness changes.
Your standards change.
Your circumstances change.
And suddenly, the very behaviors that helped you survive, begin preventing you from growing. That’s another Saturn lesson.
A structure can protect you for a season and restrict you in another.
The question isn’t whether the structure was good or bad. The question is whether it still serves the person you’re becoming.
Starting Again And Knowing How To Rebuild.
There is something incredibly powerful about beginning again when you’re older.
You know more. You can recognize patterns faster. You start to understand your own energy better. You know what drains you.
You know what inspires you. You learn what you’re willing to compromise on—and what you’re absolutely not.
You also know that the fantasy of “having it all figured out” is just that: A fantasy.
Life will keep changing. You will keep changing. People around you will change. The industries you work in will change. Our economy will change.
Priorities will change. Your body will change. Your spirituality may change. And, your definition of success will most likely change.
So maybe the goal isn’t to create a life that never needs to be rebuilt. Maybe the goal is to become someone who knows how to rebuild.
What If Starting Over Is Actually Starting From Wisdom?
‘What does it mean to start over’ isn’t just one question I want to leave you with. Instead, I challenge you with:
What if you aren’t behind? What if you’re not late? What if the chapter closing isn’t proof that you failed? What if it is simply complete?
What if the thing you thought was an ending is actually an invitation to stop carrying something you were never meant to carry forever?
I’ve had to ask myself these questions.
And I’m asking them again as I build the next chapter of The Cannastrologer.
I’m not starting from scratch. I’m starting from experience. From years in cannabis. In media. In spiritual study. Years of reading tarot and learning astrology.
And of connecting people. Experience from years of watching industries evolve. Years of learning what happens when you say yes to things that are aligned—
and what happens when you say yes to things that aren’t.
This next version (for me) doesn’t need to look like the old one.
And neither does yours.
So… What Does It Mean to Start Over?
It means you are still here. It means the story isn’t finished. It means you have enough information to make a different choice.
It means you are allowed to change your mind. It means you are allowed to outgrow your own plans. It means you can honor who you
were without remaining who you were. It means the seeds you’ve planted may still be doing work you can’t see.
And sometimes, starting over simply means looking at your life honestly enough to say:
“This isn’t working anymore. Let’s build something that does.”
That’s not failure. That’s evolution.
And if you’re standing at that threshold right now, maybe you don’t need another person to tell you exactly what to do.
Maybe you need someone to help you see the map.
That’s where astrology, tarot, spiritual consultation and intuitive work can become powerful tools for reflection and strategy.
Not because the planets are going to make your decisions for you.
Because sometimes clarity comes when someone helps you see the patterns you can’t see while you’re standing inside them.
Ready to See What’s Next?
If you’re navigating a transition, rebuilding a career, reconsidering your purpose, launching something new, or simply trying to understand
what this season of your life is asking from you, let’s look at it together.
Book a personal reading with The Cannastrologer for astrology, tarot, oracle and intuitive guidance designed to help you navigate the energy
you’re in and make more conscious decisions about where you’re going next.
And if your version of “starting over” involves a business, brand, leadership role, creative project, cannabis venture, partnership or
larger professional vision, consulting inquiries are welcome, too.
You don’t have to have the entire blueprint before you begin. Sometimes you just need to see the next step.
The map is already moving. Let’s read it together.
👉 Book a Personal Reading
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👉 Subscribe to Cannastrologer Chronicles
Keep Reading
If you’re rebuilding, redefining yourself or stepping into a new chapter, continue with: The Cannastrologer Is Back: What I’m Building Next
That piece is the personal companion to this conversation—the story of what I’m building now, why I’m building it differently, and what you can
expect from The Cannastrologer next.
And if you’re interested in the intersection of astrology, cannabis, consciousness, self-knowledge and spiritual growth, stay connected.
This is just the beginning.
