A Sacred Gathering of Women Who Run with the Animals
Join the animals and follow the living rhythms of the lunar cycle, the solar seasons, and the ancient wisdom of the Five Elements — in community, in circle, in your body.
Come Into the CircleThe Invitation
One of the deepest needs alive in the world right now is community — a place to gather, a place to share, to reclaim our centers and to nurture our hearts. When we come together at the threshold of the new moon and the fullness of the full moon, we step into the ancient rhythms of nature.
Following the lunar and solar cycles through all the seasons of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we move together as our ancestors did, tending to the animals, our beloved pets, caring for the plants and last, but not least, nurturing ourselves so we have more to give.
When we attune to these cycles, we naturally attune to the world of our animal companions. They have always lived according to the position of the moon, sun, and earth that determine the seasonal cycles. They have their own internal clock, telling them when mating season is, when to prepare for winter, when to hunt, and when to rest. It is why they struggle, like us, with daylight savings. We are finding the rhythm the Earth has been keeping for us all along.
Let's join our pets in the monthly and seasonal cycles that they live by.
In the Rhythms They Already Know
The Heart of It All
All ancient calendars were based on the lunar and solar cycles — including the ancient Chinese. Long before clocks and calendars were invented, humanity tracked time by the rising and setting of the Sun, the waxing and waning of the Moon, and the turning of the seasons. These were not merely poetic observations. Our survival depended upon them — and still does.
Our mammalian bodies are deeply in tune with these phases. The Sun and Moon give us our daily clock, our monthly cycles, and our yearly rhythms — governing sleep, hormones, digestion, mood, energy, and the body's capacity to heal. They move through your body right now, whether you are aware of them or not. In this circle, we become aware.
The Moon · Yin
Receptive · Fluid · Inner · Dark
Emotion · Intuition · Rest · Depth
The Sun · Yang
Active · Radiant · Outer · Light
Vitality · Growth · Warmth · Expression
The Structure of Our Year
"Plant the seeds of the coming month"
"Celebrate what has ripened"
"A still place to return to, every week"
A Door into Traditional Chinese Medicine
— this is the most natural place to begin.
Not with textbooks. Not with memorizing organ systems or point locations. But by tuning yourself — body, breath, and awareness — to the cycles of the Sun and the Earth and the Moon. By feeling that rhythm within your own body first, you build a foundation for healing yourself and your pets.
As above, so below; as within, so without.
Traditional Chinese Medicine was never meant to be learned from the outside in. Taoist masters began with observing the natural world around them and how it was reflected in the internal world — watching, listening, feeling the shifts in the natural world and recognizing those same patterns moving through the body.
The Wheel of the Year
Weekly Meditation Circle
Woven through everything else we do is a weekly meditation circle — a consistent, quiet gathering that anchors the whole year.
Meditation is how we regulate our own nervous systems. It is how we clear the mental noise and find, beneath it, a place of genuine serenity — a steady interior ground from which we can make better decisions, think more clearly, and respond rather than react.
And it is profoundly connected to our animals. When we are calm, they feel it. When we are scattered, anxious, or overwhelmed, they feel that too. A regular meditation practice does not just help us — it changes the quality of presence we bring to our dogs and cats. It opens us to the subtle signals they are always sending, the ones we miss when our minds are too loud to listen.
Nervous System
Regulate, settle, and return to your body's natural rhythm
Inner Clarity
Clear the mind and cultivate a serene center for better decisions
Pet Attunement
Become still enough to hear what your animals are telling you
"Meditation is the single most profound, yet simple, technique we can do for our own well-being and that of all living beings on the planet."— Dr. Josie Beug
Dr. Josie Beug has studied with North and South American indigenous elders and Taoist and Tibetan Buddhist Masters, learning their ancient techniques and putting them into practice for over 30 years. She is also a student of her ancestral Celtic and Nordic paths.
Monthly Offerings
A consistent weekly practice to regulate your nervous system, clear your mind, and build an inner sanctuary of calm — the still place from which you can hear what your animals need.
Each new moon, we explore personal themes through your natal chart. Where is this lunation activating your life? What is ready to be born in you? And if you know your pet's date of birth, we can look at that as well.
Plants, animals, stones, trees, birds and almost everything in nature can bring us messages and share healing energy with us. We will be on the lookout for who wants to join us on the path over the coming year.
Seasonal recipes and TCM food therapy. Learn which foods to lean into with each turning of the wheel, nourishing your specific constitution.
Your dogs and cats already live in the rhythmic, energetic world of the seasons. We tune ourselves to the world they naturally inhabit — and in doing so, we meet them there.
Healers, herbalists, animal communicators, astrologers — each full moon, the circle opens to a guest who deepens our theme.
A reliable anchor point — women gathering month after month, tracking time together, bearing witness to each other's becoming.
"Your dogs and cats already live in the rhythmic, energetic world of the seasons. They are attuned — naturally, effortlessly, completely. When we learn to follow the lunar and solar cycles, we are not becoming something new. We are tuning ourselves to the world our animals have always lived in. We are finally catching up."Circle of the Moon & Sun
On Living in Rhythm
Your Dog
Already knows when the energy is rising and when it calls for rest. Already feels the shift in the light. Already lives in a body that answers to the season. We are learning what they never forgot.
Your Cat
Has always tracked the moon. Hunts differently in spring than in autumn. Sleeps deeper in winter. Stretches longer in summer light. They are not out of sync with the world — they are the measure of it.
"The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences what is around it."Deng Ming-Dao · 365 Tao
Ready to Join Us?
We meet twice each month — New Moon & Full Moon, with weekly meditation circles in the in-between.
This is a year-long journey through all five seasons. We will plant seeds in the dark, tend them through the warmth, and release what no longer serves as the leaves fall. No prior knowledge of TCM or astrology is needed — just a willingness to show up with an open heart and curious mind.
Reserve Your PlaceQuestions? Reach out before committing — this is a small, intimate circle.
drjosies5elements@gmail.com
From the Circle
When Josie talks about all her years of knowledge around a subject, she's being modest. There are only a small handful of people I know who when they say they have wisdom to share around a certain subject, they mean it.
— S. Quenon
Former VA & Student
You have extraordinary teaching skills that resonate with my passion of science and healing. And this group of ladies feels like a sisterhood to me — kindred spirits who are willing to share their experiences with all of us while we learn about balancing our bodies and our pets' bodies with the Five Elements.
— B. Kelber
Circle Member
Dr. Josie has created a space and an atmosphere of peace, love, acceptance and mutual support where we can come to learn, teach, share knowledge and experiences, as we momentarily put aside the ever-increasing chaos of the world at large. I trust you will all come to appreciate and value this great gift, as I, and others, already have.
— Member of Reverence
Before You Join
Who is this circle for?
This circle is for anyone who feels a pull toward the natural world — who senses that the seasons, the Moon, and the rhythms of the Earth have something to teach them. It is especially for those who share their lives with animals and want to deepen that bond. You do not need any particular background, belief system, or experience. If you are curious and willing to show up, you belong here.
Do I need experience with TCVM or astrology?
Not at all. We begin with the most natural entry point — the body, the seasons, and the world right outside your door. Traditional Chinese Medicine and astrology will be woven in gently, in plain language, as living tools rather than academic subjects. Many women who have taken Dr. Josie's previous programs join us, but complete beginners are just as welcome.
Do I need to have a pet to join?
No — though much of the circle's heart is oriented toward the human-animal bond, you do not need to have a pet to benefit from or contribute to this work. If you love animals, work with them, or simply feel drawn to understanding their world more deeply, you are welcome. If you do have a dog or cat, even better. Many people's pets appear on camera for every session.
How does the weekly meditation work — is it live or recorded?
The weekly meditation circles are held live, online, so we can practice together as a community — the shared energy of a group sitting in stillness is something recordings simply cannot replicate. The New and Full Moon gatherings are recorded. The live experience is always encouraged when possible.
What is the time commitment each week and month?
Each weekly meditation circle runs approximately 30–45 minutes. The New Moon and Full Moon gatherings are longer, typically 60–90 minutes. This is a gentle, sustainable rhythm — designed to be an anchor, not another obligation. You are encouraged to come as consistently as you can, but life is understood and honored here.
What if I miss a session?
All sessions are recorded and made available to members, so missing a gathering does not mean missing the medicine. We understand that life has its own seasons and rhythms. The circle holds your place whether you are present or not — and the community is here to welcome you back whenever you return.
What is the financial commitment?
The circle is billed monthly, and you are free to leave at any time — no long-term obligation required. Please note that no refunds will be offered once a month has begun. If you feel called to commit to the full year, we gratefully offer two months free as a thank you for journeying through all five seasons with us. To ask about current pricing, reach out at drjosies5elements@gmail.com.
