Magnetic Heart

The Frequency of Gratitude

Author

Blair McLendon
August 13, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Peace and Abundance, Ankhora family!

Welcome to Ankhora's biweekly nurturing of the sacred trinity - mind, body, and soul. In each newsletter we intend to bring you a dose of inspiration, wisdom, and practices to enhance your well-being within those three major layers of life.

There are certain moments throughout the year that seem to naturally invite reflection, and this week has certainly provided one.

We have just moved through the period commonly referred to as the Lion's Gate, centered around August 8, and August 12, brought something much more tangible in the sky, which was a total solar eclipse. Astronomically, the eclipse is occurring with the Sun in Leo, while astrologically the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter are all occupying Leo during this period. Saturn and Neptune are retrograde in Aries, while Pluto continues its retrograde through Aquarius. It is quite a combination of fire, reflection, expression, and change.

For those who work with astrology symbolically, eclipses have long represented periods of endings, beginnings, revelations, and changes in perspective. Leo brings themes of the heart, courage, creativity, confidence, and authentic self-expression. Put those ideas together and we arrive at an interesting question… What happens when the lights temporarily go out on the version of ourselves we've become accustomed to seeing?

Maybe we get an opportunity to see something else.

A solar eclipse is an incredible reminder that darkness doesn't always mean the absence of light. The Sun is still there, nothing has happened to it. Our perspective has simply changed for a moment because something has moved between us and the source of the light.

Life does this to us all the time. A difficult week can make us forget how much is going right. One disappointing experience can temporarily overshadow years of progress. We can become so focused on the one thing that hasn't happened yet that we stop appreciating the ten things that already have. The blessing didn't disappear, something simply moved in front of it.

This is where gratitude becomes much more than saying "thank you." Gratitude changes what we are paying attention to. When we intentionally acknowledge what is working, what we've learned, who has shown up for us, what our bodies continue doing for us, and how much we've already survived, our circumstances don't magically change. Our relationship with those circumstances does and that distinction matters.

There is a growing body of psychological research examining gratitude practices and their relationship with well-being, positive affect, and mental health. Gratitude isn't a cure-all, nor does appreciating what you have mean pretending difficult circumstances don't exist. Healthy gratitude actually leaves room for both realities. You can be disappointed and still grateful. You can desire more while appreciating what you already have. You can acknowledge that something needs to change without convincing yourself that everything about your current life is wrong. All of those things can exist together.

In fact, I believe that's where gratitude becomes most powerful. It's easy to appreciate life when everything is going your way. The practice becomes something entirely different when you can look at an imperfect season and still recognize what it has given you.

Think about where you were one year ago. Not just geographically or financially. Think about your mind, your boundaries, your confidence, your relationships, and your understanding of yourself.

There are things you know today that you didn't know then. Situations that once consumed your thoughts may barely cross your mind anymore. Some of the things you prayed for have quietly become normal parts of your life, and because they're normal now, you may have forgotten there was once a version of you hoping to experience exactly what you're experiencing today.

That's why gratitude requires attention. Without attention, blessings become background noise.

This week's theme is Magnetic Heart, and I want to be careful about what we mean when we call gratitude a "frequency." We don't need to pretend gratitude is a magical force that guarantees everything we desire. Think about frequency instead as the state from which we engage with life. When you consistently operate from resentment, scarcity, worry, or fear, those emotions influence what you notice and how you respond. Gratitude shifts that orientation. You begin noticing resources, relationships, opportunities, lessons, and possibilities that were easier to overlook before.

In that sense, the heart becomes magnetic because appreciation changes what we are available to see. Perhaps this is the deeper invitation of this Lion's Gate and eclipse period. Instead of immediately asking what needs to change next, take inventory of what has already changed. Before setting another intention, acknowledge something that has already manifested. Before asking for another door to open, appreciate one you've already walked through.

There will always be another mountain. Make sure you're occasionally turning around to admire how far you've climbed.

Mindful Alignment:

  • Mental Gem: Gratitude doesn't require you to believe everything is perfect. It simply prevents what's imperfect from making you forget everything that's good.

  • Mindful Moment: For the next seven days, begin or end your day by writing down three things you're grateful for and why. The "why" is important.

    Instead of writing, "I'm grateful for my health," take it one step further: I'm grateful that my body allowed me to wake up, move freely, breathe deeply, and experience another day.

    Instead of simply writing someone's name, identify what their presence adds to your life. Try not to repeat anything during the seven days. By the end of the week you'll have identified twenty-one different reasons to appreciate your life.

    The goal isn't positive thinking. It's developing better awareness.

Physical Alignment:

  • Herbal Spotlight — Hawthorn Berry

    There couldn't be a more fitting herb for a Magnetic Heart than Hawthorn Berry. Traditionally associated with the heart, hawthorn has a long history of use in European herbal medicine for cardiovascular support. Its berries, leaves, and flowers contain flavonoids and oligomeric procyanidins, plant compounds studied for their antioxidant activity and potential effects on cardiovascular function.

    Hawthorn has traditionally been used to support healthy circulation and heart function, and its relationship with the heart extends beyond the physical in many herbal traditions. It has also carried symbolic associations with love, protection, emotional resilience, and matters of the heart, making it an interesting bridge between the physical and soulful themes we're exploring this week.

    Hawthorn can be enjoyed as tea, tincture, capsules, or incorporated into herbal blends. Because it may interact with cardiovascular medications, particularly medications affecting blood pressure or heart function, anyone using those medications should speak with a qualified healthcare professional before adding concentrated hawthorn preparations to their routine.

  • Top Tier Nourishment: 

  • Tuning into the Body: With all of the energetic changes happening within and around us, it is important to ground that energy. Get outside in nature, soak up the codes of the sun, ground your energy and sync with the frequency of the Earth. If you want to take it to the next level, add some exercise in there - whether it be walking, running, biking, yoga, or qigong to name a few, the more you move your body the better.

    I feel like I mention it every newsletter, but listen to your body. Hydrate when you need to and rest when you need to. This heat ain’t nothing to play with, but I am loving it. I have been using the mornings as my detox time, followed by a refreshing shower to start my days. Why go to a sauna when you can just walk outside and get the same benefits naturally? Nothing better than this Florida heat and humidity for me.

Soulful Alignment:

  • Soulful Insights: We spend so much of our lives looking forward that we rarely stop long enough to realize we are currently standing inside things we once asked for.

    There is nothing wrong with wanting more. Growth requires vision, and ambition has its place. But don't become so committed to the next version of your life that you fail to experience this one.


    The present moment isn't the hallway leading to your real life. This is your life. Appreciate it while you're building what comes next.

  • Affirming the Best: My heart remains open to receiving, giving, growing, and experiencing more of what makes life meaningful.

Self Operating System™ — A Natural Bridge

Seasons like this one have a way of revealing exactly where your personal operating system needs attention. When the external environment is stable it is easy to function well. When everything is amplified, the gaps in your inner structure become undeniable. What were triggers before become explosions. What was manageable before becomes overwhelming. What felt like a loose area before suddenly feels like a liability.

This is not failure. This is information. And information is only valuable if you do something with it.

The Self Operating System was built to help you construct an inner architecture that does not depend on external conditions being calm in order for you to function well. It is a framework for building the kind of inner structure that holds during the difficult seasons rather than only looking good during the easy ones. If this moment is showing you where that work still needs to happen, that is a gift worth taking seriously.

It is available at universoulpub.com when you are ready to build.

If you have a business in mind that you would like to see highlighted, please email me us [email protected] and include ‘Business Spotlight’ in the subject line along with details and contact information about the business in the body of the email.

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Also, remember to check out my books if you haven’t done so already!

Grab your copies today, only at universoulpub.com 

Thank you for being part of the 3LW | UPub community. We look forward to accompanying you on this transformative path to holistic wellness.

Gratitude,

Blair McLendon - Founder, 3 Layers of Wellness | Universoul Publishing

Disclaimer:
The information provided by 3 Layers of Wellness | Universoul Publishing is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. The content shared is based on holistic wellness practices and personal experience, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.