In partnership with
There’s a particular kind of heaviness that shows up when nothing is technically wrong.
Life is moving.
Plans exist.
People are kind enough.
You’re doing your part.
But something feels… compressed.
Not sad.
Not anxious.
Restricted.
That’s this week’s parasite:
The Constriction Beetle
The Constriction Beetle
This insect thrives during periods of din, judgment, refinement, narrowing.
It feeds on self-containment disguised as maturity.
On restraint mistaken for wisdom.
On the belief that wanting less is safer than wanting honestly.
Its message is subtle:
“Don’t expand right now.”
“Desire is inconvenient.”
“Better to shrink than to risk disappointment.”
“Hold it together.”
The Beetle doesn’t attack.
It tightens.
How It Enters
The Constriction Beetle appears when the light pulls back.
This isn’t punishment.
It’s contraction before revelation.
The problem is when the ego fills that contraction with fear.
It enters when:
your prayers haven’t been answered yet
certainty has gone quiet
timing feels off but unexplained
you’re being asked to trust without feedback
expansion is delayed, not denied
That’s when the Beetle convinces you:
“If you don’t want too much, you won’t be let down.”
One Habit You’ll Keep
By this time of the year, most New Year goals are already slipping. That’s why the habits that last are the simple ones.
AG1 Next Gen is a clinically studied daily health drink that supports gut health, helps fill common nutrient gaps, and supports steady energy.
With just one scoop mixed into cold water, AG1 replaces a multivitamin, probiotics, and more, making it one of the easiest upgrades you can make this year.
Start your mornings with AG1 and get 3 FREE AG1 Travel Packs, 3 FREE AGZ Travel Packs, and FREE Vitamin D3+K2 in your Welcome Kit with your first subscription.
Symptoms of Infection
Tightness in the chest or throat
Desire feels muted or inconvenient
You intellectualize instead of feel
You delay joy “until things are clearer”
You confuse self-control with self-betrayal
You say “I’m being patient” but feel resentful underneath
The Constriction Beetle doesn’t hate desire.
It just fears what desire might expose.
Why It Shows Up Now
Right now, the energy is asking for clarification of desire.
Not manifestation.
Not forcing.
Not pushing.
But honesty.
Periods of din reveal where we’ve been managing instead of choosing.
The light pulls back so you can see:
what you actually want
where you’ve compromised prematurely
where you’ve accepted “fine” instead of true
The Beetle feeds on withholding desire to stay in control.
It dissolves when desire is acknowledged without demand.
The Antidote: Truthful Wanting
Not action.
Not strategy.
Admission.
Once a day, quietly say:
“This is what I want, even if I don’t know how it happens.”
No justifying.
No softening.
No timeline.
Then notice what tightens and stay with it for 10 seconds longer than you want to.
The desire itself is not the problem.
Distorted desire is.
Suppressed desire is.
The light returns when the vessel stops pretending it doesn’t want to be filled.
Reflection of the Week
Where have you made yourself smaller to feel safe during uncertainty?
And if contraction is temporary…
what expansion is quietly preparing itself beneath it?
— Gabi & Bea