Judy Tsafrir, M.D. Boston Area Holistic Psychiatrist

Judy Tsafrir, M.D. Boston Area Holistic Psychiatrist Subscribe to my Holistic Health blog: https://www.judytsafrirmd.com/blog/

I am a Harvard affiliated, board certified, conventionally trained adult and child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and a Certified GAPS Practitioner located in Newton, Massachusetts. I have a deep curiosity about development and healing, and have an open mind about trying diverse approaches to help my patients. I am familiar and skilled in working within a traditional medical/psychiatric model, but am now much more drawn to nutritional approaches to healing, as well as more unconventional energetic/holistic/ spiritual approaches. I love my work, which I see as helping my patients become most fully themselves, enjoying optimum health and vitality, and creating and living a life they love.

11/26/2025

This Thanksgiving feels different....

Have you noticed how this year's Thanksgiving feels more emotionally charged? With a powerful Grand Trine in the water element - Jupiter in Cancer, Venus in Scorpio, and Saturn conjunct Neptune in Pisces - we can expect heightened emotional sensitivity and vulnerability.

Water amplifies feelings, intuition, and the experience of being permeable to our environment. It's as if the volume dial on our emotional experience is being turned way up.

Venus (planet of relationships) is also opposed by Uranus in Ta**us, signaling potential for interpersonal surprises or emotional curveballs. Because Venus in Ta**us also rules finances and resources, we may hear unexpected news about money or expenses.

With so much water energy, the medicine lies in flow. This Thanksgiving, rather than resisting or fighting what arises, consider adopting an attitude of surrender.

If travel delays, unanticipated expenses, or challenging family dynamics surface:

Pause
Breathe deeply
Feel your feet on the ground
Say to yourself kindly: "This is what is right now"

This simple phrase acknowledges reality without adding resistance to your suffering. The words "right now" also remind us that what feels difficult is temporary. This too shall pass.

Saturn conjunct Neptune in Pisces invites us to spiritual maturity - to build inner structure around faith, compassion, and acceptance, especially in moments of discomfort.

Remember that the willingness to flow and accept is a spiritual practice. When we stop fighting the river, we can navigate it with grace.

How do you plan to navigate the inevitable stresses of this holiday season? Share below - your wisdom may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

11/25/2025

Essence over appearance: The wisdom of Koginut squash

This is a Koginut squash - a new cultivar born from crossing butternut and kabocha. It emerged from a collaboration between a chef, a vegetable breeder, and a seed expert whose mission was to breed vegetables for flavor first, rather than appearance, shelf life, or transportability.

Koginut is absolutely delicious - silky, creamy, and custard-like, far less fibrous than most squashes. It's incredible roasted with butter, sage, and miso, or paired with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.

At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, as days grow shorter, darkness deepens, and cold arrives, our bodies crave this kind of nourishment. Our root chakra is supported by grounding root vegetables, and our solar plexus is warmed by the vibrant golden-orange color of this beautiful squash.

Food can be medicine for body and spirit. This squash would make a gorgeous addition to any Thanksgiving feast.

In Judaism, we recite a prayer of gratitude called the Shehecheyanu - offered upon reaching special moments like weddings, birthdays, reunions, or when tasting something new for the first time. I promise that trying Koginut squash will inspire this kind of gratitude.

It celebrates essence over appearance, substance over function. It invites us to value what truly nourishes - how something feels and tastes, not merely how it looks.

This feels especially relevant as we navigate a culture obsessed with surface aesthetics rather than authentic substance. What if we applied this same wisdom to how we evaluate everything - relationships, opportunities, even ourselves?

What does this reflection bring to mind for you? Have you ever tried Koginut squash? Share below!

Ready to explore more nourishing wisdom? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/24/2025

🩃 Thanksgiving and family buttons: Why this year feels especially intense

As Thanksgiving approaches, many anticipate gathering with family - which can stir up emotional intensity and for some evoke feelings of trepidation, even dread. Have you heard the joke? “Why is your family so good at pushing your buttons?” Answer: “Because they installed them.”

This year especially, there’s a grand trine in the water element occurring in the sky: Jupiter in Cancer, Neptune and Saturn in Pisces, and Venus in Scorpio. Water is associated with feeling, empathy, and vulnerability.

With Jupiter in Cancer squaring Chiron in Aries, big emotions related to childhood or early family dynamics may surface. The trine between Saturn and Jupiter can signify tension between personal truth and the family’s version of what really happened, raising questions about who was right and who was wrong.

This Thanksgiving has greater than usual potential to activate deep feelings.

An energetic practice to support the second (sacral) chakra can be very helpful. The sacral chakra is located just below the belly button and is the center of our relationship life - where we absorb the energy of others.

I like to picture it like a vegetable steamer. Unless you’re in pristine nature or sharing intimacy with someone you deeply trust, it should be open at only about 20% aperture. Many highly sensitive people walk around with this chakra wide open and become easily overwhelmed by others’ emotional energy.

As you approach this deeply emotional holiday, consciously set your sacral chakra aperture to 20% to feel more protected and less vulnerable. You can imagine gently dialing it down like adjusting a dimmer switch, while still allowing for authentic connection.

What do these reflections bring to mind for you? How do you manage not to let your buttons get pushed? Share below!

Ready to learn more protective practices? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/22/2025

Everywhere online, there are videos in bright yellow capital letters warning about imminent alien arrivals or World War III. But astrologically, what’s happening is something different.

Right now, Pluto in Aquarius and Neptune in Aries are in a long harmonious relationship - a pattern linked throughout history with vast shifts in collective consciousness, mystical revelations, and dissolution of old paradigms.

A world is ending, but not THE world. These alignments bring paradigm shifts that decenter humanity itself. Many feel we’re on the verge of disclosure about extraterrestrial intelligence, which would forever change how we see our place in the cosmos.

When Copernicus published his heliocentric theory in 1543, there was also a harmonious Neptune-Pluto alignment. His vision that Earth revolves around the sun shattered the medieval worldview and reshaped human understanding. I believe something similar is unfolding now.

From October 22nd through January 26th (more than three months!), Neptune will station at 29° Pisces - the very last degree of the zodiac, symbolizing profound ending. Then on February 20th, Saturn and Neptune unite at 0° Aries - the very first degree of the very first sign, an archetypal signature of rebirth.

No wonder “end of the world” themes are everywhere. We’re living through a deep death and rebirth of collective consciousness. These are truly wild times.

How are you experiencing this transformation in your own life?

Ready to navigate these paradigm-shifting times? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/21/2025

“Show me something wondrous” - A simple phrase that changes everything

Einstein wisely observed: “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle.”

In my practice, it’s common for patients to observe remarkable synchronicities - moments when the universe clearly seems to be reaching out with guidance or affirmation. Yet so often they’ll quickly dismiss it: “Oh, I’m probably just reading into it.”

They retreat back into the safety of consensus reality, characterizing such moments as “mere coincidence.” In doing so, they miss opportunities to experience magic, wonder, and meaning.

This is why I encourage cultivating a miracle mindset.

Recently, I discovered the work of medium and mystic Cheryl Page, who offers a beautiful approach. Instead of asking Spirit for specific signs (“Show me an orange butterfly”), she advocates saying: “Show me something wondrous.”

That shift is profound. It opens the door not just to specific signs, but to appreciation of the sacred that infuses our ordinary lives.

Since adopting this practice, I’ve had powerful experiences:
Stepping into my garden where flowers were glowing with such beauty it literally took my breath away
My ordinary salad at dinner shimmering with freshness and vitality

This wonder-oriented mindset amplifies your capacity to receive beauty, synchronicity, and connection - not as rare events, but as a way of life.

Your invitation: Instead of asking for concrete proof, ask to be shown something wondrous. Let the world surprise you.

Have you experienced moments like this? What happens when you shift from seeking proof to embracing wonder? Share below!

Ready to cultivate more magic in your daily life? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/20/2025

What if the key to courage and creativity was learning to become a hollow bone?

Are you familiar with the shamanic concept of becoming a hollow bone? It means allowing spirit to flow through you - setting an intention to create, spark, or act from divine guidance rather than from ego or personality.

Before I make these reels, before I see patients or do astrology readings, and especially before I do anything that stretches or scares me, I call on the ancestors and spirit guides to help me. This sacred invitation clears the way for authenticity and confidence while dissolving doubt, self-criticism, and fear of judgment.

A powerful ally in this process is the acupuncture point Bai Hui on the crown of the head, known as “100 Convergences.” You can gently tap or massage it with frankincense essential oil to open yourself to higher guidance.

Michele Marie Gervais describes this point as embodying the hermetic axiom “as above, so below.” It unites the creative force of the cosmos with the physical body - the macrocosm within the microcosm.

Activating Bai Hui:

Releases vitality
Awakens creativity
Restores balance, calm, and inspiration
Opens channels for divine guidance

When we become hollow bones, we remember we don’t have to generate everything from our limited personal resources. We can draw from the infinite wellspring of universal creativity and wisdom.

What practices help you connect with guidance when you face fear or step into something new? Share below - I believe magic is amplified when you trust you don’t have to do it alone.

Ready to explore more tools for spiritual connection? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/19/2025

What if your courage to stand for justice was your prayer?

Have you ever heard the term “spiritual audacity”? Mindfulness teacher Tara Brach recently gave a moving dharma talk about this concept, originally coined by Jewish theologian and sacred activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

In a 1963 telegram to President Kennedy urging civil rights action, Heschel wrote: “The hour calls for moral grandeur and spiritual audacity.” Describing his participation in marches alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Heschel said, “I felt my legs were praying.”

He meant that marching for justice wasn’t separate from his faith, but a powerful expression of it. The image of legs praying reminds us that faith can be lived not only through words and ritual, but through courageous action and deep commitment to social justice.

We are once again living in times that call for spiritual audacity. As we witness troubling policies affecting vulnerable populations, it can be frightening to protest or speak out against injustice - yet it’s a sacred obligation.

Try massaging the acupuncture point Urinary Bladder 10, whose poetic name is “Heavenly Pillar.” Located just within the hairline on the nape of the neck, in the depression alongside the outer border of the trapezius muscle.

According to Michele Marie Gervais in “Spiritual Portraits of the Energy Release Points,” stimulating this point:

Connects us to an inner pillar of strength
Empowers us to stand up for our beliefs
Helps us live free of fear
Strengthens faith in ourselves
Reminds us we’re surrounded by divine helping spirits

In these times of accelerated change and breakdown, when fear can make us want to hide, Heavenly Pillar can be a trusted ally. It allows us to hold our head high, stand tall, and embody self-confidence.

Your voice, your actions, your prayers - all matter.

What does spiritual audacity bring to mind for you? How do you express it? Share below - your words may inspire others.

11/19/2025

Uranus sextile Neptune: A bridge between technology and mysticism (now - late April)

A very beautiful and magical astrological aspect is offering us her creative power and potential. Uranus has retrograded back into Ta**us, forming a sextile - a harmonious and supportive relationship - with Neptune in Pisces. This aspect remains active until late April when Uranus re-enters Gemini.

I adore the energy of this combination: Uranus’s power to awaken higher consciousness through the body (especially electrical and nervous systems) blending with Neptune’s mystical, intuitive frequency in Pisces. Together they form a bridge between technology and mysticism, matter and spirit, frequency and feeling.

This alchemy can express itself through practices that merge the technological and spiritual:

Quantum frequency devices and biofield tools
Sound baths with sacred intention
Digital art imprinted with spiritual purpose

Under this alignment, our sensitivity and receptivity to spiritual vibration are heightened. Consider exploring the Solfeggio frequencies - specific tones measured in hertz, believed to harmonize the body and expand consciousness. They trace their roots to an ancient musical scale used in sacred chant.

My favorite is 528 Hz, often called “the frequency of love and transformation,” said to support healing, magic, and miracles. Listening to recordings of these frequencies can amplify your experience of this aspect.

The Uranus-Neptune sextile opens a portal for inspired innovation and intuitive downloads, particularly if it activates planets or angles in your chart. It encourages non-linear thinking, flashes of insight, and creative breakthroughs.

It’s a beautifully supportive aspect as we prepare for the great new beginnings symbolized by the Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 0° Aries on February 20th, 2026 - a seed point for an entirely new chapter.

What’s your vision for increasing your attunement to this inspiring frequency that carries so much magical potential? Share below!

Ready to explore more cosmic wisdom? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/16/2025

🌑 Scorpio New Moon (Nov 20, 12:47 AM): A collective descent into truth-telling

An astonishingly powerful New Moon in Scorpio is about to shake things up. This lunation marks a collective dive into Scorpio-themed revelations - buried stories related to power, sexuality, corruption, and secrets that have been kept in the shadows.

Scorpio governs the emotional underworld: jealousy, betrayal, revenge, fear, and deep passions we’d rather keep hidden. Its ancient ruler Mars is currently in Sagittarius - the sign that crusades for truth with a capital T - amplifying the impulse to name what has been unspeakable.

At the exact moment of the New Moon, Mercury sits at the same degree as the Sun and Moon, illuminating the importance of communication and the courage to speak disturbing Scorpio truths out loud.

This configuration gets electrified by Uranus opposing the New Moon, bringing shocks, surprises, awakenings, and the unmistakable current of “expect the unexpected.”

Meanwhile, the New Moon forms a grand trine in the water signs with Jupiter in Cancer and Neptune in Pisces, heightening:

Intuition and emotional intensity
Psychic sensitivity
Potential for cathartic release

Transformative moments like these call us to get real. I find myself deeply curious about what this New Moon will illuminate. Yes, there are obvious Scorpio themes, but with Uranus so activated, the real revelations may emerge from places we aren’t even suspecting.

This New Moon invites us to face what we’ve avoided, reclaim our power, and have the hard conversations we’ve postponed. Uranus supports authenticity. Mercury empowers speech. This is a moment for truth-telling, breaking patterns of silence, and speaking truth to power.

How do you plan to harness this transformative energy? Share below.

Ready to navigate these intense cosmic currents? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

11/13/2025

Kronos and Kairos: Living between clock time and soul time

Have you noticed how summer slipped away in the blink of an eye? Everywhere I turn, people are saying, “I cannot believe how fast time is flying.” The mornings are already dark again, days and months flip past, and before we know it, another birthday or Thanksgiving is upon us.

This is the realm of Kronos (Saturn’s time) - linear, embodied, measurable. Calendar pages turn, seasons change, children grow, milestones arrive, and time moves relentlessly forward at what feels like an ever-accelerating pace.

But there is another dimension of time: Kairos - the timelessness of Neptune’s archetype. This is the realm in which our soul exists. It’s captured in that poignant moment when you glimpse your own reflection in the mirror, surprised by the age in your face, while inwardly you feel not so very different than you did decades ago.

Kairos is not measured by clocks or calendars, but by depth, presence, and meaning.

As human beings, we live suspended between Kronos and Kairos. Our mortal bodies age as we travel Saturn’s path, yet our souls simultaneously dwell in Neptune’s ocean of timelessness.

To be awake to both is to live fully - honoring the reality of our finite days while remembering that within us breathes something eternal, spacious, and unbounded.

How are you experiencing the paradox of Kronos and Kairos in your own life now? I’d love to hear from you!

11/12/2025

The mystery of microchimerism

Have you ever wondered why mothers seem to “just know” when something’s wrong with their children? Or how twins can sense each other across great distances? Science offers us a beautiful explanation through something called microchimerism.

This phenomenon refers to the presence of cells from one individual living within another genetically distinct person. These living fragments can be found in blood, liver, and even the brain, creating literal biological connections that persist long after birth.

There are several types:

Maternal microchimerism - fetal cells that remain in the mother’s body
Fetal microchimerism - maternal cells that persist in the child
Twin microchimerism - cells exchanged between twins in the womb
Transplant microchimerism - donor cells living within recipients

While science hasn’t fully understood the impact - whether it promotes immune tolerance, contributes to autoimmune conditions, or influences cancer risk - from a psychospiritual perspective, I find this absolutely fascinating.

This speaks to the mystery of enduring connection. How mother and child remain linked across a lifetime. How heart transplant recipients sometimes awaken to new emotions and tastes that seem to belong to their donors.

Consider this: every girl child already existed in her grandmother’s womb, because all of her mother’s eggs were formed while her grandmother was four months pregnant. Talk about ancestral connection!

We are literally made of one another. These reflections invite us to contemplate interconnection from both physical and symbolic levels.

What thoughts and feelings does this stir in you? What do you sense about the invisible threads that connect mothers and children, twins, donors and recipients, generations of the maternal lineage?

May we honor the mystery of how intimately we are all connected.

11/11/2025

Feeling the fire rise: Mars gallops into Sagittarius (Nov 4th - Dec 15th)

Mars, the planet of desire and drive, has entered fiery Sagittarius where it will remain for six weeks until December 15th. I love the energy of Sagittarius - it’s my rising sign!

The symbol for Sag is the centaur: upper body an archer with bow and arrow of spirit and vision, lower body a powerful horse - earthly, instinctual, and free. This fusion of matter and spirit reminds us that our true aim is to embody wisdom in action.

When Mars travels through a sign, it empowers that archetype’s expression. In Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, the energy becomes:

Idealistic and bold
Adventurous and expansive
Thirsty for truth, knowledge, and meaning
Eager to explore both outer world and inner spirit
Big-hearted, party-loving, and generous with laughter

Yet every sign has its shadow. With Mars here, the same fiery conviction can become fanaticism - shooting first and aiming later, believing our truth is the truth.

We’re living in a time with little consensus reality, where competing narratives fracture our shared sense of meaning. Mars in Sagittarius can amplify these divisions, or it can awaken our courage to align with the mystical truth of our oneness.

The choice is ours.

My prayer is that this Mars cycle ignites our collective vision for a more beautiful, just, loving, and peaceful world. Let’s stoke this Sagittarian flame together - not with righteousness, but with wonder and reverence for truth that unites rather than divides.

đŸ”„ What’s your vision for Mars in Sagittarius? Share in the comments below.

Ready to explore more cosmic wisdom? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) 📚

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