What do I value? What are my needs in a relationship? What do I want out of life? What are my boundaries?

These personal queries often haunt and overwhelm me, as I find myself morphing into what might be deemed “acceptable” to society.

This begs the question: How much of us is shaped by external forces and expectations? Where does our identity begin and end, and how might we draw clearer lines?

Both in therapy and along my own self-healing journey, I’ve learned more about who I am without forcing myself into a neatly labeled box. Sure, I have room to grow in this area, but my progress is a testament to honest self-reflection.

Here are some tips for getting to know yourself better—no matter how old you are.

1. Spend More Time Alone

I’m convinced the only time most of us are fully ourselves is when we’re completely alone. Perhaps that’s a depressing notion, but it has quite a simple fix.

Take yourself on solo dates or schedule some downtime to unwind without friends or loved ones around. Notice how you feel. Are you uncomfortable in your own company, or do you thrive in isolation? How are you compelled to spend your time? What kind of clothing do you wear? What type of music do you listen to? Do you catch yourself dancing or singing in your kitchen while cooking dinner? What are some quirks you pick up that you wouldn’t otherwise express in public?

The more time we spend alone, the better we get to know ourselves, and the more authentically we can show up in social situations and in our relationships. If you spend too much time around others, you might unconsciously pick up behaviors or patterns you don’t even align with. Push through the uneasiness of solitude—there’s often a lesson within that discomfort. 

2. Journal Through Confusion or Hard Feelings

I know, I know…it seems everyone recommends “journaling” nowadays, often without any sort of guidance. But through a ton of trial and error, I’ve discovered the most meaningful and beneficial way to journal for self-discovery.

Often, when faced with a difficult situation, we seek external opinions and advice from friends, family members, and even the internet. I used to scour Reddit for input from random strangers before validating my own feelings. My search history once looked like…

“Is it wrong to be upset by [valid reason to be upset]?”

“Am I crazy for wanting [valid want/need]?”

“How do I handle [very complex situation that requires personal reflection and an individualized approach]?”

In other words, I was outsourcing my own identity. I didn’t let myself have an original thought or human reaction, unless it was first validated by someone else. This disconnect is common in people with OCD, but it can happen to anyone—especially in today’s highly critical world.

Instead of looking to others for answers that only I have, I began to write in my journal. First, I’d start by asking myself how, exactly, I was feeling in that moment, and whether something triggered the reaction I was experiencing. 

Then, I would ask myself how my body interpreted the signal. What narrative was I feeding myself? Was it backed by facts, or was it just an assumption?

Usually, from here, I would find a natural rhythm, almost like a conversation between me and my “higher self.” I’d go back and forth between asking and answering questions, reassuring myself when needed—but not obsessively.

Within days, I began to notice a massive difference in how I responded to external stressors. I found clarity in myself and felt less compelled to rely on someone else’s POV. After all, who’s to say someone knows me better than I know myself? And why would I value advice from random strangers (or even loved ones leading different lives than I am) more than my own?

3. Don’t Limit Yourself

When defining ourselves, many of us feel pressured to fit into a certain box or view our roles as our identities. For example, a mother of three boys might label herself a “boy mom” as if that’s all she is. An aspiring novelist might deem himself a “struggling artist” without factoring in all the other parts of himself.

Not to mention, social media makes it seem like we must fall under certain “aesthetics” or market ourselves as “brands” to find success and community. Don’t feed into this belief. You can be whoever the fuck you want to be, changing your personal style or music taste depending on your mood, shifting in and out of different “roles” as you please.

Acknowledge yourself as the multifaceted, authentic human you are—and never shrink yourself down to fit someone else’s mold.

The post 3 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Get to Know Yourself Better in 2026 appeared first on VICE.

As the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon carries profound spiritual significance. Wondering how you can work with this energy? Let’s dive in.

What Is a Supermoon?

Saturday’s Wolf Moon, aka January’s full moon, is considered a supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at or near its closest point to Earth, making it appear even bigger than usual.

As NASA explains, “The Moon travels around our planet in an elliptical orbit, or an elongated circle, with Earth closer to one side of the ellipse. Each month, the Moon passes through the point closest to Earth (perigee) and the point farthest from Earth (apogee).”

A supermoon occurs when the moon passes through the perigee during the full moon stage. The moon can appear up to 14 percent larger at perigee than at apogee.

What Is a Wolf Moon?

Not only are we experiencing a supermoon this weekend, but it’s also known as the Wolf Moon, which holds significant symbolism. More on that later.

In simple terms, the Wolf Moon refers to the full moon that falls in January. Why? 

“The howling of wolves was often heard at this time of year,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains. “It was traditionally thought that wolves howled due to hunger, but we now know that wolves use howls to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and gather for hunting. European settlers may have used the term ‘Wolf Moon’ even before they came to North America.”

Of course, the Wolf Moon isn’t the only name for January’s full moon. Others include Center Moon, Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon, Severe Moon, and Hard Moon, among countless others. 

My personal favorite is “Greetings Moon,” which was named by Western Abenaki. It feels like the perfect title for the first moon of the new year.

Full Moon in Cancer

This particular full moon will occur in Cancer, a water sign known for its empathetic, gentle, and sensitive nature.

According to Astroseek, when the moon enters Cancer, “You may be prone to emotional fluctuations; you should learn to forgive and forget in order to avoid depression from thinking too much about things.” 

Additionally, you might have a more subjective view of the world. Allow yourself space and solitude, especially if you’re falling into neediness. Be intentional with your words and actions.

When a full moon occurs in a sign, it amplifies the experience even more. So, as we just covered, the full moon in Cancer might trigger dependency and insecurity. Don’t fight or avoid this energy. Rather, dive into it without any judgment. 

Be present with yourself, journaling through your feelings and any emotional wounds that might come up. If approached with honesty and care, it can help you gain more confidence and self-assurance. 

Wolf Moon Symbolism

The Wolf Moon is deeply symbolic. As the first of the year, it represents renewal, reflection, and community. Just as the wolves locate and gather pack members to reinforce social bonds, we, too, should look to our community for connection and fulfillment. 

As the moon in Cancer reminds us, it’s okay to crave external support—so long as you’re not losing your own independence. Practice gratitude, celebrate milestones, release old wounds, forgive yourself and others, and prepare for the year ahead.

The post January’s Wolf Supermoon Will Offer the Perfect Start to the New Year appeared first on VICE.

Surely, with that track record, we must be going about it the wrong way. In my experience, the stricter I am with my plans, the less committed I end up being to them. Instead of preparing for the new year with dread and anxiety, I turn it into a spiritual ritual of sorts—one that excites, inspires, and fuels me.

Here are four valuable ways to plan for the year ahead—so you can actually follow through on your resolutions.

1. Create a ‘Higher Self’

Ask yourself who you want to be in the new year. Do you want to show up more confident and fierce, or are you hoping to soften a bit, exuding a warm, inviting energy to those around you? Maybe you’d like to lead through self-expression, living a more creative life, or perhaps you’re craving more structure and discipline. 

Figure out how you want to show up in the next chapter of your love. What does your daily routine look like? How do you show your love and support to your loved ones? What are some habits you stick to and passions you pursue? Write them down as though they’re already a part of you. Visualize what it would look like to show up as this version of yourself, and embody that vision in the new year.

2. Name Your Priorities

Most of us are just trying to stay afloat today, our priorities being more practical than fulfilling. Creativity feels impossible—or even irresponsible—to channel when you can barely afford groceries. And why schedule dinner plans with loved ones when you could work an extra hour to make more money? Why wake up an hour early to exercise when you need to catch up on much-needed rest? 

With a scarcity mindset, your passions become privileges. However, we are not meant to live this way. Of course, this conversation is nuanced, and not everyone has the luxury to put aside time for themselves. But if you can name a few additional priorities, whether it be daily movement or weekly date nights with your lover, you will slowly take your power back.

When we lean into our own priorities—you know, the ones that aren’t predetermined by fear and insecurity—we begin to feel more in alignment with our truest selves. Operating from authenticity helps us in other ways, too. We tend to feel more confident, which might help with career advancement and, in turn, financial stability. We also become more energized and positive, which does wonders for our health and well-being.

Going into the new year, jot down some of your top priorities, and align your daily routines with them. You’ll be shocked by how well you can stick to them without burning yourself out.

3. Create Personal Promises

I prefer to call New Year’s resolutions “personal promises,” as they sound sweeter and more achievable that way. These can be as simple as “speak more kindly to myself” and “dedicate more time to yoga,” and as complex as “launch a new podcast” and “save enough money for a house downpayment.”

These personal promises hold us accountable to ourselves and our individual growth. Too often, we give our time and energy to others without any consideration of our own needs and desires. These resolutions will preserve your sense of self.

4. Expose Yourself to Fear

(Note: It’s always best to address mental health struggles with a professional.)

As someone who struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), I recently decided to start exposure therapy to face some of my fears and phobias head-on. At first, I felt like I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Now, after just a few months, I feel more like I’m floating through life, unburdened by my anxieties and insecurities. 

Choose three intrusive thoughts or fears that are currently holding you back. For example, perhaps you’re dreaming of traveling to Europe, but you’re too afraid of flying to even consider booking the trip. Or maybe you’re so preoccupied with your appearance that you avoid wearing a bathing suit at the beach and spend more time in front of the mirror than out in the world. You might not even realize just how much these anxieties are holding you back from adventure, experience, love, and fulfillment.

Once you’ve chosen the subject of your exposure, it’s time to set some small goals. Ideally, you’d do this with a therapist.

Remember that baby steps still move you forward. Don’t rush yourself to the finish line, or you’ll only end up reinforcing your feeling of unsafety and terror. Rather, slowly but surely, expose yourself to each fear until you feel comfortable enough facing it head-on.

Warning: the power and pride you gain from this practice are addictive. You might just gain enough confidence and courage to unapologetically manifest your dream life.

The post 4 Tips for Using New Year Planning as a Spiritual Reset appeared first on VICE.

While time is a social construct, and it’s unlikely that anything will magically change about yourself or the world overnight, the sentiments around celebrating a new year don’t have to be completely sentimental. The end of every year and the inevitable coming of the next can still be a good reminder to reflect on your habits and a prompt to plan for some positive changes. 

Read Next

Did the Pandemic Change People’s Personalities?

Of course, nobody except your ex is saying that you have to change anything, or that you need to change as soon as possible. And as adults, we know that what we want to do isn’t necessarily what we’re going to do. But between the slow crawl out of the pandemic and the world reaching a population of 8 billion, there’s plenty of room to fuck around and also plenty of room to find out. 

Here are just some ways to do that (aka New Year’s resolutions), if you wanted to:

1. Stay the same

The coming of the new year might make you feel like you need to make some drastic changes or big upgrades to your life. But what if you kind of like your life as it is, at least right now? Don’t let the holiday make you question things you know you’re happy with. It’s OK if you like staying home. And it’s OK if you like to get wasted on weekends. If things are fine, recognize that and proceed as you are. Unless you’re hurting someone, or you’re an asshole. 

2. Call your family only as often as you like 

Yes, you should spend more time with your family, but not if it makes you resent them. There’s nothing wrong with setting some boundaries to make you appreciate them more and vice versa. Don’t wait until someone’s sick to start visiting, but also don’t visit if it’s just going to put you in a bad mood for a week. 

3. Use all your leaves at work 

Don’t work when you’re sick. Say you need a mental health day. Plan a vacation and stick to it. Those leaves are yours to use. 

4. Milk all your work benefits

While you review your contract to find out how many leaves you have left, also review what benefits come with the job. In fact, in the spirit of the new year, why don’t you just go ahead and ask for more. Maybe your company can pay for your internet, maybe it can give you money for new equipment. They can’t fire you for asking. 

5. Try (or end) a situationship 

If you don’t know what that is, lucky you. Or maybe unlucky you. Some situationships are fun (supposedly). If you think you can have one, go ahead and try it. Other situations are shit (still, supposedly). If you think you’re in one, go ahead and end it if that’s something you don’t want to carry over to 2023. 

Read Next

Now That We Can Finally Go Out, Why Do I Actually Hate It?

6. Stop “liking” Instagram stories

If you want someone to know you’re into them, muster up the courage to at least react with an emoji that they can reply to. Cowards. 

7. Get on PrEP 

The pill that drastically prevents HIV infection is for anyone at risk of getting HIV—basically anyone who has sex. If that’s you, ask your doctor about it.

8. Pursue your pleasure

There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure because feeling good shouldn’t make you feel bad (that’s why it feels good!). Beyond criminal offenses and hurting people (including yourself), stop being ashamed of the things you enjoy. Keep enjoying them. 

9. Unsubscribe, don’t like, and don’t leave a comment

There’s no need for you to interact with absolutely everything you see on the internet. There isn’t even a need to see all of it to begin with. Throughout the year, think twice if you really want to give so much of yourself away by reacting to something, and regularly review the channels and profiles you follow. Don’t hesitate to unfollow some of them—you can always follow them again. 

10. Learn some new sex stuff

Maybe you’re already good at sex. You know what, maybe you’re great. But you can always be better. This doesn’t necessarily mean learning fancy new tricks or kinky stuff, although it can. Whether you’re eating ass or sucking clit, it can also be helpful to go back to the basics. 

11. Start caring about something 

There is a lot going on in the world and plenty is changing all the time. Some of those things will prove to be important in five or 10 years, others a waste of time. Choose one thing and decide to care about it, no matter how overwhelming or even hopeless it might feel at the start. Maybe it’s the climate crisis, the economy, local and international politics, or crypto. At the very least, you’ll learn something new. 

12. Stop caring about something 

Many people carry around the weight of expectations, their own or others, real or imagined. They’d simply do better leaving those behind. Is having the latest in designer fashion really that important if you can’t actually afford it? How will obsessing over the number of likes you get on a social media post benefit you? And no, your ex doesn’t have to know how hot you’ve become. You’re still hot anyway.

13. Try something mystical

You don’t have to buy into it completely, but there’s a reason things like astrology and tarot have been around for so long. Ask a friend who’s into it to tell you about it, or search your sign on TikTok. Whether it makes you feel seen, ridiculous, or ridiculously seen, you’ll at least feel something. 

14. Learn something practical

We live in a society where most things can be achieved by pressing a few buttons on a screen. Your mind and body are capable of doing much more than that. A few examples of practical things to try: playing an instrument, cooking a meal, checking your car, fixing a sink.

15. Gatekeep something 

Take this one with a grain of salt. The best things in life are shared, but there are some pretty good things that are just more fun to keep to yourself, at least for a little while. That secret bar nobody seems to know about? Enjoy a few drinks alone or some intimate first dates in it before you take your group of friends. That great new restaurant? Let them find their footing before making them go viral on TikTok. That untouched beach? Keep it untouched.  

16. Work as much or as a little as you want (and can afford to)

Beyond doing the work you have to do to stay alive, it’s up to you to decide when to work harder and when to take it easy. Toxic productivity is a thing and if it’s really toxic, then it should be avoided. But having a job you genuinely enjoy and catching momentum in your career are also things, and should be appreciated. 

17. Take better pictures and videos 

No, this isn’t about content. It’s about having more ways to remember what you’re going to want to remember. There are likely thousands of articles and videos about how you can take better pictures and videos. Read or watch one of them. 

18. All the usual health reminders

We all already know these things, but we still need to be reminded: Drink more water, get better sleep, exercise every now and then, get some sunlight, take some vitamins, get a checkup. 

19. Read a book about something you saw on TikTok

…or on Reddit, or heard about on a podcast. If the tidbit of information on the topic piqued your interest, chances are so will its history and nuances. You’ll also be able to say “I read somewhere that…” and actually have read something.

20. Embrace bad moods

Nobody is happy all the time. And even if someone was, that doesn’t mean you have to be. Feel your feels and take however much time you need to get through negative emotions. Wanting them to not exist only makes things worse. 

21. Learn to shrug things off

You’re entitled to feel the way you feel, but few people are actively trying to insult, offend, or otherwise hurt you by things they say or do. So do what you have to do, shrug it off, then stop thinking about it. 

22. Forgive a few people 

There are reasons we get angry and disappointed, but there are also reasons to forgive. Maybe it was a bad breakup or a friendship gone awry. If the lessons have been learned and the changes have been made, forgiving people might feel good for everyone involved. While we’re at it, think of the reasons you’re angry at and disappointed with yourself—and forgive yourself for those things, too.

23. And finally, listen to “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” 

There’s always something in it that happens to be more relevant than it was the last time you listened. 

Follow Romano Santos on Instagram. 

The post 23 New Year’s Resolutions for 2023 appeared first on VICE.

Before that though, there’s New Years’ Eve to get through, which is historically the one night of the year in which you’re supposed to “have plans”. This year though, it’s the opposite. We have out of control “mutant” variants to deal with and a record-breaking rise in cases. Big, banging NYE parties in England are allowed, but clubs everywhere else in the UK are closing their doors. Like last year, having no plans is the new plan.

The thing is, you probably don’t even need to go out because you already know exactly how your night going to go down. So do we. Here’s a timeline of everything that’s going to happen to you on New Year’s Eve.

6PM to 8PM: The pre-pre-drinks

All big nights out start with the best of intentions. “Latty flow neg!” you message to the group, even though your idea of thorough testing involves shoving the swab up your nostril for two seconds max. “Finally got my booster yesterday so should be fine!” someone else messages, even though it takes at least a week to kick in. “My flat is pretty big so we can be sort of spaced out,” someone else messages, even though you just got a bag in and will, in four hours, be practically swapping bogies. “Great! See you for pre-drinks!”

You know you probably shouldn’t pre-drink before the pre-drinks because you’ll be vomiting into your hand by 11PM, but fuck it. You have a cheeky little G&T in a can. Apply a bit of glitter while Kim Petras plays in the background. Ask your flatmate if this top makes you look like Kat Slater (“Yes? Good.”) Everyone knows the best part of a night is before it’s even happened. 

8PM to 10PM: The pre-drinks

Here we have the small wedge of time in which you’re the Very Best Version of yourself. Tipsy enough to nod enthusiastically at the guy trying to explain the blockchain, but not so wasted that you’re furiously wrestling the aux off someone so you can play Anastacia “because she’s actually really underrated, guys!” Your makeup hasn’t smudged yet. Your outfit is still non-sweaty and on point. This is going to be the best year ever. Fuck Omicron! Fuck nasal swabs and all the rest of it! This is your year!

10PM to 12AM: The main event

It ended up taking you all 50 mins to get here because there was a big discussion about the Uber and who needs to Monzo who and when and it’s “only £2.17 each but it all adds up!” You just stayed quiet the entire time and tried to become invisible and now you’re here, at a house party someone threw together last minute because the club night you optimistically bought tickets for in October cancelled after all its staff got COVID.

You look around at the place you are about to usher the new year in and it’s… fine. What did you expect, a jacuzzi? Lines of coke off strippers’ bare asses? A secret set from Arca? Instead there’s about 50 sheepish-looking people and some Sensations in a bowl and someone’s put a 90s Spotify playlist on. You’re just about to skip Robin S when someone shouts “it’s midnight!” and no-one snogs except some couples.

12AM to 2AM: The main event 2.0

This is the point in the night where you bring up a semi-traumatic event to rant about in the corridor. Your mum’s cousin’s son’s death. Your anxiety medication. The fact that you couldn’t swim at school so they made you sit in the shallow pool with a blind kid while everyone else took turns on the diving board (this is a true story about me). 

Things that never bother you in the cold light of day will suddenly become significant issues. “Babe… You’re not that kid in the shallow pool anymore, you’re 28,” your new best friend will say and you will nod solemnly into your plastic cup, a single tear rolling down your face. “But I always feel like that, y’know?”

The next day, this is the conversation you will replay and replay and wonder whether it’s possible to die, just drop down dead, from cringing. 

Read Next

Demand for UK Fetish Clubs Is Higher Than Ever – Newcomers Tell Us Why

2AM to 4AM: The main event 3.0

“Haappy Nwe Yrea m9,” you message the ex before your most recent ex. “Miss you.” The time stamp reads 3.15AM. At one point, you start inexplicably gyrating against a man in blue jeans and brown sheaux who you later find out is someone’s dad. You also took a pill earlier off a guy in a bucket hat and are now just marching from room to room with a hot face and clenched jaw going “happy new year” to people who just nod back.

When someone says they’re having a “little thing” at theirs and that you can play the music really loud and have a go on their electric guitar, you take them up on the offer even though there’s a really, really distant tiny voice somewhere inside your mind whispering “go to bed” and “pandemic”.

4AM to 6AM: Afters

Isn’t it wild that after all that “new year, new me” bullshit, we often purposefully and deliberately choose to spend the very first hours of the year at our most debased and lizard-brained state, on someone’s sofa, in a K-hole or doing something weird like trying to teach a stranger how to belly dance even though you have literally never belly danced in your life?

Anyway, by this point in the night slash day, you will have totally forgotten about the “Omicron wave” and will be curled up in a windowless room with four or six strangers chatting about life, where you thought you’d be at this age and other things that come out during the darkest and most sinister twilight hours of the night. You may have even started telling someone about your lockdown screenplay idea before blacking out. Who knows.

6AM to four days later: The positive COVID test

You spend the first two weeks of January feeling like every single one of your limbs is on fire. Even your eyes hurt. In later years, the start of 2022 will resemble a big chunk of nothingness because you slept for 17 hours a day. You develop weird, wrinkled toes and everything tastes like shit for months to come. Fuuuuck.

@daisythejones

The post A Timeline of Exactly How Your New Year’s Eve Will Go appeared first on VICE.

Nothing says New Year’s Eve like popping a bottle of fizzy wine. Cava, Spumante, Franciacorta, Cremant – many versions of this festive drink can be found across different European countries. But nothing can top the most famous sparkling wine: Champagne, made in the French region bearing the same name, and seen by purists as absolutely irreplaceable.

And yet, just like every other food item, Champagne grapes are not immune to the big changes happening to our planet. There are two sides to climate change’s impacts on the Champagne region. On the one hand, the warmer summers with cool nights have actually made the Champagne produced in the last few years taste better. On the other hand, all the maisons – the wine houses making Champagne – know the situation could soon precipitate. 

“Anyone who says there is no climate change is lying,” says Alexandre Chartogne, from the maison of Chartogne Taillet, who has noticed the vines now ripen much earlier than ever before.

This observation was confirmed by his competitor, Arthur Lermandier of Maison Lermandier Bernier, who said he had to reorganise his traditional August family vacations accordingly. “It’s not a problem though, the harvest is thrilling,” Lermandier reports. “For people like us who make wine in-house the traditional way, it’s a blessing at the moment. It won’t be so good in ten years, obviously.”

Over 16,100 winemakers grow their crop in small plots that litter the northeastern region of Champagne. Anyone who’s been there knows that its food and climate are unfortunately anything but inviting (with a few exceptions, of course). But despite its less charming offerings, the region is still very much worth visiting if you’re into wine, given its abundance of bubbly nectar and fancy Champagne cellars. 

Of course, you better come prepared: the main maisons – like Pommery, Veuve Clicquot or Pol Roger – are almost always open to the public. But if you want to visit smaller producers, you might want to arrange things in advance and make sure you let them know you’re looking to buy.

Read Next

How to Invest in Wine If You’re Not a Millionaire

The last time I personally visited the region was in autumn 2019, before the pandemic. The harvest that year was quite late and had finished just a few days before my arrival. The sky was cloudy, the sun only glancing through every once in a while. No wonder winemakers are happy things might warm up soon, especially since grapevines usually thrive in regions with higher temperatures.

In fact, the average annual temperature of the Champagne region is between ten and 11 degrees Celsius, with about 1,800 hours of sunshine per year, 235 more hours than 30 years ago. By comparison, the Bordeaux region, the most prolific wine-producing area in France, has an average annual temperature of 13.8 degrees Celsius and receives over 2,100 hours of sunshine a year. 

Over the course of the last 30 years, the Champagne region’s average temperature rose by 1.1 degrees Celsius, benefiting local wine production. According to press releases from the Comité Champagne (French for “Champagne Committee”), a local organisation of winemakers and growers, the harvests of 2018, 2019 and 2020 were all “outstanding”.

But statistical models have predicted global warming is likely to cause extremely cold springs and hot summers in the region, messing with the delicate balance that makes its wine unique. The greatest threat to the harvest for Champagne grapes is when they freeze during spring nights. “In the future, we’re likely to get a lot more ice around here,” says Alexandre Chartogne from the maison of Chartogne-Taillet.

The future is not so far off. In 2019, the region recorded its highest-ever temperature of 42.9 degrees Celsius, and ten percent of the crops were ravaged by wildfires.

The Comité Champagne, which includes both big brands and smaller maisons, has been at the forefront of reducing the environmental impact of wines made in the region, particularly when it comes to pesticide-induced soil and water pollution. They are also pushing growers to reduce the carbon footprint caused by the storage and transportation of wine and grapes, plus the emissions from the tractors used in the harvest.

“The environmental diagnosis of the Champagne region started in 2001 with an analysis of the entire supply chain, which we used to calculate our carbon footprint,” said Pierre Naviaux, the committee’s head of sustainable development. “We adopted our own [environmental] certification instead of relying on the national one, which came later.” Their goal is to become “100 percent environmentally friendly by 2030”, Naviaux said, which he defines solely as the sustainable growth of organic grapes throughout the region.

To achieve that, the Comité is trying to bring every actor involved to the table and facilitate the implementation of cutting-edge pesticide-free growing techniques. One of them involves pheromone diffusers: devices that pump chemicals used by bugs to attract a mate in all directions, confusing the males. As a result, the bugs never get to meet and produce offspring, leading to a natural reduction in pests.

Some endemic animal species might be unwelcome to wine producers, but a big part of Naviaux’s work revolves around preserving the rest of the plants and animals that live alongside the vines. “We did a census of the flora and devised a plan on how to maintain these spaces,” Naviaux says. “We recorded 350 species, some even rare, as well as 50 birds and about 100 earthworms per square meter. These are essential for the ecosystem. Without them, we cannot function.” 

In fact, vineyards are much more than just rows of grapevines. “A topic that is rarely talked about is the agro-ecological infrastructure [surrounding the grape vines] – the dry stone walls, the roadsides where vegetation grows,” Naviaux adds. “These can be gold for biodiversity.”

This eco-friendly approach has been embraced by some winegrowers more than others, creating a bit of a generational gap in the area. Alexandre Chartogne, for instance, had a hard time convincing his dad that pesticide-free was the way to go. “I told him that we should never use pesticides again, and he would sneakily give them to the vines in the evening, when I couldn’t see it,” he says, laughing. 

“I can’t blame [my parents] – they’re from another generation,” he continues. “It’s now our duty to move towards sustainable agriculture. We want to make sure future generations can still work here.” Now that he’s taken over the business, Maison of Chartogne-Taillet has implemented those changes.

That sums up the beauty of the Champagne region – local winemakers who love their land, with most businesses operating as a family affair passed on from generation to generation. It’s also a fizzy money pot where land is worth, on average, over €1.3 million per hectare. Either way, it’s definitely worth preserving for your kids and for the rest of the rapidly warming world.

The post Climate Change Is Affecting Champagne Now, Too appeared first on VICE.

Holiday and New Year breakups are nothing new. Dec. 11, for example, was once said to be the most common breakup day of the year, while January has been called National Breakup Month. It’s easy to surmise that people end their relationships early in December to avoid spoiling the holidays by spending time with a partner they no longer love, or having to introduce said partner to their families. Breaking up in January, on the other hand, might save people from an awkward and unwanted Valentine’s Day celebration. But there are other reasons for the breakup season.

“The idea of breaking up is likely reinforced around New Year because of our heightened desire for fresh starts, which stem from our innate and ever-present need for novelty, exploration, and change,” Novie Duquilla, a clinical psychologist based in Manila, Philippines, told VICE.

Of course, people can get fresh starts in many other ways. They can Marie Kondo their room, get a new job, try a new haircut, and so on. But Duquilla explained that the sentimental and introspective mood of the holidays leads people to focus on things that are most important, and many times, that means taking a good look at their romantic relationships. 

“In some cases, people may feel like their relationships restrict them from growing because their partners are too closed off or controlling. This fuels their motivation for fresh starts.”

Whether or not the feelings of wanting to break up are seasonal—or that they’ll go away after all the celebrations—depends on what psychologists call “perpetuating factors,” or things that cause and maintain relationship problems, Duquilla said. Examples of these include physical and emotional abuse, cheating, and other unresolved issues.

Holiday reflections and the looming opportunity for a fresh start come the new year may put the spotlight on these perpetuating factors, encouraging people to hasten the countdowns on their relationships. But the holidays are simultaneously a joyous and stressful season, and breaking up with someone might spoil that joy and add to that stress.

“However, that doesn’t mean that the holiday season is not the best time to break up with someone. The best time to break up with someone is when you realize that your general experience in the relationship is no longer positive. Romantic relationships start to fail when we have more negative than positive experiences in the relationship,” said Duquilla.

To help people decide whether breaking up with their partners was a long time coming or just a seasonal whim, Duquilla pointed to four factors that influence breakups, according to renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel.

“First is violence. When we say violence, we don’t just mean major acts of violence involving abuse. Violence can also be in the form of microaggressions or those subtle behaviors that cause harm to your partner. Microaggressions can be verbal or non-verbal in form, such as derogatory comments. Second is indifference. This is when your partner starts to stop caring or starts acting cold, as if you are being dumped. Third is neglect or that feeling as if your relationship is no longer a priority, or your needs are not being met. Fourth is contempt. Contempt is the killer of them all because this is the experience of being devalued, as if you are nothing or you are worthless.”

Duquilla added that if even just one of the above factors is present in the relationship and a person has been contemplating breaking up with their partner even before the holiday season, then the feeling of wanting to break up is likely not just a whim.

If a person does decide to go through with a holiday breakup, Duquilla offered some advice.

“It is important that you own your emotions when you decide to break up with your partner. Breakup conversations are tension-provoking. During breakup conversations, often make use of the word ‘I’ rather than ‘you.’ [For] example, instead of saying, ‘You make me feel neglected,’ say, ‘I feel neglected.’ This is to avoid blaming, resentment, and other negative emotions that may arise from the breakup.”

“You can also do some breakup rituals to alleviate the pain, like sending a closure letter, getting rid of things that remind you of your partner, or doing the activity that you enjoyed together for one last time, such as eating at your favorite restaurant, singing your favorite song,” said Duquilla, adding that these rituals may help mark the end of the relationship.

After the breakup, people should prepare to manage complex emotions.

“Relationship breakups produce complex feelings of denial, anger, rejection, guilt, shame, sadness, or even relief. Generally, we experience grief when we experience relationship breakups. To manage your grief, start with normalizing your emotions. [For] example, acknowledge that sadness is a normal response to grief. It is easier to process and change your emotions when you start viewing them as valid or normal,” she said.

She also said that what people think of a breakup will affect how they feel about that breakup, because people focus on “meaning-making” and how they compose the story of the breakup in their minds. Sometimes, according to Duquilla, people cannot change a situation, but they can change their interpretation of the situation, which in turn determines how they feel and behave towards it.

“First, identify the meaning that you associate with the breakup. Commonly, people associate breakups with being alone. Second, challenge your association through probing questions. Are you really alone? How about your family or your friends? Don’t you think you can still build new relationships, romantic or otherwise?”

While breakups may not be the most festive thing to do around the new year, they may still fit well with the themes of the season, and may be exactly what people need for the fresh start they crave.

“Breakups could be breakthroughs for both parties. Breakup is a catalyst for rediscovery, redirection, and reconnection. Breakup can be a wonderful experience because it produces an intense desire to improve aspects of yourself, and it serves as a reminder to focus your attention back to yourself—those parts of yourself that you have long forgotten,” said Duquilla.

Follow Romano Santos on Instagram.

The post Why You Feel Like Breaking Up With Your Partner Around the New Year appeared first on VICE.

A time to remember and reflect on the year that passed—hopefully with some gratitude, realistically with some regret—and to plan for the year to come while leaving room for detours and surprises.

Some might introspect with a journal and pen, others might talk it out with a therapist, and then there are those who bust out their astrological birth charts and look to the stars, or shuffle the 78 cards of a tarot deck and interpret their messages.

Read Next

I Got Someone To Read My Soul’s Vibrations To Predict My Future

Today, the search for truth in the stars and guidance in the cards can be done through apps like Co–Star and The Pattern, Instagram accounts that post all-too-accurate astrology memes, and TikTok videos of tarot readings, which card readers claim appear on the For You Pages of people who might need them. “Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t,” they say. 

While some may be more inclined to believe in the mystic than others, the anxieties and uncertainties of the past two years have led many to seek answers anywhere they might find them. So why not look to the stars, the cards, or both? 

We asked tarot readers and an astrologer to reflect on 2021 and offer mystic insight into what might await in 2022. 

Aly Dimaculangan
Tarot card reader 

VICE: What are the basic principles of your practice?
Aly: I’m an eclectic witch with a Roman Catholic background. I use different tools and practices when it comes to my rituals, but I mainly use tarot. 

Tarot started as some sort of a game, which progressed into something a lot more spiritual. As much as it is connected to fortune telling, as much as it is connected to my mysticism, it can also be used as a very practical guide. For example, if you’re not necessarily sure about what to do about a certain situation, you can definitely use tarot as your guide. We ask a question, the cards provide us with answers, and that’s where we decide what we can get from those messages. 

What did 2021 try to teach people?
What I’ve seen through my readings is how transformative this year has been, both good and bad. I’m not necessarily saying it’s leaning towards good or it’s leaning towards bad. There are just a lot of changes. It’s really up to us how we interpret that change. I don’t want this to lean towards some toxic positivity message, but I do see that there are a lot of changes that we have to take into account and reflect on. 

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
Dimaculangan brought out her tarot cards and did a reading at this point in the interview.

From what I see here, we have the Page of Cups and Four of Wands, we have the Nine of Swords in reverse, and we have the Page of Wands. I think, ultimately, if there is any challenge, it’s definitely about starting anew. I feel like 2021 has burned out a lot of people, and I do see that it’s about rising from the ashes, if that makes sense, because we have the Page of Wands and the Page of Cups. The Page of Cups talks about emotional fulfillment—something new coming your way, a brand new beginning, a chance for you to redeem yourself, or a chance for you to reclaim some of that happiness that you lost. With the Page of Wands, it’s also very motivating. You’re starting new passions, new projects. People are out and about. 

“I feel like 2021 has burned out a lot of people, and I do see that it’s about rising from the ashes.”

 If things get progressively better, I do see that it’s going to cause this daydreamy event. I do believe that it’s also going to be the start of some sort of completion when it comes down to wishes, opportunities. I do see that this is it. I’m pleasantly surprised—my cards have been quite harsh lately—but I do see that this talks about a light, fresh start that may not necessarily make sense at first. But I do believe that for the collective, the nightmare situation is almost over. 

What’s one thing you want to tell people, to prepare for 2022
Dimaculangan pulled another card—the Three of Cups—from her deck.

Keep your loved ones closer. I do believe that 2022 is something really, really great for the collective. The Three of Cups really is telling me that there is some sort of celebration happening. This is, again, a very, very exciting and very, very renewing opportunity to get closer to your loved ones. Let them know that you love and care about them. Catch up. I think that’s going to be the theme of 2022. Maybe this is a representation that things are slowly but surely going back to normal. If you have connections that you want to rebuild, if you want to bask in the energies of others, 2022 is the right time to do it. 

Monica Lopez Gamboa
Astrologer and Drama Therapist 

What are the basic principles of your practice? 
Monica: As an astrologer and drama therapist, I work in the integration of the language of the cosmos (astrology) and the body (drama therapy) to help my clients live most authentically. In astrology, I work with the birth chart as well as transits (the current movement of the planets) and their symbolism. 

Your birth chart is a map of where all the celestial bodies were when you were born. Also called a natal chart, this snapshot is captured from the exact location, at the exact time of your birth. This is your unique astrological thumbprint—a holistic image of a person, which describes both inner and other circumstances and all levels of their personal history and experience. The process of understanding our birth chart is the process of embracing your life. It’s the process of radical self-acceptance. 

What did 2021 try to teach people? 
From the Earth’s sky, we see the sun and moon chase each other in a cycle until they finally meet at a certain degree, casting a shadow, causing an eclipse. The points where they meet are called the lunar nodes. Last year, these nodes were in the axis of Gemini and Sagittarius. As such, 2021 centered on communication, the discernment of truth, information overload, the spread of fake news, and subsequent consequences. It was a battle of communication and ideas. There were lessons on truth, speaking with truth and integrity. I’m thinking: defending freedom of speech and the press, defending journalists and democracy in the Philippines. 

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
The eclipses of 2022 are in the axis of Taurus and Scorpio, the fixed (stabilizing) signs of the zodiac in earth and water elements. In fixed signs, the tendency is to hold, to crystallize. The liquid mixture of at least two different molecules precipitates into solid crystals—watery transformation into earthly form. Something is crystallizing within us, yet more often than not, these are the things we resist. When they come together, a rich stable life is created through deep emotional and spiritual healing. 

With the south node in Scorpio, we will need to process our grief over past trauma from the last few years. What wounds have we kept on picking, unaware that they keep on bleeding? To properly mourn everything we’ve lost, we’ll have to dive deep into the lingering hurt we tend to ignore. 

“What wounds have we kept on picking, unaware that they keep on bleeding? To properly mourn everything we’ve lost, we’ll have to dive deep into the lingering hurt we tend to ignore.”

Rituals become ever more important—rituals for life and death, weddings and funerals, celebrating life, and honoring those that have passed. This is a time for having difficult, important conversations. Go to therapy. While our wounds include personal trauma, we now know that we have to heal collective trauma as well—racism, sexism, poverty, and other social inequities. However, as we heal, the north node in Taurus invites us to our growth. The wandering bull will come down to the Earth in order to find pleasure, happiness, and abundance from hard work in the fields. But what is the state of the Earth? We can harvest the fruit of our labor, but only if we have removed the weeds, dug in the dirt, and watered the soil. 

Jupiter supports 2022’s growth through more beneficial transits in the first half of the year. Jupiter will be home in Pisces for most of the year, restoring our sense of faith, optimism, and hope. What makes this transit even more special is that Jupiter will share its home with dreamy Neptune on April 12, 2022. This rare conjunction between expansion and mystical vision will be absolutely magical. People will be reunited with each other after periods of isolation and tension. 

With Jupiter sextile Uranus in February and Pluto in May, you are invited to craft your vision. What do you dream for your life? What do you dream for this world? Crafting that vision prepares you for mid-year Jupiter in Aries—rebirth. The changes you create in 2022 will be long-lasting. Fill this year with moments of compassion, joy, and connection with your inner self and this great collective consciousness we are a part of.

Chinggay Labrador
Tarot deck creator and card reader

What are the basic principles of your practice? 
Chinggay: My main thrust is that I don’t use tarot for prediction. I think of the cards as symbolizing the breadth of human experience, so any card one picks can be relatable, no matter what a person’s background, experience, or concern is. I believe that tarot cards can be powerful tools to understand one’s present circumstances. They can also help shine a light on one’s intuition, which can be hard to connect to these days because we’re so conditioned to using our logic when it comes to decision-making. 

I think of tarot cards as mirrors that reflect back to us what we’re feeling and thinking. It helps us peel layers of conditioning so that we get to the core of who we are.

Limitations-wise, I don’t think tarot actually “tells” the future. I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going to happen next. 

What did 2021 try to teach people? 
I think 2020 and all the uncertainty it brought to the world opened some people up to the magic of tarot. With everything so unpredictable and unexpected, many people were looking for ways to figure things out and for structures to lean on. And that’s why practices like tarot, oracle, astrology, etc. became popular.

I think this continued in 2021. People who hardly ever dabbled in mindfulness practices started getting their feet wet and becoming more familiar with different practices.

I find that people who’ve started getting familiar with the tarot can move into 2022 with a more solid understanding of themselves and their relationships. People who’ve cultivated mindful practices with the tarot, maybe, feel a little more equipped to handle whatever comes because they have this practice they can lean on to help them figure things out.

What challenges and opportunities might come in 2022?
I think this is a pretty personal thing. The challenges that arise will certainly depend on where people are and what’s going on with them. The tarot card for 2022 is The Lovers, so I would say that no matter what difficulties arise, people can maybe lean on the idea of love—especially of oneself. 

“No matter what difficulties arise, people can maybe lean on the idea of love—especially of oneself.”

The way I would tackle this question is not anticipating the challenges, but knowing that you are equipped with love when things happen. I think regardless of challenges and opportunities, people can always reliably go back to the concept of love and what it means for them.

What’s one thing you want to tell people, to prepare for 2022?
Be kind to yourself, put in effort where it’s needed, and practice ease when it’s called for.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. 

Follow Romano Santos on Instagram.

The post What To Expect in 2022, According To Astrologers and Tarot Readers appeared first on VICE.

The annual family gathering cannot be complete without generous servings of buffet food and seemingly bottomless drinks. There’s the staple karaoke singing and hours of party games with prizes for all ages.

But this year’s celebration is cancelled because of the worsening pandemic and back-to-back storms that battered the Philippines as 2020 comes to a close.

“Christmas is the most anticipated time for everyone,” Suarez told VICE World News. “But my mom is sad that no one is planning the celebration this year. They’re getting old and some of her siblings have passed. That’s why we always look forward to our annual celebration.”

No other country celebrates the occasion like the Philippines does. The Southeast Asian country takes pride in having the world’s longest Christmas season that begins as early as September 1, marked with extravagant light displays, nightly masses and mall sales.

But the Philippines also has one of the world’s longest-running coronavirus lockdowns. An order to limit travel began in mid-March in its population centers and looks set to continue indefinitely. For the first time in many Filipinos’ lives, Christmas is effectively cancelled.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the extension of the coronavirus restrictions in metropolitan Manila, as well as his hometown Davao, until the end of the year. In a late-night televised address on Monday, Duterte urged Filipinos to limit Christmas gatherings this year to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“Let me remind you that Europe and America are experiencing what they would call a third wave. More people are getting sick and dying,” he said. “These are rich countries that should have a vaccine, but more people are dying because they are stubborn.”

Duterte’s government has been heavily criticized for its failure to control the pandemic compared to neighboring Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, which have all recorded a fraction of cases compared to the Philippines.

Infection rate has continued to rise since restrictions were relaxed to rebuild the struggling economy in June. The total number of infections rose this week to more than 430,000, the highest number of cases per capita among large Southeast Asian countries.

The government reminded Filipinos to limit family gatherings to immediate family members who live under one roof. Any celebration bigger than that would be considered an illegal mass gathering. The traditional house-to-house carolling has been banned and “Simbang Gabi,” or the nightly masses held by the Catholic Church, has been scaled down to allow social distancing. About 80 percent of the Philippines’ 107-million population are Catholic.

But while the pandemic has disrupted countless plans for Christmas celebration, the Filipinos’ obsession with malls have stayed the same.

The proof of that is in the mall sales that have brought Metro Manila’s traffic to a standstill. The government announced that teens are now allowed to hit the malls as long as they are accompanied by their parents, an exception to the lockdown that has baffled health experts.

“This is a bundle of contradiction,” Dr. Tony Leachon, a former advisor to the country’s coronavirus task force, told VICE World News. “You anticipate that there will be a problem so you impose restrictions, yet you allow people to go to the malls.”

The country is expected to see a rise in infection as the cold season comes in, bringing in a surge of influenza and pneumonia cases, he said. He also noted that the flurry of strong typhoons that hit the country in November can be a factor, too.

Thousands of Filipinos are expected to spend the holidays in evacuation centers, where physical distancing and health protocols are more difficult to enforce.

The post To Beat COVID, Filipinos Think the Unthinkable: Giving Up Christmas Parties appeared first on VICE.

It’s the Aguman Sanduk (Fellowship of the Ladle) festival, a tradition that roots back to the 1930s. At the time, the town was plagued with famine and drought, and the event was a way to entertain and uplift the people. The ladle was meant to symbolise abundant food. The cross-dressing is a little bit harder to explain. It was just really funny, so they kept doing it.

“I’ve been participating in this festival for 71 years,” Lolo Luciano, 71, said, explaining that the annual event is embedded in their town’s tradition. This year, he danced vivaciously in the crowd while wearing a blue bandana around his neck and a white duster with green and purple flowers. Peeking through a ruffled sleeve was a tattoo fit for a tough guy.

What started off as just a small parade now includes inter-village dancing and acting competitions, with some pretending to give birth in a skit performed in front of a crowd. It ends with crowning the Aguman Sanduk Queen, the ugliest cross-dresser of them all.

Aguman Sanduk might just be the straightest, most masculine drag festival in the world. Members of the LGBTQ community are noticeably absent from the spotlight. The first time they joined the parade was in 2011, with a float featuring gay and trans people. While they take part in the street parties today, they’re banned from joining the muse and escort competitions, which are exclusively for straight men.

“Last year, I dressed up, but then removed the duster dress because I felt shy,” Angelo Garcia, an out gay teenager, told VICE.

Gay men and trans women usually only participate in behind the scenes roles, like as makeup artists and designers.

To many, it’s the irony of tough men acting stereotypically feminine that makes the festivities hilarious.

A Minalin resident told VICE: “They’re macho men in women’s clothes.”

Find James on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Macho Men Celebrate the New Year by Cross-Dressing in This Philippine Town appeared first on VICE.