April and Stage 4 of the MARI: The Courage to Begin

The Great Round of the MARI, Stage 4, aligns with the month of April, the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar.

The MARI is round. It is a circle. One thing I have not yet mentioned is that it is also divided into four quadrants. Imagine a pie cut in half horizontally and vertically. The top half represents consciousness, while the bottom half represents the unconscious.

Stage 4 sits at a powerful threshold. It meets the place where the unconscious begins to become conscious, right along that horizontal line. What was germinating and beginning to sprout in Stage 3 is now pressing upward, breaking through into the light. It is like those first true signs of spring, the buds on the branches, the shoots rising from beneath the earth, the moment when potential stops being hidden and starts becoming visible.

This is the season of emergence.

Stage 4 carries the energy of beginning, but not in a loud or fully formed way. It is not the grand opening. It is the tender start. The first breath. The first push. The first small but real movement toward life in form.

That is why this stage can feel both exciting and vulnerable.

On one hand, something in you is ready. A new idea, a creative project, a different way of being, a fresh desire, a clearer sense of self. On the other hand, that readiness does not always feel strong and confident. Sometimes it feels fragile. Sometimes it feels uncertain. Sometimes it feels like, “I think I am supposed to begin, but I am not sure I know how.”

That is Stage 4.

This is a time to care for your basic needs so that your system feels supported enough to start. Rest matters here. Food matters. Rhythm matters. Encouragement matters. This is not extra. It is foundational. When something new is trying to come into being, it needs a container. It needs enough safety to unfold.

And this is where Stage 4 gets very interesting.

Because this stage is not just about new beginnings in a general sense. It also touches a very early developmental pattern, the mother child relationship. At this point in the cycle, there can be a longing for support, reassurance, and permission. There can also be a temptation to regress, to return to passivity, dependency, or waiting for someone else to authorize your next step.

This is not a failure. It is part of the cycle.

Whenever we are on the edge of growth, some part of us often wants to go backward before going forward. We may want someone else to tell us what to do. We may want certainty before movement. We may want to stay in possibility rather than face the discomfort of choosing.

Stage 3 held many possibilities. Stage 4 asks for a choice.

And choice changes everything.

To choose is to begin shaping a path. To choose is to say yes to one thing and, at least for now, no to others. To choose is to claim your right to unfold. That is why Stage 4 can stir up so much emotion. The question underneath it is often not simply, “What do I want to begin?” but, “Do I really have the right to begin? Do I have the right to take up space? To follow this impulse? To bring something of mine into the world?”

These are deep questions. They do not come from the surface mind alone. They arise from old layers, early layers, relational layers. They may touch our history with being seen, supported, interrupted, welcomed, or dismissed.

So if April feels tender, that makes sense.

If beginning feels less like a dramatic leap and more like standing at the edge of yourself with shaky hands and a hopeful heart, that makes sense too.

Feel into Stage 4

Stage 4 is where inner life begins to take outer form. What has been developing beneath the surface now seeks expression in the visible world. An idea, impulse, or new part of the self wants to move from private experience into conscious awareness.

This is why Stage 4 can feel vulnerable. What is emerging is still new. It is not yet strong or established. It needs care, attention, and support.

This stage brings us into early developmental themes. The movement toward new life can awaken questions around dependency, permission, and support. There may be a pull to retreat into passivity or to wait for someone else to authorize the next step. This is not unusual. It reflects the natural tension of growth.

Where Stage 3 held many possibilities, Stage 4 asks for choice. To choose is to begin giving shape to what wants to unfold. That choice may feel tender, especially if what is emerging matters deeply to you.

April invites us to notice what is just beginning and to respond with steadiness rather than force. This is not a time to demand full bloom. It is a time to support what is breaking through.

Action/Reflection for Stage 4

Before you begin, stand with your feet hip width apart and place your hands on your hips. Let your shoulders come back and your head rise. Notice yourself taking up space. If this feels awkward or uncomfortable, simply notice that and continue.

Breathe in for a count of 4. Hold for 4. Exhale for 4. Pause for 4. If you are able, repeat this 4 times.

Then soften your eyes or close them.

Notice what is here.

What do you see behind your eyes?

How do you feel?

Where do you notice sensation in your body?

Stay with yourself for a few moments before you begin.

Reflect

To yourself or in your journal:

• What is beginning to emerge in me now?
• What wants to come into the light?
• What am I ready to choose?
• Where do I need support, care, or nurturing?
• What part of me is asking for permission to begin?
  

If you are interested in my MARI mandala workshops, I invite you to join my interest list. You will be the first to know about upcoming offerings, and I will keep you gently in the loop as they unfold.

With warmth,

About the author

Mari Grande is a licensed Creative Arts Therapist, coach, and founder of Creative Healing Integration, Inc.
Through The Mandala Corner and her coaching programs, she helps people reconnect with creativity, clarity, and healing in everyday life.