Reviving '90s Self-Care Trends for Our Gen X & Millennial Hearts
Happy Sunday, my self care besties!!
It's September 21, 2025, and today’s partial solar eclipse (peaking ~1:29 p.m. EDT, shimmering over New Zealand, Australia’s east coast, Pacific islands, and Antarctica’s icy edges) is serving up a cosmic invitation. For us Gen Xers and Millennials—who navigated Y2K paranoia, traded mixtapes for therapy, and still hum NKOTB in the shower—this eclipse is more than a celestial show. It’s a call to release the patterns and habits we’ve carried (like that flip-phone heartbreak or cubicle burnout) and reclaim what’s ours.
In the '90s, self-care wasn’t a hashtag; it was survival. It was scribbling in Lisa Frank notebooks and trapper keepers, soaking in Sun-Ripened Raspberry suds, adding Sun In to your hair, and curating cassettes that held our hearts together. Those raw, unfiltered rituals are the perfect blueprint for today’s eclipse energy—urging us to pause, reflect, and glow through the chaos. So, let’s dive into that nostalgic magic, weave it with modern intention, and make space for healing that feels like home. Ready to vibe? Let’s go.
The '90s Self-Care Renaissance: Why It’s Our Jam
The '90s were a vibe—grunge riffs, neon friendship bracelets, and VHS tapes that doubled as therapy. Self-care was less about perfection and more about presence: a Walkman escape, a zine confession, or a bath that drowned out the world. For Gen X and Millennials, these weren’t trends; they were lifelines in a pre-algorithm world where your soul was the only feed worth scrolling. Today’s eclipse, with its soft veil over the sun, mirrors that energy: a moment to honor what’s hidden and let it go. Let’s unpack a few '90s self-care gems that hit just right for this cosmic reset.
Aromatherapy & Bath Rituals: Bath & Body Works was our temple—Mint and Eucalyptus spritzes, Juniper Breeze lotions, and those fizzy bath bombs that made your bathroom feel like a spa. We’d soak to Clueless and Practical Magic soundtracks, letting stress dissolve like glitter in water. Eclipse twist: Use the moon’s shadow to release old baggage—think of that '97 job rejection—and emerge lighter.
Zine-Making & Journal Jams: Before blogs, we had zines—DIY pages of poetry, cut-out mags, and Sharpie rants. Inspired by Sassy or Riot Grrrl Grit, it was self-care as rebellion. Pair it with the eclipse: Collage your intentions, letting the moon’s pass clear out mental clutter.
Mixtape Therapy: Hours spent dubbing Spice Girls or Nirvana onto cassettes were pure emotional alchemy. Each track was a mood, a memory, a mantra. Today, build a playlist for the eclipse—one side for shadows (Pearl Jam’s “Porch”), one for light (Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor”)—and let it guide your release.
VHS Movement Rituals: Exercise tapes or The Craft marathons weren’t just entertainment; they were body-soul syncs. We moved or dreamed to feel alive. Try a sun salutation during the eclipse, imagining each stretch as a nod to your inner '90s witch.
Friendship Bracelet Bonds: Knotting those embroidery threads at sleepovers was love in action—each loop a quiet affirmation. Revive it: Weave eclipse intentions into a bracelet, gifting one to a friend who gets your Daria references.
These rituals are our roots, fam. They’re proof we’ve always known how to care for ourselves—without the pressure of perfection. Now, let’s make them eclipse-ready.
Your Eclipse Ritual Roadmap: Three '90s-Inspired Practices
Here’s your trio of rituals, expanded with that Fanny Rose flavor to ground you in today’s cosmic shift. Do one or all—whatever sparks your inner '90s kid.
Mixtape Moon Bath 🛁🎶 Channel your Walkman days with a bath that’s pure '90s escapism. Fill your tub with warm water, Epsom salts (for that post-mosh-pit muscle relief), and a splash of lavender or patchouli oil (hello, Hot Topic vibes). Cue a playlist: Start with Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know to purge, then shift to TLC’s No Scrubs for empowerment. As the eclipse’s shadow moves, visualize old wounds—maybe that '98 heartbreak or job that ghosted you—unraveling like a cassette tape in the water. Soak for 20-30 minutes, light a retro-scented local made non toxic candle (think Ocean Pacific), and emerge ready to shine. Bonus: Flip through a vintage Seventeen for extra nostalgia, the best magazines.
Solar Affirmation Zine 📝✨ Ditch the Insta scroll for some zine-making magic. Step outside during the eclipse with a notebook, colored pens, and stickers (Lisa Frank vibes, anyone?). Write three affirmations rooted in our era: “I release the dial-up doubts holding me back,” “My light shines brighter than a Tamagotchi screen,” or “I flow through chaos like a Friends rerun.” Speak them to the sky, then collage them with cutouts from old mags or doodles. Breathe deep: Inhale for four (like waiting for that modem screech), hold for the moon’s mystery, exhale the past. This is your '90s soul, reclaimed.
Shadow Journal Jam ☕🎸 Grab your coffee (or a Surge throwback if you’re extra) and a journal. Set a 15-minute timer—because we’re all about boundaries now—and hum a Smashing Pumpkins riff (“Tonight, Tonight” hits hard). Free-write what the eclipse is stirring: What shadows (old grudges? That dot-com regret?) are you ready to release? Circle one actionable step, like “dance like it’s a 10 Things I Hate About You prom.” It’s raw, real, and cheaper than therapy in 1999.
From Eclipse to Empowerment: Let’s Make It Stick
This eclipse isn’t just a moment—it’s a movement. These '90s-inspired rituals are your ticket to sustainable self-care, blending nostalgia with the wisdom we’ve earned from surviving low-rise jeans and landline drama. But here’s the tea: One-off rituals are great, but consistent care is where the magic lives. That’s where I come in, besties.
I’m here to guide you from eclipse epiphanies to lasting transformation. My programs are built for us Gen Xers and Millennials—real, unfiltered, and rooted in the vibes that shaped us. Want to go deeper? Book a 1:1 Discovery Call (30 minutes, for free so I can help with pure clarity) to unpack your habits and map your glow.
Don’t let this eclipse energy fade like a forgotten Tamagotchi. Head to FannyRose.com to book your Discovery Call or snag a program. Let’s turn these '90s sparks into a lifelong glow-up.
Drop a comment: Which ritual’s calling you? Or DM me on IG @TIffanyRosalie.SelfCareBestie to share your eclipse vibe. You’ve got the light—let’s make it legendary.
Love you all!
Tiffany Rosalie
