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Given the recent news headlines, who could be faulted for wondering whether the world's going to hell in the proverbial hand-basket?
Earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, conservative groups 'outing' a conservative senator, an Iranian hard-line cleric blaming earthquakes on women who show a little skin, scandal oozing out of every crevice of the Vatican and The Church of Wall Street. And that's just a short list (and before the BP oil spill trumped the headlines!
I, like many of you, watch with horror and wonder at what seems like it could be coming straight out of the Armageddon Handbook, if there is such a thing (and I'm sure the chronic, er, committed Armageddonists have some version!).
Then again, it could be the apocalypse, in its original definition: "...a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted." (Wikipedia)
And there's the choice, or one of them, that we have before us. Do we interpret current events as harbingers of some final Great Doom, or as invitations or opportunities to lift the veil and notice what's been hidden based on falsehood and misconception?
Do we hunker down and shrink in fear and terror, or rise to the invitation to see what's being revealed and open to a whole new level of creativity -- creating structures and organizations that actually consider and work for all?
Do we take the red pill or the blue pill? Oh what fun, eh?
I don't mean for it to sound easy, because I know that it can seem anything but. There are moments (and sometimes days) when I'm as tempted as any to run for the hills, find the nearest cave, and hunker down, quivering in fear. Or, in a pinch, just head for the nearest piece of furniture to crawl under.
But I'd get bored with the whole cave-hermit thing pretty quickly, despite my occasional romantic notions to the contrary. And a good bit of what's happening (ala the afore-mentioned issues and scandals) point to abuses of power that tick me off (and that particular sort of anger is very clarifying and mobilizing!).
So the only real option is to look for the Big Reveal, with whatever courage I can muster in the moment, and then do what I can do and share what I can share, with whatever inspiration I can summon. (As I've shared in this blog before, TAT and EFT are among the toolbox of handy resources, as are sessions with your favorite inspired mentor-guide.)
A Key: Guidance from the ArchetypesHaving some context is also helpful -- the big picture, so to speak -- and one way to look at the whole 'hell in a hand-basket' thing is through the lens of astrology archetypes. The context, and the archetypal themes, help us to find our place amidst the chaos and tap into resources we may have forgotten we have available to us.
Right now, one big astro-story is the opposition of Saturn and Uranus and the not-too-far-off T-square with Pluto. And that story says a lot about our current cultural -- and no doubt individual -- stories.
There are several wonderful articles that summarize the Saturn-Uranus opposition, which started in 2008 and wraps up in mid-July of this year (send an email and I'll be happy to share links to my favorites). The 4th of 5 exact oppositions, though, occurs on April 26th, so you may be one of many feeling the pinch of this dynamic.
Here's the gist.
Saturn is often associated with limitation, constriction, time, and structure. Saturn has traditionally been called the 'Lord of Karma', the task-master, and the old guard. The archetype is associated with old-school, stodgy,dogmatic, hierarchical institutions -- the Boy's Clubs currently under such scrutiny, for example. That would be Saturn to the extreme.
Where Saturn is associated with the old-guard and limitation (often through lots of rules and regulations), Uranus is associated with revolution, evolution, the decidedly 'new-guard', innovation, creativity, lightning-fast change, intuition, and, in a big way, freedom. Real freedom, not the 'freedom fries' sound-bite freedom.
So you can see where, with these two archetypes doing a mano-a-mano with each other -- imagine them facing off across the heavens, with Earth -- and you and me -- right smack in the middle. Sounds hideously unfair, doesn't it?
And then Pluto chimes in around issues of power -- its misuse and proper use (and reclaiming our power that we've given away) -- and we have power-abusive , power-sapping structures and institutions and beliefs that need to be transformed, inspired, and evolved. More on the topic of reclaiming power and voice in future posts.
Other archetypes -- like a chorus of sorts, guiding us forward -- weigh in on the 'medicines' of harmony, beauty, civility, relationship, heartfulness, and so on. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
A Second Key: Empowering ChoicesThat's where choices are key, because the more insightful astrologers will also tell you that there are things -- good, worthwhile, wonderful, joy-bringing things -- that want to be born out of these tense energies. Think of it as creative tension, or the labor before birth.
Here, what's wanting to die is the rigidity, the old forms that have outlasted their use, the old beliefs that are binding us to mere fractions of our potential, individually and collectively. What wants to be born is the greater potential, form that's truer to the ideals (say, like actual democracy), and authenticity that brings our true individual and collective potential into form and expression.
So, the prime directive? To have a sense of the vision and a clue about purpose, an awareness of the energies and opportunities, and ways to touch into that each day along the way in a way that allows for inspired action.
More on the earthquakes and volcanoes in another entry, though I know my astrology-peeps would have something to say about that, too.
Blessings on the way,
Maybe it was Venus moving into her comfie home-sign of Taurus two weeks ago, but between then and now I've found myself cleaning the proverbial hearths -- scrubbing the kitchen floor (the modern-day hearth), sweeping front and back entrances, tidying and clutter-clearing like a maniac, and baking batches of oatmeal-walnut dark-chocolate-chip cookies.
Standing back, I then surveyed my freshly scrubbed domain in satisfaction while nibbling a cookie (okay, three cookies-they're good!). Mind you, I usually take the Middle Way when it comes to cleaning -- I'm not a slob, but I'm far from a neat-freak.
There was some element of casual ritual to my cleaning and clearing, and that synched up nicely with the waning moon phase (great for harvesting and clearing things out to make room for the new). Maybe you caught that Spring Cleaning wave, too, in one way or another?
Enter the New Moon in Aries
Now we find ourselves at the New Moon in Aries (just earlier this morning, here in the Eastern U.S.), which -- according to my trusty astro-priestess peeps -- is particularly potent thanks to a range of powerful and unusual archetypal energies beaming in.
New moons are great times for checking in on new or updated intentions and visions incubated in the few Dark Moon days prior, on planting seeds (literal or metaphorical), and getting started with new things (current retrograding planets not-withinstanding).
The Aries New Moon is considered the new moon of new moons, because it's the start of the zodiac cycle. So whether you believe this stuff or not (and it's always amazing to find how we live it even if we don't believe it), there is always power in checking in on vision, and getting started on things we've envisioned (or put off, if they actually do have to be done).
One particular theme that's been coming up (aside from the afore-mentioned cleaning flurry) is the importance and timeliness of reclaiming our power where we've given it over to other people, conditions, circumstances, institutions, or ideas. More on this, no doubt, in upcoming posts.
In the meanwhile, enjoy the energy boost of the Aries new moon, and consider that those 'rock and hard place' kinds of anxiety producing situations are little (or big) billboards inviting you to reclaim power that you've given away and need now that we're in at the Aries new moon - and a new cycle of our adventure here on Planet Earth.
Love,
Jamie
* Image: the Venus of Milo
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is arriving. All around us, Nature is in its rebirth. We see migrating birds returning and looking for nesting spots; the daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinth are showing their blooms; the grass is greening again, and the trees and shrubs are beginning to show tender new leaves. After the Winter, when growth happens below the surface, Life emerges for a new cycle of seasons.
For many, Springtime is happening within as well. In the many conversations I'm having for the SophiaLogues and the body of work on the emerging Feminine and my in-process book project, green is a consistent theme.
Just as I received guidance to call the book and body of work 'The New Greening', or have been drawn to green forest-pools to seek Wisdom in meditation or visualization, many others are seeing or dreaming of green streams, green pools, blades of green grass amidst decayed matter and mud, or even a great bird with long, beautiful green tail-feathers.
In these dreams and visions, a common message is 'focus on what's green and growing'. Like Orpheus, re-emerging from the Underworld with Eurydice, we're guided not to look back...to be mindful of that we're focusing the greater share of our attention and energy on what's before us, on the emerging vision.
Focus on what's green and growing, on those places where what has been barren is beginning to become fertile again, beginning to bloom. In Springtime, we get a little help from Nature.
We can also go within, and invite guidance on what's green and growing. Given that this message is arising in and for so many people, there is larger call to greening going on -- the greening of our hearts, and of our perception.
Green Blessings,
Let $$ Be Love
