Are you feeling it? Between the mania associated with the holidays and the current astrology, the energies can feel more intense than usual. Given that the year has been generally intense, with lots of initiatory energies, that's saying something.
So, all in all, it's a really good time to go gently, be compassionate with ourselves so we can be more compassionate with others, reconnect to the deeper meaning, and remember to breathe.
At times like this, we may see more clearly the truth of Eckhart Tolle's humorous little gem about 'pain bodies' interacting with 'pain bodies' and a whole lot of triggering going on.
The Experience
Usually pretty empathic and clairsentient, I felt the build-up over the weekend. As I did normal errands on Sunday, like wandering through the grocery store, I felt the waves of anxiety and sadness from more than a few people I passed, to the point where it all felt a bit overwhelming or just kind of crappy.
I've also heard from quite a few of you about similar experiences, or about odd 'outbursts' from people around you, or about a lot coming up from within. At times like these, our usual sensitivity may feel magnified.
During these times, I usually notice that my sleep patterns are disrupted, I feel more emotionally sensitive (my own emotions and those of people around me), and I have more mental chatter. I can also easily feel more dispersed, like I'm spread too thin.
The Weather Summary - What IS up?
I always appreciate having some context -- like a heads up -- about what's helping to create an intense energy environment So what's that?
Well, the holidays and 'shopping season', with all of its attendant pressures and stresses around high expectations and, for many of us, financial stresses. Add to that a real sense of 'acclerated time', described quite neatly by Mayan cycles expert Carl Johan Calleman -- time not only feels like it's flying even more quickly than usual, but many of us have felt a weird, surreal sense of time-warping or bending as well.
Yesterday, we had a super-intense meet-up between Mars (assertion, drive, passion), Mercury (communication), and Pluto (deep, deep material, initiation, transformation-catalysts), adding spice and possibly stress to what's coming up from within and what's triggering from outside. And we're heading into the Solstice (12/21), which will feature a full-moon lunar eclipse.
This all unfolds on the backdrop of Mercury Retrograde (more introspective or internal process). Astrology comes in handy not because it's predictive 'fortune-telling' (I'm not much for that), but because it offers a language for framing the energies we experience.
It's a recipe for heightened sensitivity (or what some might experience as tension or feeling more emotional), and a whole lot coming up...and out. Depending on how well we can be aware of what's coming up from within and what our triggers are, what comes out can be constructive, or decidedly unconstructive.
The Rx - What Helps
My own prescription when I feel this way is to go gently, slow down, take my practice back to the basics -- simple, sitting meditation; walking and/or qigong; full, conscious breathing; getting enough sleep; and using essential oils that are calming and grounding, like lavender, rose, and cedar, for example. And definitely heart-centering practices.
Things that soothe, and bring me back to heart-and-center, so I can respond rather than react, and receive the insight and intuitive guidance, and even magic, that's coming up.
And the always-challenging work of being aware of when I'm getting 'lit up' or triggered is even more important, so prayer, and meridien-based modalities like EFT (emotional freedom technique, or tapping) and TAT (tapas acupressure technique).
As ever, being aware and re-dedicating to the practice -- it's all practice -- is both the key and the doorway to navigating even intense energies with greater grace, graciousness, and ease, so that we're able to make the most of the opportunities that these times offer us.
The 'Power of Your Heart' audio-session from the most recent Feminine Mojo Mystery School call offers some great practices along these lines, and the Journey of Persephone audio-session speaks a bit about initiations and includes a lovely guided visualization-journey. You can find both in the Feminine Mojo Mystery School archives.
Wishing you joy and wonder during this holiday season.
FeMojo Blessings,
Jamie
Image Credit: Fireworks image thanks to Goldengames12.
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