The Poetry of 9 Degrees Aquarius

                                         August 1, 2023

I was asked to write about the recent Super Moon that took place on August 1st for a spiritual group I am part of. I intuitively reached for Lynda Hill's 360 Degrees of Wisdom.

The symbol for this degree is A Flag is seen turning into an Eagle. "The flag represents a nation's spirit and the eagle is the physical manifestation of that spirit. As the flag turns into an eagle, the feeling of spirit is transformed into a physical expression of that ideal."

This Moon also has beautiful influences from beneficent, generous and expansive Jupiter. Blessings abound as the tempo of life picks up and opportunities present themselves for bringing your higher ideals into manifestation. Take them and ride this joyful wave into greater self expression of your unique gifts.

Pluto continues to square the North Node, our collective destiny and direction. There are tangible undercurrents of violence throughout the world and exposure (Pluto) of any corruption at the highest levels of government and corporations.

A couple of days after sharing these insights with my group I realized the perfection of Jack Smith announcing the indictment of Donald Trump on the day of this Super Full Moon at 9 degrees Aquarius for his criminal attempts to overthrow the bedrock ideals of our democracy: free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power.

I see Jack Smith as the Eagle bringing our highest ideals to bear in confronting the biggest threat to the rule of law that our nation has ever been challenged with. 

We are in for some very rocky times ahead but I have great hope that in the end the American people choose democracy over autocracy and that we will rise up on eagle's wings. Blessings to all who love freedom and understand that we must protect it now at this crucial crossroads. 

 

Astrology Wholeness

As within, so without...

Astrology is a universal language and by definition symbolic. Planetary symbolism can describe our lives in a way that illuminates and informs our deepest experiences, our lightest moments and everything in between.

The value of astrology is self knowledge. When we know ourselves we are more aware of the unique opportunities that life presents to us, as well as the pitfalls to be circumvented. Self knowledge is power.

This awareness can bring healing to the wounds of the past and light the way forward into our present - future where the power of choice resides and new life can be created, free of the limitations of unconscious patterns.

Being a Certified Practicing Astrologer and a professional musician allows me to experience both the beauty of Earth's music and the celestial music of the spheres! And as a song writer, I find astrology to be rich with visual imagery and intuitive poetry.

As intellect and analysis are stimulated with the myriad pieces of information in a natal chart,  intuitive insights begin to yield the mystical whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

I feel honored when I am asked to read a natal chart. The holographic picture of the Solar System at the moment of a soul's birth into physical embodiment is a Divine Blueprint, and I hold its' Sacred mysteries with deep reverence. 

The Prison of Body Hatred

 Transformation begins with acceptance. Criticism is resistance, the opposite of acceptance, and whatever we criticize stays stuck. This includes an overweight body. Herein lies the paradox. We think that in order to motivate ourselves we must goad and criticize ourselves. But when we act from this place of self judgment, it may work for a little while but then sooner or later we regain the weight we lost and the cycle repeats itself, over and over again.

So how do we love and accept this 'not where we want it to be', less than perfect body? How do we love what is while taking the actions we need to lose weight?

Love relaxes, love heals, love dissolves and diffuses the strongest resistances, the loudest criticisms and the nastiest self judgments. To make that leap from criticism to love requires strong intervention!  The obnoxious voices in our heads will continue unabated if they remain unobserved and unchallenged.

We must refute this false inner critic with unassailable TRUTH. We are each a beautiful and magnificent creation and a miracle of love. Our lives as well as our bodies are in a state of constant flux. When strong love intervenes in any moment, life must change, always for the better.  Hardness yields to softness and expansion.

We are deserving of every good thing that this universe has for us! We can have a life that is better than we can imagine and a body that can relax and breathe in heart-filled, self acceptance.

Every day, look in the mirror and tell yourself "I love you _____, just the way you are." Or if that is too uncomfortable, tap lightly on your heart and repeat the phrase over and over until you feel the shift. Repeat often throughout the day and watch everything change for the better.

Namaste dear one!

Life is Messy

Carl Jung said "I would rather be whole than good." This simple statement is so profound!

Every time we get on the other side of a challenge another "opportunity for growth" pops up. Resistance is always our first and defensive response. We want things to be black and white and tidy but instead get served myriad shades of continuous gray. We wish for "enlightenment". We think there is some kind of perfection to be achieved.

But all manifestation bears LOVE'S signature, no matter how frightening or awful its' appearance. Everything serves LOVE'S ultimate purpose. I trust LOVE and know that wisdom blooms with compassion.

In my desire for wholeness instead of goodness, I relax my expectations of myself and others. I work with my resistance to "what is". Instead, I intend to embrace reality with awareness. From the vantage point of my heart, everything begins to look like LOVE. May my heart keep expanding to include it all, without judgment of self or others!

EARTH DAY 2015

Today is Earth Day! I appreciate this amazing planet! I am thankful for my body which is made from and sustained by Her! Take a moment....appreciate your body too! I am grateful for the stunning beauty She displays through myriad living beings, both animate and inanimate, and that I am able to perceive this wondrous array of whirling sacred energy! WOW!

 I also wanted to share a small way we can give back to Her. Today or any day, pick up a piece of trash and send a blessing to the hands that tossed it out. Believe me, you will feel blessed! Together we can beautify and uplift this miracle we call Planet Earth.

Ebb and Flow

Some days I am stagnant. Instead of bubbling over in cascading inspiration, the fountain merely trickles. The waters muddled, murky and still.

Inertia folding in on itself, stifling the tiniest call to action.

 I sigh and light a candle. 

I cloak myself in your Light.

Cracking my shell and peeking out into the light, my legs again wobbly and untested and my wings glued to my body.

I open again to cycles of death and rebirth in vulnerable multitudinous moments.

Courage to be born again and again and again...

"If we gain something, it was there from the beginning..."

"If we gain something, it was there from the beginning. If we lose anything, it is hidden nearby." ~ Ryokan

This quote encourages me to feel the truth of my wholeness. When we appear to be gaining "something", what we are truly gaining is awareness. Intention to be aware of the blessings that are already here could turn my days into a treasure hunt for all the good that I am not noticing.

I find it comforting to ponder that what we feel we have lost is not truly lost but only hidden from our awareness. If I react to a momentary estrangement from my partner, I will not notice the underlying love that informs our relationship. It has not disappeared, but only receded into the background. Focusing on the feeling of loss only ensures that it will continue.

When I savor this quote, I want to be at peace in this moment, trusting in all that appears to be and all that appears not to be. I let go of the struggle to get something, go somewhere or forcefully resist what is appearing. I take a deep breath and know that when I cannot feel the love or see the beauty, it's just hidden from view. That awareness is all I need to feel its Presence.