Tuesday 30 August 2011

Tigers & Sheep

Today mighty Jupiter moves retrograde in Taurus. Jupiter the planet of wisdom, knowledge, abundance, belief, new beginnings...

...sounds exciting, liberating and it feels like a welcome relief!

There can be no denying that the past few weeks and months have been hard going. Walking through treacle would be an understatement; brains like custard would perhaps be a little closer! The feeling of lethargy, exhaustion and struggle so many of us seem to be facing on so many different levels is undeniably strong.

The biggest question perhaps is why. Why are we going through the mill at the moment? What cosmic force is at play that is pushing each of us so very hard? In many ways we already know the answer, we know that it is simply the right time to be facing our demons and clearing out our inner closets. It is the right time to be digging deep to the resources that lie within to realise the power of our intentions, beliefs and gifts.

When the going gets tough, many a tough soul would get going! Yet this does not seem to be an option for many on the spiritual path. The path towards re-awakening is a challenging one, with every step forwards we become a little more aware, a little more awake, and a little more conscious. We cannot undo this, we cannot forget what we have seen, felt or experienced. We cannot simply take a step back and return to how things used to be. Therefore as we become more and more awake, everything becomes more and more real, more and more heartfelt.

For many of us, this has been a time of great worry or concern connected to our physical well-being, a time of worry about a lack of resources and a time of some fairly major health challenges! It can become all too easy to focus on the challenges and on the lack, on those things we perhaps can’t have, don’t have or once had and lost. Yet focusing on lack attracts more lack (the rule of attraction!), so we need to be thankful for those things that we do have, however small or seemingly meaningless.

It is time now to explore our full potential and to realise just how much we do have in life. It is time to celebrate the abundance in our lives and to feel blessed by this. Despite surface appearances, this is a time of great change leading towards deep enrichment and the attainment of joy; therefore we need to focus on the positive to create an ever growing flow of positivity and abundance in our lives.

We need to tune into and focus on our inner resources of strength and self-belief in order to bring our dreams alive and to see just how much abundance we have. The more we can focus on this, the richer we become emotionally, spiritually, physically and psychologically, and the more content we can be in life. The more we can feel the power and the intention here, the more we can connect with it, giving it more power and more presence in our lives.

There can be no denying that this is a time to go within, to tend to our inner landscapes, to go into those dark spaces within in order to face and let go of our fears. It is time now to find our inner strength, to connect to our higher selves and to truly follow destiny.

The key to all of this comes in the way of balance. It is a time to be truly centred, and from that space we can tap into that vast inner well of love, compassion and strength. We have now reached a crossroads, a turning point, and each of us has a choice. That choice is between stepping onto the path less travelled, the one that calls to us on a deep level, the one that truly takes us into unknown territory.

The other choice is to stay exactly as we are, to ignore those inner calls and to stand firm on the spot. There can be no judgement as to which choice is made, neither is an easy option, neither is ‘wrong’. It does seem clear though that we need to make this choice now and stop procrastinating! Once that choice is made we can then re-focus our energies in one clear direction...

This is a time to face our fears and inadequacies, it is a time to not be afraid to let the world see the core of who we are, and it is a time to realise that we are all here for a reason. Not everyone is a spiritual warrior or pioneer, there are many gatekeepers, watchers and others amongst us all with different roles to play. Being a spiritual warrior sounds cool, but it is perhaps the hardest path, the loneliest, the most challenging.

Stepping into the unknown is in many ways the only true way of growing, it helps us to embrace our full potential and encourages us to take giant leaps forwards. However, the unknown is scary, and we need to have faith and self-belief to trust that we will be taken care of. There are, sadly no guarantees, but when in a place of trust and Truth, we can face challenges easier and we can see solutions from a clearer perspective. When in a place of trust and Truth we can go with the flow allowing each of us to make the most of the opportunities that life presents us.

There is a strong sense that now is the time to truly connect to whatever makes our hearts sing. It is time to move beyond fear, beyond doubt and beyond confusion to a place of knowing and inner belief. In theory, this sounds amazing, but in practice it can be somewhat harder to take on board and apply to reality! Life happens, stuff happens and we can easily lose clarity and find ourselves lost in the mists of confusion and discombobulation.

If we panic that we are lost, we can completely lose our way and become disorientated, yet if we can take a deep breath and use our intuition to guide us forwards, we can find our way back once again. Our inner landscape truly is the key; it is that place where we can connect with our cores and truly feel a part of the Universal whole.

Ok, so after all of this, we may still end up falling flat on our faces, but just the act of trying shows that we have evolved and we have declared to the Universe that we are no longer happy to be a sheep, but we are definitely tigers in the making...

Monday 29 August 2011

The New Moon

New Moon is in Virgo on 29th at 04.04 BST (03.04 GMT).

The New Moon in earthy Virgo suggests a time to get organised as we begin to clearly see the path ahead. It’s time to roll up the sleeves and to get stuck in, it is important not to get too carried away though, for we will need our strength to stay focused and still at the same time. This is a great time to begin a new regime for well-being, as well as time to take care of number one! We need to continue to let go of that emotional clutter and baggage, for we need to let in the Light, joy and compassion...

Saturday 13 August 2011

The Full Moon

The Full Moon is in Aquarius on 13th at 19.57 BST (18.57 GMT)

This Aquarian Full Moon is a perfect time to get organised in order to make some important changes to our lives (the more organised we can be, the easier it becomes to see beyond the ‘clutter’ in our lives). We need to think with clarity and vision, and be clear about our goals and dreams. This is also a good time to make any new affirmations about the path ahead. As we continue to let the light of the Moon feed our souls, we can expect more inner doors to be opened and unlocked as venture deeper and deeper within to find peace, nourishment and direction.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Moving Through The Mist

It seems important to connect with Neptune at this time. On the 5th August, he moved into Aquarius whilst retrograde and he will stay there until 2012.

Neptune is a subtle but incredibly powerful planet; he weaves us together through the collective consciousness and all of those unseen forces that we are growing increasingly aware of. In many ways this is the time of Neptune, we are opening ourselves up more and more to his sacred dance that unifies through the interconnectedness of the energy all around us.

I wrote a while ago that ‘Neptune is that subtle thread that connects us all through a beautiful cosmic dance of energies that swirl and flow within and around each of us connecting us to the Universe and making us One’.

As we continue to go through inner shift after inner shift, we are beginning to gain a sense of perspective as to what is actually happening! Yet at the same time, we are moving more towards that space beyond the light where nothing is happening at the same time.

As human beings, we need to understand and comprehend, we want answers and solutions. This is how we have evolved and developed. Yet we are moving to a place beyond this, where we step onto the flow of consciousness and allow ourselves to trust the process of life.

This may sound a little vague, but when we feel these words, we can feel their intent, their purpose. We are in a time of intent, of power, of purpose and it is time to realise just how powerful we are individually and collectively.

There is a strong theme of compassion with Neptune, and as the weeks progress, we are likely to start ‘feeling’ much more. It is as though we are being asked to disengage our brains slightly to allow our intuition or our instincts to guide us far more. How many of us get ‘feelings’ about stuff but ignore them for a more logical solution? Thought so!

Neptune wants us to look beyond the physical towards our inner landscapes. Yes, we need to tend those landscapes regularly to keep them weed free and beautiful, but this is much more that a bit of weeding! It is time to plant seeds, to tend crops and to nurture our gardens to create something truly beautiful. What we create within, we can then start to create without.

If our inner world is weed ridden, overgrown, neglected and forlorn, how can we ever have the space to manifest our dreams or rest in stillness? We do need to take responsibility for our inner worlds (who else can?), and we need to take out even a little time each day to nurture this important part of our Beings. This is not about spending months or years in solitude contemplating (although there is nothing wrong with that!), but for most of us in the world this is neither practical nor possible.

In a way, Neptune is showing us a kind of ‘inner philosophy for the modern soul’, he is showing us that we can live in a consumer driven, material society without becoming a sheep or a slave to it. This is not about rebellion though, it is about resting in the stillness within and allowing our inner world to nurture and nourish us.

So many souls have found themselves seeking more meaning and purpose in their lives, seeking a meaningful spirituality that connects them to the Universe. Many have lost their way, but many are still keeping on keeping on, and it is important not to let go of the intention to evolve and grow as sentient beings.

Neptune wants us to live more simply, more joyfully and more blissfully. Abundance is not just about wealth of the material kind, and Neptune wants us to appreciate this now. It is time to enjoy the riches within for they will shape our lives and expectations without.

Does having the biggest house, the best TV or the fastest car really matter in the scheme of things? For some it does, and that is ok, but for those of us who know this not to be important in our lives, we need to explore the richness within to feel truly abundant and overflowing with love, inspiration, creativity and bliss.

We now need to seek the peace and solace within and connect to the stillness, love and bliss that reside there. It is time to bathe in that light of inspiration and to feel whole and complete from within. Once we reach a stage of inner completion, our whole perspective on life shifts, our intentions change and the power of our thoughts truly begin to re-shape our lives from the inside out.

Neptune can cause confusion; his mists can tie us up in knots and leave us feeling lost. Yet, if we can move beyond that fear and trust, we know that we are always connected and we can guide ourselves from within. Once we are tuned into the stillness within, we are open to receive the guidance of our higher selves and of the Universe.

It is time now to have faith, to trust and to believe. It is also time to let go of doubt and fear and allow the Universe to guide us.

Monday 1 August 2011

Like The Phoenix Rising...

August looks set to be a month of deeper and deeper introspection as retrograde Neptune moves back into Aquarius, Mercury goes retrograde in Virgo (and then back into Leo), retrograde Ceres enters Pisces and Jupiter goes retrograde in Taurus at the end of the month. Top this off with Pluto, Pallas Athene, Vesta, Chiron, Pluto and Uranus all retrograde all month, it is clear to see why there is such a strong focus within.

However, inner work does not have to mean stifling, heavy, tiresome drudgery, it can be liberating, empowering and illuminating; and this is the focus now. It is time for each of us to move beyond the light and beyond the darkness to a place of inner knowing. This is a place where we are not afraid to honour every aspect of our Beings, and a place where we can surrender more and more to the abundance of the Universe.

How we think is really important now, for our thoughts shape our lives. Retrograde Mercury will ensure that we do consider our thoughts and he will inspire us to start thinking is more life affirming and life enhancing ways. It is a choice though, and we can choose to stay as we are, but it seems like a wasted opportunity if we do not at least explore this brave new world that we are being shown now...

So, with all of this inner focus, it seems clear that we might be feeling a little overwhelmed with life at the moment! Yet, at the same time, through the heaviness, if we can connect to this place of inner knowing, we will realise that there is nothing to fear, nothing to feel overwhelmed by. Whilst many of us may be facing some of our biggest challenges at the current time, these challenges are bringing to the surface strength, resolve, focus, faith and belief. Of course, these have always been there, but it is often in those times of need that we dig deeply within to seek out solutions and answers.

We can choose to feel dis-empowered or we can become empowered, inspired and enlightened. It seems right to quote Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’.

This may sound a tad over-dramatic, but we are going through a shedding process now, like a snake and its skin, we are letting go of our old selves in order to be re-born...