Saturday 30 April 2011

Insights from the Newsletter

We are in the midst of an interesting and somewhat intense cosmic climate. Whilst the overwhelming feeling is positive and life affirming, the energies are chaotic and bewildering; unsettling and unnerving even the strongest among us.

Already in 2011 we have witnessed Jupiter and Uranus move in Aries, and Neptune move into Pisces. We have had a super moon, and Saturn and Pluto are both retrograde. Individually these events are significant and life changing, but cumulatively they add up to far more than the parts alone.

Jupiter is on a mission to re-ignite the creative fires within, and Uranus is encouraging us to be individuals. Aries intensifies both of these immensely. Ethereal and mystical Neptune in ethereal and mystical Pisces is linked to our spiritual strength, our belief, and the power of our intent. Saturn in retrograde is encouraging us to take responsibility for our lives and for the choices that we make. Pluto retrograde acts as a catalyst to help us to shed the clutter from our lives, to break repeating patterns and to surrender to the flow of our lives.

We are going through a quickening now, a time of profound and immeasurable change, both within and without. Yet this is a time for stillness, not a time to thrash against the currents. Stillness comes from mindfulness, and mindfulness comes from an ability to change our perspectives and our intent, to move to a place of knowing rather than a place of fear in our lives.

It seems that through intent, we can change the power or the energy of our thoughts, and this can help us to change the energy of our lives. What we think, we create. This may sound a little simplistic, but when it comes down to it, life is simple; we just love to complicate it.

By being mindful, we can move beyond the chatter in our minds and access the knowledge and wisdom that lies beyond this. In this place, we can begin to see our lives from a whole new vantage point, and things suddenly make sense. Of course it is not easy being mindful, as life tends to get in the way, but practice makes perfect.

In many ways this intense energy is being pushed together tighter and tighter like the coils of a spring, and very soon the spring will uncoil and burst forth with a huge amount of vim and vigour. As the summer approaches, it is important to focus on our true goals and priorities, and to find clarity in our lives, for when the spring uncoils we can expect to be catapulted forwards with huge intensity. It is therefore important that we are ready for the ride!

An important link in this cosmic chain is Pluto. Powerful little Pluto was sadly demoted to 'dwarf planet' and many may think that his impact has dwindled as a result. Yet it is Pluto that is the driving force behind much of the change and transformation that we are experiencing.

Saturday 23 April 2011

The Dragon Stirs

Today, the 23rd April is St George’s Day. St George was best known as the slayer of the dragon. It seems fitting that the dragon energy is now resurfacing all over the world through energy (ley) line work, personal empowerment and a collective raising of the spiritual consciousness.

In the Far East Dragon’s were carriers of wisdom, strength and knowledge. Yet in Europe, they became linked to evil. Perhaps the evil was free thought, strength, wisdom and knowledge?

Elementally, Dragon’s unite earth, air, fire and water, they are powerful, spiritual beings bringing us the ability to follow our own beliefs and spirituality. Yet, the dragon was quashed by St George, representing our slow descent into a world away from personal power, personal wisdom and spiritual strength. However, the dragon has not become lost in the mists of times, for we have been on a course of re-awakening for some time now. As we become more and more awake, we can begin to reclaim the dragon in our lives.

It can be easy here to see St George as the ‘bad guy’ in all of this, but I suspect he was simply following orders at one level or another. There seems no point in blame though, for his actions have been a blessing in so many ways though for he has made each of us stop and think about our Selves on every level. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, perhaps we needed to be subdued in order to fully awaken again, refreshed, refocused and fully empowered? Perhaps the world was just not ready before now...

Interestingly, Mercury moves direct today in Aries, marking a time for some fiery straight talking, clear thinking and positive action! Sounds like it is time for the dragon to breathe some fire!

There is a strong sense of renewal now as we each begin to truly awaken, to live more consciously and more mindfully. As we begin to see the world with fresh eyes and a changed perspective, we can enjoy this life affirming experience as the beginning of a brand new chapter of our lives.

So, be prepared to embrace the dragon, to re-connect to ourselves, each other, the Earth and just about everything else in between. It is time now to awaken from our deep slumber and to take our first breaths of air as more enlightened and more empowered souls...

Wednesday 20 April 2011

The Phoenix Re-Awakens - Part 2

Neptune moving into Pisces has already created a huge shift in the lives of many, a deep sense of re-awakening, renewal and re-emerging is deeply apparent. It is as though we are waking from a deep sleep and suddenly seeing the world with fresh eyes. Everything and everyone seems different, changed. This can be hard to understand, but it seems clear that this shift is part of the collective shift towards more holistic and joyful living. Whilst the journey to our ultimate destination may be paved with challenges and obstacles, it is important to keep the belief and the faith that we will reach our Nirvana.

As we continue to re-awaken, we begin to realise the full extent of our potential, both individually and collectively. We finally understand the power of our minds, thoughts and ideas, and can clearly see how to use these to positive and great affect.

Jupiter wants us to express our full potential, Uranus wants us to be individuals, Pluto wants us to face our fears, to dissolve ongoing patterns and to surrender to the flow of life. Finally, Saturn wants us to take full responsibility for our choices and to continue to de-clutter our lives on every level. Alongside the spiritual re-awakening of Neptune, it seems clear that each of us are being asked to completely overhaul our lives and perspectives.

This is a time of empowerment, enlightenment and inspiration, but we need to be open to the process to allow these to flow. This comes through intent, and the more we believe in these, the more they will flow.

We are now in a powerful and magical time of transformation and alchemy, and we each have the strength and the power to fully embrace life and our gifts. There is no room under the bushel any more to hide away, we need to stand vulnerable and exposed in the spotlight to finally realise that there is nothing to fear about being vulnerable and open, it is who we are. It is only by standing naked (figuratively rather than literally, but figuratively if it floats your boat!) that we can access our true power and strength. We learn our Truth when we face our fears...

At the same time, we do have choices to make, this is not a passive time; we cannot just sit and wait for the world to come to us. We have to change our thoughts and adjust our plans to ensure positive outcomes for our goals, and we also have to take responsibility for the choices that we make.

Some may feel justifiably overwhelmed at the moment, but there is no denying that a new wave of stronger more empowered individuals are rising up to the surface of humanity. We can stand frozen in the headlights, paralysed in indecision and fear, or we can accept that it is time to be ourselves, time to love ourselves unconditionally and time to realise that we absolutely are the masters of our own destiny...

Friday 15 April 2011

The Phoenix Re-Awakens - Part 1

The undercurrents of change are growing ever stronger these days. With Neptune in Pisces, Jupiter in Aries, Uranus in Aries and Saturn and Pluto both still retrograde, there is a sense of a huge global shift going on physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Who we are, what we are, where we are going etc are all under the spotlight now as we begin to realise that we are in fact the masters of our own destiny. Mercury retrograde is an ongoing reminder for each of us to be aware of the power of our thoughts as they create our reality.

Who we are is one of those age old questions that can become dizzyingly confusing when we sit down and think about it. In terms of geological time, we are but the blink of an eye; yet, in terms of the Universe, we are everything and everything is One. Perhaps there is no answer to the question, but it doesn’t stop us seeking it out!

There is a great deal of chaos around at the moment, a sense of movement and shifting perspectives. Freedom of thought, action and speech seem more important now, as does free expression. Underneath the chaos is a more serene and subtle flow of energy which is transforming and re-energising. It is as though through the chaos and the rubble, the phoenix is preparing to rise up from the ashes stronger, more vibrant and beautiful than ever before.

It can be hard to discern between personal inner shifts and collective ones on all levels. In some ways it feels as though the boundaries that naturally separate us that make us individuals is thinning out as we connect more and more with everyone and everything around us. In many ways we are becoming more awake and more aware of life.

Yet we need to stay focused in order to find true clarity and vision in life. For most of us, our own dreams and goals naturally complement the whole for they are altruistic and far-reaching. The more of us that can achieve these goals, the happier the world will become. At the same time, there is no reason why we cannot live in comfort, worry free, debt free with abundance freely flowing in our lives. This is what makes the world go around, and the more of us that can live this way, the stronger the human wave that will be sent around the world helping others to do the same.

Living simply and with more meaning are strong and important themes now. Letting go of the unnecessary trappings and materialism of the 21st century seems important, as we welcome a more holistic way of living, one that lives in harmony with the earth and the other beings that live here.

To Be Continued...

Saturday 9 April 2011

Pluto Retrograde

On the 9th April, Pluto goes retrograde until September. Pluto, the planet of transformation, change and regeneration remains in Capricorn. As always, retrograde Pluto reminds us to accept change in our lives. As one thing comes to an end, a new cycle begins.

Pluto is the transformer, and in retrograde his energies are turned towards inner change and transformation. There seems to be a potency and intensity about Pluto when retrograde, almost as though the energy ray becomes more concentrated. This in turn leads to a sense of pressure for each of us to go within in order to let go of those thoughts, patterns, attitudes and ideas that no longer serve us.

We often find ourselves in repeating patterns in our lives, when this happens it is easy to feel that our lives are out of control, spinning wildly. At the same time, these patterns are often the core of our feelings of powerlessness – and it is not that our power is taken from us; more often we give it away, getting into self-negating and destructive patterns that chip away at our self-confidence, self-belief and inner strength.

Pluto makes us face up to these challenges by throwing up issues we had long thought resolved. They are thrown into our awareness or our line of vision. He wants us to see that these issues have not yet been fully eliminated or released from our psyches. The challenge with Pluto though, is the fact that he doesn’t accept being ignored, he doesn’t like it when we bury our heads in the sands trying to remain oblivious from the issues we simply find too challenging or traumatic. Pluto keeps pushing us, chipping away at our resistance until we face up to the things we need to face up to. If we continue to ignore him longer term, he has ways of making us pay attention; from personal experience he can make us STOP, forcing us to pay attention.

This sounds cold and heartless, and in some ways when we think of this distant dot at the far reaches of our solar system, we can see why. However, Pluto represents cycles, endings AND beginnings, and he helps us to see that we can’t have one without the other. Things come and go in life, and we need to take notice and be open to change. Resistance is futile, and we need to surrender to the flow of life. This is not the same as giving up though, quite the opposite in fact, rather Pluto is about letting go of the old and outdated, letting go of the things holding us back, preventing us from welcoming in the new into our lives. It is about taking hold of our inner strength, and embracing the inevitable changes that we face.

In order to work positively with Pluto, each of us needs to be open to going within, to be aware of what lies beneath. Pluto will help us to dig deep, to be aware of ourselves and our lives at the deepest levels.

Pluto is the catalyst, and his influence, whilst challenging, is completely necessary. Pluto just can’t be ignored, and his retrograde phase this year seems to be quite intense. It seems that for those of us on a spiritual path, the need to clear out our inner closets of cobwebs and skeletons is particularly important. So the coming months are likely to bring great inner challenges, but if we are prepared to truly embrace Pluto, we are likely to be feeling stronger, more complete and much more in control of our lives and destinies as a result.

So, this is not a time to fear, but a time to embrace. Acceptance is key, after all what choice do we have?!

Monday 4 April 2011

Neptune enters Pisces

Neptune enters Pisces today (4th April), for the first time in almost 150 years, Neptune comes to the sign where he feels most at home. This is but a brief visit (he moves back into Aquarius into August whilst retrograde), but Neptune will be back home again from 2012. Albeit brief, this visit by Neptune stirs up a huge well of compassion and emotion within, his watery fluidity combined with the fluidity of Pisces allows for a greater awareness to develop of the interconnectivity that weaves us all together.

In many ways this marks the beginning of a spiritual re-awakening and a raising of the collective consciousness. At the same time, individually we look set to go through something of an inner revolution as we finally let go of all the clutter in our lives in order to live with true meaning, purpose and joy.

This is a time of great change, and we are likely to see lots of ups and downs, personally and collectively. Neptune in Pisces will help each of us stay in tune with our inner Selves and allow the Universe to guide us. So, we need to ‘listen’ and be guided by our intuition or higher selves...

Neptune and Pisces are two dreamers that together can create two paths, one of confusion and illusion, or one of compassion, intuition and empathy. In many ways, both are already present, for many live in confusion and illusion, and many others live compassionately, intuitively and empathically, and even more of us live with a combination of both! Yet, there is a need for clarity and vision to emerge from the confusion in order for the compassion and love to be well-channelled and utilised.

Living with meaning and purpose, sounds good but what does it truly mean? I sense it means living simply, spiritually, holistically and joyfully in a balanced way. Living in accordance to our beliefs, honouring ourselves and everything else (humans, animals, the earth etc) and being at One with Spirit.

I guess this is open to interpretation, but it feels right to me...

...more on this soon.

Sunday 3 April 2011

Mercury Retrograde

Little Mercury moved retrograde on the 30th March. This little planet is quite a powerful influence that so many of us often overlook. Mercury gives each of us an opportunity to focus on our thoughts, and in particular to explore how we think. How often do we berate ourselves? And how often do we congratulate ourselves? Hmm, see what I mean?!

It is all too natural for most of us to think in terms of negatives - ‘I can’t’, ‘yeah, but’, ‘life is hard’, ‘nothing is easy’, ‘I am fat/skinny/poor’ etc. As I have written before, the irony is that these thoughts of lack create more of the same in our lives. Like attracts like, so by thinking in a negative or restrictive way, we create that dynamic in our lives and keep it there. So, we get stuck in a hamster wheel of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When life is tough and we are struggling, it can be hard to see above the parapet and even contemplate a thought process that can start to change the dynamic. Yet, until we start to think more creatively, it is often the case that we cannot change the dynamic. So, how do we escape the hamster wheel and start to live in a more life affirming way?

Intent. Simple as that.

Intention is one of the most powerful tools we have. It goes beyond believing to a place of knowing. Changing the energy of our thoughts and beliefs sounds simple, and may even sound a little ridiculous, but it works! See your life as you want it to be. Know it is coming to pass. Feel it. Intend it. Make it so. Try to intuit and feel the power behind these words to truly understand. It really goes beyond words, to a place of knowing, a place where intention means everything.

Change may not happen overnight, but it can happen. We need to start thinking positive, life affirming, life enhancing thoughts, changing our inner dialogues to something far more positive and believing in the power of our thoughts.

Retrograde phases of any planet internalises its energy; and by taking it within we can start to understand ourselves better. Mercury wants us to find fulfilment from within – to think about our lives, the world, and the way in which we live.

Mercury Retrograde can cause chaos with communications, contracts and other administrative issues – but try not to get too wrapped up in these – try to see the bigger picture instead. In any challenge or obstacle, look for a positive. Find things to be grateful for everyday. Very often that delay happens for a reason, it makes us stop or pause, re-think or reconsider our choices. So, welcome Mercury, embrace his blessing.

Mercury looks set to give each of us a much needed kick up the posterior to stop thinking in negative ways. He wants us to see the power that such thinking has in our lives. It is time to start thinking positively and creatively to affect change in our lives.

At the same time, there is a need to live consciously, to see the bigger picture. It is the perfect time to de-clutter the mind (space is good, even in the mind!!). We need to be quiet, to still the mind and allow the really important thoughts to float up to the surface for us to work with. It is time to let all that mental flotsam and jetsam go, and to focus on what’s truly important now...

There is a strong need to be both pragmatic and philosophical over the next few weeks. Maybe, just maybe Mercury is being our best friend by causing well-timed delays to allow us a little more thinking time?

So, try to see the positive. And by taking a more philosophical approach to obstacles and hiccups, hopefully we can each reach the end of this retrograde phase stronger than ever before.

Saturday 2 April 2011

The Cosmic Mixing Bowl

Mars moves into Aries and Vesta moves into Aquarius today. Both are little powerhouses, and continue the hugely powerful and quite profound roller coaster ride that 2011 has become.

Fiery Mars moves into fiery Aries, a sign it rules to muster up even more fire, energy and passion. There is a need to stoke up the fires within to re-connect to our drive and zest for life. We all have plans and goals, and the time has come to explore these once again. Mars doesn’t do procrastination, nor does he do indecision, so it is time to have the courage of our convictions and get on with life!

Vesta in Aquarius has a strong connection with free-thinking and honouring ourselves and our paths more. Vesta is whole and complete in herself, and Aquarius is the new-age hippy bohemian. Together, they look set to inspire us to express ourselves freely and creatively; and to be proud of who we are (warts and all!).

So, passion, free expression, energy and creatively – quite a mix in the cosmic mixing bowl!