Apparently, this is not just rare. It has never happened before. It takes a while for us to find our sea legs when ONE of these planet changes signs, but with ALL of them shining through new panes in the stained~glass window of the Cosmos, it feels disorienting, chaotic even.
It is said that the Chinese word for crisis is the same as opportunity. Not exactly true, but close. Wēijī is made up of two characters. The first, 'wēi', means danger, while "jī", translates as incipient moment or turning point. We are clearly at one of those turning points now, which can indeed be an opportunity, but only if we make it so. We do have options.
We can sink into hopelessness and despair, or avert our eyes from what's occurring, thus shrinking our worlds and our hearts. We can meet external hate with hate of our own, or become paralyzed by fear. Each of these reactions is understandable, and we may cycle through every one of them. Yet if we are to do our part, we can't LIVE in any of these. How do we find a proactive response?
The answers are as varied as we are. I'll tell you what I'm doing...
First and foremost, I've beefed up my spiritual practice: meditation, ceremony, opening to guidance. Not only does this keep me true to my own perspective, rather than swallowing whole the collective's, I hope it also offers positive juju to the world.
I employ my good mind as it was meant to be used, as helpmeet of the soul. I regularly zoom out to see the larger picture, through the lens of the eternal Now. While the rise of fascism is indeed chilling, its seeds have been with us~~and inside us~~forever. They are always present, always present tense. As Adrienne Marie Brown famously put it, "things are not getting worse, they're getting uncovered." I remember that, though it is disturbing to witness, the hidden must be revealed in order to be healed.
I also, though, celebrate the Now~ness of other seeds, seeds of justice and humanity, of courage and sacrifice, of kindness and love. As Thich Nhat Hanh beautifully urged us to do, I repeatedly commit to watering those seeds in myself and in others.
That said, I have increased my level of political engagement. I've set up small, rather painless, monthly contributions to organizations who fight the good fight, and have committed to making one call daily to my representatives~~thank goodness for the 5 Calls app! I also attend protests to add my voice to others speaking truth to power, such as the one on August 15th at 11:00 to oppose the ICE Detention Center due to open soon in Walsenburg, Colorado, so very close to home. For more info, contact Dee Maes Sandoval at (719) 250~2626.
Whatever I do, though, I try not to focus overmuch on whether my efforts will make a difference. Parker Palmer cautions that if we measure our actions solely on effectiveness, we are apt to become discouraged and give up. He suggests using faithfulness as our gauge instead. Being faithful to the gifts given me and expressing them in the world~~as it is, not as I wish it to be~~is my job in anything I do. Such is the art of being human.
We stand at the threshold of an unknown future. We don't, though, stand there alone. We stand with others. We stand with personal and spiritual resources honed over a lifetime. And those outer planets join us too, offering the raw material from which to craft our unique response. The Cosmos supports us always, especially when the tectonic plates beneath our feet and our lives are shifting.
If we could fast forward, like in one of those time~lapse videos, I believe we'd see a landscape reworked. But that's not happening in the distant future. It is happening RIGHT NOW and we get to see it, to engage with it, and to decide what role we will play in this unfolding we are privileged to be part of.
I close with an astrology~inspired prayer for us all, a call to action if you will.
As Jupiter, the planet of expansion, shines through the heart~centered sign of Cancer, may our love of self, others, country and life itself grow more vibrant.
May rabble~rousing Uranus in adaptable and curious Gemini break us free of old perspectives, thought patterns and communication styles, while helping us imagine new ones appropriate for these times.
May Saturn, the planet of inner authority, and transcendent Neptune, both in passionate, confident Aries help us step forward in a purposeful way as we fervently express our dreams and cosmic awareness.
And may Pluto, the planet of deep rebirth residing now in humanitarian Aquarius help us play our part in transforming the collective energy of the planet as we shine our light in our own unique way.
Amen. And to paraphrase Rumi, may blessings drop their blossoms around us all. Leia
💜
Leia