Month: March 2016

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Lifelight Astrology – Welcome to the New Year

Witness

Sun in Aries / Lunar Eclipse in Libra 23rd March

What are your intentions for this astrological year?

Did any of you feel the energy shift a little yesterday, as Mercury and then the Sun moved from Pisces into Aries?  A glimmer of light perhaps … shining through the water? With all the Piscean energy that’s been around of late, there’s been much  wading through deep waters for many, with old wounds, fears, entanglements and ancient issues drifting up to the surface from the musty corners of our individual and collective psyches.  This is true too of our beloved country South Africa, as skeletons have been virtually leaping out of every conceivable political closet… exposing dem bones, for all to see.

For me personally, I’ve been feeling as if I’ve been submerged beneath the water without so much as a headlamp, rather than simply wading through the shallows in my trusty gumboots. Over the past weeks, the more I’ve tried to push things to happen, the more things have s l o w e d  d o w n. Technical equipment has giving up the ghost; data has disappeared into the ethers; I’ve been dogged by fogginess, confusion, weariness, and sadness at times. Things have been basically…. as clear as mud!. The only time I have found any relief or clarity is when I’ve stopped, stepped away from the noise,   tuned inwards and connected with my soul through imagery, art, music, meditation and when all else fails… sleep –( all Piscean themes by the way)

And then… yesterday… the fog started to clear a little. I began to see glimmers of light and even experienced moments of sharp clarity. Ideas that have been incubating for months, started to come more into focus. I started to see how the emotions I’ve been processing over the past few weeks have been showing me where my life is out of balance and giving me clues as to how to move forward. The fog hasn’t entirely cleared (there’s still Pisces energy around), but I’ve realised (once again) that it is in the place of surrender and un-knowing, that the seeds of new intentions are formed and that we need to allow them to, , without forcing them to sprout before they’re ready.

We as a human race find it hard though, to surrender and so we rail against those moments or weeks or months where nothing seems to be “working” out there …but it is….it’s just working beneath the surface and we can’t see it yet!

This has all been another huge reminder for me to tune into the cycles, rather than fighting them.     I mean, imagine if the sea said “No I’m done with all this ebbing….I just want to flow… all the time”  Or… what if the moon said “ I’m really not into the waning thing…. Let me just wax and wax. Get bigger and bigger!.”  Or the worm said “ I’m sick of this cocoon… think  I’ll bust outta here now?”  Or  what if we decided to just stop sleeping…. I mean, who wants to “waste” 8 hours of precious time?

I know this all sounds crazy, but really, if you think about it… we do this all the time, when we fight the rhythms and cycles of nature.

So now, we have finally started a new cycle. A new year. The sun has entered Aries and on the 23rd March, he will oppose the moon in Libra to form a full moon, which is also a lunar eclipse. This is the last in a series of eclipses on the Aries/ Libra axis, which began in October 2013. It’s a good idea to take a few moments and reflect on what was happening then.  Whatever’s coming up for you now will probably  be connected to that.

Fiery, pioneering  Aries is all about setting new intentions, starting new projects, wanting to impulsively, passionately move forward towards the goals we have for ourselves, towards our true potential. Sometimes this energy can be impetuous, impatient and even aggressive.  This is where the moon in Libra comes in to the picture. She is strong too, but is more concerned with relationship,  co-operation, balance, beauty and harmony. This is a great full moon to look at your life and connect with how you can introduce more balance and temperance and where you can co-operate more with yourself and others. (this can be found at 3 degrees of Libra and Aries in your chart, if you have one)

The sun is sitting right next to Mercury (which rules communication) right now, so be sure to take some deep breaths before you retaliate verbally in the next few days. Tempers are likely to be aroused, so… breathe and count to ten.

Full moons (and lunar eclipses) always expose the polarities that reside in our lives and in our psyches. When we study astrology, we learn key words associated with each sign. I’ve listed some below for Aries (first) and Libra (second)

Self                                                                                        Others

Pushing forward; Drive; Decisiveness                       Paralysis; Indecisiveness; fence sitting

Assertiveness / confrontation/ aggression             Pleasing others/ co-operation

Temper/ Impatience                                                       Temperance / Patience

Striving                                                                               Balance

Independence                                                                   Interdependence/ co-dependance

Aloneness                                                                           Partnership/ relationship

Questions to ask this full moon:

  • Which of these polarities can you relate to and do they connect to October 2013?
  • What emotions or issues have washed up on the beach of your soul/ been exposed over the few weeks and the past year?
  • Do these show you where your life might be out of balance?
  • What new ideas have been incubating/ formulating in your unconscious?
  • How can you move forward with them?
  • Where can you co-operate more with yourself and others?
  • Based on these learnings, what new intentions would you like to set for the new year?

Probably the best way we can deal with polarities is to find the centre point, which helps us to hold a space for both sides of the scale. In meditation, when we notice the monkey mind, we are advised to compassionately bring it back to the breath or the mantra. We are not supposed to chase the poor thing down and beat it to death.  And so it is with polarities. We notice them… aahhh yes… there’s that old story/ pattern of sadness or aloneness or victimhood, or fear or hopelessness. And then gently as we would guide a small child away from danger, we take it by the hand and bring it to safety. Back to the centre, which is the point where we find balance, peace and harmony –  the theme for this full moon. It’s from that place that we are able to set heart-felt inspired intentions.

Please see below or click here to find out about my Inspired Intention Workshops in April. Even if you’ve done this workshop before, it is worth doing again, because as we know, all things are in a constant state of flux, so it won’t be the same as last time.  Also see below  for info on my Autumn retreat in May – an opportunity for you to slow down and connect in the exquisite Natal Midlands.

If you’re unsure of your intentions for the New Year or where you’re headed, consider booking a coaching session with me and we’ll fish it out of the depths.

I found this image at the top of this blog  a few weeks ago. What does it mean to you? Please comment if anything comes up for you! I’d love to hear!

Here’s to a New Year filled with Inspired Intention!

 

Michelle

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Solar Eclipse 8th / 9th March – A Pause

Let your Soul be your Pilot

Take a few moments out of your busy day, pour yourself a cup of something lovely and really look at this image. How does it speak to you? Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting somewhere outside on a  bright sunny day,  and observing the moon passing between the earth and the sun,  blocking out most of his light… all except the bright corona or halo.

How  does it FEEL to you….  intuitively?

solar eclipse 2

Does it feel like a pause?  ….Or maybe a curtain closing?  ….Or a moment of darkness?  Or the still point in a storm?….. Or the ending of something and the beginning of something else?  Or maybe you feel it in a completely different way?

On the  8th or  9th March (in South Africa) , we have a Total Solar Eclipse in the sign of Pisces, a very very powerful portal, where we are being called upon to PAUSE…. reconnect…. listen to our feelings and our intuition. If we take the time to do this, there is a possibility for huge release, healing and clarity, regarding our soul purpose.

As we approach the end of our astrological year, this is  probably the most potent opportunity we have to let go of  what is no longer working in our lives and connect with a new way forward.

This Solar Eclipse is very close to the South Node, which connects us with the our past, as well as to Chiron, which represents our old wounds, anxieties, blockages and inadequacies. This means that unconscious lunar emotions which arise right now, are clues as to what’s going on deep in our psyches, and what needs to be redefined in our lives.

The way to harness the energy of this Solar eclipse is to connect with the innate wisdom that resides within us, by disconnecting from our logical brains for a while. This is often a challenge, because when we shut out the noise,  we can feel as though we are momentarily plunged into the darkness or the chaos of our emotions, which is a tad unsettling for us human doings… but therein lies the magic as well.

This weekend, I did a workshop where the instructions issued by the facilitator were a little vague. I felt my well-defined critical left brain wanting clarification,  demanding a logical step-by-step process. But,  when I realised that this wasn’t going to happen, I opted to surrender into the “not knowing” and let what needed to… arise.  After a while, my left brain kind of went walkies and when that happened, the most amazing images and answers came through, unfiltered and uncensored by my inner critic…. And this happened for every single person on the workshop.

For me, that’s what this Eclipse is all about. If you’re feeling a bit confused, weary, sad, overwhelmed or jaded, take a little bit of me-time. Pause… draw the curtains on the noise for a few moments and do whatever you do, to disconnect from your logical linear brain. Ask a question and then allow the answer to drift to the surface, rather than trying to force it. You might accomplish this by immersing yourself in water, or music, or art or nature – whatever it is that connects you with the deeper part of yourself… do that!

Dreams, imagination and creativity are what open this portal to discovering healing and insights… not the logical mind. Actually, the more you try and demand answers from the left brain  part of yourself, the more jaded, the more weary and the more confused, you might become.

Let your soul be your pilot  now.  Sting’s lyrics really do say it all!

The door is open over the next couple of days  to understand yourself at a deeper level and release whatever it is that is limiting you. A clue as to what area of your life this would be related to, can be found in the house which contains  18 degrees of Pisces, if you have copy of your chart.

As this eclipse suggests, over  the next few days and weeks… or for the rest of your time on earth, try introducing the concept of the…

PAUSE

..into your life. Between each action or activity, take a few moments to just stop and breathe. When you get into your car to go somewhere, pause and breathe before you turn on the ignition. When you arrive at your destination, pause and breathe before you get out of the car (it only takes an extra couple of seconds!) . This is one of the most valuable processes I  have in my tool-kit. When I remember to do it, it stops me from dragging the energy of one thing into the other and brings me into a quieter state of being.  Try it… you’ll see! Let me know how it works for you.

Another useful thing to do on the solar eclipse is to write down whatever you want to release from this past year…. Then burn it and blow away the ashes. Or write it on a stone and throw it into the sea or a river, or write it on a leaf and blow it away. Be creative! It’s the intention that counts

The solar eclipse is visible in Indonesia and the South Pacific, but felt by all of us.

In life, light and darkness

 

Michelle