A New Moon in Taurus gazes o’er the fields on April 30th. The sentiments are amplified by a Solar Eclipse. Eclipses are invitations for spirited change agents in our soul lives. A passionate passing pyre of fiery Aries lit the torch of Spring Eclipse season. Taurus is like dipping your feet in the cold mountain water after a rigorous hike. Inner peace is found with our feet on the ground. But now the Bull is a grounding energetic reprieve, as is the graceful energy of Swan, above the water at least. And yet underneath, Swan’s legs are paddling away rather intensely. This captures the reflection of the powerful energies of the Eclipses. Use the Bull’s energies to keep your wits about you. Analysis paralysis is a foreign land to Taurus. Practicality is important but not without growth. In order to grow, we must leave our comfort zones. The time is ripe now to receive the bounty of water into your soul.

In mid-May, a Full Flower Moon, also a Lunar Eclipse, will occur on Monday, May 16, 2022. This Full Moon has many names, but this name is used by Algonquin and Ojibwe peoples. Like the abundance of flowers springing forth in the flora, the ephemeral energies of cross-pollination reflect in the fauna as well. Flower Power rises again in humanity. The 60s might be dust in the wind, but the winds of change are ringing loud and clear throughout the land of hope and dreams.

Can we be graceful with our apparent imperfections? Life is fleeting and transient, bitter and sweet for certain. Everything is sacred, and yet every moment can be looked upon as a lifetime of death and rebirth. The spirit of breath enters into the body and springs forth life and then exits outward in the dirge. This alchemy of mulching is the compost of life.

Artwork by Barbara Merlotti

May the grace of Swan gently guide you downstream toward a Full Flower Moon,

through the uncharted waters of Climate Change.

Might as well go with the flow as much as possible rather than fight against the current.

Transience reminds us that the only constant is change.

When the grand rapids of life come on like the flooding

emotional waters of overwhelm . . .

Picture a Swan to remember to paddle with the current,

rather than getting sucked into the undertow.

Are you fighting against your stressful situations?

Can you find a way to make friends with your stress by

floating on the water instead of hissing at yourself and others?

May we swim with the grace of Swan as we navigate flow of energies 

streaming into these into uncharted New Age streams of consciousness.

Climate Change is upon us . . .

Might as well go with the flow rather than trying to push against the current.

A Full Flower Moon awakens our senses to the fragrant floral abundance!

Cross pollinating across an awakening New World.

Paddling along with the grace of a Swan . . .

Might we become inspired?

Let us appreciate the beauty of everyday living;

Both indoors and outdoors.

Do you see the beauty within your own Being and

the world around you?

Paradoxically, try to see opportunities for transformation within your transgressions.

Might we dig deep enough to rise up to both the challenge and opportunity . . .

To become friends with whatever we do not like about ourselves.

Trying to lead a perfect life . . .

Is a receipt for unhappiness

What could you adjust inside yourself when perceiving something

outside of yourself as undesirable?

In this space, we open up to the

sacred realm of inner peace.

Transient distractions to sitting with what is –

Are conveniently inconvenient pathways away from the Now.

Otherwise, cosmetic changes only temporarily placate the little ego!

Commentary:

Many times, we do not have control over what happens to us in life. But what we do have control over the way we respond to what life throws at us. We always have the choice to resist the events that unfold in front of our eyes. Or we can choose to accept and even embrace what comes our way and roll with it in as gracefully as possible. Some folks really don’t learn to live until they realize that they are dying. Still others have lived on this planet for many years, and merely exist hardly more than robotic walking corpses, like zombies. Energy is energy – it’s what you do with it that counts.

I remember being at a funeral of a past student I worked closely with, many moons ago. At this tragic event, we were given the opportunity to stand up and say something about his life, and the connection we had with him. One of his family members was a fire and brimstone kind of Christian, and as he stood up on the pulpit, thumping away on the copy of his bible, he talked about Jesus living the perfect life. Is that so? I have heard stories that Jesus was a bit naughty as boy, and often used his powers to manipulate and control other children, and adults alike. I don’t know if that’s true, but what is clear is that he elevated his soul on the map of consciousness into a god-realized human being, and was a powerful role model that led by example. Like the rest of us, he incarnated as a child of God into a mortal. When he died, his soul left his body, and continued to evolve and be of service to a deeper and higher spiritual light team.

Happiness is a way of life, not without it’s negative experiences with emotions. But the kingdom is on the inside like the Christ understood internally and taught externally by living that example. But accessing the vibrational shift of inner peace is really about leaning in, accepting and even embracing our own imperfections, and the imperfections we notice around us. Our Japanese ancestors have called this inner perspective Wabi Sabi. Moreover, the legendary American professional football coach Vince Lombardi once asserted that practice doesn’t make perfect, but that perfect practice makes perfect. In the spirit of that, we might as well take the imperfect pieces of this process, and weave them into a greater perfect whole that transcends the sum of our imperfect parts. Even an ornery swan is still perfect within the context of an imperfect threatening hiss to the eye of a targeted human beholder.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari