Check out my latest published writing in Edge of Humanity Magazine at the link below.
Also, underneath the link to the article, you will find contextual references to the allusions that are included in the article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_childhood_experiences
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Alien_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Scott_Peck
Mercury in Retrograde, which has spiritual connections to Hawk, begins on September 9th and ends on October 1, 2022. Meditation on the energies of Hawk reveal spirit vision and guardianship.
Pay patient purposeful attention to the signs that will clearly reveal opportunities for you to see. Remember that we live in an energetic and sacred Universe. Hawk is a good reminder of the magic in it if our hearts and minds are open to it.
In a way, Mercury in Retrograde is like receiving messages from the gods of yesteryear. Relax and let go of left brain attachments and soar into the realm of right brain, intuitive faculties. Logic and rationalism are important forms of cognition.
But they are not the only way of thinking. Sometimes, it is best to let them rest and surrender to the irrational and creative forms of non-linear and non-localized thinking at this time.
It is a good time to get in touch with extraordinary states of consciousness.
For example, during meditation, our brain waves change form. Like with humor, changes in brainwaves gets us to look at things in a different light.
As always, be kind to your mind- machines too because they don’t always operate as seamlessly as they’re supposed to, especially when Mercury’s in retrograde. The Twilight Zone experience does not appear to discriminate.
Ever noticed how when your internal wires are crossed, machines also seems to short circuit and appear disassembled? Sometimes, I give Reiki to a machine that isn’t working properly and sometimes it will work. Other times, it doesn’t and I remember that it’s OK to walk away.
Distractions are everywhere, inside and out, in this world of 10,000 things. Mercury in retrograde is somewhat akin to AD/HD experiences, where we are can’t tell if we are going nuts or just forgot where we buried our acorns, like the squirrels in Nature.
Stay focused and keep your eye out for the signs to point you in the right direction. If anything, it’s a good time to sit with what is and not make any big decisions if you can help it.
Our old selves have very different lenses than our future selves. If hindsight vision is 20/20, then we can stand to allow this rewind time to inform us about the changes that we need to make.
Take flight, pause and reflect on this old episode retrograde rewind time period by reexamining what you see in the rearview mirror. It is likely that you will be revisited by past relationships in the form of dreams, visions and even in person encounters.
September’s Full Harvest Moon will peak on September 10. This Full Moon always happens closest to the Autumn Equinox on Thursday, September 22nd.
As we discussed in the last blog entry, in Ojibwe, the Full Moon during this time of year is called the Falling Leaves Moon. Watch the leaves falling and observe their process of changing colors. Seasons change no matter what we are doing or not doing. Might as well go with the flow of changes and embrace them as gracefully as possible.
Just after the official transition into Fall, a Libra New Moon awakens on September 25, 2022. New Moons are always symbolic of new beginnings and also a cycle of power for the energies of Hawk.
May the energies of the Libra New Moon ignite your soul’s expansion beyond the securities of your comfort zone and be open to exploration for all of life’s offerings. Spiritual wisdom reminds us to have an open heart and align with the Universe.
If only we can calm down and harmonize with our environment. This requires balancing tension of opposites, like the intersections between joy and pain, sunshine and rain. How do we make friends with that?
Libra symbolizes peacemaking. It wouldn’t be a stretch for a Libra working their soul energy in the positive to be an effective social worker, educator and civil rights advisor with children. This is an example of the love they embody.
Awakening to your soul purpose is in alignment with Hawk.
Till We Tweet Again,
Ari
Photo by Kristen Bouse
Have you ever heard the expression Bell of Mindfulness? Although this writer didn’t invent the expression, he recognizes it in his common language with regularity.
Many moons ago, my first inspiration of this meditative expression arrived when reading, At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey From War to Peace, by an American Zen Buddhist Monk and Vietnam veteran named Claude Anshin Thomas.
Whatever your trauma, if you are a survivor and have put in the work, you know the journey from suffering to inner peace.
But when you work with that, it isn’t without its moments of struggling.
And if you are doing the work, you already know these journeys are not always linear and sometimes intersect and coexist with each other seemingly simultaneously.
Of course there is a tension of opposites, like when we were kids playing on the teeter totter.
Heaven and hell are inner states of consciousness that reflect back to us in the outer world.
Shamans called the current state of affairs a collective nightmare that we see playing out on the fiery Planet today.
Prophesies of a Golden Age are a co-creative New Dream. Remember that out of the ashes, the Phoenix Rises!
Truly, we all have what Taoists call the Chattering Monkey Mind, and this anxious mind can dominate our lives if we let it.
For example, chasing, clinging or indulging in darker thoughts (or any thoughts) are part of being human. It’s how we approach them that really matters.
Do we respond with mindful consultation with our Higher Self or do we react to the provocations of our lower self?
Do we resist and fight our shadowy thoughts or do we gently let them pass till an awakening of clearer thoughts emerge? We all have emotions and feelings that tend to accompany our thoughts. It is wise to take personal inventory of them through the light of loving compassion.
A New Moon in Virgo will happen on August 27, 2022. Feeling safe is connected to order, clarity and emotions right now. Perhaps there is a need to organize everything chaotic and disorganized.
Working Virgo energies in the positive tempers the self-critic with self-acceptance and finds self-expression of its soul purpose through service. In this way, you are more likely to take care of others if you are taking care of yourself. The inner critic is leveled by an internal state of acceptance. The situations are what they are. We might as well say yes to them on the inside, instead of meeting them with resistance (what we resists, persists!). From there, we can take corrective action if necessary.
Inner peace is a practical replacement for going to war with yourself (or others). It’s easier to replace with inner peace than it is to extinguish going to war. More inner peace replaces the likelihood of going to war.
Virgo stands on mutable ground to teach us that it is healthy to give consideration to being more tolerant and accepting about life’s imperfections. It is better to trust life and let it run its own way. Not everything must be according to our expectations or controlled. The Japanese spiritual tradition of Wabi Sabi reflects this way of being. Beauty exists in taking risks and making mistakes. It’s very Growth Mindset.
In many ways, we live in a Virgo world. It’s easy to get caught up in the do’s and don’t and should and should nots and consumed by fixing problems and perfectionism in the material realm. Chaos is especially hard on Virgo. But there is order in chaos and disorder is part of balance. Movement into the New Aquarian Age awakens possibilities that might be hidden or unseen to the predictable mindset or preoccupation with the headlines.
Energetically, Autumn is a good time of year to practice letting go. Tis a good mantra to Fall back on, if you’ll pardon the pun.
September’s Full Harvest Moon will peak on September 10, 2022. This Full Moon always happens closest to the Autumn Equinox on Thursday, September 22nd.
In Ojibwe, the Full Moon during this time of year is called the Falling Leaves Moon. Watch the leaves falling and observe their process of changing colors. Seasons change no matter what we are doing or not doing.
Furthermore, feminine and masculine energies are equal around the Fall Equinox. Meditation on balance of the yin and yang is in perfect equitable alignment with Nature at this time. Give this special consideration when you see people struggling with their identity issues, like sexuality and gender identifications. Appreciate the confusing times we are living in with open hearts and minds. In much the same way as race, disabilities, religion and ancestry, these are key Civil Rights issues to be mindful of in the here and now.
Reflections on the Harvest Moon, invites looking back at when our ancestors farmed the land before artificial light existed.
Back then, their work day depended on the natural cycles of the sun and the moon. They were more active and slept less during warmer weather and brighter days. Conversely, they were less active and slept more during shorter days, colder temperatures and darker nights.
This is the only Full Moon that rises at nearly the same time for multiple days, giving farmers several evenings of extra moonlight to finish their harvests before the arrival of fall frosts. Abundance is in the sky and on the ground. The harvest is in and yields its bounty.
Today, it is wise to pay attention and return to these natural rhythms and cycles. There is a time to do and a time to rest. Meaningful work is good for the soul. So is play.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silva_Method
Welcome to my demonstration of The Mirror Of The Mind meditation. I really love this meditation and enjoy teaching this form to others, many of whom say that it really resonates- both kids, adolescents and adults alike.
Remember that the three key ingredients to the efficacy of this meditation are:
Desire: You have to want to do it.
Belief: You have to believe in the meditation.
Expectation: You have to expect that it will work.
The more you do this meditation, as in everyday, the more you will see yourself becoming the change you want to see in the world- in the mirror of the mind.
Remember to focus on the second part of the meditation during your practice, as in see yourself in the way you want your new self to be. Focus on who you are becoming.
Picture looking at yourself in your mirror of your mind with a luminous golden/white light around the mirror with you representing the change in yourself you want to see. This is what some people call the new human or homo luminous.
Don’t get hung up on how visual you are. Just use your imagination and get in touch with the feeling of it. Not everyone is good at creative visualization. But we can all get better at it.
When you are done with this meditation, send the image in the mirror of the mind into the Universe and let go of it. I like to imagine blowing a bunch of pink bubbles with the image enveloped in them, like when I was a kid blowing bubbles. It’s always good to say thank you and have gratitude.
The first part of the meditation (old self/dark edge/black hole envelope), you can revisit periodically- if you feel the need to release any aspects of your old self that you want to let go of or are struggling with. The Autumn Equinox, Winter Solstice or Imbolc (Groundhog Day) might be good times for your consideration to do this form of the Mirror of the Mind because they represent death of the old self times energetically. Some of our ancestors taught to do this form only once. But some of us find it helpful to revisit occasionally.
A New Moon in Leo awakens new beginnings on July 28, 2022.
Lion’s spirit symbolizes:
Trusting our intuitive faculties, strength of will, patience and creative imagination.
Meditation on the Solar Plexus Chakra can be a helpful strategy here.
Picture the Sun living within the center point of your sternum.
Lion energy reminds us that real power cannot be forced.
Instead of striving to make things happen,
we are allowing for the arriving of what is in an organic unfolding.
Leo prefers the limelight and focusing on sunshine and rainbows.
But they have a tendency to be spitfires and bring their heat while playing with form.
When examining the Mirror of The Mind in meditation, it is wise to give contemplation to
what we want to bring down from the dreamtime into our material realm.
Doing this requires differentiating fantasy from reality.
Saying yes to life and making amigos with our egos,
are key dynamics to personality development.
An inside out approach recognizes that Life is a matrix of
performing art where the actor and spectator
intersect with one another within an immediate feedback loop.
Be mindful of Pride being Lion’s shadow side:
We all know pride can be seductive!
Wisdom reminds us to face our shadows head on,
otherwise we fall prey to their dark edges
and become shrouded by them.
Mantra: Self Love & Self Expression . . .
I know a Leo who rolls around in dew covered grass underneath a summery Full Moonshine,
as an energetic cleansing strategy to ground & connect with Mother Earth.
Practicing T’ai Chi or another form of moving meditation allows for
exploration of experiencing the power of water gradually.
We are mostly water . . .
The tide of a Full Sturgeon Supermoon rolls in on August 11, 2022.
Like turtles, sturgeons have been around so long they are often referred to as living fossils.
They have an ancient wisdom and survival instinct about them that should be mediated on.
Sturgeon awakens resiliency when facing adversity and overcoming traumatic soul wounds.
Humanity’s evolution needs to develop resiliency in our quest
for reimagining our human story so that we can change our collective narrative.
We can learn to co-regulate and co-exist with one another
so that we can mutually harmonize with our environment.
In the meantime, do whatever you can to
stay in alignment with the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth!
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
A Full Buck Moon on July 13th is a gently alluring time for
new adventures along Nature’s trail way.
A New Moon in Leo on July 28 entices your soul to come out to
dance in the light and shine like the sun.
Are you hearing the Universe’s signs and synchronicities
telling you to chase fantastic opportunities?
Remember the Tao does nothing and yet leaves nothing undone.
No worries, mate.
Slow and low, that is the tempo.
Remember that Turtle can turn its head up on a log and be loved by Grandfather Sun for hours.
That isn’t narcissism.
Rather, ancient wisdom at play down by the river’s edge.
If you need to express yourself naturally, get outside and be with the trees!
They want to hear what you have to say and they can help spread your messages,
along echoes of whispering wind kissed leaves . . .
Consider giving a tree a hug or sitting underneath one to yield to their power,
and get in touch with the strength of your roots.
Breathe in Mother Earth supporting your breath.
Are you struggling with the Empire’s duality and paradox right now?
Is it the new politics of of Roe V Wade overturned or the legal right to carry a concealed weapon?
Exhale any dirty energy . . .
Can you see the cyclical death and rebirth without clinging and grasping?
(Equanimity)
And then there’s Mark Twain’s wit about Congress being America’s only criminal class
ringing through the cracked Liberty Bell.
Oh My God, Lord have mercy!
Right about now. Right about now. Right about now.
What?!
Now that’s gangsta.
When Blue Lives (really) Matter,
Constitution is promoting the General Welfare for everyone.
There are no good guys or bad guys or demonized Evil Doers!
(Mantra: Peace Officers)
The only defunding Taoists are talking about is Investing In Loss.
When we invest in loss, we transform our pain & suffering into a gain.
To understand this spiritual concept experientially and energetically
consider this practical strategy:
Touch a tree and perceive it’s energy flowing into your hands, through your arms,
down your body, and then
sink through the balls of your feet into the roots of the tree, down into the ground.
Imagine inner mulching and composting circulating heavenly chi through your body,
whilst being mindful of your spirited, recycled breaths.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
Summer is here and its Solstice signals peak light in the Northern Hemisphere.
Communal spirit and festive vibes are in the air!
Crab shuffles in with a New Moon In Cancer on June 29th . . .
Swimming into mystical waters, deep within creative experiences.
Cardinal flies into a dimension of manifesting self love & honoring nesting O’er insecurities.
Archetypal forces of Mother, Healer, Invisible Male & Female are awakening.
May we nurture through nature:
Subjective experiences are mindful of the interplay
between how we are feeling and communicate that through our throat chakras;
in the form of how we articulate the language of emotion.
Balance of permeability is key because we all need a protective shell for safety.
Yet we also need to feed our souls with interaction.
Imagination tracks into the mirror of the mind.
Walking into a hug reflects a womblike setting . . .
Crab energy draws out sensitivity and suffering of others in our encounters.
How do we do this without becoming sponges?
A Full Buck Moon on July 13th reveals peak antler growth,
and alluring new adventures in consciousness!
Tis good medicine for getting out of our ruts.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
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
Aries is the first sign on the Zodiac. From a Western Astrological perspective, Aries reflects the energies of both the new beginnings of a new year, as well as a New Moon on April 1, 2022. Feelings of uncertainty make it tempting to run the hurry up offense by trying to solve problems faster than is natural. Do not rush as if there was a deadline. It is wise for the Ram to try to slow down their steps so that they can decide what they want to do and proceed at their own chosen speed. In the heat of the moment, remember the cool, wintry transitional shoreline tides of Pisces to take a deep breath, relax and go with the flow. May this be a gentle letting go of the heavy blanket of Winter, including any judgements you have been carrying in your backpack. The mystical, soulful travels of other dimensions are as important as the practicality of knowing how to live on this Earth. We all go through ages and stages in our life cycles. As humans, we all get insecure and suffer. We have neglected and even discounted our spirits. Vanity and glorifying youth culture can become a barrier to embracing our cosmetic imperfections. No, we can’t turn back the clock. With meditation, the aging process can be slowed down and even reversed. But meditation isn’t a cure nor is it a cosmetic approach. Developing a regular meditation practice is an inside-out approach to nurture our spirits (as well as our bodies and minds) that can have a meaningful and sustainable impact on our everyday lives. As we change the way we look at ourselves in the mirror of the mind, the way we look in the mirror changes.
Aries the Ram brings the element of fire and is a life force to be reckoned with because they can be fiercely deliberate in their approach. Aries is the part of our personality that embodies the power of our will, which is masculine or yang. Keep in mind that all women have masculine energy in them, while all men have feminine energy in them. So as the yin and yang, these energies flow within all of us and have a natural desire to be expressed. The Billy Joel classic song, My Life, captures the self determination of Aries to do whatever it wants. An intentional selection of crisis reflects the mountains we choose to climb. This writer remembers tapping into his inner ram during some radical hiking adventures, where being present with secure footing and listening to the elements could literally mean the difference between avoiding serious injury, or even life or death on any given moment. There were times that he lost his way, ran out of water and had to pull from resources that he didn’t even know were there. But the spirit of Aries is an intense and direct warrior and they will be sure to bring fire to their target. It won’t be a question of how to avoid stress because Aries attract stress like a magnet. The question is what form will it take. It’s as if the Aries positive self talk mantra asserts: pick your battles, as its signpost. Energy is energy. It’s what we do with it that counts and our approach that matters. We do not need to draw our swords or go to war with each other. Nobody likes feeling like they’ve been thrown under the bus or ambushed in relationship with each other. Remember that anger is the bodyguard of our fears, which explains why most, if not all emotional reactions come from a place of anxiety. Like the yin and yang, order and chaos are always at play with each other.
Check out this Civil Rights oriented video that captures the intersection between the powerful energies of Aries and feminine youth poetry in motion:
A Full Pink Moon, which gets its name from vegetation known as moss pink, arrives on April 16. The Cree Indigenous People called this Full Moon the Frog Moon. It is also known as the Paschal Full Moon because it is the first Full Moon of Spring. Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday after the first Full Moon of Spring, following the Spring Equinox, which was on March 20. This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 17th. Like humans, flora and fauna; traditions have been mixing since creation. The light rises till its climax on the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2022. After that, the sunlight will slowly start waning until light and dark energies are equal again on the Autumn Equinox in September.
Artwork by Barbara Merlotti
When Frog sings in the torrential downpours of rain falling onto your Being . . .
No need to let it dampen your spirits!
Soak up the cleansing shower of Heavenly tears
by letting yourself bathe in a colorful
rainbow that shines on your golden soul.
What does Frog have to say to you about cleaning up
your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?
Is there something you need to release or let go of?
How are you weathering the spirits of your daily routine?
A Full Pink Moon reflects an early arrival of spring vegetation in our outer world.
Let Frog guide you into an internal spring cleaning.
Clean, purify, detox and release any dirty, stagnant energies
that muddy the waters your soul wants to set free.
The winds of change are in the air!
Here we are hopping further along into Spring . . .
Frog showers us with purifying songs of April rains!
We branch out of a wintery coffin after a soulful energetic spring cleaning.
Rainbows reflect colorful flowers blossoming with clean care;
A Full Pink Moon signals an early arrival spring of flowers spreading outside –
Abundance and fertility are in the air!
Time to clear away the internal clutter . . .
Are you remembering to take deep, cleansing breaths to stay grounded?
Might as well transform the way we hop through life.
Call on the positive vibrations to reverberate in your soul’s acoustics.
Metamorphosis abounds as May flowers whisper in the winds of change.
Frog awakens magical elemental forces of water and land;
What needs to be released from your mind-body-spirit?
Picture a Frog to help you develop a deeper respect for boundaries.
Visualize transformative travels through powerful conductors of water and sound;
Your creative powers want to spring forth!
Now is the time to let go of stale, stuck energies
that want to uproot your soul’s impetus to evolve and grow!
Commentary:
Showers in April are a good reminder that it is time a good Spring clean-up. Time for cleansing, purification, detoxification and release. Nature reflects our inner world for us to examine. The beauty of a rainbow could not exist without the storm that preceded it. It’s when we feel lost and alone that a rainbow appears that brightens our spirits. Otherwise, we would not be able to differentiate a dark sky from a clear day. From a spiritual perspective, we are living in a time of transition, where there is the death of an old world and rebirth of a New Earth. We are literally taking our first quantum leap onto the lily pad of the Aquarian Age. In this process, we need to let go of divisive us and them, stale, boxed in thinking, old ways of being sacrificial lambs, dog eat dog, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, male dominating female, fear of feminine power and unbalance of power by subjugating Black Indigenous People of Color and Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer people. The awakening New Age of Aquarius is a time where we can find our way in our own uniqueness by aligning who we are as individuals that mixes with group consciousness. Diversity within Unity. We are moving into a time period where the ego does not dominate the playing field anymore. It is about us becoming what is in tune with our Higher Selves or our Better Angels, as President Lincoln said. We can be aligned in our heads and our hearts with each other and come from a place of authentic soulful recognition. Yes, we have our prewired and learned fears, negative self talk and voices of trauma. But we don’t have to be seduced or submerged by them. Sitting with the Lotus flower out in Nature will help show you the way by becoming the change you want to see in the world. Observe this transformative process unfolding within yourself.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
A New Moon in Aquarius on February 1, 2022 aligns with the same date as the Chinese New Year of the Tiger. It is also the Imbolc/Groundhog Day on February 2nd. Our ancestors honored the Imbolc because it is the approximate midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. At this time, we are reminded that, in spite of the colder temperatures outside, daylight is gaining, and Spring is on its way. This is a complicated time with emotions, as there is a strong need for emotional freedom now. We are in the early stages of the Age of Aquarius, and this transition into a New Age and Paradigm is not without the experience of labor pains. Can’t you feel the contractions on the Planet right now? Life is always with its tension of opposites, or duality. As we have discussed, the Chinese symbol of the Yin and Yang reflects this. Meditation on the energy of Duality helps you feel at peace with your own inner duality. It helps you live in balance, in oneness and harmony, so that you may continue your path in a cosmic consciousness. It helps you discover life through enjoyment and play.
Truly, the energy of Aquarius has an assertive need for being an individual with a fiercely independent streak. But Aquarius also begs the question of how do I be my authentic self, and at the same time, fit in to group consciousness? As such, among groups, it can be easier to understand your feelings and free yourself from negative emotions such as fear, anger and jealousy. Linking up to the right groups can support us in accessing our inner genius, to think in new ways, even divergent from what we have been taught by family/societal conditioning. Getting in touch with inner freedom can be liberating for a soul in a way that transcends rules and defiance of them. Diversity in Unity is the Aquarian mantra. Gone are the days of the Lone Wolf.
Also, a Full Snow Moon arrives on February 16th. The Ojibwe called this moon the Bear Moon, while the Algonquin called it the Groundhog Moon. Winter is a good time for human forms of hibernation and nurturing our inner cubs before they are ready to come out into the sunlight for the spring thaw and begin manifestation on the Spring Equinox.
Artwork by Barbara Merlotti
When Turtle swims into your stream of thoughts
Remember to picture Mother Earth
loving you with patience and kindness
The river does not need to be pushed
Slow down and take it one step, one breath, and one
moment at a time
How does slowing down help you stop and smell the roses?
What happens to the river’s rapids, when we go with
the flow instead of pushing the river?
Do you need to curl up in your shell and hide, or do you need to come out
into the sunlight and be with people?
Our ancestors celebrated the Full Snow Moon as the peak snowfall accumulation.
Beneath Winter’s dirge,
stirrings of Spring are beginning to think about coming out of Plato’s Cave.
Picture a Turtle protected by an invincible shell,
securely anchored deeply into Mother Earth.
Turtle’s spirit is an ancient reminder of our soulful connection to our living planet.
Our ancestors celebrated the Imbolc,
the mid-point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.
Also, this February brings the Chinese-Lunar year of the Tiger.
Now more than ever, meditation on Tiger can inspire a deep freedom for
cultivating our passions, power, devotion and sensuality.
Running a hurried up offense is a popular way to live on Earth today . . .
Might as well wise up to Turtle’s wisdom to remember
Do you need to escape from the worries of the world for a spell?
Mother Earth’s ancient wisdom to slow down our tempo and anchor in Her ground
Or do you need to come out of your of your shell and be more social?
Meditate on Turtle for a deeper understanding of
patience and planetary connection
A Chinese-Lunar New Year reminds us that Spring is arriving energetically
In spite of probable peaks in snowfall accumulation . . .
Do you feel the seeds underground starting to think about waking up?
Time to bury your ideas in the ground and let the sunlight do its business . . .
So that they may organically blossom in the Spring
Turtle’s age-old shell symbolizes soulful protection –
In these hard times . . .
May we weather Climate Change with mindful wisdom
Commentary:
Turtles are older than dinosaurs and carry an ancient wisdom on their backs. If there are any spirit guides to help us open up to the idea of Karma, Turtle is a good role model. Karma can easily be understood as the law of cause and effect. If you are paying attention to the big picture, you start noticing how cause and effect impacts your life and then have ability to transcend it. Have you ever noticed that the more you hurry or try to expedite a process, the more your hurried pace slows you down in the long run? Through patience and compassion, we become equipped to harmonize with our conflicts. T’ai Chi is often practiced in slow motion. The idea behind this slow and meditative internal martial art is that if you practice it at a slow pace, you will be fast if and when the situation calls for fast action. When we slow down, observe the moments as they come without judgment and learn to be with what is. May we cultivate energy gradually and powerfully like water.
In my orientation, I came into this realm strongly aligned with the energy of Rabbit. I remember Grandmother taking me to see story hour at the local library in my Preschool years. I had a hard time understanding the story of the tortoise and the hare. But that makes sense to me now, especially because I was raised in a culture that did not teach us about opposites. We were taught that it’s either this, or that . . . just say no, just do it. Living in America was a sea full of mixed messages that mirrors growing up as a child in a psychotic household. Meditating on Turtle helps relax any pressures of the cultural river we might feel we are pushing against. Just knowing that these creatures are older than dinosaurs helps me appreciate a long range perspective. Rome wasn’t built in a day. All we really have is right now. Might as well take it in. If you need to, go within your shell to take refuge from the worries of the world, or you can come out of your shell and congregate with others. Knowing when to turn inward, and when to socialize is about knowing balance within yourself. Some people are naturally more monkish and hermit like, while others are more pod oriented, and thrive on others to feed them. Nature just reflects to us where we are at and what we need to work with. Let Turtle guide you in wise council.
Like many, I have been in a place of wishing the weather was different from what it was. After I was a child, back when enjoyed being outside regardless of climate, I started to internalize an adult-centric perspective about certain weather being preferable to others, namely complaints about the cold, dark and stormy, and the like. For many people, it doesn’t really matter – it’s too hot, bright, buggy, windy, the laundry list is endless. But for those of you who live in a northern climate, and really hate winter – knowing the half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox happens this month may help you appreciate that the sunlight is rising, and warmer temperatures are on their way. I remember being up in the Andean mountain range in South America, and the little Indigenous children were trying to sell us rotten berries for a buck or two. It was a sobering reflection for me to see such a pristine, natural habitat, and yet such abject poverty. Privileged first world people were traveling here to appreciate the natural riches of this land, and yet the Indigenous people who lived in this natural treasure were fighting for survival.
I remember some of my old football coaches telling us that we should play every down like it’s our last. It was a good metaphor for life. Like the Hopi say, we are in the 11th hour, and we are the one’s we have been waiting for. The time is now. We are at a point in our current experience that we have the power to make ourselves go extinct or awaken to a massive shift in our collective consciousness. The reality is that an old world is dying, while the trumpet of a new world sounds its call. Out of the ashes, a phoenix rises. May we become beacons of light in a world of darkness. Mindfulness isn’t a cure. It is a way of paying attention to the present moment, and noticing what it is, without getting sucked in to labels or judgment.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
Classroom Mothership Earth 