Walking Through A Lion’s Gate

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While the sun is often associated with masculine energies, Lion symbolizes the rising tide of feminine energies and the feminine sun.

Remember the Yin and the Yang are oriented to naturally flow together, just as Carl Jung talked about the anima and animus in men and women. It is wise for men to get in touch with their feminine sides, just as it is for women to get in touch with their masculinity.

Gender fluidity, non-binary and transgender folks are all examples of reflecting these forms of energetic soul expression as well.

As we have explored in this blog, the New Earth paradigm we are now living in is an era that reflects the return and rising tide of the Sacred Feminine energies.

Sadly, but understandably, the feminine has long been suppressed and repressed. You don’t have to identify as a Pagan, Witch, Conservative Republican or a Buddhist Monk to have been burned alive to understand we’re living in a world on fire. Do you believe a book burning is in order?

The hierarchical patriarchy, to a large extent, has glorified men and an archaic form of masculinity. More recently and generally speaking, the women that have broken the glass ceiling have embodied these old world masculine traits.

A gentle and soft approach has been dismissed as weak. But in the New World, those outdated ideas are changing and shifting with the tides.

Lion’s are unusual for cats because they belong to a pride and hunt best together, relying on their psychic abilities for stealth and communication.

Females do most of the hunting, work and child rearing. Males protect the pride and often scare prey into the awaiting lionesses to bring home the bacon. Males are romantic and sensual and can have a strong jealous streak with their lioness partners.

It’s hard not to think of the sensitive male ego or wanting to have your cake and eat it too, in a male privileged form of cat consciousness. Truly, there is grieving in the letting go of these old ways . . .

These cats typically kill by strangulation. My name means lion, and I remember using this tactic during experiences with getting bullied as a kid in the old neighborhood that I lived in at the time.

Looking back, it was a built in defense mechanism, and thankfully ended the confrontation before someone walked away seriously injured or killed.

The neighborhood I grew up in during my early years wasn’t as rough as the one Mike Tyson grew up in.

But like him, I learned that I could fight because I was put in the position by older bullies to defend myself, like a cat does when backed into a corner.

But even if lions hold a royal place of respect as Kings and Queens of the jungle, they prefer to avoid danger. Creativity, intuition and imagination are all specific feminine energies that are associated with Lion medicine.

These spirited powers want to awaken now, and are regularly in alignment with Nature, as well as with the New Moon in Leo on August 16th.

Leo is in its cycle of power time right now. Their energies feel safe in moments when they can impress others and get praise and admiration.

However, when stepping into the spotlight, which is natural for Leo, they may find themselves at a loss. It could be empowering for Leos to admit fear of criticism and their inability to accept criticism.

Of course, it is very important for all of us to accept feedback and use it for personal growth purposes.

For some of us who have had a hard time with criticisms or a tendency to get defensive, this is just another area to push our edge while following the trail of Growth Mindset.

In my own experience, I have learned that it is a healthy form of vulnerability to step out of my own comfort zone of self determinism and into an area of receptiveness.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Swimming Into August With A Full Sturgeon SuperMoon, And The Clean Energetic Reinforcement Of Beetles, Bees, Caterpillars & Porcupines.

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A Full Sturgeon Moon will surface down the pike on August 1st. Given August traditionally being their peak seasonal catch, these fish inspired many of our ancestors to give this moon its name. This prehistoric fish’s survival power symbolizes resiliency. We all need to build resiliency, especially in this day and age because we are leaving an old world behind and a new earth is being born.

Of course, this Full Moon goes by many names. Depending on where humans inhabited the Planet, their names noted traditional observations from our ancestors. This will be the second consecutive supermoon. Supermoons are like regular full moons on steroids.

Today, we humans can stand to meditate on Sturgeon’s strong survival instinct and adaptability. They know how to stir up murky underwater floors and swim through them. Perhaps Dylan channeled Sturgeon when he captured the lyrics, “better learn how to swim or you’ll sink like a stone, fore the times they are a changin’.”

Also, animal spirit guides like caterpillars and beetles are good reminders about the tension of shedding our old skins to clear space for a renewed sense of self. We are living in a time of great metamorphosis. These creatures dig through the earth and are an integral part of the Web of Life.

All systems resist change, humans being no exception to this scientific principle. Normally, we don’t want to change, but the nature of the circumstances are requiring us to do this on the inside and out. One way or another, the soul of humanity is evolving. We might as well become more conscious of it.

During summertime, the buzzing around of bees cross pollinating are reflective of industry and a friendly reminder that hard work pays off. Given their associations with reincarnation, their longitudinal wisdom inspires us to hone in on their spirited guidance about organizing our inner and outer worlds. Doing this helps clear space for our own program development as evolving souls.

But it is wise to remember that life is sweet like honey. In the New Golden Aquarian Age of Diversity Within Unity, we need to balance our own unique soul expressions with group consciousness. The trick is to not get ensconced into our own individual worlds or the hive mentality. Too far in either direction disrupts the equitable fluidity of the yin and yang. Moving forward into a new world ahead means co-creating more equity in a more fair and just society where everyone can thrive.

Furthermore, consider looking at bees as psychic readers. Their energies are harbingers of busier times ahead. Specifically, their energies foreshadow that it will be even more important to build self care boundaries when heading back to school and back to business. It’s hard to say goodbye to yesterday, but bee consciousness can help us fly into new zones, with particular sensitivity to our expressions in creativity and sexuality. How do you want to move into the next season of your life?

Porcupine energy resurrects a sense of innocence, faith and trust toward life’s explorative path. They don’t draw their quills unless fear is present. Otherwise, they reflect an open and passive attitude toward discovery, as well as a playful, light-hearted approach in the process of being in the moment. Meditation on their skill at climbing trees is good energy medicine. Trees are like antennas on earth that connect to the cosmos. May we awaken our spirited connection to Father Sky and Mother Earth.

During this time, use the energies of Sturgeon, Beetles, Bee, Caterpillar, and Porcupine to reinforce alignment with resiliency, industry, letting go of who we were and awakening to who we are becoming. Stay open and receptive to the signs and synchronicities that will light your way. May we shift away from our fears and lean into a renewed sense of faith and trust.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

As A Full Worm Moon Hooks In Pisces, Budding Energies Spring Forth The Vernal Equinox

Intimacy is healthy & effective communication.

Being grounded in empathy supports soulful connections.

When we are compassionately in our hearts together we will dance with each other

in a way that sheds light on dark edges and calms power struggles.

Co-regulation is when mindful energies relax,

sensitize and harmonize with each other in their environment.

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com

Psychic ability is a natural part of our human superpowers.

Some say that empathy is the highest form of psychic ability, like sonar with Whales.

Dive deep into Whale consciousness to connect with your empathic heartmind.

For Whales teach us how to tune in and hear each other from deeper places.

Meditation on Whale can awaken your soul purpose

so that you can self actualize with self love.

A Full Worm Moon will happen on March 7, 2023.

Spring may not officially be here yet,

but this moon reflects the old fashioned saying that the early bird gets the worm.

More Robins bobbing and singing are good reminders that a new season is on its way.

The ebb and flow of Pisces tides will indeed roll back, as Aries sun shines brightly on the horizon.

If the Fish know their elemental sea of consciousness,

then Aries captures the spirit of the I AM presence.

The gift of presence is the assertion of your unique diverse expression

that comes only from the light of your soul.

Trust in the power of your inner light beaming o’er treetops & throughout the cosmos.

The Ram’s fire vaporizes the Fishes waters,

in much the same way as water mystifies fire by cooling down its embers.

Internal chi builds momentum gradually, like the power of water.

But without heat turning up in dreams to fire up the pot,

there will be no manifestation determination.

Like the Yin and Yang, there can be no beginnings without endings;

No dark nights without sunlit days or action without non-action.

Equanimity is duality in flowing motion as well as in still waters.

On March 20, the Spring Equinox will reveal energetically balanced intersections between

male and female, light and dark & yin and yang.

And then, spirit will naturally become more outward,

upward and expansive in the Northern hemisphere;

while more inward, downward and contracting in the Southern hemisphere.

The fire of Eclipse Season in April and May will be felt with more heated intensity.

Take care of yourself everyone,

Ari

The Imbolc, A Full Snow Moon And Groundhog’s Medicinal Guidance In Shadow Work: There’s Light At The End Of The Tunnel . . .

On February 2nd, it will be the Imbloc aka Groundhog Day.

Our ancestors honored the Imbolc because it was the approximate mid-point between the

Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, or the first day of Spring.

And then a Full Snow Moon will occur on Sunday, February 5th.

Given that in certain areas, the heaviest snow usually falls during this month . . .

The origin of this Full Moon’s name derives from

our indigenous ancestors who experienced a deep blanket of snow.

Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon,

because of the harsh weather conditions that made hunting very difficult,

and food supplies ran dry.

Meditation on the idea of practicing Mental Subtraction as a walking meditation

can help you see what life would be missing without you in it. It would be a dark void.

Your presence is a gift and a blessing that needs your inner light

to come out and shine on the world.

Energetically, Spring starts at this time, as the seeds underground start thinking about waking up.

Use the new year energies of the Winter slumber to meditate on

what you would like to see come out of hibernation and rebirth upon Spring’s arrival.

Looking back along the dirge, this writer has experienced many trails of tears . . .

One time, this came in the form of a past mental health walkabout to raise awareness

on the tragedy of suicide and its adverse affect on those of us

who have survived our loved ones who have died by suicide.

During the funeral procession,

I met a woman who was walking to support her friend’s son who ended his life abruptly.

Confused, she commented that all he left was a brief note

expressing only that he was curious about the other side.

Likewise, our relationships can change like the seasons.

As in entering or exiting a VIP entryway of secretive inner circles.

Meaningful connections can move in and out of the union privilege of our lives.

Because we are human, we develop attachments to these relationships.

Sometimes, a relationship becomes enmeshed, enabling, codependent, and even toxic.

But like an old hiking boot, the fit wears out is welcome and no longer serves the pairing.

This process is not without resistance and pulls at your heartstrings like an old Blues song.

Are you willing to go beyond your egocentric experiences with

anger, disappointments, resentments, expectations-

or even a sense of entitlement?

Meditation on the energy of Groundhog allows us to experience death without dying.

Groundhogs go into hibernation for a long time during the death of Winter.

They dig elaborate tunnels underground

and reflect the mantra that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

May Groundhog become a member of our spiritual Dream Team

and guide our spirits into soulful nighttime travels.

Paying attention to our dreams and how they connect to our waking reality

is empowering by awakening to the interplay between death and rebirth in everyday life.

We can do this while we are living out this lifetime

and stepping into the realm of Infinity while we are still breathing.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

A New Moon In Capricorn & The Chinese Lunar New Year Of The Rabbit

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On December 23, 2022, A New Moon in Capricorn adds to

the new energies of the forthcoming New Year of 2023

Keep in mind that the Moon based Chinese calendar new year will happen on January 22, 2023.

The energy of Capricorn might trigger a strong need for being useful to society.

Sometimes, it may lead us down a path of looking for justification in the outside world.

It can be enticing to underestimate what we want from ourselves and for ourselves.

Resentment can follow shyness when feeling ignored by others.

Rather than seeking approval from the outside, turn yin-ward and trust your inner values.

A gentle and kind inside-out approach will relax harmful self-doubts.

Working Capricorn in the positive awakens self-control.

Try not to get seduced by its shadow side by trying to control everything.

It will be the year of the Rabbit, according to Chinese Astrology.

Energetically, Rabbit is symbolic of good fortune and reflects the powers of the moon.

It will be a good year to develop your sensitivity and artistic expressions,

as well as ambition, fitness & virtue.

Rabbits are associated with sexuality and fertility.

There are many ways other than physically having sex or childbirth

to play with these experiences in our lives.

For example, you can wear different colors, play music and sing

as forms to explore your sensuality,

as well as give birth to a new creative endeavor as a way to flirt with the fertility of life.

Also, these are all healthy ways to reclaim

and nurture a healthy relationship with your inner child.

Truly, reality is multidimensional or quantum in nature.

Meditation helps access these realms as well as soften our attachments to them.

This writer has heard stories about the writer Lewis Carrol’s clinging to

alternate realities that he could no longer access after writing his classic,

Alice in Wonderland,

which was akin to a shamanic journey.

Similarly, Pink Floyd’s Sid Barrett reportedly heard celestial music in the dreamtime.

Sadly, it drove him mad because he couldn’t capture that sound in this realm.

It can take a long time to learn cause and effect, which is not without its consequences.

At the same time, we can imagine the possibilities beyond cause and effect and predictability.

As a spirit guide, we can leap and hop with Rabbit into the Faerie realm and

magical adventures into rabbit holes of the underworld, middle or upper world.

Let us remember a callback to keep our feet on the ground and safely return to our hutch.

Alternate realities are adventurous places for our minds and souls to travel.

Staying grounded in this reality is just as important,

like the old spiritual mantra of walking with one foot in spirit, one foot in ground.

Soul travel is akin to dimensional bleeding.

(See you on the dark side of the moon)

Dawn & dusk reflect the in between times where the veil

between the spirit and physical realms are thinner.

Shadow building is when we call in our fears from our subconscious

into our conscious experiences.

Remember what we resist persists.

Are you contemplating starting a new project?

Could this be envisioning your new self?

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

A Full Cold Moon, Winter Solstice and Looking Forward To A New Moon In Capricorn & Year Ahead After A Long December . . .

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A Full Cold Moon arrives on December 7, 2022.

Like all full moons, this one goes by many names.

This name traces its roots to the Mohawk Indigenous Peoples.

Here in Maine, the Western Abenaki name is Winter Maker Moon.

Our ancestors recognized this Full Moon and Winter Solstice signpost as

the coldest and darkest timeframe of the year.

The Winter Solstice, arrives on December 21st,

and signals the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

And then after that we begin to coax back the light.

It is a good time to venture yin-ward,

go into deeper meditation, introspection, contemplation, rest, sleep

and travel into your cave for inner exploration and self discovery.

Yin symbolizes the darker, more feminine energies, like the moon does.

The Blues doesn’t sing about sunshine and rainbows.

Darker emotions are a natural experiences- especially right now on the planet.

The old world, with its wars, dirty energy

and general shadowy conduct disorderly ways is a recipe for disaster.

Might as well surrender to what is and tend

to your inner garden in the seedlings of the present moment.

Rituals focusing on gratitude and letting go are good energy medicine.

In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the opposite.

It will be their Summer Solstice, where the light reaches its zenith,

and the amount of light in a day starts slowly waning thereafter.

Conversely, this is a time to be more of a social butterfly, festive

and outwardly expansive, as yang is more masculine, like the sun energetically.

On December 23, 2022, A New Moon in Capricorn adds to

the new energies of the forthcoming New Year of 2023

The energy of Capricorn might trigger a strong need for being useful to society.

Sometimes, it may lead us down a path of looking for justification in the outside world.

It can be enticing to underestimate what we want from ourselves and for ourselves.

Resentment can follow shyness when feeling ignored by others.

Rather than seeking approval from the outside, turn yin-ward and trust your inner values.

A gentle and kind inside-out approach will relax harmful self-doubts.

Working Capricorn in the positive awakens self-control.

Try not to get seduced by its shadow side by trying to control everything.

Between the Winter Solstice, New Moon and New Year’s Day,

there are lots of new energies in the air.

Keep in mind that the Moon based Chinese calendar new year will happen on January 22, 2023.

It will be the year of the Rabbit, according to Chinese Astrology.

More on that next time.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Remembering Beaver, Everyday November Gratitude, Reawakening Colorful New Moon Reflections In Sagittarius & Leaving Behind Seasonal Old Selves

Photo by Kristen Bouse

Our indigenous ancestors in the Americas saw the late Samhain as a New Year . . .

On November 23, a New Moon in Sag invites intentions for planting seeds of positive self talk.

New Moons are always times of new beginnings and new emotional cycles.

Remember, living a meditative life is not without a key dynamic of everyday Thanksgiving.

November’s Full Moon month has connections to the Energy Medicine of Beaver.

This month is as good a time as any to remember gratitude.

Meditation on Beaver captures connections to the Freemasons,

who were instrumental in the development of both Colonized America,

as well as a powerful totem to Indigenous people beforehand.

Beavers symbolize the ability to traverse both terrestrial,

watery worlds, craft secret tunnels and the awakening of perceptual doors.

The aftershocks of a powerful eclipse season are still pulsating through our energy centers . . .

as are the results from another political election season on November 8th,

which was also the date of the Beaver Full Moon.

At the forefront of contemporary American culture,

we have our attachments to, and preoccupations with winning and losing;

The trick of making politics like sports is the headliner du jour.

But a callback from a Wise Guy worth echoing asserts . . .

“The game we have all bought into is ending.

Monopoly is a game the Future will not understand anymore.

Love not money will save our hearts and souls.

And without our hearts and souls, we cease to exist in any way that truly matters.”

Pre-colonization was a time before humans worshiped the Almighty Dollar.

Instead of a maximum economic profit, a real free market is based on

reciprocity and bartering for mutual exchange.

What would happen if all the capital from Super Pacs, earmarks to lobbyists

and dark Secret Government programs

was instead redistributed into the Constitutional Preamble’s General Welfare?

Power to the We The People!

A New Moon in Sag features an archer that shoots their arrow toward a target through

mutable hybrid eyes of a gypsy, student and philosopher.

Their medicine teaches us to step out of our comfort zones

and experience novel meaning through an expansion of Truth.

Life is a fluid process of impermanence;

an adventurous quest that wins when open to divergent thinking.

The Yin and Yang illuminate dark spots within bright lights;

revealing the totality of life being greater than the sum of its parts.

Surrender the securities of safety in order to take a leap of faith.

But it is also wise to remember that hitting the pause button

can put the brakes on foreboding tragedy.

May we let go of painful parts of our past

so that we can visualize the future selves that we want to see ourselves becoming.

Sag’s Optimistic Thought looks like a mismatch against the realities of everyone’s life.

Humanity has rampant suffering in economic, emotional, physical, and spiritual ways.

It’s hard not to get seduced into our frustrations

and fears inside us and in the environment around us.

May the Sagittarius New Moon offer you A New Hope and bring in a galaxy of abundance

as you reimagine your next next chapter, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Remembering Grandmother’s Spirit

Check out my newly written, non-fiction short story that was recently published in the Edge of Humanity Magazine. Please feel free to click on the link below to see this inspirational writing that captures the the spirit of the “thinning of the veils” season. This writing was inspired by real events that took place in my life many moons ago and honors my Grandma’s presence in my life today. And while you’re at it, give our friends at Edge of Humanity Magazine a buzz by supporting the great work they are doing there:

Letting Go Of Old Ghosts, A Full Hunter Moon, Eclipse Season And Gratitude For Spirits In The Material World

Photo by Kristen Bouse

Mercury In Retrograde ends on October 2, 2022. Reflecting back, our souls experienced a myriad of opportunities to review, re-process and re-program during this Twilight Zone rewind time.

During Mercury Retrograde, this writer was revisited by old bodily wounds that afforded him with a renewed opportunity for resistant free zones of being present, letting go and the gift of awareness. It’s less painful that way and we suffer less when we are in this space.

In much the same way as people and left brain faculties, it isn’t uncommon for machines to break down and amplify emotional intensity in the humans that rely on them.

For example, we had a particularly stressful day at the school that I work at recently. One of our coworkers just about blew her cork during an intersection between a student’s dysregulated behavioral episode that was amplified by a copy machine’s oppositional behavior.

But as we have discussed in this blog before, co-regulation is an empathic experience where humans can harmonize with their environments and support each other in relaxing.

Thankfully, my coworker friend used her words and stood in her personal authority by speaking her truth and letting go of it. Tempting as it was during that crazy train episode, I refrained from cracking any puns. Sometimes, silence is a higher form of honesty. Remember that inner peace is always a choice even amidst chaos. It is a dimensional shift.

Paradoxically, as the fog lifts after Mercury in Retrograde, our days will get darker as our clocks are turning back yin-ward. Peak radiant foliage brings leaf peepers throughout New England in early October, while November is typically the gloomiest month in Maine.

But it won’t be the darkest day of the year till the Winter Solstice in December, at least in the Northern hemisphere.

Furthermore, the Hunter’s Moon will reach peak illumination on Sunday, October 9. In Ojibwe, this moon is called the Freezing Moon, reflecting colder temperatures. This Hunter’s Moon always comes after the Harvest Moon, which is always closest to the Autumn Equinox.

Our ancestors understood this moon cycle signaled the time to go hunting in preparation for a long season of cold winter storage. Moreover, our animal friends understood that it is time to fatten up before winter.

Farmers cleaned out their fields under the brighter moonlight of the Harvest Moon. This gave our ancestors effective night vision to see the deer and other animals that came out to root through the remaining scraps. Also, it was easier to see foxes and wolves coming out to prey on them.

When I meditate alone in the woods, I reflect on Lao Tzu’s observation that “nature is the best physician.” There is magic in co-regulating with Mother Earth and we all win when we make this part of our sacred rituals.

Looking ahead, an October-November 2022 eclipse season will feature a partial solar eclipse on October 25, which is also a New Moon in Scorpio. Solar eclipses invite creations of new beginnings and bright new opportunities, as New Moons also reflect.

A total lunar eclipse arrives on November 8, which is also a Full Beaver Moon. Lunar eclipses are more emotional, for they bring on final endings, like the climax of emotional tides of Full Moons.

In the Universe’s energetic medicinal deck of cards, Eclipses are like powerful fanned out wild cards that inspire us to pay attention to areas in our life that need to change. They uproot us, surprise us, and light a fire under our asses.

During the intensity of Eclipses, our lives are rapidly shaken up so that we can transform into our new selves. The one constant of Eclipses is that they are change agents for rebirth. A death of the old self is taking place.

It is an interesting synchronicity that the New Moon in Scorpio, Full Beaver Moon and Eclipse Season intersects with the Samhain, All Soul’s Day, All Saint’s Day and The Day of The Dead at the end of October and beginning of November.

Of course the modern tradition of Halloween captures some of the spirit of our ancestors, who recognized that the veils between the physical and spirit realm appear thinner during this time. The ritual of wearing masks is a spiritual portal into alternate realities in consciousness and transformation.

The thinning of the veils can play tricks on us. But it can be a real treat to reconnect with the spirits of our ancestors who have left this Earth.

Meditation on Bat can empower your ability to hear spirit, if you wish to do so.

Try not to get spooked by your fears because negative energies tend to feed off of that.

Election Day is also on November 8th. The figure 8 is the sign of Infinity. It may seem like the Tao centered politics of a New Aquarian Age and Paradigm is far off in the future.

But a simple shift in mindset reveals that the New World is already happening. The old world is fading away into the backdrop and falling away, like the leaves on the trees.

May the forthcoming Eclipse Season become an infinite Election of new politics in our collective lives, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari