Spiritually, the energies of the Sagittarius New Moon on December 4th are inspirational for expanding our horizons and challenging our old beliefs systems. Sag’s free spirited and fiery personality characteristics, magnified by a solar eclipse has the potential to ignite radical changes in our perspectives, and chart new pathways of thought. It will be harder to stay stagnant, as movement towards breaking out of our comfort zones will feel natural and needed. It is as if the Universe is asking us to come to terms with our inner truth and take some risks for the sake of personal and collective growth.As bitter as this pandemic is to the taste, can you see how the virus has been pushing humanity further into the uncertainties and unknowns of a New Aquarian Age and Paradigm?
A Full Cold Moon sits on the horizon on December 18, 2021, followed by the Winter Solstice a few days later on the 21st. Like all full moons, this one goes by many names but this name traces its roots to Mohawk Indigenous Peoples. Here in Maine, the Indigenous Western Abenaki name is Winter Maker Moon. As many of you already know, the Winter Solstice is the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Our ancestors noticed this phenomenon, and observed that Nature signaled a green light to begin coaxing back the light. It is a good time to venture yinward, go into deeper meditation, introspection, contemplation, rest, sleep and go into your cave for inner exploration and self discovery. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the opposite. It is 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.
Artwork by Barbara Merlotti
Mountain Lion guides us toward a Full Cold Moon
with subtle leadership through gradual softness.
These are the coldest, darkest and longest nights of the year.
It is time to coax back the light, and look forward to brighter days,
as we climb the mountain toward energetic alignment again.
Our spirits can get cold after a long December . . .
But we can climb down into our souls, and connect in our hearts together
Picture a Mountain Lion to come down from the
mountain to live with the peeps in the valley.
Be a unique cat, and lead by example
Do you look to others to tell you about who you are?
Or are you finding out about what makes you your own person?
In a world full of loud leaders pounding their chests to be seen and heard . . .
Mountain Lion embodies a gentle roar quietly leading by example
But in authentic feline fashion, your leadership will probably go unnoticed by many
Know that your personal power makesyou a cool cat commanding the call of respect
A Full Cold Moon signifies the coldest, darkest and longest nights of the year –
Especially on the Winter Solstice, where the dark night of
feminine-yin energy reaches her energetic peak
Following that, we start coaxing back the light as the days slowly become longer
as the sunlight of masculine-yang energy gains momentum
On the opposite side of the same coin –
our friends in the Southern Hemisphere experience peak light as
masculine-yang reaching its zenith on the Summer Solstice
Now their days will slowly become shorter as movement into the dark grows in power
True power builds gradually like water
But the attached price-tag of responsibility need not make you hiss
Mountain Lion is king of playing situational football at its finest –
Know in your personal authority that you have the ability to effectively
adjust your game plan at any given moment and respond accordingly
Do you remember the power of our tribal African shamanic brothers and sisters?
Fly away and meditate on the elemental forces of water and darkness for a spell . . .
How many times have we feared our own primal, dark and feminine nature?
The power of the internal martial arts is cultivated gradually
A cumulative effect of simmering softness of feminine energy has risen again
Commentary:
Cats are curious creatures, and will take their time observing, watching, and exhibit stealth beforethey pounce onto a scene. Jurisprudence and the ability to delay gratification are dying traits that are critical to remember as we move forward in our personal and collective evolution.
In our modern world, we often think of power as a position of leadership that basks in the limelight. We often look for those in positions of leadership to the answers and solve our problems. Yes, we do need movers and shakers to share access to resources and do their part with the right intention. But we all have a natural humble leader on the inside. Like an ocean bowing to the rivers that flow into it, the energy of Mountain Lion is quiet, yet powerful spirit guide to tap into. In terms of a popular leader, the Dali Llama symbolizes this kind of power. He represents the wave of the future when it comes to an embodiment of egoless power and a good role model. This is the kind of power, though radical humility, that you can relax into by just knowing that it is there for you and society to share. But don’t go looking for awards, accolades or special recognition. Because this kind of cat is working in hidden shadowy caverns and crevasses more than out in broad daylight.
Slavery has arguably been with us since we humans were created. But there is nothing more degrading than working on command and living a life that you were not authentically meant to live. I think about our primal human nature, when our ancestors sat around fires, playing music, and spitting lyrical poetic prose to the beat of universal drums. This is part of our creative nature.
We live in a world that has programed us into buying into a membership has its privileges mentality, that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc. But a different kind of power does exist. In a New Aquarian Age Earth, we are awakening to a vibration and dimension that rises up from the kill or be kill, dog eat dog, social darwinism survival of the fittest cannibalism of the oppressive old world. Leadership doesn’t have to be a bullying top down, hierarchical system. Cats have a natural Tao-centered way of living. Yeah, cats are predators, and are capable of killing indiscriminately, often apparently just for the pleasure of toying with their prey. But when they are left alone, and allowed to be who they are, cats tend to take the path of least resistance, and are incredibly affectionate creatures with amazing psychic abilities, and a penchant for being present and still with their surroundings. Human beings are evolving into less like sheep, and more like cats. Might as well learn to understand what you might have once feared. Cats embody mystery, which merely reflects our deeply mysterious Universe. That isn’t so scary when you start embracing your dark, feminine, yin part of your nature. Paradoxically, there is lightening up of your energy field the more you relax your resistance to that truth.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
Check out this podcast version of this blog at the link below:
A Full Beaver Moon on November 30th reminds us to set traps before a long wintry freeze.
Beavers are doers, and they really know how to produce.
May this metaphor warm your soul, and rekindle an attitude of gratitude during the accompanying price tag of stress that the holidays typically bring.
Thanksgiving is also a good time to marinate on gratitude.
But cat consciousness reminds us that there is time for sitting with non-action, and just being curious with an empathic watchful eye is just as important.
After a long, and winding road, we make our way down the mountain by coming down into our souls, and gathering around with our peeps.
Haven’t we all had to come out of our own personal/collective bubbles during the last year especially?
Pretty sure for most of us, it has been uncomfortable at best to step out of our respective comfort zones, break out of our boxes, and find new strategies to replace old ways that no longer serve us.
What once worked, no longer does.
Doesn’t 2020 feel like the year the turtle flipped on the backside of its shell, and the world as we know it stood still?
While that is a naked feeling, there is great release in surrendering to the divine will of the Universe.
In this way, perhaps we are receiving an invitation to attract more energies of vulnerability into our lives that are seen as strengths.
This experience can be hard on the ego, but freeing to the soul.
Like it or not, the global pandemic gave humanity a swift kick that we needed to turn inward, and change the way we operate in our outer world.
I have an old teacher friend who used to follow the saying, “change is bad.”
But in his own transformative process, he has come to see the pandemic, while not the preferred outcome, as a catalyst in changing the way we do Public Education.
There are other teachers, and people who have come to see the virus in this light, even though they wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone.
Humanity has been forced to deal with an inconvient truth of examining our business as usual ways that have largely skimmed the surface, and gone underexamined in the collective dream that we have all cocreated together.
This has not relaxed people’s anxieties!
But with Mountain Lion as a spiritual guide, we can leap into a New Year with a renewed sense of curiosity, mystery, and magic.
After a long December, may we celebrate the darknest day of the year on the Winter Solstice on December 21.
After that, we begin to coax back the light, as our ancestors did many moons ago.
Many people do this by circling around fires, and express what they are feeling gratitude for, and what they want to let go of.
This form of communication can be a powerful way to release old energies that want to be released, and transformed.
In their wisdom, our lineage connections knew to look for the light at the end of the tunnel.
Picture your spiritual DNA, and see its old traumatic tears healing themselves into a new figure 8 sign of infinity transformative wholeness.
From this perspective, we have the awareness that even in darkness, like the small circle of yang within the larger half circle of the yin, there is light.
Speaking of moons, a New Moon on the 14th, along with the signpost of the New Age of Aquarius marks the end of an old Pisces world fading further into our rearview mirrors.
And then at the end of the month, a Full Cold Moon on December 29th is the last Full Moon of 2020.
A New Earth is going through a rebirth.
But this transition is not without its labor pains.
Out of the ashes, the Phoenix Rises.
Relationships that become stagnant need to either transform or sometimes they need to end.
Open communication about these issues can help us work through these changes, hopefully with the grace of a swan.
But sometimes you just have to let nature take its course because mutual attraction cannot be forced.
People have a right to their reactions, including not being pleased with you for living your life in the way that you need to.
For those of you who have struggled with the disease to please, like me, this can be a tough pill to swallow. And the digestion process can be quite bitter.
It is also wise to remember that other people’s opinions are none of your business.
Looking ahead, the Chinese Year of the Ox arrives on February 12, 2021, shortly after the Imbloc or the modern American holiday known as Groundhog Day on February 2nd.
Of course, the Chinese Zodiac still follows the Lunar calendar, which is different from the Sun based Gregorian Calendar.
Sometimes, I wonder why we humans changed from a moon based calendar to a sun based calendar.
And then I remember that we are shifting from a dying sun based patriarchy to a budding new moon based sacred feminine age.
In the New Year, it would behoove us to acquire, and access oxen traits of humility, hard work, and emotional regulation.
Their energies also remind us of the good medicine for everybody to do their part, and that sometimes, it is better to stay in your lane.
In a nutshell, this wisdom can help us have good boundaries with self, and relationships.
Those insights can be particularly challenging for those of us that have strong oppositional streaks, like to march to the beat of our own drum, and have strong free spirited streaks like woodpeckers, and me.
But it can be freeing to accept that whatever “leash” you are dealing with in your life is really about making friends with that on the inside, than resisting whatever outer circumstances make you feel that way.
Even some of our friends that have done hard time in prison came to that spiritual awareness while they were behind bars.
But then again, part of why we incarnate into a mortal body is to know the experience of form, and to play with forms while we are here.
While this is a blessing, it often feels like a curse.
A soul can feel trapped.
Like stagnant water, blockages can lead to getting stuck.
We all get stuck.
“For inside the woods: the poet was renewed and anxiety- stepped aside.”
Here in America, we have elected a new President.
But about half the people voted to keep Trump in office.
For those of you who feel good about the change, and say good riddence to Trump, please remember how bad you felt when he was elected in the first place, and how much you hated that feeling.
Try to remember that’s how many people are feeling now, and see if you can find empathy for those souls who feel differently from you.
You can disagree with someone else’s politics or beliefs. But however radically different they are from your own, they are not to be taken personally.
We are all in this boat together.
We really need to appreciate our differences, and find civil ways to coexist peacefully.
Dark days reach their pinnacle on the Winter Solstice this December.
Given that many souls historically leave
the planet around this time of year, it’s easy to become a sucker for the dirge.
It is important to grieve our losses.
But it is also important to be thankful for their lives, and then let them go
so that we can awaken to new relationships in spirit.
And it will be a New Year soon that brings tidings of new beginnings.
If 2020 doesn’t bring a heightened sense of new vision,
then it’s hard to see what year will.
May it be good intellectual property in the Chinese-Lunar New Year of the Rat.
Try to remember the spirit of the season, and the meaning behind the holidays.
Rampant consumerism makes it hard not to get deflated about the
peer pressure to run the hurry up offense, and mad push to shut up and shop.
Perhaps we may be inspired to come down into our souls,
like our ancestors traditionally did around this time.
But remember that in the tunnel of darkness, there is a flickering light.
And that light will get a little brighter every day after Winter begins.
Before you know it, it will be the Imbolc, which signals
the approximate halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.
Bears, Groundhogs, and Chipmunks are either asleep, are about to hibernate now.
But they will be waking up before too long.
They remind us not to resist turning inward to meditate, contemplate, and
rejuvinate our souls, while slowing down, and resting in our dens.
When I think about the death of Winter,
I remember my old football Coach Mac, who died recently.
He was a big man, with a heart of gold.
And he was even once crowned offensive MVP in the historic collegiate Peach Bowl.
That’s a rare occurance for a lineman, where the game is really won and lost.
Coach came into my life when I was a High School Senior,
and inspired us to live by the mantra, “count on me.”
I tried to remember that when I didn’t want to go to practice, had a bad day,
if my general spirits were in the pits, worrying about my depressed mom, or
everyday experiences with excruciating back pain at the time.
Little did I realize back zen, that embodiment of this mantra,
would become a lifeline later in life right tao.
This positive self talk strategy helped us get through a seemingly
impossible season where our players were dropping like flies.
Unfortunately, some teammates quit, got injured, or even kicked off the team.
I wasn’t the only player that didn’t come off the field
until halftime or the end of the game.
And what we lacked in numbers or size, we made up for by being slow.
But even in the curse, there were plentiful shared blessings on the field,
that have become even greater treasured lessons for life.
Like the way Mountain Lion licks its wounds, and jumps
back onto the path, after being knocked off its tracks.
When you get knocked down, you get back up, suck it up,
blow the blood and snot out of your nose, and go back to the huddle.
Sometimes, your soul leaves your body when you get the
wind knocked out of you, your ears are ringing, you
see “the flash”, and then its lights out.
Elbows, and hands inflate like balloons,
after getting hit so hard – it leaves you bruised and battered.
Days could go by before buises would come up.
By then, the scar tissue were like a new set of pads.
We learned about the difference between pain and injury.
And sometimes that’s a fine line when you can’t afford to be hurt.
Glory wasn’t something we experienced much in my High School
football days, as in we rode the wave of over a decade-long losing streak.
We were a trophy soccer town, without a youth league,
and barely enough players willing to sign up for a violent game,
for the privilege of playing on a team with a bad reputation.
You know how difficult it is to rise up out of the throes of hell,
when sleeping under the security blanket of apathy.
Riding the team bus to away games was like a riding in a herse
on your way to a funeral procession.
But when our new coach came to town,
he resurrected a new hope into our learned helplessness.
We started developing a scholarly attitude about football,
and reported on the legends of the game that had otherwise
been foreign to young players that only knew about the stars on TV.
Coach wanted us to learn how to become men,
instead of just acting like men.
He metaphorically referred to our girlfriends as “Mary Lou”,
and used to say, “you think you’re married, and you’re not.”
Coach emphasized being respectful as a way of life, encouraged
taking responsibility, and frowned upon making excuses, or blaming others.
And although he had his favorites,
he didn’t play favorites, nor did he do drama.
I try to be like him in that way, and I respect others like that too.
We were the Indians – named after a local tribed called Tunxis.
So when I remember the Indians, I think of Coach Mac.
He was a class act, and a good Chief to be touched by.
But he was a human being, and not without his faults.
People tend to forget that part of our humanity is our dark sides too.
I’ll be standing around a fire in a community of men
to celebrate, and honor this Winter Solstice.
We will focus on gratitude, and letting go.
Fire rituals can be good medicine for that.
Do whatever you can to get in touch with the natural spirit of
the season, and connect with your deeper soul purpose.
We are meant to align with the Universe,
rather than try to control or resist its power.
The Winter Solstice arrives on December 21st,
signaling the darkest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere
A Full Cold Moon follows in its wake on the day after that.
Spirits can run high and naturally crouch low this time of year . . .
Might as well allow these tension of opposites
flow in your being without getting too swayed in either direction.
Another astrological eclipse season is coming shortly after
the birth of the Gregorian New Year in early January.
The Chinese New Year of the Pig rolls in on February 5, 2019
More winds of change are in the air
Do you see the parallels between President Hoover
and the stock market crash of 1929 and today’s plummeting capital?
Consider these changing tides a newer redistribution
of wealth and financial appreciation for the many!
What about the parallels between President Nixon,
Watergate and President Trump and “Russiangate?”
Underneath these time traveling synchronicities is
a growing remember when tune to “power to the people”
The darkness of feminine energies is rising,
as is further movement into a new Aquarian Age Consciousness.
As always, picture peaceful, calming thoughts,
and be gentle on yourself.
At the same time, do what you can to make the world a better place.
But remember to do so with love in your heart.
If you find yourself being seduced by hate,
be mindful to exhale this dead energy,
and let it go to so that it can transform into the light of the Universe.
In this dark time of year, think about the resurrection of the light
He rises everyday day till Spring arrives on the Vernal Equinox in March,
and then the sunlight grows stronger every day after that
until He peaks on the Summer Solstice in June
Last year was the Chinese Year of the Rooster . . .
In that reflection, we are reminded of the truth that if you are focusing
on the real tragedies of last year, then you will accurately see
the glass as half full, if not already empty on the inside and out!
But here’s an optimistic thought . . .
What happens when you look through a lens of Love?
Even if you can entertain the possibility that Rooster
also brought us the Sun, then you can see that consciousness
sheds its light on our planetary darkness
By allowing ourselves to see through the lens of Love,
we are able to call out the light illuminating the shadows
Keep in mind, we are in a Yin time of year
Dark emotions come up, and many souls have left our Home
But water is powerful feminine energy that breathes in
opportunities for creativity and meditative spirituality
Might as well say yes to that, unless you prefer to persist what you resist
That is a choice too, if you so choose!
When we traverse the dark night of our soul
We can come out of the ashes into a New Self
Disguised within every ending, new beginnings are awakening
In a month from last Tuesday’s waning New Moon
We will be tracking the Year of the Dog
Spring Equinox may not arrive till about a
month after that in later March . . .
But energetically, with an astrological spring eclipse season happening now,
a Full Snow Moon at the end of January, and the Imbolc signaling the halfway point
between Winter and Spring on February first . . .
From that perspective, Spring is already in the air!
Will the Groundhog see his shadow on
the resurrection of Groundhog Day?
A Full Cold Moon comes out of its Bear cave this Sunday . . .
Dimming lights are slowing us down
Winter is coming soon with Winter Solstice later this month
Mercury in Retrograde amplifies darker days ahead
Shadows of old selves are shedding light onto your awakening new self
Do you see reflections of who you used to be into your mirror today?
Are they aspects of your soul revisiting you to help you
transition into a new season in your consciousness?
See this reflection as inspiration to become the changing you
and let yourself let go of who you were in relation to yourself and others
Picture yourself becoming the new self that you want to see in the world
Imagine a New Earth flowering in your Dreamtime . . .
When you acknowledge that we live in a Matrix that has programmed us with
repetitive and controlling old mental tapes . . .
We open up to imagining ourselves creating novel stories
There is a collective belief that the Earth is a hellish nightmare,
with winners and losers, that’s just the way it was, is and always will be
But Bear reminds us that Life should be sweet like honey!
We are equipped to Intuit wisdom from the Heavens of the Dreamtime
to bring it back into our material world with the grounding power
of wise old trees with roots reaching deep into the Earth . . .
In this space, we are building a new dream for ourselves and our planet!
Loon kicks off a deep plunge into dark, mysterious waters of a Full Cold Moon
May Yang’s rising light warm you, beneath your blanketed Dreamtime covers
Last week, the energy of Groundhog tunneled through mid-field,
digging further into Spring Equinox, where light and dark are equal again
And then sunlight will peak on Summer Solstice in June
Picture a summer of love, and let cruelty relax our field of vision
May Loon help you scuba dive into the creative waters of transformation . . .
Reawaken old dreams, while envisioning novelty within everyday doings
Time to let go of old stories, and deeply engrained behavioral patterns
that no longer serve –
What pearls from the oysters can you retrieve from your scuba dives?
Yes, it’s a wild world out there . . .
But it is also a beautiful world!
Remember the mystic swims in the waters that crackpots drown in
Be mindful of your thoughts, and examine them through a gentle deer’ gaze
Loon signals a mysterious horn that lifts the fog if you let it
Be guided through the shady grey areas so they become clearer in your mind’s eye
At the end of the day, alternative energy starts with you!
Classroom Mothership Earth 