Author and Astrologer, Donna Cunningham, has gifted me with the honor of guest blogger, on her site: Sky Writer.
I am elated to be acknowledged in this manner by Donna whom has served so many with a genuine devotion to assisting the well-being of others.
I have admired Donna Cunningham’s work for quite some time, and she has been an inspiration for me many times when my journey was difficult.
I will honestly admit that when she extended the invite for guest blogger, I was like a little kid that just found out they are going to Disneyland, dancing gleefully around my kitchen and high-fiving my dog. 🙂
Thank you, Donna, I am deeply honored..you most definitely made my day!
Today marks Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and in most societies this week is embraced as a holy week and is celebrated in a myriad of forms, dependent upon one’s personal beliefs, or those of which belong to the society into which one was born.
I personally, have never felt a personal attachment to any holiday of note, of any culture.
It is not that I am adverse to holidays celebrations, and in fact when I was raising my daughters, I quite joyfully participated in any celebration that was of importance to them.
You see, until recent years, I have had a walk that necessitated developing a great deal of optimism to roll with the challenges.
I suppose I learned a very long time ago, somewhere within childhood, to accept change as a constant and to celebrate each little event that felt good.
I have learned to embrace challenges out of the realization, that at least for some (myself included), challenges are a way of life and no matter how much effort you put into avoiding them or attempting to wish them away, you find time and time again, the only way up is through.
Yet too, I have learned that when one stops denying the existence of their personal challenges, and faces them head on with determination and courage, those same challenges eventually become one’s greatest achievements.
When you enter this world with an abundance of challenges, I feel many of us learn quite quickly that to sustain ourselves, we must celebrate daily, anything and everything that is Good and nurturing unto our Souls.
When faced with challenges, many are sent into reeling into ‘survival mode’, out of a fear of change.
Yet change is inevitable, and is ever occuring, regardless if one is able to recognise it at it’s most microcosmic levels.
The nature of change always brings challenges and challenges always catalyze change.
When you truly come to understand the dynamics of these cycles, and recognize that to evolve, we must embrace the cycle’s of change and challenge fearlessly, knowing, that this is the way we grow and become more, you suddenly find that you are living a life in constant celebration and awe, of this entire process experienced within our human journey’s.
Suddenly you do not wish to wait, for affirmed ‘special dates’, to celebrate and be joyful, loving and thankful.
Each and every moment, even the challenging one’s, are filled with a delicious prized center.
We are now, as a global society, in the midst of a cycle of accelerated change and challenge.
There are innumerable filters through which to perceive that which is now upon us, and everywhere you turn now there are many that are trying to explain this period and what it is all about, through their personal filters.
I feel for the most this is a good thing for we all resonate in different ways.
For each that is seeking understanding through their personal filter, there is someone that is offering knowledge, through the same filter.
I personally, feel I know what I need to know for myself, and on occasion for others if I am to be of service to them in some form.
I feel no need to really know, the “ONE and ONLY TRUTH”.
In all honesty I feel that is a fool’s game to seek to know this “ONE TRUTH” in exclusion of all else you could be experiencing and benefiting of now, as there are many, many truths upon this plane, and much that is labeled as truth is merely a personal truth subjective to the one experiencing it.
Sure, I have my personal Truths, and I am in constant awareness that others have theirs also.
I feel the best we can likely do, is to live our days the best we can by standing within our truths, and by being tolerant of the truth of others, by acknowledging that not a one of us, consciously is in awareness of the Whole of It.
If and when, I should be enlightened to the One Truth, well, I am sure I will be beyond blessed and thankful, yet as of now, that has not occurred for me.
So I take each step, each moment, each day of these changing and challenging times..and I walk it through, with the most grace that I am capable of.
I keep my eyes on what is straight ahead of me and apply myself to what I can do NOW, and do not allow myself to be concerned with what the next moment, may or may not bring, and I trust with all of myself, that All is Well, when I stay on this course of action.
And I celebrate, each and every day..I celebrate as I dance, as I sing, as I share laughter with another.
I celebrate by listening, truly listening, when another has something their heart and soul wishes to share.
I celebrate the smiles gifted to me by ‘strangers’ at the grocery and the company of the birds that visit me as I take in a few moments of the winter air on my deck.
These things I celebrate, and all that is good, and allow none of it to slip by without being savored and noted.
These things, nourish and sustain the Soul.
These things, we bank, and draw upon to keep us whole, as we navigate the challenges that catalyze change.
My catalyst for sharing this today came of my need the past few days, to acknowledge this holiday season in some manner on my site, and to extend my wishes of a joyful holiday to my readers.
Yet I just could not find a manner of doing so, that I felt really embodied what I wanted to offer as greetings and blessings, to the many different personal preferences and paths represented by those that partake in my offerings here.
So this is what came forth above, and I simply wish to conclude with this:
My heart and best wishes are with all on your celebratory days.
I hope that you find peace and joy, in your every moment, even those of challenge.
And may you find the courage and strength to walk your path with the utmost grace possible, for yourself and all others, through this Blessed Season of Change.
Here in the US Mid-Atlantic, we awoke to a picture outdoors that I thought was just perfect for Mars turning retrograde.
Yesterday brought a nor’easter up the Atlantic Seaboard and blizzard conditions were prevalent across many states.
Baby it is cold outside..and the Fire’s are burning bright within households up and down the East Coast.
Mars retrograde is all about the Fire turning within, from without.
So as I peeked outdoors this morning right before daybreak, the view to me was like Mars giving a heads-up, that indeed he was now departing the outer and taking residence, within.
Thought I’d share a few pics I snapped off of my view here along the Pennsylvania/Maryland border.
Have no idea what our official snowfall was recorded at though it appears to be over 20 inches.
Be safe All, and if you reside in the ‘drop-zone’, hope you find enjoyment in all that frozen white stuff!
Saturn (boundaries) is now transiting Libra, the sign of relationship, balance and justice, and boundaries in relationship have become the hot topic of the season.
Boundaries and relationship go hand-in-hand and you just can’t have one without the other.
As Saturn transiting Libra is a collective influence, unless you plan to become a Hermit, this is an area everyone has to come to terms with these next 2+ years.
As I have stated previously in other articles I do not see boundaries as ever being about the other person.
Boundaries are always personal and solely about you.
When lacking healthy boundaries we are often inclined to acting out the victim archetype and playing the ‘blame game’ for we feel that everything that occurs in their life is the result of an others actions.
There is no happiness, joy, nor self-fulfillment within the state of victim-hood and it is not a pleasant place to be .
Victim-hood is the residence of stress, anxiety and anger.
Victim-hood harbors guilt, shame and self-disappointment within it’s walls.
Yet if you find yourself residing within victim-hood, you can make the choice to step out of those walls, and it really is much easier than you may believe.
I am a firm believer that, “No One or Thing can cause us harm nor control us in any manner unless we allow it to be so”.
This, is where boundaries come in.
When assisting clients in the area of boundary development I often offer a visualization that makes it quite easy to immediately start building boundaries in your life and enforcing them with others, even if you have previously struggled with understanding or utilizing boundaries and are currently feeling dis-empowered your relationships.
Here we are counting down the last days until Christmas, and all the young people in my life are a mixed bag of anticipation, hope and trepidation (((laughs))).
Yes, trepidation, over the possibilities of just what might be inside those innocuous appearing wrapped packages, under their grandma’s tree.
It is a well-known fact that grandmothers can, and will, gift you with what they think you need.
After all, they have eons more of experience in life matters than your parents do, and to them, your parents are still kids anyway so therefore they simply cannot be relied on to make sure you have everything you really, truly need.
Now make no mistake, if grandma feels you need Preparation-H (let’s not even get into how or why she would think that..UGH), but the point is, if she THINKS you need Preparation-H, you can bet your arse, that is exactly what you will be unwrapping in front of the whole family at Christmas.
And be prepared, to suck up your mortification and smile big for that picture you know she is going to insist on taking to mark that special occasion.
Nothing like being memorialized in the family albums for all-time with your big ‘ole grin and a tube of Prep-H. (((giggles)))
Who hasn’t been there done that one, though??!!
It is just a part of being a dutiful and appreciative grandchild, and if you were fortunate enough to have grandparents, and they treated you well as grandparents should..then hey, what’s a little personal mortification once or twice a year to show how much you love them, right?
The New Moon at 24° Sagittarius occurs on Wednesday, Dec. 16th at 7:02 am EST.
A New Moon is an opportunity, to begin something anew and/or to redirect your course, in regards to any insights you may have had since the illumination of the last Full Moon.
This New Moon in Sagittarius is of a particularly powerful nature, as it receives the energetic support of numerous aspects to other planets, all of which, are now in direct motion.
This moon event is offering us a fabulous spring-board for change!
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The previous Full Moon offered us illumination to clearly identify any areas in our lives that we may have been the unconscious ‘follower’ of any ideologies or individuals/groups that may no longer be serving of our Higher Purpose.
Have you had any lightbulb moments of crystal clarity suddenly arrive in the past two weeks, concerning a situation or an other in your life that as of recent has felt off or illusory in some manner, yet you just couldn’t quite put your finger on it?
If you have, it is likely you are now ready to do a course-correction in some manner and this new moon is fully supportive of exactly that.
When you feel good, and are in a vibration such as Joy, Passion, Optimism and/or Contentment, it is a clear indicator that you are on course, in your path.
This is an experience, be it of a solitary nature or shared with an other, that you want to continue to embrace, for it shall serve you well.
When you feel poorly, and are in a vibration such as Frustration, Anger, Despair and/or Worry, it is a clear indicator that you are off course, in your path.
This is an experience, be it of a solitary nature or shared with an other, that in it’s current form, is not of your best interest and will not serve you well.
By embracing the emotional scale instead of denying it, you are availing yourself to a valuable navigational system that shall assist you in steering through these currents, that we term The Human Experience.
Master Your Emotions and enjoy smoother Sailing.
Allow Your Emotions to Master You and the waters shall be ever turbulent.
Listen to Your Emotions, allow them to share their Wisdom, then act upon the Wisdom they have shared, and chart your course accordingly.
Have courage and trust, in Yourself and your ability, to be the Fearless Master, of Your Ship.
We are now one week shy of Mars going retrograde, and I have found myself putting my inspiration for any new projects/creations, into solid foundations at lightening speed this past week.
How about you? Have you suddenly felt the need to jump start any endeavors, laying the ground work, at a frantic pace?
If you have, you likely have been sensing the forthcoming Mars retrograde, and have been acting on your Astro impulses and are more in-tune then maybe you realized. 🙂
Saturn is currently transiting Libra, bringing to center stage the issue of boundaries and balance, within relationships.
Some seem to be born with an understanding of what boundaries are, and utilize them with ease, throughout their lives.
Others, myself included, have had to work quite diligently to understand the meaning of boundaries and to utilize them in a manner that is non-projective.
Years past, I attended a Spiritual School of Healing for a time.
It was the philosophy of the founders of this school, that to become an effective conduit for healing for others, one must first heal, thyself.
When I entered this school, one of the issues that was constantly stressed to me during our self-work sessions, was BOUNDARIES.
Quite honestly, back then, I didn’t have any.
The word, meant nothing to me whatsoever, no matter how many times it was defined to me.
Yet others could see, even if I could not, that I was in desperate need of boundaries, and I am thankful for their daily enforcement of the necessity of developing boundaries for myself.
Many wise souls planted seeds with me back then, and while I did not have those seeds sprout until after my attendance period at this school, they did eventually come fully to flower, and I am so very thankful for those that cared enough about me, to badger me ceaselessly, on boundaries.
Setting boundaries really is about you, not, about any other.
I do not perceive boundaries as “walls or shields”, as I believe is quite a common perception in the collective.
If you truly have strong boundaries, and maintain them, there is never a need to deflect or prevent an energy of any nature from entering your space, nor is there a need to concern yourself with how another is utilizing their personal energy.
Boundaries are, a clean and concise definition, of your personal space.
They allow you to set within your energy patterns, what comes in, what goes out, and how you wish to utilize or bypass any energy incoming, regardless of if you should label it as “negative or positive, high or low”.
It simply does not matter, for you yourself, through boundaries, determine the qualities of any energy within your space.
Keep your space tidy, and do not trespass the personal space of an other, and you shall master boundaries amazingly fast!
Following is an article I wrote a while ago, and I feel it is in context to developing and maintaining boundaries, and is an issue that tends to be overlooked, when doing depth work in the boundaries arena, for oneself.
If you are interested in developing better boundaries in your life, this article may be helpful to you, as there are many subjects that are not always easily identified as being directly connected to the area of boundaries, and I feel this is one of them.
If you have a lot of challenging aspects in your chart concerning relationships with others, or, if you are loaded up on Pisces, 12th house, or Neptune aspects, you too, should find this article of benefit. Service-oriented Virgo, this also could serve you.
Permission is granted for circulation and usage for non-commercial purposes. Author and site credit is required. Article shared must be linked back to original post.
Author and Astrologer, Donna Cunningham, has gifted me with the honor of guest blogger, on her site: Sky Writer.
Into the Mystic 