Author: anna

Anna is available for consultation that promotes clarity and grace of Being--illuminating the pathless path wherein we recognize our true nature, never changing, is here right now -- 'that' -- simple truth.

Still…

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Today is still
and so the ocean
though, cool air
and rolling waves,
damp sand and distance
with the scent of eternity.

“If the defining feature of our future is uncertainty, then we all need to become improvisers.” ~Srinija Srinivasan, Daily Good, 12.9.25

(Improvise def.: if you improvise, you make or do something using whatever you have or without having planned it in advance.)

To improvise we are in the moment, with only what is available in this moment. This precludes one from relying on the past. Instead we are challenged to tune into a greater source that offers a multitude of possibility. We listen, engage the senses and go with the infinite and eternal flow.

“Improvisation means coming to the situation without rigid expectations or preconceptions. The key to improvisation is motion—you keep going forward, fearful or not, living moment to moment. That’s how life is.” ~Bobby McFerrin (Don’t Worry, Be Happy)

In the Bardo we were brave and confronted some of what ails us. It is an individual discovery that serves us to better understand our limitations. This contributes to collective discovery. Everything moves forward together. Individually each step may seem unique. Yet all steps contribute to the same thing and that is greater awareness.

Even as technology seems to herd us into corners we may still find freedom in the boundary-less inner world that expands into infinity. We race unfettered toward an undefined goal embracing every moment with spontaneous delight. There are no rules or laws, expectations or judgment. There is air to breathe and motion to guide us. Openness, space and possibility.

For all of us prepared to dip the ladle a little deeper, to stir the bottom of the pot and find hidden, those nuggets of creativity that lie waiting, this is the moment. This year, that rapidly draws to a close, has been one of challenge. It may have resembled the trials of Sisyphus, a king of Corinth who was condemned by Zeus to roll an enormous boulder uphill. Every time he neared his destination the boulder rolled back downhill. This was his eternal struggle.

The never-ending challenge is over. There is no boulder and there is no hill! There is only this moment of possibility that awaits in which, when I listen, all answers arrive. Often the answer is so simple that I have not been able to hear it.

This New Moon in Sagittarius is a moment to feel into an unknown capacity for the creative and unfettered self. Sagittarius is a mythological being, half man, half horse. The human having tamed the beast within seeks greater awareness. He is an archer with bow and arrow raised to the heavens, symbolic of seeking truth. Sagittarians desire the freedom to explore all possibilities and move through life as free spirits. The curiosity of Gemini, their opposite, becomes deeper exploration in Sag.

With ruling planet Jupiter (in Taurus) figuring prominently in this new moon chart, we are inclined to act with wisdom and a sense of justice. (Be aware of tendencies to feel righteous or all knowing as this can be a shadow expression of Jupiter).

There is ease in this chart as Jupiter is in favorable aspect to Uranus in Taurus and Saturn/Neptune in Pisces. This forms the infamous small talent trine that allows for brilliant use of creative resources. Uranus of course is in favor of evolution at all costs and the Neptune/Saturn conjunction in Pisces has a ‘responsible, focused’ vision that upholds greater spiritual exploration.

The ease of this combination of planets is based on seeds that were planted during the solar eclipse March 29th of this year. That occurred in Aries, I seek Self. Now in Sagittarius we realize I am what I seek and that allows for an unlimited experience in this phenomenal world.

From a ‘higher vista’ we see clearly, as in the World card XXI of the major arcana. Our experiences have been plenty and as we ‘have been there done that’ on so many occasions, we need not be distracted by choice. We feel only the movement that moves everything and we too move. It is easy.

“The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need do is set our sails.” ~Ramakrishna

The squeeze shows up in the Sun/Moon and Venus square aspect to the same Saturn/Neptune conjunction. It would seem that we can’t exactly run wild, hither and yon without paying attention to the deeper calling—to attend to deeper desires that Venus in Sagittarius can have when challenged by the need to continue learning (Saturn) and our listening to the call home (Neptune).

Finally, Mars in early Capricorn, the manifestor of the universe, is next door to Sun/Moon and square to Saturn/Neptune. The energy of Capricorn is a powerful dynamo. Tireless and never without resources, Mars in Capricorn will provide us with ample motivation to move. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn is reliable, focused and determined to provide that which supports us in these wild times.

At the end of this year there are bound to be revelations and ah, hah moments. Whatever projects you may have perculating know that 2026, the year of the Fire Horse, is in essence a whole year of Sagittarian accomplishment fueled by great vision and a ‘knowing’ which expediates the creative process. AI is a significant contributor to the speed with which we advance and has the ability to reflect to us our own shortcomings. We’re listening.

In these accelerated times we can feel challenged and comfortable at the same time. Challenged to open up and comfortable knowing that that is all that is required of me, to open up. I am free of thoughts that life should be any way in particular. We have become aware that ‘my thoughts create my reality’ and as such have more freedom to express ourselves from a truer source.

May our openness guide us to care for each other in new ways and to touch deeply in a way that awareness allows.

Random Quotes

“Reverie is not a mind vacuum. It is rather the gift of an hour which knows the plenitude of the soul.”~Gaston Bachelard

“Will you gather daydreams or will you gather wealth? How can you find your fortune when you cannot find yourself?” ~Gordon Lightfoot

Without its daydreams the self is apt to shrink down to the size and shape of the estimation of others. ~Michael Pollen

Dust, Breath, Sunlight

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I know who you are:
The dust that settles on everything,
the breath that breathes for all of us.
The sunlight that bounces on the waves,
the ensuing laughter.
The calm that fills each crevice
to remain a mystery.
The eternal flow of the river
as it meanders and rushes.
Always the pulsation that echoes 
in our hearts--
the rock solid knowing of nothing.
......

Thank you for the coming down from the mountain,
for touching knee to earth, and tears mingling with 
the early morning dew, cheek settling against a longing
to live life aware of the beauty of impermanence
And the joy of participation.
Thank you for coming down from the mountain
and rising up again.

The Bardo

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“Metaphorically, bardo can be used to describe times when the usual way of life becomes suspended… Such times can prove fruitful for spiritual progress because external constraints diminish. ~Wikipedia

November is an in between month. Not yet winter and no longer autumn. The sun setting earlier and earlier brings us into darkness for longer periods of time. It allows us to gather into our selves. The affects of a sun less intense gives us reprieve from feeling constantly on. We sink into the cozy realm of long shadows and appreciative contemplation.

Shadows offer us glimpses of what may linger within, that present as limitations in day to day experience. Shadows are a doorway to the unknown. The bardo, as described above and with origins in Vedic philosophy, is an in between state. In Buddhism it refers to a time after death and before rebirth. And can refer to our journey in the physical world.

As Chogyam Trungpa, a Tibetan Buddhist master, explained, “Bardo means gap…The bardo experience is part of our basic psychological make-up. There are all kinds of bardo experiences happening to us all the time…it is like not being sure of our ground, not knowing quite what we are getting into…”

That could aptly describe our current experience.

A moment can present us with the unknown and many moments of the unknown can string together into days, perhaps weeks. Our experience of these moments may be determined by fears or clarity. All depends upon our relationship with conditioning. When we have a moderate degree of awareness we can guide our selves through these moments with relative ease. If fear dominates we may have a longer stay in the shadows.

As we are all subject to the sublime energies that create our conscious shifts, we have plenty of encouragement to move us beyond these distant and near fears. In spite of external circumstances it is vital to remain anchored in trust. We are not the thoughts that perpetuate our suffering.

In the bardo we are confronted with whatever we are holding that pertains to old wounding. It can manifest after awhile as knots in our bodies. These impediments deny us the freedom to continue moving forward. The feeling of being stuck however, can often precede a major change of course in our lives. It is as though we are gathering momentum for a big leap.

Press the release button centered in the 3rd chakra where will, motivation, self-confidence, courage reside. Massage this area with a relaxing, deeply penetrating essential oil such as lavender to promote release of pressure or constriction that develops over time and can contribute to a perpetual knot here. Simple *Qi Gong exercises such as the Eight Brocades can help move energy that accumulates over time.

The sign of Scorpio, October 23-November 21, 2025, is a sign of transformation. As ruler of the 8th house it is the experience of birth, death, rebirth. Scorpio is a deeply intuitive and perceptive sign that includes three levels of experience—the scorpion, the eagle and the dove.

Earth and the material plane, air and the mental plane and spirit the ethereal plane where we are free of the illusion of body and mind.

This new moon in Scorpio at 28 degrees is a time for deep reflection that inspires new beginnings. We trust what is not known in these times of suspended familiarity. We do not have all the answers but they will come to us. The bardo is an opportunity to clear out the old so that we can hear these answers.

Every new moon is unique in what it offers. Sometimes that is quiet contemplation that seeds future growth. Or, as in this new moon, we find our selves steadily continuing to dismantle old structures and to bypass fears as though we have been given a ticket to freedom to be collected immediately. Am I in the queue to receive that ticket? Do I want to be in that queue?

Th answer is a collective yes.

These three configurations involve 8 planets: Sun/Moon/Mercury conjunct in Scorpio. Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune/Saturn in Pisces, Uranus in Taurus and Jupiter in Cancer. A mystic rectangle is composed of two sextiles, two trines and two oppositions. The oppositions (Uranus opposite Sun, Moon and Mercury and Jupiter opposite Pluto) present a tension that will demand our attention.

In this case the former opposition relates to evolution. Uranus and the Sun, evolution of the self, the moon emotional/instinctive self and mercury the mind. The other opposition, Jupiter and Pluto relates to optimism, resourcefulness and a transformative power that contributes to growth, and achievement of goals. Be careful of overly optimistic vision fueled by an inflated sense of ego.

The two kites, a grand trine annexed by a small talent trine represent ease of flow between all the planets involved. They provide ‘diminished constraints so that spiritual progress is supported’. Each kite is formed by seven planets. That is a lot of energy moving us from old patterns and habits to a simpler more graceful life. This is highlighted by the Sun, Moon, Mercury conjunction aspected by all five planets, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto. Only Venus and Mars are excluded.

Be prepared for a range of emotions to surface and a series of unexpected events—ah, ha moments and perhaps oh no moments. The bardo is just one part of our journey and may be recognized in dream time as us sorting through the shadows. Always though, we are held in light. Light that permeates even the darkest of moments reassuring us constantly to put one foot in front of the other, to keep moving. We cannot not find our way. We are that way.

*Please see youtube video QiGong Flow-The Eight Brocades with Mimi Kuo-Deemer.

Today…

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Today there is gratitude for thoughts that no longer remain, 
for doing without thought, for moments of no thought.
For clouds that slide by, for leaves ruffled by a slight breeze.
There is gratitude for the idleness that permeates this moment
allowing silence to speak.
......
Hardly anything left
I sweep away the dust now
The night, such quiet.

Love…

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…is everything. When we do not know love (as abiding within) we look everywhere for it; the source of so many disappointments, heartache and suffering. When we are not suffering life has a light, open and inquisitiveness that is delightful! We are free to Be in this moment without a need to do or pursue something that is in any case, impermanent. Give it, receive it and most of all know that love is not an acquisition but is inherent…

Daodejing #11

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So much suffering as we continue to choose sides and hold our beliefs. Fed by the system and eons of conditioning we continue to perpetuate lack of awareness. It is not this side or that, us or them, a short-sighted experience that is disharmony and imbalance. We must stick our heads above the clouds of doubt and glimpse what is beyond the walls–rest in the hollow, the space wherein these thoughts have no existence.

Thirty spokes converge on a hub
but it is the emptiness that makes a wheel work.
Pots are fashioned from clay
but it is the hollow that makes a pot work.
Windows and doors are carved for a house
but it’s the spaces that make a house work.
Existence makes a thing useful
but nonexistence makes it work.

We may sit and think, contemplate and feel that this is useful but it is when we are free of thought that we realize, everything unfolds without any participation.








Enchantment

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“We must go in search of enchantment.” ~Rene Magritte, artist 1898-1967

Summer arrives officially in a few days, the 21st of June, the sun rises in Cancer. Summer is the season of optimism and enthusiasm that perhaps more often than not reminds us of those few months of freedom during childhood. No school. Run wild, run free! Joy to play, explore, so many things to discover!

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~Albert Camus

Enchantment was a fairly common occurrence, the memories of which remain solidly rooted within us. Think of one childhood experience that affected you almost beyond words and that moment remains so touching even now. Lying in a field filled with tiny wildflowers and tall grasses gazing at the clouds as they shapeshift their way to destinations unknown. Time ceases. A sense of immortality; the endless flow of life and the eternal essence that pervades all things. ‘I’, am the cloud, a molecule peacefully unfolding over and over again.

Summer! Everything multiplies-hours of daylight (summer solstice is the longest day of the year), flora and fauna, the time we spend outdoors, our courage to know the unknown. We are tempted by the deep recesses of a forest, hidden trails leading to distant mountain peaks. We see our own nature magnificently displayed before us as we move through the visible and are quietly met by the invisible; that which speaks to us of deeper meaning.

“Everything that is visible hides something that is invisible.” ~Rene Magritte

As children the power of the imagination creates a world where everything is possible. As adults we tend to lose the sense of the unlimited based upon conditions we inherit. The child within may temporarily lay dormant but is easily awakened when we are reminded of the enchantment of our early years, the joy and delight of youth.

No matter how far technology takes us it takes only a few moments to return to the simplicity of a deeper truth; that in which as children, we seem to have absolute faith. We revisit this each time we step into a natural setting. Among the trees we are transported through the stillness to a moment of realization—‘life’ is this in it’s entirety. The smells, sounds, the feeling of comfort and belonging give peace. That knowing allows us a deep sigh of relief. There is no effort in simply being.

Nature does not effort. It is unfolding with grace. Humans need not effort. We are nature unfolding with grace. The cycle of falling and rising is endless as ‘life’ continues.

“Trees refuse defeat, growing back again, rooted in timelessness. They are grounded in the dark, while in their spiraling arrangements of leaves and branches, they aspire toward the light.” ~The Autumn Trees by John Hay from Old Growth (Orion)

We see ourselves in the trees. Human nature is no different than any part of nature. It grows, flourishes, perishes and begins again-and again.

In Summer we revel in the light. We see and are seen. We receive and are nourished. We are revitalized. Batteries recharged having been given so much, we give in return. Happiness and well being are shared. The exuberant generosity of the child is everywhere.

During this New Moon in late Gemini there is just one major aspect to the sun/moon, a square from Neptune in Pisces. It speaks rather loudly of a chance to communicate what lies within. Gemini communication and Pisces from the soul.

Gemini and Pisces are both mutable signs and as such naturally go with the flow. Whether that flow is moving through heaps of information or travelling through the deep emotional and psychic realms to which Pisces is privy. From the depths of our soul work, out and into the light. Gemini has the ability to disperse findings and to make the invisible (the world of Pisces) visible.

In the last ten degrees of Gemini the co-ruler (along with Mercury) is Uranus, the higher octave of Mercury. Any planets you may have in these degrees of Gemini, 20-30 will be motivated through the planet of revolution for evolution; the planet of freedom and expanded consciousness. There is a vision here that focuses on ‘the big picture’. Community rather than individuality.

We combine this with the meaning of Neptune in the last degrees of Pisces that is co-ruled by Pluto the planet of elimination, transformation and transcendence and we have an energy that promotes revealing the path to an enlightened living. Though we sense this all around us what we sense is pre-empted by what we think. Uranus reminds us that what we think is highly suspect considering its origins in the past. Uranus promotes the eradication of conditioning.

Pluto has just now moved back into Capricorn from Aquarius. After giving us an introduction into Plutonian power in the sign of the rebel we now take a step back to clean out what doesn’t provide us with the freedom to move with these intense times of change. We have until early 2024 in which to accomplish this goal. Now more than ever we have the evidence we need to succeed with goals that have previously been unattainable due to stubborn resistance.

Not to forget that this energy combined with a new moon gives us the chance to firmly establish our intention for whatever short term or long term goals we may have. Our goals, reflect our desires and each desire satisfied, naturally leads us to the next. Eventually we may find that our desires have been eliminated. We are free then, to abide without effort.

One more feature of this New Moon—Saturn goes retrograde at 7 degrees Pisces returns to 0 degrees Pisces and goes direct on November 4. This points us in the direction of reflecting upon taking responsibility for the relationship we have to disillusionment, the illusion and our expectations. There is a continuation of the maturing process that positively affects our relationship to this planet and to each other. It looks like this summer will include a dose of work. In this we may discover enchantment also as we bathe in the light of this time.

“My soul can find no staircase to heaven unless it be through Earth’s loveliness.” ~Michelangelo

This New Moon, the Omega

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“Transmission is the moment when communication becomes communion and information opens into the possibility of transformation.” ~Forward to Roaring Silence, Traktung Rinpoche Dorje

Transmission is ongoing from morning ‘til night. Every moment, every day. Transmission can be felt in a moment of stillness when the body/mind comes to rest. Transmission occurs between enlightened master and student when for example, words cease. This is a moment when the real part of us is recognized. Words drift off and silence rides a wave that washes over our hearts and obliterates thoughts.

Any moment in which we stop, without any agenda, we may notice awareness. We notice in the stillness an all pervasiveness. Somehow we know this is not generated by the mind. This is prior to mind. The mind is hushed by the unfathomableness of this. We know and yet we do not. We have received the transmission, the frequency that ‘tunes’ us to what is beyond our apparent reality. Our apparent reality is a conditioned response to what occurs in our lives. We are therefore bound by a set of actions and reactions rather than having the freedom to simply experience. Great joy is knowing the freedom of an unconditioned existence.

“Joy knows itself. As children we didn’t even know the word joy, we were joy.” ~Francis Lucille, The Perfume of Silence

These 30 days, from the new moon in March until this new moon in April has been a time of accentuated adjustment. The new moon in March was at 0 degrees Aries, the beginning, and the April New Moon is at 29 degrees Aries, the ending. During the alpha and omega of the sign of the warrior we have been called upon to venture into new territory, to successfully navigate new ways of relating to life in all of its facets. Fortunately Aries is adept at this very task.

In this short time the warrior has assessed any limitations to progress (the progress being designed for our ultimate well-being) and has continued on with determination and resolve. There is no giving in or giving up! Abiding with resistance is intolerable. It causes stasis that creates a most uncomfortable tension within.

In March, Pluto, the ultimate destructive force, the precursor for re-building and transformation, was in a workable sextile to the Sun/Moon; a nudge to let go and move on. With Neptune conjunct the Sun/Moon, we were encouraged to dream beyond what is our familiar. In April, Pluto forms an out of sign square to Sun/Moon. We cannot ignore this combination of energy that annihilates in order to see our dreams realized. This New moon, Jupiter is conjunct Sun/Moon—bigger, more courageous, more daring, stronger. Rising of the impenetrable Self. The Self that is beyond question and remains even when all else is swept away. Aries is ‘I seek Self’.

We can, if inclined, take a last look at our current landscape knowing that we soon are relieved of this perspective–the lowlands, the ruins produced by old social, religious, cultural conditioning. From the same ground we gain a new perspective.

“There is no freedom at the level of the body-mind. There is absolute freedom at the level of consciousness. That which is perceived is not free. That which perceives is freedom itself.”~Francis Lucille, The Perfume of Silence

Even million year old footprints are washed away by the ferocity of the oceans as they erode the land upon which we exist. In Happisburgh, Norfolk, UK such footprints were recently discovered by a scientist from the British Museum, only to be lost to the encroaching sea a couple of weeks later.

As a result of the shifting landscape so much is being uncovered now that has lain hidden for millennia. We are seeing the beginnings even as we are observing the endings. Like the Alpha and the Omega, quotation marks around an empty sentence, between the beginning and the end has there been anything real?

“I am without beginning or end but all things begin and end in Me.” ~Rupert Spira,

If we feel into this question, and observe the impermanent nature of all things we know, does it not give us greater verve as we can continually create on an empty canvas? All things that precede anything have no reality including what I want to create now. It will all cease to exist at some point. It is not about the creation however but about what I want. I build this life based upon what I want. When the wanting has finally been satisfied (perhaps not in this lifetime) my direction becomes focused upon the very simple, peaceful being—a selfless being.

These two new moons at 0 degrees and 29 degrees are quotation marks around everything and nothing.

Everything that has been experienced during these 30 days across the globe contains all of the elements that have ever occurred. This can all be wiped away by a strong gust or a powerful wave. The quotation marks left hanging in the air, empty of meaning.

The 29th degree in astrology is called the anaretic degree. It is considered to be the point of karmic completion. It refers to ‘old souls’ and represents the ending of a cycle and is considered the degree of ‘faith’. Overcoming obstacles is an endeavor that we now realize happens based on our knowing rather than thinking. We are released from having to figure it out. With the 29th degree we have the gift of self-reflection that aids us in attaining higher awareness. ~reference, astrology.com

Bearing this in mind we can seewhat a powerful time we are in; to rely upon our vision, intuitive knowing and the empowering force that drives and motivates us all. Aries the Warrior as divine spirit leads us on a journey to conscious communion having transcended the limitations we experience due to adherence to a phenomenal perspective. The vista is wide open now for further exploration.

“Enlightenment is nothing more than the complete absence of resistance to what is. End of story.”
~Adyashanti, Emptiness Dancing

Wild, Being

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“When we quit thinking primarily about our selves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” ~Joseph Campbell

In our journey to ‘the mountain top’, to the illumined plane of crystal clarity and stillness we will not succeed by neglecting any aspect of the experience. Whatever we deny follows us, we are the ancient mariner bearing a burden of our own creation much to our detriment. We’ve been carrying our burdens for centuries. Ignoring them achieves very little.

The journey from the weight of oppressive conditioning to the pristine landscape of Being, the plateau of observation without judgment, of accepting what is, presents itself in several stages. Each one we rise to in our own good time, when we are ready. There is therefore, nothing to fear. Our guide on this journey has infinite and eternal wisdom. It is with us all the time but the mind prefers to perpetuate the notion of its dominance.

(On this journey everyone is unique although we have a collective desire. Nothing is written in stone and most importantly everything is based on experience through the lens of the experiencer.)

There isn’t any particular order related to one’s journey. Everything happens simultaneously and a good deal occurs of which we are often initially ignorant.

There is a desire to rise above, to see without the tainted view. This pre-exists, smolders in some and is a roaring fire in others. They say, this is based upon the degree to which we have performed repeatedly our actions here—earth the school for learning. Of course it makes sense! Or, its the best story we have! In a nutshell, there is ever present energy that is all things moving everything in like manner. We embellish upon this to our heart’s desire. Whatever it takes to help us navigate the severe turbulence en route to the stillness.

Briefly, our story may look something like: a. the desire b. awareness of more (such as feeling the inter-connectedness of self with nature/cosmos) c. experiencing connection with ‘more’ while healing emotional trauma–healing begins to release old patterns of behaviour–lightens the load and frees one to realize the clarity that pre-exists conditioning.

Essentially, we work our way through our inherited tendencies and can take a deep breath into possibility. The possibility of knowing ‘thyself’ as infinite potential, not the body/mind. The benefit of becoming conscious of the road we navigate is to actively participate with our awakening. We can tend to resist less and surge ahead courageously. Obstacles shrink and the intensity of arising emotional content becomes more bearable..

In David Abram’s book, The Spell of the Sensuous he talks about the decline of humanity’s ability to know this pre-existent energy that is everything. He illuminates for us the importance of regaining our connection to ‘nature’ on our way to embracing so much technology as technology is human-based, while our energy is eternal source.

It is often said that the human mind is an aspect of source and cannot understand the nature of source. As such, and according to Einstein our solutions cannot come from that which is based upon past experience or the human experience. Magic, is how we refer to occurrences beyond human endeavour and it is magic we revere as miracle maker.

“Without such wild otherness (Abram refers to all the evidence in nature of the pre-existant energy e.g. “the complex intelligence of an old growth forest dank with mushrooms and bracket fungi”) there is no magic.”

It may not be enough to deeply appreciate wild otherness but to know it as ‘my self’. That realization is part of the unfolding of consciousness that occurs as we accept and move deeper. The word ‘otherness’ then, actually disappears. The notion of a separate identity dissipates along with our frequency of taking things personally that is one source of so much suffering.

This New Moon at 1 degree of Capricorn provides a window of opportunity to consolidate our thoughts toward a single focus. We accomplish one step at a time without distraction. What do I envision for the New Year?

As Jupiter has just switched signs from Pisces into Aries and squares Sun/Moon, the prevailing energy pushes for progress. Jupiter represents our wisdom, our faith, growth/expansion and optimism. Jupiter is the Guru, the higher attributes of mind that uplift the soul.

Capricorn is the practical idealist and has the determination to surmount all obstacles en route to the peak of experience. They have the power to manifest based on their use of the resources available and their understanding of the underlying structure necessary for achievement. There are rules to follow that lead one to the effortless expression of Being here.

With Saturn as the director of Capricorn, we will learn our lessons in order to escape the confines that lessons and rules establish for us.

“It (Saturn) is solely committed to educating us…and pushing us to become the most mature versions of our selves…” ~Subham Dhanawat, Bodhi.app

When we are aware of what lies on the other side of our education we approach it with enthusiasm. Jupiter in the first sign of Aries is all about enthusiasm and a can do attitude. This is a moment to stand tall, confident that we create our reality and our potential to do so is limitless. It is knowing self as creator that gives one ultimate freedom and profound confidence.

As a collective, the energy of this New Moon launches us into a vital experience of knowing the ease and grace with which we manifest our vision. Mercury the planet of communication and how we think sextiles (60 degree aspect that presents a challenge yet provides a flow of energy that is helpful in successfully meeting the challenge) Neptune, embodying ‘spirit’, idealism and sometimes downright fantasy. This combination could result in dreams that apparently go nowhere. Dreaming is great! Having an additional means of bringing dreams into physical reality is optimal.

In this New Moon chart, Saturn the planet most invested in practical application is positioned at the mid-point of the Mercury/Neptune sextile. It intercepts the dream and urges one to focus on results. Mercury in Capricorn is also highly result oriented. Neptune in Pisces says, ‘there are no limits’.

Another characteristic associated with Capricorn is reverence; the appreciation for recognizing the underpinnings that support human endeavour. Reverence for the magic and how everything unfolds with perfection. Knowing this increases the success with which one handles all the various details of daily existence.

It may not surprise us to be called to involve one self with any expression that allows for a connection with these underpinnings. It is a strong and intentional way of launching one self into the new experience.

There are numerous forms of ritual one can perform that serve this purpose from the simplicity of lighting a candle, blessing our experience and asking that ‘I be open to receiving the plenitude that is my nature’, to the more complex shamanic practice of sweat lodge, calling in the four directions and aligning with spirit animal totems to connect us to our roots.

Prayer is a sublime meditation that also helps us connect to source. There is a reverence in prayer that can instantly cross the veil. We are not necessarily referring to prayer that is a plea for something. It is prayer that simply intends to align with higher consciousness. I like what Hippocrates offers as a little bit of advice about prayer.

“Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the Gods a man should himself lend a hand.” ~Hippocrates

In other words going into prayer without the expectation of receiving any thing other than a deeper sense of peace. And we till the ground for such to occur.

And truly, it is good to remember that the source of all creation is right here in this one, in this moment.

We pray with faith, knowing this.

During the week I chatted with a young woman from eastern Europe as I was waiting for my tea. She shared with me, ‘A saying from my country, if you want to go down the slide, be sure to bring the slide.’ Simply a reminder of the aforementioned. Our reality is in our own hands. This knowledge is uplifting and empowering! The very way we are determined to greet this New Year!

“Don’t let the lure of the dramatic arc distract you from the digressive amplitude of being alive.” ~Galen Strawson Daily Good 12.1