Saturday, November 18, 2017

Scorpio New Moon 2017


Another New Moon ~~ this month, in Scorpio, the sign of hidden truths. We are in the traditional falling aspect of the Moon since the Sun is going deeper into darkness before it resurrects in December. Scorpio is represented by four diverse Beings: the Scorpion, the Snake, the Eagle and the Phoenix ~ all creatures of transmutation. Since Scorpio rules transformation and metamorphosis, we are in a time of edginess and a sort of uncertainty.

Let's turn our focus to the positive aspects of Scorpio ~ passion, resourcefulness, deep perception, focus. We have time to work on our own skills of self-reflection and self-mastery. Probe our own depths for moments when we feel out of control. Work on freeing ourselves of those burdensome emotions and tendecies toward self-inflicted woundings.

The Scorpio New Moon provides the environment for us to delve our deepest self and the mysteries of our world, to compassionately feel into others' motivations, to dedicate ourselves to one particular undertaking. Its watery sign has place us in the best current for doing our healing work, particularly in the arena of the emotions if we are willing to dive below the surface to reach them. The deeper we dive, the stronger our abilities to heal others. We have a tremendous opportunity to surface psychological and spiritual insights over the next month as well ~ if we are willing to be vulnerable and take a risk to show our personal power. If we allow it, Scorpio will help us eliminate whatever has held us back so we can heal the past and begin anew.

With its hidden power, the Scorpio New Moon illuminates our connection to the Dark Feminine Divine. Use it to release fear of others taking power over us. Use it to dive deeper into the purifying fires of Pele, the rattling skulls of Kali, the fertile seeds of Persephone, and the intimate sensuality of Lilith. The Dark Feminine Divine does not discriminate against any gender, but empowers each of us in Her Own way.

We are called to bring all that we are to our lives, every aspect and every facet of ourselves. The challenge is to embrace it fully ~ roses with soft petals, enticing scents, thorns and all. Are you ready?

How do you incorporate Scorpio's positive traits into your life? What are you willing to bring to the surface? What healing will you allow into your life? How deep are you willing to dive? What fear/s are you willing to release? What undertaking are you ready to take to a deeper level? What practice will you embrace to keep yourself grounded?

Monday, November 6, 2017

A Great Pilgrimage



When this quote slipped across my screen, I paused. I have a particular love for the term pilgrimage. Its etymology and definition can be summed up as a journey to a distant place for spiritual knowledge and/or edification.

I felt in need of a great pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days, and God came to me.
~Kabir

 Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to go on many pilgrimages. Several of them echoed Kabir's words. Which is likely why I was so drawn to them.

Pilgrimage = journey to a distant place. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is the patron saint of pilgrimages though she never left her home town of Lisieux. Why?

Thérèse exemplified Kabir's words. Repeatedly in her writings and in the stories of her life are instances of her visitations from the Divine, even as she sat quietly in prayer. Often, she was berated for falling asleep during her prayers. Her response was that she was alseep in the arms of God. So deep in conversation that to those around her, she was not awake nor aware. She was far away.

No matter what we choose to call the Divine, we have repeated opportunities to do as Thérèse did. Our focus on the Divine can be so intense that we appear to others to be asleep. We know we are not. We know the dream world through which we are moving is the realm of the Divine.

Sometimes we have the chance to travel in this world as well. To go on pilgrimage. To walk and move in the holy places, wherever they may be. After my first trip to the Holy Land, a friend asked me to describe how the place felt. Was it different from home? My response came in the form of a smile and an enigmatic statement, That's why they call it the Holy Land. When many people's hearts, minds and prayers focus on a particular place, all that graced energy makes the place itself holy. It enshrines the energetics of the land itself and dedicates it to the Divine.

Pilgrimage can take place anywhere. We bring the holy with us as we move through the world. As long as we continue to move with prayerful, holy intent, we carry that energy with us. The pilgrimage blesses both us and the place of our focus along with all those we encounter along the way.

When was the last time you went on a pilgrimage? Where did you go? Did the Divine come to you wherever you were? Why did you consider it a pilgrimage? How were you called to it? How did it bless you? What blessing did you bring to it? What difference did it create in you when you returned?

Friday, November 3, 2017

Taurus Full Moon 2017


©2017 ML Monroe
November's Full Moon in Taurus follows on the heels of the New Moon in Libra calling us to find balance, to take time for ourselves, to open our eyes to the challenges. Jupiter and the Sun aligned to encourage our expansive and extensive wishes and seed-planting.

So here comes the powerhouse of the Full Moon in Taurus in the 11th month. A Numerology aside: 11 is a Master Number, with double digits. Not only that, it's a special Master Number because at its core is the ability to reach spiritual enlightenment as well as the duality of the Divine Masculine number 1 AND the Divine Feminine number 2. Balance.

Enough of that. Dipping a toe into numerology is enough for this particular Moon. The sacred energy of the number 11 coupled with the Taurus Full Moon equates to multiple opportunities for positive advancement in business, relationships and home. In every way, this Full Moon is supportive. Time to work on organizing, breaking free of old patterns, and beginning new chapters in life. In a nutshell, transformation. An action that is a challenge to many of us, yet truly necessary if we are to grow more fully into our beingness. Both the Master Number 11 and the Taurus Full Moon are providing the energy ~ if only we take the first step.

Part of that first step includes accepting and relying on our intuition. The Taurus Full Moon accentuates both its strength and accuracy. It also creates a protective space for meditation, lucid dreaming and other spiritual activities. All our dreams, both sleeping and waking, will be more creative and more vivid.

Draw on the energy of this Full Moon to release any fears holding you back from stepping into the life you are called to live. Break through barriers and move forward with strength. Be grounded and allow space for the grief that comes as we let go of what was and what never could be in order to step fully into what is.

If we rely on facts and science, we know that naming our emotions, recognizing and acknowledging them, stops the amygdala from slipping into that fear ~ or fight-or-flight ~ place. That allows our pre-frontal cortex time to breathe and recognize that we've been through this before.

Let's use the power of this Taurus Full Moon as the unique focal point it is. We continue to be called into the deeper and truer parts of ourselves and to develop ways to express those facets of who we are to the world at large. It's part of the duality of the gifts we are given and the gifts we have to offer to the world.

What do you need to let go of in order to grow? What do you stand for? Where do you find solid ground on which to stand? How do your values support you when your emotions get the best of you? What dream calls itself into reality through you right now? How do you express your trust in your own kindness?

Friday, October 6, 2017

Listen, Attend


Our work, our relationships, and our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. While no single conversation is guaranteed to transform a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can. Speak and listen as if this is the most important conversation you will ever have with this person. It could be. Participate as if it matters. It does.
- Susan Scott


We spend much of our lives in conversation. We converse with our partners, our children, our parents, our workmates, our neighbors, everyone around us. How well we attend to the other person is often another story. We are often chatting while doing something else. Anything else. Driving. Watching TV. Making dinner. Texting. Listening to music. Watching for our stop on a bus or train.

People make a big deal out of young people (in particular) texting or being on social media rather than communicating face to face. In truth, some of those texts or social media conversations are very intense. The participants are attending closely to what the other is saying. Some of those conversations are skimmed and content or context missed. But that's true in face to face conversations as well. We're alive inside our own personal thoughts, actions, reactions, but not necessarily to what the other is communicating.

Each conversation we have with each person who is in our lives is important, significant in its own unique way. Conversations are about ebb and flow, the back and forth give-and-take of interactions. When we are distracted or focused on something other than the person with whom we are communicating, we miss cues to the deeper message behind their words.

We all want to feel heard, to be heard, to have another respond to us as though we are, in the moment, the most important person in the world. In truth, in those moments of deepest communication, we are that important. In order to receive that focus from another, we must be willing to give it. We must be willing to slow our pace. We must be willing to stop our attempt to 'multitask' and attend to another person. Listen. Attend. It's important.

How many times have you walked away from a conversation with no recall of its content? or its context? What has distracted you during your most recent conversation with another person? and the one before that? When was the last time you felt, thought or believed that another person was not paying attention while you were speaking to them? How did you feel? What can you do to keep your attention in your next conversation?

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Aries Full Moon 2017


©2017 ML Monroe

Wow! Time is certainly moving more quickly every day. Wasn't it yesterday, I wrote about the Solar Eclipse?

Are the two events related? Short answer: of course they are. Everything that has followed the Solar Eclipse is related to it.

The Solar Eclipse brought strong, sometimes subtle, sometimes strong, changes for everyone. The Aries Full Moon brings the time to face whatever obstacles stand in the midst of our life. Then it gives us the light and power to move through and past them as needed. First, though, it requires our surrender of the obstacle that lives within.

Sometimes Aries pulls us into a confrontation mode. We want to battle everyone. What this Full Moon calls us to do is feel deeply into that confrontation to uncover what part of it is assertiveness and what is sheer aggression. We need to shed the aggression and focus on the assertive. Since this Full Moon is happening in conjunction with the Sun sign of Libra, we have the opportunity to draw from that sign to work positively on relationships ~~ not simply charge at and crash into everyone and everything.

Much of what is happening in our world reflects the Shadow. This Full Moon shines a light for us to explore new ways to consciously voice our emotions, to own our wishes, hopes and desires, and to bring honest, open communication into our relationships. It is time to fully grow into and express our true selves, to bring that part of our beingness into Light. We also are in a time where we focus on our place in the Divine Plan.

The proximity of this Full Moon to a Venus-Mars alignment adds a flavor of intensity and passion. There is opportunity and danger as well as both fate and freewill concerning those strong emotions. Though the Aries Full Moon is generally impulsive about moving forward without a backward glance, this one is inhibited by a sulky Pluto in Capricorn and a hesitant Mercury in Libra.

The Aries Full Moon illuminates our need and desire for balance in every aspect of our world. Watch carefully what it brings into illumination for you.

What can you do about violence? in yourself? in your world? How can you create relationships in beauty and remain true to yourself? How do you disagree with others without violating them or yourself? How do you find and maintain balance? How do you break through the learned fear of showing your true self?

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Autumn Equinox 2017


The Equinox is all about equal time. Not surprising that it leads us into the sign of Libra, the Balance. Harmony. Focus. Collaboration. Compassion. All of the aspects of the balancing sign of Libra.

One month ago, we were in the midst of the energy of the Solar Eclipse. Was that truly only one month ago? It seems like a lifetime has evolved in the interim. That eclipse touched at least 14 states in the US ~ maybe more, if counting those that were beyond the 90% totality mark.

Between then and now, several hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires have touched even more lives. It's almost as though the corona of eclipse lit up more than the sky. And here we are, at the moment in the year where we can almost hear the wheel crank toward autumn. Before it fully clicks into place, we hang in the momentary balance of Light and Dark.

Although we call this day both the final day of Summer and the first day of Fall, neither season moves quite so precisely into the next. Yes, the tilt of the Earth is at its farthest reach. If the sky is clear enough for us to see the Moon, we will also find Jupiter close by, but only in the dance of light before sunset. At least until the 25th, when Saturn steps closer to the Moon.

Fall is the time of year when we switch our goals from expansion and growth to the harvest. Reaping what we have sown. And it signals a general slowing of the pace. Not quite to full relaxation, but certainly to a more mellow pace. The light begins to lessen and the dark and quiet pervade our world. Hopefully, we find our rhythm syncing with Nature's. We feel the cyclical time pulling at us. Quiet ourselves and listen.

What goals and intentions that you planted in the Spring are you reaping now? What are you going to turn under, plow into the soil, this Fall? How will you slow your pace? How do you feel the rhythm of Nature? Where do you find harmony? What in your life needs to be balanced?

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Shower of Flowers


I received an amazing surprise recently. While enjoying my tea and chatting with some friends, a delivery person ~ who looked very familiar! ~ came in with these flowers. He came right up to me and told me they were for me. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped into a silly grin as I thanked him for them. Then he and my partner exchanged glances. I suddenly knew where I'd seen him previously ~ this setting was simply out of context. As my partner got up to leave, we hugged and a whispered "I love you" completed the moment.

Afterward, as I looked at the flowers sitting on the table and as I took this picture, I found the grin still on my face. I posted the picture on social media and gathered my things. I couldn't shake that feeling of being singled out, of being special, of that sweet innocence that comes with a gift.

Throughout the day, my thoughts returned to that sweet event. How often has someone given you flowers? A couple of weeks ago, while shopping at Costco, I commented to my significant other, "I like getting flowers occasionally." If the flowers came that day or even the next, I would've discounted it. I'd asked for them. What happened instead was that my partner kept my comment in mind and surprised me. No special reason. It felt good to be heard.

Occasionally over the years I've gotten myself flowers. After a particularly difficult work day or because I'd completed a project or simply because they looked so beautiful in the store. Did it matter why? No. Their scent, color and aliveness a always made me smile.

I thought about women I'd known who'd done the same. Our culture of "say it with flowers" implies saying "it" to someone else. It's wonderful when someone else gives them. It's also wonderful, in a very different way, when we care enough about ourselves to gift that kind of beauty to ourselves. For no special reason. Just because we heard our own comment and responded accordingly.

What do flowers signify to you? How do you express your caring for another? Do you remember little comments made by those you care about? How do you act on those comments? How are you affected by little acts of kindness made by one who cares for you? How have other moments of kindness shown up in your life?

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Virgo New Moon 2017


Another New Moon. More letting go. More releasing what no longer serves. That's what New Moon energy is for.

This New Moon continues the changes begun with the solar eclipse. Since eclipses begin six month goal cycles, each new moon within that time defines a new developmental phase for long-term goals. The solar eclipse in August started the path of bold, confident changes for positive growth and happiness. Since this New Moon is opposite Chiron, adjustments must be made in how to attain the goals in response to the deepest and most painful personal wounds.

Although it may feel easier to make a completely new start, that kind of extreme change is tougher on friends, partners, family and other loved ones. Finances need to be considered in the midst of these shifts as well. It's the old adage of don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Be careful not to cause total chaos. It's important to focus on the big picture as well as personal desire. There is always the possibility for adventure and personal growth in education, travel, new relationships or other opportunities while continuing core responsibilities.

Be awake to and aware of the ripple effect of each act. What is said or done creates small, overlapping moves that touch others. One person cannot counter the effects of areas ravaged by hurricanes, floods, wildfires or earthquakes. But one gesture of care and healing can influence others and combine with the gestures of others to make a difference.

Since the energy of this New Moon is Virgo, it's about healing every aspect of being ~ mind, body and soul. Virgo is about self-focus as well as other focus. This presents an opportunity for burnout if we balance too far one way or the other. The capacity to nurse and heal wounds is strong in Virgo's energy, especially if used thoughtfully.

There's much in this New Moon that is focused on problem-solving: Venus, Mars, Mercury, the Sun and the Moon are all in Virgo. There's no way to avoid the strong pull of cleaning up everything. A good time to focus on a project, for work, pleasure or home.

What healing do you need? What is the wound that is surfacing right now? What is the most loving thing you can do for yourself? What are you hooked on? What can you release and give up? How can you best move forward toward achieving the goals you set during the solar eclipse? How can your positive gestures make a difference? How can your thoughtless gestures create chaos? Which will you consciously or unconsciously choose?

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Leo New Moon, After Eclipsing


Photo Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani










All this week, in every venue, talk eventually turns to the eclipse. Every news outlet, all social media, each conversation on the street begins with some comment about it. "Did you see?" "Where were you?" "We seem to have survived..." "Didn't realize the temperature would drop so significantly!"

With the Leo New Moon and the solar  eclipse happening at virtually the same time, the energetic effect of each increased with the power and impact of the other. Leo is all about the will, specifically, choice and action. After our experience of the new moon and eclipse, what action will we choose to take?

One of our most significant choices in life is whether we choose to see an experience as happy or miserable, as positive or negative. Our first reaction may be anger or upset or angst or fear. We cannot change the feeling. What we can change is how we move forward with it, how we see it in the larger perspective, how long we allow ourselves to sit in the stew of those emotions. We have the opportunity to use our will to move forward in whatever manner we desire.

The solar eclipse not only brought up emotions, some sensitive people had physical reactions as well. Like when we fall in love or we lose a job or someone leaves or dies, our system may respond with restlessness, a lack of appetite or an upset stomach. It's how we experience and cope with rapid change. Prior to the eclipse, discussions focussed on whether to be outside during the event, be with large or small groups, or be alone. People had celebrations, camped out, created rituals. No matter where we were or with whom, the expansive eclipse was a communal experience.

We are moving through one of those liminal places where what we choose as our focus ripples out to help form our communal future. The eclipse and this Leo New Moon are not only about our desires but also about our will to create and co-create the story of our future. Choose concisely, wisely and with care.

What did you do for/during the eclipse? What emotional responses did you have? What physical reactions did you experience? How did you choose to respond? What action are you choosing to move forward into? How do you want your future to be? What part of the story of our communal future are you willing to write?

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Eclipse is A-comin'


www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/augustsolareclipse.jpg
Unless living in a cave or entirely off the grid in North America, you've seen scads of information on the solar eclipse coming in its totality to a region near you.

Amazon.com put out a recall on some suspect/useless eclipse glasses sold through their site. Anywhere on the path of near totality, remember to not look at the sun during the event without appropriate eye protection.

Many articles provide information from diverse sources, from NASA to religious views to channeled messages to advertising. It's a challenge to sift through them and decide what is accurate, what is opinion, what is bunk.

Some ancient peoples hid during the eclipse. There was fear that it was the end of the world as they knew it. Some traditions continue to support hiding or remaining indoors. Other ancients explored the event, allowing their curiosity free reign. Some experts believe one function of England's Stonehenge was to predict the coming of an eclipse.

Eclipses affect us whether we actually see them or not. They are major astral events and our system, our individual core selves, recognize that. There is a tremendous energy occurring around this one. Besides the solar eclipse itself, there is the Leo New Moon, Mercury in retrograde and visible during the eclipse along with Jupiter, Venus and Mars, AND all the people who are and will be traveling.

An event of this caliber creates a thinning of the veils between the worlds. Eclipses take us into the Dark at an untimely time. They also bring us out of that Dark and back into the Light. Though our minds may be prepared for it, our more subtle being experiences the strangeness of it. Even people who don't generally feel this can sense a push from every direction. For some, it feels like a weight or burden. Others express a weariness. Many feel a vague and inexplicable agitation.

This is a time to practice good self-care and self-awareness. Self-care may involve telling significant others what you're feeling, taking time to be alone, meditate, pray or do whatever spiritual practice you may have. Rituals ground us. Be gentle with yourself and with those you love.

What do you want to leave behind in the Dark? What do you want to see birthed into the Light? What is calling to be center stage in your life? How do you see your significant expression of who you are shifting?

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Aquarius Full Moon 2017


This Aquarius Full Moon turns up the heat on the intensity of activity in astrological terms. This is the sign of our social conscience, our community self. This Full Moon is accompanied by a lunar eclipse only two weeks before the solar eclipse occurring at the coming New Moon. We are riding the lunar waves of change and challenge for our future.

Eclipses often bring change and shift in our lives. This can show up like the symbolic turning of a page, or beginning of a new chapter. We have all been experiencing this influence to greater or lesser degrees for days or even weeks prior to the eclipse. What we experience sets the tone for the next several months of our lives. Paying attention to how our entire system feels makes the most sense right now.

We also have the opportunity to open our hearts and trust the seismic movement that shakes us is uprooting the stuckness we have gotten ourselves into. This is a time to be gentle with ourselves and with others, to cultivate with care our close relationships.

There are deeper questions surfacing ~ about relationships to others and to our work. We are being called to be proactive rather than reactionary, to step into and use our power rather than to sit back and watch what others do before acting. With each of these callings, we are asked to respond with care, thoughtfulness and compassion.

Although eclipses are seen as times of darkness, they bring everything into sharpness and clarity no matter the emotions that clarity elicits. We experience the shadows differently. What we see in the dark presents us with a new sense of who we are, where we are and what we are here to do. The dark moment passes quickly enough, yet it leaves a lasting impression on our minds and psyches.

We are in a unique time to attend to our inner world and pull the outer world into alignment with the greater story we desire to bring into the Light. It's not often the heavenly bodies align to provide such strong motivation to unfold our own myths and to watch them form the connections we need.

One more awareness is that Mercury is on its way to retrograde (start: August 12th at 11° Virgo; end: September 5th at 28° Leo). My sense of Mercury retrograde is that it is the perfect time for information gathering, reflection, research and deep breaths. Many really deep breaths. Don't make major decisions. Or quick changes. Or spendy purchases. Breathe. Continue to do your behind-the-scenes work. Mercury retrograde is often blamed when we move too quickly to a new position on something. It's only the conduit of the energetic to pause, rest, reflect. Another moment or two ~ or week or two ~ of decision-making generally won't hurt the outcome. And if quick decisions are necessary, be sure to do whatever research possible and move forward.

Mercury retrograde will continue through the solar eclipse. More on that later. Just sayin'.

What relationship changes are necessary in your life? friends? colleagues? networks? other groups? What are these relationships teaching you? Have you learned your lessons? Are you caught in a collective space? Are you speaking your unique truth? What is ready to expand and move in your life? and in your relationships? What patterns of interaction no longer serve you? How can you change them?

Monday, July 10, 2017

Find Your Tribe


Yesterday, I wrote very briefly of the significance of our tribe ~ the people with whom we feel most comfortable. This motif has repeated itself recently, including bringing forth this image and quote.

Though we hear the call to live our passion, we don't always do that every moment of every day of every year. Many find ways to keep it alive within us even when expressing it is difficult.

The more important task is finding those who help kindle our passions and those who inspire our pursuit of them. These people comprise our tribe ~ the ones who call us on our laziness and support us through our dark moments.

Our tribe doesn't always reside in the same place. Sometimes those individuals we call part of our tribe don't like or even know each other. We aren't stagnant, single fixtures even with our passions. So our tribe may not be either.

Obviously, I write. Each person who reads my blogs is part of my tribe. By showing up and reading it, you encourage me to continue to write. Is that important? Yes. It fans my personal flames even when I feel discouraged.

I have other writing tribe members. Some are friends who've read my letters, blogs and stories over the years, encouraging me to continue. Writing course and group members who point out phrasing that strikes them in a positive or negative manner. Writers whose works I read and whose style I may in some way emulate or incorporate into my personal voice.

Beyond writing, I have tribal membership with spiritual groups. I have learned about different forms of divination, including tarot, dreams, astrology, shamanism ~ each of them calling forth their own tribes. These tribes sometimes overlap with each other as well as with my writing, family or work tribes.

Everywhere I go, in every form of passion I have, I find people who fan my flames. And whose flames I, in turn, also fan. Being part of a tribe is like that. It's as important to have others who provide you with true inspiration as it is to provide them with inspiration.

What tribes do you belong to? What passions are awake within you? Who fans the flame of those passions? How do you fan the flames of others' passions? What support do you need? How do you ask for it? What support are you willing to give others? Do you find yourself supporting others who do not support you? Do these relationships feel tribal to you?

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Capricorn Full Moon 2017


©2017 ML Monroe
If your favorite thing in to remain secluded at home, the Capricorn Full Moon may not be your best supporter. Even though the sun is in Cancer and home base is easily and completely the focus, Capricorn is going to tug you out for all the world to see.

Cancer is all about beginning; Capricorn is about the making it to the goal. Neglecting either of these will not work. The best path during this Full Moon would be to find a place of balance between the two. There's a strong flow of emotions between these two extremes and we are in the space to express our feelings and see where they lead. Something is about to be birthed.

This Full Moon is also called the Blessing Moon. Even though it may not herald a changing season, it is calling forth change. With July as the start of the second half of the year, that call for transformation is fitting. It's a good time to breathe deeply and look for every possible chance to express gratitude.

Alongside the Full Moon is a Moon-Pluto conjunction. This is the particular point of that deep summoned transformation. It's also where a sense of solitude or even loneliness can show up. We are being called to identify our tribe as well as define our place of safety.

A curiously strong aspect of this Capricorn Full Moon is that balance point between home and work, inner and outer pursuits. We have the opportunity to choose how we are going to present ourselves and our being to the private and public aspects of our lives.

Think about what is happening in our world today. The G20 meeting recently completed, we found ourselves facing decisions and agreements made without the overarching influence of the current President of the United States. There are actions being discussed in every region of the world that will influence every facet of our future environment ~ natural, political, economic, educational, physical, etc.

This Full Moon, with its polarizing focuses of the Cancer home/internal and the Capricorn work/external, also affords us the chance to connect with others in an entirely new manner.  We can choose to yell and scream and call others out on their 'stuff' ~ whatever that may be ~ while ignoring our own or we can choose a quiet one-on-one chat about our differences.

Drawing people in to conversation grows from the Cancer home quality. Consider the shaming and name-calling and how it shatters the tribe. Drawing people in gets past individual, systemic or privileged identities as well as beyond oppressive, limited and limiting definitions of ourselves and others.

For the past several years, Pluto has been residing in Capricorn, the sign of the Middle World, of established institutions. While it's been digging up the foundations for that entire time, the Cancer Moon makes it personal. The Capricorn Full Moon shines its glaringly bright light on both the large and small aspects of our world and asks us to pay attention to where we would like it to go from here.

What cracks are showing up in your world? In which aspect of the world (personal/private or work/public) are they? How are others influencing or affecting your current sense of the world? How are you affecting or influencing those around you? How do you want to see and experience the world in the future?

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Cancer New Moon 2017


Another New Moon ~ Wow. It seems like only a couple of days ago I was writing about the Full Moon. The pages of time keep turning.

Like all new moons, this one is about releasing, letting go, setting the intention for gathering back in. A Cancer New Moon feels like coming home because Cancer is nurturing and protective. Being ruled by the Moon, and currently influencing the New Moon, showers us with a fluctuating emotional current.

Mercury entered Cancer a few days ago. Since Mercury rules the mind and communication, this New Moon is poised to allow us access to more sensitive communications with those around us. We have an awareness not only of our own feelings, but also those of others. Stay mindful during this time of any tendency to overthink an action or situation. With the intense focus on watery Cancer emotions, this could lead to higher anxiety. If that happens, be gentle with yourself. Breathe and relax. Let go. Remember, that's the gift of the New Moon.

Neptune, the planet of compassion, is currently in its shift to retrograde. Neptune inspires dreams, imagination, creativity, psychic openness, and divinity. It connects us to both subtle shifting energy and high spiritual realms through its magic and etheric juiciness. Its creative domain is primarily visual arts, like photography and painting, yet it can also influence movement arts, music and literature. If we allow ourselves openness to to any of these arenas, Neptune and the strong empathy of the Cancer New Moon will work together to bring our gifts forward. This is not a time for us to hide within the hard Crab shell of Cancer.

What emotions tug at you during this New Moon? How are you experiencing 'home'? What creative gifts are coming to the foreground more strongly for you? How are your dreams or imaginings currently influencing you? What are you considering communicating to one or more people you care about? What is holding you back? What might you be overthinking? Where may you be attempting to hide? What do you need in order to show more compassion to yourself?

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Summer Solstice 2017






It is summer, it is the solstice
the crowd is
cheering, the crowd is laughing
in detail
permanently, seriously
without thought
~ William Carlos Williams
The crowd at the ball game







Summer days are often seen as days for play, for enjoying the sheer pleasure of being alive. The Summer Solstice is the epitome of that sensation. Long with light, hopeful with warmth and growth, it embraces us with its energy.

William Carlos Williams captures this wonderfully: the crowd is laughing in detail, permanently, seriously, without thought. What great language! I've never thought about laughing in detail. Have you? Laughter is without words and so seems without detail. Yet, on Solstice, in the high energy of sun and celebration, laughter itself becomes the detail, the expression of sheer joy.

Why is the Summer Solstice important? It's been marked by civilizations at least since Stonehenge was built over 5000 years ago. It's one of the four seasonal markers everyone recognizes throughout the year, and one of eight celebrated on the pagan calendar. It's been a marker of the cycles, as well as the passage, of time far longer than any printed calendar or designed timepiece.

Every civilization uncovered and studied by anthropologists shares one thing in common. Some anthropologists refer to it as the search for the Divine. Others simply call it a search for explanations and meaning. Yet each civilization left remnants and reminders of its expression of the Divine and its rites and rituals, generally through icons and images.

It's that continuity that brings Willliams' words to light and life: laughing in detail, permanently, seriously, without thought. No matter the what or how of the celebration, the energy of it seems to be ingrained into us, into our culture, into the fabric of who we are. In the midst of the energies bouncing around in the world today, finding ways to release ourselves from their bondage by reintegrating the ancient laughter is vital.

How will/do you celebrate the Summer Solstice? What is your earliest recall of acknowledging the energy of this day? How have people in your personal lineage celebrated it? in your cultural lineage? in the lineage of your heritage?

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Soul Dancing


One recent holy day, in the Christian cycle, was Pentecost. According to that tradition, this was the day the Holy Spirit flowed from on high and danced as fiery tongues upon the followers of Jesus. They claimed a direct experience of the Divine.

Pentecost is a holy day, as with those in many other traditions, that defies logic. We often read, or are even taught, these stories as metaphors, not as actual occurrences. As metaphor, they provide the basis for creed, doctrine and dogma without necessitating actual subjective experience.

No matter the religious or spiritual belief, embodied experience sets one apart. These are uncontrolled and uncontrollable mystical experiences. They are the moments when we touch, and are touched by, the Divine. We all can describe moments akin to these: the joy when we feel the first quickening of a new life; the quiet awe of a glorious sunset; the wonder of a rainbow after a wild storm.

Mystical experiences are like these, yet different. They are deeper, higher, broader, more intense. We can turn away from a sunset and miss the deep wonder of it. We cannot, often dare not, turn away from the Divine when Its touch reaches out toward us. The encounter with the Presence of the Divine without mediator, without outside sanction, is both thrilling and terrifying. We are in unknown territory with only that Ineffable Presence as guide. We have no clear idea what will happen.

And yet.... and yet these moments of intense encounter causes our soul to dance. Whether you believe, as the author of the above quote, that the soul is inside the body or that it is outside the body, it is an animating force. A mystical experience, an encounter with the Holy Other, enlivens that animating force as no other experience can.

I long to live my life, each and every day of it, allowing space for that encounter. Then, when it happens, I know my soul will dance.

How do you experience the Divine? What are your encounters with the Ineffable One like? What makes your soul dance inside your body? Is that a feeling you desire? Why or why not? Do you recall one or more mystical experiences you have had? What brings you the deepest joy? What do you want with/from your encounters with the Divine?

Friday, June 9, 2017

Sagittarius Full Moon June 2017


©2017 ML Monroe
This month's Full Moon in Sagittarius opposes the Sun in Gemini. This particular duality reveals Gemini's logical mind juxtaposed with Sagittarius's intuitive mind. This lunation invites us to find a balance between the two.

It's also about communication and attitude. If we look at our lives, private and public, over the past two weeks, we discover something has been building inside us. The cosmos demands we find ways to express those feelings.

Sagittarius is spontaneous and adventurous so that is also at play during the influence of this Full Moon. As we approach the solar eclipse, this Full Moon gives us another chance to explore and deepen our understanding of ourselves.

The 9th House, where the Moon sits, is all about beliefs, spirituality, philosophy, travel and communication. It is the place where we seek understanding and expanded experience where we envision possibilities. At the same time, the Sagittarius Moon requires that we sort through all the incoming information in order to deepen our practices and to assess where we're headed in that depth. Whatever it may be, it is ours and ours alone. We are in the process of defining our individual purpose. With Jupiter in Libra, we even have the opportunity to work together with others to outline a larger, group direction as well.

What emotions are tugging at you? How do you moderate their expression? What are you feeling at the gut level? What do you believe? What are your spiritual practices? What activities are calling you? Have you written any of these down? begun practicing them? Who in your life calls you to join a larger group purpose? What is your next step?

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Arriving Home


Spending the past month traveling [on the road, pilgrimage, walkabout, however one names it], I've been fortunate enough to make a couple of pauses back home again. Several thoughts and insights arose from those pauses.

Foremost is gratitude for those who remain behind and continue to make that place from which I started a home. It's a place to which I'm happy to return. Not only the physical place, but also the comfort of family and friends. I recognize that everyone in it ~ from the baristas at Starbucks who know my name and my drink preferences to the musicians and other friends who follow me on social media to former co-workers asking for details ~ everyone reaches out with recognition and comfort when I return.

This particular T. S. Eliot quote has stirred my soul since I first read it in high school. Exploration includes travel, yet that is not all that it is. It encompasses much more than that. It's also the exploration of our surroundings in other ways. We step out into a new form of the world. We examine and try on new ideas, new thoughts, new identities. We watch ourselves grow and change into adults, partners, parents, friends. We move through our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual worlds ~ sometimes filled with care, sometimes crashing and burning, sometimes on quiet tiptoe. Even so, there is for each of us a resting place, a place from which we rose and a place to which we return. We may return to it as a different, changed person ~ but it remains deep within us nevertheless.

I used to think it was about returning to a particular place, home, neighborhood, city, whatever. As time continues to move forward in its ever plodding way, I believe it is more about that spot deep within us in which resides our personal and/or collective Still Small Voice. We can define It, name It however we choose: God, Goddess, Universal Mind, Creator, Higher Power, Allah, Great Spirit or even Lebowski. I doubt that It is particular about how we call It. Yet I firmly believe that It, that incredible Ineffable One, is the place from which we come and the place to which we eventually return.

What/How do you name your Still Small Voice? What are you currently exploring? What have you recently explored? Have any of the places you've explored changed in the recent past? Do you expect any to change in the future? Where did you start from? How do you feel about returning there?

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Resurrection


Resurrection. The reversal of what was thought to be absolute. The turning of midnight into dawn, hatred into love, dying into living anew.
If we look more closely into life, we will find that resurrection is more than hope, it is our experience. The return of life from death is something we understand at our innermost depths, something we feel on the surface of our tender skin …
We give thanks for all those times we have arisen from the depths or simply taken a tiny step toward something new. May we be empowered by extraordinary second chances. And as we enter the world anew, let us turn the tides of despair into endless waves of hope.
~ Molly Fumia


Sometimes, when we least expect it, we find that we've been carrying some dead thing around with us or some unknown, unspoken grief has raised itself into our heart or a wound thought healed resurfaces. When that happens, we generally cuss, either under our breath or loudly, and get upset that we have, once again, to deal with the bugger.

In actuality, the return or reopening of that thing we wish would leave us alone is a blessing. Like the cactus, it has sharp stickers that insert themselves into the tender parts of our bodies, minds and hearts. But also like that cactus, it has an extraordinary beauty that blossoms and brings us joy ~~ eventually.

A personal story ~
Once, while participating in a sweat lodge, I found myself feeling claustrophobic. I'd been attending lodges regularly for years and this had never occurred previously. In fact, I was often in the innermost circle of a lodge ~ closest to the hot stones, with other women crowding close behind me. This time, however, the feeling overwhelmed me. I found myself requesting to leave. Outside, I sat on a log next to the fire. The firetender quietly asked what brought me out. I shared my feelings and my surprise, and wondered if he had any idea what may have made that urge to leave so intense. He didn't have an answer for that. It was my issue, my challenge. What he said was, Give it to the fire. The fire will burn it out and send the ashes to Spirit. Just know that, whatever the issue may be, it will return even more fiercely next time. The difference will be that you will know how to handle it. Each time it returns, it will be less and less of an issue.

I followed the firetender's advice and found it to be true. Now, whenever one of those issues resurrects itself, I take it to one or more of the Elements ~ fire, water, air, earth ~ and release it. The trick is in the release. I can't let it go then take it back again by worrying about it. That requires faith that eventually joy and beauty will replace whatever pain or ugliness shows up, even if it takes time.

Getting to the resurrection of joy and beauty requires that we change, that we allow the pain, the fear, the loss to be very real and present in our lives ~ and then release it into the place of transformation and watch for the blossom.

What feeling returns to haunt you? How often has it returned? How does it affect your life? What element can you imagine releasing it to? How might you do that? Who might help you do that? What does resurrection mean to you? for you?

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The Gift of Watching and Being Watched


©2017 ML Monroe

When for too long I don't go deep enough into the woods to see them, they begin to enter my dreams. Yes, there they are, in the pinewoods of my inner life. I want to live a life full of modesty and praise. Each hoof of each animal makes the sign of a heart as it touches then lifts away from the ground. Unless you believe that heaven is very near, how will you find it? Their eyes are pools in which one would be content, on any summer afternoon, to​ swim away through the door of the world. Then, love and its blessing. Then: heaven.
~ Mary Oliver
New and Selected Poems: Volume Two



My final evening visiting friends in Arizona, I stepped out on the back porch with my cell phone softly belching 'on hold' music. The air was fresh, cool and clear. Birds chirped and chattered. I turned the noise even softer. Distracted, I walked toward the end of the porch. Movement in the side yard caught my attention. Two young mule deer munched on greenery. I ended the phone call.

I stood still, staring at the two deer. One kept turning toward me. The other moved forward to munch on the leaves hang in front of the face turned in my direction. Not a great move. The first deer turned from watching me to rise up on his hind legs and push his sibling away. As the intruding deer moved away to find his own green space, the first deer turned his gaze toward me, and stepped in my direction. I stood quiet staring back, watching him prance one, two, three steps closer. I lifted my phone, opened the camera, and took the above picture.

As Mary Oliver says, When...I don't go deep enough...to see them, they begin to enter my dreams. Yes, there they are, in the pinewoods of my inner life. I breathed deeply, held myself ​as still as my muscles could manage, returned the direct stare of the gentle mule deer.

The deer showed up strongly as I prepared to travel on from this place. This lovely encounter opens to several meanings. The deer sees between shadows and hear what hasn't been said. It is sensitive, intuitive and in touch with the mysteries of life. It has the magical capacity to regenerate as well as pass through life and obstacles with grace. Its gentle vigilance teaches me to stay relaxed, at ease and aware.

I'm grateful for the coming of the deer. Much of my travel has focused on Ancient Peoples sites and stories. I'm grateful also for what they have taught and shared about the animals and land around them.

What creatures have recently showed up in your life? What of themselves are they sharing with you? How will you incorporate their message for you? How often do you find yourself acknowledging or even noticing the elements of nature around you?

Monday, May 15, 2017

Scorpio Full Moon 2017


©2017 ML Monroe​
This explains everything. Scorpio, the fluid sign of depth, setting its edginess over the May Full Moon. As the saying goes, the energy feels like we're tumbling down the rabbit hole. Remembering, as with Alice, we have the sense that we're taking a long time to land.

Scorpio is about transformation, about reaching higher and deeper into personal consciousness. It carries the potential for attaining the heights of Divine consciousness as well as diving into the deepest levels.

No matter who you are, the impact of this Full Moon will last a long time as it gradually opens you to seeing and experiencing things in a new light.

Use this pivotal point in the year to embrace change and transformative shifts​ for personal forward movement. Days later, as this Full Moon energy fades, understanding will increase.

We often forget about out own inner strength and power which provides us with everything we need to step up and take responsibility over our lives. When we ignore or give away our power, we find ourselves sinking into whatever difficulties come our way. When we remember the vast wisdom and potential that resides within us, we can navigate and rise above the troubles. This Scorpio Full Moon is the perfect time to recall and time into that inner energy. We only need trust and engage the magic coming from the cosmos and send our wishes into the ethers at this auspicious moment.

Like the light of the moon coming through the branches of the tree, this Scorpio Full Moon shines light in through the darkness. It brings a new, deepened focus to all that needs to be transformed on our path and in our world.

What needs to be transformed in your life? What is bubbling forth into the light? How are you tumbling down the rabbit hole? How are you feeling about it? What new potential is revealing itself in your life?

Friday, May 5, 2017

Living Like a Saguaro


While on my first visit to Arizona, the friend who picked me up commented that we were driving through a saguaro forest. I'd never heard that term. When considering cacti, even ones as large as the saguaro, the term forest was an alien concept. So I asked her to pull over somewhere so I could take a picture. The do indeed grow in groupings akin to a forest of trees. The differences I noticed made me think about how we humans live together.

Look at how they form community: close, yet not. Much like the way we live. If we have choice, we move into neighborhoods because of their reputation for safety or friendliness. Yet we remain separate. We get to​ know our neighbors, yes, but we keep our prickly selves a bit apart, slightly distant.

The saguaros are also tall and erect. If I were to anthropomorphize them, I'd say they look proud. Which is also a trait we exhibit in community. Sometimes, that's an important stance to take. We show we can make it, we have a strong sense of ourselves, we are productive members of society. On the other hand, there are times when that pride can separate us, keep us from speaking our truth, telling of our need of others.

Also like the saguaro, we embrace the conditions around us and offer shelter for those who peck their way into our core. With no defense to keep them out, we take them on and protect them. We offer the deepest part of ourselves, no matter the cost to us. We share much in common with these stately, sometimes comical cacti.

What keeps you apart from others? What keeps you rooted in community? How does your prickly self show up? How do you act when it does? What do you do to change it? Or do you embrace it and remain apart? Who's made their way into your heart, you life, despite your prickly effort to keep them out?

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

New Moon in Taurus 2017


the nearly New Moon
Focus on both the Moon and the Earth during this Taurus New Moon. The sky focus presents the opportunity for us to reach beyond ourselves, to set goals matching our dreams. The earthy focus offers us the sensual enjoyment of our daily lives: food, nature, movement. Earth brings us stability, security and comfort. Moon brings us dreams, reflection and passion. A good time to assure the safety of our foundation as well as to bring to light the elements that contribute most to our happiness. Find our comfort zone and move forward, however ploddingly, to make changes. In the helper role for this is the trine formed with the New Moon and the North Node of destiny as it wraps up its time in earthy Virgo.

This is a good time for switching gears, for noticing what needs to be changed and making the decision to do so. As we let go during a New Moon, we set a path toward fulfillment at the next Full Moon. This New Moon calls us to look at what is right in front of us while we assess our goals, a good balance. With both the Sun and the Moon in Taurus, the energy of Venus, currently on a healing journey with Chiron, gifts us the energy to conscious, sacred healing of our hearts amidst the slowly churning chaos.

We are also affected by several planets in retrograde:
Venus: Awakening our hearts (March 4th-April 15th)
Mercury: Activating our awakened hearts' clear & concise voice  (04/09 - 05/03)
Jupiter: Reassessing and reinvigorating goals & intuition (02/06 - 06/09)
Saturn: Taking responsibility for our choices & reclaiming our power (04/06 - 08/25)
Pluto: Uncovering our closets' hidden skeletons & transforming our lives (04/20 - 09/28)
Planets further from the Sun will affect us more on the deep, subconscious level so we may not feel their effects as clearly as those closer to the Sun ~ and to the Earth. Times when planets are in retrograde are good times for reflection and introspection. Cooperating with the slow energies of the Taurus New Moon, we move forward into healthy, positive, balanced progress on our goals.

In the midst of what dreams do you currently find yourself? Which goals do you need to reassess? In what new direction are they pointing? What in you needs healing? What is the border of your comfort zone? How can you move yourself beyond it? What will help you feel more stable? more secure? What makes you happy?

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Energies for Travel


Starting out on a month of travel, I chose a couple of cards from the Mythical Goddess Tarot by Sage Holloway and Katherine Skaggs. My focus as I shuffled and drew: What Energy/Energies go with me as I head out on this journey?

The first card was the 8 of Seas with the title Depletion. My initial reaction was that I'd somehow made a mistake. I hadn't been concentrating on the 'right' thing. We all know the truth of those kinds of reactions. Sometimes what we fear, what we draw away from, is precisely what we need to understand.

I grabbed the guide and read:
Saturn in Pisces
Beached whales lie ashore on gray sands under dull skies. There is no vitality, no light, ... in this landscape. This card is a caution against burnout and emotional depletion.
Your heart must have the nourishment and attention it needs, ... It is a top priority for you to nurture yourself and pay attention to your feelings ....

My jaw nearly dropped in amazement. Then I began to chuckle. Obviously, there was more to this draw than I'd appreciated on first glance. I'm growing past an experience that left me with a degree of PTSD. Even though I've been feeling better and life is going more smoothly, there is some residual angst. My journey is to visit friends who have always been supportive and uplifting. This card reassures that I am going to the right place for my continued healing.

The second draw was Uzume on the Fool. She looks exuberant dancing on the drum head. I love the Fool.

From the guide:
Air
Uzume is the whirling Japanese Goddess who lured the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, from her dark cave. ...
The Goddess Uzume dances to the whirling cosmos, without regard to the rules and restrictions of the physical world. Like the air element she represents, she has no agenda and no baggage. Uzume draws forth the child-like innocence in everyone she meets. She is the essence of Spirit. She embodies nonconformity and the transcendence of the earthly realm. Uzume is the archetypal Wild Woman. ...
Uzume as the Fool reminds you to be free in your expression and the way you view the world. .... Be like Uzume and free your inner radiance into expression, by being true to your genuine essence, released from the restricted limitations of your genetics and the world around you.

This brought home to me the other reason for my trip: to fully embrace the wildness and wonder of life. I have the opportunity to dance in a way that I haven't for awhile. I've felt this urge growing in recent weeks: the desire to move more freely, and with more joy, in my journey through the world. What an incredible pair of cards to draw!

How are you moving through the world? What saps your vitality? How does depletion show up in your life? What do you do when you feel the urge to dance, in whatever way that shows up? How does it show up in your life? When was the last time you opted to do something that had an element of the wild? What did you do? If it hasn't been recent, what can you do to encourage your own joyful nature?

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Bottle Cap Tarot


Every now and again words of wisdom pop up in the strangest places. I shake my head and chuckle when that happens. It's the strip of words in a fortune cookie striking a chord. Or the magazine ad attempting to catch the consumer's eye catching the heart instead. Or the teabag tag with literary quotes.

Or it shows up on a bottle cap: Live life to the fullest.

In the midst of today's craziness with the media bombarding us with the most devastating and negative information. With governments in every sector taking strong or threatening or isolating stances. With events in nature distracting and destroying. All around us, something offers the opportunity to step into a defensive mode.

What of all this negativity and defensive posturing is truly in our best interest? My first response would be, 'None.' Simplistic and reactionary. Realistically, some of it is in our best interest. Knowing what's true about climate change is in our best interest even if it makes us sad or angry or defensive....maybe even because it does. Seeing the devastation caused by war-like behaviors and natural disasters help balance out our perspective on things that go wrong in our own lives. Awareness of governmental shifts that may adversely affect those with little or no voice is important to know so we can join our voices on those issues.

Of lesser importance is the posturing of angry men ~ and women ~ who may have authority and power, yet are mainly looking to keep us distracted. There is a sleight of hand happening over which we have no personal power.

At the times of our greatest frustrations, we need to keep in mind the wisdom of this little bottle cap: Live life to the fullest. We are responsible for our own lives. We are accountable only for our own actions, including our attitudes and our happiness. Life is for living fully. As we reach out to those we who are nearest and dearest to us, we experience moments of joy, peace and contentment. Our capacity to step into those experiences thwarts the power of the negativity and the naysayers. We take control of the definition of a full life. It's the best form of rebellion and resistance we have.

How do you respond to the negativity in the news today? What do you find works in your best interest? How do you break away from participating in the negativity? How do you define a full life? How do you share your definition with those around you? What is it about your definition that keeps you positive?

Friday, April 21, 2017

Going with the Overflow


Haindl Tarot

As I was heading into the week, I drew a Tarot card from my current favorite deck by Haindl.
My question: What is the theme for the week?
My card: Three of Cups (Overflowing; Hexagram 28)

from the guide:
28 Preponderance of the Great. Three cups are in an upward pointing triangle symbolic of fire. The cave indicates that the card deals with inner experience. Rocks at the bottom hint at danger; however, the cups overflow with joy.
The I Ching hexagram on the card is 28 Ta Kuo ~ whose declaration is Preponderance of the Great. The bottom three lines are Xun (entrance, the wind); the upper three Dui (joy, the marsh). Together as Ta Kuo, they signify a large excess. The large masculine is excessive and the feminine is needed to properly counterbalance that excess.

In order to follow the energy of life, we discover that it is always seeking the best of what we may become. Nature's creativity thrives in diversity and brings opposites together. Cooperating with creative change generates the means to take us beyond our defenses in order to strike a balance and embrace the change.

Within this structure, the chance of danger remains. Creativity brims with life and vigor. Reaching for those elements presents an overstepping of the edges of safety and comfort. That's always a danger zone. Sometimes we tumble over that edge. Our response in those moments can take us further into that overflow of joy and trust or scrambling back to fear and limitation. The choice is always ours.

What is your experience of joy? How do you work with the sense of fear or loss that can arise with it? How does creativity show up in your life? What stops you from stepping fully into the flow? or into the overflow?

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Easter/Ostara/Pesach 2017


At this time, Christians celebrate Easter. Jews celebrate Pesach, or Passover. Pagans celebrate Ostara. Muslims observe Al Isra' wal Miraj, Mohammed's Ascension to Heaven.  All these holy days have common elements.

Egypt celebrates Sham el Nessim. In India, the celebration is Baisakhi, the Punjabi New Year. Cultural groups throughout the Northern Hemisphere celebrate Spring, coming Summer, blossoming and rebirth.

Underlying each celebration of Spring is an acknowledgement of renewal, of rebirth, of resurrection. We watch each Fall as around us all of nature fades and either passes into the season of hibernation or lays down its living self to become part of the mulch. Winter brings with it the strong time of hibernation and struggle for survival.

When Spring comes and the greenery breaks through, we rejoice. When our domesticated animals begin their season of reproduction, we rejoice. In the midst of the new work of planting and birthing and coaxing growth, we set aside time to rejoice.

The greatest element in this time of year is resurrection. Everywhere we look there is new life. Even though our minds recognize that it is the usual cycle of the seasons, our spirits are moved by that internal cognizance of nature's rebirth.

Each and every culture celebrates the renewal of life. This is one thing we share, no matter what language, culture, religion, gender, ethnicity. This is a time of rejoicing ~ and we would do well to acknowledge it and participate in the joy.

How do you celebrate the renewal brought by Spring? How has your family historically celebrated? What is different about your celebration from your family's? How do your neighbors celebrate? your friends? your co-workers or classmates? What are the similarities between the celebrations? What are the differences? What brings you the most joy in this time of resurrection, rebirth and renewal?

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

April 2017 Libra Full Moon


©2017 ML Monroe

This month's Full Wind Moon is accompanied by the steady little light of Jupiter (bright dot on the right side of the image higher than the Moon). Considering this in mythic terms: Jupiter always watched the beautiful and powerful women around him ~ mostly in order to capture them and get them with child. The salient point to remember is that he watched those who were significant and powerful in some manner. That makes this a time to be aware of being observed as well as of the nature of the observer. Dance in the fullness of that attention and be awake to what's bearing fruit. [True for every person, regardless of gender.]

There is also a continuing Grand Square in the cardinal signs [Libra, Capricorn, Aries, Cancer] keeping us on our toes and calling forth the necessity of connecting with our spiritual source. It creates a dance of crisis leading to opportunity. Since the interaction with this Full Moon is in Libra, a mental air sign, it will partner with both emotional analysis and emotional objectivity. An overriding energy in the collective continues with expansive, fortunate Jupiter opposite changeable, original Uranus and evolutionary, hidden Pluto squares them both. Working with this energy, we have the opportunity to change our story.

This Libra Full Moon is about relationships ~ ALL relationships. Strengthening them. Living life fully within them. Sharing ourselves honestly. Respecting the Earth and all Her creatures and resources. Recognizing we are in relationship with all that is around us. It's the time and space where we are called to heal our woundedness concerning the Divine Feminine. Bringing all to wholeness.

Another pattern is also happening: a Yod with Mars, Ceres, Vesta and Saturn ~ known as a 'Finger of God' ~ helping heal sorrows we carry from our past and allow to get between us and others. For the time it is with this configuration, action-oriented Mars can focus and assist us to move more fully and directly into that healing.

What are you called to do in this lifetime? How do you allow others to be themselves? How do you release judgments you have of yourself? of others? Can you be fully yourself with others? What masks do you wear that you can release at this time? How can you be of benefit to others? How can you best be your truest and most authentic self? Who do you most influence? Who most influences you?

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Ask Better Questions


Questions elicit answers in their likeness. Answers mirror the questions they…meet. So while a simple question can be precisely what's needed to drive to the heart of the matter, it's hard to meet a simplistic question with anything but a simplistic answer. It's hard to transcend a combative question. But it's hard to resist a generous question. We all have it in us to formulate questions that invite honesty, dignity, and revelation. There is something redemptive and life-giving about asking better questions.
                                        - Krista Tippett


Schools on all levels often teach the Who-What-When-Where-Why-How method of questioning. Using those questions once was the sign of a good investigator as well as a good reporter. It was about getting to the crux of the matter, exploring the details, and cross-checking the facts. Those questions, couched in a variety of other wordings, informed our opinions as they taught us about the many facets and faces of the world around us.

Some people worded their questions to elicit specific responses ~ either in word or in denial. Many asked questions from a mindset that expects particular responses. We learned to listen with ears attuned to words we wanted to hear. It's no longer about finding the facts or telling the most complete version of the story. It's about proving ourselves right. Getting the story out there first took precedence ~ and if some facts were inaccurate, well, we could update it later. Nevermind that most people would never see or hear the update.

To get back to that place of curiosity and wonder, we have to relearn how to do less guiding with our questions. Ask more open-ended, generous and invitational queries. Ask better questions ~ not only in their complexity, but also in their authenticity and genuineness. Set an intention to invite and welcome others, whether they are family, friends, neighbors or total strangers. As we open ourselves to asking better questions, we learn more about those around us. We develop a more sincere way to express ourselves in the world as well.

What questions would you want someone to ask you? How do you respond to quick or simplistic questions? What questions form themselves in your mind when you meet a new person? What keeps you from asking them? How do you pursue conversations with others? Why is it important to you to ask ~ and be asked ~ open and authentic questions?

Monday, March 27, 2017

March 2017 Aries New Moon


The Aries New Moon is the first New Moon of the astrological year. A new opportunity to set intentions into motion accompanies it. Mars, the planet of action, influences us to get our plans going ~ but Mars is influences by realistic Saturn focusing us on planning and preparation before acting.

2016 was all about endings; 2017 is all about new beginnings. It's the time to release what no longer serves our best interest. Aries brings an energy of leadership, action and new ideas. It moves us in the direction of charting new courses through new waters. What will we do? Who will we be? How will we show up? This New Moon is the one to set the intentions about what we will manifest throughout the coming year. There is no wrong path. There are no mistakes. Stay awake and aware of the guidance the Universe is providing to you.

More influences at the time of this Aries New Moon include a conjunct with Venus, which is currently in retrograde, and a trine to Black Moon Lilith. Though deeply and more directly influenced by Mars and Saturn, the New Moon is also dancing with two strong Goddess energies as well. Even with Venus in retreat, there is influence and power there. They emphasize and draw out the mythic and the spiritual for us.

New Moons in general signal the end of one 28-day cycle and the beginning of the next, making it the best time for moving forward. The best time for taking those actions and stepping into the new projects in the first two weeks as the Moon moves from New to Full. For the Aries New Moon, it's time to set our sights higher and dream bigger than we have before. Get the best possible intentions out into the Universe ~ and this New Moon will help create the action plan.

What are your dreams and wishes for the coming year? How can you upgrade your goals? What dreams are you seeking to manifest? How can you change your strategies to help your goals and dreams become reality? What new, creative energy do you want in your life? How can you best embrace possible changes?