The 30th Is A Good Day To . . . ask: what is it about resisting those we perceive as having power that makes us feel good about ourselves? It seems inversely proportional: we are ‘good’ in direct relationship to how ‘bad’ we see the power person being–but that, we should become conscious of, is totally irrational. We do not gain virtue when we stand next to someone we judge negatively; that’s a particular kind of magical thinking that most of us don’t question. It’s entirely human to paint our assessments of others with value judgments unique to our lens (or more often, to our tribe)–but we need to know that the assumptions we make that derive from that are fiction, not fact.

And, when this prompts us to indulge on a regular basis in a form of oppositional-defiant disorder, we undercut ourselves and our causes without even realizing it. To contradict, to say no to, to defy and deny, simply because the opposite party seems to wield more power than we do (or because we think that the act of saying yes is a form of cooperation that gives away our power) is its own form of handing away our power, in that we see ourselves as denying power to the Other, but we may fail to note we are also cutting off options for our own power expression. We may feel powerful in the moment, but this is the power of being against something, and for nothing, other than our right to say no. To see ourselves as receiving virtue from that act just compounds the issue (and may in some cases simply be a way we justify our choices, a way to feel good about something that may, in some instances, not represent our best interests at all).

Power is a long game that requires not just facing the reality that’s before us but also acknowledging those things that everyone else may look away from–that’s where the power actually lies, as those who operate from the fullest awareness of the entire reality picture invariably win. Too, in engaging in power struggles (for they are struggles, even when there’s no overt tug-of-war) we may also resist the beauty or value that may come with cooperation. Today, no fairy tales, and use values to heal where you can, either taking action on them and remedying some hurt, or soothing wounds by rising above them.

(Seemed important to share today’s aspects: Chiron trine Vesta, Mercury opp and contra-parallel Neptune and parallel Black Moon Lilith, Venus opp and Sun sesq Pluto)

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.