“Sam and the Perfect World (640)” by David Lenz David Lenz – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam_and_the_Perfect_World_(640).JPG#/media/File:Sam_and_the_Perfect_World_(640).JPG

I was down by the sound this morning, looking for a little escape before returning to work, and came upon a place where there had been a small beach fire. I had no camera or phone so couldn’t capture it for you. All that was left was half of a drawn placard that showed a brilliant orange and yellow sun with curling rays like tendrils and a rough ash edge. That seemed the perfect symbol for the coming week; so many of us are already behaving as if we’re burning in the crucible of the upcoming Solar Eclipse. Matters of identity and purpose, temper and pique, flood our attention–and this week promises to shine a light on those places in our lives that burn, and must be answered.

Tomorrow, the 8th, we question our own wisdom–our attention burns on the possibility that we are unskilled and behaving poorly–but is that true? What we may really be questioning are our off-the-cuff spontaneous actions and the values we declared to the social sphere; both may make us reconsider our past choices. We’ll know what to do, what to change and what to leave the same, if we can unite our minds with our instincts. Usually we want to separate the two, so we can tell thoughts from true, natural prompts, but in this case it’s the separation that’s causing a feeling that we’re drifting from what we know to be smart. Look to trusted others for feedback, and take a ‘clean slate’ approach to mental activity, rather than trying to sort through and accommodate ideas that may be stale or outmoded already, anyway.

Values and ambitions are right in line with each other, even though material circumstances don’t support getting what we want on the 9th. We have a deep mental resistance to change that’s acting as a stumbling block and manifesting in contrary material issues; once we figure out we’re in our own way, obstacles disappear.

The 10th is a black-out, of sorts, a living meditation when few demands are made on our attention. It’s as if, after staring at the sun, we’ve looked away, and find a kind of relief in the sheer lack of intensity.

Surroundings may wound, or may hold the key to healing; on the 11th what you put in the spotlight determines whether you see the environment as hostile or as a warm, receptive, sunny place.

I’ll post again for the eclipses. Vesta still has a lot of editing for me to do; I clearly underestimated my own workload. The good thing is that, unlike in years past, there’s no chance I’ll stop at this point, since it’s virtually done! Have a great week, everyone!

Credit for door photo: © Ajepbah / Wikimedia Commons / Lizenz: CC-BY-SA-3.0 DE

We may be carrying baggage we don’t need; these two days let us put that burden down. By Morley, Photo by Bedside Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported

On the 27th we are ready to choose or take action based on our highest values and goals, and fortune smiles upon us, poised to heap on the rewards, as long as we follow a few simple precepts: don’t allow yourself to be dragged back into past ways of thinking or to past situations, especially in relationships or in relation to values; don’t ignore or deny any part of the reality picture–all must be considered; and treat everyone fairly and as an equal. With this latter idea, we sometimes approach it as, ‘I grant you the right to be considered equal to me’. No no no no–any high-handedness will come back as a b*tch slap to the ego–a review of what true humility entails will be in order for some, before those actions and choices will really be effective.

By the 28th, though our minds are on the future, we could see our efforts hit a brick wall, often in subtle ways that are hard to pin down. The reasons are either financial, or due to relationship facets we aren’t acknowledging–and what’s new to us isn’t easily integrated into the reality picture. With Saturn currently major body of latest degree, we may feel inexplicably shut down. The only answer that will get things moving may be to take a radical (for each individual) tack, to try something previously untried, or to act atypically for our usual character and responses. This doesn’t have to be negative or earth-shaking; it does need to let us see things in a new way.

See my books here–

‘Still Life with Roses’ Giovanni Boldini {{PD}}

What’s really driving everyone today is hidden; as long as we accept that, we’ll see that empowerment or understanding can’t be aimed for, it’s just something we’ll have to stumble into, if it’s attained at all. That’s freeing, in its own way, and could help us to allow experiences, thoughts, or approaches we would normally turn away from, and so give results something fresh and unanticipated.

Don’t let anybody tell you that relationships formed online aren’t real. Yesterday I learned of the passing of a long-time client, and I mourn her. The funny thing is that from my point of view, all of you, readers and clients, are a group; I expect this to affect you, too, even though it’s unlikely you know this woman. Someone dear, funny, smart, and aligned with a mystical point of view has left the Collective; together, we can’t help but feel the loss of such a spirit. I like to think that now her questions will be answered and the mysteries that plagued her will be solved at last. Sending you love on your journey, Claire–we’ll miss you!