Been a long time...

Well it's been some time since I last posted...and what a ride its been in the meantime! And I don't just mean events in the external world; I am also referring to what seems to be an inner roller-coaster ride, a true journey of the spirit these last few months.

I read recently in a new age e-magazine that many of us in the human race are weary;  as a collective, many of us are finding it hard just dragging ourselves around. There only seems to be enough energy to do the bare minimum, get through the day then stumble into bed and get a few hours of fitful sleep. There isn't much in the way of inner peace, so it seems, although the external world seems to be just about hanging together in a delicate balance of this force set against that.

For me, I find myself mulling over things of the past perhaps a little too much. And this mulling can be anything from my own personal memories of past times in my life, both pleasurable and painful. Or it can simply be dwelling too much on our collective past; on historical matters that perhaps once had relevance but are now questionable. (I won't go into that here.) I have found myself feeling stuck; like I'm just going over the same old mental and emotional ground and I can't quite seem to engage myself into the next gear.

Perhaps it's been in order that an element of stillness rules at this time. My sister is 28 and for some time now she has been wanting to become a mother. But her life in general also seems rather stuck; she lives in a coastal area where she knows basically no-one, she lives with her partner but they both have felt unable to spark any changes. Then recently she told me that they are thinking of moving back to our home town in the country, and it seemed like changes were finally about to take place for her. But now, once again, stillness and a sense of inactivity dominates the vibes around her.

I really believe that the world is getting ready to move into a new time. Many of the old, seemingly unassailable institutions of the past are slowly being eroded away. Scandals are rife; witness the once-great, all-conquering Arnold Schwarzenegger. He had come from extremely humble beginnings in Austria, then through one iconic movie role become world famous, and then married into American "royalty". No doubt he fully lived all the temptations that came his way - and now his indiscretions are finally coming to light and he appears to have lost so much because of it.

Rupert Murdoch - media mogul, owner of Fox and 20th Century Fox, not to mention an obscene 70% of Britian's media. Also a giant in his field, seemingly undefeated, now being rocked to the core by the phone hacking  scandal. Truly, it's as if the world-spirit is doing a little housecleaning before letting in the new energies of cosmic springtime.

And the same principles are applying in our daily lives. If we are sincere in trying to improve, we are being supported. Its as if a Scientology-style audit is taking place deep in our innermost being. A final summing up, a 'last judgement', if you will, before the end/new beginning.

And I guess that is the real point - this is the end, and so many of the energies around us are sluggish for that very reason. They haven't yet found the new direction in which to flow, like a stream caught in an eddy. We keep going round and round and round...but once the energies are fully digested, fully processed and full understanding is reached, then perhaps, then the river will burst its banks once more and the stream will be able to flow joyfully and strongly once again.

Phew, really waxing lyrical here. But it was the only way I could express what I had to say. Just had to let it flow, like the stream. Blessings, joy and empowerment to all.

Power of the Moon

I want to put on my astrologer's hat for a moment and talk about the Progressed Moon, and the effect it has as it moves through your birth chart.

In astrology, we each have a Sun sign, and also a Moon sign. The Progressed Moon is a measurement of the moon's movement after our date of birth - and of how often our Moon changes signs (and houses) in our chart (which is roughly every 2.5 years).

My Moon has just progressed into Virgo. Let me tell you I am feeling these effects already! I have totally revamped and reorganised this blog, and, after a long stint of doing temporary work assignments, it looks like I will once more have a full-time job (Virgo governs one's daily work and routine).

But more than that, it's the mannerisms and speech patterns that I have observed changing in myself lately. I notice I am more intolerant of other people's foibles, whereas previously I was more easy-going. I am cranky and irritable, where beforehand I was more light hearted. My partner has noticed these changes too, and it's a little unsettling for her ~ she feels almost like I am a different person!

All this goes to emphasise the power of the progressed Moon, and it makes me think of relationships that go through a rough patch after the first one to two years. We have all heard people say, "Oh, so-and-so has changed. I feel like I don't know him / her anymore. He's not the person I met / married"!

Maybe in some cases this is due to the effects Progressed Moon. Astrologically the Moon governs our emotions, our reaction to circumstance. When the Progressed Moon changes signs, it's possible that a whole new disposition comes into effect. Reactions change; emotional expression changes. Someone who was once a bit of a wall-flower may suddenly get an infusion of self-confidence. A person who was once finicky and overly-precious may chill out more, be more easy-going. A person who was quite social and outward-bound may suddenly become more inward, brooding, even obsessive.

All this can be the effect of the Progressed Moon, and it all depends on the sign the Moon is leaving and the one she is passing into.

Studying astrology can yield many such useful insights into the mysterious thing that is human nature. For the interested, I recommend checking out Astrodienst, where you can create a free, personal online profile and get a free birth chart interpretation. All you need to know is your date, exact time and place of birth. Happy star-trails!