Inspiration in the Midst of Transformation

To ignore a truth is to give it power. This action sets up an imbalance within, caused by the duality of your own nature; limitless expansion of the spirit versus resistance and denial from the mind. To confront a negative situation, person or experience with too much energy is to fixate on the negative, thus giving your power over to an outside source. By flipping your perspective and seeing a “bad” situation in a different light, you become the one in charge of your destiny. And when you face a truth head on, you dissolve the duality that keeps you in an out-of-balance state of anxiety, fear, depression or hopeless despair.

Planetary energies can be one of these truths we ignore because we just don’t have the time, energy, knowledge or inclination to look into the depth of the effect they have on our emotions, moods and the transitional phases of our life situations. Just like the moon affects the ebb and flow of the tides and the physiology of our human bodies, the rest of the planets in our solar system also affect our human experiences according to their innate characteristics.

At this time in the evolution of man we are experiencing cosmic energies that are causing all of us to feel the shifts on personal, collective and global levels, and ignoring these energies, or our feelings, isn’t making them go away . . . is it?

So, I figured I’d tell you a little bit about what’s happening out there and how it’s affecting us inside, in the hopes you will be inspired to shift your perspective in this time of transition in order to move through these changes in a positive way that leaves you feeling empowered and maybe even fulfilled.

Right now the planets of Jupiter and Pluto are in the sign of Capricorn, and Pluto is going to stay there for the next 17 years. Yikes!!! Capricorn is an earth sign with a realistic, serious, patriarchal influence represented by a very masculine archetype. It’s the planet of economy, business, politics and social order and it relates to how we externalize ourselves in the world in regards to status, career and position of authority.

Jupiter is about success, ambition, inspiration, growth and wealth. It’s upbeat and light-hearted with an internal code of honor coupled with intuitive perception. The energy of Jupiter is all about expanding our experiences, knowledge and understanding in the physical, intellectual, spiritual and cultural realms. It represents optimism, generosity, joy, abundance and great fortune.

Our dear little planet Pluto with its intense energy and nonconformist attitude, is all about transformation – slow, inescapable, inevitable, powerful, forced if necessary, transformation. Good or bad, change is in the air when Pluto comes to astro town. It breaks down the old and replaces it with the new . . . and I’m talking drastic!

Pluto brings to the surface the parts of ourselves we haven’t wanted to look at or address; confrontation with the shadow self – karma; which makes sense because in mythology Pluto is the Lord of the Underworld. When Pluto moved into Capricorn in January, the universe was telling us it’s time to take a very close look at our personal and collective destinies, soul purposes, and the way we have self-created our individual fates and the economic fate of our nation, thus far. Saturn’s placement in Virgo (For further info read Help on Your Healing Journey and 4 Great Tips Using Planetary Healing Energies) brings up work and health issues, which means we need to seriously consider the effect our career choices have on our happiness, well-being and overall evolution.

We have all been feeling this restless-uncertainty-on-the-brink-of-upheaval energy on a collective level in the corporate business structures, job market and political systems, as well as on a personal level. In previous years the focus of the clients who contacted me was about how to have a better relationship or attract their dream partner. This year the number of people seeking guidance in finding their life purpose has increased dramatically, reflecting the Jupiter/Pluto in Capricorn forces at work in the universe.

It’s time to consciously move to a new level of understanding and become practical realists with a focused direction and clear goals. A man with a plan . . . . or woman! And that plan needs to be carried out with integrity and conscientious maturity in a disciplined, committed, step-by-step approach. The effect of Jupiter in Capricorn is like telling a joke in a serious business environment; light in the midst of darkness. It’s about fixing the structure by voicing your truth without attachment to the outcome and travelling beyond our borders to learn something new.

This summer I travelled beyond my borders to learn something new. I drove to the neighboring town (35 miles both ways 4 times) to take a couple art classes. Art isn’t exactly something new to me, but I hadn’t done any in several years and with all the transitions I was going through, my spirit was hungering to be fed, and what better way for a creator to feed it, than by mucking about with art materials?

Transformation draws energy from the physical cells of the body, as well as the mental and emotional realms of our Being. You can easily end up feeling tired without there seeming to be any logical reason for it. But the thing about transformation is that it’s difficult to see evidence of the changes taking place when we are in the very midst of those changes, because change takes place inside before the results are made manifest in our external environment.

I was quite aware that I was in the process of transformation because I had intentionally put a stop to the momentum of my career direction and was consciously examining alternative options. In other words, I too was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and I felt the physical effects of this transformational period – I was tired without a reason. Unknowingly, my actions were in alignment with the Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn energies because I was clearly confronting my challenges in the material world in order to find sharper focus for my meaningful life’s work. So, I put a halt to my mental marathon and took a few art classes to get some hands-on action back into my life.

Now, during this Jupiter/Pluto in Capricorn phase when I’m overwhelmed by lack of clarity in regards to career direction and my mood starts taking a dive, I simply gaze at the art pieces I created this summer and get lost in the happiness contained there-within. In and around my art room I’ve propped up some inspiration in the making – several sketches drawn on handmade paper that are waiting for me to infuse them with color, vibrancy, movement and new life. It’s always good to have something that inspires one to keep moving forward, dreaming about what could be, shaping it in the mind before taking action.

There are many ways to keep your spirit fed during these trying times whether you think you are creative or not. Sign up for a class or workshop like I did, and learn something new, or get an alternative perspective on your current area of interest and pick up a few new skills while you-re doing it. It can be very uplifting to immerse yourself in a group of like-minded enthusiasts. It’s easier to get your own energy moving when you are among energy that is already in an animated state of motion.

Another way to move energy is to actually get up and move! Go for a walk where no man has walked before – or at least in territory that’s unfamiliar to you. If you’re a jogger, go for a swim; if you work out in the gym, try yoga at the beach instead. Take a trip somewhere exotic and exciting. If travelling to Fiji or booking a flight on the Space Shuttle is not in alignment with your current finances or vacation time, how about a free trip to your local travel agency to browse through brochures rather than sitting home alone searching through Expedia or Travelocity?

The idea is to stay positive, fresh and enthusiastic about life in order to avoid that all too familiar slump that’s waiting for us to fall to our knees and never get up again. Think big or think small, just be sure to think and act outside your regular box from time to time, and especially during these times of transition that are calling for us to re-examine every facet of our personal, collective and global lives.

To lift your energies I included my new summer art, just so you have some inspirational energy to come back to when you need a boost of happy and can’t seem to get it anywhere else.