Life Design
Astrology Forecast October 16 – 22, 2023
We will be marching to the beat of our own drummer this week, so forget what others think and follow your instincts; it is the best way to make the most progress!
There is an intense energy under the Scorpio Moon today, so be careful not to step on other people’s toes in your attempts to achieve your own lofty goals.
To make matters worse, the day begins with the Scorpio Moon in opposition to Jupiter in Taurus, which is a transit notorious for instigating legal issues and clashes with authorities, as well as conflicts in marriages and romantic relationships. Slow down, stay calm and watch for any signs of trouble at home, in the office, and on the road.
Tomorrow through Thursday will be more light-hearted as the Moon passes through fun-loving and social Sagittarius.
Thursday afternoon’s Sagittarius Moon sextile Mercury in Libra offers a particularly good opportunity for sales, advertising and marketing, and our communication skills will be at their best. However, we may not get much done due to the Moon’s square to Neptune in Pisces and sextile to the Libra Sun. These two transits tend to lower our energy levels and invite hypersensitivity, laziness, daydreaming, and a passive attitude. You may have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps to get it done!
How To Thrive As An Empath
Empaths have the unique ability to deeply experience and understand the emotions of others. While this gift is a wonderful source of compassion, strength, and connection, it also comes with its share of challenges.
Living as an empath can be a double-edged sword, as the heightened sensitivity to the emotions of others can lead to emotional exhaustion, boundary issues, and a constant struggle to maintain one’s emotional well-being.
One of the biggest challenges empaths face is emotional overload. Empaths tend to absorb the emotions of those around them, whether it’s joy, excitement, sadness, anger, depression, or fear.
This emotional absorption can be so intense that it can become overwhelming to the empath, leading to feelings of confusion, restlessness, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and even physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue.
Managing this constant influx of emotional energy can be mentally and physically exhausting, sometimes leaving empaths completely drained and in dire need of some solitude and self-care.
The Misguided Fear Of ‘Missing Out’
FOMO. The “fear of missing out.” The term is typically used when young people feel envious or sad because they haven’t been invited or can’t go to an event or outing that their friends are attending. For others it is a matter of feeling driven to attend absolutely everything, including the opening of an envelope.
This mindset is spiritually misguided. Firstly, if you think carefully about what you are worried about missing out on, you usually find that you are not missing out on that much after all.
Secondly, there are much more valuable things to invest your time and energy in, especially for a young person. For example, if we don’t invest in improving our well-being in body, mind and spirit early in life, we will miss out on many blessings of joy, fulfilment and abundance later in life.
Instead of trying to attend every event or doing everything and the kitchen sink to keep up with the Joneses, it makes much more sense to create a foundation of joy, inner peace and abundance for ourselves. It is a wellspring that will never run dry. This is what one should really be ‘afraid’ of missing out on.
How To Be More Present In Your Life
We often hear the advice that ‘being present’ is an important spiritual practice to master on our journey through life. Being present with ourselves and in the moment. I like to think of it as being with yourself wherever you go and whatever you do. This is certainly true, but what exactly does it mean? And with all the busyness of life and keeping up with our daily responsibilities, how do you become more present in your life?
Firstly, cultivating ‘presence’ requires time management and effective planning. It is important to organise the responsibilities of our lives in a manageable way. Otherwise, we find ourselves in a constant state of worry and stress, having to manage daily demands ‘on the fly’. And this is a sure way to lose our presence.
Planning ahead may seem like the opposite of being ‘in the moment’, but it is actually essential. When we are busy making plans for the coming week, thinking about what we need to prepare for and making decisions about how to organise our time and spend our energy, we don’t think much about the ‘present moment.’ But this is something we need to do in order to then be more present in our daily lives. It is key to cultivating presence.
Astrology Forecast October 9 – 15, 2023
Libra energies are at a high point as we move towards a Libra New Moon / Solar Eclipse this Saturday. We will see evidence of this aspect throughout the week. Pluto will also be going direct after five months in Capricorn, clearing out limitations and setting us on a new path to accomplishment. It may take us a few weeks to notice the shift, but rest assured, change is coming!
A Leo Moon square to Uranus in Taurus may cause us to feel irritable and moody this afternoon. Unexpected changes may also happen, so stay centered and do not make rash decisions.
The Moon will move through Virgo tomorrow through Thursday, shifting our focus to detail work, organization and idealism.
Wednesday morning will be great for social advancement and business success as the Virgo Moon trines Jupiter in Taurus. We will have an optimistic outlook on life and our social skills will be in high gear. The perfect opportunity to make friends and influence people!
Mars moves into Scorpio on Thursday, and while the planet of assertiveness does not always work well in water signs, this two-month cycle will work to unearth soulful longings and intuitive insights that will be crucial to our forward movement in 2024.
Friday’s Libra Moon and Saturday’s Libra New Moon / Solar Eclipse herald more new beginnings, so be sure to make a New Moon wish for anything you hold dear. Eclipses come in pairs, and the next one, a lunar eclipse, will occur on October 28th, beginning a new six-month cycle of focus for us all.
Karmic events are likely on Sunday, when the Moon enters Scorpio, piquing our curiosity. Old connections can pop up out of nowhere, and old memories are a reminder to pay close attention – anything can happen!
The Miracle Power Of Blind Faith
In the early 1980s, Britain was in the grip of a recession and it was hardly the time to lose your job. Unfortunately, I did, and fell into debt and depression. In total, I was about a year’s salary in debt. It was a daunting sum to pay back when I had little prospect of finding a job in such an economic climate.
I went to the bank and explained my plight to the loan officer to make arrangements to pay off my debt in increments. I remember sitting in his office and he looked me in the eye and said, “Unfortunately, it looks like you are not going to get out of this situation anytime soon. You are going to have to file for bankruptcy.”
However, being a feisty young woman of blind faith, I replied, “I can assure you that I will! Even if it takes a miracle!” In the back of my mind, I knew I desperately needed one.
Well, my miracle did not come in the form of an unexpected lottery win or tax refund, as I had hoped, but rather in the form of steady work through a temporary staffing agency, as well as sheer grit, determination and blind faith that enabled me to ‘miraculously’ turn my situation around. Yes, I did it!
This life experience may not seem like much of a miracle to some, but it certainly was to me at the time. I guess it all depends on what the term ‘miracle’ means to you? For some, like me, a miracle might be overcoming debt, unemployment, and an economic recession. For others, it might be overcoming a life-threatening illness or disability, or meeting your ideal partner after a devastating divorce, or landing your dream job against all odds. I do however believe that ‘blind faith’ is often the key, no matter the circumstances.
Surround Yourself With Divine Love
Love is a concept I encounter every day in my work, and it is indeed a multifaceted thing. In its purest form, it manifests itself as a mother’s love for her child, a partner’s love for his spouse, or a sibling’s love for a brother or sister.
But love also takes more subtle forms. It can be reflected in a teacher’s love for expanding young minds, a researcher’s desire to advance humanity, or an engineer’s fine attention to detail.
There are also negative, toxic forms of ‘love.’ Too much love, though usually well-intentioned, can be harmful. The hovering parent, the controlling spouse, the overprotective friend can stifle true growth, trust, and creativity.
Sometimes conditional love is traded like a commodity or used as a weapon. It can be withheld when behavior is perceived as lacking or used as a reward for conforming to the status quo.
Fake love is also used as a facade or camouflage. The world is full of negative energy and hidden agendas disguised as projects of love that are supposed to be “for the greater good.”
Sometimes love turns into distractions, such as self-centered schemes that are really based on greed. Some people who profess love in truth worship false praise, accolades, and self-enrichment.
Spirit invites us to abandon the charade of false love. Instead, we should strive to be kind, compassionate, and generous without expecting anything in return. We must give others the benefit of the doubt without judging their worth or intent. Each day we should step forward and ask, “How can I help?” instead of making negative assumptions. Spiritual people lead by example. We must show the world the divine beings we are inside.