Life Design
Happiness Is To Follow Your Path With Joy
Discouragement, failure, heartache. Poor Moses did not have it easy. He went daily to the throne of the Pharaoh to ask for the release of his people. His life hadn’t started out very well. His mother had to hide him in the bulrushes, so he wouldn’t be killed right after his birth.
Then he went to live in the princess’s house, and knowing he was different he often felt alone. Adopted by royalty, his biological mother and sister were still living as slaves in the fields. He wasn’t happy. He should have been in high spirits, because he had everything a young man could desire…except he knew he didn’t belong.
Then, before he realized what had happened, this young man had killed an Egyptian soldier! So, here he was, a sought criminal, running away and going into hiding.
He had a stutter when he spoke, so he was a quiet man. But then Great Spirit puts him on his true path, instructing him to “go talk to Pharaoh, tell him to let my people go.”
What! Look, this path can’t be right? Yet, reassured by the prophets, the messengers, he embraced his task of getting the Israelites out of Egypt. With his brother by his side to do the talking, Moses finally went to the Pharaoh, and kickstarted the dream of freedom from slavery.
God helped Moses by creating problems for the Egyptians. He sent plagues and calamities. At first the results were disappointing and there was no change. Time after time, ten times in fact, just as the release seemed to be granted, the Pharaoh snatched it back again. But eventually see the plan finally work out.
Astrology Forecast July 24 – 30, 2023
Today’s energies will be easy-going as there are no changing aspects. Just remain cheerful and balanced under the rest of the Libra Moon, because when it ventures into Scorpio tomorrow for a three-day tour, we can expect more intense, impulsive energies.
Tomorrow evening’s Scorpio Half Moon could trigger relationship conflict, family drama, or public disputes, so stay calm and think twice before you act. Especially keep the peace and stay on good terms with your partner, spouse, or love interest, as the likelihood of romantic conflict will continue through to Wednesday under the Scorpio Moon’s opposition to Jupiter in Taurus.
To potentially make matters worse, the Scorpio Moon square with Venus in Leo on Thursday may additonally become the source of conflict with motherly figures in your life. If trouble has already ensued with your beloved on Tuesday or Wednesday, do not be surprised if their mother, sister or ex gets involved in the matter. Stay calm, and go high if the women in your partner’s life decide to go low, instead of minding their own business.
The mood with your significant other should improve under Friday morning’s Leo Sun trine with a Sagittarius Moon. If so, then leave well enough alone, otherwise you may be up for a drama reboot by late afternoon under the Sagittarius Moon square with Mars in Virgo. Fortunately, love and romance should be very much back on track by Saturday evening under the Sagittarius Moon trine with Venus in Leo.
The most significant astrological shift this week will be Mercury’s move into Virgo on Friday. Mercury rules the sign of Virgo, so don’t be surprised if your attention to detail increases or you find yourself nitpicking about things that really aren’t important.
The weekend might turn out to be more work than play when the Moon moves into Capricorn on Saturday. This aspect tends to inspire a more serious, ambitious and determinded mood, so when duty calls don’t try to fight it. Make the most of this deliberate, focused energy to get some pressing tasks done at the office or home, and set goals for the coming week.
Life Lesson From A Resilient Robin
A few days after I saw a robin attempting to build a nest on a neighbor’s balcony in my apartment building, I spotted another robin with a chest covered in mud. I was thrilled, as I knew this meant a little miracle of life was going to happen. And, it did. Three days later, she laid her clutch of tiny blue eggs in a nest built in a perennial shrub, next to the complex entry way where residents come and go all day.
Her strategy for building the nest in such a busy location became apparent two days after she had laid her eggs. A pack of savage crows descended on the nest, tragically cutting her clutch in half. Unlike the other robins, she had built her nest here so that she could potentially depend on human activity for added protection. Sadly, her plan failed.
Crows are one of the most intelligent bird species on the planet. They know and remember their potential enemies and prey. She may have cleverly built her nest here, hoping to avoid them because there are constantly humans around, but keeping crows away can be a real challenge, because of their intelligence and their adaptability. Things that scare them off at first, soon does not bother them anymore.
The crows were however the least of the strategic robin’s problems. After the crow rampage, the landscaping crew came through the property, using a weed whacker on the shrub where her nest was located. I later found her outside. Assuming she was traumatized and stress-foraging, I felt really sad for her. But she stared at me questioningly, then flew into a tree, while I feebly tried to console her. “All your efforts have been in vain,” I sadly thought while looking at her.
Astrology Forecast July 17 – 23, 2023
The week begins with a gentle Cancer New Moon today, which will instill us with the desire to nurture ourselves and others. Under a Cancer New Moon our emotions take center stage and our sense of compassion, kindness and tolerance becomes elevated. This evening’s Cancer Moon trine with Neptune in Pisces will add to our heightened empathy and understanding.
Make the most of these energies by reaching out to someone you care about, or step up to make the peace with someone you have been at odds with.
Tonight will also be a great time to catch up on your spiritual practice with some meditation, prayer for others, oracle card or rune reading, or journaling.
Our love-and-belonging mindset will escalate even further tomorrow and Wednesday, as the Moon glides through big-hearted Leo and inspires us to lean in and reconnect with those closest to us.
We’ll also have to do some productive work this week, of course, and the Virgo Moon will make Thursday and Friday’s the ideal days to take care of responsibilities and tasks we cannot postpone until next week.
The Sun enters Leo on Saturday, heralding a four-week cycle of self-love, generosity, and strength of heart. A few hours later, Venus will turn retrograde, kicking off a six-week cycle of romance and relationship energies that we’ll need to pay close attention to. This aspect can bring lovers back from the past (not necessarily for a reconnection) or create the opportunity to magically connect with your soulmate.
If you’re in a relationship that has run its course, this will become more apparent in the weeks ahead, and if you have been neglecting a valued relationship in your life, this will become equally apparent. Expect changes in your relationships over the next month and a half. Being more mindful with your partner, loved ones and friends will work in your favor during this time.
The Twin Flame Relationship
The concept of a twin flame relationship has gained much popularity in recent years, as more people seek to understand the nature of their romantic relationships.
Twin flames, also known as ‘mirror souls’ or ‘karmic lovers,’ are essentially two halves of one soul. Our twin flame is therefore the other half of our original soul that has been split into two different bodies in this lifetime.
Twin flames share a deep spiritual bond that goes beyond physical attraction or emotional connection. Our twin flame is our perfect counterpart, and once we are reunited with them, we experience the ultimate expression of divine love and spiritual connection.
A twin flame is however not exactly the same as a soulmate. While soulmates are also souls with whom we have meaningful spiritual or karmic connections, we only have one twin flame with whom we are connected on a much deeper level. Soulmates are therefore distinct souls that are separate from us, while we share the same soul with our twin flame.
This soul bond is said to be unbreakable and eternal over many lifetimes and in other dimensions. Twin flames are destined to fulfill a higher purpose together and to help each other grow spiritually.
Recognizing your twin flame can be difficult, as it is not always obvious initially. Twin flame relationships are characterized by intense attraction that goes beyond mere physical attraction, as well as a deep sense of familiarity and a feeling of finally being ‘home’ when together. There is usually an indescribable feeling of completeness or wholeness.
Astrology Forecast July 10 – 16, 2023
Mars transits into Virgo today, heralding a two-month cycle of detailed and deliberate action, strong intellectual energy, enterprising ambition and increased productivity.
Whether you’re doing research to write the next Oscar-worthy screenplay, mapping out a plan for a big remodeling project, or setting up a new business, the next two months will prove invaluable to set the stage of the next chapter in your life.
Tuesday will be the most powerful day for productive work and business success. Mercury will move into Leo to add to our Mars-in-Virgo inspired ‘star power’ by further elevating our ideas and inspirations.
Tuesday morning’s Taurus Moon sextile with Saturn in Pisces will also chime in to add to our sense of responsibility, goal-oriented action, and organizational abilities.
In the afternoon, the Moon’s conjunction with Jupiter in Taurus will reward our efforts with heightened social influence and financial gains. So, take advantage of this powerful window of opportunity to shine tomorrow!
We’ll take a step back on Wednesday as the Moon moves through Taurus, to ground, center and rebalance, before moving forward.
Thursday and Friday’s Gemini Moon will lure us into more social activities to connect with friends, or brainstorm with colleagues..
Give yourself permission to embrace the free-flowing, easy-going vibes of Saturday and Sunday’s Cancer Moon. It’s okay to take some time out from all the planning, analysis and deep thinking for a relaxing weekend after all the mental gymnastics of the week.
Reflections
Sitting on the porch. Rocking. Yes, rocking in my willow rocking chair, surrounded by the smell of petrichor – that delightful odor the earth gifts us with when fresh rain is coming down after a long, dry spell. The aroma of the freshly hung chile ristras greets me in the Santa Fe, New Mexico tradition at this time of year, when the growing season is done and the picking of the season’s ripe offerings has begun. Richness abounds with the aromas of the petrichor and the strung pods of red chile blending in the softness of the evening breeze.
The automatic flood light and the blue laser lights have come on, as they do every day at dusk, to illuminate the waterfall in the garden, although it’s still a bit early for them to shine their brightest. Not quite dark enough yet, but soon it will be. I just fed my precious four-legged fur daughter her dinner. Now that my day is done and another week has gone by, I am contemplating whether or not I have done well this week.
Yes, I believe so! I have learned so much and have grasped many new concepts. I also renewed my awareness of some familiar concepts that were in need of repetition, so I could complete some hard earned lessons. And I found resolution to some newer viewpoints on old issues. Whew! I feel I’ve been turned wrong side out in just one week, only to realize it is the other way around. I was wrong-side-out before. Now I’m right-side-in, or more so at least.
I look up from my musings to see the lights. It is dark now and they’re shining brightly against the dark night sky. The lasers look like blue fireflies as they pinpoint their magical presence. The synchronicity feels deeply significant. At the end of another week, after much breaking down of old thought patterns, I see the flood light and laser lights reflecting the realization that I am different now than last week, or at any time before.