Lifestyle
Astrology Forecast June 26 – July 2, 2023
Mercury moving into the sign of Cancer today will encourage us to review the first half of this year to uncover what we have learned and where we have succeeded, as well as what still needs to be done.
Combined with the easy going Libra Moon today and tomorrow, as well as Wednesday’s Scorpio Moon trine with Mercury in Cancer, the first three days of this week is a valuable opportunity for sound judgment and practical thinking to help us rebalance and regroup.
The vibe may seem a bit ethereal under Wednesday and Thursday’s Scorpio Moon, followed by Neptune, the epitome of ethereal, turning retrograde on Friday.
For the next five months this planet that rules spirituality, soulfulness, the occult and the unseen will travel backward through Pisces, the sign it rules. The esoteric energies of this aspect will inspire new visions for the future, reveal answers to questions we haven’t been able to answer for quite some time, and clear out any illusions or misconceptions that may have been holding us back.
Saturday and Sunday is about choices. Saturday’s Sagittarius Moon offers us the choice of allowing restlessness to distract and frustrate us, or we can opt to channel its fiery energy into learning something new or mastering a useful skill.
Sunday’s Capricorn Moon will give us another choice: do we want to clean out the garage and post the clutter in an online auction? Or do we just want to slouch on the couch and catch up on our binge streaming, and napping?
Gratitude Is The Essential Spiritual Practice
In a fast-paced world with many distractions and challenges, it is easy to overlook gratitude’s transformative power. Cultivating a mindset of appreciation by acknowledging all the good in our life greatly enhances our well-being and quality of life.
Gratitude is advocated in many cultures, religious teachings, and spiritual traditions. It is generally considered the mother of all virtues and the essential spiritual practice. In Judaism, for example, gratitude is considered an essential part of worship. Islam encourages believers to be grateful and express thanks to Allah in all circumstances. Christians are encouraged to praise and give gratitude to God not just in thought and feeling, but also in deeds and action.
Gratitude is also a virtue that Hindus believe should be cultivated in order to live a fulfilling life of inner peace and contentment. Many Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of gratitude for the blessings in their life. In fact, in Shin Buddhism, gratitude is seen as a primary practice that has priority over meditation and study.
In modern times, scientific research has shed further light on the profound benefits of having an ‘attitude of gratitude.’
While traditionally confined to the realm of philosophy, gratitude has garnered much attention in the field of positive psychology in recent years. Neuroscientists have also begun exploring gratitude from a scientific perspective, seeking to unravel the intricate workings of the brain when we practice and experience gratitude.
Let Spirituality Be Your Guiding Light
In a fast-paced world where superficial, materialistic pursuits tend to dominate our lives, the search for deeper meaning and purpose has become even more significant for many people. Spirituality has always been a guiding light in this quest.
Spirituality offers solace, clarity, and a profound connection to something greater than ourselves. It is inherently personal and subjective, and not limited to religious affiliations, formal belief systems, or cultural traditions.
To be spiritual is to have a deep awareness of the higher self, as well as a heightened connection to God, Goddess, Source, Spirit, the Divine, the Universe.
Our preferred spiritual practice does not have to be some form of dogmatic religion, which tends to involve organized rituals, ceremony, and fixed doctrines. Instead, it can also be an individual exploration of higher consciousness that seeks a direct and personal experience of the sacred and divine.
Spiritual awareness is also not confined to merely a few isolated moments of contemplation, but instead a holistic, consistent state of mind, or way of being in the world, that permeates every aspect of our life.
By integrating spiritual principles and practices into our daily life, we infuse our everyday choices and actions with intention and authenticity, leading to a more balanced, fulfilling, and purposeful existence.
The Simple Secret To True Happiness
It is easy to become too focused on the pursuit of happiness, to the detriment of true happiness. For many years, I was constantly setting goals for my ‘future happiness,’ only to eventually realize that I had been missing out on the joy available in the present moment.
I am certainly not alone in this, as I find many of my friends and clients tend to postpone joy and contentment, believing that they will finally be happy once they have achieved milestones, or acquired certain possessions.
Meanwhile, the key to living one’s best life is to fully embrace the present moment. This does not mean that we should stop dreaming of a better future or no longer pursue important personal goals. However, our future hopes and ambitions should not cause us to put our life on hold, nor prevent us from being fully immersed in the now.
If you are also someone with such an intense future-focus, I encourage you to begin living more in the present. You will soon discover a more fulfilling and joyful way of life.
Future-Focused Thinking
The first step is to let go of future-focused thinking. Many of us tend to constantly think about the future, worrying about what lies ahead or longing for future achievements. This mindset deprives us of the beauty and opportunities that exist in the present.
Astrology Forecast June 19 – 25, 2023
Energies will slow down this week as we move into the watery vibes of a Cancer Moon today and tomorrow, followed by the Sun’s entry into Cancer on Wednesday.
For the next four weeks, our focus will turn to home life, family, and comfort-seeking activities. Gardening, cooking, and restoring order to our homes and relationships are the hallmarks of Cancer energy.
Emotions and spiritual activities will also serve as a focus, reminding us to rebalance those aspects of our inner life that may have become scattered or disconnected.
Self-focus will be prevalent Wednesday and Thursday under the Leo Moon, as we pause to look at where we may have been giving too much, while not taking proper care of ourselves. Wednesday a Mercury in Gemini sextile with Mars in Leo will further boost our energy levels, communication skills and self-confidence. This is a good time to turn the focus back on our own needs for a few days and set some much-needed boundaries.
Thursday’s Leo Moon square with Uranus in Taurus may cause some trouble. We may feel irritable, moody and rebellious, act unnecessarily stubborn, and make rash decisions. Abrupt changes or challenges may arise unexpectedly, so focus on staying centered and grounded.
Once the Moon enters Virgo on Friday, we’ll have two days to concentrate on restoring physical order to our surroundings, clearing out clutter, making lists, and creating a blueprint for future plans and projects.
Sunday we can welcome the Moon’s entry into Libra on Sunday, where we can assimilate all the activities and insights of the past week to find our balance.
Spiritual Awareness Requires A Soul-Body Connection
A practical way to understand our own spiritual identity within the co-created reality of this world is to think of our soul as the metaphysical software, and our body as the physical hardware. Both software and hardware are needed to have a fully functioning computer that is able to solve problems and complete tasks.
In spirituality, we tend to focus mostly on the mind or consciousness aspects of our existence, such as intuitions, dreams, psychic experiences, paranormal events, our belief system, and altered states of consciousness achieved through various spiritual modalities, including meditation, chanting, trance-inducing rituals, hypnosis, yoga, music, mandala, and so on.
Yet, we seldom consider the importance of the physical experience we are having. This is a vital component in our spiritual evolution that is often overlooked! As metaphysical, energetic beings, we incarnated in human form with a physical body to have a physical learning experience. There is therefore much spiritual value in making the most of our physical embodiment in this lifetime.
The physical body we are born with unique resonates with our soul consciousness and is designed to support us through our journey on this physical plane. But too often we take for granted this amazing vessel that carries us through life. Soon after our birth we become so used to being in our body that we seldom consider its true value.
Sadly, many of us tend to abuse our body in all sorts of ways, for all sorts of reasons, and yet, our body just keeps on doing everything in its power to keep us healthy and strong, for it to continue carrying us through our spiritual journey in this lifetime.
Astrology Forecast June 12 – 18, 2023
Our creativity soars this week, as we thrive under the inspirational energies of the Gemini Sun to revamp our outlook and surroundings.
Today and tomorrow we’ll also be brainstorming for new ideas under the Aries Moon, and by Wednesday, when the Moon moves into Taurus, we’ll be able to take action on the things we want to change on a physical level.
The week starts off strongly this morning with the Aries Moon trine Mars in Leo. This aspect is known for determination, courage, resourcefulness, and lots of practical action. If you are not working today, this morning is also great for some quality ‘me’ time doing the things you love most.
Whether you are ready to take on a home remodeling project, bring your wardrobe up to date or go for a completely new look, or launch a new spiritual practice to enhance your soul growth, this is the time to bring those to life!
Tuesday afternoon a Aries Moon square with Pluto in Capricorn may however cause some trouble. This transit is notorious for causing irritablity, emotional outbursts, and agressive behavior. Disagreements regarding business or family finances are more likely and we may be more prone to lashing out. Find and keep your inner peace, as the unnecessary drama will not be worth it.
The Gemini New Moon on Saturday heralds a two-week cycle of new beginnings, so the preparations we make this week will quickly move us forward into enhanced levels of being. We can pause for a moment on Sunday as the Moon moves into Cancer, focusing on family, home, and the things that bring us comfort.