Lifestyle
Turn Up The Music Of Your Soul
As have been pondering the miracle of sound and music lately. During these times of uncertainty, I have a collection of songs in my memory bank that I can easily call upon for inspiration. I use many of these songs to jump start my days.
Long after a popular song has been sung, whether it is a familiar hymn, a spiritual mantra, a national anthem, or a Top 40 hit, there is often a residual hum that we hold on to. This constant reminder, time and time again, brings us back to the original song, striking a chord with those emotions that were first charged by the lyrics and the melody.
Music lodges itself in our memories and can be brought forth at any time without actually hearing the tune itself. Sound or hearing is also said to be the final sense to leave as we depart this life. Kahlil Gibran, the great Lebanese writer and author of The Prophet, wrote “music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”
Growing up, I loved all types of music. My eclectic taste was universal and reflected artists from a broad spectrum of genres. I was also fortunate that my metropolitan city was host to artists from all over the world. And thanks to my older brother, whose work in entertainment law made him familiar amongst promoters and musicians alike, I was blessed to gain entre to many of these concerts, including backstage passes.
My favorite acts packed up their instruments from crowded cities and remote villages of the Far East and Africa, making many sacrifices to cross the Atlantic, and often shared between sets the perils of their journey. I likened their sound to ethereal gold, so precious that it would stay with me forever.
Astrology Forecast April 24 – 30, 2023
After last week’s cosmic excitement, we’ll find some solace as the Moon drifts through Cancer today through Wednesday, giving us time to regroup, reorganize and tend to personal chores and obligations.
The pace picks up again on Thursday when the Moon moves into Leo and restores our energy and drive. For the next few days, we can reset our goals and review our directions before we move forward, as with the Sun now in Taurus, it’s time to take our ideas and put them into action!
We’ll also want to stop and look around to see how we can help others, as well as reconnecting with friends and family to make sure they are doing okay. Thursday evening’s Leo Half Moon might however invoke disagreement and conflict, especially with family, so think twice before you react and do not take the bait.
Friday may prove to be challenging in terms of communication and interacting with others. A Leo Moon square with Mercury in Taurus in the morning, as well as a Leo Moon square with Uranus in Taurus in the afternoon, could have us struggling to stay focused and clearly convey our thoughts and feelings. Don’t speak or act hastily, and double check emails and text messages before sending, as it may contain incorrect details or go out to the wrong recipients! Also, avoid getting into unnecessary arguments, as willfulness, irritablity and mood swings are more likely under these aspects.
Sunday is the perfect day to finish up our spring cleaning, as the Virgo Moon combines with the Taurus Sun and inspires a clearing out of clutter, garage sales, or gathering items to go in the donation bin. Even if you’d rather be taking it easy and relaxing, promise yourself you’ll clean out or at least organize one area of your house; you’ll be glad you did.
How To Stay Focused On Your Goals
Staying focused on our personal goals can be challenging in today’s fast-paced world. With constant demands on our time and energy, including many distractions and obstacles, it is easy to lose sight of our dreams and become overwhelmed. Commitments to employers, family, friends, and community sometimes leave us little time to reflect on how changing our lives can serve our highest good. The answer to this is to cultivate the right mindset and lifestyle strategies.
To begin with it is possible to remain focused and achieve success by developing a positive mindset. Positive thoughts and self-empowering beliefs build our mental resilience and help us overcome challenges more easily. It’s also beneficial to cultivate a growth mindset that enables us to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than setbacks.
Another critical aspect of remaining focused on our personal goals is having a clear vision of what we want to achieve. Taking the time to set goals that are specific, achievable and measurable creates a clear roadmap for success and staying on track. It’s also essential to break larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks, which can help us stay motivated and focused.
Most of all it is vital to prioritize both spiritual and personal self-care. Just taking a few minutes daily to realign and renew our energy can reduce stress, improve health and vitality, and enhance our ability to think creatively. Taking care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs can help us stay grounded and focused, even in the face of personal challenges. Make some time for regular exercise, prayer, meditation, journaling, outdoor recreation, or whatever endeavor is a source of joy and renewal for you.
To Lie, To Live, To Believe
Our brains are naturally wired to recognize patterns, find connections between seemingly unrelated things, and draw analytical conclusions from our observations. We all use this ability every day without even knowing it.
It is a talent we inherited from our ancient ancestors. Professor Robert C. Barkman explains that “pattern recognition was key to the survival of our Neanderthal ancestors, allowing them to identify poisonous plants, distinguish predator from prey, and interpret celestial events. Today, pattern recognition plays new, but just as important roles in diagnosing diseases, inspiring new ways to safeguard data, and discovering new planets.”
This amazing ability is however seldom mentioned or considered in spiritual and metaphysical circles. But Spirit has over the years guided me towards greater spiritual insight and metaphysical understanding by taking me on interesting journeys of analysis and pattern recognition towards profound insights and relevations.
For example, while meditating during Easter a few weeks ago, my guides took me ‘down a rabbit hole’ on the decisive word believe. The first insight I discovered was that right in the middle of the word ‘believe’ there hides another, more disheartening little word: lie.
Of course, ‘believe’ is a good word. It is the cornerstone to faith and living a spiritually empowered life. But the hidden word ‘lie’ inside it reminds us that we must also have a living faith for it to be authentic and powerful. And, if you drop the letter ‘v’ into ‘lie,’ it becomes the word ‘live.’
The Path Of Personal Development
Personal development is an essential part of our spiritual mission and soul purpose in this lifetime. It is a lifelong process of self-improvement that involves setting goals, taking steps towards realizing those goals, and learning from our experiences along the way. It is an ongoing journey to becoming the best version of ourselves.
To fulfill this mission, we must develop various life skills, knowledge, insight and wisdom by growing socially, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Personal development is thus a commitment to reach our highest potential in our current incarnation by striving to live a life of fulfillment and purpose.
The path of personal development is not the same for everyone. We all have unique personalities, traits, talents, interests, wishes and dreams. Our path is further determined by our values, beliefs, and life experiences, as well as our soul contract and calling in this lifetime.
It is a journey of physical, mental, and metaphysical self-discovery, in which we explore, uncover and evolve our true potential. It is a process of constantly learning and growing, which can take many forms.
To venture down our path of personal development we must take action and progress towards achieving your goals. It involves setting goals, creating plans, and taking practical steps to reach those goals. On a practical level this might include activities and pursuits like learning a new language, getting a degree, starting a business, achieving physical fitness, participating in a sport, volunteering, taking an art class, travelling abroad, pursuing a spiritual practice like meditation, divination, journaling, or dreamwork, and so on.
Astrology Forecast April 17 – 23, 2023
An interesting astrological week lies ahead as the Sun moves into Taurus on Thursday, followed by an Aries New Moon Solar Eclipse. If you have placements in any of the cardinal signs, namely in Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, this first solar eclipse of the year will affect you more.
Tomorrow afternoon the Pisces Moon conjunction with Neptune may cause us to be distracted and immersed in daydreams, as well as overly sensitive, emotional and even anxious. Keep calm and try to stay focused until the Moon transits into Aries tonight to restore our mental clarity, energy levels and confidence to take on life’s challenges.
Leading up to the Solar Eclipse and Sun sign transition on Thursday, tomorrow and Wednesday’s Aries Moon will cast excitement in the air. We’ll feel a signigicant change is coming, even if we don’t know what it is yet.
Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse in Aries is a rare and beautiful phenomenon, as it is both a total and an annular eclipse. During an annular eclipse the edge of the Sun remains visible, creating a lovely bright ring of light around the shadow of the Moon.
This solar eclipse is a powerful time to review our dreams and goals, set clear intentions, and embrace new possibilities. If you need a significant breakthrough in your career, business or romance, then make the most of this potentially life-changing energy with a prayer, meditation, affirmations, or visualization. This is also the second Aries New Moon in just three weeks, so it reaffirms the energy of the previous, encouraging us to put ourselves out there and create new magic and miracles!
The Life-Long Journey Of Self-Love
Self-love is essential for mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It is vital to have a positive, loving attitude towards yourself and take care of your own needs. Not only is this essential for living a happy and healthy life, but it also empowers you to be more loving and caring towards others.
Self-love is often misunderstood. Many people think that self-love is only about pampering oneself, indulging in extravagance, or buying yourself expensive things. It is much more than that. It is not about being selfish, self-indulgent, or narcissistic. Instead, it is about accepting yourself, taking care of yourself and understanding your true worth.
Truly loving yourself is therefore about knowing your worth, appreciating your unique strengths and abilities, and treating yourself with compassion and kindness. It is also about taking personal responsibility for your life, making choices and decisions that serve your highest good, and letting go of negative thoughts and self-destructive behaviors.
It is also important to realize that self-love is a journey, not a destination. It is a life-long process that is part of our soul purpose in this lifetime. It is a state of being that requires patience, dedication, commitment and effort.
Cultivating self-love begins with understanding yourself, accepting your flaws, and learning to forgive yourself. It involves setting boundaries and taking responsibility for your own needs and happiness. It is also about cultivating positive relationships and learning to trust yourself.