Self-Care
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.
Remove Toxic People From Your Life
Have you ever had the presence of an emotional vampire in your life? This can happen in a love relationship, a friendship, or with a family member.
You will feel like your soul is being drained, you are not yourself. Your joy is gone when you are around them, you can’t be yourself. If all of this describes how you feel, then maybe it’s time to do some soul searching. Remember who you are and how important you are.
I have counseled so many people who are normally outgoing, loving, supportive, wonderful souls, but sometimes these folks are so giving that they give their power away. They forget to protect and take care of themselves.
Are there people in your life whose needs seem to be all that matters, but yours never do? Love is not love and friendship is not friendship if you have to put yourself aside on a daily basis in a relationship. We must constantly remind ourselves of this.
Sure, relationships are give and take, but when they seem to be only take and take and there is no giving, something is wrong.
Who we surround ourselves with, who we give our time to, greatly affect the quality of our lives and our spirit. If you suspect that someone is a toxic person, do not be afraid to set boundaries and make changes in your life.
You deserve to feel nothing less than wonderful and lovable, as God, Source, Spirit, the Divine intended you to be. Do not let fear make you settle for less than what you are worth.
Staying Connected To Spirit
If you are like me, I sometimes find it a struggle to disconnect from the ego in order to commune with spirit, Being spiritually aware and connected is a state of higher consciousness I prefer to spend as much time in as humanly possible.
Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if we were always fully connected to spirit? Life is so much better and easier when my heart and mind are in the wonderful world of spirit.
Of course, it is not entirely practical or wise to always be in a higher state of consciousness, but one can certainly strive to spend more time living spiritually connected.
What I have learned to be extremely important is the practice of gratitude. Every day I try to consciously revel in all that is good and blessed in my life, instead of bringing myself down by focusing on what is wrong or lacking. We always have much more to be thankful for than we care to admit.
Another commitment I have made is to constantly remind myself that I am part of something greater than myself and connected to everyone and everything in the universe. This is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility. Regardless of how I feel on any given day, I am a spiritual being in human form who has the wonderful ability to choose the better side of myself and not let the ego take over.
I also know from experience that in order to stay spiritually connected, it is crucial for me to set aside some time each day for spiritual reflection, even if it is just a few minutes of meditation, to contemplate my purpose in this world, or ways I can be more compassionate, forgiving, or grateful.
The Golden Power Of Silence
I took my early morning walk today along a path surrounded by an olive grove on one side and almond trees on the other. In the background the beautiful hills seemed mystical in the early morning mist.
The only sounds that broke the silence at this early hour were the chirping of birds and the bleating of baby goats playing on the small farm opposite my house. Occasionally they were interrupted by their father, who seemed to keep them safe by nudging them into a particular corner of the property.
In these moments of peaceful silence I like to have a dialogue with spirit to receive some guidance or direction for the day, as well as answers to questions I may have about my life and work. But today I felt guided to simply contemplate the meaning of silence.
There are many forms of silence, some less peaceful than others. For example, there are the ‘elephant in the room’ or ‘cold shoulder’ moments of silence when there is awkwardness between people. There is also the ‘poker face’ silence, when someone pretends to listen, but in reality has mentally withdrawn from the conversation. We also fall silent when we are perplexed or confused. Sometimes we keep silent to avoid possible misunderstandings.
A very powerful form of silence occurs when we are deeply engaged in an activity, alone or with others. Everything else seems to fade away as we concentrate on the task at hand.
And of course the best kind of silence is when we are in communion with spirit and the cosmos. In these moments we feel completely at peace and connected to others and the universe. This silence nourishes the soul and gives rise to divine inspiration and spiritual insight.
Astrology Forecast October 2 – 8, 2023
Astrologically, this is a good week to pause, reflect and assess where your life may be out of balance or how you can rekindle your optimism and refocus your goals for the future.
Today’s Taurus Moon should make this the most productive day of the week, inspiring us to catch up on projects or commitments that may have fallen by the wayside in September. However, we may not be able to benefit from this inspiring energy due to a Mercury in Virgo opposition to Neptune in Pisces combined with a Taurus Moon conjunction with Uranus around midday.
Make an effort to stay focused and motivated as we tend to be impractical, lack inner balance and may be prone to daydreaming during these transits. Stay centred and use your imagination to be constructive and inventive.
You should regain mental clarity and sound judgement by the time the Taurus Moon trines Mercury in Virgo this evening.
Relationships take centre stage under the Gemini Moon tomorrow and Wednesday, punctuated by Mercury’s move into Libra for a three-week visit. Communication will flourish and new ideas and plans are sure to come to life. Relationships can also be recalibrated under this aspect, and if you are single and looking, this is the perfect time to cement a new partnership or seek a new connection of the heart.
Thursday morning will be a good time for business meetings, sales presentations or budget negotiations as the Cancer Moon trines Saturn in Pisces. However, a Cancer Moon square to Mercury in Libra may cause some delays in communication and travel, so take precautions in advance. Charge your phone and check the signal, set up equipment at the meeting venue in advance, test video conferencing technology, plan your route if you need to travel and leave earlier than usual.
The weekend will be wonderful for quality ‘me time’ at home. Redecorate your home, try out that new bread recipe, or just catch up on the latest season of your favorite TV show. The Moon enters Leo on Sunday, while Venus moves into disciplined Virgo, providing a great opportunity to reorganize your closet or clean out the garage.
Astrology Forecast September 25 – October 1, 2023
The astrological star of the show this week is Friday’s Aries Full Moon, also known as a Harvest Moon. Because Full Moons symbolize a time of release, this is the perfect opportunity to release whatever no longer serves you once and for all. An Aries Full Moon is also about taking back your power, embracing your courage and taking action to reach your goals.
The week starts out a bit frenetic today and tomorrow under an Aquarius Moon. We may have many new ideas, innovative plans, and identify possibilities we’ll want to explore. Make note of what you discover, but refrain from taking any real action until you’ve had time to network with others to get more facts and information. The Pisces Moon on Wednesday and Thursday will fortunately bring us spiritual and intuitive insight to help move us forward on some of these new plans and ideas.
The Mercury in Virgo trine with Jupiter in Taurus this afternoon is also an excellent time to do some research. And if you are currently thinking of furthering your education or going back to school, this trine’s energy offers a perfect opportunity to look into courses, classes or schools, as you are likely to find useful information without much effort. If you have already applied for enrolment in a course or school, you may also get good news or positive feedback about that.
Practice extra caution under Friday’s Aries Full Moon, as well as Saturday’s Aries Moon, as both have a way of urging us to look before we leap. Caution on the road will especially be called for, as everyone may be in more a hurry to get where they think they are going, and they might not slow down if you get in their way!
Take a breather under Sunday’s Taurus Moon and try be more like Ferdinand the Bull in the popular children’s book. Ferdinand would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights. Make Sunday your lazy, easy-going day to truly stop and smell the roses for a change. Don’t worry about those duties and chores, they’ll still be there waiting for you next week.
Embrace The Fall Equinox In Mind, Body And Soul
As the vibrant colors of summer begin to fade and the air becomes crisper in the northern hemisphere, we stand on the threshold of the fall season of transition and transformation. It is a sacred time to prepare our minds, spirits, and bodies for the winter months ahead.
Today’s autumnal equinox is a poignant reminder of the cycles of life and the eternal rhythm of nature. Steeped in ancient tradition and folklore, this celestial event occurs each year around September 21st and marks the point at which day and night are of nearly equal duration. Spiritually, it symbolizes equilibrium; a momentary pause in time between the warmth of summer and the cold of winter. It invites us to reflect on balance and harmony.
Ancient civilizations held a deep reverence for celestial events such as the autumnal equinox, which were often seen as significant markers of time and the cycles of nature. The traditional interpretations and beliefs surrounding the autumnal equinox varied from culture to culture, but they generally recognized its importance in agricultural, spiritual, and cultural contexts, and saw it as a time of transition, balance, and connection between heaven and earth.
In many agricultural societies, the autumnal equinox signaled the time of the year’s harvest. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians celebrated this event with festivals and rituals dedicated to their agricultural deities. This often included feasting, music, and offerings to ensure a bountiful harvest.