loss
Venus In The Underworld A Time Of Transformation
The ancient Sumerians associated the 18-month cycle of planet Venus to the story of the goddess Inanna’s descent into the underworld. It is a story of transformation, healing and rebirth. It is a process of letting go of the old, dying to who we were and being reborn.
Two months ago, on February 13th, the planet Venus disappeared from view behind the Sun as part of her orbit cycle. During this conjunction with the Sun she becomes invisible to us. When Venus disappears behind the Sun, she is said to be in the Underworld and at this point in the story, Inanna is killed by her sister who is Queen of the Underworld.
This is one of the most transformational parts of her journey and it is valuable to understand what is going on, so we can use the cycle and consciously work within it.
By paying attention to what may have been disrupted in your life in the last few months, you may see a pattern of recurring issues or triggers, where you are being encouraged to release the past fully, so you are ready to be transformed into a new and better version of yourself.
This often requires a process of surrender and letting go of the need to control, or constantly having to know what the outcome will be. It also can involve the need to grieve what is dying or being lost, or what is gone, even if it is a negative part of yourself that has been with you for too long.
This process is an important part of our soul’s evolution in life. It can bring us more fully home to who we truly are and a greater expression of our purpose. Astrologically speaking, Venus represents love, pleasure, beauty and harmony. In our natal chart it reflects what we love and value.
In the Shamanic Astrology interpretation, Venus, which is a personal planet, also represents our individual feminine nature for both women and men. It can be helpful to look at your own astrology chart to understand your Venus qualities and see what your feminine essence is.
Find The Eye Of The Storm
Your relationship is falling apart, you have lost your job, your finances are in a shambles, you suffer an unexpected loss due to a global pandemic. Chaos comes in many forms and at times it touches multiple areas of our lives at once.
The ripple effect starts in one area and then spreads insidiously, until every aspect of your life begins to look very bleak. Your emotional reserves are drained, confusion sets in and you feel stuck, powerless…reeling from the shock.
When things turn bad in your life this way it can have the force and power of a hurricane or tornado. It can be devastating.
Perhaps you sensed it coming. Your intuitive radar was ‘pinging’, sensing imminent danger, or maybe it caught you completely off-guard. Either way, the results are the same.
Now what? How do you get your bearings, recover your sense of direction, recharge your battery and get the inner strength to move forward?
All tropical storms have a center, or an eye. The stronger the storm the calmer the eye, which is characterized by lighter winds and a clearer sky. So, take a breath – a deep breath – and find your center. Find the eye of your storm.
Making decisions from fear or chaos always increases the strength and ferocity of the storm. Remember, all storms do pass. The beauty of life lies in the newness and change each moment offers us.
The Soul Future Of Past Relationships
To outward appearances, endings are a structural matter – now there is a relationship, now there is no relationship. From the soul point of view, ending is a different experience of the relationship.
Ending is not literal at all, but rather a radical shift in imagination. For example, a woman’s father passes on. In her soul the relationship may now intensify and may become the dominant myth shaping her other relationships, her career, and every other aspect of her life.
Memories of her father may now become more vivid than ever, and new feelings may surface. He may be more influential in her life now than when he was alive.
Another example might be a man who divorces his wife, thinking that now his thoughts will turn toward a new life. With the struggle of decision and separation now passed, feelings formerly nudged out of awareness now come to the forefront.
Completely unexpectedly, he now has dreams of her seducing him, suggesting that in some way ‘she’ now has renewed desired for him. Years later, he says what many people say: “I didn’t have to go through that divorce. If only I had known then what I know now…”
Apparently there is something in every relationship that is eternal, that goes on forever, and that wants to be exempted from the life-decision to cut ties. If you are experiencing this, it is not your imagination. You are simply being quite human.
Obviously, our relationships are not as simple or as limited in scope as we sometimes like to think them to be. There are only so many people we come to know in a lifetime, and an even smaller number with whom we live intimately. Continue reading
Asking ‘Why’ When A Loved One Is Lost
When you lose someone you love in a sudden, unexpected way, such as suicide, a car accident, murder, or domestic violence, it always seems so unfair and tragic. It is usually so difficult to understand why this had to happen?
The truth is that we will never truly know the ‘why’ of things. The biggest regret that I hear from so many bereaved people is that they never had a chance to say goodbye.
Someone passing due to old age or illness usually affords us the time to prepare for the loss and to say our goodbyes. Typically, you will haves some time with the person, to be kinder, to be compassionate and to let them know how much they are loved. A sudden passing robs us of all of this.
I am personally very aware of the emotions, feelings and experiences that come after a loved one’s life is lost so suddenly and unexpectedly. More than a decade ago, I lost my stepson to suicide. He was only 32 years old. Within 2 days of this tragedy, a another local young man also took his life. He was only 22.
The widespread trauma of the pandemic over this past year has brought back many of these feelings for me. Many people I know, all men, have taken their own lives because they have lost their jobs, businesses or life partners. Some of these men were successful business owners, but the lockdowns triggered something inside of them that led them to think suicide was a better way, or the only way out.
I talk to an abuse counselor at least two to three times a month and we discuss the unavailability of abused women to get help, because the shelters that are there to protect them are usually full to capacity. I personally know two women whose lives were tragically ended by an abusive partner or ex-partner who they just could not get away from. You read about these cases almost every day. It makes zero sense if you try to find the logic in it.
And accidents happen in the blink of an eye. Yesterday, it was two locals snowmobiling in our area, who hit each other head on. One passed instantly, the other suffered only minor injuries. The week before it was a tractor trailer hitting a car that pulled out in front of it. The truck driver is fine, but the car and passenger is no longer with us. Continue reading
Reach Out And Touch Someone’s Life Today
It has been nearly a full year since many countries started going into their first lockdowns due to the global pandemic. Some people have endured much suffering and loss, especially due to the passing of loved ones.
Some have also become ultra-stressed working on the front lines in healthcare facilities, nursing homes and many other essential services. Many have lost income, jobs and businesses. Many are facing mental health challenges. Many schools have been shuttered and teaching became virtual. Parents have been struggling to multi-task between working at home and entertaining or educating their kids.
Regardless of where we find ourselves on this stress continuum, it is important to try to find some order in all the chaos. Although it might be hard to reconcile with the state of the world as it is today, it is still vitally important to carve out a little time for self-care and putting yourself first.
Just a few brief minutes of deep breathing, visualization, meditation, reading uplifting books, journaling, or a perhaps the luxury of a quick walk outside to clear the cobwebs can all work wonders! Whatever is feasible on any given day, it is important that you create a little oasis of calm for yourself. Reduce the pressure of the day by showing yourself some love and respect first.
If you are in doubt as to where to start, you can begin by just focusing on some gratitude and appreciation. Despite all the loss and heartache many of us have suffered in recent months, there is always something for which we can be grateful. Whether it is something grandiose and eventful or small and precious only to our hearts, give thanks for whatever comes to mind.
Love can be a wonderful motivator. We often do things for the people we love, rather than doing those same things for ourselves. It can feel wonderful to see the reaction of our little ones, spouses, elders, colleagues, or neighbors when we say or do something special to surprise them or acknowledge them. That is all it takes to show some love, compassion, appreciation and friendship.
A Mediumship Experience Unlike Any Other
A few nights ago I could not sleep. When I go full speed into doing readings I hold nothing back, and very often long after I am done reading for the day, Spirit often has other plans.
So it was on this night in particular, as it had been for the past several days. I tried in vain to go to sleep and I was bone-tired, but it was not to be. I drank hot milk. I took a bath, followed by a nice cool shower to bring my body into balance. I went outside, to see if I could fall asleep under the starry night. Nothing worked. No matter how much I may have wanted to fall asleep, I was wide awake!
I pondered the computer, and whether or not to log on for readings at PsychicAccess.com. I decided against it, because I was concerned that as tired as I was I may not be at my best. So, I decided instead to browse a popular social networking site and see what was going on… if anything. Maybe an old friend might be online for me to chat with. Maybe I could just browse. Anything to divert my mind from the 100 mile an hour warped speed it seemed to be on!
I was not online for ten minutes, when I received a message from a woman I did not know. She wrote, “You had recently posted on a mutual friend’s page. I am so sorry, I would normally never do this, but I sensed that you have a message for me. Your name just leaped out at me from the page and I just had to contact you.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, and even less of an idea who she was. But then, all of a sudden, the floodgates opened and my hands starting typing, almost faster than I could keep up. Someone desperately wanted to communicate with this woman through me.
The more I typed, and the more I made statements that I had no idea what I was referring to, the more this woman became emotional. Our conversation lasted maybe 20 minutes, with me telling her various things and asking questions about things that I had no clue about, nor the people involved. I didn’t know what all this information was, or where it came from.
Keeping My Promise To A Departed Loved One
Sometimes we become so busy and preoccupied in our daily lives that we forget the commitments we made to loved ones, relatives and friends. But this does not only apply to the living. Some of us also forget the promises we make to those that are no longer with us.
Too often we hold the hand of a loved one on their deathbed and promise to look after those they will be leaving behind. They wish for us to look after those they will no longer be able to care for and love in this life. And we promise wholeheartedly to do whatever it is they ask of us in their final moments.
But once they have departed and life returns to normal, we soon forget these promises and serious conversations. Our memories become conveniently selective. We usually don’t mean for this to happen, but life does have a way getting in the way.
I had a shocking reminder recently of my own selective memory in this regard. Several years ago, I got into the habit of journaling about issues in my life that deeply matter to me. Recently, I was not able to sleep and was encouraged by spirit to go through my journal.
So, I sat up at about four o’clock in the morning and randomly opened my journal on the very page where I had written about a promise that I had made to a loved about another person, whom I had a strong dispute with in the past. Being only human, I had some seriously negative feelings towards that individual.
However, I had promised to check in and be supportive to this person, whom I did not like very much at all, on behalf of the person who was in their final hours. At the time, I remember saying that I would “do my best” and that “if I could, I would.”
The promise was much more than just checking in on the relative. It went as far as the very items I was meant to get at the grocery store, as well as things to say to this person when I delivered it. I had however conveniently forgotten about it since, until I discovered the entry in my journal.