“When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage; where before in your life there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where before you used to be jagged, now you are elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your life, it is like a rebirth, a new beginning.”
― John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Love sleeps and love awakens, or love is there all the time while we sleep and awaken. All love is the same love but sometimes love is in the form of a cat, a person, a place; love makes us grow beyond the perimeters of our skin cells into the extension of all seen and unseen, dense or light, out beyond all ideas of this and that, as strong at its farthest edges as it is in the core. Does it have any edges?
I am no expert on Astrology – but I like the larger scale clockiness of it. I like the zooming out to measure time and seasons from the far out dials of the planets. To the modern scientific mind, the whole thing is lunacy – superstition, poppycock. But there is something in the rhythm and patterns that has always resonated at a deeper level within this girl, even when she belonged to the religion of her childhood that called this ancient pattern recognition a pseudo-science, and an evil one at that, yet I could not stop the patterns from clicking in my deeper awareness. I could see the overlay of overt and subtle traits within everyone I knew, everyone I met. The suns and moons of people I knew formed a pattern that I could recognize before I even studied a thing. And there is a recurrent synch for me – probably because I put attention there, of overlapping birthdays in my life. I could bore you with the details, but I won’t. Just a few days ago, I discovered another of these overlaps – all they do is point for me – tell me to pay attention.
My interest in this area was my hidden vice for years as I saw it, but when Richard Tarnas was on the very “respectable” (wink wink) NPR show, Diane Rehm, I perked up. The author of the most widely used Intro to Western Philosophy book used in colleges was on NPR talking about Astrology. I bought his book, Cosmos and Psyche and came out of the closet. The regular world did not catch on to this turning of the tides, so I felt a bit chagrined with my outing at times.
I inhabit another world entirely now, a world parallel yet invisible to mainstream concerns. I am not one to share my interest or knowledge randomly in the world. It is enough that something speaks to me.
This winding road is all just to mention – Venus went direct last week or gosh, more than that now. From the later part of December to the end of January was a wonderful month plus for examining love, luxury, pleasure, as Venus appeared to go backwards in the sky. A time for laying low and exploring what gives pleasure.
For a good while now, I’ve been asking, “What brings me joy down to my toes and up to my crown?” Do I know the answer to this question? I am in recovery from a swirling, vacant selflessness disorder. In answering this question, I found myself creating a symbolic alter to recognize these discoveries and to relish and welcome what I would like to encounter more of in my life. What fun I have had!
This post will out me. I guess I’m okay with that.
I’m having a sort of fun that takes me back to preschool – I pull up a chair to the play dough station; I get my hands dirty; I lose hours in creating without a thought of the end result. Not art, but play.
I use my hands and scissors and rubber cement glue and and old box from the earth fare store to dream up my life anew.
Here is my alter to Venus, full of symbolic notations to my self along the way to honor the things that please me to no end. There are rocks and feathers, symbols and mysteries, love notes and chopsticks, a peace sign and a world globe, rice and a battery, a surging heart and a sunrise, poetry and seeds, mandalas and textured bark, a glimmering eye for humor, poetry, a screwdriver and a hammer, notes to remind me of who I am, and some silver coins.
The pretend worlds we created on the playground as children are closer to the true flow and power source of humans than the mature, mundane, mechanical march deemed adult and respectable. If we dream it, it can come 🙂 I’m not dreaming of dead baseball players, though. I am dreaming my own colorful version of life, moment by moment, while my now is perfect just the way it is. I’m just left of the swings, watching the vortex above the spinning merry-go-round, if you want to join me.
Life as Improv 
Wow! You’ve outdone yourself this time. And I know you rknow what I’m talking about.
It’s an honor to be among those that you have come “out” to. Confessing that you have curiosity and openness to the things which we think we understand through science and other sort of “sciences” is remarkable. Some of the most interesting scientists I know display that openness.
Thanks for your inspiring words in your own playground.
I like the several meanings for outdoing oneself – slendid fun 🙂 I feel less woo woo and wiggy in your reframing the “topic” to openness. Thanks for joining me on the playground today, Vincent!
You’re welcome!
I love your altar! So colourful and fun.
xox
Wish we could have a rainy day, wordpress arts and crafts gathering – wouldn’t that be fun? 🙂 Bring back some colorful paper for us to play with from SA.
I love your alter! Out of the closet, onto the alter for you Goddess of play and beauty! This is so cool, what a fantastic idea. I am cataloging this for a homeschooling project. An alter to self, to the unique items that inspire and nourish and uplift. Thank you for sharing. xoxox A
Thanks for sharing in my serious play, A! I’m coming back as one of yours next life – the coolest, homeschooling momma ever!
What a joy to get a public share of your inner alter made outwardly real. Your creativity and love made tangible is a joy to behold. -x.M
PS… this Aquarian very much loves to the bones the two incredibly special Virgoan num-lets in her life :).
And you, visionary aquarian, are one of my birthday overlaps. When I first found out your Jan. 24th birthdate, I did a little private smile! One of the first glimpses I got that a path existed and that one is able to change and grow along the journey was from a teaching colleague, Janet – 15 years my senior – who shared friendship, candor, spirit, and pointing with me from where I was – so very full of blind spots, 20 years ago. Her birthday was January 24th. Nice sync to say “pay attention!” xo! to you.
I studied astrology years ago and put it aside until recently. I have been asked to do charts for some of my daughters friends and their youthful enthusiasm has rekindled my interest. What is interesting is how differently I interpret things now compared to several years ago. It seems the interpreter gives the chart meaning. I’m sure you are an outstanding interpreter of astrology charts!!
How fascinating. I Have never done a true chart reading, but I study very quietly on my own. The interpreter does seem to be a filter for the information, from my own reading and listening. The hard-won wisdom of life experience, I think, enriches the vision and layers available. I would love to hear how it goes with your daughters’ friends. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!
Loved this through and through. Love this, too: “The pretend worlds we created on the playground as children are closer to the true flow and power source of humans than the mature, mundane, mechanical march deemed adult and respectable.” I think that needs to be a poster in Times Square or something.
I don’t know much astrology, but think I would be interested if I knew more about it. It makes sense to me, like iridology and the way our challenges are manifest as fractal communications at every point in our bodies. We can read the eye, but if I had to guess, I would say any cell in the body could tell this story if we could but read it.
I once did an on-line Mayan calendar birth date app on Jose Arguelles’ site, tortuga.com I think it was, and was bowled over by the “recognition” of myself in the information that came through. Our world is so profoundly interconnected… I don’t see this as superstition, but as honoring the connectedness. I think the danger some people see is much like the danger people saw in Newton’s science- the danger of predestination, of our own will being secondary, of being cogs in a great wheel, but I think once we realize we are part and parcel to the show in the stars- all whirling around one another together, it can become comfortable and beautiful.
Somewhere there is a planet telling Venus, based on what these human beings are doing on Earth, this is what this time is about for you…
Michael
Oh the generosity of your open mind never fails to surprise me! I love the idea of a cell under the microscope reflecting back the same complexity and mystery of pattern as the cosmos – of course it does – When I was a girl, I would get lost in the thought that the atoms contained universes with worlds as complex as ours – and I still think this may be true – a tiny tiny marga is down there imagining us – and the weights and pulleys of the forces that pull on each of us in unseen was is as infinitely available in every small fractal piece…(this is much more fun than grading essays – I’m just about to get back to work to pay the bills:) The Mayan system has pulled my interest at times as well and did hint toward deep resonance, though I was unable to dive head first into that pool. You are so true to pull out the quandary that caused the fear of such systems – just that one paradigm shift to recognizing our participation in every degree of scale shifts the focus entirely. So rich, so many worlds, so glad to know you along the river!
Hope the paper grading is going well… Your words remind me of my childhood love of Horton Hears a Who, or however Dr. Seuss wrote it! One of my all time favorites. An entire world on a grain of dust.
The Mayan system is interesting, but not what I might call a primary practice. It is for me a reminder of the vastness of the order and beauty that were baked into this cake we occupy. And I love the notion of a calendar system that gives on a sense of connection to planetary and cosmic cycles, but alas, the primary calendar system in use today is the one that organizes the majority of my activities that require coordination. I think Love trumps all of these thing we ‘need’ to do or ‘should’ be doing… In other words, some would say if we don’t shift calendars we’ll perpetuate a flawed world, but… I think if we can find our way back to our hearts,the rest will take care of itself…
I just didn’t realize what I was asking for…! My curriculum of a life continues to prod me towards the cliff’s edge. Ha!
Michael
Ah, marga, how wonderful! I had my first reading done by a professional astrologer 2 1/2 years ago, and last fall started taking classes with her. Some people know this about me, others…well, no sense getting into that with them. I was very skeptical at first, but now I know there is something to astrology. And just because our human minds can’t figure out how it works doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, right? I love it so much, it explains so much, and it is helping me with my soul’s journey.
Thanks for a wonderful post.
How very cool, Kelly. I think classes or some more formal study does await me when a window opens up. For now, I just skim the surface! I recently listened to an astrologer who dug deeply into ascendants and her analysis set off bells and whistles of truth. Where is our soul longing to go, longing to learn, reaching for in this little life? After all, whatever leads us back to that is worth the time and attention. I love sharing so many overlaps with one such as you!! xo!