Weeds versus Flowers – Its all about perception

On April 23rd we have a New Moon in Taurus.   As most of you know New Moons are all about new beginnings and new intentions, whilst Taurus in my view is the sign most connected with Earth and with endurance, patience, self-preservation, security and practicality.    Taurus seeks to create and build what Aries has initiated.

 One phrase that is being said a lot lately is ‘stay safe’, but I think that what makes us feel safe is very much according to individual perception.  For Taurus individuals it is generally about having enough money and tangible assets at the back of them to feel secure – and for this reason Taurus is connected to money and banking systems.   But along came COVID19 to make us all feel very unsafe as not only our health but also our income, assets and security all became threatened too.

 First let’s think about Taurus in terms of the Earth – and ultimately we need our Earth planet to be in good shape so that we can live from what we can produce (Taurus) and, therefore, keep ourselves safe and healthy.    However, we have been in a very abusive relationship with Earth for a very long time as we have stripped forests, stripped goodness out of the land and polluted her with rubbish and toxic fumes.   Earth, just like Taurus, puts up with a lot before she loses her rag – and now she has seriously lost it.   When has Nature though not been more powerful than us?   As we are forced to stand still and pause, we see that we can’t create anything more beautiful than Mother Nature can, but on the flip side neither can we create anything more powerful than earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes for instance.   When Nature fights back she does it from a place of power, secure (Taurus) in the knowledge that actually she holds the ace cards – she is the ultimate poker face.  And we must now own our mistakes.

 Whatever Nature gets thrown at her, whether it be the actions of people or of climate, she is the ultimate survivor.   Cold weather/hot weather – it honestly doesn’t matter because she will adapt in order to survive.   And boy is she loving this lockdown, as are the creatures who normally live out in nature and are not being trampled upon by us in our giant boots.   I don’t know if as a result of this order to pause the birds are truly rejoicing, but has anyone else noticed that they seem to sing more loudly?   The lull in the traffic, both human and vehicles, has allowed the animals to take a break from being on high alert and they can enjoy their homes too.  I walked my dog the other morning just after it had been raining all night and the smell of freshness and new growth was seriously overpowering. And I took this photograph - just because really.   

 So what do you see or perceive here?   Do you see two flowers amid the weeds or do you see only one flower because you have become conditioned to brush the other aside as just a weed?  But who has decided that one is a lovely flower to look forward to in the Spring and the other just a weed?   That’s the conditioning effect on our perceptions.  What you perceive will say much about you and your own ideas of how you are going to move your life on.   If you just see a bunch of weeds then your ability to adapt may be much harder and much more challenging. But if you maybe say to yourself well I know I’ve been told that the white one is a weed but who cares because I think it’s beautiful then you will likely have much more chance of thinking outside the box and carving out a new type of life.   Do you get where I am going here?  Your perceptions of weeds and flowers carry over into everyday life.   Question and change your perceptions and you can change your life.   Maybe you see a lovely purple flower being choked by weeds.  If you do perhaps your perceptions are choking out your inspiration, your ability to focus clearly on how you can change and move forward with your life even in these difficult times.   Maybe the weeds are your fears and you are drowning in fear with this current crisis.  This is how it is important to look at how you perceive your surroundings as well as yourself.  Perceptions are conditioned responses to our environment, plus astrologically our perceptions are also influenced by the sign that we have rising in our chart (Ascendant) and any planets that sit on the Ascendant.  Just as an example you may have a Leo Sun that desperately wants to stand out from the crowd and shine but if you have a Scorpio ascendant your perception may be that it is not safe to stand out and have the light shone upon you.

 I was also listening to a webinar from Dr. Bruce Lipton (if you haven’t read his work then you should, along with Dr. Joe Dispenza and Gregg Braden).   Bruce Lipton was describing the virus that is shaking the world and its economies as a symptom rather than a cause.   It’s a symptom, he said, of everything that we are doing that is bad about our treatment of the world we live in.   Civilisations come and go (I wrote about just that just before Christmas) so why should we think we are any different from the other defunct civilisations that have gone before us?

 Right now we sit on a knife-edge as to whether civilization as we know it survives or whether we morph into a completely new civilization type.  A new Moon in Taurus suggests that we have to adopt new attitudes to Earth as well as new attitudes towards how we securely provide some kind of financial framework, because many more people will die from a collapsed economy, undiagnosed serious conditions and lack of care for current conditions as collateral damage from the coronavirus.   And this is totally shown by this New Moon who is just a short distance away from meeting up with Uranus – the planet that represents shocks, disruption, rebellion and sudden change, as well as change afforded by the influences of technology and science, some of which is good and some not so good.  Interesting to note here how social unrest and rebellion is gathering pace across America – the king of capitalism – to rebel against lockdown and get business open again.

 There is also a momentum against going back to our fast-paced and cut-throat sense of our old normal.  We have been forced to stop and slow our lives down in a way that was incomprehensible just a few weeks ago.   Families have re-connected with each other; those living on their own have had to find an inner strength to deal with the loneliness. We have all been forced to appreciate that the love and caringness that we need to get through this is not a commodity, it is not something that can be bought off a supermarket shelf.   And we have seen the best and the worst of human nature too, particularly in terms of those who have rushed to help those who are vulnerable.  We are being forced to see what is really important in our lives.   All the ‘stuff’ we were buying just isn’t important – but people and living our Soul’s purpose are.   We are being forced to put things into a different kind of perspective.  In tune with this New Moon in Taurus it is about feeling secure and safe and that means we need our tribe around us – the security that is given when we have the support from our family, loved ones and close friends.  And we only need enough money.  Enough to pay the bills, feed ourselves, put a roof over our heads and maybe the odd treat. But we don’t need all the ‘stuff’.  I don’t know about you but since lockdown my wardrobe is about trainers, leggings and joggers – oh yes and no make up either.   All my ‘stuff’ I thought I needed - more and more of is just totally superfluous. 

 In terms of astrology we have to take note that this is all taking place under the backdrop of the seven Pluto/Uranus squares (turmoil – both political and economic, rebellion, things being turned upside down, scientific advances) in the ten years between 2008 and 2018.   Just because a planetary aspect has finished, its influence is still there in terms of the legacy it has left behind, particularly when the big boy outer planets are involved; they penetrate the collective unconscious or psyche.   So we have to take this into consideration in terms of our interpretation of the new cycles for this year: Saturn/Pluto – survival, breakdown in traditional structures; Jupiter/Pluto – huge wealth, huge manipulation, mass hysteria, hidden powers, hidden secrets, huge power; Jupiter/Saturn – new socio-economic cycle.

 So how we go forward depends very much on our perception of what is happening in the here and now, as well as perception of what we want to create for the future that is different from now.   Because what is clear is that things cannot stay the same.   It’s all about the balance.   Our bodies need balance – for some of us our bodies are in balance and we know that what we put in our mouths has a knock on effect on our immune systems and our ability to stay healthy.   And never has that been more important than right now.  The trend towards fast food and processed food has brought with it a huge level of obesity and the “functioning sick” whose bodies are not in balance.   Nature also needs balance – balance between feeding the population and trashing the planet – what we put into the Earth and what we take out.  Nature can only support so much before it exerts its own cull and that applies to animals and people. 

 At root what the big new cycles of this year suggest is a Reset – this could be psycho-spiritual, ecological or financial – or indeed all of those rolled up together.  What new intentions will you have?   This New Moon suggests you have perhaps three months or so to work out how this will affect you and your own life.  So what changes are you going to make?   What have you learned about yourself from this lockdown?   How are you going to personally survive this?    For most of us the one area we can influence is ourselves, so what changes are you going to make personally? These small changes can have a ripple or butterfly effect out to others.   

 It may not matter if you just see the beauty of Nature in my picture, but what is obvious is that there is one piece of bright colour. Taurus likes ‘stuff’ – especially luxury stuff.  Stuff that feels nice and is nice to touch. Taurus probably loves that luxury purple – it’s a royal colour, it’s a healing colour.   But look carefully at that picture.   You don’t need much to stand out.   You may be the healer or the rebel wearing the purple dress when everyone else wears green.   Be that one.  Be that purple – stand out in some way.   Take a stand – but first think and question your perceptions.

 People glibly say – oh we’re all in this together – we’re all in the same boat. Yes we are all in the same shit storm but we aren’t all the same and we aren’t all in the same boat.   We are all different, we have different perceptions and we feel and think differently.  Some will lead and some will follow.  Some will be strong and decisive whilst others will panic.  Some will be fearful and others will be pragmatic.    But what does bring us together is that we all want to survive.  We all have different skills that can make up a cooperative community and that’s how a tribe is built.   Whilst we can’t all be the leader of the tribe (lots of people don’t want that job anyway) we can all be thinkers, ‘doers’ and healers of ourselves and others.  

 The Amazons etc. will very likely be given more help than the little people who are in fact the majority of the tribe.  But it doesn’t have to follow that only the big and strong survive this crisis.   So what are we going to do for ourselves in what increasingly looks not just a health crisis but a financial crisis too so that the tribe survives?   Envision the world you want.   Envision what you want in your world and how you can go about it.   Envision what just these few weeks of lockdown have taught you that is actually important to you.  For instance I know a big company could churn out a potted computer version of what I do, but it won’t be as personal, it won’t tell you how your perceptions help or hinder you.   It won’t tell you how to play to your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses.   And that’s because I care about what I do and the people I do it for.  And the same goes for all of you out there – carers, artisans, craftspeople, food makers etc. etc.   At the end of the day would you not rather have the product or service created with love that gives you a sense of safety, secure in the knowledge it has been made with the best intentions to help your life?

 But one of the most important things to try to avoid right now is fear.  Fear will block your immune system and fear will destroy you – yes, this may be a bad virus but in terms of population numbers you still have a small chance of getting it to the extent that you are hospitalized or worst-case scenario die.  The best chance you can give yourself to stay safe and secure is to look after yourself mentally and physically.   And do this in solid Taurus style to protect yourself and your family.   Help your immune system to be the strongest it can be.  And, as Taurus does so well, build and lay down foundations for your future health.  Support your tribe members.  Buy healthy food that maybe someone in your tribe has grown.  Likewise with other products you need.  Support your tribe!    Envision the world you want and then, as Taurus is made to do, go and build it.  Life is tough but so are we!!!