In Honor of my 70th Birthday on 2/25- Finding ones Passion

What are your great passions?  Are you living your life with these in mind?  Do you find a relationship to yourself through these passions?  Within this context does your life make sense? These are very simple questions but sometimes difficult to answer.

I’ve been asking myself these questions this week.  It’s my last week as a woman in her 60s.  Yes. Somehow this baby boomer is reaching 70 years old.  Most of the time just before my birthday I feel a wave of criticism about my life, sometimes a slight depression, as I take my inventory of what I have accomplished.  Not this year though.  Maybe getting a little riper I know a few things.

The first is that the inner journey toward healing yourself and developing yourself is the essence of life.  This is why Five Element Acupuncture was so very appealing to me as a young woman in my 20s.  It was so clear to me that treatments allowed me to shed different kinds of energetic pains and to become more myself.  Exploring the theories and seeing the energetic movement in nature gave me joy and understanding.

The second is that there are always ways to take whatever abilities you acquire to make a contribution to society.  Being of service is of utmost importance to me as I made my way from one season to the next.  It continues to give me a sense of purpose as to why I was on this planet.

The third is that there are always more teachers for every area of life.  There may be teachings that are short-term for just several years and then there are the long-term commitments to learn different practices such as meditation or Qigong.  At any rate, when you are ready for them the teachers appear.   Sometimes as in my case, you might travel all over the world for these studies to be with everyone from Mayan Elders to Qigong Masters in China.

This is why I’ve been thinking about passion this week.  I had an insight that I have always pursued my passions.  The passions changed from decade to decade, but I have always used these passions to help and serve.  Who knew that my avocation of astrology would become as important as it is for me now?  I didn’t know.  But it was a passion.  And there were decades where I pursued dance.  I loved it.  Another passion.   And now I write.  Things come and go as far as interests, but we look to see which things remain over time.

I think that if you aren’t passionate about what you are doing right now it’s time to question into that to make yourself a better reflection of who you really are meant to be.  Life will not feel meaningless when you are excited about things.  In my imagination at the very least there is more to be explored as we go deeper.  I go for deeper always.  So, remember answer the questions about your passions.

 

Preparing for the Year of the Wood Dragon

The year of the Wood Dragon is almost upon us. The Chinese New Year begins the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year it lands on February 10th. Each year we mark the rotation to a different element and a different one of the 12 animals. What can we expect as we transition from water to wood and from Rabbit to Dragon?

When we are in the water years as the past 2 years, we can find stillness and take a deep dive into the things that we want and desire to create. Each of us needs time to germinate ideas and projects and realize what are the priorities in our lives. This quality associated with water is will and during these time periods it is best to learn and discover our will.

Now we move with the wood element. Wood is how we experience the energy that rises in the spring. The nature of wood is birth and expansion. Think of the way it must feel now in the cold with the bare trees and you are in anticipation of those first green leaves. When they arrive, it is like a sudden burst of energy. With this energy shift it is an excellent time to vision for the upcoming months. Whenever there is a shift in the animal cycles to wood one thinks of prosperity and future visions. I think of it as an outstanding creative period. We have an expansive time ahead. The spirit associated with this element is benevolence. May the visions be able to benefit all.

With the dragon you have the lucky sign of the 12 animal signs. Dragons in Chinese culture are found in water or in the clouds. For one thing the clouds depict how close to heaven they are and the water within the seas there are 4 dragons for the King of the sea. On an earthly level the dragons bring healing, rain, and dancing; and on the heavenly level they are thought to be benevolent creatures associated with kings and rulers. Within Taoism the dragon represents the centered way. In Chinese Medicine there are dragon treatments necessary to do major energetic resets. The dragon is important in all cultures but especially in Asian cultures.

Those born under the dragon sign are not only lucky but are bold, charismatic, ambitious, and are strong. A wood dragon will be expansive, lucky, and strong. The triad of the animals associated with the Dragon are dragon, monkey, and rat. It also has a special relationship with roosters. So, all those individuals born under these signs will likely be taking advantage of this shift. The rest of us will benefit from it as well, but maybe not as dramatically.

From now until the 10th there is much to do in order to celebrate the New Year. The first thing is to clean the house. This means every cabinet and take the time to release any things that no longer serve you to have a home that truly gets rid of the old making room for the coming blessings. If you need to take time for yourself and get a haircut. Do it now. It’s good to set off fireworks in celebration.

And then there are the making of red lanterns to welcome the new year. I had to attach this lovely photo. https://thewalters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/lunar-new-year-paper-lanterns.pdf

It’s a time to gather with your family and visit the relatives. You want to share in the excitement for the upcoming change. And last but not least you make prayers to your ancestors or as I like to say the beings around you who protect you.

I just started the cleaning up this week and I have a long way to go, so I want to give you all the opportunity to have at it as well. The more that you do the more that you are in the spirals of time. Through ritual and practices t these moments is how astrology whether western or eastern becomes real.