Sitting by the rocks

We are under interesting cosmic weather until mid-December. Let me offer an analogy. It is like walking on the beach, then deciding to stop and sit by the rocks to watch the waves crashing against them. Have you experienced this? The sounds, the view all around you, even the spray of the sea mist come to be part of this moment of pause.

In astrological parlance: Now, five planets (!) are in retrograde motion. This means they are moving slower than their normal speed. In simple layman’s language, our human impulses of love and the watching of our finances (Venus), our thinking and communication (Mercury), discipline, karma payments and awareness (Saturn), the internal awakenings brought by new perspectives (Uranus), and our ability to dream or be caught by our illusions (Neptune) are all being drawn inward. This is a period for us to balance our footing. It is a pause, and a time when deep wisdom can be obtained.

Look again at the waves crashing on the rocks. It is like our world today, except that the collective consciousness is predominantly asleep and thus chaotic. We are in the period of the great transition, when the exterior world has some really crazy events happening all over the globe. This storyline of chaos is a given, because this is a time of transition. Social media is lambasting us with content, 75 percent of it AI generated. Fake news misleads and creates chaos, while societal uprisings with very real demands are used by extremists to create even more of it.

Greed, hatred and delusion are causing this suffering and these fears. They are strong forces moving through our Earth now, (like the dark clouds gathering reminding me of scenes in The Lord of the Rings movie).

Here is the key. While we cannot turn away from the truth of this time, we are also given a choice not to be part of this chaos, nor taken in by it. The worst thing we can do is give our attention, our consciousness and our fearful attachment to what is systematically and strategically bombarding us on social media. Everything feels almost surreal, as the real news is just as shocking as the fake. Each of us needs to discern what is true, and again, from which perspective or foundation this thing we call truth is coming.

Remember how the energies of this old-world-to-new-world transition are playing out. Everything is being broken up (the work of Mars, Saturn and Uranus). Veils and illusions are being torn apart (Saturn and Neptune). God, the Universe, the Creative Force is asking us to transform collectively through chaos and awareness (thanks to Uranus and Pluto).

This is where the retrogrades play out, and where the value of this period lies. The Universe is giving us the opportunity to grow deeper. We are being asked to go inside, into our interior hearts and minds. This inward turn lets us do a few things. First, to see what arises in us when we think of the challenges we face, and how we react to the images on our social media feeds. Second, to be clear about what our Truth is. This is a shaky thing if you align your truth only to the material world. Third, to find and steady your anchor even as the traditional foundations we have relied on seem to be shifting: your faith and your spiritual belief system. The objective is to balance ourselves within. If we cannot, the exterior world will also be imbalanced.

Equanimity. To be so balanced despite the wanting to be indifferent, or to withdraw from it all. This balance asks us to be fully present and to experience what is arising.

How else can we not be part of the chaos? This retrograde period is also a wonderful time to feel the excitement of creating, of imagining a possible future. What is that positive, forward thing you want to manifest? The world we long for, one of peace, generosity, justice and collaboration, cannot remain a vision or a utopia alone. We must build it, plan it, create it, together. We will choose which systems to transform for the collective and the common good.

So come back to the beach. Sit by the rocks, fully present in the moment, watching what is being washed away and cherishing the beauty of what remains. This, I believe, is an image we can carry with us until mid-December, when the majority of the retrogrades end. By then, may we rise from the shore steadier and clearer, with our anchor held fast and really have a working plan towards the world we want to create for ourselves.