Crossing the Threshold and Counting Blessings

As we move across the threshold of what has likely been a very memorable year for us all, there is perhaps a sense of relief in being able to say 'goodbye' (or good riddance!) to what we're leaving behind in 2020. I find thresholds to be such powerful times:: opportunities for us to glance back and reflect on what we've learned, how we've grown, and the stories we have to share. Yet these are also places that beckon us into the future, inviting us to open to a myriad of possibilities, none of which can be known. All we have as we stand in this critical juncture of reality is ourselves, and the beings we have come to be. We hold within us the gifts of what we've lived, their value embodied in a way whose depths only we may truly know. Like Stevie Wonder has said, "you're the only one who sees the changes you take yourself through...so don't you worry 'bout a thing." If we come to embody those changes in the way Mr. Wonder is likely alluding to, we get something big and potent and real. We get the deeper meaning of life.

Tantric philosophy, especially that of Kashmir Saivism, a lineage I hold close to my heart, talks about the importance of the mayuranda-nyaya (my-your-un-dah nyah-yah). This is literally one of my favorite teachings, and I often reference it in yoga classes. The word 'mayuranda' refers to the peacock (like mayurasana, or pincha mayurasana), with all of its stunning colors, epic plumage, and the intricate details of how all the different hues flow into each other to create a beautiful expression that we know as the peacock. Yet before this bird truly becomes the fullness of itself, all of the material to make it what it is lies dormant in an egg, the contents of which we cannot see. But they're there, lying latent, ready to express themselves full-stop at just the right time. The teaching points to the peacock to remind us that we, too, have inherent potential within us at any and all given moments. How we choose to shape this potential is up to us; we can shape whatever destiny we choose, yet all of the contents to make something phenomenal possible is already inside of us, and it's always been there. It's up to us as to what we do with these hidden possibilities, and in each and every moment, we get to choose how to gracefully and skillfully craft them to life, to manifest them in this reality as part of the stories we came here to live.

Now, let's weave a little astrology into this, just for fun...The end of this year brought a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn that many astrologers, including myself, were talking and writing about for a good chunk of the year. Yet what was unique about what many were calling the "Bethlehem Star" was that this conjunction that happens every 19.85 years moved, for the first time consistently in 200 years, into the element of Air. It also moved closer to planet Earth than it has since Galileo's time! And what a wonder that was! If you'd like an article that tracks these planets through the past few cycles, reference Steven Forrest's November 30th newsletter here:: https://www.forrestastrology.com/blogs/astrology. So the planet of expansion, opportunity, and "healthy grandiosity," Jupiter, teamed up with the planet of setting boundaries, creating integrity, and wise use of time and energy, and they moved together into the sign of the revolutionary, genius, and truth-teller, Aquarius. Sound like a big deal? It is! Aquarian energy has the ability to envision a new reality for ourselves, to think in genius-like ways that bring new possibilities into the present, and to be authentic in a way that invites us to move away from herd mentality and into living in alignment with what is deeply resonant with our heart of hearts. While Jupiter will spend much of 2021 in the sign of the water-bearer, with the exception of June & July, and Saturn will be there until Spring 2023, we'll be invited to expand into as-yet unseen realities, creating healthy boundaries in ourselves and lives that allow our genuine selves to shine brightly. If we don't choose this, continuing to exist as we have before this year, we risk becoming disconnected from what truly brings us meaning and inspiration, and from our own true natures. We may rigidly cling to what we've known rather than choosing to create something visionary and cutting edge for ourselves and our communities. As the Tantrikas would remind us, we are always in a process of creating our own realities in every moment, and we always have been. Yet we are all being invited to step into this process with a little more clarity, awareness, and heart. And I know that the lessons of 2020, while humbling at the least, are helping us move into the future in ways that inspire greatness, or at the minimum something different than what we've been doing! Aquarius, when worked with skillfully, has the ability to be resourceful, creative, and ingenuitive in ways we haven't yet individually and together.

Now, what's also interesting about Jupiter and Saturn's relationship is that each time these two continue to come together over the next 2 centuries, they will do so in either Aquarius, Libra, or Gemini. Air signs govern the mind, and therefore give us the ability to be dexterous with our thinking and to see things from a viewpoint that we may not have always held. They invite us to engage reality with curiosity and grace, listening to what others have to say while sharing our own hearts and minds, and being open to changing our opinions on something we may have never thought we would. They welcome new perceptions of reality, as well as communication with the universe through other people, signs, symbols, and omens, and they value other perspectives deeply. This, coupled with a few more eclipses that happen on the Geminian Axis this year, point to continued opportunities for mind-expansion, idea-generation, and the creation of a reality that moves us forward with innovation and inventiveness while still carrying with us the wisdom of what we've experienced already. For, we are on the threshold, and in this space, anything is possible. It's all a matter of what we choose. As Gandalf would say, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” And that is an important decision!

May your year be filled with authenticity, magic, ingenuity, and openness, and may you live more fully into your potential than you've ever dreamed of doing.