On Living in Uncertain Times with Alignment and Integrity
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said in his Aphorisms, "For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable." Translated another way, "Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases." And so we find ourselves in much a similar position as the man considered to be the Father of Western Medicine also experienced thousands of years ago, be it in his own way. Hippocrates left such a mark on history that his views have echoed through the ages, continuing to have a ripple effect eons later. His advice and commitment to "do no harm" to his patients, and likely people in general, was paramount. This commitment was passed down to and through his successors in the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge to both help others when it falls within the doctor's ability to do so, and to cause no injury in any way, shape, or form. And yet the yoga teacher in me fully agrees with this commitment, one we might call ahimsa (without the intention to harm), as does the Evolutionary Astrologer, the Chinese Medicine student, and the human. For Hippocrates was expressing his need to uphold what in yoga we might call the 'dharma.' Bill Mahony, in The Artful Universe, translates 'dharma' as 'support' or 'proper conduct,' as well as 'conduct that supports the integrity of the Universe.' This cross-cultural recognition of something fundamental to society's functioning points to a Universal trait that ties us together as humans. To me, it symbolizes a deep recognition that each person has an ability to contribute to the world in meaningful, purposeful, and responsible ways, ways that uplift the Whole through each person's unique contributions, and that give one another the freedom to be living from a connection with our True Nature.
Yogic texts and practices, as well as those of other spiritual traditions, remind us that this True Nature knows what to do when life presents confusing, overwhelming, or conflicting information, for this place within us is always clear and spacious, wise and expansive. Often described like an eye in the midst of the storm, it's not affected by the constant barrage of scenery or information that we are especially privy to these days. One thing that I have certainly learned about myself over the past couple decades of dedicated practice is that if I don't have the space and quiet I need to connect with and really embody this part of myself, I'm more susceptible to take on others' opinions when they may not be my own, to get anxious or uneasy, or to simply be uncentered. The best thing I can do during these times is to take a moment or a few, connect with my breath, center myself, and "drop in" to this inner nature. And sometimes it's way easier than others...thank goodness for yoga and meditation, truly! They have provided some of the best guidance and support over the course of many years.
Yet there's seemingly more to this, as there tends to be. Astrologers have been talking about the conjunction of transiting Saturn and Pluto for awhile now, with Jupiter having joined the mix at the beginning of this year. And while I don't practice astrology that can be likened to "fortune telling," I do practice astrology that looks to archetypal energies and how to work with them most skillfully when we're being asked to do just that. Father Time (Saturn) and the Lord of the Underworld (Pluto) have gotten quite close to one another in the sign of the Sea Goat starting in February of last year. In January 2020, they were so close as to have a conversation, and though Saturn is moving into the sign of the Water-Bearer (Aquarius) from March 22nd-July 1st, he'll retrograde back into the last degrees of Capricorn, his own sign, until December 2020. If that went over your head, don't worry. Capricorn can best be described as the sign of integrity, the sign that asks us to make practical and realistic decisions in the face of, well, everything. It's the most no-nonsense, let's get real about this, sink or swim sign of the zodiac. And with Saturn being here for a couple years, we've been getting an even heavier dose of this sentiment. Saturn represents the thing that gives us the capacity to do what we don't want to do but NEED to do, as my teacher Steve Forrest would say. He's an energy of fortitude, solidity, and principle. But it's not enough just to HAVE principles. He wants us to ACT on them by standing and living in integrity. And when he transits somewhere important, he signals that we've outgrown the old way of having integrity and that we're needing to "adult" in ways that we haven't been asked to yet. But now is the time, for the old ways of "adulting" will work no more. We can see the very clear connection with 'dharma,' for in choosing principled action (a fabulous Douglas Brooks phrase), we choose to uphold a greater reality, one that our choices can and do affect on the regular. For one person does make a difference; everyday.
Add the god of Tartarus, Pluto/Hades, to this equation, and we confront death, both literally and figuratively. Symbolizing death and rebirth, Pluto gives us the capacity to confront our deepest wounding and fears (hmmm, feel familiar?) so that we can reclaim some of the energy that's been hijacked by this fear and wounding, allowing it to move freely through the system as usable qi/energy/prana/shakti so that we can function more as ourselves, less as our fears. Yet both Chinese Medicine and Yoga remind us that fear on its own is not a bad thing; it's the thing that keeps us alive when we're being charged by bear (I live in the Canadian wild, remember?!), or when a pandemic like COVID-19 breaks out, literally. It keeps us alive when worked with in a healthy manner. Yet when the fear becomes the thing that blocks our True Nature from shining through, it needs to be put in its place. Plutonian rites of passage generally involve doing some intense shadow work, work that confronts a deeper narrative that is likely both karmic and epigenetic, so that we get to the root of where this inherently separating narrative is coming from, and can eventually see through it, choosing to write a more integrated storyline that is based on truth and presence. For me, Plutonian passages have often involved more meditation than usual, letter writing and burning, writing in general to get to the root of this aforementioned story, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and really anything that can get at the subconscious pattern so it can be brought to the light of the conscious awareness, truly seen, and integrated. While we may not be able to do this deep work on the daily, and we're certainly not meant to, giving ourselves the time and space to do it is absolutely necessary if we want to be living from a place of our True Nature. Otherwise, the shadow of Pluto will ensue:: blaming others for our choices, projecting our shadow selves onto them, and scapegoating, since we'd be rendered incapable of "doing our own dirty laundry." And with a dose of Saturn shadow, this would look like holding rigidly to our wounds and fears, getting stuck in them, the fears becoming solidified in our minds and bodies, making our spirits incapable of shining through.
And Jupiter, King of Gods, makes all of this more obvious, for he expands things that may not have been seen before, but are now in the spotlight. He, too, is in the sign of Capricorn at the moment, also the sign of conservatism, perceived lack, weighty duty and responsibility, and heaviness. These are some of Capricorn's shadows that we're being asked to confront. What price are we willing to pay to "make a buck"? How far are we willing to go to keep up an old cycle going that is becoming more and more unsustainable? Jupiter puts these larger questions in our faces in ways that we can't ignore anymore. He also reminds us that when we're willing to expand ourselves beyond a system that isn't necessarily working, we can create a solution that moves beyond the outdated ones. When we tap into the potentials of Jupiter in Capricorn, we're able to create structure and order in ways that move us forward in time rather than take us back. We ARE living in the Age of Aquarius, a time of innovating new possibilities and implementing their architecture. Not to mention Uranus, the ruling planet of Aquarius, being in the sign of Taurus for the next almost 6 years. This can be indicative of revolutionary changes to what has brought us stability and comfort and change to inherent security. The Chinese Medicine student in me is hopeful that Uranus here, 'the weird one', in the sign of nourishing and taking care of our bodies, also represents alternative healthcare systems and the importance of integrating East and West when it comes to how we view reality. I've been reading some amazing Chinese Medicine case studies as of late, and news flash, IT WORKS! Even in the face of pandemic disease, Chinese Medicine is proving its effectiveness! Hit me up if you're interested in reading those articles.
But that's not the only alternative medicine, and thank goodness we have access to all of the tools that we do! For they will prove helpful and deeply supportive during this time of uncertainty. As will all of those we have been cultivating in our lives individually and collectively over the past while. Neptune is in its own sign of Pisces for another 6 years, and it invites us to remember our Oneness. We are all going through this together. We can lean on each other, and more easily thanks to the worldwide web and innovations in technology! We are not alone. We have never been separated, though we often feel that way for many reasons, but Neptune is a great reminder of our Wholeness, our Oneness, and the fact that we are in this together.
Before this becomes a book, I'll leave a few questions for contemplation. What does it mean to have integrity to something much greater than yourself? How do you uphold the dharma in the face of uncertainty? What deeper stories are up for inspection and transformation? What fears do you need to confront for this to happen? What are the practices that keep you grounded and centered in your life?
The Force is with you!
