See the Karma, Release the Karma

Okay, a little astrology today.  Just a little.

We had a full moon in Sagittarius yesterday (also a lunar eclipse, which is a bigger deal) The first one where the moon’s nodes are now in Sagittarius and it’s opposite sign, Gemini.

Without getting into the weeds and losing you: the moon’s south node in Sagittarius is digging up things from the past, while the north node is our future evolution. So one is our legacy, one is our destiny.

The nodes stay in these opposing signs for about 18 months and we work on and evolve in ways that these signs represent. Then they move on and we begin work in other areas. This shift began in early May, so the energies are still new.

In a nutshell, this full moon in Sag is showing us the intransigent and dogmatic beliefs and biases of the past, that we need to let go of. Our karma in a sense.

In this case, racism, oppression, inequity in the African American experience and community.

There is a long history, beginning from the VERY beginning of our settlements and eventually, our actual nation.

We aren’t necessarily supposed to SOLVE this right now. We are supposed to see it, absorb it, process what it means and feel into it from the African American community’s experience. How these beliefs and biases have hung around and stilted THEIR growth and OURS.

Have you seen the protests re: George Floyd in London this morning? MASSIVE. In LONDON!

This is collective (in other words all of humanity) energy that is happening.

So, sit with what we are learning about our history, our negative reactions, our ‘original sin’ toward blacks (and indigenous populations) and feel deeply into what we have wrought, as a nation and society.

This is a call to just recognize it, deeply. Not necessarily a time to SOLVE it. Particularly if we don’t really have any solutions:)

There are a LOT of people who have been thinking about this, working on solutions, etc for a long time. Let them take the lead and leave our internet/armchair expertise alone for now.

Our job is to be conscious of our past and how it has damaged all of us. Humility is called for.

On JUST DOING IT…

Early morning musings as I listen to cello music shuffling on my Echo, thanks to Alexa fulfilling my wish. She is like a genie in a bottle.

I got a new tattoo yesterday; what I think is a very beautiful, stylized, abstract depiction of the most beautiful of the planets, Saturn.

In mythology/astrology, the god Saturn is all about hard work, discipline, timeliness, rules, strong foundations, boundaries and as I’ve written before, he strongly forces us to “get our shit together”. He reminds us that time is short; we aren’t here forever on this earth.

He has saved my life over and over again, as I tend to reject many of the above structures now and again, often to my detriment. (But then again, often, to my delight and expansion!)

What better way to express my gratitude and honor his influence than to commit him to my skin. Now, it’s not a perfectly accurate depiction and I’m hoping with him being a stickler for the rules and all, he will allow me some wiggle room on this.

I thought about this tat for a long time and researched designs and artists. I sat with it for about a year. I had even made an appointment with another artist in the spring and cancelled at the last minute. But, I knew I would get it.

Well, the time seemed right as Saturn entered the sign of Capricorn in my 12th house (I know mumbo jumbo to most of you…let’s just say it’s significant as I move forward into my second adulthood….for further insight, just ask. I’ll talk astrology forever…).

MANY of you have expressed to me something along the lines of “I want a tattoo, but I don’t know what I want. It has to be the perfect design. I want a tattoo, but I’m afraid it will hurt or I want a tattoo, but I want it to have something to do with my kids”.

Here’s the deal. Stop talking about it. Stop making excuses and if you REALLY want one, get one. It’s very simple. At the risk of being sued by Nike, JUST DO IT!

A tattoo is very personal. What speaks to you? What represents you? What motivates you or activates your core values and beliefs? Or what are your hobbies? Your passions? What symbolizes the path you want to follow or motivates you to be a better person, if that’s your goal?

And it doesn’t HAVE to be perfect. Nothing is perfect and if you have several themes you want to express, get several tats.

And yes, it does hurt. Some places more than others. But what DOESN’T hurt in life? The phrase “No Pain, No Gain” isn’t just a bumper sticker. It’s a sage reminder that in order to get what we want or to express ourselves or fully live OUR authentic lives, there is sacrifice involved. Period.

So, now you see that I’m not really just talking about tattoos, right?:) And that in fact, I’m channeling my personal spirit animal, Saturn.

If you want something, you HAVE TO ACT! We all sit around and think and wonder and make excuses. Or wait for someone to hand deliver our dreams and desires. Lay the groundwork and get it done.

Saturn is cracking the whip and will be for the next 2.5 years in Capricorn. He is always working on us, but in this sign, it’s particularly intense.

So, waffling and excuses and ‘somedays’ just won’t cut it. You may already be feeling this and what I would encourage is that you follow it. Act on your urges to set some boundaries, build some structure and discipline, to even the smallest duties.

That is the flow that we’re in. Resistance to Saturn is futile. He always wins:) It’s taken me the better part of 50 years to get that message and now, he’s right there on my left forearm, reminding me: “Jane…time is short; get your shit together”.

Not to Be a Debbie Downer…

I’m a pragmatist.

That’s just how I’m made. I try to clearly evaluate and assess information before I act or form an opinion.

There are always two sides (or more) to every issue/discussion/event and a pragmatist tries to weigh all of those factions and then, act; not out of emotion, but out of what will actually work. That is pragmatism.

I guess what I’m saying is that due to all of the Capricorn energy in the world and in my own natal astrological chart right now, I can’t be anything else.

I’d love to wax poetic about what is ahead of us and how this year will be the year of love and light and solutions, but the pragmatist (and astrologer) part of me, just can’t.

I hate to seem like a Debbie Downer because I’m not in despair; I’m coming from a place where I am feeling strong, empowered and CLEAR on what is happening and what is in front of us.

I’m an optimistic pragmatist. I acknowledge that the glass is half full; now tell me what’s in it and can I drink it?!

This is not a year of hopes and dreams; it’s a year to put your head down and put one foot in front of the other, with the tools and circumstance that you have right in front of you.

I know. That’s no fun. That’s not my typical love and light message is it?
But, it’s just the way that it is.

Does it mean that this energy will last forever? No, it does not. Nothing lasts forever. Haven’t you been reading my previous blogs??:)

In fact, if we look honestly at how things work and manifest, it really does take that kind of work and discipline and diligence and in some cases, tunnel vision to get to the top of the mountain. (That’s a Capricorn reference, for those of you who get it. Capricorn’s archetype is sort of a mountain goat. Hard working, strong, determined, undeterred).

Great things and huge changes just don’t suddenly appear out of thing air. This is our year of labor and diligence and hard work and discipline.

Collectively, as we hold our leaders feet to the fire and personally, as we quit whining and waiting for our knight in shining armor to rescue us.

It’s time to work with what we’ve got and to work toward what we would like to change, but in a coordinated and sensible manner.

2017’s primal scream of rage is over. We’ve cried ourselves out:). Now, we must pick ourselves up, put on our lipstick and figure things out.

Personally, professionally, financially, mentally, spiritually; we must look at our health, our money, our habits and begin to deal with our rage in a healthy way.

The chaos around us continues, but we have to find our safe, sacred space to merely watch and observe and then, act in a sane and productive way.

Pragmatism demands that we have clarity and focus. We can’t deal with ‘what ifs’ this year. That kind of thinking exhausted us and fed the chaos.

This is about standing firmly on the earth, feet planted as a strong foundation and withstanding those hurricane force winds of change and turmoil.

Gird yourselves, heal yourselves, strengthen yourselves. We have a long and bumpy road yet to travel, my loves. That’s just the reality right now.

A Tipping Point…

We are swimming in the soup of enormous cultural changes and I worry that we will now slide into a gender war.

Every woman in the US has known that this has been going on forever. We have all known that we are considered ‘less’ than men.

We all know that there is a cultural knee-jerk reaction to believe the man when a woman makes an allegation of sexual abuse, molestation, harassment or touching.

We are told “well, that’s just him” or “maybe, you misunderstood” or “he was just joking around…where’s your sense of humor?”.

This has been our ‘normal’ for as long as I can remember and for as long as my mother can remember…and my grandmother and so on and so on.

Did you know that in many cases, women couldn’t apply for credit without a male co-signer until the 70s? So no credit cards, no mortgage. We couldn’t vote nationally until 1920, the year my mother was born.

So, as we traverse this new territory where suddenly, we are seemingly in the middle of some cultural epiphany; where we are learning that men seem to think we are property or playthings. We are in grave danger of further division.

Obviously, all men are not abusers. Obviously, all men do not look at women as potential conquests, and yet, I find myself wondering what exactly DO men think of us?

I spent my career surrounded by and outnumbered by men. That was just the nature of broadcasting and media for most of my career that I entered in the early 80s.

It has changed some and I suspect that MOST women have worked with more men than women and the things we’ve heard come out of their mouths were often shocking and at times, painful.

Things like, “She’d be so much better looking if she grew her hair” as a woman left the room. Or, “No wonder, she’s not married” or “I’d hit that”.

Yup….over and over and over and over, day after day after day. Guy after guy after guy.

So, for the men: when we hear things like this come out of your mouth, is it any wonder why we feel angry and unworthy and yes, frightened?  Or when you sit by and let another man say these things without calling him out?

Is this how we are judged, even though we are competent professionals?

It’s all about who is fuckable, right?

So, yes. The pain, the humiliation, the fear and the overwhelming feeling that nothing that we do matters, because, well….’you’re a girl’ is suffocating.

Now, some brave women are coming forward and saying “Enough”. We are asking to be treated with little more respect. We don’t have to be adored or worshipped or put on a pedestal.

In fact, I have found that men who tend to claim their adoration and worship of women, are often the worst offenders in treating us like trophies or playgrounds.

The danger right now is that this will pit men against women (again). As women, we have to be careful not to paint with too broad a brush. To not demand too harsh of a punishment for men who just acted like a jerk. There is a difference between criminal and abusive behavior and being an asshole.

That is a very thin line, I know. But, in order for this to really begin to change, we have to muster what we women are best at: compassion and balance and love and nurture.

This is our wheelhouse. Let’s not allow ourselves to tip over into the default reaction of male energy: punishment and anger and domination.

This is but another test of our times. Jupiter is in Scorpio and that is a time to dig up the secrets. These things have been happening forever. All of the horror that we are seeing on the news every night isn’t new.

It’s just been buried and now, we are unearthing these dark secrets and behaviors. It is very hard to look at, but we HAVE to SEE it and acknowledge it. All of us. This is the time we have chosen to incarnate and it is both exciting and overwhelming.

It’s okay to be angry. I certainly am. And frustrated. And overwhelmed. This is hard, but we have to guard against becoming hardened.

Practice compassion and empathy and intellectual honesty. This is non-partisan. It is a human problem and if we divide into our tribes, we perpetuate this behavior.

How we reacted in the past (Bill Clinton, etc) is not relevant now.

The cosmos is asking us to grow up. It’s time.