With all of the upheaval, inner and outer, in the U.S. and around the world, there are a lot of people standing in the rubble of what was, and facing the daunting prospect of starting over.
In the ‘rubbled lives’ cases, after the round of ‘perfect storms’, they’d be starting anew from the rubble. Literally. It’s well beyond overwhelming.
There are other ways, too, that our lives get “rubbled” and our hopes, dreams, expectations, and the fruits of years of hard work, that we poured our heart and energy into, get washed away.
In this culture, it’s too common to hear the over-simplified “cheer up” or “you just need to be more positive,” or worse — mindless, empathy-free comments about “karma” or “you must have done something to deserve/create your situation.”
So real Underworldings, bona fide Dark Nights and other Rubblings can feel doubly (or more) isolating and painful because of these and other kinds of things.
Understanding, kinship, healing presence, and wise experience-sourced counsel will come most likely from others who’ve had deep, real-deal initiation with loss, rubbling, actual Dark Nights and Underworldings.
To cite Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī, “When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home.”

PHOENIX MEDICINE
The mythic Phoenix is an age-old symbol — a beautiful bird, rising from the ashes of its former self. (Jupiter will soon add its mojo to the the Phoenixing Zone. More on that soon.)
To begin anew — in whatever substantial way we’re challenged to do that, because what was is no longer an option — is challenging.That’s an understatement.
I know this because I’ve had to do it, more than once, in more than one way. I don’t underestimate how daunting it is, particularly when we’re grief-and-loss stricken, feeling shaken to our core, and nearly frozen with shock and fear.

The human spirit often rises to awe-inspiring levels in the face of epic challenge, though, and we do, step by step, begin anew.
Most of us have generations of ancestor-wisdom woven through us that helps us to intuit and remember how to do this, even when it seems stunningly overwhelming.
Stone by stone, step by step, small and even minuscule (and sometimes lurching and awkward) steps, doing little bits at a time, prayer by prayer, staying as present-moment focused as we can — that little work that adds up (very Virgo-Magic, that).
In hindsight, we see the progress, however humble, and know we did, and we can, begin anew.
We become beacons, intentionally or not, to others who need to believe, in the face of similar overwhelm, that they, too, can begin anew.
Even when not standing in the midst of the rubble that was our life, or all that we thought was “real,” we can shift our perception, alter a toxic mindset, and begin anew.
In this moment, I begin anew.
Here’s a Sophia’s Children treasure-vault reflection — Today I Begin Anew — that offers more inspiration, if you’re wanting or needing in some way to begin anew.
Big Love,

Mentor-Coaching for Underworldings, New Beginnings & Other Major Shifts
For perception-altering mentoring, if you’re beginning anew (or still sitting, dazed, in the rubble), have a look at the Current Special Offerings for mentoring and consultation.
Featured Image Credit: The Fire Bird, Phoenix. Image courtesy of Piotr Siedlecki, Free Stock Photos.
September 24, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal.
September 24, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Thank you for sharing Begin Anew on Blue Dragon Journal, Eliza. I appreciate it. Thanks as ever for stopping by! Blessings, Jamie
September 24, 2017 at 3:43 pm
We die and are reborn several times perhaps to realize that death and birth are one and the same.
September 24, 2017 at 10:21 pm
Beautiful, Anna. Thank you for visiting Sophia’s Children and sharing the insight that arose for you! All the best with your healing work, too. Be well. Big Love, Jamie (p.s. I’m Aquarius Sun+, too).
September 24, 2017 at 7:46 pm
Reblogged this on dreamweaver333.
September 24, 2017 at 10:23 pm
Thank you, Violet. 🙂 I appreciate that you rippled this musing and inspiration into your blog-circle. Blessings, Jamie
September 24, 2017 at 9:54 pm
That rebuilding from the rubble is difficult, but so necessary sometimes so that we can grow.
September 24, 2017 at 10:25 pm
True words, Andrea. We’d likely not choose it, but looking back we might see that we learned, grew, expanded, and gathered some gnosis … the experiential wisdom. And that’s a blessing for all affected by the ripple. Your sense of it?
September 24, 2017 at 10:29 pm
True, we think about how we’re affected by it, but it probably has a wider positive effect.
September 24, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Clicking on Today I Begin Anew, I wound up in Mysteries of Virgo, not the inspiration you mentioned. Can you send me a link to the inspiration you were offering.
September 24, 2017 at 10:29 pm
Hi Chris. Thanks for the heads-up about the link – I appreciate that! I’ve updated it on the post, and here’s the S.C. archive Today I Begin Anew:
https://sophias-children.com/2016/09/18/today-i-begin-anew/
Thanks for stopping by, and for letting me know about the link. Blessings, Jamie
October 17, 2017 at 6:36 pm
I do believe part of being human is having to begin again many times. Beautiful words you have penned and shared. Thank you.
October 17, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Thank you again, JoHanna. It’s certainly my experience of beginning again and again, and there’s some comfort in that reminder … that we can, and we do. Blessings.