Sophia's Children

I’ll begin with the Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist quote, because it came up, resonated, and intuitively seems timely:

“One thing I keep coming back to is a sense of deep certainty that the way of the monk and path of the artist make a difference in the world. What distinguishes these two ways of being is that each are called to live deliberately on the edges of things, in active resistance to a world that places all its value on speed and productivity, that reduces people to producers and consumers, and reduces the earth to a commodity for our use.” ~ Christine Valters Paintner, Abbey of the Arts

There is a definitive current of the mystic, shamanic, spiritual activist — subtle, or more overt — in the Energies of Now.

Though I’ve been pretty active and extroverted in the local zone, when I’ve not needed to be extroverted, I followed the intuitive current of the recent Mercury Retrograde and recent Saturn and Pluto stations and went a bit retrograde myself.

We all need some retrograde time, if only to let our nervous systems calm and our body restore itself from all of the busy time and tech trons.

It’s not uncommon to ignore those hints and signals of the need for slow-down and restoration time. Instead, we usually push ourselves past the line and limit, justifying it the whole time, and end up having the slow-down time forced on us by a wave of unwellness or some-such thing.

Yes, I’ve been there, done that, hit that wall going a thousand miles an hour — and, thankfully, learned a little something from those experiences along the way.

If we’re introverted by nature — maybe moreso if we’re ‘socially intelligent’ introverts — the need for retrograde and restoration time is even more important.

Not only are the mind and body calmed and soothed, but our Muse connection and inspiration well are stirred and activated more by quiet, listening, and observing than by going a hundred miles a minute (and chattering the whole time).

We do give ourselves signs, hints, clues if and when and how we’re out of alignment with our truest values and our own Way and Path.

Here’s a perspective that links that with actual sanity:

“Modern post-industrial societies tend to produce un-sane populations — multitudes of people who are unbalanced in their adaptation to the destructive stress of daily existence.”

“One of the symptoms of this un-sanity is the loss of contact between the waking ego and the depths of the self, a contact that requires involvement in dream experiences and information.”

“Materialist cultures require that the focus of awareness be upon the material conditions of life and away from involvement with the inner being which is the only road to spiritual maturation.”

~ Charles D. Laughlin, Communing with the Gods: Consciousness, Culture and the Dreaming Brain.

Energies of Now: Shifts, and the link with the ‘slow-down time’ thing.

Lots of energetic and psychic shifts in the last week or two — you might have noticed a need for a bit more rest (or feeling fatigued), and at the same time feeling a bit of agida (that’d be Mars and Pluto in astro-speak).

Honoring those currents with some slow-down and ‘intentional attention’ time is wise and will feel beneficial, to restore the mind, psyche, and body, and also discern any insights, intuitive nudges, and heart-stirring ideas that are wanting our attention but usually pushed aside or silenced by our impulse to stay perpetually busy.

Current themes of the Energies of Now:

~ re-rooting into our own wisdom and insight;

~ gathering back and concentrating energy … and focus, intention, and attention;

~ noticing what power and (self)-authority we’ve given away or had sucked away  and calling it back, repurposing that energy and attention to what truly has heart, meaning, and value for us, and definitely calling it back from the psychic and energy vampire drains;

~ becoming more mindful and discerning about how we invest our energy, focus, and attention.

And a few other themes.

Also, Venus meandered from Earthy Taurus into Airy, Creative, Idea-rich Gemini. Find intel about Venus in Gemini here:

Venus and Iris the Rainbow Goddess — the Shamanic Diplomat

And since Mars has been very much in the picture by transit and with Uranus and Mercury transiting Aries (ruled by Mars … a lot of energy wanting constructive direction, or it vents itself unproductively):

Mars: Power, Purpose, and Shadow Stuff

If you’d prefer a personalized astro-counseling and Golden Thread mentor-coaching, send me an email (jamie ‘at’ sophias-children ‘dot’ com) or have a look at the links below for Current Featured Offerings.

Read Laurie Corzett pointed the way to her own Monk Musing via Google+; check check it out (click on Laurie’s name).

Big Love,

Jamie

Featured Image Credit: Cross and Church, St. Patrick’s Well, Marlfield. By RustytheDog, CC Wikimedia.

Time to Re-Story & Bring More of Your Self to Your Day-to-Day?

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Lots of love,

Jamie