Astrologically, March 2023 is one of those moments in time that we will come back to again and again. Whether or not something concrete happens in your life – this is when major seeds are being planted. This is when completely new chapters in your life are being written.
On March 2nd, Venus is conjunct Jupiter. This particular Venus-Jupiter conjunction is a bit different. Venus and Jupiter also conjunct Chiron; this time, the emphasis is on healing our emotional and relationship wounds. The triple Venus-Jupiter-Chiron conjunction is an incredible opportunity to reclaim yourself.
I’m feeling it, are you? I have had a number of encounters and conversations with friends that have had a common theme and question. Do we know who we are, really – not just our image or our stats?
I look at you and see a strong, experienced, resilient, loving and beautiful woman! And yet the one thing all of us can relate to is self criticism, lack of confidence, or some fashion of insecurity. Myself included! From a spiritual perspective, we know the measurements are different. First of all, the physical body, although our temple for sure; is not going to be measured by what our culture deems “sexy” or youthful for example. This has always been a safe haven for me because of just that. And yet we are physical beings interacting productively with other physical beings and we’re aware of how our appearance, including our intentional “regalia” speaks volumes about who we are.
What are the steps or pieces involved to reclaim who we really are? Number 1 – Being who we truly are authentically is essential for integrity, communication to others responsibly, self care and self acceptance (which may include self forgiveness), and self confidence. (This can mean different things to different people.)
Number 2 – Being willing to objectively recognize our value; including strengths, experience, skills, aptitudes, and innate personal power. I have learned the immense value of trusted and integrious friends for help with this one. We all have some familiarity with ego, the mind, and the committee inside and how often there is a subjectivity here that is impossible to sort accurately in a vacuum.
Number 3 – Being unencumbered to contribute our personally with perspectives, words of wise encouragement, offers to help, to witness and not help, to bring boundary consciousness to the forefront, or to take the action needed. This is the path of the elder; at any age. This is also seen as a leadership role whether or not it has been authorized by others. Some of us would call this empowerment.
I think we’d all agree that we are living in times of accelerated transformation. And although evolution has been and will be an ongoing process, I think it’s also true that there are stages within any process that set them apart. I see this time as a time of creatively birthing a new culture, one person at a time. Each of us are physical being made up of many cells doing different functions with an intelligence of the whole and a common goal of LIVING. I see the humans on the planet, or for that matter – the Earth itself, the same way. We are different, and those differences can be in harmony or discord, affecting the experience and supporting our learning and growth.
I’ve always loved the phrase “charity starts at home” especially from the perspective of my-Self as my home. Michael Jackson’s song “The Man in the Mirror” echos this beautifully. The best way to help anyone else, the only sustainable way; is to first tend ourselves to the point that we are well and in harmony on all levels. I’m not speaking about the ultimate “perfection” according to anyone else. I’m speaking about “perfect” as an ongoing balance that is reflected back to ourselves.
Gateway to Authenticity
I want to talk about something weird and wonderful; intuition. The word is used frequently in conversation. We might say “She is so intuitive.” or “I just intuitively knew…” or “I’d like to develop my intuition even more.” I think each of us have our own sense of what it is and the experience of it. It might be interesting to know the synonyms for the word intuition are; instinct, hunch, ESP, discernment, feeling, clairvoyance, and more.
Depending on how you were raised, taught, what you saw, heard and experienced; this word can hold many different meanings for you. Seems however, like each of us have some sort of inner connection to the experience. My first invitation in this exploration is that we are willing to explore! To “look around” without judgement or fear, without feeling the need to be guarded or defensive in any way.
I’d like to explore how to develop intuition, methods of practice, and what mindset or heart connection would support that.
Let’s start with how it develops. Seems like any “development” would be a process of unfolding, education, and maturity of some sort like “child development” perhaps. For me, the phrase communicates a process that includes a willingness to practice. Practicing anything will include experimentation, intention, and learning from “mistakes”. Some report a spontaneous development of intuition or psychic awareness as a result of a near death experience. I’m not prepared to explore that although I admit I believe that happens.
Mostly, those things we practice everyday become part of us. So for me, one method of practice that I use is to be open or welcoming to the “small voice” inside that tells me “don’t forget your coat” or “bring that box your friend left at your house” even though I have no plans to see her. It is something other than what my logical mind can conjure. It is up to me to first notice when it has a message, and then how to respond. As often as I am aware, I at least consider this “inner voice” an equal perspective and perhaps even more dominant than any logical deduction. I like to play with it even. Like I’ll be at work and have a wave wash over me with the awareness/thought of a particular person and then they walk in the door. Noticing when that happens gives me a clear reflection of my inner landscape.
It can be so satisfying to feel the oneness of our connection to ALL life! And, it will highlight any judgements, fears, or other misgivings there may be in our belief systems too. It’s really useful to meet those parts of ourselves with curiosity and claim sovereignty over our choices around beliefs and behaviors. When we are curious about something, we are open and willing to explore, no matter if it’s a tide pool at the ocean or tasting a new food. We each have a reference to this for ourselves.
That takes me to the part about our mindset. As humans, we naturally have biases; it’s biologically that way for our physical survival. Our ancestors way back, had to make quick and often uninformed judgements that would determine if they lived or died. So that’s understandable and we want to appreciate that aspect of our evolution; after-all – it likely has something to do with our being on the planet today! However, there is a place beyond that place. If we are mindful, and are interested in being open to noticing that we are safe physically, we can notice any internal sensations, messages in words, pictures, or a feeling of “knowingness” that might be present.
Heart connection is another element to consider too. Our heart is our “oldest” organ as it forms by week 7 of gestation! We can often follow our heart when making big decisions more easily than our logic. It is such a deep part of who we are and we feel that. It is considered our feeling center of emotion. What better receptor to call on to receive those feelings of intuition.
This aspect of Self seems to be a gateway to authenticity. Each of us is unique, like everyone else… came to experience life in this world, in this physical dimension. And we are not JUST physical but also have many other aspects to our existence. Psychic awareness is said to be a birthright rather than an unusual or rare “gift” and most of us just haven’t exercised that muscle.
You choose what is right for you. I wish for you to have full access to an empowered life in whatever way you choose, for this journey that we are traveling together