Happy New Year… Again!

Part One: Spring, the time when we are breathed into new life!

In astrological terms, this is the start of a new year. We go from the heavenly and spiritual energy of Pisces; the slow watery sign that dreams and imagines, that is not so tied to this earthly plane as it is to the next,  and lives half beyond the veil, to the Aries’ abrupt, rising, warrior energy.

Most of the ancient and modern astrologers agree that the year’s wheel is a metaphor to the lifecycle. We start out as babies with the high intensive energy of Aries, and make our way until we are in our later years (i.e. months) with the ending of the year in the wise, twinkling and elder spirit of Pisces.

The Aries temperament is similar to a young child’s in that it is fresh and vibrant, it has no fear, it goes after what it wants, it cries when it doesn’t get it -but- gets right back up again! This temperament may get angry, however, Aries has taught us to use that anger for production, and never to hold onto it.

We follow the childhood energy next with Taurus embodying curiosity and wonder of the physical world, with Gemini: communicating, socializing, the enjoyment of movement ; and then with Cancer: understanding the connection of family, home, and our place within. We move into teen spirit with Leo: finding our voice and generating a unique emanating presence, and with Virgo: becoming more conscientious and careful as we enter young adulthood. With Libra season we find life connections, possibly ending up in marriage or partnership. Then, on to our time in life with Scorpio, the 40 something mood, when we go deep: question and recognize that life is not always easy. Sagittarius teaches us that despite this, life goes on and there are still  adventures that are calling us. The grandparent energies of Capricorn and Aquarius. Capricorn builds our legacy and reinforces the importance of structure and order as within it, is our lineage. Aquarius teaches us that in the end,  love is all that really matters and that we are all interconnected no matter our backgrounds. And lastly,  Pisces the time of life when we touch the other side ever so slightly and release the neediness for this material life.

At this moment, the very end of winter,  there’s a trail of wisdom that has been left. If we can see it, and travel on it, we can slow down enough to dream, to pause, and to listen.

Not only does astrology see the spirit of the year in this cyclical succession, so does traditional Asian philosophy. The Chinese -to be exact – follow the theory that the water element reigns over the winter season, and when we begin spring we are entering into the wood element. There is a lot of overlap in the energies of water and wood with Pisces and Aries.

The water element in Asian philosophy is old, slow, quiet, yet strong, resilient, yet fluid, and calming. It is a yin energy which means a feminine, darker energy.

The wood energy, similar to the Aries energy, is young, forward moving, fast, creating, refreshed, vibrant, fiery, and hot. It is a yang energy, which means a masculine, bright energy.

There are various other cultures and traditions that attach characteristics, emotions, energy, colors, and, even, taste and sounds to these transitional times. But, the majority would agree that this is the most impactful time of year, full of metamorphoses and change: the time leaving winter and entering spring. The opposition of these two seasonal energies create a vortex of possibilities in each of our lives.

This is why taking conscious effort and action during this time can yield the most powerful effects. Using the powerful energy of the season to create change and growth in your life can catapult your efforts.  There really isn’t another time of year as strong and abundantly resourceful in creating transformation.

So remember that list? Yeah, the one you made at the beginning of the year? You may have forgotten about it already. Most of us do within a month or two of the  Gregorian calendar’s New Year, January 1st. Not a problem! You can start over if you need 🙂

This is the best time of year to start any new endeavor, so don’t worry -it’s not too late and you’ve had a couple months to think about it.

Not sure how to get started? Let’s take a feather out of the Aries’ cap and just go for it!

Start by thinking about the areas in your life:

* Career, jobs, purpose, ambitions

* Relationships, romantic, family, friends, co-workers, community 

* Creative pursuits, hobbies, education, travel

* Sacred spaces, home, activities that ground you, where you feel most “at home”

* Spiritual, and religious pursuits, meditation, mindfulness, 

Where in your life could you use some extra space and time? 

Where do you want to put more energy and time? 

What is calling to you?

Life is about balance, so pursue the areas that you are motivated to explore, but don’t neglect areas that need some TLC.

Then, figure out your emotions around these areas. What emotions do you feel in each area? What strong, vibrant, heartfelt emotions come up when you think about each of these areas. Stick to the positive ones – because those are going to be more motivating.

Then start writing! Write down all your thoughts and dreams wishes in each category. Nothing is too big or too small. And , most likely, you’re not going to manifest everything you write, but that’s OK.  This list is going to change with time. And, that’s OK too. But when you get to the end of it, pick 1-3 things that you would like to focus on for the rest of the year (ending next March!).

That’s it for now.  Next, we will explore how to create an actionable to-do list from your goals and desires, so that you can tap into the emerging Wood, Spring, Aries  “Get- It-Done” energy and act with confidence moving closer and closer to the life of your destiny.

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