The Cosmic Story: The Wheel of the Year
Imbolc: Fire Festival of Light Returning
After writing New and Full Moon newsletters since 2007, I've decided to take a break from that monthly task. Instead, I'm going to write an astrological newsletter for each of the 8 seasons of the Wheel of the Year. The bonus is that I also get to write about different seasonal energies and goddesses we can turn to for inspiration and to find what archetypal patterns can contain the new life we're engendering.
Just as I'm in transition ( most people I know are ), we are all living in transitional times -- not only from one astrological age to another, but also a transition out of a social system that has dominated most societies for the past 5,000 years. Patriarchy is a system of the ' rule of the fathers' , where a male/father's rule is law over his children, his wife, his goods, the laws. Patriarchy has certainly created good as well as evil. But the truth is, its day is over.
Patriarchy is in its death-throes and we are experiencing its last attempt to regain power. But just as the Sun inevitably sets in the sky, patriarchy's sun is setting.
We are entering into a new social order where first and foremost, men and women are equal. Where the gifts of the sacred feminine and sacred masculine are valued and it is understood that women's voices add something vitally different and important to the collective story. There have been partnership societies before. We will do it again.
This new partnership society is a society that gives equal value to women and men and our separate, unique gifts. A society in which all genders, all races, all beliefs are equal and free. If you've been living in that paradigm already, then you have the consciousness and tools to make it so in the world. Look around. Lots of people are responding and going out into the world to stand up for this truth. And people are waking up from our collective patriarchal dream.
Are we the change we've been waiting for yet? I think we are!
This change in consciousness is the Light we need to exhibit now to calm the fearful, stand up to tyranny, and recreate the world. Let's live conscious, compassionate, creative lives.
Speaking of transitions, January is really a transitional time between last year's ending and this year's beginning. Like the two-faced Roman god Janus who faced in two directions, January is a time to look back at where we've been and within for the new Light that was born at Winter Solstice. In reality, as in astrology, the new year begins on the Aries point of Spring Equinox, when the Sun rises North over the equator. (Those of you in the southern hemisphere, I'd love to hear how you experience our calendar, which forces you to make believe it's Winter when it's really Summer for you. It doesn't seem quite fair to you.)
In terms of the cosmic timing, things haven't quite begun -- things are in transition in January and February. Perhaps that's why so many of us can't keep our new year's resolutions. It just isn't time yet! It would serve us better to get back on track with cosmic timing, which we begin to learn from Mother Earth and then look to the Heavens for Father Sky's cosmic input.
Mother Earth says it's time to withdraw from the surface cold and conserve life in the death time of Winter. It's a time to introvert, to go inside yourself, your home, your cave and be with yourself. During the dark months, it's a great time to read, watch and tell stories that inspire you to grow this year. It's a great time to meditate, dream and journey to find out what that spark of Light conceived on Winter Solstice is growing into. What are you going to do with the promise of this new year? What are you going to do with the present -- the NOW?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
