HAPPY NEW YEAR!! WOOHOO!! That's right! Aries kicks off the astrological new year, and with it, a whole new influx of excitement, initiative, energy, and passion. For me, Aries people have always been such a fun and dynamic group. They're always ready to pick up and get the party started. They are the first to the front of the line and first to take action. Fiery and feisty folks, Aries are here to learn what it means to live authentically and fearlessly. Their biggest strength is that they are 100% unapologetically themselves no mater what. They never worry about changing who they are to make others feel comfortable. In fact, they may even get a little rise out making stuffy, highbrows squirm when they see how openly and honestly they live their lives. Aries are imbued and embody that initial spark of creation, and as such, are masters at encouraging and inspiring other people to get up and get moving. Their biggest contribution to our world is to show others the power of taking initiative with excitement. While this can ruffle a lot of feathers, Aries aren't terribly interested in catering to other people's comfort zones. They understand that time is limited and that the only thing we have to work with is the present. As with all signs, however, Aries do have their challenges. For one, they have a lot of ego to contend with. The sign represents the self and the "I am" principle, which can often blind Aries to different perspectives and make them come across as selfish and crass. Ruled by the passionate warrior planet, Mars, our ram friends can burn themselves out if they do not learn to direct and manage their energy wisely. They also deeply yearn for acknowledgment and approval from others, and when they don't receive it, they can become resentful and careless. They also need to learn the value of followthrough. If they can't keep the fire of desire burning, they become bored and lose interest, leaving a lot of projects unfinished. The key to harnessing their energy is directing it towards igniting that flame of passion and desire within others. When they learn that their true self-worth lies not in how much they are acknowledged, but rather, in how they inspire other people, they access an endlessly burning flame of passion that they will never be able to exhaust. Like we said, this month we find ourselves at the astrological new year, the beginning of the Zodiac. This gives us the opportunity to plant new seeds for the next twelve astrological months. If we do it right, we can elevate ourselves to a place where we rediscover our true personal value and passions, which will lead us to a happier and more authentic expression of our divine Light.
Taking a look at the chart for this month, we find a stellium (a ton of planets) in Pisces. So, while we thought we were all done dealing with our past, there are still going to be lingering emotional wounds we will have to contend with, which will play a tremendous role in the lessons we are meant to learn this month. The stellium is located in the second house of self worth and personal values. Let's examine this concept for a moment. What in your life do you value? How do you define it, and why is it important? Kabbalistically, the things we truly value are the things we are willing to work for. Think of it this way. Imagine you're a 17 year old kid who is given everything. You live in a nice house. Your parents bought you your dream car, and you have the latest and greatest technology. However, you never worked a day in your life for any of it. Do you think you would find value in any of those things? We have seen many times in our lives kids who are in this scenario. Maybe there are some of us who were actually in it. What we find is that when we are given things without going through a process of earning, we give it absolutely no value. In fact, we being to hate it and look at it with disdain. The reason for this is what the Kabbalists term "bread of shame." It's a code word for the feeling of dissatisfaction we feel when we receive something that we have not worked for. We become entitled, resentful, and angry because we are not the cause of these good things coming to us. This is what I mean when I say we only truly value what we work to earn.
Let's go back to the stellium in Pisces. Pisces, as we read in last month's article, is the sign of compassion, unconditional love, and forgiveness. However, in order to truly practice these highly elevated actions, we must first be faced with a difficult situation that gives us the opportunity to do it. If someone is not first given a situation where they are hurt, they will never have the opportunity to practice forgiveness. If someone is not first given a situation where they could hate, they cannot practice unconditional love. And if someone is not given a situation where they want to judge, they cannot practice compassion. When we see these difficult situations as opportunities to take an action that is connected to a higher level of consciousness, we do the "work" that earns us the satisfaction that comes from them. I can certainly tell you that when I have practiced forgiveness, I feel a sense of freedom and elation that pales in comparison to holding on to the pain of resentment. It is through this earning process, that we build a true connection to our authentic self-worth and personal value. Giving in to the pain of the past and the resentment towards those who have wronged us, takes away from what truly makes us special. It makes us believe in ourselves less and subconsciously feel like we are powerless to change anything in our world. They lower us to a place where we prioritize revenge and comeuppance. This month, if we can do the work to reveal the parts of ourselves that truly give us value, we can connect to the Aries energy of renewal and rebirth. We can wash away the lingering negative emotions and become inspired and rejuvenated to start something new.
The ascendant in the chart is Aquarius, which gives us an additional clue that we need to work to be more objective in our understanding of what lead to these feelings in the first place. Aquarius asks us to take the feelings we have and put them to the side for a moment. We need to take one hundred steps back and look at the situation without all the emotional drama and see it simply as a series of events that has lead us to where we are. Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, so if we look to Saturn in the chart, we find he's in Capricorn. If you remember what we wrote about Saturn in Capricorn (read here to refresh), we know that personal responsibility is the name of the game now. We can either continue to allow these things to control us and tell us how we're supposed to feel, or we can elevate to our higher consciousness and practice those high-road attributes we just talked about. When we give our power over to others, we give our personal value away as well. We basically say to the universe, "this has power over me, and there's nothing I can do to change it." And the universe responds, "but you're far more powerful than you think!" So, one way or another the situation will continue to bug you until you take your power back and reveal what truly makes you valuable: your divine essence. This is the part of you that can practice forgiveness, unconditional love, and compassion. The Aries energy will assist us in igniting the fire of passion, but we need to direct it towards inspiring others through our example. When we release ourselves by revealing our divine essence, we shine the light of inspiration on others, and we can subsequently teach them how to do it for themselves.
Lastly, this month is where the Kabbalists celebrate the holiday of Passover. In Kabbalah, this holiday imbues us with the Light of freedom from the trappings of our ego. It gives us a jolt of energy that breaks everything that chains us to past pain, mistakes, and missteps. However, this energy must be earned. In this month, we should make a resolution of what and whom we are going to forgive and let go. Once we have made this decision, opportunities will pop up to give us the chance to earn true forgiveness. The Kabbalists gave us tools we can use to control the energy of each month. These tools are the Hebrew letters that control the sign and planet that rule each month. According the Zohar, the Hebrew alphabet is not just any normal set of letters. It is the physical manifestation of spiritual wavelengths of energy. When we gaze upon the letter, their vibrations cause the Light in our soul to become activated. Once this Light is activated, we are given the power to overcome any negative external influence, thereby taking our power back. This month, the Kabbalists teach we can use the Hebrew letter "dalet" to control Mars and the Hebrew letter "hei" to control Aries. Any time we find ourselves falling into our ego-driven resentment, anger, or victim mentality, mediate on these letters simply by gazing upon them. Allow their Light to enter your consciousness and activate the Light of your soul. From there, you can clear your mind and move forward acting with your divine essence. Save and use the image below throughout this month to take your power pack, and reconnect with your true Light-like nature.
If you are interested in learning more about how to connect to the most authentic expression of your divine essence, check out my Natal Chart Consult here.
Wising you all this best this month, and this year ;)
With Light,
Josh