Forty Days & Forty Nights

With Ash Wednesday (“from dust thou art and unto dust we shall return”), the day after Mardi Gras, we begin the season of Lent (Old English for “springtime”), forty days and nights of purification, preparing us for the Three Spring Festivals (Aries, Taurus, Gemini), for spring itself, equinox, Wesak (when the Buddha approaches the Earth), for Holy Week, Passion Week, Palm Sunday and for Easter. Everything is holy, everything biblical.

Whether we know, understand, comprehend or recognize it or not, everything is holy. Everything is biblical. And the events, the crisis we are all experiencing at this time in the history of our country and our world, they too are biblical. And the outcome will be biblical. Whereas our history books are the history of wars, the reality is humanity’s true history is the history of our awakening, a history of consciousness and of slow development towards a greater state of knowing. The history of humanity is the history of its religions. Each religion within each Age is the history of humanity’s developmental stages for the last eighteen million years.

We (humanity) have been here on Earth for eighteen million years. And will be continuing on for eighteen million more years, reincarnating thousands of times, in every culture, in all races, in different colors, speaking different languages. The kingdom is colorful and we, humanity, are the most colorful of all. Here we are in Aquarius. Aquarius is everyone’s friend. The sign of Pisces began this week. As Aquarius serves the world, Pisces saves it.

Mercury retrograde continues till this Saturday, where it stations at 11 degrees Aquarius. Mercury will remain in its retrograde shadow until March 13th. Things move very slowly forward till then. During Mercury retro and its shadows, new information approaches us. We continue to assess, order and organize, eliminate what is no longer needed, so the future has room to make its appearance.

Lent is a time to create new rhythms. When we create new rhythms, what is no longer useful falls away. What new rhythms can we think about creating for Lent? What can we cultivate that is good, creating a new circulatory flow? I’ll write about this next time. Love, Risa

ARIES: A time of great change has arrived for you personally. You will find yourself in time, breaking with the past, attempting new endeavors and different ways of presenting yourself to the world. All relationships will assume different priorities, themes and hues, meaning everything becomes unconventional. Including your appearance. You will love it all.

TAURUS: Someone or something is asking you to adopt a new and different value system, one that is not your usual, traditional, conventional and learned way of being. You resist. That’s OK. However, there may be consequences. Perhaps you don’t know what they are yet. It’s a good idea to ponder upon these things. The old ways are in the way, everywhere, hindering you. There must be a clearing, cleansing, elimination. You can do it.

GEMINI: Flashes of insight become commonplace and grow each day. They give you information concerning decisions and what action is best to take. More and more your ideas are unusual and unique. This could lead somewhat to opposition from others, especially those in charge. They don’t understand your choices. Each day you seek more independence. You are not afraid anymore. The new era is here.

CANCER: Amidst the sudden decision to travel or have an adventure, you realize you’re seeking a utopia to live in. Not for you the conventional path. So customs and traditions are set aside so  new independent ideas can flow, exotic places can appear that reflect the new era advanced ways of living and thinking. It’s an experiment. Caution is advised. Not too much though.

LEO: Do you sense the new economy coming forth? Do you sense money, finances, investments and legal issues affecting your life are changing, becoming somewhat erratic without controls? We are told these days to use our money for education and future safety. Your keen intuition is telling you to keep track of all market ups and downs and realize sudden changes may occur in business and relationship interactions. What is there for you to hold onto?

VIRGO: Some Virgos may unexpectedly fall into relationships, marry perhaps, without much thought. Some will divorce with even less. Other Virgos will be aware that strange things could occur within all interactions and  relationship; erratic behaviors, a need for independence, major upsets and unexpected changes. Some Virgos will be shocked. Others will take this in stride. Astrologically aware Virgos will know that all’s well. And love underlies all happenings.

LIBRA: Your daily work environment, routines, schedules and also your health may become unpredictable, moving toward irregular. Some Librans love this for it allows for more freedom. Others need the structure, with reliable and regular agendas in place. You might become somewhat impatient, anxious and nervous. You sometimes learn the hard way, through sorrow and loss. Gather loved one around you. Be forgiving.

SCORPIO: You’re inventive and creative. At times you sense the need for a bit more self-control. You’ll learn this eventually. We all do. Self-knowledge sometimes comes through being reckless and foolhardy. Are you this way with relationships, perhaps? You want most of all at this time, freedom and independence and a retreat where you can work in solitude. Perhaps fish a bit. Visualize what and where that would be. Write it down, draw and color it. It will all appear, all that you need, in time.

SAGITTARIUS: Perhaps there will be another change to your home life. You want freedom to come and go at will, tending to all needs and phases of your life. You want different and unusual living conditions. More structured leisure, too. Although you love family traditions, they are counter to your needs at this time. The foundations of your entire life feel unreliable and changeable. This persists. It’s difficult but proves to be part of what creates your unexpected bright future.

CAPRICORN: Your thinking and communicating might become quite revolutionary to those around you. Gradually, or spontaneously, or unexpectedly (Uranian words) you realize the need the freedom, the gift of Uranus. You become involved in advanced, new thought thinking. Very few may think like you. A sense of aloneness develops until you stand on your own, assert your rights and find your group. Off you go, at a moment’s notice. People smile as you speed by.

AQUARIUS: Aquarius is the friend to everyone. When you hear someone in need you always say with graciousness, “How can I help? Call me. I’ll help you.”In the work of the Wisdom teachings, the disciple is always asked to “look for, see and recognize the need” in all situations and to assist in filling that need. In this way the Aquarian task of serving others (humanity) is always in the forefront. When one serves, one is also “served.” What one gives, one receives.

PISCES: You develop a deep need to be independent and completely free, working best without anyone over you. Your environments must be orderly, clean and clear so that your mind can synthesize  unobstructed, effortlessly, with ease and skill. You need to be in the company of creative people, artists and musicians. This brings comfort. Do not place yourself in limiting circumstances. That brings radical discomfort. You also need the beauty and fragrance of flowers. How can all these come about?