The Endless Rush of Curious Moments

The benefits of knowing something about astrology range from the very practical (i.e. what would be the best day for me to buy a car?) to the karmically mystical (where did my intense fear of water come from in a past life?). Somewhere in between, there is the synchronization of the rhythm of one’s life with the resonance of the sky on a daily basis.

Yesterday, for example, was a challenging day psychologically and emotionally for many people, do to the Moon (showing the collective mind) being joined two very harsh planets. I was experiencing some of this constriction myself and only had to glance at the chart of the moment to realize that this weight would last through the day, but naturally lift by the next day when the Moon would move into the (relatively) clear air of Capricorn. And sure enough, today brought with it an entirely different energy than what was in the air yesterday.

I think one of the most essential lessons that the study of the sky has been teaching me is how incredibly comforting the reality of change can be. It is very human to resist the transitions and upheaval that life brings, to unconsciously wish things to remain static so that we can hold onto what we love and what is comfortable and so spare ourselves the effort of continually acclimating to an eternally shifting environment which exposes us constantly to both devastating loss and unexpected gains. It keeps asking us to be awake, which is challenging when you’re already worn out from the ride.

But I think there is a way to be both awake and relaxed; to find nourishment from the newness that each moment brings even if what it brings might not be exactly what you wanted. The problem, and the root of the exhaustion that we often experience, might be that we often want something specific delivered to us on the platter of each moment. When that (inevitably) does not happen, there is constant resistant to the waves of moments that keep rushing in relentlessly (I can’t help but think in surf metaphors since I’ve been spending so much time at the beach!).

if the approach can shift even slightly, to turn and face the oncoming moment (the endless rush of Time) with a mind full or curiosity rather than craving, then everything that enters is some kind of gift. I’ve had to experiment with this quite a bit, as i’ve begun to be able to see what is coming astrologically and to know sometimes that it will not be easy. But I’ve begun to see the movement of Time as a form of touch. So even moments which are challenging, and losses which seem completely indigestible have a quality of touch which remind us that we are in contact with life.

The Universe itself may not abide by the same moral principles that have been developed by humanity, so what is experienced by us as aggressive on a personal level is, to the larger Mind just a force of Nature doing what it was made to do, abiding by a more fundamental sets of laws—the Laws of Nature on the ground, the laws of karma in the sky—than our constitution or our legal system. A weighted cloud must deliver its rain to the ground below, rivers must move toward lower land, the animal world must experience hunger and the concomitant uncontrollable desire to satiate it by whatever means necessary, the planets must deliver their karma through our lives. If this feels heavy, then understand that the other option would be to have no karma at all and thus no experience; to not exist at all.

The question of morality becomes complicated when Nature hits the human mind. But we are not as far removed from nature and its inborn instincts as we might imagine. That might actually be part of the problem. Were they entirely absent then we could live really reasonable, rational lives defined by moral codes and moderate appetites. But our bodies still live by instinct and so we experience the potency of animal hunger, desire and vitality but thwart many of these impulses and so complicate them. Enter neurosis. One can turn to Freud (making sure to take him with a grain of salt) for a longer explanation of the mechanics of this.

My concern with nature and consciousness has to do with getting in front of the neurosis and connecting to a rhythm which is entirely impersonal, and therefore a-moral (meaning without morals, neither “for” or “against”) and therefore before judgement. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t sometimes hurt, but it does mean it probably doesn’t get offended.

The clouds are just delivering rain, not because they’re angry but because they reached the required level of saturation, or hit the right air temperature or elevation which triggered their release. Similarly, the planets are just delivering their karma, not because you’re a good or a bad person but because your actions in a former life required that you were born at a specific moment when they were configured in a particular way so that you are given the fruits of your actions. This is just Nature’s form of play. Humans have taken the whole thing rather seriously, and at some point forgot how to smile and laugh about how strange and glorious the whole dance can be!

I began with the topic of change: It is easier to let go into this cosmic dance of impersonal movement if we realize that we will never be in the same situation forever. Time is always moving below our feet, and so before we decide to get upset about a situation we’d do well to remember 1. this is life’s way of making contact with you, 2. this situation is the natural outcome of previous actions and if we are entirely closed off to the moment we will not extract the teaching it contains (plus it is rude to turn your back on a moment) and 3. this too shall pass, and we might even miss something about it after it does.