October 28, 2016 • Gratitude and Forgiveness
"(Growing up) I was aware that everything cost money, but I wasn't taught to embrace generosity and straight-forwardness about money. My present focus is to embrace positive qualities any time I talk about money. That's not at all how I was raised." Jacqueline Mandell, Money Stories
Hi Friends
In last month's newsletter I talked about vulnerability and steps to work with it. I have two more points to add to the list: Gratitude and Forgiveness.
After my email went out a friend reminded me of Gratitude. And I decided Forgiveness needed to be on the list, too. This is the perfect time of year to talk about both.
So, what is gratitude? For me it goes from gratitude for having a good day, to waking up rested, to finding parking places, to allowing comfort and ease into my life, to having the money to buy the food I love, to having people around who will/can help me when I need it, to having a warm home, to being able to be of service, to name a few.
I'm also grateful for the not so pleasant things that have happened in my life. We all hear the stories of people who have been in disasters that make our hearts go out to them, and later they tell us how much positive came out of the so called negative.
Looking back at my life, there are many personal experiences with so-called negative beginnings that became my greatest gifts.
One such occurrence happened back in 2002. I was living in the first floor of a Portland house with remodeling going on next door. My bedroom had huge windows which allowed in all of the noise from the construction site. I'm a night person who likes to sleep in, but construction often began by 7 or 7:30 am. After loosing sleep for many months due to the hammering, sawing, and drilling outside my bedroom windows I started looking for a new place.
I found a mobile home in a park in Tigard. It was old and needed work, but was very inexpensive. I never wanted to live out of the city in a suburban area, but funny thing is, I've lived here longer than any other place! I have friends out here, several New Seasons, and even host monthly drumming circles at my park. There's also a weekly meditation group and I lead a monthly drumming meditation as part of that circle.
That hammering and noise and frustration lead to a place I've called home for nearly 15 years!
Another seemingly terrible occurrence was when Portland experienced many inches of snow in December, 2008. I had a really difficult time getting to work most of the month. The bookstore lost lots of money due to the snow keeping holiday traffic away for much of the month. The owners decided to make some changes in how they did business that really affected me. After much contemplation and work with pen, paper, and calculator I realized I could retire and did so later that year.
I was surprised that retirement was even an option for me financially, but retiring has opened so many doors that would not have opened without that opportunity. Also, others have told me that I was their model for retiring and how grateful they are to me for leading the way!
My not wanting to be vulnerable, or to allow in what wants to come are some of the things I need to forgive myself for. My fear, my wanting to keep things the same, my future thinking, my mindlessness, my not accepting life as it comes, my disliking and not accepting parts of me, my... on and on, are all things that need my forgiveness. Oh, and then there are the things I need to forgive others for, the slights, the not being able to read my mind, the not doing what works for me, and on and on again.
These and many more are why I do burning ceremonies and keep prayers for others on my altar. The burning allows me to add my own burdens to the pile and allows me to be of service to others. Each paper with a prayer request going up in smoke is so freeing and cleansing. Thank you all for trusting me with this task.
What are you grateful for? And what do you need to forgive? (I find I need to forgive myself most of all!)
I've decided to go back to making my gratitude statement before bed. I'd done this for years just before turning off the lights, but it had gotten to be a chore so I took a break and am now ready to begin this practice again. Restricting my daily list to one or two items keeps my overwhelm/perfection/procrastination tendencies out of the process. I plan to make this a gratitude and forgiveness list this time.
Again, this month I ask for your prayers as I continue my Journey of Deepening, Opening to Vulnerability, Being Grateful, and Forgiving.
I send the energy of gratefulness and forgiveness to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 26, 2016 • Deepening: Opening to Vulnerability
Being aware if something makes me feel resentment or not certainly makes me feel more peaceful. It's a good thing. Anger, bitterness, and resentment are all toxic waste products that I don't want in my life. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Money Stories
Hi Friends
More lessons from my School of Deepening... Last week at lunch with a friend, we talked about vulnerability and later I began to wonder what it was really about.
The definition of vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations, and societies to withstand adverse impacts from multiple stressors to which they are exposed. When we are vulnerable we tend to put up walls and do what it takes to no longer be vulnerable. Our internal systems have been programmed for many millennia to do whatever it takes to keep from being vulnerable. We might hide and not go out or be with people who might make us feel these stressors. We all have our ways to keep our exposure to harm at bay.
My friend reminded me that adding weight many times is a form of protection and many of us protect ourselves from becoming too vulnerable or open by gaining weight. The weight provides a protective shield so we don't becoming too vulnerable "to attacks."
I have known this at a mental level for years, but when my friend said it I suddenly "got it" at a much deeper level than ever before. That is why I am carrying around extra weight. At some deep level I feel unsafe. So, looking at my vulnerabilities, fears, feelings of being unsafe are another part of Deepening for me.
This is more of the baggage I've carried from childhood or maybe even past lives, the fear of being replaced, destroyed or annihilated. I didn't realize what a hold it had on me.
So, another part of Deepening is about the fear that keeps me from being vulnerable and open, to others and myself.
In the last month I've had my Jupiter return (pushing the boundaries, making things bigger, new philosophies), a Solar Eclipse in Virgo (grounding, cleaning out, looking at what and how I eat) and a Lunar Eclipse in Pisces (dreaming, intuition, hidden fears, vulnerability,) hitting into my chart. These occurrences have helped me realize that looking at my fears of being vulnerable is my work right now.
In Inner Child language, I'm a strong adult and my inner child does not need to fear being vulnerable, the adult me can take care of her, even as I get older. With my wisdom and experience I can and am taking care of myself.
What are my next steps?
1. Cleanse: I started a cleanse. Maybe cleaning out the gunk inside will help release some of the need for protection. It might take time, but it takes as long as it takes, and I'm up for the journey.
2. Writing: I haven't wanted to talk about my weight struggle but opening up to something new and allowing myself to be more vulnerable is my present work, at least for the remainder of this year (and who am I kidding, the rest of my life!)
3. Ceremony: Doing personal ceremonies always helps me get comfortable with something new. I might write things out on yellow stickies and burn them as a release, or make a new vision card or a treasure map to help me vision and be open to what's coming. I want to do some ceremony before or along with this upcoming New Moon. When I do the ceremony is not as important as just doing it and what the ceremony is about.
4. Mindfulness: Adding to my mindfulness practice is another way for me to allow in more vulnerability. More drumming? writing? meditating? contemplating? Not sure what this will entail as of now... maybe/probably all of those.
5. Gentleness: I know loading myself down with expectations won't work so I plan to be gentle in this process. How about working on one or two things at a time instead of 20? Maybe pick one thing to work on each day or week?
6. Accept: When I don't follow-through on part of my plan in my allotted time, instead of using hurtful self-talk to beat myself up, how about accepting where I am right now. And starting up with my plan again tomorrow?
7. Fearless: What does it mean to be fearless? The dictionary says free of fear, but maybe it also means to fear less or to remove fear a little at a time. Doing something every week that scares me a little? We'll see...
I ask for your prayers as I continue my journey of Deepening and Opening to Vulnerability.
I send the energy of being open and vulnerable to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path.Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 29, 2016 • What's Your Process?
"Our stories about how we take care of ourselves and how we create or don't create are so much more interesting than how we make money or don't." Jennifer Louden, Money Stories
Hi Friends
Did you know that next week, Mother Teresa will be canonized or receive sainthood? I thought she was a saint already, it was often said that she was an everyday saint or a living saint. But it will be official on September 4, 2016.
She didn't begin her time in the convent planning to start a new Order or to becoming sainted. In fact in her letters to her spiritual advisor she often felt that she was not in touch with God.
Last weekend I lead a ritual for a friend--we do this around her birthday nearly every year. Each year has a different focus, depending on what's happening in our lives. This year's topic was "What's Your Process?"
I had to look at my own process to prepare for this ritual. So what is my process?
Like Mother Teresa I didn't set out to become a teacher, astrologer, drumming leader. Many of us may have thought we were setting out to become or do something only to realize that our path had taken us in quite a different direction.
In looking at my process I realized is that mine is about being open, trusting, and listening. I am open to the path my guides lead me to/on. I trust that they know where my next step should be. And I listen to how my body feels as I take this next step.
The Law of Attraction is important to me and part of my process is to stay positive and know that what I desire is on it's way. But many times I don't see a big enough picture of what could be. Left to me to design my life, it would be much smaller and less magnificent than it is turning out to be.
A few examples of what has come to me as a result of being open, trusting, and listening are:
* I got to spend four years living at the Oregon coast. I went out with no job, but was taken care of the entire time I was there. I had thought it would take me several years to get there, but moved to the coast in just a few months. I had to be open, trust and listen to how it felt to make this move, and it felt so right. If I had listened to my logical mind I wouldn't have taken the leap.
* I got/get to be the mother of two wonderful daughters, who are now in their 40's. They are both doing fulfilling things as part of their paths. Having and raising them has been one of the most powerful things I've done with my life and has been all about being open, trusting and listening--they didn't come parenting with manuals!
* I got to work as the Event Coordinator at New Renaissance Bookshop for more than a decade. As part of this job I got to meet many authors who were and still are my teachers and are very important to me. When I first started working at the book store I told the owners I wanted this job and it took a series of obstacles and me moving to the Oregon coast to finally get it!
* I got to move to Oregon, the land of my heart 40+ years ago. This is the perfect place: close to the ocean and green all year. Things grow inspite of me!
* I got to be a drumming circle leader despite being told as a 7 year old that girls didn't play drums. Thirty years after that I found drums, began teaching people to make them, and now lead three drumming circles a month.
* I got to put together a book of people's stories about money and abundance in their lives. Putting this book together gave me access to many people who told their stories about their process and how material resources (money) come into their lives.
* And presently I'm getting to learn about mindfulness around eating. It's as if I'm tasting things for the first time. I'm learning to stay conscious when I put food in my mouth and to savor the tastes of what is helping my body be healthy and happy. I'm not mindful every meal, but when I am, food is different than it used to be.
And there are so many more stories and experiences I could talk about...
What is your process? And what have you accomplished? Grab a piece of paper or your phone or iPad/tablet and write down what comes to mind. How do you accomplish your process? ( I love to make vision cards which are 5" x 8" collages of magazine pictures. And sometimes I make vision boards/treasure maps which are larger versions of the cards.)
You might also meditate on and visualize what you want. Or you might worry first and then step into what you need to do. Or you might pray first, or question why this is the appropriate path. What ever your process. Accept it and see where it takes you.
At the ritual last weekend I realized that fear is part of my process and one of my obstacles, and maybe a gift. I realized it needs to be a friend rather than always trying to banish it.
Do you have an obstacle that doesn't seem to want to leave? How can you make friends with it?' What could possibly be it's gift? I thank fear for being one of my biggest teachers!
I send the energy of being open/trusting/listening to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 30, 2016 • Eclipses
"Stuff is heavy and hard to carry around and my life is not about having money for stuff. It's about having money for experiences, like travel or getting my dream house." James Wanless, Money Stories
Hi Friends
Every fall I buy my Jim Maynard Astrology Calendar for the next year and the first thing I do is look to see when that year's Eclipses are. In this year's calendar the Full Moon on August 18 is listed as a Lunar Eclipse. But many sources out there say it just misses by just a tad.
"What? Not an Eclipse? How does that happen, how is it determined?" I decided to find out. And I thought I'd share some of what I've learned with you.
First, astrologically, Eclipses, whether Lunar or Solar are times of change, especially if they touch something in a person's chart. I LOVE Eclipse energy—there is usually a sense of urgency in the air.
A Solar Eclipse is about something being birthed. A Lunar Eclipse is about something being released. We can watch the Earth and see that things happen. At the coast, around an Eclipses you'll see really high and really low tides. And sometimes you might see changes to the planet.
Second, what actually happens to make an Eclipse? For a Lunar Eclipse the Sun, Earth and Moon exactly line up with the Earth in the center blocking the Sun's light to the Moon. For a Solar Eclipse the line up puts the Moon between the Sun and Earth so the moon blocks the sun's light to Earth. They can be total, meaning either the Earth or the Moon totally block the Sun's light for a few minutes; or they can be partial, meaning only part of the Sun is blocked. On August 18 the Moon only butts up against the shadow area, but doesn't actually enter it.
Both the September 1st and September 16th Eclipses are partial, while last March 8th's Eclipse was a total.
This got me to wondering which was most powerful. Looking at my history some total Eclipses had not much effect while some partial Eclipses ushered in major life changes.
In Feb. 2000 a partial Solar Eclipse (change) and Uranus (unpredictability) both aspected my Sun very closely and a day or so later I broke my ankle and couldn't drive for nearly 3 months. Both aspects occurred in my house of creativity. Though I needed surgery and was in pain for awhile, the changes were great. For the next eight years I did about 50+% of my work from home. I loved working from home and still do.
The total Solar Eclipse on Feb 26, 1979 occurred in my work environment area and aspected my Moon (home). Shortly after it happened my daughters and I moved across town and I changed jobs. So, third, on a personal basis whether an Eclipse is total or partial actually means less than if it aspects a planet in our charts. Then we are personally impacted.
So, if that Almost Eclipse doesn't aspect anything in your chart, just get out and watch that big beautiful Full Moon on August 18. And if it does impact your chart, enjoy the ride to whatever changes you'll be making! I wish the changes are easy!
I send the energy of adventure and patience to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
"(Growing up) I was aware that everything cost money, but I wasn't taught to embrace generosity and straight-forwardness about money. My present focus is to embrace positive qualities any time I talk about money. That's not at all how I was raised." Jacqueline Mandell, Money Stories
Hi Friends
In last month's newsletter I talked about vulnerability and steps to work with it. I have two more points to add to the list: Gratitude and Forgiveness.
After my email went out a friend reminded me of Gratitude. And I decided Forgiveness needed to be on the list, too. This is the perfect time of year to talk about both.
So, what is gratitude? For me it goes from gratitude for having a good day, to waking up rested, to finding parking places, to allowing comfort and ease into my life, to having the money to buy the food I love, to having people around who will/can help me when I need it, to having a warm home, to being able to be of service, to name a few.
I'm also grateful for the not so pleasant things that have happened in my life. We all hear the stories of people who have been in disasters that make our hearts go out to them, and later they tell us how much positive came out of the so called negative.
Looking back at my life, there are many personal experiences with so-called negative beginnings that became my greatest gifts.
One such occurrence happened back in 2002. I was living in the first floor of a Portland house with remodeling going on next door. My bedroom had huge windows which allowed in all of the noise from the construction site. I'm a night person who likes to sleep in, but construction often began by 7 or 7:30 am. After loosing sleep for many months due to the hammering, sawing, and drilling outside my bedroom windows I started looking for a new place.
I found a mobile home in a park in Tigard. It was old and needed work, but was very inexpensive. I never wanted to live out of the city in a suburban area, but funny thing is, I've lived here longer than any other place! I have friends out here, several New Seasons, and even host monthly drumming circles at my park. There's also a weekly meditation group and I lead a monthly drumming meditation as part of that circle.
That hammering and noise and frustration lead to a place I've called home for nearly 15 years!
Another seemingly terrible occurrence was when Portland experienced many inches of snow in December, 2008. I had a really difficult time getting to work most of the month. The bookstore lost lots of money due to the snow keeping holiday traffic away for much of the month. The owners decided to make some changes in how they did business that really affected me. After much contemplation and work with pen, paper, and calculator I realized I could retire and did so later that year.
I was surprised that retirement was even an option for me financially, but retiring has opened so many doors that would not have opened without that opportunity. Also, others have told me that I was their model for retiring and how grateful they are to me for leading the way!
My not wanting to be vulnerable, or to allow in what wants to come are some of the things I need to forgive myself for. My fear, my wanting to keep things the same, my future thinking, my mindlessness, my not accepting life as it comes, my disliking and not accepting parts of me, my... on and on, are all things that need my forgiveness. Oh, and then there are the things I need to forgive others for, the slights, the not being able to read my mind, the not doing what works for me, and on and on again.
These and many more are why I do burning ceremonies and keep prayers for others on my altar. The burning allows me to add my own burdens to the pile and allows me to be of service to others. Each paper with a prayer request going up in smoke is so freeing and cleansing. Thank you all for trusting me with this task.
What are you grateful for? And what do you need to forgive? (I find I need to forgive myself most of all!)
I've decided to go back to making my gratitude statement before bed. I'd done this for years just before turning off the lights, but it had gotten to be a chore so I took a break and am now ready to begin this practice again. Restricting my daily list to one or two items keeps my overwhelm/perfection/procrastination tendencies out of the process. I plan to make this a gratitude and forgiveness list this time.
Again, this month I ask for your prayers as I continue my Journey of Deepening, Opening to Vulnerability, Being Grateful, and Forgiving.
I send the energy of gratefulness and forgiveness to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 26, 2016 • Deepening: Opening to Vulnerability
Being aware if something makes me feel resentment or not certainly makes me feel more peaceful. It's a good thing. Anger, bitterness, and resentment are all toxic waste products that I don't want in my life. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Money Stories
Hi Friends
More lessons from my School of Deepening... Last week at lunch with a friend, we talked about vulnerability and later I began to wonder what it was really about.
The definition of vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations, and societies to withstand adverse impacts from multiple stressors to which they are exposed. When we are vulnerable we tend to put up walls and do what it takes to no longer be vulnerable. Our internal systems have been programmed for many millennia to do whatever it takes to keep from being vulnerable. We might hide and not go out or be with people who might make us feel these stressors. We all have our ways to keep our exposure to harm at bay.
My friend reminded me that adding weight many times is a form of protection and many of us protect ourselves from becoming too vulnerable or open by gaining weight. The weight provides a protective shield so we don't becoming too vulnerable "to attacks."
I have known this at a mental level for years, but when my friend said it I suddenly "got it" at a much deeper level than ever before. That is why I am carrying around extra weight. At some deep level I feel unsafe. So, looking at my vulnerabilities, fears, feelings of being unsafe are another part of Deepening for me.
This is more of the baggage I've carried from childhood or maybe even past lives, the fear of being replaced, destroyed or annihilated. I didn't realize what a hold it had on me.
So, another part of Deepening is about the fear that keeps me from being vulnerable and open, to others and myself.
In the last month I've had my Jupiter return (pushing the boundaries, making things bigger, new philosophies), a Solar Eclipse in Virgo (grounding, cleaning out, looking at what and how I eat) and a Lunar Eclipse in Pisces (dreaming, intuition, hidden fears, vulnerability,) hitting into my chart. These occurrences have helped me realize that looking at my fears of being vulnerable is my work right now.
In Inner Child language, I'm a strong adult and my inner child does not need to fear being vulnerable, the adult me can take care of her, even as I get older. With my wisdom and experience I can and am taking care of myself.
What are my next steps?
1. Cleanse: I started a cleanse. Maybe cleaning out the gunk inside will help release some of the need for protection. It might take time, but it takes as long as it takes, and I'm up for the journey.
2. Writing: I haven't wanted to talk about my weight struggle but opening up to something new and allowing myself to be more vulnerable is my present work, at least for the remainder of this year (and who am I kidding, the rest of my life!)
3. Ceremony: Doing personal ceremonies always helps me get comfortable with something new. I might write things out on yellow stickies and burn them as a release, or make a new vision card or a treasure map to help me vision and be open to what's coming. I want to do some ceremony before or along with this upcoming New Moon. When I do the ceremony is not as important as just doing it and what the ceremony is about.
4. Mindfulness: Adding to my mindfulness practice is another way for me to allow in more vulnerability. More drumming? writing? meditating? contemplating? Not sure what this will entail as of now... maybe/probably all of those.
5. Gentleness: I know loading myself down with expectations won't work so I plan to be gentle in this process. How about working on one or two things at a time instead of 20? Maybe pick one thing to work on each day or week?
6. Accept: When I don't follow-through on part of my plan in my allotted time, instead of using hurtful self-talk to beat myself up, how about accepting where I am right now. And starting up with my plan again tomorrow?
7. Fearless: What does it mean to be fearless? The dictionary says free of fear, but maybe it also means to fear less or to remove fear a little at a time. Doing something every week that scares me a little? We'll see...
I ask for your prayers as I continue my journey of Deepening and Opening to Vulnerability.
I send the energy of being open and vulnerable to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path.Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 29, 2016 • What's Your Process?
"Our stories about how we take care of ourselves and how we create or don't create are so much more interesting than how we make money or don't." Jennifer Louden, Money Stories
Hi Friends
Did you know that next week, Mother Teresa will be canonized or receive sainthood? I thought she was a saint already, it was often said that she was an everyday saint or a living saint. But it will be official on September 4, 2016.
She didn't begin her time in the convent planning to start a new Order or to becoming sainted. In fact in her letters to her spiritual advisor she often felt that she was not in touch with God.
Last weekend I lead a ritual for a friend--we do this around her birthday nearly every year. Each year has a different focus, depending on what's happening in our lives. This year's topic was "What's Your Process?"
I had to look at my own process to prepare for this ritual. So what is my process?
Like Mother Teresa I didn't set out to become a teacher, astrologer, drumming leader. Many of us may have thought we were setting out to become or do something only to realize that our path had taken us in quite a different direction.
In looking at my process I realized is that mine is about being open, trusting, and listening. I am open to the path my guides lead me to/on. I trust that they know where my next step should be. And I listen to how my body feels as I take this next step.
The Law of Attraction is important to me and part of my process is to stay positive and know that what I desire is on it's way. But many times I don't see a big enough picture of what could be. Left to me to design my life, it would be much smaller and less magnificent than it is turning out to be.
A few examples of what has come to me as a result of being open, trusting, and listening are:
* I got to spend four years living at the Oregon coast. I went out with no job, but was taken care of the entire time I was there. I had thought it would take me several years to get there, but moved to the coast in just a few months. I had to be open, trust and listen to how it felt to make this move, and it felt so right. If I had listened to my logical mind I wouldn't have taken the leap.
* I got/get to be the mother of two wonderful daughters, who are now in their 40's. They are both doing fulfilling things as part of their paths. Having and raising them has been one of the most powerful things I've done with my life and has been all about being open, trusting and listening--they didn't come parenting with manuals!
* I got to work as the Event Coordinator at New Renaissance Bookshop for more than a decade. As part of this job I got to meet many authors who were and still are my teachers and are very important to me. When I first started working at the book store I told the owners I wanted this job and it took a series of obstacles and me moving to the Oregon coast to finally get it!
* I got to move to Oregon, the land of my heart 40+ years ago. This is the perfect place: close to the ocean and green all year. Things grow inspite of me!
* I got to be a drumming circle leader despite being told as a 7 year old that girls didn't play drums. Thirty years after that I found drums, began teaching people to make them, and now lead three drumming circles a month.
* I got to put together a book of people's stories about money and abundance in their lives. Putting this book together gave me access to many people who told their stories about their process and how material resources (money) come into their lives.
* And presently I'm getting to learn about mindfulness around eating. It's as if I'm tasting things for the first time. I'm learning to stay conscious when I put food in my mouth and to savor the tastes of what is helping my body be healthy and happy. I'm not mindful every meal, but when I am, food is different than it used to be.
And there are so many more stories and experiences I could talk about...
What is your process? And what have you accomplished? Grab a piece of paper or your phone or iPad/tablet and write down what comes to mind. How do you accomplish your process? ( I love to make vision cards which are 5" x 8" collages of magazine pictures. And sometimes I make vision boards/treasure maps which are larger versions of the cards.)
You might also meditate on and visualize what you want. Or you might worry first and then step into what you need to do. Or you might pray first, or question why this is the appropriate path. What ever your process. Accept it and see where it takes you.
At the ritual last weekend I realized that fear is part of my process and one of my obstacles, and maybe a gift. I realized it needs to be a friend rather than always trying to banish it.
Do you have an obstacle that doesn't seem to want to leave? How can you make friends with it?' What could possibly be it's gift? I thank fear for being one of my biggest teachers!
I send the energy of being open/trusting/listening to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 30, 2016 • Eclipses
"Stuff is heavy and hard to carry around and my life is not about having money for stuff. It's about having money for experiences, like travel or getting my dream house." James Wanless, Money Stories
Hi Friends
Every fall I buy my Jim Maynard Astrology Calendar for the next year and the first thing I do is look to see when that year's Eclipses are. In this year's calendar the Full Moon on August 18 is listed as a Lunar Eclipse. But many sources out there say it just misses by just a tad.
"What? Not an Eclipse? How does that happen, how is it determined?" I decided to find out. And I thought I'd share some of what I've learned with you.
First, astrologically, Eclipses, whether Lunar or Solar are times of change, especially if they touch something in a person's chart. I LOVE Eclipse energy—there is usually a sense of urgency in the air.
A Solar Eclipse is about something being birthed. A Lunar Eclipse is about something being released. We can watch the Earth and see that things happen. At the coast, around an Eclipses you'll see really high and really low tides. And sometimes you might see changes to the planet.
Second, what actually happens to make an Eclipse? For a Lunar Eclipse the Sun, Earth and Moon exactly line up with the Earth in the center blocking the Sun's light to the Moon. For a Solar Eclipse the line up puts the Moon between the Sun and Earth so the moon blocks the sun's light to Earth. They can be total, meaning either the Earth or the Moon totally block the Sun's light for a few minutes; or they can be partial, meaning only part of the Sun is blocked. On August 18 the Moon only butts up against the shadow area, but doesn't actually enter it.
Both the September 1st and September 16th Eclipses are partial, while last March 8th's Eclipse was a total.
This got me to wondering which was most powerful. Looking at my history some total Eclipses had not much effect while some partial Eclipses ushered in major life changes.
In Feb. 2000 a partial Solar Eclipse (change) and Uranus (unpredictability) both aspected my Sun very closely and a day or so later I broke my ankle and couldn't drive for nearly 3 months. Both aspects occurred in my house of creativity. Though I needed surgery and was in pain for awhile, the changes were great. For the next eight years I did about 50+% of my work from home. I loved working from home and still do.
The total Solar Eclipse on Feb 26, 1979 occurred in my work environment area and aspected my Moon (home). Shortly after it happened my daughters and I moved across town and I changed jobs. So, third, on a personal basis whether an Eclipse is total or partial actually means less than if it aspects a planet in our charts. Then we are personally impacted.
So, if that Almost Eclipse doesn't aspect anything in your chart, just get out and watch that big beautiful Full Moon on August 18. And if it does impact your chart, enjoy the ride to whatever changes you'll be making! I wish the changes are easy!
I send the energy of adventure and patience to each of us as we journey into the great and wonderful unknown. Take care on your path. Connie Hill/Grandmother Knight
