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SPRING EQUINOX 2022

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“It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.” 
― Oriah Mountain Dreamer

The Spring Equinox is always a time of emergence and awakening. This year is full of paradoxes, contradictions and uncertainty at a much wider level as the whole world is being challenged.

There is an increased sense of restlessness and collective anxiety so a good spring clean of every aspect of our lives can be very grounding and healing. The start of the equinox is the best time to undertake this mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Looking at our metaphorical tool box and learning from the past year  – what has been helpful; what doesn’t work anymore; what do we need to refine or discard; is there enough space for new tools to emerge and develop?

As days become warmer, lighter and longer, distractions can creep in – therefore it is useful to factor in time on a regular basis to reflect to avoid making snap judgments and decisions. Distractions can leave us open to coercion and lose our sense of self, being seduced by a need to be part of. Questioning our motivation for being part of groups, even if they appear to resonate including spiritually, can be helpful.

Themes for this equinox are discernment, authenticity, self-honesty and self-reflection. Allowing transformation to take place without using self-will, not forcing it to happen either ourselves or by others. It feels that throughout these three months we will be reminded that situations are not necessarily exactly what they appear to be. There are also strong reminders not to force our opinions on others. Take time to assess situations. Is this genuinely how I feel? Work towards a sense of wholeness and unity by repairing fractures within ourselves. 

What are we presenting to the outside world? Acknowledging franctures within ourselves is the beginning of the journey towards peace. Are we literally hiding, avoiding or are we taking time to reflect, build up stamina? We are being faced with wider territory than we think and for that we need stamina, learning to harness our energy. For some the sense of fight or flight will be obvious for others subtle even imaginary which will overwork our adrenals; for others there may be subtle aspects of denial and illusion. It feels important to clear any old triggers in our psyche or daily niggles before we reflect/meditate as these can effect what we perceive as our truth.

This Equinox is equally about forgiveness and loving kindness towards ourselves and others. With Spring comes rebirth

Winter Solstice 2021

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Winter Solstice 2021“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility…without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.” Dalai Lama 


The Winter Solstice is a time to gently celebrate, then hibernate, rest and reflect on the year gone. A very gradual rebirth stirs as the light grows. Part of this process is what do we need to let go of spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically to become “lighter”, what seeds would we like to nurture, what future do we aspire to?What gifts can we exchange and share with others? This year is fuller than others with uncertainty; how can we nurture and stabilise ourselves internally? Old emotional triggers may appear over the next few days, weeks; they are being activated so that we can release them and develop/maintain that vital sense of inner peace as well as tranquility.


There is a feeling of working on what needs to change within ourselves before the Universe “makes us” when we are unprepared. Patience, including compassion for ourselves and others, is another key this Solstice. Reserving judgement until we have a clear sense of what exactly causes us disharmony/to be triggered  and what action do we need to take – remembering not to panic; there is time throughout this part of the solstice. After 1st February we will have greater understanding of  the options we have, together with a clearer understanding of what is truly our community.


What does leadership mean to you? It is a strong theme this Solstice. Are you easily influenced by others? Do you control by being stubborn, withdrawing, gaslighting, giving your power away? Have power over? Maybe this is about a harmonious form of leadership, being open minded, knowing when to be camouflaged, when to be visible, when a situation requires authentic team work, when internal work in solitude is required.


Challenges can be questioning personal loyalties (beliefs, ideals, opinions and people) which may be misguided, not wanting to check out what is real and applicable practically, caring too deeply as a form of avoidance, being ungrounded/accident prone because of preoccupation. It will be really helpful to strengthen our spiritual practices, keeping them simple in order to ensure that we use them daily, even hourly at times, as the energies around us may be turbulent at times. A reminder that the greatest darkness can hide in the light, and light can appear in the darkness. As the Dalai Lama also says “Compassion is the radicalism of our time” this includes forgiveness. Interestingly humour can be a great strategy in order to lighten up.


Finally whatever happens we are moving towards Spring and any personal work we undertake now will prepare for then. Breathe into your very bones anything that truly feeds your soul.

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX 2020

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“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing
myself.” – Rumi

 The autumn as ever is a time to bring in the harvest and take stock, prepare for the winter; balance the books. More than ever this applies to all aspects of our lives – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. At this time of year the weather is notoriously unpredictable which in turn can be mirror uncertainty in our day to day living.

There may be a restlessness to change our world, but however challenging the outside world is, we are equally being given a chance to continue working on ourselves, our personal relationships and what community means to us at the moment. What can we carry forward from the last autumnal equinox, what can we let go of, what are we unsure about? Are we living in the past or are we projecting too far into the future? What did we learn about Truth and how we discerned our personal truth during the Spring Equinox/Summer Solstice? What is your intuition telling you as opposed to your instinct or the influence of others which can lead to us losing a sense of self?

Some of the challenges of this equinox will be about balance with adherence to convention one moment then tilting out of balance the next which may be influenced by misplaced loyalties, misunderstandings, power struggles, a desire to be perverse/hedonistic. Taking time to reflect, to be still, and not overreact will be essential. Finding glimmers of joy within the chaos will help overcoming toxicity such as overwhelming frustration, fear and anger. If we can identify the source of our personal chaos, it can gives us something concrete to work through, taking personal responsibility where we can and digging deeply to respond with clarity. 

We are going through an individual and collective grief process, whether we are aware of it or not. This grief process effects everyone in different ways and is certainly not linear. Loving kindness, respect and compassion are the best tools to offer others as well as giving them to ourselves.

Spring Equinox 2018

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Spring Equinox 2018

“One of the basic rules of the Universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.” Stephen Hawking.

Spring always brings with it rebirth in every aspect of our lives and, as with the birthing process, change as well as joy. This year in particular, an element of unpredictability and chaos which is mirrored in the weather. The need to spring clean and declutter extends to the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives not just the physical.

In order to manage the possible chaos, it is important to find time to be still, even reclusive to rebalance our energies and focus. For those of us who have specific spiritual practices it is helpful to ask the question: am I seeking perfection and over complicating my practice? Be aware of acting out of shoulds and possibly superstition, this can be very subtle at times. It is equally important not to judge others over the choices they make regarding spirituality. Some people already practice seamlessly which is the message of this Equinox rather than striving for public perfection.

The Spring Equinox brings with it potential, a sense that everything is possible. We can learn from our creative abilities and how we use them. The theme of self-care and reflection continues from the winter and will help us to stay focused. Where do we need to be teachable and where do we need to step out of our comfort zones? There will be the challenge of paradoxes – on the one hand being organised and on the other easy going, being diplomatic versus pedantic, creative freedom versus limiting self-expression. Alongside this will be a desire to be a pacifist, be of service to humanity against ambition, possessiveness and intrigue. Interestingly self righteous outrage can be very destructive when believing we are doing the right thing.

At this time of year, there are surges of energy and therefore it is helpful to set our intentions for when they happen as this is often when boundaries are pushed back. It is also when a desire to resolve injustices and subsequently to find lasting solutions manifests. Taking space to reflect and practicing when to be seen/heard or not, will enhance our ability to discern whether we are reacting with a purely emotional response or with integrity.

Despite the challenges of this Equinox and a need to simplify our lives, there is great joy this Spring.

Autumnal Equinox 2017

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There is nothing permanent except change. Heraclitus

The seasons inevitably bring change with them and the autumn is about bringing in the harvest, taking stock as well as providing for the winter. Sometimes it can feel like being one step ahead of the weather and constantly paying attention to detail. This can also be a metaphor for other aspects of our lives. This year’s Autumnal Equinox is no different and that “paying attention to detail” is vital. In order to do that, we need to be extra grounded and present.

Staying focused can be a challenge so it is a good idea to have a simple grounding routine that you can keep to. Walking on the earth barefoot (even for a few seconds), connecting with any trees around you in parks or the countryside, putting earthing images on your screensavers, eating lots of root vegetables and earthy food – all these help. Notice healing opportunities, whether they are physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, and take advantage of them. It is also a good time to let go of old resentments and fears. Forgiveness exercises and Gratitude practices are very helpful at this time. A simple practice is think of three small things you are genuinely grateful for each morning and again in the evening.

Challenges that may come up are fault finding with partners, keeping good boundaries, our own moodiness and that of others as well as control issues. A particularly confronting aspect of this Equinox is being aware of the “charmer/gushing sycophant” and false praise in others or ourselves. All of these can act as deflections from our sense of purpose and moving forwards. To counterbalance these challenges, we can concentrate on authenticity/self-honesty and connect with like minded people, meditate and tap into the spiritual wisdom of our “elders”. There is always a golden opportunity to do this mid-Equinox at Samhain around 31st October.

The planet, the earth, the animal kingdom and all humanity are crying out this Equinox for respect and kindness – asking us to make the changes we need to in order to survive and thrive. We can only challenge and change our own internal attitudes that in turn will flow out and join those of others. Although this is a tough Equinox, there is a sense of being part of a supportive energy and coming out the other side with joy and gentleness – resisting the urge to give in and give up. There is still a lot of inspiration available.

 

Summer Solstice 2017

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“Without Forgiveness we are lost; with Forgiveness we find our way home”
Anonymous
The Summer Solstice is about celebrating all the hard work and  achievements of the past year. It is about spending time with friends and family, then half way through, around 1st August, taking time to pause, reflect and think about what next. However, for many, this Solstice is more acutely tinged with a sense of chaos, confusion and uncertainty. There may also be a profound sense of loss and grief. To balance these challenges, there will be and have been extraordinary acts of selfless courage and human kindness.
Anger and frustration will be like a tinder box this Summer. It is important not to allow ourselves or others to fan those flames. Pontification leads nowhere. Forgiveness is one of the keys of this Solstice. There are many effective ways of achieving this and I have made a very simple meditation that you are welcome to use. Somehow continuous forgiveness of ourselves and others can bring us back to our center, especially at challenging times.

You may have a sense of overwhelm during this Solstice combined with a desire to be left undisturbed – “leave me alone to get on with …”.  Perhaps a tension between speaking out and withdrawing from “others”. One of the solutions is to meditate and reflect on what action, however small, we can take  for ourselves, our family and/or our community. We can do this by using our own personal challenges and how we overcame them as inspiration and motivation. A natural reserve rather than lack of expression can serve us well.
If we trust the timing, and at times finding that patience will be difficult, we stand a chance of finding ourselves in synchronicity with the Universe using clear forms of communication. We have a collective voice that can bring about positive change and resolution. We have witnessed and experienced what happens when we allow the voice of a few to dominate us. We now have access to an intense desire for life – a fresh start, let’s use it.