Energy Astrology: January 2007 Column

Lassoing the Stars for a Better Life

By Cyndi Dale

Looking a Year in Advance

Time is an interesting phenomenon. We all want more – except when life is a bit grim or we're paying the bills or cleaning the house, in which case we'd be happy to spin the hour hand forward. We know that we're supposed to concentrate on the present, but that's not completely possible. We are products of our past and the initiators of the future. And so on a daily basis, we must coordinate between hindsight, insight, and foresight in order to make the best use of our time.

January presents the annual excuse and opportunity to look ahead, to peer with foresight into the next year so as to obtain the insight we need to prevent regrets in hindsight. In this, my January energy astrology column, we're going to follow suit. Dust off your crystal ball and get out the divining rod. It's time to dance for the stars, all for the purpose of helping you become the star, the leading man or lady, in your own life drama.

Why We Search the Stars

We're all affected by the heavens. Why else do we look to the stars, staring into them for inspiration and hope, perhaps a whisper of guidance? We inherently sense the relationship between the skies and ourselves, even at a young age. I remember a comment by my son Gabriel about this a few years ago. He was having a great day, one of those best suited to a nanny. Unfortunately, I didn't and still don't have a nanny, so I was the accompanying “baby sitter.” Not only was it an entertaining day, but an educational one. Gabe had tied the dog's tail to the curtain and thus proved gravity on both counts. Wanting to swim (in wintertime), he had filled the bathtub to overflow, a lesson in the relationship between volume, mass, and space if there is one. (Also a forced opportunity to scrub the bathroom floor.) Then there's that good old alchemical law of combustion, you know the one. What happens if you mix fire, wood, and oxygen? Wanting to see what is possible with an electrical burner and a wooden stick, Gabe stuck both together, increasing the flow of oxygen into the ensuing fire by shouting, “Burn, baby, burn!”

I'm really not kidding. Wonder why I don't even attempt to hire a nanny?

Well, what's a five-year-old boy to say at the end of such a day but “Make the night go away, please, mommy.” Why would any normal kid want to suffer the upcoming necessity of a dinner with vegetables, a scrub-you-down bath, constricting pajamas, and the death of sleep? His attitude changed when I suggested that we don our parkas and take our dinners outside. There, the stars hung in the skies like gemstones off a necklace. That wasn't exactly Gabe's analogy, but I was eternally struck by what he said.

“Mommy, would you reach up and grab one of my dreams for me?” Since then, he and I have both enjoyed nighttime, which we now see as the time for dreaming – and believing.

As the calendar turns, we're invited to embrace the real-life and spiritual opportunities afforded by the constellations of 2007. Let's look at what this will be, emphasizing how to best use the celestial sparks to ignite a great year.

What's Ahead for 2007

Every year, there are a few major moves of sky that affect us universally. These total a spiritual energy, a great truth that can literally lift us to the heavens, if we but embrace it. Here are the most noticeable shifts of the year and a recounting of what they pose for us all.

1. Jupiter in Sagittarius tells us to reach for the stars. Different planets emanate different frequencies. As we are energetic beings, we are affected on every level by major moves of these planets. Jupiter energy begs expansion – and I don't mean around the waistline; that was the job in December. When paired with Sagittarius, the planet representing inner and outer adventures, Jupiter compels us to seek—and tells us that this year, we just might also “find.” The first of three squares with Uranus hits us in January, on the 22^nd, namely, forcing us to question what is really important versus what we've considered important. In and around the 22^nd, take a look inside. What is of true value to you? Of what value are you truly to this world and to the people that you love? Answer these questions and life becomes a total adventure!
2. Saturn's passages in Leo and Virgo. Saturn gets a bad name for forcing us to be practical and down-to-earth. When paired with two of its partners, Leo and Virgo, it takes on a special quality.

   Leo obliges us to turn our heart's desires into concrete reality. Can we be a hero and still be pragmatic? Can we go after our dreams while living the daily life? Can we make a soufflé for dinner that the kids will really eat – or buy a designer outfit that outlasts the need to take the car in for an oil change? A tip. Goals that can't be incorporated in real life aren't goals – they are fantasies, and won't cut it.

   Virgo is the picky planet. Perfectionist as it is, it also calls us to a higher level of performance. Are there aspects of your life that need a little shining-up, that could use dusting off or even more obviously, replacement? Keep these questions uppermost in your mind this year; it might be time to update your image, thoughts, or life.

3. Pluto in Sagittarius. Pluto is a tumultuous ally, especially utilitarian for those of us willing to really welcome change. Fiery and wild, it calls forth the same within us – and don't we all need empowerment if we really want to realize our desires? What happens when you mix lightning with desire; better yet, when you enflame yourself toward the highest possible aims? You can take off as swiftly as a jet – if you take off the brakes.
4. Moon's North node in Pisces and South Node in Virgo. Guess what? We're faced with a choice, one of those cataclysmic decisions that can either irritate – or assist. Pisces is about feelings, Virgo about details. Are you ready to go with feelings over facts? Aim “north” or toward your inner goals rather than “south” toward what might anchor you. The decision is yours to make.

Adding It Up: The Spiritual Quotient

So let's look at what we're facing. We're being supported in reaching for the stars, even while enabled to keep our feet on the ground. There's plenty of energy for making necessary change, but we have to do, not just think. We must follow our feelings, resisting the impulse to make excuses. What spiritual truth or energy juxtapositions these and other 2007 celestial maneuvers? What focus can help you aim high, boost your morale, and keep you real as well?

Wonder.

The energy of Wonder.

A wonder is a marvel, a surprise, and a phenomenon. To wonder is to gaze at something with admiration or awe, to see the truth of the miracle that it is. How should you best set and go after goals this year? Wondrously. What happens if you look at the world with Wonder? When using hindsight you own the wisdom gained in the past. When seeking insight you increase the fortunes already present. Through foresight you select goals that guarantee a smile. The more frequently you Wonder, the more apt you are to know yourself as a Wonder, and the faster your life becomes the miracle it can be.

Wonder will enable Jupiter to sustain your optimism throughout the year while you curry the adventurous favor of Sagittarius. Wonder will help you appreciate the so-called humdrum stuff of Saturn while you reform your life through Leo-like action steps. It will muffle the perfectionist tendencies of Virgo while applying its positive aspects so you can create -- not wait -- for miracles. Wonder harnesses your inner desires so as to enflame your Pluto glee, even while emphasizing the feelings that that will guide you along the way. Wonder makes today a miracle.

And in January….

How can greet the world with Wonder unless you practice doing so? Here are a few tips for seeing yourself and all of life as Wondrous, building miracle muscles for the long run.

• Try for a childlike Wonder. Children are famous for seeing life as a Wonderland of joy and opportunity. They do this despite the fact of imperfect lives. There's not a child in the world that likes getting up early for school or taking swimming lessons or eating peas or getting kissed by grandmothers. Despite these and even more serious life experiences, children still rise in the morning excited about the sun, play time, friends, cookies – about life! What would it be like to live this way? You did it once, why not again?
• Give up the Wonder Bread – and go for Wonder “Steak” – or Muffins or Tuna Sandwiches. We're called to live as responsible adults, that's the teaching of Saturn and Leo – but that doesn't mean that we need to be bored – or boring. Why settle for a flat life when you can have a rich life? Why choose dull when Wondrous is just as easy? Do you keep wearing grey suits to work? How about a red tie – or women, some new red pumps? (How about a red suit?) Still shopping at the same mall? Why not drive a few miles further and live on the wild side? Still ordering the same plain food every time you go out? At least try the hot sauce! Life is about how you live it, and that's about daily decisions.
• Wonder as you Wander. Sometimes the best way to meet our heart's desires is to let go of our current dreams and let our minds and souls wander a bit. We hold onto yesterday's goals the same way we keep our tenth grade jeans in the closet, telling ourselves that one day, we'll “fit into them.” Come on, let go. Dream a little! Stretch! Go to movies that challenge your paradigm, read books that go beyond fluff, try a poetry reading, take ballet classes, and travel to Paris or Lisbon or Jamaica instead of just reading about it. Our true heart's desires might be buried under yesterday's glories, and those under six feet of dust. Dare to dream – and then act! The energy of 2007 is there to support you in flying as high as you can go, even while locking you into the solidness of the every day.