August Theme: "Empowerment"

I was planning to post the theme for this month sooner but after the tragedy in El Paso yesterday, I felt drained and also felt it was inappropriate although my family and friends who still live there are okay (the Cielo Vista Walmart is close to where my in-laws live), it still weighs on me a bit. El Paso is one of the few places in my life where I felt like I had a "home." Considering that, for a city of its size, murder is incredibly rare in El Paso, the magnitude of violence that occurred there yesterday is unexpected. Given the details that are coming out of the investigation about the shooter's intentions to specifically target people of Hispanic descent, it's hard for me not to take yesterday's events personally. And that's how I feel on that.

I've chosen "Empowerment" for this month's theme. Aside from all the Leo season good-ness that is supposed to be happening, it's a theme that allows room for some happy songs and exploration of new psychology methodologies and theories that have sparked my curiosity as of late. I've also stumbled upon a new breed of psychology - Holistic Psychology - that views New Age ideas/concepts as a tool for self-healing and enlightenment. Because of its reputation as a "soft science," psychology (as I encountered it in school) intentionally focused only on areas of study that the mainstream considered "serious," and as a result, neglected research of topics that the average scientist would consider "woo-woo." For example, extra-sensory perception (ESP), life after death/near-death experiences, and the effects of spirituality/occult practices. Like it or not, these things are part of the human experience and are worthy of scientific research. To choose not to study and examine an area of the human psyche because the possibilities have been judged too fantastical is an active choice to ignore an entire dimension of objective truth simply to assuage the scientific community's collective ego. It's one of the things that turned me off to studying psychology further and I find it ironic that my spiritual quest has brought me full circle.

Lately, my journey has led me to learn more about the North and South nodes in astrology. Understanding the North and South nodes in our natal - and how they manifest in our lives - is one of those things in astrology that I think could have massive potential for helping people understand and pursue their life's purpose. The cardinal rule of astrology is "thou shalt not covet another's placements" but - if I may confess - I've always been jealous that I didn't have any Libra placements, because Libra is the sign of beauty and charm. Until I realized that I probably have the most essential Libra placement of all - my South node. Astrologically speaking, it means in past lives (or in the beginning of this life, if you don't believe in reincarnation), I have already mastered and incorporated the best parts of Libra. Diplomacy, charm, cooperation, relational/emotional intelligence, kindness, elegance, and the art of being effortlessly beautiful. Those qualities are innate parts of who I am as a person and are essential to accomplishing my soul's mission. But, as beneficial as these qualities may seem, over-reliance of them can be a hindrance and that is something I must learn as I aim to master the spirit of Aries (my North node). The key is balance - there is time for artful collaboration and time for fierce independence.

I feel like I'm learning so much at this time and I feel moved to try to synthesize it all into something more cohesive. As I do that this month, please be patient - postings may not be as frequent but they will probably be more lengthy and intense. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy this short Sailor Moon meme. I saw it on Twitter and it touched me, because I feel like it's advice I don't follow enough in my own life. And that is something I'm working on.