Re-Thinking the Way We Live – Pocket Neighborhoods (a book)
Mercury, the messenger, is the planet of sharing information, communication, and developing new and interesting ideas. Mercury works with Virgo, the sign of gardens, new realities, organizing and tending to them with great motherly care, sign of purity, cleanliness and health, seeks to create a new livingness and wholeness in the environments we find ourselves in (home, work, school, play, towns, cities, etc.).
I recently discovered Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small Scale Community in a Large-Scale World by author/architect Ross Chapin (Langley, Washington, Whidbey Island). Chapin writes about creating small communities within neighborhoods. Why would we consider this? (Note, the purpose of suggesting the book is to capture the essence of the ideas presented & adapt them to present existing neighborhoods).
Our present world is experiencing a great restlessness due to the dramatic social, familial, educational, economic, monetary, etc., shifts. In times of restlessness, a divine discontent takes hold, helping us rethink our ways of living. Our training, education and language teach us to live separately from others (and thus isolated). In the times to come, the Aquarian era, this separation will not be a choice.
Aquarius is the sign of creative individuals building communities, being cooperative, collaborative, constructing a bridge (of Light) from “the wilderness to the commons.” In so many ways, due to how our towns, cities and homes are built, humanity lacks places to gather together.
A reset is beginning to form in the life of humanity. New and alternative ways of living are needed, creating a new resonance with nearby neighbors and nature itself. Here are some ideas. http://www.dailygood.org/story/259/10-ways-to-love-where-you-live-ross-chapin/
ARIES: Everything concerning daily life is evaluated. Observe your life, environments and all that is around you assessing in what ways you want to change in response to them and their needs. You realize you must do things differently from now on, considering what and how and the results. Careful at work and when communicating with coworkers. You may sound harsher than usual. Observe health, diet, fitness, exercise and how you feel each day.
TAURUS: Interesting situations and communication may occur with lovers, children, and your own creative identification. Unresolved issues in relationships will reappear seeking a more harmonious conclusion. Remember to listen to the core message in all communications. Don’t defend. Pay attention carefully, instead. The unresolved issues must be dealt with or there will be a dissolving and dissolution of important things sometime in the future. Love and listening are everything.
GEMINI: Everything about home, family, mother, real estate, things domestic come into focus needing careful perspective. Make no important decisions unless an emergency occurs. Everyone around you is experiencing the same present astrological transits, only everyone experiences them differently. Use your Gemini mind to observe and understand the differences. Ask for nurturing. Call upon patience. You heal quickly that way.
CANCER: Cancer, like a crab, circles a situation, moving to the center from every direction. The crab, wary of their prey, never walks in a straight line. Cancer therefore has a very developed intuition. In the next month that intuition may be even more illumined, filled with impressions and visions & information needing to be shared. Take care with communication. Something from the past is remembered. Or perhaps you’re traveling planning to a place you called home. Forgetfulness is good sometimes.
LEO: How is your financial situation? Do not create any great waves in your financial picture. No loans (given or applied for) so there is no undue stress. Bring order and organization to finances, create new budgets, assess the flow of money (what’s coming in, what’s going out), the hows and whys of these transactions, reviewing if everything you prepared for is proceeding as planned. Include a review of your values. And tithe.
VIRGO: Are you feeling somewhat veiled, quiet, behind the scenes, unable to convey feelings? At this time you are very internally involved, your mind assessing spirituality and religion, memories from the past, what you learned and what you sacrificed. Your choices are clearly perceived and then reviewed to see if they still reflect your values and needs. Prayer at this time is helpful. It opens the heart.
LIBRA: Be aware of thoughts and issues and things not tended to for a long time, coming into your present life, seeking the needed attention. Know that as a harmonizer you are always heard and seen by others. Be very clear when communicating, speak slowly, informing people exactly what your intentions are. Be non-judgmental, call forth compassion and patience. A quiet mindful retreat sustains you. Form a group of like-minded others to read, bead, crochet, paint, garden and/or bake together.
SCORPIO: Be aware that friends and groups are helpful for you to further define yourself. Have plans recently been delayed, changed or didn’t happen at all? Have those close to you been distant, internal or confused? Have thoughts, ideas and friends from the past made contact and have you considered re-entering a group or friendships from long ago? Allow no heartache or anguish from the past to continue. Your foundation is being restructured. Your daily life may feel foggy or veiled. It’s a protection.
SAGITTARIUS: Notice if there is sensitivity (or changes) around these subjects: money, partnerships, joint resources/finances (something from the past?), thinking about career choices, communicating with co-workers, being misunderstood while in public, your life path, your future? It seems like every subject is fraught with sensitive feelings. “Don’t worry. Be happy.” Who said that? He was right. This too will pass and remind yourself, you are, and everything is just perfect.
CAPRICORN: The “big guys” (Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune and Chiron) are coming around for a bit of a chat. Saturn makes one serious and rather tired. Pluto lays transformations at our doorstep. Neptune makes us think we can’t think anymore. And Chiron tells us what hurts. Enter the Seed Group called the Observers and just observe your life for a while. Assess promises and large decisions. So much is deeply internalized. Sometimes outer realities won’t make sense. Just keep gardening.
AQUARIUS: You’re becoming more practical about money and resources. After the next two months it would be good for you to travel. However, at this point set new goals concerning your money and resources, reaffirm what is of value to you and eliminate all that is no longer useful, unused, untouched or not looked at in the past several months. Use this Virgo time to shed beliefs hindering you from reality, visions, hopes and dreams. Investing? Gold and silver are best.
PISCES: Maintain clean communication with partners, intimates and those close to you. Relationships seek to heal misunderstandings, disappointments, criticisms, over reactions, mixed messages and separations. Mediation may be needed for understanding to occur. Pisces is to assess the value of their own thoughts, minds, decisions and needs and discriminate between the self and their beloved. Seeing the other as “luminous.” The disciple’s task. It heals all wounds.
Risa – writer, teacher, counselor, mentor, astrologer, esotericist. Founder & Director, The Esoteric & Astrological Studies & Research Institute, a contemporary Wisdom School for the Ageless Wisdom teachings. The foundations of the Teachings are the study & application of Astrology & the Seven Rays. Email: risagoodwill@gmail.com Web journal: www.nightlightnews.org/ (under re-construction) Facebook: Risa D’Angeles & Risa’s Esoteric Astrology (2 FB pages). All FB messages are posted on NLN (website) – under Daily Studies (website under re-construction). Astrological, esoteric, day to day news – art, literature, psychology, history, religion, economics, geography & cultural journalism.