By: Torrey Brooke Our entire human existence has revolved around developing different formulas for measuring, quantifying, and explaining our world. We invented the tangible, linear version of time, a system of mathematics, and a political structure all for the purpose of understanding our world. One of these developments, psychology, is a formula for measuring, quantifying, and explaining the relationship between the mind and human behavior and is defined by Google as, “The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.” Another one of these developments, science, is a formula for measuring, quantifying, and explaining anything which can be perceived as tactical, logical, or practical and is defined by Dictionary.com as, "1. A branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. 2. Systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation." And astrology, like psychology and science, is just another formula for measuring, quantifying and explaining the energy between all that exists and is defined by astrolibrary.com as, “The observation of the interplay between the planets and our Earth.” No matter how you choose to define these three areas of study, psychology, science, and astrology are simply a few of the many formulas we have invented to measure, quantify, and explain our world in an attempt to make sense of everything. Yes, astrology is just a bunch of made up crap, and so is science and psychology and time and math and politics and religion and law and education. If psychology and science (notably astrophysics) truly had all the answers to perfectly explain human behavior and the universe, in theory, all behavioral problems would be predictable thus preventable, we would know about the existence or non-existence of intelligent life elsewhere, and humans would likely inhabit other planets by now. However, as we know, neither psychology, science, nor astrology have all the answers to human behavior, the universe, nor the relationship or lack-thereof between the two.
Whether we believe science (or psychology, or astrology, etc.) is “real” is not the point. Things are what they are no matter what words or formula we come up with to explain them. However, the words and the formulas themselves are just a bunch of made up crap so that we have a way of understanding these “real” experiences.
So, what do we know? We know that there is a whole lot we don’t know. We know that no matter how accurate, factual, or correct something might seem, there is no perfect formula to measure, quantify, or explain all that exists. Nothing and no one is perfect and yet everything and everyone are exactly perfect. Create space for that paradox in your mind. Create space for the fact that something can be just as accurate as inaccurate; that something can be true and not true, that something can be correct without having all the answers. When you create space for all of that in your mind then does it really matter that astrology is just a bunch of made up crap? Does it really matter that everything is just a bunch of made up crap that we so thoughtfully and intelligently created in order to have what we perceive to be a better, more well-rounded understanding of this paradoxical universe? Let’s stop debating the accuracy of astrology for no other reason than – who cares? It is simply another completely fascinating tool we can use to see our existence from a different perspective. No, astrology isn’t completely accurate, but it also isn’t completely inaccurate, just as everything else we’ve created to measure our vastly immeasurable human experience. I guess what I’m trying to say is, so what? We're all driving each other crazy just trying to cope with the phenomenon of being human - the phenomenon of being. Let's just sit in awe of that absurd irony and survive it with whatever inaccurate and impossible explanation suits us at the time without having to debate it or defend it. Let's just be - whatever that means. By: Torrey Brooke
There is some discourse in the metaphysical & new age spiritual community about an elitist attitude that many spiritualists harbor. Many of those talking about it claim to have been somewhat guilty of having this grandiose notion in some way or another as well. One of the sources this misguided temperament stems from is the flawed idea that spirituality is somehow sacred. This interpretation of spirituality gives the implication that it is something that can be attained, acquired, or achieved in some way. Thus those who subconsciously believe they have accomplished some kind of collective goal or won some sort of contest tend to act like they are the “winners” and others are the “losers” who simply weren’t skilled enough to win the coveted prize of…what was it we were competing for again? The mindset that inevitably comes with this flawed concept bleeds into people’s perceptions on spiritual work. It begs the idea that people need to be “qualified” or have some sort of accolades under their name in order to be a “true” or proficient leader or healer. This attitude is not only misguided, it threatens the purity of spirituality, spiritual practices, and healing work. We all possess the capacity to guide someone on a spiritual level as we all have spirits. We all possess the capacity to lead spiritual activities or hold space for a person or group as we all have had a spiritually moving experience. We all possess the capacity to help others heal themselves as we have all healed ourselves before in some way. You are spiritual by virtue. You are a healer by virtue. There is no better qualification than that of being alive. You have a degree in spiritual life experience and you have one or more specialties in your spiritual life experience. Each day your degree is becoming more and more advanced and your knowledge and abilities more and more refined. Don’t let our human interpretation of “time” fool you, however, as it is not simply linear time which advances our degrees as I have met many a child wiser than I. There are, of course, skills that can only be formally taught or given – reiki, body work, priesthood, etc. While it is necessary to go through the steps for those and certain other specific healing modalities, those learned skills are less about receiving new information and serve more as a formal reminder of things you already possess in your spiritual DNA. "You are spiritual by virtue. You are a healer by virtue. There is no better qualification than that of being alive." If you want to partake in spiritual coaching or healing, listen to the animals and the elements and the plants and the cosmos – these are your professors! Be an active participant in your schooling. Let them mentor you. If you want to be a spiritual leader, be. If you want to be a healer, be. You already are. Spirituality is not sacred. Spirituality is abundant and infinite and resides within all natural and living things including you. When we remember that, we no longer judge others for their ability to lead sacred circle, or hold space for someone birthing new life into the world, or to help someone heal by removing energetic blockages. We suddenly become present, and compassionate, and trusting, and soft, and open. We suddenly free others from the burden of our judgments and free ourselves from the burden of judging others. When we remember that spirituality is not sacred, we remember that it doesn’t belong to us. We remember that spirituality is not exclusive nor is it an achievable goal. We simply realize it just is, just as we are. We are abundant and infinite. We are spiritual. We are healers. We are. Aho. "You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean." - Alan Watts - Sri Yantra image from: By SharkD (Michael Horvath) - self-made (can also be found here at my homepage), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1341975
By: Torrey Brooke The night of this month’s full moon fell nothing short of magical. A gathering of wombyn reclaiming their honor by virtue of the womb – the rite of the womb – set the tone under the juicy “Strawberry” moon. We all sat in sacred circle valiantly diving into the depths of our shadow selves and releasing anything that no longer served us. We trusted in the occult path which can sometimes seem dark or scary as a lone soul, but is mystical and empowering when traveling among like spirits. This fiery Sagittarius moon lit my once-dim Solar Plexus on fire with courage and inspiration. As a person with no fire signs in my natal chart, I am astrologically prone to self-doubt and need to regularly work on consciously bringing the fire element into my practice and keep my inner flame burning with bright, confident energy. (Of course, I realize that there are many factors to self doubt as a layered issue unattributed to one thing alone, and I actively integrate other strategies into my practice as I would recommend anyone do.) Whether you are a fire sign or not, we all struggle with self-doubt every now and then. With this juicy, fiery full moon at our backs, now is a good time, astrologically and spiritually speaking, to take inventory of what is no longer serving us and simply let it go. This practice of releasing is often encouraged around any and every full moon as are the natural renewing and releasing cycles of life – renew with the new moon, release with the full. However, I find it particularly imperative with this moon having been in Sagittarius so that we can release whatever it is that is smothering our inner fire. I like what Café Astrology has to say about this full moon, “The Full Moon in Sagittarius is a time of expansion, so we should be especially aware of what we’d like to promote at this time, trying to put aside or out of our minds those things that won’t serve us well if blown out of proportion.” Our Solar Plexus Chakra is located in the center of the torso above the naval and is associated with the element of fire as well as storage of self-confidence (or lack-thereof). Thus any chance you get to reignite that “fire” is going to feel so amazing and liberating. If there is something blocking that inner fire from being anything but the brightest it can be, get rid of it! A simple releasing ritual can be satisfying to our human form which craves that physical, tangible gratification. Of course, you should do whatever you feel called to, but here are some examples of simple releasing rituals: Up in Smoke One way to release is to write. Write down without using much conscious thought anything and everything that is no longer serving you (“stream of consciousness” writing). It is important to physically write as opposed to typing because it requires more intention and physical energy. Then, in a safe space, light the paper on fire and watch your fears, doubts, insecurities, and traumas go up in smoke. I can just feel that sweet release. As a follow-up ritual for the new moon, you can light a candle and say out loud into the candle all the traits of you as a confident person (brave, energetic, happy, inspirational, etc.). That candle will then hold your intention and every time you light it, it will represent you lighting your inner flame – a little spark of confidence! Out to Sea Another way to release is to state out loud the burdens you wish to release into a leaf, petal, rock, crystal, shell, etc. – anything natural and safe for the environment – and then throw it into the ocean (or lake/ river/ body of water). Let the ocean wash away what no longer serves you. This is a very calming and cleansing form of release. Into the Earth Of course, you can always perform the “Out to Sea” ritual and substitute the water for the Earth – whatever you feel called to do! If you need a more physical release, it can be very therapeutic to go on a hike to a high point, remote area, or sacred space to bury your “burdens.” It is very comforting to let Mother Earth mother you. Talk to her like you would a wise, nurturing mother. She is there to provide, let her do that for you. Cut the Chord Chord cutting is a liberating and necessary form of release. We make connections to people, things, experiences, and energies and they may serve us for a time, but not necessarily forever. One chord-cutting releasing ritual that can be helpful especially if you are not sure if you’re quite ready to cut certain chords yet, is to cut sage. Find white sage either on a hike or by purchasing a white sage plant and sit with it for a minute. Simply sit with the sage and tell it what you want to release. Then, cut the sage as a symbol of cutting ties with that which you wish to release, tie it together, and hang it to dry. This is helpful if you wish to release slowly, not all at once – like a life-altering trauma. Hang the sage somewhere where you can see it every day, reminding yourself that this release is turning into something beautiful. Death and detachment can be beautiful and even useful. Once the sage has dried, you now have a smudge bundle you can burn. With each lighting of the sage it slowly releases that which no longer serves you and synchronously cleanses you by the smudging practice. When the smudge bundle is done, you can use the stems to do the “Out to Sea” or “Into the Earth” ritual if you wish. As a follow up ritual, you can plant white sage (or any plant) on the new moon which follows the completion of the releasing ritual as a symbol of new growth and rebirth. However this full moon affected you, I hope your inner flame is lit, you are inspired, and you feel that fiery MAGIC. Do not be afraid to release anything that no longer serves you – full moon or not! Hording our worries, traumas, and burdens does nothing to help us. Do yourself a favor and gently release what you no longer need. Forgive yourself. Love yourself. Let that Solar Plexus burn with an unapologetic, fearless, blazing fire of confidence! Release and let burn. Stay lit, my friends. By: Torrey Brooke The overall, well-intentioned philosophy of the commonly used phrase, “choose happiness,” is that we make a conscious decision about the direction of each day through our attitude, perspective, and actions ultimately leading us to our overall happiness (or lack-thereof). While there may be some truth to that sentiment, the reality is that suggesting someone “choose” happiness can actually be one of the most unhelpful suggestions and feel pretty invalidating. It can actually come off as victim blaming because telling someone to choose happiness implies that they can choose all of their emotions – if I’m not choosing to be happy, then I must be “choosing” to be upset or anxious or guilty or lonely or discouraged. It can make someone feel like they are putting themselves in a position of anxiety or sadness because they’re simply not choosing otherwise. I am making a public plea for us to replace “choose happiness” with “cultivate happiness.” It may seem like an insignificant change, but this simple, semantic shift completely transforms the meaning of the phrase. “Cultivate happiness” translates to: “Unconditionally accept yourself and your feelings,” “Forgive yourself,” “Be gentle with yourself,” “Be kind to yourself.” It means it is okay to be anxious or fearful or angry or upset or confused. It means I know you don’t want nor choose to feel these difficult feelings, but you are and that’s okay. It means I see you, I hear you, I feel you, I accept you, and I value you. Cultivate happiness means happiness is a wild flower – it needs to be cultivated with sunshine and water and earth. It may not always be in bloom, but that’s normal. Given the right season and conditions, it will bloom again eventually. When we say, “Cultivate happiness,” we’re saying, "happiness is possible." “Choose happiness,” feels alone and guilt ridden. “Cultivate happiness,” feels like there are options.
For myself in particular, and I know for many others, the struggle is Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I did not choose this. I do not choose to be in a constant state of alertness and worry. I do not choose to have restless sleep at night just in case I need to be up for an emergency at a moment’s notice. I do not choose to have anxiety attacks in front of my boss, or at a coffee shop, or on a holiday. I do not choose my anxiety and it is for that same reason I also cannot just “choose happiness.” This phrase does more than just erase mental illnesses, it also erases experiences. Can people live full and happy lives growing up in poverty and other less-than-desirable situations? Of course, but to simply tell someone to “choose” to be happy in that situation is an erasure of anything else they may quite justifiably be feeling. Can we instead allow people to feel what they’re feeling – good, bad, or otherwise? Allow that to be okay. Allow that to be okay for them. Allow that to be okay for yourself. Let’s create a world where happiness isn’t the only acceptable feeling. Let’s all vow to meet ourselves and others wherever we’re at on our journey and to accept that unconditionally. Let’s all vow to see that we are worthy of that acceptance. Let that be enough because you are – you are enough. You are worthy. You are so worthy. Instead of the mantra, “Choose happiness,” let’s coin the mantra, “Cultivate happiness.” Instead of getting down on ourselves for feeling anything but happiness, let’s meet ALL of our emotions with unconditional acceptance and love by allowing ourselves to feel whatever we feel and then saying to ourselves, “I love you anyway.” Doesn’t that feel good? Let’s cultivate happiness through self-love and compassion. Let’s choose love.
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