I have been absent from posting for awhile now but my ideas about the spiritual path continue to emerge. My post today is part of the Musings series where I speak from the heart about deep stirrings within.
Yesterday was February 24th. It happens to be the birthday of one of my uncles, now deceased. I knew he was a Pisces, but learned of his birthday via social media. February 24th was also the 40th birthday of a friend / colleague. February 24th is also the day that a long time colleague posted that he had lost his daughter. I wondered how three sets of families and friends connected around one particular day in time. For some it is about memories and legacy, for others a milestone that marks the passage of time. Yet for others, a decision to make public a tragic sudden loss of a child. These three people in my life do not know each other but are all connected to me personally and via social media. I often long for the days before social media, email, and the rest. I especially do not like this method of receiving sad or distressing information. The internet can be incredibly impersonal and harsh. Yet without it I could not work remotely, create a blog, or have video calls with people dear to me scattered around this blue marble we call Earth / Gaia.
Thinking about how one date has multiple associations led me to consider all the choices I make during the course of an hour, a day, or within a week. I use my astro calendar and software to guide me with making plans, but many decisions occur within a course of a few seconds up to a few minutes. When to talk and when to bite my tongue, when to reply to a text and when to delete it, whether to read a book or take a walk, etc. Every choice counts, leading one potentially somewhere new and intriguing. Recently more of my focus goes to recalling my daily pact to create my future with my thoughts. This requires pauses throughout my day to be the observer, check into my frequency, and create my positive affirming thoughts. I have been doing this faithfully for all of 2024.
While driving yesterday the song Closing Time came on the radio. It is a song I really love. It elicits so many facets of meaning for me. The line that stuck with me on the drive was ” Closing time, time for you to go out to the places you will be from. ” As I was driving I remembered how often I had taken this route to attend trainings from work or to take a ” nature drive “. For years I have driven deliberately to this more remote area because it offered cows, horses, farmland, and a quieter vibe. While my actual home is not as green as my former, I am surrounded by more spaciousness within minutes by foot. I also took my LCSW exam in this location back in July 2022. Little did I know ( or did I ) that I would be returning a year later to relocate. It dawned on me that I am more than the sum, while also the sum of all my choices and experiences. This sensation of seeing the future while in a different ” present moment ” is one I have felt on a few occasions. I wonder if we make all our choices before we take action on them.
On this same drive I mused about how often I need to decide to quickly change course. I spend much energy reacting to negativity perceptively. If Lorie Ladd is spouting garbage, I will usually turn her off. If I am into a film, article, or book and find it dull or harmful, I won’t necessarily finish it. This is newer behavior for me since I am typically a ” ride or die , finish what I start type of gal . ” My natal chart has plenty of fixed energy which makes me determined, reliable, and rather consistent. This trait is not always sustainable for me. I feel the need to protect my psyche from negative programming and also listen deeper to what my higher self wants for me. Does anyone reading this agree?
I visited the Barnes Foundation a few weeks ago while taking an online Art History course on mystical art. I was led to do this quickly and am glad I heeded the call. While I did not think the course content expanded my view of spiritual art, I enjoyed the chance to divorce myself from work and duty and focus on something I love. Listening to the other students talk about the material was quite stimulating and validating. I am sharing images from the latest visit, including some work by artists we studied Klee, Redon, and Prendergast. My discernment of photos served me well as did on deciding where to eat. Vetri’s pizzeria was a revelation just across the street from the foundation. Venturing outside one’s comfort zone can be spiritually lifting and sometimes, delicious!
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