Message for February 2016

Life is a series of moments; each one forms a part of the bigger picture of life. In isolation, each moment can seem irrelevant and irreconcilable but together they weave into the mosaic we call life. In fact, there’s very little in life that can be truly understood in isolation as we need the reference of the bigger picture in order to find context. It’s a bit like trying to map the position of a building on a map, if we only have the latitude, we cannot find the building as we need the longitude in order to correlate the location.

Unity and union look set to be central cogs in the wheels of life over the coming month as we begin to extrapolate the notion of inter-connectedness into all areas of our life. Perhaps most importantly is the need for us to find our own unique grid reference points as these can help us to stand more consciously in the present moment as well as inspiring us to walk with more confidence on the path ahead. Although we are, by nature, resourceful souls, it’s important to realise that, in general, we cannot thrive in isolation as we need others to interact with in order to truly know ourselves.

When we allow ourselves to become open, whole-hearted and vulnerable in the presence of others, we connect on a deeper level to the eternity within and to the essence that weaves us together. If we hold back and maintain a ‘safe distance’ our spirits can wither and fade as we not only lose the connection with others but the one with ourselves as well as we have no grid reference point to guide us or give us context.

‘Behind every human face, something eternal is going on. You’ve never seen your own face, only reflections of it…We need the confirmation of the gaze of another’. John O’Donohue

When we are looking for our place in life it’s important to know where ‘home’ is. Yet, home really isn’t a building, it’s a state of being where we feel at peace with the nature of our essence. It’s that space we sometimes briefly touch when the flames within warm our hearts and souls letting us know that we are where we need to be.

The stalwarts amongst us may feel that we can be whole and complete without the input of others but surely this just leads to a life of hollow disconnectedness as we wilt without the sunlight that others bring into the world? We may like to believe that we are able to thrive in the darkness of isolation as we feel safe there. Connecting with others not only allows us to gaze into their depths but for them to gaze into our depths as well and this can be intensely uncomfortable as it leaves us with nowhere to hide. Our imperfections and quirks rise up to the surface as we become vulnerable and open but this is exactly as it should be as it’s important we learn to love ourselves exactly as we are. Opening up fully under the gaze of another takes courage but it’s time now…

With love,

Sarah-Jane

Aries

♈

As you continue to focus on your true priorities in life, there is a sense that you are beginning to discover new ways of bringing enrichment and fulfilment into your everyday world. Whilst you are still continuing to re-shape and re-define your ‘to do’ list, gradually paring it back as you connect more deeply with your true essence, it seems you are beginning to let go of a great many ‘ought’s’, and ‘must’s’ as well as even more ‘ought not’s’ and ‘must not’s’. Although you are unlikely to ever be completely free from duty or responsibility as they are a part of being human, there is a sense you are breaking free from the constraints and restraints of the life you have felt compelled to live. You are letting go of trying to live the life expected of you and instead you are holding up your arms and reaching out towards a life that feels more awakened, connected and inspired.

In a way, these words may feel a little frustrating as they are quite nebulous and vague: they offer inspiration and liberation but without offering the clarity you would so love to go with them. It seems important for you to contemplate the concept of the ‘life expected of you’ mentioned earlier as understanding this looks set to shape and structure your month ahead. It’s easy to feel as though others have shaped your life by their expectations and demands of you but it’s important to acknowledge your own role in this process. After all, you are a fiery soul and you’re no push over when it comes to being told what to do! So, take back the drivers seat (which you’ve never actually left) and head for the stars…

Taurus

♉

February looks set to be a month of tenaciousness, exuberance and vivaciousness as you continue to push your boundaries in search of new discoveries and new terrain in life. For a long time, you have given your all to others as you have tried to be the person others wanted you to be. This resulted in several different ‘versions’ of you existing at any given moment as each person had slightly different expectations as to what you represented to them in life. Although you are more than capable of juggling different personas, over time it becomes exhausting and draining as you have slowly drifted away from your true essence and got lost in the process. It can also become confusing for others as your personas begin to blend and merge together. Of course, this is an admirable situation to be in, after all, all you have wanted is to make everyone happy. However, what about you? Are you truly happy? Can you say, hand on heart, that you are contented? If so, then read no more.

Thought not. So, why do you feel you need to bend yourself out of shape in order to be the person you think other people want you to be? Do you somehow not feel that you are enough as you are? Do you feel that being you is ‘less than’ the needs of others? Well, time for a wake-up call as you are nearing an important threshold where standing your ground and standing in your truth will shape and define what happens next; it always does of course (and always will) but this time it somehow feels more intense and more significant as you consciously need to decide if you wholeheartedly believe in yourself. It’s time to take a big deep breath and to let your true essence flow free…

Gemini

♊

Being you is frequently a source of bewilderment and perplexity for you. Being you is incomprehensible and unfathomable as you have struggled to get right to the core of what makes you tick and what makes you, you. It’s no secret that you thrive on seeing the cycles hidden in the cycles of life and you feel excited by seeing the bigger picture hidden in the smaller picture which, ultimately, resides in another bigger picture. The concept of macrocosm and microcosm in your world is mind-blowing and mind-bending as the infinite nature of life keeps expanding in your consciousness. So, it’s easy to see why being you is so bewildering and perplexing! However, despite this seemingly light-hearted poke at your expense, you know the truth as you know just how incomprehensible the business of being you actually is.

Whilst you do not deliberately try to be different, ‘normality’ isn’t a word in your vocabulary as you strive to be unique and to see life from your very own, individual and incredible, perspective. No one else can truly understand your inner workings, few may come close, and one or two may even have the privilege of stepping into your world once in a while, but, overall, it’s a lonely place. It can be frustrating as you are such a giving and open person, so feeling disconnected can leave you with a deep and profound sense of discord. However, you forget that you are a wisdom-being and a creative spark, so the reason no one gets you is because you don’t truly want to be ‘got’! Owning this fact is important now as honouring your true essence will allow you to step beyond the bewilderment enabling you to find new ways to blossom and thrive…

Cancer

♋

February looks set to be something of a pivotal month when it comes to making some decisions as to your path ahead. For a long time now, you have worked hard at keeping on keeping on; you have made the most of life as you’ve found it and you have pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone in order to create a more stable and secure life. However, deep within you, the inklings of restlessness just won’t go away. They’ve been around since the year dot, but you’ve managed to keep them at bay most of the time. When restlessness stirs you usually push it back down again or, if you are feeling adventurous, you may dance with the idea for a while before putting it away like a treasured possession and getting on with the business of keeping on keeping on. This sounds undeniably pedestrian but it has kept you focused and distracted enough not to notice the restlessness has been growing both bigger and louder over time.

You could view the restlessness like the proverbial monster in the wardrobe: fear it and it grows or open the door to see it vanish. Yet, you are more than aware that the monster is not only friendly, but he/she is a part of you and it’s restless of you trying to get life ‘right’ rather than trying to live life right. There’s a distinct difference as the latter involves you acknowledging the restlessness and allowing it some leeway to guide you forward. It seems important to stop trying to be the person you think you ought to be and instead be yourself as life is for living and, although exploring pastures new takes you out of your comfort zone, you seem ready to give your loveable ‘monster’ a voice and set it free…

Leo

♌

Deep within the core of your being, right at the very depths of your essence, there is a fiery spark of life-force that makes you, you. This spark represents your passion, your creativity, your ingenuity and your inspirational zest for life. It also represents your courage and determination to boldly seek out new pastures, to follow your truth and to stand up for what you believe in. This spark has always twinkled and shimmered, even during dark times, and it has become the beacon by which you guide yourself in life. Few could rival the brilliance and radiance of your soul as it burns so brightly and so openly. Whilst all of the above is true, there is a distinct sense of disbelief as you read these words as you feel disconnected and out of sorts at the current time. In truth, you’ve felt this way for quite some time and you’ve struggled to catch a glimpse of your fiery spark to illuminate the path ahead.

As a result, you’ve felt isolated and alone, unsure of what to do next as you’ve found yourself drifting along with the ebb and flow of life feeling anything but bold, passionate and radiant. It’s important for you to realise that your fiery spark hasn’t left you; it can’t because it is you and it’s with you every moment of every day. February is a month to take some time to breathe deeply in order to reconnect more consciously to your fiery spark of passion to inspire you to get back to the business of being you: to loving life, to honouring yourself and to living the best life possible. Be you and the world shines with you; let your fiery spark burn brightly as it’s a gift…

Virgo

♍

Life, by it’s very nature is inherently unknowable and indecipherable. Although you know this, there are times when it irritates and frustrates you as you want nothing more than clarity, certainty and a sense of knowing (don’t we all!). It seems you are in such a phase at the moment; ‘phase’ makes it sound like something you’ll grow out of, but it’s much more than this as it’s a part of being human to want a deeper and stronger sense of assurance and reassurance in life. In many ways, it seems the frustration emerges as you feel you ought to know better and you chastise yourself for wanting clarity and certainty even though you intuitively know you can’t have it. You beat yourself up for wanting nothing more than a sense of hope when times are challenging or confusing. Surely that’s not an unreasonable want is it? Yet, you continue to self-flagellate as you don’t want to ‘give in’. You want to be the strong, wise, all-knowing one: the one who holds it all together and rides the waves of life with a sense of carefree joy. Somehow acknowledging your basic human needs seems too ‘animalistic’ for you. It’s certainly inherently indecipherable and confusing being you!

February looks set to be a month of self-honesty as you face the truth of your life and allow yourself to ease up on the pressure you place on your own shoulders so much of the time. Rather than trying to be superhuman, why not settle on being human and loving yourself anyway? Holding it all together is admirable but the cost is a disconnection from your essence and extraordinary gifts. Embrace the unknowable uncertainty of life and learn to ride with it as spontaneity looks set to open the doorway to adventure…

Libra

♎

The search for wisdom and knowledge have long been central themes in your life as you have strived towards a more enriched and connected way of living and being. It's so important for you to know you are playing a role in your own evolution and personal growth as being a passive bystander feels so disempowering and disengaging. Although you know that both wisdom and knowledge come from life experiences (both good and not so good), you still gallantly stride forth in life trying to make sense of why things are the way they are as well as trying to find the rationale as to why your life is the way it is. It's undoubtedly hard trying to remain philosophical about the ups and downs of life, particularly when you are in the eye of the storm, but your ethos helps you to ride through the tough times with a sense of purpose as well as a sense of growth through the experiences you face.

Such a philosophy has helped you through some particularly challenging times of your life enabling you to rise again like the beautiful Phoenix even when your life has crumbled and turned to dust. Yet, such a strategy has also kept you at a slight distance from these experiences as you have taken the role of wise observer rather than fully allowing your emotional, physical and spiritual responses the room to flow. As a cerebral soul, this can be challenging as its unfamiliar territory for you, but there is a sense that you are now ready to step beyond your mind in order to be fully at one with life. The more you can let go, the more connected and interconnected you will become. Sometimes it's not holding on that brings you knowledge, it's letting go…

Scorpio

♏

February looks set to be a month of eye-opening revelation and insight as you begin to see your life from a brand new perspective. On the surface, the path of your life may appear unchanged but, deeper beneath the surface, you can feel the rumbling storm clouds of change as they gather momentum. The idea of storm clouds may sound ominous but the oomph and vibrancy of a powerful storm can leave the air feeling energised and invigorated, refreshed and renewed. The clap of thunder and flashes of lightning, along with the driving rain may deter many souls from standing in the storm, arms held up to the heavens but intuitively you know you are ready to cleanse and purify your soul. With such a storm raging within it may seem strange that, on the surface, there is little evidence of the inner ruffling and tousling of your energetic self, yet, you carry tumultuousness well and few could even begin to guess what’s occurring in your soul.

However, as time passes and the sun comes out from the clouds, burning through the mists and evaporating the rain, there is a sense that you will feel deeply inspired to make some major decisions about what happens next. As a result, the hidden storm will start to become evident as you consciously choose to make some lasting changes to your life. You are a wise and wily soul though, so your sense of timing is second-to-none allowing you to pick your moment as to when to act on those changes. Expect the unexpected when it comes to the willingness of others to understand your motivations. As you breathe out, others breathe in but not everyone is in sync with you. Trust your intuition and allow it to lead the way…

Sagittarius

♐

As your quest for fulfilment and contentment continue in earnest, there is a sense that you are beginning to let go of a great many things on that ‘to do’ list of your life. There has been a profound and powerful shift occurring right at the core of your being over recent months and you have felt a deep sense of discombobulation as a result. Intuitively you have sensed the importance of this time to peel back the layers of distraction and clutter in your life allowing you to focus on your true priorities. There are many things in life that draw your interest but relatively few that genuinely ignite the passion in your heart and soul. It’s easy to lose touch with these though as the business of getting on with life frequently gets in the way and you can become trapped in the ‘When…I’ll’ cycle: when I've achieved ‘X’, I’ll finally do ‘Y’. ‘X’ being the pedestrian distraction of everyday living that takes up your time and consumes your focus preventing you from exploring ‘Y’ which is the dream or goal that truly ignites the fires within.

It’s unquestionably hard trying to ignore ‘X’ as it represents the business of everyday life: those duties and responsibilities that need to be done. You are not one to shirk your responsibilities but there is a sense that, over time, the weight of what you’ve taken on has steadily grown as you haven’t quite mastered the art of saying ‘No!’ or ‘Enough!’. As a result, you are left with no capacity to explore ‘Y’ and the dream remains a dream. February looks set to inspire you to reconnect to your true essence and to realise why ‘Y’ is so very important now…

Capricorn

♑

February looks set to be a month of calmer seas and gentle breezes as the tumultuous and somewhat boisterous events of recent weeks and months begin to settle. Although you’ve handled the ups and downs well, there is a sense that you’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone time to contemplate the ramifications of your experiences. In a way, the ups and downs have given some context to those middling times when you are neither up nor down. Whilst many may feel such an in-between existence an ideal state to strive for, you don’t completely share this view as you intuitively know that without the ups and downs, the bits in the middle would feel hollow and empty rather than precious and treasured. Of course, you’d rather avoid the big dipper fairground rides as you journey through life as clinging on by your fingernails, trying not to vomit as a result of the spin isn’t exactly what you dreamed of for life.

However, you are also wise enough to know that it’s just not possible to stop or resist the lows as they are just as much a part of life as the highs: you can’t have one without the other. Yes, this fact irritates you but you are a realist and you know there’s little point focusing your energy on trying to resist when resistance is futile. This doesn’t mean you’ve given up; it simply means you’ve stopped channelling your formidable energy into trying to change the unchangeable. Your acceptance of the ebb and flow of life is important as it suggests a profound shift within your consciousness as you breathe more deeply into your life and allow it to breathe back into you leaving you feeling free to ride the waves of life with a deeper sense of calmness in your soul…

Aquarius

♒

‘Remember today for it is the beginning of always’. A Einstein. These words seem rather apt for you in February as there is an expansive nature to the month ahead. As a visionary, it’s easier for you to think about tomorrow instead of today. You also find it easier to gaze backwards or forwards as these create reference points, allowing you to make sense of where you are going and why. However, such expansive thinking can take you away from the present moment as your focus is not on ‘here’ but on ‘there’. If today truly is the beginning of always don’t you owe it to such a momentous occasion to notice today? Of course, this means noticing each and every day as that quote is just a relevant tomorrow as it is today but that’s the point!

Each and every moment is the beginning of always so being conscious and fully awakened in the present moment is important as it allows you to connect to a more enriched and fulfilling life. Instead of using the past and the future as reference points to understand the present, you begin to live fully in the present and take each day as it comes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that life will then become a bed of roses as life doesn’t work that way but it does suggest a deeper connection to the ebb and flow as well as a willingness to face life exactly as it is; this is choosing to experience life more fully and to be more wholeheartedly engaged in the process. The more in tune you become with today the more your consciousness will expand into life allowing you to feel the magic of being at the beginning of always and feeling the infinite spectrum of possibilities rising up from within you as a result… 

Pisces

♓

February looks set to be a pivotal month of shift and change as you find yourself contemplating the bigger picture of your life. Your January forecast hinted at the expansive nature of your being and the struggle to capture your essence in words as you are simply too complex to be shaped into a ‘black and white’ description. Of course, being human, it’s understandable to want to be able to know yourself well enough to be able to describe your essence if ever required to do so. After all, you never know when you may be asked to reveal your magnificent and infinite nature! Yet trying to capture your essence just isn’t possible, so are you trying to achieve the unachievable or reconcile the irreconcilable? If so, why? Why it is so important? Are you trying to find your place in life or are you trying to find that much longed for state of inner peace? Or are you chasing answers as a way to avoid the many other unanswered questions floating around your life? Is your quest for spiritual revelation covering over the cracks of a sense of lack in other areas of your life?

Only you can answer these questions but it seems time to answer them with conviction. Yes, you may feel frustrated at your own nebulous nature as you’d rather have clarity than mysterious depths but you know it’s these mysterious depths that makes you the extraordinary and amazing soul that you are! Maybe it’s time to stop trying to make sense of your essence and instead be your essence? Live it rather than contemplate it? You are an amazing and inspirational soul, so let your love and compassion radiate brightly and find peace in being you…