EARTH SCHOOL’S PLUTO in AQUARIUS CURRICULUM: An 180° Paradigm Shift Is Approaching at Warp Speed

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“Without this ‘wearying world’ we cannot find enlightenment. Without the responses we would be bereft of the fabulous friction which illuminates our Buddha nature.” –Ngak’chang Rinpoche

“Enlightenment is ego's ultimate disappointment.”
–Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Dear ONE,
Happy Fall! The theme of this newsletter was downloaded through me as a response to many clients and loved ones’ legitimate concerns (including mine:)) about exponentially accelerating climate change.

This is not the first time that mankind has sunk the ship it’s riding in–think Atlantis–but never before on such a global scale has there been this much man-made havoc causing so much harm. Perhaps the only thing we can be sure of is that enough of a tipping point has been reached to affect all living beings on the planet–more or less and sooner rather than later–without fail.

Consequently, during this time when unrelenting environmental crises are becoming our new normal, it’s especially important that we consciously recommit to staying on this planet and caring for it as it is now. This means accepting that the cumulative effect of climate change is going to cause our habitable playing field to continue shrinking inexorably.

If you want to know how you can, not just survive, but actually thrive amidst so much daily chaos, please read on!
On the other hand, if your primary desire is to placate your little self by rejecting any notion that the ride ahead just might be the most challenging of any incarnation to date, you might as well stop reading now. Bye-bye:).

From an Akashic Records witnessing perspective, climate change appears to be a balancing karma manifesting at the collective level encompassing the whole of humanity (aka the universal laws of cause and effect playing out en masse with the entire human race, rather than solely personal or ancestral karma).

There are two other primary causative factors adding fuel to inner and outer fires:
1. 2023’s entry of Transformational Pluto into Aquarius through 2043. For more:
Owning Our Inner Pluto Before . . . It Eats Us for Lunch
2. The ongoing Quickening of planetary frequencies accelerating the evolution of consciousness. For more:
How to Be in Paradise During a Cosmic Flu Pandemic

As we’re reading this, our initial reaction may be to cry out: “Oh no, not more change disrupting my comfort or safety!” Please know that this is a very common root-chakra (security and survival) response at the level of the ego/personality. But, once we raise the level of our true identity to the soul’s timeless nature, we can see that accepting the reality that dangerous weather may continue to cause massive changes in our lifestyles will allow us to work and play with what remains–rather than devolving into denial, anger and self-pity.

Consequently, if we want to be ahead of the curve, we need to apply the focus of our discriminating awareness towards a major attitude adjustment. This is essential if we wish to make the best use of our lives going forward, based on the probabilities now unfolding with extreme weather being one of the most dominant themes of our global coming attractions.

For, with Pluto in Uranus-ruled Aquarius for the next twenty years, being proactively mindful of what we do have power over–our inner kingdom of physical senses, emotions, thoughts, conscious awareness and discriminating mind–is the key to flourishing while maintaining peace of mind.
For more on this: Psychic Empowerment Practices

When Trickster of Awakening Uranus first moved into earthy Taurus on March 6, 2019, I wrote that we need to prepare ourselves to be able to witness with equanimity more and more of that which has been known and safe falling away. And now, with Uranus continuing his journey in comfort-loving Taurus through April, 2026, these next three years will amplify the Trickster of Awakening’s energies even more. So, we can expect even more–oh, yes–unpredictable events, whether man-made and/or nature-made, occurring during this last phase of this particular cycle of karmic lessons coming our way on all levels. For more:
All Your Stagnate Comfort Zones Are Going, Going, Gone

To start our inner paradigm shift, it’s important to remember that, as Edgar Cayce said: “Mind is the Builder.” This means that we’re continuously cocreating our personal reality from our belief system (which is very rarely fully conscious).

Therefore, it behooves us to see where we can find some wiggle room in loosening our grip on attachments, aversions, karmic ruts of identity and, yes, even preferences, in our relationship with all of Life. For, while some limiting beliefs may have served us up until now, at least at some lower chakra level, that time will soon be long past in terms of efficacy and skillful means. For more on this:
Choosing a Belief System That Actually Works for You

If we reexamine what we think of as truths, or personal laws, we may find that most are actually merely beliefs forged and ingrained by experiences in this or past-lives. So, while, on the ego/little mind levels, these “truths” may feel legitimate, under the laser-sharp psychic lens of our Uranian-ruled higher mind, it’s time to ask: “Does this belief just reconfirm what my little self needs or wants to hear and/or is it merely an outgrown defense mechanism that my wounded inner child is still clinging to?”

Once we can unwind the layers of denial of reality just as it is and unconditionally accept that what has once served us no longer does–especially limiting beliefs that “we need this, that or the other to be happy,” then we can get on with the optimal soul growth and karmic healing we chose this exact time in human history to incarnate for.

The majority of readings I’ve channeled, over the last fifty years, have been on the level of personal karma. Many times, it’s the occurrence of an unfortunate event that causes the seeker to finally contact me, even if they’ve been thinking about it for ages. This event is what I call, “the presenting symptom.”

This could manifest as “accidents” to one’s home, body, bank account or business–or a scary health diagnosis or the loss of a loved one. In the vast majority of cases, the reading points out that nothing less than what has occurred as a catalytic wake-up call could have created enough shock to the system to awaken them to a course correction aligned more with their soul assignment and less with their ego desires, preferences or addictions.For more:
The Nature of Addiction: It’s Only Human

It’s human nature to always choose the lesser pain. For that reason, it usually takes some sort of alarming event on the physical level of manifestation to “encourage” us to choose to go for the clean sharp growing pains we’ve repressed, avoided or denied, sometimes for years or even decades. Despite the fact that, all the while, we were receiving signals from our higher self whispering in our ear that a course correction was needed.

These signals begin on the more subtle levels of the psychic body (through dreams, visions and inner voice) and then move on to the mental, emotional and energy bodies (through anxiety, dread and feeling consistently “off.”) But, for most of us, we need a physical manifestation through crisis (aka emerging-see), as a tangible expression of our higher selves yelling in our ears: “Course correction indicated!” for us to finally pay attention. It’s one of the many reasons why Taoists call catastrophic events: “Gifts from the Gods.”

When upsetting circumstances push at us as spiritual resistance training, it incites us to rise to the occasion, consciously recommit to the life force and become much stronger and more internally stable at our core.

Once we dissolve the initial shock and trauma instigated by events seemingly beyond our control, we can experience a radical shift arising. This is when we realize we have the potential of unlimited conscious power over our response to whatever is presented. Even though the event typically arrives in a distressing disguise, it’s always an empowerment teaching with Life as the ultimate guru. To learn how to dissolve shock and trauma: Taoist Practices MP3s

Think of it this way: Whenever upsetting events present themselves, it’s our pre-loaded karma unfolding at the perfect time–personal and collective. How we choose to respond determines our destiny and future karma.

When we can witness our karma unfolding with 20/20 hindsight from the soul’s witnessing perspective in the Spacious Present, we can truly see how all the “shit” reigning down on us–in terms of personal as well as humanity’s karma–is always to ultimately serve our highest good, as a lotus needs the mud to grow into its potentials. Thus, even the most devastating events in the short term can appear, in the long term, as necessary gifts for our karmic healing.

It takes whatever it takes to awaken us to our true nature. When calamity strikes personally and now globally, the optimal outcome is for us to allow Life to crack open our hearts wider than ever before with compassion for all suffering beings (including ourselves). The flowering of our innate bodhicitta (loving kindness) is supported by karmic teacher Saturn’s sojourn in heart-opening Pisces through February 13, 2026.

ALL personal and global catastrophes inspire us to expand our concept of identity to one of a multidimensional Light Being outside of liner space and time and, even beyond that, to holding the vision of One Being, with billions of faces . . . but only one Divine heart.

As Ram Dass said:
“During the stroke I died again, and now I have a new life in a disabled body. This is where I am. You’ve got to be here now. You’ve got to take the curriculum.”

For more: MID-FALL KARMIC WEATHER REPORT

The Deluge–Joan Pancoe

I channeled the above painting as a depiction of how I felt energetically about the conscious choice I made in a past incarnation during the last inundation of Atlantis, just before it sank completely into the sea. I tried to capture the moment as I watched the final tidal wave coming in, holding to the unconditional faith in my heart that “All is well.”

In that past life, many of my loved ones had already escaped by boat to Egypt, as it was predicted with near certainty that a cataclysmic tsunami was approaching at warp speed. This man-made event was caused by scientists tinkering with energies which they ultimately lost control over. Ooops, we’ve done it again!

I chose not to schlep overseas to survive physically as, not only was I lazy, but I was at peace with dropping my body. I also knew from the soul perspective that I would meet up with my loved ones again in Egypt in my next incarnation . . . and so it was and is:).

Analogously, these days, more and more clients have been asking me where they should move to be “safer” for the long-haul, as climate migration is beginning to affect us all in different ways, and is certainly no longer solely a third-world phenomenon. I remind them that, since death is “absolutely safe,” it’s best to cast their vote to move or stay based on where their heart/mind calls to them to maintain the best quality of life with equanimity in the Flow.

When I psychically scan a few possible geographical locales that they’ve offered up as possibilities, to see which have the most Light for them, the determination is based on overall energetic and karmic factors that are most favorable for all levels of development. But ultimately, they would need to physically visit prospective new environs in the present time to viscerally confirm in their bodies that this could be a new home base.

These days, the bottom line has changed for psychic/astrological questions pertaining to optimal geographical location as well as time frame for the move. Because probabilities are shifting so rapidly now, the ideal solution to this type of question lies more on the foundational level of the individual’s personal and family karma, rather than the relative safety of any particular geographical location.

This means that where to move depends on whether someone’s good fortune accrued from past lives extends to whether it’s best for them to continue to stay in a known and comfortable home-base under increasingly more uncomfortable conditions and/or with the potential to be under attack from extreme weather . . . or to go.

For more on this theme of how lucky do you feel, here’s the classic story Appointment in Samarra:

The speaker is Death
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture.
“Now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.”
The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop, he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, “Why did you make a threating gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?”
“That was not a threatening gesture,” I said, “it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”

My definition of good karma (aka luck or good fortune) is that which has been pre-loaded as part of the package deal of this incarnation. And while our good karma has been well-earned from past lives it is also, simultaneously, a gift from the Divine. This last piece is especially important to acknowledge with gratitude so that we don’t squander our karmic rewards, which could actually translate into future karma if we become complacent out of a sense of entitlement. For some of you this may be the most important concept to grasp of all. For more:
The Karmic Consequences of Entitlement (and it might not be what you think)

I’ve been writing about the Quickening since the 1990s and have been feeling its effects since the Harmonic Convergence in 1987. But, in the last decade, we’ve been experiencing an extraordinary, ever-increasing surge of higher frequency waves inundating the Earth.

What is the Quickening? I describe it as the continuous, unrelenting acceleration of planetary, galactic and cosmic energies heralding in the next Great Age in the evolution of consciousness.

For some time now, the energies flooding us are not just vertical anymore, but horizontally as well. Therefore, we’re being hit simultaneously by the denser, cumulative energies of the mass consciousness and the karma of the world.

The one/two punch of this energetic blitzkrieg can leave us feeling unsteady, with episodes of vertigo and short-term memory loss, as we’re are getting knocked out of linear space and time more and more. So now, we’re all being affected by these accelerating frequencies in different ways—vertically and horizontally—dependent on our level of conscious soul evolution.

This means that the Quickening has gone from just manifesting inside of us as the Cosmic Flu, with dominant symptoms such as fatigue, body aches and brain fog, to somatizing outward, firstly into the world-wide pandemic, and now, climate change.

This gives us an idea of just how potent these manifesting cocreative energies are in bringing us all together on the planet as we evolve towards unity consciousness (aka One Being with eight billion+ faces). We’re finally getting the higher truth on a more visceral level that we’re all in this together, regardless of any arbitrary external boundaries or divisions—of race, country, class or religious beliefs. Powerful stuff!

As we’re now firmly ensconced in the Kali Yuga (spiritual Dark Ages), it would be good if we remind ourselves daily that our souls chose to be born in this most interesting of times in the evolution of consciousness.

During this period in human history, we have the precious gift of being in the vanguard, leading the way towards the Light of unity consciousness which will play out over the next few millennia in the Age of Aquarius. And now, the horizontal energies bombarding us are really being kicked up a notch with Pluto in Aquarius running the show through cycles of destruction and, ultimately, rebirth–like a Phoenix rises from the ashes.

All this gives us the FGO (fuckin growth opportunity) to burn a lot of karmic baggage rapidly with the Lords of Karma exhorting us to action by yelling in our collective ear: “Course correction indicated!”

Taoist philosophy is all about Wu Wei (aka going with the Flow). Here’s one of my favorite quotes on this as it epitomizes that which I aspire to live by on a daily basis:

“When a cat falls out of a tree, it lets go of itself, becomes completely relaxed, and lands lightly on the ground. If the cat made up its mind that it didn’t want to fall, it would become tense and rigid and would just be a bag of broken bones upon landing.
In the same way, it is the philosophy of the Tao that we are all falling out of a tree, at every moment of our lives. As a matter of fact, the moment we were born we were kicked off a precipice and we are falling—and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
So, instead of living in a state of constant tension and clinging to all sorts of things that are actually falling with us because the whole world is impermanent, be like a cat. Don’t resist it.” —ALAN WATTS

On the soul consciousness level, we’re all volunteers in experiencing Earth School now as a colossal alchemical cauldron. And, presently, the Galactic Alchemists are briskly stirring the pot as they increasingly turn up the heat.

I envision us all cooking in what I call the “experiment now in progress” (aka the Earth Game). All this to ripen our collective karma of harming ourselves and the planet by not remembering who we truly are and why we’re really here at all. For more:
If This Were Your Last Incarnation, What Would You Do?

When clients are going through a particularly rough patch, they often times ask, “When is it going to end?” While their difficult time may have been triggered by some heavy-hitting, challenging transits of Saturn, Uranus and/or Pluto, it's always combined with the karma they’re playing out. For this dynamic duo is what determines the specific type of tests they’re experiencing.

I try to respond on the deeper levels of the truth to their question. And, my answer has always been: “Your challenging times are never going to end, although they may change form, as transits come and go. But, unless you’re willing to release your attitude of dissatisfaction and aversion to ‘What is’ and let go of your resistance to reality, your suffering will continue. However, as long as you’re here, if you’d like some guidance as to why your particular circumstances are happening from a karmic perspective and how to more skillfully play the Earth Game going forward, then you’ve come to the right place.”

So now, in answer to this same question on a global level of “When is it going to end?”–my response is still the same.
Although, on the mass consciousness level, the good news is that I'm witnessing a higher level of trans-personal heart-level concern for the suffering of others, courtesy of our Uranian-ruled 24-7 global news cycle.

This means that, in terms of the heart/mind evolution of consciousness, things are picking up speed, as there appears to be more compassion for all human suffering and not just one’s own troubles. For now, courtesy of escalating climate emergencies, we all have the same predicament in common and the medicine is compassion in thought and deed as well as gratitude for what remains. And to always remember when witnessing disasters from near or far: “There but for the grace of the Goddess go I.”

The Quickening provides the balancing energies to give us a booster shot of cosmic juice to help us ride the tumultuous waves of the Kali Yuga and not get inundated and swept away in an undertow of negative and fear-based thinking. I’ve written a lot about both and here are some tastes:

Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga (Darkest Age)

The Quickening Phase II Is Here to Rock Your World

It’s also good to keep in mind that the human evolution of consciousness is still in its baby stages in terms of potentials. In the 1970’s, Chögyam Trungpa said that only about 1% of humanity is ready for awakening to higher consciousness—now, in my view, maybe 2%.

In 2023 and beyond, as we witness more divine order-ly chaos playing out as the pot is heating up more, we’re being given the opportunity to step up the level of our heart/mind game and affect the mass tone in the ripple effect.

So, is our collective karmauppance good news or bad news? From the longest-range Taoist perspective everything is always in the Flow (aka all one in the Tao). That doesn’t mean that it can be viewed in the short-term as anything other than horrific as we witness, over the remainder of this century and beyond, perhaps billions (including loved ones and ourselves) dropping their bodies–at a faster rate than before our climate emergency.

Therefore, it’s always imperative to embrace the higher truth that no one drops their body except at the perfect timing for each of their soul assignments–as there are no victims on the soul level, only very courageous volunteers.

In closing, there is much good news baked into the longer-term probabilities:
1. Miracles of creativity to solve and turn around climate change.
2. Lessons learned for future generations from mankind’s mistakes in abusing power and the earth for short term personal gain, comfort and, of course, greed.
3. Healing and bringing into balance the human race’s karma collectively.
And, all of it, the perfect storm for accelerated evolution.

Here are some quotes on this theme that I’ve found very useful to contemplate:
“We just can't seem to stop burning up all those buried trees from way back in the carboniferous age, in the form of coal, and the remains of ancient plankton, in the form of oil and gas. If we could, we'd be home free climate wise. Instead, we're dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at a rate the Earth hasn't seen since the great climate catastrophes of the past, the ones that led to mass extinctions.
“We just can't seem to break our addiction to the kinds of fuel that will bring back a climate last seen by the dinosaurs, a climate that will drown our coastal cities and wreak havoc on the environment and our ability to feed ourselves. All the while, the glorious sun pours immaculate free energy down upon us, more than we will ever need. Why can't we summon the ingenuity and courage of the generations that came before us? The dinosaurs never saw that asteroid coming. What's our excuse?”–Neil deGrasse Tyson, from his TV show COSMOS, 2014

“We can change the world, definitely. For the warrior, every moment is a challenge to be genuine, and each challenge is delightful. When you let go properly, you can relax and enjoy the challenge. Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news. When chaos occurs, even within that chaos, we can smile which cures confusion and resentment.”
"The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world's problems. This wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, nor does it come only from the West or the East. Rather it is a tradition of human warrior-ship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history." Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”–Albert Einstein

“When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order.” –Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Laureate

I think it’s helpful to keep in mind that we’re only on the threshold of the next Great Age in the sign of Aquarius, which will last for over 2000 years. Thus, the higher-frequency galactic energies bombarding us—while necessary to kick-start this new stage in the evolution of human consciousness—are also playing havoc with all levels of our bodies, from the psychic to the physical. We are all becoming evolutionary guinea pigs in the vanguard of this New Age.

Our new normal is learning how to live as if we are in-between the old 3D ways of being in this relative plane and simultaneously becoming acclimated to being in 5D and beyond while fully embodied. The culmination of this bardo period will be an expansion of the range of Being vertically and horizontally so that, ultimately, we’ll all identify as multidimensional Beings experiencing an earthly sojourn.

And, finally, here are my soul-level resolutions for our Pluto in Aquarius curriculum and beyond:
I. Exercise patience as events unfold, since there may be FGOs yet to be revealed, especially in such dark nights of our collective Soul . . . and smile.
II. Enjoy the ride today—even more—by acting as if each day is our last . . . and smile.
III. Hold the faith that: Life goes on, our Souls live on and that which we have always been seeking—Source—has been inside us all along . . . and smile.
IV. Be grateful that Life is doing its damnedest to help us remember why we are truly here . . . and just keep on smiling.

Wishing us all equanimity as we witness all the wonder and horror unfolding of all the good news and all the bad news—especially whatever triggers our personal alarm bells, aka Global Karmic PTSD—as this is where our healing and soul growth will flourish the most.
As we awaken and open our hearts more to our true identity of pure Being, I see us dancing with whatever is in the Flow with neither attachment nor aversion to timing or outcomes. And, so it is.
Love all ways,
J O A N

CRUISING THE ARCTIC SEA YEAR-ROUND–Joan Pancoe, 1988

“You've got the cool water
When the fever runs high
And you've got the look of love
Right in your eyes
And I was in a crazy motion
Till you calmed me down
It took a little time
But you calmed me down”
Lyrics by Annie Lennox from Something So Right

“The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn’t care too much. Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Much of modern life is preventable chronic stress injury.”
—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder