Autumn 2009 - Harvesting Your Spiritual Gifts

Each season offers us distinct opportunities for renewal, as Nature teaches us how to transform with her energy. As we observe Nature's cycles, we can divine our direction. Autumn shows us to let go and trust. During this vibrant season, the trees release their leaves in preparation for the long winter and the inevitable growth of spring. For us, this is a time to let go of what no longer serves as we prepare for the growth of the new year.

2010 will be a year to flourish. It will be a time of creativity, expansion, and expression. To make the most of this energy, you want to ensure that you are planting seeds that will feed you and cultivating circumstances that will bring you bounty. 2009 has been a fertile year for us to prepare for this growth cycle. I am sure you have noticed this year presented you with many opportunities to differentiate between what nourished you and what needs to go back into the compost heap! This clarification process will ensure that you enter the potent creative energies of 2010 with direction and fortitude.

The year is not over yet, and you still have ample time to maximize its benefits. 2009 is a Universal year of 11, which is a master number. Years that are under the vibrational influence of a master number present us with challenges and opportunities to become masters of our lives.

Perhaps you've found this past year to be dramatic, intense, challenging or just plain awful! Or maybe you found the events of this year to be exhilarating, rewarding and awe-inspiring. Most likely, it has been both challenging AND rewarding.

Now we are in the final months of not only the year, but the entire decade - the first decade of the 21st century. The overarching numeric vibration of this century is 2000. Let's look at this number so we can discern the themes of our era; the lessons that were initiated in the year 2000 will resonate for the entire century.

Anytime we see the number zero, it amplifies the vibration of the number preceding it, which in this case is the number 2. Whereas 1 is the number of the self, 2 is the number of the self plus other. This number teaches us the lessons of dealing with others such as cooperation, balance, harmony and intuition. And since our lessons don't always come easily, we often learn about cooperation through opposition, harmony through discord, balance from overextending ourselves, and intuition through listening to other's opinions instead of your own.

Often under the 2 vibration, you can feel as if you are completely divided, torn in two directions. This was illustrated so dramatically in the 2000 US Presidential elections. The votes and the people of the nation were divided, dramatically polarized into two sparring political parties. (Now that’s a topic for another newsletter altogether!)

Most likely, you have found these themes playing out in your personal and professional lives as well. Finding balance is a process, and oftentimes in our search for stability we seek extremes. For instance, if you have previously dated someone who is controlling, you may subsequently seek someone who is passive to a fault. Or if you were tired of the hustle and bustle of city life, you might move to the country, only to find yourself feeling isolated and bored. We play out the oppositions within ourselves until we find internal equilibrium.

This process is necessary to finding your true path. Sometimes however, in our desire for security, we stay in situations that no longer serve us. They may have helped us assess our true wants and needs by illustrating contrast, however they are not appropriate for our higher purpose.

We were given a gift this year. The Universal energies of 2009 were mighty and would not allow you to compromise by settling into complacency. As I mentioned previously 2009 is influenced by the master number 11. In the Tarot 11 is represented by the archetype of Justice. Looking at the symbols of this card, we can understand some of the powerful influences we experienced this year.

Justice comes into our life without apology or subtlety. If something isn’t working she’s going to let you know. In her right hand she wields a sword that pierces into the truth and cuts away all that interferes with your perception. Since this energy is activated this year, you may have experienced an inability to lie to yourself. If any of your relationships, circumstances or actions were contrary to your higher purpose, those aspects became intolerable. If you dealt with these changes consciously, you most likely found yourself navigating through risky waters with courage and grace. If you were not willing to make necessary changes in your life, change happened to you. One thing is certain, big changes were unavoidable.

Justice is often referred to as the Law of Karma. Many people are confused about karmic law. There is a misconception in our culture that karma refers to good deeds vs. bad deeds; therefore when good things happen to us it is a result of good karma, and when bad things happen to us we are paying a price for past wrong doings. This simplistic view can get us into trouble.

Justice wears a blindfold and carries a scale in her left hand. When we close our eyes to the outside world we are able to listen to our inner voice of the soul. This voice does not make judgments of right or wrong, bad or good. Karmic law illustrates that every action has a consequence, and we need to balance our actions with our inner and outer worlds. This does not mean that you need to be nice all the time! In fact, the opposite can often be true. Imagine that your actions have a quantifiable energy, and other people’s actions do as well. Now imagine that this energy can be measured on a scale like those Justice carries in her hand. Let’s suppose you’re one of those people who wants to be nice to others, and do “good deeds” all the time, and yet your heart isn’t in it. You give more than you receive, while you really want to have more time for yourself, or you feel some resentment because you feel you aren’t being valued for what you do in a reciprocal manner. How do you suppose this would be measured on a scale? It creates an imbalance, right?

Fortunately, Justice came along this year to make things right. If you’ve been living out of balance from your soul’s intention, she’ll set you straight. If you’ve been lying to yourself about your true needs and feelings, she’ll wield her mighty sword and take care of business. If you have been living your life based on external ideals rather than your higher purpose, she’ll share her blindfold with you so you can hear your voice within. She’s a bad-ass it’s true, so her lessons don’t come easily, but she’s righteous so you can thank her later!

Since autumn is a time of Thanksgiving, let’s not forget that this is a season of bountiful harvest. The trees may be becoming bare, but they offer a feast of colors and smells, creating fertile soil for the new growth to come. Round full vegetables are being cultivated and enjoyed, while we gather to share our gifts and appreciation with our loved ones.