State Of The Nation

When you have to talk just about everyone down off the ceiling, you know things aren’t good. We appear to be in a collective mental spin about the state of the economy, due in large part to the prevalent media hype that’s the communications equivalent of putting out the fire with gasoline. Yes, it’s tough out there and in all probability we’re not in for the easiest of times, but dwelling constantly on the worst that could possibly happen is not a healthy approach. Fear drives recession – that’s how runs on banks start, which can throw even prosperous institutions into terminal decline. By all means protect your position, but don’t live in a perpetual cloud of gloom. Well-known millionaires and billionaires have made money in recessions and depressions. For every person who takes a loss, there’s someone out there profiting from it. Don’t assume the worst – it won’t help. And, actually, you’d be missing the point of the turmoil we’re currently experiencing.

On a timely note, an email newsletter from the rather prescient intuitive astrologer, Robert Ohotto, dropped into my inbox today, in which he notes “as the US/world economy crashes and the Earth’s climate changes, it’s becoming painfully obvious that we are at a Fate/Destiny point collectively and individually; which means we are in a Dark Night Of The Ego together at this time and must therefore tend to our collective soul.” If we cannot change the circumstances we are exposed to, we must then seek to discover what changes those circumstances might be trying to provoke.

Discussing the movement of Pluto – the planet of transformation – into Capricorn as an indicator of massive change in our cultural structures as it highlights their murky underbelly, he interprets this as a marker for the need to make a reconciliation with the “shadow of capitalism, corporate business structures, governments, policies and bureaucracies – especially as more earthly resources become limited … Now we must urgently adopt a new approach infused with ethics, holistic thinking and a new model of economy based on renewable resources.” Collectively we’re burning down the house so we can build a better one.

It’s not all bad news as Jupiter, the great benefic, is acting “as an intuitive guiding grace”. However, to take advantage of that grace, we need to be not only receptive to the intuitive inklings we are given, but to take action upon them. He asks “But as with all intuitive guidance, are we ready to listen and take action based on its promptings – which demand risking change – or will we once again become seduced by the cultural spells we’ve been fed and become vulnerable because of our fear?”

For all of our sakes, I hope it’s the former. My deepest intuitive hit on the difficulties we are facing has been for, some time, that those of us who will negotiate them most comfortably will be those who become inner-directed and willing to ignore the prevailing hysteria to live by their own inner wisdom. And by ‘live’, I mean put it into practice and refuse to be swayed by other people’s opinions and be open to allowing your life to be re-shaped in ways you might never have expected. Those of us who hold on tight to the way things used to be could be in for a very rocky ride.

As Ohotto explains, the planets are not causing this economic downturn, they are simply reflections of the archetypal experiences affecting us all. To take it to an individual level, he explains how these archetypes are likely to express themselves in our personal lives, saying “Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn asks us to re-evaluate all of our ambitions in the world and connect them with the concept of service to the whole – the ultimate expression of Capricorn achievement and duty which requires a more meaningful reason to commit our life force to the goals we pursue.”

“I’ve seen many people having to look to developing more confidence (Jupiter) and stamina (Capricorn) to pursue the next phase of their destiny. This includes the development of better boundaries (Capricorn) so that they can expand the possibilities of what they could be meaningfully doing in this life (Jupiter). It also means being willing to face our Fate and call on inner strength to persevere up our mountains. As the old saying goes, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. Nor was your destiny.”

“I’ve also seen a lot of businesses collapse (as have we all with the economy) because they were based on faulty, worn-out ideas or corrupt ethics … And I’m sure there’s more to come, which will absolutely affect us all. But we must not get caught up in the hype and mistake the symptoms for the cause. It’s our shadow that has brought us to this point and needs more interrogation and subsequent integration. To resent and focus on the teacher is to lose the lesson.”

This week, if you’re in danger of losing the lesson due to generalised anxiety and panic, your first step is simply to calm down. Secondly, be very honest with yourself about changes that you need to make and insights or intuitive hunches you might have been ignoring. Be willing to let go of what no longer fits or is preventing future growth. Comfort zones are an endangered species, so be prepared for change. It needn’t be difficult if you’re not holding on for dear life to something you’ve probably already outgrown.

Engage your intuition as much as possible. That means calming mental panic and stormy emotions by allowing yourself as much peaceful, unstimulated time as you can make available to yourself. Do simple things that make you feel uplifted – buy fresh flowers, take a walk by the river, soak in a hot bath. Water is great for facilitating intuitive thought – it’s instantly calming, whether you’re walking by it or soaking in it.

Kick the addiction to fretting about the worst that could happen. Do all you need to do on a practical level and then have some faith in yourself and your future. If you spent as much time thinking creatively about what you want to happen as you do fretting about things that might never come to pass, you’d be amazed at what you could achieve.

Learn to rest comfortably in not knowing. Yes, times are tricky, but you have a better chance of having them work out for you if you can learn to have faith in a positive future. You might not know exactly how that’s going to come about, but you don’t need to. Trust, follow your intuition and pay serious attention to where your soul is guiding you – not where your personality wants to stay stuck – and you’ll be excited by change, not terrified by it. Let this week be the one where you get in touch with the deeper impulses in your life, not just the superficial ones.

To read the full newsletter by Robert Ohotto, go to http://www.ohotto.com/.

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