Newsletter archive - December Solstice 2008
Dear friend,
Three years ago, at this time of the December, winter solstice, I wrote the following introductory words to my book The 8th Chakra.
On this winter solstice dawn, the Sun has once more commenced its yearly spiral from darkness to light. Since ancient times, this day has traditionally welcomed the birth of the archetypal solar hero, who has been known by many names and whose outer quest and inner journey to wholeness have been depicted in many mythic sagas and myriad spiritual teachings.
The solar hero was never meant to be worshipped: rather he or she was meant to be emulated. For each and every one of us has this divine potential within us.
Given the increasing intensity of this time of transformation the words I wrote then, I feel apply ever more powerfully to call on us to awaken our innate divine potential not only as solar but as soular heroes.
This darkest time of the year which this year also correlates with the dark of the Moon, is a perfect time for going within to re-member the soular heroes that we all are. And with the return of the light, to choose a New Year resolution that for this coming year offers us a re-soulution.
Wisdom for changing times
Each year in November my dear friends Cameron, Glenn and Nancy inspire and organize the Earth Spirit conference in Vermont. The theme of the conference this year was Wisdom for Changing Times. The following extract is from an article I wrote for them in September, before the meltdown in global banking and markets began.
Since then, the turmoil and pace of our global transition has deepened and we are seeing and experiencing this in both our everyday lives and on a world-wide basis. So hopefully these words can be an ongoing reminder to perceive the bigger and purposeful picture and the amazing opportunity of these transformative times
Whilst daunting, such fundamental change is necessary to support our collective expansion of awareness that is coming to be known as the Shift. However, whilst Jupiter remains in Capricorn all through 2008, adding expansive energy to the profound transformation influenced by Pluto, the latter's move into Capricorn at the end of January 2008 begins a path that between June and September will see him back into Sagittarius for another wave of revelations and resolutions before moving on again into Capricorn at the end of November, to remain there until 2023.
Capricorn is the zodiac sign that influences outer power whether of personal life-paths and careers, institutions or governments, Jupiter the planet of expansion and optimism and Pluto, the planet of transformation. Together their astrological influences are showing that our personal and collective choices in this year of transition are key to the resolution of power issues of all sorts - including those of fairness and justice rather than exploitation and manipulation, balance of authority and empowerment between the state and the individual, and the acceptance of responsibilities as well as rights. The to and fro path of Pluto before he finally and fully enters Capricorn energises a thorough clearing and the presence of Jupiter ensures that we are offered every opportunity to see what we need to see and deal with what we need to deal with for us to achieve a collective breakthrough.
Over the summer months, the worsening economic climate both in the US and UK has caused deepening concerns for everyone. Security issues not only about homes and jobs but also over resources especially energy and food are becoming ever more prevalent on a global scale. And environmental and climatic extremes are reaching crisis points around the world.
In such challenging times, the easiest response would be to either sink into fear or recoil as far as possible into denial. Both are completely understandable and both take us down a dangerous and dead-ended path of despair.
If we only see the surface of the ocean it can appear stormy. But if we look beneath, we can appreciate the calm that prevails in its depths. If we only see the surface of our lives, we will experience the storms that threaten to engulf us. But if we can, in the midst of the apparent chaos see deeper and further to the bigger picture and purpose of our collective Shift, we may perceive how the old paradigms, the limited and fragmented ways we have adhered to must go, for us to embrace and embody a new way of living in peace, justice and harmony with each other and the living Earth.
We are rapidly approaching the crux of 2012 and the revolutionary destiny that awaits us. Whether we succumb to a global breakdown or together co-create a collective breakthrough depends on the choices we make now. If our choices are from fear then we will continue to co-create the implications and consequences of that fear. But if our choices are made from love, we can wake up from our spiritual amnesia and re-member who we really are.
Frontier research into consciousness is revealing too what the mystics of all times and places have known - that we are more - much more - not only than our physical bodies but even our human personas. At this crucial time, a new and integral vision of the Cosmos is also emerging. As Ervin Laszlo and I share in our new book CosMos, leading edge science is finally reconciling with universal wisdom to reveal the reality of a whole-world where everything we call reality is integrated and ultimately conscious.
Albert Einstein, not only a great scientist, but a passionate advocate for world peace, once said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." We are now becoming able to see with ever greater clarity how old patterns of perception and behaviour have limited, separated and traumatised us, and beginning to learn the wisdom of healing and releasing them.
As we stand together at this momentous crossroads in the history of the human race, the Shift is enabling us to realize and become empowered by the unfolding understanding of the whole-world and become ever more conscious co-creators of our realities. This is our ultimate purpose in being here and now - and this is our cosmic destiny.
Soular astrology
Since 2003 and continuing through 2012, each year at the December solstice the Sun is conjunct with the galactic centre. Together with Pluto who has also been in this part of the sky for the last few years, they align the transformative energies of our Soular System with the heart of our Galaxy. This year the dark of the Moon - the three day period when the Moon is invisible and long used by adepts to go within and gain deeper clarity - takes place from 25th to 27th December. So this time of cosmic alignment is perfect to gain a greater understanding and reconciliation of the experiences of the year that has gone. And to gain a greater sense of purpose for the year ahead.
From 27th November and for the next sixteen years Pluto is now in Capricorn, so the global transformation of systems, institutions and organizations - economic, political, social, educational or commercial - will not only continue their breakdown or breakthrough process but with the planetary influences unfolding during 2009 change is likely to be both unexpected and radical.
In February a rare astrological concentration involving Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron and the North Node in Aquarius energies and inspires the possibility for transcendental breakthrough in some perhaps seemingly intransigent situations.
But Saturn the great task master in opposition to Uranus the unexpected awakener in Pisces is suggesting an ongoing confrontation as the dregs of the unsustainable old paradigm reluctantly give way to the untested hope of the new.
As the Shift of continues to gather pace, understanding and aligning ourselves with these and future powerful and collective cosmic influences, will I believe, help to enable and empower us not only to achieve breakthrough rather than breakdown to do so as gracefully and effectively as possible.
My forthcoming events
For full details of my forthcoming talks and workshops in the UK and the US over the next few months and the sacred journeys to Israel and Jordan in March and Malta with the Prophets Conferences in May please see the Events and Sacred Journeys section of my website.
As my schedule continues to be updated, please continue to visit www.judecurrivan.com to see what new events are being added. And if you would like to invite me to give a talk or workshop, I'll be pleased to hear from you.
I have also now been invited to teach in Japan and my first talks and workshops there will begin in February. If you have any friends who are based in Japan and would like to participate, details will be posted to the website shortly but in the meantime being please ask them to email me - jude@judecurrivan.com - for details.
The 13th Step in the US
For those of you based in the US, The 13th Step is being published there in January and you can already order it from http://www.hayhouse.com/, www.amazon.com or via any good bookstore.
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, earlier this year the book was awarded by the readers of Kindred Spirit magazine in the UK as being the best personal development book of 2007.
Many of the fellow travelers who journeyed with us are American and I'm delighted that our true story will now be available in the US too.
Youtube videos
If you'd like to see a short interview with me by Hay House please visit http://www.youtube.com/ and type in Jude Currivan.
In July I spoke at the Prophets Conference in Glastonbury. During my talk, I shared the story of a lovely synchronicity involving John Lennon's song Imagine. Unbeknownst to me the wonderful man in charge of the audiovisuals managed to access a photo of John and the soundtrack and words of Imagine that he xxx on the screen behind me at the end of my talk. If you'd like to see the video of all of us at the Conference then singing Imagine, again please visit Youtube and type in orbs glastonbury
We Can Do It!
I was very fortunate to be in the US at the time of the presidential election on 4th November. That morning my dear friend Michele and I went to the polls. We stopped on the way to give a lift to an elderly lady who with great difficulty and very slowly had been attempting to walk from her home to the polling station. She had been so determined to vote, regardless how long it had taken or how challenging it was. She was both an inspiration and also an example of the millions of Americans who that day voted for change, not only for themselves but for the whole-world.
Barack Obama's campaign slogan was We can Do It!
Whilst our personal journeys of self-discovery have been progressively empowering us to understand that ‘I Can Do It', we need now to go beyond the Me and become the We.
The whole-world needs each and every one of us to show up and answer the call of service in whatever way and to whatever extent each of us can manage. As Archbishop Tutu said the other day ‘each of us can do something.' However small your ‘something' may seem to you, remember the adage that ‘if you think you're too small to make a difference share a sleeping bag with a mosquito!' And for those of you who have a dream that seems too enormous to achieve, remember that ‘no one is given a dream without having everything they need within themselves to accomplish it.
As fellow travelers as we journey together into a New Year I send love, joy and gratitude to you in the universal heart,
Jude