Our hearts respond to the expanse of an outer vista because the inner vista longs to make itself known.

All Signs

Belief is a powerful word. We all believe in something, whether or not this belief is in a religious deity, in science, or in the ways in which we think we are supposed to live our lives, belief lives within us. We project those beliefs onto those around us, and we are subject to the beliefs of others on a daily basis.

Now at this point you might want to object, saying, “But I am not religious, and I don’t ‘believe’ in anything’.” Well, I don’t “believe” you. Think about it. Our thoughts are our beliefs. When we decide that something is right or wrong, when we have strong opinions about ourselves, about the universe, politics, the environment, gender, race, or cultural norms we are saying that we “believe” that our way of thinking on these topics is the “right” way. By doing so, we close our minds to other possibilities, we become narrow minded and we lock ourselves into one train of thought that does not allow for the new, for magic, for the multifaceted glory that is our existence within this universe.

There are many influences that shape our beliefs. We are born into whatever society we come from, into cultural norms that are enforced by our parents, our peers, and our leaders. And though we may decide not to “believe” all that we have been taught, it is still hard for us to fully break away from the underlying fabric that makes up whatever society we are familiar with. In other words, though we may think we have freed ourselves from the beliefs of any particular culture, we never really do so without first allowing for complete disintegration of who we think we are. We have to let those beliefs die before we can blossom into our potential.

These beliefs, or these norms, that we carry are dangerous. When we follow blindly along thinking that our way is the “right” way, we do damage, or violence, to those whose beliefs are different than ours. But we also do damage to ourselves. These beliefs keep us locked into one way of doing things.

As a simple example, think of the fat kid who was born into a family who only knew how to deal with emotional trauma through overindulgence. There is no violence, but also no true emotional communication. This kid grows up believing that the only way to deal with the road blocks that life presents is to eat, to hide away inside, and not let anyone in; they believe they are not good enough. This person walks around as damaged goods, just as damaged as the person who was abused as a child, because neither of them can pull themselves out of the belief that they are not worthy enough to succeed, to become healthy, to heal, and to achieve their dreams.

These people are seen as failures by the rest of us. We think, “Why don’t they just buck up and get over it?” And by thinking this way we keep these individuals locked in their own belief that they are not worth it, that they will never achieve anything.

Belief is like a grid that stretches across the collective unconscious of humanity. It restricts our potential and keeps us within the narrow boundaries that tell us we are the only sentient beings in the universe, that there are social strata within our societies that must be adhered to, and that we are “better than” the rest of the animal kingdom whom we share this planet with.

The universe is slowly, yet surely, stripping us of our beliefs, whatever they may be. This process is not easy; it is traumatizing to many. Why? Because these beliefs are attached to our ego. We think we are our beliefs, and without them we think we will become nothing. But nothingness is the space before everything, it is where the All That Is resides and it is the places where creation births into beingness. And our souls, the source or life force within all of us, is not going to let us get away with holding on to our beliefs. This can be seen in the way that individuals and societies are beginning to have less and less tolerance for bigotry, discrimination, war, and inequality. But in order for balance to be restored on a global level, we must first let go of the beliefs we hold as individuals, both about ourselves and about the world.

So if you find yourself in a state of disintegration, if you find yourself confused, lost, not knowing which direction to go in, which path to follow, and if you find yourself doubting everything, this is a good sign. Surrender. Consciously decide to let your beliefs fall away like so much dead skin. The real – and magnificent – you, is waiting on the other side.

***

Aries – Mar. 21 to Apr. 19

Even though you think you have built yourself a tough exterior, one which others cannot penetrate and thus hurt you, the reality is that you are an innocent spirit. You look at life through the lense of a child; you want to explore and you see the magic in things and the beauty-of-spirit in others. The good news is that you will never lose this ability; it is part of who you are. The bad news is that you still allow the mundane truth of others to disappoint you. That is to say, when the romance is over and you discover the hard, cold truth about the expressed personality of others—their pain translated into their everyday actions in the now—you feel let down and you become a little more jaded. The trick is to hold on to the initial beauty you know exists within these others and in the world and to at the same time develop a sense of realism. Just because people act like jerks, does not mean that they really are jerks deep inside. But that also does not mean that if they can’t live up to their potential—the one you see hidden inside them—that you have to put up with it. Learn to disengage before you get hurt while keeping the magical, innocent view you have of the world.

Taurus – Apr. 20 to May 20

One of three things is taking place within you these days, Taurus, or perhaps it’s a combination. In any case, you are either suppressing your love of others, your love of yourself, or the love that others wish to give to you. You have hid this love away in the deep recesses of your heart. You are choosing career, or some other justifiably responsible distraction, over love at this time. The thing is, sometimes there is a need to do this, and the soul calls for our attention to be paid to other matters besides those of the heart. But right now is not that time. The thing is, you need this love. You crave it. You want full immersion into the deep mysteries of the heart. But for whatever reason, you are afraid to take that step into the unknown. Maybe it would help to think of it as an adventure. You haven’t had any true, random, uncensored orgasms of the heart lately, have you? Maybe today is the day you decide to say, “Fuck responsibility!” and do something that makes no sense whatsoever, but fills you with strength and well-being deep inside.

Gemini – May 21 to Jun. 20

Get playful, Gemini. Come on, I know you can do it! Don’t just slap a smile on your face and pretend to be OK because you think this is what others want you to do. Get out there and actually enjoy yourself. Do things that you would normally never dream of. In other words: re-create yourself. Redefine yourself. Look past the veil of your own beliefs about life and experiment. I know you want to; you’ve just been waiting for permission. So here you are: you have my permission to play. I promise, play is as simple as taking your kids for a walk on the beach with no agenda. Or going to visit a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. Or packing your vehicle and taking off for a few days. What is it you want? All this heaviness and self-indulgence gets tiresome after a while, doesn’t it? You are doing yourself no favours by staying stuck in the past. You are building a foundation for a new life, and this can be a joyful experience. Imagine the structure you want, the foundation upon which you want to build who you are, and create it!

Cancer – Jun. 21 to Jul. 22

Inside of you lives the essence of a being that expresses itself through womb and heart integration; you wish to give as the planet does, taking care of all life forms. In this way, you are like the true mother or father; you give and feel with a depth that many do not understand. This is your dream: to live in joy and in the ripe and full company of others who are in harmony with the Earth. It’s that simple. Through whatever you do in life, whatever career you have, whatever family you are part of, you express this dream. However you are not always conscious of the dream. Like the rest of us you get caught up in goals, responsibilities, and the everyday realities of living life. Now is a time to step back and reassess your goals and priorities. Enjoy the natural flow of giving that wants to stream from your heart. Where do you want to direct your energies? To whom do you want to give? And to what cause?

Leo – Jul. 23 to Aug. 22

As winter settles over the northern hemisphere, so too does your need to turn inwards. If at all possible the best way to respond to this need is by going out in nature. Enjoy the sunny days, and the leaves changing colour. The transformation that the land is experiencing mirrors the transformation that is taking place within you. Now is a powerful time for self-discovery; for finding those moments of epiphany that could forever change your life. So it is important that as much as possible you find moments of alone-time. Don’t be afraid of your own thoughts. Let those thoughts wander and allow daydreaming to become part of your daily routine.

Virgo – Aug. 23 to Sept. 22

A lot of movement is taking place in your life at this time. You have created inertia through your choices and subsequent activities. This is good. However, you will need to remember to pay close attention to your inner voice. This voice will help guide you through a flurry of decisions you will have to make over the next while. Remember to keep to the path you originally set out on and don’t let the world shape your destiny. You are in charge here. You are the one that calls the shots. You have a specific goal in mind, and this goal has to do with the intent of your soul, not just the intent of your mind. That means: trust your gut, don’t let others push you around, and continue to seek joy and creative challenge in all that you do.

Libra – Sept. 23 to Oct. 22

Imagine a Catholic monastery located on the other side of the moon. Imagine ridged rules and a life filled with routine rituals and narrow-minded thinking. Got it? Now, try to see that this is how you are living your life these days. It may not look the same, but it has the same underlying tone or feeling. You have wound yourself up into a ball of morals and emotional distance. You believe you have no control over your fate, so you have given up even trying. You have put your trust into something distant, something other, something outside your own being. You, and only you, can decide to take back ownership of your fate. The minute that you decide to control your own destiny, to join in with the creative process of life, things will begin to change and you will feel more empowered and fulfilled. My advice? Let go.

Scorpio – Oct. 23 to Nov. 21

You will have to become the master over negativity for the next while. By this I mean that negative emotions, acts, vibes, and the like will be coming at you from all directions and you will have to learn how to deal with it. This will take courage and patience. There are parts of you that will want to react, or lash out, in response to this negativity. But don’t give in. You know you are on the right track, so no matter what anyone says or does you have to keep going. By reacting, you are choosing to acquiesce your power and you are diverting much needed attention away from things that truly matter to you. Another aspect of this current lesson is that now is also a time to cherish those who feed you energetically, those you feel safe with and who do not judge you. These people will help you to keep going; they will help you to continue to believe in yourself. Don’t give up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you will be stronger in the end.

Sagittarius – Nov. 22 to Dec. 21

There are too many things going on, too many goals, tasks, activities, and all kinds of external distractions. You need to come back to centre. You need to focus on what you want and what matters in your life and decide the path you want to take. As it is, you stand with one foot on the pavement, and one on the dirt road. You haven’t decided which way you would like to go and in order to distract yourself from having to make the decision you have created a life that is full of intensionless activities. This form of denial will only stress you out and wear you down. You will eventually get so tired that you will have no energy to choose a path. A little hint: it doesn’t matter which path you choose as long as you do in fact choose.

Capricorn – Dec. 22 to Jan. 19

You know that feeling when you’re standing on the edge of a cliff that drops down to open ocean and the waves are crashing against the shore and for a split second you want to back up 100 yards and then run full tilt and jump off the edge? Come on, I know you’ve felt it. Not in a negative or emo “I’m going to commit suicide” kind of way, but in a full blown exhilarating thrust for freedom kind of way. You long to trust that much. You long to know that the universe is taking care of you, no matter how many lessons you have to learn, and that you are loved for being who you are. Well, you are. Get that for a minute. Your will, or intent, shines with the light of a thousand suns. It is beautiful and glorious, and at one with the All That Is. And you are loved by many for simply being you. It’s time to jump off that metaphorical cliff. It’s time to laugh and sing and dance and truly be the wonderful weirdness that is you! Don’t stay trapped in the belief that you are not good enough.

Aquarius – Jan. 20 to Feb. 18

If you are feeling particularly vulnerable right now, don’t worry. I have some good news for you. Even though the world around us is shifting into the winter months, you are doing the exact opposite. You are like a flower poking through the snow in early spring. Each day is a learning experience, and that learning centres around you and who you are becoming. Be gentle with yourself, don’t move too quickly, and don’t take too much on. Instead, try to go with the flow of each day (as much as is possible) and allow the different aspects of your being to express themselves. I know this all sounds airy fairy and full of fluff to you, but really, is there any harm in at least pretending that you can imagine that there are new things to learn about the world and yourself?

Pisces – Feb. 19 to Mar. 20

Your soul is trying to get you to pay attention to the fact that it is trying to integrate all the different facets of who you are into your current human location. Meanwhile, you are not paying attention. You have a set idea about how things are supposed to play out and when things don’t go the way you planned you lose interest, energy, and drive. Part of the reason you do this has to do with those moments where you really do feel all those facets of yourself—all those wonderful goals you have, and all the dreams those goals are connected to—and you feel overwhelmed and like you have no control. That’s OK. You will learn to integrate these aspects in such a way that you will be able to take on self-appointed tasks that feel harmonious in the now and contribute to the greater dream. Patience and time, honey. Patience and time.