midlifejourney.com

A Time Apart-Finding the Stillpoint
in a WORLDwind Life

Author: Christine Phoenix Green

It has been a “time apart” from submitting into this site under the Spirit column as I have spent the summer studying, reading, and listening to the wisdom of some of the most inspiring and visionary mentors on the planet today, pondering, and adjusting my Life’s Compass towards the journey onward from midlife into, hopefully, a full and graceful maturity. As I read through some of the articles on the home page this morning, with titles like “Taking Time Off”, “De-Cluttering for a New Way of Life”, and “Finding Your Passion” in which the author suggests “taking time each day to get quiet”, I had to smile at the cosmic synchronicities that tie us all together in a most timely fashion, when the Universe taps persistently and simultaneously on the heads of, and the doorways into, a number of hearts to get an important spiritual and evolutionary message out.

I personally have been VERY quiet this summer, and the work of these months was organizing a series of retreats to be offered over the course of the next year (or the next 25 years), the first one entitled “A Time Apart: Finding the Stillpoint in a Worldwind Life”. I had been thinking that perhaps I was being somewhat retro-active by responding to the call back to my earlier spiritual tradition and training in contemplative retreat work and spiritual direction. However, these articles highlighted and validated exactly what I have been sensing: the emerging hunger, especially in this time of world and cultural chaos, change and unpleasant surprises, for a a place, a way, a moment in time that is quiet, still, solitary and simple…a place, a way, a moment in which to take time off, de-clutter, to silence outer and inner chatter and noise, to stop running evasively or mindelssly, to think deeply and listen to the “small still Voice” of God and the Divine Self within in order to re-connect with our deepest passions of Soul, which is actually the real reason we are “here”.

We are here to learn how to love, how to be of service, how to celebrate and bring authentic beauty to the world by sharing our unique gifts, to find a passion and creative expression worthy of uplifting the vibrational energy, potential and vision of what it means to be fully human/fully Divine. Blaise Pascal wrote many years ago (and this is a paraphrase) “All human misery arises from the inability of man to sit still in a room alone”. And Matthew Fox, Episcopal renegade priest/prophet said that once, when on a visit to New Zealand , he asked an Aboriginal elder what their culture and days were like that kept them whole, the elder responded “We work for 4 hours and then we make things”. Now isn’t that an idea? I offer Four Paths here in brief, to find that Stillpoint at which everything in your life can center and move from chaos and confusion, to authentic blessing and celebration.

• First, Silence ( no talking, turning off all un-natural noise and disturbance, listening to the music of nature, and accessing the small still Voice of authenticity within yourself.
• Second, Stillness (”don’t just DO something…SIT THERE”, get off the road to the mall, sit under a big tree and lean against it’s solid trunk, breathe and be present to what is true in this sacred moment for you, and what wants to be birthed through you).
• Third, Solitude (voluntarily make yourself inaccessible to the presence and demands of others in order to fully meet Yourself and the Divine…oddly this kind of solitude prepares you for healthier and more rewarding relationshipping later), and finally…
• Simplicity ( prioritize as if you had one year to live, get the biggest lawn and leaf bag possible and get rid of all that no longer represents or is of service to you, value your time and energy and choose the simple way, a shorter “to do list” doing only what is necessary and brings true satisfaction, giving you and not draining you of vital energy for the purpose of loving and living a life graced with the art of Presence. A hint here…the pleasure that comes from Simplicity and true satisfaction in the way you spend your allotted time here on earth is the secret to the delicious art of Savouring, which you will never regret or forget, and for which you will surely speak the highest and most healing phrase of prayer which is… “Thank You!”.

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Upcoming retreats:

• Parting the Mists: Dreams and Inner Healing in February 2009, and
• Veriditas: A Green Spirituality in May 2009 at the LaSalle Center. Dates: tba. (Bio)

Christine Phoenix-Green
cphoenixrising@earthlink.net

Your Personal Life Lesson Plan

Astrology vs. Mainstream Religion?

A new look at ancient “tools” for a well-lived life

Author: Christine Phoenix-Green

“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting. The Soul that rises with us, our life’s star, hath eslewhere had its setting, and cometh from afar. Not in entire forgetfullness and not in utter nakedness, but trailing clouds of glory, do we come from God who is our home.” (William Wordsworth….Intimations of Immortality)

I am occasionallty questioned, if not directly challenged, by certain people who are devoutly connected to their mainstream churches and are concerned about the possible danger of astrology to their religous belief systems. As a trained spiritual director, I personally see no conflict here and in fact, working with a person and their birth chart assists me in finding the language and perspective that is inherently and personally theirs in experiencing the sacred. If scripture or poetry are sources of inspiration and guidance, we can find the appropriate prayers or art forms to enhance their dialogue with the Divine.

In this, hints are given in the birth chart through the archetypal symbols of the planet Neptune, the sign Pisces, and the 12th house. A Taurus influenced person may find deepest communion with God through nature, gardening and deep silence or meditative music. A Cancer influenced person might pray by the sea, and cherish her church community as Family. A Leo may be working with the children and leading the ritual and drama of holiday services. However, in keeping with the modality of Re-incarnational or Evolutionary Astrology, we entertain the possibility, not provable of course, that perhaps we live a series of lives and in each one, live out another chance to refine ourselves and our purpose to the greater and continuing flowering of human potential as well as the ongoing evolutionary consciousness of the Earth and Creation Herself.

In this lifetime, maybe we are pulled towards spiritual experiences, but also maybe this time around the experiences and teachings have a more secular or worldy focus such as work in the world, the handling of money and material possesions, or the development of courage through adventure. One learns through direct action in the world itself, rather than through the sole guidance of a consensus-based church membership.

Hints here are found in the whole of the birth chart. Are there special things we have to do or finish, utilizing the wisdom and skills gained through past experiences, or are we done with certain experiences that we no longer need, or care, to repeat again, that are just not useful for further development and a happier life?

These hints are found in a relatively new and exciting focus in Evolutionary Astrology through the north and south Nodes of the moon. From these we can create imaginative archetypal stories that describe common adventures and misadventures that are part of the familiar experiences of living a human life. The elegance and poetic language of this mystery tool imaginatively and creatively fleshes out our Personal Life Lesson Plan as we unfold into our highest potential this time around!

For me, this eloquently indicates a Purpose, Plan and Divine Intelligence of Mystery far greater than anything we could imagine.

For further informational regarding a personal astrological consultation please contact Christine at cphoenixrising@earthlink.net

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This edition of the Spirit page contains a series of articles on discovering:
Your Personal Life Lesson Plan

Insight and Evolutionary Astrology #1
A new look at ancient “tools” for a well-lived life

Author: Christine Phoenix-Green

We know that God (or our Fairy Godmother for that matter! ) does not pin a definitive note to our pillow with specific instructions on how to go about our lives, either to problem-solve or to chart a direct course to fulfill our personal destiny.

Because of this, it usually takes half a lifetime of focusing, targeting, side-stepping, fogging up and getting lost, finding our way back, loving/wrestling with family, friends and foes alike, celebrating, programming and de-programming, following our bliss, cleaning up after messes to finally get here, where we are now…MIDLIFE! … the second chance with, hopefully, some hard-won experience and wisdom to finally decide how to live a uniquely authentic and satisfying life with less drama.

If only, as in some ancient cultures, attention had been paid to our particular moment of entry in time and place at our birth and we had had the opportunity to understand, value and be guided by our astrological birth chart, we may have been able to live out our passionate and authentic destinies a little sooner and less painfully.

Insight and Evolutionary Astrology, unlike the daily horoscopes that are part of pop culture to amuse or unsettle you momentarily, is a powerful tool that describes in a most poetic and individual way YOU…your talents and gifts to live fully, and to give your best to the community around you. It is, in short, your Personal Lesson Plan for the most authentic and fulfilling life you were meant to experience.

It is unabashedly metaphysical, presuming that you may have lived a previous life that has prepared you to live more imaginatively and creatively this time around, or if that is a stretch for your own personal belief system, presumes that your “previous life” before you got more conscious around midlife, has set you up with enough wisdom to live more fully now than before. It also describes something you probably already know…the walls you have hit and careened off of (”not again!”) as you have attempted to grow in wisdom and grace.

The “secret” here is that the particular focus and practice of Evolutionary Astrology actually is about owning it all, claiming what is truly yours to be and to experience, and to guide and turn a challenging aspect in your “personal lesson plan” to higher ground.

As the outstanding contemporary writer/astrological teacher and mentor, Steven Forrest, often says, “if an aspect in your chart is not working well, it WILL work poorly.” (and we have had enough of THAT! ). Bringing things to their highest ground through consciousness and choice “de-fangs the beast” as it were, and turns the difficult energy into an ally.

Evolutionary astrology is probably one of the most powerful of the “mysteries” available to us to live and love well in this, the one life we know for sure that is uniquely ours! (More to follow.)

Christine Phoenix-Green of the Music and Mystery School in Charlestown, RI can be reached for information regarding astrological consultations at cphoenixrising@earthlink.net

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Your Personal Life Lesson Plan:
A new look at ancient “tools” for a well-lived life

Author: Christine Phoenix-Green

As a practitioner for over thirty years of several modalities of Insight tools to aid in living a deeper, saner and more poetic way of life, I am struck by how much we are, in our often frenetic culture, in need of such tools for our physical, mental and spiritual health. These Insight tools are not new-age, or based on technology and speed, but are ancient, slow, and reflective, guiding us inward to access our full potential and a sense of living well and vibrantly despite our challenges.

Some of the most elegant and engaging of these “tools” are the practices of music, dreams, astrology, the tarot, spiritual direction, dance and ritual.

This series of articles will address these beautiful and somewhat mysterious tools to aid in bringing awareness of a well-kept secret..that the real Secret to Happiness is in living art- fully and grace-fully from within the greatest mystery of all…. Your Deep Self and a connection to Something much more purposeful, imaginative, and elegant than we would initially imagine.

The next installment here will be a reflection on Insight and Evolutionary Astrology as practiced today..the closest thing to a Personal Life Lesson Plan presented at your birth to guide you into the fullest, most fullfilling life you were meant to live!

Christine Phoenix-Green, of the Music and Mystery School in Charlestown, RI has been a Master Teacher in Piano for over thirty years, and is a spiritual director/metaphysical practitioner specializing in dreams and inner guidance, astrological consultations, Insight tarot and herbal wisdom. She may be contacted at cphoenixrising@earthlink.net

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