Year: 2014

New Moon in Leo

“Imagination is real because every perception of the world around us is absolutely colored by the narrative or image-filled lens through which we perceive. We are all poets and artists as we live our daily lives, whether we recognize this role and whether we believe it or not. Thomas Moore

Recently I was reading about a psychological study often referred to as the gorilla-on- the- basketball -court study. Psychologists asked a group of subjects to count the number of times the ball bounced during a basketball game. The subjects were Type A personalities – concerned with accuracy and completing their tasks with success.

During the course of the game a person dressed in a gorilla costume went out onto the court, wandered around a bit and then left. When the game was over the psychologists asked the subjects -“how many bounces did you count ?” And then they asked, “What did you think about the gorilla?”

This experiment has been performed many times and each time the participants responded, “What gorilla?”

One thing this study talks about is the power of focus and concentration. It is also about broad perception and the things – magical things – for example like synchronicities or surprising events that can cause a sudden shift in consciousness – that can be missed when the focus is too narrow.

This weekend with Saturday’s New Moon at 3 degrees of Leo is a good time to explore the myriad directions that you would like to pursue in your life – the kind of possibilities that you do not normally entertain while counting the bounces. Look at the way you have been navigating your life’s journey up to this point and acknowledge progress. Invite change to usher in a new cycle of opportunity that brings you closer to your dreams and life purpose. Reclaim courage.

A pragmatic map can be created at a more favorable time.

Why consult an astrologer? To make time to better explore your soul’s journey.

Chiron, Uranus and Pluto

“Sometimes the most important thresholds of mystery are places of silence. To be genuinely spiritual is to have great respect for the possibilities and presence of silence…When you listen with your soul you come into rhythm and unity with the music of the universe.” John O’Donohue

I have a favorite place to visit. It is a hidden pond up in the hills. When first there I settle in by the water’s edge and watch the busyness above and below the surface – the baby turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, the tadpoles darting about among the reeds in the dark murky water, the blue heron, staring into the depths in search of his dinner. I look for the beaver’s often invisible presence by tracking the trail of bubbles which arise in the wake of their underwater journeys. Sometimes at dawn or dusk the silence is broken by a loud crack of a beaver tail hitting the surface. Playful otters roll and cavort through the water there too. They enter and leave the pond through mysterious underground waterways.

One day as I sat by the pond I was startled by a question of a passerby which broke the silence. “I see you here often” she said. “Are you looking for something you lost in the water?” I shook my head no, and smiled.

But maybe I was. Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer is in the watery sign of Pisces and the woman’s question had touched on something I had not considered – how healing it can be to sit quietly by the pond’s edge, to wonder at its mystery and hidden life below the surface. And perhaps my time spent looking into the water was in search of something I had lost – a sense of the magical interconnectedness of all life which is so often overlooked in our busy, modern world.
We are at a powerful threshold astrologically this week. With clarity and intention personal evolutionary leaps are possible. It bodes well to visit a special place in nature and to do things that are healing and restore a sense of wholeness, Chiron’s gift.

Why consult an astrologer? Challenges are often best met with a broad and fresh perspective.

Amelia Shea specializes in issues of family, relationship and transition as well as life path and career.She can be reached at 603 654 1043, amelia.shea@comcast.net and ameliashea.com. Her readings start at $30 and can be done by phone, email and in person. All times mentioned at EDT. Quote from Anam Cara by John O’Donohue