The New Moon in Fixed Fire on 16th of August 2023 at 10:38 am BST
In a small village nestled among the rolling hills, lived Little Spirit. Enchanted and creative, always yearning to enrich her world with magic, she seldom was without her sketch book and pallet to ensure that she could paint vibrantly and imaginatively as the Muse spoke to her.
But there was something that made her heart heavy – her family and the conservative village she grew up in did not understand or appreciate her artistic spirit. Her parents believed that conforming to the norms and expectations of the village was the only way to lead a successful life.
Every day, Little Spirit unleashed her creativity discreetly as she knew that she would met with resistance if her parents knew how colourfully she saw the world. ‘Touched’ or ‘innocent’ or ‘in her own world’ she would be called if they knew how normal the ‘otherworld’ is to her. Her parents insisted she focus on practical matters like studying and helping around the house. They discouraged any deviation from the traditional path and expected her to become someone who would contribute to the world, a world faded to grey filled with those whose dreams were not realised.
And so Little Spirit lived in two worlds – a life followed a routine of rigid expectations and a private one wherein her mind wandered to a world where she could express herself freely, where her art would be celebrated, and her dreams encouraged. She found solace in secret places, hidden away from prying eyes, where she could paint in the quiet of the night, revealing her authentic self through colours and brushstrokes.
One day, as fate would have it, an art competition was announced in the neighbouring town. The grand prize was an opportunity to study at a prestigious art academy, renowned for nurturing young artists. The moment Little Spirit heard about it, her heart soared with hope. This was her chance to show the world who she truly was.
Ignoring the disapproval and fear of disappointing her family, Little Spirit gathered her courage and approached her parents. With a trembling voice, she shared her desire to participate in the competition, explaining how art was her true calling, her way of expressing herself.
Her parents were taken aback, silent for what felt like an eternity. Finally, her mother spoke, her voice a mixture of sadness and concern. “Sunshine, we just want what’s best for you,” she said softly. “We worry about the uncertainty of an artist’s life. We want you to have a stable future.”
Little Spirit understood their worries, but deep down, she knew she couldn’t deny who she was. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded with them, “Please, let me live like a bird in the sky, let my dreams soar high and my colours paint the world. Trust in my heart’s whisper, for it knows the path to my happiness. I promise to work hard and make you proud.”
Her parents exchanged worried glances, filled with love but also doubt. After a few moments of silence, her father spoke, his voice filled with a mix of hesitancy and acceptance. “If this is what truly makes you happy, then we will support you. We may not fully understand your path, but we trust you to follow your heart.”
Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, Little Spirit threw her arms around her parents. From that day forward, Little Spirit dedicated herself to her art, pouring her heart and soul into every stroke of the brush. Though challenges and obstacles still lay ahead, she knew she had taken the first step towards a life of authenticity and fulfilment.
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Inner Flame
In the depths of your being, where the undertones of your true essence reside, there exists an ever-present flame. It is the flame of your inner spirit, a beacon of authenticity that yearns to guide you towards a life of alignment and purpose. In times when you veer away from this path, when you live a life that does not honour your true self, you will ‘create’ challenges that may test the very fabric of our souls but are essentially attempts from spirit to remind you of what home truly is.
Living inauthentically
At first, the dissonance between your external persona and your internal truth may be subtle, like a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of a tree. You may feel its presence, but you can convince yourself that it is only temporary and it will fade away in due time. Yet, as days turn into weeks, and weeks into years, that gentle breeze transforms into a relentless storm, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
The challenges faced by your inner spirit when you live inauthentically are profound and far-reaching. Like a flower struggling to bloom in the darkness, your essence fights against the constraints placed upon it. Your passions become muted murmurs, stifled by the demands and expectations of others, your dreams relegated to distant fantasies, forever out of reach.
In time you will find yourself trapped in a web of conformity, suffocating under the weight of societal norms and cultural conditioning. Your heart longing for liberation, for the freedom to express your true Self without fear of judgment or rejection, hidden by the smile painted on your face, obscuring the pain that gnaws at your soul.
These challenges manifest themselves in myriad ways. They appear as a constant background hum of dissatisfaction, a nagging sense that something vital is missing from your life. They surface as moments of despair, when you wonder if you will ever find the courage to break free from the chains that bind you.
Your inner spirit yearns for authenticity, for the sweet taste of liberation. It cries out for you to embrace your inherent worthiness without seeking validation from others. It implores you to listen to the sighing of your heart and take bold steps towards a life of alignment.
But taking those steps is not easy. It requires immense courage to confront your fears, to dismantle the walls you have built around yourself. It demands vulnerability, as you strip away the layers that have shielded you from your own truth. It necessitates resilience, for there will always be those who resist your journey towards authenticity.
Yet, in the face of these challenges, your inner spirit perseveres. It nudges you forward, reminding you of the immense potential that lies untapped within you. It whispers words of encouragement, assuring you that the path towards authenticity is one of self-discovery and growth.
With each courageous stride, you begin to shed the shackles that have bound you. You unravel the knots of self-doubt and step into the fullness of your being. You reclaim your passions, breathe life into your dreams, and allow your true self to shine brightly. Those challenges you once viewed as obstacles are, in fact, stepping stones to your own transformation, teaching you the value of resilience, of trusting your inner guidance, and of embracing the unknown with open arms.
Faith – the hallmark of Leo
Faith is a belief in the real power of your indwelling Light. Faith in yourself and your inmost being is the essence of what in astrology we call the sign of Leo, or Fixed Fire. Leo corresponds to the stage of your development wherein the spark of life becomes both strong and enduring. Reigniting your inner flame is periodically necessary, especially after a ‘healing’ experience when you are often left seeking meaning, questioning your purpose and your confidence can be more vulnerable.
Once reignited, your inner fire (Leo) can not only give you a deeper sense of purpose, but it can sustain you through life’s vicissitudes. Without your fire (Leo), the fog of amnesia can obscure your connection to spirit; without inner purpose, your soul’s intention may struggle to find expression; without vision, you cannot create intention and therefore reality. Without Leo, there is no self-generated creative impulse; without Leo, you are not blessed with a unique vision of Self. Without Leo, there is no individual colour and the robotic monochrome of the system prevails.
When you connect to what gives you passion and purpose; when you truly understand what triggers your ego or sense of pride; then the dense emotional states such as fear, doubt and insecurity can be dispelled. As you develop a sense of self-belief, you can walk confidently, integrating without breaking stride all healing experiences as you become no longer dependent upon the external world as a gauge of how you are doing, as Little Spirit did. As you connect with your inner Leo, you add colour to the world.
Closing Words
And so, dear reader, if you find yourself facing the challenges of living inauthentically, remember that within you lies a flame that cannot be extinguished. Embrace the call of your inner spirit, for it holds the key to a life of deep fulfilment and purpose. Trust in the resilience of your soul, and with each step towards authenticity, may you discover the limitless beauty that resides within you.
My hope is that you offer up those fears and doubts to the Leonine flame that is being ignited on the 16th of August and that this moment is the time from which your faith and belief in yourself is reawakened and you engage in activities that you truly lOve. It is the path of lOve is the only path. It is the way.
Completed on the 7th of August 2023 at 05:33 BST