I just recently launched my very first online intuitve painting class.
And I began that project in August of 2012. Which means that it took me about two and a half years to complete the process and get this thing alive and out the door.
Another part of that journey that is totally fascinating from an astrological perspective is that I began that project at the very beginning of a massive astrological event, otherwise known as the Pluto-Uranus square.
I wrote about this in more detail here and here but the short version is that two of the heavy transformational hitters of the zodiac …. Pluto- the arbiter of radical renewal through the death/ rebirth process and Uranus- liberation through shocking and revolutionary change… have been banging up against each other in an attempt to break down limiting and oppressive societal and personal situations as well as outmoded belief structures since the middle of 2012.
There have been seven of these Pluto/Uranus events and the last one is occurring this week, bringing us to the end of this particular cycle.
The past three years have been a sometimes grueling, often disturbing, seemingly unending process of slip-sliding transition, rocky instability, startling change and revolutionary upheaval. This process has been happening in both in the inner world of the psyche and the outer world of politics, the environment and societal norms.
No one has escaped this process of shake down and shake up. If your life is still essentially the same now as it was three years ago I suspect that you have been in a cryogenic deep freeze. Or perhaps you’ve been vacationing on another planet.
Even though this acute and active part of the process is coming to a close there will still be ripple effects from the turbulence that has been created for some time to come. We have been demanded to wake up and the planetary energies are not about to let us go back to sleep.
This coming week promises to bring more shifts and changes. But one of the things that spirit is trying to teach us through this process is how to maintain flexibility and fluidity. How to let go. And how to trust that there is a greater intelligence at work in our personal lives and the life of the planet. So keep breathing and allowing whatever needs to change … to change.
When I look back over these three years in terms of my relationship to this online class I am amazed at the amount of growth I had to go through in order to bring this thing to fruition.
I needed to shift out of a mindset of “This is impossible” to “How can I make this work?” I tried various approaches that failed miserably and also cost me a LOT of money. There were some very expensive mistakes where I learned a great deal and that also required me to forgive myself again and again around what I didn’t know. I needed to heal some deep levels of fear around becoming more visible and being seen. I had to claim my authority and mastery around my teachings. And surrender even more deeply to spirit as I allowed creative wisdom to flow freely through me and to my students.
My sense of who I am and what is possible is radically different from having gone through this portal of disruption and transformation. And my class is being birthed almost to the DAY of the final square, which is a humbling reminder once again of how little I am in charge of just about anything.
So what I wanted to suggest that you do at this point in the astrological journey is to take some time to look back over the last three years of YOUR life.
What seeds were planted for you sometime around June of 2012? What has changed, died, disappeared, been transformed, blown up, dissolved and shaken to the core in you? And what has been reborn? What is being created? Where have doors been opened and possibilities expanded since we started this wild and wacky ride into a bigger version of our lives and ourselves so many moons ago?
And if you want to share with me any part of your process of awakening and liberation, feel free to do that in the comments below. I love knowing that I am not alone on this journey of opening up to creative freedom and aliveness!
Dearest, WHOA and HELL yeah!
2012 was the year I threw caution to the wind, took my sweetheart to NYC for his birthday, disabled my then-car twice …the 2nd time leading to the purchase of a NEWnew car that I (actually) really wanted, I was handed “the baton” from my firewalking instructor …and a whole lot of other stuff that really does want to find some ‘wrapping’ point. Maybe “Launching” is a better word. <3 Thanks for the insights, the over-view, and in-general, the inside-scoop.
Yep. Sold the family insurance business. Bought a home in FL to transition to. Rediscovered my creative self that is WAY stronger and vibrant than I believed, and she is tugging and beating on me to truly trust her! Transformation after transformation, and so many many more to come.
OMG so much has changed in the last 3 years it’s really hard to believe… The devastating loss of our beloved son, Tony, when someone turned in front of his motorcycle. Ten months later lost my brother to suicide. Struggling with the grieving process while negotiating the court system for my son’s accident was a nightmare, but two years later case was finally concluded. Early Retirement because of my PTSD diagnosis which was a blessing in disguise. Made the decision to work as a full time artist one year ago… I have been attending transformational art retreats! Older son got married and a new grandson joined our family six months ago! OK. .. that’s just a few examples of what has happened in the last three years! My life has been forever changed and, I have become a survivor by not letting my losses define me!
I just did a quick review of my email history that revealed the following happenings in the first half of 2012:
– February 15, 2012: joined the Wednesday painting class at Creative Juices studio for the first time
– June 20, 2012: had my first astrology reading with the one and only Chris Zydel that challenged my beliefs about myself in big ways.
– June 29th- July 1st, 2012: attended my first Painting from the Wild Heart workshop, which turned my faucets on full blast, allowing me to spend the following 3 years painting my way out of a soul-sucking corporate career, stress-induced illness, and myriad overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and grief, held in the cradle of a hilarious and love-filled circle of painters, held in turn by the Great Mother, Chris Zydel.
Yes, I’d say I landed at Creative Juices with auspicious timing :-)
Well now, this explains a lot! In 2012, I started feeling the rumblings of an unsettled heart and soul. Since then, my entire life has been turned upside-down, false relationships have shown their true colors, and I found myself again. Now, I’m living my dream of working for myself and no longer have the burden of unhealthy relationships. The embers are still burning on this wildfire, but the Phoenix is rising. This adventure is so juicy!
So much has changed in the past three years – and – hilariously – I am sitting in Canada in my two weeks home after selling/ pitching/ storing everything we own, quitting my job and moving out of our house. Tuesday we fly to CR to start our new life. I guess it would be pretty obvious that we are in tune with the universe! We took letting go VERY seriously!
Sending you love and wishing you miracles on your new classes. Can’t wait to paint with you somewhere wonderful!
Just wanted to thank-you for this post…for making me look and see how much has shifted in the past few years…and for understanding that I’m not alone in this confusing journey of putting yourself out there.
Such wonderful inspiration.
June of 2012 was when I was getting ready to pack up my life in CA to move to VT for grad school. Now I have returned to CA and am wrapping up my graduate work and preparing to defend my dissertation in a couple months. I am new to astrology so I find it fascinating that my graduate experience falls in line with this 3-yr return. There was a ton of growth for both me and my partner (who so lovingly joined me).
I contacted you about the Wild Heart Painting Retreat in Santa Fe in 2012 and painted with you September 7-13th! It seems I’ve been straddling two worlds since then! Working in our family owned business and raising three boys while turning 50 in September 2013! My oldest son graduated from high school in 2014 and we sold our home of 20 years and moved into a larger space with pool and painting barn in November 2014! Trying to make more creative cocooning self care time which includes taking your first on line class! It’s not all about the outside there has been a lot of wrestling from the inside and letting go of people and activities that no longer serve the sacred soft center!