As many of you know I’m an astrologer which means that I use astrology not only for my own personal growth but also to track larger cultural trends. And in December of 2019 there was a conjunction between Pluto ( the planet of death and rebirth) and Saturn ( the planet of structures and systems) in the sign of Capricorn ( the sign of worldly authority).

So any astrologer worth their salt knew that SOMETHING big was going to happen in 2020 that would involve the death and rebirth of existing structures and systems and challenges to worldly authority.

And Boy-Howdy… the planets sure have delivered on ALL those fronts!

But that’s what transformation means. When something transforms it’s a permanent change. There’s no going back to how things were before the transformation happened.

Transformation always means that there will be losses. And often a ton of grief… because you CAN’T go back to the way things were since the way things were no longer exists.

Some fight tooth and nail to try and reclaim what is lost. They refuse to accept that their old way of life is over and that they need to adjust to what is unfolding now. They keep trying to recreate the old reality and keep failing miserably, getting angrier and more frustrated in the process.

Some people just freeze. And while they don’t try and go back they also don’t allow themselves to move forward into the new world that the transformation always brings. All they can see is loss. They view the new world in only negative terms and get depressed or bitter or allow despair and cynicism to take over and just give up on themselves and on life.

And finally there is engaging in the process of fully grieving what has been lost and then being willing to not only accept the transformation but seeing the exciting and inspirational opportunities available in this newly transformed world.

We are in the midst of a collective metamorphosis like we have never seen in our lifetimes on so many levels. The world has changed and will continue to change in dramatic ways for a number of years to come. And make no mistake… this is only the beginning and this transformational phase we have entered into is not slowing down any time soon.

So we have the choice of fighting, resisting or accepting that we are on this wild rollercoaster ride and a new world is being born whether we like it or not.

It’s important to remember that these times are going to stretch you and take you to certain edges in yourself. And that’s kind of the point. We’re learning to build a bigger capacity where we can hold more, feel more and be more.

So the best thing we can do for ourselves our community and the planet is to soften our hearts and bellies. Relax some of those places in our minds that are rigid and scared. And embrace an attitude of radical openness to the newness while inviting ourselves to develop even greater levels of flexibility , fluidity and resilience.

Here’s a few of questions you can ask yourself that might help as you navigate this new world:

Even though these times are incredibly challenging and intense there are still many opportunities for joy. So allow yourself to play, to rest, to make art and whatever else feeds your soul.

Doing the work both inner and outer that needs to be done right now can also give us a grounded sense of integrity and an even deeper trust in ourselves. Which we will need more and more as the world we have always known expands into something we can’t even see or imagine right now.

But resting in the knowledge that these are changes that need to happen and have been a long time coming, both collectively and personally.

So make sure your seat belt is fastened, get out your art supplies and let go and TRY as much as possible to enjoy the ride.