You are not your Sign. You are how you feel and do your Sign.
Happy New Year 2022! Brand new calendar years invite a look to new beginnings, new projects, new becomings. The self is no different and seeks to grow and evolve. New Year resolutions are just that; we make plans for what we want to do, because we believe these plans will make us better versions of ourselves. Thus the resolutions for exercise, better finances, more loving relationships, looking for homes, making travel plans…
What do New Year resolutions have to do with astrology? Rather than chart the astrological cycles “out there” (which is really in here, but I have not written that post yet to explain this), I invite you to find out how you can get to be more of your Sign in the greatest possible way.
"I am such a Leo.”
To start this segment, I use the example of Leo, a fire and fixed sign, the leonine energy charged by the Sun, by Ego. Coming across astrology for many of us can seem like a coming home to various parts of ourselves. We get a clearer picture of how we operate and behave in different spheres of life, which helps open a whole new journey of self-acceptance and growth. Awareness always comes before growth. What you see, you focus on.
Therein lies a stumbling block. The problem with staying at just the Sign (and using whatever or whoever told you “what” that Sign is") is that it gives only temporary happiness, usually the result of brain chemistry. The A-ha moment lasts…a moment, or at least the duration of the astrological consult, or however lng you imbibe the energy of the consult. We mistakingly believe this happiness to be the ultimate goal. Over time, we become slaves of our physiology.
But because we collapse back to a singular perspective of an Egoic self, we lose the broader perspective again. We overidentify with what we read of one sign or another, forgetting that every Sign is an archetype with a latitude of possilibles for us to go through.
Often someone starts on an astrological query to ask questions like:
“What sign am I?”
“I’m more like my Moon Sign Leo, and not quite feeling my Sun Sign Taurus. Why is that?”
“What are the characteristics of a Scorpio?”
“He/She is all the bad parts of a Gemini. I don’t trust him at all.”
The answers to all those questions depends on you. This is not me trying to be enigmatic. It can feel frustrating during an urgent consult when you hear a question thrown back to you. Let’s dive a little…
What is Consciousness?
Being conscious has been defined in many ways. In English words, the key words are: realization and awakening. Yet, this realization or awakening does not come through the experience of the senses, but by transcending the ego and the mind.
The Map of Consciousness is a numerical scale whereby one can measure positive from negative, power from force and truth from falsehood. Dr. Hawkins believes that every word, every thought, and every intention creates what is called a morphogenetic field, or attractor field, and that these energy fields can be measured by a very simple process. The theory is that most of us are functioning at 200 or so. And we typically only change our current operating level by five or so points, up or down, in our lifetime.
The Map of Consciousness
The numbers themselves are not as important as what the chart represents: the relationship between the consciousness levels.
If you read the book, it's also fairly easy to figure out where you fall on this hierarchy based on your current life situation. From low to high, the levels of consciousness are: shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, pride.
Here’s another depiction. It’s very important to realise this consciousness scale to know your self. Once you grasp where you are on this scale, then you can do the work to heal and evolve to where you want to be.
The Map of Consciousness
Which latitude of consciousness of a particular sign are you inhabiting?
Now we have gone over why a Sign is never just a static description. And YOU are NOT your Sign (whichever star you choose).
You are how you do and feel that Sign. Repeat with me. You are how you do and feel any particular Sign in your chart.
(This relates to how a Birth Chart evolves through time, and why an astrological consultation may be more useful with transits and progressions taken into account. Let me know if you are interested in this topic.)
When we become conscious of a Sign, we observe the circumstances around it. In astrological terms, we see the angular and house placements, and how interactions with other stars affect it.
we get a feeling of continued happiness and liberation, and there is no dependency on any external object to attain abiding peace and bliss. That consciousness allows all that arises without offering any resistance.
When you cultivate consciousness, you will find your questions around your astrology sounding more like these:
“What am I feeling and expressing about my Sign?”
“I realise when I keep being sabotaged by my neediness (Cancer) in my life? When do I feel its better traits of protectiveness and courage (Cancer) for my tribe?”
“What are the higher characteristics of a Scorpio? How do I express that?”
“He/She is such a Gemini…and I realise where my boundaries lie with those aspects.”
Courage is the magic line
This is the magic line where we go from fear to courage. Do you see it precedes states such as Neutrality, Acceptance, Love... Consciousness isn’t set in stone. Some days we feel worse than others.
Consciousness, is, however, a habit. The key is to find what worked on the days that you felt and did great.
Definitions of habit from the American Heritage Dictionary:
A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
An established disposition of the mind or character.
Customary manner or practice.
In this brand new year, I invite you to explore the vastness of your own astrological chart and grow into the better, much better, states that are waiting for you.