I Believe

I believe in the power of Love
I believe grace is everpresent
I believe in the creative spirit
I believe in the strength of goodness
I believe beauty uplifts and supports
I believe music is the great balm and healer
I believe kindness creates a bridge of light that provides hope
I believe true commitment comes from the heart, or not at all
I believe the grace of friendship is magical and miraculous
I believe the light shining in our eyes is divine
I believe Love changes everything
I believe all is well

And so it is.

NaNoWriMo

For those of you who aren't aware November is National Novel Writing Month. There is a NaNoWriMo contest in which contestants are challenged to write a 50,000 word fiction novel between November 1 and November 30th. Since word count is the goal, there is no time to edit or review. In order to make the goal, it is necessary to charge ahead and get the novel into the computer. You can't cross the finish line until your word count has been verified.

I first heard about the contest last year, but wasn't yet up for it. I desperately longed to do it, but hadn't yet built the mental muscles necessary for such a feat. In the year since then, I made a point of focusing on my writing and have grown tremendously in my abilities and confidence as a writer. When the contest came around again I jumped at the chance to test my strength.

For a writer like me, who normally edits every time I open a Word document I've been working on, it was challenging at first to continue to write without looking back to fix mistakes. I knew there were typos, glaring awkward passages and even characters named differently in different sections of the piece. With time of the essence, I was forced to let it go and just get the story down. In forging ahead, instead of constantly reviewing and revising, I found myself liberated from a habit that had, until then, put a damper on my creative flow.

This November I completed my first NaNoWriMo in under twenty-eight days. I still have plenty of editing and revising to do, but I have 51,285 words of novel with which to play. Now that I've accomplished that, I know I can do the polishing. Wish me luck.

Cheers to happy endings!

Thoughts on Scorpio

In November, darkness becomes a larger portion of our waking hours. How one lives well with less light is an idea to be considered. In aligning and cooperating with nature we are supported in our actions. Gravitating toward activities that require our stillness and consideration helps us to hear the wisdom of our deeper self. Those activities that may seem like a self-indulgent waste of time while the sun is high and bright in the sky can be an inspiring balm for the soul during the fall and winter months.

Quieter activities allow us to receive and integrate, both of which are vital to our well-being. Our society has become so accustomed to doing and giving that the wisdom of stopping, even to regain balance and perspective, is questioned. Although we may know this is a good idea, the reality of stepping back and away from the fray may feel wrong to parts of us that are trying to keep up and do our best. We get going so fast and furiously the momentum alone keeps us in motion. Wise and appropriate use of this time might be to read those books, watch those movies, write in those journals, spend time on those hobbies, do those things you’ve wanted to do but were afraid wasn’t a worthy use of your time. Taking quiet time allows us to recharge, reflect and remember that we are human beings, not “human doings”. Isn’t it good to know there is a bright side to everything, even the darkness.

While the Sun is in Scorpio, from now through November 21st, we are more attuned to our subconscious desire nature, that which drives us, and those we are involved with. Scorpio and Pluto are aligned with the darkness and remind us there is more to our experience than meets the eye. In fact, some of the most important events we experience in our lifetimes may be dark and frightening to our conscious self. The things that really shape character and take us to a more meaningful way of living and being are Scorpionic in nature. We cannot evolve without relinquishing much of what we thought we could not live without. Whatever we feel attached to, we will most certainly be asked to release in order to grow. We cannot move deeper while we are hanging onto anything on the surface. Those things that truly belong to us cannot be lost but much of what we cling to inhibits our ability to individuate and become more of who we really are. All of this requires some Scorpio-type introspection, a willingness to look at our darkest, scariest places and to liberate the parts of our psyches that have been frozen in time.

The Scorpio New Moon occurred on November 1st, this year. (The period between the new and full phases of the moon is when we can most successfully plant and nourish seeds of that sign’s energy.) Between now and the full moon on November 15th is an ideal time to look at those things in our lives that need transformation. To engage this energy, you may find it helpful to consider some of these questions. What, in your life, is due a facelift or an overhaul? What are you ready to live without so that you can have more space to live in or new things to live with? What has outlived its usefulness for you but might still be of benefit to another? What have you still not grieved? Are there family heirlooms or secrets you’d like to pass along to the next generation? Each of these things will help you to access a deeper part of yourself.

Here is what I have learned about letting go, releasing, surrendering, giving up, breaking up, leaving behind, etc., until we are able to open our clenched fists or closed minds and let go, we can never really know what we have. As long as we cling, we can only experience something in relation to who and what we are, not as its true nature. The advantage of walking across the room or flying across an ocean and seeing something from a new perspective is, from there we can understand the essence of the situation, the relationship, the job, the whatever, that was impossible to know when we held it or him or her in our hands. As the old wisdom states, “If you love something, set it free. If it returns to you it is yours. If it does not it never was.” In other words, you can’t lose. By letting go, we are able to know what belongs to us and with us.