Spring Moon: Go with Dolly

As this moon begins, many of us find ourselves tangled in varying states of emotional upheaval, with unresolved issues popping up and demanding our attention. This lunar cycle is to help us clear out old energies and bring greater balance into our lives so that we may enter the season of Spring in a true state of renewal.

We knew that the eclipses of the last moon were going to stir things up so that we could sever unhealthy ties in order to make needed changes. But a Mars/Pluto opposition at dark moon early this morning added a bite that many of us would have preferred to do without . On Monday I was guided to send several clients the message to sit this week out by not acting out destructively on the stormy energies we are experiencing. I intended to post that message at my blog, but the phone began ringing off the hook. Caller after caller expressed a strong sense of the cosmic tension and unease. I explained today's Mars/Pluto opposition and the recent eclipses, and asked everyone to retreat, meditate, take deep breaths and above all, to try to contemplate the possible consequences of actions. As usual with eclipses, I cautioned that if we press for an answer, it will mostly likely be no, with a slap. Truth be told, sometimes we all need that harsh dose of reality. But it's never a pleasant experience to work through. Some took comfort in the knowledge that it's just a planetary phase that will pass, others acted on their impulses (one called to express immediate regret and admitted failure to achieve her aim), and others thanked me for steering them clear of these troubled cosmic waters.

Being a Light Worker doesn't give me immunity when it comes to these intense forces. So I, too. spent much of the week struggling with issues, options and consequences. Like everyone else, I am going on in many dimensions simultaneously, and I am my emotional, mental, spiritual and physical selves. Reconciling and balancing them is sometimes quite a challenging act. In one dream the Angels clearly asked me which of my possible actions supported True Love, and they asked me to remember to ask myself this question when working through issues. Their Wisdom restored a great sense of peace, for a time at least. And then there was the 3:30 A.M. bout of all-consuming rage that led to a nearly 2 hour meditation. That meditation actually got me way beneath the surface of my current circumstances all the way down to the roots of my struggle. This knowledge helped me redirect my displaced emotions to their proper source. Oddly enough, one other theme emerged during this turbulent week, the notion that it's a Carrie Vs. Dolly kind of thing that we go through and must conquer if we're really going to create peace and joy in our lives.

In her song "Before He Cheats," American Idol winner Carrie Underwood sings:

"I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seats...
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,
slashed a hole in all 4 tires...
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats."

The first time I heard that song it concerned me that those are the ideas being put into the stressed out, over-caffeinated, highly medicated mass consciousness, and thereby receiving a form of social acceptance. I remember thinking that if a male performer sang about committing such acts of domestic violence and terrorizing his ex, he would be considered a predator. An entirely different set of social standards would be applied to him. And I'll bet this week's paycheck that several women's organizations would have tried to get his record banned from mainstream radio playlists. I know, through very regular listening to my local hip hop radio station (the joy of roommates), that male rap/hip hop artists mostly relegate women to a sexual role. And rock is simply historically male dominated and thus rarely allows any sensitivity towards women. That being said, I can't think of any examples of chart-topping songs by men advocating such explicit violence. The other thing that puzzled me about the Underwood philosophy and corporation-sculpted image is that the only other song I'd heard by her was one called "Jesus Take the Wheel" One can only hope that it wasn't His vehicle that she took that Louisville slugger to. Finally, I thought, "is it any wonder the guy in this song dumped such a psycho?". In any case, the lyric clearly expresses anger and a desire for revenge, which are of course normal human emotions and reactions to infidelity/injustice. Maybe it's culturally cathartic for millions of women to sing it out of their systems. Maybe we've crossed a dangerous pathological divide by affirming such messages en mass. I don't know. And as I'm as guilty of losing it, with the notable exception of physical violence, as the next human, I won't judge this young singer too harshly. In the mind of a twenty something, I imagine being famous is the main objective. LIke the unhelpful Britney mantra "Hit Me One More Time" before it, people that age just don't think about what they're putting out there too carefully.

So during this tense week when emotions and energies reached unsettling peaks and valleys, when clients confessed to contemplating taking drastic measures and when I worked through my own personal issues, I consciously reached out for Crone Wisdom via Dolly Parton. When faced with the inevitable end of a relationship with the one she loved so dearly and deeply, Dolly wrote the following:

"If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way

And I will always love you
I will always love you

Bittersweet memories
That is all I have and all I'm taking with me
So, goodbye... please, don't cry
We both know I'm not what you, you need

And I will always love you
I will always love you

I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish to you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love
And I will always love you."

Sagacious Dolly doesn't hide from her pain and the disappointment of her failed relationship. Rather she stays with her suffering long enough to ultimately find Grace. On paper and in theory, we all know that hers is the wisest Path. It seems to me that the challenge is for us to work through those very human and dark Underwood impulses and emotions long enough to find our inner-Dolly so to speak, and heal ourselves.

So, now that the jolts of the eclipses and harsh Mars/Pluto opposition have passed, I implore one and all to go the way of Dolly as the cosmic dust settles. In fiercely facing that which troubles us, rather than acting out at it, we can find true resolution and peace. And there will be no need to call a good lawyer!!! If this new moon has dawned with dashed expectations, betrayal, unyielding awareness of unhappiness in a relationship or occupation, or some other challenge, let the healing spiritual waters of Pisces gently guide you to deeper understanding of what is before you now and the loving solutions available to you. This moon will usher in the start of Spring, on March 19th at 9:48 P.M. PST. Symbolically the Spring Equinox holds the time/space for profound balance. And that is what the clearing and healing will help us attain. And if we are to move forward with the thrusting Aries Sun (also on the Equinox), endeavoring to clean up more of our unfinished business will prove very worthwhile in the months and years to come. Here's to the restoration and new Harmony. And Happy St. Patrick's Day!