A Ray of Hope and Sunshine

I am sure that many people have been filled with renewed hope for the future seeing the shining faces of the new president of the United States, Joe Biden, at his inauguration ceremony, and his beautiful vice president, Kamala Harris, making history as the first coloured woman to serve in this way. Obviously a deeply religious man, Biden said,`Many centuries ago, St Augustine, a saint in my church, wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objectives of their love....opportuity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honour and yes, the truth.....and as my mom would say, `Just for a moment stand in their shoes`.....Some days you need a  hand....there are other days when we are called to lend a hand. That`s how it has to be.....And I promise you this, as the Bible says, `Weep, ye may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning`. We will get through this together.'

I feel really in harmony with these sentiments, and I am sure that we will indeed get through this time of pandemic, having taken important steps forward in our understanding of true brotherhood.  

Another reason to feel hope for the future is that we have wonderful examples of young people - our new generation - willing to stand up and be counted on many important issues. (For example Greta Thunberg whom I wrote about in my last blog).

Another is America's gifted young Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. I watched her on TV during the inauguration celebrations. I was so inspired to see this beautiful black girl speaking with such passion, having overcome an earlier speech impediment. Her poem ends with these words:

'We step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.'

So I think we have much to be thankful for, stepping confidently into `the new dawn`, and remembering, as White Eagle says in The Quiet Mind : `You are spirit, you are immortal, you are a radiant being, a child of God! Live in your spirit and allow nothing to bind or limit you.`

A Young Courageous Capricorn

Following on from my previous blog about the Courage of Capricorn, I have just been reading about a very courageous young Capricorn lady!

Greta Thunberg was eighteen on the third of January and has already demonstrated the courageous Capricornian spirit in so many ways. Sir David Attenborough has told her that he has achieved many things others have failed to do, and 'you have aroused the world. I'm very grateful to you.'

Greta has demonstrated the tenacious 'I will keep on keeping on till I get there' quality of Capricorn, and in doing so inspired millions of people all around the world. She has demonsrated that no matter what our physical age or circumstances are, if we are determined enough, any of us can get things done, and bring positive change to our world. Despite having Asperger's syndrome, (which she has actually described as being a gift, because being different is a super power!), she was so concerned about climate change that at the age of only 15, after winning a competition in a local newspaper with her essay on this, she started protesting outside the Swedish parliament building. She said she would stay there until the government met the carbon emissions target agreed by world leaders in Paris in 2015. Her protests went viral on social media and by 2018 20,000 students around the world had joined her in 'school strikes for climate'. The following year she addressed the United Nations climate conference, travelling there on a racing yacht (taking two weeks), as she refuses to travel anywhere by aeroplane because of its environmental impact. Wow! What a story! What an inspirational young lady, bringing us all hope for the future.

White Eagle encourages us all that the Christ light shines in our hearts, giving us all the power to do wonderful things - far more than we could possibly imagine. (And it doesn`t matter what age we are, as recently knighted one hundred year old Sir Tom Moore has shown). So let's not doubt what we can do, even in this difficult time of the pandemic. We can all call on the courage of the Capricornian energy and 'be a tower of strenth and light'. And in this section of The Quiet Mind, White Eagle reminds us: 'When you are in the shadows, or you feel the shadows are near, remember to look up, to visualise the blazing Star above you in the spirit spheres, and to feel its strength, its steadfastness, its radiance pouring into your heart. Go forward in confidence and in full consciousness of the light of this Star shining upon you.'

The Courage of Capricorn

At the moment the Sun is going through the Zodiac sign of Capricorn. The planetary ruler of Capricorn is the powerful planet Saturn and his influence at this time is particularly strong because of the close conjunction, which I think we have all heard about, with the planet Jupiter at the time of the Winter Solstice on 21st December. The soul lesson of this sign is 'service in action' and those born at this time of year have reincarnated with an inner urge towards service, even if they are not consciusly aware of it! But whether or not our birthday is in Capricorn, certainly we are all being given many opportunities for service, and to support one another, at this challenging time of the pandemic.

I  have been looking at what my mother Joan Hodgson wrote about Saturn in her book 'Astrology the Sacred Science'. She says:

`The task of Saturn is to teach the soul to bring the self-will into absolute harmony with the divine will, or, as White Eagle puts it, to develop the will to will the will of God...Restriction or limitation of self-will is imposed at first by the karma, but once the soul realises the necessity of making the constant effort of attunement to the divine will and then dealing in a responsible way with life's practical issues, the difficult karma begins to ease. As the divine will begins to shine through the life, in an almost miraculous way harmony and order begin to manifest, and the whole life is made strong and radiant by the light of God in every action.' Really inspiring words to encourage us all!

I believe the pandemic is truly a turning point in the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, and the conjunction of Saturn with Jupiter (the planet of expansion and heavenly wisdom) is highlighting this. But it is certainly not an easy time. However, something which gives me great hope is that Saturn gives us courage and staying power. It is not a 'here today and gone tomorrow' influence. We can call on the courage of Capricorn, so as not to give up and sink into the slough of despond, but so we keep on keeping on with our daily aspiration to be bearers of light and hope and joy!