In a discussion today someone asked, “what is mastery”, because she wasn’t sure if she’d ever mastered anything. While my mind flashed on the book ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell a competing image popped into mind as well. Malcolm researched and observed that passing a threshold of 10,000 hours at anything meant it was now a deep program. Your body knew it as a sense memory. They no longer had to think their way, it becomes more integrated and automatic. Their actions demonstrate a performance that could be classified as masterful.
Except what I flashed on secondly was an experience that feels more like this Solar Eclipse in Taurus this week. There is a feminine feeling to this Eclipse. Taurus is ruled by Venus, who happens to sit in Pisces right now with both Jupiter and Neptune. This stack dials up an intuitive, receptive feeling to the New Moon Solar Eclipse. Yes, I know Uranus is there shaking things up with lightning rods of insight. While that can add electricity to the sensuous Taurus and blurry Pisces, it feels more like a current to energize deep change in our lived experience.
Which brings me back to the second thought I had on mastery. A dear friend who is a Horse Whisperer decided I was going to do intuitive healing sessions with my clients using her horses. I assured her, I had no idea how to integrate the two. After all, I had never done one and I had a viewpoint of the 10,000 hour rule. While I owned my own horse and grew up around horses, what she did was completely unfamiliar to me. She was gracious about it and a bit quizzical, as she insisted I could do it. Since she is someone who is truly masterful at her work (and I love her and her horses) I said okay. At that point I had no idea what came next.
Let’s just say two conversations and curiosity getting the best of me, I was on my way to the property with two good people who volunteered to be my pilot session. We had a rich discussion on the drive out of town to get to the property. More than once it floated across my mind that I had no idea what to do once we arrived. Beyond some simple rituals to set the space for safe work I was clueless. I let it go and showed up. As we began, I simply relaxed and let the horse do its job, my friend do her part, the client do their part. Low and behold, my part unfolded as if by magic.
She was correct, I had the words when appropriate. I observed the horse and the client so with my friend’s expert horse speak, I could translate and tailor it for the client. There was a flow to the event that I hadn’t expected. When I missed a cue she quietly corrected for my mistake. When she was puzzled at how to apply what the horse mirrored, I offered insight into the client’s behavior. I loved every minute of it because it felt organic. Suddenly I saw the second horse, who was not yet working with a client, amble up in front of me. She gave me a whiskery kiss on the mouth to the delight of us all.
I was flabbergasted. My friend explained that horses feel our emotional state very keenly. My joy at what we four accomplished had been total and the horse felt it. So she gave me the horse equivalent of a high five. This felt like mastery. It had a very feminine feel that wasn’t gender specific. It was about collaboration. Receptivity was a key ingredient. I was open to the input I received moment by moment and acted on it without a preset goal other than to support someone with unusual methods. All of my lived experience fed into this moment without me managing what was delivered. My clients, my friend and the hard working horse were all equally collaborative.
This Solar Eclipse has a distinctively Venus touch. It emphasizes our ability to do more than stand out. Rather it’s an invitation to belong and be seen as the unique contributor you naturally are. See where that shows up in the reorganization of power structures we are undergoing globally right now. You are already a master at being you and all you need is the mix of people to play together to show you this Truth. The Cards and Stars will help.
Thank you,
Lisa Greenfield
4/30 Solar eclipse five of pentacles
The challenge with the drive to stand out is we have very few popular examples of the feminine way to do this. In the lion kingdom, the lionesses all work as a team and regularly feed the pride of lions. All you have to do is look around the world today and you see left pitted against right, one country polarized against another. There is a win/lose dynamic in operation just about everywhere you look. This five of pentacles is the card for scarcity mentality. This a deep fear that there isn’t enough to go around and if you don’t fight for your fair share, you lose. It taps into the lowest vibration of survival. With Pluto retrograde in late Capricorn, those shadows as they relate to power struggles will show themselves.
But the good news about this card and this day is the Great Awakener, Uranus, is hanging out with the Sun and Moon. When that fear instinct kicks in with a snarky voice, you recognize it. Then you can tap into the freedom loving energy of Uranus and let it go. That’s right. See it, thank it for whatever it tried to protect you from in the past and release the pattern. You cannot be masterful if you insist on staying blind to the whole of you, light and dark together.
With Solar eclipses we can feel the energy for months. So it can be a good practice to include. Have your own little ritual or routine with those patterns. It helps to land on your version of this statement. “What is mine is abundant and it comes to me in many different forms, people and opportunities. I don’t need to cling, bargain or beg for what’s mine. I simply need to recognize it and be a willing collaborator when it shows up.”
This is abundance. Stay open to life as you find it. There are enormous opportunities streaming all day long. Once you let go of the way you think it should look, you can begin enjoying what is there. More often than not, it will bring out the best in you and exceed your imagination. I never dreamed I would be kissed by a horse for just being me while helping people who wanted support. To have that much fun, contribute and get a reward beyond my dreams – is magic. This is the kind of magic that waits for you, too. It’s on the other side of scarcity mentality. Try it. What have you got to lose except survival struggles. See how much fun you can have being imperfectly, perfectly you!
5/1 nine of cups
The heavens offer up a mix of give and take today. This heartfelt nine reminds us that while we can wish for more now, it takes an investment of time to see it fulfilled. So today why not play with both expansion and contraction. It may show up as black and white thinking, or an old sore point that insists you see things in a familiar way. Thank your mind for offering up old ways that kept you safe from hurt and then take a smart risk or two.
It can be a worthwhile exercise to tune in to where your changing desires meet up with old stories of scarcity and lack. What’s needed is a new story to feed your soul. As Rumi said, “What you seek is seeking you”. Then work on seeing where defensive thinking and doing keep you from experiencing the new. Yes there will be some discomfort in the stretch. There will also be real rewards. Choose which rewards are worth the effort. Then tend the garden of beliefs while things grow and bloom.
5/2 four of cups
Venus heads into Aries today while Mars, our fighting spirit, holds tension with the transformational Pluto. Since fours highlight firm foundations and this one is cups, time to ground those doubts. You can belong and then stand out, it’s simply a learning curve. Pluto highlights our shadow side. So pay attention to passive aggressive communication instead of a healthy expression. Can you locate what you feel and need then speak to it with others? Can you do that without strings attached? Now can you offer safe space to others for them to do the same?
5/3 four of swords
This is the second four in a row which stresses solid relationships. There is a secondary message in this four about poor relationships affecting our health. This four can speak to our mind wearing us out with stress. The Gemini Moon squaring Mars points out that when we act on our fears we embed them as reality. Acknowledge fear but don’t let it drive the bus! It has a job to do and steering your day is not one of them. Rather than let them decide your course of action, let them inform it as to possible pitfalls or obstacles to prepare for. Once you’ve done that, sit them in the back seat and head where you are meant to go. You get support as you inch into new patterns with your fears. Then be patient and practice.
5/4 King of cups
We need to call on our inner magician today. With a mix of ease and challenge woven into the day, it becomes about what we do with whatever happens. Approach the day with an ‘open to life as you find it’ attitude and then play with whatever pops up. You may find yourself expanding into new territory one moment then falling back in to old habits the next. Ride the roller coaster and let it all be an adventure. What can you learn about you today that you didn’t know before, hmm? The promise with this King is that no matter what circumstances look like, you can make magic happen with them when you use what you know. Collaborate, receive input and collaborate some more…
5/5 two of wands
The Sun meets up with the Great Awakener, Uranus, today to shake things up a bit. This two illustrates what happens when sparks fly and new fires begin. You decide whether to fuel new ideas or irritation. Either one is possible. Disagreement is a wonderful place to flesh out more of what you know. Ask questions, be willing to hear where another sees things differently. It may not change your mind but it can expand it. Try speaking in a way that offers that to others, too. Release right and wrong, good or bad. Instead discover what fuels you and what another may require to light their way.
5/6 chariot
If you are brave enough to see what unfolds within you and around you today, you win the prize. The Chariot signals major success (or domination) and with Saturn in easy aspect with Eris, victory is possible. That means warring factions can find a way to incorporate previously ignored or overlooked issues into the present. Whether you are more tuned into the conflict inside you or what unfolds around you, a win is available. This win means that you don’t let fear keep you from speaking up, or demanding what’s due. Either of those options have a downside.
There is a win/win today when you honor your needs in a way that includes what others may want and need. Set a new precedent with Sun still feeling the contact with Uranus. Freedom is calling and feels so much better than what you’ve outgrown. Whatever happens, tune in to what you feel and what that feeling needs. Speak for that in a way that trusts the Universe to answer the need in time. This frees anyone from obligation. Which is a richer, freer place to operate from on any topic.
5/7 magician
There is an ease to the transits today, a welcome pause in a rather strong change cycle. The Magician reminds us that we have all we need inside of us to create in the world, as if by magic. Why not review what you’ve done this past week. What underbelly or habits showed up to be revamped so you can live more freely? Where did you tune in before you reacted based on old tapes that don’t hold up? Good job… now go and give yourself a high five in the mirror. You’ve earned it. Part of creativity is giving yourself credit for what you accomplish. It’s the in breath before you rush out to create some more. Take a long breath in and enjoy your growth. There’s more play time ahead!
5/8 four of pentacles
This is the third four in the Moon Cycle and highlights a creative approach to foundational efforts. How perfect is that, right? No matter what you catch yourself doing, there is no need to shame and blame. Rework it. Before you battle, review what the whole playing field has to offer. There is a push/pull energy today between the past habit and new options. What a great way to build up muscle memory. Observe what goes on with you, around you and see it with fresh eyes. The goal is to ground yourself in the growth you are undergoing. Don’t be surprised if you find some unexpectedly innovative ways to see and deal with whatever comes up!
5/9 ace of wands
With this torch of illumination on hand we see where we let our fears outrun the reality. It’s sobering and even a bit comical if you let it be. It’s like a child who fears there is a monster in the closet until you turn the light on to see. Suddenly the monster is revealed as a puffy shirt. It may even be one you love. It’s the darkness that hides the truth and then our imagination goes wild. Let it remind us we benefit from the light of day on anything that appears frightening. If you find yourself in ‘compare and despair’ territory, turn the light on please. This way you can ‘compare and dare’ to do your version of whatever you witness another doing. There is no scarcity, only inspiration for what is yours to create.
5/10 The hanged man (Mercury retrograde)
Mercury goes retrograde today and Jupiter moves into Aries while the Hanged Man is chilling upside down with style. This card reminds us that heart is above head right now. We can’t think our way through this Mercury Retrograde. Although with Jupiter in Aries, we may rush to action and use muscle memory. Oops. That’s okay, take a do over. It takes time to train the body and mind into a new pattern. Patience is a good tool for your toolkit. This mercury retrograde feels like we’re so used to our head’s down doing what we think will get results we lost sight of why we wanted those results in the first place.
You may still have similar goals but check on them. They may have changed shape. Look at them with fresh eyes and see what they offer you in terms of feelings. What will you feel when you reach a goal? Are you able to allow some of the possibilities to shift outlines? We get an opportunity to reset on what we deeply desire and what we are willing to exchange for them. Your time is irreplaceable. Why not check in and make sure you are trading your precious days in ways that enrich the time you invest on your way to those goals.
5/11 princess pentacles
You are always and forever the captain of your internal weather, says this Princess of Pentacles. The four princesses (or pages in other decks) reflect our internal state or starting point that precedes any action we take. Her appearance reminds us to check our center before we act today. If you find you’ve rushed in, hit the pause button long enough to do an internal check before you go forward. No matter the outside trigger, what happens is directly related to how it lands inside you. So ground yourself, so you can enjoy any surprises without control taking over. Control always limits risk but also stops exploration. See the difference between curiosity and controlling behavior. Good to know, right?
5/12 seven of pentacles
Oh the contrast this day serves up. Early in the day the Libra Moon is in easy aspect with Mercury so we experience more ease and grace in our connections. And believe it or not, we can actually push back on what is easy. You may find yourself picking holes in what seemed too good earlier in the day. Our mind doesn’t know what to do if it isn’t identifying any possible risks even if they’re 10,000 feet ahead.
This Seven shares that you need to tend your garden and let it all come together. You aren’t meant to do the plants job, the Sun’s job or the soil’s job. Just do yours. Water when things get dry, keep pesky thoughts out that devour what grows and weed thoughtfully. Then in time, everything blooms. It gives you space to adjust for beauty and more ease as you learn to collaborate activity, timing and efforts. To everything its season…
5/13 nine of pentacles
Have you ever imagined the journey a seed takes to become the plant you see? First the shell has to be cracked open and becomes food for the bud while it pushes through the dark, compact earth towards the light. Once it finally gets there it faces pests, water insecurity and competing plants. Are we so different than those little seeds? With the Moon opposite the discontented Eris our struggle would like some appreciation. Part of being strong, being resilient and flourishing is to really know yourself. It’s natural for our fears to shout loudly inside our minds.
But picture them as part of what propels you towards the light. Don’t let the fear stop you on your way towards blooming beautifully. The Sun meets up with the North Node, which dials up the available light. Your body senses where to go. Then it becomes a journey to trust your path and keep light as the navigational point. Any darkness you encounter along the way only serves you, just as the dark earth feeds the seeds with possibility. When you are open to life as you find you gather up benefits from whatever comes your way. Everything works together, whether you see it yet or not.
5/14 three of swords
The aspects today are sweet and support intuitive choices for your actions. What’s odd about that is this three is often the herald of tears and sorrow. It can also mean separation. But when you add it together with the first card in this Moon Cycle series the meaning gets bigger. We are breaking up with scarcity mentality. Can you feel it? How many places did you stay open to whatever presented itself the last couple weeks and do things differently? It may feel a bit strange still, but you made adjustments, tried new pathways. You aren’t the same. You’ve grown. When the growth is young it is harder to measure but remember, we grow the most in our first couple years of life. This time is fertile for you, if you have eyes to see.
