~ Sarah Jane-Grace ~ Message for December 2013

Welcome. Willkommen. Aloha. Bienvenue. The list goes on and on, although sadly my knowledge of languages is a little limited! 

On looking at the possible different translations of ‘welcome’ into other languages, it is fascinating to see the similarities, as well as the differences, around the world. There is an amazing ‘overlap’ of language which shows the interconnectedness of humanity and avenues of commonality that link us all together.

Of course, on looking at the history and origin of some of these words, wars, conflict and invasion all form important parts of the equation, but these are not the point of this observation! Not wanting to ignore this completely though, when we look closer at the world in which we live we find connections of a positive and a not so positive nature that span back through time reaching deeply into the hearts and souls of so many. It is important to honour all that went before in order to fully appreciate the present... 

Anyway, as you know, welcome is a way of greeting someone, but it is far more than a word; a true greeting is heartfelt and emotive, and the vibration of the word has power, shape and form. In fact, it is the energy of the word that probably matters more than the word itself as if it is spoken with lifeless eyes and a lack of heart, there is no real welcome and it feels hollow and empty. 

This may all be interesting to read, but what is its relevance in December? Well, throughout the month ahead there is a sense of opening up to the true nature and power of words: to speak, and live, from the heart and to act with meaning and purpose. Of course, many of us do this to some extent already, but this looks set to intensify now as we are asked to ‘put our money where our mouth is’ and reach out into the world (both within and without) in order to live, breathe and be truth. 

Life is a complex tangle of shifts, changes, revelations and insights, and in many ways, opening up to the true power of words seems quite simple and straightforward in comparison, and yet, it is perhaps one of the most important things we can do as it transports us from a life of keeping on keeping on to one of living consciously and vibrantly, and in accordance to truth.

As a result, December looks set to be a month of revelation and shift as we re-align to the power of words and re-connect to the true vibration of being alive. When we extend this across humanity and across the earth, we can feel the energy shift from isolation and separation to one of integration and unity as we choose to seek out the similarities between us rather than the differences... 

Remember that the present moment is a gift, use it wisely and embrace life consciously and with an open heart and soul.

The New Moon is in Sagittarius on the 3rd at 00.22 GMT and the Full Moon is in Gemini on the 17th at 09.28 GMT. 

With love, 

Sarah-Jane

Aries 

‘What do you do for a living?’ ‘Well, I live for a living’. The concept of being alive and fully living life is an important one for you in December as there is a sense of a major turning point as you step from where you once were towards where you know you want to be. On some level, this change may, at first, appear small and insignificant as it feels predominantly internal rather than external, but as time passes, you will begin to see how life-altering this shift actually is.

You have spent a long time learning how to surf the waves of life; you have become a champion surfer as you could never be content with bobbing around in the shallows like a wobbly beginner. Like most things, you grabbed the opportunity to make the most of what life gave you and opened up to being the best that you can be. Yet, is surfing your true and natural state of being? You might be world-class at it but do you actually enjoy it? Has it become more of a chore and a habit now rather than something that instils a child-like sense of excitement and joy within you every time you catch a wave? 

It seems that you have mastered the art of keeping on keeping on and turned it into an art form; you have transformed life’s challenges into a success and made the most of the situations in which you found yourself. However, although you can surf and you do it well, there is still a sense that you are riding the currents that life presents you rather than creating your own currents or, indeed, throwing the analogy aside completely and re-writing the rule book in a way that doesn’t even involve waves. Why?

You are a vibrant, passionate, creative, motivated and courageous soul, and although these have never left you, your fiery soul isn’t dancing. It seems that you have become so focused on the business of living that you have forgotten to live for a living. The time for dancing is upon you now; what happens next is up to you. You can get another surfing trophy or you can take a deep breath and start truly and whole-heartedly living once again...

Taurus 

Having the courage to follow your heart continues to be a powerful theme for you in December as you begin to re-connect to those aspects of your Self that inspire you and instil you with inspiration, confidence and a good helping of ‘joie de vivre’. Joy is a pivotal word for you over the weeks ahead as you open up your heart and soul towards living the best life possible and, perhaps more importantly, to feeling the true joy of being an awakened soul.

You have been standing on a precipice in life for quite some time now, not feeling quite sure whether or not to continue onwards or upwards, to stay where you are or even to do an about-turn and go backwards. This indecision has arisen due to misplaced feelings of guilt working their way up to the surface as you have given yourself more ‘you time’ in life; you cannot help but feel guilty as you are the one that always gives so much of yourself to so many.

Despite knowing that you need to honour yourself more and despite feeling the need to be more centred and connected as you stand in your Truth, you struggle to be at peace with this as there is a little voice within that chatters away undermining your ability to be present in the moment and to wholeheartedly feel the joie de vivre rising up within you. 

This dichotomy sometimes feels too complex to unravel, after all, it is part of your nature to give, do and give a bit more when it comes to those close to you. Yet, you also sense the importance of standing free and giving yourself the time and space that you need to dance your own dance and to walk your own path.

There are times when this dichotomy feels too heavy and you revert to ‘being everything to everyone’ mode in order to keep on keeping on, but this only delays and distracts you from going within to make some of the most important decisions of your life. This is not a time to feel disempowered or confused, but a time to rise up from the middle of the chaos in order to let your joie de vivre shift the vibration of your life. Feel it, hear it, become it...

Gemini 

The Bard once wrote: ‘to thine own self be true’. Shakespeare’s words ring true for you throughout December as you continue to peel back the layers of your life and reveal a deep need to be true to your Self on all levels of your life. Being true to your Self is an ability to listen to yourself, honour yourself and be at One with yourself, and you do struggle with these at times as you get lost in the currents and truths of others.

Yet, if you cannot be true to you, who can you be true to? At the same time, being true to yourself suggests a need to let go of the clutter and distraction in life in order to get to the nitty-gritty of all that you are. Although you know yourself well, there is a sense that you hold back from being you as this doesn’t necessarily make for an easy life, after all, being unique, vibrant and radiant isn’t conducive with hiding in the shadows trying not to be noticed!

Yet, why would you want to hold back from being you? Why is it so hard to step into the sunlight? On one level, ticking along enables you to ponder, probe and question the meaning of life as it gives you the time to contemplate and reflect, and yet, at the same time, too much thinking time can be a distraction in itself as you get tied up in even more knots trying to make sense of the bigger picture.

Although you would dearly love to make sense of ‘it all’ before you make any big decisions about what happens next, this could make for a long wait as there are, inevitably, always new questions to ponder and ideas to contemplate. It therefore seems time for you to let go a little in order to more consciously embrace the concept of being true to your Self.

Remember that you are a magnificent being and an integral part of the Universal Whole; this is not separate to your everyday life but a central part of it and the more you realise this, the more you will see that being you isn’t necessarily about creating waves of change but it is about opening up to your Self, to life and to all that you are. 

Cancer 

‘You’re getting warmer, now you’re getting colder, now hotter’. Remember playing such games as a child, trying to find the object hidden in the room? The closer you got, the ‘hotter’ you became until you finally found what you were looking for. Even if you have no recollection of such games, there is an important lesson in this game for you throughout December as you continue to use the power of your inner smile as a kind of ‘life thermometer’.

Your ‘hidden object’ though it not a trinket in a game but a re-connection to your path of destiny and to your sense of Self. Although you may feel that you have not deliberately hidden your Self away, it is important to keep an open mind! Yet, before we continue, perhaps you should take a moment to contemplate those words as if you haven’t hidden your Self away, who has? Is it really possible that someone else has the power to hide you away and prevent you from being you? Just think of those massive Cancerian pincers of yours and you know that coming quietly doesn’t come easy for you. 

Although you might have pincers, you also have a very soft underbelly, and you try so hard to protect this in life. Yet this need to protect creates another ‘side-effect’ and this comes in the form of hiding your Self away from being you. Of course, life often has a way of creating situations where you have to armour-up or snap that pincer, so the side effect seems a somewhat inevitable part of keeping on keeping on and trying to live the best life possible. Yet, does it? Does being you really mean that you cannot truly be you? Surely there is a way to live life more consciously without hiding yourself away behind those formidable defences of yours?

You may worry that if you let your guard down that someone might toss you into a pan and turn you into a refreshing crab salad (shifting the analogy of ‘you’re getting hotter’ into a whole new dimension!), but you are an intuitive, sensitive, creative, vibrant and awakened soul, and you have the ability to ride the waves of life with confidence and clarity. Although you can never truly know what lies around the next corner, being you is so important as there really is no one else quite like you in existence... 

Leo 

As you look around the beautifully landscaped garden of your life, it is hard not to notice that you have become quite firmly entrenched inside an enclosure that feels both familiar and ‘safe’. Staying put in this area feels wise on many levels as you have spent so much time tending the plants and nourishing the manicured lawns. Yet, with you being you, you cannot help but notice the rolling green hills in the distance, the dense rich forest beyond and even the overgrown jungle on the other side of the fence.

You find it hard to be content with what you have as you know that to limit your boundaries is to limit your potential. Whilst your garden might well be beautiful, fragrant and lovingly tended, intuitively you know that it isn’t quite enough for you anymore. Now, this is not to say that you are ready to upend the apple cart of your life to start afresh, but there is a sense that you are ready now to expand your reach and step beyond the perimeter fence of your life. 

With the first step comes a realisation that the fence is only there because you put it there, and with the second step comes a sense of knowing that you are moving in the right direction. Both of these are fairly major in both shape and form as they suggest a turning point in your life as you step towards living in a more aware and awakened way.

You may feel that to keep your fence in place is the best option or strategy, and you may feel that there really isn’t any need to venture outside that perimeter, but you may also feel a need to dismantle the fence completely in order to embrace a new concept of living without boundaries (well, almost!).

December looks set to be a month of inspired thinking and clear insight as you start to think and live in a more liberated and expansive way; with this expect your roar to grow louder and your sense of Self to rise up with that awe inspiring lion-esque pride and nobility. By all means continue to love your garden, but realise that you are not confined within the self-imposed perimeter fence unless you choose to be... 

Virgo

December looks set to be a month of inspired negotiation and creative thinking as you find yourself presented with an opportunity to pull together the many different facets of being you into one, more cohesive, whole. Not that you are scattered, but recently your attention has been divided in many different directions and with many different ideas and projects.

Although you are more than capable of multi-tasking it seems that you are now expending more energy on juggling than you are on getting things done. Juggling is an admirable craft and it takes great patience and skill to master it, and yet, to juggling in this context suggests that you are not feeling overly centred or in control. Of course, you can never truly be in control as life never quite works out that way, but you seem far more passive than usual which is quite out of character for you.

The inspired negotiation and creative thinking looks set to arise through a need for you to find a new pathway in life, one that enables you to live in a way that feels more ‘whole’ and complete for you. Scattering your time and energy might see you getting things done but there is a lack of depth, stillness and clarity that has left you feeling a little dissatisfied with it all; life doesn’t quite meet up to your expectations and hopes. 

Having said this, you do not seem unhappy or dishevelled, more ‘out of sorts’ as you try to find a way to re-establish equilibrium in your life. You are great at trying to be everything to everyone, and although this keeps the peace it doesn’t allow you the freedom to be you, only you and nothing but you.

This isn’t self-centred; it is simply a reflection of the need to prioritise your Self and your own needs, something that you intuitively know you need now. You have spent a great deal of time giving and doing so much, and the time has come for you to re-focus in order to channel your formidable energy and intent towards a brand new way of living and being. You may choose to keep on juggling, that is your choice, or you may decide to pay more attention to the spaces in between the batons where your focus is not on doing but where you have the opportunity to rest and become whole... 

Libra 

‘Living la vida loca’ is not just the title of a 90’s pop song (love it or hate it!), but it seems that you are also living something of ‘the crazy life’ at the current time. There is a sense of many different threads weaving in and out of your life; twisting and turning, spinning and swirling as they go. Each thread represents an aspect of your life: a thought, an idea or an insight, and even though you are adept at negotiating such feisty currents, it seems that even you have been struggling to remain centred and focused as the twisting and turning continues.

Living the crazy life is not for the feint-hearted, and yet, here you find yourself, standing in the middle of this swirling, heaving mass of stuff, and despite the apparent chaos, you are actually managing rather well. The perception of chaos is enough for you to expect chaos and discord, but if you take a closer look you will realise that although life is quite frenetic, it usually is for you in one way or another; you do not like to live in stillness as you are continually expanding and reaching out into new territory in your life. Of course, a bit of peace and quiet here and there works wonders for the soul, but, on the whole, you love to be at the centre of the twisting and turning of life as it makes you feel alive, connected and awake. 

December looks set to be a month of realisation; a time to shift your perception away from feeling knocked off balance by the chaos to instead rising up and re-establishing your equilibrium as you master the art of riding the waves and becoming One with ‘la vida loca’. This might sound odd, after all, why would anyone want to embrace such a life?

Well, it is your natural state of being to twist and turn, spin and swirl, and when you relax into this, you feel vibrant with your heart and soul illuminated and radiant. It is only when you question and doubt your ability to be at One with such a path that disequilibrium sets in as you disconnect from the flow and your mind starts to create counter-currents and obstacles. So, let go of doubt, trust the flow and embrace your true and natural state of being... 

Scorpio 

As you continue to re-shape and re-define your life from the inside, out, December looks set to be a month of new beginnings as you begin to let go of a great deal of clutter and ‘stuff’ in your life that no longer serves a positive or life-affirming purpose. Sweeping the brush through your life is likely to be life-changing, but it does not have to be mechanical or cold unless you wish it to be; it also has the potential to be fuelled by love instead.

In a way, mechanical would be easier as it extricates you from the emotions of the situation, but this just isn’t you as your emotions tend to shape and define your decisions, actions and Truth. Your perception of this clean sweep is important as it creates the vibration that sets the tone for this process; feel the love and it will flow freely into each situation enabling you to act with grace and collectedness. 

Of course, even acting with love will not necessarily make this process ‘easy’ as letting go often involves a great deal of emotion on all sides of the equation and sometimes, you cannot help but feel drawn into the emotional arena of others and wave a flag of defeat and retreat. Whilst there is nothing ‘wrong’ with such a choice, it is important to remember that it is still a choice, so be empowered by your decisions and own them whole-heartedly.

In fact, the more you take ownership, the more you will realise that you are only controlled or defined by others if you choose to be; no one can take charge of you unless you allow them to. So, as well as letting go, this is also a time of opening up to your Truth and realising that your life is a continuous path of choices and decisions, each one joining with the next, collectively forming the jigsaw puzzle of your life.

It seems that the more you take ownership of your choices now, the more empowered and inspired you will become enabling you to re-shape and re-define even the more challenging aspects of your life; you just have to want to change and believe that you have the power to do so... 

Sagittarius

‘Mind the gap!’ Although trains are more accessible than they used to be, there is still the occasional warning to mind the gap between the platform and the train. Why would such an analogy be relevant to you? Well, it seems that you have become so focused on the gap between where you are now, where you want to be and how to get there, that you have lost your focus in the process.

It’s a bit like staring at the same page for too long and your eyes glaze over and the words change shape; however hard you look you cannot see anymore that what’s actually on the page. Trying to understand the gap is understandable though as this seems to be the key to reaching your chosen destination; sometimes though, it isn’t, and this is where ‘minding the gap’ comes into relevance.

Being mindful of the gap is a completely different ball-game as this suggests an awareness of the ‘gap’ and an ability to be in the present moment with it rather than gazing at it quizzically. Becoming One with the gap is akin to becoming One with your Self as you realise that the gap is a part of you; it is not an external force or fragmented nuisance in your life, but it gives your life depth, context and meaning. 

Of course, you might be fed up with depth, context and meaning, wanting only to reach your chosen destination in order to stand triumphant for a while before the next destination comes into view (you are not one to stand still after all!), but, all the same, it seems that the more you become One with where you are now, the more you will realise that the gap is not some annoying irrelevance but an integral and important stage of being you.

In other words, the gap is just as important as where you were and just as significant (if not more so) as where you are heading as the gap represents the present moment. Calling it the ‘gap’ however suggests a somewhat vacuous space or hollowed out cavity, and the gap is neither of these as it is you, now, in this moment and there is nothing vacuous or hollow about you! So, be conscious in this moment, feel the life breathe within you and remember to ‘mind the gap’... 

Capricorn 

December looks set to be a month of insight and inspiration as you continue to explore the equation of your life seeking out new ways to work with all sides of the equation in order to create equilibrium and a sense of balance. Although life has felt a little up and down recently, your equation has not been wrong, it has simply been out of sync as some of the components have become more dominant than others.

The overall equation still seems sound, but the emphasis needs shifting in order to restore a stronger sense of clarity and harmony into your life. You might scoff at the idea of clarity and harmony, after all, can either of these pay the bills, take the responsibility or make the decisions? Well, no, but why does everything have to be about getting things done, why can’t there be room for more in your life?! It seems that the main reason your equation is out of sync is due to your reluctance to ‘let go’ and live a little, instead focusing on keeping on keeping on. 

Of course, there are bills to pay, decisions to make and responsibilities to meet, no one denies this, but there is more to life and this month you look set to gain a better perspective of the bigger picture as you realise that in order for your life equation to flow and work, you need balance, rest, and a whole host of other things outside of the ‘keeping on keeping on’ focus in order to feel truly happy.

Life is not just about keeping on, it is about living wholeheartedly, embracing life, being your true Self and living authentically. You know all of this, and even though some of the new-age speak irritates you, you cannot deny the need for less ‘keeping on’ and more ‘letting go’ in your life. The challenge comes in finding ways to achieve this without upsetting the apple cart of your life as you have worked so hard and it may feel too challenging to let go, running the risk of the apples tumbling and becoming bruised.

Well, this is a possibility, but maybe, just maybe, there are other fruits to savour now? Only you can make the choice as to what happens next, but listen to your heart and soul, remembering that the equation of your life is not set in stone but is fluid, changeable and highly negotiable... 

Aquarius 

As you continue to explore the concept of being you, it seems that you are beginning to grow ever more aware of your strengths, weaknesses, quirks, nuances and complexities. There was a time when such awareness would create confusion within you as you tried to make sense of it all, pushing away the complexities in search of clarity and ‘answers’, but now you somehow seem a little more relaxed with your wholeness, embracing the contradictions and quirks and being open to the nuances and complexities.

Although you may still have a way to go when it comes to feeling totally at ease with your paradoxical state of being, there has been significant shift and this has come from the realisation that you are exactly as you are meant to be. In other words, all of the facets of being you all come together to make you, you, and this is to be celebrated rather than questioned and probed. As a result of this shift, December looks set to be a month of revelation as you continue to embrace those parts of your being that have been left out in the cold or pushed away for so long. 

You are ready to celebrate your contradictions and complexities as you now realise that these are the aspects of you that make you unique, special and truly magnificent; as they come together in wholeness, you feel the perfection of imperfection and the joy of being flawed, contradictory and complicated. This is not about giving up in life and no longer trying to grow or evolve, but it is an awareness of the present moment that is enabling you to lift up your head to celebrate all that you are now rather than living conditionally in linear time waiting for the right moment to happen before you can be whole.

You may still have quirks to resolve or imperfections that annoy the hell out of you, but these shouldn’t stop you from living now. December looks set to bring you an opportunity to work with the many different facets of being you in order to realise that every single piece of you matters: the flaws, the quirks, the weaknesses. You are you, no one else, so celebrate this and love yourself for it...

Pisces 

As you continue to consciously ride the waves of life, there is a sense that you are growing ever more aware that you are far more than just the sum of your parts. You are beginning to realise that even in the seemingly finite world of being human, there is a sense of infinity that takes you far and beyond the realms of current understanding.

As you step even deeper within, it seems that even within each and every one of your millions of cells, resides a mini-universe that works in an evolutionary way. At the same time, when your focus shifts to the heavens above you, you feel like a tiny, but connected, dot underneath a billion stars shining brightly across the universal expanse. Such interconnectedness is rare and it is a sign that you have reached a stage of consciousness that is enabling you to feel the infinity both around and within you at the same time.

Just as God is both around you and within you, you are opening up to a flow of knowing that feels both natural and intuitively right. Although it is hard to find the words to truly describe this state of being, in a way, the words do not matter, as in such a place, there are no words or thoughts, just a willingness to be present and to be. 

As December progresses, you might wonder just how you can apply such a realisation to everyday life; after all, how does the infinity of awareness help with paying the bills or doing the laundry? Well, although being in such a heightened and awakened state might feel anything but every day, this is, in fact, your natural state of being and so the more you embrace this, the more you will realise that it will help you to ride the waves, paying bills and doing the laundry.

It is as though everything has shifted and become more itself, and so, doing the laundry no longer feels quite the same nor does bill paying or cleaning. Of course, they are still chores, but there is a deeper sense of love in the air that inspires you and helps you to channel this rare sense of interconnectedness into every aspect of your life. You are an awakened soul, and you seem ready now to merge the spiritual with the everyday in the most amazing of ways...