Bad Astrology

I remember over a decade ago, a friend of mine received a complimentary astrology report which brought tears to her eyes.  She claimed that the recount on her childhood was spot-on.  She even contemplated on ordering the extended version, which required a fee.  Curiosity got the better of me and I requested my own free report.  After reading it though, I regrettably informed my friend that it was identical to hers and it certainly didn't bring tears to my eyes.  

It's such a shame that there are unscrupulous astrologers giving astrology a bad name.  

http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Bad_astrology

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Caterpillar & Tadpole

The other day, a colleague of mine shared an entertaining story she had read from a children's picture book:

Once upon a time, there was a tadpole that was in love with a caterpillar.  They were practically joined at the hip.  All was well until one day, Caterpillar vanished from the face of the earth.   Tadpole was heartbroken.  Unbeknown to Tadpole, Caterpillar had hidden herself away in a cocoon.  Tadpole focused so intently on searching for his love that he was unaware of the physical changes occurring to his body - the gradual disappearance of his tail and the growth of limbs.  

Eventually, a beautiful butterfly pushed her way out of the cocoon and soared into the air.  She had not forgotten about her great love.  She flew around the forest, asking all creatures great and small if they had seen her Tadpole.  


'No,' came the answer.  Feeling distraught, she continued on her quest and encountered a frog.  

'Excuse me Mr Frog, I'm looking for my...'  Butterfly did not get the chance to finish her question as the frog captured the butterfly with his extended tongue and swallowed her.

I laughed when I heard the ending.  But then, I had a thought.  Essentially, Tadpole and Caterpillar's love for one another had not diminished.  The only obstacle was their transformed external shells.

What about us?  Would we get so caught up with external appearances that we fail we recognise our soulmate?


Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Being a Lightworker

Becoming good friends with a fellow reiki practitioner in Hong Kong was a miracle to me.  However, we all have our destined paths to follow.  My newly-found soul sister soon returned to her home country with her husband.  I was gutted when I first heard about her decision - I am a human being after all.  As a believer of positive affirmations and a fan of 'The Secret', I began to send out my cosmic order for more spiritual friends to enter my life.  

With Mercury and Mars in retrograde at various times during the past few months, I've had my emotional ups and downs.  I originally attributed them to the fact that I had too much time on my hands during the major breaks (e.g. Christmas and mid-term) to feel sorry for myself.  But then, even as I resumed my usual work routine, I felt something was amiss.  A few individuals around me noticed this change and invited me along to meet their friends as a way of expanding my social circle.  As grateful as I was to their kindness, I still felt something just wasn't right.  I couldn't explain it at all.  I knew meeting these people may even exacerbate the situation so  I declined their offers.  I knew I was happy with my work, that for once, I am in the right place doing the right thing.  It wasn't until I finally met another spiritual soul with similar interests to me that I realised what was missing in my life - a circle of friends in my vicinity to really share my spiritual beliefs with.  I don't just want to 'preach' but to really discuss and appreciate the teachings with like-minded individuals, and to provide support for one another.   The heaviness in my heart finally lifted and the spark within me re-ignited.  I feel this is another 'booster shot' to my belief system; that however strange and unacceptable my New Age beliefs may appear to other people, I am to stand by those teachings because I am a lightworker and nothing will change that.  

The Art of Freewill

When I first began my blog, I used the same title and wrote about one of my experiences of freewill.  After a couple of days though, I deleted the entry because I felt it contradicted with my spiritual beliefs.  In my initial post, I discussed that a fortune-teller friend of mine advised me to cancel my 2-week trip around Europe during the winter of 2003, the reason being that her calculations showed unfavourable conditions awaited me in the direction of my travel.  Practically, I had already paid for the trip and was looking forward to it.  Moreover, my best friend from school organised it and we knew it would be a long time (if ever) before we would be able to travel together again.  I couldn't let her down but at the same time, I felt pretty distraught with the negative piece of advice.  I then sought a second opinion and it was a lot more positive.  In the end, I went along with it and had a fantastic time, though there were aspects which I found rather challenging to my self-esteem.  Nevertheless, I returned home in one piece.

So what's the point of mentioning this again?  Everyday, I check Doreen Virtue's oracle card reading on YouTube.  The reading for tomorrow is 'Positive Expectations'.  Doreen mentioned that the final outcome of the situation currently on our mind is still not set in stone and that with our positive expectations, a happy result awaits us.  The key is not to give the Universe an 'outline' of our wish, that is, it is unproductive to tell the Universe the specifics because life will bring us an outcome which exceeds our mortal 3-dimensional thinking.  Just merely ask for an outcome for the highest good and hold the jubilant feeling as if the wish had already been granted.  I guess I subconsciously did just that 7 years ago for my trip - I visualised coming home in one piece.  

This brings us to the 'Freewill versus Fate' debate.  As a practitioner of astrology, I see certain sets of 'life paths' mapped out in one's birthchart.  Does this mean our lives are truly written in the stars, with no room for negotiation?  Yes and no, I believe that we choose to incarnate into our present physical body for a particular sets of 'lessons', as depicted in our birthchart. However, there are more than one way to learn our life lessons.  The possibilities are endless.  We are merely choosing the path at a particular point in time in order to experience a certain lesson. Therefore, we have the 'freewill' to choose within our given sets of 'fated' life paths.

Oh Su Jung Versus Karl

I managed to catch a glimpse of some daytime TV during my mid-term/Chinese New Year break.  One of which was a Korean drama called 'Oh Su Jung Versus Karl'.  

Karl is a heavily obese man who is deeply in love with the charming Oh Su Jung.  Unfortunately, Oh Su Jung is only looking for a man who can give her financial security.  The couple is due to be married when Oh Su Jung discovered that Karl has failed his exams and so is unable to become a court judge - Oh Su Jung's reason for marrying Karl.  In the end, the bride walks out on the groom to take up another man's offer - all expenses paid to fly, business class, to New York and attend a course to become a diamond expert.  At the airport, Oh Su Jung summons up the courage to call Karl, justifying her reasons for ditching him at the alter.  She compares his ex-fiancee to pedigree dogs.  With a certificate, one could sell a pedigree dog at a high price, but without that piece of paper, the value drops - even if the 'product' is truly a thoroughbred.   Oh Su Jung explains that even though Karl respects her a great deal and is a man of integrity, he doesn't have the piece of paper to raise his status to earn more money.  On the contrary, the guy she chooses to run away with has enough credentials to give her material comforts.

How important is that piece of paper?  Naturally, one would trust a certified professional to carry out the required procedures, but to use that piece of paper to gauge one's character?  Unfortunately, this is happening as we speak.  This is something I've been struggling with for the past few years, in that, I don't judge others by what certificates they possess, but rather, I do that to myself.  I even went through a phase where having that piece of paper still didn't bring me any security or confidence.

Self-esteem is something which exudes from the inside.  I remember feeling like a fraud despite possessing the external approvals, i.e. in the form of a certificate and praises from people around me.  But funnily enough, I only come to recognise my own abilities and talents when I was challenged by individuals whom I felt had no right to pass comments on me!  Saturn retrograding in my 2nd house is definitely re-highlighting my life lesson on self-worth and values.

Happy Chinese New Year

This year's Chinese New Year coincides with St. Valentine's Day, which will occur again in 38 years.  The year of the tiger ushers in a vibrant air of independence, and since it overlaps Valentine's Day, it reinforces the message of love - not just the romantic kind, but that love begins with loving yourself and fully accepting the self.  

'How could you expect others to love you when you can't love yourself?'  I'm sure you have heard this being uttered numerous times before, but besides this handy piece of advice, loving life itself is equally important.  When you wake up every morning, do you groan because it's the start of another day or do you rejoice because it's the start of another day?  You may feel the former because life is getting dull and monotonous, perhaps you have set yourself in a lifeless routine? An injection of surprise could do the trick.  You could consider trying something different from normal, no matter how simple, from wearing that piece of jewellery/garment saved for a 'special occasion' (though I personally believe that everyday is special) to trying a new kind of food.  To be honest, I'm still not doing the latter 100% but I'm working towards it.  I like to give my gratitude to the Universe for another new day.  I find it energising to give thanks to the simplicity of life, which most people overlook and take for granted.  Watching the news, we see reports of people losing their lives in train crashes, earthquakes etc.  No man is an island, the lost of these lives have repercussions on the loved ones they leave behind. Their lives are hitherto altered completely and utterly. Therefore, every morning, I find it a great blessing to wake up to a safe environment.  I also like to list out all the things that I'm grateful for in my life, e.g, my home, my family, my friends, my job, and then I wrap it all up with Louise Hay's affirmation 'I'm open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the Universe, thank you life.'

Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree, Tai Po, Hong Kong.  What is your wish for the new year?

Jupiter in Pisces

Jupiter, the planet of expansion, luck and overindulgence, entered into the sign of Pisces on January 17th and will remain there until 5th June; its retrograde motion will take us back into the terrains of Pisces from 8th September to 22nd January 2011.  During these periods, the Piscean energy is magnified under Jupiter, pushing issues of spirituality and the seeking of truth and wisdom to the fore.

Aries:  With Jupiter tucked away in your house of hidden talents and Universal wisdom, it is likely that during the next six months will be a time of quietly reflecting on your beliefs on what life is all about.  

Taurus:  During the periods mentioned above, you may find yourself joining groups or meeting individuals who are on similar spiritual paths as you.  Perhaps they may inspire you to explore ways to give back to the community.

Gemini:  You may get the opportunity to receive spiritual enlightenment through your career.  Authority figures you encounter in your profession could bring you insight into life's mysteries.

Cancer:  You may toy with the idea of furthering yourself in a higher education setting.  It is likely that teachers or gurus you meet could shed light on issues of compassion and forgiveness.

Leo:  This may be the time to dig deep into your psyche and eliminate beliefs which no longer work for you.  

Virgo:  Watch out for people you encounter in the next six months, especially romantic or business partners; they are likely to bring you wisdom on what life is all about.

Libra:  Look out for people at work or in your day-to-day life, they could bring you some insightful messages.

Scorpio:  This could be a time where you have the urge to show the world your compassionate heart.  Bringing yourself to forgive others and yourself is not as hard as you think.

Sagittarius:  You do not need to travel to the four corners of the world to gain wisdom and enlightenment, spiritual insights could be gained in the comfort of your own home.

Capricorn:  You may find yourself more tolerant and open-minded to matters of spirituality and the less tangible aspects of life.

Aquarius:  This could be time when you deeply question yourself on your spiritual beliefs and values.   What really makes you tick?

Pisces:  Your outlook on life may take on a more philosophical approach.  You are likely to put more emphasis on more deep and meaningful aspects of life.