Joseph Anderson

Taurus New Moon: Success Fever

Donna Cunningham’s affirmations from Moon Signs for new moon in Taurus (which starts early Friday morning Seattle time) are:

 

I release my fear of financial insecurity

I release all attitudes blocking prosperity

I cherish and nurture my resourcefulness

I accept my right to a prosperous lifestyle

The rich abundance of the earth fills my life

 

For the next four weeks, during the Taurus new moon cycle, here are the affirmations I’ll be working on:

 

I release all attitudes blocking prosperity

 

I want to talk about “prosperity” not so much in terms of “physical resources” (the surface) as “a sense of rightness, connectedness, abundance in the present moment” (the depths).

 

Lately I have been experiencing what is sometimes called “success fever”. At this particular time, teaching, writing, music-making, healing work, and spiritual insight are coming together in a beautiful and rather incredible way. This is all great and I am grateful. But I find myself running into habitual reactions that get in the way, and at times even compromise or subvert the good work I am able to do. It takes energy to manage these habitual reactions, energy that I could be using to continue walking down thhis particularly lovely stretch of path I find myself on. I get fatigued; I get “flu-like symptoms”; I get a little depressed. When after a couple of days I bounce back it becomes clear that I’m stepping back so my psyche can come to terms with the changes happening in my life.

 

Through this affirmation I feel powerfully called to release those limiting attitudes, to accept that I deserve to be here doing this work, that I can live in a free and fully expressive way without having to create any obstacles for myself.

 

I have been thinking and writing about the power of intention, in shamanic work and in life generally. Intention is a way to cut through seemingly adverse circumstances and apply clarity and focus to help facilitate manifestation. In a way, “success fever” is intention in reverse: it’s the universe offering gifts that outstrip our intentions, make things more amazing than we thought possible, and force us to grapple with the unconscious and unhelpful conceptual limitations we apply. It’s as though the universe is saying, “OK, you have made clear what you want. So here it is. Now, can you expand your view of yourself and the world to accept that this is real and truly belongs to you?”

 

Wherever you are, whatever your external circumstances, I invite you to consider how you might be standing in your own way, limiting your ability to live freely and fully in the present moment. I do not claim that the universe will automatically open up and shower you with unexpected checks from everywhere. I do claim, though, that “attitudes blocking prosperity” will do more to prevent you from experiencing abundance than anything that comes to you (or does not) from the external world.

 

I cherish and nurture my resourcefulness

 

I have a Taurus rising sign in my astrological chart, and I love the experience of being resourceful (one of the reasons I am so drawn to Odysseus and Coyote). I think this is a very important aspect of the shamanic path as well. It is a path of responsibility and self-reliance even as it acknowledges a profound debt to the teachers and helpers of the worlds of spirit. But every day I am called to live by my wits, to wake up and pay attention to what is happening and respond appropriately. By no means is it a blind or blinkered following of some predetermined road map. Resourcefulness is essential!

 

The rich abundance of the earth fills my life

 

To me “abundance” means “spiritual blessing”. Yes, the earth feeds our physical bodies. But it also feeds our spiritual beings in uniquely healing ways. Rich abundance includes the planetary and astral configurations that bathe the earth with subtle energies. It includes the healing presence of water and mountains, wind and rain. It includes the powerful blessing work that comes to us from trees and plants of all kinds. It includes the presence of living animals here in this reality, and also the presence of the healing, wise animal spirits waiting for us in the other worlds and eager to help.

 

I’m working on a new song; here are some of the lyrics, my expression of gratitude for the rich abundance of the earth that fills my life:

 

Though I stand at the edge of the world

Still I can’t see the end of the miracles and wonders you show me.

Butterfly, you show me your colors – like a rainbow.

Hummingbird, you show me your fire – like a dragon.

O my Eagle, you show me your fierce vision – like a canyon.

Sacred Bear, you show me your compassion – like a Mother, like the Great Mother.