Opening To Receive Comfort
Sharing Grief

by Madisyn Taylor

Grief is part of the human experience, and sharing our vulnerability helps create truly close bonds.

When we experience something that causes us to feel shock and sadness, we may feel the urge to withdraw from life. It may seem like remaining withdrawn will keep us protected from the world, but during these times it is important to reach out to those trusted and precious people who care about us the most. Even with our best information and reasoning, we never know when someone else’s experience or perspective can give us additional information that we need. The universe speaks to us through many channels, and when we open ourselves up to receive its messages, we also receive nurturing care from a loving partner in life’s journey.

Grief is part of the human experience, and sharing our vulnerability is what creates truly close bonds in our relationships. Opening ourselves up in this way gets to the core of our being, past all of our defenses and prejudices. When life seems to crack the outer shell of our world, we are both raw and fresh at the same time. It is then that we discover who is truly willing to walk with us through life. We also see that some of those sent to us may not be the ones we expected to see. Regardless, we learn to trust in the universe, in others, in our own strength and resilience, and in the wisdom of life itself.

Sharing grief allows us to ease our burden by letting someone else help carry it. This helps us process our own inner thoughts and feelings through the filter of a trusted and beloved someone. We may feel guilty or selfish, as if we are unloading on someone who has their own challenges. Although, if we think about it, we know we would do the same for them, and their protests would seem pointless. Remember that not sharing feelings with others denies them the opportunity to feel. We may be the messenger sent by the universe for their benefit, and it is on this mission that we have been sent. By sharing our hopes and fears, joys and pains with another person, we accept the universe’s gifts of wisdom and loving care.

 

Source

 

Daily OM

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 June 3

NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh Explanation: NGC 4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy. Seen edge-on, it lies only 25 million light-years away in the well-trained northern constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy’s slightly distorted wedge shape suggests to some a cosmic herring and to others its popular moniker, The Whale Galaxy. Either way, it is similar in size to our own Milky Way. In this sharp color image, the galaxy’s yellowish core, dark dust clouds, bright blue star clusters, and red star forming regions are easy to spot. A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 is just above the Whale Galaxy. Faint star streams seen in deep images are the remnants of small companion galaxies disrupted by repeated encounters with the Whale in the distant past. The Whale Galaxy is also known to have spouted a halo of hot gas glowing in X-rays.

 

 

Moon Diary – New Moon in Gemini

4th-5th June 2016: Look Both Ways

by Jane Lyle

A beguiling carousel of a new Moon takes us for a dizzy spin in June.

It rises at 14 degrees of Gemini on 4th-5th June, depending on your time zone.

This is an important new Moon, for it vitalises June’s planetary atmosphere of inspiration, confusion, and flexibility. Loving words and beautiful music are a strong theme, for the Sun and Moon in charming Gemini are exactly aligned with sweet Venus. Our neighbourhoods and everyday lives could be the source of delights, happy social events, or pleasant encounters – for Gemini rules the third house, a place of communication, short journeys, and social life. In many ways, this is a lovely new Moon for romance, parties, friendship and fun.

Of course, that’s not the whole story. The Sun, Moon and Venus complete a pattern called a grand cross. This one connects Jupiter and the Moon’s nodes in Virgo, Neptune in Pisces, and Saturn in Sagittarius. All these signs are Mutable, that is – they’re adaptable, and their job is to weave a bridge between those signs that initiate things – the Cardinal signs, and those which consolidate things – the Fixed signs. When they’re all connected like this, it may be hard to get anything done, make decisions, or find clarity. We’re at a cosmic crossroads. One way or another we must learn to surf the waves.

We’ve got the potential for expanded consciousness and great compassion here, but Saturn insists on checking all the facts and figures. Extravagant spending or overly-generous actions are blocked, questioned, and limited. Events themselves could feel overwhelming in some way – perhaps there’s too much information, too many people demanding attention. Or maybe things are moving too fast, and our emotions are bewildering and hard to define. We may be ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Neptune’s dissolving presence suggests that this could be a ‘Wikileaks’ kind of lunar month too.

Fortunately, Gemini’s ruler – Mercury – is still in sensible Taurus. Finding some earthy stability should help us relax and think things through step by step. We’ll need to make an effort to pause, and not get swept away on some mad, magic carpet ride. Gemini mind partners Taurean matter – hopefully, this translates as keeping it real.
Yet, with a little caution, this can also be a potent time to make a fresh start or explore a new path – particularly in Gemini’s house in your own natal horoscope.

If you have planets around 12-17 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces then this new Moon, and it’s aspects, energises your horoscope this June.

This new Moon activates the national horoscopes for a wide range of countries including: Germany, Brazil, Norway, Denmark, Cuba, Australia, and the Vatican City, Rome.  Generally, locations influenced by this Moon will see increased debate, arguments, movement, and talk of education, agriculture, and information technology.

 

Source:

The Astrology Room