Sarah-Jane Grace
Message for August 2022
When we take the time to pause, reflect and observe, it’s amazing just how much more we see, hear, taste and feel. We so often go through life on auto-pilot, just keeping on keeping on, trying to get from a to b, and we rarely find the time to be fully present in the world leading to a deep sense of disconnection from heart and soul. It’s as though we lose sight of the beauty, majesty, and power of nature, and we no longer see the universe as a place of magic and creation, just challenge, struggle, and resistance. Of course, perception shapes and defines our experiences, as how we see the world does matter. When life feels challenging and uphill, it’s not that we are creating more challenges, it’s just that we find it hard to tap into the resources to find solutions and ways forward. Yet, it’s not as easy to think that if we ‘think positive’, then all will be well, it’s just that we become more open to seeing solutions and opportunities. When life feels stagnant, sticky and uphill, reconnecting to the natural world is a good place to start. From the warm rain falling after the heat, or the leaves rustling in the wind under the cool shade of the woods, if we become mindful and conscious, our perception can lift away from the stagnancy and towards the bigger picture of life. Of course, this doesn’t change anything, it just helps us to manage better. We each have an element that calls us more deeply. As the sound of the wind changes, different notes are carried on the breeze. The wind gently lifts away a chattering mind, reconnecting to heart and soul. The trees bring a silent grace and wisdom, encouraging presence and connection. Being at one with the trees feels both grounding and uplifting at the same time. They encompass and protect, uplift, and energise. The more we listen, the more we hear. Watching the stormy seas crash over the rocks is both invigorating and enlivening. As the waves grow larger and larger, their power and force become clear as they toss pieces of driftwood into the air as though they are twigs. The booming crash is both exciting and exhilarating. The sea holds such power and majesty, as it shapes and defines the land, carving out new features as it goes. Whilst we may try to bend and shape the seas, from sea walls to flood defences, the sea just does what it does with grace and magnificence. Watching a tree changing from one season to the next invokes a great many different emotions from new life in the spring when the leaves grow green, blossoms burst and buds start to form, from the spectacular array of colour before the leaves start to fall in the autumn, to the quietening down as they rest in wintry slumber. Animal, plants, trees, and the natural world move from season to season, accepting the cycle of life, constantly adapting, finding ways to thrive and survive even during times of challenge and adversity. It would be easy to continue to find examples of the ways in which the natural world captures the imagination, helping to harness creativity and energising us as we reconnect to life. It’s a world to behold and celebrate, but it’s also a world that’s struggling with the pace of change and the way in which we humans choose to live. Instead of assuming that others will ‘sort it out’, we each need to take responsibility in order to live as respectfully as possible. It’s important to consider the impact our choices make on the world and to realise that all choices have consequences. We can enjoy the technology of modern living, but we need to accept the increased demand for fuel, the vast mines stripping the earth of metals, and the mountains of discarded waste. We might want perfect looking fruit or crops, but the cost of pesticides and other chemicals impacts the bees and insects. Every single choice has a consequence and it’s important to find ways to live more consciously of this now. How we treat the Earth, her inhabitants and each other matters. It’s a time for respect and love, not hate, disinterest and fury. We live in a world where we can be anything, and instead of being defined by the things we don’t want, don’t like or fear, why not embrace those things we know to be wholesome, tender, and nourishing? It’s easy to overlook this when we are so focused on keeping on keeping on, but we need to create a seed change now in order to try to live in the best possible way that generates love, compassion, respect, and unity. There is often a disconnect between nature and modern living, concrete treeless jungles, food wrapped in plastic in supermarkets…We live in a world where we have foods all year round, if it’s out of season where we live, we simply fly it in from somewhere else in the world. Yes, we can do this, but should we? Nature has a season and the birds, animals etc respect those seasons and live with the ebb and flow of the wheel as it shifts from month to month. Humans want what we want when we want it; we feel we can outwit nature and do what we want when we want to. Yet, we can’t outwit nature, we can’t thrive as disconnected souls, we are an integral part of the whole, and it’s important to start pushing back against the disconnect in order to reconnect to earth, life and to one another. Life often throws us events and experiences that change the paths we walk, we can end up heading towards a new destination without even realising we’ve changed course, but that’s the joy of being human. This is a time to acknowledge our true essence, to be wholehearted and to choose to live wholeheartedly and consciously. As our willingness and passion to create positive change grows, it reaches outwards, inspiring others. We are not insular beings, and we thrive on connection and unity. It’s hard when we live in concrete, virtual worlds, but nature is with us, we just need to pause for a while to reconnect and see the beauty. It’s important to live life as consciously as possible, to listen to the quiet, and the spaces between the spaces in life; to reach out, to connect and to breathe deeply. The quieter the body, the more we nourish both heart and mind. It’s through the quiet where nature creeps in and touches the soul reminding us to re-centre and re-balance. Nature is our teacher. Its simplicity is captivating, its beauty majestic. Quiet sustains. Nature Inspires. Breathe. Release. Let go… For now, I wish you all kinds of wonderful. With love, Sarah-Jane Aries ♈ As you continue to weigh up the ebb and flow of your life, it seems there is a part of you pulling against the other: on one side, you are on fast forward, all steam ahead, but on the other is a strong need for rest, stillness and breathing space. Some days you feel as though you are juggling two seemingly impossible facets of your being, not quite sure whether to leap forward into life or whether to pause and reflect. This can sometimes leave you feeling confused and discombobulated as these facets of your being can feel non-moveable and equally dominant. Most times, the fast forwards wins, as you always have so much to do, see and be, but the need for breathing space is silently growing in stature as you realise the need for more balance in your life. You thrive on being busy, having things to do and being there for those around you, but sometimes this can take you so far away from your own needs that you don’t even notice when things grow out of kilter. It’s time to listen to your inner self more and to realise that your free spirit needs the room to breathe now; you have a great deal of creativity and wisdom that’s seeking avenues of expression, and now is the time to acknowledge this and start seeking out some new pathways in life. It might feel like it’s asking the impossible to create a truce between these two sides of your essence, but the first step is realising that they have always been a part of you! Sometimes life isn’t about running to the next goal or destination, it’s about pausing to enjoy the view. It’s time to step beyond the busy-ness and into your own inner world to tap into your creativity and to let your phenomenal intuition lead the way… Taurus ♉ As you continue to embrace the concept of acceptance in your life, you are beginning to see the ways in which you have ignored your own needs and dreams for the sake of others. You are also realising that your tendency to never feel quite ‘enough’ in your own eyes is driven by both self-doubt and a lack of belief in your gifts and strengths. The measuring stick that you use to quantify your ‘successes’ in life is mostly based on the opinions and needs of others, and you seem to rarely let your intuition lead the way. It’s time to ask yourself why this is, why don’t you believe in yourself? Why don’t you trust your intuition? There is a sense that a driving force in this is your inclination to let others lead the way; over the years this has eroded your self-belief and led to you placing many of your dreams on the shelf. Yet, now you are more aware of this, the winds of change are gathering momentum as you find some new ways to simplify and streamline your life. Obviously, you don’t choose to make your life more complicated, but you often have so many things to do, and this can leave you tied up in knots and unable to see the woods for the trees. Despite your earthy and grounded tendencies, there are times when you feel as though you are suspended in mid-air, trying to find your footing, but being moved about by the needs, wishes and whims of those around you. Of course, you love to be everything to everyone, but it’s time to take a big deep breath and realise that you need to honour your own needs more. This isn’t about ignoring those around you, it’s about not ignoring yourself anymore. You are a vibrant, creative and passionate soul; not only are you more than enough, you are amazing and magnificent… Gemini ♊ As the kaleidoscopic, shimmering layers of your soul continue to reveal themselves, there is a sense that you are beginning to find a deeper sense of peace with your true nature. You have spent a great deal of your life trying to be the person you felt you ought to be, the person that others wanted you to be, and the person society would find most pleasing, yet the person you shaped and moulded was never truly the person you know yourself to be, and this resulted in a deep level of disconnection over the years. You’ve never lost touch with your true essence, which is just as well as August looks set to see you wholeheartedly connect to that kaleidoscope of layers in order to gain a new sense of purpose and direction in your life. As an intuitive soul you are very sensitive to the ebb and flow; the myriad of emotions that come and go have carved out beliefs that have, at times, taken hold in your heart and soul. There have been times when it’s been hard for you to separate your own beliefs and experiences from those around you, making it extremely challenging to see the bigger picture of your life. Yet, the tides are shifting, and you are beginning to realise that the more you focus on the bigger picture, the more able you are to ride the ebb and flow with grace and serenity. Yes, the minutiae and finer details are important, but not at the expense of the bigger picture, otherwise how else can you get a sense of where you are going and why if you can’t see the overall perspective? It’s time to let your true self shine brightly; take a deep breath and believe in yourself. It’s time to love yourself and the many different facets of being you.... Cancer ♋ You have spent a great deal of your life living conditionally: ‘when you’ve done this, then you can do that’, or ‘when you’ve got this, then you can get that’. A sense of waiting for a better moment or trying to get life right before you act. Whilst there may be some wisdom in this, such thoughts keep you away from the present moment and your focus is on the horizon where hope rules. Of course, we all need hope, and you are certainly not alone in living conditionally, as everyone does it to some extent or another, but intuitively you know that life is for living now, and happiness is a state of being that needs nourishing and nurturing in each and every moment. Happiness or joy isn’t dependent on you meeting the conditions you have set for yourself; happiness is a force that can be cultivated in its own right. If you take a moment and breathe deeply, you will feel your inner world aligning; if you do this more and more often, you will realise that happiness is yours now, you just have to turn towards it and become one with it. This might sound a bit too whimsical for you as your focus is so strongly on keeping on keeping on, yet your soul is longing for more connection, as well as more acknowledgement from you. Finding peace isn’t about giving up on dreams, but it is about realising that living your life conditionally holds you back from living life wholeheartedly. The art of happiness looks set to be your main focus throughout August as you start to re-shape and re-define the nature of happiness in your life. It’s time to believe that happiness isn’t a result of ‘fixing’ your life, nor is it a default setting that emerges once you’ve eradicated unhappiness. Happiness is living in the moment, seeking joy where you can, and finding peace with being you… Leo ♌ As you continue to seek out ways to express your creativity and passion in life, there is a sense that you have evoked a myriad of different ideas, dreams, and revelations as to the paths you still want to explore. There have been times when your destination has been clear and concise, but there have been other times when you have felt in a kind of free fall, wondering where on earth you were heading and why. Of course, such oscillation is a natural part of the ebb and flow, and it’s a reflection of your true state of being, yet you still find it discombobulating and disorientating to lurch from clarity to confusion in the blink of an eye. Change is a constant in life, even those seemingly insignificant happenings, like a leaf falling from a tree or a bud turning into a flower, all change the landscape on a continual basis; everything is fluid. Whilst you know this, you still find it frustrating at times as you long for some time to pause, reflect and plan. This longing is edging on the side of urgency as you need some balance in order to regain your perspective once again. You spend so much of your time charging ahead, trying to get from here to there, trying to be everything to everyone and trying to tick off your mighty ‘to do’ list in life, so it’s not surprising that you need some breathing space. The important thing here though is not just to acknowledge that you need some breathing space, but to actually create some in your life; stop giving yourself a hard time for not doing more, being more or achieving more. Instead, show yourself compassion, love and understanding, and start acknowledging everything that you are rather than focusing on everything you think you’re not. Be yourself and love yourself for it… Virgo ♍ August looks set to be an inspirational month as you continue to re-shape and re-define your life from the inside, out. For a long time now, you have been keeping on keeping on, trying to reconcile the life you are living with the life you long to live. It’s not that you are unhappy, but you have given a great deal of your time, energy and resources towards people pleasing, doing ‘what’s right’ or what you feel you ought to do. As a result, there has been some disconnection from your heart and soul as your focus has been on the needs of others rather than on your own path. Now these aren’t mutually exclusive as you can still support others whilst following your own path, but you need to believe this, and this is the sticking point: honouring your own needs isn’t self-indulgent and it isn’t selfish, it’s a necessary and vital part of your existence. The trouble is that you have spent so much of your life giving, over-giving and self-sacrificing that it simply feels too uncomfortable to do anything else. ‘You time’ so often feels like a luxury and taking some time to re-shape and re-define your life seems almost beyond the possible. However, you know it’s possible because you’re already doing it! You are ready to inject some creativity and sparkle back into your life as you are no longer content to keep on keeping on. It’s time to turn towards your inner world and to find the joy in being you; you are a wonderful, vibrant and creative soul, and this needs to be celebrated and nurtured. This is a wonderful opportunity to re-align your thoughts and beliefs in order to create a new chapter in your life; nothing is set in stone, everything is fluid. It’s time to take the helm of the ship of your life in order to explore pastures new… Libra ♎ As the different threads continue to weave and dance with the ebb and flow, there is a sense that you are beginning to gain some clarity when it comes to the bigger picture – the tapestry – of your life. You have experienced such a wide range of emotions recently: from happiness and joy, to sadness and anger, as well as a few ‘bottom clenching’ moments where life has been hair-raising and chaotic. This whirlwind of energy has felt unsettling on one level, but perfectly normal at the same time. Yes, there are moments when you want nothing more than to press the pause button in order to take a deep breath and compose yourself, but you are also eager to create change and shake up the foundations of your life. Being you is certainly complex at times! Perhaps a good place to start in August is to think about what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it? What inspires you? What lights up your soul? What nourishes you? What depletes you? You have to know yourself before you can be yourself. Of course, you know this, but you have spent a long time focused on being who you feel you ought to be rather than what your heart and soul calls for. You seem restless now and ready for something more; you want the freedom to explore your essence and to take the time to develop more balance in your life. At the same time, there seems to be a longing for you to meander for a while as you are weary of the constant focus on your destination; you want the space to go for walks in nature, dust off a good book or sit in the garden sipping tea doing absolutely nothing. In short, you have been pushing yourself too hard and now is the time to breathe deeply in order to re-discover living your best life… Scorpio ♏ August looks set to be a month for regaining some centre ground when it comes to acknowledging your true priorities and needs. You have spent a great deal of your life trying to keep everyone happy and to be the version of yourself that you’ve felt you needed to be to best ‘fit in’, but you seem ready to seek out some inner peace in order to develop a more wholehearted approach, and whilst this may sound slightly ‘chocolate box’ and idyllic, you’ve had enough of not allowing your true essence to flow freely. This is unquestionably challenging for you as you really struggle with the idea that you might be letting others down, but when you explore this deeper, it seems the person that you are most driven to not let down is yourself. This is the force that drives you to give so much to others as you feel you’re somehow not enough unless you are pushing yourself to be everything to everyone. This is a complex dynamic and it’s hard to articulate, but the more you turn to face your inner self, the more you are realising just how much you bend yourself out of shape to accommodate others. Of course, you are a giving soul, but you do need to give to yourself even when life feels chaotic and busy. In fact, these are the times when you need to give to yourself most. It’s hard when everything is clashing and colliding together, but when you take a deep breath, perspective surfaces and you realise that it’s time to let your true nature flow freely as fighting this holds you back from living consciously and wholeheartedly. Have the courage to be yourself and find new ways to channel your creativity into some new adventures. Honour your strengths and know that it’s perfectly wonderful to be just the way you are… Sagittarius ♐ Your life has been filled with a great deal of up’s and down’s over recent months, some are happy and joyful moments, some are challenging and some sad. There are days when you feel like you are experiencing the full spectrum of emotions in a single moment, and this can feel overwhelming as it rushes in on different levels of your consciousness and diverts your focus into countless different directions at the same time. Of course, it is quite usual for your attention to be scattered in different directions as you thrive on the energy of having multiple projects or ventures going at any one time, yet this tidal wave of emotion is different, as it’s reaching deeply into your heart and soul, calling for you to listen more intently and to pause. You have spent a great deal of your life running: charging into new adventures, juggling awe-inspiring ‘to do’ lists and you have also spent time running in the other direction when life has got too much, or you have felt too tethered. As a free spirit, it’s important for you to have breathing space in your life, to have the room to be spontaneous and the opportunity to follow your intuition. When life gets busy with things to do, people to see and places to go, it can feel as though all of the oxygen has been sucked out of the room as you can’t breathe deeply or focus, but it’s important to remember that most of these things to do, people to see and places to go are on your agenda because you put them there. In other words, you do have some control over how busy your life gets, and you also have choices when it comes to your true priorities. So, acknowledge the intensity of the change you’re experiencing, honour the emotions and have the courage to be free… Capricorn ♑ Your life has been feeling rather heavy and cumbersome recently; your quest for some peace has been met with one challenge after another and busy-ness has taken a hold over most of the different areas of your life. Although you enjoy having things to do, you also need some quieter moments in order to take stock and reflect as this is one of the ways you try to make sense of life. Yet, this heavy feeling has been hard to shift, and it’s felt like wearing a tight woolly jumper that’s several sizes too small; you can’t move freely, it itches and you’re hot. The more you fidget with the jumper, the hotter you get, and you haven’t got the energy to pull it up over your head as it’s so tight. The heaviness has felt stifling and restrictive at times, and it’s slowly become a distraction in itself. Yet, it seems important to know what’s causing this heaviness as being busy is something you’re used to. What’s making you feel so restricted and restrained? Of course, only you can know the answer to this question, but there’s a sense that you are willingly taking on more and more things to do and your ‘to do’ list is growing exponentially; you don’t like to say no, and you don’t like to disappoint. However, it seems that the real cause of the strain is your tendency to keep seeking out more to do: you just don’t know when to stop! You really do need the room to breathe, stretch and reflect, and when you can shift your perspective, you will realise it’s easy to remove this restrictive ‘jumper’, you just have to want to. You are a vibrant and compassionate soul, and whilst you would do anything for anyone, it’s time to be more tender and compassionate with yourself in order to live more wholeheartedly and consciously… Aquarius ♒ Seeking out more creative joy and vision continues to take centre stage throughout August as you find new ways to channel your gifts into new projects and (ad)ventures. Gazing into the window of your soul, there is a sense that you have learned something truly amazing about yourself: you have realised that life isn’t about being perfect or getting it ‘right’, it’s about honouring yourself, being yourself and enjoying the ride. Striving for perfection may be motivational, but it can also be demoralising if you fail to live up to the high expectations you constantly have for yourself. There is beauty in imperfection, and although you intuitively know that life is about the cuts, grazes, bumps, and potholes that you discover along the way, it's still hard for you to accept this. Striving for perfection can lead to feelings of lack and discontentment as your focus remains on where you want to be rather than on where you are now. It’s important to realise the need to live in the moment, to find joy in the ‘imperfections’ and to stop giving yourself such a hard time to do more, be more and achieve more. Now this isn’t to say you should give up on your dreams, quite the opposite in fact, but you do need to take on board your realisation that life is about being yourself, enjoying the ride and seeking out creative joy. It’s difficult to fully articulate the energy of this shift but it feels so vibrant and effervescent, it’s uplifting and enlivening. It’s time to dismantle the pedestal you so often use and to open up your heart and soul to living your life as wholeheartedly as possible. What makes your heart sing? What brings you joy? You have spent so long trying to get life right that you’ve lost sight as to what motivates and inspires you. So, breathe, smile, and fly free… Pisces ♓ As you continue to re-shape your life on every level, there is a sense that you are beginning to re-discover the importance of living your best life. This is a powerful shift but there is still a sense that you have been living in the shallows of distraction rather than exploring the depths of your consciousness. However, you finally seem ready to appreciate your complexity and dive into your depths in order to connect to your creativity and passion. Living life in the shallows feels like a life of disconnection for you as you need to open up your heart and soul towards wholehearted living as you step beyond the breath hold of keeping on keeping on. You are ready to take a big, deep breath and to let go. Letting go means something different to different people, but intuitively you know that keeping on keeping on isn’t the way you yearn to live. Your consciousness is vast and as you ebb and flow through the ocean of the universe, you want to dive right in and become one with the currents. You are very good at under-estimating yourself, and this often keeps you in the shallows as you distract yourself with being busy as it means you don’t have to acknowledge your heart’s desire and then take a chance by exploring it. Yet, clearly you are acknowledging this on some level as you’re aware of it, so maybe this is a sign that you need to start living your life more consciously? It’s important to stop going along with the flow of those around you quite so much and to start creating your own flow once again. In other words, be yourself. Take the time to dive deeply into your soul in order to connect to your intuition and let this lead the way. Spending your life ticking along isn’t your natural state of being; you need the room to expand, grow and evolve…
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