Change is Messy

Real change, big change, is messy. Sure, the end result may be beautiful and exhilarating, but the process itself is often awkward and uncomfortable.

Wellness gurus and life coaches may talk about change as if it was all roses unfolding and butterflies hatching. But real change, big change, is messy. Sure, the end result may be beautiful and exhilarating, but the process itself is often awkward and uncomfortable, if not downright painful. Every new beginning is built upon an ending, every rebirth implies a death. Even the butterfly must undergo a process of total dissolution before it flies free from its cocoon.

We are living in turbulent times. The only certainty we have is change. As the social, economic and political landscape alters - to say nothing of the climate - we too are forced to adjust. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this is a period of accelerated growth and unprecedented change. Some things in the outside world will never be the same again and some parts of our secret interiors are also in the process of deep, irrevocable transformation.

In astrology, the transiting lunar nodes speak to this metamorphosis. For Hellenistic astrologers, the North Node is associated with increase and amplification, while the South Node is connected with decrease and surrender. Growth and development in one area of life always corresponds to a place of loss and/or letting go. The Nodes are two sides of the same coin, indivisible and interconnected, like Yin and Yang.

Currently, the nodes are transiting Taurus and Scorpio, two very stubborn signs.

Taurus is the builder of the zodiac, creating systems, processes and relationships that stand the test of time. As fixed Earth, Taurus revels in stability. It is associated with food, and financial systems, with shelter, with Nature and with Labour. Because it rules the necessities of life, the Bull is reluctant to embrace the new, especially when forced. But with the North Node and Uranus there, change is inevitable and often disruptive. Globally, we see shake-ups around all these Taurean significations.

Scorpio, meanwhile is associated with sex, death and intensity. It rules the bowels as well as the sex organs. It’s a powerful sign; but the power it weilds comes from deep, dark, secret places. It’s the power that derives from total surrender. Scorpio governs transformation too; but as fixed Water, this is a sign that hates letting go. Scorpionic change is a gut wrenching process of excavation and purgation. Like a journey through the underworld, the process is ruthless, relentless and life-altering.

If you are experiencing your own “dark night of the soul,” I support you. If you are wrestling with your shadow, trying to break free from your past self, I applaud you. If you are making hard choices, facing fears and purging old patterns, I am right there with you. Just because we have chosen a new path doesn’t mean the going is easy; and just because the road is hard, doesn’t mean we’ve made the wrong choice. Often, when we make a decision, especially a hard one, the Universe immediately tests our resolve. Doubt doesn’t make us weak, it makes us human.

The sign of the Bull understands value. It appreciates quality and endurance. Scorpio represents resilience, as it courageously alchemizes excrement into compost. So the opportunity here is transmutation, to use the darkness as we bring forth the light, to fully embody our values as we embrace an authentic and resilient future Self.

Peace my friends,

Lizanne