It has been a curious and fascinating journey for me over the last few years, of observing how in the moment I often feel like I am just treading water, and that I will never manage to swim to dry land again.
Nothing is moving forward and the ‘right now’ is so challenging.
At some point, and I can’t remember how it happen, likely some good advice from a friend, or just as easily, one of the many unseen guides that support me giving me a nudge.
But I digress, at some point, in the midst of just such a feeling, I paused, took a deep breath, turned around and looked at the road I had travelled.
I do this all the time now in moments like these, and even just to give myself a boost.
Because when I look back at a body of time (thank you Cindy for all your journaling) instead of feeling stuck, I am blown away by just how much movement I am making.
Some months it cannot be seen on the outside but on the inside, cross countries have been run and triathlons won.
This got me thinking on the big picture of change.
I can see it even in the fairytales from my childhood, to those of my daughter’s childhood.
I was lucky enough to spend some time with one of my most favorite people
in the whole wide world, and her fabulous family in the UK.
The history there always seeps into my bones.
So much of our collective narrative both good and less good started with the British Empire.
Especially for those of us with Western roots or from anywhere the British travelled.
My sister has three little girls, and while my mother was last visiting, she bought them a book on the Bronte sisters.
Which I read to them the morning we were set to visit Haworth, the town they grew up in and the museum situated in the house they grew up in.
Did I mention that they lived 200 years ago.
Step back in time
Let me preface this by saying tears were shed by me and the girls and the story of the Bronte family is a tragic but magic one.
Patrick Bronte, an Anglican minister moved his family, a wife and six young children to Haworth where he moved into the house beside the church and next to the moors.
Within a few years his wife died and her sister came to help look after the children.
Being a rather progressive man of his time by all accounts, he sent his daughters to school.
He had five daughters and one son.
Since schools for girls were not the norm, he sent them away to a boarding school where the conditions were, as it turned out terrible and his two eldest girls then aged 10 and 11 contracted TB and died.
Devastated he brought his surviving children home and began to home school them.
The four children were very isolated, it was them the moors and their imaginations.
They were all extremely creative and it seems they had a good childhood from this point on.
The sisters also happened to be early feminists, not that they would perhaps have thought that of themselves but looking back with the benefit of good old hind sight, we can see how these three young women were changing the narrative, quite literally.
Through their literature with its strong feminine characters but also how they got published in the first place.
As progressive as their father was the girls used to wait until their father and brother were asleep and then they would sit together around the dining room table and write.
It started with poems and developed into novels.
They would discuss their work, and support each other, and when they wanted to get a book of their poetry published, they came up with pen names turning themselves into 3 brothers.
Knowing that three sisters would have no chance.
Using the initials of their first names, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, became Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell and this is how all of their first novels were originally printed.
They did however, obviously reveal their true identity in the end.
Emily and Anne died young at 29 and 30 years old, their fame in their own name, not yet established. Their only brother Branwel died around the same time at 31years old, all from TB.
Charlotte was lonely without her siblings but married late in life (especially for that time), fell pregnant at which point her health declined and she, and her unborn child died weeks before her 39th birthday.
Her father was certainly tested, having lost his wife and all six children…I am crying again!
Let’s leap forward
Clearly this story impacted me deeply.
Thinking of what was available for women at the time.
How few options they had and how little their voices mattered in that time.
Now to my childhood in the 80’s and the fairy tales that I was listening too were largely dating back to the early 1800’s when the brothers Grimm began to publish the likes of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel and many more.
Which very much continued the indoctrination of a certain narrative (see last two posts for more on this).
Now however, and this makes me cry too, the stories my children are watching are showing the shifts.
Shifts that have been happening beneath the surface for hundreds of years.
In basements and attics, in every strong, defiant, intelligent woman who learned to speak in whichever way she could.
For many it was in hushed whispers with other women, sharing ideas of something different.
For others it was loud protests that let to imprisonment or even death.
There has always been a spectrum that each of us has been a part of.
This is true for all change, minorities, race, religion, etc, but gender is what I am speaking to today.
I want to briefly touch on the archetypal shifts we are seeing in today’s fairy tales.
Frozen for example is such a beautiful story of the love between sisters (I can attest to this remarkable relationship dynamic).
When Anna is struck, accidently by her sisters’ powers and her heart is freezing only an act of true love will save her.
Everyone defaults to “we need to get her back to her betrothed so he can kiss her”. Thus, saving her life.
He of course turns out to be the villain of this tale, leading us all to think it must be the loveable Hans who has been helping her, he clearly is in love with her.
But no, what it turns out to be is Anna’s act of true love as she steps in to protect her sister from a fatal blow.
Putting her life on the line to protect her sister.
Wow, could it be that true love is not only the love of a prince for his princess?!
I mean when we say it like that it seems so obvious, but the subliminal programming is so strong that we need a man to love us for us to be safe.
And that was absolutely true some 200 years ago.
True in the way society stifled women, but it is not a true reflection of our competence and capability.
And it limits love hugely.
One more example or you will be here all day.
Moana, the tale of a brave young girl who, as the only daughter of the chief, it is not even in question that she will lead her people (there is not even a mention of finding a husband in this film).
The whole story is about her doing what she ‘should’ for her community versus her hearts pull to the oceans.
With a supportive grandmother (historically old women are not portrayed well in fairy tales) she defies her rather lovely father to follow her intuition and ends up finding and restoring the heart of Te Fiti.
Now it was Maui who stole the heart, and he also helps to restore it.
He did not realize the error of his ways at the time, much like the patriarchy.
And he gets to be part of the repair, just like men are today as they change from their conditioning over the last huge chunk of history (his story).
We also see that there is shadow in everything.
The Polynesian goddess Te Fiti is like a mother earth archetype, but when her heart is stolen (ie, when we are not heart centred or following our hearts) she transforms into Te Ka, a demon of earth and fire. Basically, the wounded feminine, who is angry, vengeful, aggressive and pretty damn scary.
When her heart is restored Te Ka transforms back into Te Fiti and we realize they are one and the same (just a goddess in really different moods).
Food for thought as you take some time to see yourself in each character in these stories.
This change is true of male role models too I might add.
Shrek an ogre, and unlikely hero.
Neither handsome nor particularly friendly but smart and funny, finds his own princess, or she finds him.
In Shrek 2 he has to deal with the real issues of meeting disapproving in-laws and in Shrek 3 what it means to become a father.
These are real life things that the old stories left out.
And Po, from the much-loved Kung Fu Panda movies, a fat and loveable guy who surprisingly becomes the Dragon Warrior.
Faces finding out he is adopted, has to work on his self-esteem and so many more juicy and real topics.
I speak of these things for no other reason than that they are on my mind.
How blessed I am to be at a point in history where herstory can be heard too.
I suppose having connected with the love between my sister and myself, feeling our gran with us as we explored, recognizing the shift that has happened through my own family in 4 generation and feeling so much hope and gratitude for humanity as we ride these waves of change…well it got me thinking is all.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Astrology Buzz
Taurus Apr 20th to May 20th
this sign has been buzzing for years with Uranus here but extra in all the good ways since May last year with Jupiter’s secret sauce infusion. Enjoy the last of that this month because Jupiter moves into Gemini on the 24th. This is a good time to drill down on what you value now (it may not be what it used to be) and to implement some steps to secure what it is that you treasure.
Gemini May 21st to Jun 21st
whoop whoop, Jupiter is coming and this is great for the Gemini part of your chart. If you don’t know what I am talking about and want to get some guidance get in touch for a session. But in the meantime prepared to get chatty, find yourself hungry for information and excited about all the little things. Remember to stay grounded in whatever way/s work for you.
Lunations for May
Taurus New Moon is on the 8th of May.
Full Moon is in Sagittarius on the 23rd opposing the Sun in Gemini.
Keep an eye on my YouTube channel for forecasts.
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Big Astrology for 2024
Here is a quick reference list of the big things over the year.
If you know Eclipses or Mercury Retrogrades always impact you, take note of the date.
If you are in a Saturn Return, Chiron or Jupiter Return pay attention.
If you want to know what is most impactful for you right now or for 2024 and the list below is all Greek to you, no worries, just book a reading. My website is in USD, if you are South African contact me on 083 893 8543 or email me on cindy@rainbowwisdom.co.za
Eclipses will be in Aries and Libra:
March 25th Libra Lunar Eclipse
April 8th Aries Total Solar Eclipse
Sep 18th Pisces (hint of the new season to come) Lunar Eclipse
Oct 2nd Libra Solar Eclipse
Mercury Retrogrades are in Fire this year:
Apr 1st – Apr 25th in Aries
Aug 5th – Aug 28th mostly in Leo (starting in Virgo)
Nov 26th – Dec 15th in Sagittarius
Chiron conjunct the North Node in Aries, impacts most acutely in March. This is a big heal yourself to heal the world kind of energy. Take responsibility for your feeling, needs, actions and choices.
Jupiter conjunct Uranus in Taurus goes exact this year in April. It only happens every 14 years. It is a luckier and more dynamic combo…sudden discoveries and then making these new ways real.
Jupiter enters Gemini in May; this is really expansive and exciting for us Gemini’s. We only have Jupiter travel through our sign every 12 years and it can be a real glow up, up levelling or expanding time for us.
Saturn conjunct Neptune in Pisces by mid-year we are really experiencing the Reality vs Illusion. It sets the tone for a big theme around this all of 2025. Fake news is an example of this theme.
Mars Retrograde in Leo/Cancer Dec 2024 through to Feb 2025 these are usually fairly challenging, forcing us to look at the way we (individually and collectively) do things that does not work. Mars will have 3 oppositions with Pluto during this retrograde. Remember to look at their conversation now as they meet up because there will be a similar tone to the opposition point (perhaps a little more, hot headed at the opposition).
What am I up to?
Let me tell you where you can find me and what I am up to at the moment.
In the online space I am open for;
90 min Astrology Readings $50/R650
90 min Healing combo $50/R650
Card readings $25/R300
Red Tent $25/R300
(learn astrology with the moon)
Check out my Udemy courses:
Moon Phases Made Simple
Crystals Made Simple
Aromatherapy Made Simple
Meditation Made Simple
Journaling Made Simple
What’s your Moon Sign? (FREE)
Do you want a crystal healing session – Book here
In the off the online space, I am open for;
I am teaching yoga through the Wellness Collective, in Grahamstown 3 x per week
I also offer all of the readings as per on line, in person
I also cleanse homes or business spaces energetically
If you want more info on any of my offerings, please get in touch.
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Much Love and Light
Cindy
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