Mar 78 min read

Happily Ever After

WTF does that mean?

Since we were children, we have all been listening to stories that have programmed us to fail.

Or at the very least to feel like failures.

I totally believe in stories for teaching.

Let’s be honest stories are more fun, entertaining and easier to remember than a bunch of statistics, or data.

BUT when all the stories end with, happily ever after at the point that the teenage prince and princess get married, what are we being taught?

We are teaching that you peak in your late teens and early 20’s, and that you only peak if you find true love…because you are not enough on your own, that would be unhappily ever after.

We are not teaching anything about what it is to keep a relationship strong and healthy. In fact, we are implying that relationship equals happily ever after.

Now if anyone out there has been in this version of a relationship, please let me know.

As far as I have observed, and experienced relationships, are like relating on a ship.

Tides, currents, storms, sunshine, compass needed, crew involved, team work, scary waves, ecstatic waves, waves of grief, joy, rage, wonder and more, and when it docks you choose to stay on the boat or not.

One thing relationships are not, is static.

We are teaching that as girls, we need to be rescued and as boys we should be tough and brave and do the rescuing.

We are not teaching that girls are tough and brave and can rescue themselves, or that boys also have deep emotions that need processing and they too need support.

How many stories do we see the ‘evil’ old woman in?

We are teaching that age is bad, and aging women are jealous and mean. And that we should fear aging.

We are not teaching girls how to age gracefully, or to look forward to the changes, the wit and wisdom that comes with it.

The old king tends to be killed off by the evil queen, or go mad or some such.

We are teaching boys too that women are dangerous and they should maintain power over women in order to control them and keep them small and docile.

We teach them that they become obsolete with age.

We are neglecting to teach our boys that they can have beautiful empowered relationships with an embodied and empowered woman, as equals.

And that they don’t need to chase their youth by finding a younger woman but, own their age with a strong and experienced partner by their side.

To my point I have to say the narrative is definitely changing, but we have to see where the programming has been for generations, to understand why we are struggling to change the paradigm.

I also want to point out that there is a masculine and feminine inside of us all. The program runs strongly for the gender we are in, but it goes further than that. If you are all the characters in the story…what do you learn?

What happens after the happily ever after?

These ancient stories hold much symbolism and wisdom weaved through words, handed down through generations.

But let’s see if we can take this story forward a bit.

If we think of the young knight on a journey to find the holy grail, the cup of eternal youth.

On his journeys he finds a princess and rescues her from a tower (Rapunzel or Fiona), basement (Cinderella), poisoned sleep (Snow White), you get the idea.

So happy is he that he forgets for a while to chase the illusive grail, he has his youth and his princess has hers after all.

They live ‘happily ever after’, is usually where the fairy tale ends, but not the reality of their lives.

It is, in fact the end of their youth – knight and maiden, become king and queen or father and mother (see the yang and yin)

Years pass of raising children and running a kingdom, they are happy, and not always so happy.

Their relationship has its highs and lows, the economy crashes and rises again, the community rages against the price of taxes, demands war with a neighboring kingdom.

At another time they stand together to repair flood damage, or support the hungry in years of drought.

Life is being lived and experienced in all its many colors.

And soon the years have passed and they find themselves aged, and dreams of the grail and eternal youth come back to the old king.

He embarked on the journey a young man, but may become ever more desperate to find the cup of youth for himself or his now aging queen…

The reality is that the womb is the holy grail.

He found it when he found her, but he never realized.

From her womb his children (youths) were born and the cycle continues with their grandchildren.

The knight with his sword

(another symbol of manhood)

out to prove his worth.

The aggressor who seeks and searches for truth and glory, for honor and wealth, and for a beautiful maiden to share it with.

The maiden being freed, is about individuating from the child beholden to her parents into the maiden able to choose who she loves and how to spend her days…

but with that freedom she needs to learn autonomy and responsibility.

The knight turned king, now has many responsibilities and duties.

The more he has the more work it is to keep everything and everyone happy, safe and ordered.

He needs to mature and not worry about the fancies of youth but to be dutiful, practical and accountable.

Does he become a benevolent king or a tyrannical one?

While the maiden becomes a mother and realizes more love than she knew possible, not for her knight but for her children.

She loves the king, but the love she has for the children she cradled in her womb…is a love she could not imagine.

And with it fear she too could never imagine.

Suddenly all the choice and freedom seem a lot more complex than she expected.

How can she be the best mother, wife, queen, humanitarian, environmentalist, philanthropist all at once!

The overwhelm is real and there are days she longs to be an idealistic maiden in her tower again.

And with time comes age, her wrinkles show and her body changes.

Her children now grown have children of their own.

At first, she rages against the ravages of age on her body.

Laments the loss of her beauty and tries to find the answer to slow or stop aging.

Her king too suddenly not as strong and virile, seeing his queens destress and feeling his own, he too remembers the myth of the grail and wonders…is it too late to go searching.

One day as they sit watching their grandchildren playing, they realize the fullness of their lives.

How blessed they are to have seen old age and to have experienced so much.

They realize that youth is for the young and they are ready to slow down. Grateful to be there to advise and support their children and grandchildren.

“The grail,” the queen says, “the cup of youth, it is a woman, more specifically her womb.

From it youth springs forth and it can continue well past us, just look at these little ones. We will live on through our line.” The king laughs, she is so wise, it’s as if she could intuit his thoughts.

And she is right, as usual.

Imagine you were all of the players in this tale, living through many seasons and experiences from both the yin and the yang perspectives.

And contemplate what stands out to you or what leaves you thinking and feeling into this story over the next few days.

I recommend journaling on it, but hey, I am the journal queen. You do you.

Astrology Buzz

Pisces Feb 19th to Mar 20th it was last Pisces season that the strong and disciplined Saturn began his tenure in this sign.

How has that been going for you?

He passes the first decan (10° of 30°) and will not be going back.

This is good for those with planets or points in the 1st decan of Pisces or the other mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius)

Aries Mar 21st to Apr 19th it is an intense Aries season this year again, as we have a total solar eclipse.

Last year we had two Aries New Moons and an eclipse.

Chiron has been working his way through Aries for about 7 years already…what wounds around our SELF have been arising and next year, Neptune will step into Aries in Aires season for the first time in 150 years.

And if we want to go out further, Saturn moves into Aries in 2026 for the first time in almost 30 years.

So, if you have strong Aries, you will know about it.

And if you don’t there is still an Aries part of your chart and likely Aries people in your life.

Lunations for Feb

Aquarius New Moon is on the 10th of February.

Full Moon is in Virgo on the 24th opposing the Sun in Pisces.

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 2nd – 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?

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