Image by Sasin Tipchai
The following is a shorter version of the introduction that I (Marie) wrote for the InnerSelf March 29, 2020 newsletter.. If you're not a subscriber or reader of the InnerSelf Newsletter, you wouldn't have seen this mini-article. (To access the complete newsletter, with links to the new articles this week, click here.)
During challenging times, and probably mostly during challenging times, we need to remember that "this too shall pass" and that in every problem or crisis, there is something to be learned, another step to be taken on the ladder of life's learning. We are all experiencing "homeschooling" here at home on Planet Earth, with Mother Nature as our teacher.
And perhaps the first lesson is to stop and slow down... whether we are doing so by choice or by necessity. One good thing that may come from these experiences of seclusion is time to center and reflect.
While this is indeed a challenging time for many, as with all "life lessons" there is a purpose, one that we usually are not aware of at the moment. Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to search for the clues as to what we can learn from this experience, and how it can assist us in creating a better "we", and a better world for all.
We are experiencing a physical sense of isolation, but upon reflection, we may realize that humanity was already on a path of isolation, even though is was disguised as connection... via the impersonal aspect of the internet, of online shopping, of simply observing life via the 24-hour news channels, of families separated by thousands of miles, of communicating via text messages and emojis, etc. Our "self-isolation" was already happening before Covid19, but it was not as physically obvious as it is now.
We can take this time to reflect on "the good and the bad" of isolation, and at how we want our life to be as we move into the many tomorrows to come. The story of the future has yet to be written, and we are its authors. So what's it going to be? Are we going to remain isolated, or use this experience to find the true connection between everyone on Planet Earth, and start caring about all the other beings out there in our common world. The choice, as always, is up to each one of us.
And as Pam Younghans shares in the "Astrological Journal for the Week":
"...may our vision become clearer this week. May our inspiration deepen, and may we have an enhanced ability to see meanings and purposes. May we connect with our true selves and with loved ones at deeper levels than before. May we each set the intention for powerful and necessary change to occur for the benefit of all beings, as gently as possible."
