Aug 20, 2021
VIII — STRENGTH
“Coming out of my Cave, and I’ve been doing just fine.”
We are deep into ‘the heart of the woods’ that is the year 2021, the month is August… and oh, what a time it’s been. (My not using an exclamation point here is intentional.) 2021 has been eye-opening & revelatory in ways I never perceived. If 2020 was that Beech, 2021 feels like the Wizard. The Eye of the Snake. The one who sees all, feels all, knows all. The enlightened one, the Master. Forgive me, I can’t explain just yet… Let’s break for a moment to talk about Leo SZN, shall we?
I have been feeling a lot more comfortable (and called) to share my understanding of the arcane arts, and this also might be because I am making a conscious effort to work with the energies of every astrological season that passes me by. It is interesting to me when I can draw connections between what I experience and the astrological transits at the time. I don’t heavily rely on the predictive aspects of astrology or the Tarot but I see how things make better sense when you understand the tools you work with. Case in point… Leo SZN.
Of the astrological seasons that have come our way in 2021, Leo SZN has been most encouraging — when it comes to working with it. Things have not been easy. It’s just, despite the turbulent moments, I feel called to loosen my hold on the reins, to abandon my Chariot, and not go to war. To abandon the pursuit, in a sense, only to follow my heart. My joy. The path unfolds as we walk it, and whilst there are qualms, sure, that come with the unbearable lightness of being, there is this: Nothing is yet set in stone. And what a time like 2021 to be actively learning that lesson.
The Lady and the Lion
This led me to recall the energy Leo is associated with, through its Leonine motifs and luminary ruler, the majestic Sun — Strength (yes, like the Major Arcana card in Tarot). If you are unfamiliar with this card — first off, the card in my illustration is nothing like Strength is traditionally depicted in the OG Rider-Waite deck. The card is representative of the fortitude each of us possesses. The imagery depicts a patient-faced woman in white robes with her hair in a wreath, gently attempting to adorn the neck of a seemingly unruly Lion with a separate wreath of roses. (Fun fact: I believe roses are Leonine motifs too, owing to its formation — resembling the curls in a lion’s mane.)
… an Egg-yolk yellow forms the colour in the card’s background, and overall — the view is sunny. The softness in her stance, and the lion, appearing petulant, speaks to me of how we have beasts in us, our wild sides that rarely come out except when faced with adversity or something challenging. I think it’s rare for us to be placating with that hidden side, to be kind in how we receive it, embody it — let alone allowing it to breathe and be free. The Strength card also features an infinity symbol above the woman’s head like a halo, which, as most readers have deduced, represent the number 8 and Abundance. Infinity signs are everlasting loops, and considering the energy of Leo or well, Life in general — it is reminding to me, of the fact that cycles are constant. We might be taken out of our element ever so often, and through those ups and downs, we learn to glow and grow. Easier to acknowledge in hindsight, of course. (Lord knows I’ve not been graceful or receptive in moments of duress and turmoil, but… Living, and learning!)
The Journey, ‘not’ the Destination
The Strength card is not only a reminder of the innate courage we contain and have access to, it presents itself to say that it does not disappear nor diminish during our weakest moments. When we look back at disorderly moments in our lives and recognise how we’ve gotten here — it is encouraging to note how enduring your essence was. Things were up in the air then, you knew not what to trust — yet you sought home within, you reached out — asked for help, you did something… There are ways aplenty this story could’ve played out, yet — you are here. All of it counts, dear friends.
We tend to believe in the destination — the one-shot stop in your mind’s eye. What if we’ve got it wrong? The madness feels like the real MVP, IMO — not just the method, you know? If I didn’t trust the madness and chose to fight against it, I wouldn’t be here. May I clarify? I am not saying one ought to disregard the outline or plan, just — allow for more room. Leeway. Things change, and so do you. When you’re on the path, you have to trust the process much as we do — the Luminaries in the sky. Change is inevitable, and in allowing for it to come in — and us surrendering to it, we get adept at unpacking the seasons it brought. Dung-like treasures that they seem in the moment, pitfalls are essential to the unfolding. Not just the path’s, your unfolding too.
Will and Won’t
The New Moon in Leo transit on 8/8 had me reeling… It made me question myself to a point where I felt broken down and worn out from all the ‘spiritual tests’ 2021 presented me with. Things felt alarmingly heightened like the 100X version of Ursula, the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid (upon witnessing her poor little poopsies being smashed to smithereens by Prince Eric or was it Ariel) — I felt vexed, led by anger — How was I to proceed further? I couldn’t see the EXIT sign. Little did I know the Door I’d been seeking was liminal, hovering over me — all along. It’s now or never, I thought, it had me seeking out new ways of stepping into the unknown. Undertaking, that felt more natural as opposed to impulsive and/or premeditated. It felt good. Whether the astrological transits, the m a g i c & m a n i a of the New Moon in Leo — it was something undeniable that I chose to heed. Will is great, truly — the driving force behind much that we do. There is something to be said of willingness, though. The ability to act and allow, even as things fall apart.
Healing, like a Snake
Snakes are often seen as the classic bad guy. The undoing to God’s will. I believe we owe them an apology… Or at the very least, we ought to respect them as any other being with a ‘dual’ core. We’re not perfect, we are ever-evolving and we find ways to embody our opposites. Snakes are associated with the astrological sign, Scorpio, and being a Fixed sign much like Leo — it makes me think of the stunning traits of the snake. A Snake is cool, observant, and vindictive when the time calls for it (rarely without reason), and they are known to shed their skins a few times each year — something we can benefit from learning to do.
We might not be physically able to shed our skins, but we are called to — many times in our lives — when the environment demands it, when the situation does. You adapt, you allow. I read somewhere that beginnings require the most energy, and the energy of this portal, i.e., of my friend, 2021 — is ridden with spiritual test after spiritual test. When the time comes, we must tell the truth about our wounds. For now, I don’t believe we must fight this — nor must we feel incapable to act, whatever that means for you — for me, I feel newly inducted into striving to hit that sweet spot between risk-taking and self-preservation.
Thank you for reading.
A note: Let it be known that much as it’d be sweet, that you feel welcome here, experiences and views expressed on Rosewater. are deeply, truly, madly personal. (Unless stated otherwise.) Should they strike a chord with your own musings and reflections, that’s lovely, and if not, that’s cool too. This collection contains no facts, solo personal musings and truths.
