“This week, as we begin anew, do not underestimate yourself. That picture you have in your head of the person you want to be, know that it is within your grasp to become it this year. It won’t happen overnight, and yes, there will be moments where we will fall. But with a strong trust in the Light within us, we can pick ourselves back up knowing we will get there eventually, and that even a misstep is still a step towards our destiny.”
~ Karen Berg on the Portion of Beresheet
As we begin the New Year and connect to the first portion of the Torah (Beresheet), we are given the opportunity to plant a very powerful and meaningful seed—a seed of endurance, certainty, strength, and the ability to overcome any obstacles that might show up in this upcoming year.
This week’s cosmic energy is already presenting many tests. In the first few days, we witness some oppositions. In astrology, oppositions are when two planets are placed exactly opposite of each other, presenting a kind of power struggle, or a pull in two different directions. The oppositions this week are between the Sun and Saturn, and Mars and Pluto. And these oppositions definitely represent a test.
A cosmic opposition can potentially awaken the following questions:
- Who am I versus what is expected of me?
- How can I act from a true, deep, and honest desire versus acting from fear or my desire to control?
The cosmos is pushing us to grow up and mature, spiritually and emotionally, while releasing any fears and attachment to external recognition. It’s all about following our true, honest soul’s desire.
Towards the end of the week, with a new wave of strong and powerful energy, we witness a square (a challenging aspect!) between Venus and Mars. All this happens while Venus is in retrograde motion, which can awaken many feelings from the past, especially wounds that have to do with past relationships. Pay attention this week: If old negative emotions surface, especially around rejection, jealousy, comparison, betrayal, or abandonment, reflect on them. If these feelings arise, work on yourself internally, and don’t allow emotions to dictate your actions or irritate you too much. We want to avoid finding ourselves saying things that we might regret later on or acting in a reactive or aggressive way.
Remember that whenever Mars is in the mix of a challenging aspect, it's time to restrict, be proactive, and count to ten before you jump into action. Let’s all use these potentially challenging aspects to help us elevate, overcome, and transform anything difficult that might show up.
