July, 2012

Volume 4, Number7

Happy Fourth Birthday to WINGS! Welcome to the party! Some WINGS subscribers may remember my quarterly "snail-mail" edition that I hand posted to my clients, friends, and colleagues for a number of years. I launched this paperless, monthly version four years ago in the July that preceded the momentous U.S. Presidential election of 2008.   It was also the July before the economic crash that astrologers had been warning of for years, coinciding with the planet Pluto moving into the sign of Capricorn (and which was much-discussed here). Now here we are again, four years later, on the threshold of another presidential election that could change the direction of our country for decades.  And we've just entered another, perhaps even more intense astrological setup (the series of Pluto-Uranus squares) that will certainly be presiding over revolutionary changes during the next three years.   It is truly a privilege to gather and offer you this monthly compilation of inspiration, wisdom, and insight, especially in the midst of so much personal and global transition.   I know you have a LOT of information pouring in from all sorts of media, every day.  Thank you for inviting me in to your world, and for the time you take reading WINGS. I hope you will continue to find it a valuable and heartening resource, in a world that is not always easy.   Blessings,

Welcome New Subscribers!  Sending a big thank you to you 46 new subscribers who have been waiting to get your first issue of WINGS.  It's so lovely to have you here.   I hope you're gonna love it. Maybe you'll even be inspired to invite your friends, or forward a copy to them, if you wish!  Please do (there's a link at the bottom to make it easy).  The more, the merrier!  Soul Mates, Part Two Soul Mates © Benjamin Shiff   As you would not be surprised to learn, the topic of love is far and away the most popular subject for Tarot readings.   And specifically, the term I hear coming up again and again is -  soul mates!   What do you believe about "soul mates?"   Have you met yours?  Is there only one for you?   As I wrote in Part One last month, I believe that the idea of soul mates is valid, especially since I have always strongly felt the energies of past lifetimes in myself and others. But...   What If You Meet Your Soul Mate and It's All Wrong?    I have seen this many times with my clients. A soul connection can come out nowhere, and it may bring an intensity that only sweeping epics or Shakespearean drama can compare to.   I have seen clients preparing to, or even well along the path of, ditching their marriages, homes, jobs, children, and other commitments because of the incredible "rightness" that meeting a past lifetime lover can have.    People may even destroy their formerly contented lives to be with totally inappropriate, even dysfunctional and dangerous personalities, all because of the incredible power of a soul-to-soul connection.   In fact, I believe that some of the world's most tragic love stories across the centuries may be rooted in soul encounters.   If only those unfortunates might have had access to the knowledge of other spiritual, cultural, and wisdom traditions that were familiar with such possibilities!    Thanks in large part to my dear Hindu clients, I have learned a lot about soul encounters: when we meet people for the first time in this lifetime and we know we know them, and they us.   Time for Some Myth-Busting   First, I seriously doubt anyone has one and only one soul mate for all eternity. Why would we even think this? Personally, I think it is a bit of our notorious Western egocentricity that feeds such a myth.    Second, what does it really mean when we have that profound heart connection that crosses the threshold of lifetimes?    We assume that such a powerful response must be rooted in sexuality, so certainly this is a lover, a former romantic partner with whom we are destined to connect, again and again.   But my friends who come from cultures where reincarnation has been a central belief for thousands of years know that all the people that have been special to us over the eons will resonate in our hearts.   And get ready, folks.  Because once we open to the validity of these experiences, we will be having them more and more!    But before you decide that familiar glint in someone's eye, that rush of déjà vu, and that bone-deep knowing must mean this is the lover you have longed for all your life, think again.    It could be that this is your mother, your child, your neighbor, your father-in-law, your beloved cat.. from other lifetimes. Maybe all of the above!   Check back next month for Myth Number Three - the biggest and most dangerous one of all!     Green Living: Will be back next month. Let’s stay in touch!   I specialize in helping visionaries, healers, artists, and innovators thrive in changing times. If you seek inspiration, practical wisdom, and solid tools for living an extraordinary life, my classes, workshops, and personal sessions will help you predict your future by creating it.   As I mention in my Astrological Tidbits column, I am taking some time for personal retreat and traveling in August, so appointment availability is unusually limited.   However, you can check my availability for a phone appointment by dropping by here and then "locking in" the time with your PayPal payment.   Or if you are able to meet in person, you can see my schedule here.   More dates will be added later in the month. For further information, you can also visit my website.    Don't forget - I will also be at Dancing Moon Books in Raleigh twice in the month of August. Dates and contact information are posted at the top of the right column.     Live in balance * Focus your creativity * Manifest your vision.  My Upcoming Schedule Tarot Readings at Dancing Moon Books, 1840 N. Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh   Twice each month: Friday, August 10 Saturday, August 18   Note: These may be your best bets for getting together with me in August, as I will be on retreat and/or traveling much of the month. Hour or half-hour appointments begin at 11:30 am, and end at 6 pm. I try to accommodate walk-ins, but I tend to get booked up. So I suggest you schedule in advance by calling (919) 833-8081. It's Back to School Time (almost)!   If You Want Expert, Personal  Guidance Learning to Read the Tarot, Save these Dates   Sunday, Sept. 9: Planting the Seed - An Introduction to Working with the Tarot 1 - 5:45pm - Dancing Moon Books, Raleigh Learn where the Tarot really came from;  how it is different from other wisdom and divination tools; the easy-to-learn components that you need if you want to be a solid, confident reader; and much more!   Saturday, Oct. 20: The Wisdom Journey - 11am - 6pm, Dancing Moon Books, Raleigh If you’re ready to move beyond the introductions, and actually read the Tarot for yourself, this is the class for you! By the end of the day, you’ll be able to confidently discern vital information directly from the cards, without lots of memorization, and using the books only to supplement your knowledge.   Want more info? Visit here.   Local and Long Distance! Beginners and Seasoned pros! Everybody is welcome!   Looking for a good vibe Tarot tribe? Our Triangle Tarot and Friends Meetup group is both a local gathering once a month, and also host to hundreds of Tarot friends online, from around the world.   Now that Summer is winding down, we return to our study of Mary K. Greer's 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. I'll be leading the discussion of Chapter 15: Dialogs. If you're new or haven't come for a while, no worries. We'll be glad to get you caught up - it's easy.     Be sure to bring your decks, past study notes,  show & tell items, announcements, and a friendly smile. Note: Space is LIMITED, so RSVPs are strictly observed! For time and location details, please sign up (free!) by going here. Join us for learning, laughter and discovery! Astrological Tidbits   Taking a Breather   After a powerful Full Moon in Aquarius on Aug. 1, and the completion of Mercury's retrograde period on Aug. 8, we are thankfully in a bit of a breather this month.   We are also about midway between the first two of the seven revolutionary and turbulent Uranus-Pluto squares that so many contributors in this column have been discussing.   Because these two outer planets are slow movers, even when they're not directly squaring one another, they are still only a degree or two apart. Therefore, there is still a lot of ongoing tension between them.    Their next exact square is coming up Sept. 18, which puts it right in the midst of the influence of the Virgo New Moon and Autumn Equinox. So it is likely to be even more challenging than the first one was, back on June 24.   In preparation, and thanks to some of the  alignments in my own chart, I'm only posting a rather abbreviated check-in this month. Don't worry, though. I'll have lots of updates for you in August.   Meantime.. May the stars shine brightly for you. Already, July's dance is drawing to a close, and people throughout the Northern Hemisphere prepare to celebrate the ancient holidays of First Harvest. May the fruits of your tenderest dreams and generous labors be plentiful and sweet.   Blessings, ~ Beth