Walking The Labyrinth of Communication
by
Sarah Varcas
Today the asteroid Pallas Athene enters Gemini, where she will remain until 21st July. The passage of the Goddess of Wisdom through the sign of words, connection and communication provides us a wonderful opportunity to share our own perspective of the world with others and allow them to do the same with us. In Gemini, Pallas knows the power of the spoken word and in the coming weeks she’ll be running a masterclass for us in how to use it wisely for the advancement of greater peace, understanding and freedom. We’re not to use speech to preach or put down, to invoke hatred or division. Should we do so during this time, we may soon discover the other face of Pallas Athene: the Warrior Queen who fights now for the return of respect, balance and unity, both within and without. The battles we find on our hands may be more than we had bargained for and greater than we can endure.
But today, as Pallas Athene enters Gemini, we may find ourselves dragging our feet somewhat, not quite ready to embrace the power of speech in the manner she exhorts. It’s easy to be lazy in our communication. We speak without thinking, pass judgement without really knowing the facts, spend the time someone’s speaking to us working out what we’re going to say back rather than listening to their words. And changing these kinds of habits can be hard work. We may not even see a need to do so, aware only of many other things that seem far more pressing in our lives. Communication can be so habitual we barely bring any consciousness to it, and it is this which Pallas Athene seeks to change in the coming weeks.
There are a number of ways we can assist her with this task. Some are very obvious: think before speaking, listen (really listen!) before responding, choose our words carefully and deliver them with compassion. But there are other ways more obscure but equally powerful: resist the need to get others to see our point of view; recognise that opposite opinions are both ‘true’ when viewed from opposite perspectives; accept that whilst the whole world will never agree, it can live in a state of harmony through creating a space in which difference can co-exist with similarity. And equally we can recognise that sometimes a forceful ‘NO’ is required when circumstances demand it; raised voices can be a sign of freedom that we should celebrate; and drawing boundaries around personal expression can be necessary for a safe community that protects the most vulnerable at its heart.
Communication…so complex, such a world of paradox, and yet so everyday and familiar to us. Today Pallas Athene takes us by the hand and begins our eight week tour through the labyrinth of words and speech, after which we may never view them and their role in our lives in quite the same way again.
Enjoy connecting with others today!
Sarah Varcas
