Peace, Poise and Polarities
by
Sarah Varcas
The North Node signals the direction in which we must move to fulfil our potential. It spends roughly a year and a half in each sign and its shift into a new one sets the tone for the collective thrust of development in the coming eighteen or so months. In Libra it casts its light upon our relationships and the ways in which we do or don’t promote harmony in our lives and the lives of those around us. North Node in Libra reminds us that we can’t avoid other people, nor can we fully accommodate them. Instead we must work to find a balance point at which we can give and take as necessary to enable progress in the field of human relationships and understanding.
At the time of the node’s entry into Libra the Moon and Mars were also in the sign of the scales. There exists an inherent challenge here: how on earth do we move forward in unity when we each have our own personal thoughts and feelings, goals, aspirations and fears fueling our lives day in, day out? How do we find the middle ground where we can meet others in a spirit of openness and honesty despite difference, competition and suspicion, all of which human beings are so good at perpetuating!! The answer lies in the domain of the South Node in Aries (Libra’s opposite sign), which reminds us that a healthy ego is one which can individuate itself whilst still embracing the essential value of others despite the many layers of difference which threaten to divide us. There are many people who can stand out, fight for what they want and go all out to secure their goals, and there are many inclined to give in to others, let them call the shots and accommodate their needs in an attempt to stay loved or appreciated and therefore safe and secure. There are fewer people who can do both according to what would promote the best and highest outcome at the time. We tend to be fairly polarised in this respect and the coming months present an opportunity to observe ourselves in action and see what’s really going on in our relationships.
For things may not always be quite as they seem….! We may see ourselves as loving and giving, supportive of others and empathic, when in fact we’re giving everyone what they want because what we want is to make ourselves indispensable: we are seeking to meet our own needs through meeting those of others. If we discover that we’re not indispensable we may fall into the martyred ‘I did everything for you and look how you treated me’ role. In fact we’re angry and hurt because the other person didn’t fulfil what we perceive to be their duty: to need and appreciate us to the extent that we require!
Likewise we may see ourselves as utterly independent, in need of nothing and no one, out there doing our own thing and getting our own way. And yet our behaviour is actually a way to avoid the vulnerability of relationship, and the courage we perceive ourselves to exhibit is a thin veneer to hide a deep anxiety triggered by intimacy and emotional attachment. True courage, when we’re living that end of the spectrum, would be to let down our guard, open our heart to another and ride the unpredictable waves of relationship for a while.
When it comes to the tricky world of connection and intimacy there are so many influences and dynamics, we can become lost in what we assume should come naturally. But relationships don’t always come naturally and it’s time to consider why that is and what we can do about it. When the North Node is in Libra it reminds us that emotional connections which grow between ourselves and another provide insight into our inner world as much as they do into the world of the other person. It is therefore important to look within as much as without as we cross the relationship terrain. If we see patterns repeated in our contact with others we may need to accept that we’re the common denominator and as such most likely have the power to change something for the better. If we find that our interpretation of the behaviour and actions of others always has a familiar ring no matter who they are, we might need to consider the meaning that we’re projecting onto the world around us. Likewise it may be time to offer some honest and authentic feedback to a loved one about what we perceive them to be doing in their relationships.
It can be a tricky subject and one from which we often shy away, but while the North Node is in Libra we have a chance to reflect deeply upon relationships and to receive the many blessings which doing so can deliver: greater self-awareness, deeper empathy, more patience, more courage, a stronger sense of identity in the face of others’ demands. And there are many more… The North Node in Libra is not about being peaceful, it’s about uncovering the polarities in our lives which, when revealed, can enable us to gain a greater sense of balance and poise amidst the maelstrom of human interaction. At times doing this is anything but pleasant, but in the long run it enables us to engage with the world around us from a place of compassion, openness and authenticity which is, after all, the greatest challenge we all face at this critical time in the history of our planet and all who live upon her.
Sarah Varcas
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