“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”—Julian of Norwich (14^th century Christian mystic.)

Dear Anam Caras,

Happy spring equinox! It is the first seasonal change of the calendar year for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere. In many traditions, this is a time of celebrating the start of a brand new year. The spring and vernal equinox days are the only two days when light and darkness are in balance. It’s an auspicious time to go within and check on the balance point in your own life.

Ancestral Wisdom:
This Too Shall Pass

At this time in humanity’s evolution, when it seems like there’s a disturbing New Abnormal, I encourage you to focus on Love, not Fear. Below I share the wisdom that my beloved mother, June Purcell Beddoe, often shared with me. I hope you too are comforted by the gift of what I called her “historical perspective.”

Born in 1918, Mom lived through the Great Depression. Her feminist mother took in boarders to save enough money to educate her two daughters beyond high school. Mom graduated from Brown University in 1940, the first college-educated woman in her family. She and my Dad both served in the military during World War II. Then, with two daughters under 3 years, she had to send him off to minister to those wounded in the Korean Conflict. June lived through many ups and downs and multiple moves due to my father’s career. She survived the tumult of Vietnam War and the painful estrangement of the generation gap within our world and her own family. She was a social worker who was horrified by the injustice, poverty, neglect, racism, and bigotry her clients faced. She did all she could to help them with practical solutions and great compassion. June was no stranger to the double-standard and ugliness of misogyny. Widowed at age 60, Mom cared for her mother until she passed. And then returned to work part-time at age 70. June experienced many more challenges until her transition in 2003.

She knew firsthand that “old age ain’t for sissies.” Nevertheless she persisted with courage and authenticity. At every dark turn in the journey, June assured me that ultimately All Shall Be Well. Her hard-won certainty allowed me to persist when it looked like all would never be well! Transmitting this deep knowing was probably her greatest legacy to me.

Thank you, June! I bow in thanks to your tenacity, wisdom, and grace. I honor you by sharing these comforting words:

“This too shall pass. I promise, honey!  Even though right now it seems like the world is coming to an end, what matters is how you make the most of the challenge and get the help you need. Do your best to understand what you should be learning from this hard time. Try to remember those whose lives are harder than yours. And be kind to everyone! You never know who is secretly suffering much more than you.”

–June Purcell Beddoe

Spring Equinox: A New Start

I love starting afresh, whether it’s a new project, friendship, or year. It’s fun to imagine the possibilities of what could be created.

Though often tired from The Holiday Frenzy, I am eager to turn the calendar page to a new year, ready to explore its potential. However, I’ve also observed a phenomenon that occurs a week or so into January—my Perfectionist Neter comes out of the shadows, raining down on my New Year Parade of Planning, plaguing me with unrealistic expectations and standards.

I’m obsessed by a self-imposed and artificial notion that I have to “figure the whole thing out” before February first! It sounds silly and irrational, but I’ve noticed this frequently happens during January when I bring out my shiny new day planner and work to translate my intentions into actions in my daily life. What began as a joy-filled process of anticipating The New descends into anxiety.

New Experiments and New Thoughts

So to cut myself some slack this year, in January I decided to experiment with making March 19, 2020 the beginning of my new year. What a relief it was to have 79 days to think through what I will create this year! What a relief to liberate myself from the Gregorian calendar and instead slow down, attuning to the seasonal cycles of Nature!

This experiment is one of many, part of my vow to open my 71 year old mind to new ways of being, thinking, speaking, and doing. And to keep making Quality of Life a priority. I am grateful to my beloved mother who modeled an Elderhood of quality, curiosity, courage, and grace.

Another way I’m experimenting is to deepen the Watchword practice (see here and here) that wise woman Marie shared with our SoulCollage® Circle. In the past, I would make one SoulCollage® card for my year’s Watchword, keeping it on my desk so I could contemplate its message each day.

My 2020 Watchword, “CHERISH What Is,” feels quite formidable! Mostly I cherish my preferences and NOT “What Is”! In fact, I actively rebel when life does not conform to my preferences. I am guided by this wisdom:

 “The Great Way is not difficult for those not attached to their preferences.
  When neither hate nor love arise, all is clear and undisguised…
 If you wish to know the truth,
Then hold to no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
Is the disease of the mind.” — Hsin-hsin Ming:  Verses on the Faith-Mind

I am trusting the process, and trusting that Intuition purposely gave me this special Watchword at this specific time for my soul’s evolution. As always, in my creative process, I will create and adjust as I go along. 

Intuition is now guiding me to explore how “CHERISH What Is” manifests in my daily life. I will make it a habit to record my observations about my Watchword.

And to go even deeper, for the next four seasons, over 12 time cycles, I’ll make 12 additional cards that relate to my 2020 Watchword. These cards and their messages will allow me to contemplate how the Watchword manifests in all 12 arenas of my life.

The 12 Life Arenas, also know as the 12 astrological Houses, are useful categories to aid in this Watchword exploration. Each House is like a room where the soul works out its karmic lessons. I value the comprehensive nature of the 12 Houses. They cover almost every part of the mundane activities in our earthly existence. See below for a description of the 12 Life Arenas/Houses. And for the dates of the 12 cycles of the astrological year.

For example, today is March 19, 2020, the Spring Equinox and the first of the 12 time cycles. To deepen my Watchword practice, I begin by exploring the First House which is related to…

• the personality and disposition
• the vitality of the physical body
• one’s world view

Here is my Watchword card and “I Am the One Who…” reflection for the First House.

CHERISH THE WHAT IS-ness
Of the Body (First House)
I Am One Whose
Body & Personality
are ever evolving.
I Am One Who carries
Her Magical Child within
my aging body.
I Am One Who Hears the whispers of that innocent child within.
She says, “Cherish the form
you are now.”
When you see grandparents and grandchildren,
Remember to happily
Cherish your current form.

Deepening Your Watchword Practice

1. Make a SoulCollage® card for this year’s Watchword. Keep it out so you may contemplate it daily.
2. When the new cycle arrives, reflect on the aspects of that Life Arena/House. For each cycle, make a new card to represent how that Watchword manifests in the corresponding new House.
   • Here are the 12 cycle dates.
   • Here are the descriptions of the 12 Houses.
3. Journal about the card. See PDF here to help your dialogue with the card. Step into the card and ask it to…
   • Tell me about yourself. Listen carefully and take notes when you hear the answer.
     •  “I Am One Who…”
     • Keep listening and allow for a kind of stream-of-consciousness answer.
   • What do you have to give me?
   • What do you want me to remember? Or, what do you want from me?
   • How will I remember your message?
     • (What will trigger me to remember your message? Perhaps a color, sound, fragrance, form or symbol, etc.)

If you’d like some help with the practice, please use our Contact page. I am happy to coach you so you can get comfortable. I invite you to share your experiences in the Comments section below.

Peace be unto you. May you walk in Beauty today and all the days of your life, dear friends. With great love and respect,

Take a break from the the anxious churning of anxiety our screens deliver. Instead, enjoy this uplifting song honoring the truth that All Shall be Well.