What a time we’re having in our chrysalis!  If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’ve been talking about this year as an epic year – one of huge change.  The pandemic has disrupted everything we know and knew to be true.  George Floyd’s death has exposed how little of my own history I learned growing up.  It’s also been a wake-up call, not only for my own country but internationally.  The pandemic has exposed so much of the structural racism that was hidden in plain view from those of us who benefited from that system. Structural sexism is coming to light in new ways – and we’re seeing how women of color are impacted doubly by how these two structures intersect.

When a congresswoman of color can be accosted on the steps of my nation’s capital with total impunity by an older white congressman, and when a non-apology is touted as something that said congresswoman should accept, those fractures are being exposed.  If you have only listened to or watched your respective news outlets’ or social media outlets’ reports on this, I urge you to actually watch and listen to both speeches.  I guarantee it will be eye-opening.

And of course, even in the chrysalis, we humans keep trying to hold on to the old, to go back to “the way things were.”  We fight the changes even as we say we want to grow and develop. It’s part of human nature.

Dismantling & Rebuilding Structure

The central characteristic of the chrysalis, however, is the breakdown of everything – the complete dismantling of the old DNA structure and the formation of an entirely new DNA structure.  That’s what we’re seeing and will continue to see in these next few months.

To shift the perspective a little bit, we have a strong full moon in Aquarius coming up on August 3.  While the astrological events are also indicating that we are in for a bumpy ride for the next few months, this moon is a herald of some of the underlying shifts that are happening.

Aquarius is the sign all of the major planets have been moving into and will continue to move into in the next few years (we won’t complete our transition into the Aquarian age until Pluto enters Aquarius in 2024).   Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the planet of awakening, of revolution, of eruptive energy (think literal and metaphorical earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), and of the unexpected.  We are going to see all of those things.  Uranus energy is all about truth – and together with Jupiter, whose truth-telling energy is also strongly connected with the planetary shifts – we will see truth coming to light.  All of this is part of the greater shift in consciousness of which we are all a part.

The full moon, which always shines a light into dark corners, is coming up in Aquarius on August 3, so we will see many of these themes coming to light.  Add to that, the ongoing Pluto-Saturn in Capricorn energy (you can read more about that here) – and we are in for a very bumpy ride.  From every viewpoint  (whether you’re looking scientifically, astrologically, politically, environmentally, etc.), we are in the midst of very turbulent times.

We are all in this together

However, if you can remember that you are in the chrysalis – and that we are all in that chrysalis together – it can provide hope.  One of my favorite astrologers, Pam Gregory, likened this time to putting in a new kitchen.  In order to do that, you have to completely “smash out the old,” to use her terms.  Then there is the mess, the dirt, the rubble, and dust.  At times you think this is awful, and you’ll never get through.  But ultimately, once the new kitchen is installed, you’ll feel very differently about it.

In this analogy, we’re in the middle of the dismantling, the “smashing out,” of the old.  During this time, we too are going to think this is terrible and awful.  But if we can keep the larger picture in view, we can also choose not to be reactive – knowing that the new “kitchen” will be much more beautiful and functional than the old one.

To come back to the metaphor of the chrysalis, this “smashing out” is part of the shift in actual DNA that the caterpillar undergoes.  It’s uncomfortable.  It’s scary.  We fight it because we always fight the unknown. But the turbulence and deconstruction we are experiencing are temporary.  And what we see as destruction is actually what needs to happen to make way for the new.  If you can keep that view in mind in the midst of this turbulence, it will help you be less reactive.  Keep reminding yourself of the larger view — that this is actually part of the larger shift in consciousness that we are all going through.

Helping You Shift Through This Time

One way to support this greater shift in consciousness is my online Mending Webs class starting next week.  Our webs of relationships in families, groups, communities, and even the webs of our bodies (I will write about this in an upcoming blog post) are all affected by this turbulence.  In fact, some of our webs may be causing extra turbulence.  Learning how to Mend Webs is crucial to helping us move through the shifts of these times.

One of my colleagues talked about Mending Webs as “an approach where Rupert Sheldrake’s morphic fields, Bert Hellinger’s work with ancestral trauma, and spiritual practice intersect.”  Yes, it’s that and more.  It is powerful work.  It is work we can all take part in as we continue in the chrysalis.  I still have a few spots left. Registration closes on Sunday, August 2, so if you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to act.  Here is the link for more information.

Meanwhile, as we move through these next few months, keep reminding yourself of the bigger picture.  When any disruptive event happens, take a step back and remember that we are all moving into higher consciousness, and we are going through the necessary dismantling that has to occur for us to make that shift.  From that perspective, you can choose to move through fear more easily (and perhaps not react so strongly to that fear).  You can also choose not to go into reaction, but to hold on to your internal compass, knowing that what you’re seeing is not the end, but rather what needs to happen for us to shift into the unity consciousness.  In the midst of these turbulent times, you can affirm the reality that we are all connected in very deep ways, and that — together — we are creating stronger and more healthy and sustainable webs.