A karmic crossroads

The subject of karma has been on my mind lately. The prominence of the concept in my awareness is due in part to the astrology of the moment. This week holds some of the most significant astrology of the year, with slow-moving planets Jupiter and Neptune aligning in the sign of Pisces for the first time since 1856. This particular combination of forces offers the opportunity for miraculous expansion and new ways of seeing the world; at the same time, there is a potential for further confusion, escapism, and delusion. We have the opportunity to imagine the world we want to live in, using our considerable creative powers to bring in more love, without getting lost in a fantasy future. The other option is dwelling on the shadowy events and forces that continue to imagine a dystopian world. Somehow, the dystopian view has become more believable for many of us, maybe because it is reinforced over and over by both mainstream and ‘alternative’ media.

It can be incredibly hard to hold to a vision of a beautiful world these days, yet that is the invitation of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces. To add emphasis to this choice point in our history, Saturn – ‘Lord of karma’ – is squaring the Lunar Nodes – points of karma and destiny. Wrapping in the themes of their respective signs of Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio points to a collective crossroads around our relationships with the Earth, our bodies, our desires, even life and death. We have the opportunity to heal karma in these areas – or not.

While the word ‘karma’ is in common use in our culture, it maybe one of most widely misunderstood concepts to come out of yoga philosophy – besides, perhaps, the word ‘yoga’ itself. In this episode of The Natural Wisdom Podcast, I drew from some of my favorite sources to explain karma – what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.

In brief, karma means action as well as the consequence of a particular action. There is no value judgment to karma, therefore no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ karma. It is simply a reflection of our inner world view. Every action we take from a place of fear, mistrust, or desire to control our experience – or worse, someone else’s experience – deepens that imprint. Conversely, every action we take from a place of love and truth allows us to more fully cooperate with and enjoy our lives on Earth.

Not that this isn’t a tall order! Most – if not all – of us are swimming in an ocean of conditioning and programming that drive our thoughts and actions. Clearing our ‘karma’ means learning to see – and release – this conditioning. Whether it is a deep, hidden sense of the world being unsafe, or a not so deep belief in scarce resources and competition, we perpetuate the world these concepts describe when we act from them.

In last week’s episode of the podcast, I suggested (strongly!) it is time to get serious about shifting our worldview from one of scarcity and separation to a more clear, natural vision of integration, cooperation, and abundance. I was gifted with a brief glimpse of this world recently: a whole, healthy, abundant Garden of Eden-type world exists underneath the dark cloud of war, poverty, and abuse we see on the surface. But until and unless enough of us can see this world, even as a distant possibility, it will be difficult to reach.

We can practice putting aside the dystopian imaginings and choosing a vision of Heaven on Earth. We can align our actions with the compassionate knowing of our hearts and Souls, if for no other reason than to stop creating the karma of a dystopian world.

At least for this week (no matter when you are reading this!), give it a try, and let me know how it goes.

Listen to the podcast here:

You ARE the body, and the Earth: break free of the karma of separation – The Natural Wisdom Podcast

You are not IN a body, you ARE a body. Your body is the expression of your Soul. To reclaim this paradigm is to reclaim our health, and the health of the planet. In this episode, Kristine offers practical suggestions for occupying our bodies, including paying attention to where our attention is directed. One of the lessons of the 7-month journey of Mars in Gemini, which began today, is the power of our attention – and the need to align our attention with our deepest desires. You can find the meditation I referenced here: https://kristinebackes.com/2020/04/08/love-your-body-guided-meditation/ Here is an article from Kristine on occupying yourself: https://kristinebackes.com/2019/01/28/occupy-yourself/ For an in-depth look at the astrology of Mars retrograde in Gemini, check out this class with Emily Trinkaus: https://embodiedaquarian.com/classes/p/mars-retro-22 — Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natural-wisdom/message