Pandemic. War. Inflation. Climate change. What do they have in common? Threatening destruction! Health might be lost, lifes and cities might be destroyed, accumulated wealth might disappear, and a benevolent environment might turn mean. A common response? Paralysing fear. We cling to what we have, trying to avoid death at all cost. But with so much focus on survival, what happens to life itself?
For many years I‘ve been interested in astrology. I had a few readings done, each one feeding my fascination and making me hungry for more. ‘One day’, I used to say, ‘one day I will learn it properly.’ In February of this year, just over two months ago, an astrologer I‘m following on Social Media announced one last place for an upcoming foundation course. It started the following day. It was February the 22nd, 2022 – a perfect day to start on a new journey. And so that‘s what I did.
Suddenly I was spending my time learning about elements and zodiac signs and planets, and, most importantly, discovering new stuff about myself. Instead of watching the news about the latest military developments or expected killer waves in autumn, I‘ve been absorbed by the wisdom of our ancestors. I‘ve been feeling smaller than ever, and yet more connected than ever too.
Travelling on the astrological road, I’m making pleasant detours to the realms of psychology, history, alchemy and astronomy. The other day, for example, I watched a video called TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE, a dark and utterly mindblowing trip to the future of our universe and all the other universes. The bottom line? Everything ends. Me, you, countries, dreams, trees, the sun and even black holes – eventually, everything will die.
Hence, longterm survival is impossible. And with a trillion unpredictable variations, we can‘t even say whether shortterm survival is likely. There are tendencies and probabilities – as stated in every astrological chart – but ultimately, nothing is certain other than the cosmic law of impermanence. Nothing will last. Scary stuff – or a a liberating blessing?
Whatever tomorrow will bring, it doesn‘t matter. We‘ll find out soon enough. What matters is today, right now, right here. The breath you take, the life you‘re living in this very moment. That‘s all we got.
No new realisation, I know. But sometimes I forget this simple truth, and I‘m sure for many of you it‘s the same. So let‘s remind each other to pay less attention to the fear of the future, and instead honour the fact that we‘re alive today. It’s a real gift – not the future, but the present.
