What Do You Want for Christmas?
The holidays are a good time to examine the human drive of desire. We are programmed early in life to respond to the question, ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ Now as adults, the end of the year is a good time to reflect on ‘What do we really want?’ It is time to set some inner, as well as outer goals. I have already decided. My goal for 2024 is inner peace. If you want that too, use this blog as a guide for your journey.
And don’t forget to join me this Sunday December 10 from 10:00 – 12:00 PST (utc-8) for my next Zoom workshop – The Gift of Peace.
The planetary energies in December support us in taking time to nurture ourselves with deep reflection on what makes us happy and how we can support ourselves in finding deeper levels of inner peace. Pay attention to the dates below to tune into how the shifts in planetary energies impact your introspection.
Desire and the Human Design
Desire is a basic attribute of our human design. Desire gets a bad rap in most religions and spiritual paths. The concept of desire is often encoded with ‘sin,’ and assumes that our human desire mechanism is fueled by negative forces. It is true that desire can devolve into greed and excess when it is used to try to compensate for (1) insecurity about who we are, (2) misunderstanding about what we deserve, (3) neediness, and (4) lack of appreciation for what we have.
For our own happiness and peace, it is important to understand the essence of desire.
- Desire is an innate part of our human mechanism that keeps us alive and propels us forward.
- Our desire nature is powerful, resilient, and commanding.
- Our desire impulse is how our soul speaks to us and how we communicate with the Universe.
- Our desire energy makes it possible to attract and to manifest.
- Without desire, we are immobilized and become depressed, unhappy, and even lack the will to live.
- It is through our desires that we know what we want and are directed to take right action.
- It is through our desires that the universe guides and supports us.
Desire (1) motivates us to look beyond what is familiar, (2) pushes us to explore uncharted territory, (3) invites us to befriend the unknown, and (4) encourages us to enjoy the adventure of ‘my life.’
Desire and Will – Our Inner Mars
We must be attentive to distinguish between negative and beneficial expressions of desire and will. Both soulful desire and will are powerful, but they are not expressed with force. They give us the inner drive
- to take action,
- to assert ourselves,
- to believe in ourselves,
- to go for what we want, and
- to live exciting and meaningful lives.
Without our inner Mars (desire and will) we don’t try, we give up on ourselves and our life, we have a hard time dealing with life’s adversities and challenges, and we don’t dare. What a shame! We miss out. We fail to fully participate in co-creating our unique once in an eternity life.
With desire and will, our human expression interacts with our soul and the Universe. Consider that the Universe also speaks to us through our desires. It tells us what it wants to co-create with us, what it wants to help manifest through us on planet Earth at this time. We are each on an important co-creative journey with the cosmos.
Both will and desire arise from our soul and our heart. If either or both are impulsive, chaotic, rebellious, or unyielding, our human ego is misusing this energy. If our purpose or motivation are misaligned, our pushiness will be thwarted. We will experience stress and not be able to find peace within.
Misuse of Desire
There are several ways that we misuse our desire mechanism and our ‘free will.’
- Avoidance
We may fear, even dread, the unexpected and the unknown. We try to control or be in charge and leave no margin for the magic of the universe to serve us. - Wishful thinking
On the other hand, we may pray for the universe to rescue us from life situations that are unpleasant, difficult, and demand effort on our part. - Misunderstanding
Often it is what we have repressed, silenced, or not acknowledged that trigger events that we do not expect. Something deep inside us needs attention and needs to be acknowledged. This is when the Uranus surprise factor kicks in to get our attention. What happens is not a mistake. It is a wake up call. - Responsibility and Inaction
We fail to take responsibility for both our actions and inactions. For example, our repressed desire for freedom, which has been suppressed by our need for security may precipitate unexpected disruptions. Like being fired from a boring job or being abandoned by an abusive relationship. We may blame our boss or our partner, but deep inside it is us who has sparked the fire for change.
Conscience or Conditioning
A basic challenge is to distinguish between our conscience and our conditioning. Are we acting from ingrained, default patterns that we have learned in order to fit into society or to maintain a semblance of domestic peace, or are we guided by what we know is right?
We also have to admit that what we think we want and what we really want are not always the same. I remember so many things that I believed I wanted in the past. Now I am so grateful that I didn’t get them. I thank my soul and the Universe for looking out for me!
We have to sincerely recognize our negative default patterns, which can include
- believing we are a victim and blaming others, the world. and the universe for our problems,
- passive-aggressive behaviors, and
resentment and desire for retribution, or revenge.
All of the above are based on our beliefs that
- we deserve more than we have,
- we have done more than our share without adequate compensation or acknowledgment,
- we haven’t gotten the results that we expected, and
- we feel disappointed or cheated.
While acknowledging our need for being treated fairly, we need to be aware of other interpretations of our personal story and be open to a bigger picture that may be playing out that we don’t yet fully grasp. We can gain insight when we look at our life a few decades back. I personally had no idea of my life now when I was 30, 40, even 50 years old.
If we haven’t gotten what we want,
- maybe we didn’t really want it.
- maybe it isn’t time yet,
- maybe we have something else to do,
- maybe we have more to learn before we get it,
- maybe we have more people to meet, or
- maybe we already have it.
Who, What Is in Charge?
The majority of our choices are made unconsciously. Before the trillion bits of data that bombard us daily reach the part of our brain that is capable of reason, analysis, and choice, it is all filtered through the instinctual, unconscious part of our brain (the brain stem and cerebellum), where it is processed through conditioning, our beliefs about ourselves and life, and the imprints from our life experiences.
Self-inquiry helps us recognize and delete some of this very old programming related to misperceptions, fears, trauma, grief, and anger.
Most important, the goal of this year-end self-inquiry into our desire nature is to get in touch with the light within that is the fuel that comforts, uplifts, inspires, and enables us to live in the joy of our own truth, our heart.
Resistance and Reality
There is a simplicity and naturalness to reality. Reality has nothing to prove. ‘It is what it is.’ When we resist, complain, and try to figure everything out ourselves, we can position ourselves outside the divine flow.
Life works better when we stay present to what is and not distract ourselves with the way we want things to be. Being present in our body makes us receptive to and invites in what is ours. We have to be here when the delivery person arrives! Being present makes it possible to see and respond to opportunities. When a new door opens, we can choose to walk through.
Sooner or later, we realize that the only way to experience inner peace is to be with and surrender to what is now in this moment. Keep this in mind. I hope we all get there before the end of 2024!
End of the Year Self-Inquiry
Let’s look at some ways that desire shows up and how we can make use of the planetary energies during the month of December to get in touch with what we really want. How we think (Mercury), how we feel (Venus), and how we process (Sun) vary when these and the other planets are in different signs. Our inquiry shifts and is colored by the ever-shifting zodiac energies.
November 23 – December 22 – The Sun Shines in Sagittarius
Sagittarius expresses
- our desire for discovery
- our insatiable thirst for more that propels us forward
- our need for adventure
- our quest to allow the unknown to be revealed
- our search for knowledge beyond the familiar
- our soul’s drive to wake up to the spiritual dimensions of reality.
The need for exploration is encoded in our genes. We are not just searching for something to give us a cheap thrill or to release us from boredom. We are searching for the meaning of our existence and a deep and authentic connection with both our human and soul selves. Ultimately we want to experience the infinite Source, from which we are created, and to know our human self from this expanded perspective..
December 2-23 – Mercury is in Capricorn
When Mercury expresses through Capricorn, our mind shifts from Sagittarius exploration to strategic thinking. We are using our desire faculty at a very practical level. We are driven to make choices, prioritize, organize, design a practical plan of action, and focus on doing what needs to be done. But be attentive to the reality of your plans. What feels right? What is energetically and practically feasible?
With both Pluto and the Sun in Capricorn (after December 21) we have access to a powerful drive and determination that furnishes the fuel to carry out our plan of action.
I suggest using Capricorn earth energy to focus on staying present in our body. The more we actually feel the energies in our body and actually enjoy ‘being here now’ the more we build our magnetic presence and attract to us what we need and deserve.
December 4 – 29 – Venus is in Scorpio
When Venus enters Scorpio, things start to feel more intense and we may have self-doubts. We experience a mixture of emotions, including a desire for depth and a search for what is real and meaningful to us. We are willing to explore the complexity of our choices. We desire to uncover and be guided by our true values – not only what is realistic, but what will make us authentically happy. In other words, what do we really want? To be able to transform at the deepest level, we must feel the stability of our soul and not use this fixed Scorpio energy as resistance to change.
Scorpio and its ruler Pluto add depth and transformative power to our desires. The Pluto/Scorpio pair drive (or force) us to uncover what is true – not what we wish were true, but the truth over which we have no control. Releasing our ‘need for control’ is a hard one for most of us, but it is the truth that will set us free, once we let go and recognize that something beyond our own ego human desires is in charge of reality. There is no ambivalence or negotiation with reality. This level of truth is usually difficult to accept (and experience), but it is cathartic and liberating. We can attain a deep sense of relief and joy when we surrender to what is. Isn’t that what we want?
December 6 – Neptune Goes Direct
When a planet changes direction, its energy is intensified for all of us. Where Neptune at 25° Pisces falls in our birth chart is where we may observe a change in focus, feel unstuck, and get more clarity or understanding about a situation.
Neptune and Pisces teach us that when we seek higher truths, we can transcend confusion, illusions, and lies. But are we ready to give up the sand castles we have built? The sea of change will wash them away sooner or later. Then we will realize that global warming is real.
We cannot find what we are looking for if we cling to our comfort zone. Our inner seeker knows that only under the surface waves can we find deep wisdom and unexplored possibilities.
What we seek is seeking us. Notice what may seem to be simple bread crumbs. Connect the dots. What is being revealed? What hidden messages are guiding you to a deeper understanding yourself and why you are here?
I remember going around the circle at family gatherings where each one of us shared our goals for the new year. Every time we got to my Pisces nephew he responded, ‘I want everyone to get what they want.’ He never had his own personal goal. This still makes me think about my goals, intentions, and desires in non-habitual ways.
December 12 – New Moon in Sagittarius
The Sagittarius new moon is conjunct Mars, giving us extra fire energy to optimistically pursue our goals. However, the square to Neptune advises us to not indulge in unrealistic expectations. Keep your options open and don’t try to force anything. Neptune and Pisces are like clouds, they shift on their own, they don’t need our help. Real desire is flexible in relationship to the details as our journey unfolds.
December 13 – January 2 – Mercury is Retrograde
Mercury goes retrograde at 8° Capricorn. Mercury re-enters Sagittarius December 23 and goes direct again January 2 at 22° Sagittarius. We have ten days of practical Capricorn, followed by ten days in Sagittarius when our mind is imaginative, open, and explorative.
This Mercury retrograde squares nebulous Neptune, which can add an element of confusion and disorientation. Actually a good way to take advantage of this mix of energies is to go inside and connect with your truth of what you really want. This is a perfect alignment to help us commit to inner exploration at the end of the year. Don’t think! Deeply listen under the chatter of your mind to your heart and soul to determine if you have been dreaming either too big or too small. Align with your truth and let your goals for the new year emerge gradually from your heart.
Use this time to silently assess, quietly realign, and focus on yourself. Center yourself in what resonates with peace and joy. You don’t have to have all the answers. This is the time to enjoy a moment of inner peace and joy.
December 21 – Solstice and Sun Enters Capricorn
At the solstice, the Sun changes direction and there is a shift in the balance of darkness and light. This is a day to chill and tune into the cyclical rhythm of nature. In time your perspective may change, and you may start something new. On this day, simply be present to what is.
December 26 – Full Moon in Cancer at 4°
This is a day to feel cozy within yourself, whether you are by yourself or with others.
December 27 – Chiron Goes Direct at 15° Aries and Mercury Conjunct Mars at 24° Sagittarius
Enjoy your Self. A new year is about to begin. We have a few more days to indulge in being present to ourselves in our bodies and honoring what we have discovered about what we really want. Make sure you can tell the difference between illusions and being connected to a deep understanding and acceptance of both your inner and outer realities.
December 29 – Venus Enters Sagittarius
After an intense Venus in Scorpio, we feel refreshed by the buoyant energy of Sagittarius. We love life and end the year with gratitude.
December 30 – Jupiter Goes Direct at 5° Taurus
When Jupiter goes direct after four months retrograde, our inner exploration is ready to be the foundation for a new adventure in the world. We have a lot to look forward to in 2024.
Zoom Workshop – The Gift of Peace
Sign up now for a holiday Zoom workshop with Guru Rattana Ph.D.
Sunday 10th December – 10:00 am – 12:00 noon PST (utc-8) followed by sharing and discussion.
https://gururattana.ticketleap.com/the-gift-of-peace/
The holidays are a special time to offer gifts from our hearts. The greatest gifts of all are peace and love.
In this workshop we will
- Connect with our inner space of peace.
- Experience the Presence of Universal Peace.
- Identify with and become one with the universal energy of peace.
- Feel the power of Peace as we join as one in this sacred space.
- Become a channel for healing and a vessel for world peace.
Together we will nurture ourselves, our family, our friends, and the entire world with the vibration of the wonderful healing mantra – ra ma da sa sa say so hung.
In this spirit of giving, admission to this workshop will be offered at a specially reduced rate of $15 – you will save $15 or 50%.
You can also give admission to this workshop as a gift to your friends, family, students, and anyone else who may benefit from attendance. CLICK HERE for simple instructions.
