posted June 17, 2012 08:54 PM
Ok, folks. Here's the first six signs. I'm hoping to get the rest done within the next couple weeks.Creative Stars: Using Astrology to Tap Your Muse
Trish MacGregor 2002
*No copyright infringement intended*
Luck and Your Creativity
“If only I could get the break I need.”
“He has all the luck.”
“She’s always in the right place at the right time.”
“He meets all the right people.”
For many of us, luck seems to be what other people have. Other people win the lottery, get their books published, have their art exhibited. Other people get a callback on their first audition, land the dream job, find their artistic niche. Yet all of us are born with some element of luck in our horoscopes; it’s called Jupiter.
It seems appropriate that Jupiter, as the largest planet in the solar system, symbolizes not only our luck but our spiritual beliefs. It allows us to see the larger picture even when circumstances would have us believe there isn’t any larger picture. It also symbolizes how our sense of prosperity and faith in ourselves shapes our artistic abilities.
Alchemy and Creativity
The signs of your natal Sun and Jupiter are integral to the alchemical process in your creative life. Part of that process is silencing your inner censor or critic so that you can hear your muse. That critic is the voice that stirs up your fears about living a creative life, cautions us against giving up our day jobs, and brings all our negative beliefs to bear against fulfilling our potential. Some of the more common laments of the inner critic are:
“You won’t get a regular paycheck.”
“You won’t have benefits.”
“You won’t make it.”
“The odds are against you.”
“No one makes a living doing that.”
You get the picture. Even though the critic isn’t entirely without merit-it does, after all, help to keep us grounded and practical-it’s often what holds us back from reaching for and attaining our dreams. It nudges us into a little box of habitual thinking and slams the lid shut. It prevents us from taking that leap into the void.
The first step I silencing the critic is to identify your negative beliefs. The second step is to replace those beliefs with their positive counterparts: the odds are in your favor, you’ll do just great making a living at that. If you dislike your job or your relationships or your home life, there’s a reason for it. Maybe it’s your muse trying to seize your attention; to hear her, you need to turn down the noise in your head and listen to the whispers of your heart.
“Creativity, like breathing,” writes Julia Cameron, “always comes down to the question, ‘Are you doing it now?”
Aries, the Pioneer
Creative Theme ……
Aries Creativity in Ordinary Life…..
Aries Traits That Enhance Creativity
PATIENCE: Okay, this is tough because it’s an inner thing. Aries is happiest when the challenges are external-a mountain to conquer, a deadline to meet. Aries is a master at translating an inner need into an external action without thinking about it too much. But patience requires, well, finesse, forethought, an inner grasp of the other person. Patience requires allowing the creative process to unfold rather than trying to force it into being. This is where the Aries may fall short.
To remedy it, think before you speak, Aries. Don’t blurt it out; mull it over first. Nurture patience. Nurture it until you can find the calm, deeper center of yourself. Then pull the plugs and let your creative fever do the rest.
A SPIRIT OF COOPERATIVE ADVENTURE: Oops. That doesn’t compute, says Aries. He doesn’t want to be part of the office clique; he wants to be the boss, the director, the CEO, the head honcho. He doesn’t want to consult the underlings about what they think or feel; his wisdom is enough, thank you very much. This is where Aries can draw on the strength of his polar opposite, Libra, and attempt to work in partnership with someone he trusts: a spouse, a friend, a neighbor, even a son or a daughter. Whatever the project, Aries should enter it with a willingness to embrace cooperation.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE UNIQUENESS OF OTHERS:...
COUNTING TO TEN:...
Aries Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
VICTIM THINKING: The surest way for Aries to discover whether he thinks like a victim is to listen to himself speak. Nothing good ever happens to me. People take advantage of me. I can’t do it. Many of us aren’t aware of the habitual things we say, which are often aphorisms we’ve picked up in childhood from our parents and other authority figures. Sometimes it takes another person to point out the repetitive patterns in our speech, so if Aries has a trusted friend or significant other who is willing to do this for a couple of days, it can be immensely helpful, but only if it doesn’t put Aries on the defensive.
POINTLESS CONFRONTATION: It may begin with something small-the way his significant other leaves the cap off the toothpaste, a driver who cuts him off in traffic-and suddenly the warrior side of Aries goes on red alert and what started as a minor thing becomes major: …. Pointless confrontation is what can result when Aries can’t find a creative outlet. It invariably drives other people away by putting them on the defensive. Aries must learn to channel his energy into something constructive.
How Aries Can Avoid Creative Burnout...
Summoning The Aries Muse...
The Aries Muse Speaks...
Brainstorming With The Muse...
Aries and Goals
Setting goals may not seem incompatible with creativity, but they can actually provide the backbone for any creative work that you do. If you’re a truly impatient Aries, then set goals that you can attain quickly-within a week or two. Or set “bite-size” goals for specific creative projects. Today I’ll write a thousand words. Or Today I’ll take a dozen photos for my portfolio.
If you keep this up, a regular schedule for your creative work eventually emerges, and your muse becomes accustomed to showing up when you’re ready to work.
If your creative work isn’t how you earn a living and you would like to earn a buck by doing what you love, then setting goals becomes even more important.
Affirmation for Aries
Post the following where you will see it frequently:
My creative life flourishes.
Everything I need creatively comes to me easily.
Taurus, the Pragmatist
Creative Theme….
Taurus Creativity in Ordinary Life….
TaurusTraits That Enhance Creativity
FAITH: This type of faith has very little to do with religion. It’s a spiritual faith, a deep conviction that life is an unfolding process that we set in motion through our beliefs, intents, and emotions. Change the beliefs, the thoughts, the emotions, and the outer experiences also changes to reflect the inner shift.
This is something Taurus understands. Down in those very still inner waters, there a mystic in the making, an essential energy with which Taurus connects when she goes off into nature. When she reaches deeply enough, she can find it, articulate it, bring it to the surface, and use it consciously to alter her life. This is the faith that is called for when she takes a risk and leaps into the void, secure in the knowledge that she will land on her feet, in precisely the spot where she is supposed to be.
COMMUNICATION: Taurus isn’t much of a talker, not unless other elements are strong in her chart. In a crowd, she is the one who says the least. Her opinions and thoughts belong just to her. If asked, she’ll say what she thinks; otherwise she isn’t likely to volunteer information. But when she communicates more readily about her own feelings and beliefs, she opens the door to creative brainstorming with other people. This doesn’t mean she has to do it all the time or all at once. She simply has to try it.
FLEXIBILITY:….
RELEASING ANGER:….
Taurus Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
MYOPIA: Most of us are selfish in one way or another. We have to be to survive. With Taurus, however, selfishness is a kind of myopia that prevents her from seeing how her words and actions affect others. If she gets it into her head to do something, then she’ll do it regardless of who objects. When she brings this trait to her creative projects, she unnecessarily narrows her options, opportunities, and ideas. Her insistence on doing things the way they have worked in the past can squash originality. When she falls into this rut, it may take someone else to point it out to her. She may balk initially, but once she sees it for herself she can usually find a way out.
BLAMING OTHERS: When a project turns sour or doesn’t work out as hoped, Taurus sometimes reacts by blaming others. It isn’t that she sees herself as a victim, which is how Aries may react to a similar situation, but that it’s simply easier to place the blame elsewhere than to scrutinize her own beliefs, attitudes, and ideas about what went wrong.
When placing blame elsewhere is a lifelong habit, recognition can be difficult and sometimes painful. But Taurus can rise to any challenge, and ultimately she benefits enormously by owning up to her mistakes.
How Taurus Can Avoid Creative Burnout
Summoning The Taurus Muse
The TaurusMuse Speaks
Brainstorming With The Muse
Taurus and Goals
What creative dream do you hold closest to your heart? If you were at the end of your life looking back, would you feel regret for the path not taken? Regret for a dream you didn’t pursue? Then that’s the place to start. How would you proceed to work toward the achievement of your dream? What concrete steps would your take?
Under the phrase that defines your creative dream, jot down steps in a strategy that brings you closer to attaining it. Then for it, Taurus.
Affirmation for Taurus
I have everything I need to live creatively.
Now I make it so.
Gemini, the Communicator
Creative Theme….
Gemini Creativity in Ordinary Life….
Gemini Traits That Enhance Creativity
CURIOSITY: This is Gemini’s most valuable resource. He’s meant to poke around in everything and to connect things that make no sense to the rest of us. The more he nurtures his curiosity, the deeper his need to communicate what he discovers and the greater the benefit to himself, the people around him, and even the larger world.
HUMOR: Gemini’s humor is a definite asset in creative work, helping him to keep things in perspective when he’s moving like the wind. As offbeat as this humor can be, it’s one of the things that attracts other people to him.
A BIT OF PATIENCE: Notice that it says “a bit” of patience-not a lot, not patience across the board, just a little of it. A challenge for Gemini is to take the thing he likes to do the least and attempt to do it with a little patience. By tackling distasteful things first, Gemini can adequately gauge whether a bit of patience is beneficial.
Storytelling:….
Belief:….
Gemini Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
BEING TOO ADAPTABLE:
Creativity is an inner process. Gemini feels his way through the process with his mind, and when he tries to impose other people’s ideas on this process, he quickly finds himself in a quandary. It may sound corny, but the adage :Be true to yourself: fits Gemini’s creativity.
NOT LISTENING: Listening is an art that can be cultivated, whether it’s listening to the muse or to other people. Gemini is sometimes so caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn’t really listen to what other people are saying. Valuable bits of information and stories are lost in this way. A level of enrichment is neglected.
COLLECTING TOO MANY FACTS:….
How Gemini Can Avoid Creative Burnout...
Summoning The Gemini Muse...
The Gemini Muse Speaks...
Brainstorming With The Muse...
Gemini and Goals
Some years ago, my husband and I led trips for travel writers to the Amazon. During those trips, I used to wonder how I would ever use any of it in a novel. How could I possible describe the river dolphins, pink as bubble gum, in any fictional setting that made sense? The point is that, as a Gemini, nothing you experience is ever lost. You may think you can’t remember something clearly, but as soon as you begin to work creatively with the memory, it all comes back.
So, today, right this second, take one memory that you have and work creatively with it. If your focus is writing, write something about that memory. If it’s art, sketch or paint something that deals with that memory. What emotions are associated with it? Reach back, Gemini. Then move forward.
Affirmation for Gemini
I’m on a creative roll
Cancer, the Nurturer
Creative Theme….
Cancer Creativity in Ordinary Life….
Cancer Traits That Enhance Creativity
EMOTIONS: Cancer’s emotions are her most powerful resource. She’s here to experience the vast spectrum of emotional experiences, good and bad. But because of her acute sensitivity, it’s all too easy fir her to get stuck in negative emotions. Quite often those negative feelings don’t even belong to her. She has absorbed them from other people.
NURTURING:…
SAFETY AND SECURITY: …
BELONGING: Vital to Cancer’s creative process is a sense of belonging, a kind of tribal identification with some group or place. It may be her family or her friends or even the area where she lives.
Cancer may want to expand this tribal identification by joining a group whose interests are similar to hers. If she’s a budding writer, perhaps a writers’ group is in order. This type of belonging helps in her creative process. It’s always helpful to be surrounded by people who can provide feedback and insight on her creativity.
GOOD MEMORY:…
INTUITION: Cancer’s inner wisdom is one of her best guides-if she listens to it and follows its advice.
Cancer Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
CLINGING: When Cancer holds onto anything that has outlived it purpose, her creativity suffers. This includes relationships, habits, behaviors, thought patterns, beliefs, jobs, and belongings. Thanks to her finely honed intuition, however, she usually knows when it’s time to release something. The challenge lies in the actual letting go-how to do it, when to do it, can she stand to do it. She should try to remember that every time she releases something or someone in her life, she’s making space for new experiences.
FEAR: We all have fears, so this isn’t unique to Cancer. But because she lives so much within her feelings, her fears tend to be amplified. She cuts right to the worst possible scenario. Her fear overpowers her. Or it blocks her. Or it creates obstacles, distractions, hysteria, drama.
If she can turn her fears away from herself and redirect them into some type of creative venture, then they serve a purpose. Otherwise they are nothing but a hindrance to the creative process.
How Cancer Can Avoid Creative Burnout….
Summoning The Cancer Muse….
The Cancer Muse Speaks….
Brainstorming With The Muse….
Cancer and Goals
Most of us have goals, even if we don’t articulate them to other people. Some of us have time frames for our goals-by the day, month, year, or even years. What you’re going to do here is to set creative goals.
Start with a daily creative goal. If you want to write a book, perhaps your creative goal for a given day would be to write five hundred or a thousand words. Once you’ve accomplished your daily goals for a week, make weekly goals, then monthly goals. Then project yourself a year into the future and imagine what you would like to be doing a year from now.
Affirmation for Cancer
My creative risks pay off.
Leo, the Actor
Creative Theme….
Leo Creativity in Ordinary Life….
Leo Traits That Enhance Creativity
FLAIR: Leo has it, a flair that’s as natural to him as the act of breathing. The trick is to take a good look at the area where his flair flows the most easily and effortlessly, then ask himself several important questions. Is this an area he would like to pursue creatively? Is it something he can do every day without his passion waning? Is he willing to commit himself to developing this area? Perhaps he has a flair for color and decorating. Maybe he’s the kind of person who can walk into a house and immediately spot what it needs to reflect the personalities of the people who live there. Is decorating something he wants to do professionally?
COURAGE:….
TRUST: Like no other sign, Leo possesses an innate trust in the process of life. This is the kind of trust that allows him to “leap into the void” with absolute certainty that he will land on both feet. If he wants to write, for example, then he should write instead of talking about it or spending endless hours preparing to do it. The same is true for any creative endeavor. There’s no time like right now to get started.
Leo Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
EGO: We all have one. We all need it. But ego often gets in the way of creativity. Ego is the voice in Leo’s head that whispers, You can’t show that to anyone. It’s the part of him that pouts when his significant other passes judgment on something he has created and finds it wanting. It’s the part of him that takes everything personally.
Ego doesn’t like to be forgotten or shunted aside. But when you’re involved in a creative process, when your right brain is turned on and humming right along, there’s no room for ego. Leo needs to find a way to bundle his ego up into a little package and set it aside while he’s creating. If Leo can teach himself to create in the heat of passion, then his ego won’t be able to get in the way. Later he can go back and let his ego have its say. Later he can edit or touch up or reshoot.
INSECURITY: All of us have bouts of insecurity, so Leo doesn’t have any special claim to this territory. But when his ego is crying out to be noticed, it’s usually because his basic insecurities have surfaced. The best way for Leo to lick long-standing insecurities is to make a daily list of everything he likes about himself-from the way he looks and acts and speaks to his talents and special gifts.
And if Leo thinks about it, really thinks about it, didn’t his insecurities actually start way back in the past, with parents, teachers, or other authority figures telling him repeatedly that he wasn’t creative enough to do what he loves? Or perhaps it started with the praise of these authority figures, whose approval and admiration he learned to depend on.
How Leo Can Avoid Creative Burnout….
Summoning The Leo Muse….
The Leo Muse Speaks….
Brainstorming With The Muse….
Leo and Goals
Setting goals can be difficult for you simply because you are so rooted in the now. But if you want to accomplish something creative, goals are essential. They make the creative practical.
You never know what’s going to unfold once you set a daily goal and work to achieve it. Once you’re attaining your daily goals, set goals a bit further in the future-two weeks, a month, whatever feels comfortable. Keep the goals simple. Instead of setting a goal for yourself that involves ten different areas, pick one area.
As a fixed sign, you should avoid falling into the rut of I have to do this, come hell or high water. Be flexible with your goals, experiment with them. Approach them as a creative adventure.
Affirmation for Leo
I trust my creative process, and yes, I also
love and approve of myself.
Virgo, the Perfectionist
Creative Theme….
Virgo Creativity in Ordinary Life….
Virgo Traits That Enhance Creativity
BELIEF: The type of belief we’re referring to here is belief in the self. This is probably the most critical factor in enhancing Virgo’s creativity. If she’s been living her life with her inner critic breathing down her neck, it’s imperative that she take steps now to silence the critic and allow herself to believe in her creative abilities.
To banish the critic, repeat: My point of power lies in the present. I love and approve of myself. If you say this often enough and back the words with emotion, your critic will lose power over you. Try it, Virgo. Then pass judgment.
HUMOR: Most Virgos I know have a wry sense of humor and a quick wit. Virgo’s creative energy is best served by the continued cultivation of humor in life. Even in the bleakest times, when her creative energy seems blocked and nothing is going the way she planed, a bit of humor goes a long way toward mitigating the negative effects.
RISK-TAKING: To really grasp what this means creatively, take stock of your life as it exists in this moment. Are you happy? Do you love the work you do? How’s your health? Do you like where you live? What would you like to change about your life?
Virgo Traits That Deplete Creative Energy
ANALYSIS: Analysis certainly has it’s place in the creative process, but it should be avoided when Virgo is in the creative flow. Remember Stephen King, in Writers Dreaming: “Part of my job as a writer is to dream awake.” He notes that at the beginning and end of a morning’s writing session, he’s aware that he’s writing. “But in the middle, the world is gone and I’m able to see better.”
If the world is to vanish while Virgo is creating, her analytical voice must be silent.
SELF-CRITICISM: Nothing undermines Virgo’s creativity as fast as self-criticism. Even though this trait may be a part of her quest for self-perfection, it is actually detrimental to that quest. Self-criticism is a tricky little devil, however. All too often it is habitual, so ingrained in who Virgo is that she barley notices it when she’s criticizing herself. To banish self-criticism from her life, Virgo has to become aware of how it is reflected in her thoughts and speech. Other people can be helpful in this regard.
How Virgo Can Avoid Creative Burnout….
Summoning The Virgo Muse….
The Virgo Muse Speaks….
Brainstorming With The Muse….
Virgo and Goals
Put together a realistic schedule for your creative work. Follow it faithfully for a week. At the end of that week, evaluate the schedule and make whatever changes that are in keeping with how closely you were able to maintain it. Use the new schedule for another week; then evaluate it. Do this for two more weeks, for a total of a month. By then you should have a realistic and practical schedule for your creative projects.
Keep creating!
Affirmation for Virgo
I love and approve of myself.
Lindaland
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