I’ve been feeling weighed down by the physical world. Global and national politics plus Metro Surge in my state, with all their real-life repercussions, are a daunting weight to carry. In addition Mercury was retrograde, so of course my printer broke, my snow blower broke, and then my car. I’ve also been shifting the burden of managing an apartment building off my back, which has required endless hours handling a mountain of physical objects––sorting and organizing, trips to the thrift store and dump, cleaning, repairing, painting. It was a daunting task. I felt myself getting more and more distracted from my inner spiritual life, from the activities and energy that nourish me. I felt buried in a dark place.

As I came into the home stretch and ran out of tasks, however, I also became aware of what I was doing: making space. I emptied that building and made space for the next owner. I cleaned out my old life and made way for a new one. Without the stone of that building and its history around my neck, I can blossom into the next fork in my path, whatever that is, unencumbered. I couldn’t have gotten here without plowing through decades of accumulated dust and dirt and emotional souvenirs. This is a gift I gave myself. I am lighter.

Appropriately, it’s now the Spring Equinox. We’ve come through the shadow-heavy part of our year and opened up into the balance of equal nights and days, equal dark and light, balanced shadow and shine. It’s a turning point that is celebrated all over the world. I encourage you to take a moment to stop and breathe it in, let some of the shadow fall away. Welcome some more Light into your being. Take a few moments to sit outside. Marvel at Nature storing up the energy which will soon flow forth in bird song and green life. Imagine yourself and all of humanity joining the process.

Ricardo:. This. This is the physical world where you live, this beauty and space and freedom and hope….You need to be in Love with this world, with all of the opportunities which it is offering you….Practice being soft. Soft and fluid and free. Let your energy free. Flow with the world around you. It will soften the world within you. It is all the same…..Open up, to the sky but also the Earth. There is the balance that will support you.