All Life Is Family
by
Sarah Varcas
On 6th November 2018 the North Node shifts from the fire of Leo into the waters of Cancer where it remains for eighteen months. Since its entry into Leo in May 2017 it has helped us find our own place, chart our own path and claim our right to exist in this complex and beautiful world. Supporting those seeking a voice to make their mark and demand respect, it has affirmed that all beings have a basic right to life, freedom and self-expression: rights often threatened by the unstemmed tide of destruction characterised as progress. As it tip-toes into Cancer, the North Node bids us reflect
on how we define and create family in the widest sense. Do we experience our connection with all life as an undeniable throbbing in our veins? Or do we shrink our gaze and close our heart to all but those that look, speak and think like us? Do we know ourselves as part of a macrocosm or as above and beyond it, lauding our superiority over Mother Nature herself? Do we seek belonging for all or favours for some….dignity for everyone or just the chosen few?
The North Node always points us in the direction of progress and fulfilment, revealing how to more deeply and fully occupy our humanity. It is our guide into a bright future, but demands the sacrifice of familiarity for a more satisfying but challenging way. The North Node in Cancer illuminates the realm of family and community: individuals joined at the heart in a shared quest for intimacy, security and mutual understanding. The Cancerian heart is a tender one, compassionate and protective but also defensive, at times suspicious and withdrawn. This North Node exhorts us to choose compassion over suspicion, inclusion over rejection, humility over arrogant self-importance. We are all both vital to what happens next and inconsequential in equal measure. We play our small part in a drama far greater than the eye can see and the heart can know. To do so well, we must come from a place of faith and trust, balanced with wise discernment and openness to truths that may be hard to bear.
The Cost of Material Gain
The North Node in Cancer reminds us that material gain often bears a price paid by others out of sight and mind, while those blessed with a roof over their head and a full belly seek ever more ‘stuff’ to feel satisifed. We cannot forever pursue material expansion without consequences that hurt us all, but especially those already struggling to survive. As we nurture a sense of family in which all life is kin, it increasingly matters where our food comes from and who suffers for our plate; where our money goes and who it really serves; the impact of energy sources upon our planet, of how we live upon our climate, of who we are when no one’s looking. This North Node asks us to open our hearts ever wider to the craziness of a world on the brink and the hope of a future born of compassion, integrity and a willingness to not only make, but celebrate, the sacrifices that give everyone a chance.
Water, Water Everywhere
This North Node draws to our attention the seas and oceans, rivers and lakes. It calls upon us to cherish their presence and remember we owe them our very existence. They and their creatures will speak to us ever more clearly during this time. We must listen closely, acting on what we hear and see. Bless bodies of water far and wide. Bless every glass of water you drink, every drop you give to your plants. Water is life and spirit, too long taken for granted. Use it mindfully, with gratitude and respect. Honour it, sincerely, every day. Learn from its ability to be a raging torrent or a refreshing mountain stream. Become water in your own life, flowing and free with great power that can be harnessed for good, whilst mindful that, like water, we can destroy as much as revive. Deny nothing of yourself. Allow it all into consciousness so the waters of awareness can refresh your tired, weary spirit. Release the pressure of damned-up emotion that threatens to burst through anyway, destroying the very thing suppression was meant to protect. Avoid stagnant situations and emotions. Keep your life in motion. Water is our teacher now, guiding us by example.
Respecting Cycles: Some Good Advice
Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is cyclical, its energy ebbs and flows. The more we can align ourselves with the peaks and troughs of our own lives the better we can know what needs to be done and when, to discern our part in the unfolding drama upon this beautiful planet. A river cannot be pushed but its mighty force at the right time can move trees like twigs and wear away solid rock. So can we, when in tune with the beating heart of life itself, forever guiding us on.
Take regular time to discern the energy of your personal present in the context of our collective evolutionary journey. Commune with nature whenever possible. Notice even the weeds between the paving stones, a sign of Mother Nature’s unrelenting presence in our lives. Choose your focus well. Consider the bigger picture and expand your sense of belonging accordingly. We are all of us connected, which doesn’t mean we must all agree or even like one another! But we can recognise our shared humanity and the ways in which centuries of materialistic patriarchy, war-mongering and the elevation of rampant economic growth above all things has skewed our values, assumptions and perspective.
It’s a long road ahead and there are many trials to be faced. But we walk it step by step, with every breath we take, every penny we spend, every thought we think and decision we make. The North Node in Cancer reminds us we do not act in a vacuum nor live in a consequence-free world. The ripple effect is alive and kicking and we must now, more than ever before, consider deeply the many waves we create.
Sarah Varcas