One of a Kind & One of the Crowd
By
Sarah Varcas
Venus entered Leo on 28th July 2019. Given the challenges of the eclipse season which ended on 29th July, this is something to celebrate! After much self-analysis and the illumination of some thorny issues, we can now relax into being who we are without apology or self-consciousness! Venus in Leo rejoices in the pleasures of being a personality in a sensual physical body, occupying a world that provides enjoyment alongside the hardships we face. It’s time to embrace some more of the fun and a bit less of the challenge!
With four heavenly bodies now in Leo (the Sun, Venus, Mars and asteroid Juno) and a new moon in the sign of the lion on 1st August, we can proudly proclaim who we are and let the world see us in all our glory. But what applies to one applies to all, so there needs to be space for others to do the same. Indeed, a central task on the Leonine path is that of allowing others to shine as much as oneself. The coming few weeks will provide significant opportunities to do that, so we all get some positive attention. Think of it as a collective affirmation of individuality. It may sound paradoxical but it can be deeply healing, enabling us to break out of limiting communal dictates into the breath-taking beauty of who we uniquely are.
Embracing this natural uniqueness is an all-important part of finding the balance between self and other, me and you, individuality and the collective. We each have a gift, be it a winning smile, a compassionate heart, a strident passion, a good head for figures or a talent well honed. But gifts can be overlooked if we strive only to be ‘special’ and stand out from the crowd. In truth, some of the most precious gifts are very low key. Chatting with a lonely stranger in the bus queue won’t get much attention, but it may create a ripple effect we can’t begin to imagine. Nursing an injured bird back to health is done by someone somewhere every day, without great fanfare. And yet Mother Nature herself whispers ‘thank you’ as she stretches her mended wings to return to the wild. The universe is infinitely grateful when we share our unique gifts and the more we can attune to this omnipresent appreciation the less we need it from others to feel worthwhile.
Venus entering Leo while the North Node continues its journey through Cancer, assists us in balancing our role in the local and global community with our need to be recognised as an individual. We walk both these paths, one on which we must place the greater good above personal gain, and one on which we prioritise honouring our unique individuality. At times these two endeavours can seem at odds and we may stumble as we try to establish balance. Venus’s current journey through Leo reminds us not to neglect either aspect of this human life. To do so is to live a lie that says either we’re more important than everything else or everything else is more important than we are. Neither of which is true.
Honouring the greater good should not demand a relinquishment of all that we are as individuals. We can stand apart from the group and still contribute in the right way for us. At the same time the collective continues to act upon us as individuals, influencing and shaping our development even as we stand alone. Just as we cannot keep our breath from mingling with others’, we cannot prevent our energy from merging either, birthing the unified energetic field that criss-crosses this planet, connecting us all.
Whether walking a path of individuation or aligning with the greater whole, we can both nurture our own uniqueness and contribute to the collective field from which we draw support, inspiration and nourishment. Bringing authenticity, compassion and integrity to these dual roles enables us to be vibrant individuals and productive parts of the whole, knowing when to bow to the greater good, when to stand firm in our individuality and when our uniqueness can contribute to the collective in ways that hiding in the shadows never could. The higher we rose to the challenges of the eclipse season, the more we’ll have to celebrate now, for embracing the light alongside the shadow makes us complete: neither light nor dark, nor this or that. Just you and me in all our weird and wonderful glory! One of a kind and one of the global crowd.
Sarah Varcas