Elect Purposeful Passion

The election altered me. Even me, she who strove to live beyond the corruption in politics, the ignorance inherent in capitalism. I have been asking how it changed me, then diligently witnessing my reactions and responses, the latter from higher ground, more sound wisdom.

Now, everyday I call or write my senators, sign petitions, or stand in protest at the capitol for an hour, sometimes two. I have an Instagram, FB, and Twitter account. I used to pay people to manage my social media, now all posts are mine. I talk to people about how they voted, or about their beliefs which eventually leads to how they voted or that they did not vote. I express my views openly, unabashedly and am willing to learn where I have misunderstood. I walk more, ride my bike more, so often that my car battery keeps dying at the grocery store from underuse. Those things I have always done to protect my sensitive nature, I do with more ferocity. I meditate longer, put my hands in the dirt and my body in the water, feed the hungry, shelter the weary, read enough inspiring material to counteract the massive despair I consume via media and conversations. I sacrifice prestige and money if it means making the right choice for the environment, for you. I have more patience, but somehow less tolerance. I ask my friends and family for forgiveness; if I was on fire before, now I am fire and to spend time in my presence feels hot, uncomfortable. I realize I may not be alive to see this ship turn around. I say to myself, that I knew it would get worse, and still worse before it got better. And I ask myself if the better doesn’t happen in my lifetime, is it still worth my energy to foster. It always is. Life now is less carefree, less fun at times, but it is more meaningful, it has sound purpose for any willing to open their eyes and hearts to collective next steps. We are at war with our shadow and the only way to annihilate this enemy is to face it and embrace it, to transform it in the crucible of love for self and other, human, being, planet.

If the United States offers a government for the people and by the people, we have some serious shadow to confront. It makes perfect sense we have elected (sort of) an unintelligent human, driven by money and lack of self-esteem, eternally distracted, who thinks time in nature is a golf game. Does this sound like anyone you might also know? In astrology, facing the shadow is Pluto’s work, Pluto’s gift. But it is painful. No one escapes alive no matter how much Netflix appeals to us. Pluto’s dark voice will wake us at odd hours in the night, a niggling whisper of wisdom that encourages us to become more, to shine brighter, to go up in flames like a Phoenix if necessary. So let’s don our colorful plumage and rise, shall we? Let’s rise from our shadow nature of materialism, greed and disconnection, then when we finally touch the ground, we will do so with tears of gratitude and wild reverence in our fingertips.