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Jupiter and Saturn are back together and the whole story is really a tragic comedy made for the Hallmark Family Channel. Roman culture followed these stories religiously. Each god and goddess became a part of everyday life and the biggest celebration was that of Saturnalia. However, this year is a special year. Light your candles and adorn your trees, because the heavenly bodies have started anew. The religion of astrology suggests the force is now balanced. Jupiter the rul...er of Sagittarius and Pisces (the most powerful fire and water signs), Saturn the ruler of Capricorn and Aquarius (the most powerful earth and air signs) have reunited in the night sky. This means elementally the forces upon the earth are now in balance, finding an equilibrium energetically in all the forces. And, as we all have experienced in 2020, it has been a painful process to endure the negotiation and repair of this ultimate father-son relationship. Read on: https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//the-great/

Learning to Love the opponent, and appreciate and honor the differences we have: SEASONS OF LOVE, SEASONS OF CHANGE. - There are so many seasons now it is hard to count. Currently on the docket is Fall Season, Pandemic Season, Fire Season, almost Flu Season, and now Election Season. To say the least, seasons of change are among us. Love is indeed an answer. Yes, maybe John, Paul, Ringo, and George still said it bestLove is all we need. -... How does your critic interact with you? Have you ever considered an opposing view? Are you the president of your own life? How do you love and care for yourself? How do you provide love to others? Does loving someone feel safe? What season is this for you? https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-6/

*Illustration: The Spiritual Pilgrim Discovering Another World: Woodcut, 19th Century* Chapter 6 - Part II: The Quest for the Mature Masculine "Anything not defined, scientifically proven, and sanctified within the masculine structure and patriarchy is perceived and judged as bad...We can liken this to the Bible’s old testament, the Garden of Eden, and Adam’s crossing of the threshold: The snake of infinite knowledge and intuition tempts Eve with the apple, who in turn pleads... with Adam to leave his ignorant state by biting and tasting the apple himself. As Adam searches for and aligns with the feminine and knowledge bearer, he expands his horizons. This action was not indeed an exit from the magical Garden of Eden, but a foray into the world of choices; a horizon of choosing your own garden to live in, and not living in the one designed by someone else." -Sophocles: Mending a Broken Heart Chapter 6: Crossing the Threshold - Redefining the Masculine Last month we discussed the immature masculine archetype and its focus on destruction. The mature, sacred masculine is about sacrificing and freeing ourselves from those boundaries of our youth in order to embrace the feminine. To find a healthy balance with our Feminine and Masculine sides: Creating a nurturing structure in family and community. Read more in my latest blog post: https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-6/ How do you define the masculine? What kind of balance do you have in your life? What do you feel is safe? What security do you feel? How do you protect the nurturing needed? Where do you find wholeness?

Chapter 6: The March Towards Independence The first adventure for anyone is crossing the threshold and stepping outside the system with which you became most familiar as a child. This could be a government, religion, or simply the structure, regulations, and unwritten rules of your family system. This structure and patriarchy is in the conscious world, and what I have defined as the masculine. As we mature, we all are asked to separate ourselves from that masculine framework.... We need to kill off the structure that protected us during childhood, and battle our own demons for the saving and more importantly connection to our soul. We need our independence to define who we are for ourselves. What aspects of your childhood still haunt you? What structure do you find yourself beholden to? Who or what represented the masculine control in your life? How are you manifesting your own masculine framework in your life? What are you protecting? Read more: https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-6/

~This post is dedicated to Willie K. and the learning he offered.~ Arrival of the Hierophant: Finding the god-like part in all of us. In my work as a therapist, I do my best to help someone align and come to terms with all the different voices, thoughts, and emotions they have. The best example, that I can think of, in which this concept comes to fruition is in the world of art. It is when all of the voices within us align and speak congruently; this is when the god-like part...s of who we are begin to inform us, and eventually impact the rest of the world. You can see this happen on stage to a dancer (because the soma/body is a huge part of this process), I have witnessed it in paintings (specifically Dali’s work), and most recently on a stage in Nicasio Valley. His name was Willie K. Read more about how he, in his days of dying, found that part of himself and offered what he could to the world, reminding me of how beautiful things can be: https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-5/

My kingdom for a blood orange: Insights into a therapeutic connection "...The pandemic lectures, social distancing, 6’ feet apart, flashed before me. But, I was mostly embarrassed, as the gentle offering of a beautiful young woman is uncommon, even far more uncommon in the age of sequestering; I melted. However, in my mind, Persephone had offered me her pomegranate seeds condemning me to hell..." _... What issues have sequestering brought about? What are the internal conversations you are having with yourself? What might a therapeutic connection look, feel, sound like? Where are you getting your fulfillment? What is your self-care? https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-4/

Love Lessons from the Greatest Generation: Building a Bridge, Together. When I think of love, I harken back to a generation that propelled a nation to fight together, with each other, hand in hand, arm in arm, literally in the face of death. Love is what conquers all, and we are learning during this pandemic that we can express that love and support for one another even without physical contact. Connection and unity comes from a place of nurturing, the desire to protect one another in the fight for life. In this day and age of sequestering, what are you willing to fight for? Die for? Who or what propels this impulse in you? Where do you feel that impulse within your body? What do you wish to do with this most powerful form of energy we call love? https://danielcliffordcounseling.wordpress.com//chapter-3/