Depending on the season, outside of my back door in the northern skies sits either one of two constellations; the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) or the constellation Cassiopeia.

Standing guard over these last 365 days, these groups of stars have been my confidants and consolers many nights. I think of what I’ve experienced during this last full orbit around the Sun (what we’ve collectively experienced): the deepest grief and happiness, the heartbreak and healing, and the growing joy in my heart.

As Cassiopeia makes her way back into place outside my door, I wonder where we will all be in the next few weeks and months. Everything is undeniably changing. For years I’ve described it to friends as “the view from the bow of the ship riding a great sea change”. It is rough! I bet whoever keeps track of what happens in our linear world knows this a biggy! Wave after wave of change!

We’ve been taught to process the world through such a biased limited view and although it appears it has damaged us, I’m not sure any of us was truly ready to comprehend the reality around us until now. I don’t think that we collectively understand that we can work together to manifest a future.

Our inherent energy to manifest beauty and joy has been hijacked to manifest fear, depression, isolation, and illness. In my heart, I believe we’ll find out that we’ve done it together - manifested this present in real-time. But not out of malice, but out of observation and shared emotional response. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to alter our approach to collectively send energy to the areas of our world, our lives, our communities that need the most help.

Actually, I don’t think it will be all that far in our future. Hopefully, by the time the “Big Bear” rests back into its current place.