My daughters are away this week. I have caught up with the washing and tidied the house. I have a list of other chores that could be 'achieved'. I was speaking to a friend today whose partner has gone into respite for a week. She also has a list as long as your arm of jobs to catch up on! It soon became very apparent that this time of solitude and quiet could so easily be devoured by 'duties'! 
  I was reminded of when my daughters were babies, each time they fell asleep I would catch up with things that needed doing and then wonder why I was permanently exhausted. I have therefore decided that, whilst some things do need attention, I shall prioritise. This is a golden opportunity to step back from the frenetic balancing act and say "NO" to my own self-enforced sense of responsibility. 
  We usually forget to make time for ourselves and can then end up giving with resentment which is worse than not giving at all. Making tiny adjustments and respecting our own needs creates a world of difference. So, whether your 'baby' is a project, a business, a duty or something that you would feel guilty about not completing, put a stop to your nagging thoughts about getting everything done. Allow it to rest and sleep at an appropriate time and use these precious moments to relax, perhaps meditate or to go out and enJOY yourself! In my case right now I am going to have an afternoon nap!
  Giving ourselves permission to 'let go' of our internal conflict between demands and guilt is a wonderful gift! When the baby sleeps we have the chance to  recharge our own batteries and that, and only that, is what we should be doing. 

 Today we have an exact Mars opposition to Uranus. This dance, like the Pluto - Uranus square has been ongoing for a while. In fact the Mars - Uranus axis across the chart also squares Pluto. So the pressure is still on for both external and internal abrupt and demanding change. When such a T-square forms there are few answers and it is difficult to break free from the difficulties and restrictions imposed in such a set up. We have to look in the area of the missing leg to a cross formation for any clues to relief. (So we have a 'T' formation right now and need a '+' formation for some resolution). Yet a grand cross is also fraught with tension and challenges! Interestingly this is building as we speak and will be provided by the sun in Cancer on the 4th July as it opposes Pluto in the heavens. Watch the news at that time, particularly in relation to the USA.
 I should be an expert in the Mars Uranus opposition as it is present in my natal chart. There is always a sense of having an itch that cannot be scratched. A rebellion that must take place but not sure against what or who or even why most of the time. The rebel in me gets very frustrated and this can lead to a sense of living on nervous energy. Conformity is not my thing, although Saturn in Capricorn can present a very conservative side to me causing further dilemma. However, this Saturn helps me to ground my 'revolting' side into more practical application and outcomes! I like to get to know the rules so that I can bend them in very effective ways!
  Mars opposite Uranus is not a peaceful placement as it contains both the physical energy of Mars and the mindbendingly quick fire electric energy of the higher mind. Thoughts are always outside the box and need to be implimented quickly and often rashly in order to shake things up. There is little patience for those who are slow of mind at this time.
  So be aware of this tension in the air in general. Road rage is one likely outcome on a generalised level. Your personal chart will indicate the areas of your life in which the rebel in you will be showing itself. For a reading please contact me on 07592151805

  Some days, no matter what planning has taken place or how many details double checked, fate takes over and the best you can do is let go of resistance! I found myself on such a journey through the whole of Tuesday this week.
  Having duly arrived for a meeting at Surrey University which had been in my diary for months, I found that the date has been changed. I was the only one to turn up so it was obviously my mistake. The thing is I was so certain that I had this written in my diary that I didn't take full consideration of the date change when notified - at least that is the only conclusion I can draw at this time.
  My day had been planned so well but suddenly I now had nearly three hours to fill before meeting a friend at the cafeteria in the nearby Cathedral.  As luck would have it The Fountain Centre (http://www.fountaincentre.org/), an amazing wholistic therapy centre within St. Luke's Cancer centre, is only minutes away. I worked there for six years as a volunteer therapist some years ago and so decided to pop in. An ulterior motive was to make an appointment to introduce my friend Antonia to the new centre manager. Antonia's work "A Graceful Death" (http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/my-work.html) is a beautifully supportive exhibition of paintings and writings of those facing death. It was lovely to visit and reconnect with past colleagues at The Fountain Centre and also to know I could be the catalyst for a beneficial new project. I was able to arrange a date suitable for all concerned to meet.
  With still two hours to spare, I drove up to the Cathedral. Parking is free, a miraculous thing in itself! The weather was glorious (how did that happen?!?!). I sat for a while and texted my friend to see whether she could come along earlier but no response.
  I took my own advice and sat in quiet meditation for a while. Feeling all frustrations ebb away I concluded quite firmly that there was a real reason why my day had worked out this way and I needed to explore all possibilities. I therefore took the very unpromising looking route through the car park following sign posting to "University - Town Centre". However, tucked away at the very rear of the cathedral was a small "Children's Garden". I stepped inside to find that this was a specially commissioned project to help bereaved children. The message was that just as the year has seasons, so does life. Just as things die, so their imprint and legacy lives on through the seeds they leave behind.
  This alone was wonderful enough as I felt the garden was reiterating the reasons why my day had been altered in such an unexpected way. I would never have found the garden, nor visited my former colleagues had the original meeting not been postponed. The links between all these events was clear as Antonia's art exhibition is very focused on the positives of the end of life journey and the amazing opportunities that can be grasped even in the face of despair.
  I followed the circuitous route through the remainder of the garden to find to my absolute delight a small labyrinth. I love walking labyrinths and this one, although small, had an exquisite feel to it. The birch trees around added a kaleidoscope type visual effect as the shadows of the dancing leaves created ever changing dappling shapes across the stones and markers. I joyfully started my labyrinth journey, slowly, step by step, reinforcing the focus of Self remembering which the path to the centre induces. I spent some time in the centre of the labyrinth admiring the view of the clear blue sky and the tower of the Cathedral as it loomed in intense brick red glory wearing a coat of shimmering birch leaves.
  The purpose of the walk from the centre back to 'reality' is to embed the newly aquired insights and revelations into one's psyche before facing the world again. I felt quite restored and enthusiastic. The friend I was meeting had not long ago given me a wooden labyrinth as a gift and I was excited to share my discovery with her. Needless to say when I looked at the time I actually had to rush back to the front of the Cathedral and saw her pull up in her car as I did so!
  From time in memoriam people have walked labyrinths - long may that tradition continue! It is a very soothing way to find inner peace and resolve issues including, as I found that day, ones of frustration and time bending! The path of the labyrinth curves and backtracks yet has a pure purpose. Its message for me was that although my intended trajectory for the day had not worked out, it was as if a higher power had intended it that way all along. Once I gave up the resistance and looked for the opportunities this offered I had a far better day than I could ever have imagined!

  There is the old story of the cargo ship, loaded up and ready to leave port. A tight deadline for delivery means there is pressure to get going. However, despite all preparations and regular servicing of the engines there is a problem. The ship's engineer and maintenance crew are working overtime to get to the root of why the main engine will not start. All to no avail.
  Eventually an emergency call is made to 'Old Joe' retired for years but fortunately still living near the port. He duly appears and spends a little time walking around the engine room. As if he is listening with his hands, he moves gently and calmly, occasionally stroking the engine. After only a few moments he stops, takes a small hammer out of his pocket and lightly taps the engine. Within seconds it roars into life. Old Joe smiles. The crew celebrate!
  Asked the price of his handiwork Old Joe replies £2,020. There is a stunned silence... "but it only took you 5 minutes, how can you dare to charge so much?" Old Joe smiles "Well, I am happily retired and didn't need the work that is certain. I only live a short distance away so I though I might as well help out and for that I am only charging £20. However, I have spent a life time honing my expertise and as you see I am the only one who had the knowledge to know what to do, exactly where to tap and the skill to know exactly how hard to tap. For that I am charging £2,000."
  Unlike many of us, Old Joe recognised and acknowledged his worth and despite questioning and opposition he retained his strong sense of self-esteem. In our world which measures success and value purely on the numerical basis of monetary transactions, it is vital to remember that so many of our skills have taken a life time (or maybe many) to aquire. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should always offer for free. I have been 'guilty' of this over the years as have many of my friends. Those who wish to be more 'spiritual' often disregard their own well being and ability to survive by putting themselves in a position of enslavement to the need to please. If we are to continue to give then there also has to be some take! Balance (whether a bank balance or otherwise) is essential to good health and a happy life.

  I walk nearly every day. No real excuse not to as I have common land just yards from my house. I have walked every inch of it over the years and so often find that my mind also wanders and I am not necessarily appreciating my surroundings.
  Thursday was a particularly hot day and despite that I decided to walk up hill via the dirt track which has no shade. To complete the circuit takes an hour. I was on my way back when suddenly my attention was diverted from the miriad of thoughts whirring away in my head. Just in front of me was a basking Adder.
It quite obviously had no intention of moving as it was absorbing the heat of the sun. Its eyes glinted and it looked so totally content.
  Fortunately I do not startle easily, nor am I afraid of snakes. I took a few moments to observe and admire it before cautiously moving aside and around it. Those moments were precious, I felt I had communed with the snake and been given some vital wisdom - the purpose of all snakes in any mythological stories of course.
   I was very aware that the presence of the snake had brought me back to the present moment and given me the gift of remembering to walk in the spirit of mindful meditation, so often forgotten when I am mulling over an issue in my mind. More importantly however, snake as an animal totem holds the primal energy of the life force - the very source of our existence. Symbolically, a snake represents important transitions and changes occuring in your life. It bestows increased energy and the ability to heal unconscious drives and instinctive reactions that keep us tied to old patterns. It also warns us to be more aware of how we use our energy and where/who, if at all, we are drawing support from. Spiritual guidance is available to those who ask but the snake also asks us to ensure we remain grounded so that any personal growth can be anchored in reality. When centred and grounded our intuition sharpens and our creative forces awaken leading to wisdom, understanding and wholeness. This is the power of transmutation at its best.
   What a blessing indeed and so apt for my present situation! When we are mindful and aware of all that surrounds us we can be open to the messages that every sacred moment holds for us. Spending time in nature, away from the general hubbub and collective stress, is the best way to hear and feel what is calling to us.

  Sometimes I feel that life is an uphill battle with responsibilities that I never asked for being placed on my shoulders. I am sure most people have felt this at times. I usually forget to ask for help and assume the load myself which of course is not a very positive way of dealing with situations.
  Today I was walking in the woods and decided to visit a place that I feel is sacred. I wanted to give thanks. Over the Easter holidays children had built a camp here and had completely covered the tree stump that I love so much. I had removed some of the branches on a previous occasion which was quite hard work. I now felt it was time to go and relieve the tree of the rest of its burden and reveal its beauty to the world once more.
  Imagine my relief when I approached the tree stump to find that it had been totally cleared and was indeed shining in its true glory. The branches and undergrowth had been removed and reused to build a larger, more impressive camp just a few yards away.
  I was able to stay for some time and just enjoy the sun glinting through the leaves of the surrounding woodland and breath in the gentle breeze. There had been some damage to my sacred tree stump but it bore the wounds well and various creatures were making their homes in the holes and crevices. A seed was also sprouting out of the top; a delicate vibrant green shoot promising new life.
  I felt I had been given a lesson in 'allowing' and could really appreciate that the work had been done for me! It was as if the tree was telling me to take time out from carrying burdens on behalf of others and realise that help is always at hand. More often than not that help comes from the unseen in unexpected ways. Be more open, more accepting and allow that support to come into your life, not just today but everyday!