TURTLES AND HARES

Happy April to all.

This time of year is complex for me in many ways, as a writer, an astrologer, and a photographer.

To start, the current astrological sky is full of Aries planets, the first sign of the zodiac, it shows the beginning, the herald of spring. As a Libra sun-sign, it’s a mid-point zone, kind of like the halfway marker in the sprint of a person’s astrological year. It’s a time for me to stop and evaluate how far I’ve come, and how far I have yet to travel to reach my annual goals.

Personally, it’s a bit of a low-energy time as well. Aries represents the self – the “me” – while Libra is all about relationships and the support of others. When a person is by themself, they are perfect because everything is done their way (Aries theme). Relationships are mirrors, they show parts of yourself that you can’t see when alone. And like all opposites, the parallel acts as a see-saw, where balance (ß the scales, a Libra symbol) is required.

My astro-chart shows a signature of this being a partnership lifetime, where collaboration is my soul mission.

One of my books defines it as, “In any area of their life where [Librans] are ‘winning,’ there is a strong partnership behind them. In areas where they are ‘losing’ – whether professionally or in terms of personal happiness – they have not yet learned the lessons they must pass through in order to build successful relationships.”

-         ASTROLOGY FOR THE SOUL by Jan Spiller

But true of all polarities, an insurgence of the opposite energy can be a good thing. Too much cooperation and outward concern (Libra) can cause burn out, where the Aries influence of independence, and drive, provides some much needed self-love.   

And with other planets in the sky transitioning into Taurus, the sign on the cusp of my 7^th house of relationships, my April will be a teeter-totter of “me, thee, and we.”

As a writer, this preoccupation with relationships gives me a wonderful understanding of inter-personal dynamics. In romance, human connection is the center of everything, and the pull between autonomy and sharing with others is the core conflict in any relationship.

Which is an Aries/Libra thang any way you look at it.

I got to think about this a few weeks ago while preparing to visit D.C. to photograph the Cherry Blossoms. An annual, springtime celebration on the Tidal Basin, it’d been a decade since I’d last performed a formal photo shoot of the trees, and I figured the anniversary made it a perfect time to go. I was excited but a little rushed as the peak bloom fell a week early, and made for a scramble with preparation. Add in the fact that I dislike large crowds, which are a given for a national downtown event, so I was feeling less than eager to get started. And despite the aversion of being surrounded by people, I didn’t want to go alone.

One observation I have often when I’m out in public is:

There are TOO MANY people in the world.

Don’t get me wrong, when out-and-about I respect the space of others– i.e. strollers, the elderly, etc. However, I am selfish in the fact that, as a singleton, and thus unencumbered, I reserve the right to not be detained behind the clusters of those who’ve committed themselves.

In a word: Do not block the “fast lane.”

That sounds terrible, but it's an Aries–Libra principle, big time.

It brings to mind the fable of the Turtle and the Hare. The two animals end up in a race against one another. The hare is like an Aries, with his speed he believes that his victory is in the bag. The turtle, the Libra of this tale, moves slow but steady, and wins due in part to his own diligence, and to the hare’s overconfidence.

If you are the Libra-Turtle and you invest in others, expect to be bogged down. Cooperation is not swift. Time is spent checking in with the people, listening, and performing tasks for them that are a slow-down with no self-benefit. The reward comes from the sharing - you partake in the joy you give to others, and you gain from the connection of their added happiness.

Next, we can pan to a day in the life of the Aries-Hare:
They big-foot hop to the coffee shop, place a speedy, articulated-to-the-letter order, with money in hand (exact change). When their cup of joe is delivered, they sit at a table with time to spare… a lot of time. They stare out the window, seeing the groups they whizzed past upon entry finally catching up with them. The people walk, talk and laugh, in no rush to get where they are going.

The point is that there are pros and cons to each way of life.

I find that I often fall into the Hare-mentality. I run around, rushing from point A to point B, only to find myself a little bored after I arrive. Then I see others happily enjoying down time with their spouses, friends, their family… and the slow-growing grass seems greener.

My excursion to photograph the Cherry Blossoms brought these thoughts to the forefront. I anticipated a bee-line trip to my destination, a deliberate and sharp navigation around the hordes of sight-seers, and a quick snap of pictures.

I was lucky when my childhood friend from elementary school agreed to accompany me, but I was still a little uneasy.

What if I made her feel rushed? What if after the experience she thought I was restless nutcase?

I then turned to Libra lesson #537 – Give Others the Benefit of the Doubt
(A refresher of Libra lesson #1 – Include OTHERS.)  

And my friend turned out (as expected) to be a lovely city-trip companion. We talked on the train ride downtown, catching up on each other’s lives. She provided us with an expert sense of direction (she works in the area) while I took the pictures, and never once did she complain about the brisk pace as we weaved in-and-out of the mob of tourists.

By lunch time we arrived to our chosen restaurant exhausted but ready to eat. We talked some more and tried interesting varieties of Mexican food. I’d gotten great photographs, the trip much more enjoyable with the company.

The following weekend, I was a happy hare again, editing my photos in the solace of my quiet den. The peace of the indoors was nice, but for once, not as fun as the memories of my duo-adventure out into the world.

The lesson became clear: trekking through life alone has its merit, but having a partner in crime gives you the collaborative experience.  

And I came across a quote that summed it all up—Libra and Aries, Turtles and Hares:

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

                                  -         African Proverb

Take it from a Libra in training - if one is grand, two is better.  J

                                                                                                   -         SNG