Sacred Journeys
February 2008
Kim Elkington
SACRED JOURNEYS
With Kim Elkington
I enjoy looking into predictions for the coming year each December. I comb primarily ancient calendars, like the Mayan Tun Calendar, the predictions of various psychics and intuitives, and our own more familiar astrological system, to see what the forecast holds. As is often the case, what is true for the macrocosm of the world often holds true for the individual. This year I was given a personal taste during the holidays of what is to come.
Earlier this winter, mom and I were particularly excited that my sister was coming back to Canada for the holidays. It was the first time the three of us had been together in decades without anyone else; no children or partners. No one else needed our attention.
As I drove into town to pick them up at the bus, my car temperature went through the roof. I did manage to get them and their luggage home. But the car headed off to the garage in the morning and stayed there, because of weekends and holidays, for the next 13 days. Well, in the city not having a car is fine. In the country when you've also not picked up a Christmas tree, done your food shopping, bought any gifts yet and live outside of town – no car proposed quite a sizeable challenge. I did have an organic turkey that was grown for me by a local organic farmer, and there were frozen veggies from the garden and a few cranberries left from a marsh pick so the dinner on Christmas was going to be fine, but we still needed enough other food essentials to last us the next ten days.
Around here the grocery stores are closed for Christmas, Boxing day, and New Years. In fact most family-owned stores were closed Christmas eve straight through to Jan 2nd. The walk along the snow banks into town was too treacherous for my mom, so Caitlin and I put on our knapsacks and headed off. The first person we met was the neighbour across the street. I introduced him to my sister and said I was hoping to have a tree this year, as my sister lives in Israel and doesn’t get to do Christmas with her new family, but we had no car. And off we walked.
There was actually a gift store open in town and we kept our fingers crossed we’d find some stocking stuffers for mom at least. Well, to our delight the store was absolutely jammed with tasteful things, most handcrafted, and some fantastic imported dark Belgian chocolate. We were quite thrilled. We loaded up with some food essentials and headed back out of town. When we came down the long snowy driveway, what we found was the neighbour’s Christmas tree, leaning up against our door. They felt we should have it instead! Imagine that. All we’d done was go to the end of the driveway, call out into the street that we needed a tree, and there it was by our door.
Earlier this winter, mom and I were particularly excited that my sister was coming back to Canada for the holidays. It was the first time the three of us had been together in decades without anyone else; no children or partners. No one else needed our attention.
As I drove into town to pick them up at the bus, my car temperature went through the roof. I did manage to get them and their luggage home. But the car headed off to the garage in the morning and stayed there, because of weekends and holidays, for the next 13 days. Well, in the city not having a car is fine. In the country when you've also not picked up a Christmas tree, done your food shopping, bought any gifts yet and live outside of town – no car proposed quite a sizeable challenge. I did have an organic turkey that was grown for me by a local organic farmer, and there were frozen veggies from the garden and a few cranberries left from a marsh pick so the dinner on Christmas was going to be fine, but we still needed enough other food essentials to last us the next ten days.
Around here the grocery stores are closed for Christmas, Boxing day, and New Years. In fact most family-owned stores were closed Christmas eve straight through to Jan 2nd. The walk along the snow banks into town was too treacherous for my mom, so Caitlin and I put on our knapsacks and headed off. The first person we met was the neighbour across the street. I introduced him to my sister and said I was hoping to have a tree this year, as my sister lives in Israel and doesn’t get to do Christmas with her new family, but we had no car. And off we walked.
There was actually a gift store open in town and we kept our fingers crossed we’d find some stocking stuffers for mom at least. Well, to our delight the store was absolutely jammed with tasteful things, most handcrafted, and some fantastic imported dark Belgian chocolate. We were quite thrilled. We loaded up with some food essentials and headed back out of town. When we came down the long snowy driveway, what we found was the neighbour’s Christmas tree, leaning up against our door. They felt we should have it instead! Imagine that. All we’d done was go to the end of the driveway, call out into the street that we needed a tree, and there it was by our door.
On Christmas morning we woke up and the oven had stopped working. I called two local numbers to see if anyone had any extra 70 watt copper tube fuses for an old stove. The first person was not home, the second person called back later and offered us their oven and their house for the night so we could eat a turkey. Imagine that, in just two phone calls we found a stove on our street that was not only available, but also offered up freely for us to use!
Meantime, word had reached folks that we were without transportation or an oven and before we had to begin walking back and forth down the street to baste the bird (now roasting in our neighbour’s oven), a friend and her husband from the next town dropped off their car. Imagine getting a car too, without even asking!
I think this little winter solstice story was Life setting me up with an opportunity to test my metal for the year ahead. The various sources, for predicting the focus of 2008, were each unique but all had the same basic message at their core. This year we are being presented with new opportunities to address our attitudes and beliefs (Jupiter) around whatever challenges reality presents to us (Capricorn). This reflects the fact that in the heavens around us, the planet Jupiter has moved into the sign of Capricorn for the year.
Another and much more striking event is that the planet Pluto has also now moved into Capricorn. This means we must meet these challenges as adults. It is time to grow up and take responsibility. The best way to do that is to have a strong sense of who we are at our core, and operate in the world solely from that place of integrity. In my case that was my calm place, where the love and happiness I felt being with my mom and sister again left me grateful and trusting in a sea of potential challenges.
Pluto will remain in Capricorn for the next sixteen years. This placement will greatly impact the world socially and politically, because it will last for such a long time. Everything that is unnecessary will go; those in charge of the 'systems' that operate irresponsibly will go; and systems will break down precisely because this is a powerful opportunity for renewal.
Contact Kim Elkington at spirit@algonquintea.com.
Meantime, word had reached folks that we were without transportation or an oven and before we had to begin walking back and forth down the street to baste the bird (now roasting in our neighbour’s oven), a friend and her husband from the next town dropped off their car. Imagine getting a car too, without even asking!
I think this little winter solstice story was Life setting me up with an opportunity to test my metal for the year ahead. The various sources, for predicting the focus of 2008, were each unique but all had the same basic message at their core. This year we are being presented with new opportunities to address our attitudes and beliefs (Jupiter) around whatever challenges reality presents to us (Capricorn). This reflects the fact that in the heavens around us, the planet Jupiter has moved into the sign of Capricorn for the year.
Another and much more striking event is that the planet Pluto has also now moved into Capricorn. This means we must meet these challenges as adults. It is time to grow up and take responsibility. The best way to do that is to have a strong sense of who we are at our core, and operate in the world solely from that place of integrity. In my case that was my calm place, where the love and happiness I felt being with my mom and sister again left me grateful and trusting in a sea of potential challenges.
Pluto will remain in Capricorn for the next sixteen years. This placement will greatly impact the world socially and politically, because it will last for such a long time. Everything that is unnecessary will go; those in charge of the 'systems' that operate irresponsibly will go; and systems will break down precisely because this is a powerful opportunity for renewal.
Contact Kim Elkington at spirit@algonquintea.com.