Fall into Balance

Happy Fall Equinox y'all!
Today marks the balance of :::night and day:::dark and light:::12 hours of each.
The Equinox offers us the understanding of balance, stability & equilibrium.
The residual effects of this last Full Harvest Moon in Pisces (On Sept 19) may have left you feeling equally inspired and tired. We were harnessing the balance between intuition and logic ::: freedom and routine ::: emotions and thought.
But really I think we are ALL tired here in the Valley of the Sun as it is STILL so hot. We've had a long knock-down-drag-out summer it seems. The high temperatures lately have been in the low 100s and flirting with the 90s, which is definitely a step in a more comfortable direction. I'm not usually one to complain much about the heat since I CHOSE to move to Arizona (plus this is the first of 3 summers that I've had any A/C in my car!).
But dang, I can't wait to open up all the windows in the house, burn a bunch of sage, put on some beautiful music and invite the winds of change back into my space!

We are now transitioning from summer to fall, from lightness to dark, from dynamic powerful heat to a cooler and calmer vibe. And I think it goes without saying that we are so ready for that! It's also a time of death...the death of one cycle and the birth of another. It almost feels like a precarious time of growth with a lot of old stuff surfacing in order to guide us through our darkest elements. So we need to remember that we are being Divinely supported on our paths to do this work....to walk the Void.

Those who seek the light must know their own darkness first.

That's been swirling around in my brain this last week as I've been contemplating where in my own life Universal messages are showing up. I've been hung up on avoiding the unique gifts of my Ego and now I'm not afraid to admit it. I've felt shame around being awesome and inspiring and powerful. WHY?
If I strive to control my life with a fine-tooth comb yet completely give away my personal power at no cost to anyone except to myself, how will my cup ever be full? How does that cultivate balance?

Some past injuries have been flaring back up and begging to be dealt with. I had to put my pride aside, accept that I need to take a step back in my personal practice, ask for help, dig in and give myself some LOVE.
I've been working really hard....I've been serving and giving and guiding and thinking and doing and teaching and networking and putting myself out there and starting a new business and working and still feeling broke and blah blah blah and yada yada yada....  
So now my cup is almost empty. How do I fill it back up? Where is the love for me?
Oh yeah...LOVE is all around me, I just need to receive.
So now listen to this amazing song then proceed.    :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA

We've got to recognize that we ALL have a darkness inside. If you think you don't then I don't believe you are human! And that's quite alright because it shows us it's ok to have fears, doubts, insecurities and lessons to learn. No one can escape from that, hence why we are here! You'll have to face your darkness at some point in some way. You can't hide from it.
Light casts shadow and that darkness shows up in every mystical teaching out there. Sometimes I feel like I myself am the Queen Darkness, the Holder of the Night, the Walker of the Void, Kali at the gates of hell, and the Wise Owl who seeks to emerge from the darkness to fall back into the light of balance.

But from walking in the dark we discover who we truly are. We may need to let go, grieve, release anger or resentment, get sad and have a moment or two or three. But through that process our strengths, our power, our intuition and our warrior spirit shines! If we can face the darkness then surely we can hold the light! We've made some peace with our own struggles and are drawn back into balance.
I think this is the key to opening the heart and understanding the balance of dark and light:::feminine and masculine:::receiving and giving::: for the heart has no boundaries, no limits, no labels, no polarities, no discriminations. In the space of the heart all is ONE. The heart is pure. Love is infinite and all around us, ready to be received.
So if you are like me and have been giving and giving and giving some more and ready to collapse, then ask yourself, "How do YOU feel?" What do you need to fill your cup back up? Are you receiving your own unique gifts and grace with open arms? Or is your Ego stuck in a space of doubt and insecurity? Do those you surround yourself with support you on this path of growth? Are you ready to love and believe in yourself?

Close your eyes and breath. When thoughts arise listen to the breath for information. How do you feel? Breathe into the spaces that feel weak or neglected.
Let yourself be FREE to explore the space of darkness inside. Trust that all is working in YOUR favor.
And allow yourself to emerge with the lightness of who you who TRULY are.
Set an intention to fearlessly Shine Your light.

May you utilize this Equinox to Fall back into Balance.
Cheers and blessings,
the wise owl
XOXOX