For many years, I worked with Phoenix. There would be grand, explosive change, scorched earth, and then a rising from those ashes. "Whatever happened, happened quickly," to quote John Irving's Hotel New Hampshire. I have somewhat made friends with that fire, and every change no longer requires a force measured in megatons. Dragon, that slow force of the mountains, now tempers my energy, although there is still the occasional volcanic eruption, because transmutive fire is always there.

We are in fire season in the western half of the United States. Fires rage across the landscape, changing it. In some cases, changing the human habitat as well. Smoke obscures the sun. Politically, as well, the US seems to be having a fire season, with actions and behaviors in government being brought to a head, so we can see what is ready to be burned away, so perhaps we won't mourn it quite so much. Stability is definitely not going to work anymore. Not now, not for a while.

We edge closer to September, the crescendo of the year. Whatever your own personal themes for the year, you'll have the opportunity to face them in September, and hopefully to resolve and heal them. On an national and international scale, we'll be experiencing that as well.

Today is the full moon preceding September. Full moon is when we get ready to release. It is the beginning of the harvest. Are there things you'd like to release now, before it becomes a September crisis? Some things you may not be able to release yet, they may require the energy of September, but you can surely ready yourself. Take a long, honest look at your life. What isn't working anymore? What's a crutch? What are your excuses? If you're really honest with yourself, you'll be able to see what's coming and work towards preparing yourself. But don't prepare yourself for a fight, that's just a waste of energy. Prepare yourself to surrender to the process, and things will go much more smoothly. It will be less painful. As always, you have a choice in how you are going to approach your life, but you don't get to say you weren't given a heads up.

I am getting ready to go on my annual retreat, a trek out into the desert that involves harsh weather and fire. Of course, being an annual thing also makes it a family reunion of sorts. But 10 days on a dry lakebed, essentially on the clearing energy of salt, brings all of one's personal challenges to the forefront. It doesn't matter how much you prepare, something unexpected will happen. I do my best to go without expectations, to allow the Universe to give me gentler lessons, but I am human, and we're not very good at letting go of all our expectations.

Peter Dybing posted this morning, for the first time since the beginning of the month, as he's been on the front lines of the fire in Idaho. He called it Abandoning My Practice, but I see what he is going through as abandoning only the rituals that remind him of it when he have less need of it. When you are in true crisis (as opposed to drama), it begs you to be truly present, and you cannot help but stand with the Divine.

You can, however, chose to be present and stand with the Divine before crisis occurs.

Remember, you are the light of the world.
Ayamanatara