I am capable of navigating every experience, for in the next moment I am free to make a new vibrational selection. No selection is better or worse, good, bad, right or wrong. All experiences are neutral and it is my limited belief system that gives them polarity. They are all explorations of Divine perfection.
Tuesday 8th January 2019 (UT Now is 22:20:53)
Current Moon Phase: New Moon (19 aq 30'14")
Planet, Centaur, TNO, Asteroid Aspects
03:21:44 UT - Sun (17 cp 32'13") quincunx Asbolus (17 ge 32'13" Rx)
06:05:45 UT - Ceres (23 sc 45'58") quincunx Chaos (23 ge 45'58" Rx)
10:04:47 UT - Mercury (4 cp 55'58") square Mars (4 ar 55'58")
14:13:04 UT - Juno (21 ta 24'58") quincunx Varda (21 sa 24'58")
14:26:10 UT - Vesta (18 aq 11'34") opposite Praamzius (18 le 11'34" Rx)
16:11:20 UT - Mercury (5 cp 19'13") conjunct Psyche (5 cp 19'13")
16:50:11 UT - Chiron (28 pi 19' 6") square Ixion (27 sa 36'26") - Near Miss Only
17:08:05 UT - Crantor (11 aq 1'45") quincunx Orcus (11 vi 1'45" Rx)
18:43:38 UT - Sun (18 cp 11'23") quincunx Praamzius (18 le 11'23" Rx)
19:40:18 UT - Jupiter (13 sa 23' 9") trine Thereus (13 le 23' 9" Rx)
21:44:05 UT - Saturn (12 cp 18'38") quincunx Altjira (12 ge 18'38" Rx)
22:08:37 UT - Venus (1 sa 29'54") trine Salacia (1 ar 29'54")
Aspects of the Moon
00:23:48 UT - Moon (8 aq 42'29") sextile Huya (8 sa 42'29")
01:04:55 UT - Moon (9 aq 2'45") square Typhon (9 sc 2'45")
02:10:46 UT - Moon (9 aq 35'11") square Lempo (9 ta 35'11" Rx)
05:03:04 UT - Moon (11 aq 0' 2") conjunct Crantor (11 aq 0' 2")
05:07:13 UT - Moon (11 aq 2' 4") quincunx Orcus (11 vi 2' 4" Rx)
06:07:59 UT - Moon (11 aq 31'59") trine Eros (11 ge 31'59")
07:43:51 UT - Moon (12 aq 19' 9") trine Altjira (12 ge 19'10" Rx)
09:43:39 UT - Moon (13 aq 18' 6") sextile Jupiter (13 sa 18' 6")
09:56:53 UT - Moon (13 aq 24'36") opposite Thereus (13 le 24'36" Rx)
10:50:34 UT - Moon (13 aq 51' 0") trine Elatus (13 li 51' 0")
11:34:35 UT - Moon (14 aq 12'39") sextile Great Attractor (14 sa 12'39")
12:02:01 UT - Moon (14 aq 26' 8") square Mors-Somnus (14 ta 26' 8" Rx)
12:31:09 UT - Moon (14 aq 40'28") square Dziewanna (14 sc 40'28")
15:19:59 UT - Moon (16 aq 3'27") quincunx Rhiphonos (16 vi 3'27" Rx)
17:42:03 UT - Moon (17 aq 13'16") conjunct Mean BML (17 aq 13'16")
18:17:57 UT - Moon (17 aq 30'54") trine Asbolus (17 ge 30'54" Rx)
19:40:17 UT - Moon (18 aq 11'21") opposite Praamzius (18 le 11'21" Rx)
19:54:26 UT - Moon (18 aq 18'18") conjunct Vesta (18 aq 18'18")
23:32:05 UT - Moon (20 aq 5'12") conjunct Okyrhoe (20 aq 5'12")
Fortunately, the moon’s monthly union with Vesta in Aquarius (11:55 a.m.) energizes investment planning, sisterhood bonds, and fellowship gatherings. Love vibrations increase in frequency as the moon parallels Venus (12:46 p.m.). Mercury moves on from its contentious 90-degree aspect with the red planet to forming an inspirational, 72-degree contact with problem-solver Pallas (2:26 p.m.).
A subtle and yet still supportive, 30-degree tie between the sun and Vesta (2:51 p.m.) reinforces the earlier lunar conjunction with Vesta. Keep in mind that any strengthening of Vesta also places an exclamation point on looking over safety and security measures around your residence and work environment.
[Note to readers: All times are calculated as Pacific Standard Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]
ACIM Workbook Lesson 8 Insights
“My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.”
This undoing process takes a mind open to thought reversal. It takes a mind willing to recognize that it sees only its thoughts projected outward and that all its thinking within the world of separation is just a reflection of a blank mind.
This takes a willingness to step back and look at our thoughts again and again and again and see that they are thoughts that are just coming from the past, from the tiny mad idea to see separation instead of be awake to the truth of Love’s oneness. This undoing process of letting go of the past is necessary before we can become aware of our real thoughts.
The Holy Spirit is always present to help us undo all our false thinking. This practice of looking at our thoughts with Holy Spirit more and more consistently helps us join with our constant Companion and see everything differently. As we do this again and again and again, we will not see as the world sees. We will see past bodies and become aware of Love’s oneness, which is always there. We will see that only Love is real. We will remember all calls for Love need only one thing, and that is our extension of Love.
As we practice this undoing process again and again, we will not take the world of separate bodies so seriously. We will see that our story and everyone’s story is just reflecting the thoughts that come from our separated, blank minds. We will gradually come to remember our true Identity — formless Love that is everywhere in the eternal present. We will remember we have only one purpose — to return to the truth of everyone’s oneness in the mind of God. Seeing that our thoughts are only reflecting the past is an important step in undoing our hold on false ideas.
These beginning lessons are, step by step, laying the foundation for forgiveness. Today’s idea introduces the idea that the thoughts that I have been aware of merely represent a blank mind. If I accept this as true, the next logical step is to remember that all the things I think happened did not occur. They were merely a blank mind deceiving itself through empty images. If I accept this as true, that nothing has really happened, then the the next logical conclusion is that there is nothing to forgive. The Course says true forgiveness simply recognizes there is nothing to forgive.
These early lessons introduce ideas that turn the ego thought system upside down. The exercises seem almost simplistic. Thankfully we are not asked to wholly accept the truth of these statements. We are asked only to do the exercise as prescribed. The truth of these statements will dawn upon our minds naturally as we follow the exercises and our willingness expands. Though the exercises may seem simplistic at this time, they are laying the foundation for complete release from all fear, for complete release from hell. This is the gift these lessons offer us. They are indeed worth the practice.
As I come to trust in my Christ-self, I allow It to be more present in my life. I make no demands on what should be present. I merely allow the Christ-self to be present to Its own way of being grace. I place no expectations on how this must be for me. My lesson in this comes in the now of time. When I look about me I see only what past thoughts have formed. I do not see the now in which my Christ-self lives. When I focus on the now only and let my preoccupation with thoughts of the past slide away, I can feel peace and joy.
As I focus more and more on the now, I can surrender to my Christ-self thoughts. They become my occupation. I live by the grace of these thoughts. When I take the time in quiet reflection to remember Who I am, and that there is no need to struggle to achieve this, I can continue my life with greater confidence. I can know that, knowing God will be mine in the end because it is already mine. And the only time I can know this is now, for I cannot see this in my past projected ego thoughts.
As I consciously choose willingness to let my mind be healed, to let my conscious union with God be made known to me with the help of Holy Spirit, I can feel secure that this will happen. As it can only happen in the now, every moment I give my willingness to Holy Spirit, living by the grace of God awareness can be present for me. Today I choose to let go of my preoccupation with past thoughts and let the now thoughts of my Christ-self be present, sure that this can happen with Holy Spirit leading the way.
Commentary"This idea is, of course, the reason why you see only the past" (1:1). This clearly assumes that what we see simply reflects the thoughts occupying our minds. If that is so, then because our minds are preoccupied with past thoughts, we perceive pictures from the past in the outside world. "No one really sees anything. He sees only his thoughts projected outward" (1:2). This idea is so central to the Course, yet here it is simply slipped into this discussion of the past and time. We don't really see anything! Everything we see is "the outside picture of an inward condition," as the Text puts it (see T-21.In.1:1-5).
I've always loved the first line of the second paragraph: "The one wholly true thought one can hold about the past is that it is not here." Ponder that a moment. You may have some extremely clear memories of the past, especially the very recent past. Yet if several people who experienced the same thing firmly disagreed with you, you would probably begin to doubt your memory—because you cannot really be completely certain it is reliable. You know very well from experience that your memory can deceive you. We think, "I could have sworn I left that key on the table!" Or we say, "Didn't I tell you about that? I thought I did." We say that sort of thing all the time without realizing how shaky our memory really is. But there is one absolutely trustworthy thought you can have about the past: "The past is not here. This is the present." Now, if the past isn't here, how can it have present effects? "To think about it at all is therefore to think about illusions" (2:2). You are thinking about something that no longer exists, which by definition is an illusion.
Okay, so if my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts, and all thoughts about the past are thoughts about illusions, and all that I see is a projection of my thoughts—where does that leave what I am "seeing"? Nowhere. We are seeing reflections of memories of an illusion. When we are picturing the past or anticipating the future, the Course says our mind is actually blank, because it is thinking about nothing (2:4).
This lesson is trying to get us to recognize when our mind is not really thinking at all, but is full of what it calls "thoughtless ideas." This is why "these thoughts do not mean anything" (Lesson 4). To open ourselves to "vision" we have to stop blocking the truth with these meaningless mental images of something that isn't here. The first step towards vision is becoming aware of the things that are not vision, which are the thoughts that normally fill our minds.
I find this kind of exercise helps develop a kind of mental detachment. You step back, as it were, from your thoughts and observe them. Don't make the mistake I made at first: Trying to force these thoughts out of the mind and make it blank. We don't need to do that because it is blank already! Just observe your thoughts and apply the lesson, saying, "My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts." Be willing to let go of your investment in the thoughts, or in having them be real thoughts, or deep ones, or important ones. Unclasp your fingers from them, let them go, be willing to see that they are without real meaning if they are based on the past, and thus based on something that is not here.
The lesson is a gentle wedge, prying loose our attachment to what we think of as our thoughts.
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