Age of Aquarius

I just heard the other day that February 14th 2009 is literally "The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius". At dawn on Valentines Day (7:25 AM) the moon in Libra enters the 7th house of relationships, and Jupiter aligns with Mars in Aquarius in the 12th house of spiritual transformation. I don't know what all this means but some astrologers say that this perfect alignment will actually be embodied in the cosmos to support our collective expression of love and peace. I wonder how this will all play out given our current state of affairs. Will it be any more likely, now, that peace will guide the planet or love will steer the stars?

In this unprecedented convergence of tough global issues (war, poverty, global recession, natural disaster, climate change) maybe humanity is reaching a critical mass of suffering. Maybe the pressure will finally be great enough to cause a shift in awareness, a softening of the lines that divide us. I have been on the look-out lately for these small shifts in perception; windows through which I can see into something true that evokes emotion and empathy. For instance, in the past few weeks I can point to four distinct moments in time that transcended ordinary awareness.

The first instance was in a severe weather shelter where a homeless man gave me one of his few shirts. When I asked him why he wanted to do that he answered, "I did a lot of drugs wearing that shirt and I would rather be rid of it." Having a homeless man offer me his shirt was definitely a moment.

And then there was President Obama in those town hall meetings this past week in Indiana and Florida. There was a moment when he came down from the stage and kissed a woman on the cheek, a woman who seemed full of hope and despair. It was so genuine and spontaneous that I was completely overwhelmed.

The third instance was during "The Road to Mecca", a play I saw about an artist's struggle for freedom and expression. The actress who played the part was wonderful. There was a moment where she personified the fierce, unflinching commitment to keep the creative spirit alive at any cost that was, for me, cathartic.

And finally, there was the girl playing her violin (pictured above) at the public market in Seattle. There was something Madonna-like in her face, in the serene expression; in her lilting melody that was rendered all the more sweet in the midst of the bustling street.