December — Sagittarius

November 21st to December 21st

From "The Old Girls' Book of Dreams" — By Cal Garrison

Thank God whoever invented the zodiac slipped Sagittarius in right after Scorpio. Scorpio energy is SO intense and "Sag" is much more happy-go-lucky. Even though we're not out of the woods as far as the darkness goes by the 21st of November we have a totally different perspective on it.

Jupiter, the planet of optimism, joy, and abundance rules Sagittarius. The nice thing about this sign is that it's loaded with faith that everything's going to be all right no matter how awful life gets. Knowing that everything is in divine order makes it a hell of a lot easier to be human and the idea that God's out there watching over all of us is what the Sagittarian archetype brings to the astrological party.

The holiday season kicks off around this time. Thanksgiving gets the ball rolling and we gather together with those we love to feast and give thanks for what we have. As soon as we've cleared the table our minds are on Hanukkah and Christmas. And everyone goes out and starts spending all kinds of money buying stuff to give away. We light up our houses and the gene that makes people want to bake starts working overtime. There are parties everywhere and we spend the next few weeks going off the deep end eating and drinking.

My family's all Swedish and when I was a kid my Auntie Greta would put on this unbelievable holiday smorgasbord. Being a "chubby" little girl this event was like having a free pass to heaven for me. My Auntie Annie was always there. It was the only time I ever got to see her. Auntie Annie wore WAY too much costume jewelry and when she'd had enough "Glug" she'd go on and on about her "darling Freddie" and her life as a burlesque queen.

Auntie Greta was into gaudy, shiny decorations and everything in the house was lit up and covered with tinsel. There were presents for everyone. I remember one year she gave me three pairs of tights with shiny threads in them. She got them at "The Bargain Center" which was the 50's equivalent of "The Dollar Store" and those sparkly tights made me the most popular girl in the third grade.

It wasn't till I got older that I found out that Auntie Greta's life sucked. I'm pretty sure Auntie Annie's life was no picnic either. God knows what those women had to live through but they sure didn't let it interfere with their Christmas spirit. What IS it about this time of year that makes us put all the bad stuff on the back burner and focus on what's good about life? It's like for four weeks our hearts overflow with the spirit of abundance and generosity that goes far enough to include even those who have nothing.

Back when I was REALLY poor standing in line at the local Food Shelf was like hitting the jackpot during the holidays. As humiliating as it was to be on the dole I remember being eternally grateful to all the benevolent souls who were kind enough to share what they had with me and my kids. One year I got a two-pound bag of Hazelnut coffee at the Food Cupboard and it blew me away. From the time I was six years old my Swedish Aunties would always say, "Come on Carolyn, sit with us and have your coffee like a good Swede". Coffee is my favorite treat and at that point I was so broke this "gift" was proof to me that there IS a God.

There is something in our hearts that knows without a doubt that we are cradled in the arms of God or some higher power that is always there, protecting us from whatever it is that's causing us fear. It's called Faith. The illusion of safety that money, power, position, and even education provide, exempt none of us from poverty of the spirit. If you don't have Faith you have nothing. It's the most precious commodity in the world.

The truth about life is that in every moment we are swimming in a sea of love, joy, and abundance. It's easy to lose sight of this because our experiences often create the illusion that exactly the opposite is true. In those times when we are suffering the most we forget all about the truth. We curse God and blame life for victimizing us until we realize that it gets us nowhere. At that point something in us lets go. And we become open to the idea that regardless of what is going on it's all exactly as it should be whether we comprehend it or not.

Faith has to do with trusting that even the bad stuff is good and that someday we will know what purpose it served; when we look back on our troubles from a distance we see how much they contributed to our growth and understanding. I have finally realized that the rough stuff is a greater gift than the stuff that's a piece of cake. And the nice thing about this time of year is that we collectively acknowledge that, "it's all good".

From a cosmic perspective we are still in the heart of darkness while the sun's in Sagittarius. But there's light at the end of the tunnel and the belief that it's really there is reinforced by the fact every year since the dawn of time the sun comes back on the Winter Solstice. It always has and it always will.

The heart of God within you is the place where Faith resides. Use this month to find your way there. The new visions that will come alive in a few weeks need a space that's big enough to hold them. So, open up. Let all the joy and love you feel go out into the world and remember to "keep the Faith".

About Cal Garrison

Cal Garrison is a practicing astrologer with 40 years of experience. At present she goes between casting horoscopes, writing books, and working as the personal assistant to Drunvalo and Claudette Melchizedek. Editor in Chief at Drunvalo's online magazine, 'The Spirit of Ma'at', Cal is also a syndicated columnist for the Associated Press. An author with five books to her credit, and another one on the way, Ms. Garrison is well known for her affiliation with the late Slim Spurling. Out of love for her mentor she continues to support his research with her dowsing, through her articles, and as the spokesperson for Slim's tools at all of Drunvalo's workshops. A single mother with three grown daughters, Cal lives happily in the Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona. She can be reached at: cal.garrison@gmail.com