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Leenie's avatar

Pretty amazing (and affirming!) to read this after spending the past couple of hours writing about a "failure" in my life based on a prompt from Susan Wittig Albert's WRTIING FROM LIFE: Telling Your Soul's Story. When I started writing on this topic yesterday, it was just too heavy so I left it for this morning when I expected to feel fresher and more capable. I used a lot of tarot imagery, particularly versions of The Fool (0) card, as I wrote. It was one of those opportunities to allow myself to feel what I feel, which is always ultimately empowering for me.

I was really writing through 10th house stuff: what authority and success mean, what validates the work I do and the person I am, how I define success (and failure!), the balance between intra- and inter-personal work in the world. I found that grounding/liberating peace by writing to the other side of my sense of failure only to discover it contained my success. When I looked only at external markers as a measure, it was easy to interpret my experience as one of failure. But when I widened the lens of perception and looked at all the relationships, the dynamic vitality of a life lived holistically, I could only see a design of perfection (in the sense of the word as meaning 'lacking nothing/whole') that feels completely successful.

Then I listened to this! Synastry. Perfection.🌿💚🧡

P.S. I've painted the floors in two rooms a lovely honey-rich terra cotta, a color I adore. So grounding and reassuring.

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Leenie, this fills my heart! I was nudged to explore this topic from a different astrological lens and I am so happy it resonated with you today 😍

I am loving the color! Great minds think like nature Lol 🌱

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Leenie's avatar

I love that and am adding it to my favorite quotes journal! Great minds think like Nature!🌿💚

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Susan Wittig Albert's avatar

Leenie, this fills my heart too ❤️ It's amazing (and hugely confirming) to think that something I wrote 30 years ago has touched you today. (I just happened on your note to Maria when I dropped in here to say something to her. Not stalking, promise! 😍)

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Haha, I would never see you as a cyber stalker, Susan! 🤣

And Leenie, I am going to look up Susan's book and will order it! I am enrolled in a memoir writing class June - August.

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Leenie's avatar

I have a local writing friend who has been a critique partner in the past. We met for a lunch and catch up today. She was inspired by a piece I shared from one of the question prompts in that book. She's ordering it and we're going to renew our critique/feedback sharing sessions. I'm so excited about this! 💚💜

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

That's wonderful Leenie! It helps to have a local writer friend. I met one of my closest friends in a local writing class here in Seattle.

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Leenie's avatar

I'm so glad you saw it, Susan! This book has been such a boon to my writing life. 💚

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Susan Wittig Albert's avatar

Maria, thank you for mentioning Freed's book. I've downloaded the sample. I like the term "domain." I've also been thinking about the flatter, more neutral term "area." Thank you for once again enlarging our view beyond the traditional!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Ah great, I like 'area' as well! Dr Freed is my first astrology teacher's mentor. I loaned out her other book (Use your planets wisely) to my mom. It's a wonderful beginner book!

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Susan Wittig Albert's avatar

And I'm a fan of "guardian" instead of "ruler." I use it a bit in my zodiac posts but I'm not very consistent with it.

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Oh, I like that idea of guardianship over a sign!

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