Time to sweat the small stuff
A perfectly timed ant invasion was a sign
As always, take what resonates and leave the rest.
I’m glad I don’t officially call myself Buddhist. Nor do I call myself Catholic any longer, but Bless me Father I must confess I willingly harmed other beings this past week. Ants, not people.
Given the situation occurred just after an eclipse, I think this minor ant infestation was a sign from the universe. And my reflection here I guess is my penance.
In tomorrow’s audio, I’ll talk about my immediate reaction to the situation, but for today, I’ll propose a message we may all be able to glean, assuming you can humor me and agree that the ants may have been a sign from the universe.
Do you know that saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff?” Ants bring an alternative credo, something like “Pay attention to the small stuff that means something”. I found this message perfectly aligned with the eclipse at the tail end of Virgo, which is a sign able to manage details and derives purpose in sorting the wheat from the chaff. And Saturn, aka Father Time, was sitting opposite this eclipse, reminding us not to be sloppy or vague with our efforts.
Yes, the world is moving closer to chaos. But we do not have to meet the chaos in kind. Remember the early days of the pandemic, when people joked about drinking copious amounts of booze to manage the uncertainty and powerlessness? That certainly didn’t help the collective, except maybe alcohol producers and cookbook author Ina Garten (she famously drank fishbowl sized neon pink Cosmopolitans on her social media feeds). Many people may feel powerless again, and a subset are definitely in need of protection from persecution and harm. A different approach is called for (thanks Pluto in Aquarius).
Of course I don’t have the answer, but the ant/eclipse situation got me thinking about meeting ourselves where we are by starting small, paying attention to the small stuff in life where it can have a big impact on our quality of life.
When the ants showed up and I really didn’t want to kill them, I was reminded not to take for granted the little treasures in my mundane life. My dog’s velvety ears, the first steaming cup of morning coffee, moving without pain, a nice chat with the clerk at the grocery store, my comfortable bed. I was reminded that it was in taking small steps day by day in early sobriety that I see small miracles now, like the mug of tea beside me instead of a bottomless glass of wine while I unwind before bed.
Similar to ants in a colony, we are building something every day. Paying attention to the details focuses us in on exactly what it is we are creating and how we feel about the effort.
Love,
Maria Luz
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
P.S.
My schedule and focus has changed a bit, and I will likely begin to alternate between a weekly written Substack piece and an audio piece.
Substack’s business model assumes some revenue through paid subscriptions, so I plan on restarting monthly live gatherings for paid subscribers in October in addition to the free sessions with me.
If you are in the Seattle area, I would love to see you at West Coast Willow Apothecary! I do in-person astrology, psychic mediumship, and tarot on Thursdays (12-4) and Saturdays (11-4). I have online sessions for these types of sessions plus hypnosis available on other days of the week. All can be booked here:
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That was beautifully said.
My therapist reminds me to occasionally take stock of all I have, big and small.