The Big Question in the Living Room - by Patti Simpson

[PattiS]

Back to Rhonda, and your question about how does knowing your dharma help you? Well, you can see from my own reaction to being told what mine was when I was in the middle of my astounding and fascinating experience with working with Paul. i wasn't ready to hear it and so I didn't deal with it. There was nothing to do at that time because I was doing what I needed to be doing. But there came a time when I had to step back from working that way. I so didn't want to do that, and I didn't listen to the signals I was getting. And then I had a terrible accident on the ice in Vermont and broke my ankle and leg in 10 places. As I sat in my wheelchair for months, I had plenty of time to consider the meaning of that, and with a husband who is a specialist in the waking dream, it was clear that I had to "make a break." I had to stop doing all the outer things I was doing and do my work on the inner and in very private ways. It took a long time for me to realize that I was doing my dharma and the astrologer had been right. But, for anyone out there that this story scares about going to the dharma, it has to be said that this was an incredibly powerful and fulfilling journey I was on and very rewarding in terms of my work with others. Why would I have to stop that?
It's one of the reasons I've chosen to specialize in this issue with my clients. Because I did it the hard way, I'm hoping to teach them what it is and how to approach it in a gentle, positive way. Now that I've made the transition myself, I can see clearly I have been doing it for a long time and it has truly become just as fascinating and fun as my past work was. I don't think knowing what it is should demand anything from us except a gentle knowing. Where it is most interesting is if you are in the process of making that switch having confusion and/or resistance about what is going on. And I'm sure I will be meeting people who have already made the switch without ever recognizing what happened. MY guess is that its a huge initiation of some sort.
Did I answer what you were asking?---Much love, Patti

[Rhonda Mattern]

Dear Patti -

My apologies that it's taken me over a month to get back to you! I find these online forums hard to keep up with at this time in my life; I didn't realize what I was taking on at all when I signed up for this! (Maybe your charts could have helped me with this!!!)

And yes, your reply beautifully answered my question, and I really get the value of astrology and other such practices so much more now. Thank you so much.

One thing you wrote in particular really resonated with me: "There was nothing to do at that time because I was doing what I needed to be doing." I really get this. When I'm doing what I need to be doing, everything flows beautifully. And when I get stuck, life has to send in the sledge hammer. And I think what you're saying is that knowing your chart can help prevent the need for the sledge hammer. Did I get that right?

Lately my huge challenge in charting my course is learning to rely more and more on pure inner listening to my own heart. I love the challenge of trying to catch the winds myself. And it's getting subtler and subtler all the time. And what's especially challenging is catching a wind that takes me in a completely different direction from where I THINK I'm going.

I'm slowly learning to recognize that TOTAL SHOCK at the direction that I'm getting for my next step in my life is a sign that I'm headed in the right direction!

xoxoxo Rhonda