Message for January 2022
As the wheel of the calendar year turns again, there is a sense of renewed hope as we enter January. Whilst there is still a great deal of uncertainty and doubt connected to both the global and personal shifts we are witnessing and experiencing, there is still an underlying awareness of hope rising. In many ways, hope is like a seed, and once planted, we need to tend it, nourish it and nurture it, allowing it flourish and grow. Of course, whilst there is no guarantee it will thrive, unless we try we will never know.
There is great deal of focus on eradicating the negativity we see around (and within) us. Many believe that once we ‘fix’ everything that’s wrong then the good will simply surface and thrive. If we fix the things that make us unhappy, does happiness just appear in the space that’s left behind? Surely we need to empower happiness as a force in its own right to enable it to grow? Is it really a default setting that’s left behind after we eradicate the unhappiness?
In many ways, life is a balancing act, and it seems important to accept that unhappiness is a part of life, just as much as happiness. We all experience both, and this is what gives our lives context and perspective. It also seems important to acknowledge that happiness is a force that needs to be embraced and empowered, it isn’t a default setting, it’s a power we can turn towards consciously.
Happiness, hope and love all need to be nourished, and whilst it’s easy to feel overcome with the unhappiness, fear and anger we see around (and within) us, it’s important to find ways to open up our hearts and souls towards living a more wholehearted and conscious life.
So many of us begin each new year with a whole list of resolutions and goals. We see it as a fresh start to change the things we don’t like in our lives, and to focus on the things we want to do ‘better’. Yet, surely this just focuses us more on a sense of lack, as, until we achieve those goals, we can’t truly be happy? This in turn, keeps us in a kind of stasis, not allowing ourselves to be content until we have reached our goals, which given many new year’s resolutions, don’t turn out as planned.
Maybe, this is a year to look at things differently, to focus on the things we do like and the things we are grateful for? Maybe this is an opportunity to throw away the resolutions and to focus on cultivating ways of living well and being happy? Of course, a part of this may well include things like losing weight or getting that promotion, but instead of seeing these as goals in themselves, maybe if the focus is shifted towards living more healthily or creating a better work/life balance, then we will start to prioritise our true goals? Opening up to living well and being happy removes the finer detail of the goals we so often become entangled within. It also brings us the opportunity to step back a little to see the bigger picture of our lives.
When we impose resolutions, it’s hard not to feel like a failure when we don’t achieve them. This sets up a belief pattern that can take hold and take over as everything starts to feel out of reach; that sense of lack builds walls around our hearts and souls as we struggle to feel like we are enough. Perhaps focusing on encouraging self-compassion would be a better goal as this focuses on ways of living well that inspire tenderness and gentleness towards ourselves? Surely we already place ourselves under enough pressure in life without giving ourselves a hard time for being human? Self-compassion is a powerful theme this year and it looks set to be one that will re-define every aspect of our lives for years to come…
***
For me, 2021 became the year of facing many of my inner demons and feeling, first-hand, the power of the love, generosity and compassion of so many. It took me a long time to find the courage to reach out to ask for help raising money for an all-terrain powered wheelchair as it took me into new territory in my life: of vulnerability and letting go. Never in a million years did I expect such love, support, and generosity from so many; your acts of kindness helped to transport me from a space of disconnection to one of interconnection and hope.
Just before Christmas I placed the order for my new wheels! Thank you to every single one of you, not just for helping me to raise the money, but also for helping me to instil a deeper sense of belief that love, and hope are still very much alive and powerful forces in our lives. Just know that when I finally get my wheels, every time I go out, you will all be a part of that.
For now, I wish you all kinds of wonderful.
With love,
Sarah-Jane
Aries
♈
When you look back over the last year as so much has happened, it’s hard to comprehend how it could all fit into one year! On one level, time has flashed by, but on another level, there is still a sense that things in your life are moving much slower than you would like. It’s hard to condense this into words as it feels quite nebulous and hard to grasp, but although you have taken great strides towards living your best life, there is a part of you still longing for something more. Yet, this isn’t a goal in itself, it feels more like a state of being, a desire to feel happy, content and at peace within your heart and soul. Whilst there are many things in your life that bring you all of these, deep at the core of your being is a restlessness that you are not, as yet, living in accordance with your true priorities and goals. You’ve often been asked to think about what truly makes you happy, and you have spent a great deal of time contemplating this. As a result, although you have been busy doing more and achieving more, you long to ‘be’ more; ‘being’ in this sense is very much about achieving a state of being that feels more you.
Over the last year, you have awakened and become much more aware of yourself and your life; your focus has been sharpened and tweaked, and the bigger picture of your life now seems clearer and better defined than ever before. This is why ‘being’ seems so important, as embracing the art of being feels like the pinnacle of all of your hard work; it’s a willingness to ‘be more you’ and to love, honour and accept yourself more. Finding your true state of ‘being’ is your focus now as you find new ways to find joy in your life…
Taurus
♉
As you step from one year to the next, there is a sense of renewed determination within your heart and soul to make the year ahead one that sees some powerful change and shifts in your life. Although you have already done a great deal of ‘work’ on yourself, and you have a clearer sense of your true needs and priorities, you seem ready now to re-shape and re-define your approach to life in order to inject some more creativity and innovation into the process of how to live your best life. Your tendency to give so much of yourself to others has seen you lose a little part of your identity over recent years, and you have ‘parked’ your own needs for the sake of others, and whilst you will always be a giving soul, you have now realised the need to give to yourself as well. This is a significant and important shift for you as it’s a sign you are recognising and honouring your own needs. Yay!
You have spent a great deal of time keeping on keeping on in life, trying to get from where you are to where you think you need to be. However, now you are beginning to shift towards living a more balanced life (in terms of giving and over-giving of yourself), you are starting to feel the fire within re-igniting with passion and motivation. As a result, you are starting to see how you can bring together the many different facets of your being into a more cohesive whole. Although you will always try to be everything to everyone, you have realised the importance of being everything to yourself; compassion starts from within. The more in tune you are with yourself, the more able you are to not only live your best life, but to be the support and rock to others that brings you so much joy…
Gemini
♊
As you continue to navigate the uncertain and somewhat stormy seas of life, there is a sense that January looks set to bring you some calmer waters to rest and reflect. It’s a month to create some beathing space as you step back to think about the life you’re living, the life you’ve lived and the life you’d still like to live. It’s easy to be carried along by the currents of other people’s lives and this can sometimes leave you feeling powerless and voiceless. Of course, it can be hard as you are interconnected with other people on so many different levels, but it’s important for you to realise that you are not a piece of driftwood being carried along by the currents. If you’re drifting, it’s not powerlessness, it’s because you choose to do so! The more you realise that you are not a powerless pawn in the game of life, but a wise, strong and intuitive soul, the more clearly you will see the choices you make and the ones you choose not to make.
Being carried by the currents may suit you at times, but you seem to have reached a stage where this isn’t enough for you anymore. Your heart and soul are longing for a more enriched way of living and being, and you want more in life than keeping on keeping on. The more you drift, the more lethargic you become, meaning it becomes harder to make informed decisions or choices. This lethargy takes you away from being the vibrant and creative soul you know yourself to be. Whilst it’s clear you have peeled back many layers within yourself over the years, this has exposed a deeper connection to your true self than you’ve ever known. This lethargy is clouding the view and preventing you from making some important decisions about your life ahead. Let it go; this is your life, live it well…
Cancer
♋
As you continue to contemplate the things that nourish you in life and the things that don’t, it seems this process has stirred up a passionate determination deep within you stirring up your beliefs, ideals and dreams. You have moved beyond the concept of New Year’s resolutions and feel ready for something of a new year revolution as you start to let go of some long-held beliefs and connections which have shaped and defined your life for most of your life. In many ways, although you have outgrown them, they have become integral parts of what makes you, you. If you choose to let them go, it is important for there to be an honouring process where you acknowledge these beliefs and patterns in terms of how they have carved out the shape of your life. This feels like a time of reckoning for you; a time to lovingly let go of the beliefs that have been holding you back or creating doubts with your heart and soul.
Trust your intuition to guide you and believe in your ability to take the helm of the ship of your life. It seems clear that the more you let go of, the lighter you will feel, but try not to rush to fill the spaces left behind, instead pause for a while to re-centre and re-balance. Breathe deeply into life and allow life to breathe deeply into you. Your life might be busy with things to do, people to see and places to go, but try not to let these distractions take you away from this important process as you need some fresh perspective now in order to bring yourself back more into the present moment. So, let the inessential drift away, honour old beliefs as you set them free and breathe into the space they leave behind; what happens next depends on how willing you are to enter unchartered terrain…
Leo
♌
As you continue the process of ‘letting go’ by shedding the old, decluttering and challenging outdated beliefs, there is a sense you are beginning to feel lighter and brighter as you enter January. For a long time now you have felt burdened by the weight of distractions in your life, mostly other people’s ‘stuff’, and this has taken the shine off your inner twinkle, leaving you feeling rather lacklustre when it comes to reaching towards your own dreams. Whilst you love to help, support and be there for those around you, intuitively you know you also need to give yourself time, space and love in order to flourish and thrive. You seem ready to set a new intention for your year ahead, to declare wholeheartedly what your true priorities are and to give yourself both the space and the time to honour your own needs much more.
Now is the time to start the ball rolling when it comes to re-focusing and re-connecting to everything that’s truly important in your life. You have realised the need to stop trying to be the person you think you ought to be or the person you feel others want you to be, and whilst this is taking a bit of adjusting to, you are finally feeling more centred and self-aware as a result. Of course, now you have reached this stage, you now need to decide how to be the person you truly are. This sounds simple but when you’ve spent so much of your life trying to be everything to everyone, it can be hard to get a sense of your true essence. However, the process of letting go will help, as it removes a great deal of the clutter in your life enabling you to see the bigger picture of your life and inspiring you to connect more intuitively to your vibrant, magical and beautiful self…
Virgo
♍
When you sit and ponder the greener grass on the other side of the fence, do you wonder if it truly is greener or if it’s just a trick of the light? If you watch the blades of grass dancing in the sunlight on the other side of the hill, it’s easy to start wondering if things are better ‘over there’. Do you think about the gap between where you are and where you want to be? There is a deep sense of restlessness within your heart and soul that seems to be pulling you in different directions at the same time; whilst you are very much aware of the need to be present, there is a part of you fixated with the horizon and where you feel you need to be in life. Yet, is ‘over there’ really the pinnacle of what you want in life or is it simply distracting you from living more consciously in the here and now?
Of course, having dreams is an important part of life, but they can also lead to a feeling of lack as you can feel incomplete until you have achieved your goals; at the same time, you can feel as though your life is on hold until you get to your chosen destination. It seems important to ask yourself why ‘over there’ is still so important? You have changed and evolved, so re-assessing your plans makes sense. Yet, it goes deeper than this, as there is a need for you to think about what you truly want in life. You are now entering a new chapter, and it seems wise to have some clarity as to why you do the things that you do. Make the most of this time to find the joy in the grass beneath your feet, be more conscious in the present moment and allow your intuition to guide you forwards…
Libra
♎
Living your best life continues to take centre stage throughout January as you start to think about what those words actually mean for you. Living your best life is a phrase so often bandied about, but what does it really mean? Is it about making the most of every moment? Is it striding towards your dreams? Or is it a willingness to be your true self and to let your intuition pave the way towards happiness, peace and joy? In some ways, it’s all of the above, yet your potent mind over-thinks and over-ponders, and this can take the magic and energy away. You have spent a great deal of time keeping on keeping on, working hard to get from one day to the next, doing your best to keep the wheels of your life turning, so it’s easy to see that the concept of living your best life feels a tad contrite and unrealistic. Yet, you need to have purpose and momentum in life, as this is where you thrive and blossom.
Keeping on keeping on really isn’t your natural state of being as you need room to think, create, connect and breathe. If you listen to the echoes within the corridors of your soul, you are being called to listen, to pay attention and to really think what living your best life means as you are now in a position to re-shape and re-define your life from the inside, out. You are ready to live more wholeheartedly and more consciously than ever before as you pull back the curtains of your soul in order to let your inner light shine more brightly. Your passion and creativity are seeking new outlets, and your courage and determination are inspiring you to dust off some of those long-held dreams and to find new ways to bring them into being. These are truly exciting times…
Scorpio
♏
As you continue to explore new ways to encourage your free spirit to live more boldly and brightly in life, there is a sense that you are beginning to step beyond the boundaries of your life to step into new terrain. Although you have frequently pushed aside your cheeky and rambunctious free spirit because you can’t see ways to incorporate this effervescent energy into your life, you are finally realising that it’s not a choice as your free spirit is a vibrant part of you that you simply can’t switch off! Of course, you are strong willed and determined, so you have been able to over-ride your free spirit, but the time has now come for you to ask yourself if you still want to? Why switch off something so magical, creative and innovative? Why doesn’t it fit in your life? Maybe by seeing your free spirit as something to accommodate, you are looking at things in the wrong way as your free spirit is your essence so surely loving it, nurturing it and encouraging it would be more apt?
Obviously, only you can decide how to live your life, but understanding why you feel you need to manage your free spirit seems important. You are a passionate, compassionate and creative soul, and the adventure of new terrain brings warmth to your heart and soul. Admittedly life has been challenging and so it’s understandable why your focus has shifted away from living vibrantly, but your soul is calling you now, asking you to listen, to let your free spirit dance freely once again. This isn’t to say you should throw caution to the wind, but it’s a virtual nudge for you to re-connect to your inner world as this is the source of your power, innovation and intuition. You are a wise soul, and you seem ready now to allow some ‘amazing’ to flow back into your life…
Sagittarius
♐
For a long time now, you have contemplated living a life that allows you to embrace a deeper sense of space and freedom, bringing you an opportunity to explore your gifts and re-connecting to your creative and spiritual essence. This is a dream you’ve had for a very long time, and it has sometimes felt like it could never be more than a dream as life has been so busy and frenetic. However, there has been a big shift in your life over the last few months and you are beginning to have a sense that your dream can become more than a dream after all. You have reached a significant crossroads in your life, and it’s time to decide what you truly want from your life. Your dream has been a dream for so long, the details and shape of it need to be clarified and refined as you need to look beyond the ‘dream’ to see how to make it a reality.
It is unquestionably hard for you to know exactly what you want in life because your mind is scattered in so many different directions. Of course, that’s what makes you, you, so it’s time to stop berating yourself for your busy head and instead utilise this gift in order to look at the bigger picture to bring together the many different facets of what you truly want from your life. Your quest for a simpler and more vibrant life feels tantalisingly close now, so connect to the essence of your hopes and dreams in order to look beyond your ‘to do’ list and towards the steps you need to take to move forwards with your plans. This isn’t a time to doubt yourself, it’s a time to love and honour yourself as you tenderly open up towards the essence of what you want and having the courage to allow this essence to take shape and form…
Capricorn
♑
January looks set to be a month of clarity and vision when it comes to how you live your life. For quite some time now, you have been in the process of re-shaping and redefining your life from the inside, out; this has been quite a journey within as you have taken a long hard look at yourself and acknowledged the areas of your life where you feel content and the areas where you don’t. You have spent much of your life keeping on keeping on, doing your best to be the person you’ve always felt you needed to be. This determination and resolve has seen you through some difficult and tough times, but it has also left you with little room for your creativity and spark.
Of course, your spark is still with you, but it’s a glowing ember rather than a flickering flame, and whilst you have been able to get on with the business of living your life, it does suggest a layer of disconnection within your heart and soul. Keeping on keeping on gets things done, but where is the creative and innovative you? It’s so easy to overlook this inner essence, as you always have things to do, people to see and places to go, yet that inner voice yearns for more creativity, passion, and courage as you intuitively know that these pave the way towards adding fuel to your inner fire. Of course, you are wise enough to know that even if you do embrace this side of your nature, life suddenly isn’t fixed and everything is rosy once again, but you are ready to live more in tune with your deeper needs. Keeping on keeping on feels quite flat and directionless, and you are ready for so much more than that now. So, breathe into your inner world, trust your intuition and set yourself free…
Aquarius
♒
As you continue to untangle and unravel the knots within, there is a sense of clarity rising up from your heart and soul as you contemplate the concept of re-invention and re-birth. Over the years, you have seen yourself evolve, grow and change with each passing day, and you have gained insight into your true essence and had the opportunity to contemplate your true priorities. You have asked yourself questions as to why things are the way they are, and you have been open to searching for the answers on all levels of your being. This hasn’t made for an easy journey in life as you have had to face your fears and acknowledge your imperfections, and it has taken great courage to walk down some of those long, dark pathways deep within, but your unbending intent to heal yourself and to explore your full potential has facilitated a new way of living and being.
Although you have worked hard in so many areas of your life and achieved a great many of your goals, more recently you have realised that it’s the world within your heart and soul that truly matters as your inner world shapes and defines the life you live. There is no doubt that your inner world is a complex place as your awareness is so multi-levelled; you are one of life‘s deep thinkers and you have contemplated the meaning of life on so many different levels and in so many different ways. Change is rarely easy to embrace, but you have reached a stage to gracefully accept the inevitability of shift and change in life. This acceptance is allowing you to breathe more deeply into life, to reconnect to your dreams and to tap into that phenomenal power and potential within. You are a vibrant being and you absolutely deserve to live wholeheartedly and freely. You are ready now to spread your wings and fly free…
Pisces
♓
As you step into January, there is a sense that many of the challenges you have seen over the past twelve months can be left behind. Of course, some are ongoing, and some will always stay with you, but there is a strong need for you to let go and release now in order to set your heart and soul free. The more you contemplate your life and your path, it seems you have reached a point of realisation that the life you are living is not the life that you thought you’d be living. Whilst the same could be said for most people, there is a layer of disappointment within your heart and soul that you put some of your dreams on the shelf many years ago and life just hasn’t presented you with an opportunity to rediscover them again. Of course, some of these goals have changed as you have grown and evolved, but there is a part of you still feeling a sense of confusion as to why life has turned out the way it has.
You could spend days, weeks, months, even years contemplating why things are the way they are, and whilst you might gain some clarity, there would also be a risk of further confusion as the more questions you ask, the more questions appear. Sometimes it’s just not possible to truly understand why things are the way they are, but this doesn’t have to be disempowering or overwhelming. There is great beauty and grace in the art of acceptance: of willingly turning towards life exactly as it is, but still choosing to embrace it wholeheartedly. As you stand in the here and now, open up your heart and soul, listen to your inner wisdom and trust your intuition to guide you. Although the path you are walking has changed over the years, it’s never too late to follow those dreams. It’s time to believe in yourself…