Who Are You Trying to Impress? The Power of Authentic Self-Expression
October 15, 2022
This is the last week of Libra season, before the sun moves to Scorpio next Sunday, October 23.
We’ve talked a lot about Libra as the relationship sign. But Libra is not just that. Libra is also a sign of self-expression and artistic expression.
When I did my presentation on how to find the purpose of your writing through astrology in the World of Writers summit last week, I was not surprised to find many great authors, musicians and artists who had strong Libra in their chart. Agatha Christie, Bob Dylan, Coco Chanel, Hermann Hesse, Lewis Carroll, and Oprah Winfrey all have Midheaven in Libra.
The Midheaven represents public persona and the purpose of your work. As my newsletter subscribers, you’ll soon get a free membership access to my site, that will include detailed information on the subject.
A Libra midheaven indicates that the purpose of your work and creation is to bring beauty, peace, and harmony to the world.
Lewis Carroll did not only write Alice in Wonderland, but also illustrated it. Hermann Hesse, the author of Siddhartha, who won a Nobel prize for literature, was also a painter. When you read his books, you feel like you are inside a painting.
Agatha Christies, the best-selling fiction writer of all time, wrote colorful mysteries. Her detective, Hercule Poirot is Libra amiable, unlike deep, dark Sherlock Holmes, for example.
Sting has sun and moon in Libra. John Lennon has sun and Mars in Libra. Oscar Wild had sun and Venus in Libra. William Shakespeare has moon in Libra. J.K. Rowling has five planets in the seventh house, which is ruled by Libra. Debra Silverman, my teacher, and the author of The Missing Element, has Libra rising. Sarha Blau, my dear friend who is an international bestseller of The Others, has Libra rising.
The thing about Libras is that they tend to be distracted by their need to be liked, charming, and popular. But when they learn to love themselves and stop needing outside approval, they can connect with their inner fountain of creation.
We all seek someone’s approval. It can be parents, partners, siblings, friends, lovers, or ex-lovers. Sometimes we want to prove ourselves to people who hurt us. We want to show them how amazing we are and how much they lost by not wanting us. Sometimes it’s not even other people that we want to impress, but the idea we have on these other people in our mind.
Especially today, with social media, we wish to get more likes, comments, and acknowledgement that what we bring to the world is valuable, that we are valuable.
For many years I worked in financial positions because I knew it would make my father proud. Even when we did not get along, even when we barely spoke, even when I hated him, there was still a side of me that wanted to show my father that I could be successful in a way he could appreciate.
When I left my financial career to become a yoga teacher and a partner in a yoga studio, my father was devastated. But during the years of my yoga teaching, when I was fulfilled, I could finally forgive my father and get closer to him. He eventually saw the positive influence my new life had on me, and admitted he was happy I had made this transition.
My teacher Debra Silverman says it took her years to stop needing others’ approval. I think it is also something that comes with age and wisdom. At a certain point you realize that there will always be those who like you and those who don’t.
Each one of us is an artistic creation of the universe. We were meant to express ourselves in a way that reflects our uniqueness. This is what Libra is here to teach us.
When you connect to the power of authentic self-expression, you feel one with the universe, you fulfill your purpose, you bring harmony and peace to the world, and you do it effortlessly.
The yoga sutra of Patanjali, one of the most important yogic texts, says “Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.”
Effortless effort is what happens when we connect with our inner truth.
Authentic self-expression does not necessarily mean that you are required to get naked, metaphorically speaking. You are allowed to choose which parts of yourself to expose and which to keep private. But you are required to be vulnerable and honest about everything that you decide to share.
During this week ask yourself:
- Am I distracted by wanting to please or impress anyone in my life?
- What is the purpose of my self-expression?
- What do I want to create or bring to the world?
- How can I get closer to fulfilling my creative purpose?
- Is my self-expression authentic?
This is a great week for journaling. You can journal about one of these suggested topics, or about anything you like. Your creativity will be heightened on Tuesday and Wednesday when the moon is in Leo.
Have a wonderful week,
With love,
Yael
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