Forecast for Friday, November 13th
Libra/Scorpio Balsamic Moon
ॐOracular Mantra—befriending the demons and owning the shadow, and sharing all the squishy squish…
Ernest Becker writes in his book “The Denial of Death” that “for twenty-five hundred years we have hoped and believed that if mankind could reveal itself to itself, could widely come to know its own cherished motives, then somehow it would tilt the balance of things in its own favor… twenty-five hundred years of history have not changed man’s basic narcissism—we are hopelessly absorbed with ourselves.”
We are definitely at a time, astrologically speaking, that the collective is needing to reveal itself to itself… and to do this, we must all be working, personally and individually, on our own shadow stuff.
Balancing things in its own favor—what a concept… what an ideal.
It’s time.
What exactly is narcissism though? And are we understanding this word appropriately?
❝I don’t care what you think unless it is about me.❞
——Kurt Cobain
The concept of excessive selfishness has been recognized throughout history, indeed. The term “narcissism” is derived from the Greek mythology of Narcissus, but was only coined at the close of the nineteenth century—since then, narcissism has become a household word—in analytic literature, given the great preoccupation with the subject, the term is used more than almost any other… but this isn’t necessarily useful as an overall.
The meaning of narcissism has changed over time, as all things do.
Today narcissism ‘refers to an interest in or concern with the self along a broad continuum, from healthy to pathological … including such concepts as self-esteem, self-system, and self-representation, and true or false self’…
However, as psychologist Seth Meyers writes, “the essence of narcissism doesn’t boil down to superiority…” contrarily to what is so commonly and popularly misunderstood.
The root of the disorder of narcissism is actually “a strict resistance to feeling vulnerable with anyone at any time.”
Meyers supports, that “the narcissist does not truly trust others in close relationships… because the narcissist does not trust others, he refuses to put himself in a position where he feels vulnerable—despite the outward appearance of grandiosity and superiority, the narcissist actually lives in a state of anxiety and hypervigilance.”
❝Hate is the complement of fear and narcissists like being feared. It imbues them with an intoxicating sensation of omnipotence.❞
——Sam Vaknin
Mythologically, the classic story narrative of Narcissus regarded a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. Many versions of this myth consider the punishment to be that he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, narcissistically; unable to consummate his love, Narcissus ‘lay gazing enraptured into the pool, hour after hour’, and finally pined away, changing into a flower that bears his name, the narcissus.
Like Narcissus, a narcissist is either unable or unwilling to open to the idea of opening fully with an/Other, and would thereby prefer to maintain oneself in one’s own attentions…
In fact, the entire story between both Narcissus and Echo describes a reciprocated narrative of narcissism in either direction… allow me to introduce you to this perspective.
As with many myths, this myth begins with Zeus and his shameless fancies and pursuits, particularly toward the interests of a rather loquacious Echo, a beautiful nymph, who caught the jealous and suspicious wrath of Hera, Zeus’ wife… Zeus convinced Echo to protect him against Hera, which she did by keeping Hera distracted in lengthy and pointless conversations, only to pay dearly for it with her own voice being used against herself—Hera captured Echo’s ability to speak with a curse, and forever thereafter Echo could thereby only speak the last words spoken to her.
Later, when Echo met Narcissus, she fell in love, naturally… but, due to this permanent cursed condition, she was unable to tell him how she felt, and was left to witness him slowly direct his defensive focus and attention back onto himself through the reflections of himself from the pond.
Echo’s inability to speak anything but the last several words spoken to her only perpetuated one’s own thoughts or questions, hence an echoing response rather than a participating response, causing much disconnection within her communications with others… Echo was cursed, and somewhat forced to disengage herself from communicating with others, keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself.
❝I like to be admired from afar, and then complimented up close.❞
——Gena Showalter
Narcissus, however, through which the word was derived, chose willingly to keep himself from Echo, despite her interest or desires toward him, causing her to feel shame from her silent advancements… and so we have, within this myth, an example of narcissism manifested both inherently, and willingly, as well as inwardly and passively—each providing an example of isolating downfall.
“Simply put,” Meyers furthers his point, “true narcissists have zero interest in introspection or self-improvement—their guiding principle: never, ever let your guard down…” narcissists have zero interest in heart-centered vulnerability or mutually enforced connections in compassion.
Never, ever letting your guard down will only perpetuate your isolation and loneliness, disconnection and narcissistic imbalances—it will never support an opening of heart or mind—it will never support an opening for vulnerability… it will never reveal, for you, your ideal, your opportunity, or your spark.
❝Love without sacrifice is like theft.❞
——Nassim Nicholas Taleb
It also shouldn’t be taken for granted that shamanic astrologer Raven Kaldera considers today’s moon to be the Phoenix Moon, a moon when “we think about change and find gratitude for the new directions we’ve taken because of it…” knowing full well at this point that some of the squishiest vulnerabilities one can possess are either triggered, or even squishier, through the volatility of change… and the transformative potentials offered thereof and thereby honor both the changed and the effected.
Who are we if we are not directly experiencing change, or learning about both ourselves and one another through the transformations of our own and an/Others’ changes?
Today may find a way of offering you a liberation from some of the more shadowy and/or squishy stances you’ve been either reluctant to confront or fearful of facing—and this liberation should be not only taken with gratitude, but with a seriousness in standing, as though you’re your own Hera, discovering a disloyalty within yourself against yourself… against your own best interests.
Why would anyone sabotage their own best interests?
Better yet—why would the collective not reveal itself to itself?
Better still—why wouldn’t an interconnectedness between it all be considered the hopelessly absorbed opportunity through which each rely?
❝To approach the Other in conversation is to welcome his expression, in which at each instant he overflows the idea a thought would carry away from it. It is therefore to receive from the Other beyond the capacity of the I, which means exactly: to have the idea of infinity. But this also means: to be taught. The relation with the Other, or Conversation, is a non-allergic relation, an ethical relation; but inasmuch as it is welcomed this conversation is a teaching.❞
——Emmanuel Levinas
Becker, E. “The Denial of Death.” The Free Press; ©1973.
Meyers PsyD, S. “The True Roots of Narcissism.” Psychology Today; © 2017.
Kaldera, R. “Moon Phase Astrology.” Destiny Books; ©2011.
★These current energies we’re all navigating will continue to circulate and circumvent throughout the rest of the year, into next—for better or worse—how can you best plan and prepare?—and in what ways can you strategize your personal ideals? Let’s talk about it—message me directly to book your reading—I look forward to being an asset on your journey.
*Single readings available, as well as monthly forecasts… my current availability is M-F—am/pm—and Saturdays by request
★SPECIAL PRICING OFFERS —$123 for single readings ($199) & only $321 (that’s only $26.75/month!) for monthly forecasts (regularly $365) through 12/31/2020
❝If you’re betwixt and between, trust the one with red hair.❞
——O.R. Melling