In this month of family, feasting, and gift giving, December brings with it a mixed bag of exhaustion, worry, and chaos. The cards indicate the sudden changes from November continue to affect Decembers forecast. There are indications of setbacks that force us to see the truth underneath our overly optimistic attitudes. The tensions that have been building since the summer are finally released in dramatic ways. This breakdown allows us to create new patterns rather than continue to try to reinforce badly constructed realities.

The darkness threatens to consume the light literally as well as metaphorically for this darkest month of the year.

Events create a change in stability along with a renewed determination and strength to accomplish the task. It will be important to balance the awareness of the impending dangers with skill and knowledge to defeat future attacks. These attacks can be from the expanding threats from the Middle East as well as from those who would undermine our economy and government. We need to reclaim the hidden resources that we all hold within to uncover new ways to address the obvious problems that are looming in the not so distant future.

This would not be the Christmas to go all out and spend until your credit cards begin to melt. This Christmas learn to appreciate the small and wonderful things about family and life. We really need much less than we realize to be happy.

This month it is important to do what you know to be instinctively right. Incorrect action or ignoring the truth when it is presented will cause continued chaos and upset. Remember, correct action is that which serves the greater whole and includes all truths and perceptions so that healing and transformation can occur. Just because your ego wants to be right or believes that it knows what is true for another does not mean that action would serve everyone.

Think of it like this, those who are in a first stage level of awareness are out to get what they want exclusively. They want to get their needs met quickly and immediately. They need to be right and they need to have their truth validated in the way that makes sense to them. The problem here is that often life is in constant flux and what we thought we wanted might not actually serve our expansion and growth. Therefore, the universe will often let events unfold that do not go our way. This can create misery and upset as we learn to let go of what others told us is truth. Then we must explore and expand our limited understanding of the truth to align with our inner self and purpose.

In a second stage level of awareness, we want to communicate and learn to become aware of others perceptions and beliefs. In this stage, we believe that we can all come to an amicable conclusion and fairness will prevail. This may not always work, especially if you are in a negotiation with someone who is in the first stage place of wanting to get what they want regardless of your feelings and beliefs. This only works if both sides are on the same playing field. As Americans we believe that discussion can lead to changes. Unfortunately, action often speaks louder than words, which leads me to the third stage of awareness and what is appropriate action.

In the third stage of awareness, one looks at what serves love and life moment by moment. Sometimes, that requires an intense, in the moment, response to external stressors that are authentic and heart felt. Examples would be situations when your children are about to do something that could hurt them like jump off the roof or accidentally get into inappropriate things. In such a moment, you do not quietly try to have a discussion with the child. You emotionally react with love. You yell to stop the child from doing the thing that may cause them harm. You tend to instinctually grab them in a mixture of anger and love to interrupt the activity. This is always done with an emotional explosion and force that can come across as anger but it is mixed with love and compassion. The child registers this and immediately integrates that moment as a lesson. Lessons learned this way will always be remembered by any child from that point on as something not to do.

It is important to note that each of us have all these experiences throughout our day. We shift from a level one moment, to a level three in the blink of an eye. So, none of these are bad, it is just that we need to become aware of what level our awareness is operating from and be able to objectively make choices that allow ourselves and others to grow.

If we constantly operate from the place of always needing to get our needs met by others, we will be disappointed, frustrated, and angry. That anger can turn to hatred and that hatred can become a blight on our soul that wants to lash out and hurt others without the developed awareness to feel and connect to others hearts and feelings. This is how people can become brain washed by beliefs and allow themselves to become pawns in powerful games that hurt and cause suffering to others.

So for the month of December, see if you can begin to choose to open your heart to a level where you serve others moment by moment. Let go of what you think you want and choose to feel into those who are suffering much more than you. Reach out with what you have and touch others. Even if that is in a small way. Each gesture can be the magic balm for someone’s soul who is hurting and potentially building up a charge that may lash out in anger and hurt others.

If we could just get governments to become that bolt of lightening of truth and love that will not tolerate negative behaviors that hurt others. How can we globally become a force that will not allow those who are operating in a stage one to not hurt themselves and others? How can we forcefully take weapons of mass destruction away from those who want to cause others harm. Yet, do it with intense love and power with the intention to serve all and minimize harm to everyone. This will be the great challenge for 2008.

Waves of change are coming whether we like it or not. Our environment is reaching a critical threshold and everyone will be forced to make adjustments and to look at how choices we make every day affect each of us. We are not alone. We are all intricately connected and that new awareness needs to create alternatives for how we all act and react in this new and evolving world.

Have faith that events unfolding are the lightening strike that awakens those who are apathetic to world suffering. When we all align to a higher calling that serves all, then the world will shift to accommodate that new perception.