This month brings a sense of making a decision. Choice. Black, or white? Here, or there? Should I stay or should I go? For many, what begins the month is the feeling that something must be done. That action is necessary in order to create the next step or enter the next phase. That everything will remain as it is unless something is done to stop the status quo or to move into what comes next.

What we feel on a personal level is much like a microcosm of what is taking place on a global level. This is frequently the case, even for those who don’t maintain conscious awareness of the overall connection of all beings. The awareness lies underneath where we can’t always touch it, yet it is there nonetheless: supporting us, creating a foundation, acting as an underground spring and giving lifeblood to all actions, thoughts, and emotions. On a global level, then, such a sense of decision is also apparent.

This reminds us of last September, one year ago, where there was a similar choice point available and then taken. Two diverging roads in a wood. One road was taken. Many of you felt this and felt anxiety and unease in the first part of that month as the choice point approached. Would we take the “right” road? Where is the world headed? What does this mean to me, to my family, to my community?

While it may be inappropriate to comment on the road taken – good? Or bad? – it is certain that the road that was taken a year ago has led us to the point upon which we all now stand. The entire past year would not be possible without the collective choice that was made a year ago. And here we all are now, feeling again the slight unease that comes with the feeling that something must be done. Change is going to happen. I need to get on board. I need to do something – anything.

While the sense of decision is not as strong or compelling as it was a year ago, it nonetheless seems to require attention. There are a few components to this:

1. Timeline. The month of September can be roughly split in half, with the first half being devoted to this sense of needing to take action and the second half being devoted to a feeling of regret for having taken that action or having made that choice, as well as dealing with the aftermath of whatever decision was made. We’ll offer more on that aftermath a bit later in this transmission.

2. Action. What is action? It is helpful to remember that inaction is still an action. Your particular circumstance may not lend itself this month to any dramatic choice or action, but even the act of NOT doing is an action and has a result.

3. Urges. Usually when we see someone in the throes of obsessively attending to urges that arise, we suggest that instead of going with the urge that they instead sit with the feeling. What is underneath it? What is being avoided? In this case, then, we offer much the same: if you are feeling the urge to DO, try sitting with that feeling for an hour, a day, a few days. Does the feeling change? Does it have anything else to say to you? How do you feel about your seeming inaction? Does it tell you anything about who you are?

4. Everything changes. When you give yourself enough space to rest in What Is, you realize that the present moment exists in an eyeblink, and once you even acknowledge the moment is there, it vanishes. Nothing stays the same. If you hold onto What Was, there is no room for What Comes Next.

Decisions made this month will be primarily made on a personal level. These collective decisions will affect everyone overall; there is no escaping that. But what is being felt now lies primarily with the individual. What direction will I take? What do I need to do to support my family, my friends, my community, my self? What comes next for me? That these choices, or the appearance of choices, are concerned mainly with the individual level makes them no less important to the overall global direction. You have all heard of the ripple analogy: what actions you take (even actions such as thoughts, emotions, and simply breathing) radiates outward from you like ripples in a pond after a stone is dropped in. These ripples touch the myriad other ripples in the same pond, the ripples of your family, your neighbors, your countrymen, and indeed, all humankind and beings on the planet. Every ripple touches every other. You will feel – in some way – the decisions being made half a world away from you. You’ll adjust your own choices accordingly, at least in some small way. There is no escaping this. You cannot NOT be touched by the entire world around you.

What if you are not particularly feeling as if you need to make a choice this month? Does that mean you are disconnected, out of touch, or lacking in some fashion? Not at all. Not everyone experiences overall energies in the same way. While a majority of people will be a sense of action this month that will help them feel more secure and certain about What Comes Next, others will be simply attending to the needs of life. This doesn’t mean that action won’t be taken or that choices will not be made, but it does invite awareness of those feelings within you this month. Conscious choosing will help you feel more empowered.

After September 15, you’ll be dealing with the aftermath of however you spent the first half of the month. If you made a big step toward something new, or a big step away from something old, you may experience a sense of regret or “buyer’s remorse”: Did I make the right choice? Can I un-choose? Is this really the “right” path for me? If you find yourself in this space, be kind to yourself. Allow yourself some time to grieve the choices not taken. Allow yourself the very human response of anxiety over what comes next. You needn’t be overwhelmed by that anxiety, but pushing it away entirely won’t help you either. Be kind to yourself in this time. Allow space for what comes up: fear, loneliness, resentment, even exuberance. Realize that those feelings won’t last forever either and that they are a natural defense to the changes you seek to make.

Another feeling that will be common in this time is euphoria. Understand that like its twin despondency, this sense of euphoria is short-lived and ephemeral. Revel in it if it comes to you and is a part of your experience this month – why waste an opportunity to dance? But understand this it, too will pass. Trying to hold onto euphoria is like trying to bite a soap bubble. Enjoy the feeling while it is with you, and choose to not blame yourself for its lack when it passes.

However, this widespread euphoria will be spreading its own ripples. Expect some internal shakeups as well as global upheaval toward the end of the month, from the 25^th onward. This type of upheaval will likely be weather-related, with more than a good chance of a devastating Atlantic hurricane or a South Pacific tsunami possible in this time.

Practices this month to assist you with the energies

Meditation. Not a meditator? You can always start a practice. Go easy on yourself and try simply inserting a “pause” into your day at various intervals. This can be done anywhere, at any time, and will help you ground and center. Stop what you are doing, close your eyes, and just listen to the sounds around you for one minute. That’s all. Just listen to the sounds in the room or within hearing, without judgment. Always hated the ticking sound of that clock? Fine. But for one minute, just hear the ticks. If a reaction comes up, just let it be there. After all, you’re only listening for one minute! You can do anything for a minute. This practice will help you learn about what it feels like to be present in the moment.

Virtual hand-holding and hugs. Remember the connection you have to every other being on the planet, and the idea that you feel the ripples sent out by the other seven billion inhabitants? Use this feeling to send out specific ripples of your own. This practice may take you several minutes, or as long as you wish. Try to remember to do it daily. Close your eyes and remember all those seven billion ripples. Follow the ripples to your heart. Then, from your heart, send out the feeling of holding someone’s hand and offering love and support. Or send from your heart the feeling of hugging someone dear to you. Be sure to notice what you feel in return.

Notes on Choices

Many people grow quite concerned with the prospect of making the “right” choice. Will it support me on a soul level? Will I feel nourished? What will people think of me as a result? How will it affect the people in my life? How can I know it is the right choice for me? While these are valid concerns on a surface level, deep on a soul level those worries fall away. When you rest in the knowledge that every choice can be undone or changed in some way, and that nothing stays the same forever, some of the burden of making the “right” choice falls away. And when you become quiet within and listen to that still small voice within you, all choices made from this place will feel good and true.

How do I know I can trust the voice within me? This can be difficult. Society teaches one to look toward an external authority for guidance (parents, teachers, political leaders, spiritual figures) rather than to look within. But the heart knows – on some level – about What Comes Next for each person. When in doubt, go with your heart.

Each person comes to a place of knowingness in a different way, and some may never quite arrive. But having the trust that on a soul level, everything always makes sense and works to the highest good of those concerned, can be comforting. For you, then, we can say that the movement made this month will go a long way toward showing you your own still small voice within. This is a pivotal month in that way, giving people the opportunity to find, refine, or discover elements of their own inner guidance in a way that works best. This, then, is what you have to look forward to this month. Ask for guidance from a mentor to help you through the process, or simply sit quietly and listen to what occurs as a result.

Namaste.