combatting conditioning | earth in gate 2 | november 5th - 10th, 2023
Welcome to Combatting Conditioning, a brand new series from me, Jaclyn Michelle of interior creature.
Periodically, I'll be popping onto the blog to zoom in on a major gate transit and sharing some journal prompts for effective shadow work & deep de-conditioning.
Today, the Earth moves into Gate 2, The Gate of the Direction of the Self, which is ruled by Taurus and lives in the Self Center. This gate asks us to get honest about our conditioned habits, patterns, beliefs, and behaviors around our where we're headed and how we're getting there.
Shadow Work/De-conditioning Questions to consider:
When reflecting on the direction your life is taking (or has taken in the past to get you to the where you are today), which end of the fear frequency spectrum to you more frequently tend toward: disorientation or obduration? Does this vary depending on the area of your life (professional situations versus in romantic situations versus family situations versus friendship situations versus life purpose/big goal situations)?
Lost: Do you feel in the driver's seat with regard to where your life is headed personally? Professionally? Romantically? Why or why not? And if so, how so? Do you feel as if you can speak to where you'll be in a year? Five years? A decade? Why or why not? And how does this knowing (or not knowing) sit with you?
Earth & Direction: Earth represents our inner anchor and in our chart this planet rules what it takes for us to feel grounded & balanced, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. When it comes to making decisions regarding the direction your life is taking, how does how grounded you feel impact your fear-based behaviors and choices?
Obdurate: Think back to how the adults, guardians, mentors, and caregivers in your life talked about their life's direction and path. Did any of these caregivers embody obdurate, hard-heartedness when it came to their life's direction? Did any of your early role models feign indifference or sit in the seat of victimhood when it came to where their life was headed? How did their deep fear of taking the reigns of their life's direction make you feel? How did it impact your relationship? What did their behavior teach you about the nature of your own agency to pick your path? Are these beliefs serving you now as an adult?
Disoriented: Think back to how the adults, guardians, mentors, and caregivers in your life talked about their life's direction and path. Did any of these caregivers embody disoriented, flailing energy when it came to their life's direction? Did any of your early role models struggle to find their true path and/or take aligned action toward their goals? How did this haphazzard“try anything and everything” approach to orienting their life make you feel? How did it impact your relationship? What did their behavior teach you about the nature of your own agency to pick your path? Are these beliefs serving you now as an adult?
Are you finding this Combatting Conditioning series supportive? If so, watch this space! The first volume of my book The Rebuilding Year is dropping so soon and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!
In the meantime, thank you for nerding out with me 🤗
Do you have Gate 2 activated in your chart? How is this Earth transit affecting you? Let me know in the comments!