Forecast for Friday 18 November 2011

Friday 18 November 2011

*Invisible Leadership Becoming Visible*

I feel like a cheerleader trying to tell you things are better than they seem. This would apply to both ends of the economic spectrum: well-off investors, on one side (and not all investors are well-off, by the way), and the "99%" protestors on the other. The former ought to relax a little and invest more so the economy can get jump-started, rather than worry so much about international debts and let them be a drag on progress. The latter have a right to protest what they see as unfair, and much of it is, in one way or another, but also ought to be more optimistic about their individual possibilities and follow them up.

[This is not a political journal, but let me say: Nothing I have said about "deadbeats" and the like means I am not with the protestors, on some issues, especially those who have had to contract debts to go to college, or those without jobs. There are a lot of middle class "deadbeats" not among the protestors, such as those who assumed mortages they could not pay, other debts, etc. The bankers are not the only ones responsible for the mess, by any means. Also, nothing I have said even remotely justifies the police brutality we have seen. These protesters are non-violent and deserve to be treated as such.]

Where are the leaders? I have asked. I don't mean the obvious ones such as Obama and those in politics on either side. I mean among the protesters. I applaud their attempt to figure out some agenda for progressive change in the economy, but bemoan the lack of leadership among them, a clear agenda, a definite plan, party, process for what they want to happen. Today, I believe, some such individual (or individuals) could be rising from among them. Watch for the signs.

Fear is a problem, which is holding back investors---there is a lot of money out there in individual, institutional, and corporate hands which could be released into the economy as stimulus for new jobs and benefits for all---and we need to start to trust one another more. Who among corporate leaders, or Wall Street honchos, is willing to extend a hand to the protestors, say "I sympathize, I want to help"? Who among the protesters is willing to extend a hand to the corporate leaders or Wall Street types and say "We want what you want, a country with more fairness and better opportunities for all. Join us to find that."

And, if that sounds naive, then right there is the problem. It is not naive but contains a seed of the possible solution.

Hope is essential, and can be forthcoming. It "springs eternal" even in November, when the obsolete falls (with its own charm as colored leaves). When hope is expressed in the immediate, in beauty and order, as many of the protestors in their tent cities have done, and as many of their seeming opponents do in their privileged domains, it is a path to shared prosperity.

It's Friday and not everything is serious. There can be exploration and entertainment, though with serious themes lying behind it. I would only say (not to be a wet blanket) that the real wet blanket could be too much alcohol, for some, because both the moon and sun are in harsh aspect with Neptune. I have seen that at those times people already have so much Neptunian tendency toward dreaming and the Invisible (which can be good) that too much alcohol is dispiriting and deadening. For those who drink, cutting one's usual allotment in half might be wise.

Making a psychological adjustment to opponents is important. Because the protests have been in the news, I am thinking of them, but they symbolize other facets of your life and relationships. To develop any kind of intimate interrelation among those from different sides of a fence requires fluid, flexible adjustment so they can appreciate the differences between them rather than make those interesting differences an endless source of enmity.

There are those whose self-mastery and deliberate mental development make them ready for leadership roles. Let us hope we discover them or they are bold enough to step up. In what are you fit to be leader, within the family, corporation, or intimate group? If it is natural for you to assume that role, you are meant for it.

{Friday} *Invisible Leadership Becoming Visible*

Cosmic Piper