Things are heating up here on planet Earth, thanks to global warming, our shift into the photon belt of electromagnetic-charged light particles and the rising kundalini of Mother Earth. As a result, many people feel as if they’re cracking like mustard seeds in a pan under the intense pressure of our modern-day lives as we experience the transition phase of what’s been termed, ‘The Great Rebirth’.

How you can make the shift as graceful as possible? Through the power of love.

We are all a part of a significant event in the course of our shared human history. I am referring to the collective shift in consciousness currently taking place on our planet. Some are projecting their fear that the end of the world is nigh; however, I feel the band, REM summed it up beautifully with their song, “It’s the end of the world, as we know it.”

Regardless of our perspective on it, it’s happening. We are collectively facing the crossroads of change. We can respond by denying it, fighting it, or allowing and embracing it; the choice is ours in accordance with the universal law of free will.

Embracing the Inevitable Breakdown to Breakthrough

In the birthing process of a physical child or any creative endeavor, it is inevitable that we must pass through the transition phase. This phase is when we feel like giving up and may even contemplate death as an option in our desperate attempt to stop the intensity of our human suffering. This anxiety signals we are at the crossroads of life and death, which will catalyze a shift in our perspective and awareness. This is when we feel like we’ve reached our lowest point: energetically, emotionally, mentally and physically. It is when we are so worn out from our struggle, that we have no choice but to surrender to the process which marks our egos’ psychological deaths, allowing the new identity and new set of circumstances to emerge.

Egos: ‘The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall’

In mysticism, this process is referred to as “the dark night of the soul”. It may last one night or many months, depending on how big our ego is – that is, our will and our sense of personal identity. For example, we may stubbornly stay the course by imposing our old way of doing things while our reality continues to fall apart. We may even lose everything we hold dear until we wake up to the fact it is we who need to change.

During this global transition phase, many people are experiencing unbearable but avoidable stress as they persist with old-paradigm thinking and modes of operating, contrary to the energy of the new paradigm, which doesn’t support our old way of thinking and being.

Understanding the New Paradigm

For our lives to flow more gracefully we need to understand natural cycles and their effect on us. What people refer to as the ‘old paradigm’ is the Piscean Age, a two-thousand-year period where we explored the themes and lessons of this astrological sign. Symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, we sought to define ourselves by identifying what we were not. This was a time of duality, where we identified our experiences as good or bad, we saw ourselves physically as man or woman, we perceived Spirit and matter as separate and adopted a concept of Heaven and Earth as being distant.

The new paradigm is known as the Age of Aquarius, a two-thousand-year period which began in 2012, but whose influence could be felt from the 1960s when we witnessed global social change calling for equality, innovation and free thinking. Aquarius asks us to celebrate diversity while acknowledging the oneness of humanity and all living beings.

Those who are still operating in the Piscean way of thinking often ridicule those who have made the shift into the ‘new age’. Why? Our ego is governed by our rational mind and our rational mind fears the unknown and anything it can’t control, so it reacts by minimizing the importance of that which it doesn’t understand. One cannot understand the new paradigm if one has not personally undergone an inner shift of consciousness. That shift is the transition from one’s ego being the dominant operating system, to their soul taking that role.

How Do We Ensure Our Soul is in Our Driver’s Seat?

We may have a breakthrough at a workshop or retreat and then return home to our old life and slip back into our old patterns of thought and behavior, where our rational mind is more dominant than the intuition of our soul. We recognize this return to egocentric behavior according to our degree of stress, as escalating stress levels result when we seek to control the inevitable chaos of life.

The only way to ensure we don’t get caught up in such ‘monkey mind’ madness is to regularly anchor our intent of bowing to our inner knowing, through a practice which aligns our mind, body and soul, such as yoga, qigong or tai chi. Such practices form a foundation of self-love by nurturing our needs mentally, emotionally, energetically and physically. By generating self-love on a daily basis, we have the energy to respond with compassion and human kindness to those in our waking world. Whereas when we are running on empty, denying our own needs, we react to others from a place of fear or need.

Global Social Change Through the Alchemy of Love

The word “crisis” means both danger and opportunity, illustrating we each have the power to transform our global crises through the understanding that we are all interconnected fractals of Gaia. So the more we embody love through self-honoring choices, acts of brotherly or sisterly kindness, and devotional service to the greater good, the more powerful the role we each play as vessels to anchor the consciousness of Heaven on Earth. Whereas the more we collectively polarize in fear and separation, the more we contribute to the collective thought-form of suffering. Given our waking world is a reflection of our internal state, we can each consciously choose to support a conscious, ecstatic birth rather than an unconscious, traumatic birth.

The ancients understood their impact on the holographic nature of the universe.

This is why they honored the alchemy contained within their bodies and would gather within sacred geometric structures during astrological vortices on ley line intersections, to consciously align the Earth with the heavens. This is why they erected temples and stone circles on these sites—to generate energy and raise the collective consciousness. It’s why our stellar neighbors have placed crop circle sigals, using the power of sacred symbols to clear blocks in the intertwining global meridians of the sacred feminine and masculine which carry our consciousness around the Earth. This is why many are being called to perform ceremonies to clear blocks and raise power, using the power of love for Gaia and our global family to midwife our global transition in this time of crises.

Ultimately, we all have the opportunity to reduce both our own stress levels and the suffering of others, by harnessing the power of love in our daily lives.

Practical Ways to Navigate the Shift with Loving Grace

• Ensure vigilant self-care by eating nutritious food, as well as getting adequate rest and sleep
• Keep your energy levels high with music which uplifts your feelings and state of mind
• Read books and articles which inspire you with mind-expanding concepts
• Surround yourself with people who honor you with kindness and compassion
• Do anything creative which enthuses you, as this further kindles your inner divine spark
• Devote time to being of service to the greater good, be it within your community or on a global scale
• Do regular practices to align and clear the energy centers of the body, known as chakras so your intuition is crystal clear, enabling you to be a bridge between Heaven and Earth
• Honor both your physical and spiritual needs in equal measure to avoid polarization, which creates tension and conflict internally and externally
• Gather in circles to perform sacred ceremonies and sharing circles to practice being transparent and collectively create positive vortices of transformation (After all, stars form by spiraling together!)

Finally, if you are experiencing adversity and challenge, start by blessing the situation you are dealing with; this will raise your frequency and enable you to intuit the most ingenious solution to your current dilemma. Affirm the benevolent Universe is orchestrating the birth of your greater self through every interaction and ask to be shown the lesson so you can maintain both an open heart and your trust in the unfolding of the divine plan.