What Do You Want?

4.4.05

Maybe you know the answers to the question, and maybe you don't.

Most likely, you do know the answers—on some level of consciousness, nearer or further from the surface.

But perhaps you're not so comfortable articulating them, even to yourself, let alone aloud. These desires are so crazy or impractical or unrealistic, there's no reason to bother voicing them. They embarrass you. They are irrelevant. So you keep quiet about them. They remain unacknowledged.

As we know, though, it's hard to get what you want if you don't begin by asking for it.

Of course, there are plenty of people out there who have no problem whatsoever asking for what they want. You may know some of these people. You may, in fact, be one of them… although I'd venture to bet that so many of us who are drawn to astrology and other 'self-help' systems are the type who struggle with this. We form our noble spiritual understandings to help us accept things as they are, to be content 'going with the flow' rather than trying to redirect it, at the same time we search for new magical methods of manifesting greater abundance or true love or connection to our higher purpose. All the while, these other folks are out in the world, putting their wants on the table, successfully attaining many of them—and driving us mad with envy.

Many of us convince ourselves that to be so blatantly open about what we want is rather repugnant. Isn't desire supposed to be the root of all suffering? Doesn't detachment from our wants have something to do with enlightenment?

I may have no more than a surface-level knowledge of such ideas (and, yes, I'm being glib), but I'm in no way ready to renounce my attachments to what I want. To aim for such transcendence is a worthy goal, I suppose… but, in my humble opinion, it's for a scant karmically-advanced few, at least at this juncture. We're here on Earth now for a reason—to deal with our earthly concerns. (Otherwise, wouldn't we have already 'ascended'?) We need to pursue what we want, so we can achieve it or definitively realize we won't achieve it… and, either way, learn something new and move on to the next thing.

This week's solar eclipse in Aries is an ideal astrological invitation to go for what youwant, and the first step is to state those intentions. When the Sun and Moon line up on Friday in the zodiac's first sign, they initiate a new chapter ripe with energy and strength for pursuing self-satisfaction… and with a minimum of the dogged self-consciousness that repeatedly tells us why we can't or shouldn't bother trying. They will be joined by Venus in Aries, adding her beneficent blessings in favor of activity and excitement over self-effacing inertia. And positive support from Pluto (trining from Sagittarius) and Neptune (sextiling from Aquarius) enhances the potential for success, when our personal desires line up with what's best for the larger whole.

The biggest challenge to this eclipse's auspicious promise comes from its square to Saturn. Saturn in the sign of Cancer reminds us still to care, but more carefully. If our emotional connection to others is too overpowering, it drowns us in their concerns and snuffs out our own flame. We put ourselves second, conceding… to our detriment. But our instinctive nurturance must always still keep us in check, halting us when our pursuit of what we want comes at someone else's expense. We can't expect our manifestation magic to work if we seek to harm others or inhibit their free will.

And just because we ask for what we want, that doesn't mean we're going to get it. We can't see what life has in store for us. We don't always know best. Yet, it's certainly worth asking anyhow. Putting it out there definitely increases our chances… putting it out there, and then letting it go.

In the spirit of this week's eclipse, I'm going to follow my own advice and put out what I want. I'm one of those people who generally finds it hard to do this, but I'm doing it anyway. One never knows who might be reading these words, who might be able to help me get what I want. One never knows what will happen. That said:


  • I want my website traffic to increase at least tenfold. I want astrobarry.com to be listed among the top astrology sites on leading search engines.

  • I want at least one regular column-writing gig with a major publication.

  • I want a lucrative book deal with an organization that provides me with the creative freedom to feel satisfied with my finished product. I want to meet publishing professionals along the way who help me develop my craft, encourage my growth, and connect me with the ideal audience for my work.

  • I want to find profitable professional opportunities in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and the southwestern US.

  • I want to earn enough money through my writing and my astrology practice so I don't have to worry about generating other sources of income.

  • I want to continue to grow physically healthier and stronger.

  • I want to travel to Japan, Guatemala, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and at least one other unknown global destination in the next five to ten years.

  • I want more plants in my home.

  • I want to continue to surround myself with people who love me, support my highest expressions of self, and encourage me to succeed at my goals.

  • I want to help others in whatever capacity I can.

  • I want to remain an open, willing and active participant in the mysterious unfolding of life.

I sincerely invite you to do the same as I've done, to put what you want out into the ethers and let it go. It is better to actually put these wants into words, to get them out of your head and into manifested reality through the power of language. In fact, if you really want to release them, please email them to me. I would like to share this worldwide outlet with you. If I get some good authentic heartfelt responses, I will post them on this site next week. Include your name and geographic location in your email. (You can also email me and indicate if you don't want me to post what you've written. The act of release will still be powerful.)

So tell me… what do you want?


photos of astrobarry by Ricky Johnson