Wrong in the Head

T aureans are the eternal optimists of the zodiac – focusing only on the positive while completely disregarding the negative. Even those not born in this month will be affected by the powerful influence of Taurus, too.

 

Taureans are known as the pacifists of the zodiac. They will go out of their way to maintain the peace, and are renowned for their patience and loyalty. They love their comfort; their home is their castle, and they are all too happy in their own company. The pursuit of comfort can make a Taurean very stubborn, and at times selfish. They have a general feeling of peace and wellbeing, and have a great appreciation and understanding for all things beautiful, wholesome and good. They tend not to harbor resentments.

 

Beyond the tendencies of those born under this sign, there is also energy that is specific to this month. In Taurus, we are supported in the opportunity to take greater control over our thoughts. The kabbalistic understanding of astrology and the energy of each month comes from the Book of Formation (Sefer Yetzirah) written by Abraham the Patriarch around 3800 years ago. Abraham’s writing is succinct, including only seven to eight words that pertain to each month. Abraham tells us that the energy of what is called Hirhur was created during Taurus. Hirhur is defined as the thought before the thought, or pre-thought. Think of it as the fleeting thoughts that cross your mind in the midst of your daily routine. They can be about anything, but they are unbidden and cross the mind outside of a proper context.

 

Some people are beset with negative thoughts like:
“I really messed that up.”
“I feel fat.”
“I hate that person.”
“I never get what I want.”
“I’m so ashamed.”

 

Or thoughts related to victimhood, such as:
“How could she do that to me?”
“Why is this happening?”
“I don’t deserve this!”

 

Who doesn’t have sneaky judgmental thoughts?
“Her house is a pig sty!”
“He loves the sound of his own voice.”
“I can’t stand the way he talks to people.”

 

They seem harmless enough at first. Most of us are able to quickly dispel them and get our minds back on track. The problem with these insidious thoughts is that they begin to become part of who you are and how you really think. Once, maybe twice, a thought can be easily dismissed. But when a thought recurs with great frequency…it’s problematic.

 

For instance, if a married man has fleeting thoughts of attraction for other women, it seems innocent enough to some, but not to me. But to make my point, let’s continue on with this analogy, when this pre-thought is played over and over, this man may very well find himself flirting with other women. He became comfortable with the thought, and now he is comfortable with flirting, he doesn’t see the problem with it. He maintains that he’s committed to his wife and that flirting is harmless. But is it? Flirting will most certainly open the door to a flood of other fleeting thoughts. And what might happen once he becomes comfortable with more tempting thoughts?

 

If we find ourselves at a loss to control our fleeting thoughts, then we lose the power to direct our consciousness. These thoughts chip away at our certainty over time. These pre-thoughts lead to deeper thoughts. The more time you spend thinking about anything, the more you are investing in it.

 

The Rav always says, “It’s all about consciousness.”

 

 

What does consciousness mean? It means that we are aware of what we think and how we think. Our thoughts create our reality and everything is dependent on our consciousness. But these fleeting thoughts are crafty! How do we dispel them from our minds?

 

That is what this month is about. This month shines a bright light on our thoughts and sadly, what we think is almost always inaccurate. Our view of the world around us, what we are frightened of, worry about and even the way we think about ourselves and others is very often, completely backwards.

 

That’s step one. If you are not aware of the problem, you can’t hope to find a solution. The kabbalists teach that this world is called Olam Hafuch which means ‘an upside-down world’. The things that are important to us turn out to be really not that important. The things that are not important to us are usually important. The things that worry us should not worry us.

 

In short, our minds need to be fixed.

 

Very often once you’re already at the point of thought, it’s very difficult to change and that’s why it is so important to manage our pre-thoughts. Usually it takes about a hundred pre-thoughts to have one thought, so let’s acknowledge their importance and also our ability to redirect our minds. The irony here is apparent to anyone who has ever been on a diet. If you are restricting your food intake, all you think about is all the food that you are not supposed to eat.

 

Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists. ~Eckhart Tolle

 

Don’t try to quell your thoughts. Acknowledge them, think about if they are thoughts that support you and give you fulfillment. Hearing your thought doesn’t mean that you accept them as truth, but it does provide you the opportunity to firmly dismiss it as inaccurate. Then think about positive things, people you love, things that inspire you and everything that you are grateful for. We can’t combat negativity by ignoring it, just as you can’t make a dark room light by pretending it isn’t dark! You have to shine some light on these pre-thoughts.

 

 

Combatting our fleeting thoughts is the challenge of this month, but the energy of Taurus is here to support us in this endeavor. Remember, a Taurean can always find the good in any situation and that is the secret weapon we can use to regain control of our minds.

 

Have a wonderful month!

 

Thought Into Action

 

Can you identify one thought you have that is utter nonsense, completely upside-down? Maybe you’ve deemed a situation hopeless, or written off a relationship. Turn your consciousness to these areas and be open to seeing where your thinking may be wrong.