The Fifth House Haven

There are many uncertainties in this world, but there’s one thing I’m completely and totally sure about: Overeating has nothing to do with being physically hungry. It’s an emotional response to a deeper problem. And as an astrologically inclined individual, I can’t utter the phrase “deep problems” without thinking about our little friend on the edge of the solar system, Pluto.

Despite Pluto’s diminutive size, it packs a powerful punch. Its job is to destroy anything in its path that is no longer serving a purpose in your life. Resistance is futile. Cry all you want, but if Pluto has its way anything in your life built on faulty foundations will come down. The good news is once you’ve cried over the situation and have gotten your wits about you, Pluto helps you rebuild whatever it demolished. And you can be sure that the final product will be a more authentic reality far more in line with your spiritual evolution. This is the transformative part of Pluto.

But it’s got a destructive side, too.

Pluto is associated with an array of ugly, potent, all-consuming emotions. Many of these emotions are repressed, shoved into a dark corner of our psyches and chained to a wall of pain and embarrassment. The triggers that release these emotions vary per individual. However, Plutonian emotions themselves are universal, primal and potentially destructive. Rage. Revenge. Hatred. Jealousy. (To name a few.)

But here’s the catch: These “ugly” emotions are actually tools that sadistic little Pluto uses to get you in so much pain that you’re literally forced to cry uncle, to fall into a heap of sheer exhaustion, and then to throw yourself at the mercy of the Universe and to just accept change.

Getting slim and healthy is certainly an act of transformation. But it’s very important that during this process of changing how and WHY you eat the way you do, you face the Plutonian emotions that have derailed your efforts in the past and use them as a tool for transformation – rather than as a tool for masochistic self-loathing and sabotage.

The good news is there’s nothing in the Pluto handbook that says we have to become a slave to “dark” emotions before we wake up and recognize the meaning we’re supposed to derive from them. That’s where a little bit of self-awareness and spiritual knowledge goes a long way.

In my opinion, jealousy – probably the most embarrassing of all of the Plutonian weapons of emotional mass destruction – can actually provide you with oodles of information about what it is you really need to change to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. The emotion itself literally feels like a punch in the stomach. We feel it in the solar plexus. And often our solution to this ego debilitating bellyache is to nurture ourselves with food we don’t need.

By determining the role jealousy plays in your subconscious, you actually have an opportunity to finally put an end to feeding the insatiable green-eyed monster. When you feel jealous, it’s important to keep in mind that jealousy itself isn’t the problem: It’s merely a symptom of the problem. Jealousy is the emotion that occurs when our needs aren’t being met. When we feel powerless. When we let the ego and its ridiculous demands get in the way of our connection to the Universe. When we lose faith in the miracle of our own lives.

A couple of years ago I came up with the saying: “Jealousy is the unrecognized greatness inside of you trying to claw its way out”. I still firmly believe this is true. If you are happy with who you are, if you’re satisfied with how you’re contributing to this world, if you feel in line with your soul’s purpose, if you love yourself and recognize your essential role in the Universe, there is no need for jealousy. A spiritually connected person knows that the Universe provides everything she needs.

Spiritual connectedness requires turning inward. But unless we become hermits or monks, we have to turn outward once in a while in order to function in society. And what mechanism do our spirits use to mingle with other spirits in the material world? You guessed it: Our personality and its annoying sidekick the ego. And when we’re seduced by the trappings of the outside world and fail to remember to center ourselves by frequently turning inward, the ego has a habit of getting out of control. Next thing you know you’re rubbing elbows with annoying emotions like jealousy.

Pluto is in everyone’s chart. Everyone has something that, unless fulfilled, will take over and turn us into raging, emotionally out of control, vengeful lunatics. For some it’s the love of another. For others it’s success. A nicer house. Brighter kids. A better body. More attention. Popularity. Jealousy seduces us into thinking we hate the person who has what we want, but in truth we really hate ourselves for being “substandard”. We think the person who has what we want has power, but in truth we’re giving our power away to them by letting the jealousy take over.

Jealousy is an indicator that you don’t trust the Universe to tend to your needs or fulfill your intentions. It throws a wrench into the Universal flow. The Universe receives our thoughts and feelings and just gives us more of what we’re thinking about and emotionally experiencing. The Universe hears your cries about how it’s unfair that someone has what you want; it senses your disappointment and self-loathing; it picks up on your belief that the law of infinite abundance doesn’t apply to you. So it gives you exactly what you’re thinking and feeling: More unfair scenarios, more disappointing experiences and less of what you desire. Jealousy is nothing short of sabotage on a personal and spiritual level.

Like I said, the less than desirable Plutonian emotions that we try to suppress are actually tools for transformation. The emotion of jealousy is the harbinger of some very important, personal information. It’s telling you what’s missing in your life that needs to be fulfilled. You need to face your demons, accept yourself as human and trust that the Universe has your back. What you think and how you feel creates your reality. Once you make those thoughts and feelings loving, kind and accepting that’s what you’ll receive: An abundance of love, kindness and acceptance.

It’s very important, however, that when you open yourself up to the abundance of the Universe you don’t get hung up on the outcome. Often it’s that gosh darned ego that gets us attached to the outcome and keeps us from recognizing our blessings and true path in life.

The ego tells us that we need X, Y or Z to be happy. The Universe, however, doesn’t operate that way. The actual object of your desire – be it a specific job or love interest – should be regarded as a mere symbol of what your soul needs to evolve. If your intention is to work at a fulfilling career then the Universe will provide you with a fulfilling career. But tell the Universe you’ll only be fulfilled if you’re a movie star, then the Universe will see to it that you’re only happy if you become a movie star. (Which can very well be never this time around in the Earth school.)

You can’t bully the Universe into meeting ego demands that are not in line with your soul’s purpose. True happiness comes when you just accept that the Universe knows what’s best for your spiritual evolvement and you’re grateful for what you have. Your ego knows squat about true happiness. It just thinks it does.

If you’re in the process of trying to get slim and healthy, don’t even let jealousy through the front door. The whole process of getting slim makes it very easy to compare your weight and body to people in your life or to the unrealistic images of Hollywood starlets and models. Comparing yourself to anyone else is crime against your own magnificence. Don’t allow envy or jealousy of someone else’s physical attributes to diminish your belief in your own beauty. Be grateful for what you have.

However, if negative emotions do surface and you’re tempted to nurture them with food your body doesn’t need, remember you have the key to unlock the chains that bind you to the wall of emotional shame. If you face, own and finally try to understand what your negative emotions are trying to tell you, you can finally transform your life and get out of the loop of unconstructive patterns that don’t serve your evolvement. Pluto will make sure the past is destroyed, dead and buried so the authentic you can rise from the rubble stronger, wiser and happier.

Until next time…

PeaceNLove,

Laura

Tags: Jealousy, negative emotions, Pluto, Pluto in astrology, transformation, Weight loss