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| This Week’s FocusThe Creative ProcessThe Nature Of WellbeingIssue 20 Volume 9 18 May 2026 |
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| Image Credit: 1930s Teenage Boy Tennis Player Jumping from Vintage Images Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit — the realisation that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of wellbeing. Greg Anderson (1964 — ) survived lung cancer when doctors said he had months to live; founder of Cancer Recovery Foundation International, a global affiliation of national organisations helping people prevent and survive cancer |
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| | Astrology Monday’s Area 51 Research finds the average user only spends 51 seconds skimming a newsletter… This section’s for you. 🤓
This week’s Astro Outlook Key Happenings Mars in Taurus: a more even keel? These past weeks, our Mars in Aries has done well to invigorate and expand our vision and what we consider is possible. However, the double edge of the sword has been Saturn. With Mars, it kept us feeling constrained, unable to fully surrender to our true nature. In Taurus, Mars helps us better negotiate positive outcomes as long as we maintain diplomacy in relationships. Don’t let the need for security cause you to miss an opportunity. A calculated risk is worth taking.
Venus joins Jupiter in Cancer Wow! Two benefics in Cancer! Emotional utopia? Not so fast. Big heart, yes, but Venus in Cancer makes for big expectations, too. Keeping realistic in relationships is key. Venus tends to fuel unrealistic expectations and can easily derail your best intentions (Jupiter). Venus encompasses comfort and pleasure. Let these support, not lead, your path forward and you’ll not only be ahead in the game, you’ll be making the rules. 🤗
Your weekly Sun-sign Horoscope Pithy guidance to help you make sense of the next seven days 😉
Aries: Goals and plans gain new ground through communication and information sharing Taurus: Manifesting what you want begins with clearly expressing what you want Gemini: Happy birthday! Your public persona is glowing. Speaking truth brings rewards. Cancer: Periods of self-reflection maintains a healthy balance in home and family matters Leo: Know anyone famous/successful? The right connections help you take that next step Virgo: Right living and right action are siblings. You’ve something to share. Don’t be shy Libra: Learn something unexpectedly ‘not you’ and there is a treat at the end of the road Scorpio: Your already intuitive nature gets a boost. Lift the rug and be amazed what’s there Sagittarius: Relationships become empowered when you keep your own power secured Capricorn: Summer sun and exercise! Two peas in a pod, but keep flexible in your options Aquarius: Creativity is not static — it’s a form of communication. Time for you to share! Pisces: Dig deep enough and you’ll find what you have been looking for.
Want a deeper analysis? Try a newsletter special: £49 one hour online session. |
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| | | Well-being is just a deep sense of pleasantness within.If your body feels pleasant, we call this health. If it becomes very pleasant, we call this pleasure. If your mind becomes pleasant, we call this peace. If it becomes very pleasant, we call this joy. If your emotions become pleasant, we call this love. If they become very pleasant, we call this compassion. If your life energies become pleasant, we call this bliss. If they become very pleasant, we call this ecstasy. This is all that you are seeking: pleasantness within and without. ~ Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev (1957 ) influential Indian yogi, mystic, and humanitarian. From his NYT bestselling book, Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy (p 26)
Dear friend and neighbour and fellow traveller;
Recently, I posed the following question to my family circle: can physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing be experienced if one is not embracing the physical world through the entirety of their true nature? Is the opposite also true, that wellbeing declines when one is resisting their true nature, even if they do so unconsciously? What follows is a response from my brother, Steve, who has dedicated his life to self-inquiry and understanding the nature of human existence. You may find his perspective helpful.
How we answer these two questions depends on how we view the word “wellbeing.” How small or how big have we made it? Originally, the word “well-being” was without borders. It wasn’t fenced in: well = Old English “wel” — abundantly; very, very much; being = Old English “beon”(be) + ing — existence, in its most comprehensive sense. If we make wellbeing small, our experience of wellbeing will contract in accordance with our resistance. A little resistance brings a little contraction. Intense resistance brings intense contraction. The end result is that our wellbeing is less aligned with Heart, Soul, and a yearning to be free (big) and more aligned with body, mind, and senses (small). For many of us, our level of wellbeing fluctuates. It can fluctuate greatly simply because we are not firmly rooted in either the small nor the big versions of wellbeing. We move back and forth to some degree or another. In this way, we experience well-being as an inward state of acceptance, or ill-being as an inward state of resistance. We tend to have some portion of both of these although the trajectory of our lives towards acceptance or resistance is pointed one way or the other. What does wellbeing mean for you and is wellbeing possible without living an authentic life true to your nature? 🤗
Warm thoughts and many blessings,
David 🙏🏻
astrologyofjoy.com |
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| | | | Gemini/Cancer Birthday? Claim your free gift. A one page emailed review highlighting what’s ahead. Free Birthday Special |
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Gemini SunThe discerning scalpel of reason21 May—20 JuneThe Sun in Gemini relates to the third eye chakra and the capacity to see the unseen  Ruled by Mercury, Gemini embraces communication and the power of speech, not only to others, but to ourselves through the analytical mind, reason, and logic. Gemini embraces the power of discerment and discrimination. In its unmodified expression, Gemini is our capacity to survey the world of options and to choose only those that best support our true nature.
Gemini people have a sharp intellect capable of dissecting situations and circumstances into more easily digested pieces. They tend to have a strong desire nature, but can explore options, fail, then explore again until they get what they seek. Geminis have a dual nature that makes them great actors. Sun in Aditya Varuna
Before the arrival of the Greeks, the ‘zodiac’ used in India was a 360 degree circle based upon the Sun’s movement (Adityas literally means sons of Aditi, the mother of all). The Aditya corresponding to Gemini is Varuna which relates to the all encompassing love. The Sun does great in Varuna and indicates the capacity to build a kingdom from exalted vision. People born with planets in Varuna, especially Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter have the capacity and flexibuility to follow their vision and bring it to fruition. Both Sun and Jupiter, in particular, indicate the potential to build something that positively affects the entire world. |
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Important dates (2026+)
Now thru 2026 and beyond
JUL 26 2026: Rahu in Pisces: Loss of boundaries; excessive empathy; heightened creative expression and imagination.
Now thru JUN 30, 2026: Jupiter exalted in Cancer: Heart-centred approach brings rewards when emotions are tied to your good intention and not selfish gain. JAN 26 thru 2039: Neptune in Aries. Tension between acting and visualising disrupts progress.
FEB 14 2026— APR 12 2028: Saturn in Aries: Weakening foundation; supports taking calculated risks. Prudence is fine; obsessively cautious denies needed change. APR 25 2026 — Uranus re-enters Gemini and stays there until 2032. War? Liberation? |
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| | Hero’s Journey
The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the image of creative rebirth; the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know. ~ Joseph Campbell, |
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| Wise Quotes from Regular Folks On brain plasticity and control:
“Your brain is changeable, and regardless of what condition you may have, you can improve the quality of your life with simple behaviours and habits. You have control over this and you have agency over your mental health.” On overthinking:
“Overthinking feels productive, but it isn’t. Real problem-solving moves you forward. Overthinking keeps you in place.” On decision fatigue:
“You’re not indecisive. Your brain is out of bandwidth. If you’re anxious or hypervigilant, your prefrontal cortex burns through its energy budget before noon.” On grounding techniques:
“Anxiety lives in the future. Your senses live in the now. Grounding brings you back to your body and the present.” On mindfulness:
“The present moment is safe. Generally, our minds are somewhere else—and that’s mentally draining.” On consistency in mental health habits:
“Resilience doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing less—consistently.”
Dr. Tracey Marks (1950 — ) American board-certified general and forensic psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience specialising in mood disorders, anxiety, burnout, and sleep issues. |
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| | How Exercise Rewires Your Brain for Better Mental Wellbeing Exercise physically transforms your brain, enhancing memory, focus, and emotional resilience. This evidence-based guide explains why movement is crucial for mental wellbeing, backed by neuroscience research. (video duration: 9 minutes) |
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| | Free and low cost programmes and discounts… |
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| Want to free your Mind? Miracle of Mind! FREE Meditation App!
Recent science shows that even a short amount of time is enough to spark positive neuro-physical changes in your brain. Stick with it, and these quick sessions build up, boosting your mental resilience and overall happiness.
Launched by Sadhguru this past Mahashivratri, Miracle of Mind is a free app to download that empowers you through a daily 7 minute meditation. For more information, follow this link.
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| | | | |  Astrology is not what you think it is…
Forget predictions — they keep you enslaved to fate. Astrology of Joy offers a blueprint for taking charge of your life and living joyfully. Based upon the time-honoured system of astrology practiced in India for thousands of years, Astrology of Joy is inspired by four decades living in ashrams and learning from enlightened beings who taught, “You are more than a body and a mind. You are That!”
Astrology Consultations
Concession/economy…….. £49/hr online Designed for the budget conscious, returning clients, or anyone seeking a review of their current astrological trends and trajectories. Includes 1-hr of pre-session chart analysis. Audio file included.
In-depth consultations.……. £69/hr online These readings include 2 hours of pre-session chart analysis. Audio file included at no charge.: Relationship/Compatibility Career/Finances Health and Wellbeing Relocation (analyse up to 3 locations) Spiritual Development In-depth examination of any area of your choosing Rahu/Ketu elemental reading Muhurta: Auspicious date determination for wedding, baby planning, business start up, medical procedures, home purchase, etc.
Optional add-on personally written eBook available for any reading… £49 For more information, contact me here. 
AstrologyOfJoy.com
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| | About David: Personally certified by Dr. David Frawley, author and founder of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, David has been a professional astrologer for over 30 years. David learned the art and science of Indian astrology while a ten-year resident in the ashram of a realised spiritual master. David guides clients throughout the world on achieving fulfilment in their spiritual and personal lives and wellbeing.
David served as editor of Isha Yoga’s European newsletter for two years, was Vice President of the Rosia Montana Cultural Foundation in Romania, and has a Masters in Archaeology (with Distinction), studying the challenges and issues facing contemporary society from the archaeological perspective. He also wrote and published a parent-child picture book with his brother, Steve (illustrator), about the life of Adiyogi, the first yogi. He currently resides in Scotland. |
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