“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.” Unknown

 “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”  Søren Kierkegaard

 “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s April and the first quarter of the year is over. The first three months of the year are about adjustment and getting into the rhythm of the energy of the new year. The second quarter, which we’ve just entered, is the ‘steering’ energy– the time where we steer our energies and intentions to the places and outcomes we want. This month’s message for us collectively is in the three quotes at the beginning of this column. We would all do well to heed and base our actions on them. Your personal steering directions this month come in the form of a quote, too. Memorize it and let it be a part of your internal GPS system as you propel yourself through April and the coming months.

 THE EMPEROR (March 21 – April 20) “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity that never comes than to be unprepared for an opportunity that does.” Les Brown

 THE EMPRESS (April 21 – May 20) “We do not truly serve the world if we give to others but neglect our own truth and our own needs. It’s only when our own needs are fully met that we can generously and whole-heartedly give of ourselves. It’s not selfish to look after ourselves– it’s essential!” Pearl S. Buck

THE LOVERS (May 21 – June 20) “Two people have been living in you all your life. One is the ego– garrulous, demanding, hysterical, calculating; the other is the hidden spiritual being, whose still voice of wisdom you have only rarely heard or attended to. Once you begin listening to that voice of wisdom, you will have uncovered in yourself your own wise guide.” Sogyal Rinpoche

THE CHARIOT (June 21 – July 20) “Should is an ordinary, everyday word– except when it’s used to indicate an order that may not be refused. Then should becomes a finger waiving under the nose… ‘should’ users build prison cells for themselves. They’re so focused on what they should do, that they can’t think about what they can do, what they might do in the future.” Dr. Arthur Freedman and Rose Dewolf

THE SUN (July 21 – August 22) “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” Unknown

THE HERMIT (August 23 – September 22) “The Constitution only guarantees the pursuit of happiness– you have to catch up with it yourself. Fortunately, happiness is something that depends not on position but on disposition, and life is what you make it.” Gill Robb Wilson

JUSTICE (September 23 – October 22) “Don’t dwell on the things you can’t do; focus on the things you can do. You have powers you never dreamed of that will help you do things you never thought you could do. The only limitations to what you can do are the limitations of your own mind.” The Daily Guru

 THE MAGICIAN (October 23 – November 21) “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” Japanese Proverb

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE (November 22 – December 21) “Youth is not entirely a time of life; it is also a state of mind. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubts; as young as your self- confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.” General Douglas MacArthur

THE WORLD (December 22 – January 19) “I do not accept any absolute formulas for living. No preconceived code can see ahead to everything that can happen in a person’s life. As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. It’s important to live with this constant discovery and be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We must stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience.” Martin Buber

THE STAR (January 20 – February 19) “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” Helen Keller

THE MOON (February 20 – March 20) “Pay attention to the way that you talk to yourself. Would you talk that way to anyone else? Do you berate yourself for being stupid, sloppy, forgetful or insensitive? Do you watch yourself with interest, respect and compassion? The wise person stays alert to their self-talk and lets go of judgements that don’t serve them. Be wise.” The Daily Guru