I may have been on a mini-vacation from normal work routines… but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t still doing the work I love from afar. The beauty of the world we live in now is that I can still be pulling Birth Charts, prepping Readings, and meeting with clients via Zoom when I’m out of state.
And yet, when I am in a different part of the country, I have to take breaks by exploring Mother Nature’s creations that are unique to the area. So I was in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. And on my daily hikes, if I wasn’t looking up with awe at the stunning Saguaro cacti towering high overhead, I was watching my step to make sure I wasn’t running into a waist-height “Teddy Bear" one.
They’re called “Teddy Bear” Cholla for a reason – not just because the scientific name is so daunting (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) but mostly because they’re so cute you just want to hug them!
Covered densely with spines that give them a soft, fuzzy appearance from a distance, they totally remind you of a Teddy Bear's fur. But up close, their sharp reality is unmistakable. The spines can easily penetrate skin and clothing — thankfully something I was able to avoid! And those spines are gold-colored and can appear silvery or white, depending on the angle of the sun — another reason it appears deceptively “furry” or even cuddly! Honestly, multiple times throughout the week, I found myself stifling the urge to go up and hug them!
I learned later at the Desert Botanical Garden that one of the most unique features of the Teddy Bear Cholla is its method of propagation. The stems and spines are easily detached and can adhere to anything that moves, including animals and even the wind. These detached stems can take root in the soil, leading to the formation of new plants. Also why it’s sometimes called “Jumping Cholla.”
Over the course of a week spent with fascinating cacti, I contemplated all the metaphors and what we can learn from these unique beings…
Segmented Growth Reflecting Life Phases
The Teddy Bear Cholla grows in segments, each representing a distinct phase in its life. It occurred to me that similarly, in evolutionary astrology, a person's life can be viewed as a series of phases or cycles, each with its own significance that can be explained astrologically. These phases might correspond to transits or progressions in one’s natal chart, symbolizing different stages of personal and spiritual evolution. This is what I do with my continuing clients, in Current Transits Readings.
For example, just the previous week, I had shared with a client currently navigating her 2nd Saturn Return, that we can think of the Saturnian influence on human life in three stages, each with their own logic and developmental purpose:
- Youth (up to age 29): Logic/Purpose = To dream
- Midlife (from age 29 to 59): To make that dream a reality
- Elderhood (from age 59 to 89): To let the dream go
Adaptation and Survival
The cholla's ability to detach its segments to propagate is a powerful metaphor for adaptability and resilience. In our human lives, sometimes letting go or detaching from certain aspects or attachments can lead to new growth and opportunities, just as the cholla's fallen segments take root to form new plants. Especially when I’m working with a client who’s experiencing some sort of karmic completion (for example, a progressed planet changing signs, or a lunar eclipse happening on a sensitive point in the birth chart), this is a metaphor apropos.
I’ve written before about my own karmic completion of teaching yoga asana classes a couple of years ago that coincided with a lunar eclipse taking place exactly conjunct my Natal Ascendant. In letting go of that phase of my life, opportunities to grow in new directions emerged.
Beauty in Harshness
The Teddy Bear Cholla, thriving in harsh conditions, is a testament to finding beauty and strength in adverse environments. This can be an inspiring metaphor for finding hope and positivity even in tough times, and the beauty that can emerge from enduring and overcoming life's harsher moments.
At this time in the world we’re living in, that’s a lesson to remember, for sure!
As my time in the Sonoran Desert came to a close, I found myself reflecting on the profound lessons offered by the Teddy Bear Cholla.
Just like this unique cactus, we too navigate through various segments of life, facing sharp challenges and unexpected detours. But within these experiences lies the potential for amazing adaptation and growth. In evolutionary astrology, every transit and progression is a call to embrace our personal journey, much like how the Teddy Bear Cholla embraces its harsh environment to thrive.
This week, amidst the spiky allure of these truly cute cacti, I was reminded that our most significant growth often comes from embracing life's thorny aspects, finding beauty in resilience, and understanding that even in the harshest conditions, there's an opportunity for new life and transformation.
As each of us continues on our own evolutionary journeys, let us carry the spirit of the Teddy Bear Cholla within us - resilient, adaptable, and ever willing to grow in the face of life's deserts.
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