CUSP: Climbing Up the Spiral Pathway

As you can see from the diagram above, there are eight touchpoints throughout the year that act as keystones to the entire CUSP process.  These are dates that are recognizable to many as being important astrological and agricultural times that have prevailed in usage and celebration through history.  We in no way wish to promote the idea that the discovery of these particular dates as catalysts to progressive development is our own.  Far from it.  Our intent is to celebrate the legacy they bring to us.  Many spiritual paths are drawn to these dates or times near them to share in the energy that has become indigenous to them as a result of literally thousands of years of humankind’s investment into and usage of their power. 

When nomadic humans began to embrace the agricultural lifestyle and in the most literal sense, “put down roots” by cultivating crops to sustain their village, they found that these were the dates that held within him a particular significance to the process of natural growth.  Just as those dates marked the important transitions through the literal agricultural cycles for those first farmers, so does it take us, the modern “spiritual farmers” through our own yearly life progression.

A consideration to note is that all of the dates associated with the CUSP touchpoints are 2’s.  Numerologically, 2 is the number of partnership, adaptability, sincerity and self-development.  These are all integral aspects of the CUSP way of life.  To explore further, 4, which is the result of adding the 2 and 2 of the 22’s, is a number of stability, steady growth, determination and achievement.  Clearly, these are also attributes that help us to bring our goals into solid, tangible reality.

For more than a decade now, we have seen the ample benefits of patterning our lives around the cycles that have been worn and woven into the fabric of time by our ancestors before us.  It is in our human DNA to honor these times and use them for positive growth and nurturing in our lives.  To embrace these integral patterns within us is to immerse ourselves into the symphony of nature that is ongoing and welcoming.  After a short time of attuning ourselves to these cycles, we begin to feel the natural flow and process to life and rather than feeling as though we are fighting against our destiny and our “greater good,” we find ourselves intuitively making choices that take us to a more fulfilling and successful life.

Each touchpoint will be discussed in detail to allow you to experience a full understanding of its place and purpose in the spiral of the year.  For now, we will examine a basic overview of how the touchpoints work together to create our progression through a CUSP year of growth and forward evolution.

You will often in our CUSP discussions hear us mention the concept of “The Spiral of the Year.”  While it is easier to think of the progression through the year as a “wheel” or “circle” since it does involve the same touchpoints each year, we do not want to always return to the exact same place as we were the previous year, simply moving around and around in circles without getting anywhere.  To aid continual progress, try to envision the cycle of the year as overlaid onto an upwardly ascending spiral.  It still cycles around, moving through each of the touchpoints, but each step you take brings you to a higher point.  What you do today has been the result of where you were yesterday and last year and 10 years ago.  Your spiral ascends ever upward and your past becomes the foundation on which you stand.  If you were to, in theory, stand over your spiral looking downward onto it, you would see clearly the 8 touchpoints glowing away around the edges, but when you look at it from a side view, you can see that the path is ascending, taking you to your highest and best life.

Winter Solstice – The Spark:  

In the darkest moment of the longest night of the year comes the spark of light to the sky.  Incrementally, the days will now begin to lengthen as the sun returns to the sky.  Many spiritual path see the strong, sustained energy of the sun to be masculine and the moon with its monthly cycles and gentle light to be feminine in nature.  If we follow this theory, then this time of year is the most female and therefore, the most nurturing and intuitive.  When the spark of light returns to the sky and begins to push away the darkness. We begin our cycle of the year with the “spark” of intuition and desire that will create the goal that we will nurture and grow in the coming months.  Like the spark of life that springs forth from the seed, the spark of idea that comes to us now begins the process of harvest that will culminate in the Fall.

Imbolc -The Plan: 

Over the 6 weeks since the spark of an idea formed in our minds of how we would like our lives to be different in a year’s time, we have solidified our plan and decided what we wish to plant for the coming year.  Now it is time to commit to that plan and put it out into the Universe as a solid and substantial determination.  Once we do so, we will be shown over the coming 6 weeks whether or not this plan is indeed in our best interest.  If we pay attention and watch for signs, we will be given clear confirmations or redirections regarding our plan.  Sometimes, what we think we want in our lives is not what our inner selves know is actually for the best and life will show us if this is the case.  This is a time to be very alert and aware of subtle (or profoundly direct) nudges and guidance that presents.  It is part of the human condition to ignore what we do not wish to hear, but it is to our greatest advantage to be very honest with ourselves and accept the wisdom we are shown during this time.

Spring Equinox - The Planting: 

As Spring comes to us, it is a time of new life and new beginnings.  The earth has softened and awaits the seed that it will nurture and sustain in the coming months.  The world sings with possibilities and potential.  Having invested 6 weeks in the assurance that our plan is a good one or else adjusted our plan according to the redirections we receive, it is now time to plant our goals and begin the active part of the year.  As ones who follow the natural flow of the year, we rest, reflect, plan and contemplate during the cold months and emerge ready for action when the first warmth of the sun touches the earth.  By “planting” our goals, we begin the process of accepting them into our lives and signal the start of the physical actions we will invest into making them a reality.  The Planting represents the end of the time of planning and the emergence into the time of doing.

May Day – The Faith: 

In many ways, this is the hardest time of the year because we have invested effort into the conception of our goals and now they feel tiny and vulnerable.  After the planting is done, we may begin to see the first tiny signs of life emerging from our goals…or we may not just yet.  An old saying tells us, “Do not dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.”  It is tempting to want to poke down into the planting to see if our goals are manifesting, but this is a time to step back, provide essential maintenance and allow the process of growth to establish.  Fertilization occurs at this time with the seeds having been given a good start in life during The Planting.  Now, we fertilize the ground around it, gently protect it from encroaching weeds or other dangers, water it just enough and wait.

Summer Solstice -The Promise: 

The time of The Promise is the direct opposite of the time of The Spark.  The sun is now at its zenith and masculine energy is in full force:  Do, Make, Create, Fix, Protect.  The longest day of the year was a blessing for farmers as it gave them more time to work in the fields.  At this time, the crops are very visible above the ground and although still young and vulnerable, they are seen to be green, strong and full of the promise of a successful harvest.  In our own lives, we begin to see the results of our efforts and know that with continued effort, we will achieve in the Fall what we planned for in the Winter.

Lammas – The First Harvest: 

Although a joyful time in the cycle of the agricultural year, The Harvest is also a time of tremendous, back-breaking, sweaty, muscle-wrenching hard work.  It is a labor of love, there is no doubt, but it is certainly a challenging time.  Many people who follow the CUSP flow of the year (and many who do not) find that this time of the year is extremely busy and productive as the fruit of their efforts begins to manifest and they are rewarded for the energy they have invested.   The first harvest is the direct result of our own actions and our own efforts.  What we have planted in faith is now manifesting in our lives and we are experiencing the exhilarating rush of its fruition.

Autumn Equinox – The Boon: 

Historically, this is the time of the second harvest that was seen as an incredible blessing to the ancient farmers.  While they are still putting away for winter storage the crops from the fields they have worked through the warm months, nature yields up another bounty that would grow with or without their efforts.  As they made their way into the untended forests, they found fruits of the trees, bushes and vines.  Nuts, roots and other forms of food that were seen as gifts from God to supplement their harvest.  In our modern day lives, we often find during this time that blessings rain down upon us in addition to the fulfillment of the goals we planted in our own life’s “fields.”  These are The Universe’s way of telling us that we have done well with our year’s planning and planting.

Samhain - The Surrender: 

In some European traditions, any crops remaining in the field on November 1st were said to be “poisoned” and had to be sacrificed when the fields were burned to cleanse them for the planting of the following year.  Although we certainly know in this day and time that the crops would be no more poisoned on November 1st than they were on October 31st, there is a valuable lesson to us in this ancient wisdom.  “Know when you’re done.”  “Understand when to let go, when to release.”  Even in today’s demanding society, there are ways that we are able to take our hands off of the constant need to control and allow for a time of relaxation through the Winter months.   The advent of November tells us it is time to do just that and in following the CUSP progression, this is when we celebrate the successes of our harvest and release our expectations for the things that, for whatever reason, did not come to us this year.  Fields are burned away, cleansing us of the old and outmoded and encouraging us to release the parts of our lives that do not serve us and to fall softly into the embrace of Winter when we will reflect on the previous year and wipe clean our slates to receive the new spark for the coming year that will present to us in December as the cycle begins again.