What is your potential?

So what is this thing called potential? If you look it up in the dictionary you’ll find that it stems from the Latin root, potentialis which means power or potency. Potential is further defined as something that is capable of development into actuality. Could we say then that "living up to our potential" means coming to terms with our power and manifesting it in the world? Could we say that "living up to our potential" is the process in which we remove blocks that prevent us from expressing our full power?

What prevents us from expressing our potential?

What prevents us from expressing this power or potential is individual to each of us. We all have ways of blocking life-force energy from flowing through us; blocking our power and potential from manifesting fully. As a transpersonal psychotherapist and professional astrologer I see this so vividly in my work with clients. The brilliance of astrology is that it can really help a person connect not only with their gifts but also with how they tend to block or distort the power that is available to them to manifest those gifts in the world. In other words, to be able to manifest the gifts of our birth we must release the blocks that restrict the flow of essence ("higher" power) through the vehicle of our personality.

Tapping into our power or inherent potential.

Dane Rudhyar, the father of the psychospiritual approach to astrology, has said that our "essential nature is represented by the patterns of energy produced by the angular relationships between the ten planets." These angular relationships or aspects, particularly the more stressful ones, can be vitally helpful and can actually inform us on how to act in order to actualize our potential or power. By understanding and accepting the challenging aspects in our charts, then, we can begin to experience the power and dynamism that is hidden there. Each of the challenging series of aspects is a literal call to action; a powerful dynamo of energy that demands us to pay attention and work on ways of resolving the conflicting needs of the planets involved. It is through the call to action of the challenging aspects that we really begin to tap into our power or inherent potential.

Manifesting your potential in the world.

By understanding and accepting the conflicting needs of the planetary energies we can begin to dis-identify with the more problematic manifestations and identify with the transformative power inherent in them that wants to manifest in our lives. To me, this process of resolving the blocks to manifesting our power is an expression of our willingness to let the "higher" power flow through us. As we become clearer channels for this "higher" power we become more capable of expressing and manifesting our unique gifts in the world. Although this can be challenging work, as we may have to confront aspects of ourselves that we may find hard to accept, I believe that the rewards of greater aliveness and being more able to fully express our power and potential are well worth the effort!

James Jarvis, M.A. is a transpersonal psychotherapist, master astrologer, and LifeQwest™ Coach who specializes in helping you "Create the Life of Your Dreams." Sign up for James' free bi-monthly LifeQwest™ E-zine with monthly horoscope and special offers on services and tips. http://lifeqwest.com

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