Earlier this month, my wife and I attended a workshop presented by Ellen Schneider, a Feng Shui practitioner here in Tucson.  As an exercise early in the day, we went through a page-sized labyrinth with the index finger of our non-dominant hand.  After tracing the winding path to the center we were asked to write down our experience with the labyrinth.

Some attendees attempted to race through the process as quickly as possible.  Others (myself included) got distracted, lost focus, and had to start over.  Still others were very impatient and sort of just went through the motions.  

Of the attendees that wanted to share their experiences, some were incredibly complex and personally profound while others weren't really sure what they had experienced.

Personally, I felt some initial confusion as I followed this convoluted path toward the center.  It seemed that just as I came tantalizingly close to the center I began to move away from it.  It seemed futile at times, as if I was being driven forward like the donkey naively pursuing the carrot dangling by a string in front of him.

Over and over, I came so close to the center that it was almost palpable, almost within reach only to again begin winding away from the center of the maze.  But with persistence, I reached the center and a metaphoric light came on in my head.  How closely this exercise mirrors our lives and specifically the pursuit of our individual goals.

Once a goal has been identified, we begin winding our way toward it.  Rarely are our paths clearly demarcated and without delays or apparent setbacks.  We may sometimes may feel that we're at the brink of success only to feel that we're again drifting further from our chosen destination.

But if our faith is strong and our determination steadfast, we keep moving closer to our goal, even though at times it may seem as though we're losing ground.  The key is to stay the course and persist, staving off negative thoughts that would dissuade us from continuing on our quest.  

We keep moving forward and eventually the nearness to our goal is no longer just an illusion, but a reality.  Our journey has been worthwhile, the temporary setbacks really not setbacks at all but rather a necessary component of the non-linear path to our destination.  Had we not persisted and turned back, we could not have succeeded.

If our goals are well-chosen and our spirit determined we can accomplish great things.  While the direct path may be attractive, reality often shows us that we must trust that we are on the right path and keep moving ahead, enduring the maddening delays.

We all have our own individual goals.  Nobody can assign them to us or make the journey for us.  But astrology can help us to choose our goals wisely and help with the timing of our quest.  Not only do we become aware of potential pitfalls or times to exercise particular caution, but also to take full advantage of windows of opportunity that might otherwise be missed.