If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? — Hillel
As a young girl, I learned early not to speak up in support of my needs. Don’t create waves. Don’t ruffle feathers. Go along to get along.
And yet, when it came to others’ needs, I had no problem speaking up. I have always been a fierce advocate for others.
Periodically, I remind myself that I deserve the same advocacy I express for others. Why am I less worthy than those I go to the mat for?
Our cultural norms haven’t changed much in the decades since I was a young girl. People — especially women — who vocalize their needs tend to get labeled demanding, bossy, or difficult.
But that’s not a reason not to speak up.
If you tend to struggle with speaking up, Mercury’s quick transit through Aries (April 14-May 2) is a good time to practice.
Mercury is the messenger, the communicator, and the advocate. In Aries, a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars, Mercury is impulsive, brave, and courageous in speaking up. If it ruffles a few feathers along the way, well, that’s the price of its authenticity.
Mercury’s transit through Aries is a time to remember that other people can’t be mind-readers.
Aries is the sign of the individual, and Mercury here mostly speaks up for itself.
That said, one thing I’ve discovered as I get older is that the more I speak up for myself, the more other people come out of shadows to thank me for speaking up for them, too.
What we do for ourselves is rarely only for ourselves.
This is a quick transit, but if you can harness its lessons over the next few weeks, it might transform how you approach self-advocacy.
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