APRIL THEME: CHOOSE HAPPINESS
by Simone Butler

Perusing the April issue of Science of Mind magazine, I came across a photo of an old man with clear, radiant skin and a captivating sparkle in his eye, and felt compelled to read the article. "Can You Imagine?" tells the story of Robert Muller, a peace activist and former United Nations Assistant Secretary General whose philosophy of happiness saw him through Nazi imprisonment, and helped him successfully negotiate between those of warring cultures.

Muller had an experience while attending the University of Heidelberg that laid the foundation for his life. He struck up a friendship with an intelligent and sensitive young Yugoslavian named Slavko. Idealistic dreamers, the two spent hundreds of hours discussing life, death and the future of the world. Returning from Christmas break in the winter of 1942, Muller found his 27-year-old friend dying of an advanced case of tuberculosis.

Barely able to speak, Slavko asked Muller to bring him any book he could find by Dr. Emile Coue, who had attained worldwide fame for his healing methods based on the confidence and imagination of the patient. Muller located a slim volume called Self-Mastery Through Conscious Auto-suggestion, which featured one simple idea: each day, affirm that you feel happier than the day before. Slavko walked out of the hospital two weeks later, fully recovered. And Muller had found his philosophy of life: the practice of happiness.

Muller is no Pollyanna. He's quite aware of the world's problems, in fact he's made a study of them and come up with 6,700 solutions he's working toward. "I cannot afford, even knowing about [these problems], not to believe in happiness," he states, "because I believe I can make a contribution to a better world if I am happy and positive."

My mother, essentially a happy person, was annoyed with the Bobby McFerrin hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." She considered the lighthearted ditty a mockery of true happiness. A Virgo, she knew you could only be happy when you were taking care of business. She also knew that happiness can be a difficult choice. It's often easier to give in to despair.

We're in the time of year when new life energies are bursting forth. It's easier now to tap into the frequency of happiness-like tuning in to an uplifting radio station. This kind of happiness is not tied to external factors, like a happy marriage, financial flow or good health, though it certainly promotes these conditions. When I'm diligent with my practice of tuning into happiness, I feel a sense of inner joy.

This is not simply due to the rising sap of spring-it's also the gift of Saturn, planet of discipline. Saturn is the starring player this month. Ruler of Capricorn, the sign of work, Saturn wants your life to function at the highest possible level. He turns direct on April 5 after four months of backward motion.

The solar eclipse in Aries on March 29 at 2:15 am, coupled with the powerful Pluto station at 4:40 am, are the shotgun blast that signal a new beginning (I won't even speculate on what intense world events may coincide with these developments). You've been building a platform in some area of your life since mid-November, and now it's time to dive off. The part of your chart that contains 5 degrees Leo shows what you're diving into. The Sabian symbol for this degree provides a clue: "Rock formations tower over a deep canyon: the structuring power of elemental forces during the long cycle of planetary evolution." Dane Rudhyar interprets: "This symbol points to our need to acquire a much vaster perspective on what we are able to do-and on our yearning for prolonged youth and our pride in masculine achievements. It presents a picture of IMPERSONALITY."

In what way do you need to take things a little less personally, give up frivolous pursuits and see the bigger picture of your life? Saturn can help. Use his forward momentum to guide yourself in a new direction. Cultivate his gift of contentment based on the suffering you've endured and the knowledge you've gained. Start the day as Robert Muller does, with the conviction that you feel good, healthy, and happy to be alive. Once you experience the life-restoring effects, you may not want to choose anything else.

© 2006 by Simone Butler.

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