Weekly Consciousness by Karen Berg

Many times, students ask me, “How can we develop our intuition?” Practically speaking, developing intuition requires that we start to listen more than we speak or answer back.

Let’s say, for example, that a friend comes to us with a question. If we want to answer him or her intuitively rather than from our own ego, there are a few steps to take.

1. Look at the person and try to take ourselves out of the situation.
2. Listen. Try to have empathy. Feel where the other person is coming from, and then answer.

Johnny Cash, Michelangelo, Albert Einstein, Nat King Cole, W.H. Auden—these are just a few of the famous Pisceans that have changed our planet with their creativity and intellect.

Interestingly, at last week’s 43rd World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a panel of experts got together for a discussion called “The Mindful Leader,” where they explored the importance of mindfulness to successful leadership in business.

Kabbalistically, this is a very powerful week because it is the week when the 72 Names of God were revealed to mankind. For those of you who are new to Kabbalah, let me explain that the 72 Names are 72 three-letter combinations of Hebrew letters, each combination carrying a certain energy that can help us in our lives. Kabbalists meditate with these names to connect with the divine essence within and to help them change and uproot those inner aspects of themselves that are negative, limiting, or selfish.

There was an article last week in the Huffington Post celebrating folks who had achieved their weight-loss goals.

One woman, in particular, named Kendra was a full-time mother and employee who had a hard time eating and exercising while maintaining her busy schedule. Eventually, her high blood pressure and physical pain brought her to the point where her doctor told her that her life was in danger due to her obesity. At that point, she made her health a priority and managed to turn around her situation completely, ultimately losing 86 pounds.

The year 2013 is upon us, and as we stand at the threshold of this brand new year, brimming with opportunities and the potential for positive change, many of us make resolutions to improve our lives. Whatever it is that we want to transform, here are a few tips that can help us navigate the challenges that we will inevitably encounter when we set out on our paths.

I recently spoke about an experiment that was done where five monkeys were put in a cage with a banana hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the cage and a ladder going up to it. At first, the monkeys tried one by one to climb the ladder to get the banana. But each time one started to climb, the researcher sprayed the climbing monkey with water as well as the other four monkeys.

Soon enough the monkeys learned that if one of them climbed the ladder, they all suffered, and eventually, none of them tried to climb at all.

There is no greater pain then the pain of losing a loved one before their time. But the grief felt when a parent buries a child is impossible to comprehend. For those of us on a spiritual path, we turn to our sources: Stories in the Bible that provide lessons and help us deal with situations that might seem above the natural law of the universe; stories that remind us in the worst of times that God is ever present.

Last week, we entered the lunar month of Capricorn. The planet that rules the sign of Capricorn is Saturn. In conventional astrology, Saturn is known as “Old Father Time” because Saturn is said to “give no gifts.” So the rule of thumb for Saturn is this: Everything we receive, we must work for.