This is a time of conflict and challenge, pure and simple. No matter how you look at it, confrontation and discord are on the horizon. Others don’t agree with you or see your perspective, and they don’t intend to cooperate with you in any way. This could surface in such serious ways as legal battles, divorce proceedings, and contract negotiations; or it could just be an impasse with a spouse over a raised toilet seat. Whatever the issue, there’s no immediate or easy resolution. You’ve attracted a worthy opponent, so prepare to go the distance.

This is not to assume, however, that such combative scenarios are always a bad thing. Your Warrior Guides are present to enlighten you about the benefits of sparring with others. Competition brings out your best, and unleashes your passion and commitment in what you believe in. It develops your strength and prevents you from being victimized or manipulated by others; and it teaches you the need to respect others, too, and not mindlessly impose your will on them. Your Warrior Guides suggest that when you do battle with others, it’s best to fight fairly and learn from the conflict. Don’t compete just to let off steam. Fight for progress and higher understanding for all concerned rather than just being difficult to get your own way.

Hidden within the drama of battle and competition are the seeds of true understanding and compassion. The best spiritual warriors always strive for a win/win outcome. Your Warrior Guides suggest that you embrace the battles at hand to find your strength and reach for growth. Fight the good fight with your adversaries, but pray for Divine justice to prevail . . . not just your personal version of justice. Their message: “Fight fair, but concede when you are in the wrong.”

Sooner or later in our evolutionary process, each of us begins to realize that it’s not the having that fulfills our soul, but rather it’s the act of creating that brings us satisfaction. Contentment in what we’ve created—no matter how grand—inevitably subsides, and our creative juices once again long to flow. That’s why the once-ideal partner ceases to mesmerize, the perfect job eventually becomes mundane, and the great adventure becomes tedious. Although there’s a lot to be said for enjoying what we have now, we must nevertheless respect the fact that our basic nature as creative beings is . . . to create. Without the process, we can’t be fully content—at least not for long.

Your Muses are present, and they call on you now to embrace your creative discontent and undertake new projects. Their message: “See your frustration as a longing to learn more, expand more, dare more, and create more.”

An important part of being human, and something that can’t be avoided, is the pain that comes from simply being vulnerable to the physical world. Your Divine Teachers warn that you’re facing such a time. Sickness may be at hand; and accidents, traumas, sudden loss, and injury are all potentially around you. Whether confronted with something severe, or just the ongoing struggle of getting through the day, your physical body may be challenged, and pain and suffering may follow. This isn’t meant to scare you, but rather to warn you that you’re not as grounded as you should be; in fact, you may be attracting injury or drama to gain some personal space.

Your Divine Teachers advise you to be open to the fact that any pain or upset you attract isn’t without hidden gifts and opportunities. Your broken leg or aching back, for example, may provide the much-needed rest you wouldn’t otherwise take. Your runny nose and cough may give you the privacy you need to regenerate your spirit.

It’s also important to note that any pain or drama you attract isn’t greater than your ability to handle it. The greatest upset you face might actually be in trying too hard to avoid pain, which in the end may cause even more. In other words, the fear that you won’t be able to abide any discomfort is far more disabling than anything you might actually incur. In accepting the upset of the moment with grace, you’ll gain wisdom, compassion, and strength. Your Divine Teachers’ message: “Embrace and be patient with your pain.” It will bring insight and understanding and, in time, peace. You will heal.