Who is Willow?
The Weeping Willow tree has always been one of my favourites. To me, it symbolizes Pisces at its best - calm, gentle and peaceful, lovingly shouldering the sweet sorrows of the material world. It appears to bend gracefully under the weight but is actually much stronger than it looks. It is also a symbol of Scorpionic determination and regeneration. The roots of a willow are remarkable for their toughness and tenacity of life. In addition, a willow tree can be chopped to pieces, but one of the cuttings or twigs will almost always take root on its own and grow a new tree. As with Scorpio energy, a willow will regenerate and be born again under even the harshest of conditions. The bark of a willow can also be used as a medicine to alleviate pain.
My name is Jillian MacPherson. I was born October 19, 1978 at 1:00 a.m. in Gainsborough, Saskatchewan, Canada. Two months before I was born, my mother was involved in a tornado that hit our mobile home (I know...how fitting!) and pushed it off its foundation. Little did I know then that the tornado would become a symbol for my life...and for the times into which I was born. That pre-natal event was the beginning of my lifelong search for a solid foundation within rapidly changing circumstances.
I grew up on a cattle ranch in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan. The closest town was five miles away and had a population of 200 people. Our closest neighbours were a quarter of a mile away. Suffice it to say, I grew up quite isolated from people, but immersed in the beauty and life of the prairie. As a child, I loved to spend time outside and was around all types of animals - cattle, horses, cats, dogs, deer, skunks, rabbits, all varieties of birds, frogs, salamanders, snakes, butterflies, moths, crickets, Daddy Long Legs...and the dreaded grasshoppers! just to name a few. It was so quiet at night you could hear coyotes howling, crickets chirping and frogs croaking. I saw the sun rise in the morning and set at night. And when the sun had said good night, there were the moon and all the stars, as bright as you could imagine. I didn't know at the time how special it was to live so close to nature. To me, it was normal.
Now I see that the love of the celestial bodies, including Earth, was a big part of that life. I lived surrounded by nature and the natural cycles. Fall becoming winter, winter becoming spring, spring turning to summer, summer to fall, and then back again. Again, I didn’t know it then, but it was the beginning of my love for tropical astrology, which is based on the cycles of the solstices, the natural cycles of Earth.
Living somewhat isolated from people also allowed me to maintain a strong connection to my inner self. At the age of 13, when I was experiencing a lot of darkness in life and didn‘t know where to turn, I had my first conscious experience with spiritual guidance. That experience helped me realize that there was a plan for my life and a path to follow, but it definitely wasn‘t going to go in a straight line. The only way for me to stay on course was to make a rock-solid commitment to listening to myself and to my guidance, no matter what outside opposition I received. So that’s what I did.
Following my spiritual path took me into many, many different situations. From the time I was 15 until 27, I worked at over 30 jobs, moved about the same number of times throughout three provinces, earned a university degree, was hit by two cars, learned holistic healing and balancing techniques and discovered my passion for evolutionary astrology...that's the Cliff Notes version.
Throughout all my experiences, my underlying motive has always been to create positive change so that we are all free to live according to our own personal truths. My ideas and way of doing things have not always been welcomed, but I always knew that staying true to myself would lead me through even the toughest situations. All in all, my life has been a tornado - full of transition. But what it has taught me is to find my anchor within and to hold on to it - so that no matter what happens, I know I’m safe as long as I stay true to myself. Using evolutionary astrology, I have been able to put every part of my seemingly topsy-turvy life into perspective. I understand the reasons for all of it, and the lessons I learned from every experience.
One of the reasons I love evolutionary astrology is that it teaches a holistic approach to self-understanding. All of us have light and dark, weaknesses and strengths. And every part of us must be recognized, accepted and loved in order for us to be holistically healthy. Through evolutionary astrology, I hope to help people make that rock-solid commitment to listening to themselves and to honouring every part of themselves. I would like everyone to know and celebrate the multi-layered essence of who he or she is. It is unique. It has its story to tell. Every life is a work of art - and we need to live that way!