The Making of a Decolonizer: Our Global Embedded Nature - Being In Tune - Following the Signs

The world has been an interesting place over the past year and a half, to say the least. Amidst a global pandemic marked by loss, grief, and frustration, a basic sense of safety has been uprooted for us all. Vivid displays of the fact that people are not treated fairly have also reminded many, especially those that don’t fit a specific human prototype, that there are very few spaces where they have ever felt safe. Collectively, we are navigating a consistent and persistent sense of uncertainty in trying to overcome the infinite number of obstacles that accompany the pervasive and insidious viruses of COVID-19 and white supremacy. Although seemingly insurmountable, with these struggles comes hope through illumination, evolution, and carving a new path forward. The ongoing moment has forced many of us to pause, reflect, rethink, and recreate our lived realities – professionally, personally, and purposefully. I, Shaunda Lewis, am one of those people experiencing this recreation process.

I believe that we are living through a once in a millennium transference of global power and energy. Humanity is navigating a once in a century global pandemic and push for civil rights. We are operating amidst a “Great Resignation” with workers taking back their power and dictating their circumstances. According to astrology and astronomy we have just experienced significant cosmic events. They include the “Great Conjunction” with Saturn and Jupiter having been the closest they’ve been in 800 years, entering the sign of Aquarius during the winter solstice last year, and jumpstarting our global shift into the “Age of Aquarius.” According to numerology that astrological event was due to the opening of the 12/12 portal, with energy activation felt through the December solstice. Just last month we experienced the longest lunar eclipse in 580 years, and this month, we have the December 4, 2021 solar eclipse at 12*12’ Sagittarius. Also, according to numerology we are collectively being propelled away from the energy of those born in the last century, to those born in this century; from those born in the last millennium, to those born in this millennium. As a universal student of history whether we look at it from a historical, philosophical, or spiritual level, we are at an inflection point in our global arc of time. Our arc of history is eventful, and worth exploring in order to discover how we got to where we are today, and to determine how best to shift as a collective in order to evolve to better ways and higher consciousness. [1] [2][3]

For me personally, the circumstances setting the context for which we are collectively operating have greatly shifted my engagement in the world. Earlier this year, after over a decade of spending my professional time meandering through the public, private, and non-profit social impact spaces, I quit my job. I quit! On February 2, 2021 I quit my brand new, cushy, six-figure program officer job at a foundation with close to a billion-dollar endowment in the middle of a global pandemic.

E N O U G H! Those were the letters that flashed in front of my face just two days earlier. Those were the letters that flashed in front of me as I pondered how best to get through another year; another six months; another three months; another two weeks working for another institution that perpetuated inequity in the name of alleviating it. I couldn’t do it anymore. I needed to jump out of the boiling water and jump into the circumstances I knew to be right.

Boiling water is exactly how the energy felt. In trying to make sense of my feelings and frustrations, I did what I normally do, I paid attention to the signs – numbers in my case. Repeating number patterns and sequences have been gracing me for some time now, and in paying attention to them and their meanings, I have gathered guidance in immeasurable ways. An ancient practice from the Egyptians and Babylonians, and practiced in its modern form in the west from the great mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, numerology has allowed people for millennia to access information beyond the realms of logic. Many refer to repeating numbers as “Angel Numbers” in that it is believed that they are a form of communication from your team of angels occupying the dimensions beyond the earthly plane. It is through my research into the repeating numbers that I realized my personal feeling of a necessary shift in how I operated my life, wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just people who share my racial identity, or gender identity. It wasn’t just those that experience overt and covert forms of systemic oppression. It wasn’t just all people that don’t fit the white, western European human prototype – the “Global Majority.” It wasn’t just because we have all (regardless of our identities) been forced to pause, reflect, adjust, and say an uncomfortable amount of goodbyes to our friends and loved ones who have left this earth sooner than we anticipated. What I’ve been guided to through the numbers is that this is a collective, universal energy. An inflection point that is transferring us into a brighter age of human existence. An age away from the egoic thought and action through conquer and colonize strategies, into one grounded in supporting the collective, embracing of the infinite way of being, and rooted in care, compassion, and love.

What we know of transition in general is that it is usually an uncomfortable moment to occupy. You are stuck navigating ambiguity and the unknown. There may be desires or projections for what may be, but they are only driven through hope and action. Many of us experience fear, loss, or a shedding of old beliefs and values during transition. What transition almost always breeds is inevitable and eventual change. There is dissonance with that – physical dissonance and cognitive dissonance. There is a quote on cognitive dissonance, thought to be from French Caribbean born psychiatrist and philosopher Frantz Fanon:

Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would cause a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with the core belief.[4]

Transition or change happens over time, but it is not bound by a specific amount of time. What does transition from a century into a new century, or a millennium into a new millennium look and feel like? How long does it last? What if the masses resist that change, how long will an effective transition take? Will it ever be effective?

The number pattern “1212” has been a pronounced repeating number pattern in my life in various forms every day at least once a day for the past three years. It is a number pattern with loaded meaning. Every time I research its meaning, I get a deeper understanding of its significance in aiding continuous growth, development, improvement, and overall evolution. In seeing 12/12 or 12:12 or 1212 in December of last year, and in also being aware of the 12/12 portal that occurs every year, I discovered that the December solstice that closes out the 12/12 portal energy on December 21, 2020 was also colored by an astronomical event that hasn’t occurred for 800 years, and an astrological event that happens every 200 years.[5] In numerology and astrology, the 12/12 portal is an energy activation portal that symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and growth. [6][7] The December solstice which typically happens on December 21st every year is the day of the year, depending on where you are on earth, that has the longest night (darkness) or day (sunlight). On December 21, 2020 (the December solstice for 2020), planets Saturn and Jupiter were the closest they had been in over 800 years, and if you looked up to the night sky, they appeared as one full moon or star. Saturn and Jupiter also entered into the air sign of Aquarius, ending the 200-year cycle of both planets primarily occupying earth signs, and the launching of a 200-year cycle of both planets primarily occupying air signs. Many believe that the December 2020 energy activation and cosmic events have officially transitioned earth out of over 2,000 years in the age of Pisces and into over 2,000 years in the age of Aquarius. Through interviewing numerous astrologists, Mary Grace Garis at “Well + Good” writes the following:

The Age of Aquarius follows a…progressive, forward-thinking, "we versus I" mentality of visionary, rebellious, innovative, and eccentric Aquarians. It focuses on humanitarian pursuits of valuing each person's individuality, holding and taking care of each other as a unit, and also disrupting the system. As Adama Sesay, astrologer and creator of Lilith Astrology, points out, there will be a major shift in power dynamics in this era. "For eons the power has rested in traditional, oppressive hierarchical structures, and their beliefs dictated our reality," says Sesay. "[In the Age of Aquarius,] the power is turning over to the individual, and giving the freedom for you to choose your own reality based on what aligns with your soul."[8]

Another number pattern that has been gracing me since January of this year, and was probably the greatest impetus for me to resign from my job and step fully into living my purpose, is “144.” 144 is also 12x12. I didn’t pay it any mind when it first started appearing, and when I initially researched its meaning, nothing in particular stood out to me. Seeing it constantly forced me to look deeper. If you look into the meaning of 144, there are multiple prophecies surrounding this number – including 144,000 souls in the Book of Revelations in the Bible, and the end of the 13th baktun being the end of the world in the Mayan calendar (a baktun is 144,000 days).

Those two prophecies point to the end of the “world.” There are also other prophecies, and one that stood out to me is based on 144,000 lightworkers and ascended masters incarnating in human form at the same time to lead humanity into a “Golden Age.” What if 144 is not an indication of the end of the world, but the end of our lived reality as we have known it? Melanie Beckler of “Ask Angels” states the following of the 144 prophecy:

144 relates to the prophecy of the 144,000… There is mention of 144,000 souls in the Bible in the book of Revelation, as well as many additional more modern channeled texts and in many different wisdom traditions as well.

The prophecy is that 144,000 lightworkers or Ascended Masters will return to the Earth, all incarnating together all at time to help heal, bring reason to, and liberate humanity from the darkness and manipulative powers that were, who are doing everything in their power to keep humanity enslaved, in fear and asleep.[9]

When the lunar eclipse occurred last month on November 18-19, 2021, it was the longest lunar eclipse to occur in 580 years. When you calculate the years, that put us back to about 1441, and when I researched it, the actual date of that last lunar eclipse was February 18, 1440. Outside of the 144, the year stood out to me. The 15th century was a forceful shift in our global existence, but many of us relate the shift to the end of the century: “1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” As a student of the Atlantic World, I wondered if it were related to the slave trade. An initial google search didn’t make the connection, and then I remembered pictures I had taken of the exhibit on the slave trade at the Museum of African American History in Washington, DC. I visited the museum this past summer, and when I looked back at my photos, I found what I was looking for. Staring back at me on my phone was a picture of a piece of the exhibit on Portugal and Prince Henry the Navigator. It read:

The Portuguese were at the forefront of European trade in western Africa. Prince Henry the Navigator, a nobleman, helped Portugal achieve this status by organizing voyages to trade, convert non-Christians, and find a maritime route to Asia. In 1441 Henry was presented with 10 Africans kidnapped to provide evidence of what the region held. In 1455 the pope granted exclusive rights to the sub-Saharan trade to the Portuguese crown, including the trade in slaves.

The Portuguese went on to be the leading western European power in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, capturing and transporting close to 6 million Africans across the Atlantic.

580 years ago, an astronomical event that hasn’t happened again until November 18, 2021, jumpstarted a major shift in our global existence with the Transatlantic Slave Trade – which has literally created the world as we know it today. What if this time, this same cosmic event – an unusually long lunar eclipse – shifts us out of seeing people of African descent as inferior? What if this time, this same long lunar eclipse shifts us away from greed, kidnapping, enslaving, raping, genocide, conquest, and colonize, and into better ways and higher consciousness? What if this time, this same long lunar eclipse has triggered the end of the world as we know it, and is transitioning us into a brighter age? I wonder if our answer will come with the December 4, 2021 solar eclipse at 12*12' Sagittarius.

Not only are numerical portals and astrological and cosmic forces the most unique they’ve been in hundreds of years, so too is the simple fact that we have, depending on how you perceive time, just moved from one millennium into another. We are still at a place in our transition from the 1000s to the 2000s, where the people being born in this new millennium don’t yet hold power over our collective reality. Those born in the year 2000 are still coming of age, turning 21 this year. In numerology, there are ways to calculate the different components of one’s birth chart, and a manner in which to do that is to take into consideration each individual number and chart them to illuminate deeper meaning about an individual. Depending on the numbers that those born in an entire decade, century, or millennium share, we can gather insights about the collective. As a humanity, we have just transitioned from an era where almost everyone born for the last 1,000 years held a “1” in their birth chart, into an era where for the next 1,000 years everyone will be born with a “2” in their birth chart.

During his lifetime, David A. Phillips was regarded as one the world’s leading numerologists. A philosopher and professor, Philips passed away in 1993. First published in 1980, his book The Complete Book of Numerology sheds insights into the significance of shifting from a millennium dominated by a “1” to one dominated by a “2”. In the book, in numerous ways he outlines the difference between the numbers “1” and “2” and shares their meanings. One of the ways he accomplishes this is by sharing the following in regards to the nature of “human being.” He states:

To penetrate to the deeper level of human awareness (which numerology allows us to do), it is important to understand the three-fold nature of human being, and how our ‘three selves’ are intimately connected…Basic Self, Conscious Self, and High Self.[10]

In describing the “Basic Self”, which relates to the number 1, he states:

[The Basic Self] The primary level of human expression is through the body. The initial cry of a newborn baby, the adult’s yell for help, the last gasping word of the dying – they all emanate from and through Basic Self…Expression of the five physical senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling) constitute the primary functions of the Basic Self, together with talking, laughing, crying and all other physical activities.

Basic Self motivation is largely reactive once we have grown old enough to master the physical activities in our environment. It is the body in self-defense; it is instinctive behavior (as distinct from the intuitive behavior of High Self). Insecurity, sensation seeking, the desire for control of situations or of other people, or just blatant exhibitionism are the expression of the Basic Self. Basic Self people are ego motivated, and their wants (desires or demands) often supersede their needs (requirements and preferences). They are noticeably left-brain motivated…

Basic Self in its fullness is the positive connection of the three numbers of the Physical Plane: 1, 4 and 7. [11]

He also goes on to state about the number 1, which is representative of the Basic Self and occupies the Physical Plane:

Located at the entrance to the Physical Plane, the number 1 refers to the expression of the physical body in terms of its relationship to the outside world. It is usually a reliable indication of the extent to which a person reacts to other people and circumstances (the immediate environment). It tends to indicate the degree of personal self-control – or its lack. The number is the foundation of the personality, for it represents the ego and how it is expressed or suppressed.[12]

In describing the “High Self” as a part of “human being”, which relates to the number 2, Phillips states:

High Self includes our moral virtues, philosophical ideas and spiritual values. It is the essence of sensitivity and feeling, the aspect of our being that recognises and determines our needs. It expresses itself as intuition, love and wisdom. It is our highest form of expression, the God within. Action through High Self is largely right-brained: creative, spiritual and compassionate.

Many people confuse love with emotions. True love is a function of the High Self. Physical attraction (Basic Self) and mental conditioning (Conscious Self) frequently accompany love, but not necessarily. Love has a depth that permeates every facet of human expression. It enjoys expression through emotions, but it is not governed by the emotions.

High Self is best facilitated through the development of our intuition, which leads to a depth of personal freedom. Attendant to such freedom is a newfound wealth and compassion. It leads to a depth of wisdom that is almost legendary in human expression.

In numerology, High Self is represented as the Soul or Feeling Plane, comprising the numbers 2, 5 and 8. The new millennium (with every birth date including a two) will see a more genuine spirituality manifested in human affairs.[13]

He goes on to state the following about the number 2, which is representative of the “High Self” and a part of the “Soul Plane”:

Located at the gateway of the Soul Plane, 2 is the key to intuition, sensitivity and feeling. After the numbers 1 and 9, 2 is the most common found in birth dates of the 20th century, and will clearly become the most common number of the 21st century.

To possess a 2 on your birth chart is indeed a blessing, for it provides you with a valuable guide to the degree of your sensitivity and intuition. As these faculties develop, you acquire an enhanced understanding of yourself, other people, life and all creation.

As those born in the 21st century grow to maturity and take increased responsibility in human affairs, the 20th century’s headlong crusade into egocentricity and ambition will give way to intuitive sensitivity to world affairs. We’ll also witness greater honour and fairness in business dealings, and increased concern in domestic affairs and friendships.

Meanwhile, do not assume that birth dates without a 2 indicate a total absence of intuition and sensitivity. Rather, it simply suggests that these traits need to be developed.[14]

Based on the fact that the number 1 was found in the birth chart of almost every person born in the last millennium (except for the majority of those born in the 1st century), when we look at the themes of explore, conquer, and colonize by any means necessary prevalent throughout the last millennium, the perception of being driven by ego and ambition begin to make sense. When looking at the characteristics of the number 2, and how drastically they contrast from the number 1, it is interesting to witness themes arising from the generation coming of age at the beginning of this new millennium. There seems to be a deeper level of acceptance, empathy, compassion, and love.

In relation to the transition from the last century (1900s) to this century (2000s), Phillips states the following of the number 9:

A most powerful number, the Romans regarded it as the war number, symbolizing the planet Mars. We know it to be the number of war and prosperity, but so much depends on how it is used. As the number symbolizing mental activity, 9 is also representative of the right lobe of our brain and its power of idealism, its spiritual component.

Its physical counterpart manifests as ambition, and it is just that power that caused so much international strife and confusion in the world in the 20th century.

From the beginning of this century, more people have been born without a 9 on their Birth Chart. At the same time, everyone will have at least one 2 on their Birth Chart, thereby greatly transferring the emphasis from the Mind to the Soul Plane. In summary, more people will have deep feelings and there will be less egocentric ambitiousness. However, this will not become significantly apparent until closer to the middle of this century, when those born at its beginning will be more mature and responsible enough to take the reigns of decision making.[15]

Whether we look at it from millennium to millennium or century to century, we are in a major energetic transition.

When we think of the last millennium and its most significant contributions to human existence, there are many things that come to mind. Exponential technological advancements, globalization including a global market and economy, international human connectivity in ways we’ve never experienced, democracy as we know it, and the most powerful nation to have ever existed: The United States of America.

What I know to be the most significant contribution to human existence from the last millennium is the creation and power of whiteness: white supremacy.

White supremacy is an interesting social construct to say the least. It is undoubtedly the most powerful human-created force to come out of the last 580 years of global existence. It is a global phenomenon. And its power and impact is so insidious and inextricable from our way of being that we don’t even realize how deeply we are all operating under its spell. We don’t realize how we are all perpetuating our own oppression. White, Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, Tan – white supremacy hurts us all. Racism hurts us all. Colorism hurts us all. White supremacy is such a powerful force it’ll make a self-ascribed Decolonizer knowingly perpetuate it as their full-time career for years in the name of fitting in.

Are there coincidences, or does everything happen as it is supposed to? Through this past year of reflection, healing, and foundation building, what I realized is that the numbers aren’t guidance as to what to do. They are reminders of what I am meant to do; what we’re meant to do. They are signs. For me numbers are indicators to remind me of what I agreed to do; to remind me of the intention behind my incarnation in this life, and my purpose in this moment. The number 2 does not exist without the number 1. Decolonization does not exist without colonization. One cannot decondition unless first being conditioned.

Through deconditioning and decolonizing myself, through mastering the art of the ego and the beauty of connectedness, through embracing the power of the 1 and the 2: the 12, I have the capacity to pay attention to the reminders of what I am supposed to do. I have the capacity to pay attention to the signs towards my destination in this life. I have the capacity to tap into my intuition and let it guide my thoughts and actions. And when that 12 is multiplied by itself, I have the capacity to wake up those who are meant to lead; those who see 144 as well. Let the Great Transition commence. Let’s lead humanity into better ways and higher consciousness. Let’s lead the collective into a brighter age. Let’s decolonize ourselves, each other, and the world. All we have to do is be in tune and follow the signs.

__________

Sources Referenced

[1] What is the great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn: https://www.thecut.com/2020/12/what-is-the-great-conjunction-between-jupiter-and-saturn.html [2] THE 2020 GREAT CONJUNCTION: JUPITER CONJUNCT SATURN IN AQUARIUS: https://www.astrology.com/article/great-conjunction-saturn-conjunct-jupiter-in-aquarius-2020/ [3] New Moon December 4, 2021 – Unexpected Setbacks: https://astrologyking.com/new-moon-december-2021-solar-eclipse/ [4] Cognitive Dissonance: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/121175-sometimes-people-hold-a-core-belief-that-is-very-strong [5]The 'great conjunction' kicks off a new astrological epoch. So what now: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/21/great-conjunction-new-astrological-epoch-emily-segal. [6] The December 2020 Shift – 5 Things You Need to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U25Qp2yUZrs [7] 12/12/20 Portal Awareness Announcement: https://askastrology.com/12-12-20-portal-awareness-announcement/ [8] 2021 Heralds the New Age of Aquarius—Here’s What 5 Astrologers Want You To Know About It: https://www.wellandgood.com/what-is-age-aquarius/ [9] 144 Angel Number Meaning – The Prophecy Revealed: https://www.ask-angels.com/spiritual-guidance/144-angel-number/ [10] David A. Phillips, Ph.D., The Complete Book of Numerology (New York: Hay House, Inc., 1992), 9. [11] Phillips, The Complete Book of Numerology, 9-10. [12] Phillips, The Complete Book of Numerology, 18. [13] Phillips, The Complete Book of Numerology, 11-12. [14] Phillips, The Complete Book of Numerology, 21. [15] Phillips, The Complete Book of Numerology, 43.

As of May 2022, The Making of a Decolonizer series have been moved to https://www.shaundalewis.com/themakingofadecolonizer.