Of Sparks and Stars: The Invisible Forces That Move Us Forward

When the Universe Moves, So Do We.

There’s something in the air—a restlessness, a shift, an almost imperceptible pull forward. Maybe you’ve felt it, that unshakable sense of unease, like standing at the edge of something. The seasons change, the planets move, the world hums with an energy we can’t always name, but one truth remains: nothing stays still forever. Motion is inevitable, whether we choose to resist it or let it carry us. The question is—will you embrace the spark, or let it flicker out before it has the chance to burn?

We’re now officially a quarter of the way into 2025, March is coming to an end and not a moment too soon. I must extend a sincere apology on behalf of all Pisceans for this time of year. Between the time change, a Lunar Eclipse, the chaotic dance of Spring-Winter-Spring, tornadoes, Mercury Retrograde, and the grand finale of a Solar Eclipse, this month has been... a lot to say the least. Many ancient humans and mystics referred to the period between these celestial events as a Lunar Portal, an opening and a close, a time believed to amplify energy and stir the unseen.

Even if astrology isn’t your thing, you’ve likely felt it too—that low, buzzing unease beneath the surface. Funky. Icky. Vibrantly uncomfortable. And no, it’s not just the pollen count, the latest headlines or the usual chaos of the world. There’s something else hanging heavy in the air, something older—something deeper. 

It’s not the familiar comfort of a spring thunderstorm, with its distant rumbles and the heavy earthy scent of rain. No, this is different. This feels ancient, like a pulse drumming. A stirring that pulls at something primal within us, as if the very forces that first set life into motion are shifting once again.

“You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.”
— Alan Watts

Once something is set in motion, it tends to keep going and when something is still, it stays that way—unless an outside force intervenes. This isn’t just a law of physics; it’s a law of life. Our thoughts, actions, and feelings follow the same rhythm. Sometimes, the forces that push or pull us are so far beyond our control that the wisest thing we can do is step aside—from the chaos around us to the storms that stir within ourselves.

But here’s the thing: nothing moves without cause. Every shift—no matter a thought, a choice, or a cosmic event—starts somewhere. It all begins with a spark.

That first push sets everything into motion, from the tiniest ripple in our thinking to the grand unfolding of life itself. And once the spark ignites, the chain reaction begins, unstoppable and full of possibility. Everything alive today—including you—exists because of one tiny, single cell and a spark that lit the path forward.

Roughly 4 billion years ago, Earth began a transformation beneath the surface. Simple organic molecules formed and, with a little help, started to replicate. Over time, they grew more complex, and somewhere between 3.5 and 3.8 billion years ago, the first living organism emerged—a profound and quiet boom that echoed into everything alive we know today.

We’ve come a long way since that first spark. And yet, the essence of it—the drive to push forward, to evolve—still lives within us. Sometimes it’s so well hidden, buried deep beneath the noise of our daily life and the hum of modern technology, that we forget it’s even in us— but it’s always there, waiting.

Sometimes we often forget that movement—whether physical, emotional, or mental—begins with something small. A single spark. A choice. An idea. And while the forces around us can be overwhelming, the power to take that next step is always ours to claim.

So maybe the next step isn’t grand, magical or what we imagined. Maybe it’s as something as simple as lifting your head a little higher or choosing to try again despite yesterday’s weight. Progress is not measured by the size of the step—but by the fact that you moved at all.

And isn’t that what the spark has always been about? The willingness to push forward, no matter how small the flame or how futile our efforts seem.

For example—since the pandemic, like so many others, some of my mental setbacks only worsened. One of the hardest? Picking up the phone to call anyone I don’t know. It’s excruciating—anxiety-inducing, palm-sweating, the whole nine yards. And it doesn’t stop there. When my phone overflows with unanswered texts or my to-do list stretches a mile long, the weight of it all can feel overwhelming, even disheartening. But last year, I made a choice to push through the discomfort, one call, one text, and one mission at a time. It’s a small thing, but small things add up.

The point is—momentum matters.

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”
— Mary Anne Radmacher

Sure, it can be infinitely easier to admit defeat, to fold under the weight of excuses and tell yourself the road ahead isn’t worth the effort. But here’s the truth: sometimes, the way back is just as far—if not further—than the way forward. And standing still? That only leaves you stuck in place, slowly sinking, watching life move on without you.

But we’ve come so far—our clever modern advancements humming all around us, offering every convenience imaginable. Yet, what’s the point of all this progress if we choose to remain motionless, waiting for something to change? We cannot have our cake and eat it too—not when it comes to growth like this.

If we sit around hoping for the "right time," waiting for better days or a brighter future to arrive on their own, we risk fading away. Because that’s what stillness is—a quiet surrender, a slow dimming of the spark that brought us this far. And let’s be honest—our ancestors didn’t endure billions of years of evolution, didn’t crawl from the oceans to the land, just so we could hunch over screens, wasting away in front of moving picture boxes.

At its core, this is a reminder that even the smallest actions can create powerful change. Just as the universe began with a single spark, every step we take—no matter how small—holds the potential to ignite something greater. It’s easy to let fear or our mental setbacks overwhelm us and keep us still, but progress is built one moment, one choice at a time. Whether it’s making a call, tackling a task, or simply choosing to begin, those small movements add up. And once you start, that spark within you has a way of growing into something unstoppable.

So, ask yourself—what’s one small, brave thing you could do today to make tomorrow a little brighter? It doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be something. Because that spark—the one that ignited the first life, the one that still burns through every beat of your heart—is already within you. All it’s waiting for is a reason to burn brighter.

And maybe, just maybe, that reason starts with a single step forward.

Guthrie Brown