Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday – perhaps due to the combination of the Sun in Cancer with the Sagittarius ascendant in the US chart.  The Cancerian Sun is focused on food and the nurturing of the People, and because the US Sun falls in the Seventh House of partnerships there is a sense of sharing that nurturing with others with whom we are allied.  The Sag ascendant is bountiful and optimistic that in sharing a big (Sagittarian) feast (Cancer) it will open the door to more abundance in years to come.

One of my readers reminds me that the US is not the only country in the world to set aside a day for Thanksgiving but it is one of only four nations to do so  The power of gratitude is widely recognized as both a balm for healing and a tool for expanding the abundance in our lives.

Today we have an interesting astrological correlation for the Thanksgiving holiday in that the Sun is in Sagittarius and the Moon is in Cancer, repeating but in reverse the solilunar aspects in the US chart.

We all know that the fairy tale of the original Thanksgiving in which the settlers and the native American people share a meal together loses its meaning when we think of the horrors that followed for several hundred years, but the essence of the holiday goes, I think, beyond a celebration of that myth of turkey and potatoes.  On this day there is a focus throughout the nation on the things that we are thankful for, and that is something that we all benefit from.

So on this day I invite all of my readers, no matter what country you hail from or live in, to open your hearts to the things in life for which you are most grateful.  For me I can list these as just a few of the things I am thankful for:

• A growing network of family and good friends who are healing old rifts and coming together in love and acceptance.
• The greater network of friends and connections among people I have not yet met in person but with whom I share inspiration and love every day across the internet.
• The fact that despite many failed attempts I never gave up and did eventually find true love.
• The warmth and comfort and devotion of small furry creatures.
• A world that despite its fears and tragedies still is a beautiful place in which to spend a lifetime, no matter how short or how long that lifetime lasts.