What’s a Cazimi?
What’s in a name? I was recently asked about cazimis - why did I name my consulting firm after them?
A very amateur astrologer’s guide to cazimis!
A cazimi is when a planet is in an optimal location in relation to the sun. If a planet is too close to the sun it can burn up the gifts of the planet. If the planet is too far away from the sun then the sun’s energy can’t amplify that’s planet’s qualities. A cazimi is when the planet is just right in its location respective to the sun.
From Chani Nicholas, professional astrologer, here’s the technical understanding: Cazimi comes from the Arabic term for “in the heart of the Sun” — an enchanted state when a planet is within 1 degree of the Sun (or 16 arc minutes, depending on your tradition). Here, the Sun’s blistering rays transform into the abstract light of epiphany.
For example, if Venus, the planet of love, is cazimi, it is “a gilded moment for the planet of love, it’s also an opportunity to amplify love magic, celebration, and your connection with the muses.”
But what do cazimis have to do with organizational development?
A cazimi is an auspicious moment. In addition to being a time of good fortune. But it isn’t a time to just let the good fortune wash over you, it is a time to leverage the moment to dig deep and explore the moment for insights and growth.
If we apply cazimis to our organizations - can we identify auspicious moments that arise? When we identify moments that could hold the potential for transformative or catalytic moments, and apply an intentional organizational development lens to those workplace events, we create the potential for something powerful to take place.
For me, the day to day grind of work often means I move throughout my day without intentionality, but when I do that I lose the ability to find those moments that could strengthen the organizational culture, create a new communication pathway across teams, or improve a procedure that keeps failing the team. It is hard to be intentional 100% of the time, but astrological cazimis remind me to be proactive in identifying the most “ripe” times for change. Here’s some ideas:
Is there a certain time of year that is consistently calmer in the workplace and you can plan ahead to set aside time for team-building, a program evaluation deep dive or strategic-planning?
Is there a meeting opportunity for people who don’t usually work together across your organization to be in the same space, share learning, insights, and questions?
If you’re adding a new program and foreseeing growth in the organization, can you update and pilot test those outdated HR policies and procedures?
Or if a major funder decides not to give to your organization this year, what creative space is opened for unique resource generation?
While we wade into a new year, brainstorm a list of possible “organizational development cazimis” that may lie ahead for you. What is an area of growth you’d like to focus on for yourself and/or your organization in the new year? What challenges and/or opportunities may present transformational moments to deepen that growth?