New Moon in Aries - March 22, 2012

Is it just me or does time seem to be moving faster and faster? I try to keep up with these New and Full Moons, but they usually go by so fast I am not able to do it. Of course, this time, the New Moon is in Aries and conjunct Uranus so that might also have something to do with it.

Meanwhile, Mercury is retrograde conjuncting this New Moon and Mars is still retrograde in Virgo making for challenging times at best. I have been having a hard time thinking straight, talking and not crashing into everything in my environment. While, yes, it could be related to the aging process (shut up you), I feel it is connected to Uranus in Aries.

Aries tends to be really good at rushing around without a lot of thought and thus leads to accidents, so BE CAREFUL!

Even though it's in my 8th house (other people's money) I sure don't want to get it from an insurance company.

An amazing thing about this New Moon is that it opposes the Super Galactic Center (SGC) at 2 degrees Libra - the black hole around which our Milky Way galaxy and many other galaxies revolve.

According to Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer "The stellar transmissions emanating from the SGC function as a spiritual beacon, triggering memories of our cosmic origins and destiny. Streaming across millions of light years, they impel us to embody the talents and tasks encoded in our birth charts." Heady stuff!

Problem is... most people have no idea what their birth charts mean, let alone seeing the 'talents and tasks' encoded there.This is where you need the 'talents and tasks' of an astrologer, trained to read that chart. I am available for in person or telephone readings. Contact me via email to set up an appointment.

This New Moon coming just 3 days after the Spring Equinox is the perfect time to set your course for the year. It is considered the beginning of the year and corresponds to New Year is some calendars.

Next week, March 28 - through April 1 is the final 5 day month (wayeb) of the Mayan Haab or solar calendar. In that system, April 2 will be New Year's Day 0 Pop. See my 2012 blog for more on this.

You may not be able to act on your goals quite yet...until we get through this Mars retrograde ending April 13, and this Mercury retrograde, ending April 4, but you can prepare for your Spring forward.

Since I teach a course on the Mayan Calendar and 2012 at a local Junior College, many people ask what will happen on December 21, 2012.

Part of my answer is, what is happening now? And how are you dealing with it? Is your life and that of those around you falling apart? Are you in denial or are you actively seeking to solve your problems? If there were 'an answer', what difference would it make? If you can't follow through on the daily goals you set yourself, can't control your addictions, can't control your behavior....you will still be at the mercy of events rather than the master of your Universe.

We are in the thick of it now folks. What you do and think moment by moment creates your reality and sets the tone for the rest of the year and even the rest of your life.

As for the 'end of the world'...well, does the world look anything like it did even a year ago? Things end and begin constantly. Life is change at all levels. Get used to it. Learn resilience. Challenge yourself by going outside your usual boundaries of behavior.

Pluto in Capricorn is in the process of destroying and rebuilding the structures of the consensus world. If you are willing to risk, you could become a pioneer in a whole different field. But it won't happen if you sit and
wait. What that will bring is loss and destruction.

This New Moon is about starting new things. You don't have to finish....just start. Experimentation, trying new ways of being. Be ready to let them go if they don't work out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained...an old adage, but still true.

Imagine yourself a little child, eager, curious, active, in wonder at the creation. Running after butterflies, picking up this and that. Not a care in the world. Delighted to be alive. New Moon in Aries.

2012 is the Year of Astrology

Time to get a reading to see what is in store for you for the coming year! There are so many significant transits going on, there is no way you will not be affected.

Pluto in Capricorn forms exact squares with Uranus twice next year.
Uranus (revolution, rapid-unexpected change) will be in Aries (god of war, pioneer, explorer), for the next 7 years.
Neptune (dreams, spirituality, mysticism) in Pisces (Source, unity), it's home sign.
Pluto (god of death and rebirth, transformation) in Capricorn (government, economics, corporate control).

So while there will continue to be upsets in the world, there also will be the opportunity for spiritual awakening and connection to the Divine and inspired creativity on a grand scale.

Your chart represents the sky when you were born. It is like a map of your life showing past influences, present circumstances and directions for future growth and progress towards your mission.

With a focus on Pluto (soul's purpose), the lunar nodes (past and future), Neptune (your spiritual nature) and Uranus (past-life memory and unresolved issues), my readings help you see the big picture of your life - helping you write or if necessary, re-write the story of your life.

To support intentions you set for the next year, I can make you a personal flower essence blend, for an additional charge.

An astrology reading is a great gift for the 'person who has everything', if you know anyone like that. I sure don't but...everyone can benefit from an astrology reading. An unusual gift for those odd balls in your life!

Pay in advance through Paypal leaving your email or phone # and I will contact you to schedule either an in-person reading or a phone reading.

I highly  recommend the new Pluto book by Mark Jones, "Healing the Soul: Pluto, Uranus and the Lunar Nodes". See sidebar to order. Mark Jones from the UK combines his psychotherapy practice with astrology, hypnotherapy and other modalities. He was part of the Evolutionary Astrology conference on "Astrology, Reincarnation and the Soul", which took place in Denver, 2010. His work on identifying trauma signatures in the chart was paradigm changing. My practice has been raised to a higher level after receiving this information. My increased understanding of myself and the effects of past-life trauma has been healing. I am now writing a book on the transformational potential of trauma. Get this book!

Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse - June 15, 2011

So here we go into another eclipse, the second of three during this season. This one is a lunar eclipse the other two are solar eclipses. It will be in Sagittarius on June 15.


Some astrologers say that the eclipses that occurred while one was in the womb affect the entire life. For me, there was a solar eclipse just 3 weeks before I was born - in Taurus, close to my North Node in Taurus in the 9th house.I have devoted my life to the study of languages (Gemini Sun), cultures and religions (Pisces Moon).

I was ordained as an Interfaith minister through the Sufi Ruhaniat International after lifetimes of training. I have been on my pilgrimage journeys with spiritual teachers to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Crete, Mexico and India and in each place experienced past-life memories.

In general, eclipses are portals through which souls come in and leave the planet. But they are also portals for those who know how to use them, moving to other dimensions at will. This is increasingly available now with Neptune in Pisces and as we approach 2012.

One of the requirements for 'time and space travel' is that we are able to be totally in the present. Fantasizing or reminiscing indicate that our minds are out of control. While they both can be pleasant (or terrifying depending on what we are imagining), they are most often passively achieved. That is...they happen to us. It takes some effort to stay present. You have to learn to control thought.

A daily practice of meditation can assist in developing the mind-control muscle. Learning to stop thoughts (written about by Carlos Castaneda in the '60s book: The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui way of Knowledge) is a very effective way to stay in the present, in gratitude and out of fear.

The Maya, too, saw eclipses as powerful times and in the Dresden Codex there is a perpetual eclipse table that has been shown to be incredibly accurate.

A significant feature of this eclipse is that it is within 3 degrees of conjunction to the Galactic Center, the Black Hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy...the ultimate portal. What we have then is a lining up of portals on at least two dimensions.

Mercury is conjunct the Sun and South Node in Gemini. As the messenger of the gods, Mercury (which is associated with our state of consciousness, communication and 'lower mind'), assists us in moving between dimensions. Often called the 'trickster' which I feel has a negative connotation, I see its role more as a shape-shifter, able to adjust to circumstances as needed. In order to communicate with beings on different dimensions, we may need to alter our form. This is not a bad thing, it is an accommodation for the sake of being better able to understand.

It is not enough to just speak louder when talking to a person who speaks a different language than ours...we have to speak their language. This often means we have to change our mindset. Some things are just not translatable. It is true that the categories of meaning are different in each language. The world view of someone living in dense jungle must necessarily be different than someone raised in the Sahara. Think about it! This is why travel is so enlightening. You find out that not everyone thinks like a person from San Francisco, California, USA. Ha ha!

The North Node is also within orb of the GC and the eclipse and shows us where we collectively need to be moving. Where it occurs in your chart shows where you can be aiming the centaur's arrow for yourself.

North Node in Sagittarius - in general represents Higher Mind, Truth with a big T, and the search for it. Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality. Higher Educations. Ruled by Jupiter, the grand guru of the universe - the teacher. It also represents travel on long journeys inner or outer, pilgrimage, foreign lands and cultures.

I think we are coming into a period where we see all earth beings as part of one family of man/woman. Diverse and united. The many and the one. We are called to travel on different dimensions now - the macro and the micro. Perhaps beyond this Universe.

It is time to stop fighting and learn to work together for the good of all. Otherwise, we will all go down.

The numerous natural and man-made disasters we have been experiencing lately should be waking us up to the dire situation we are in. The corporations keep us distracted from what we really need to focus on so that they can continue making money as the ship goes down. With Jupiter in Taurus we need to find what is really important and work to nurture and sustain it. Jupiter in Taurus for the next year will be teaching us what really matters for the survival of the Earth and its inhabitants. We have to start looking at our kinship with animals and plants, without whom we cannot live.

Taurus an earth sign is ruled by Venus. It deals with the earthly comforts: food, shelter, clothing (as protection from heat and cold), pleasure, love, and other resources we need to sustain life. Many of these things have been taken for granted here in the West and now that they are threatened by the economic downturn, we realize that we cannot live the way we want without them. "It's hard to be spiritual when you are worried about paying the rent."

Many of us are being forced to whittle down our lives to what is absolutely necessary. The challenge is to see that we are more than our stuff and that our 'value' as a person is more than how much money we make. In Alice in Wonderland the caterpillar asks Alice "who are you?" and so I (as the resident caterpillar of this blog) now as you the same question: "WHO ARE YOU?"

Full Moon in Scorpio - May 17, 2011

Last weekend I was supposed to participate in a Health Fair Sampler with Songbird Community Healing Center. I was going to offer flower essence readings and promote my classes and readings.

I woke up with a lot of resistance, my knee still aching, and my energy low. I thought about how little money I have been making at shows and events lately as people seem less willing to part with their declining funds.

On the other hand, I had not paid for the booth and so would lose nothing, except the gas to get there, even if I made nothing. I went through the usual inner conversation of 'yes and no' - which doesn't seem to get better, despite my efforts.

At some point, a new idea popped in, probably because I have been meditating more lately. Why not see it not as a chance to make money, but rather as a time to have fun. View it as a party I was invited to, a chance to see my friends and meet new people. This way, I didn't need to make money because it was a social activity.

Amazingly, this gave me renewed energy to get ready and go.

Let me say that this was the most financially successful day I have had in months! I scheduled and was paid for a reading and sold aromatherapy products. Effortlessly, I had made 4X what I had hoped I would make! I felt like a miracle had happened. In a sense, it had.

This showed me something very important which relates to this Full Moon in Scorpio, which asks that we shift the way we do things. By viewing the show as 'work' it became drudgery like many of the jobs I have had in my life.

I got into making herbal products and giving astrology readings because I loved it. I had made into to a chore by "needing to make money" at it. When I shifted my attitude, my energy changed. This, of course, is related to the Law of Attraction. People were willing to give me their resources (money) because they liked the energy I was radiating.

Many agree that things are falling apart and shifting. Rather than scrambling to rebuild the old and replace the outworn, let's use this as an opportunity to create and manifest our bliss.

Many years ago I worked at a women's shelter. Despite the fact that every one's life had been led them to their current circumstances, all were doing everything they could to restore that dysfunctional life minus their abuser. No one saw the whole pattern, their role in the dysfunction, the fact that it was their attitudes about themselves and the world that had, in part, created the scenario they found themselves in. No one saw they had to change everything, including themselves. I used to encourage them to see their stay in the shelter as the greatest opportunity they might ever have to totally change their lives. Some wanted to believe me, but feared the unknown. They opted for the security they knew, despite the fact that it led to misery. Of course, some did manage to make improvements, but most just changed the particulars, not the causes.

Let us not make the same mistake. If you find yourself with more time on your hands, why not use it to do inner work? Read, meditate, walk, work in your garden. Change your patterns. What else do you have to do? Perhaps, with this opening in your life, you will create something even better than that job you resented every day. One thing that all this proves is that there is no such thing as 'security' except that which comes from within.

I love this quote Stephanie Austin offers this month from Joseph Campbell:
"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the Universe, to match your nature with Nature."

By the way, my class Ek'Waynal, the Galactic Center and 2012 is now available on CD. This narrated slide show connects the end of the Mayan calendar, the alignment with the Galactic Center and astrological events. How does the ingress of Neptune in Pisces relate to 2012? Go to my Maya and 2012 blog to purchase.

Astrology Day 2011 SF

Despite the pouring rain, the early hour and the fact that I still had a cold hanging on...I made it to the 2011 Astrology Day event in San Francisco. Thankfully, I had made arrangements to get a ride, so I didn't even have to drive and sharing expenses 3 ways, bringing my lunch and the fact that they had no books for sale (ha! ha!) made it even better.
My favorite talk was the keynote address by Steven Forrest titled: "Bring on the Human Future" He covered Uranus square Pluto, Jupiter opposing Saturn, the Cardinal Cross and as usual, did not pull any punches. Said it straight, but as also usual, with humor and humanity. Forrest is a master of saying even the hardest stuff in a way that makes it palatable, even funny.

He said that with all the hard astrological challenges, its easy to forget Neptune, which will go into its own sign, Pisces on April 4. Neptune is one of the BIG PLAYERS in the astrological game too! But Neptune's message is so different from all the rest that is happening.

Neptune's cycle is 165 years long, so Neptune remains in a sign for 13/14 years. Forrest said that during this transit, "escapism will be raised to an art form" and that "virtual reality will provide an easy escape from a
worsening reality". On the other hand he said, "there will be a massive leap in consciousness", and that "the angels will notice that even the most hard-hearted people will have moments when they are gazing at a rose
in wonder." We will be in the "collective well of magic", and that we will all have greater metaphysical experiences," no matter who we are. This sound great to me!

He went on to give a brief history of Neptune in Pisces in human culture, saying that typically during Neptune in Aquarius, "the magic drained out of the metaphor" and the old systems were dry and empty. Because the people were starving, the ground was fertile  for a new message. The Qur'an speaks of this in the same way. "We sent a messenger from among you..."

When Neptune went into Pisces, what often happened was that there was "a visitation of energy" and a new "(spiritual) teacher appeared with the juice bringing in magic and transformation". He equates this to returning
"back to the Well of Life". But he also quoted someone as having said: "Religion makes good people better and bad people worse." So there you are.

According to the Dalai Lama, "the world is drunk on anger", and Forrest says there is one thing on which ALL people of the world including Sara Palin (not sure if it's spelled right and I don't really care) and any terrorist would agree: "everything sucks and it cannot continue like this!" ha! ha! so true....I love Steven Forrest!!

We can certainly see that we are at a log jam, everything seems to be falling apart and most of us feel a loss of meaning in life. Forrest says that at times like these, the Universe will answer and there will be a spiritual renewal.

He says that this past year when the movie, Avatar came out, correlated to when Jupiter made a short ingress into Pisces before going retrograde back into Aquarius. It reminded people of the time when we were connected to Nature and to each other on a deep psychic level. It touched that memory within us. Forrest mentioned an article in Psychology Today, January 2010, (which I have yet to read, but will look for) that says there was a high incidence of suicidal thought reported in the population as people realized what they had lost and thought gone forever.

This was a taste of what is coming. Forrest said that Neptune's ingress into Pisces on April 4 for four months, before it turns retrograde then direct again, will give us a preview of what we will be experiencing for the next 14 years.

I think we will go through a period of deep grieving - which has already begun - for the death and destruction that has been wrought by our human greed, ignorance, jealousy, possessiveness and insensitivity. We need to
do this. We need to mourn the dead. We need to cry out in anguish. We cannot stuff it and cover it up with drugs, alcohol or any other pain-killer. We need to feel this pain so that we will know we are still human
beings with hearts. As the Sufis say...."the Sufi is the one with a broken heart". Only when we have admitted what we have done, will this thing be over and we can begin to heal and change. This is the basis of all therapy, AA groups, confession etc. We have to take responsibility for the pain we have caused others.

Another presenter at Astrology Day, Ralfee Finn, got us all in tears when she showed the picture of that little dog who stayed with his dog friend until he could get help. She labeled the picture "The Hero", showing us
the model of what we need to aspire to - love, service, - whatever it takes to help our fellow beings in need. Here's link to that video. Not sure if will work, but you can try.

Neptune's 'power' on the collective and on the personal level is most potent when it is in it's own sign. If you have Pisces in the your 12th house, lucky you! You will get the maximum benefit of Neptune in Pisces!

In general, Neptune dissolves whatever it touches.... often leading to confusion and a sense of being lost.
Neptune deals with the realm of the invisibles and connects us to the Infinite, the Source of being. It is the planet of mystics and artists, musicians, poets, dreamers. It rules the imagination, the dream world.
For those who love this part of life, it is delightful. For those who fear it, it is strange, uncomfortable and unreal.

It is amazing to me how this corresponds to the end date of the Mayan Long Count calendar period of 5,125 years. In the Popol Vuh, the Creation myth of the Maya, the world has been created and destroyed by the Gods, who originally created beings so that they could be praised. Each creation failed to do so, partly because in the form they were in, they could not. It can be viewed as a set up because they were destroyed due to something they were incapable of doing: could not praise because they could not talk for example.

However, our form has the ability to praise and yet it does not, because it 'forgets' or 'looses interest', 'gets
distracted by life', whatever. So...we could be destroyed. Perhaps we, too, are not capable of praising God.

By the way, the Aztec stories say this creation ends by 'movement' that is, earthquake.

If what has been going on in the world has not gotten your attention, you are indeed beyond the pale. How many people have prayed lately who have not ever prayed in their lives? How many have cried at the sight of dead people, whales, birds, dogs, children? God/Gods are doing whatever they can to wake us up to the spiritual side of life, which actually lies at the base of everything.

Another interesting thing in the Mayan story is that Creation comes from the 'watery world below' which is seen at the night sky when the worlds are reversed - and is often depicted as the sea and its creatures. This
corresponds to the first presentation entitled "2011 and Beyond: A Brave New World Emerging from the Sea", by Dale O'Brien.

Last, but not least, the one text we have which speaks directly about the up coming completion of 13 baktuns (12/21/2012) says that the nine gods (the nine lords of the night) will descend (from the night sky - read watery world - read ocean) to the place of transformation (a type of sweat house). The rest of the text is either missing or destroyed.

My guess is that we will have a visitation from beyond that will assist us in our evolution to the next level.  As Ralfee Finn said, "not everyone succeeds on the hero's journey. Some don't survive the descent. Some are
dismembered."

My feeling is that ultimately, we will all make the hero's journey, survive it and come back with our gift. Maybe not in this lifetime, but eventually, just because we were created. That is the proof. There are
those who don't want to do the inner work this time. That's okay. This is where FREE WILL comes in.

For more on 2012 go see my Maya blog

For more on the conference and healing go see my herb blog.

A great explanation of Neptune Transits through the houses can be found at Cafe Astrology

Full Moon in Virgo - March 19, 2011

Many of us will be attending the International Astrology Day events in San Francisco this coming Saturday. It is the day before the Spring Equinox and the day of another Power Full Moon.
The second of six SuperMoons this year, it will exert a stronger pull on the Earth's oceans, tectonic plates and energy grids than 'normal' Full Moons. Not exactly what we need right now!

A psychic I know said the west coast of California could have a huge earthquake between March 19 and 27. Apparently, California is on the other side of the same fault that caused the recent earthquake in Japan.

Another element of this upcoming Full Moon is that the alignment of the Earth's equator with the Sun at the equinox causes a reduction of the Earth's magnetic field, which according to Stephanie Austin, "facilitates switching channels and increasing access to higher dimensions and new information".

Since this Full Moon (opposition of the Sun and Moon) is square the nodal axis (currently in Sagittarius and Gemini), we have a Grand Cross - the the Sagittarius NN conjunct the Galactic Center. The Galactic Center is a black hole at the center of our galaxy. It is a super transmitter of energy and radiation which effects the electromagnetic field of the Earth. So we have two conditions which could shift our magnetic field, not to mention whatever effects were caused by this recent huge earthquake.

I have discussed the meaning of the Galactic Center a bit here and on my 2012 blog.

Equinoxes are considered cosmic gateways by many ancient cultures. Spring and Fall Equinoxes are when the Cosmic Serpent at Chichen Itza moves down the sides of El Castillo and slithers off to his home in the Underworld via the portal of the Sacred Cenote. Hope to be there this September.

This Full Moon occurs at the final degrees of Pisces and Virgo, potent degrees as we are challenged to 'get the message' of the sign before the planetary body moves on.

So what are we to do? Nothing. There is nothing to DO. It is time to BE! Rather than be a human doing, become a human being. Being occurs when live in our hearts. As we get better at staying in our heart, then no matter what happens, it will be okay.

The Sabian symbols for this Full Moon are potent.
Sun 29 degrees of Pisces - "Light breaking into many colors as it passes through a prism."
Moon 29 degrees of Virgo - "A seeker after occult knowledge is reading an ancient scroll which illumines his mind."

Kim Marie of the Evolutionary Astrology Network suggests that we pray for all those who have passed due to this earthquake and tsunami so that they can realize their situation and move on to the Light. Whenever there is a mass trauma like this with a huge loss of life, souls can be trapped because they get confused.

Now that we are moving towards Pisces in Neptune (April 4) the veils will be thinner. Perhaps these large numbers of people who have passed in the last couple of years are actually 'immigrants' to the new world - going ahead to prepare the next level for the rest of us. Maybe their soul contract included being emissaries to the new dimension.

It was a tragedy from our perspective, but we may not know the whole story. Because we are unable to accept a concept such as 'ascension', we have to have 'an earthquake' so that a large number of people could leave and their departure would fit into our paradigm.

If we shift our consciousness, we might just be able to ascend without blowing anything up first. We can leave without trauma. It's a naughty child who destroys his toys before he leaves so that no one else can play with them.

Lighten Your Load, Enlighten Your Soul - New Moon December 16, 2009

The upcoming New Moon in Sagittarius at 24°39' on December 16, 2009, is conjunct the current location of the Galactic Center at 26°55'.

An enormous Black Hole was discovered at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy through the huge amounts of electromagnetic energy pouring out from it. Gamma, x-ray, infrared and radio waves coming out of the Galactic Center affect the electromagnetic fields of Earth and all its inhabitants.

This upcoming New Moon (conjunction of Sun and Moon) is conjunct the Galactic Center. Occurring just 5 days before the Solstice on December 21, I believe this is a very significant New Moon for seeding our intention for the next several years.

In general, New Moons represent new beginnings. A time to set your intention for the coming month. In many cultures, the month begins with the New Moon. The New Moon is actually the first sighting of the Moon after 2/3 days of Dark Moon - not being able to see the Moon at all.

Since we are only 3 years from December 21, 2012, I plan to set my intention on this New Moon because it is conjunct the Galactic Center and, significantly for me, conjunct my natal Jupiter and opposing my natal Uranus. This New Moon seeds my life for the next three years.

In my last long post on my 2012 blog, I wrote about the importance of focus. Interestingly, Stephanie Austin in her article in the current issue of The Mountain Astrologer, reiterates that theme saying "This New Moon in Sagittarius urges us to look deeply at our lives and the choices we are making. It reminds us of the power of focus -- just as a laser can do much more than a scattered beam of light, so our consciousness is vastly more powerful when we concentrate on our life purpose and what really matters."

Sagittarius, the ninth sign in the astrological cycle is represented by a man with the body of a horse. He holds a bow and aims his arrow high, seeking the answers to the BIG QUESTIONS.... What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

While many people content themselves with job, family, home and recreation, some of us (like me) have been motivated to seek the answers to these questions. Since I have been on Facebook, I have been reuniting with many old friends and lovers. I was curious to see "how they turned out." They did the usual things... married, got jobs, had children, bought a house.

I have sought none of those things. Instead, I have been studying, traveling, sitting at the feet of spiritual teachers, meditating and contemplating the meaning of life, for as long as I can remember. Learning that my natal Jupiter conjuncts the Galactic Center and my natal Uranus opposes the GC, have helped me understand why I was so driven. Although we all have the GC at the same degree of Sagittarius in our natal charts, we vary in our house placements and planetary aspects. For a Galactic Center reading, please contact me.

The GC is located in my 4th house, which represents 'where you are coming from'. This can mean your home and family background, cultural conditioning, traditions you grew up with. I can also mean your soul's origin, the place you came from... in the larger sense. By contrast, the 10th house is who you will be in the world - your 'career' and what you will achieve while on planet Earth. You are born from the 4th house, you mature into the 10th and when you die, you return to the 4th.

With my Sun and Uranus in Gemini in the 10th house and Ascendant in Virgo, I see that part of my 'reason for being here' is to serve as a spokesperson for this time of cycle ending. Only after my many years of study, my travels and my experiences am I able to fulfill my mission.

I see my mission as twofold: 1) teaching the writing system so people can read what the ancient Maya said or did not say. 2) assisting people during this challenging time of transformation/transition through plant-based modalities such as flower essences and aromatherapy.

I teach courses on Maya Hieroglyphs, the Calendar and 2012, so, I read whatever I can find on these topics. As you can imagine, the quantity of material is increasing as we approach the date of December 21, 2012, the end of a cycle of 5125 years. There is very little that is original. Most is a rearranging of what others have said. I admit, it is difficult to have original ideas about this, because the 'data' is so limited. By data, I am referring to what the ancient Maya actually wrote. What we mostly have is New Age interpretation of the meaning of this upcoming event.

From time to time, I find something in this perusal of the literature that I believe can help people navigate this time period. Two concepts are crucial at this time and one might consider them especially during this New Moon.

The first is that of releasing and letting go. Lately many of us are being 'forced' to let go. Our lives may be more about loss than anything else right now. The secret then is to be okay with it. Mourn and grieve for a time, but move on. See yourself as on a journey where holding on weighs you down. You need to be free to move forward. Like refugees who start out with huge packs on their backs, then shed them as they go, leaving piles of stuff along the road, drop your baggage. It is weighing you down and where you are going, you won't need it. There is no way to fully prepare for what is coming so don't encumber yourself with packets of food or extra clothes.

The second is focus your attention and intention on the light up ahead. Make yourself into a laser beam which will connect you to the Light that is being directed towards us at this time. The more concentrated your light, the faster and easier it will be for you to move.

The word 'focus' is from Latin and it means 'hearth, cooking fire'. Traditionally, this was the center of a home or community. It later became symbolized as the place where the sacred fire was kept - an altar.

Mayan Cosmology, as reflected in the sky, posits the 'hearth of heaven', the 'three stone place' as composed of three stars, while the hearth of Earth is the traditional cooking fire in the home. The 'three stone place' is the place of creation. It is marked by Alnitak (one of the three stars in the belt of Orion), Saiph and Rigel)(Alnitak is in the position which corresponds to the Great Pyramid at Giza.) At the center of this triangular 'hearth' sits the M42 nebula which often appears 'smoky' due to clouds. One might ask themselves how the Maya could see this with unaided vision.

Sufis see the heart as the center of the human being. Cultivating the fire in the heart has to do with compassion, acceptance, forgiveness - Love. Many of the spiritual practices of Sufism have to do with removing the rust that coats the heart and prevents us from truly seeing each other as the sparks of the Divine that we truly are. Our hearts have become armored through betrayal, disappointment, and fear. Our job is purify ourselves by letting go of the pain - dropping our burden. We don't have to hang on to it. We need to move forward in Trust that all our needs will be taken care of. Lighten your load, enlighten your soul.

Now is the time to begin. Each moment offers another opportunity to begin again. The more times you begin the more chance you have of continuing. It is significant that this New Moon occurs the day before the Urs of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi (Urs means the reunion with the Beloved, the wedding day - death.) One of his poems says:

Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times.
Come, yet again, come, come.

~Inscribed on Rumi's Shrine in Konya, Turkey

Four years ago at this time, I was there along with pilgrims from all over the world. Another saying written in his tomb is: "Do not look for me in the tomb. I am not there. I am in the hearts of the Believers."

Full Moon in Virgo - March 10-11

As if Venus retrograde weren't enough, this Full Moon is conjunct the Saturn/Uranus opposition. Yikes! Hold on to your... or is it better to let go?

According to Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer, this is one of the most importantFull Moons of 2009 because it amplifies the Saturn/Uranus opposition which she calls an 'evolutionary imperative.' Ah, that's what they are calling it. I thought it was 'my life falling apart.' This so-called imperative is operational until 2010 folks, so I guess we have no other choice but to evolve or .....?
Austin suggests we 'embrace inventiveness.'

What we see is the breakdown of of outmoded structures and rapid cultural change. The retrograde Venus can be useful here since it assists us in determining what is of value and thus what we should keep or at least work on rather than just totalling tossing it.

As you may have read in my 2012 blog, I am really getting into Nassim Haramein and it just happens to relate to this Saturn/Uranus thing. Saturn representing the laws of classical physics and Uranus the 'quirky' realities of quantum mechanics.

Other contrasts that Austin makes that relate to this Saturn opposing Uranus transit are: hierarchy/democracy, status-quo/progress, and fear/freedom. Duh, I wonder which to choose? The difficulty is that there are few models out there because we are being called to create new ones.

But on to the Full Moon. The Sun will be at 21 degrees Pisces conjunct Uranus at 22 degrees. The Moon will be at 21 degrees Virgo with Saturn at 19 degrees Virgo. Austin says that each moment we have a choice between standing in love or collapsing into fear, between staying asleep or waking up. She says that where the Sun at 21 Pisces is in your chart is where you must trust your intuition and do something out of the ordinary; where the Moon at 21 Virgo activates your chart is where you need to discern your priorities and honor them.

Those with Uranus in Virgo and Pluto in Virgo are being given an especially loud wakeup call to own and express their power. Austin suggests we all use the power of this Full Moon to take the next big step on your path and remember: If we are facing in the right direction, all we need to do is keep on walking. (Buddhist proverb)

As for me, lately I have a lot of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I am filled with an intense energy but must really focus to accomplish anything. I feel there is something really important I must do, but don't always know what it is. When I am focused, I can get a lot done in half the time. I can be very efficient. But when I am not focused, I feel I am spinning my wheels.

One way I ground myself is by literally saying: "Stop! What are you doing?" This can snap me out of the whirr of my mind. I also need to go outside a lot and smell the flowers or work in the greenhouse. I am learning to listen to my intuition and act on it.

Over the years through meditation and other spiritual practices, I have learned how to distinguish between my intuition and other 'voices' that pass through my mind. My work with flower essences (see my herb blog) has moved up to another level. I can feel it. When I am with a client, I get 'downloads' from the plant spirits and find staying grounded both essential and extremely difficult. It is definintely an interesting time and I feel excited about what is happening.

Discovery of Pluto - Harbinger of the Coming Shift?

While doing my EC drops, yesterday, I found an interesting post about the discovery of Pluto at The Modern Historian. That occurred on February 18, 1930.

Astronomers demoted Pluto last year to a planetoid. But as anyone who has ever gone through a significant Pluto transit will testify, Pluto is no "toid" anything. In fact, after working with the Evolutionary Astrology method brought forth by Jeffrey Wolf Green, which focuses on Pluto in our charts, I believe no other planet has as much influence and power in our lives. Indeed, the EA method teaches that Pluto reveals our Soul's Purpose. What could be more important than that?

I have been thinking about the fact that Pluto passed over the Galactic Center in recent years. The "Event" at the core of 2012 is the alignment of our solar system with the GC. What is the significance of this transit? (which happens every 248 years or so.) The last time Pluto was in Sagittarius was a decade or so before the American Revolution. Why was America settled by the first colonists? We have been taught that it was because of religious persecution. Another reason was that people wanted to be free of the economic control of the King and the aristocracy. The 'common' man wanted a chance to make his own wealth. The emerging concept of Capitalism wanted free reign. Entrepreneurs and merchants wanted to out from under the tax system of the Crown, that's why we had the Boston Tea Party.

So here we are, one Pluto cycle later and that American Capitalism gone rampant threatens to destroy the global economy.

Some astrologers say that a planet is discovered when the collective is ready to understand and work with, its energy. So... what was happening in 1930 that relates to us today?

In the Qabbalah, the "non-sefira", lying in the central pillar between Tiferet and Kether, known as the Daat, the Hidden Teacher, is equated with Pluto,. There are some schema that equate it with Saturn "God of Time" because they were established before the discovery of Pluto. And there is significance to this reading as well. I believe that when Pluto passed over the GC, it served to remove the veil and open the way to the teaching from the Galactic Center. The Hidden Teacher in the sign of Sagittarius (the Teacher, the Spiritual Leader) opened the teaching of the meaning of the 2012 event.

Sagittarius represents the Teacher, but is also the "Seeker of Truth". So Pluto "God of Transformation and Death", in the the sign of the Seeker of Truth, went over the Galactic Center, The Source. Our entire Solar System is now within the area of the GC and will be exact on December 21, 2012, the end of a 5125 year cycle in the Mayan Calendar.

Many people alive today lived during the Great Depression. Many of us are children or grand-children of those "Depression Survivors" and have heard the stories and received the 'teachings' although we have dismissed them and not followed them. In the West, we have had abundance compared to the rest of the world. We have become complacent. Unless we were 'back-to-the-land' hippies in the 60s, we have lived an affluent life. The current economic down-turn will be changing that for many people.

I would like to suggest that rather than thinking about what we are losing or having to do without, we shift our attention to what is of real and lasting value. I suggest we develop our inner wealth, utilizing our inner resources to optimize our connection to Source. If you have a meditation practice, a program of prayer or other spiritual methodology, this is the time to dust it off and get with it again.

"Every breath we take is our prayer" I just heard that on the Caroline Casey radio show on KPFA and it seemed totally relevant to this post.

Think of all that you might be losing on the material plane as Sacrifice, which means to 'make sacred'.

In the Shadow of Retrograde

The Valentine's Day Special continues until the end of the month.
Since we are still in the 'shadow' period of Mercury retrograde, I have not yet sent my computer in for service. It still needs repair and is under warranty, but so much has been breaking down this retrograde period, I want to wait another week before I send it.

I have been working on my course for this summer and on my 2012 blog. I have gotten to point where my laptop is like a part of my body and am not looking forward to having it gone for two weeks like the last time.

I can definitely feel the acceleration that is part of the Shift. In some ways, I feel writing is redundant, that all that is required is thought.

I am getting very interested in the work of Nassim Haramein. I went to a presentation by one of his 'emissaries' in Sebastopol, CA and have not been the same since. My mind was blown and I am not interested in 'getting back to normal'. I feel a 'new normal' is emerging for me. I'm not sure what it is but I do know I need to be as fluid as possible.

Personally, transiting Pluto in the 5th house is opposing my natal Mercury in the 11th house and so it is totally appropriate that my mind is being transformed. I am both able to access memories better and having deeper understanding. I am able to vision then manifest at a higher rate than ever before.

Back in a New Way

So I am back. To see the story about my computer, go to first blog. I plan to wait until the shadow period of the mercury retrograde is over, because technology continues to malfunction around me and I don't want to take any chances. Besides, I have a lot of catching up to do with my blogs and various projects.

Things have changed a lot in the last 3 weeks. I have a new blog on the Maya and 2012 and am "on fire" with ideas and projects. My own chart is being activated. I have the Pleiades on the cusp of my 10th house and my Jupiter is conjunct the Galactic Center in my 4th house opposing Uranus. I have wondered about the meaning of this for many years and recently I have begun to understand what it is about.

Our Sun and Solar System are currently conjuncting the GC and things are indeed cooking.