There is a lot going on in the heavens right now and as the title of this blog... from the Emerald Tablets of Hermes Trismegistus say.. As Above, So Below, there is a lot going on here on Earth.
Most people I know are going through huge changes. It seems everyone in is flux.... moving, major changes in income (mostly going down), dealing with health challenges. There has been a lot of death of people and pets, among my acquaintances.
In addition to the New Moon, which is a conjunction of Sun and Moon, there are other significant transits occurring - the New Moon squares the ongoing conjunction of Juptier, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius. If that weren't enough, Pluto squares Saturn the day before this New Moon. Whew! Can we find any stability in times like these?
Scorpio is a complex sign and one that is not easily understood, even by natives. They are often unable to understand themselves throughout their entire lives. Because of the depth and hidden nature of their ruling planet, Pluto, Scorpios who are not 'into' self-analysis or reflection, opt to live very material, externally motivated lives. Thus they can appear superficial. While this may be an unattractive, unexamined life that people reading this blog may want to avoid, it can give us a clue as to how to navigate this time of upheaval. Whatever is going on... don't take it personally. It is not your fault.
If you find that you are not able to figure out what to do next or what is going on....take a hint from the Scorpio/Taurus axis when it is 'unevolved'. Focus on the superficial. Huh? What I mean by this is... spend more time doing the small daily tasks. Cook your own food, rather than buying pre-made meals or going out. Can't cook? Learn. Start simple. Fix small things around the house, do crafts, wash the floor. Rather than adding to frustration and confusion by 'thinking' too much, stay grounded in mundane activities. Work on tangible things like...your yard, cleaning the closet, painting the bathroom.
This may appear to be 'denial' but by keep your mind and body occupied with tasks that are useful, practical and might save you some money, you will actually allow the intuitive function to kick in. Have you ever 'tried' to have a transcendent experience (without artificial means like drugs)? Did it work? But have they not just come to you while you were doing something else? - like walking in Nature. By keeping the mind and body busy, there is more space for the metaphysical to arrive. Inspiration often comes when you are not looking for it. I get a lot of ideas while washing dishes.
One of the metaphors for the transformational process is the butterfly. It begins as a caterpillar - an unattractive and, to some, disgusting creature. Certainly it is 'mindless' right? But....this so-called ignorant creature makes a cocoon around itself, goes to sleep and emerges as the extraordinary and magical creature we call a butterfly.
Does the caterpillar know what it is doing? Preparing an incubating chamber for its eventual transformation into a 'light being'? For all it knows, it is merely finding a twig, attaching itself then spinning the goo that comes out of its body into a home or a bed. The caterpillar/butterfly is 'programmed' to do this. It can no more say "No, I don't want to do this" than it can say, "I want it now, I don't want to wait, why do I have to bother with the cocoon?" "Why am I doing this?" It cannot stop its destiny.
Let us take our cue from this. Are we not also programmed to transcend, to ascend, to become light beings? Can we control the timing of it?
One of the lessons of now is that we are being asked (some would say forced) to surrender. We are being shown in many ways something that Gurdjieff said decades ago "we cannot do", which means that we live under many levels of laws of Nature etc. No matter how much we want the weather to be great on the day of the party we planned, we cannot control it. Our inability to control our circumstances, to make anything happen, to understand what is going on, to know what to do next....FRUSTRATING! A solution? Stop trying and just BE.
For those of us who subscribe to astrology, the planets also impose 'laws' on us. Saturn is the god of time. As long as we live at this level, we are subject to time. That includes timing. Sometimes the action is right, but the timing is not.
If you don't know what to do next...follow the teaching of Rumi: You are drunk and on the roof. Don't move or you will fall off. Just sit down where you are and be there. Learn to wait, be patient. (My interpretation)
Meanwhile, do what you CAN do...work on your cocoon. There is nothing you need to learn. You have it all already. It is part of your programming. Just take care of business on this plane as best you can.
Fifteen years ago, on November 12, 1994, I went to my first Sufi Dance in Sebastopol. Being involved in Sufism has been a very satisfying experience. I thank all my teachers. One of the teachings of Sufism is "die before death". I have often compared this to the teaching of Don Juan (Carlos Castaneda) who says to let death be an advisor.
If you died today, (no this is not morbid - it's Scorpionic) what would matter about your life? Who are you? asks the hookah smoking caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. WHO ARE YOU? Are you your house, car, job, bills, material possessions? If they were all gone, would you die? If they.... who is 'they'? took it all away and you were standing there naked, what would you do next? Scream? Cry? Faint?
Stephanie Austin in her article for this New Moon in The Mountain Astrologer gives the following quote: You only really discover the strength of your spine when your back is against the wall." (James Geary).
I learned this lesson on the physical plane the Thanksgiving after getting involved with the Sufis when one of the group took some of us rock-climbing. First we paired off - one person blindfolded, the other the guide, climbing up a hill on the way to The Rock. An extremely valuable experience. I was blindfolded. My guide was so concerned about my getting hurt, she was not able to give me any direction. We barely moved up that hill because she was paralyzed by concern. Finally, I started moving by intuition. I used my inner sight, feeling my way up the hill to the point where I was leading her. As it turned out this experience bonded us and We became fast friends. She couldn't understand how I had done it. By conquering fear with my body, not my mind. Feeling my way up the hill through my body.
Once we had gotten up the hill, those of us who wanted to take the challenge, climbed up a 40ft rock with an experienced person up top holding the rope attached to our harness. We had to go up a crack. I got stuck. The space got too small to raise my knee to get my foot up to the next foothold. My arms were not strong enough to pull myself up. I was caught in the crack, hardly able to move. I started to panic. I thought about all the ways I could not do it - all my limitations. Halfway up (halfway down) almost ready to yell out to be 'rescued'.
I remembered to breathe, calm my mind, get still. Suddenly I felt all of my body, not just the parts that did not do what I wanted.... feet, legs, knees, arms, hands, but the rest as well. Not strong enough, no room to maneuver....stuck. But I also felt my back against the rock. I started to slither, like a snake. Pushing up against the rock, using the rock as my friend, rather than my enemy. My back against the wall, I slithered my way up those few inches that made the footholds accessible. I got to a place where I could function in the ways I was most accustomed to, but I did it by finding a new way to use my back (my weak point). Since I have always had 'a weak back' this was an amazing discovery. I had not used my back for carrying, but for slithering. A new use for a bad back. It felt miraculous.
I suggest you reassess everything in your life. Find new uses, be creative. Rather than look at what is not working in your life... turn it all upside down. See how the obstacles can be turned into foundations for new activities. Question all your assumptions. Better yet, get rid of your assumptions. Don't take NO (or yes, for that matter) for an answer. If you feel like your world is upside down use that as an opening to a new way of being.
The Universe is supporting our transformation despite what you think about it. Trust that.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Saturn in Libra - Buy One Get One.
To celebrate Saturn's change of sign I would like to make the following offer: purchase any one of the astrology reports offered in the sidebar.... go down to find the links, and I will send you a second one of same or lesser value FREE! To honor Saturn in Libra, you might want to get the FRIENDS AND LOVERS, then a second one, like Opportunities, FREE. Take advantage of this offer until the end of November.
Saturn went into Libra today and I can already feel the change. Libra seeks to please and I can feel the cosmos asking me back into more accommodating relationship than we have had for the past 2+ years.
Saturn in Virgo was a task master for me. I already have plenty of Virgo is my chart with Ascendant conjunct Mars in Virgo I am really good at self-criticism. I really did not need the added weight of Saturn. When I am sat upon, I just go limp. It does not motivate me to do more. I don't fight back. Resistance is futile so why bother.
I feel a softening, a letting up of some of the pressure I've been under. I feel like I want to communicate again. For the past few months I have been questioning the meaning of life and my purpose in a very big way. Many deaths, including my 'big girl' Grace (cat). I went deep inside to process. Now, as we move into Fall and Winter, the traditional time for going inside, I want to express what I've found.
It's true that Libra can be critical and judgemental as well, but not right out of the gate. It tends to keep the negative stuff out of sight, like shoving it in a closet. If you want to fight and things get out of hand, believe me, Libra is right there with all the stuff that was in the closet right in your face, but it takes awhile before that happens. Libra can use the big guns, but prefers not to.
For the next couple of years or so, the job (Saturn always shows you the work to be done - in case you don't already know) will be in the realm of relationships. In Libra, this would be partnership, both intimate and business.
Saturn will ask us to define our relationships and to be clear as to who is doing what to whom. No more projection (a favorite past time of Libra). Are we clear about what we want from another person? Are they willing and able to give it to us? If not, how will be deal with that? If we decide to 'stay' anyway, we cannot blame the other person if they made their limitations clear to us. If they are vague or non-committal, are we going to accept that? If so, then, again, we cannot blame them.
Libra, as an air sign, seeks communication. But, let's face it, there are other ways to communicate besides talking. Facial expression, energy level, body language etc. communicate too. Rather than assuming that we understand each other, we might want to step out of our comfort zone and ask for an explanation.
Libra avoids conflict at any cost, but make sure the cost is not too high. Keeping the peace might feel good at one level, but are we going to be satisfied with that in the long run?
Sometimes we find out that all that silence and peace was actually a lack of caring or even an inability to care. It was not that they did not love you, they do not love anyone. Maybe cannot love at all. That is certainly not your fault. Nor was it your fault that you did not see it. There might be no one there behind the smile.
We have a couple of years to work on this. For those of you who have Pluto in Libra, you will have a Saturn/Pluto conjunction some time in this period. That should 'be fun'. Saturn might insist that something be done in the transformation department.
I feel there will be a lot of changes in the relationship department in the next couple of years. For those relationships that survive this transit and for those that are formed during this transit, there will be a lot more clarity and that is definitely a good thing.
Saturn went into Libra today and I can already feel the change. Libra seeks to please and I can feel the cosmos asking me back into more accommodating relationship than we have had for the past 2+ years.
Saturn in Virgo was a task master for me. I already have plenty of Virgo is my chart with Ascendant conjunct Mars in Virgo I am really good at self-criticism. I really did not need the added weight of Saturn. When I am sat upon, I just go limp. It does not motivate me to do more. I don't fight back. Resistance is futile so why bother.
I feel a softening, a letting up of some of the pressure I've been under. I feel like I want to communicate again. For the past few months I have been questioning the meaning of life and my purpose in a very big way. Many deaths, including my 'big girl' Grace (cat). I went deep inside to process. Now, as we move into Fall and Winter, the traditional time for going inside, I want to express what I've found.
It's true that Libra can be critical and judgemental as well, but not right out of the gate. It tends to keep the negative stuff out of sight, like shoving it in a closet. If you want to fight and things get out of hand, believe me, Libra is right there with all the stuff that was in the closet right in your face, but it takes awhile before that happens. Libra can use the big guns, but prefers not to.
For the next couple of years or so, the job (Saturn always shows you the work to be done - in case you don't already know) will be in the realm of relationships. In Libra, this would be partnership, both intimate and business.
Saturn will ask us to define our relationships and to be clear as to who is doing what to whom. No more projection (a favorite past time of Libra). Are we clear about what we want from another person? Are they willing and able to give it to us? If not, how will be deal with that? If we decide to 'stay' anyway, we cannot blame the other person if they made their limitations clear to us. If they are vague or non-committal, are we going to accept that? If so, then, again, we cannot blame them.
Libra, as an air sign, seeks communication. But, let's face it, there are other ways to communicate besides talking. Facial expression, energy level, body language etc. communicate too. Rather than assuming that we understand each other, we might want to step out of our comfort zone and ask for an explanation.
Libra avoids conflict at any cost, but make sure the cost is not too high. Keeping the peace might feel good at one level, but are we going to be satisfied with that in the long run?
Sometimes we find out that all that silence and peace was actually a lack of caring or even an inability to care. It was not that they did not love you, they do not love anyone. Maybe cannot love at all. That is certainly not your fault. Nor was it your fault that you did not see it. There might be no one there behind the smile.
We have a couple of years to work on this. For those of you who have Pluto in Libra, you will have a Saturn/Pluto conjunction some time in this period. That should 'be fun'. Saturn might insist that something be done in the transformation department.
I feel there will be a lot of changes in the relationship department in the next couple of years. For those relationships that survive this transit and for those that are formed during this transit, there will be a lot more clarity and that is definitely a good thing.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Where Does Your Fortune Lie?
Last night in Rio Olesky's 'Tuesday Night Class' a participatory astrology class that he has been holding for around 30 years, we discussed the Part of Fortune.
The Parts or Lots were used extensively in Arabic astrology and therefore are often referred to as the 'Arabic Parts', but they were developed in the Hellenistic period around 100 A.D. The origin of the technique is unknown, but many theories abound. You can read a brief overview on Wikipedia.
Not much is known and very little written about the Parts. Rio referred to the work of Martin Schulman and Dane Rudhyar with emphasis on Schulman's book: Joy and the Part of Fortune which can be purchased at:
Martin Schulman Karmic Astrology
Joy and the Part of Fortune
Apparently one can experience joy through the Part of Fortune and its house placement, but only if one has earned it. There is a karmic element to it. And it is not automatic.
It relates to one's goals in this lifetime and whether one is moving towards or away from them. This sets the parameters of what is good or bad for any particular individual. Schulman says that each of us has a 'pot of gold' waiting at the end of our own rainbow. What is in that pot is related to the Part of Fortune and thus differs for each of us.
The part of Fortune includes the personal recognition and privileges that accrue when one succeeds in their purpose.
Rio said that the Part of Fortune is not guaranteed. You must do the work. He referred to it as a compost pile that has a lot of potential but must be tended and worked on. Like a garden, you must plant the seed, nurture it and attend to it so that it grows to its maximum potential.
Calculating the Part of Fortune is different if you have a nocturnal or a diurnal chart. A nocturnal chart is one where the Sun is below the horizon, a diurnal chart one where the Sun is above the horizon.
So...
Diurnal - Ascendant + Moon - Sun
Nocturnal - Ascendant + Sun - Moon
To find out what's on the schedule for Tuesday night class, see Rio's website: Wholistic Astrology
You can purchased recordings of any class.
Contact me for a reading of your Part of Fortune, by leaving a comment with contact information.
The Parts or Lots were used extensively in Arabic astrology and therefore are often referred to as the 'Arabic Parts', but they were developed in the Hellenistic period around 100 A.D. The origin of the technique is unknown, but many theories abound. You can read a brief overview on Wikipedia.
Not much is known and very little written about the Parts. Rio referred to the work of Martin Schulman and Dane Rudhyar with emphasis on Schulman's book: Joy and the Part of Fortune which can be purchased at:
Martin Schulman Karmic Astrology
Joy and the Part of Fortune
Apparently one can experience joy through the Part of Fortune and its house placement, but only if one has earned it. There is a karmic element to it. And it is not automatic.
It relates to one's goals in this lifetime and whether one is moving towards or away from them. This sets the parameters of what is good or bad for any particular individual. Schulman says that each of us has a 'pot of gold' waiting at the end of our own rainbow. What is in that pot is related to the Part of Fortune and thus differs for each of us.
The part of Fortune includes the personal recognition and privileges that accrue when one succeeds in their purpose.
Rio said that the Part of Fortune is not guaranteed. You must do the work. He referred to it as a compost pile that has a lot of potential but must be tended and worked on. Like a garden, you must plant the seed, nurture it and attend to it so that it grows to its maximum potential.
Calculating the Part of Fortune is different if you have a nocturnal or a diurnal chart. A nocturnal chart is one where the Sun is below the horizon, a diurnal chart one where the Sun is above the horizon.
So...
Diurnal - Ascendant + Moon - Sun
Nocturnal - Ascendant + Sun - Moon
To find out what's on the schedule for Tuesday night class, see Rio's website: Wholistic Astrology
You can purchased recordings of any class.
Contact me for a reading of your Part of Fortune, by leaving a comment with contact information.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Follow Your Heart - Leap into the Lunar Eclipse August 5-6
My Summer class at Santa Rosa Junior College is complete and so I am free to post again for awhile. I taught a course on Mayan Hieroglyphs for six weeks. It went really well. I will be teaching it again in a month. The new class starts September 3. This time it won't be as difficult since I have already made the PowerPoint presentation and my ankle is healed, so I won't have to teach from a wheelchair with my friend Steve serving as my chauffeur.
Another eclipse is coming up in a few days. This time a Lunar Eclipse. Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer says that during the eclipse, solar energy is blocked by the Earth and that this in turn opens a portal in hyperspace.
Well, this got my attention since I am getting more and more into portal technology. Preparing to teach the hieroglyph class this time, I re-read all the old books and read many new books. I was struck by the fact that even though there were books I have read several times, each time I review the material, the meaning evolves as my level evolves. Passages I didn't notice before were jumping off the page and I wondered "How come I never noticed this before?"
It's about evolution. Funny how things we 'know' with our brain take on deeper significance when our state has evolved - even a little.
I see it as a spiral. While we may revisit certain areas of our lives or certain subjects, as we move upwards in the ascension process, we understand more.
I have taught this course several times in the past, but this time, I learned so much more myself that I would have liked to pass on to my students. Perhaps it is time to create an advanced class.
For me, these eclipses signal the fact that we are in extraordinary times. We all have the opportunity to make quantum leaps in our development. At the same time the pressures in our Earthly existence are so extreme (job loss, home loss, financial ruin, health challenges) if not to ourselves then to our loved ones. It is difficult to see that this is an attempt by the 'dementors of doom' (as Caroline Casey says) to take us off our path and stop us with fear. Huge distractions designed by the powers of stagnation and decay to keep us hooked into believing that what our hearts yearn for is impossible.
Yet, these 'dementors of doom' are not external. We cannot point a finger at 'them'. They are us. They are within us. They are projections of the saboteur that we all have.
Caroline Myss' work on archetypes that I find invaluable claims that everyone has 12 archetypal energies that form a type of 'board of directors' in our life. We created this board before the current incarnation to help us accomplish the task of this lifetime. While each of us has 8 that are unique to our individual selves, we all share 4. Each age has a different set of 4.
Currently we all share The Saboteur, The Prostitute, The Child, and The Victim. These archetypes have many facets which you can learn about in her major opus (in my estimation) Sacred Contracts (see Amazon add in sidebar). So, we each have a Saboteur whose task is not really to prevent us from evolving, etc., but whose task is to show us where we ruin our own lives. Where we 'get in our own way'. (A strange expression I never really understood.) Caroline Casey played a wonderful talk by Reverend Ike called "Get Your But Out of the Way".
When you hear yourself say, "Yes, but...." you are on your way to learning about your Saboteur. Since most of us (at least in the West) are so obsessed with money, we usually 'can't' do something because of money. So now money REALLY IS a problem. Or is it? Isn't that just an illusion? What were we thinking when we created that one. We thought not having $100,000 in our bank account was a problem. Now we are lucky if we have $100. It's like they said: "You want to complain? Complain about THIS!
The challenge here is to see that it is not money that makes something happen or not, it is intention, desire, 'love'. No amount of money in the world will make something happen if there is no desire for it. These things come from the Heart.
So.... stop complaining. Stop making excuses... Just DO IT! Or not, but don't blame anyone but yourself. Or... even better, don't blame anyone, especially yourself. Do or don't do, then let it go. If your Heart is not in it, let it go.
So what does all this have to do with eclipses? and especially this eclipse? Another opportunity to make a leap into the life you dream for yourself and humanity. We must all begin to dream a new world into being. Then when we have the image firmly established in our hearts, to leap into it whenever there is a portal.
Austin quotes Norman Vincent Peale at the end of her article: "Throw your heart over the fence, and the rest will follow."
Let your heart lead the way. Not your little heart, that loves so-and-so and hates so-and-so or want this-or-that and doesn't want something else. No. the big huge heart that is wise and connected to the Oneness of Creation.
Another eclipse is coming up in a few days. This time a Lunar Eclipse. Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer says that during the eclipse, solar energy is blocked by the Earth and that this in turn opens a portal in hyperspace.
Well, this got my attention since I am getting more and more into portal technology. Preparing to teach the hieroglyph class this time, I re-read all the old books and read many new books. I was struck by the fact that even though there were books I have read several times, each time I review the material, the meaning evolves as my level evolves. Passages I didn't notice before were jumping off the page and I wondered "How come I never noticed this before?"
It's about evolution. Funny how things we 'know' with our brain take on deeper significance when our state has evolved - even a little.
I see it as a spiral. While we may revisit certain areas of our lives or certain subjects, as we move upwards in the ascension process, we understand more.
I have taught this course several times in the past, but this time, I learned so much more myself that I would have liked to pass on to my students. Perhaps it is time to create an advanced class.
For me, these eclipses signal the fact that we are in extraordinary times. We all have the opportunity to make quantum leaps in our development. At the same time the pressures in our Earthly existence are so extreme (job loss, home loss, financial ruin, health challenges) if not to ourselves then to our loved ones. It is difficult to see that this is an attempt by the 'dementors of doom' (as Caroline Casey says) to take us off our path and stop us with fear. Huge distractions designed by the powers of stagnation and decay to keep us hooked into believing that what our hearts yearn for is impossible.
Yet, these 'dementors of doom' are not external. We cannot point a finger at 'them'. They are us. They are within us. They are projections of the saboteur that we all have.
Caroline Myss' work on archetypes that I find invaluable claims that everyone has 12 archetypal energies that form a type of 'board of directors' in our life. We created this board before the current incarnation to help us accomplish the task of this lifetime. While each of us has 8 that are unique to our individual selves, we all share 4. Each age has a different set of 4.
Currently we all share The Saboteur, The Prostitute, The Child, and The Victim. These archetypes have many facets which you can learn about in her major opus (in my estimation) Sacred Contracts (see Amazon add in sidebar). So, we each have a Saboteur whose task is not really to prevent us from evolving, etc., but whose task is to show us where we ruin our own lives. Where we 'get in our own way'. (A strange expression I never really understood.) Caroline Casey played a wonderful talk by Reverend Ike called "Get Your But Out of the Way".
When you hear yourself say, "Yes, but...." you are on your way to learning about your Saboteur. Since most of us (at least in the West) are so obsessed with money, we usually 'can't' do something because of money. So now money REALLY IS a problem. Or is it? Isn't that just an illusion? What were we thinking when we created that one. We thought not having $100,000 in our bank account was a problem. Now we are lucky if we have $100. It's like they said: "You want to complain? Complain about THIS!
The challenge here is to see that it is not money that makes something happen or not, it is intention, desire, 'love'. No amount of money in the world will make something happen if there is no desire for it. These things come from the Heart.
So.... stop complaining. Stop making excuses... Just DO IT! Or not, but don't blame anyone but yourself. Or... even better, don't blame anyone, especially yourself. Do or don't do, then let it go. If your Heart is not in it, let it go.
So what does all this have to do with eclipses? and especially this eclipse? Another opportunity to make a leap into the life you dream for yourself and humanity. We must all begin to dream a new world into being. Then when we have the image firmly established in our hearts, to leap into it whenever there is a portal.
Austin quotes Norman Vincent Peale at the end of her article: "Throw your heart over the fence, and the rest will follow."
Let your heart lead the way. Not your little heart, that loves so-and-so and hates so-and-so or want this-or-that and doesn't want something else. No. the big huge heart that is wise and connected to the Oneness of Creation.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Value of Contraction - Less is More
Pluto in Capricorn is about maximum contraction. Since we have just gone through the opposite, that is, Pluto in Sagittarius, maximum expansion, this is particularly painful. Just like trying to squeeze into those jeans you wore in your 20s after two kids and gaining 20 pounds. Can't be done. Gotta shed some pounds. So that's where we are, all of us. And it feels awful. Depression is 'widely available'.
Liquor and fast food sales are up, even though more and more of us know the dangers of both. People want a quick fix for the psychological pain. People want to 'feel better,' if even for a moment.
I myself am grappling with this daily. Since I cannot go outside to my garden (due to my broken ankle), I have to dig deep into my inner resources. Meditation, chanting, repetition of mantra/wazifa is very useful since it helps you train your mind. Stopping thought is useful at this time, when what we are doing is not necessarily working at solutions with our thoughts, but rather beating ourselves up with self-sabotaging recriminations.
Flower essences, essential oils and tinctures have an incredible ability to soothe, heal and inspire. All very important at this time.
It is not about 'not feeling'. Among the tasks of Saturn and Capricorn is to evaluate what works and what does not work. To have the courage to admit that we don't like our life and then to change it. This requires feeling the pain. Pain is a message. Something is wrong. Don't mask it (of course if it is overwhelming and paralyzing, you have to manage it). Take the time (Saturn/Capricorn) to review your situation.
The next step which is so aptly put in the Serenity prayer adopted by AA.
"God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference."
Attributed to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.
This is one of the most useful messages that has been delivered to humanity in the last century.
About 18 years ago, while working at a domestic violence shelter, I was doing research on addiction. I read a series of books by Anne Wilson Schaef about the addictive society. Her best known one, When Society Becomes an Addict, opened my eyes to the role our culture has in making us all addicts in some way, so as to encourage consummerism.
Before we can stop our addictions we must 'admit we are powerless'. We must stop thinking that we can live forever, do anything we want, anytime. In a sense, the New Age Movement that expanded in the mid 80s, and promised us that we can have it all as we create our own reality (which usually included more stuff), has been co-opted (as the 60s were). Yes, even Michael Jackson died. Didn't you think for a moment that if anyone could figure out a way to live forever, he would? He could certainly afford to pay for whatever technology could come up with. For those who consider themselves 'spiritual' there are now millions of books, DVDs, CDs and catalogs full of all the accoutrements required to be 'on the spiritual path.' "Have you seen the latest yoga mat?"
Among the gifts of my recent 'confinement' is seeing what I actually NEED. Now that my ankle is nearly back to normal, I see that I am beginning to WANT again. The wanting is what causes me discomfort. About halfway through this confinement, I arrived at a state of contentment. A time when just being was all I could do and it was enough.
I hope to retain the lessons I learned. The gift of a broken bone (bones ruled by Saturn/Capricorn, ankle ruled by Uranus/Aquarius). Currently Chiron, shot in the ankle, is in Aquarius (natally in my 6th house of health). In my Solar Return chart for this year, it is at my midheaven (conjunct the 10th house cusp. The 10th house traditionally ruled by Saturn/Capricorn. Try to tell me that astrology does not work.
If you are feeling depressed right now, take it as a sign that you are alive and awake. You are not numbed out. Take the time to review your life. Feel what is not working anymore and try to understand why. Change what you can. If you can change nothing about the external situation, do an attitude adjustment.
One way this can be done is to invite the 'problem area' to tea. With friendship and kindness, ask it what it wants from you. What it wants you to know and learn. What is the lesson in this? is an extremely useful question to ask yourself on a regular basis.
Try to avoid 'why me?' because that is a victim stance. Instead I suggest you look for the lesson. I have found that when I can do this, I may come to value the 'problem' for the gifts it has brought - the 'virtues' of patience, humility, compassion, surrender etc. As soon as I 'get it', the 'problem' often goes away.
We can use plant guides and messengers in the form of flower essences and essential oils to support us in our own process. They work on a subtle level. They don't do the work - we still have to do it, but they can help us focus and have more clarity. They can take the panic away so we can think. See my herb blog.
If you wish assistance, I am available for astrology readings and flower essence sessions. Leave your contact info in a comment.
Liquor and fast food sales are up, even though more and more of us know the dangers of both. People want a quick fix for the psychological pain. People want to 'feel better,' if even for a moment.
I myself am grappling with this daily. Since I cannot go outside to my garden (due to my broken ankle), I have to dig deep into my inner resources. Meditation, chanting, repetition of mantra/wazifa is very useful since it helps you train your mind. Stopping thought is useful at this time, when what we are doing is not necessarily working at solutions with our thoughts, but rather beating ourselves up with self-sabotaging recriminations.
Flower essences, essential oils and tinctures have an incredible ability to soothe, heal and inspire. All very important at this time.
It is not about 'not feeling'. Among the tasks of Saturn and Capricorn is to evaluate what works and what does not work. To have the courage to admit that we don't like our life and then to change it. This requires feeling the pain. Pain is a message. Something is wrong. Don't mask it (of course if it is overwhelming and paralyzing, you have to manage it). Take the time (Saturn/Capricorn) to review your situation.
The next step which is so aptly put in the Serenity prayer adopted by AA.
"God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference."
Attributed to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.
This is one of the most useful messages that has been delivered to humanity in the last century.
About 18 years ago, while working at a domestic violence shelter, I was doing research on addiction. I read a series of books by Anne Wilson Schaef about the addictive society. Her best known one, When Society Becomes an Addict, opened my eyes to the role our culture has in making us all addicts in some way, so as to encourage consummerism.
Before we can stop our addictions we must 'admit we are powerless'. We must stop thinking that we can live forever, do anything we want, anytime. In a sense, the New Age Movement that expanded in the mid 80s, and promised us that we can have it all as we create our own reality (which usually included more stuff), has been co-opted (as the 60s were). Yes, even Michael Jackson died. Didn't you think for a moment that if anyone could figure out a way to live forever, he would? He could certainly afford to pay for whatever technology could come up with. For those who consider themselves 'spiritual' there are now millions of books, DVDs, CDs and catalogs full of all the accoutrements required to be 'on the spiritual path.' "Have you seen the latest yoga mat?"
Among the gifts of my recent 'confinement' is seeing what I actually NEED. Now that my ankle is nearly back to normal, I see that I am beginning to WANT again. The wanting is what causes me discomfort. About halfway through this confinement, I arrived at a state of contentment. A time when just being was all I could do and it was enough.
I hope to retain the lessons I learned. The gift of a broken bone (bones ruled by Saturn/Capricorn, ankle ruled by Uranus/Aquarius). Currently Chiron, shot in the ankle, is in Aquarius (natally in my 6th house of health). In my Solar Return chart for this year, it is at my midheaven (conjunct the 10th house cusp. The 10th house traditionally ruled by Saturn/Capricorn. Try to tell me that astrology does not work.
If you are feeling depressed right now, take it as a sign that you are alive and awake. You are not numbed out. Take the time to review your life. Feel what is not working anymore and try to understand why. Change what you can. If you can change nothing about the external situation, do an attitude adjustment.
One way this can be done is to invite the 'problem area' to tea. With friendship and kindness, ask it what it wants from you. What it wants you to know and learn. What is the lesson in this? is an extremely useful question to ask yourself on a regular basis.
Try to avoid 'why me?' because that is a victim stance. Instead I suggest you look for the lesson. I have found that when I can do this, I may come to value the 'problem' for the gifts it has brought - the 'virtues' of patience, humility, compassion, surrender etc. As soon as I 'get it', the 'problem' often goes away.
We can use plant guides and messengers in the form of flower essences and essential oils to support us in our own process. They work on a subtle level. They don't do the work - we still have to do it, but they can help us focus and have more clarity. They can take the panic away so we can think. See my herb blog.
If you wish assistance, I am available for astrology readings and flower essence sessions. Leave your contact info in a comment.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
July 7 Eclipse - Portal Between Worlds
As we approach the upcoming Full Moon eclipse on July 7, we may feel contraction. For some, this will be experienced as fear leading to panic.
The circumstances of the outer world which seem real - money issues - may cause us to put the focus of our energy in the wrong place.
While a contraction is called for, it is not a 'bad' thing. Since we live in a world where only expansion and growth are valued and sought after, we feel something is very wrong with contraction and must be 'forced' into it. Rather we should submit to this contraction willingly for it is part of the cycle. Observe your breath. It goes in and out. Observe the tides, they go in an out. All of it is a rhythmic cycle. Neither can exist without the other.
With Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron conjunct right now, I feel that after the contraction, the 'in-breath will bring more healing, greater intuitive capacity and an increase ability to manifest our dreams. But we must first be willing to let go and release on a grand scale.
Have you ever been told to take a deep breath? What is the first thing you do to prepare to do that? Breathe out more than ever. So, now, get ready to take a deep breath.
Rather than clenching up in fear which is usually accompanied by holding your breath, let it all go. Don't try to hold on to whatever goes with it. Don't grab on to anything. Before we can manifest the new life we want, we have to make room for it. Right now we also have access to creative imagination on a grand scale. Dream big. Dream into reality the next phase of your miraculous life.
The Moon in Capricorn 10th house and Sun in Cancer 4th forming this eclipse, open the portal between birth, death and rebirth.
The ancient Maya saw 'life' as starting with death. Life comes out of death. The 4th house is both the house of death (where we come from) and the house of birth. The 10th house is the life in between. This eclipse has the Moon (the ruler of Cancer) in Capricorn. To me this means that the nurturing energy of the Moon/Cancer is on both sides of the portal.
Go to your emotions to see what needs to change. My doctor recently advised me to "let pain be my guide" in regards to the physical therapy I must do after my broken ankle. At first I thought "what? Why would I want to do that?" But after thinking about it I saw the wisdom in it on a larger scale. To determine what is not working anymore in your life, let pain be your guide.
Often in order to continue to function, we avoid the pain in any number of ways. Distraction, medication, numbing out, sleeping, staying busy - are common ways. But in order to see what needs to be changed/healed and when we are not going in the right direction, we need to experience that pain.
Remember that game where someone hid something and the other person had to go look for it? We said warm, hot, boiling when the searcher approached and cold, freezing when they were far away? Well, be sensitive to the subtle emotional changes that accompany different parts of your life. Pay close attention to your stomach, your aches and pains, your mind, your energy. Does your body respond positively or negatively as you go through your day. Your own body can give you clues your rational mind hides from you.
Let emotional or any other kind of pain, be your guide to what is no longer working in your life and what needs to go. Then, imagine the new life you want. Get ready, breathe out, then breathe in deeply and move through the portal into your new life.
The circumstances of the outer world which seem real - money issues - may cause us to put the focus of our energy in the wrong place.
While a contraction is called for, it is not a 'bad' thing. Since we live in a world where only expansion and growth are valued and sought after, we feel something is very wrong with contraction and must be 'forced' into it. Rather we should submit to this contraction willingly for it is part of the cycle. Observe your breath. It goes in and out. Observe the tides, they go in an out. All of it is a rhythmic cycle. Neither can exist without the other.
With Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron conjunct right now, I feel that after the contraction, the 'in-breath will bring more healing, greater intuitive capacity and an increase ability to manifest our dreams. But we must first be willing to let go and release on a grand scale.
Have you ever been told to take a deep breath? What is the first thing you do to prepare to do that? Breathe out more than ever. So, now, get ready to take a deep breath.
Rather than clenching up in fear which is usually accompanied by holding your breath, let it all go. Don't try to hold on to whatever goes with it. Don't grab on to anything. Before we can manifest the new life we want, we have to make room for it. Right now we also have access to creative imagination on a grand scale. Dream big. Dream into reality the next phase of your miraculous life.
The Moon in Capricorn 10th house and Sun in Cancer 4th forming this eclipse, open the portal between birth, death and rebirth.
The ancient Maya saw 'life' as starting with death. Life comes out of death. The 4th house is both the house of death (where we come from) and the house of birth. The 10th house is the life in between. This eclipse has the Moon (the ruler of Cancer) in Capricorn. To me this means that the nurturing energy of the Moon/Cancer is on both sides of the portal.
Go to your emotions to see what needs to change. My doctor recently advised me to "let pain be my guide" in regards to the physical therapy I must do after my broken ankle. At first I thought "what? Why would I want to do that?" But after thinking about it I saw the wisdom in it on a larger scale. To determine what is not working anymore in your life, let pain be your guide.
Often in order to continue to function, we avoid the pain in any number of ways. Distraction, medication, numbing out, sleeping, staying busy - are common ways. But in order to see what needs to be changed/healed and when we are not going in the right direction, we need to experience that pain.
Remember that game where someone hid something and the other person had to go look for it? We said warm, hot, boiling when the searcher approached and cold, freezing when they were far away? Well, be sensitive to the subtle emotional changes that accompany different parts of your life. Pay close attention to your stomach, your aches and pains, your mind, your energy. Does your body respond positively or negatively as you go through your day. Your own body can give you clues your rational mind hides from you.
Let emotional or any other kind of pain, be your guide to what is no longer working in your life and what needs to go. Then, imagine the new life you want. Get ready, breathe out, then breathe in deeply and move through the portal into your new life.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Jupiter and Saturn - Creating Reality
Each month, as a student in the Evolutionary Astrology school with Kim Marie, we participate in a telephone conference call on various topics. This month it was the planetary pair of Jupiter and Saturn.
The Evolutionary Astrology (EA) method is unique in that it begins with Pluto which represents the soul's purpose. The nodes of the moon are significant because they show the soul's history and the intent in this life time.
Unlike traditional astrological methods, the Sun, Moon and Ascendant are not the primary focus.
In addition to aspects, house, and sign of each planet, the phasal relationship between all planets is significant. As far as I know, this way of looking at planets is specific to the EA method. So, even if planets are not aspecting each other, they do have a phasal relationship.
What this means is that, like the phases of the Moon in relation to the Sun, planets form phases between themselves. The faster moving planet determines the phase. Ultimately, all are in relation to the Sun.
Since both of these planets are 'personal' planets, we have access to them consciously. We can easily see the archetypes operating in our life, unlike the
'transpersonal' planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which operate on unconscious levels.
Jupiter and Saturn are very important in one's life because they have to do with manifestation. Jupiter is concerned with belief systems and truth. Saturn about form, structure and society. All of us act from our belief systems, whether personal beliefs about ourselves, beliefs about what we should be doing or beliefs held by the society in which we live. These beliefs affect our values, goals and actions. Saturn helps us ground our beliefs in reality - or not.
Many of those who say that 'we create our own reality', never see the fruit of that belief because, in fact, they really don't believe it. Or, their belief about themselves, say, is so contrary to their stated belief that they 'sabotage' themselves. Sometimes the new belief has not fully been integrated or conflicts with deeply held beliefs from childhood.
Jupiter's cycle is 12 years, Saturn 28 or so. They form a conjunction every 20 years. Currently they are nearly opposing each other, which means that collectively we have been re-examining the belief systems that have been the foundation of society. Each of us, in our own way, has had our beliefs challenged a lot in the past few years. On nearly every level, the beliefs that we have operated under, have crumbled or betrayed us and we have had to re-think, re-assess and re-evaluate. This process of breaking away from everything we have believed in before and coming up with new paradigms will reach its maximum when Jupiter and Saturn are in opposition. Then, the new ideas will begin to be integrated into society and create the new models of action. We are still at the creation point, so it is very important that we set our intentions for what we want to manifest in society in the next 10 years.
As we are all aware, what happens in the next 10 years will determine if there is a future for life on Earth.
One of the fundamental concepts of EA is that we are all evolving. It is important to know where we are at any given time on that path and to understand the best ways we can move forward from there. There is no judgement since we are all going to get "there". And, in fact, there is a concept, similar to that of Buddhism, that some have already gotten there and have returned to help others, so you never know.
The belief in Reincarnation is implicit in this system and so is the idea of karma. Some of our current life is the result of karma.
Of all the systems of astrology I have looked at, this one has the most answers for me. To find out more about it and get a sample DVD free, click here.
The Evolutionary Astrology (EA) method is unique in that it begins with Pluto which represents the soul's purpose. The nodes of the moon are significant because they show the soul's history and the intent in this life time.
Unlike traditional astrological methods, the Sun, Moon and Ascendant are not the primary focus.
In addition to aspects, house, and sign of each planet, the phasal relationship between all planets is significant. As far as I know, this way of looking at planets is specific to the EA method. So, even if planets are not aspecting each other, they do have a phasal relationship.
What this means is that, like the phases of the Moon in relation to the Sun, planets form phases between themselves. The faster moving planet determines the phase. Ultimately, all are in relation to the Sun.
Since both of these planets are 'personal' planets, we have access to them consciously. We can easily see the archetypes operating in our life, unlike the
'transpersonal' planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which operate on unconscious levels.
Jupiter and Saturn are very important in one's life because they have to do with manifestation. Jupiter is concerned with belief systems and truth. Saturn about form, structure and society. All of us act from our belief systems, whether personal beliefs about ourselves, beliefs about what we should be doing or beliefs held by the society in which we live. These beliefs affect our values, goals and actions. Saturn helps us ground our beliefs in reality - or not.
Many of those who say that 'we create our own reality', never see the fruit of that belief because, in fact, they really don't believe it. Or, their belief about themselves, say, is so contrary to their stated belief that they 'sabotage' themselves. Sometimes the new belief has not fully been integrated or conflicts with deeply held beliefs from childhood.
Jupiter's cycle is 12 years, Saturn 28 or so. They form a conjunction every 20 years. Currently they are nearly opposing each other, which means that collectively we have been re-examining the belief systems that have been the foundation of society. Each of us, in our own way, has had our beliefs challenged a lot in the past few years. On nearly every level, the beliefs that we have operated under, have crumbled or betrayed us and we have had to re-think, re-assess and re-evaluate. This process of breaking away from everything we have believed in before and coming up with new paradigms will reach its maximum when Jupiter and Saturn are in opposition. Then, the new ideas will begin to be integrated into society and create the new models of action. We are still at the creation point, so it is very important that we set our intentions for what we want to manifest in society in the next 10 years.
As we are all aware, what happens in the next 10 years will determine if there is a future for life on Earth.
One of the fundamental concepts of EA is that we are all evolving. It is important to know where we are at any given time on that path and to understand the best ways we can move forward from there. There is no judgement since we are all going to get "there". And, in fact, there is a concept, similar to that of Buddhism, that some have already gotten there and have returned to help others, so you never know.
The belief in Reincarnation is implicit in this system and so is the idea of karma. Some of our current life is the result of karma.
Of all the systems of astrology I have looked at, this one has the most answers for me. To find out more about it and get a sample DVD free, click here.
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