Tag Archives: soul work

activism, astrology, Earth healing, human rights, planetary change, Root Medicine of the Stars

A Passion For Life

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Throughout the current lunation a time of gathering momentum and pushback has been making itself more and more visible in the world, and this now reaches a threshold moment with the full Moon in Scorpio.
 
The energy which this gathering momentum embodies is seeking to act upon raised awareness, coupled with the twin powers of interrelationship and personal choice, and this is nowhere more visible than when the hearts and minds of the people are given voice and demonstrated publicly. It is also clearly reflected in the astrology of the moment.
 


Possibly the most spectacular example of this over the last few days was the big march in London on Saturday 24th April. This took place just as the Moon was transiting into the UK’s first house (whole sign) and transiting cj Uranus in the UK chart.
 
This embodiment of public power and consciousness focused on showing solidarity in awareness. It manifested a freedom of choice that goes against the grain of authoritarian conformity, an awareness that is capable of seeing beyond the ‘illusions of reality’ which such conformity relies on to prevail.
 
The planetary movements of the moment saw a stellium of planets in tropical Taurus reflecting a unified field of adroit awareness that is very much on the rise and on this occasion directly challenged the dictates of power as embodied in the UK’s eight house Mars.
 
Coming up against Mars in a ‘power over’ position requires courage, but, numbers make the difference and takes such personal power to another level.
 


This was a united effort bringing together the combined forces of the Sun, Mercury, Uranus and Venus in Taurus, reflecting precise embodiment in time and place through the lunar transit. But, this stellium in Taurus also squared transiting Saturn perfectly and now, as the Moon comes to fullness, comes close to the mid-point of the UK national chart’s Venus Saturn opposition.
 
We will see this midpoint triggered over the coming days as Venus and Mercury move away from Uranus, which brings us back to the significance of this full Moon in particular.
 
The full Moon in Scorpio brings these matters of freedom and non-compliance to a crucial moment, the threshold moment, upon which their effectiveness going forward very much rests.
 
This is the wave that must be surfed, its energy sustained and embodied, given prolonged expression, so that its effect can continue to build and fully realise its potential as the truly effective catalyst for change it seeks to become. It must be sustained to ensure that it remains strong enough to effectively oppose ‘the forces of conformity and containment’ which this collective expression of energy defies.
 
There is a circle of reciprocity being engendered in this moment, between the inner and the outer, between individual and collective action.
 


Every person aligning themselves with this energy is a carrier of its seed potential. And, even though the power of the collective manifests personal power at another level, beyond the individual, a level which can achieve the degree of change needed, it all rests on the willingness of the individual to fully embody their personal potential, and that means personal truth, to as high a degree as possible for that power to rise sufficiently.
 


Its been said many times before, but, this cannot be more clearly put. A collective force of empowered individuals is unstoppable, a truth the authorities know all too well.
 


Saturn and Uranus reflect this current dynamic well and, being triggered, they reveal the truth.
 


But, while the current debacle is out in the open, seen more fully for what it is, with every moment, by more and more people, this is not simply about raising a revolutionary spirit, opposing the orthodoxies of power and resisting their dictates.
 
This is about becoming a fully embodied protector of both the human and the planetary soul, a role which can be more fully realised and evolved into through allowing the momentum now being generated to take our awareness to yet higher levels still.


In the midst of distraction, the tension and chaos of the moment can no longer hide this underlying truth – we are, it has been said, experiencing all this for this very purpose.
 


The Sabian symbols for the Sun, the Moon and Saturn’s degrees resonate strongly here.
 


The Sun’s degree speaks of awareness funded by recognition of natural cycles and how they are the foundation of all change, including that which we are engaged with now.
 

The Moon’s degree tells us that this moment is about being receptive to the radiance of higher powers , of “being a soul that can reflect love’s light”, and bringing the transcendent Venusian aspect of relating into an active role in our own self realisation.
 


Saturn’s degree speaks of how the natural laws and facts which allow us to plan in advance for action are also fully manifest at this time, grounding the awareness we are generating.
 
 
There is an antidote at work here, to the destructive anti-soul that is seeking to dominate our future, which can be easily sensed at this time, if not given name to.
 
Here we are being asked to appreciate the wider sweep of time, how the great natural cycles work through present time, and how this awareness gives our perception and understanding the depth and breadth the soul needs to not only become more fully grounded in the present, but to spread its influence and become greater in its own presence.
 
Working with this awareness in the present strengths the soul, engenders a fuller manifestation of its own natural environment, which reaches beyond time constraints, and allows us to work in harmony with the planetary level of soul.
 
At an individual level, it rests upon our ability to hold quiescence within and to embody attentive receptivity, receptivity to higher orders of awareness and intelligence as they are manifest on this planet. We can sense these and integrate with them through nature, through natural cycles and through our ability to divine the present, to ‘see’.
 
Together this T square shows us how adopting a future oriented imagination and our capacity to be receptive to inspirational powers are working in balanced and reciprocal relationship, and how this is mediated through a certain knowing, that “planning for the future is possible because the potential (or seed) of the future is already operating at the core of the present”.
 


I’ve said it many times over the years, but, humans are here to fully embody ‘seeing’, as life’s most natural gift. This can take many forms, each with a resonance belonging to a specific soul group, and there are many soul groups which we might chose to join when we are born, one for every degree of the zodiac in fact.
 
The soul groups belonging to the Sun, Moon and Saturn’s degrees at full Moon will be particularly activated by this energy and this is crucial to our moment.
 

Essentially it is about taking care for our soul’s and the planetary soul’s health and well being – humans carry such a profound potential, and in so many ways, what we are fighting for now is the right and ability to fulfil this potential.
 


There is one small caveat to this moment which the planetary matrix is indicating at the human level – at full Moon Neptune forms an exact semi-square to the Sun, and sesqui-quadrate to the Moon. This apsect speaks to inequalities, both in awareness and in personal reach.
 
The dynamic here, which is a potential source of friction and distraction in its own right if not handled with care, tends to manifest through labelling and separation, through creating real problems out of virtually nothing. This can become apparent through false arguments surrounding identity and difference, something which we are all too familiar with right now.
 
But, this too must be transcended, accommodated into a more inclusive view, the aim being to become bigger than the personal difference or slur, and to not at any point lose sight of the bigger picture.
 


Neptune’s soul vibration is both deeply compassionate and redemptive, if it finds resonance, but, here it is the Neptunian shadow that feeds small fights, which in turn feed the larger ones, and these are to be avoided now at all levels.
 
The higher side prevails.
 
While there is no escaping this reality either, this too is an opportunity for growth, if we chose to make it so, and those who know how to turn this difficulty to their own evolutionary advantage can also aid others in doing so in turn.
 
The twist to Neptune’s tail is in the fact that by accepting the anomaly of our own fully embodied individuality, our uniqueness, we not only disarm the insurrecting power of difference, but turn it into a movement towards home. An ensouling movement.
 


The point is, those who are ready to seize the day, ride the wave and are capable of leading through example, are the same souls whose actions and words will stand the greatest chance of nourishing our collective evolution. Chosing such a path will keep the momentum going and, ultimately, if grounded in the dedicated heart, will keep the sacred flame burning. There is a passion for life at work in this Scorpio full Moon.
 
Let that be an inspiration for each of us….
 
Blessed Be!
 
…………………………………………
 
Full Moon 27th April @ 3.30am UTC, 4.30am GMT

7°06’ Scorpio
 
 
Image : Smith Falls, Nebraska
Ancestral Medicine, astrology, Earth healing, Goddess, Root Medicine of the Stars, Venus

our home in the stars

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A new lunar cycle of two very different halves sees Mars changing signs and Venus emerging from the underworld into the night skies through the waxing quarters…..this is soul time, a medicine to counter the new dominion, but, what is on the other side of full Moon?

Back in May last year I decided to let things roll in the planetary sphere, to lay off the writing for a while and focus more on just observing how things were unfolding. In itself this is not new, as a quick glance at publication dates for posts on this site will show. Alongside this, its one of the ways in which I work, that I won’t write unless there is something ‘coming thru’ and clearly wanting to be said. But, at the heart of this more intuitive and divinatory approach another astrological factor was calling for attention as well, that of just how important cyclicity and process is to the practice.

To see and engage with the astrological process as an ongoing journey is one of the most important ways in which astrology finds meaning and makes personal meaning available to us, in my opinion. It provides us with a mirror for our inner processes, not only as a transmutative experience, but as a way in which the ongoing experience of our terrestrial life becomes more deeply integrated with the outer cosmos; it not only informs our outer world, it nourishes our inner cosmos, brings it more fully alive.

Through much of the fifty years I have been practicing astrology and divination I have been aware of this understanding but in the course of time it has become more central, foundational. It has established itself through practice and experience as being much more fundamental to my personal relationship with astrology than perhaps horary concerns and specific moments in time, marked by aspects and transits.

Those aspects of astrology have always been active too, and I have an active client base, many having become good and important friends, but, once we entered ‘lockdown’ and the world appeared to be taking a more inward turn, I decided that I needed to look more deeply into the realities of cyclicity and process, to go deeper and re-appraise them.

And a curious thing happened once I started to follow this focus – the area of my work which does look specifically at and bring out the significance of aspects and transits, especially in readings and working with people on their natal and progressed charts, quite suddenly began to gather energy.

This has been one of the busiest times I have known as the energy levels in both sides of this work has risen consistently throughout the last nine months – but, what I also noticed is that there was a corresponding influx of new energy at work in the world, and nowhere was this more visible than in nature.

May 2020 also saw profound changes in the human world, for sure, but, in the heavens it was the planet Venus that really caught my eye.

Nature and Venus might well go hand in hand, in our thoughts and symbolic associations, but, Venus also has a beautiful cyclical relationship with the Earth, expressed through her phases as Morning and Evening Star. When Venus entered retrograde in mid May last year and subsequently began her journey into the underworld, to return as the Morning Star in June, Nature herself seemed to be making that increase in inner energy more visible.

I began to wonder if She was leading the way in my own change of focus – following her, in fact, proved to be an unbelievably beautiful and rewarding undertaking and, this post has in many ways grown directly out of that journey.

The current new Moon in Aries, happening as I write, is the perfect marker on that journey, as a place of emergence – some of what I experienced will find its way into this and upcoming posts, but, its the world process that is now happening that is really grabbing attention, and there is much more to it than the establishment of a ‘new dominion’. And, what is more, Venus figures significantly once again in its corresponding celestial unfoldment. What this has to tell us is, in my humble opinion, of the greatest value to us now.

The planet Venus is in an emergent state once again, travelling back into the night world, having passed behind the Sun on March 26th 2021. Their conjunction in the sixth degree of Aries signalling the end of Venus journey in the guise of the ‘Morning Star’, which began back in May last year.

As I write, Mercury too is becoming obscured within the solar radiance and as it passes behind the Sun, is also emerging from day to night role. Mercury will first be visible again, close to Venus in the skies at dusk, in the period around Beltane, at the beginning of May.

One significance for us now is that the first half of the new lunation leading up to full Moon in Scorpio on April 27th sees only three of the five classical planets visible in the skies.

This brief period of invisibility suggests that self assessment and introspective contemplation is one of the ways in which we can work with the new lunation during its first two quarters. While this might sound decidedly meditative, this might well in fact be the best time to deal with important choices, in preparation for the following lunation,  as following the Scorpio full Moon there will be much more emotional energy being activated, Mars having entered Cancer on the 23rd April.

Mars transit of Cancer will trigger a square with Chiron in Aries and, towards the end of the transit, an opposition with Pluto, and the ongoing archetypal tensions associated with these planets will be hightened between then and full Moon, especially as the Moon squares Pluto on the 26th.

Mars passed over the Moon’s north node at the beginning of the month, within a few hours of Venus transit of the Sun in fact, which could have been a warning to pay heed particular to our future through the next few months. As the red planet now moves away through the arc of the zodiac that follows the Sun’s path from Cancer to Sagittarius, and from mid year is joined by the remaining inner planets, the months up to December will be peppered with oppositions to Jupiter, Saturn and the outer planets, with a monthly regularity.

The balance needed to navigate these aspects is going to be highlighted in areas of weakness found in the part of the chart opposing Mars, and this makes the next few weeks especially valuable in preparation; if only used for simplifying our burdens and building a calm centre, we will see the benefits in the near future.

The inner Venus and Mercury, now at work in sextile with Mars, become very important through this time, making of the first and second quarter of the Aries lunation an opportunity to make peace with ourselves, to create a sense of sanctuary in our lives and to make sure we are not neglecting the most important things in life, those that matter most to us personally.

There are simple if really practical things that can be undertaken through this time, and its perfect for simply ‘getting our house in order’; some of this also makes use of the current increased presence of Saturn in the planetary mix.

For example, this is the perfect time to think about inheritance, to assess the energetic imprint you are creating in life and that you will leave behind. This is certainly heavily in view in the world at large now, but, its personal aspects are really highlighted now and will become more so with Mars ingress of Cancer.

Make a symbolic act of updating your will, write one if you haven’t already, but, take stock of the fundamentals and use this as a way of looking on life as a practical doorway, in the most grounded sense, to the sacred.

Its not about death so much as being about keying into your heart, its connection to source, and letting its inner wisdom be a strong guiding voice in your worldly affairs.

All things are included in this process, and its a very good habit to get into as well, but, taking this approach to life will matter even more and make a bigger difference in the second half of the year if we pay attention to it now.

Venus and Mercury’s hidden influence from Aries, and then Taurus as we run up to full Moon, will help the dust settle. By the time the shift in Mars energy lights up our emotional field, and brings home the importance of trust and the reliability of friends and family, we will be able to utilise the protective and passionate inner build up of energy that Mars transit signifies with greater confidence and clarity.

The Cancer field emphasises emotional boundaries as practical edges to our personal field of sensitivity, and Mars transit may highten that sensitivity. The ‘sanctuary of the now’ is where we can find strength and refuge from having those boundaries stressed and triggered, and that is why getting our affairs in order now makes sense – we have had a long period of emotional pollution to deal with and while cleansing this toxicity from our system is another important aspect of this work, it all becomes a lot easier when we have cleared the ‘in-box’, so to speak, and strengthened our personal position.

Cancer’s sector of the zodiac also carries memories of the ‘great mother’ aspect of life, is connected with times in which the Earth Mother was given respect and honour, was more central in how life was lived among humans.

That feeling of being in sacred relationship with the natural world, which is so heavily under stress and challenged in our times, even while Mars may bring a supressed anger to bear in response, can also be strengthened now, especially while the world shifts gear and experiences a localised lifting of restrictions. In fact, its important that we do pay attention to that sacred relationship now, and not be distracted by the appearance of ‘normality’ or return to at least a partial sense of freedoms with the lifting of ‘lockdowns’.

One of the lessons of the last year has been to pay attention to what might be on our mind more closely, a point which I made quite central to the last post and how the larger forces are shaping our world. But, for all that external pressure, the real challenge is to maintain our true nature, regardless.

One of the amazing things to experience during this time, as nature regained her vitality, as rivers and skies cleared and pollution levels dropped, was to witness how resiliant and quick to respond Nature is, given the chance. Her true nature and creative energy never falters.

Witnessing this it seemed like the most natural thing to me, in following  Venus and spending more time with the land, within nature, to honour the life force, the great mother and her incredible dynamism and presence. I found myself gathering clay, sculpting simple images of the goddess, installing them at the ancestor shrine and so making deeper connections with them, the old guardians of this beautiful planet who sing at the roots of all our ancestral tree, through this – its a powerful healing technique, to speak to those ancestors who preceed the injury and suffering that has been passed down the line into the present, and to petition them to help restore to the present the power of their living relationship and symbiosis with the living Earth, the nature spirits and children of the Earth Mother.

This is a very poweful time to make offerings back to our planet, through this lunation and beyond, to get into a deeper relationship with Her in this period of transition – She will return our call, and keep open the intimate connections we create and revitalise now.

During the nine months that Venus has been in Morning Star mode she has leant herself very much to powerful sacred work in the world. She commands transformative energy in the earth plane while in this form. The transition into Evening Star mode, a return to the sky realms and more mysterious nature of the night and star light signals a sublimation of that earthly power, a call to become aware of the greater cosmos, both as an active mirror for our life experiences, and as an active inner experience.

The star mother, who may be more of the Sophianic nature of the Great Mother, as deep Source, comes into play. This is going to resonate with people who identify especially with the galactic, the star realms, in their spirit connections.

Being a manifestation of the flow between the spirit and the earth realms, the soul’s work is naturally oriented towards bringing these connections alive. Soul groups provide an indication of the nature of this link, its ‘flow’ and how it can consciously be worked with in this life.

I have found this area of ‘natal’ work coming up more and more in recent months, especially in working with friends who are returning to their charts for a deeper look. I believe that a planetary surge in soul group activation is now underway. The levels of activation are increasing, as is the conscious intent to fully manifest the purpose these soul groups embody through individual lives.

This is super important to the counter-surgent energy that Venus signalled through taking on her Morning Star role in May, and is exactly in sync with both the resurgence of Nature herself and our quieter, more inner focus. I see them as a singular process, braided into many levels of realisation, that describe a re-souling of the earth plane.

Ultimately, this speaks of reintegrating our celestial nature on earth, and in turn of finding our home in the stars. We do not need to leave here to make this a reality, in fact, Earth is deeply invested in this process, and helping us fulfil the potential we carry in being a part of it, while on Earth.

Soul work, in astrological practice, provides a bridge between the realms which Venus embodies in her twin roles, the celestial and the terrestrial, the spiritual and the physical, and I see the integration of Venus transits within the larger cosmological process now unfolding as of imense importance.

They offer us a working framework for developing the strength and effectiveness of what you could call our cosmological immune system, but, their grounding nature also means that we do so through direct manifest experience, and that fundamental necessity is integral to anchoring the re-souling process itself.

The opportunities offering themselves to us now, despite all the restrictions and turmoil, to grow soul and really turn on our true, innate power as individuals and participants in living the intent of the soul, as well as its ‘group’, are full of promise.

This is our time to rise, and to keep rising – lets make it count.

Blessed be!

If you are interested to know more about your own soul group and the means by which you can manifest its intent, I work with the method described by the great astrologer, Robert Blaschke. This effective and beautiful approach to living astrology empowers us to identify soul groups and their modus operandi through which we can manifest their intent in our own lives. Its a very rewarding aspect of astrological work, very confirmative and empowering, and takes this work as an evolutionary process to the next level.

Robert is sadly no longer with us in the physical plane, but his profound insights into the metaphysical nature of astrological work, and its practical application, live on and were one of the major grounding influences in my own practice.

I highly recommend all of his written work, much of which can be found here, alongside some great tutorials.

astrology, divination, Earth healing, I Ching, lunations, planetary aspects, retrograde planets, Root Medicine of the Stars, Sagittarius Gemini axis

Conflict Resolution

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The May full Moon is conjunct Mars, retrograde in Sagittarius. This is a Moon that draws attention to qualities of mind, their power in shaping reality and the conditioning influences they bring to life. The will is turned inward, the search for meaning is amplified, the need to get under the skin of our most burning issues is emphasised. This can stir up emotional stress and requires a presence of mind that is able to penetrate beyond appearances without losing its lucidity.

The nature of conflict, its inner purpose and causes, is under the spotlight of the Gemini Sun as the May lunation reaches its height.  How we claim a positive application of the inflamed Moon’s energies is an open question and rests upon our own inner state of lucidity. The lunar impulse will give way to a more positive dynamic if, in its midst, mindful equilibrium is sought and its energy focused in diligent awareness. Its usefulness can overcome its potential volatility.

Knowledge is the ‘weapon of choice’ here but the aim is to use it to a higher purpose, one that avoids misuse of its power, that rests upon a respectful understanding of its purpose.

Interpretations of that purpose can be as individual as the person making them, and it is advisable to reflect upon your own use of the power available to you, as well as the areas of conflict it highlights in your own life. But, collectively there is something to be gained from looking into the nature of Mars own journey at this time.

Mars journey through the Sagittarian fields took a turn on April 17th when he reached the star Antares in the heart of the Scorpion’s constellation and stationed retrograde. At that time Mercury in Taurus was in exact trine with Pluto in Capricorn and the waxing Moon was passing through mid Virgo, joining with Jupiter and the north node. The grand earth trine they formed has contributed a sense of immanence and build up, a pulsing of the earth field that deepens the sense of expectancy. Its image is of thunder within the earth. In the full Moon we see this image developed, activating its potential energy within and releasing it amongst the people.

The qualities of the star Antares, whose name can be read as ‘against Aries’, have a distinctly martial nature, bring a deeper meaning to Mars station – a will to pull back from the brink of war, is an obvious interpretation. But, this star is also one of the four guardians of the heavens, associated with the ‘Watcher of the West’, an epithet suggesting the need to be vigilant of the path the ‘red road’ is leading us on, towards the ancestral realms, beyond the borders of life.

Amphitrite

At full Moon on the 21st of May Mars meets with the Moon in the second degree of tropical Sagittarius. They appear in the skies as two bright travellers passing through the great library of Nature amongst the stars. They will reflect the solar life force at work in nature through the intelligence and awareness of the Geminian field as the Sun opposes them across the zodiac. The energy of the intelligent design at work in nature, reflected in the purposefulness and psychosomatic unity they signify, lends to Mars meeting with the Moon a deepening desire to recalibrate our personal power in line with our soul. The need to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and why we have come here.

In a sense, in retracing his steps Mars shows a willingness to dig deeper into the substrates of accumulated knowledge held within the Sagittarian bedrock of its first degrees. The pathway he is following leads to the underworld and, beyond the Scorpio cusp, breaks through to the subterranean ocean that lies beneath. Pluto and Mars combine their powers in this realm.

This a place of primaeval intensity, its instinctive drives an expression of an archetypal desire for life that underpins the incarnate world. The life forms that inhabit the oceanic underworld of Scorpio correspond to essential manifestations of the life force, to the fundamental dynamics and beings of the unconscious – the codes of natural law are given shape here and their primal coding of the intelligent design within nature reveal its raw building blocks; Scorpio is also associated with DNA.

The journey Mars has undertaken and his lunar rendevous suggests their meeting across from the Sun is intended to draw attention to where our own journey is taking us in relation to those codes of Life. Their highest expression is present ‘in potentia’, an unimaginally vast store-house of ancestral knowledge lies behind its patterning, but, science has failed to understand that the message is not in the code itself; decoding its pattern does not give us access to its highest purpose. It requires the quality of virtue to access its meaning.

The I Ching says ‘virtue is what is commanded by the divine, and is the root of human life‘ ~ natural law and intelligent design, if respected and honoured, bring our actions into a harmonious relationship with the divine. When the honouring is lacking and the virtue missing, it is like making empty prayers and false offerings, seeking to aquire without giving.

When science plays god we can see this dynamic at work; knowledge is aquired without giving respect to and honouring the root of life. Genetic modification is the obvious mirror of this. Our attention is drawn to the dangerous naivety of such inherent ignorance, its aggressive nature exposed while the ancestral codes for living are subverted; warring against and competing with nature manifests Mars negative impulse, reflecting the more pernicious devolutionary characteristics our times. We are fighting for our survival as a result.

Turning back from such foolishness is the option Mars will deliver at full Moon, lending energy and purpose to the search for deeper meaning as a path of resolution; it is of necessity the only viable option, but, the Sun illuminates our minds with spiritual awareness, sublimating the aggressive ‘competition’ traditionally associated with the evolutionary struggle for survival to a higher order of awareness and understanding.

The Moon in Sagittarius sees the people actively embodying culture and Mars represents the energy of competition in its most aggressive form within the dominant culture of our times, but, in its original form com-petition meant co-petitioning, and was enshrined in the act of petitioning ‘the gods’ together. This was the prayer offered by the warrior asking for their martial skills to be infused with the divine blessing, made sacred. The sacred warrior commited themselves to Life by offering their own in service to the divine and the community. It is their ‘purpose’ that is offered, for the welbeing and preservation of life. This makes a virtue of action that honours the roots of life.

There is a feeling of release associated with this image, of personal mastery becoming the instrument of a higher purpose – it expresses the surrender of will to the partnership between this life and the worlds beyond. It also expresses an artistry, a creative edge and dynamic that the warrior has attained in their own life; the warrior, as has been said, must first learn to dance before they wield the sword….the sacred dance of life and the aquisition of virtue are intimately bound to each other.

These reflections on the full Moon give us a feeling for its sacred dimensions. They remind us of the qualities of soul intrinsic to the path we are on, of following the impulse seeded through the Spring eclipses, and the degree of commitment necessary to seeing it through. Inner work, like our work in the world, needs to be done for the long haul, sustained. The energetic recalibration we are put in mind of at this full Moon needs us to bring out the usefulness of anger…..to learn how to transform it, become fluent in its language, enough to use it as a high octane catalyst for positive change and to develop our artfulness in using it; as revolutions build it is as conspicuous in its expression as it is in its absence.

The partner in competition has been made our own shadow, an adversary in this journey that has been externalised for too long, the blessings of the challenge forgotten, desacralised and making of life a journey in adversity. The secular use of power is exposed here, its faults themselves becoming our adversary, as much within as without. The mandate is clear, we must first make peace with ourselves and life and apply the lessons and understanding we receive in the process to the world around us. There are ways and means available to us……to find them we must first dedicate ourselves to conflict resolution.

We will almost certainly find ourselves working hard to contain the energies of this full Moon. If you feel your buttons being pushed don’t let your anger get the better of you and don’t dwell on it. Mars igniting the lunar passions indicates a need to regulate the inner fires, whatever the outer events that accompany its heat. Our thoughts affect our emotions and visa versa – let them pass. Better, bring a mindful quality to applying this powerful creative energy to more evolved purposes.

In closing there is an opportunity here for bringing out the joyful side of this full Moon.

the horse panel at Chauvet copy

The inner meaning of this full Moon is the expression of Joy. In sublimating its energies joy becomes its natural expression. Being fired up with joy is its emotional expression, but, the presence and celebration of virtue are necessary for this to be realised. In the words of the I Ching, if practiced  and honoured ‘such virtue is a joy to cultivate’. The potential for such cultivation is inherent within the ancestral codes of life, but, it requires an honouring of Life and an appreciation of its deeper meaning to be realised. The long journey our species has undertaken carries this potential at every step of the way, even in the midst of adversity.

In following this evolutionary impulse our forebears went through extraordinary pains to bring the fires of their own inner light into manifestation. Survival in times and amongst events that were also harrowingly difficult did not prevent them from developing technologies that embodied its potential. The orthodox histories exclude this fact. Traces of the level of technology they reached are difficult for us to find, not least of all because it was at heart a spiritual technology. Their understanding of the non-physical is perhaps the least understood of human gifts that are available to us when we subscribe to the orthodox view, not least of all as the dominant use of science has gravitated so heavily around its fixation on the physical in our times.

As Tesla is attributed with saying, “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” We can develop a spiritual technology here with the aid of the unseen. While many are already engaged in this work, the momentum building now and the network growing, this full Moon can bring meaningful power to all inner workings and help us in celebrating its insights. If you run a circle or have a community that works within the architecture of spiritual energy consider coming together to celebrate the circle itself. Make of this Moon’s energies a joyful offering.

This is the penultimate full Moon before solstice, which also falls on a full Moon, and solar energies are vitalising the Earth to receive gifts of spiritual power into the deep earth realms.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon’s degree on 21st May confirms this – “the mobilization of unconscious energies under the pressure of super-personal motives.” There is an echo here of Mercury’s solar transit and the Sabian symbols that have been activated recently ~ above and below, the inner and outer worlds, are working in unison, and we are their bridge.

The symbol speaks of ‘the wind rushing over the ocean stirring the waters into white capped waves’ – it advises ‘stabilisation through rhythmic intensity’ as its most creative expression. Another Tesla quote comes to mind, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

If you only get to drum with one full Moon this year, make it this one!

But, be mindful of the rhythm at its heart….ultimately, it leads us into the sanctity of our own, a place where the subtle power of original nature is enshrined.

Original nature reflects its own innocence. Work with the energies of this full Moon to engender that subtle quality. After full Moon the energy subsides and crystalises as the Moon connects with Saturn and we come back to the apex of the T square that Saturn is forming with Jupiter and Neptune in anticipation of the new Moon. Grounding after an ecstatic dance with the cosmos, this is the ‘after the ecstacy, the laundry‘ moment. Closing down the ceremony, cleaning the sacred space that has housed it, the mood is quietly practical and calls for rest. An emergent sense of belonging will help counterbalance the slump in energy we may be feeling. We have a lot to process and should seek gentler interactions with others, be kind to them and to ourselves.

First, make peace with yourself….then vibrate the roots of life into action….

“Walk carefully, well loved one
walk mindfully, well loved one
walk fearlessly, well loved one.
Return with us, return to us
be always coming home“

Images, from the top :
Sacred Anger ~ Rob Purday
Amphitrite ~ Susan Seddon-Boulet
Chauvet Cave ~ 35K bpe

Quotations from the I Ching are from the Thomas Cleary translation, ‘The Taoist I Ching’, Shambala Publications, 1986

The poem is by Ursula Le Guin, from
“Initiation Poem Of The Finders Lodge“

Earth healing, eclipse, Pisces Virgo axis, Root Medicine of the Stars

The Road Home – Solar Eclipse In Pisces

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On August 17 1999 a 2.5 meter high tsunami rippled out across the Sea of Marmara, its source a 7.6 magnitude earthquake of 37 seconds duration which struck from an epicenter 70 miles east of Istanbul at a depth of 13km. While the tsunami claimed the lives of over 150 people the destructive power of the Izmit shake itself is reflected in stark numbers: official figures issued by Turkish authorities claim around 17,000 deaths resulted, although this is almost certainly significantly below the actual figure. While over 40,000 were injured, damage to buildings left over 300,000 people homeless and the total material cost to Turkey’s infrastructure has been estimated to have run as high as $8 billion.

Turkey is sandwiched between the Eurasian and Arabian plates and is no stranger to high magnitude quakes. The Anatolian plate moves, is literally being pushed westward, at an average rate of about 2.5 meters per century. The maximum offset along the rupture created by the Izmit quake was just under 6 meters, which, on the face of it, represents the release of a very high degree of potential energy, above the average for crustal displacement within this region. One fact of great interest about this quake however is that it took place six days after a high magnitude total solar eclipse whose path ran exactly over this region.

Correlations between eclipses, both solar and lunar, and tectonic activity are not well enough developed at this time to provide any reliable indicators of eclipses as precursors of such ‘earth events’. However, the notion is not without some grounding in physical reality. Aside from gravitational effects of the Sun and Moon, the momentary fluctuation in particle density and polarity affecting the Earth’s magnetosphere and biosphere is an observable phenomenon associated with eclipses, as is the synchronous ‘entrainment’ of ‘transmission lines’ within the earth’s electromagnetic field to the solar/lunar fields; the combined effect of such factors will contribute directly to if not produce an effect. The gravitational effects on both liquid mass and subcrustal plasmic pressure may well be enhanced as a result.

There is a problem here. The field of plasma physics in relation to tectonic events may well be in the process of yielding a deeper understanding to eclipses and their effects here on Earth, but, while such correlations need careful consideration and, while the data available in our time is growing which will facilitate this, the field itself is relatively young. It also, significantly, challenges scientific orthodoxy and remains underfunded, its findings appearing anomalous within the concensus of the dominant scientific paradigm; as a result, the orthodox scientific understanding of these effects remains clothed largely in theory which hides its true face, rudimentary and founded upon potentially false assumptions as the ‘electric model’ uncreasingly shows, at least at the public or should we say ‘disclosed’ level. The same degree of understanding could be said to apply to the astrological interpretation of eclipses.

Astrologers often asign meaning to the metaphysical apsects of eclipses via the familiar symbolism, rules and protocols of chart interpretation, its integral ‘science’. There is some crossover between astronomy and astrology here, especially with regard to geocentric (as well as heliocentric) planetary alignments, the geometry of ‘hard’ aspects and transits, however, the astrological emphasis is almost always at best speculative. The usual agreed understanding amongst astrologers, at base, is that eclipses have a lasting significance of up to six months – beyond that the jury largely remains ‘out’.

But, the golden rule of observation, collation that supports correlation applies equally to both astrological and scientific understanding. These are Virgoan characteristics. The data base that will help this understanding to evolve is growing exponentially, thanks in no small measure to the Uranian technologies which augur and through which we can perceive our gradual shift into the Aquarian age.  Electric and plasma technologies are at the leading edge of the shift. With this eclipse they carry Jupiters expansive energy and signal a phase shift in consciousness.

This shift is, in keeping with the Uranian archetype, infused with unexpected and revolutionary insight, it is partly characterised by jolts and instantaneity. It is a time of surprising advances and sudden ‘shocks to the system’, reality checks which not only illuminate but eliminate as well as restructure, referencing Aquarius traditional ruler Saturn which is squaring the March 9th eclipse from Sagittarius.

Saturnian strictures upon our world views are putting a hard edge on this eclipse, a fight with limitation and for control, but, the shift also has the flavour of ‘revelation’ or ‘the lifting of the veil’ about it. This was the original meaning of the word ‘apocalypse’ which itself echoes with the word ‘eclipse’ and suggests the immanent emergent reality illuminated beyond the occultation itself. The outgoing Piscean age is itself the veil that is being lifted, its Neptunian depths and Jupitarian heirarchies are being penetrated and radicalised as we make this phase shift.

Jupiter as traditional ruler of both Sagittarius and Pisces is also opposing the eclipse on the Moon’s north node in Virgo – a growing socialisation of spiritual values can be seen in our future, but it must come through and be inclusive of individual experience framed within a much broader sensibility. What we each hold to as personal truths will be and is being tested against the rigidity of the ruling elite, spiritual or not, and, with the square to Saturn, comes up against dogmatic resistance to change. We can also expect to increasingly experience this on a one to one basis with this aspect in the chart, but, there is a way to approach this problem indicated in the nodal symbolism of the eclipse itself.

Virgo also emphasises our humanity and Pisces our compassion, the need for both inclusivity and differentiation, the one within the other. We take stock and purify through discernment in Virgo and let go, seek union with the absolute in Pisces. To combine their symbolism is to find absolution within – it is the axis of perfection through forgiveness. When the two poles embrace we move nearer to wholeness.

When the north node is in Virgo this becomes the personalised goal. As a personal spiritual goal ‘purification of our aims and a willingness to consciously engage with our own soul’s evolution through practical means’ will be greatly enhanced through Jupiter’s proximity to the node, but, the Piscean mirror which Jupiter is holding up to each of us shows us that behind all this is the need to expand into a higher level of inclusivity. We are required to grow as souls in order to embrace a larger view. This is a prerequisit for the Aquarian age, if we are to retain our humanity while shifting into it.

Solar eclipses cast a lunar shadow upon Earth and in the shadow side of the Pisces Virgo axis this is reflected in  our times through experiences of victimisation, especially of women, through heirarchical disempowerment, a narrowness of mind and endemic delusion that removes us from reality.

When the Pisces shadow is experienced in Virgoan territory it will intoxicate first and diminish second, hide its true face behind our own dependencies and confuse facts with fictions. No one person can hold the entirety of truth, but, our willingness to see beyond it as we encounter it within ourselves and acknowledge the ‘truth in others’ grounds a greater sense of the whole and helps us to discern what is real. This is a prerequisit for meaningful change; to resist such inner transformation can mean experiencing isolation amidst lethargy inducing disillusionment – a loss of faith more characteristic of a dieing culture than a vital and spiritualised one. When stripped of such greater meaning and confronted with the hard facts of life we can become prone to on the one hand extreme unconscious neurotic compulsion, and on the other deepening depression in the face of overwhelm.  In a global context the ‘Media’ and their masters are at work here on a collective level of ‘dumming down’.

The shadow Neptunian factor also manifests in Virgo through addiction and its attendant drug induced loss of perspective and personal power, and we can also witness how this hijacks the Uranian channels of connectivity and communication that might otherwise provide liberation. Such power loss and disownment is reflected as a collectivisation of soul loss. An apt symbol for the negative shadow symbolism of the eclipse. Two millenia of such disenfranchisement has left a gaping hole which religions and the MSM are all too willing and ready to fill.

There is however a significant counterbalancing factor at work here which is reflected in the proximity of Chiron to the Moon’s south node and the new Moon. Chiron redeems his suffering through embracing his humanity. While his animal body suffers the wound his choice reflects an extreme evolutionary necessity. In the myth the archetypal healer must realise that his soul is subject to a higher power for the wound to be healed and in the process become transformed into a conduit for and embodiment of ‘reality of a higher order’. This could almost be a symbol of shamanic initiation, but, with the south node it is an ancestral wound that is being healed, one that is carried collectively whose shadow affects us at the individual level.

The collective wounding we have suffered under Piscean ‘rule’ must be undertaken as a personal responsibility to heal through our own lives (north node in Virgo). This augurs a radical shift within the religious order and a grassroots emergent culture of experience and Earth  based spirituality. In a sense we could see this as a call to become guardians of the Earth, but, answering that call begins with care of our own soul. That commitment towards the larger reality, as expressed from within the healing soul, is fundamentaly a call to connect with our soul’s desire and expands into intelligently and compassionately tending to the resurgence of the life force present within all things.

In our time and especially in relation to the March 9th eclipse it is the occultation of the life force and its spiritualising power, as it has manifested (south node) within the Piscean age, which is being momentarily called to attention. By the same token, on a philosophical level, the opportunity offered is to ignite our own soul’s desire to illuminate our personal path through opening to direct transmission from the source, outside of the influence of any spiritual heirarchy. How this may be experienced by any one of us cannot be foreseen, but, the imperative is to be receptive to it.

This is a practical philosophy at root. We work for it through practical means. In the material plane this manifests through the work we undertake itself, which becomes the vehicle for transformation. It is a disciplined approach to putting humanitarian ideals into action. Hands on help given to others, especially those displaced and clearly in need, for example. There is no room for prejudice in this – divisive discrimination works against the good of the whole and the mutable signs of Pisces and Virgo indicate that such discrimination as a negative can be transmuted into discernment as a positive force for the good. Chiron’s multifaceted practicality also reflects how we can put simple practicle means to a powerful healing end that transmutes such narrow mindedness.

This is an eclipse for the each of us to use as a turning point upon which, as an individual, we can reclaim a practical sense of our personal spiritual reality and commit to creating a coherent understanding of who we are and why we have come here. The message within this is ‘practice makes perfect’. Whatever the work we undertake, while it may be directed towards others, it can both liberate and heal ourselves directly as well. In those moments when we are faced with our own quiet need for healing meditation in nature may well be the best way to experience its inner light, but, setting the intent to work for those who come after us by caring for life here and now is the essential core – some might call it the Dharma path. Whatever it may mean to you to step onto that path is to take the road home.

There is one last note to add here.

We must also pay particular attention when a ‘supermoon’ is involved in an eclipse, as it was on August 11th 1999, just as it is on March 9th 2016. Some astrologers see eclipses as Uranian by nature and, insofar as by concensus their effects remain unpredictable, this may be true. But, concensus in the Piscean age is radically different to consensus within the Aquarian. The shift from one to the other is highlighted and powered up with this eclipse. The question that naturally arises is at what stage in the shift have we collectively arrived, what phase are we in?

An answer to that question may come from interpreting the chart for the eclipse itself, but, the answer is essentially personal – collectively we each need only to look to the world we live in more closely to understand how fares the land. It is inherent in the Pisces Virgo axis upon which the 9th March eclipse is centered that we do so – paying attention is intrinsic in tending to something or someone.

There is no prediction of earthquakes being suggested here but the need to be vigilant and prepared for the unexpected is especially poigniant now with this new Moon. The need for grounded compassion and care of the soul is its signature but there are seldom more truthful times in which this becomes our imperative and driving force than when the earth moves and we witness the suffering of others.

In the next post we will return to this theme and look at how the eclipse of the Moon in Libra on March 23rd will help us tend to our personal and collective soul’s evolution further.