The Diamond Path

New Moon In Pisces
March 04, 2011 @ 12:47:02 PM PST
13 degrees Pisces 56'

"The path to clarity is through the assimilation of complexity."

New Moon's Agenda: To strengthen one's immunity and to shield oneself, physically, emotionally, psychically, or spiritually. To gain deeper clarity within the psyche, removing any distortions inhibiting clear and direct intentions. To surrender attachment to our shadow, or our blockages, and to gain more awareness of our stumbling blocks so that we can embrace, love, and transmute them into powerful gifts for the world. To dig past superficiality to the real and authentic truth within.

As we set our intentions this new moon, CLARITY and AWARENESS, are of utmost importance. What do YOU want to create in your life? What kind of world do YOU want to see surrounding you? Setting intentions can be a powerful experience, especially when you're in synch with the cosmos. This new moon, if you don't already, try sitting down with yourself in a calm and relaxing space, free of distractions, and experiment writing out your intentions in a very clear and concise way. As you write them, visualize each intention and feel it in your heart center, feel the joy and bliss of manifesting your intention as if it is happening at that moment, right before your eyes. Get creative with it, use colored pens or pencils, or even draw pictures or make a collage, allow the experience to be fun- but remain conscious and focused-maintain a state of balance between ecstatic enthusiasm and pensiveness. When you're finished go over the list once more, visualize all the things you wrote down, feel them in your heart center, and as you read them, imagine them being sent directly to the moon, allow her to receive them and then thank her. Give thanks for all the blessings in your life, and take some time to imagine all that you're truly grateful for. Then put it away! You could fold it up and place it on an alter, you could burn it in your own ceremony, or you could put it under your pillow and forget all about it. Within two weeks, at the proceeding full moon, take a look at what has manifested, or not. Some intentions take several lunar cycles to manifest, some don't-it all comes down to what you THINK is possible. The more you practice at each new moon, the easier and the more powerful it will be. And just remember, how can the universe give you what you want if you don't ask for it? How can we create a new life, or even a new world, if we aren't clear about what we want it to look like?

It's very easy to find what's wrong with the world, and to realize what we don't want-the media bombards us with THAT every day. At this point, in the western world a least, we are all well aware of all the problems and dysfunctions that plague our reality- but the challenge comes in what to do about it, how to turn awareness into applicable solutions. We hear a lot about the current 'shift' in consciousness amplifying co-creation; the ability to gather with like minds and manifest together. One has to wonder however, is this 'co-creation' really something new? Haven't we been co-creating all along? The truth is that we have, but unfortunately, we've been creating a reality that's pre-made, handed to us by someone else, neatly packaged and soled to all who are convinced it's the cream of the crop. The 'awakening' the world is now experiencing is simply the awareness of this reality, the acceptance and realization that we've been duped. By who you may wonder? Well, that's a rather long story, one long and esoteric story which is well beyond the scope of this article- but the truth is, in the end, we've only fooled ourselves, and if we really want to point the blame we have to only look in the mirror. The 'powers that be', if you want to get Jungian about it, are simply projections of our own unconscious wounds, that part of ourselves we refuse to accept as us. All the demons that fill our dreamscape, all the terrorists, bankers, globalists, or bloodthirsty inter-dimensional reptilian extraterrestrials[1], we've created, collectively, because we've chosen fear over love. Humanity is at a threshold, we are now ready to fully understand love, and not just in the highly limited way we experience it in this dimension, but in the sense of Agape, which is cosmic love, the love pouring down through the higher dimensional spheres espoused by the more evolved echelons of consciousness. The love we experience, it is said, is merely the tail end of an experience so profound and so immense, no words could possibly describe it. How good does that sound? Sounds good to me, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired of creating the same thing-I'm ready to do something else, and I have a feeling you probably are to. The great news is that we aren't alone in this, the universe is on OUR side, we just have to make the choice, and it starts with YOU! It starts with getting clear, getting clear about yourself and your intentions. Who are you? What do YOU want? It's not about what everyone else wants, you know all about that, it's about what you want, what you REALLY want! Have I made my point yet? This new moon has the potential to be very revealing, possibly showing us what we don't want to see, but I suggest you look at it no matter what. Don't judge it, and don't run from it, just allow it to be, allow yourself to accept it, and then let it go! Whatever comes up for you at this time needs to be cleared, it needs you to let it go so it can be free and continue its OWN journey as well.

At the time of the new moon there will be a powerful cluster, or stellium, of planets in Pisces, and some teetering on the edge. This 'teetering' occurs when a planet is coming to the end of a sign, to the last degrees which are also called anaretic degrees. Neptune will be at 28 degrees of Aquarius, just at the cusp of Pisces, and Uranus will be at the 29th degree of Pisces just at the cusp of Aries. The anaretic degrees have a powerful effect, especially when outer planets converge there by transit. This indicates that powerful breakthroughs in consciousness are about to take place, something is about to explode! On March 11 Uranus will enter Aries, where it will stay until 2019! This event in itself is very significant, as it signals the beginning of an entirely new cycle of Uranus through the zodiac, it signals the rebirth of the Promethean principle within consciousness-and a powerful renaissance is possible! This will be proceeded by a complete revolution technologically as well as socially, our world is bound to change very quickly! Aries symbolizes the power of the individual, and so the 'technology' and secrets of the gods, the powers of the higher beings, are to be handed down to the common man for all to share. This threshold symbolizes that no longer will such power be hidden (in Pisces) but will be revealed to all who are ready to receive it. Further amplifying this omen is Uranus' seven squares to Pluto in Capricorn which will take place from 2012 to 2015, which will once again flood the collective psyche with the archetypes created during the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of the late 1960's.

Neptune, the ruler of this new moon, sits in conjunction to Chiron, forming the 'rainbow bridge'[2], which is an active portal that has been cracked open by the Super Full Moon in Leo that occurred on February 18th. This conjunction sits in direct opposition to the mysterious, allusive, and 'hypothetical' planet Transpluto [3] which currently sits at the 29th degree of Leo. This powerful, and yet, ambiguous energy, with the influence of Neptune, and the nature of a hypothetical planetary body, shows us that unseen forces are currently flooding our reality. The lines between what's "real" and what's not are beginning to blur, the world is going to become a very strange but interesting place to be. The opposition itself is urging each of us to see past illusions, deceptions, and distortions that have hindered our free will, severely limiting our range of awareness and thus our range of action. It is now time for all of us to get clear about what we've been 'programmed' to create, and to replace it with creating what comes directly from our heart centers as opposed to our minds. This is not a matter of sitting down and thinking about what you want, but rather FEELING it, reaching down deep and finding that volcano of joy, bliss, and curiosity many have only known as children. We are each being given the opportunity for more self-sufficiency, we are being freed from our shackles-so lets embrace the opportunity and step into our power together.

Jupiter and Pluto are currently squaring off in the heavens as well, amplifying expansion, enthusiasm, and deep philosophical or metaphysical thought-and on the flip side, expanding the darker dimensions of our psyches, our shadows, our wounds, and our unloved aspects, all reaching out for our acknowledgment and love. This energy is something to be conscious of, because if not you could get carried away with it. On one end you may find yourself filled with much excitement and enthusiasm over a new idea, or a new opportunity, something that seems almost too good to be true. The reality of the situation will vary for each of us, but the point here is to remain calm and just allow yourself to enjoy all the ideas and speculation, but it would be wise to consider it carefully before jumping on board right away. This is definitely a time for awareness and for creating visions, but immediate action is a different story. If you feel pressured to do something, don't give in right away, just let it be-odds are it will unfold without much need for immediate effort on your part either way. On the other side, this powerful energy has the potential to really let us dig deep, to get right to the bottom line, so follow the white rabbit wherever he may lead you now.

On March 3, the day before the new Moon, the Lunar Nodes switch from Cancer/Capricorn to Gemini/Sagittarius until August of 2012. This creates a subtle, yet powerful shift in our collective direction, urging us to let go of overt rationalization, to stop dwelling on complexities and petty facts, and get straight to the point. This powerful shift will impulse each of us to go deeper within ourselves, to listen to our inner guidance, and to rely less on detailed information given to us from external sources. This is a time to gain a greater perspective of what's going on, to see the bigger picture, and to reach out towards foreign avenues of life experience. Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, ties in the square to Pluto in Capricorn with the nodal symbolism, directing our attention to this powerful aspect. In synthesis, these connections indicate that if we feel pressured in a certain direction by some external force (Pluto in Capricorn), we are merely being impelled so that we try an entirely new and different, or innovative, direction-to take our own path by following inner guidance and vision. This is what it is all about! Instead of sitting in front of the television, numbing out from the limiting repetition of refurbished OLD ideas and visions-get your OWN vision! The world is NOT running out of 'good' ideas, we've just been looking in the completely wrong places for FAR too long. If it isn't apparent to you yet, the system isn't going to give us anything new, it's simply going to superficially enhance stale and prosaic templates. And so, the best choice is to simply laugh at it all, and then look into another direction, there are infinite paths for us to choose from! We just haven't been 'told' about them by our TELL-A-VISION. Allow something fresh and new to enter your reality at this time, be open to change, and above all else, don't resist the flow.

Confronting The Shadow



Our lives are filled with shifts and transitions, in fact, every moment is a shift from the proceeding one. Nature provides us with the experience of a seamless flow from one experience to the next, but in reality, we are constantly being prepared in the moment for what's to come. We experience this often as intuition, or psychic vision, but we're really just picking up nature's next intention-the next shift is preparing us in the moment. If only we could listen carefully to the subtleties of our own bodies and minds, and just go with the flow, as opposed to resisting these transitions with our own ideas of how things should turn out, or what the next step will look like. Every new experience necessitates that we have fully integrated and processed the previous one, so that stagnate energies can be transmuted into functional and applicable constructs. These 'stagnate' energies, or unused, or 'unloved' constructs bide for our attention, and we perceive them as our shadow-our blind spots-which are quite simply programs within the psyche we have yet to shed the light of consciousness upon, and so they run unconsciously outside of normal awareness. These unconscious programs constantly seek our acknowledgment of them-and so they do whatever is possible to get our attention.

From the perspective of our collective mythic narrative we call 'the ascension', humanity is at the brink of a dimensional shift. This is a shift out of density, out of a lower vibrational dimension and into a higher and more finely tuned dimension. Our world is being flooded with higher dimensional light, and this light is exposing the darker elements, the shadow material that has been left over from our previous state. This shadow material must be integrated until we can fully step into the next experience, and so as more and more light penetrates the darkness and density, the more seemingly 'negative' or 'darker' elements we are bound to confront. Each of us individually must process our own shadow material, and humanity as a whole must process its collective shadow which each of us creates together. From the astrological perspective, we are in the midst of this clearing-the amplification of our shadow-which appears to be a completely autonomous entity separate from us, but only because we have refused to love it and accept it. To gain more clarity, we must first address that which we are unconscious of-otherwise these blind spots will seek to trip us up whenever there is a chance. In truth, the more unconscious we are, the less free will we have. It is said, rather esoterically, that free will only exists through the use of 'magic' and 'divination'. Magic is simply the art of directed and focused intention, and you don't need the help of Mr. Crowley for that one. Divination literally means "to be inspired by god", and inspire is simply to "bring breath in", or to bring the breath or light of god within oneself. I would personally translate that as simply to shed light on something that was previously hidden, our shadow! So divination need not be an elaborate system such as astrology or even tarot, it is simply the ability to shed light on what is hidden, to bring consciousness to something that is unconscious. Of course we have tools such as astrology to expedite this process, but there are many paths to divination-years of study and practice are not required.

If humanity is to have true free will it must first acknowledge its shadow, it must first shed light on all the darkness, all the programs that seemingly control us. It must then direct its own intentions, focus on its own visions and then create them! The universe is now assisting us in gaining clarity, seeing through the darkness with razor sharp vision so that we can shed light on all that was previously hidden. We must not judge the darkness, and we must not deny that darkness as us, for we must learn to love and embrace it, in all its truth and authenticity. It can often be difficult to see our shadow, since it's always behind us, and our best mirrors are often our relationships. The people in our lives reflect our shadow quite often, and so at this time keep your awareness keen, and be open and receptive to the signals coming from others-they are your greatest teachers.

Full Moon In Virgo

This new moon will culminate in the last of six anaretic full moons on March 19, the closing of one cycle I previously outlined in my article Cracking The Cosmic Egg: Lunar Eclipse Synchronicity and the Crisis In Consciousness. When one cycle closes, however, another one is just beginning. This full moon will be the second of 6 super full moons, when the moon is closest to earth, amplifying it's influence exponentially-heightening our subtle perceptions and magnifying the earth's energetic influence. Interestingly, on March 8, the 'Universal Underworld' begins, the final stage of the mayan calendar before its end date in either the fall of this year or winter solstice of 2012 [4]. These are intriguing synchroncities indeed-alerting us to a powerful shift occurring within the collective experience. Of further interest is the Full Moon's occurrence on the day before Spring Equinox, with the Sun conjunct Uranus sitting directly on the Aries Point! The Aries Point is one of the most powerful and significant placements in astrology, as it is the very beginning of the zodiac, the divine spark of consciousness, the flame driving the psyche to deeper and more expanded awareness and evolution. This is quite a revolutionary energy, bringing with the omen of a new dawn, a new horizon from which a grand new vision for the world can be created. The most revealing and intriguing aspect of all, are the sabian symbols for the positions of the sun and moon.

For the Sun at 29 degrees of Pisces:

Light breaking into many colors as it passes through a prism.

For the Moon at 29 degrees of Virgo:

A seeker after occult knowledge is reading an ancient scroll which illumines his mind.

The symbols are extremely revealing, and seemingly work together through polarity. The Sun, at the Aries point, conjunct Uranus, is receiving the 'fire' from Prometheus (Uranus), the flame, as symbolized as light, which is disseminating into its many and multivalent manifestations. This light is then literally reflected off the Moon, and illuminating the minds of all who seek the 'occult' or hidden knowledge within. These beautiful symbols further confirm that light is penetrating our dimension, and it is exposing all the shadows and unconscious constructs lying just beneath the surface. To quote once more, as I did in a previous article, Dane Rudhyar's interpretation of this full moon's symbol, excerpted from his infamous book, An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolic Phases.

KEYNOTE: After a crisis one should seek to realign the renewed consciousness with the primordial Revelations of the Truth of Man.

Any revolutionary movement, once it has succeeded in overcoming the inertia of the past and in toppling obsolete structures, needs to tap the most essential realities of what Man represents and signifies in the universal Order; or else it merely reembodies in a superficially altered manner the very things it has destroyed. This is the crucial moment. In occultism the "Pattern of Man" is an archetypal Power that may be contacted. It must be sought with undeviating determination. After each revolutionary crisis this Pattern and this Power can be contacted-always the same, yet at each new cycle perceivable in a different light.

This fourth stage symbol presents us with the technique required to "reach the other shore". But each individual, and each group or racial unit, must come in its own way to the ROOT KNOWLEDGE which provides the only safe foundation for a rebirth.

Stay tuned for my next article which will disseminate the energies of the Spring Equinox shortly. I end with a clip from 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is a pertinent modern mythos for us at this time, as well as the years chosen for the titles being prophetic and uncannily significant for U.S. history. Movies are our collective dreams, and our modern mythologies, and they deeply reflect the under currents of our collective psyche.

Notes & References

[1] See, Infinite Love Is The Only Truth And Everything Else Is Illusion by David Icke.
[2] The Rainbow Bridge is an esoteric symbol dealing with the bridging of the physical body with the higher dimensional bodies, or the full activation of one's spiritual potential. In a more literal way, according to our current mythic narrative, the rainbow bridge mythos tells of a bridge linking the astral dimension through the Sun which is a portal to the Sirius star system. It is said that the astral dimension, which is created by the orbit of the Moon, holds discarnate souls on earth who have yet to "cross over". Currently there are many souls who are stuck or trapped due their attachment to density. As the earth matrix begins vibrating at a higher frequency, due to the ascension process, these souls who hold too much density cannot stay in the earth's collective field during the next several thousand years. It is believed that this bridge, the rainbow bridge, will assist these souls in relocating to another star system, possibly the 'binary' (possibly trinary) star system of Sirius.
[3] For further reading on Transpluto I highly suggest the article by astrologer Lynn Koiner titled, Transpluto Is Real! which can be found here: http://www.lynnkoiner.com/astrology-articles/transpluto-is-real[4] For further study on the Mayan calendar I highly suggest Carl Johan Calleman's website, http://www.calleman.com

Images

Image 1: The Diamond Path by Rob Shouten
Image 2: Despair by Alex Grey

The Road To Awe

New Moon
February 02, 2011 @ 6:30:52 PM PST
@ 13 degrees of Aquarius

New Moon's Agenda: To manifest the power of the will consciously through co-creation to make dramatic and creative new forms in the world. To take ownership and responsibility of our role as co-creators of our world, and to take steps toward standing our ground and facing up to our fears. The energy of rapid acceleration is present, indicating the potential for breakthroughs and great leaps in evolution. Keyword: PENETRATION

New Moon's offer us the opportunity to become powerful co-creators, as each month when the Sun and Moon conjoin a portal opens, a portal through which intention is magnified exponentially. In other words, the few days surrounding the new moon, as well as the day itself, are highly charged with an energy that amplifies human thought and thus intention. This new moon is rather special, as it will culminate within a Full Moon (also the first of 6 Super Moons!) in Leo at the anaretic degree, the 29th degree, which makes it the last of 5 full Moons to occur at the 29th degree of the lower signs of the zodiac. In my previous article I outlined a process that was occurring within the collective psyche involving these Full Moons in synthesis with an intriguing Lunar Eclipse synchronicity. I have been heavily intuiting a definite shift in the collective field, as it seems the human species is now being activated by a powerful new template for consciousness itself. For me this was very exciting, but unfortunately for some, this activation has been rather difficult and arduous to endure. The symbolism of the lower signs can be compared to the symbolism of the "lower" and "physical" aspects of conscious perception, and thus would correlate directly to the biological human organism as well as the machines and tools we create which mimic natural organisms. When I first noticed the anaretic full moons I immediately had a vision of powerful energy streams penetrating the biosphere of the earth and the human body. I saw these streams entering through the crown chakra and down through each chakra of the body, forcing energetic blockages to be released or manifested to be dealt with. In that moment I intuited that this was a time to heal, to ground, and to get totally in our bodies, and I felt that this would be a preparation for other processes in the future that would be extremely ungrounding for many.

Since the beginning of these Full Moons my life has experienced many shifts, as certain people, places, and things around me have begun to die. I have witnessed the death of my Grandfather, who had battled an auto-immune disease for several years, and his condition accelerated for the worst just one day after the Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice, and he died about two weeks later. Prior to this, on Thanksgiving day, I got into a pretty bad accident that totaled my car, just days after the Full Moon at the 29th degree of Taurus in my third house(house of communication and transportation)! Shortly after this, and in complete synchronicity with the same Lunar Eclipse that had correlated with my grandfather dying, the school I was attending had to close its doors due to financial troubles that had been accumulating for several years.

At this moment as I write this, my Aunt is currently dying of a very bad case of Influenza-A or "Swine Flu" as it is called. Of course, I did have the Lunar Eclipse on December 21st exactly conjoined with Mercury in my horoscope at the 29th degree of Gemini. Mercury is the archetype of communication and travel (my car), and in addition Mercury rules my fourth house (death in the family), the house which governs home and family. I was very personally effected by this process, which is also clearly illustrated by my inspiration to write about all this (mercury, third house). Now you might think that this seems like a pretty bad string of "unfortunate" events, but I certainly don't see it that way.

In our dimension death "appears" to be the end, but this is certainly not true. All death is simply a transition to another state of being, as energy (which we are) can neither be created nor destroyed....everything is and always will be. For me, death is a road to another experience, another chapter of the soul's journey through the matrix of the divine mind. I had felt my grandfather would soon die, because even though allopathic medicine had tried its best to keep him out of pain, he had died a long time ago, and the drugs simply kept his soul from leaving. It was as if he wasn't quite in his body, and a piece of him was elsewhere. I experienced this phenomena a few years ago when another Aunt died of cancer, she had been battling the disease for several years....but within a year after an experimental surgery, she passed away. Immediately after the surgery I noticed a strange shift in her, something that others had noticed as well. Even though she was quite clearly alive, she wasn't completely in her body, as she appeared spacey and "angelic".

At the time, I was offering astrology readings (rather prematurely and naively I'll admit) at a local new age store, and one day as I was sitting in the store, a psychic who worked there, asked me an interesting question. She said, "Do you know someone named Mary Anne?" I replied, "Why yes, she's my Aunt". She asked me if she was sick, and I told her that she had cancer. She proceeded to tell me that she was about to cross over, and that apart of her was already in the astral dimension. This meant that her higher self, or higher dimensional aspect of being, was ready to depart from this life and the process had begun. Aside from my reservations against unasked for psychic advice, she helped to confirm my intuitions about what I was seeing, that even though modern medical science can keep us "alive" and subdue the pain of disease, it can't stop the inevitable which we all must face in the end, and it can't stop the natural (or supernatural) processes which permeate our reality. She died less than a year later. The reason I bring all this up, is to shed light on what disease is, and why we as humans manifest it.


From the modern medical view, disease is an enemy with which humanity must fight against with its tools and technology. When we get sick, our first response is to fight it....to get rid of it....and to perceive it as an invasion. From the holistic perspective, which has predominated the earth for THOUSANDS of years before modern allopathic medicine; disease is the manifestation of trauma which resides in the body and mind. Trauma is the result of stress on the organism, stress that can't be coped with or processed in the moment, and thus damages or imprints itself within the psyche. We have many bodies aside from the physical and perceivable one we know well, and trauma first resides in our higher dimensional bodies BEFORE it "manifests" or becomes a disease or an imbalance within the third dimension, or the physical body. This means that we have an opportunity to clear trauma or blockages before they become disease, and there are many gifted psychics and intuitives who can actually see disease in the aura. This subject is rather vast and is really beyond the scope of this article, but my point here is to address this because I believe we are at a transition stage where humans cannot go on as a deeply traumatized species. Our dysfunctions, which we have been conditioned to believe are normal, are now effecting the earth herself and her other inhabitants, as we are in the midst of a massive ecological as well as social genocide. This penetrating energy that has arrived within the biosphere of the earth is not ill intended as it might appear to be on the outside, it is simply assisting us in clearing what doesn't really belong to us in the first place. Our trauma was inflicted upon us, often by very well meaning parents or other authorities during our early development. Other trauma may have been inflicted by less than well meaning individuals, or even from an accident of some kind. The point is that, aside from whether it is our "karma" to receive such trauma in the first place, in the moment....our pain and our suffering is not ours, it was given to us. You may now ask the question, "Who would want to hold on to such pain and suffering then?". The answer is quite simple, because it's all we know and it's actually comfortable. Aside from the progressively popular "holistic" movement we are seeing develop, most people don't actually want to heal, and even though they would rather not suffer, they don't want to take the time or do the work to heal themselves. In our modern era, when we get sick, we go to a doctor so that they can "fix" us. In our culture we are conditioned to not take responsibility for our own bodies, minds, and sadly...even our souls. This mentality is still prevalent and is often applied when approaching many holistic treatments, and they will always fail when approached this way.

Humanity has been living in a seemingly dark age, an age of complete and utter unconsciousness and codependency. We give our bodies and minds freely, and into the hands of "experts", "priests", and yes, even "scientists" who claim to be able to cure our ills and woes. Sadly, the cure usually fails, and along with emptying our bank accounts and poisoning our livers, these doctors or experts merely "relieve" or delay death and suffering....but we are not cured, saved, nor even usually better off. This same pattern occurs in holistic and homeopathic treatments quite often when they are applied improperly, and most likely from the predominately left brain perception of an inept practitioner. This presents us with the paradox of the frog in the well, who believes there can be nothing more beyond it, or the penguins on the ice berg in delusion of their omnipotence. Individuals conditioned within a predominately left brained society would find it difficult to perceive from the right, and thus not truly understanding how right brained modalities are properly applied, which should be from a grounded and somatic vibration as opposed to a mental and intellectual approach.

I'm not against modern medicine or its technology, I believe its extremely beneficial and RELIEVES a lot of suffering, it definitely has its time and place, and I personally use it when I need to- but the reality is that our world is not one sided, it is a dichotomy. When we approach something entirely from one side of the spectrum we create imbalance, and we are not experiencing consciousness to its full potential. Science has now confirmed that the human brain is made up of primarily two hemispheres, left and right. The left side is our masculine, logical, and linear aspect, and the right our feminine, intuitive, and cyclical aspect. Modern science is an invention of the left side of the brain, and thus it is incomplete as an entirely universal mode of healing for the human species. It presents us with the paradox of the mind perceiving itself, from within the distorted perception of its self aggrandized delusion. As I attempted to address in my previous article, we are in the midst of a bridging back to the other side of the brain- back to our feminine, receptive, creative, psychic, and numinous being. I believe, at this moment, we are at the threshold of this shift....and at this point there will be no going back. It has been suggested that the discovery of the planetoid Chiron, unveiled the program for the integration of holistic/homeopathic (feminine/passive/yin) and modern/allopathic (masculine/active/yang) medicine. This program is revealed in Chiron's transit cycle around the Sun, and ever since its discovery (in 1975), it heralds the progressive assimilation of the coined "new age" modalities and ideology, and integration of holistic and modern medicine into the western psyche, which will theoretically culminate (flower) in the year 2024 during its first opposition.


This new archetype was birthed in the shadow, the wake, of the massive social conditioning program known as the "60's" or the "hippie era" which coincided with the first conjunction of the planets Uranus and Pluto since their "discovery" by astronomers. The social renaissance of the 60's, which I briefly outlined in my previous post, was the seeding phase of a roughly 80 year cycle we are currently in the midst of. The goal of the program was to shatter the western psyche, and to reawaken the Promethean and Dionysian archetypes which have been greatly lost since ancient times. This era has worked to shake up the sleeping populace, and to create an irreversible imprint upon society that would have the effect of slowly changing the entire infrastructure of our culture[1]. The next phase of this cycle is building up, and will reach several peaks from 2012 to 2015, which will also greatly amplify the Chirotic[2] process we are currently enduring. So, really, the human species is not truly awakening to something entirely new, it is really just remembering what it is like to be a functional human being, unearthing its deeply innate potential that was always there to begin with before it was conditioned out of us by ruling powers and elitists. Humanity is at a point of needing to heal, or needing to transmute the trauma that has been afflicted upon it. This energy is really about a very basic choice we must each make in this new era, do we choose death or do we choose life? Do we choose fear or do we choose bliss? Do we take responsiblity for our own minds, bodies, and souls....or do we stay in a state of unconscious indifference?

Fear is simply a veil to the truth of infinite bliss....

Conversely, I have noticed another aspect of this energetic process, one that is extremely exciting. I have felt an activation or awakening of potential within myself, and I have noticed it in others as well. It is as if we currently find ourselves at an intriguing crossroads, where particular blockages we once found difficult to move through, have suddenly vanished or have become much easier to handle. It seems many are being given the opportunity to fully step into their power, to their talents and abilities, and face their fears head on. Look to your life, and see where this may be true, you'll probably be quite surprised. This I feel is really the true intention of this activation, to push the human race to its limits and fully take on who they truly are. If disease manifests, or if a certain blockage arises within your consciousness, I would invite you to not judge it or label it an enemy, but rather see this trauma as a teacher who brings you a very special and personalized lesson.

Healing our trauma is really a matter of activating the positive polarity of the archetype of Mars. Over the past several thousand years, humanity has lived primarily within bounds of an imbalanced patriarchy. In astrology, the order of the planets from the Sun (from a geocentric perspective, which means Earth Centered), displays an archetypal process of evolution for the human psyche, and as a whole, represents the individualized consciousness of perception. In other words, it's a map of the psyche, and this map is ever changing and evolving through time. The Sun is the center, it is the spark of consciousness, and it governs the visual spectrum of the visible world around us. The Moon is the counterpart, the hidden and receptive realm of the unconscious, and governs the relatively unseen and yet emotionally tangible realm of the human psyche. Mercury is the synthesis of the first two and primordial archetypes of male and female, yin and yang, as it relates to the formation of the mind and the central nervous system within the body, as a direct manifestation of two diametrically opposed and yet cooperating principles. Here we see where the first principle of duality manifests within the psyche, as Mercury is the ruler of Gemini- the archetype of the twins which stems from the Greek myth of Castor and Pollux, which is likely a later patronized interpretation of a pair of male and female twins that represented the mind itself and its two distinctly individualized hemispheres (the word Hermaphrodite etymologically stems from the clever synthesis of Hermes and Aphrodite). Venus becomes the first encounter of the subjective self with a process of immediate socialization, as a direct result of the mind and its configuration of the world into duality, of light and dark. Venus rules the formation of identity, and its attachment to the objects, people, and ideas from which the mind creates via thought. This identity must then be projected, and presented through action and implementation, and this is the role of Mars. The archetypes of Venus and Mars represents the physical manifestation of the psychic and transdimensional principles of Sun and Moon into the perceivable matrix of the third dimension, as constructed through the Mind (mercury). Mars has the role of defending the psyche from the forces of the greater society, which is represented by the planets Jupiter and beyond. Mars is essentially our defense against trauma, and could be related to our physical/emotional/mental/as well as psychic immunity. Mars protects the female principle, Venus, which is our identity, from outside influences but also filters them based on evolutionary necessity.

Mars penetrates Venus, and seeds the psyche with the knowledge of the higher dimensional spheres, the planets beyond the individualized consciousness. Conversely, Mars penetrates the outer world with the seed of the individual as to take part in the grand co-creative act of the universe. An imbalanced Mars will defend until the death, and will fight all invaders from entry as it perceives them as the enemy which must be destroyed. In balance, Mars is simply the principle of standing one's own ground, of OWNING and taking charge of one's OWN psyche. Nature respects authoritative love, but not mindless aggression. When encountered with a threat, Mars will stand up to it because it has claimed ownership of its self. In imbalance, when something has been taken away, such as the true essence of the masculine, it fights as a means of psychological compensation because of fear, it is defending its trauma....as opposed to truly standing up to it. Nothing can control us if we allow it to, only if we give up ownership of ourselves and our society does it become invaded by external forces. The higher aspect of Mars is complete consciousness in the moment, complete readiness and preparation. When Mars is unconscious, he has let his guard down, and intruders will eventually get through.

This new Moon conjoins Mars in Aquarius, the sign of the collective will, the future, and community. Mars, as an active principle, represents the fully CONSCIOUS will, the ability to take charge of one's destiny to make things happen. This process is effective only with the highest awareness, for true free will only exists when one is conscious in the moment....otherwise we're being dragged along by unconscious programs completely beyond our awareness, and we only THINK we have free will. On the other side of this new Moon lies Ceres, the goddess of nurtrance and mothering. Here we see a process that is seemingly tempering Mars, fusing it with compassion and feminine awareness. As we set our intentions for this new Moon, it would seem the energy is very ripe for powerful co-creation with a group or with a community, and activating the power of the collective will. Now is the time to set intentions based on truly stepping into one's power to effect the greater society. It seems that the portal of this New Moon is inviting us to accelerate our evolution in various ways, to speed up the process through the conscious application of will. The new moon also makes a trine to Saturn in Libra, indicating that whatever we decide to manifest will have the potential to truly crystallize and become real and tangible in our world. The Jupiter and Uranus conjunction, both sit on either side of the powerful vernal point, or spring equinox point, the flame which drives consciousness toward higher evolution and awareness. This is indeed an exciting time to be alive! Setting powerful and far reaching intentions on this new moon is highly important, and it will culminate during the final full moon to occur at the 29th degree of a sign, and also the first of 6 Super Moons, which greatly magnify its influence.

At the time of the Super Full Moon on February 18, the Sun will be at the exact midpoint of Chiron and Neptune, the current portal to the numinous and multidimensional, and the full Moon will be opposing it. Again, Mars will join the conjunction, emphasizing once more the importance of fully integrating the healthy and balanced male archetype into our psyche. This has the potential to be a highly spiritual and mysterious time for the planet, as many interesting energies seem to be penetrating into our world through active portals. Embrace your potential and innate humanity, and let go of what no longer serves you at this juncture. Whatever dies, or whatever malfunctions, is in dire need of transmutation, and all stagnation needs to be progressively eliminated for evolution to continue on its current path. There is such beauty beyond the veil of fear and death. Do not fear death, and do not fear transformation, for each is the road to greater awareness, the road to awe....



Notes and References:

[1] So effective were the movements of the 1960's, that the US government even commissioned a study titled Changing Images of Man, in which it concluded that: "There are increasingly evident signs of the imminent emergence of new "image of man." It is a new image in the sense of being very much a
challenge to the dominant scientific world view as that has evolved
over the past few centuries, and also to the image of materialistic
"economic man" that become enshrined in the institutions and
economic theories of the industrial era. Yet it is not new, since traces of
it can be found, going back for thousands of years, in the core
experiences underlying the world's many religious doctrines, as reported
through myths and symbols, holy writings, and esoteric teachings.
The staying power of the new image is suggested by the facts that it
reactivates the cultural myths whose meaning had become forgotten,
and it seems to be substantiated by the further advances of the science
which earlier played a role in seemingly discrediting it". -Markley and Harman pg. 200

This "new man" was a direct threat to the prevalent materialistic worldview that had, and still is, keeping the American populace under social and economic control. The government was deeply concerned about the far reaching consequences of this movement that they commissioned such a study as far back as 1968. A copy of the report can be found here: http://technoccult.net/library/changing-images.pdf. For furthering reading on the subject I highly recommend The Stargate Conspiracy by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince. According to Prince and Picknett: "In 1973 the United States government commissioned a report from SRI International entitled Changing Images of Man, edited by Willis W. Harman and O.W. Markley, which concluded that the spread of what it termed 'the new values'- spiritual and ecological awareness and self-realisation movements- is becoming virtually unstoppable. This would bring about a transformation of society (particularly in the United States) that would radically undermine 'modern industrial-state culture and institutions' and result in 'serious social disruptions, economic decline, runaway inflation, and even institutional collapse'. This report anticipates a lessening of trust in authority and a reaction against a regimented, tightly controlled society. It also suggested ways of preventing this worst-case scenario by identifying existing institutions or traditions that could be used to control and contain the impetus of the new movement."- Picknett & Prince pg. 318

[2] Chirotic is a term coined by astrologer and researcher Barbara Hand Clow to describe the archetypal process and effect of chiron in astrology, see Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between The Inner & Outer Planets.

Mercury Retrograde In Capricorn/Sagittarius

Dec 10 through Dec 29, 2010
Enters Shadow: Nov 22, 2010 @ 20 degrees Sagittatius
Stationary Retrograde: Dec 10, 2010 @ 06 degrees Capricorn
Stationary Direct: Dec 29, 2010 @ 20 degrees Sagittarius
Leaves Shadow: Jan 17, 2011 @ 06 degrees Capricorn

Mercury retrograde occurs, roughly, every three months, and designates a three week time band in which the “normal” flow of daily activities are interrupted and or rerouted in directions diametrically opposed to a linear perception of time. In other words, it is often a time of frustration for most people because many of us are in a state of future orientation, that is, not in the present moment, but rather living out or projecting other moments that have yet to come into existence. Mercury retrograde is a natural archetypal process whose function serves to reroute the collective mental consciousness into a state of introspection and revision. This has the effect of “looking back” as opposed to forward. All mental processes that have been formulating for the past three months, have now reached a point, in which their basic mechanics must be re-evaluated to ensure their success. This manifests within a multitude of formations such as the mechanical failure or interruption of various machinery, to the setback or delay in plans that have been formulating for several weeks. Again, the function serves to correct any imbalance or potential malfunction that could interrupt the successful execution in the future, and so this is a natural time in which to take a “second look” and to make sure everything is in its proper place.

It’s quite common for something to come to a head around this time, and the ego is very tempted to push us forward, however, nature intends otherwise. It would be very wise to take a few steps back and rework your plan or direction, because the universe fully supports it! If you learn to work with the Mercury retrograde cycle as opposed to against it, you’ll find that these times will be much less stressful than is often the case. Mercury retrograde is often touted as a time of mishaps and “misfortunes”, causing many to look at it with apprehension and dread. The truth of the matter is that, astrological events don’t cause things to happen, but rather correlate with the unfolding of circumstances directly linked to our own unconscious. Whatever misfortunes we experience at this time are signs from the unconscious heeding us to pay closer attention to something. The function for such mishaps are to reroute us into another direction so that we are further aligned with our evolutionary path. The more we fight this process, the more difficult the cycle will be perceived. Another function of Mercury retrograde is to make adjustments to our basic ideologies or to simply change our perspective on something. As a result, it is best to keep an open mind and to be as receptive as possible to incoming feedback or information, as it is likely to have a powerful impact on our consciousness. Follow any intuition that urges you to go BACK to something that you may have overlooked, you’ll now find it perfectly useful within your present circumstances.

Mercury retrograde seems to take effect through a gradient shift, known as the shadow period. A shadow period is simply when Mercury moves through the area of the zodiac that it will retrograde back through. Mercury first entered the shadow on November 22nd and then goes retrograde on Dec 10th. Pay close attention to events that have transpired between this band of time, as they will play a crucial role in what will be adjusted or worked on over the next three weeks. The second shadow period, Dec 29th through Jan 17, 2011 designates a period in which the process “wraps up” and comes to a close, which will follow a gradual receding of the effects. Keep an open mind, and a flexible schedule, and most of all expect the unexpected!

To further understand this retrograde cycle I like to look towards the degree in which Mercury goes stationary retrograde, and study the Sabian symbol for that specific degree (click here to learn more about Sabian symbols). The symbol for 6 degrees of Capricorn reads:

“Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods”

Dane Rudhyar, in his infamous book, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and It’s 360 Symbolic Phases”, has this to say about the symbol:

“The need to complete any undertaking before seeking entrance to whatever is to be found beyond. Number 10 is a symbol of completion; it symbolizes even more the revelation of a new series of activities just ahead. Yet unless the concluded series is brought to some degree of fulfillment, nothing truly significant is likely to be accomplished by a restless reaching out toward the as-yet-unknown. Number 10 is a symbol of germination, but the seed (Number 9) must have matured well. No natural process can be accelerated safely beyond certain limits. Here man reaches a THRESHOLD in which he may have to pause in order to safeguard his further advance”

This is an intriguing symbol indeed, further exemplifying the need to pause and complete something before pushing forward, and to not push something beyond its own natural limitations. I find the notion of a threshold equally fascinating, given the energy that surrounds us at this present moment in time. Keep an eye out for my next blog post shortly, as I’ll cover current events and their correlation to this point. The basic premise is that at this juncture, the collective consciousness is experiencing a threshold, a barrier or gateway, to another perception of reality. However you want to label this threshold does not matter, but looking into your own lives you will likely find this symbolism to be very prominent. Further empowering this retrograde cycle is Mercury’s position in conjunction to the stellium between the North Node, Pluto, and Mars in Capricorn. Mercury will retrograde (move backwards) through this energy, and then will direct and pass through it once more. I believe this retrograde is in complete synchronicity with the culmination of a very powerful evolutionary process that is unfolding before us, which I will further delineate in my next post. This evolutionary process is being activated directly into our own mental consciousness via Mercury’s passage, creating a bridge between powerful, yet subtle, cosmic forces and our own personal and mundane realities.

With that aside for now, this powerful conjunction in Capricorn is urging all of us to take responsibility for our own lives, to leave the past behind, and to bravely step into the unknown as powerful warriors of planet earth. This is a time in which many structures are failing, many systems are collapsing, and the future may seem bleak and uncertain. The beauty of it all, if you can see it, is that it’s all apart of the unfolding, an unfolding that the cosmos so eloquently describes through vivid symbolism. Pluto’s transit through Capricorn is working to tear down what no longer supports the structure, and to replace it with more sustainable forms, a process that will continue on into 2024 (Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008). The conjunction with the North Node is further enhancing this energy, along with the activation of two Eclipses that have, and will, occur within this axis. What falls away at this time has outlived its usefulness and is at this point, stagnating further growth and evolution. Let what needs to die go at this time, let it pass through this threshold, and a powerful rebirth and transmutation will be waiting at the end. Pluto’s transit through Capricorn is uncovering the dark and hidden side of the world’s structures, which includes governmental institutions and big business corporations. This has the effect of popularizing various conspiracies, revealing the truth about “what’s really going on”, which likely has much validity as long as it isn’t taken too far. Pluto likes to take things to the extreme, so it is highly important to keep oneself in check from getting too obsessed or involved in uncovering “the truth”. This energy also has the potential to push those with power to the edge, creating the delusion that they can overpower and manipulate nature for their own means. On the light side, this energy is urging us to step into our power and full potential as human beings, to take responsibility for the collective destiny, to build a greater awareness of our effect on the environment, and to build more sustainable structures for the future of humanity.

This retrograde Mercury passes through both Capricorn and Sagittarius, crossing the powerful cardinal point (or Aries Point) at zero degrees of Capricorn. This retrograde is all about restructuring our lives, receiving a larger and more broader perspective, and really taking a good hard look at what is or isn’t working. Mercury’s retreat into Sagittarius on Dec 18 will shift this focus from the structural details themselves, into a desire to gain deeper clarity and understanding of the situation as a whole. Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius will allow us to really connect to the truth of a situation, so that we can see more clearly where we are headed. This is also potentially a very spiritually influential retrograde, in which we will have a greater opportunity to connect to our higher selves and our innate intuition. As with all Mercury retrograde cycles, stay flexible and be open to revision of all kinds. If you can go with the flow of this powerful energy, you will likely find it less stressful than need be.

Make Love Not War

Full Moon 10 degrees tropical Leo
Friday January 28th @ 10:18 PM PST

The weather might be cool this time of year, but the cosmic currents are burning up with Friday’s full moon conjunct Mars in Leo! It’s best to be conscious of this energy than let it take full control; you may not like the results later on. Full Moon’s are always highly energetic and charged with libidinal desires and impulses, but when the Moon teams up with Mars, things can get ugly if not handled correctly. The full Moon seems to be bringing Mars’ retrograde cycle to a powerful climactic culmination. Mars turned retrograde the day of winter solstice, on Dec 21st, and will continue to move backwards through the heavens until March 10th. Mars is the inner warrior within us, that powerful and aggressive animus which is the symbolic source of burning rage, passion, desire, and most of all, ACTION!

When mars turns retrograde, it symbolizes a time in which we must reevaluate just how we initiate action in the real world, how we tackle what it is we want, and what drives us to take those first steps towards changing the very structure of our lives. Often this is accompanied by a sense of lethargy and passivity, which is eventually transformed into a stronger sense of self confidence about where we are headed in life, and how we are to go about getting there. Take this time, around the full Moon, to reflect on the past month or so to see what is you’ve been unconsciously working on, it’s likely to force it’s way into your conscious perception anyway. Use this lunar/martian energy to carry you further towards your desired goal(s), there’s certainly plenty to go around.

The full Moon in Leo is often rather playful, lustful, creative, and generous, but with Mars, the aggressive and dominating side of the lion is likely to surface as well. It’s probably best to avoid any combative argumentation, which is sure to surface. Any unresolved problems or disputes should probably be left on the back burner for a few more days, at least until things cool off. If someone else attempts to pull you into his or her own rage, change the subject or simply walk away. When dealing with such powerful and unconscious archetypes, it’s better safe than sorry! Conversely, the next few days can be a lot of fun, energizing, and quite productive. Channel this fiery energy into a creative project or perhaps just by getting more done at work than usual. So like some hippies used to say…. make love, not war! (But uh…. just use protection this time ;)

The house location of the full Moon and transit Mars in your natal chart will reveal, quite uncannily, just where all this energy is going…but for the astrologically inept, the Sun sign will suffice, at least in a more generalized and impersonal way ;)

Aries Sun Sign or Full Moon in 5th House
There’s a lot of passion, creativity, and childlike playfulness surrounding you right now, so enjoy it while it’s hot. Take this time to let loose a little, enjoy yourself, as this probably doesn’t happen very often. Use the next few days to get out, stretch your legs, and if you get a little carried away…. well everyone will probably be doing the same…so eh…no worries, right? If you’ve been working on a creative project this will likely give you a powerful thrust to get things going in the right direction. Be wary of arguments with children…. you were one once, you know.

Taurus Sun Sign or Full Moon in 6th House
Now is the perfect time to amp up your exercise routine, get more serious about your diet, or start pumping some iron, those guns aren’t going to build themselves. The past few days, or maybe even week, has probably given you a sudden urge to get in shape, stay healthy, or perhaps just pushing you to get more serious about your work ethic. There’s probably a lot that needs to be done, so use this time to be as productive as possible, you’ll surely be in the lead when it all wears off.

Gemini Sun Sign or Full Moon in 7th House
Whatever you’ve been working on is likely to be coming to some kind of fruition, and now is the time to enjoy the proverbial fruits of your labor. If you find yourself in any kind of heated argument with a partner or work associate, take some time out and make sure you think before you speak, as your probably reacting rather unconsciously. Conversely, this could be an excellent time for getting closer to that special someone, or perhaps cementing a relationship that’s been on the fence.

Cancer Sun Sign or Full Moon in 8th House
In the house of shared energy, this can either be a time of close spiritual bonding with another, or you may find yourself feeling sucked dry. Psychic energy runs hot right now, which can be good for gaining insights, but bad for maintaining your private space. If you find yourself feeling taken advantage of right now, try to remove yourself from the problem, and find some time to be alone for a while. If you find yourself worrying or arguing about mutual finances, try to work it out another time, as it will likely escalate into a full-blown fight.

Leo Sun Sign or Full Moon in 9th House
A sudden surge to explore the world and expand your horizons is likely to take hold. Resisting this motivation will probably prove futile, so get out there and try something new, exotic, and foreign. You may also find yourself feeling more philosophical than usual, perhaps a desire to see things from a broader perspective. Just be sure to not shove any of your intellectual ponderings down anyone else’s throat, as it will probably not be taken very well. Avoid ego charged discussions on religion or politics like the plague…. because like, they never really get you anywhere anyway.

Virgo Sun Sign or Full Moon in 10th House
Your career life may be a source of new and energizing stimulation, or a place of heated conflict and disaster. You may not be able to control those around you, but you can certainly choose to take yourself out of a situation that could be bad for your professional image. This can be a time of heightened responsibilities, allowing you more influence, power, or control…. but uh…just don’t let it all go to your head. A real leader looks out for everyone’s interests, not just their own.

Libra Sun Sign or Full Moon 11th House
Big visions, grand plans, and endless possibilities could be swimming through your head right now, and you should certainly consider them all…. but just mix in some practicality with a dash of the real world, for added flavor of course. Conflicts with friends, or some kind of organization could pop up right about now, but you should be careful how you respond…you might regret some things later on. If you’ve been keeping to yourself lately, now is an excellent time to pick up the phone and call that person you haven’t talked to in a while, or who knows, they might even beat you to it. Networking and socializing of all kinds are favored right now, so get out there and expand your contact list.

Scorpio Sun Sign or Full Moon in 12th House
More than anyone, you should be especially more aware of unconscious impulses and motivations, as they are likely to come swelling out of that inner abyss like a volcano. What was hidden, or being worked on behind the scenes, is probably going to get a revealing of some kind, so try not to suppress it if it’s time to come out. This can be a time of tremendous inner insight and revelations, just be sure to think before you speak, you might reveal a secret someone else would rather keep hidden.

Sagittarius Sun Sign or Full Moon in 1st House
New beginnings, of some kind, are seemingly on the horizon. Take this powerful energy and direct toward a new direction, a fresh new start, or perhaps a change in your physical appearance. It’s times like these when everyone seems to be looking our way, and for some apparent reason, you feel as if you should make it worth their while. Complete makeovers or simply a new look can be just the thing to freshen things up a bit. In your social interactions you may find yourself coming on too strongly, or projecting yourself a bit too aggressively. Just be more conscious of how your coming off, and all should be fine.

Capricorn Sun Sign or Full Moon in 2nd House
A sudden urge to spend more than you have could get you into some serious trouble over the next few days, so you may want to have your wallet locked away or something. Now is probably not the time to continue on a shopping spree, in fact, it’s probably time to end it completely. Make the most of what you have at the moment, be proud of it, and show it off. This need to consume is likely a replacement for a lack of self worth of some kind, so take a good hard look at what you really value and care about, such as things that transcend the material.

Aquarius Sun Sign or Full Moon in 3rd House
Mental energy is burning up right now, and you might find yourself overtly loquacious for the next few days. This certainly isn’t a bad thing, just as long as you aren’t stirring up arguments just for the sake of your ego. Use this time to catch up on some reading, writing, or perhaps some casual conversations with a friend, relative, or stranger. If you aren’t the one talking, it’s more than likely everyone else is. Try to be as flexible as possible for the next few days, as things might have a tendency to be a bit spontaneous and unorganized.

Pisces Sun Sign or Full Moon in 4th House
Things on the home front may be a bit hectic for the next few days, so you may want to get out of the house and find a space of your own. Avoid arguments and confrontations with family members or roommates, as they are likely to escalate into something more serious. If such a situation is sprung upon you, simply try to avoid getting sucked in and deal with it at a later date. Your home is your foundation, and you don’t want it to be faulty. Use this time to turn more inward and reflect upon your own unconscious motivations and desires. This can also be a good time for shedding light on important issues from the past, as your memory is given an extra boost, allowing you access to suppressed material that may be playing an important role in the present situation.


References
1. First image: "Mars Disarmed by Venus and Three Graces" by Jacques Louis David, 1824.

New Moon In Libra

Libra’s New Moon
October 17, 2009

As always, the New Moon is a time for new beginnings, planting seeds, and setting our intentions for the new lunar cycle. Every New Moon brings us a clean slate from which we can create what it is we wish, with of course, a healthy balance between free will and destiny to adhere to. Libra’s New Moon asks us to focus our intentions on creating balance, peace, and stability in our lives. Whatever we choose to manifest should be colored by such qualities. It is often this time of year one would find themselves weighting the pros and cons of a particular situation, attempting to see both sides of the equation. Perhaps you’ve been focused on only one aspect of the problem and now it is the perfect time to consider other options. These alternative choices may be contrary to your previous preferences or beliefs, yet may in fact prove themselves rather useful as of lately. Now is certainly not the time to be biased, so open your mind, and embrace the polarities that construct our reality. Every positive has, indeed, a negative manifestation. The energy of the Libran archetype has been quite prominent lately, as the Sun, Mercury, and Venus currently reside within the sign of the scales. Libra’s archetype urges us to see things through the eyes of another and to consider the needs of others. This implies a focus on relationships within all their multivalent manifestations. Libra is much like a cosmic mirror, from which we are able to see ourselves as reflected through another person or external entity. What we find distasteful in another, is almost always, a part of ourselves we are unwilling to accept. The same applies to all things in our world, for the outer reality reflects the inner reality, and round and round it goes. Don’t feel pressured to change what you don’t like, just allow yourself to be aware and conscious of the fact.

















Examining the horoscope for Libra’s New Moon we find a few prominent aspects to the Sun and Moon’s conjunction. The New Moon makes an inconjunct to Uranus and Juno in Pisces, a square to the North Node in Capricorn, and a trine to the Chiron/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius. The Uranus/Juno conjunction has been transforming relationships of all kinds, catalyzed exponentially by its opposition to Saturn. Juno deals, archetypically, with partnerships and Uranus is in the business of bringing change and or transformation to whatever it touches. Many believe that Juno symbolizes our ideal companion, soul mate, or partner, and this combination has many re-arranging their preconceptions of such. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself changing these very ideals, thinking differently about whom you are really compatible with. This could result in some breakups, the thought of breaking up, or simply a subtle clue that the one you’re with may not truly be the one. This New Moon, however, seems to shed light on another aspect of relationships…it’s not all about you! It takes two, and here we need to understand that when dealing with others, compromise and sacrifice are essential bumps in the road. So what does that mean? Well, it means that what you really want may not be available right now, so often we settle for second best. This isn’t strictly confined to relationships; in fact it can apply to an ideal job, lifestyle, or perhaps an inanimate object of desire. The inconjunct poses a challenge; can we overcome our ideal desire for something else that will function just as well for the sake of others? Sometimes our pursuit of complete happiness and satisfaction comes at the expense of other people who go on neglected. With Juno aside, the inconjunct to Uranus shows that we must make a change, which is likely to be a sacrifice of some kind, so that we can serve others or be of service to humanity as a whole. The New Moon shows that this is the time to start that process, whatever it may be; the seeds must be planted firmly.

The North Node has recently moved from Aquarius to Capricorn, and a collective shift has resulted: a shift in our purpose and direction. From Aquarius we had a collective surge to get informed, to become objective, to gather with those who think alike, and to construct lofty visions for the future. Now that the North Node has moved into Capricorn as of late August, it’s time to take control, grab the reigns, build sustainable structures, and let go of the past. What does this mean? Well, while the North Node is in Capricorn humanity will be urged to implement these objectives, and this nodal transit in particular has some powerful ramifications for us in these times (something I will get more into in another article). The North Node in Capricorn puts the south node in Cancer, which means we are consuming the archetype of Capricorn while exhausting the archetype of Cancer. Cancer is that warm fuzzy nostalgic place, where we feel safe and comfortable, and where everything we need is provided. Unfortunately, this is no longer a safe place because we need to move on, otherwise stagnation will result. If we hold on to the south node, because it’s familiar, we risk losing out on opportunities for growth, which we will find in Capricorn. Capricorn symbolizes the harshness of reality, the necessary burden of responsibility, the satisfaction of achievement, and the urge to take control. In looking at the state of the world, take this into consideration: Those who are dwelling on the way things “used to be”, and ignoring the fact that they will never be the same, are going to be in for a big wake up call in the coming days. We are in a situation where the authority is none other than ourselves. Big daddy and big mommy aren’t going to take care of us anymore, its time grow up and take control. If we stay in that happy safe place, we risk living out a life that isn’t our own, so choose wisely. Don’t take this as an omen of doom, though it’s hard not to, but astrologically speaking we are in for a wild ride. The New Moons square to the North Node in Capricorn gives each us a sneak peak into this reality, an opportunity to see just how this may manifest over time. Pay attention to current events and personal situations surrounding this new Moon, as they are likely to show you what is to come, what we need to change or move away from, or what will likely push us towards achieving the North Node’s new objective. I believe that the Lunar Eclipse in June of 2010 will make this very clear, so stay tuned.

The Neptune/Chiron conjunction has been a strikingly powerful influence on the collective this year, allowing us to tear open our wounds and to get at the heart of the pain. This is, needless to say, a rather difficult and arduous task…. pain certainly isn’t fun. However, in order for us to heal the pain, we have to, in a way, endure some of it. Chiron and Neptune have opened a door, lifted a veil, into the deeper nature of reality. Many have found themselves uncovering information (Aquarius) that has been truly revolutionary and for some, life changing. Whatever you’ve been attempting to heal, uncover, or get the bottom of, is likely to get a significant boost with the New Moons trine to the Neptune/Chiron conjunction. Here we are given an opportunity to truly catalyze its influence, as a trine is the most harmonious and favorable of astrological relationships. Now is the time to plant the seeds that will jump-start the healing process, because this aspectual configuration won’t last long, so it is much needed. The last major push from this construct will be in June 2010 when Mars opposes Neptune and Chiron, and then it will be history. Take this time to look at what needs to be healed in your life, most likely something will come along that will help you out significantly.

These are the themes and issues that will be surrounding us for the new Lunar cycle until the next New Moon. It is always important to set aside some time, if you can, at the time that the Sun and Moon conjoin to meditate or focus on the things you would like to manifest in your life. This New Moon will take place on October 17th at 10:33:57 PDT. Stay tuned as I will be posting another article shortly outlining Mars in Leo, Saturn in Libra, Saturn Square Pluto, and much more! Peace.


References First Image: Libra by Johfra Bosschart

Season Of Change

As summer gradually comes to its inevitable close, the Sun slowly drifting lower on the horizon, a sense of urgency fills the air. This instinctive and unconscious impulse motivates us to gather necessities for the autumnal season, the fall of the Sun, as he prepares for his equally inevitable demise at winter solstice. The playfulness of Leo, consumed by its carefree idealism was quickly extinguished giving way to Virgo, who seeks more practical applications for its efforts. This isn’t to say that all the fun is over, but surely the atmosphere of playfulness no longer lingers as it once did, for this is the reality that the virgin brings forth, and it is likely to play a role in your life as of now. Whatever you’ve been putting off lately, can no longer wait, as it seems that the time has come to face up to the truth of the moment, whether good or bad. The Virgin’s season allows us to assimilate all that we have, to make sense of the chaos life often throws our way. We have to take the time, every now and then, to organize our lives, and sometimes that means getting rid of what is no longer useful. Beyond the attachment we may feel for it, there is a matter of survival we must attend to, and what is no longer conducive for our path should be readily discarded. The archetypal impulse of Virgo is rather active this September, and astrologically speaking this is likely to be a month to remember. Let us decipher its message and be wise.

Mercury Retrograde
September 06, 2009- September 29, 2009

08-17-2009 04:21 pm PST 21 Virgo–37' Enter Rx Zone
09-06-2009 09:40 pm PST 06 Libra—13' Stationary Retrograde
09-29-2009 06:03 am PST 21 Virgo–37' Stationary Direct
10-13-2009 11:50 pm PST 06 Libra—13' Leave Rx Zone

Roughly every three months the planet Mercury turns retrograde, that is, it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiacal backdrop. The backwards movement is, of course, an optical illusion, but astrologically it has profound implications for our lives. This is often that cyclic three week period of nagging irritations, when things, well…. don’t quite work out the way we wanted them to. Several aversions, technological or dealing with communications, often arise bringing either complications or compromise. Technical failures or breakdowns are things we often have to deal with, and Mercury retrograde is annoyingly that time. Excessive roadblocks, construction, detours, car problems, burnt out light bulbs, jury duty notices, computer crashes and miscommunications are usually the result. This is nothing to panic over but definitely a reason to take heed and pay attention. Appropriately fitting for the Virgin’s season, this is the time to take care of whatever we’ve putting off, as it will likely force us to otherwise. Interestingly, if your powers of discernment are sharp enough, you will notice that whatever breaks down or whatever situation doesn’t move in the direction you wanted; there is a reason for it. The fact of the matter is that mercury’s retrograde period offers us an opportunity to go back over what we may have overlooked in our zealousness to move forward. The linear flow of time is inverted, offering us a brief moment from which we can backtrack and find what we’ve likely missed. If you can be open minded enough to look, you will find something terribly beneficial to your current state of affairs, and if it weren’t for that nagging irritation you would have missed it all together. If you so choose to fight the current, several more problems will likely result, so the advice, for the time being, is to go with the flow. You’ll be glad you did.

Often it can be difficult to push forward with plans, projects, or objectives you’ve had sitting on the back burner. Mercury retrograde certainly signals a time where you should worry less about executing something and more about sifting through the details and making sure everything is in place. If you can, try not to move forward with anything of crucial importance, as it will likely fail or run into some serious obstacles along the way. Take this time to relax a bit, think things over, and when Mercury turns direct you’ll be more than ready for success. Be very clear in your communications with others, as it is VERY easy to be misunderstood at this time. Vagueness will get you into considerable trouble, so be firm and direct when giving directions to someone or in attempting to convey important messages and information. Overall, Mercury retrograde provides us a unique opportunity to see things from another perspective, which is usually, contrary to what we’re used to. If you can put your ego aside, allow whatever is foreign, strange, or unknown present itself to you, as it will likely be of much assistance in the future to come.

Mercury’s Shadow
The shadow period of mercury retrograde is the time in which Mercury passes through the area of the zodiac that it will retrograde (or move backwards) within. This happens right before Mercury turns retrograde, and seems to foreshadow the things with which we will be reevaluating or adjusting over the next three weeks. Events, issues, or circumstances that manifest within the shadow are things that are often lacking detail or that we have yet to fully pin down, and will be scrutinized throughout the retrograde period. There are in fact, two shadow periods, one before and one after the actual retrograde. The first shadow period began on August 17, 2009 up to Mercury’s stationary retrograde on September 6, 2009; so pay close attention to collective events, as well as personal events or issues in your own life that manifested around this time. The second shadow period will take place from the end of the retrograde on September 29th to October 15, 2009. The final shadow period is the time in which we tie up all the loose ends, finish up whatever it is we have been examining, and prepare ourselves to implement or come to conclusions about matters previously unresolved. The final shadow is the finalization of the retrogradation process.

Mercury/Pluto/Juno T-Square
Mercury’s retrograde period crosses through some tough territory this time around, and there is certain to be some sticky situations you would rather avoid like the plague for the next few weeks. Considering the archetypal nature of Juno, dealing foremost with partnerships, there is likely to be an excess of relationship/partnership disputes radiating collectively through this vivid archetypal construct. This will manifest in waves, the first of which occurred around August 25th, which in a sense, ignited the collective drama. Whatever manifested around this time is most likely, unfinished, given the nature of mercury retrograde. This dominant t-square, amplified by its cardinal positions is creating some major tension between opposites (Mercury opposition Juno), which is most likely connected with relationships, and predominately, ones that have lasted a considerable amount of time (Pluto in Capricorn). If you’ve been swept up by this archetypal impulse, it may be wise to hold off on coming to a decisive conclusion regarding the situation as of yet, there may be some things you need to think over, and mercury is giving the perfect opportunity to do so. Hold off on making hasty decisions, be VERY careful about what you say, especially in heated arguments, and take some time to examine the situation further over the next three weeks. If you aren’t in a serious relationship at this time, this could manifest between a friend, family member, or close associate of some kind. The best way to handle tense oppositions is to try and find middle ground, or if possible, a compromise of some kind.

Another manifestation of this construct is either you or someone else enforcing their viewpoint or perspective onto one another. This energy is happening on personal level, as well as a collective/cultural level. Be very wary of anyone who tries to force or indoctrinate his or her beliefs upon you, especially without giving you a chance to share your own opinion of the matter. Given the power of Pluto, and it’s position in Capricorn, this could manifest as a dominant authority figure, whom you may initially give respect simply due to their status. If YOU find yourself in this role, be sure to catch yourself in the act, and give the other person a chance to share their own perspective, this will help you avoid considerable confrontation, hurt feelings, or misgivings later on.

Mercury Retrograde in Libra/Virgo

Mercury will retrograde through both the signs of Virgo and Libra, spending slightly more time in Virgo. The barrier between Virgo and Libra has a powerful symbolic meaning, as it is the division between the upper and lower hemispheres of the zodiac, the gateway between the inner self and the outer world. This is the point of assemblage and integration, where the self meets the other. Virgo represents the accumulation and compartmentalization of the subjective human experience, our hidden and interpersonal self. The signs Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo all lie below the celestial horizon, and each correlates to experiences that are fundamentally our own, within our very immediate and personal environment. The signs Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, all represent experiences of the outer world, the transcendence of self, reaching outward to the experience of others. Therefore, the cusp of Virgo and Libra, or the anaretic transition, represents the threshold between these two very different realities, where the individual is ready to integrate with others after it has mastered itself. From a mystical standpoint, the transition between Virgo and Libra is the point of enlightenment, when we have finally achieved mastery over the physical self, where we finally…. get it right, so to speak. This theme should be very prevalent over the next three weeks, as Mercury retrograde asks us to get something right, to finally overcome a particular obstacle that has been thrown in our pathway. However this manifests for you, it is likely you have been working on it for quite some time, and you are about to put the finishing touches upon it. Look closely at your life, and you will probably realize that a breakthrough of some kind is upon you; you are about to reach some form of stability out what was once a chaotic and fragmented state of affairs.

To further understand this theme, we must look to Virgo’s companion within the Tarot deck, which is represented by the Hermit card. The Hermit is largely based on the ancient greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, also known as Diogenes the Cynic, who lived from 412 BC to 323 BC. According to legend, Diogenes was said to have wandered aimlessly carrying a lantern, particularly in broad daylight. When he was finally inquired about the act, he supposedly said he was “searching for an honest man”, which was apparently, a hard thing to find.


Diogenes spent his life in poverty, rejecting any inclusion within what would have been deemed modern society, as he saw it as corrupt and distracting. Diogenes was a follower of the cynics, which was a philosophical doctrine encouraging one to live outside the luxuries of society, self sufficiently and symbiotically within nature…to lead a more natural life in an attempt to gain complete individuation free of sociological pressures and or expectations. The cynics mostly lived as outcasts, which is where we get the semi-disparaging adjective to be cynical, although, it is said that Diogenes in particular was well liked among the people of Athens. The Hermit, like Diogenes, lives on the fringes of society, rejecting the comforts and luxury of modern life. The path of the Hermit is no easy task, for it is a path of self-discovery, something that is truly lost in our world today. It is said that before we can truly love another, we must learn to love ourselves, and this is what the Hermit’s true teaching embodies. Carrying his lantern, he lights the way into the subconscious, the deeper reaches of the psyche to uncover the true nature, the true being, outside of society’s expectations of what one “should” be, act, or do with one’s life. When the time comes, when one is ready to question the deeper meaning of life, the answers to such questions do not lie in the outside world or within another person, they essentially come from within us. The hermit’s path is one we must walk alone, when we are ready. We can equate the barrier between Virgo and Libra as the zodiacal embodiment of this symbol, as Mercury makes its way back into Virgo, a collective surge to withdraw, to walk away from something, or to go in a new and uncharted direction is prevalent. Conversely, if you’ve been on this inner path, perhaps the time has for you to come out of the cave, to finally integrate yourself and your knowledge with others. Whichever end of the spectrum you occupy, we each have an opportunity to activate this archetype within our own lives, but with all things…. the choice is ours.

The Hermit is card number 9 in the tarot deck, a number that in numerology correlates to completion, perfection, self-mastery, and the conclusion of an important matter, task, or idea. Perhaps it is rather fitting that Mercury’s retrograde period falls completely within the month of September, the 9th month of the year. Even the figure of the Hermit, on the traditional Rider-Waite version, is suggestive of the number 9.

Saturn/Uranus Opposition
September 15, 2009

The Saturn/Uranus opposition was first ignited on Election Day, November 4, 2008, correlating collectively to a campaign of “change”. The second wave manifested on February 05, 2009, and the third, of five exact oppositions, manifests on September 15, 2009. Saturn represents everything status quo, traditional, predictable, and essentially structural. The planet Uranus symbolizes everything catalytic, counter cultural, unpredictable, and unconventional. When the two collide, it signals a massive power struggle between the old and the new. The archetypal emphasis of the opposition, like all things astrological, is manifesting on a grand collective scale as well as an inner personal or subjective level. Each of us is experiencing this dynamic within our own lives, a process that will carry us through to next year and slightly beyond. The opposition is urging us to each let go of something that has, again, outlived its usefulness. If we fail to do so, it is unlikely we will be very happy with the consequences, no matter how difficult it is move forward. Look to your own life and see what is deteriorating, decaying, and no longer living up to it’s former glory, whether it be a relationship, job, living situation, or perhaps a certain ideal or goal. The past is no longer what it was, and looking back will only lead to stagnation…. it is only the future we have to look forward to at this point, no matter how uncertain it may be. The process of change is, usually, rather painful, but in the end it always leads us greater things and new horizons.

September's New Moon
The New Moon on September 18th is rather striking, astrologically, as it exactly conjoins Saturn at 25 degrees of Virgo, and joining the opposition to Uranus. The lunar cycle is the cycle of manifestation, it is how each of us creates our own reality via the law of attraction, whether we’re conscious of it or not. The new moon is the time for planting seeds, and for us, setting our intentions so that they can culminate on the Full Moon. Be very, VERY careful of your intentions for the New Moon on September 18th as they have the potential to rapidly crystallize and culminate via structural Saturn. The energy surrounding this new moon may not feel so pleasant, considering Saturn’s harsh and cold demeanor, but you must place emphasis on manifesting what YOU really want, not what someone else wants or has lead you to believe you want. Take this time to reflect on the kind of change you really need to bring into your life and into the world, focus on it, visualize it, and then let it go. The outer world is only a reflection of ourselves, and when we alter the internal, we change the world, not the other way around. The asteroid Pallas also conjoins the new moon; there is an emphasis on solving problems and putting pieces together. Mercury has backtracked into Virgo, placed exactly at the anaretic degree, and exactly opposite Juno in at the 29th degree of Pisces. Take some time out to yourself, like the Hermit, like Diogenes, and reflect on yourself, your life direction, and listen carefully to your inner guidance. There are bound to be several distractions, many of which will stem from mainstream society, but you must try your best to ignore them, and look within.

Now, more than ever, the people of this world need to listen to that inner voice, hear that inner calling, as it beckons from the depths of the subconscious. The world is rapidly changing, and those changes may not always be for the best, but they must happen, if we are to move forward. With so much going on, it can be very easy to lose yourself, to get swept up by some sort of cause that may not have your best interests in mind. We must all understand that change, true and genuine change, only comes from changing ourselves, healing ourselves, and most of all, by allowing ourselves to truly be who we were meant to be. This month offers many opportunities to do just that, or at least start the process, but in the end, we must choose…alone. The September New Moon seems to be a symbolic culmination of Saturn's transit through Virgo, a process which began in September of 2007. This roughly three year process, has pushed each of us to find some form of inner purification, through eating cleaner food, detoxing our bodies, cleaning up the earth, or setting out to face our darkest inner demons. Now as Saturn reaches the transitional point of Virgo and Libra, which will peak in late summer of 2010, many of us will be given the opportunity to reach some form of genuine enlightenment and sense balance. In looking ahead, it seems, we will certainly need it, as many challenges lie ahead of us....