August 2008

Inner Prosperity Conversations with the Moon August's full moon and lunar eclipse takes place on Saturday, August 16 at 2:18pm, in the vedic lunar sign of Dhanishta. This eclipse's function is to get us to take a break from seeking prosperity and fame in the outer world, and notice the abundance already present in the inner life. Due to Neptune's conjunction to the Moon, the key to discovering these riches lies in our own imagination. On the outer level, this is not the best time for initiating big projects whose aim is to produce wealth or renown. (An eclipse's effect is felt dramatically for a period of 6 days before and 6 days after the eclipse, and very subtly for 6 months after the eclipse.) Write this day into your calendar: Saturday, August 30, 12:58pm Pacific Time - the New Moon in Purva Phalguni. The New Moon is a great time for renewing spiritual intentions. This particular New Moon emphasizes prioritizing delight and creativity in our lives. So take a moment on the morning of Sat. the 30th to commit to some fun and creative exploration for the month of September.

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons The Sun joins Mercury, Venus and Saturn in vedic Leo, on Sunday, Aug. 17. This is a potent combination for self-elected spiritual growth which in this instance is mutually exclusive of egoic satisfaction - if it enhances your pride, you might not be able to take it with you where you're going on your spiritual journey. This is a call to use the full splendor of yourself toward the highest service you are capable of. The conjunction of Venus with Saturn is exact on Aug. 14; expect to mix the energies of joy/ art/ love with responsibility/ diligence/ manifestation. The default version of this is to feel self-doubting, and self-conscious, and that our own efforts will never meet the standards. (Maybe authorities or loved ones are even pointing out our faults to us.) With a slight shift of attention, you can turn this around to stepping past fear and making the necessary effort to realize your dreams. Venus enters vedic Virgo on Aug. 26, bringing the activity of evaluation into our relationships... ouch. Be careful not to get too critical of partners and friends. The first 3 weeks of September find Mercury, Venus and Mars all together in vedic Virgo. This will be a great time for organizing personal finances, getting clear in relationships, and studying, reading, creative writing. Both Jupiter and Pluto turn direct within a day of one another - Sept. 8 and 9. The beginning of the second week of Sept. experiences some strong forward motion in the area of your life described by the vedic sign of Sagittarius. Education, authority, philosophy and judgment all gain ground. Image licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.5

An Excerpt from "Gitanjali" by Rabindranath Tagore I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and I wondered who was this King of all kings! My hopes rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust. The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camest down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say 'What hast thou to give to me?' Ah, what a kingly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee. But how great my surprise when at the day's end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little gram of gold among the poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.