February 2010

Creative Renewal :::Conversations with the Moon::: The full moon of February takes place on Sunday, February 28th, at 8:38am Pacific Time. This full moon occurs in the lunar sign of Purva Phalguni, a sign associated with relaxation, rejuvenation, sensuality, and creativity. While the moon is in this lunar sign, the focus is on enjoyment and celebrations. This full moon is known as "Holi Purnima" in India. Holi is a festival of colors that's celebrated sort of like a national paintball day, with people spraying one another with colored water! This day in general also celebrates fire, and light. Even though the current planetary lineup will have many of us plugging away at projects, these next two weeks will be especially good for refueling our creative tanks with inspiring music, lively conversations, delicious foods, and pleasing artwork. This is a great time to feed your senses with the intention of rejuvenation. Consider supporting an artist friend by buying a piece of his or her artwork or music or writing. With Jupiter conjunct the Sun in Aquarius opposite this full moon, the self-healing benefit you receive from your patronage are just as great as the monetary benefit your artist friend receives. Write this day/time into your calendar: Monday, March 15, 2010, at 2:02pm Pacific Time. This new moon occurs in the lunar sign of Purva Bhadrapada. Remember that the new moon itself is a day for introspection, a day for emptying the mind and letting ideas take shape inside the "fertile void." Wait until the day after the new moon to begin the compelling projects that will likely occur to many of us with vigor during this new moon. Also, be prepared for some potentially major shifts in perspective. Image: by Georgia O'Keeffe

Planning & Scheduling :::Living in Accord with the Seasons::: The Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus all transit through Pisces this month, with Venus conjoining Uranus on March 4, Mercury conjoining Uranus on March 16, and Sun conjoining Uranus on March 17. Each of these conjunctions are trigger points for the emergence of new cultural paradigms based on compassion, spirituality, and level playing fields. Mercury conjoins Jupiter in Aquarius on March 8th, breaking ground for new cultural frameworks, and a new kind of discourse. Mercury enters Pisces, its sign of debilitation, with the new moon on March 15. This places Mercury directly at odds with transiting Saturn. Instead of verbal courtesies, we see people and communities and countries hammering away at the issues standing in the way of their cooperation. Because of Mercury's conjunction with Venus, this could actually be a very productive conversation, if everyone involved manages to maintain a respectful tone. Venus moves into Pisces, its sign of exaltation, on March 3rd and stays there until March 27. By itself this placement of Venus brings social grace, compassion, and sweetness into our lives. But Venus is opposite Saturn in Virgo all month as well, changing the Venus hue into a loveliness that wants to experience its usefulness. In this situation Venus gets to work and wants to be productive. This is a transit that can be trying on relationships, but useful for creative manifestation. Mars moved into the sign of Cancer on October 4, and will be staying in his sign of debilitation for almost eight months, until the end of May. Mars resumes direct motion on March 10, ending a highly frustrating two-month period of Mars retrograde. Defensiveness and aggression will have been at a high over these last couple months, and even though Mars remains in Cancer, the productive release of pent-up energy is now a little more possible. Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto keep up their T-square configuration, getting particularly charged in July and August. This setup guarantees global, social reorganization. Notice what doesn't change, even when everything around you does. Coming from this place of what doesn't change - this is one way of apprehending enlightenment. Image licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.5

Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun A Native American Story as Told by Joseph Bruchac and Michael J. Caduto in their book Native American Stories When the Earth was first made, there was no light. It was very hard for the animals and the people in the darkness. Finally, the animals decided to do something about it. "I have heard there is something called the Sun," said the Bear. "It is kept on the other side of the world, but the people there will not shar it. Perhaps we can steal a piece of it." All the animals agreed that it was a good idea. But who would be the one to steal the Sun? The Fox was the first to try. He sneaked to the place where the Sun was kept. He waited until no one was looking. Then he grabbed a piece of it in his mouth and ran. But the Sun was so hot it burned his mouth and he dropped it. To this day all foxes have black mouths because that first fox burned his carrying the Sun. The Possum tried next. In those days, Possum had a very bushy tail. She crept up to the place where the Sun was kept, broke off a piece and hid it in her tail. Then she began to run, bringing the Sun back to the animals and the people. But the Sun was so hot it burned off all the hair on her tail and she lost hold of it. To this day all possums have bare tails because the Sun burned away the hair on that first possum. Then Grandmother Spider tried. Instead of trying to hold the Sun herself, she wove a bag out of her webbing. She put the piece of the Sun into her bag and carried it back with her. Now the question was where to put the Sun. Grandmother Spider told them, "The Sun should be up high in the sky. Then everyone will be able to see it and benefit from its light." All the animals agreed, but none of them could reach up high enough. Even if they carried it to the top of the tallest tree, that would not be high enough for everyone on the Earth to see the Sun. Then they decided to have one of the birds carry the Sun up to the top of the sky. Everyone knew the Buzzard could fly the highest, so he was chosen. The Buzzard placed the Sun on top of his head, where his feathers were the thickest, for the Sun was still very hot, even inside Grandmother Spider's bag. He gegan to fly, up and up toward the top of the sky. As he flew the Sun grew hotter. Up and up he went, higher and higher, and the Sun grew hotter and hotter still. Now the Sun was burning through Grandmother Spider's bag, but the Buzzard still kept flying up toward the top of the sky. Up and up he went, and the Sun grew hotter. Now it was burning away the feathers on top of his head, but he continued on. Now all of his feathers were gone, but he flew higher. Now it was turning the bare skin of his head all red, but he continued to fly. He flew until he reached the top of the sky, and there he placed the Sun where it would give light to everyone.

July 2009

Eclipses for Inner Growth Conversations with the Moon A lunar and solar eclipse pair is a once-every-six-months occurrence. But to have a third eclipse tagging along for the ride is a little unusual. It certainly intensifies the challenge of the six month period that the eclipses influence. We have three eclipses happening over the next month: on July 7, then on July 21, and then on August 5. Lunar eclipses can only come about on full moons, when the earth stands between the sun and the moon, blocking the moon's light. This month, a full moon/lunar eclipse happens on Tuesday, July 7, at 2:22am Pacific Time, in the lunar sign of Purva Ashadha. Our sense of military invincibility, as well as our sense of financial invincibility as a nation will experience a shakedown during the six months affected by this eclipse. A useful contemplation on the day of this lunar eclipse will be: "What fuels my optimism?" The solar eclipse happens on Tuesday, July 21, at 7:36pm Pacific Time, in the lunar sign of Pushya. We may witness challenges for agriculture in the coming months. The current administration may have more difficulty providing relief to the sectors most in need. Practicing qualities of gentleness, kindness, sweetness, and tenderness on this day will help human generosity stay alive during a time when it is being eclipsed by fear. The solar eclipse's Path of Totality affects a swath of Asia from Bombay, India, through the city of Chengdu and the Sichuan province of China, all the way through the city of Shanghai. Bombay, Chengdu, and Shanghai could experience troubles around this eclipse. The third of the three eclipses is a lunar eclipse, which happens on Wednesday, August 5 in the evening, in the lunar sign of Shravana. More on this eclipse in the next Beacon. The above image is a 17th century Chinese illustration of a crank-operated rotary winnowing fan machine, separating husks from the grain. Ancient Hindu astronomers associated the process of winnowing grains with the portion of the sky they named "Purva Ashadha."

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons Mercury travels through the constellation Gemini until July 15, a placement that stimulates reading, writing, exchanging ideas, and lots of talking. Fireworks are not the only potential explosions this July 4th weekend. Transiting Mercury and Pluto are in an exact opposition, creating some volatile verbal outbursts from self-righteous parties. While getting excited about ideas, just respect others' rights to their own opinions. Venus continues a conjunction with Mars, but for the month of July this creative pair are in a much more enjoyable tango than they were in June. They're traveling through earthy, sensual Taurus, heralding July as a month of enjoyment, and the pleasures of the senses. Jupiter is in Aquarius until the end of July in opposition to Saturn, symbolizing the reorganization of leadership within communities. Jupiter is also closely conjunct Neptune until the end of July, signifying altruism, rooted in an ideologically based compassion. In general, people may want to escape during this time, into imaginative technological spaces like the movies and the internet. Saturn is finishing his tour of the sign of Leo. From now until September 10 is a time for mandatory self-actualization. With the economic changes we are facing as a nation and across the globe, we are witnessing a fundamental shift in the social construct of "career." Many are having to adjust to job loss, and financial insecurity. If this hasn't affected you personally, it is likely that someone close to you has been affected. Notice what doesn't change, even when everything around you does. Coming from this place of what doesn't change - this is one way to look at enlightenment.

"Eternity" by William Blake He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity's sun rise

September 2008

Sword of Discernment Conversations with the Moon The full moon of September takes place on Monday, September 15 at 2:14am Pacific Time, in the vedic lunar sign of Purva Bhadrapada. One of the symbols for the human experience described by this part of the sky, is a sword. And boy is it double-edged. In this lunar cycle of 28 days, there may be more fascination than usual with the dark side of life, and a yogi would employ this destructive energy against his own negativities. The Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri is often depicted with his sword of discrimination. He is a shining exemplar of using an uncompromising fierceness to cut through illusion. Any efforts to purify the body and mind during this lunar cycle, will be beneficial. For instance, just after this full moon is a great time to begin a seasonal fast. Contemplating the notion of "sacrifice" will bear fruit during this lunar cycle. In vedic culture, yagnas or fire ceremonies are routinely performed to "purify" the atmosphere through chanting and offering symbolic sacrifices to the fire. Devote some time in this lunar cycle to sacrificing mental negativities into the "fire" of your conscious awareness - notice malice, greed, envy and other bugaboos as they come up, and consciously practice not acting on them while they dance around on the inner screen for awhile, before losing interest when they don't get your attention and dissolving. Write this day into your calendar: Monday, September 29, 1:13am Pacific Time - the New Moon in Hasta. This new moon, we'll all have a chance to lend a helping hand, one of the key activities associated with the lunar sign of Hasta. It's also a great time for crafts, and developing skills that you use your hands for, such as carving wood, making a pie crust from scratch, or playing piano.

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons September 15-27 is a time named Pitru Paksha, in the vedic tradition. It's a time to honor our ancestors, and all those whose efforts have made our path in this life possible, on this earth plane. Their assistance to us is very tangible, as is our goodwill toward them. The Sun moves into vedic Virgo on Wed. 9/17, bringing a slightly quieter settling into autumn as contrasted with the past month of boisterous Leo activity. Venus moves out of dry, analytical Virgo and into fluffy and socially creamy Libra on Sat. 9/20. We're much more harmony-seeking, diplomatic and socially sensitive than this past month of "frank talk" in our relationships. Mars joins Venus in Libra on Fri. 9/26. Flirtation, style, and hipness, come more easily to everyone. We may experience both more inspiring company and more subtle competition amongst friends than usual. Write this into your calendar: Mercury is retrograde in Virgo from Wed. 9/24 - Wed. 10/15: A time to edit, revisit, rework, refine. Expect to niggle over the details. Avoid signing contracts, making announcements, rolling out big projects, until all the i's are dotted, and t's are crossed. November's Presidential Election promises to be a dramatic time, with Saturn opposing Uranus on Tues. Nov 4, (revolutionary uprisings) and Venus conjoining Pluto in Sagittarius on Wed. Nov 12 (the upper hand being wielded by the religious right).

Have you heard the story of Milarepa? Milarepa's story is extraordinary. He is one of the most beloved Tibetan Buddhist saints. He was born in the village of Kya, Ngatsa in Tibet to a prosperous family, circa 1052. Upon his father's death, Milarepa's uncle and aunt took all of the family's wealth and subjected Milarepa, his sister and mother to servitude and humiliation. Influenced by his mother's burning desire for revenge, Milarepa left home to study black magic to use against his uncle and aunt. During a party held by the uncle and aunt to celebrate the upcoming marriage of their son, Milarepa took his revenge by summoning a giant scorpion to demolish their house, killing 35 people. The remaining villagers banded together and set off to hunt Milarepa down, but his mother got word to him and he sent a hailstorm to destroy their crops. Knowing in his heart that his actions were wrong, Milarepa began desperately seeking redemption. He set out to find a lama who could help him atone for his actions and attain enlightenment in one lifetime, and came upon Marpa the translator. Marpa saw Milarepa's greatness and also saw his heavy karmic debts. Marpa was cruel and harsh to Milarepa, to help him with his goal of enlightenment. Before Marpa would teach Milarepa he had him build and rebuild a tower, three times. Marpa constantly beat Milarepa, derided him, humiliated him in front of his other students, and refused to teach him the Dharma. Marpa's wife took pity on Milarepa and forged a letter of introduction to another teacher, Lama Ngogdun Chudor. Mila began practicing meditation under the new teacher but could make no progress. Milarepa finally confessed to the lama about the forged letter and the lama said that no spiritual growth could happen without the guru Marpa's approval. So Milarepa returned to Marpa. He then practiced with humility and diligence for twelve years under Marpa, and then attained enlightenment. At the age of forty-five, he went into a cave in the Himalayas, subjecting himself to extreme cold and hunger. As a result of all the austerities he had endured, he had various seemingly supernatural powers, and sometimes displayed these powers as he went wandering and teaching from village to village, becoming a legendary figure in Tibet. His story is an inspirational one around this particular full moon in Purva Bhadrapada. You can order the book, "The Life of Milarepa," translated from the Tibetan by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa, from Amazon.

September 2006

The Star of Hardcore Purification
Watching the Vedic Moon

The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse of September 2006
happens on Thursday, September 7, at 11:43am, in the lunar sign of Purva Bhadrapada.

A lunar and solar eclipse happen every 6 months. During the lunar eclipse, the Sun and the Moon line up with the earth directly in between them, causing the Moon to go through the Earth's shadow. This symbolically represents a time when human inner well-being is cut off from it's natural source of Light, provoking inner exploration into the very nature of being alive.

This Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse occuring in Purva Bhadrapada, whose "shakti" or power is to raise spiritual awareness, does this through austerity of some kind - elected, or imposed.

Therefore, this is a very powerful time for inner work, spiritual practice, and retreating/regrouping/reconnecting with your inner Being. Ironic that it occurs at the very beginning of a school year, when life takes many of us in a more active direction.

Purva Bhadrapada is no sissy lunar sign. It has a strong energy, capable of extremes. This is not a time for light and sweet Grace. It is a time for fierce Grace. (In the Hindu tradition, this lunar sign carries the energy of Rudra, a most "hardcore" form of Shiva.)

The chart for September 7 seems to show strong religious fanaticism, capable of violence - the hardcore self-study types among us, can notice in ourselves, any of these tendencies, no matter how subtle.


Planning & Scheduling
Living In Accord With The Seasons

The astrological landscape includes:

Mercury and Mars sharing the sign of Virgo during the middle of September (exact on Sat. Sept. 16), which can bring "hot", aggressive communications, debating facts, methods, and the mechanics of situations.

Saturn in exact opposition to Neptune from Aug. 29 - 31: This transit point is the first of three oppositions made by these two planets with very opposite energies. Where this transit occurs in your chart, will represent an area of life in which you may feel a little stretched by your own, inner, conflicting needs for right brain vs left brain approaches.

Full moon/Lunar Eclipse on September 7, New Moon/ Solar Eclipse on September 22.
The energy of eclipses is best understood in the metaphor of the light of the sun and moon being "overshadowed". Thus, these dates, (and the period between the two dates) is to be avoided for advancing your life's material affairs, and to be used for promoting your life's spiritual affairs.

Mercury goes retrograde from Oct. 29, 2006 until Nov. 17, 2006
Do while Mercury's retrograde:
reconnect with old friends
revisit older ideas
edit and review art projects, writing projects, photo albums
clean up your hard drive (back it up first!)
Avoid signing contracts, embarking on journeys, or scheduling yourself too tightly, until Mercury's direct. (Appointments tend to change, events have a higher chance of being canceled, information gets lost..)


Pluto: Dwarf Planet
Relegated to the Underworld by the IAU

On Thursday, Aug. 24, the IAU - International Astronomers' Union - demoted Pluto from planet status to dwarf-planet / trans-Neptunian object.

Pluto had been discovered in 1930 by Clyde William Tombaugh, an American astronomer in Flagstaff, Arizona.

For vedic astrologers, this poses no problem, as the only "grahas" (literally, seizers) considered in natal horoscopy, are the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. (The two shadow planets Rahu and Ketu are ecliptic points, which are not actual celestial bodies but are seen as important indicators in a horoscope.)

For the western astrological community, this poses a bit more of an issue. But still, western astrologers have been also using the "asteroids", as they are called in western astrology, bodies such as Ceres, Juno, Vesta, Lilith, and even a body known as Chiron, (a satellite of Pluto) in it's interpretations.

It is doubtful that Pluto's demotion will affect the actual practice of western astrology very much. It may, however, affect astrological textbooks.


Planets
(author unknown)

Here are nine planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
These are the planets near our star.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, too.
Neptune, Pluto, we can't see you.
These are the nine planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.