January 2010

Nurturing Creativity :::Conversations with the Moon::: The full moon of January takes place on Friday, January 29th, at 10:18pm Pacific Time. This full moon occurs in the lunar sign of Pushya which is known for its nurturing energy. Since a Mars/Venus opposition occurs conjunct the Sun and Moon during this full moon, moving forward through creative inspiration is more likely than moving forward as a result of meticulous planning. Check out this inspiring 19 minute video of Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert talking about nurturing creativity. Write this day/time into your calendar: Saturday, February 13, 2010, at 6:53pm Pacific Time. This new moon occurs in the lunar sign of Dhanishta, getting us to examine the nature of Time. This new moon's conjunction with Neptune insures that we collectively feel deeply attuned to one another. We become more and more interested in collectively relieving suffering. We become attuned to the power of collective effort.

Planning & Scheduling :::Living in Accord with the Seasons::: Venus moves into the sign of Aquarius on February 7th, achieving a momentary conjunction with Neptune. Valentine's Day feelings of romance may express themselves through uniquely digital age sentiment. Teens especially may find themselves texting their flirtations! Jupiter and Venus both travel close together around February 17th and 18th, in the sign of Aquarius. Traveling in the general vicinity of Neptune as well, these two planets heighten our awareness of the idea that whatever affects any of us affects all of us. The internet and technology in general, may actually be assisting us in this awareness. (The Jupiter Neptune conjunction brought large-scale humanitarian efforts such as donations benefiting earthquake survivors in Haiti - many given over the internet.) 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 also stays retrograde until mid-March. In competitive areas of life, this placement of Mars may incline us toward playing an offensive, rather than a defensive game. Cultivate the balance of these forces as you go about achieving your dreams. This placement of Mars does not bode well for the real estate market. It is likely to create a general sense of insecurity in U.S. domestic affairs. Transiting Jupiter will conjoin the U.S. natal Moon from Jan. 23-26, which will likely coincide with the president's State of the Union address, promoting a general sense of hope and optimism. Saturn and Pluto have been dancing a tense little tango (forming a square aspect) since late October, and continue in this position until the end of February. No matter what good intentions exist behind reforming health care, reforming egregious banking/finance offenses, and creating jobs, powerful agents of change are already on the United States' doorstep. It is unlikely that governmental solutions will solve existing problems. Completely out of the box solutions will be needed. Social unrest brews. By the end of February five planets will be in the sign of Aquarius - Sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune. This should bring interest from many sectors to the notion of "progress." Arguments for globalization may be made on this basis - a basis of unifying the earth's peoples.

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

Eclipses of August 2008

We're coming up on the second set of eclipses of the year 2008. In vedic astrology, eclipses are primarily useful for predicting world affairs. But even for individuals (especially if important points in your own chart reside where the eclipse is occurring,) eclipses can show areas in the "Garden of Life" scheduled for a "winter" .

It's wise to do a skillful "prune" of the areas of life triggered by the eclipse, and get rid of excesses and simplify voluntarily. In general, an inward, meditative, spiritual focus around eclipses, is in alignment with natural cycles.

Total Solar Eclipse on Friday, August 1, 2008, at 3:13am, Pacific Time
The effects of the solar eclipse will have to do with its occurrence in the lunar constellation called Pushya. On a global scale, issues around nourishment may be in the limelight over these next six months. The housing market will of course, stay in the news, but you didn't need an astrologer to tell you that! Another area of focus may be the health of the land itself (especially land used for agriculture.)
So why not double your effort to buy organic, buy local, and even grow your own if you can. Pay attention to your diet and your digestion/ absorption of nutrients.

And if you're so inclined, the day of this eclipse is a great day to perform a fast, as a spiritual practice. Meditation and contemplation will be fruitful on that day. Avoid initiating major projects until at least the 22nd of August, if you can.
This solar eclipse won't be visible from the U.S.

Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 16, 2008 at 2:16 am, Pacific Time
This lunar eclipse takes place in the lunar constellation of Dhanishta, whose natural behavior is to produce wealth and fame. The lunar eclipse in this sign asks us to look within for the true essence of prosperity and for our own true shine of character.
We won't be able to see this lunar eclipse. Remember that incredible visual spectacle of this past February's lunar eclipse? Stay tuned - next visible total lunar eclipse coming up in Dec. 2010.

July 2008

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons On July 24, the Sun moves into vedic Cancer, (joined by Venus until Aug. 1,) stimulating a focus on the home environment and our domestic family scene. The Sun is sharing this sign with his eclipse point, Ketu, showing lessons for all of us around detachment in the Cancer realms - home and family. This need for detachment might be particularly acute, on Sun./Mon. Aug. 10/11, when the conjunction is exact. Venus experiences an exact conjunction to Ketu on Thur., July 24, bringing in an air of detachment to our love relationships. Watch out for interpreting this as dissatisfaction. Consider the possibility of being present inside a relationship, without either clinging or checking out. Mars and Saturn continue their transiting conjunction in the sign of Leo until August 9, signifying a strengthening of self-esteem through accomplishment and clear personal goals. On Aug. 2, Venus joins Mars and Saturn in Leo, and on Aug. 8, Mercury joins them all, making a spicy, creative jumbalaya. Artists, actors, performers, may all find Aug. 2 - Aug. 25 to be a prolific, or productive period. The conjunction of Venus with Saturn is exact on Aug. 14; expect to mix the energies of joy/ art/ love with responsibility/ diligence/ manifestation. You may find someone you love needing your assistance, for instance. Or you may find yourself carving out time in your schedule to follow your Muse. Mars transitions into vedic Virgo on Aug. 9, bringing some cool, rational assessments and strategies into the mounting boil of interactions. Strong, retrograde Jupiter continues to pass through vedic Sagittarius for roughly 4 months, symbolizing the internal review of our own judgments, codes of conduct, and man-made as well as natural law. Seeing that all these are based in thought, there is the ability for 'Law' to shift (especially while Mercury is opposite Jupiter in flexible Gemini, until Jul 23.)

Triumph of Light Over Darkness Conversations with the Moon This month we witness the brightest full moon of the year, taking place on Friday July 18, at 1:00am PDT, in the vedic lunar sign of Uttara Ashadha. A full moon is sort of like a revolving spotlight. Something in the collective unconscious of all life on earth gets "featured." This month, the spotlight is on the inevitable Triumph of Light over Darkness. Don't we usually think of fighting Darkness "out there," in the government, in the world, on the streets? After all, isn't that the central theme to most great stories of the past? Yet something about this time on planet earth seems to be urging us to look at the triumph of Light over Darkness, within. What does it mean, for Light to triumph over Dark? The ancient sages knew that we as humans, tend to understand things first in a very literal way, and then, gradually, we are illumined in subtler and subtler ways. So stories of Goodness and Virtue triumphing over Cruelty and Selfishness abound. But there's a deeper level to this. Consider Light to be a metaphor for Consciousness, that ground-level awareness that is the same in all of us. And consider Darkness to be a metaphor for suffering, which the sages tell us is caused by identification with thought, which creates the impression of separateness - the core of suffering. The triumph of Light over Darkness would then represent the inevitability of all Life to return to its source, whether at death, or sooner. Just like the inevitability of sunrise. Write this day into your calendar: Friday, August 1 - the New Moon in Pushya. The New Moon is a time when all of nature takes an exhale from "Doing" and naturally returns to "Being." It is a time when the absence of outer aid throws us back on ourselves to discover these qualities inherent in ourselves: warmth, support, contentedness; connection with all of Life.

"I don't 'have' a Life; I 'am' Life" an excerpt from "A New Earth," by Eckhart Tolle If there is such a thing as "my life," it follows that I and life are two separate things, and so I can also lose my life, my imaginary treasured possession. Death becomes a seeming reality and a threat. Words and concepts split life into separate segments that have no reality in themselves. We could even say that the notion "my life" is the original delusion of separeteness, the source of ego. If I and life are two, if I am separate from life, then I am separate from all things, all beings, all people. But how could I be separate from life? What "I" could there be apart from life, apart from Being? It is utterly impossible. So there is no such thing as "My life," and I don't 'have' a life. I 'am' life. I and life are one. It cannot be otherwise.

January 2008

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons Mars continues to retrograde (seemingly move backwards in his orbit) in Gemini until January 30th. Some labor intensive course corrections may occur in this upcoming week, and the month of February will bring new forward movement on key projects. At the same time, Venus finishes her conjunction to Pluto, on Friday, Jan. 25. This may bring an exposé of overconfident value judgments. (i.e. world financial markets responding to fear of a US recession.) In your personal life, this may be experienced more as having an experience that shows you where your blind belief in a doctrine or a friendship or an enjoyment, has betrayed you, and letting go of blind faith. Also, this transit teaches us the "letting go" part of forgiveness. Jupiter in Sag continues his opposition by sign, to Mars in Gemini through the end of April, bringing abundant energy for new ideas. This period might bring balance between your many interests, and a healthy tension between developing competency in many things at once versus tying them all together. Mars regroups after his opposition with Pluto earlier in January, and comes back around to finish the face-off in the beginning of March. This transit teaches us about our anger. It show us: how to pick our battles, skillful means in fulfilling our life's passions, and the alchemy of turning anger into energy. Saturn continues to retrograde through Leo, grabbing the hands of time and ushering us through our Leo life lessons (a.k.a. self actualization curriculum). Find creative outlets for self expression and commit to doing things that bring you joy so as not to create dis-ease from too much care-taking. Mercury is conjunct Neptune on Thurs. 1/24 - vague communications, constantly changing variables, compassionate thinking, poetry. Mercury goes retrograde from Monday, Jan. 28, and resumes direct motion on Tuesday, Feb. 19 - this is one you'll want to make note of in your calendar. This is a good time for reviewing, editing, revising, and otherwise examining things with a fine tooth comb. It's also great for reconnecting with old friends. It's not the best time for travel, signing contracts, or having communications that need to stick. If you have these things planned already, just know you might need an extra dose of patience.

Tribe Dharma Conversations with the Moon There's a full moon early in the morning on Tuesday, January 22, at 5:36am Pacific Time, in the lunar sign of Pushya. There may be a dawning appreciation of our 'tribe' this full moon, and the role we each play in that tribe. Knowing our role - our dharma - within that tribe leads to being honored for the gifts we each individually offer. The full moon in Pushya is offering us contentment, nourishment, connection, and support. There is a lot of assistance available during this full moon from unseen agencies, for us each to come into our own fullest expression, and align with those of like vibration. There is greater access to wisdom during this particular full moon - the wisdom and character that come from giving yourself fully and to this human experience. "And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father." ~Black Elk

an excerpt from 'Parthenon' by Pablo Neruda The sea there was an extended secret. The Parthenon was the first ship, ship of light with a pristine prow, navigating the marine rectangle, scattering fables and honey. The universe assumed its whiteness. When they abandoned it, again terror spread, and darkness. Man went back to a life of cruelty. It stayed there empty, pure and uninhabited, the delicate ship, shining and forgotten, remote in its structure, cold as if dead. But that wasn't true. It was alive, house, ship, prow, the center and heart of matter. There was nothing soft about the lines or severity of its beauty because it endured. In rain, in war, anger or oblivion, its obligation was to endure. And time does not respect the smile. Its obligation was to be, to last. It was a lesson, the stone, It was reason, the erected light. And man would come back, man, without his temporary gods, would come back. Order is the soul's eternity and the soul would come back to live in the body it created. I am sure of the motionless stone, but I know the wind. Order is just a creature. It grows and the building comes back to life. At one time or another, the fire goes out, but love returns to its dwelling place.