Author: anna

Anna is available for consultation that promotes clarity and grace of Being--illuminating the pathless path wherein we recognize our true nature, never changing, is here right now -- 'that' -- simple truth.

Enchantment

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“We must go in search of enchantment.” ~Rene Magritte, artist 1898-1967

Summer arrives officially in a few days, the 21st of June, the sun rises in Cancer. Summer is the season of optimism and enthusiasm that perhaps more often than not reminds us of those few months of freedom during childhood. No school. Run wild, run free! Joy to play, explore, so many things to discover!

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~Albert Camus

Enchantment was a fairly common occurrence, the memories of which remain solidly rooted within us. Think of one childhood experience that affected you almost beyond words and that moment remains so touching even now. Lying in a field filled with tiny wildflowers and tall grasses gazing at the clouds as they shapeshift their way to destinations unknown. Time ceases. A sense of immortality; the endless flow of life and the eternal essence that pervades all things. ‘I’, am the cloud, a molecule peacefully unfolding over and over again.

Summer! Everything multiplies-hours of daylight (summer solstice is the longest day of the year), flora and fauna, the time we spend outdoors, our courage to know the unknown. We are tempted by the deep recesses of a forest, hidden trails leading to distant mountain peaks. We see our own nature magnificently displayed before us as we move through the visible and are quietly met by the invisible; that which speaks to us of deeper meaning.

“Everything that is visible hides something that is invisible.” ~Rene Magritte

As children the power of the imagination creates a world where everything is possible. As adults we tend to lose the sense of the unlimited based upon conditions we inherit. The child within may temporarily lay dormant but is easily awakened when we are reminded of the enchantment of our early years, the joy and delight of youth.

No matter how far technology takes us it takes only a few moments to return to the simplicity of a deeper truth; that in which as children, we seem to have absolute faith. We revisit this each time we step into a natural setting. Among the trees we are transported through the stillness to a moment of realization—‘life’ is this in it’s entirety. The smells, sounds, the feeling of comfort and belonging give peace. That knowing allows us a deep sigh of relief. There is no effort in simply being.

Nature does not effort. It is unfolding with grace. Humans need not effort. We are nature unfolding with grace. The cycle of falling and rising is endless as ‘life’ continues.

“Trees refuse defeat, growing back again, rooted in timelessness. They are grounded in the dark, while in their spiraling arrangements of leaves and branches, they aspire toward the light.” ~The Autumn Trees by John Hay from Old Growth (Orion)

We see ourselves in the trees. Human nature is no different than any part of nature. It grows, flourishes, perishes and begins again-and again.

In Summer we revel in the light. We see and are seen. We receive and are nourished. We are revitalized. Batteries recharged having been given so much, we give in return. Happiness and well being are shared. The exuberant generosity of the child is everywhere.

During this New Moon in late Gemini there is just one major aspect to the sun/moon, a square from Neptune in Pisces. It speaks rather loudly of a chance to communicate what lies within. Gemini communication and Pisces from the soul.

Gemini and Pisces are both mutable signs and as such naturally go with the flow. Whether that flow is moving through heaps of information or travelling through the deep emotional and psychic realms to which Pisces is privy. From the depths of our soul work, out and into the light. Gemini has the ability to disperse findings and to make the invisible (the world of Pisces) visible.

In the last ten degrees of Gemini the co-ruler (along with Mercury) is Uranus, the higher octave of Mercury. Any planets you may have in these degrees of Gemini, 20-30 will be motivated through the planet of revolution for evolution; the planet of freedom and expanded consciousness. There is a vision here that focuses on ‘the big picture’. Community rather than individuality.

We combine this with the meaning of Neptune in the last degrees of Pisces that is co-ruled by Pluto the planet of elimination, transformation and transcendence and we have an energy that promotes revealing the path to an enlightened living. Though we sense this all around us what we sense is pre-empted by what we think. Uranus reminds us that what we think is highly suspect considering its origins in the past. Uranus promotes the eradication of conditioning.

Pluto has just now moved back into Capricorn from Aquarius. After giving us an introduction into Plutonian power in the sign of the rebel we now take a step back to clean out what doesn’t provide us with the freedom to move with these intense times of change. We have until early 2024 in which to accomplish this goal. Now more than ever we have the evidence we need to succeed with goals that have previously been unattainable due to stubborn resistance.

Not to forget that this energy combined with a new moon gives us the chance to firmly establish our intention for whatever short term or long term goals we may have. Our goals, reflect our desires and each desire satisfied, naturally leads us to the next. Eventually we may find that our desires have been eliminated. We are free then, to abide without effort.

One more feature of this New Moon—Saturn goes retrograde at 7 degrees Pisces returns to 0 degrees Pisces and goes direct on November 4. This points us in the direction of reflecting upon taking responsibility for the relationship we have to disillusionment, the illusion and our expectations. There is a continuation of the maturing process that positively affects our relationship to this planet and to each other. It looks like this summer will include a dose of work. In this we may discover enchantment also as we bathe in the light of this time.

“My soul can find no staircase to heaven unless it be through Earth’s loveliness.” ~Michelangelo

This New Moon, the Omega

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“Transmission is the moment when communication becomes communion and information opens into the possibility of transformation.” ~Forward to Roaring Silence, Traktung Rinpoche Dorje

Transmission is ongoing from morning ‘til night. Every moment, every day. Transmission can be felt in a moment of stillness when the body/mind comes to rest. Transmission occurs between enlightened master and student when for example, words cease. This is a moment when the real part of us is recognized. Words drift off and silence rides a wave that washes over our hearts and obliterates thoughts.

Any moment in which we stop, without any agenda, we may notice awareness. We notice in the stillness an all pervasiveness. Somehow we know this is not generated by the mind. This is prior to mind. The mind is hushed by the unfathomableness of this. We know and yet we do not. We have received the transmission, the frequency that ‘tunes’ us to what is beyond our apparent reality. Our apparent reality is a conditioned response to what occurs in our lives. We are therefore bound by a set of actions and reactions rather than having the freedom to simply experience. Great joy is knowing the freedom of an unconditioned existence.

“Joy knows itself. As children we didn’t even know the word joy, we were joy.” ~Francis Lucille, The Perfume of Silence

These 30 days, from the new moon in March until this new moon in April has been a time of accentuated adjustment. The new moon in March was at 0 degrees Aries, the beginning, and the April New Moon is at 29 degrees Aries, the ending. During the alpha and omega of the sign of the warrior we have been called upon to venture into new territory, to successfully navigate new ways of relating to life in all of its facets. Fortunately Aries is adept at this very task.

In this short time the warrior has assessed any limitations to progress (the progress being designed for our ultimate well-being) and has continued on with determination and resolve. There is no giving in or giving up! Abiding with resistance is intolerable. It causes stasis that creates a most uncomfortable tension within.

In March, Pluto, the ultimate destructive force, the precursor for re-building and transformation, was in a workable sextile to the Sun/Moon; a nudge to let go and move on. With Neptune conjunct the Sun/Moon, we were encouraged to dream beyond what is our familiar. In April, Pluto forms an out of sign square to Sun/Moon. We cannot ignore this combination of energy that annihilates in order to see our dreams realized. This New moon, Jupiter is conjunct Sun/Moon—bigger, more courageous, more daring, stronger. Rising of the impenetrable Self. The Self that is beyond question and remains even when all else is swept away. Aries is ‘I seek Self’.

We can, if inclined, take a last look at our current landscape knowing that we soon are relieved of this perspective–the lowlands, the ruins produced by old social, religious, cultural conditioning. From the same ground we gain a new perspective.

“There is no freedom at the level of the body-mind. There is absolute freedom at the level of consciousness. That which is perceived is not free. That which perceives is freedom itself.”~Francis Lucille, The Perfume of Silence

Even million year old footprints are washed away by the ferocity of the oceans as they erode the land upon which we exist. In Happisburgh, Norfolk, UK such footprints were recently discovered by a scientist from the British Museum, only to be lost to the encroaching sea a couple of weeks later.

As a result of the shifting landscape so much is being uncovered now that has lain hidden for millennia. We are seeing the beginnings even as we are observing the endings. Like the Alpha and the Omega, quotation marks around an empty sentence, between the beginning and the end has there been anything real?

“I am without beginning or end but all things begin and end in Me.” ~Rupert Spira,

If we feel into this question, and observe the impermanent nature of all things we know, does it not give us greater verve as we can continually create on an empty canvas? All things that precede anything have no reality including what I want to create now. It will all cease to exist at some point. It is not about the creation however but about what I want. I build this life based upon what I want. When the wanting has finally been satisfied (perhaps not in this lifetime) my direction becomes focused upon the very simple, peaceful being—a selfless being.

These two new moons at 0 degrees and 29 degrees are quotation marks around everything and nothing.

Everything that has been experienced during these 30 days across the globe contains all of the elements that have ever occurred. This can all be wiped away by a strong gust or a powerful wave. The quotation marks left hanging in the air, empty of meaning.

The 29th degree in astrology is called the anaretic degree. It is considered to be the point of karmic completion. It refers to ‘old souls’ and represents the ending of a cycle and is considered the degree of ‘faith’. Overcoming obstacles is an endeavor that we now realize happens based on our knowing rather than thinking. We are released from having to figure it out. With the 29th degree we have the gift of self-reflection that aids us in attaining higher awareness. ~reference, astrology.com

Bearing this in mind we can seewhat a powerful time we are in; to rely upon our vision, intuitive knowing and the empowering force that drives and motivates us all. Aries the Warrior as divine spirit leads us on a journey to conscious communion having transcended the limitations we experience due to adherence to a phenomenal perspective. The vista is wide open now for further exploration.

“Enlightenment is nothing more than the complete absence of resistance to what is. End of story.”
~Adyashanti, Emptiness Dancing

Wild, Being

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“When we quit thinking primarily about our selves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” ~Joseph Campbell

In our journey to ‘the mountain top’, to the illumined plane of crystal clarity and stillness we will not succeed by neglecting any aspect of the experience. Whatever we deny follows us, we are the ancient mariner bearing a burden of our own creation much to our detriment. We’ve been carrying our burdens for centuries. Ignoring them achieves very little.

The journey from the weight of oppressive conditioning to the pristine landscape of Being, the plateau of observation without judgment, of accepting what is, presents itself in several stages. Each one we rise to in our own good time, when we are ready. There is therefore, nothing to fear. Our guide on this journey has infinite and eternal wisdom. It is with us all the time but the mind prefers to perpetuate the notion of its dominance.

(On this journey everyone is unique although we have a collective desire. Nothing is written in stone and most importantly everything is based on experience through the lens of the experiencer.)

There isn’t any particular order related to one’s journey. Everything happens simultaneously and a good deal occurs of which we are often initially ignorant.

There is a desire to rise above, to see without the tainted view. This pre-exists, smolders in some and is a roaring fire in others. They say, this is based upon the degree to which we have performed repeatedly our actions here—earth the school for learning. Of course it makes sense! Or, its the best story we have! In a nutshell, there is ever present energy that is all things moving everything in like manner. We embellish upon this to our heart’s desire. Whatever it takes to help us navigate the severe turbulence en route to the stillness.

Briefly, our story may look something like: a. the desire b. awareness of more (such as feeling the inter-connectedness of self with nature/cosmos) c. experiencing connection with ‘more’ while healing emotional trauma–healing begins to release old patterns of behaviour–lightens the load and frees one to realize the clarity that pre-exists conditioning.

Essentially, we work our way through our inherited tendencies and can take a deep breath into possibility. The possibility of knowing ‘thyself’ as infinite potential, not the body/mind. The benefit of becoming conscious of the road we navigate is to actively participate with our awakening. We can tend to resist less and surge ahead courageously. Obstacles shrink and the intensity of arising emotional content becomes more bearable..

In David Abram’s book, The Spell of the Sensuous he talks about the decline of humanity’s ability to know this pre-existent energy that is everything. He illuminates for us the importance of regaining our connection to ‘nature’ on our way to embracing so much technology as technology is human-based, while our energy is eternal source.

It is often said that the human mind is an aspect of source and cannot understand the nature of source. As such, and according to Einstein our solutions cannot come from that which is based upon past experience or the human experience. Magic, is how we refer to occurrences beyond human endeavour and it is magic we revere as miracle maker.

“Without such wild otherness (Abram refers to all the evidence in nature of the pre-existant energy e.g. “the complex intelligence of an old growth forest dank with mushrooms and bracket fungi”) there is no magic.”

It may not be enough to deeply appreciate wild otherness but to know it as ‘my self’. That realization is part of the unfolding of consciousness that occurs as we accept and move deeper. The word ‘otherness’ then, actually disappears. The notion of a separate identity dissipates along with our frequency of taking things personally that is one source of so much suffering.

This New Moon at 1 degree of Capricorn provides a window of opportunity to consolidate our thoughts toward a single focus. We accomplish one step at a time without distraction. What do I envision for the New Year?

As Jupiter has just switched signs from Pisces into Aries and squares Sun/Moon, the prevailing energy pushes for progress. Jupiter represents our wisdom, our faith, growth/expansion and optimism. Jupiter is the Guru, the higher attributes of mind that uplift the soul.

Capricorn is the practical idealist and has the determination to surmount all obstacles en route to the peak of experience. They have the power to manifest based on their use of the resources available and their understanding of the underlying structure necessary for achievement. There are rules to follow that lead one to the effortless expression of Being here.

With Saturn as the director of Capricorn, we will learn our lessons in order to escape the confines that lessons and rules establish for us.

“It (Saturn) is solely committed to educating us…and pushing us to become the most mature versions of our selves…” ~Subham Dhanawat, Bodhi.app

When we are aware of what lies on the other side of our education we approach it with enthusiasm. Jupiter in the first sign of Aries is all about enthusiasm and a can do attitude. This is a moment to stand tall, confident that we create our reality and our potential to do so is limitless. It is knowing self as creator that gives one ultimate freedom and profound confidence.

As a collective, the energy of this New Moon launches us into a vital experience of knowing the ease and grace with which we manifest our vision. Mercury the planet of communication and how we think sextiles (60 degree aspect that presents a challenge yet provides a flow of energy that is helpful in successfully meeting the challenge) Neptune, embodying ‘spirit’, idealism and sometimes downright fantasy. This combination could result in dreams that apparently go nowhere. Dreaming is great! Having an additional means of bringing dreams into physical reality is optimal.

In this New Moon chart, Saturn the planet most invested in practical application is positioned at the mid-point of the Mercury/Neptune sextile. It intercepts the dream and urges one to focus on results. Mercury in Capricorn is also highly result oriented. Neptune in Pisces says, ‘there are no limits’.

Another characteristic associated with Capricorn is reverence; the appreciation for recognizing the underpinnings that support human endeavour. Reverence for the magic and how everything unfolds with perfection. Knowing this increases the success with which one handles all the various details of daily existence.

It may not surprise us to be called to involve one self with any expression that allows for a connection with these underpinnings. It is a strong and intentional way of launching one self into the new experience.

There are numerous forms of ritual one can perform that serve this purpose from the simplicity of lighting a candle, blessing our experience and asking that ‘I be open to receiving the plenitude that is my nature’, to the more complex shamanic practice of sweat lodge, calling in the four directions and aligning with spirit animal totems to connect us to our roots.

Prayer is a sublime meditation that also helps us connect to source. There is a reverence in prayer that can instantly cross the veil. We are not necessarily referring to prayer that is a plea for something. It is prayer that simply intends to align with higher consciousness. I like what Hippocrates offers as a little bit of advice about prayer.

“Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the Gods a man should himself lend a hand.” ~Hippocrates

In other words going into prayer without the expectation of receiving any thing other than a deeper sense of peace. And we till the ground for such to occur.

And truly, it is good to remember that the source of all creation is right here in this one, in this moment.

We pray with faith, knowing this.

During the week I chatted with a young woman from eastern Europe as I was waiting for my tea. She shared with me, ‘A saying from my country, if you want to go down the slide, be sure to bring the slide.’ Simply a reminder of the aforementioned. Our reality is in our own hands. This knowledge is uplifting and empowering! The very way we are determined to greet this New Year!

“Don’t let the lure of the dramatic arc distract you from the digressive amplitude of being alive.” ~Galen Strawson Daily Good 12.1

Enthusiasm

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In this moment ENTHUSIASM inhabits
these bits of now.
I enjoy this!
White caps, wind!
Gulls swept away by turbulence.
Trees, gleeful I imagine,
as they dance.
The wildness, when nature speaks
with enthusiasm is I!
Never not, never ventured
even a centimetre away 
from this truth.
I know it, you know it!
Just stand and watch the waves
return to the shore.

When…

annaLeave a comment 
When,
was the ocean not or the moon?
the wind that circles here
and upon which our deep memories glide.
Ridges rise up from the sea, seem to float as 
they gather mist at dusk, at dawn. Their roots
hidden from view. 

We, 
fantasize of some mythic origin
and mythic beasts that
exist only in memory. Shift my gaze--
when was the sky not or the horizon line
that bisects above and below yet deeper than I see.
Yes, when was that not, when was I not.

We are ‘a work of art’

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New moon March 2022

“I think of a great work of art as like a moon shining in the night sky: it illuminates the world, yet its light is not its own but borrowed from the hidden sun of the absolute.” ~The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

This passage went straight to my heart. For awhile I didn’t know why. Didn’t think why. But on a stroll along Shoreline park, observing so many people with children, with dogs, all an interwoven and integral tapestry, and the ever present glow that emanates from such every day scenes, it seemed obvious that each and every one of us is the moon, a great work of art, and in the sharing we radiate that which cannot be hidden in spite of some of our unconscious efforts.

Light shines from the most painful occurrences. The seed that was planted somewhere along the timeline sprouts from the driest, most inhospitable circumstances. Everything we learn in the journey brings us closer to the realization that whatever ‘I’ accomplish, whatever light I share I share with you and you with me and every ‘thing’ that graces our world.

Great works of art soothe our souls, bring to mind human capacity for suffering; the depths to which our human emotional selves dive, linger and rise again. All radiate the beauty of being here. Though we whine and complain, churn up drama about circumstances in our lives, beneath it all, surrounding it all is the ever present knowing that this is not Truth but a reality conjured and repeated based on thoughts we have also been sharing for a very long time.

Everything here is shared. What feels quite like an individual experience is also a collective journey. The more we open to our selves and risk exposing our vulnerability to others the stronger we become. Alignment with the natural flowing universal ‘way’ engages us in pure Being that delights us beyond reason. This touches everything. The moon, with its capacity to enchant is merely a reflection of the light that underlies existence; from which all things unfold.

Theoretical Physicist David Bohm (1917-1982) “conceived a new scientific approach to reality based on an understanding of the totality and oneness of existence as an unbroken and seamless whole.” ~Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

What enlightened masters realized centuries ago has been given substantiation through scientific observation and analysis. In Unfolding Meaning, A Weekend of Dialogue with David Bohm he explains fully his theories that include ‘implicate order’ (enfolding universe) and ‘explicate order’ (unfolding order). Not enough room here to discuss. He does talk about holomovement (holo, Greek for whole) as “the basic reality, at least as far as we are able to go, and that all entities…are features of the holomovement…”

If we talk about wholeness and wish to bring astrology for this New Moon into the conversation then Pisces is the sign which best describes the seamless whole. Pisces New Moon at 12 degrees 7 minutes is an expression of the limitless, unbounded whole.

“Pisces is the soul, the ultimate mystical union with all, wordless sound, felt sense.” ~Cerena Childress, AstrologicalNow.com

Pisces New Moon with absence of light promotes seeking ‘answers’ from the light that is ever present, shines from within. The desire is to expand our capacity to radiate that automatically contributes to a pervasive ‘lightening’. Jupiter co-ruler of Pisces is at 14 degrees Pisces, conjunct the New Moon and a major player in the events that promote growth and utilization of wisdom. As circumstances appear to be devolving into greater chaos it is beneficial to also sense the deeper level of healing and maturation that occurs as a natural process of evolution.

The Sabian Symbol for this degree of Pisces is ‘a sword used in many battles is now in a museum.’ We have the potential to see the past displayed before us and make a collective choice to avoid repetition when it is clear that some of what has occurred in the past does not serve us.

Applying sound logic is one way of progressing based on facts rather than emotion and fiction. Saturn conjunct Mercury in Aquarius in this New Moon chart amplifies the powers of reason but can have a ruthless edge when considering collective good. Deleting individual priority in favour of what serves community may not please us. Clearly there is movement that is the result of centuries of activity contributed to by all of us that is an ongoing process, like an enormous juggernaut, that will not be stopped. Best to go with the flow.

A third exact conjunction in this chart is the Pluto, Mars, Venus aspect in Capricorn that points to the elimination of structure that supports an antiquated perspective of what we desire (Venus) and how we go about attaining that (Mars). There are many possibilities with this trio. The underlying energy though is one that seeks to continue the disintegration of dualistic notions that continue to create separation.

As we progress further from the Kali Yuga (the darkest time for human development) into the

Dwapara Yuga on way to the Golden Age, belief systems that do not serve the evolutionary ‘intent’ are naturally falling away. On an individual basis we are unaware of all that this entails. We can however become aware of this flow that is everything including me and you and intend to freely follow that flow.

A point for possible consideration, the exact square between Uranus and the asteroid Juno. Juno “embodied traditional ideas of monogamy and marriage.” ~Astrology.com This butting heads with Uranus the planet of revolution for evolution and taking into consideration the Pluto (destruction), Mars (yang) Venus (yin) conjunction speaks of a concentrated energy that pushes us to reconsider the basis of what defines us. Big stuff for these dynamic times! Nothing that ‘we’ are not ready for or cannot handle.

Black Moon January 31st 2022

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“When fabulous glistening fish leap into existence from nothingness, exploding the brilliant mirror surface of the lake, there are immediately three vital considerations: the still lake, the leaping fish and the awareness that is present in both.” ~from Roaring Silence by Ngakpa Chogyam & Khandro Dechen

No matter what is going on in our lives we can remember that it all arises from source/awareness. Everything leaps into existence from “that”. Makes one wonder, how can we have expectations that things be more, better or different? Can we really critique the infinite, eternal essence? That from which we continue to unfold, becoming clearer, less encumbered by the conditioning that began from a single thought such a long time ago.

Simply stated, when we have clarity there is only “that”. Our desire to, or ability to judge, question or analyze fades. We rest as Being—observation and knowing. Observing what appears on the screen of experience with little or no reaction and knowing that there is nothing to know and ‘I’ know nothing. The entire individual relaxes.

I unwind from the intricate web of confusion that has been my limitation. Suddenly my vision is panoramic, sweeps the surface of this existence and dives deeply into what is not defined in any way.

How surprising and how liberating! It isn’t necessary to describe the nature which is intrinsically ‘I’!

Less responsibility, more opening. And if I can describe it, that ‘it’, it is not.

We call upon the wisdom that resides within each of us to navigate this path to freedom. We are on auto pilot now. The car is driving itself without ‘my’ interference and will arrive faster if I give up control.

There is always what appears to be going on for an individual and there is at the same time the ever present flow of essence that is everything, moves everything. We all swim in that same sea. Whatever touches me, touches you. The vision that many many share at this time features abidance with what supports this vision and life with less suffering. As water levels rise so our emotional wisdom does exceed selfish myopic, tendencies. We all rise.

We have been talking about Uranus and its general influence during these last several months. It continues as we move through 2022. At this New Moon (12 degrees Aquarius) Uranus squares the dominants position from 10 degrees of Taurus. In Taurus, Uranus has shaken our foundations to the core requiring us to re-envision the structure which we have relied on for a sense of security. With little left to which to attach we are automatically driven to explore beyond what we know. No better time to look at Uranus’s influence than with New Moon, our monthly reset, in the sign of ‘the visionary’.

This New Moon is the second one of January on the west coast. We are able to reset our intentions with even greater resolve! Uranus went direct on January 18th after many months in retrograde. We can be sure that the forces for change will accelerate. The second New Moon (occurs once in two or three years) is called a black moon. Symbolically, do we dig a little deeper into our sense of values and what we most want to create? What are we most called to with the influence of Uranus?

Freedom! Freedom for all beings. Its a climb as we are all aware. Most of us have entered into the journey of healing our wounds and have experienced the multiple layers of ‘stuff’ that came in with the package. Is it never ending? We effort only as long as we feel there is a need to effort. It can be comforting to realize that it all happens quite organically and without my working at it. Liberation is attained when I no longer attach to thoughts that suggest, ‘There is more work to be done.’

The beauty of Uranus is the energy turned toward lightening the load (dissolution of old patterns and beliefs) and receiving the light of Truth that Uranus is known for. Uranus the ‘light bringer’. Uranus out with the old! Make way for the unknown.

“Enligthenment is possible at any moment. The intrinsic spaciousness of being is continually reminding us of enlightenment.” ~Roaring Silence

Individuals with vision have great faith and trust in the unknown. They are aware of spaciousness, of what is the more that we seek.

They are aware of that which is most evolutionary residing within this territory. This aspect, of faith and trust, is most frequently associated with the planet Jupiter which began this year at zero degrees Pisces. Jupiter + Pisces is indicative of expansive consciousness, the rise of spiritual perspective, deep sensitivity to the collective expression and plight. Dissolving of the warp and weft that has bound us to certain beliefs. No boundaries. Everything is possible and not needing to know the how or why of it.

When we have realized, as Richard Tarnas* puts it, “that there is a deeper principal of order at work in the world connecting inner and outer”, we are more apt to become excited about the journey knowing that whatever happens is orchestrated by that ‘principal’. There is an element of mystery involved (Pisces) that nurtures Jupiter’s optimism.

The conjunction takes place in early April at 23 degrees of Pisces. The previous conjunction of these two planets occurred in 2009 at 23 degrees of Aquarius. The difference? Aquarius is futurism while Pisces is spiritualism. A word for each that is highly selective from many words that can describe these planets. The selection is based on what one perceives as the evolutionary trajectory of this planet, Earth. As we move further out of the Kali Yuga (darkest period of experience) toward the Golden Age, awareness is our path.

This conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces is a point of ‘light’ that illuminates further our way on the journey. The last meeting in Pisces occurred in 1865—end of American Civil War, abolition of slavery. The year of 1865 was associated with the wood Ox. 2022 is the year of the water Tiger. We have just moved through the year of the Ox, of subservience, obedience compared to the Tiger…strong and independent.

Our task for 2022 is not in the doing or efforting to make something happen but to listen to the inner calling that will lead us without effort in a way that is in harmonious alignment with the abiding principal that is Life.

Please stay tuned as Jupiter will conjunct March’s New Moon in Pisces that gives us the opportunity to adjust mindset according to everything that happens in every magical moment. Why we take one step at a time. We really do not know what will be next.

*Richard Tarnas is the author of Cosmos and Psyche. There are a couple of videos in which he discusses his work. The above quote is from Part I of Cosmos and Psyche

2022: To Overcome

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January New Moon, New Year: Clarity!

“Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” ~Rumi

How simple and deeply profound. The words of Rumi bring peace to heart and mind. We struggle with trying to create balance when opposition exists. The mind is in a state of confusion when faced with this and that. We look for ways to reconcile that which is not in balance and harmony. We may not want to make a judgment and yet that may be what we end up doing when we think things exist in opposition.

Picture a field adorned perhaps with flowers and grasses that grow in abundance. The sky rises up endlessly from the horizon and is clear. We look up from our admiration of the floral carpet beneath our feet and become transfixed by seamless pale blue. The mind finds nothing to compare in this vast, unlimited vista. Within moments the individual is free from thinking in relative terms. That is our habit based on the nature of this duality within which we exist.

Stillness, peace in the absolute. The whole being can relax and know what it means when we are told,

“The Divine Mother takes care of everything. Why resist? Why worry?” We come to trust the quiet within that guides and informs us at all times. When we gaze at the endless sky nothing is out of place, nothing can be more, better or different. We have no expectations and so we rest.

A New Year, a water Tiger year (February 1st)! Tigers are fierce warriors and go it alone. They are the largest and most powerful of the cats. Known for agility (they can leap 26-32 ft.) and their ability to swim, tigers can tackle many obstacles successfully. There isn’t much that intimidates them. Tigers walk with supreme confidence.

This year will be markedly different than last year which was influenced by the metal Ox. Oxen are castrated bovine tat are docile and obedient. They are service animals that often work in pairs. Tigers are independent and solitary.

2022 will highlight our independent and fearless nature. We will have courage and wisdom to meet challenges and the confidence to follow through with our visions. We must listen deeply to our own intuition and to that which arises from our hearts. Fear resides in the mind, the heart is free to show patience, compassion and tolerance.

January is the month of Capricorn. We can give thanks for all the mountain goats who are patient and persistent as they pursue their goals with determination. Challenges are met with courage and a will to succeed! They will lead us higher as we seek to rise above any limiting circumstances. Capricorns are robust with an ability to resist illness. As focused as they are on work, they have no time to deal with sickness. Capricorn relates to structure, building and bringing together resources that successfully support any project.

With the New Moon in Capricorn we envision new structure that will support us on this journey as the old structure continues to crumble. Again we must take a look at the eccentric planet Uranus that invites us to rebel against control and limitation and to seek freedom. Uranus has been aspecting the New Moon since July of 2021 at which time it was quincunx or inconjunct (150 degree aspect) Sun/Moon. It’s influence is apparent in the upheaval that is taking place in the world environment. Uranus promotes change. It pushes, urges, pressures us to move beyond rules, regulations, boundaries that are suffocating us. We are not moving fast enough. Uranus promotes action without judgment. Change will occur! The Tower XIV of the major arcana exemplifies the energy of Uranus very well. Lightning strikes the tower and people fall from a height as the building collapses. This can happen suddenly so one needs to be prepared to give up whatever is limiting movement and not be too surprised if it is taken from us.

If we think again about the oppositional dynamic that we mentioned in the beginning of the article; there are those who have and those who have not. Now, it is true…this is as it is and has been, however the disparity between these two groups creates immense confusion, suffering and emotional discontent—unrest, not peace. We move in the direction of equality, balance and understanding that peace resides when the outer environment becomes a reflection of the inner environment or that which has been our true nature through eternity.

The Buddha-nature which is ours from the very beginning is like the sun which emerges from the clouds, or like a mirror which, when rubbed, regains its original purity and clarity. (217)” ~Edward Conze from Buddhist Scriptures

This is peace.

The New Moon in Capricorn at 12 degrees is almost mid-sign and in the second set of ten degrees or the second ‘decan’ ruled by Venus the ruler of the next earth sign, Taurus. This combination is hard work that does duty for the goddess of beauty and pleasure. Comfort has a lot to do with pleasure. We need to be comfortable before we can consider being pleased. Working towards a comfortable existence for the majority. That is the underlying objective with these astrological influences—Uranus, Capricorn, Venus and yet to be mentioned is Mercury in Aquarius the sign that is home to Uranus.

Mercury the messenger has just entered the sign of Aquarius, the voice of Reason, the voice of collective good, of that which serves an enlightened Life. We are challenged on an individual and a collective basis to embrace greater awareness and this we are doing! This is the time to reap the rewards for hard work accomplished in the past and utilize that powerful support system to gain ground in favour of enlightened society. This is the message of Mercury that is in Aquarius until the 27th of January when it retrogrades back into Capricorn.

Two steps forward, one step back! Cleaning up loose ends…break down, sweep out.

As Venus rules the Capricorn decan for this New Moon we also examine the position of this planet to see further into the vibration presented to us at this time. Goddess of Love conjuncts Pluto, God of the underworld. The motion is retrograde as of December 19th. We can be sure that there is some deep and unconscious revelation going on in terms of what values feel authentic and those that are simply arising from a place of relative desire. Not to dismiss those desires completely but to think a little about their origin and how might this serve me/us or not.

On January 6th Venus will exactly sextile (60 degree aspect-some ease) Neptune, planet of spiritual realization and hence also associated with illusion, fantasy and myth as many people may not clearly understand this aspect of human capacity—expressing Truth/Spirit in physical reality. We may waver between ‘knowing’ and ‘not knowing’. Perhaps wanting to create our perfect world but not quite realizing how to accomplish this. We are a work in progress! Perpetual change and motion! Just don’t stop, don’t resist. The machine is gaining speed (the Earth is actually speeding up its rotation, great article on https://earthdata.nasa.gov by Jane Beitler on this subject) and we will keep pace!

“Paradise is not some kind of enchanted land filled with flowers and music. It is not some kind of spiritual Disneyland. Paradise is our primordial pure consciousness, which is free of all limitations but embodies the infinity of the divine.” ~Anam Thubten from No Self No Problem

We talk every month about the energies of New Moon, Full Moon sometimes taking note of what may occur regarding these times in relation to these. What is also good to know is the motion of our machine and how the constant change from day one moves us whether we realize this or not. It all contributes. We are being moved whether we think it or not. This actually allows us, if we accept this, to utilize less effort in our daily lives to have things happen. We can be assured that it all will continue even without ‘my’ effort.

To paraphrase the enlightened teacher Robert Wolfe, Living Nonduality, “The world gets along just fine without my intervention.”

May 2022, a number six, as above so below, perfection, peace, harmony and equality be the year of greater awareness and overcoming divisive thoughts.

2022 and Our Inner Smile

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We are ripples on the pond, dust swirling in a whirl of wind, stars glittering in the midst of deep space. We are gems amongst gems and the wave returning to the sea. Life is simple and yet it may depend on from where you focus your attention whether or not you agree.

“Once you have the View, although the delusory perceptions of samsara may arise in your mind, you will be like the sky; when a rainbow appears in front of it, it’s not particularly flattered, and when the clouds appear, it’s not particularly disappointed either. There is a deep sense of contentment. You chuckle from the inside as you see the facade of samsara and nirvana; the View will keep you constantly amused, with a little inner smile bubbling away all the time.” ~Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

December 3 (PT), New Moon

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December New Moon—Fanning the Flames

“Although we have been made to believe that if we let go we end up with nothing, life itself reveals again and again the opposite: that letting go is the path to real freedom.” ~The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

If we have the courage to let go we may find also, all that we have that we never realized is there. When we let go of less essential things, automatically some of our beliefs and old habits begin to slip away, those that are limiting us from embracing the Self, others and all of life on a more intimate level.

“Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.” ~Dogen

As we have just celebrated Thanksgiving and have experienced the powerful energy exuded upon this day of love, compassion and gratitude we are ready to fully embrace our next leap forward! It is a leap because we enter territory that asks for attention to a level of ‘existence’ with which we are not entirely familiar. And these days the doors to that are flying open! The universe beckons us deeper and we cannot help but be lured so hungry are we to touch the untouchable.

“I sail with you on the ocean of my dreams, to a far away distant Place of great beauty and tranquility, where suffering and pain do not exist, where we give praises for our joy and happiness, where our Love intertwines with Love for all things.” ~Rumi

Brave souls we are that wander sometimes aimlessly or sometimes with great sense of purpose bringing light and warmth to many around us. The vast majority of souls look for the light and live in circumstances that challenge, moved by a knowing that has no origin and no end. And each of us in our own poetic way speaks the beauty of what lies just beyond the mundane experience.

These days, that reflect the rapid rise of collective consciousness are an expression of this beauty and the continuing bold determination of Earth’s citizens to let go and venture forth. As we approach the end of another year we naturally consider all that has transpired in the last 11 months and how we may wish to best utilize our abilities moving forward. To recognize that we are being called to a new level of performance and how best to serve this calling.

As always we are guided by more than the power of our minds. During this New Moon on December 3 (PT) at 12 degrees of Sagittarius we also experience a solar eclipse. The eclipse will not be seen in North America as it occurs in the Antarctic and partially in the southern most tips of S. Africa, S. America, Australia and New Zealand.

Feels as though symbolically, the shadow crossing the underside of the planet, will encourage the exposure of dark secrets and hidden agendas; those plans long in place attempt to rise further out of the shadow to control and limit. Saturn in Aquarius square to Uranus in Taurus—restriction and change, rules and regulations and the unpredictable. Saturn is establishment and Uranus is rebellion. Saturn rules structure and Uranus is the abolishment of same.

Uranus is at the helm of the New Moon ship right now having aspected the Sun/Moon conjunction for the past few months. (Discussed in last month’s article) This time Uranus is inconjunct* (150 degree aspect) the pair, less than 1 degree of separation. We are continuing to be urged to make adjustments in order to ‘go with the flow’ and to be open minded and flexible.

As the effect of a solar eclipse is months long we can expect that we are heading into some challenging times. Consider that the fixed star Rastaban/Alwaid at 11 degrees 58 minutes is conjunct the New Moon. This star is the eye of the dragon in constellation Draco. I like the following explanation for its influence at this time from the astrologyking.com.

“Rastaban, the Dragon’s Head: (beta star in constellation Draco), is another Saturn-Venus star to keep up the healing theme of Serpens and Ophiucus. The implication is that: Open up this head full of knowledge, and we really do have the key to our ills and the healing of them.”

We are on a powerful trajectory to heal what ails us and Sagittarius shows us the way. The symbol of the archer with bow raised to the sky tells us that the journey is reaching for that which lies beyond our immediate grasp. Sagittarius seeks Truth and is determined to risk all in order to achieve the goal. Sagittarius is bold, determined, confident and optimistic. All characteristics that can serve to fan the flames that already leap about us on route to the purification that is inevitable. We burn away the dross to expose the Reality beneath.

Courage is Mars and confidence is Jupiter. These two square each other bringing to this current new Moon a mix of bold enthusiasm and aggression and impulsiveness. It is a highly energetic combination that again fans these flames.

Our task at this time is to keep our heads about us; to remain cool under pressure. To remember stillness as the source of everything and to feel the harmony within the conflict. Our thoughts create our reality. What is it that I create in any moment? Let it be derived from the ocean of peace. May we all move into the New Year with single embrace.

*The significance of an inconjunct is that the energies expressed by the planets involved (in this case Sun/Moon and Uranus) are not obvious to us from a mundane perspective. We will be frustrated if we attempt to harmonize the energy using conventional methods. We must look deeper to spiritual truth to follow the energy without stress; with peace.