"No Effort Required"
“Listen, for Hafiz knows, nothing evolves us like love.”–Hafiz from, A Year With Hafiz
…knowing that every nest is lined with gold;
that every one of us has the same opportunity
to sprout wings and capture the sun.
Each of us knows that
the other would die for us.
Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.”–Paramahansa Yogananda (courtesy jonroumain.com)
…sharing the richness of the moment and all its inseparable beauty; instantly joining the effervescence of light and joy that illuminate this experience of pure Being. Let us join hands and spread the wealth!
Full Moon May 14, 2014 @ 23 degrees Scorpio 54 minutes
03:16 p.m. EDT 12:16 p.m. PDT
With that Moon Language
Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to them, “Love me.”
Of course you do not say this out loud;
otherwise someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye
that is always saying, with that sweet moon language,
what every other eye in the world is dying to hear?
–from a year with Hafiz, Daniel Landinsky
Keen focus on what matters or what does not matter. Moon in Scorpio (conjunct Saturn, 4 degrees) opposition Sun in Taurus; if we feel like we need something for emotional stability our premise for this belief will be challenged. Tugged at by old insecurities, the basic considerations of the astrological 8th house, the cycle of humanity, birth, death, rebirth and regeneration, may loom tall on the agenda for the next several days. Further penetration to the core of our beliefs and that which may limit us.
Until at last we arrive at the shining truth– what is here is love. We realize that; that which we have always yearned for, we have always been. Only at a ‘deeper’ level of knowing do we grasp this truth. It is when everything else falls away and we have no illusions that we are not, that we are liberated. This is a gift of Scorpio and this Full Moon chart. There is little wiggle room. The wound is finally cauterized, the wound being our emotional neediness, by recognizing the impermanence of material reality in exchange for the knowing of unlimited, eternal ‘Reality’.
If the energy to perform habitual distractive antics eludes you this is part of the challenge, to sit with whatever may be uncomfortable on the way to realizing nothing matters–‘nothing really matters’ means a space in which not anything is a problem (Robert Wolfe, livingnonduality.org)– except the ‘truth’.
It may feel like road rash, sound like nails on a blackboard, taste like battery acid and look like the final scene from Braveheart but on the other side of this is stillness, perpetual calm–the absence of suffering.
Scorpio is strongly motivated to succeed and rarely balks at a challenge. So, whatever test you may be presented with at this time will be victoriously surmounted. In fact dig deep and deeper. Whatever the issue, you will find the strength to ‘defeat the enemy’ and move beyond into silence where the mind is not in control and peace prevails. I am “that” is all that arises and that is everything.
With gratitude we embrace this Full Moon experience.
A Different View
Pale grey skies
pierced by red shingled roofs
and a line of trees,
ragged silhouette upon a soft horizon.
In between here and there,
metal towers carry rows of wire for miles
across narrow strips of vacant land,
a slice of green in an otherwise homogenous zone
of concrete and pavement and compliance.
Still, the ocean roars,
the late afternoon breeze still brings with it
an invitation to roam;
to discover that there is nothing between here and there
except the knowing of love and beauty
that is the nature of everything–
never mind the appearance to me while glancing over this very different view.
It is the same.
Sunrise Pickering along Lake Ontario
Truth is blossoming love, flowing freely and embracing all of us in warmth and a continuous feeling of Be-longing. Love is the truth of a touch that doesn’t stop even when we are separated by many miles, our hearts remain connected in support of all we do here–no matter what appears to be going on around us. Everything is motivated by love. Love is recognizing that ‘you and I’ are one and though I may project my concerns and fears on you, it is part of the journey toward love of Self and Self realization.
In gratitude for your continued presence and willingness to participate in the intimacy that unites all of us.
It Felt Love
How did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being,
Otherwise,
We all remain too frightened.–Hafiz
New Moon April 28 11:14 p.m. PDT /April 29 02:14 a.m. EDT
@ 8 degrees Taurus 52 minutes
Selling Your Art
At the very least you are a vital cell in a cosmic holy body.
And everyone works so hard no matter what they do.
There is no place for you to go but onward into a greater freedom.
The poor man rarely parties because of so many cares.
We should put an end to that.
Knowledge can be pawned for a good sum.
Find some truth and mix it with your talents.
If you can get the balance right between you and others,
and you and death, shops will start selling your art.
And maybe even a masterpiece you will become,
Your every gesture.—Hafiz (from A Year with Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)
New moon in Taurus is about the grace of Being so that every relationship is experienced as a gesture of the truth that surrounds us all in an intimate embrace. We ‘love’ the absolute simplicity of flowing without destination, without thought free of the mind to rest in stillness, to abide in deep peace. Suffering is the result of resistance to the very easy act of surrender. What could be less stressful than resting in this moment without expectation? Embrace the truth and slip into the ease of Being that which you are.
Venus is about luxuriating in the ease of knowing Self and attracting same. This is beauty, creativity; a romance that defies temporal existence. And Venus in Pisces dissolves into all that is as effortlessly as she arose from the depths of the sea. Her home is boundless, unlimited and offered to all just as we are ‘offered’ the air we breathe and we take it in just as easily as we ‘take in’ our true nature. Why does the mind prevent us from seeing this? Because here, the mind has no jurisdiction. It is seen that we are not in need of the mind, that we move and function regardless of its activity. What joy in that!
Venus requires no words for conversation or thoughts to inspire but is inspired by Being. Being is inspiration, passion, relationship, art—love and joy. We taste the beauty of Being with our human mouths, see the radiant expression of “that” in every form, touch intimacy, smell Reality and hear the silence of life in accord. Venus is so much more than she appears superficially and why she stands naked before all—do we dare delve into what lies beneath the porcelain exterior? Can we move beyond the physical pleasure to which we cling, thinking we are the body/mind, to know the true nature of our Self?
New moon, no reflection encourages us to go within to find our answers. Self-inquiry is so simple. It involves only this right here right now and nothing more. And though we think we know, we know nothing because the mind does not understand. This is the beauty and grace of Venus. She knows nothing but experiences with the utmost presence and radiates “that” from within. Love and happiness flow.
Happiness is your nature.
It is not wrong to desire it.
What is wrong is seeking it outside
when it is inside.—Sri Ramana Maharshi
Happy new moon in Taurus. Bring it home!
.
In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.–Xun Zi
From our tiny focus is the entire universe and infinity. “You are here”.
The position of several planets at this time forms a grand cross. This can appear to be causing discomfort. Rather than to succumb to what appears to be happening, remain as you are and ‘this too shall pass’.
“As an organism, every single thing which you experience is experienced within awareness. And to the extent to which awareness itself can be experienced, it too is merely another experience.
It is not “you”–an object of awareness–which is seeing through your eyes, it is this ever-present be-ing. It is not you which is aware of thoughts–objects in awareness–it is again, awareness. Anything which you can think of that you are is simply objectified in awareness. So clearly it is the awareness which is the you that perceives, not the objectifications in awareness identified as characteristics of your self. There is no self outside of awareness”. –Robert Wolfe, Abiding in Nondual Awareness
Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse April 15, 2014 @ 25 deg. Libra 16 min.
03:42 a.m. EDT 00:42 a.m. PDT
A full moon is warm light in the vast darkness, a familiar ‘friend’ that captivates and inspires us to creative passion, romance and the deep fascination of home. We have many memories of the full moon over years, decades and centuries; of being seduced by gorgeous abundance, pacified by constant stillness and hypnotized by thoughts that carry us beyond all limitations. We melt into the allure of hundreds of moments of simply Being in the presence of “that” in splendiferous expression.
There have been many reports about the series of total lunar eclipses that begins with this full moon (the others are on October 8, 2014, April 4, 2015 and September 28, 2015) and what they might portend. I am in favor of adopting the point of view offered by Geoff Gaherty writing for Starry Night Education at space.com
“Associations between “disastrous” events and normal astronomical events are all fabrications of the human mind, as people attempt to find explanations for why disasters affect them. Because of the Internet and cable news channels, people now hear reports of disasters from around the world, including earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, which they never would have been aware of in the past. It’s almost inevitable that something bad will happen right after an eclipse or a visit from a comet.
As an ardent skywatcher who derives much pleasure from beautiful events like lunar eclipses, it saddens me that there are “prophets of doom” in the world who view these life-enriching events as portents of disaster.
The good news about these forthcoming lunar eclipses is that all four will be visible to most skywatchers in North America”.
Simply to enjoy rather than fret. That is not to say that what is occurring with a few planets is benign. We are being affected by the t-square soon to be grand cross in cardinal signs. We can perhaps all attest to a degree of greater intensity, insecurity that is affecting us in some way depending on what your particular experience is now.
Everyone will receive a shot of enlightenment. It would be hard to avoid it with Mercury exactly conjunct Uranus at the same degree as Pluto and Jupiter only minutes away. An enormous dose of inspirational, transformational, transcendent energy rippling through the collective consciousness and executing legions of stifling patterns that have insisted on strong attachment to the mind. Liberated! Oh, joy.
Pluto opposition Jupiter, square to Uranus opposition Mars (this by the 22nd will be exact we none the less have been feeling the effects of this for a couple of weeks with the ongoing square of Uranus/Pluto for longer of course) is not a trivial matter relatively speaking. Some people have been dealing with physical manifestations of this energy while others are being pressured to ‘release’ on all levels what isn’t working or whatever is cluttering, all that is superfluous or feeds the illusion. What may have seemed a monumental task in the past is now easily approachable and effortlessly accomplished.
Resistance is an unnecessary reference to our experience. Gratitude is our reference point and every full moon is a reminder of the miracle of life and what a blessing it is! Never mind what sign the moon is in. Except we might mention that moon in Libra is peace, balance and harmony that only contributes to the grace we are receiving via what may feel like a supreme kick in the butt. No, it is grace! It only feels like running into a two by four. Just wait a few days, until your senses return—or, hopefully not. Walking around in a dazed state, a silly smile on your face that won’t seem to go even if you try.
Self and other, Self/other, slother, loth, ot, o=O. Erase the line.
Observe the moon without any thought whatsoever. At some time you may become aware of a little smile that has crept over your face that feels much bigger than it is as it has started from within and won’t stop.
“Nonduality is incredibly simple but it is incomprehensible to the mind. It doesn’t matter how much the mind studies this, it will never get it. We can study this and understand concepts about it, but the mind will never approach what nonduality actually is.
The mind could analyze and fully understand the constituents of an orange but that wouldn’t give us any idea what one tastes like. But once we’ve tasted one, its flavor is incontrovertible whether we understand what constituents it contains or not. In the same way, we can have a very good understanding of nonduality but that won’t tell us what liberation tastes like.”–Richard Sylvester, The Book of No One
Be Still 