☼ Solstice 2015 ☼ Xmas 11:11 Full Moon

In the Tibetan tradition today is Guru Rinpoche day; when Sun & Moon now make the best possible aspect for generating changes in one’s life to implement compassion in action. This also means its only five days until Friday’s Full Christmas Moon 11:11UT! 

☼ And Solstice is tomorrow night/Tuesday morning, 4:48UT on the 21st22nd. For the next three-month winter period 2015-2016, Sols' ingress into Capricorn accents a glorious grand trine between an exalted Taurus Moon and the Cosmic Guru (Padmasambhava!) in Virgo, the sign of the sacred feminine; restoration comes by transforming the mind and valuing intuitive wisdom. 

☼ As nature is drawing back (in the north), take time to rest and relax and build support for the dark winter months ahead (+ Merc retro early Jan); we, too, need to focus upon what's important: our roots, loves, work and families, our health and happiness. Solstice-Yule is a Fire festival to honor our Earthly (body) connection to the live-giving Sun (Spirit), which is soon to be reborn - and the days will be getting longer. But still energy can be low now, even with a growing moon. Please do make sure to spend time over the holidays healing in the all-inspiring bio-sphere called ‘the great outdoors’ to revitalize.

Over the past few days the sky has been manifesting luminous pearly shimmering in the arctic, with electric blue clouds over the antarctic: and CME’s (Coronal Mass Ejections) from the Sun are currently hurling towards planet Earth, carrying highly-charged electromagnetic plasma and protons that buzz up the cosmic vibration, which then manifest as winds upon our oceans: emotions, thoughts, actions all in a dynamic and active healing flow. The affects through (Earth’s) sushumna and subtle body can be to positively activate the incoming galactic stream of mindfulness and a powerful healing. Today’s Guru Rinpoche therefore suggests positive action, along with that small thing about a total transformation of the way we understand life, death and universe. 


Merry Yule & a very blessed Guru Rinpoche Solstice to all! _/\_ with love and best wishes... ☼☽❤¸¸.•*¨*•☆
& thanks to unknown artist for Padmasambhava & to spaceweather.com for the photo.

New Moon in Capricorn _/\_11th January ‘13

Our first new moon of the year, at 19:43GMT, is also the final lunation of the remarkable Water Dragon year. As the Earthy Capricorn Sun and Moon are now in conjunction with the celestial courier, Mercury, heaven’s message is quite pragmatic and clear: stabilise to accomplish, practice to become efficient, and remain in the Dragon's 'Authentic Presence' ('wangthang' in Tibetan), your own personal 'power field', that is created by one's basic goodness.

Spirit Sun, emotive Moon, and communicative Mercury are also loosely conjoined to loving Venus, loyal Juno & transformational Pluto, all in the sign of the mountain-climbing Sea-Goat. It’s worth noting that in Esoteric astrology Venus is the hierarchical ruler of Capricorn; this means that even if involved in ambitious power play, the spiritual warrior must always come from the heart. There is, however, little time for comparison or distraction with so many planets in no-nonsense Capricorn. Focus and concentration are the order of this New Moon, which teaches us to prioritise and prepare to be mindfully aware of the nature of reality, one’s true nature, Buddha nature.

Fiery Mars in Aquarius still squares Capricorn’s traditional ruling planet, Saturn in secretive Scorpio; issues of trust, respect, and friendship could create crossed wires, which may mean actively putting boundaries into place ~> Erect the Vajra fence now to protect, keeping kindred dharma spirits close, and certain cheeky monkeys out of reach.

And seeing as this is a physical and practical moon sign, now is the time to look after the body, especially knees (in meditation), teeth (for chewing slowly), and/or skeletal structure for climbing the spiritual heights, all the while enjoying the view, especially when in mountain posture!

The next New Moon is February 10th, with Losar, Tibetan New Year of the Black Water Snake, February 11th.

Image of stupa from ‘The Treasury of Lives’ with thx _/❤\_

Xmas Astro Alert ~ Mercury Rx 10th --> 30th Dec

Astro Alert! Mercury retrograde for the entire run up to Christmas & New Year! So don’t forget to double check everything from signing contracts to meeting friends, and making plans for the months ahead; from Friday the 10th until the 30th of December we may well need to revise, re-work and/or re-submit ideas and dates. So no crying over long queues at the post office or missing Xmas cards – you have been warned! In any event, even Santa could also be just as easily confused by a melting arctic. Best be prepared to become our own objective observer and accept it might take several attempts to achieve certain goals, particularly career ambitions, as Mercury back-flips from Capricorn into Sagittarius on the 18th December. Plan of action? Organise as best we can and still mark ‘PARTY’ at the Winter Solstice in big letters the calendar. 

In many ways, as this lunation culminates with a Lunar eclipse at the Solar Standstill, on Tuesday, Dec 21st, as the Sun will rise above our wintry horizon to point directly at the galactic centre, we could well be presented with a defining moment in our evolution.

Thanks to Bill Brouard for the beautiful Buddha with watchful eyes!

Mercury ☆ Mars ☆ Nov 20 ☆ Becoming 'The Immovable One' Akshobya

From the Moon throne arises Akshobya 'The Immovable One' with the admantine nature of pure consciousnes radiating compassion upon any irritation. ♥_/\_ૐ

Akshobya transforms anger into mirror-like wisdom:

And with Mercury now conjunct Mars (20th Nov '10) at 17 Sag = Quick thinking with an even quicker tongue, it means we can be quick to rise ~> Anyone feeling tetchy? Best watch being super-critical and, because the mind is on fastforward for the next couple of days - over this Full Moon - the celestial challenge is see how quickly one can bring ourselves into check and transform any anger into discriminating awareness. ♥_/\_ૐ 

Bare in mind that Mercury is entering an applying shadow period just after this weekend's Full Moon, to go retrograde on the 11th of December at 5 Capricorn (with Pluto, Ceres & the North Node), when seeking the wiser and more caring (collective) direction comes into focus.  Then,  just as this difficult year comes to a close, Mercury turns direct at 19 Sag, revealing how we renew our optimism by transforming the mind.  Mercury once again conjuncts Mars early next year, at 28 Aquarius on Feb 20th, when our anger'ometer once again is tested to remain cool, calm, and collected, with a mind unpeturbed by internal thoughts or outside events.