☽☼ ☾ ♊ Solstice New Moon ~> Tuesday 16th June @15:05UT

☼ ☾ As holy month Sakadawa closes, Tuesday's dynamic New Solstice Moon provides one of the most lively astrological lunations of the year. Not only is it Solstice next weekend – one of the year’s two major turning points, and a time of friendly gathering and celebration, there’s also a seriously exciting opening between generous and optimistic Jupiter and altruistic Uranus (22nd June), which will remain in big, visionary effect until the end of July.

☼ ☾ ♂  Also at this New Moon, Spirit Sun and strongman, passionate and fiery Mars will conjoin Luna, to be directly opposite the Galactic Centre, at 25 Gemini, in a part of the sky known to the ancients as ‘Heaven’s furrow’. This suggests our ancestors recognized a fertile ripple in the spacetime field, within which there’s the potential to imbibe pure Galactic light frequencies that help to nurture, feed the soul and grow, physically as well as spiritually.

Together, with the Moon and Mars aligned, SOL’s light of consciousness now tunes each individual into our core (galactic) values to the plant seeds of right action that accompany Gemini’s right speech and right mindfulness. The challenge, it would seem, is in setting and keeping the right Bodhisattva intention.  Best familiarise one's self with positive motivation to stay on track, as Mars can aggravate and antagonize the Monkey Mind to rise in anger (and we all know what that means: a tragic loss in karmic merit!).  

☿ ♊~> Meanwhile a direct infomaniac Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, now moves away from its perfectly imperfect opposition to a retrograde Saturn, which gave form and finalisation to certain ideas.  Mercury only then squares nebulous Neptune – again, on the 23rd, to make things appear less formal and more formless, (Fyi: Sat-SQ-Nep is a major theme later in the year – so what is discussed/evolved/communicated now, can re-emerge again, late Autumn).

Curious Gemini questions the duality of everything and nothing, Samsara and Nirvana, form and formless, and how can it all exist side by side. Events surrounding this Solstice period provide insights into understanding what's real and what is illusion, i.e. what kind of karma we are creating, even when believing our often distorted sense perceptions? 

So consider carefully, at this magic moment of the Great Galactic Yang, what would we, as a collective, really like to see growing now in ‘Heaven’s Furrow’?  First, though, before we quantum leap into singularity, or in and out of parallel universes, we may need to take stock of this one and stop deceiving ourselves, and/or others, and see the truth for what it is: All is Oneness in the spaciousness of beauty, LOVE, and light.

Enjoy! ~> Happy New Moon & Summer/Winter Solstice everyone _/\_  with ℒℴѵℯ and thanks for sharing and to unknown artist for glorious artwork  ॐ__/❤\__ ☼✶•*¨*•.¸¸❤✫

SakaDawa ~> 28/29th May New Moon in Gemni

A New Gemini Moon, during the year of the dynamic Green Wood Horse, on the 28th/29th May at 18:40UT, sees the start of a lunar cycle when Himalayan Buddhists celebrate ‘SakaDawa’, and the birth, enlightenment and paranirvana of Gautama Sakyamuni Buddha. Throughout this next lunation, karma is multiplied 100x. Creating merit is encouraged. Karma is further multiplied 100billion x at the Saka Dawa Full Sagittarius Moon, bringing teachings to and from the cosmic Heart Guru.

Whatever is set into motion with this New Moon cycle, spiritual practice or healing project, or romance even, is celestially sealed with three incredibly optimistic astral markers, creating a wave of powerful cosmic energy; firstly with the sacred Six Pointed Earth-Water Star ✡ on the 5th June; culminating with the blessed festival of SakaDawa ۞ at Full Moon 13th June; and for magically Divine Feminine Solar-Luna interaction, with a last quarter waning Dakini moon at Summer/Winter Solstice ☼ June 21/22nd, bringing this holy lunation around full bliss!

Also, at this start of SakaDawa lunation, Gemini Sun/Moon/Healing Goddess Hygeia are in hard square to compassionate Neptune in Pisces, to learn how to heal others with kindness and consideration. By the end of this lunar cycle (June 27th) Neptune then makes a much better aspect and trineS the Cancer Sun/Moon. Generally speaking, this shift from tough aspect to easy makes this a month of potential peak blissful experiences, particularly when surrendering in devotion, to be of spiritual service for the greater good in the world. ॐ_/\_

Wishing for all beings to reach enlightment with a teaching from Verse 29 from Atisha's ‘Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment',"I shall not be eager to reach enlightenment in the quickest way, but shall stay behind till the very end for the sake of a single being."

Many thanks for Chenrezig Tangka illustration to Norbulinka ॐ_/\_

☾ Dark Moon in Gemini ~> June 13

☼☾ Maintaining a quiet mind during this the Dark Moon presents a challenge, as Moon conjuncts active Mars and policymaker Pallas Athena, whilst all in communicative Gemini – the same sign as tomorrow’s new Moon, when our nurturing Moon conjoins Spirit Sun (and expansive Jupiter) at 16:54 BST (11:54EST).

☆ A multi-dextrous Gemini juggles ideas, fact and figures, as well as conveying information, goods, and medicine (and therein lays the gift of the celestial courier). With no less five celestial markers now in Gemini, it suggests we’re on information overload (but still with an inclination towards healing); brains could whir trying to understand a planet involved in seemingly endless chitter-chatter. Yet making sense of the dualistic world now demands different tactics than ordinary number-crunching analysis, especially as energy levels tend to be naturally low at dark Moon. Consider stepping back from the monkey mind to revitalise and strengthen heart and soul, and potentially provide answers to tricky questions. These planets in airy Gemini not only emphasise data and brilliant intelligence, but also the importance of giving the mind much-needed space, to shape new ideas and grow.

When in the still silence of space, mind naturally radiates; and it is in this state that insight naturally arises – which is why watching our breath in meditation is so helpful for personal decision making, as well as generating mindfulness towards others, rooted at One with all that we are.

Also today Neptune, planet of dreams, meditation and unconditional compassion begins a 5-month retrograde in Pisces; this extra-long transit teaches universal forgiveness (among other qualities), internalising kindness and sympathy.

“As you breathe in, cherish yourself.
As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.”
~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama  __/❤\__

Thanks to Cameron Grey for his image “The Never-Ending Dreamer”  __/❤\__

Cosmic Twins point way with triple set of eclipses -> June '11

A New Gemini Moon at 22:03 BST, on June 1^st, is a partial Solar Eclipse over the northern Arctic, stretching from Sibera to Nova Scotia, also marking ‘Saka Dawa’, the most the venerated lunar month in the Tibetan calendar. Saka Dawa celebrates Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana ( this often happens a month after the rest of Asia). 

This eclipse, although partial, is still an important astrological phenomenon as the Dragon’s tail (following South Node) in the sign of the Gemini Twins highlights the need to come from a well-informed place - implying the time is ripe for some serious mind-training. It's time for a healthy neuroplasticity meditation. Bear in mind how eclipses are the result of earth encountering yin-yang energy vortices, from which we confront duality; all kinds of energies can swirl and ride the enquiring Gemini mind – the seen and the unseen, positive and negative, light Gemini twin and dark Gemini twin, all can spin the wild out-of-control mind and turn our thinking upside down (which can, of course, in certain circumstances be rather helpful). 

Because Gemini is an ‘Air’ sign, we are therefore encouraged to guard the Bodhi mind’s treasure, to be mindful of breath (as mind’s vehicle to Spirit) and support calm abiding Shamatha meditation so that pure prana, ki, r’lung, bio energy (different names for cosmic energy) swiftly pacifies and protects mind-body-spirit, helping not to incur negative karma.  Please also be aware that from the physical body’s perspective, breathing problems can also be magnified during this lunation (28 days), such as asthma and allergy ~& Breathe gently, even when stuck at the traffic light or in a slow-moving queue; take the opportunity to tune into breath and calm the mind with long, slow, mindful inhalation and exhalation. Earth itself is also experiencing 'winds', with powerfully strong tornadoes; and the official Atlantic hurrican season starts with this New Moon Gemini Solar Eclipse.

As this is Saka Dawa month, Karma is also multiplied throughout, with positive karma generated from taking the eight Mahayana precepts during this sacred month magnified (Basic 5 precepts: no killing, no stealing, no lying, no intoxicants, and no sexual misconduct.). What makes this Saka Dawa special is how this is a triple eclipse season with two solar eclipses, as both June and July commence with a New Moon accenting Earth’s poles: first in the Northern Land of The Midnight Sun in June, and at the Southern Antarctic (where all the world's water meets) in July. It’s as though Earth’s Sushumna is activated with this set of eclipses (so that we can consiously download the healing gamma ray activity coming from the Crab nebula) Sandwiched in between at the apt middle way, is Saka Dawa Duchen, with a Full Moon Lunar eclipse on 15^th June – A Lunar eclipse (visible over Europe and Asia but not the US) just before Summer Solstice picks up the last Winter Solstice Lunar eclipse which pointed directly to the galaxy ~> amplifying an opportunity to tap into and embrace the light of intelligence, and raise the cosmic love vibration. As Sun, Moon and Earth symbolise unifying duality of the relations between male and female, yin and yang, and poles north and south, crown and root chakra, we mindfully meld action with wisdom and evolve mindful-consciousness.

Regular readers are now aware to be attentive to the subtle body, with chakras, winds and channels being extra sensitive at the time of an eclipse: Eclipses can be an integral (and sometimes backdoor) passage for spiritual evolution.  On a relative level we often witness life-changing events and situations during eclipse season, especially if the degree of the eclipse constellates our own horoscope. At 11degrees Gemini, this first of these three eclipses comes in regal style as it conjuncts Aldeberan, a Babylonian Royal star that confers honour through risk (think twice before doing anything too crazy).  This star is the (third?) eye of the Bull; which  Babylonians refferred to as 'The Furrow of Heavens' - perhaps in relation to the milky way and galaxy. In the tropical sign of Gemini, this promises to be a powerful month with the potential for awakening to collective enlightenment, particularly by analysing and questioning the verity of one’s beliefs.  

  

Saka Dawa Duchen culminates with a Festival of Lights on the 15^th June with the lunar eclipse pointing towards the centre of the Galaxy.  This lunar eclipse shares a similar vibration with the last Winter Solstice Lunar eclipse (link to blog) in as much as it is a means for us to understand the nature of the etheric and subtle bodies, and activates the collective sacred fire. Alice A. Bailey teaches that Gemini is the Hierarchal ruler of Earth; and Earth is esoteric ruler of Sagittarius; thus the connection between these three highlights the unique relation and exaltation of the nodal axis in these signs.  This combination almost guarantees soul development: “When the dual forces of the cosmic brothers (Gemini) becomes the energy of the one who rides towards the light (Sagittarius) then the fourth (chakra or dimension) becomes the fifth (chakra or dimension). Humanity, the link, becomes the Hierarchy, the bestower of all good. Then all the Sons of God rejoice” (p356 Esoteric Astrology.  Italics are my own interpretations).

At the time of the June 1st eclipse, the horoscope indicates the Sun and Moon make wonderful aspects to disciplined Saturn: an indication how we take on our work with a greater sense of responsibility. This aligement also accents our ongoing Spiritual development with the Cardinal Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun coming into perfection only three days after the actual eclipse (so still very much within effect). The same can also be said about the lunar eclipse being only six days before the Summer Solstice, which also brings into line the Cardinal Cross.  The last of the three eclipses finishes the set with a perfect Cardinal Cross, meaning we must once again look to Uranus as the agent of the changes making an easy sextile to Mars in Gemini only a few degrees away from our original eclipse - making it even more important that we are aware of 'what goes around, comes around'. 

So while I am often labelled 'optimistic' when delivering complex astrology (I have a propensity of fire over water in my own chart), I appreciate these are extremely unusual times of enormous change, but at least we can be aware of what is happening; with information at our fingertips (Gemini) we can make an informed decision as to the direction in which we should go (Sagittarius).  I’ll probably write more about the Cardinal Cross of the Spiritual Sun over the summer... And who knows? I may even finish the sign-by-sign analysis I so enthusiastically promised last year! Meanwhile, enjoy the blessings of blissful Sakadawa love-light and remember to go easy during this intense eclipse period.   

Many thanks to LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE, for the karma pacifying mantra; & thanks as always to Bill Brouard for the Event Horizon Buddha; to Vishnu108 for the fabulous earth twirling Buddha;  and to other unknown artist/photographers for much appreciated images.

Awakening the Spiritual Warrior ★ ☮ ★ New Gemini Moon 2010

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart…. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” C.G. Jung

An entirely new lifestyle bursting with clarity and positive activity has the potential to successfully emerge from a decidedly murky past. Over this coming decade, and more specifically over the next couple of years, on a large scale and through mass spiritual awareness, the heavens now suggest that we can generate a happier and healthier world through vibrant cooperation and co-creation. Before this transformation becomes apparent in our own personal sphere, serious questions need to be addressed by everyone; and the answers lie within our heart of hearts: Are we ready for a shift in consciousness, which could involve a massive leap of faith? Are we brave enough to embrace the new with an open mind, willing to let go of the old paradigm: that of growth as the only way to development? Are we ready to evolve by lightening our load, pairing down, and therefore enabled to embrace a sustainable new way of living?

Most people are aware, to some degree or other, how we cannot continue as we have done, as world events and personal reactions bring home imminent change. For the observant few it has been like watching the untenable future disappearing before our very eyes. When Jupiter and Uranus recently conjoined in the last degree of oceanic Pisces, we witnessed an ecological marine tragedy unfold. The Element water is linked to human emotions. As oil leeks into the ocean collective compassion arises at the same time as confused and overwhelming feelings mix with wanting to be responsible, to help survive catastrophe. Yet the sight of man-made calamity seems to have an even more powerful effect upon our compassionate nature and we are possibly prepared to surrender to our addiction to oil. Through horrendous muddied seas a positive message has come through, as it has now become clear that we cannot carry on as a species abusing earth’s resources. Another way beckons.

There is little time to lose in waking-up to alternative solutions or setting an intention to work on the new and improved, as the two influential planets have now joined forces in fiery Aries, adding initiative and impetus to swiftly direct individual and collective spontaneous change. Expansive Jupiter and electrical Uranus have moved on from Pisces (but will revisit Pisces again*), together they illuminate our cosmic psyche like a giant heavenly spotlight, shining a light upon the path of the Spiritual Warrior, so we can act with confidence, engaging with the world at the same time as dramatically modify our objective and all we previously identified with. Should anyone want to stay locked into the outworn competitive model of selfish mores, the chances are they will remain forever unaware of his or her own true nature, and end up dealing with the same old darkness manipulated by fear and paranoia, instead of basking in the radiant love-light and innate goodness that emanates from the human heart.

From the Buddhist viewpoint, Jupiter is the Dorje-wielding master of Truth - A wise and kindly Guru who understands the nature of reality, how the five elements work with the sixth element, the light of consciousness, uniting the subtle energies of the psycho-anatomical-spiritual body. And how, through mindful mediation of the eight-fold path, one can utilise such wisdom to greater beneficial affect. Uranus is often referred to as ‘The Great Awakener”, often jolting us into mindfuness through sudden flashes of awareness. As meditators we can practice to awaken to this awareness by placing our concentration upon the third eye, the area between the eyebrows (as Uranus rules the pituitary gland). Uranus is also known in astrological parlance as eccentric and humanitarian; with Jupiter it could be crazy wisdom working hand in hand with an altruistic intention to bring alive the Spiritual Warrior, who dares to face his own demons when the Sun in Gemini emphasises taming the mind.

This weekend on Friday/Saturday 12^th, the new moon in Gemini throws the switch setting the mind buzzing with new ideas to help understand the complex dualistic nature of opposites, such as ego and non-self, body and soul, scientific and mystical. The point here, at the start of this lunar month, is not to feel pressurised by peers or authority, but to use the altruistic awakened mind to analyse for oneself and see what works best for one’s self, as an individual, right now, so that each one of us can be of greater benefit to humanity.

A good addition during meditation for this Gemini new Moon is to ‘feel’ the psychic energy of the etheric body around the corporeal body; allowing airy Gemini’s role as the mercurial messenger of the light to fill our body with prana on each inward breath, connecting mind to spirit, and let the light infuse into every pore, hold the light-filled breath for a moment, before releasing stress and strain with the out breath. We can do this for as long as we like, anywhere we like: on the bus, in a bank queue, in a traffic jam, we can direct attention to the breath anywhere. Using the radiating presence of each breath as a naturally moving progression towards a rapid perfection allows us to develop insight, so that our decisions are made more easily.

Working towards the Full Solstice Moon on June 26^th, which is probably the strongest moon of the year as it is not only a lunar eclipse, but Sun and Moon are central to the Cardinal Cross of 2010, with Jupiter/Uranus opposite Saturn in square to the Sun and Moon; the Moon is also conjunct Pluto. While this may also be a time of tension and stress, it is also when we can each find deep inside of us an autonomous way to motivate the Spritual Warrior to seek the point of integration, to find that internal balance and contribute and collaborate with a real sense of purpose to the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and all our relationships, family, friends, and community.

*Jupiter retrogrades from 24 July, going back into Pisces from September 9^th, to station at 23degrees Pisces on 19^th November, coming back into Aries 22^nd January 2011.

*Uranus retrogrades from 6^th July, going back into Pisces 14^th August; to station at 26 degrees Pisces, coming back into Aries on the 12^th March 2011.