Full Moon in Capricorn ~ July 16 ~> Shadow & Light

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The lunation now culminating in a midnight Full Capricorn Moon on the 19th/20th July (22:57 19th UT) began earlier this July, with the still cardinal Cancer Sun and its’ ruler, the Moon, opposite Pluto in Capricorn. Pluto is the tiny outer-planet that packs powerful impact. As a ‘generational’ planet, Pluto’s influence can be extremely far-reaching, working on subtle and atomic, psychic levels; weighing the soul evolution of the masses, especially notable when accented by the waxing Full Moon, as it is this July 2016.

At the further-reaches of our solar system, Pluto is ‘Lord of the Underworld’. As such, any heavenly body that comes into contact with Pluto is familiarized with the shadowy world of the hidden and a depth of psychology in which one faces existential fears and phobias and unspoken taboos such as sexual relations, death, and taxes. Pluto currently holds sway over the determined and practical Sea-Goat, Capricorn – an ambitious sign that requires (spiritual) initiation when crossing into its threshold, which Pluto entered 2008 and finally leaves on November 2024. During this 16-year period, Pluto’s journey from dark to light (and back again for some), signifies testing times, discipline, and intense rites-of-passage in personal and collective transformation through the dissolution of traditional power structures and old crystallised thoughts or worn-out ideals that no longer support or prevent the revelation of truth. Be aware: whatever is no longer necessary, or that has been secretly pushed under-the-carpet and out-of-sight, can suddenly find itself in plain view at any point throughout these years especially when Pluto is aspecting ‘The Lights’ (Sun & Moon) (bringing the recent 7xUR-PLSQ to life again), to be given a closer inspection and judgement in relevance. Now in aspect to the Moon, emotions run deep.

My own astrology teacher, the late, great Howard Sasportas taught in reference to Pluto transits (which can be passionately emotional/relationship, psychological, sexual, or financial depending upon where Pluto lies in birth chart), that one needs to ‘go down’ and descend into the depths before ‘rising up’, stronger and more determined. Pluto’s lessons can be hard (even with good aspects), sometimes harder than Saturn’s, as they involve a total eradication of destructive emotions; particularly ignorance, jealousy and obsession. As the Lamas tell us: it is only when one is free of such attachments, one's mind is able to ascend towards the light like the lotus through muddied waters, reaching out of the dark towards the Sun and the full Light of consciousness.

“Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it’s dark.” ~Zen Proverb

From an individual’s point of view, though possibly on the edge of crisis (emotional or spiritual, financial or practical), this Full Capricorn Moon spotlights the unconscious and squares up to the agent of change, Uranus: transformation can come about through surprising new means. By letting go of the obsessive need to control (others, or even one’s self, and noting that discipline is not the same as control), developing trust in those tell-tale gut-instincts can now help get closer to one’s essential essence and stay on centre.

Acknowledging past results affect future developments (a.k.a. karma) also enables us to pave the way to affect a positive outcome: events surrounding this Full Moon can actually help us to begin the process of building trust by dismantling walls – emotional, real and perceived – that prevent access to feeling wholly connected to our personal spirit of consciousness. Let go of unhelpful energy patterns, and remain mindful in the present moment to dissolve ego desire or fear, and be at one with time and space – all of which can be wonderfully liberating. 

Also, it’s good to be aware how there are always techniques that can be employed to help overcome certain negative emotions that could emerge during this Lunar culmination: we just need to practice and become familiar with methods that work. With jealousy, for instance, we need to learn how to go beyond ourselves and our own wants and worries, and truly rejoice about other people’s successes; whether in relationship, job, intelligence, strength, beauty, money, house, be happy for them – even if it means you’re are not in a situation which you had imagined.  Granted, counting other people’s blessings may be a challenging exercise for some, but it’s not impossible.  It is, however, a sure-fire way to access the inner you, the deepest part of you, from where a powerful ego transformation begins. And this alchemical treasure trove is found purely by celebrating others’ good fortune when feelings of jealousy arise.  It’s also the sacred part of the emotional body from where strength, love, and resilience can be tapped into and stored – a love that can be showered upon self, as well as others.  

To rise-up,  phoenix-like,  from the ashes of difficult situations, be they personal or collective, could now be made easier during this Capricorn Full Moon, which is, in point of astrological fact, the high-flying tail of a very helpful, rare ‘Kite Formation’. In effect throughout the Full Moon and headed by the caring Cancer Sun in the marvellous ‘Grand Water Trine’, and with active Mars and shamanic Chiron, this ‘feminine’ and rare Full Moon Kite also features a mini-triangle, with the sensitive Moon in harmonious sextile to both, the dynamic and now-direct Mars, at home in formidable Scorpio, and the Piscean ‘wounded-healer’, Chiron; this earth-water elemental combination (Capricorn Moon is ‘earthy’) suggests psychic as well as real boundaries are essential for any seed of creation to find form; bear in mind that even flying a kite in high wind needs a practiced hand with string to hold and steer the kite to apparently dance freely in flight. 

In short: this moon is for surveying old walls as well as creating careful new markers for future reference – all of which is subject to change.  Before the end of the calendar month, Uranus, the planet seeding change, will begin a lengthy retrograde. Those born between the 7 and 14^th April could feel the winds of change more than most; though many will need until the end of November to understand the importance of powerful jolts of awareness. 

By the time the New Leo Moon rolls around August 2^nd, the planetary energies will have shifted emphasis, towards overcoming the fear of taking personal responsibility for freedom.  When the question will be: how dependable are you? Clue: VERY!

11th Feb ~ LOSAR ~ 2013 Year of the Black Water Snake

Prevalent in the mythology engrained in so many cultures, the Snakes’ dominant theme is how they represent hidden knowledge and intuitive feminine wisdom. Ultimately Snakes symbolise a mystical transmutation of spirit and, in the process, one sheds an outworn skin so that one is renewed to ascend in truth and overcome duality to heal and liberate the earth-bound human condition. Indeed, snakes entwined around the caduceus, Healing Mercury’s rod is used globally to signal strong medicine at work – you see them at almost every pharmacy in the world.

From the astrological point of view, snakes and serpents are associated with the magical and secretive, often hidden Scorpio, the 8th house, and the planet Pluto, because the snakes’ power of rejuvenation has the potential to bestow remarkable wisdom, a wisdom that comes from utilising resources that help one survive going to the depths and back.

From the spiritual perspective, in Yoga-Tantra we acknowledge the healing potential of subtle body psychic energies, and work with a three-coiled serpent, ‘Kundalini Shakti’ – a powerful feminine energy that resides at the base of the spine. When ‘serpent power’ is activated though inner-heat (normally over the age of 50 for a woman), like a snake it awakens, uncoils and raises powerful psychic energy up through the subtle body’s central channel that carries life-enhancing prana (a.k.a. chi, bio-energy, rLung) the ‘sushumna’ (one of 3 main nadis/channels), and into the crown chakra, so that one enters into a divine union with bliss and emptiness.

‘Serpent Power’ also descends, returning to the root, grounding the elemental basis. I make this sound relatively easy; but while there are the rare few who become instantaneously ‘realised’, either through transmission or other conductors, it can take ordinary beings years – lifetimes - of practice to surrender to the truth of our divine Buddha nature in it pure luminous presence. Sullied by discursive thoughts, we often sense the need to purify the ego and clear obscured karmic blocks (klehsas) that manifest within (as well as externally) and around the central channel, so that Kundalini can freely rise towards our innate enlightened Nirvana. Yet, while most are still taking baby steps towards maintaining the clear light nature of mind, those who have experienced Kundalini rising will tell you that its nothing to mess around with, it can be like a powerful explosion of phosphorescing light that can at once excite and overwhelm, that quickly sheds the old paradigm, which is why the inexperienced should always surround themselves with spiritual friends; developing Kundalini require meditation and calm.

Not that I want to discourage anyone from working with Kundalini, but do so with care and consideration; so here’s to 2013 being a year in the influence of the Serpent Goddess, and keeping emotions and passions such as desire and aversion under control by being mindful of unconditional love-wisdom and compassion in all eventualities.

The image to illustrate this post is a photo I took years ago, when visiting the Manassala Snake Temple in Kerala, Southern India. This Temple is run solely by women devoted to snakes, who are covered in verbuti (sacred ash). The Temple houses many many snakes, including the Raja Cobra. The king snake curled up contentedly listening to the priestess sing songs according to the Nakshatra (mansion of the Moon) of the visitor to whom she was singing to. In my case she sang songs to Punavarsu; it was a truly magical experience.

I’m also including this personal illustration because the black snake stone sculptures are all covered in bright yellow Turmeric. Interestingly, the Feng Shui for this year emphasises the number 5, which is Yellow in colour, governing the central area of any house or room. This means that energy concentrates around the middle of buildings; to encourage a positive vibration place a 6-rod metal wind chime in the centre of your house or home. Who knows, doing so may even encourage ‘Shakti Power ‘to flow circulate more freely in your body and around your home :)_/♥\_ I have placed our wind chime already.

If you would like to know how your personal horoscope constellates in the year of the Snake, please get in touch for info and rates : 

~ With Losar blessings for a Happy Tibetan New Year ~
from Laura _/♥\_

Transforming Destiny ☆ ♥ ☆ Pluto & the Dragon's Head --> Feb 2011

For the past few weeks a tiny planet that packs a powerful punch, Pluto, has conjunct the moon's shadowy North Node, which is also known as the ‘Dragon’s Head’ or in India, ‘Rahu’.  This is a rare occasion, about once every 17+ years, due to Pluto’s 248 year orbit, and the nodal axis returning about 18ish years.  On Saturday the 27^th November, the conjunction is exact. What makes all the difference between this and other conjunctions is that these two heavenly markers are conjunct the Galactic Centre; and all three remain in close contact until mid-February. Rahu opens wide the karmic gates that lead to the Galactic center, and with Pluto, who is the planet of transformation, it also also opens us up to absorb incredibly powerful cosmic energies, which may at first not be so obvious.

 

Be assured: a subtle but powerful tide is turning. As Pluto exactly conjuncts the north node at 4 Capricorn it suggests profound insights, psychological or spiritual, and/or secret planning to fulfil ambitions and, dare I say, destiny.  Pluto rules all things hidden; now in Capricorn, the sign of business and ambition, discipline and responsibility, it thus sways in a mysterious way all things that provide structure and have authority - from the buildings that contain, to the government that rules, all the way to the edge of our universe; the previously concealed is being transformed so that outworn Capricorn structure and law is renewed. As the planet of the communication, Mercury, conjuncts Pluto and North Node three times during its retrograde phase, this concept of renewal will be very much in focus. The challenge is to generate totally new and inclusive ideas that revive collective resources.  Assertive Mars is about to conjunct the Galactic Centre to kick-start the proceedings.

The actual planet Pluto has also been in the Astro-news this week; indeed, my facebook page has been busy with friends reacting to a recent post regarding Pluto’s demotion; This demotion appears to have actually been premature, as Eris (pronounced ee-ris) is not as big as initially thought.  Pluto was demoted from being a planet to being a dwarf planet in August 2006, because newly discovered Eris was thought to be the same size, if not bigger.  Eris is the Goddess of discord and strife; and her Moon is named after her less desirable offspring, Dysnomia, who represents lawlessness. Eris had another daughter called Eunomia, meaning good-order according to good-laws. Don’t ask me why we didn’t call the last known Moon in the solar system something lovely and peaceful, but  maybe people just love to be chaotic and scared. Or do we? Isn’t being kept bound in chaos just another form of exercising the power of fear over the people?

Interestingly, the asteriod Ceres, symbolic of the Earth Mother, was promoted in 2006.  Although now separating from Pluto, Ceres is also in Capricorn, and still within orb of this powerful conjunction: the cosmic call is for all things Plutonian to also nurture and care about where we heading. This means those in positions of power ought to care like a mother would her child.

But that's not always the case, as the modern ruler of Scorpio, Pluto shares rulership over all things taboo: secrets, sex, the occult and cabals. The word ‘Plutocrat’ reveals how Pluto can be loaded with power-games (atomic energy created the same time of Pluto’s discovery).  In many ways Pluto’s demotion made it more powerful, as he is already the Lord of the Underworld; the demotion forced Pluto to hide from plain view, wrapping himself in his invisible cloak to infiltrate the minds and manners of those who crave power through dark and dirty work.  

Nonethless, Pluto is also the planet of extremes: capable of emerging from low periods with renewed strength. In the personal horoscope it shows where hidden resources lie as well as the power to fuel giant acts of destruction as well as creation.  Wherever Pluto lies in the horoscope something always dies in order to be reborn, so that out of the ashes rises the Plutonic phoenix, more powerful, more dynamic and more insightful.  

Personally, I’m dealing with Pluto opposing my Venus and squaring home-orientated Moon; it’s true a transformation in my home life is imminent. But also something bigger came to light, which involved insights into a series of difficult events from the past, that have now, in a strangely magical way, enlightened my psyche somewhat. I won’t go into details (for the moment they are too personal! (Scorpio Rising)); but for me it is a lesson that from painful situations it is possible to discover previously buried treasure, which gives me strength. This is an important Buddhist teaching: transforming suffering into joy.

 

Because Pluto is now with the destiny fulfilling North Node, it is now appropriate to even consider the raising of a usually hidden phenomena - a powerful human energy that can be raised through meditation to activate the light body, the light of Spirit: that of Kundalini.  The thrice-coiled serpent living at the base of the spine may well be stirring. Rahu (aka Dragon’s Head) at our crown opens to evolvolution - imagine if we were collectively initiated into the 7^th ray of ceremonial order!  The ability to generate love-light and bodhicitta would be exponential.

 

Cosmic events like this conjunction are also reflected in our own lives (my own world is certainly touched); so I’d also like to share some recent findings from the world of science that have brought to light (literally) previously unknown phenomena, which are also symolic of this revealing conjunction, which give the connection to the Galactic Centre an even more remarkable significance.

The first mysterious revelation from the cosmos is the discovery of Gamma Rays being emitted from the centre of our Galaxy – Pluto conjunct the North Node conjunct the Galagtic Centre, reveals hidden treasure planet of the hidden energy coming directly out of the Galactic Centre.  Nasa's page explains what we don't know about it. Which makes this discovery all the more alluring, as we really don't have to know everything - some things enchant more as a mystery. Instead, we can appreciate Pluto's ability to see in the dark and feel its way to provoke intuition - which leads me to think that by some magical association, this discovery may mean we humans are also ready (and able) to generate our light bodies, via the sushumna? Let’s not forget Gamma rays are the highest vibration of light, an energy that can heal (as in Cancer treatment) as well as kill. I don’t know if this delicious hazy purple colour is the ‘real’ colour of the rays, but just seeing it seems to stimulate my crown chakra.

 

Secondly, also from scientific point of view, a concept in accord with Buddhist cosmology, in that time is beginningless, and there was no big-bang per se, just no beginning and no end - like a circle. Here is a link to the the beeb with an article by Penrose which was hot on the heels of this. From CERN’s ALICE project and from the big-bang making machine, the Large Hadron Collider: crashing subatomic particles at high speed we now have quark-gluon-plasma with jet-quenching z particles: Beam me up Scotty, the future is now! :)

 

It seems many primordial secrets are coming in from the edge of the universe, which is Pluto's sphere. In light of these momenteous discoveries there will be changes, not just the way we view the outside world but all we learn during this period will help us to understand our own development, particularly that of our subtle body and it's psycho-anatomical-spiritual interaction.

 

As an aside, something else emerged from the Lord of the Underworld's realms: another crystal skull called 'compassion'. Fascinating timing. 

 

And one last link is to the brilliant Nick Anthony Fiorenza's site so you can get a good idea what Pluto looks like in relation to Eris. 

Thanks as always to all artists: