☿ Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio ☿ ♏ Rx - 21st Oct - 10 November

Usually swift in winged attire, Mercury, sparkling planet of mind and movement slowed down yesterday to become retrograde at 18 Scorpio for three weeks, until November 10th. Going all the way back to 2Scorpio, Mercury now goes undercover to be the guiding light when delving into dark recesses, a covert celestial agent with a responsible mission.

Secretive, enigmatic and transformational, Mercury in Scorpio is magnetic, thoughtful and extremely incisive when dealing with difficult subjects. In Scorpio, Mercury is the psychopomp, escorting people, things, ideas, through various transitions: from life to death, to life after death through the bardo, and rebirth.

When the planet of the mind delves into powerful Scorpio it does so fearlessly, teaching that when something/someone dies it is to be reborn. Holding steady with laser-like perception, Mercury in Scorpio deals sensitively with taboo subjects such as power, sex, death, and shared investments, such as emotional investments within intimate relationship, spiritual investment with tantric commitment, or financial such as big business, taxes, and inheritance (environmental, cultural, or monetary); none of these are easy topics, often requiring trust and faith, and an ability to stop and step back to release the old and outworn in order to be renewed and reborn. As Mercury will conjunct karmic Saturn twice more during this retrograde/direct phase (and twice more Sextile both Pluto & Mars, plus Trine Neptune), busy Mercury is able to magically facilitate healing at any time, thus encouraging the development of insight, intuition, and the psychic sensitivity to transform past life (past events/past psychology) into a potentially powerful force for good by taking personal control of one's life, and sharing the best with the rest. _/♥\_

Thanks to unknown artist for evocative Buddha _/♥\_
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☼ Autumn Equinox in the North ~ ☯ ~ Spring Equinox in the South ☼ Sept'13

Whether contemplating falling leaves or looking at new green shoots, Equinox marks a moment of inevitable change as Spirit Sun enters Libra, the sign of the scales, on the 22nd September at 20:44UT, and the balance of the ‘light of life’ switches hemispheres. In the north, we embrace the darkened reflective womb of feminine yin, as nights get longer and days shorter. Whereas fiery yang will dominate in the south. But, for these few equinoctial days, as the effects of a Full Moon linger, the heavenly harmony of equal-day and equal night, yin and yang, are in total equilibrium.

Whichever hemisphere you are in, with the sensitive Moon now in sensual, earthy Taurus, this equinox has a very Venusian feel, as both Libra Sun and Taurus Moon share the Goddess of Love, Venus, as ruler.

Venus currently traverses insightful Scorpio together with karmic Saturn. Interestingly, Saturn is Libra’s hierarchical ruler, emphasizing the importance of working partnerships and social relations, as well as developing trust within intimate friendships. This conjunction of Goddess and Time Lord is generally considered testing, particularly as they conjoin the destiny-fulfilling North Node. Commitment, discipline and responsibility are now key transformational factors, especially when applied with tender loving care.

Controlling Saturn’s greatest lesson is to learn how to come from the heart, to love with integrity, to be fair and just - without strings or attachment. It’s worth bearing in mind that if feeling alone or lonely at this time of change, some important and long-lasting relationships can have this realistic yet loving celestial connection. Furthermore, in Scorpio, this celestial rapport intuitively knows who and what offers meaningful support to the profound alchemical process in the transformation of the heart. So if there is change to be made in our personal lives now, it is to surround ourselves with spiritual and like-minded friends, companions who favour awakening to the LOVEly ultimate reality that there is no separateness between 'me' or 'we', and that we are, in fact, pure wholesome bliss.

Happy Equinox _/☯\_ & thanks to unknown artist for lovely seasonal contemplative Buddha.

ॐ Virgo Lunation ~ Guru Rinpoche --> Cardinal Cross & Fixed 'T' Square 2013

September 14th ~> Guru Rinpoche
Sun in Virgo - Moon in Capricorn

I was asked today why, according to astrology, these are such challenging times. And this is a really long and involved answer with lots of astro-tech, as there are two very difficult aspects going on at the moment, which involve both Cardinal and Fixed signs (which is 2/3rd of the zodiac), so few escape the planetary energies – apart from the cosmic enlightened ones, of course, who are beyond the influences of the heavens. _/\_

One such difficult aspect is the Cardinal Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun, which will continue to come and go until 2015/6 with varying intensity (as it has already been doing for the past three years). This highly evolutionary square is rare in its longevity, and involves dynamic, active Cardinal Signs: Assertive Aries with Uranus, planet of awakening as the agent of the square; Sensitive Cancer, with Jupiter, planet of expansion as the synthesising factor; Balancing Libra with messenger Mercury, planet of communication – with the Equinox Sun highlighting the Cardinal Cross at the end of the calendar month; last but not least, responsible Capricorn with transformative Pluto.

At its highest vibration, this square represents a rising Divinity (within). To be honest, this Grand Square with its two oppositions and an enduring hard aspect between two generational planes, Uranus and Pluto, it’s not easy to say the least, as interconnected life can go ‘haywire’ it involves a great deal of personal transformation and spiritual awareness to remain true to self. And every time the Moon hits one of these planets during this incredible Cardinal Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun, we feel deeply the part we are playing in being able to dissolve the veils obscuring our shining and true Buddha nature.

Yet the required spiritual critical mass for Divinity to rise is, to my mind, almost here - if not already reached; as a collective tide turns towards the Divine Feminine, the Goddess balancing the rational of the mechanistic left-brain with the holistic creative right-brain, as well as awakening an intuitive wisdom with loving compassion. Still, the stress created by this realignment, of human with Divine, can be tough with on-going suppression of freedoms. And having a day when relationships falter, or self/others fail to produce, or authority clamps down and/or peer group seems alienating and a seemingly toxic collective upholds mass distraction with toys for celebrity boys (and girls), it’s all the more reason to hold ground, centre up and rest in the natural beauty of the glowing and radiant heart-mind ~> So when the going gets tough, breathe, meditate, slow down, and rise above the negative vibration that can hook the mind into slavish nonsense.

If the Grand Cross isn’t enough, the second aspect is a hard ‘T’ square between relationship-orientated Venus, disciplined Saturn, and the North Node in Scorpio (and by extention the South Node in Taurus) to Mars in Leo, which means fiery Mars has, for the past week or so, be on ‘The Bends’, turning between the dark side of the Moon and happenstance. Which could well feel just as crazy as it sounds! And Mars is still in square to Saturn creating a sensation a bit like wading through treacle, which has an upside, in as much as martial Mars is halted through fear, doubt, or plain realistic assessment (phew!). Note that Mars is akin to the energy of the South Node (logging the kind of energy we bring from previous incarnation or situations), and karmic Saturn is akin to destiny-fulfilling North-Node. So basically the Martial Lion has been wrapped around the Dragons’ Head AND the Dragon’s Tail, caught between coming and going. Now, he is going – straight into the arms of passionate, powerful love.

And as Venus, the planet of love now conjuncts Saturn, a commitment to the transformational power of deep, meaningful love means abandoning power plays of control and domination. So that when Love Goddess Venus squares passionate Warrior Mars at the last quarter moon 27/28th September, it can spark ardour, confidence, and the consciousness to renew and revitalise shared enterprise by following the urge to accomplish brave deeds, with unconditional LOVE conquering anger, hatred and aggression; for in the planetary pantheon Mars only disarms with Venusian charms.

So seeing that today, 14th September, is this lunation’s Guru Rinpoche day, with Sun in healing Virgo, the sign of the perfect and abundant Goddess, in good aspect to the sympathetic Moon in sensible Capricorn, it is more than fitting to ask for blessings and protection (from the Guru within) and discover the ability to overcome obstacles of these difficult aspects, so that all our aspirations can be fulfilled. ॐ_/♥\_

Guru Rinpoche as Medicine Buddha. Guru Rinpoche Mantra ~> "Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Pema Siddhi Hung" _/♥\_

❥ An arrow of blessings ~ Medicine Buddha Moon Sept '13

First Quarter Moon ~ Medicine Buddha ~ Tara Puja __/♥\__

To eat lightly, rest deeply, and work in the healthy service of all sentient beings are the energies of Spirit Sun in physical, earthy, purifying Virgo, the zodiac's healing Goddess. Now the Sun is in square to the Moon in fiery, far-reaching Sagittarius, ‘The Lights’ work with base chakras, keeping feet planted on the ground to remain optimistic when searching for truths which resonate deep within the heart-mind. Tonight’s Sagittarian Medicine Buddha Moon helps direct energy up and beyond, sending out an arrow of blessings. Maintain a sense of adventure when performing the most ordinary activities, and spirits will rise to see the beauty in simple tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or caring for oneself and/or others. So as we head towards the meditative Full Moon in Pisces on the 19th September, sensitivity is heightened to demonstrate compassion and kindness. The Grand Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun is also once activated over the coming days: Being anchored within helps to overcome doubts and fears (especially within relationship), as noted by the Venus and Saturn conjunction riding the destiny-fulfilling North Node on the western horizon at sunset - Such a heavenly sight at this time of major transformation!

Medicine Buddha Mantra "Tayatha Om Bekanze Bekanze MahaBekanze Rasa Samut Gate Soha" __/♥\__

“Hail! Appear, O Healer, O Healer, O Great Healer, O King of Healing! Let the Healing be swift And let the Healing begin!” __/♥\__