New Leo Moon ♥ • • •( ( (☾ ◯☽) ) )• • • ♥ August 2013

Majestic Leo is ruled by the life-giving Sun, which is central to the cross-quarter marker for the height of this season. Now, as the golden Sun radiates warmth through the light of the soul, we observe the ‘Fixed’ Solar Fire festival accenting the glowing Heart of the Leo Sun, a time of joyful relaxation and abundance, when summer's first grains ripen in the northern hemisphere, and days lengthen in the south. At the same time, a New Moon at 14 degrees of fiery Leo, on Tuesday, 6th August at 22:50bst kindles Leo’s sacred flame of unconditional love-light.

Compounding the light blessings, the commanding Leo Sun and Moon are currently with asteroid Vesta, Fire Goddess of hearth and home, who purifies and tends the sacred flame with unfailing devotion. All three are currently in a challenging aspect to the karmic Dragon’s head and tail. This mythical meeting of Dragon and Lion suggests we’re at a potentially enlightening turning point, one that could avoid burn-out and bring about practical earthy healing to a specific heart-felt cause; by shining the Leo Love-Light into the deepest recesses of our (collective) psyche we can now clearly see what needs to be powerfully transformed in order to safeguard the heart-mind, and shared resources.

_/♥\_ From the Buddhist perspective, both Lion and Dragon are symbolically important iconography. Like Leo, the dragon is a creature of great creative power, with positive yang dynamism, whilst the regal Lion is dignified and loving, playful and cheerful. Bodhisattvas, beings who attain a high level of spiritual development, are often called ‘Buddha’s Lions’; and Buddha’s teachings ‘the Lions’ Roar’. As such, Lions are also royal dharma protectors, found at the entrance to many temples, often holding up thrones for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, indicating formidable strength and competence.

☼☽ So while this New Leo Moon provides the will to exercise wisdom that protects a faithful heart and advances the creative spirit with generosity and love, remember there is also room for a sprinkling of inscrutable Dragon magic to enhance these rare moments of the influential six-pointed star of the Grand Sextile, flowing in and out of perfection throughout this month of August. ☼☽¸¸.•*¨*•☆ ♥

 

 "Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth".
~> Sutta Nipata

tThanks to ExoticIndia for beautiful thangka painting of Shakyamuni Buddha & to Visual Alchemy for 'Goodness Gracious'_/\_

Seven Magical Sisters & Artemis ~ Taurus Full Moon '10

“Twinkle Twinkle little STAR, how I wonder what you are. Up above the sky so bright, like a diamond in the night.” Everyone, young and old, has smiled and sung this song at some time and marvelled at the starry heavens. And there is one very special cluster of stars which truly fascinate and activate this sense of wonder in more ways than is at first obvious; these are the Pleiades –Seven magical Sisters who shimmer and glitter at the very last degree of Taurus, who are linked to mysticism and power, life and death.

For millennia we humans have known something very special emanates from the Seven Sisters. Mythology abounds with stories of these blue stars: To the Greeks they were Doves; to the Celts they are ‘The Fates’; to the Chinese the ‘Seven Sisters of Industry’; to the Indians they are ‘Seven Mothers’ who judge and wield moon-shaped razors; and to the Egyptians they are Seven Goddesses whom the dead encounter. Through these stars we acknoweldge a portal into another world.

Just by watching these alluring Seven Goddesses we link into a collective cosmic mythology that has captivated our imagination and thereby become a part of historical harmony. In esoteric astrology the Pleiades stimulates the human heart centre, enabling one to relinquish the obsessive desire that Scorpio can often cling to. Scorpio is also associated with transformation through rebirth and renewal; though letting go of all that no longer serves can sometimes be a painful process due to Scorpios’ fixed intensity.

So while the Sun is in Scorpio, still with Vesta igniting the inner flame, and the Full Taurus Moon conjuncts the influential Pleiades on Sunday, the 21^st at 17:27 gmt, the power of love is coupled with the power of renewal.  (Look to 29 degrees Taurus and Scorpio in your chart to see where this renewal is taking place.)   

When planets are found at the last degree of a sign, in astrology we call this degree ‘anaretic’, meaning it has an accumulative effect from having almost completed the passing through of one sign.  It’s as though we have already digested all the qualities of the sign before leaping into the next, and in the case of this Full Moon, when the Sun is in Scorpio and the Moon in Taurus, those consecutive signs are truth-seeking Sagittarius and curious Gemini.  Nonetheless, the issues surrounding this Full Moon are still Taurean (personal values and constancy, love and money) and Scorpio (shared values and strength, intimacy and power). Over this moon we harness Scorpio’s ability to deeply sense our Taurean needs in a heartfelt and protective manner without so much the need for words.  A Moon with the Pleiades can trap, hold, and purify (with wisdom and compassion) any negativity that comes to light via Scorpio’s psychic radar.

The Moon is also our emotional anchor; when full the Moon brings clarity and wisdom; and in Taurus, the Moon is exalted, where we find stability.  In the West she is feminine, a Goddess with many names. At this time of year (in the northern hemisphere), when the leaves on the trees have fallen and the nights are dark we call her Diana, or Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt. Artemis is the bringer of Light, caring for children, women and the environment.  She is often connected to the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades in myth, and being reunited with them over this Full Moon indicates our Goddess energy is once again magnified.  

This gathering of moon maidens and sky dancers creates a dynamic connection, particularly as we are still under the cosmic auspices of the Cardinal Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun (which resumes an exact formation March 13th 2011).  Alice A. Bailey writes that during the time of a Cardinal Cross, the Pleiades employs both Mercury and Mars as agents working through Gemini AND Sagittarius; so it is interesting how they are now in conjunction in truth-seeking Sagittarius.  This could well be a sign that in order to understand the truth we also need to connect more with our intuitive and feminine sides, creating Shiva-Shakti over this Full Moon.  And from Monday, both Sun and Moon move into these signs, when a greater, yang energy becomes our celestial focus for another month, through which the heart-orientated Pleiades communicates.

Wherever you are during this full Moon, when looking out for the Pleiades with the Moon, take a moment to weather-watch. As over November’s ‘Dark Moon’, in both an ancient Babylonian custom, as well as Tibetan, it is said the during Full Taurus Moon (where the moon is exalted) one can note what might lie ahead in the cold winter months, especially for practical sustenance, as Taurus is an earth sign, symbolic of gardening and crops.

Thanks as always to Bill Brouard,"Artimis" by beloved Susan Seddon-Boulet, and other unknown but much appreciated artists.

Sacred Diwali Light ☉☽✫ Sun Scorpio Moon & Vesta

Early birds will now see VENUS RISING as Aphrodite, the Morning Star. The ancient Greeks called her Phosphorus or Lucifer, the 'Light Bearer'. Although Venus is still retrograde until Nov 19th (& just about to change signs from SCORPIO -> back into LIBRA) we could feel any obsessive intensity seep away for a while, to be replaced with a lighter heart and a more balanced view about that which we value. So welcome a new rosy Venus ascending at dawn (as she metamorphises from evening Star to Morning), plus a New Moon @ 4:53 gmt 14 degrees of Scorpio – the very same degree that Venus went retrograde, 28 days ago, a full lunation cycle later. These salient astro-facts indicate we now have the opportunity to shine the light of our emotional experience upon deeper aspects of psyche, as well as all we value and share, such as love, peace & powerful associations. 

Scorpio is the sign of life, death and rebirth - transformational renewal is through letting-go, cutting-back, and dropping any dead weights that stop you from flying high like the eagle in the sky. Now is the time to connect with our Buddha nature and take only what's necessary to revive Spirit and soar.

 

This is an astrologically busy new moon for those who like their insight profound and meaningful. (I know, new Moons are always laden with symbolism - but this one has the visionary activist's edge.) Because Neptune and Chiron also go forward, after a long retrograde in late degrees Aquarius, a (collective) spiritual or emotional wound can now be healed. Psychic awareness and (toxic) sensitivity is also heightened. Take care, protect, & beware of dirty tricks.

 

During the last New Moon in Libra, the planets paired up, which was a nice celestial surprise for being in the sign of loving relationship. At this New Moon several planets are twirling the skies in three’s, which suggests that ideas and connectivity should uplift: So while Venus edges out of Scorpio into Libra over the next few days to find the value of self-love in relation to others (see Sun at inferior conjunction with Venus & Venus in Scorpio Retrograde for the practical and spiritual overview of her retrograde dance), the SUN & MOON move forward to start a new lunation in SCORPIO with asteroid VESTA, igniting our sacred inner heat for the month. Whilst keeping the sexual flame alight we must, however, be aware how overwhelming desires can burn up the life-force if we don't take care; Pluto, Scorpio’s ruler, is also with the North Node and Ceres: We need to revolutionize our (collective) direction, with the love and attention a Mother would give her child. 

& Black Moon Lilith is closing in again on Jupiter and Uranus, still retrograde in Pisces. While Jupiter is slowing down to go forward on the 19^th November – the same day as Venus goes forward 28 Libra, I’d say watch any collective emotional undercurrent with detachment, if you can, and make an effort not to get swept along by other’s fear or frustration. These are challenging times in many ways, but with Goddess Vesta igniting the light of Diwali, within the initiating energy of a New Moon, we can connect to our innate goodness & and allow purity of spirit to keep integrity intact.  

 

At the Full Moon in Taurus on the 21st November (when the Sun & Moon conjunct the Pleiades) only Uranus will be retrograde. More on this later... 

 

  

 ☾~ ☼ ~☽Thanks to Marianne Rydfeld for her brilliant Eagle carrying the Buddha and Phoenix 13 moon & other unknown but much appreciated artist.    

Solstice Sun with Vesta ~ Ingniting Inner light

Summer solstice (in our Northern hemisphere) is traditionally a time of festivity as the Sun is at ‘stand still’ high in the sky at its’ zenith. As in days of yore, traditional communal solstice fire festivals honour the life force of our solar system, the Sun. By acknowledging the power of the life-giving Sun, we also show respect to our inner essence, Spirit, otherwise known as the Divine, which we could also call conscious intuitive awareness, at one with the radiant universe.
We’re lucky this year’s longest day, marking the entry of the Sun into Cancer, symbol of home and family, happens over the weekend; celebrating with loved ones needn’t wipe out the rest of the week. The Sun is with the asteroid Vesta, who keeps home fires burning and adds a certain spark to the proceedings. Even so, this is no ordinary Solstice: strength is also in its’ subtlety as the Sun opposes Pluto in Capricorn, planet of complete rejuvenation, urging for total renewal as if it were a matter of survival. With Sun, Vesta & Pluto in alignment, the celestial focus is upon inviting the inner Light of Consciousness to infuse courage, faith and stamina to affect positive self-renewal and a rebirth of the human spirit.

In order for transformative Pluto to assist our makeover, we need to ‘let go’ of a deeply engrained part of our being, such as obsession, fear or desire that no longer serves our highest evolutionary good. And this may not be an easy a task to undertake, as to cut away from said fixation may well seem akin to ego-death. In the Buddhist sense, death is only part of cyclic existence. Death is not the end, though, only a change as we flow through the Samsaric Ocean. Renewing life is the most significant transmutation we make. When we place our trust in faith, love, and peace of mind, doubts and fear of death melt into the void. Ego, on the other hand, is the part of our being that thrives on pointless drama, anger, competition and lust; all aspects of the psyche that generate conflict, dread and panic, which kick and scream all the way to the final resting place. Endings can be admittedly difficult, as change makes us look at ourselves in the raw and send us reeling into shadow mode. Yet it is from that shaded place where we can see the light of creativity and inspiration. So in the midst of Solstice celebration a controlled sense of calm and sensitivity to what may initially seem like a sacrifice, such as breaking an ingrained negative habit, changing the way we think or feel about something or someone, can actually be an awakening to light any psychological or spiritual load and breathe new life into any flagging spirit.

Interestingly, the further we look outside ourselves the deeper within we go, to reach more subtle dimensions of self in relation to spirit. A New Cancer Moon on the 22^nd compounds the need for emotional support, where one is able to express how it feels during times of transformation. Venus and Mars cosy up to each other too; so all in all, this Solstice point could be a period of very sexy self-improvement. Enjoy & Happy Solstice!