Mercury retrograde ~ Change is inevitable

Change is inevitable. Or as Heraclitus says "Change is the only constant". Understanding impermanence and that nothing is ‘fixed’ but everything is subject to alteration is essential in Buddhist philosophy. But it’s when and how we change, especially breaking out of negative patters or restrictive molds that can make all the difference to our emotional, mental and physical well-being. With the current retro Mercury and Mars in Gemini, the time now is ripe to re-think, re-work, re-consider changes, in direction, in approach, and even in the deepest recesses of the heart-mind, as the planets suggest the plasticity of the mind is now heightened, particularly by personal active intervention and continuous movement. Indeed, it may be time now to (re)consider new ways of looking at the same old thing, or even walking down another street to get a completely different point of view...
Here's a wonderful poem, often spoken by Sogyal Rinpoche, to illustrate how we change, and how habits can be broken and life improves with practiced mindfulness:

“Autobiography In Five Chapters

1) I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

2) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

3) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

4) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

5) I walk down another street.”

by Portia Nelson
From: Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Image with thanks & ℒℴѵℯ_/✿\_ to the brilliant Karma Phunstok

✶ Medicine Buddha ~ Tara Moon ~> June 5th/6th __/❤\__ Sacred Star

There are times when the heavens specifically concentrate upon certain energies. This First Quarter Moon with the Gemini Sun and Virgo Moon is such a time, as the emphasis of ‘The Lights’, Sun and Moon, spotlight healing of all kinds: physical, mental and spiritual.

Be aware of the mind’s ability to influence progress, remaining positive is crucial to the speed of recovery. Try not to wallow in any mire, focus instead up that which brings joy. Quicksilver Gemini Sun is still conjunct healing asteroid Hygeia, who was wife/aid to Aesculapius, the father of our modern medicine, accenting the call for swift solutions (though to be fair, family/media issues may be slowed by Mercury retrograde, starting 7th June for three weeks); The Sun in hard aspect to thoughtful and considerate Virgo Moon suggests having the ability to change course and think quickly, even whilst on the move.

This profoundly healing Moon phase also configures the enchanting six-pointed Grand Sextile, a sacred star formation connecting a stabilizing Earth Trine with the deeply intuitive current Water Trine. Though this beautiful star formation is fleeting, indeed, it will be waning tomorrow, the celestial energy for 5th and 6th June is still very much geared towards overcoming obstacles by being both, realistic AND magical. En route to the karma multiplied Saka Dawa Full Moon on the 13th, now is the time for helpful visualization and practical application to any problem. So keep in the mind's eye an end image, and be prepared to move fast to apply speedy solutions to any issue, no matter how big or small the difficulty might seem.

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Buddha


 __/❤\__ ☼ ❤✶•*¨*•.¸¸✶
with ℒℴѵℯ_/✿\_ & thanks for sharing & if you'd like to know how your scope constellates during this special karma multiplied month of SakaDawa, please contact me here for rates.

No Mud No Lotus - Mercury / Saturn - November 26th '13 ~> _(♥)_

Planet of the mind, Mercury, conjuncts karmic Saturn for the 3rd time in a month, due to Mercury’s Scorpionic retro loop-de-loop; which means that whatever problem was going down at Halloween, and the 8th November, is once again given karmic Saturn’s powerful scrutiny. Issues raised back then could even now see some kind of practical resolve. This is because Saturn with Mercury urges us to examine traditional power structures, and the way we deal with authority, as well as any negative thinking or stuck thought patterns such as obsession, jealousy or control, by planting the responsibility for our own thoughts firmly back into our own heart-minds. This conjunction encourages us to transform and train the mind in a practical manner, which in Buddhism we would call ‘lojong’: training the mind towards awakening, through difficult and trying situations. So don’t worry if your rational mind is stuck in the mud today, reaching for lotus-like clarity will happen soon enough, as fleet-footed Mercury swiftly makes a good aspect to loving Venus AND the cosmic teacher, Jupiter on Thanksgiving Thursday, November 28th (when ISON sungrazes with the Sagittarian Sun!). _(♥)_

Mind science

Mind science fascinates me, as training the chattering monkey mind is something I am constantly working on. Admittedly the mind and the brain are not the same. The brain is the intellect while the mind constantly interacts with feelings and the environment and, from astrology's 'interconnectivity' point of view, also with the heavens. So when scientists recently went looking for God in the brain, was it any surprise that all kinds of cerebral activity get sparked? Even though scientists only studied the brains of monotheistic religions, i.e. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, to me this only confirms that the intellect conceives the Divine to be everywhere, all around the ordinary world.

Here is one of the recent reports:

'Scientists searching for brain's 'God spot' find belief circuits'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/ 'God' is found everywhere in the brain, 4966118/Scientists-searchi

ng-for-brains-God-spot-find-belief-circuits.html

Since reading these articles I have been wondering why then, fellow astrologers (and dharma practitioners too), do we see Jupiter, Neptune, 9th, 12th, Sagittarius, Pisces as being our only heavenly links to faith, religion, and the Divine, God, the Void, call it what you will. The cosmic kind of consciousness that fires up all parts of the brain, which means it must surely be found in all areas of the horoscope as well?

This article in the New Zealand herald mentions other studies, a Buddhist one and another, which Dawkins fans might enjoy:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/science/news/article.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10560954&pnum=2