Winter Solstice 2011 _(♥)_ New Capricorn Moon Xmas Eve

Whichever spiritual holiday you celebrate, Christmas, Solstice, Saturnalia, Osiris, Mithras, Hannuka or Kwanga (or all for good measure! :)) this darkest part of year (in northern hemisphere) is often deeply emotional, when resting and taking a good look back provides insight and rejuvination. With 2012 just around the corner, promising to be a dramatic year, light-workers and dharma practitioners alike will want to be in the best possible form, mindful and aware, in order to generate the heart-mind's precious bodhicitta and ride the waves of love, beaming radiant light. 

Ready yourself now to leave the past behind and release painful or psychic baggage into the void, so that we never have to deal with whatever bugs us  again (at most not for another seven lifetimes!). For the Capricorn stars watching over this WINTER SOLSTICE, at 5:30 on the morning of the 22nd December, present the perfect opportunity to stop and assess, in order to liberate, heal, and transform all that no longer serves our Divine purpose. The return of Sunlight (in the northern hemisphere) signals the ‘New Light King’ is reborn, providing Spirit with a strong ‘Seed of Consciousness’, that is nourished and nurtured by realising certain ultimate truths. 

Winter Solstice (still aligned with Galagtic Centre AND Pluto for one more year!) is swiftly followed by a new Capricorn Moon on Xmas Eve (2 degrees of disciplined Capricorn at 18:06 on the 24th December) when, due to the baring of expansive Jupiter - at station to go forward in tropical 0degrees Taurus - spiritual/material growth is put into perspective, as well as the emergence of practical and personal value developing into something much more solid and obvious towards the Spring Equinox. Until then, am thanking our lucky stars that Jupiter, celestial Santa Clause, is beginning to pull out of his endlessly long opposition to Saturn in late Libra (tipping the balance of finances, housing, govts for the past couple of years); A recovery of some sort may well be a welcome relief as we cross the symbolic threshold into 2012 and enter THE year of a zillion fantastic predictions. These predictions mostly centre upon next year's winter solstice. At which one wonders what will we be doing this time next year? Watching ufos from Mayan pyramids? ;) Tuning into ascended Atlantians? ;) Or just plain turning off the fear-factor? :)) I predict one thing is certain: Winter Solstice 2012 is going to be the largest Global meditation the world has ever seen - or felt. 

So this, and the coming Summer Solstice on June 21st are a kind of run-through to excercise our ability to tune into 'the field', the noosphere, to restore human faith, love and compassion. Before a Solstice (the same is for summer solstice (in southern hemisphere)) meditation, prayers, ceremony or practice, be aware that when the Sun is at the Solstice standstill (Sol = Sun, stice = still) the connection between Spirit Sun and Mother Earth  creates a momentary 3-day 'gap', just like 'the gap' in meditation which happens in-between the ‘out breath’, and before the ‘in breath’. This is the cosmic pause in which we rest, and the very pause from which we stop past conditioning and karmic habits to release painful negativity, before inhaling once again life-giving goodness that comes from air’s life-sustaining prana. Take note to consciously breathe in positivity and exhale anything unhelpful - You’ll be surprised at how much stronger and positive you will feel, instinctively able to shine throughout 2012_(♥)_ Dharma practioners will no doubt even flip the cosmic coin and practice tonglen. ;)

Many thanks to unknown artists for beautiful healing light and blue lotus magical white spin_(♥)_

Sowing the seeds of compassion ~ New Moon in Pisces 2010

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” Buddha

Every great spiritual teacher, from His Holiness the Dalai Lama to beloved Osho and Ram Dass, tell us “to be here now”. The past has already been, and the future is a mysterious mix of present circumstance and karma; so the most important time in our lives is NOW! True, the monkey mind can turn around and around and swing back and forth, but with practiced effort it becomes easier to train this mind of ours to focus and remain centred in a continued mindful presence.

An awakened state of awareness helps us to note how all life is inter-connected, and events, ideas, and even the other beings we encounter are a mirror of our own emotions, thoughts and actions. This almost supernatural connection to everything around us is where science and spirituality now meet, through the noosphere – a quantum field of unseen electromagnetic energy that resonates with Global consciousness, as well as (how we direct) our psycho-anatomical- spiritual subtle body. Thus, we humans are actually much more magical than we give ourselves credit for. Each instant a sacred blessing – thoughts with wings fly through the biosphere, generating a vibration that interacts with the collective consciousness and, at the same time, extend into an evolutionary sphere of resonance that can heal and elevate.

Astrologically speaking, there are times when it’s easier for individuals to consciously to tune into the wave of collective energies, and unite with the spiritual soul group to become ‘one’. The New Moon at 25 degrees Pisces, on Monday the 15th at 21:01 GMT, is one of these magical moments. This is a New Moon to activate the space-time connection between Divine cosmos and the sacred light that lies within each of us. Meditating upon the space in between the eyebrows, the wisdom eye – the Third Eye - can open the all-seeing pineal gland, a stargate already stimulated by increasing sunlight (in the northern hemisphere). Buddhists can envisage a spiritual awakening in the Dharmadhatu. In the Hindu tradition, the Third eye is associated with magical all-seeing powers; in the West we link it to clairvoyance or clairsentience. Third eye meditations are not to be taken lightly, as Kundalini can awaken; unless you know what you are doing, I advise you to practice with others who do. Having said that, through meditation and prayer, yoga and dance, poetry and music (all Piscean activities), ego can step aside for Spirit to progress and generate a higher frequency of light that can be used to initiate unconditional love and compassion.

With astrology we learn more about our relative dualist realm: As well as being symbolic of deep spirituality, Pisces is also the sign of phantasmagoria, with the accumulated energy of all previous zodiacal signs, Pisces can indicate self-undoing, where toxic negativity can fester, self-destruct, and fuel Samsara’s illusion. Hence a game of victim and martyr is often played by those with an emphasis upon end-sign influences: Pisces, Neptune, 12th House. Being seduced by glamour, with a spirit held to ransom by addiction and desire is a tough place to be (believe me, I know about these things). I don’t want to come across as holier than thou, but it is possible to confront the cycle of delusion, break nasty habits, and turn corners. (I did.) The cosmic key to release is to heed self’s plea for forgiveness and surrender to the collective’s call for universal service.

A transformation of the heart-mind can be invoked with this Pisces Sun and Moon, currently conjoined to Mercury, the celestial courier, and Uranus, planet of dramatic reform and modernisation: To send out into the world a powerful and positive altruistic intention that has greater effect. As the light of the moon increases, by the Spring Equinox, next Saturday, the 20th at 17:32 GMT, any intention we set into motion now, like a seed just sown, will begin to take root – all we then need to do then is add blessed Piscean water, and watch our seed grow. (Note World Water Day 22nd March).

This Vernal equinox sees the cardinal points are activated as 2010’s very powerful alignments begin to shape into place. It’s not an easy configuration by any means. We can take heart from esoteric astrologer, Alice A. Bailey, who says the Cardinal Cross accents the Spiritual Sun, i.e. our own light within the greater unity - with individual Uranus as the agent of awakening 'the whole' to the awareness of cosmic consciousness.

Pic credit to Tim Buckley for the beautiful third eye http://www.redbubble.com/people/bodhiimages/art/3052824-5-first-up

Unknown seedwoman and tatoo man and grid, most appreciated, whoever you are X

♥ ૐ ♥~Earth ♥ Heart ♥ Alignment~♥ ૐ ♥

Sensing the earth under my feet, I feel my heart beating to life’s flowing charge, tuning into the Great Mother. Kindling such heartfelt resonance isn’t always easy, especially when desire, ignorance or aversion are at play. As they often are. Yet Buddhism teaches us that when we are brave enough to drop any ego baggage, the mind reconnects with the heart and we will return to our true nature, calm and happy, intuitive and accepting. Aware that we humans are indivisible from our home planet, Earth; 70% water and 30% solid, the human body also shares with the planet a little known secret: that our heart is also tilted - just like  Earth’s axis.

So when I heard news announced, in dramatic fatalistic media fashion, how Earth’s axis has tilted as a result of the recent Chile earthquake, my natural reaction was to enter into ‘stabilising meditation’, to focus upon breathing and calm the heart-mind. My understanding is that we, i.e. the earth, have always ‘wobbled’ with a point degree this way or that – so far with no serious misalignment, and therefore nothing to worry about. But in any whirlwind of change, a meditator’s aim is to hold firm focus and relax into the spacious heart-mind.

Where attention goes, energy flows.

The antidote for feeling insecure, fearful or unstable is to rest in love ~ pure unconditional love. To generate the heartfelt state we can share with others, it is primarily important to feel good about oneself. A simple, easy, costs-you-nothing way to create love for self is by breathing. Really. It's as simple as that. By concentrating upon breathing into our lungs the pure and conscious life-force, all goodness, light and positive prana infuse the heart-mind and body, and then exhaling toxic negativity, it naturally opens the heart, clears the mind and calms the spirit. From this tranquil state we can then generate Bodhicitta: which is the aspiration for all beings to achieve enlightenment.

It makes sense, then, if we can establish love and a calm mind with directed breath - and as we are so interconnected to the Earth - by the same intention, motivation and focus we can also calm Earth’s breathing, as Mother Earth also breathes with the tides, as well as inhaling at daybreak and exhaling at nightfall (with greater inhalation during periods when there is less solar activity, or depending upon where we are in the yearly cycle). Russian scientist Lugovenko defines the breathing of the Earth as "the temporary variations of a cosmo-terrestrial field," and refers to both "global" and "local" breathing. He suggests global breathing reacts to sacredness, through meditation and mantra. That we are so connected is not so surprising if we consider the inclusive noosphere. Now, more than ever, with humanity in a constant state of crisis and chaos, knowing the techniques of being able to rest in happy heart makes for a happy life - and a happy earth.

Om Om Om ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ ♥ ♥ૐ :)

Thanks and blessings to unknown artists.

2010 New Year ~ Blue Moon ~ Pyramid Power

Leaving the noughties behind (*sigh of relief*) we welcome a new decade in the light of a powerful Blue Super Moon, which is not only in partial eclipse, but this triple whammy Cancerian Moon is also closest to the Earth, and our Earth is closest to the Capricorn Sun. It is a rare and tight celestial embrace between the Divine Cosmic lovers, Sun & Moon, aligning with our human Earth Spirit, inviting an intense but short-lived moment of magically merging tidal energies: Male with female, yin and yang, gold with silver, positive and negative, right brain - left brain, consciousness and the unconscious fusing together to create the potential to go beyond the normal confines of duality, into blissful Oneness. Within this sense of unity we can untie the knots in our heart mind and invoke the high vibration of pure awareness – not only to see things for what they really are, but psychically sense and feel deeply, all the while resting in objectivity, reflecting the celestial dynamic without attachement or aversion.

Karma is always magnified when the tremendous force of the dragon's head and dragon's tail are activated x 10,000; and with this lunar eclipse we have the possibility to work with incredible pyramid power (Sun-Moon-Earth; Mercury-Capricorn-Humanity; triple Aquarian Conjunction of Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter) to create strong foundations and release a potent positive intention of unconditional love into the collective atmosphere - the noosphere - a sphere of united and evolutionary human thought.

To make the most of these few hours either side of the eclipse (exact time of the Full Moon is on the evening of the 31^st, at 19:13 GMT), be aware these are enchanting moonbeams, even if covered by cloud. Protection is as important as being open. Yet if there was ever a New Year to make resolutions that can work, this is it, as ‘The Lights’ illuminate any intention you make. Over the next day consider carefully this year’s goals and objectives, and then ring in the New Year by inviting Full Moon insight and mirror-like wisdom for 2010. To complete any aim or purpose, personal advantage is enhanced by working for the benefit of others. And if you’re up for seeing the bigger picture, set a positive intention for the coming decade!

Bear in mind this coming year’s stars are multifarious, challenging and complex, reflective of the many choices and changes we all encounter. We are now also in a Mercury retrograde period (until January 15^th) (and Mars Rx until Spring). As usual, when Mercury is retro, we are advised to re-read legal documents and fine print at least three times before signing on anything big, like getting a loan, buying a house or setting up a business. This particular Mercury is in the same sign as the Sun, initiating and deliberate Capricorn, denoting solid framework to the formation and concretising of intuitive ideas that also combine a rational approach, a modus operando that is personally effective, as well as on a humanitarian level.

Mercury in Capricon says there may be a mountain of karma holding down or suppressing evolution and creating resistance. This could be internal, as in our own mind creates thoughts that hold us back, or external, as having to deal with a recalcitrant authority, for example. With Mercury in apparent backward motion, now is the time for quick thinking, to bring about a new vision and change in our perception that swiftly releases us from mental bondage. Taming the mind is therefore central and crucial to finding the freedom of new experiences, as well as bringing difficult and destructive experiences to a close. With planning and effort, the results of intelligent problem solving could bring movement in a positive direction at soon as the new moon on the 15^th January. And by the time of the metal White Tiger Tibetan & Chinese New Year, on the 14^th February, Valentine’s Day, much of what is currently being re-worked could be close to some kind a resolution.

As mentioned, the heavens are decidedly Byzantine this year, dominated by a rarely protracted phenomenon called ‘the Cardinal Grand Cross’ involving Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. If you are one of these signs, the inclination to act and create, participate and initiate is strong. This dramatic cross formation will be around for most of the year. While many astrologers are saying that these are the trickiest transits we have seen for a long time, we must make an effort to maintain the quest for liberation and generate the cosmic love vibration, not falling into the negatively controlling fear trap. The hot cosmic tip is to become mindful of one’s own place in relation to fellow beings, and to exhibit harmony and balance wherever and whenever possible, and accent the importance of peace. Influential Saturn is in peace-seeking Libra: If we are to have peace in the world, we must find peace within our selves. Admittedly this may be easier said than done, but there are breathing techniques that can quickly create this calm mind (and advance intelligence): by watching and observing the breath just for only ten minutes a day, it can be enough to generate the peace of mind one needs to effectively deal with everyday demands (of course, sit in longer meditation if so inclined!). One last astral snippet: a financial turning point towards the end of May brings slow but sure improvement all around. Good luck! May your New Year Stars twinkle with Love and Light!

Pic credit: Francine Hart