☼ △ ☾ Guru Rinpoche day June 26th 2015

☼ △ ☾ Every month on the 10th day of the lunar cycle, when Sun and Moon form a fabulous and dynamic association of ‘The Lights’, we, in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, honour the Lama, the Teacher (within). This day is also known as Guru Rinpoche day, honouring Padmasambhava, the 2nd Buddha (after Shakyamuni), ‘the lotus born’ who generated rainbows and brought the sacred art of Tantra from India to Tibet in the 8th century. Guru means teacher, and Rinpoche the ‘precious jewel’, thus energies surround this Moon phase are generally positive, guiding and helpful, especially when on the path of transformation.

☼ △ ☾ Today’s Guru Rinpoche day, 26-27th June is also very special, as it not only celebrates the birthday of the historical second Buddha of Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava, but there are no less than three major lineage holders whose birthday it is at the same time: His Holiness, the 17th Karmapa (30 year’s old); Dilgo Khyentse Yangsti Rinpoche (22), and most beloved Dzogchen Yogi, Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche (102!). Our very best wishes go to these esteemed lineage holders on this great day _/♡\_

As the radiant Sun blesses their familial Cancerian Spirts, the Moon in Scorpio can deepen heart connections that pave the way for profound self-liberation.
If you have a teacher whom you feel has helped you in any way to become a kinder, more loving, better you, today is the day to give thanks and allow those teachings to seep deeply into soul, and fuel creativity to raise consciousness and embody wisdom and compassion (and realise complete Great Enlightenment).

☼ △ ☾ Astro info ~> July 2nd’s Full Capricorn Moon on Thursday @3:19bst,  activates dynamic Divinity within the Cardinal Cross of the Central Spiritual Sun; Pluto is with Luna, opposite Sun/Mars, and all in square to the nodal axis in Libra (NN) and Aries (SN).  FYI: The nodal axis is just now approaching an alignment with the Super Galagtic centre, i.e. the core around which zillions of galaxies are drawn. This full Moon presents the potent Solstice turning point; and it is loaded with powerful ‘unseen’, psychic vibration. Note that situations around this Full Moon, are cosmically bound to have a direct impact upon those at Equinox Solar Eclipse, September 28th.  But that’s way ahead! For now, lift one’s spirit and enjoy the Summer (in the North) or the growing light in the South.

With ℒℴѵℯ_/✿\_  & thanks all my teachers and to unknown Tangka painter. Happy Guru Rinpoche day Everyone!

Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Pemma Siddhi Hung _/\_ :)

☼ SOLstice June 21st 2015 ☼ ~. Cancer Ingress

☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤☾ Happy ☼ Solstice ☽❤¸¸.•*¨*•☆

June 21st SUNday @17:38bst, the Wood Goat year's SOLstice (Summer in the North, Winter in the South) is sealed with a truly stunning heavenly alignment combining the sensitive Moon, Love Goddess Venus, and Sacred Guru Jupiter with heroic fixed star Regulus. In Leo, the sign ruled by the Sun; this is a most strengthening and beneficial, heart-centred planetary pattern that bestows passion, artistic creativity, and faith in a higher, universal love.

The ability to forgive, be generous and show compassion, and actually embody the healing power of love is so symbolic of the night sky's union of the brightest and most beautiful. Lord Buddha once said “Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.” And these three planets currently together do give the potential to open the heart-mind to a Divine and playful love which generates the optimism to maintain an enthusiastic joy - for life and for love. Practice using loving kindness now within less desirable situations or on difficult emotions, and by Wednesday's first quarter Moon, the consequence of current actions (in body/speech/mind) could be even more beneficial.
Have a lovely Solstice SUNday everyone! with ℒℴѵℯ_/✿\_

☽☼ ☾ ♊ Solstice New Moon ~> Tuesday 16th June @15:05UT

☼ ☾ As holy month Sakadawa closes, Tuesday's dynamic New Solstice Moon provides one of the most lively astrological lunations of the year. Not only is it Solstice next weekend – one of the year’s two major turning points, and a time of friendly gathering and celebration, there’s also a seriously exciting opening between generous and optimistic Jupiter and altruistic Uranus (22nd June), which will remain in big, visionary effect until the end of July.

☼ ☾ ♂  Also at this New Moon, Spirit Sun and strongman, passionate and fiery Mars will conjoin Luna, to be directly opposite the Galactic Centre, at 25 Gemini, in a part of the sky known to the ancients as ‘Heaven’s furrow’. This suggests our ancestors recognized a fertile ripple in the spacetime field, within which there’s the potential to imbibe pure Galactic light frequencies that help to nurture, feed the soul and grow, physically as well as spiritually.

Together, with the Moon and Mars aligned, SOL’s light of consciousness now tunes each individual into our core (galactic) values to the plant seeds of right action that accompany Gemini’s right speech and right mindfulness. The challenge, it would seem, is in setting and keeping the right Bodhisattva intention.  Best familiarise one's self with positive motivation to stay on track, as Mars can aggravate and antagonize the Monkey Mind to rise in anger (and we all know what that means: a tragic loss in karmic merit!).  

☿ ♊~> Meanwhile a direct infomaniac Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, now moves away from its perfectly imperfect opposition to a retrograde Saturn, which gave form and finalisation to certain ideas.  Mercury only then squares nebulous Neptune – again, on the 23rd, to make things appear less formal and more formless, (Fyi: Sat-SQ-Nep is a major theme later in the year – so what is discussed/evolved/communicated now, can re-emerge again, late Autumn).

Curious Gemini questions the duality of everything and nothing, Samsara and Nirvana, form and formless, and how can it all exist side by side. Events surrounding this Solstice period provide insights into understanding what's real and what is illusion, i.e. what kind of karma we are creating, even when believing our often distorted sense perceptions? 

So consider carefully, at this magic moment of the Great Galactic Yang, what would we, as a collective, really like to see growing now in ‘Heaven’s Furrow’?  First, though, before we quantum leap into singularity, or in and out of parallel universes, we may need to take stock of this one and stop deceiving ourselves, and/or others, and see the truth for what it is: All is Oneness in the spaciousness of beauty, LOVE, and light.

Enjoy! ~> Happy New Moon & Summer/Winter Solstice everyone _/\_  with ℒℴѵℯ and thanks for sharing and to unknown artist for glorious artwork  ॐ__/❤\__ ☼✶•*¨*•.¸¸❤✫

☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☾☼ ☸ Happiness @ Saka Dawa Düchen ! ☸ ☼☽❤¸¸.•*¨*•☆

_/♥\_ SAKADAWA culminates today, June 2nd, celebrating the life, enlightenment and paranirvana, of Buddha Shakyamuni with a Full Sagittarius Moon (exact 17:19BST).

KARMA MULTIPLIED day X 10 Million

_/♥\_ As Saka Dawa is the most important sacred day of the Buddhist Calendar, today is optimum to engage in virtuous activities and spiritual practice.
_/♥\_ To ignite this most holy Festival of Lights (and burn the dross of yesterday’s heavy Moon-Saturn connection), a fiery and dynamic ‘Grand Fire Trine’ illuminates this Wood Goat year of SakaDawa. Involving the reflective, truth-seeking Sagittarian Moon, in helpful aspect to the Cosmic Guru, Jupiter, who is in heart-centred Leo, and also connecting to freedom-loving Uranus, in active Aries, this ‘Fire Trine’ positively inspires. Now is the time to radiate golden LoveLight; breathe in happiness, beauty and joy, and generate merit through playful loving kindness and generosity. Wake up and liberate the heart-mind and Spirit from ignorance and suffering! His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama says happiness is the purpose of living. Yet he also says that “Happiness is not ready made. It comes from our own actions”. Today’s Fire Trine provides just the spark which can activate the internal dynamo to arouse enthusiasm and restore faith and happiness, as well as lost mojos.
Go do your best! Draw back the Sagittarius Archer's bow and direct the arrow of intention to go forth & make Karmic Merit! smile emoticon Be the change you wish to see! Stay blessed! And enjoy! ~~~> May all beings be happy!

☸ With love & thanks to renowned Tibetan artist Karma Phuntsok for his beautiful Shakyamuni Buddha “Om Muni Muni MahaMunaya Soha” _/♥\_

Wood Sheep SakaDawa 2015 ~> Guru Rinpoche Day_/\_

☼ △ ☾ A glowing Luna beautifully reflects the light of Spirit Sun, which is also now growing into its illuminating magnificence; SakaDawa Full Moon in Sagittarius celebrates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and paranirvana, is on Tuesday 2nd June. Before then, the current Gemini Sun, Mercury, Mars conjunction continually stimulates the mind (great time to train the mind with lojong and/or mindfulness); as the ability to understand and act upon the ‘right view’ is greatly enhanced by resting on centre, and finding balance by talking things through with others, and generally airing questions, thoughts and information that can be put into action.

☼ △ ☾ In good aspect to the Moon in Libra, which is conjunct the destiny-fulfilling North Node, ‘The Lights’ now presents a wonderful turning point, towards the light, towards love, beauty and harmony as a mainstay of relationships.

☼ △ ☾This configuration on Guru Rinpoche day suggests the relationship is one between teacher and student, Guru and chela is almost ‘fated’, as though one were ‘meant’ to have a soul contract in splendour and devotion. Today, therefore, is a day to cherish those relationships from which we learn.

Image with thanks & ℒℴѵℯ_/✿\_ to the brilliant Karma Phunstok

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

☸ Holy month of SakaDawa 2015 - Medicine Buddha Moon

☸ During the holy month of SakaDawa, honouring Buddha's birth, enlightenment and paranirvana, according to one of the Tibetan calendars (there are several), this lunation's Medicine Buddha Moon is when Buddha Shakyamuni was born. 

☼⚥☾Associated with health and wellbeing, today’s First Quarter Medicine Moon in Virgo has a magnified healing quality encouraging heart-mind, body and soul to be nourished with positive routine, healthy thoughts and diet, enough sleep and dutiful service: these are ordinary ways to find beauty therapy, love medicine, and joyful remedy.  

☼⚥☾With awareness flow moment to moment in ease and simplicity: There are planetary configurations generating heat and wind over water – a tight and tense ‘T’ square with Spirit Sun and dynamic Mars with a double whammy Mercury in Gemini retro (Virgo Moon ruler) blowing hot and fast, stirring emotions, strumming memories; Tame the tiger now, to veer from anger, resentment or desire, and relax into the bigger issue of compassion for all beings floundering in this Neptune in Pisces Samsaric sea, and perfect the positive healing qualities,  integrating wisdom and compassion.  ॐ_/♥\_

  

“May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes,
May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes,
May all sentient beings never be separated from bliss without suffering,
May all sentient beings be in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.”

To make a connection to Medicine Buddha, mantra is  “TAYATHA OM BEKANZE BEKANZE MAHA BEKANZE RADZA SAMUGATHE SOHA” _/\_

P.S.: You don’t need initiation to say this mantra and feel healing effects. :) _/\_

Medicine Buddha image from Kagyu Rintchen Tcheu Ling, with thanks _/✿\_

New Moon in Taurus & Fixed Star Algol

“Life begins with love, is maintained with love, and ends with love. Right now, while we are alive, is the time to practice and express love. So please take care of your love. Love is capable of reaching so many people.” ~Tsoknyi Rinpoche

A New Moon at 26Taurus @ 5:12bst Monday, 18th May, is ruled by Love Goddess Venus, Taurus is an earth sign, where a New Moon in the sign of the Bull suggests there’s a greater stability to be found in all we truly cherish: love and nourishment, as well as finances and shelter. Please, Goddess, let it be so, especially in Nepal, as well as the rest of the world.

This New Moon sees the start of SakaDawa, the ’Star Month’ which culminates with a Full Moon June 2nd, when Himalayan Buddhists honour Buddha’s life, death and enlightenment. Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment in the ‘Earth-touching’ position, seated under the (Taurus ruled) Bodhi Tree. “The great 20th-century Vedantin sage, Ramana Maharshi said the Earth is in a constant state of dhyana (meditative absorption). The Buddha's earth-witness mudra (hand position), as in the shown illustration, is a beautiful example of "embodied cognition." His posture and gesture embody unshakeable self-realization. He does not ask heavenly beings for assistance. Instead, without using any words, the Buddha calls on the Earth, by touching it with his right hand, to bear witness.”* Note now, that this New Moon also coincides with quicksilver Mercury slowing down to go retrograde until June 11th. Time now to remodel outmoded thinking. As this lunation begins, we can begin to review, and renew the way we communicate about subjects we care about. And like the enlightened Buddha, bear witness to the value to life, all the while reorganising and re-training the mind to awaken compassion and loving kindness. 

At the 26^th degree of Taurus, Sun and New Moon conjunct (on the 18^th May) a challenging fixed star called Algol, which represents the ‘Gorgon’s Head’, the snake-hair dreadlocked Medusa, whose name originally meant ‘sovereign female wisdom’ **. Fixed stars tend to pinpoint certain intensity: In this case it is a concentrated primal feminine passion which, if obstructed or repressed, severed or feared, has the potential to dramatically harm and turn to stone – or, surprisingly, to heal, when the powerful feminine force is understood and revered.

Interestingly, Medusa in myth is one of three winged gorgons (skydancers!), sometimes shown with fangs and a boar’s head (Vahari!); while Medusa is the central ‘ruler’, the other two are ‘wanderer’ (Moon) and ‘strength’ (Sun). All of which could, in my opinion, be twilight language for awakening Shakti-power through the human subtle body’s three main channels, stirring Kundalini serpent power.

Also fascinating is how blood from the right side of the Gorgon’s head has the power to restore the dead back to life, while that of the left is venomous. This relation to the brains’ two hemispheres (and three channels) is poignant for modern yogis - especially when one considers when heroic Perseus cuts off the Gorgon’s head (i.e. ends his animal passion), it is only for the immortal magical winged horse Pegasus to emerge with his brother Chrysaor, holder of a golden sword.  Also in my opinion, this myth suggests that when we prevent the espression of a powerful sexual energy it can devour us in fear, frozen in time with frustration unresolved and supressed, only to explode more violently at a later date. Better to address these often taboo subjects, that of man’s desire and female sexuality, and release pent-up (sexual) energy in a healthy, beauty honouring manner and heal the feminine within.     

There is also the not-so-small matter of Mercury retrograde in the healing, trickster brother’s home sign, Gemini. Until June 11^th, Mercury wends his way back over old ground (13-4Gemini).  A finger of fate between the retro Mercury and Cosmic Guru, Jupiter, points directly to transformational Pluto, suggesting a dramatic change of mind directly appertains to the healing power of information, and the truth found therein.  

**http://www.skyscript.co.uk/algol.html

With love & thanks to the FPMT for beautiful Shakyamuni Buddha in Earth-touching mudra & to *http://www.ecobuddhism.org/wisdom for inspiriation _/\_ & Ramana Maharishi quote.

☆ •°*☾The Moon: Reflections upon the Soul of the Horoscope☽*°•.☆

☆ •°*☾The Moon: Reflections upon the Soul of the Horoscope☽*°•.☆

As the radiant light of the Sun illustrates Spiritual strengths in the birth chart, so the Moon reflects upon the mysteries of the Soul and all it pertains to in this life, as well as past and future lives. Luna is a magical and restorative, dependable magnifying mirror, amplifying energies of contacting planets and providing regular windows of opportunity within a monthly cycle to align heart-mind and soul. 

In this work/playshop we will explore Soul's cosmic karmic imprints by observing Lunar cycles through astrology’s informative elements, signs, phases of the lunar month and the moon’s nodes. The Lunar placement can also determine which of the three Moon chakras dominates, with gifts or challenges. 

Bring your chart! Together we can reveal and highlight Soul's purpose, your challenges, secrets, and gifts, by synthesising natal sign, phase, and house placement – as well as moon aspects to current transits and progressed lunation cycle. (Or email me to have your chart prepared.) 

Bio: Viewing life through a Buddhist lens, Laura Boomer-Trent is an astrologer with over thirty years of astrological experience. She has an arts background, and is credited with creating, writing and presenting C4’s ‘The Astrology Show’ back in the day...

For maps, directions and address, here's the link to
The Theosophical Society
50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA
Sunday May 10th @14:30
£15, £10 concessions, £7 TS members

Buddha Purnima ~ ☼ ♉ -- ◯ ♏ 3rd/4th May

Buddha Purnima – Wesak - Vesak is the Full Moon (exact tonight/tomorrow morning 4:42BST @14 Scorpio) when much of southern Asia celebrates the birth, death and paranirvana of Gothama Siddartha Buddha. The Himalayan Buddhist community will celebrate the same features during Saka Dawa, the ‘Star Moon’ next month (June 2nd).

☸ Like the Buddha, one can reap now profound insights during this extremely powerful Full Scorpio Moon, which one can apply to maintain a healthy sense of self-worth and emotional stability. Spirit Sun in Taurus encourages us to appreciate what is of value in this life. Whereas the Scorpio Moon imparts an inner sensibility, which intuitively knows when it is time for renewal, and when to let go or ideals, materials and even people that no longer serve the union of spirit and soul, and the part one plays within the soul groups’ contract.

☸ With both Sun and Moon in hard aspect to expansive Jupiter in generous Leo, this tends to magnify any self-made drama so it is essential that we become big-hearted, kind to ourselves and others and generate faith in our optimism. While it is important to harness Jupiter’s ability to view a bigger picture, it is also imperative to be realistic, and keep a close eye upon personal expectations. With Jupiter’s unrestrained nature we can set ourselves up for disappointment if we watch things, people and events come and go without understanding that all is transitory.

☸ This Full Moon is also called 'the Flower Moon'. Buddhists use the symbol of a flower to symbolise life’s fleeting nature: resting one’s gaze upon nature we can appreciate the beauty and joy inherent in all things, yet understanding that beauty fades and dies, only for the seed of consciousness to be reborn, by releasing any propensity to rely upon the material world for fulfilment. Now is the time for the spiritual seed of enlightenment to grow and shine.

With thanks to Visual Alchemy for Beautiful Buddha, & sending ℒℴѵℯ on the moonbeams, especially to everyone in beloved Nepal, where there were 3 more eathquakes today, and renewal is for the future to rise like a phoenix from the ashes, but for many survival is the present. Please give generously: a kind thought, prayer or donation can go a long way.
Thank you, Laura__/❤\__ ☼✶•*¨*•.¸¸❤✫

Medicine Buddha for all those affected by the 7.9 Earthquake in Nepal ॐ_/♥\_ॐ_/♥\_ॐ_/♥\_

April 25th 2015 ~> ॐ_/♥\_
Due to several dramatic events this week, the volcano in Chile, and two quakes, in New Zealand and Nepal, I’ve been asked as to why now, seeing as we are not in the usual time-frame of eclipse season? Firstly, the Sun has been fairly active mid-week (and we on Earth tend to lag a few days behind solar activity's effects); and though not so large, solar flares have been medium sized but rather long lasting, releasing vast and unstable electromagnetic plumes from a northerly direction (entering into Earth’s crown chakra, Tibet/Nepal, and more lightly through southerly base chakra, NZ).

Earth is also crossing a point in the sky called the ‘heliospheric current sheet’; this is when planet Earth experiences Sun’s magnetic polarity changing from north to south. This is a time of planetary adjustment (which can wreak seemingly widespread damage, espcially if other planetary configurations interact, such as now).These are not the only astrological/astronomical markers: Also significant is the conjunction of quicksilver Mercury and fiery Mars, both in earthy Taurus (on the exact point of their own nodes (yes, each planet also has its' own nodal/eclipse cycle)); In square to Jupiter, the planet of expansion in Leo, this combination of Jupiter, Mars & Mercury means dramatic shake-ups are fast and furious. With the Sun also in Taurus and the Moon now uniting in generous Leo with the cosmic Guru, Jupiter, this fixed and extremely determined combination of ‘The Lights’ accents the value of the creative tension, the divine spark inherent in all beings, as well as the ability to quickly heal, with focus and care.

It’s also a medicine Buddha - Tara Moon day (depending upon which tradition is followed), the first quarter moon, a time of crisis in action, when the healing emphasis is upon stabilising one self (the earth and others) by connecting to the natural world, and seeing artistic and cultural value, as well as surrounding precious resources.

As all helping hands and deities are needed today, especially in Nepal, here are both mantras:
Medicine Buddha is:
“TAYATHA OM BEKANZE BEKANZE MAHA BEKANZE RADZA SAMUGATHE SOHA” _/\_
And Tara mantra is “OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA” _/\_

ॐ_/♥\_ॐ_/♥\_ॐ_/♥\_

With thanks to Dechen Choekhor Mahavihara for Medicine Buddha mandala ॐ_/♥\_