Cosmic Consciousness ~ Sun to Pluto

Core Intentions of Luminaries, Earth & Planets

2012-01-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

1) Rising Sun & North Star Intention: Intelligent Action - Intuition : One must not only detach from the false, but be affirmative and pro-active in the service of what is true. This self-affirmation finds reward in the action itself, more so than the external fruits of labor. Courage and initiative, sometimes self-assertion and aggression. (0,1) Leo Mars Rising, Aries MC; Aries/9th House North Node

2) Earth, Lunar & South Node Intention: Start from where you are... no matter what is going on, or where you are in your life and mind, it is the ideal place from which to rise above circumstance, take positive action and make a victorious comeback. Learn to love and accept what is, without resistance, all the time. (0,2) Scorpio Moon + Neptune, Libra IC; Libra/3rd House South Node

3) Solar & Planetary Intention: Intelligent Action is efficient, precise and practical, applied to earthly and concrete physical/mental matters. To develop greater skill and be of service (Virgo) in the practical sense (Virgo/2nd House) to others: Virgo Sun + Mercury/Venus/Jupiter/Uranus/Pluto

4a) Spiritual Solar Intention (future & spirit orientation): To be fully awake, alive and present, living and evolving to full potential, establishing an ever wider universal connection. Meditation in Action.. Sun-Jupiter, Aries North Node in 9th House, Leo Ascendant, Aquarius Descendant, Libra/Taurus (Venusian) Part of Fortune in 4th & 10th Houses

4b) Spiritual Lunar Intention (past & mind orientation): To silence the mind in regular daily meditation, be kind, open and compassionate toward others, listening with full attention, as much as possible. Scorpio Moon conjunct Neptune, sextile Uranus/Mercury/Venus in Virgo... In YOD config with Saturn in Aries. Libra South Node in 3rd House.

Joel D Zenie

The Stars and The Earth

2011-12-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

It's uplifting and inspirational to reflect upon the nature of the Universe, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, and what they all mean. It is however only really meaningful with the possibility of grounding this knowledge in concrete actions, sensations and down to earth experience. Otherwise such reflections are only a pleasurable escape which undermine living actively and feeling really connected here on Planet Earth.

Your own personal cosmology, be it astrology, transpersonal psychology or any other 'ology' is best when applied not only in reflection but also in action. All that the Stars, Sun, Moon and Planets embody, symbolize and represent is a reality manifesting here on Earth... The Earth is that planetary energy which represents how the other planetary and stellar bodies become concrete realities, subject to sentience and a generally subjective outlook or gestalt perspective on one's own life.

Knowing one's own life meaning and personal guidance is the first priority, then it becomes more possible to assist others (those without much knowledge of Astrology) in helping them understand theirs, either as a personal friend or professionally in a reading.

The Sky and Earth, the Stars and Living Beings, must come together, in universality, synthesis and perfect harmony.

In Stellar Light,

Joel D Zenie

Everyone's a Leo

2011-07-04T15:39:00.000-04:00

The astrological Sun, ruler of Leo, embodies the essential core of the individual personality in all beings. Everyone, however introvert, wants to shine at the center of their own existence. This ego is a mixed blessing, and like learning how to drive a car must be handled with the utmost of mindful care.

There is beauty and joy in the solitude of standing alone, creating, expressing and manifesting all that one is as a divine co-creator. There is ugliness and discord in the ego's need for applause, and in the competition for the spotlight. There is disillusionment in wanting an audience, admiration and applause. Ultimately, for most of us anyway, there is no appreciation coming from the masses but only from the very precious few friends who are close enough to care about our personal offerings.. and even this is fleeting/transient, not to be depended upon. While there are a few exceptions, those very big famous personalities respected by many, for most of us it is not this way and the great challenge is in recognizing and appreciating one's own inherent divine potential.

Seeking applause is a losing battle... perhaps this is why the Sun exalts in individualistic Aries and falls in approval seeking Libra. Yet the flip side is that it takes great strength to appreciate the offerings of others, without getting an inferiority complex or becoming lost in petty comparison and competition.

Maybe having a Leo natal ascendant inclines me to look at the world in this egocentric light, yet this does not make it any less true to life. I see folks on facebook presenting themselves as highly spiritual and evolved individuals, with 4000+ friends and a list of all their credentials and accomplishments. I see folks in everyday life striving for higher positions in society, and celebrities worshipped like gods. I also see a lot of very talented and intelligent people getting little or no recognition for anything. It is here that one must stop for a moment and recognize that, however worthy such individuals may be, they are no better than the rest of us who are deemed ordinary and average in the public eye. No matter how much others have accomplished outwardly, or how much social power he/she has, there is no measure for the quality of inner life, the truly important Solar (and Lunar) principle.

That power which is accompanied by humility and the absence of vanity is a true mark of success. It means not to follow anyone nor to expect followers, but to a blaze a trail that is uniquely your own, while recognizing the interdependence from which this individuality has originally sprung. It also means ignoring completely any sneers and petty judgments of which small minded folks are occasionally inclined. Most importantly, it is a kind of respect that values the individuality of all beings so that shining at the center of your own existence does not eclipse nor is eclipsed by the light of others.

IN RADIANT PURE LIGHT

Joel D Zenie

Number 12

2011-06-12T13:20:00.001-04:00

Associations: The Hanged Man, Neptune-Pisces-12th House, Midnight and Noon, The Zodiac, The Trinity (1 + 2 = 3)

(Below) from http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu12.php

* Twelve is the number of what is completed, which forms a whole, a perfect and harmonious unit. In the ancient civilizations, like Oriental and Judaic, it corresponds to the plenitude, the completion and the integrality of a thing.
* Represent the manifestation of the Trinity to the four corners of the horizon - 3 X 4.
* Symbol of material and spiritual food, because of the 12 breads which Jesus Christ broke to the Last Supper, Himself being the Bread of Life.
* Number attributed to the government of the world or the cosmos.
* It is the creative capacity, and in some religions, it expresses also the Divine Mother.

(Below) from http://www.usenature.com/article_numerology_12.html

The number 12 is the first number of the level 4 of spirit manifestation, which connects us with the cosmic karma. This is something that is experienced directly, and not in a roundabout way as it was with the number 11. On the level of the number 11, the individual is still largely unaware of his personal karma. He also does not know how his karma is connected with the cosmic karma of humanity as a whole. Since the number 11 goes out in the open space for the first time, the physical bodies of such individuals are largely unprepared to undertake the strong spiritual vibrations impacting them and the powerful influences coming from spiritual beings that reside very high in the spiritual hierarchy. For this reason, they experience the events in their life as shocks, traumas, and turmoil. On the level of the number 12, however, things get leveled out. Life is experienced (at least outwardly) as harmonious (12 is divisible by 3) and the individual feels his or her connection with the global plan for humanity and the cosmic karma.

The man of the number 12 feels and collaborates with the spiritual world more or less consciously, thus he feels and sees the immediate results of this collaboration in the material life. The man of the number 12 is confident, because he knows that collaboration with the spiritual world “works.” The last thing that he would like to do is to slide back from his comfortable position back to the energy of the number 11 of total social unacceptance. If nothing else, he will strive to climb up to the number 13, which is alluring him with vast matter-of-fact achievements on the material plane (although this might be a lie, but on the level of the number 12 there is no way to know that).

On a very high level, the person of the number 12 is able to withstand with easy the intensity of very high vibrations, thus willingly cooperating and collaborating with the spiritual world on variety of earthly problems, which ultimately leads to the minimizing of their negative karma and impact on the people. However, in order to be able to do this, the person in question should consciously get out of the limits, accepted as common ethics and norms by the society and be willing to regard and work with the above mentioned issues not from an earth perspective, but from a cosmic perspective. In other words, the person of the number 12 is asked the same, what the person of the number 11 is asked for, with two very important differences which are:

* Firstly the person should be able to withstand the high level of spiritual energy that is bestowed upon him or her and
* Secondly, the person is willing to participate consciously and willingly in the earth matters, however, not from an earthly but from a cosmic perspective.

Needless to say, such person should be to a fair degree free from selfishness and should be willing to be self-sacrificed for the common good if the need will be. However, on the level of the number 12 this process is much smoother, since the inner understanding and conviction of the benevolence of all earth events, makes the process harmonious, easy, and almost painless.

Some of the manifestations of the number 12 on the earthly plane are the arts, especially the music, since there are 12 major half-tones. It is obvious that music is very well implemented on the earthly plane, however, it originates definitely not from this world! No great composer ever wrote a single piece of music, without a divine inspiration. Another obvious manifestation of the number 12 is astrology. There are 12 signs of the Zodiac and 12 astrological houses, each one pertaining to one of the astrological signs. The 12 signs of the Zodiac can be regarded as the cosmic backdrop in front of which the planet of the Solar system perform their great show, and the 12 astrological houses are the areas of life, where the cosmic energies of the signs will be implemented in the earthly life, according to the planets in it. In this respect, one can say that the number 12 is revealed on earth more like an ideal concept. This ideal concept is seeking its way to be fully implemented into some practical, down-to-earth solution of the earthly problems, but it is nevertheless not fully achieving this. Its first manifestation (the music) is filling up the human soul with a harmony of a very high spiritual order and its second one (the astrology) is revealing to humans that their destiny is just a fragment of the cosmic evolution.

The number 12 can be divided into the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6. This indicates that the energies of all these numbers are contained into the number 12 itself. This is best illustrated through the division of the 12 signs of the Zodiac in these respective numbers. If we divide 12 by 6, the result is 2. In such way, we get six pairs of two signs each. These are called masculine and feminine signs of the zodiac. They alternate in order, starting from Aries (masculine), Taurus (feminine), Gemini (masculine), Cancer (feminine) and so on.

Karmic Debt Numbers

2011-06-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

Karmic numbers

Hitchcock singles out four compound numbers for particular attention and relates them to Tarot cards. These numbers, she suggests, represent the influences from actions in previous lives that have to be overcome in this life. The karmic numbers are 13, 14, 16 and 19. The problem here is that there are several different and conflicting orderings of the Major Arcana. My favourite deck, the Thoth Tarot starts at 0 for the Fool, for example.

Leaving aside these difficulties for a moment, here is Hitchcock's take on these numbers and their related Tarot cards:

Malefic or Karmic number thirteen

The Tarot card for arcanum thirteen is entitled "Death" or "The Reaper". It is symbolized by the skeleton, which is the accepted figure of death, taken figuratively. You fear death mainly because you fear the unknown beyond the grave. The actual interpretation is that death does not mean the end of life, but it constitutes change, motion, or transformation. Change is what we call death. In other words, death is a rebirth, renewal, and an inspirational beginning. The thirteenth card or karmic number signifies that death is merely a change of consciousness.

Through superstition the number thirteen came into ill repute. It really is a period of regeneration. The keyword is work on the material plane. The warning given is that there is danger of backsliding into laziness, negativity, and inefficiency. Trials and tests of proficiency will be given on the material plane, and work is the solution. It warns against being indifferent, discontented, and ill-mannered.

Malefic or Karmic number fourteen

Arcanum fourteen represents physical possessions. It warns of loss of property and failure in business. It is hard for a fourteen to learn his lesson, because he often tries to gain freedom by destructive methods or at the expense of others. This brings loss, sickness and death. You are too interested in physical physical senses. Fourteen has also been called the number of experience. If fourteen is found as the total vowel number, then you'll experience many emotional upsets and delays. If fourteen occurs as the total destiny number, many disappointments and losses will be encountered. If fourteen is the total of the birthpath, you must learn the lesson of detachment. This means to have and let go.

The basic message of the warning number fourteen is lack of understanding. Often we don't understand the motives of others, not even our own, for we act one way and think and feel in another. Through understanding we develop humility, compassion, and overflowing love. We should avoid going to extremes. Be temperate.

Hitchcock does not actually name the associated card, but it is pretty clear she is talking about the Temperance card; the last sentence is a bit of a give away.

Malefic or Karmic number sixteen

Tarot card number sixteen entitled the "The Tower"depicts ruin. The falling tower indicates the crushing of human pride and vanity. The structure was built of ignorance and wrong doing, through self-will and a self-centred life. Not until we understand the true nature of willpower do we destroy false ideas, and learn what is right.

Number sixteen warns of some strange calmity, defeat of plans, disgrace, accidents, deception, and adversity. It indicates the karma of former illegitimate love affairs. Number sixteen offers the test of optimism and faith. "If number sixteen is found as the total of the soul's urge, it shows false friends and broken dreams. If it appears as the destiny number, it warns of loss of name, position, fortune, and power. If it is the number of the total birthpath, then all the tragedies must be learned - love to lose, rise to fall. You must not cling to the material.

Karmic number nineteen

Tarot card number nineteen symbolizes the "Sun" or "Reunion." It is not inanimate, but a living force. Nineteen is the equalizer or collector. It demands an "eye for an eye." We get out of life just what we put into it. Number nineteen warns you not to be domineering, but exercise tolerance. You formerly took something, and now you must pay it back. It is a test of endurance. If your soul's urge totals nineteen, then you'll have to face all of life's secrets which may have been hidden and are now dragged out. If nineteen occurs as a total of your destiny, you may find you have lost everything at the end of your life. If nineteen occurs as the total of your birth path, then you must meet your failings, and reap what you have sown. Even though you'd like to be free, you must now pay the piper. If nineteen occurs as the total of either your heart or destiny number, it means you brought this karma over from a previous life. It is a weakness in character which must be overcome by living up to the digits of the test number.

If you cast your eye over my name and date of birth, you will find that 19 in particular is relevant to me. My birth path can also add up to 19. I must say, many aspects of this number have surfaced over years, in particular during my Second Pinnacle (1+9=10 or 1). Nineteen gives an the opportunity to discover the reasons for events in life, a useful skill for a clairvoyant.

Helyn Hitchcock

Uranus - In the Beginning ...

2011-03-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

Mythologically, Uranus is the eponymous planet of the ancient Greek god who was, in fact, the heavens as a place. Ouranos was never worshipped as a god, nor are there any shrines, emblems or evidence of temples and the usual indicators of an individual entity. That Ouranos was the sky, and not a sky god gives him a very special place in myth - not as a singular entity but as a realm of experience. This is very significant in considering the astrology of Uranus and the interpretation of its qualities both as a natal planet and in transit.

Ouranos came into being because Gaia - mother earth - created him herself to comfort her and be her consort. After she birthed many other earth and nature divinities on her own (or with the aid of Eros, according to the oldest myth) she grew lonely and wanted a mate. And so she created Ouranos, the heavens, to surround her and keep her constant company, and he enveloped the earth in all his aetheric power. Their union produced many offspring, such as the Cyclopes and the Titans.

Then, Gaia found herself pregnant with new offspring, the Hekatonchires, or the "hundred-handed ones". They were multiple and monstrous, but being a mother, Gaia loved them anyway. Ouranos did not. He was horrified at their monstrosity, their imperfect and fearful traits, and refused her birthing them. Naturally, Gaia grew uncomfortable and angry, and she employed the youngest of the Titan's, their son Kronos, in an act that would change the course of mythic history.

She presented Kronos with a scythe, made of adamant - obsidian - a clear, hard crystalline sickle and told him to reach up, "as Ouranos lay round Gaia, longing for love", and castrate him. Which he did.[1] Thus, forever separating the archetypal parents, as well as launching a new mythology.

We can view this myth variously, but with the ensuing battle of the Titans and the collapse of the unified male/female, and the polarization of "above and below", there issued a new archetype into life. The separation of heaven and earth, of male and female, the split of the archetypal parents into separate quarters, remains a strong and influential component in our collective and individual psyches.

We can view the "above/below" polarity in many ways. Not only does it symbolize the manifestation of conscious and unconscious behavior, it also represents the first inklings of dual perception - that there is something "outside ourself" or even deep within ourself that is in opposition or conflict.

Jung thought mediation of conflict was the stuff of life; that inner conflict resolution was the reply to the universal challenge toward wholeness. This is a powerful concept, and more often than not, resolution of inner conflict results in conscious peace of mind for individuals.

The function of Saturn and Uranus, the mythic father/son conflict as we experience it in mid-life, is about resolution of conflict and the need for change, even if it is a violent or disruptive act. As a psychic complex, or a dichotomy, Saturn can act as the severing function of our creative ideas. We might be so worried about our own creativity that it never actually is given birth, but is "castrated" before any idea, concept, action or experiment is enacted! In contrast to this suppression, if Uranus has the upper hand, so to speak, then we can be too outrageous, too eccentric and simply unable to get our point across or find an acceptable median for behavior or communication.

The urge for creative experimentation and individuation at midlife can be stuffed back down inside the psychic womb, just as Ouranos stuffed the Hekatonchires back into the womb of Gaia. And, it would then take an "adamant" personal attitude toward ones' own self to birth the inner urge for creative change.

Howard Sasportas, in The Twelve Houses, says:"Uranus' house may show where we rashly disrespect the limits of our human-ness'. Presuming we can automatically transcend the restrictions of the physical body or 'rise above' the instinctual components of our nature, we commit the sin of hubris and invite punishment to fall on us." [2]

Saturn is the planet that held domain over the entire solar system until 1781 CE, the period of both the French and American revolutions, inaugurating the Industrial Revolution and involved the whole of western civilization as it was then. Prior to that era, social life existed within the bounds of family and cultural limitations. In synchrony with the advent of the "new planet" sighted by astronomer Herschel, there followed decades of phenomenal innovation and discovery. The flourishing of science, technology, philosophy, literature, music, social opportunities and, in virtually every aspect of human life, exploded Western civilization toward liberation, freedom and choice.

Uranus has become the standard bearer now for such terms as liberation, freedom, choice, individuality, uniqueness, innovation, challenge and breaking out of old ways and challenging the status quo. Saturn was and remains the criterion in astrology for the opposite of those values, indeed, is often relegated to a kind of "prison guard" realm. So, it may seem curious that I equate the overthrow of Ouranos/Uranus by Kronos/Saturn with liberation and freedom according to the rote astrological definition of each planet - and call that act the beginning of a new way of being.

With respect to Saturn and Uranus as "celestial sacred" symbols, they are both heavenly in position (in the sky), but are quite different in symbol. As I mentioned above, Saturn is to do with the realm of the world and its forms. While Uranus is to do with the ideal of the world and its forms. To propitiate both is the trick. How to acknowledge the perfection of the Ideal, while humanly existing in the realm of the Real? Essentially, we are required periodically to give birth to ourselves as if it were a new idea, a new culture, a new mythology.

Naturally, there is an underbelly - a shadow - of the Uranian attribute which also refers back to the origin myth: if we don't trust our ability to render a creation or idea into form (Saturn) we abandon it, abort it, before it can be given birth. In other words we refuse birth of the creation due to its imperfection - just like Ouranos and the Hekatonchires.

In Creation Myths, Jungian analyst Marie Louise Von Franz says about crossing the threshold from the Ideal possible to the Real thing,"People sometimes resist becoming creative because one's would be creativeness is always so much more impressive and important than the little egg one lays in the end when birth takes place!"

One might think that the principles of Uranus overpowering Saturn would be the "new way", but rather the opposite is what happens in our inner life.It is in this paradox that the astrological and therefore psychological struggle for identity lies.

As psychic components, both Saturn and Uranus are needed for wholeness. For innovation to become manifest it requires the adamant sickle of old Kronos - the discipline of matter over mind. The eidolon itself is simply the archetype of Uranus while the Idea takes form with the effort and adamant labor of Saturn. An harmonious equilibrium between both is the substance of progress, evolution and the development of consciousness.

by Erin Sullivan
http://www.erinsullivan.com/

Pluto ~ The Purification

2011-02-25T13:21:00.002-05:00

As the outermost known planet, Pluto symbolizes the end of the process Uranus began: that of breaking down the reality structure of normal consciousness. If Uranus breaches the normal reality structure and Neptune exposes us to the ultimately real, then Pluto symbolizes the radical transformation of consciousness and being that must result. Pluto is the archetype of death and resurrection: it breaks down the old and outworn entities into their component parts, and then reassembles them into new being.

It does this at every level of life. As with Uranus and Neptune, PLuto may be experienced by people of any level of consciousness, but, also like these other planets, Pluto is hard to handle if one is bound up in the universe of Saturn. Pluto operates with extreme power, and, being a force beyond the ego, when it manifests it usually causes one to feel out of control. While Uranus interrupts normal reality and Neptune confuses ordinary reality by exposing one to to other realities, Pluto can symbolize a complete breakdown in ordinary reality. Such a breakdown forces one not only to deal with an alternate reality, but even to build a new day to day reality out of it.

The literature of astrology tends to dwell on the seamy side of Pluto, and its association with unchecked power, decay, corruption, and death. Yet Pluto stands for something much higher. It is the purifying fire that an entity must go through in order to pass from one level of being to another. Ultimately, Pluto purifies and makes more nearly perfect; but to do this it must first completely destroy anything gross or imperfect that holds an entity back. When we confront Plutonian energies, we often see aspects of ourselves with which we cannot deal, because we have buried them in the process of creating our reality systems. So when a crisis comes in which nothing that is true can remain hidden, we have to confront our personal garbage and finally do something about it. Only then can we move on. What appears to us as the negative energy of the symbol Pluto is nothing more than a mirror image of our own negativity staring back at us.

from Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand

Neptune ~ The Ultimately Real

2011-02-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

Neptune can be understood in part by defining what it is not. Even more than Uranus, it is an energy that negates everything that Saturn stands for. If Saturn is reality, Neptune is unreality. If Saturn is an aspect the ego, Neptune is denial of the ego. If Saturn is our notion of time and space, Neptune is outside time and space, in either a non-dimensioned or an infinitely dimensioned universe. Neptune symbolizes the truth and divinity perceived by mystics. At the highest level, Neptune is Nirvana, where all individuality is merged into an infinite oneness of being and consciousness.

To b able to handle Neptune and Saturn at once is difficult. One must be able to play he game of reality completely and with total conviction, exact as if it were real in the ultimate sense, while at the same time knowing in one's heart that is not. one must be able to live in the universe of Saturn, being responsible and aware of its laws, while at the same time not require it for support. The addiction to structure that we referred to under Saturn is not permissible with Neptune. This is what is called detachment: playing the game for real yet knowing that it is not.

One cannot even be attached to oneself, because the ego, the form one's being that one calls oneself, is also not ultimate real. This is why Neptune is an ego-denying energy. In the presence of Neptune, the illusion of the ego becomes clear. The illusion is not so much the awareness of having an ego, as it is of being an ego. On a low level, Neptune represents experiences that becloud the ego, which, in order to function, needs a sense of a secure ultimate reality. Thus Neptune symbolizes illusion, mystery, confusion, and crises in which one's ego is severely defeated.

Neptune is the next stage beyond Uranus in the encounter with the transcendent aspects of existence. If Saturn represents normal reality and the consciousness that deals with that reality, and Uranus represents those energies that break through normal reality so its structures cannot become too deadening, then Neptune represents the total negation of all the principles of normal reality. Neptune is often described as illusion, while Saturn is said to represent truth. The relations is actually the reverse: Saturn is the illusion that there is a reality that is truth; Neptune is the truth that there isn't. In some respects, Neptune is more truly chaotic than Uranus, in that Neptune can be the formless void before any structure is imposed upon it. Yet on closer examination we could say that Neptune symbolizes the universe in which all truth is simultaneously true, even the contradictions!

In its manifestations in ordinary life, Neptune can represent either illusion or mystical illumination, depending on one's level of spiritual evolution. For this reason, Neptune can represent the highest and lowest aspects of human experience, the most beautiful and painful of human emotions. The task of mastering Neptune's energies is one of the most difficult, and very few do it completely. I suspect this is so because to master the energy that Neptune represent requires being able to accept all its truth at once. To do this means that one cannot perform the acts of exclusion and selection that are require in order to create - that is, to incarnate into - a physical universe under Saturn. If one really masters Neptune, one probably does not incarnate into this world. The mere fact of such incarnation suggest that Neptune has not been mastered and probably will not be in this lifetime, except for the occasional Bodhisattva who incarnates totally realized for the sake of guiding others to the truth. We should not be sorry about this; we should simply go about doing what is to be done and learning what is to be learned.

It is important to learn that all the energy that comes with being alive has its origin in the universe of Neptune, and that if we cut ourselves off from Neptunian energy with walls of Saturn, wee ultimately cut ourselves off from life. Uranus makes the break in what armors us against the ultimately real, while Neptune gives a glimpse of the ultimately real itself.

from Horoscope Symbols ~ Robert Hand

The Devil XV

2011-02-21T12:23:00.001-05:00

The Devil is an interesting card with several meanings. It mainly represents bondage, and self-imposed limitations. If you spell Devil backward is lived. This is a contrast of values, for while the Devil prohibits and limits, the purpose of living is expansion and freedom.

The Devil is a creation of our imagination. The reality however is that what we believe in our minds may soon come to pass. Especially if we believe strongly enough. We create situations where w are chained to our fears. Greed,, hostility, revenge, and envy, are the types of emotions that will sustain our fears. With the introduction of negative thoughts we are setting the path for terrible nightmares. We are prejudging outcomes and manipulating the pure intentions of otherwise good intentions.. The Devil does not care about good intentions. His focus is fixed on the material, the mundane and lower levels of life. He is always subject to the imposition of temptations. Like the Devil, when our actions are designed by greed the outcome will certainly work against the propagation of higher values.

There is an important reason we have encountered the Devil, just as things were moving with such progress. After we have internalized the spiritual values of the Hierophant, mastered the courage of the Strength, and realized the victories of the Chariot, we encounter the Devil. The lessons in life are never ending. They will continue to appear as long as we are alive. With every victory, or with every defeat, there is a new lesson to be learned. Perhaps it is an old lesson restated in a different way with a new application.

At first glance, this cared present a frightening image, very much the way the death card does. Keep in mind, that each of the 22 steps offers growth and development for us along our journey. Each offers a helping hand to make sure the way is constantly lit, and that we do not lose our way. The devil has the horns of the goat. A stubborn, but sure footed animal of great perseverance. The goat will succeed under the most adverse conditions, long after everyone else has given up. He refuses to be stopped by any physical limitations. His eyes reflect the intensity and seriousness that is often needed to overcome adversity. The pentagram, affixed to his head, tells us that he can either use his powers of the benefit of humanity or he can become a part of Satan-like activities. He has eh wings of the bat, and will no doubt seek the cover of night to perform his deeds. The night hours will limit the vision of those who would confront him about his negative deeds. The Devil is a living contradiction. The right hand is raised as if to stop something from moving forward. It motions a halt, while the right hand of the other tarot cards signals the beginning of something. Attached to the necks of the man and woman is a chain. Their hands are free. If they should choose to leave, they may. As the moment they appear to be just realizing the negative power of the Devil and will momentarily begin a motion to be set free. In the Tower they will actually assert their will for this freedom. Perhaps they have misused their intentions and have become captive of their own greed, malice, or bad intentions. Whatever the reason, they have created bondage as a result of their own negative actions. Both are nude, a carry-over from the Lovers card, where they began to explore the aspects of loving relationships. Perhaps something has gone wrong. There is a lesson on or both must learn before the relationship will succeed. The colors in this card are not bright and happy. In fact they do not contain the inspiration of the many of the other cards. It is for this reason that you must study this card t see the hidden meanings.

Persons born December 21 - January 21 are born under the sign of Capricorn. It is through our associations with them that we will learn the values of patience, hard work, and stability.

Somewhere along the path, something or someone has entered our space and presented a temptation. The Devil has presented the possibility that we may accept this temptation and forget all the knowledge learned in the previous lessons. His lesson is direct and powerful. Either you do or you don't. The choice is up to you. Will you go for the Devil or will you go for LIFE? Will you allow yourself to be depressed and sad, or will you surround your life with sunshine and light? I t is necessary to confront and place negative issues on the table in front of you if you are going to overcome them. If you choose not to confront them, they will overtake your better judgment and hold you captive - a slave to our own fears - limiting you, and the people around you.

The Devil is a card of administration and organization. It will show us the way to restructure our inner fears.

from TAROT ~ 22 Steps to a Higher Path, by D. Balotti Lawrence

Sketch of The Sun, Moon, Earth & Planets

2011-02-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

Maturity = Life Path + Expression

2011-02-06T14:42:00.004-05:00

Your Maturity number indicates an underlying wish or desire that gradually surfaces around age thirty to thirty-five. This underlying goal begins to emerge as you gain a better understanding of yourself. With self-knowledge comes a greater awareness of who you are, what your true goals in life are, and what direction you want to set for your life. This, in a nutshell, is the gift of maturity: You no longer waste time and energy on things that are not within your own special identity.

No matter what your age is at present, your life is being channeled in a specific direction, toward a very specific goal. That goal can be seen as a reward or the fulfillment of a promise that is implicit in your current efforts, often without your knowing it consciously. While the characteristics of this number are usually visible during childhood, we tend to lose sight of these aspects until later in life. But our lives are always being affected by this influence, nonetheless.

Your Maturity number begins to have a more profound impact on your life after the age of 35. The influence of the number increases steadily as you grow older.

Hans Decoz
http://www.decoz.com/Calculations3.htm

** The Life Path and Expression #s, astrologically both indicators of THE SUN, the the origin and destination of consciousness respectively, what I AM and what I BECOME, the latter (Expression) co-ruled by the astrological Ascendant (ascending) or RISING SUN. Together they reach Maturity, that evolutionary factor which I speculate and believe to be ruled by the astrological NORTH NODE.

J D Z

Uranus Opposite Uranus - Mid Life Crisis

2011-01-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

Last chance ***
Valid during many months: This influence at the age of forty or forty-one marks a period of major transition in your life. This is the crisis of middle age when you have to come to terms with a number of realizations that may not all be pleasant. For example, even though you are not very old, you are no longer young. Have you accomplished or begun to accomplish what you wanted when you were younger? If you have, was it an appropriate accomplishment for you? Are you happy with your close relationships, your marriage, your work?

Many people encountering this influence discover that the answer to several of these questions is no. If this is your situation, you may become seized with a feeling of urgency that you have only a short time to correct the problem. Consequently you may begin to act rather disruptively and quickly. You may leave a marriage or an old job and take up a lifestyle quite different from your earlier one. Your friends are likely to be rather shocked at the change. You may spend more time with younger people, for their youth is a symbol of the opportunities you feel you have almost wasted. This seems to be your last chance to take advantage of those opportunities.

It is also quite possible that you make none of these drastic changes. If you have taken advantage of opportunities right along and have not allowed your life to become prematurely old and rigid, this time will not be so upsetting or disturbing. You will experience the real meaning of this influence - a climax of the direction your life has taken since childhood and a shifting of direction toward the issues you must confront in old age.

If you have been successful in your dealings with the outside world, you will continue to be, but now it will have to mean something in terms of your own life and perception. You will not be able to live for some external purpose, the purpose must come from within. If you don't reorient yourself, your life will become hollow and meaningless, regardless of what you accomplish from here on.

Transit selected for today (by user):
Uranus Opposition Uranus, ,
activity period from end of March 2010 until end of February 2011

1 + 1

2011-01-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

Number 11 - What it Means & Why so Challenging

11 is a Master Number, as are all double digit numbers.
"Master Number" is an appropriate term because the high side
of each Master Number represents rare and exceptional
energy originating from outside mundane reality, far
from the norm. But too often the low side of these
double digits manifests, and operating productively
under the energy is like trying to tame a wild horse,
especially when the person lacks the discipline and
general overall capacity to deal with life's challenges
in the first place. Difficult personal timing as reflected
by the collective patterns of time cycles also symbolically
prohibits the constructive expression of Master Numbers.

11 is not an easy number, especially for material interests.
You want to avoid heavy speculation, for example, if you
have a lot of 11 energy in your comprehensive charts.
There is a huge potential for loss in high risk material
concerns, depending upon the rest of the patterns in the
natal and timing comprehensive charts.

Some of the more challenging traits associated with
the number 11 may include any of the following (other
considerations in the charts collectively either support
or mitigate the energy): Nervous energy, intense fear,
unpredictability, unrealistic outlook, lack of
discernment, religious dogma, fanaticism, insecurity,
hyper-sensitivity, controversial behavior, overly
receptive and vulnerable to the point of being an easy
target, self-deprecation, low self-worth, health issues,
stagnant energy, vacillation, excessive mutability or
changeability to the point of constantly riding the fence
and lacking true personal convictions, dual nature,
excessive idealism and unrealistic spiritual ideas
resulting in a cosmic fu-fu-based dogmatic outlook,
complex personality, untamed, wild inspiration,
emotional volatility, infamy, extreme behavior, or
insanity.

On the high side (again, other aspects/patterns
collectively either corroborate, moderate, or cancel
out the qualities), those with heavy 11 may possess
illumination, unparalleled spiritual awareness (if they
are otherwise grounded, as symbolized by the rest of
the comprehensive charts' energy), magnetism, vision,
prophetic talent, charm, grace, inventive inspiration,
and they may have regular revelations to help guide
them on their earthly path. They are often natural
channels and mediums, messengers for the Gods, and
they frequently end up well-known or famous
(frequently very famous). Artistic talent is common,
as are big ideas, high standards, strong interest in
metaphysics and holistic healing, humanitarianism,
and public service, often through their work (although
it may not appear directly as public service).

11 pertains to heightened awareness and those with
plenty of 11 tend to get regular shocking insight about
their life and other people. After growing into their talent,
it's not shocking any longer, at least to them. While they
are often vulnerable, they see others as they are, beyond
the personas and facades. They must learn to trust their
insight and avoid going with the expected modes of
thought and behavior. Grounding disciplines, such as
meditation, exercise, or artistic pursuits serve them well.
Those who try to ignore and deny their piercing
illumination risk phobias, obsessions, and even
psychosis.

Those with a traditionalist point of view possessing
heavy 11 who expect life conditions that appeal to
society (out of a desire for approval) are prone to
embarrassing life situations. For example, a messy,
very public divorce, or a daughter who comes out of
the closet in a very public way in a part of the world
where expressing one's true sexual orientation is still
significantly frowned upon is typical.

Again, 11 isn't easy. Those with a potent 11 along with
heavy materialistic considerations in the comprehensive
charts, sadly, are often challenged with integrity issues.
Duplicity and deceit eventually gain them infamy.
Kenneth Lay (The former CEO of Enron was convicted
of 10 counts of securities fraud in one of the most
publicized corruption scandals in U.S. history; Enron's
bankruptcy was the biggest in U.S. history when it was
filed in late 2001.) and Manuel Noriega (The Panamanian
dictator was accused of taking payoffs from a Columbian
drug cartel; in the early 1990s he was convicted and
sentenced to 40 years in U.S. prison.) are two prime
examples.

Divine revelation is intimately tied to the number 11.
The two columns of the side-by-side number ones
comprising the 11 symbolize a channel from higher
dimensions.

Unfortunately those with plenty of 11 are too often
seen as empty-headed. This is partly because it's not
easy being in two places at once under the 11 (easier
with other Master Numbers, such as 22 or 77). They
split their energy between the earth plane and other
dimensions, often-times preferring the latter. It's as if
in their most previous existences, they spent more time
in angelic form instead of in human form. It's natural
for them to psychically tap into the mysterious, unseen
levels of being while generating their phenomenal
visions. However, they suffer from not spending 100%
of their time rooted on the earth plane, and it detracts
from a solid "feet on the ground" existence.

Number 11 demands that one lives their light, no
matter how "good" or "bad" that light might seem to
society. To do otherwise makes their life more difficult
than necessary. A compassionate viewpoint and candid
way of life, living within their ideals, allows them to
effectively spread their vision, fulfilling their earthly
mission.

Some great examples of known individuals with heavy
11 energy (in various, prominent positions in the
comprehensive charts) include the following:

*Leonardo DiCaprio, American actor, lead in Titanic,
the biggest grossing film of all time.

*George Patton, American military commander of
WW1 forces. He Claimed he had lived previous lives
as, among others, a Greek soldier and a Roman
Legionnaire.

*Jackie Stewart, Scottish-American pro race car
driver; one of the most famous race car drivers of all
time.

*Gene Wilder, American comedian and actor. Joined
the army in his 20s and spent two years in the
psychiatric hospital ward, which he later drew upon
for his role in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

Copyright © 2007 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo

The Tower

2010-11-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Tower is an unsettling card. Fire, lightning, falling on jagged rocks - definitely looks like trouble! Card 16 will not be welcomed by those who dislike change. It represents a sudden, dramatic upheaval or reversal in fortune. Usually change is gradual, giving us time to adapt, but sometimes it is quick and explosive. This is the action of the Tower.

In films, the hero sometimes slaps someone who is groggy or babbling. Having tried everything else, he finally resorts to a sharp sting to snap him out of it. Sudden crises are life's way of telling you to wake up. Something's wrong, and you're not responding. Are you too full of pride? Expect a blow to your ego. Are you holding back your anger? Expect the dam to burst. Are you stuck in a rut? Expect a surprise.

How you respond to the Tower's change makes all the difference in how uncomfortable the experience will be. Recognize that the disruption occurred because it was needed. Perhaps embracing the change is too much to ask, but try to find the positive in it. In fact, you may feel tremendous release that you have finally been forced in a new direction. You may have a burst of insight about your situation and reach a new level of understanding about it.

going through sudden change
experiencing upheaval
having plans disrupted
being surprised
undergoing a crisis
having routines shaken up
being in chaos

releasing
exploding
having an emotional outburst
erupting in anger
crashing through ego defenses
breaking through pretense
letting everything go

falling down
being humbled
experiencing a crash
toppling from the heights
having a downturn in fortune
suffering a blow to the ego

having a revelation
suddenly realizing the truth
exposing what was hidden
having a burst of insight
seeing through illusions
getting the answer
seeing everything in a flash

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities

* Death - sweeping impact, powerful forces
* Sun - enlightenment, revelation
* Five of Pentacles - hard times

www.learntarot.com/maj16.htm

The Magician

2010-11-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Taking action
doing what needs to be done
realizing your potential
making what's possible real
practicing what you preach
carrying out plans
producing magical results
using your talents

acting consciously
knowing what you are doing and why
acknowledging your motivations
understanding your intentions
examining the known situation

concentrating
having singleness of purpose
being totally committed
applying the force of your will
feeling centered
setting aside distractions
focusing on a goal

experiencing power
making a strong impact
having vitality
creating miracles
becoming energized
feeling vigorous
being creative

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities

* High Priestess - nonaction, intuition, accessing the unconscious
* Hanged Man - suspending action, not doing
* Seven of Cups - lacking focus and commitment
* Four of Swords - resting quietly, storing energy
* Eight of Swords - confused and uncertain, powerless

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities

* Chariot - focusing, concentrating, being forceful
* Two of Wands - personal power, wielding a strong force
* Eight of Wands - quick action, making your move
* Eight of Pentacles - focus and concentration

DESCRIPTION

The Magician is the archetype of the active, masculine principle - the ultimate achiever. He symbolizes the power to tap universal forces and use them for creative purposes. Note his stance in the picture. He acts as a lightening rod - one arm extended up into the Divine for inspiration, the other pointing toward Earth to ground this potent energy. [note] His abilities appear magical at times because his will helps him achieve what seem to be miracles.

What makes the Magician so powerful? First, he is not afraid to act. He believes in himself and is willing to put that belief on the line. He also knows what he intends to do and why. He doesn't hesitate because he understands his situation exactly. The Magician can focus with single-minded determination. As long as he remembers the divine source of his power, the Magician remains the perfect conduit for miracles.

In a reading, the Magician implies that the primal forces of creativity are yours if you can claim your power and act with awareness and concentration. This card is a signal to act and act now, provided you understand exactly what you want and are committed to getting it.

http://www.learntarot.com/maj01.htm

XXI The World

2010-11-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

The World major tarot cards sits at number 21.

The World tarot card represents birth and rebirth, new beginnings and opportunities.

On our Tarot journey by the time we reach the world card we have been around 2 levels of consciousness and arrived at a new beginning or rebirth. Hence 21.

During a reading the World tarot card will symbolise that it is time to get out into the world and take the opportunities offered. All of us have talent and potential at various levels. As an astrologer I frequently see the phenomena in a client’s birth chart where they have lived the first part of their life using certain talents and are preparing to strengthen other, so far latent qualities, in order to progress in life and take on new challenges.

http://www.toniallen.co.uk/tarottheworld.html

Twenty One

2010-11-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

Properties of the number 21

Symbol of the person centered on the object and either on himself.

Number of the perfection by excellence, 3 x 7, according to the Bible.

Symbol representing the unknown superiors or the great spiritual Masters of the humanity.

This number "contains the ratios of the principle of individuality 1 with the cosmic differentiation 20", according to R. Allendy. These ratios would constitute an act of organization - 2 + 1 = 3: "Thus the principle of individuality, placed between the world of the spirit and that the matter, realizes in itself the meeting of both." Represent the harmony of the creation.

Number representing the union of Trinity, whose result of their common action makes emerge the creation.

For Claude of Saint-Martin, "the number 21 is the number of destruction or rather of universal termination, because, as 2 is separated from 1, it is necessary that it has a means of to unite there if it wants it. This number shows at the same time the command of the production of things and their end, as well in the spiritual one as in the corporal one."

The "21, the highest possible number of 3 in the corporal, is in relation with the spiritual and shows the quality of the renewal", according to Eckartshausen.

Number representing the maturity and the responsibility for an individual. It expresses also the notion of chief.

It is the numbered representation of God and the Temple, and for this reason it is considered by the esoteric texts as a divine number or sacred.

www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu21.php

Planets in Solar Combustion

2010-10-24T12:44:00.000-04:00

It has been the tradition of astrological interpretation to regard any planet inside eight degrees is combust (conjunct) the Sun and its power is weakened. As with much of tradition, I see this as one-sided referring only to an external struggle regarding the planet in question. For there is great strength inwardly from any planet empowered by the rays of the Sun, it just tends to be overly subject-ified, withdrawn from the material and outward or extrovert aspects of existence. The one exception to this rule is when in cazimi, inside of a single degree conjunct, in which case the energy is said to be exalted (so to speak).

Having my Sun combust Jupiter at 7 degrees [and Pluto inside of 15 degrees thus "under the solar rays"]... I can say from having an inward philosophical nature and interest in cosmic discovery which has characterized my life till now, I hardly consider it weakened... and yet there is an extroverted more socialized aspect of Jupiter that is foreign to my experience.

The trips I've taken, other than to Europe, Canada, New England, California, etc, have been predominantly within the vast reaches of my own mind. It is a challenge and necessity at this time to expand my social horizons and create opportunities via positive intention, utilizing active service to manifest most positively an interest of goodwill to mankind. Ultimately having full integrity, thus integration, as an individual human vessel of divine will and manifestation.

I've noticed it in others as well, a friend with Sun conjunct/combust Uranus... a wise intelligent free thinker, active in the Buddhist community in this way but not too much into all the fluffy new age stuff out there, and far more down to earth, grounded and less rebellious than what most Uranian types are perceived to be.

My father with Sun conjunct Pluto has enormous reservoir of psychic power and deep self awareness, yet outwardly too often denies the necessity for solitude and self-reflection. Interestingly also he has been quite the inspirational speaker on matters of "throwing stuff out that I don't need" yet has proven to have much difficulty doing so himself.

Perhaps it is only an element of denial that needs to be confronted... the energy is not weak in potential, and not usually (as with wider orbs) in personal expression, but only in outward manifestation. This primary Solar aspect, the conjunction, should be looked upon as having a great blessing inwardly (in spirit) and a very real challenge to meet outwardly (in matter).

JDZ

Numerological-Astrological Synthesis

2010-09-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

Having researched many different perspectives on the meaning of numbers, I take the best of what I see from the apparently contradictory views and discard the rest. All the while I am true to the intuitive psychic sense that just knows the meaning, without external reference of any kind. The following is a brief outline delineating numeric meanings in this writer's experience and understanding:

Spiritual-Material-Individual

0 - Zero, Origin, Source, Emptiness, Clear Light, Infinite Eternal Essence

1 - One, Energy, Unity/Being, Presence, Life and Light, Core, Ether, Fire, Solar

2 - Two, Matter/Substance, Duality, Being HERE, Existence and Polarity, Earth, Water, Lunar

3 - Three, Mind, Harmony, The Moment, Activity, Experience, Cognition, Perspective, Active Intelligence, Earth, Air, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter

4 - Four, Physical Matter, Harmony thru Conflict, The Environment, Home & Hearth, Family, Workplace, Confining Places, Earth, Water, Moon, Venus, Saturn

5 - Five, Self Expression, Creative Will, Intention made Manifest, Joy and Pleasure, Recreational/Open Places, Selfish (but most essential) Love Interests, Idealism & Individual Purpose, Solar Fire, Mars, Mercury, Sun

6 - Six, Discipline, Devotion, Practice, Work, Cleanliness, Harmony, Service, Helpfulness, Practicality, Getting things Done, Purpose Implementation, Completion of 3rd Dimension (space), Earth & Venus, Ceres & Vesta, Mercury & Saturn

Evolutionary-Collective-Global

7 - Seven, Divine Connection, Global Unity, Wisdom & Guidance of Angels, Vibration & Attraction, Karmic Justice, Relationship, Other(s), Cooperation and Coexistence

8 - Eight, Divine Ascension, Infinite, Greatness, Evolution, Polarity (Material & Spiritual worlds), Transformation, Change and Growth, All Elements, Mars & Pluto, Saturn & Chiron.

9 - Nine, Divine Actualization, Liberated Potential, Generosity and Goodwill, Walking the Walk, One-Pointed Concentration (developed at 8), Higher Purpose, Optimism, Teaching/Counseling Others, Fire, Mars, Uranus & Pluto

10 - Ten, Cosmic Realization, The Religious Man (spiritual not orthodox), Dharma, Beyond the Self, Blueprint of Perfection, Rebirth in Spirit, Contribution to Humanity, Completion of 4th Dimension (Time), Sun, Jupiter & Pluto, Solar Self Mastery

Trans-personal Universal

11 - Eleven, Higher Self Realization, Stars, Vibrations, Astrological & Occult Influence/Understanding, Omniscience, Cosmic Consciousness, The other 'One'
Ruler is Uranus, God of the Sky and the observable Cosmos.

12 - Twelve, Ultimate Liberation, Nirvana, Peace, Love & Understanding, Universality, Divine Love, Impersonal Self or Soul, Meditation, Wisdom and Bliss, Omnipresence. Ruler is Neptune, God of the Ocean and the Heavens.

13 - Thirteen, Negation, Nihilism, Elimination, Involution, Rising Above Limitation, Indomitable Soul Power, Positive Destruction, Ending Superstition, "Black Teachers", Death, Rebirth and Regeneration. Ruler is Pluto, God of the Underworld and the Seed of Life.

14 - Fourteen, Affirmation & Visualization, Angels & Archangels, "White Teachers", Restoration of Faith and putting Essential Values to the test, practicing temperance and moderation, avoiding excess and distraction to remain firmly rooted on the Path.
Rulers are Jupiter (#10) and Neptune (#12)

15 - Fifteen, Integration of Spiritual and Material, Self Sufficiency, Responsibility and Full Functionality, Maturity (developed at #'s 13 & 14), Completion of 5th Dimension (Life)

Universal Numbers

16 - Rebirth in the Fire of Divine Will - "The Tower"
17 - Guidance and Faith in the Cosmos - "The Star"
18 - Mind, Imagination & Deception, Maya - "The Moon"
19 - Individualism, Autonomy & Self-Sufficiency - "The Sun"
20 - Duality & The Battle of Good versus Evil - "Judgment"
21 - Perfection, Paradise, Completion of 6th Dimension - "The World"

Numbers 13, 14, 16 & 19 are considered to be "Karmic Debt" numbers.

Number 13 works to remove all dead weight and inessentials from the existence. Number 14 challenge is to not get caught up in diversions or excess while in the process of expanding horizons. Number 16 destroys the previous structure of our personal existence so that a higher order can be created anew. Number 19 must come to grips with the illusion of total autonomy, swallow pride and occasionally ask others for help. I personally would add the Number 18 to this list, as there is no greater human karmic challenge/obstacle than the ordinary lunar mind (Maya) itself.

JDZ

Cardinal-Fixed-Mutable

2010-09-02T15:31:00.001-04:00

The paradoxical nature of astrological symbolism is particularly pronounced in the three elemental modalities (aka qualities). Whereas each has a primary function it is known for it is the surrender of these qualities to the opposite function that reveals a sign's ultimate potential or higher functioning. Some examples:

Cardinal - Cross of Matter: Movement and activity, initiative and immediate response. The will to action is tempered by knowing where/when NOT to act, especially where Libra and Capricorn (signs of moderation & caution respectively) are concerned.

Fixed - Soul Power: Fixity of purpose and resistance to change, stubbornness and steadfast action. The will to be constant, true to self above all else, eventually gives way to a transformation or radical mutation (a revolution) that goes beyond the superficial changes of less fixed signs... especially in Scorpio and Aquarius, two signs most known for their revolutionary qualities.

Mutable - Intelligence: Flexibility and awareness, going with the flow, bending with the heavy winds. Mutable signs adapt and adjust continuously to situations only to find a deep faith in the changeless Spirit, a movement whose only constant is continuous change and adjusting... this becomes especially evident in the Jupiter ruled signs Sagittarius and Pisces.

JDZ

True and False Astrology ~ Removing the devil from details

2010-08-31T09:40:00.000-04:00

It suddenly became clear to me the discerning wisdom that dictates what is to be taken seriously and what to ignore in the interpretive arbitrary world of Astrological understanding. It has puzzled and perplexed me for the longest time and is a deterrent for many a western mind that looks upon Astrology as mere superstition.

It is that superstitious element that must be removed, and the hard and fast dogma of astrologers that point to a very specific time that one must be present to perform rituals, affirmations for the year and so forth. Also the charlatan astrologers that send emails saying "don't miss this opportunity". In short... the pressure to make the absolute most out of a minute period in time, regardless of the context and circumstances, is getting caught in the details and not seeing the big progressive picture... an eternal movement that makes no more importance of one moment than the next.

Have such "astrologers" considered how incredibly few people even know what a Solar Return is, let alone know to be present for it with only good positive energy... or else!!?? I had a very uneventful but extremely insightful RETROGRADE birthday yesterday... It became clear as day what needs to be removed, thrown out like trash, and neuroses based on superstitious nonsense is first and foremost.

I expect a great and prosperous new Solar Year that eliminates and removes all that has up till now kept me stuck... true freedom comes with acknowledging mindfully one's bondage and then spontaneously recognizing what must go. All that remains is the joy and innate wisdom... Faith and Hope, Light and Love, and a movement of positive evolution in alignment with the Infinite and Eternal Beingness...

JDZ

The Solar Return's Significance

2010-08-30T22:16:00.001-04:00

Period of the Solar Return's Significance

The significance of the solar return runs birthday to birthday with a three month overlap at the beginning and end of each year. The symbolism of the new solar return can be felt as much as three months before the birthday by very intuitive people. Usually, at this time, one becomes aware of new directions, opportunities, and problems. Many times there is even an event exactly three months before the birthday which triggers awareness and signals the beginning of the new solar return. This event is usually very much related to the new solar return and very much out of context with the old one. If you have plans to travel overseas during the three months before your birthday, do not look for the event in the old solar return even if you have been planning to take the trip all year. The old solar return will probably indicate the planning stage, but the new solar return will indicate the trip. The trip itself illustrates change, and since it occurs in the three months before your birthday, it will most likely be indicative of the new solar return chart.

On the other hand, the significance of the old solar return may not feel pass� until three months after your birthday. The old themes and issues which you have worked with for the year should begin to lose their importance just as the new solar return starts to manifest itself. As your attention naturally shifts to new themes and issues, previous concerns are phased out. This is especially true if you experience a sense of completion relevant to the old tasks. However, there are times when the old solar return drags on. If you are working on a major project for the year, it may be impossible to complete it within the one year time span. If you normally procrastinate and avoid making decisions, tasks associated with the old solar return can easily last past your birthday and into the first three months of the new solar return year. Unresolved issues carried over from year to year become stumbling blocks to further advancement and development. Individuals who consistently avoid facing the real issues in their lives accumulate major problems which are very difficult to handle.

The important thing to remember about solar returns, and life experiences in general, is that they are part of a cumulative process. The more attentive and productive you are this year, the greater your options next year. The less you accomplish now, the more limited you will feel as time goes by. Unlike transits which can seem disconnected and singular, solar returns are closely aligned and can easily be viewed as building blocks, one upon the other, year after year. For this reason, each year becomes important and each task has a history and a future. The rhythmic pattern of the solar return helps us to see this.

The main transitional month for the change from the old solar return to the new solar return is the month directly preceding the birthday. Issues related to the old solar return are resolved at this time unless they drag on (as explained above), or they are part of the new solar return as well. Issues related to the new solar return become more pressing during this transitional month and are certainly full blown by the birthdate. Sometimes the new solar return simply gains strength during the three months before your birthday and sometimes it comes in with a bang on or near your birthday. Rarely does it happen that a solar return chart starts to change manifestation later in the year. Themes in the chart usually persist for the entire year, but once in a great while one new theme will appear later than expected. In every case, the new theme can be seen in the solar return chart, yet it lay there inactive for some unknown reason. An external event is the triggering mechanism used to activate this inert awareness, and the event generally occurs within the three months following the birthday. It can be hypothesized that unconscious factors help to avoid full involvement with this new issue until such time as it is associated with an external event of importance and thereafter becomes very obvious.

Planets conjunct a house cusp within a few degrees may be read in both houses. It is especially important to read outer planets in both houses since they eventually transit or retrograde into the other house, indicating dual or shifting concerns during the year. The more planets that are in a solar return house, the more emphasized that area of life will be during the coming year, especially if the Sun is one of the planets present. Four or more planets in any one house indicate a strong need to be involved with those themes and issues. But the individual may become so focused on this one area of life that perception is distorted and these themes are overemphasized. He or she may not want to think about anything else or accomplish tasks in other areas. The overloaded house becomes a symbol for obsessive preoccupation or emotional overload.

www.cafeastrology.com/solarreturnreport.html

Sun in 1st House

2010-07-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

Strong personality
At this time of year, you will become more concerned with personal matters and less with the world at large. You can project yourself with more forcefulness than usual. It is an excellent time for making an impression on others, but you must be careful because you will not be especially sensitive to their needs. For this reason, you may find it difficult to work with others during this transit. If your efforts to work on projects with others don't seem to get anywhere now, perhaps you should defer them until later. First you should take care of the proper business of this transit, which is to experience yourself in a subjective frame of reference. You have a great need to express yourself now, and it is a valid need. No purpose will be served by denying all your own needs in favor of a misguided concept of duty.

The interpretation above is for your transit selected for today:
Sun in the 1st House, 1,
activity period from 25 July 2010 to 15 August 2010

Neptune square Moon

2010-07-04T13:58:00.001-04:00

Mirages ~ Mid March 2010 until beginning of January 2012: Under this influence you may have to contend with rather strange moods and feelings. You may feel that your hunches are extremely accurate, but be careful - the language of your unconscious mind, which is speaking rather strongly to you now, is very different from the language of the conscious mind. Your hunches may mislead you.

At the same time, you are more subject to outside influences now. If you are around an angry person or someone under the influence of any other intense feeling, you will feel their energy strongly. For this reason, you should avoid people who are under the influence of strong negative emotions. Your empathy is so great that you will easily become subject to their feelings. And avoid anyone who tries to control your thinking through subtle suggestions and hints, which is very likely to happen, because the thoughts they instill will seem to come from within you - another good reason for avoiding negative people.

There may be other problems in your home or personal life or with emotional relationships. It is extremely important that you try to communicate with those around you as clearly as possible. Misunderstandings are rife under this influence. You may begin a love relationship that is hopelessly unrealistic and yet very fascinating.

Moods and emotions may appear and disappear with great speed. Do not take them too seriously or get too wrapped up in contemplating them, for you will only make mountains out of molehills. Even when you are disappointed about something, do not dwell on it. Your own negative emotions can be very destructive.

Mars and the Now

2010-05-30T09:48:00.001-04:00

Mars is the planet of desire and movement. It is constantly stimulating the "Now" and filling it with a vivid sharpness that keeps re-awakening one's consciousness. The most common misuse of the Mars energy is to project one's desires so far into the future that it makes one's actions in the "Now" seem meaningless. This causes discontent, unrest, and a constant state of frustration. The Mars of the "Now" is based on spontaneity. Mars adds movement to what otherwise might seem a reality of no progress. It should not keep projecting the individual beyond whatever he is doing in the present, but rather, it should stimulate his present with the vitality he needs in order to experience it. If a person keeps projecting his hopes and desires long into the future or would like to re-enact that which has already been through then he is constantly losing vitality. He experiences an energy drain and may think it is coming from other people, when it is his own inability to act in his "Now".

Mars is the planet of motivation. It is the mover of ideas in to action. If one carefully observes the stimulation of Mars something very interesting reveals itself. Motivation to act comes quickly, perhaps many times in a single moment. But it also passes just as quickly. Thus, if a person spends his life analyzing his motivations he tends to lose so many of them that, in essence, he loses motivation to do anything at all. The need to do comes quickly. In order to experience the "Now" one must follow one's needs and then, by letting them pass, new ones will arise in their place. In some ways, similar to the function Mercury, the activity of Mars keeps one's vibration that leaves no room for depression, regret, or remorse.

Sometimes, Mars is primitive in it urges and does need some control through the wisdom of Saturn and the reason of Mercury, but never to the point where one inhibits, represses, and sublimates the powerful motivating energy that is stimulating him in th "Now." On it's raw level Mars does not question or analyze - it acts. And, it is through acting that man achieves a state of being. Every moment he is becoming. The joy of Mars is never in the reaching of one's ultimate goals, for when an individual reaches them, he may have long since forgotten the reason why he wanted them. Instead, the joy of Mars is to be found in one's constant state of becoming. This is the true source of motivation. Whatever one may ultimately achieve is far less important than his union with act of becoming, which is the stimulating, moving, vibrant quality of his "Now" experience.

Martin Schulman (Karmic Astrology, The Karma of the Now, pp.83-85)

Purpose - Flow - Reality : Sun - Moon - Ascendant

2010-05-26T18:03:00.002-04:00

Astrologically I refer to the spiritual purpose and manifest reality as the Sun - Ascendant (or Earth) respectively, from an individual-personal perspective... the dash connecting polarities of Sun and Earth is Lunar.

Where purpose is made manifest into a reality this dash or catalyst is a necessary vessel which must remain pure for the will of God to be made manifest. I call this Lunar subjective phenomenon that is instinctive, imaginative and intuitive, the art of flow. Flowing with the downstream movement of the inner and outer life, which truly are one and inseparable. Openness and receptivity to the stream of living as it is happening, here and now, immediate and eternal.

The Moon reflects various human needs, emotions, yearnings and desires which manifest as the experiences and values that make up our overall existence, experience and karmic condition as human beings on this Earth. The way of it is simply "letting go... to just go with the flow", allow the self to be empty and innocent, open to learning whatever the here-now experience is here to show us.

Manifest Reality is the *what-where-how-when* aspect of the individual-personal life path, mission and purpose that originates from Spirit, the Higher Source, Creator of all Creation, individual and universal. It is the form that gives visible, tangible and projected meaning to what it embodies in essence.

Spiritual Purpose transcends the particular mission and experience it has in the manifest world of form, the Earth. It is both Consciousness and Energy, Spirit and Nature... pervading all earthly life, it exists within and without all that we experience as this reality and the world around us.

The key as lunar/human beings is to be aligned within the flow of spirit and then follow through effectively or efficiently in the world of matter... this could be likened to the equalizer, volume and tone controls of a stereo being at just the right balance, taking into account the interests of the individual (spirit) and the sound of the music (matter), thus regulating or harmonizing the inner-outer flow and establishing right interconnection.

All that is required is awareness and attention, in the inner world of mind and the outer world of manifestation. Clear seeing is true being.

JDZ

Vedic Astrological Charts

2010-05-08T11:42:00.001-04:00

To cast a birth chart, i.e. the horoscope, the software application takes the four inputs - date of birth, time of birth, time zone and coordinates of the place of birth. Based on that, the application converts all the parameters to the local time of the place by first converting time based on time zone to UTC and then to the local time based on the longitude of the place. Once this is done, the calculations done to compute the position of planets, ascendant sign and sun rise, moon rise are pretty straightforward and can be found in any good astronomy text book.

The calculations are done for planets from Sun to Saturn along with Lunar Nodes - Rahu and Ketu. We give outer planets a skip - there are no Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in a Vedic horoscope. This is because these outer planets were discovered fairly recently and sages in ancient India did not know about them. Western astrologers were quick to adapt these planets in their readings, but rarely would you find any jyotishi refering to them. More so, these planets do not have any sign ownerships, nor do they appear in vimshottari dasha calculations.

Western astrology stops at this step of calculation. The display is called tropical position of planets that assumes the Zero of degree calculation is first point of Aries, i.e. position on 21st of March. For followers of Western Astrology, this may seem a bit odd, because planets change signs between the two systems. If you are a Libran according to the western system, you may find Sun situated in Virgo in a Vedic Astrology birth chart.

Ancient Indian astronomers discovered long back that these two points i.e. the Zero degree of measurement and the first point of Aries do not always coincide because our Earth is wobbling on its axis. They applied a correction to the degree calculated in the last step and called this Ayanamasha correction. It is difficult to make out the exact value of Ayanamsha correction just from observation of signs in the sky. For this, the great sages devised an ingenious method. They observed life of people around them, cast their birth charts and adjusted the degree of Ayanamsha correction.

In this site, I have used Lahiri's Chitrapaksha Ayanamsha, the value of which is 23° in 1938 and increases by 50.5 secs per year after that. We can find shlokas in various places that support this Ayanamsha and this ayanamsha alone has withstood the test of times.

Article @ www.planetarypositions.com

Cosmic Trip

2010-05-04T11:46:00.001-04:00

Astrologically Uranus (God of The Sky) "turns us on", Neptune (God of The Oceans and Heavens) "tunes us in" and Pluto (God of the Underworld and Death) assists every dark soul in dropping out, in the breakdown of old outworn ideals and toxic perspectives. The three outermost planets (Gods) together embody and effect a trans-personal psychic transformation and inner-outer revolution, the inevitability of change, impermanence and ending of all material-social-mental fixation.

Most specifically, dropping out of the Saturnine Reality view, of both psychologically and socially imposed limitations, the prison of social obligation, the fear and conformity.Saturn (Father Time) is the great tester, the taskmaster, and the root of ego, interdependent with the outer environment... the test happens via Chiron, the rainbow bridge to the outer planets, by first dropping out of egoic mental patterns and fixed views of reality, then effortlessly turning on and tuning in to all of the universal vibration embodied in Uranus and Neptune, the Cosmic Yang and Yin respectively.

JDZ

The Elements and their Trinity Signs

2010-04-06T13:25:00.005-04:00

Fire:
Cardinal & Fixed, Aries & Leo = Subjective/Personal Fire
Mutable Sagittarius = Objective/Impersonal Fiery Subjectivity

Air:

Cardinal & Fixed, Libra & Aquarius = Objective/Impersonal Air

Mutable Gemini = Subjective/Personal Airy Objectivity

Earth:

Cardinal & Fixed, Capricorn & Taurus = Objective Earth

Mutable Virgo = Subjective/Personal Earthly Objectivity

Water:

Cardinal & Fixed, Cancer & Scorpio = Subjective Water

Mutable Pisces = Objective/Impersonal Watery Subjectivity

JDZ

**Mutability flips the initial/original Cardinal-Fixed orientation of a given element. Cardinal and Fixed Fire and Water are Subjectively oriented while their Mutability (Sag and Pisces, Jupiter Ruled) reverses this principle, lending objective (collective) orientation to subjective awareness; likewise the Earth and Air Cardinal-Fixed orientation is initially Objectively oriented, while their Mutability (Virgo and Gemini, Mercury Ruled) lends a subjective orientation to objective awareness.

March 15th -- New Moon Pisces conjunct Mercury & Uranus

2010-03-12T00:04:00.004-05:00

Link to Chart Directly Above. This New Moon is within a degree of opposition to my own Mercury and Venus, both at 26 Virgo... and Mercury and Uranus at 26 Pisces will be exactly in opposition to these... What could it mean? A mental creative breakthrough of sorts?

Virgo is on the Ascendant upon the New Moon, with the Sun-Moon-Mercury-Uranus all in the 8th House of death-rebirth-transformation. These four in conjunction will be transiting my 9th House and opposing the Virgo Stellium in my natal 3rd... I will leave all interpretation to immediate intuition, though I feel now that this plus Mars Direct crossing (again) over my Leo Ascendant will lend a burst of energy in the direction of what I mentally and aesthetically (Mercury & Venus) hope to achieve.

Cosmic Intuition is at an all time high with Mercury conjunct Uranus in Pisces, powered by the Luminaries, a Uranian-Neptunian Eight House breakthrough in consciousness, needed to assist the collective human healing process with Neptune and Chiron presently conjunct in Aquarius... an embodiment and symbolic archetype of the wounded soul (Chiron-Neptune) of humanity (Aquarius).

JDZ

Saturn opposite Chiron: Between a rock and a hard place

2010-03-11T13:58:00.002-05:00

***
Valid during many months: During this difficult and tense time your values and ideals will be severely tested. No matter what your situation, under this influence you will be confronted with a difficult dichotomy. On the one hand you will feel drawn to the new, unknown or even outrageous if it appears to offer more freedom. Old desires may reawaken with a new intensity, and you may now feel able to fulfill them. On the other hand, you may feel that existing obligations and ties, together with old fears and insecurities, are preventing you from breaking free from the grind of everyday life. Your sense of right and wrong could also prevent you from throwing off some of your shackles.

Under this influence a variety of difficulties and conflicts in the outer world reflect your state of inner strife. You will have to deal with serious disputes and might experience some kind of separation - particularly with figures of authority or those who have had an important influence on your life. You may come to see that you have been living according to others' expectations, so that things that gave your life security and structure might suddenly seem oppressive and burdensome. Apart from the likely disputes within your relationship you will have problems in practically all those areas which call for order, discipline, responsibility and perseverance. You will rebel and go against the grain, being far less willing than usual to conform or buckle under. This is especially likely as long as you remain unable to decide on a concrete course of action.

The interpretation above is for your transit selected for today:
Saturn Opposition Chiron, , exact at 15:21
activity period from beginning of November 2009 until end of August 2010

The Zodiac Backwards - An Alternate Perspective on the Twelve Signs

2010-03-05T11:45:00.002-05:00

The Zodiac forwards, as we know and understand it, is an unfolding of the individual from the personal to the inter-personal and finally to transpersonal. As I have seen somewhere (previously) in Alice Bailey's classic, Esoteric Astrology, there is a reverse direction that is true from the perspective of the cosmos, going from transpersonal to interpersonal to personal, from the universal to the individual as contrasted with the way we experience the zodiac personally, in body mind & soul.

Here is how it universally unfolds, Aries and Libra are the two Cardinal Points (Equinoxes) that are constant and to the right is the ordinary zodiac unfolding:

1-Aries - I AM (RISING SUN)

2-Pisces - Taurus - I HAVE (EARTH-OCEAN)

3-Aquarius - Gemini - I THINK (EARTH-SKY)

4-Capricorn - Cancer - I FEEL (ENVIRONMENT-PEOPLE)

5-Sagittarius - Leo - I WILL (and I AM - as w/ #1)

6-Scorpio - Virgo - I ANALYZE (and I PRACTICE)

7-Libra - I BALANCE (and I RELATE)

8-Virgo - Scorpio - I DESIRE (and I TRANSFORM)

9-Leo - Sagittarius - I SEE (and I EXPAND)

10-Cancer - Capricorn - I USE (and I MANIFEST)

11-Gemini - Aquarius - I KNOW (and I LEARN)

12-Taurus - Pisces - I BELIEVE (and I ACCEPT)

The Seven Natural Pairs are as follows

1- Aries & Libra - Immediate Activity (Ascendant & Descendant)

2- Taurus & Pisces - Passive Receptivity

3- Gemini & Aquarius - Active Mentality

4- Cancer & Capricorn - Concrete Reality (Nadir/IC & Mid-Heaven/MC)

5- Leo & Sagittarius - Joy & Creativity

6- Virgo & Scorpio - Work & Functionality

7- Libra & Pisces* - Love & Unity (Descendant & Mid-Heaven/Zenith)

**Number Seven introduces the 7-12 realm of of the ordinary zodiac, which is Libra thru Pisces, Venus and Neptune its higher octave. Neptune is said to be ruler of the number 7 and its higher dimensions of all inclusiveness.

JDZ

Mercury in the Eighth House - Looking inward

2010-02-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

**Though natally I have no 8th Hse planets, this transit brings out the best in my Mercury conjunct Pluto (Pluto = 8th House = Scorpio)...

At this time it is good to look inward and reflect upon deep psychological truths within yourself. This influence often signifies conversations and intellectual encounters that have a profound effect upon your mind, causing you to go deep within yourself and make changes in your point of view or ways of thinking. This time is conducive to very deep thinking, sometimes including thoughts about your own and your loved ones' mortality. Reflecting upon these matters from time to time in moderation can help to keep your life in perspective, but don't get too carried away by thoughts of death, because this can draw you away from the here and now.

The interpretation above is for your transit selected for today:
Mercury in the 8th House

The Moon's Nodes - Individual Soul's Path(s) of Least and Strongest Resistance

2010-02-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

Understanding the balance, the fine connecting line (at the spine) which bonds the dragon's head with it's tail and vice versa, is key to understanding the highest function of Lunar Nodes. They are BOTH equally constructive or destructive, depending upon right use and not abuse of the karmic energies available to the individual soul (the Moon itself). In my experience I have found that when one node is operating excessively or dysfunctional then the other is as well, for the North and South Nodes of the Moon are truly interdependent functions, like inhaling and exhaling.

Excessive action and future orientation of the super Type A personality can lead one astray from contentment with the present, an insatiable restless urge that cannot sit still and be. Contrary yet similar to this, too much sanctuary dwelling, clinging to a familiar comfort zone born of the past, can become complacent and unwilling to embrace new experience, essentially going nowhere. One is obsessed with the future the other stuck in the past, and oftentimes it is simply alternating between the two extremes, living in the past and in the future but rarely if ever in the present.

In Indian Astrology as contrasted with the West, the North Node represents not spiritual aspiration but material ambition... I choose to exist in this world for the purpose of achieving my previously unfulfilled desires, to become what I am not already and be lead temporarily astray from the Dharma or spiritual purpose in life. In this human incarnation I seek to experience everything and be immersed in life's illusion as the only way to truth and liberation. As has so often been said before "the only way out is through".

The north node represents our sense of future... It says "I wanna do and experience all that life offers". According to Vedics we reincarnate fir many lifetimes due to unfulfilled desires in this world of maya or materialism. Upon reaching the pinnacle of achievement one is still unfulfilled, letting go is the south node function upon disillusionment with the material world, which is the path of least resistance that leads beyond the cycle of continuous birth death and rebirth. Detachment however is not possible without first having the experience from which one becomes disillusioned and detached. Abstinence and renunciation are only appropriate for the few who have truly gone beyond, those whom have really and truly seen it all.

The South Node represents what most of us in the West have lost touch with... the "downstream flow" and the "road of least resistance". Unless we first allow ourselves to be carried by the stream, going with the flow and continuing to let go, all activity and aspiration will lead one down a path of delusion and self-alienation... the socially isolated or aggressive (or passive aggressive) individual who brings only destruction upon the path because he is not aligned from within, not aware and creating resistance or friction everywhere he goes. Much of the Western World is this way, focused on achievement at the expense of inner peace and universal connection.

JDZ

Uranus and Neptune - The Cosmic Masculine & Feminine

2010-02-09T13:21:00.003-05:00

With the Outermost Planets the sense of inseparability becomes greater, as Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are of a unitive universal vibration... they are three aspects of the Spirit, what Hindus call Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute. Existence applying both to Saturn (outwardly/materially/physically) and to Pluto (inwardly/psychically/spiritually), while Knowledge or Cosmic Wisdom is the function of Uranus, The Higher Mind, in the highest super-conscious sense (beyond Jupiter's more personal, social & subjective intuitive function); and finally we come to Neptune the beholder of Bliss Absolute. If there is any absolute here to complete this picture it is the Sun itself, as one microcosmic individual solar spark of universal energy-essence is of the macrocosmic infinite absolute itself.

Here I find myself in an interesting position, as a thinker and student of the cosmos, to mark and clarity those subtle yet powerful differences between the yang and the yin elements of being that Uranus and Neptune (respectively) represent... and which Pluto embodies, empowers, manifests and evolves at the individual soul level, which microcosmically (as consistent with the size of Pluto physically) becomes our own personal practice, with all the emotional-mental baggage to go with it. Because Pluto represents the union (as in a sexual union) of Uranus and Neptune, and exists predominantly to magnify-expand-empower (as well as eliminate and negate) at the Quantum level our being.

Pluto's negation and elimination function, an inner feng shui or mental/emotional decluttering process, is worth mentioning here. Working with both Uranus and Neptune the destructive nature of Pluto (the aspect of Lord Shiva) has it's death/rebirth transformative and regenerative power operating. As Uranus discovers the new, Pluto removes or disposes of the old... Pluto is the "unlearning" aspect so key to Uranian learning and new discoveries, which is why Uranus exalts in Pluto Ruled Scorpio. Neptune is the openness of compassion and all inclusiveness or unconditional love... while Pluto works to rid Neptune of all its illusions and fogginess, the pipe dreams and fantasies that no longer serve and which we outgrow. Together they are a process of dissolution, death and return to our deepest oceanic true nature, the deepest depths down to the core of an eternal/timeless Collective Soul Reality.

In short Uranus is the movement, the constant change, the inquiry and desire to know, all that is proactive and affirmative. It is the outward discontent with establish social norms, rules and restrictions. It revolts and shakes things up, turns life inside and out and always encourages us to feel the four winds all around us. This energy has developed quite well (here in the western world) though still perhaps operating among a minority.

Neptune, that eastern world gem of humility, is where most of us here in the United States needs develop... it is the surrender, the unconditional acceptance, wisdom of the heart, the rapture of not knowing, the bliss of no self, and the innocence of a beginners mind. Where less is more, where the conqueror falls down in defeat and kneels humbly prostrating unto his Lord. Whereas Uranus is "freedom of the self", or discovery of the Eternal Present Moment(um), Neptune is "freedom from the self", the liberation that is dissolution and the end of all seeking for knowledge outside, and the end of time. Shiva, the Lord of Dissolution into Pure Consciousness or what Buddhists call Nirvana.

I believe this essence of Divine Love or Bliss will flower as we collectively move from Neptune in Aquarius to Pisces. Are we to take sidereal astrology into consideration here? This could mean a longer wait as sidereal-ly Neptune is just moving into Aquarius, whereas tropical-ly it will be moving out in 2011, in 2012 permanently. Right now we are tropical-ly in Mutual Reception... Uranus in Pisces (sign ruled by Neptune) and Neptune in Aquarius (sign ruled by Uranus). Uranus is the said "Ruler of Astrology" ... and In this light, Neptune is said "Ruler of Spirituality", astrologically speaking.

Uranus will very soon move into pioneering adventurous (and rebellious) Aries, which esoterically is an exaltation (Libra and Aries both, according to Alice Bailey). Pluto is in Capricorn, the boiling pot of corruption and destruction in the higher echelons of society, and the Plutonian Will that will dissolve all false self-seeking authoritarianism in this world. Powerful dictators will crumble, as will the authority of the Church and its high handed judgment of morality. The Uranian Spirit will lift us up in a spirit of bold rebellion and the urge for change while the Neptunian Spirit will teach us that "Love conquers all".

May we find the right balance within ourselves, our own natal outer-planetary influences, of the Masculine and Feminine aspects of the Universal Divine/Human Consciousness, as is quoted in the serenity prayer "serenity to accept, courage to change, and wisdom to know the difference".

JDZ

Celestial Driving

2010-01-28T14:52:00.000-05:00

Ascendant - The Vehicle and Path (Point A)
Descendant - The Horizon and Path (Point B)

Nadir - Origin (Home)
MidHeaven - Destination (Away)

Sun - The Driver & Conscious Volition
Moon - The Passenger(s), Aware of Road & Other Cars
Mars - The Engine, Protective Exterior, Horse Power
Mercury - Steering Wheel, Signals, Road Signs
Venus - Interior & Cushions, Music & Conversation
Jupiter - The Open Road, Scenery, the Journey
Saturn - Stop Sign, Traffic Lights, Police and Tollbooths

North Node - Moving Forward, Toward Destination
South Node - Neutral or Reverse, Pit Stops and Resting Areas

JDZ

Four Resolutions & Four Angles - The Cross of Matter

2009-12-31T12:06:00.000-05:00

#1 Ascendant - 1st House - Keynote: Individual Action and Self-Assertion (Ascension)

Commitment to mindfully productive and efficient action, in service of self. A commitment to succeed by moving forward, out of comfort zone and into the mainstream of living. Movement, focus and flow.

#2 Nadir - 4th House - Keynote: Subjective Personal Life, Home & Heart, Coexistence

Emotional and Physical Feng Shui, in the home of the psyche, the body and household, healing and emotional wellness, for myself and immediate partner. Become more communal and less of a homebody. Commitment to inner wellness, stability and harmony.

#3 Descendant - 7th House - Keynote: Others, Key Partnerships, Social Life, Service

Serve, Love and Give as much and as often as possible. Cease living in isolation (even when in solitude)... all service, generosity and overall benevolence I get for myself I also give to others however I can. Commitment to love, relationship and significant others.

#4 Mid-Heaven - 10th House - Keynote: Objective Public Life, Time, Occupation, Obligations (to self and society).

Fill time up wisely, waste not want not, expand horizons in the outside world, establish structure/system for managing my time, responsibilities, obligations and outside activities intelligently and efficiently.

JDZ

The Inner and Outer Personality (as defined in Astrology)

2009-12-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

The Ascendant or Rising Sign determines the primary nature, temperament, physical appearance and outlook on life... all of which characterizes our outer orientation to the outside world. Yet this factor alone does not determine everything about our personality as the world perceives and vice versa... There is also the Sun, Moon and Inner Planets, not to mention the Lunar Nodes and Part of Fortune, all of which play a part in the expression of character. Speaking as one with mostly all Earth and Water Signs to color and influence my Natal Luminaries and Planets, I find that having a dynamic Leo Ascendant is not enough by itself to make me an extrovert life of the party kind of individual... in my own private personal space sometimes, but never in group or social situations.

Do we look to the Ruling Planet of the Chart... its Sign, House and Aspects? How about Planets located in the 1st and 7th Houses of the natal chart, and those close to the Ascendant (or closely aspecting it) especially? This provides some modification as does weighing the emphasis of different Elements in the Chart. I think these factors all play a part in determining how introvert or extrovert the native is, and yet there is something more to consider here...

The Core of the Individuality, Personality and Self-Image, is The Sun and The Moon. Regardless of how the outer persona of the Ascendant plays out when the individual is simply "being oneself", without the mask of outer personality and purpose used as a front... the Ascendant here simply provides a focus of perception and expression consistent with the luminary (inner) nature of the individual in question. It adds a third component of expression natural to the Ascending Sign which modifies but does not change the nature of the Sun and Moon positions.

There are those who say the Sun represents the Inner Character while the Moon rules over our more superficial personality traits in response to environment. Others say it is The Moon that is inner reflection and feeling while The Sun is the outward expression. Given the nature of the Sun and Moon as rulers of Leo and Cancer respectively, I am inclined of the Sun as outer and the Moon as inner, though recognizing it may be a bit more complex than this.

What do others think about this?

JDZ

The Neptune Square & Midlife Crisis

2009-12-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

Affecting a generation of people around mid-life (40-42), with Neptune in Scorpio, at this time, due to Neptune's slow orbit of 13-14 years per zodiac sign. Today is an exact hit for me at 2:15 p.m. today!

Self-scrutiny ***
Valid during many months: This transit is often a part of the "crisis of middle age," since it occurs when you are about forty-two. During this period you are likely to intensely question your life, your goals and how far you have fulfilled your ideals. Depending upon the results of that evaluation, you may begin to make certain changes. The problem is that this is not the best influence for making well-thought-out changes in your life. There is a great danger that you will go off half-cocked in pursuit of some dream that is unrealizable and not even worth realizing. It is very important to use this period for self-scrutiny, but it is not a good idea to act yet.

If you act too quickly, you will only create severe disturbances in your emotional and domestic life or in your work. You are likely to operate on the basis of partially formed ideas about yourself and your needs. Unfortunately, since you are in your forties, you have probably convinced yourself that you know who and what you are. And perhaps you have known, but the function of this influence is to make you reevaluate who you are, which at this moment you do not know. The best solution is to recognize this situation and simply allow yourself to see the truth, whatever it may be. Give yourself plenty of latitude and have whatever experiences seem necessary. Just don't make any permanent commitments during this time. You don't want to spend the rest of your life with the consequences of ill-considered actions taken under the influence of a passing delusion.

Many of the insights you receive during this period will be real, and many will not be real. Only the passage of time will allow you to determine which are which.

Transit selected for today (by user):
Neptune Square Neptune, , exact at 14:15
activity period from middle of March 2008 until middle of January 2010

Astro Integration

2009-11-30T13:03:00.012-05:00

*Self Unfolding - From the Solar or Innermost Self Perspective, The Sun is first and the Ascendant comes in third, after the Moon. Eternally and esoterically this is correct. The Astro key is below, the corresponding numbers for each illustrated major life theme emphasized.

1-My Essential Purpose - To be a good and smart worker, taking full responsibility, High-Minded, Expansive and Integrative, Healthy and Whole, Uplifting the Personality via High Morale and Spiritual Strength of Character (of Will) at core. To be clear and present, undistorted in perception and thinking.

2-My Essential Nature - Passion and Imagination, Appetite and Desire, Sensitive and Intense, Secretive about feelings, Warm yet Detached, Insightful and Imaginative, Revolutionary, Interest in Arts and Mysticism, the Occult and Astrology.

3-My Outer Purpose/Nature - Strong Personality, Positive and Hopeful, Assertive and Energetic, Ambitious (to an extent) and Aspirational w/ regard to Future. Choosing the road of Higher Consciousness, of courage and faith in Self, optimistic and fun loving in my outlook and pro-active or pioneering in my approach.

4-My Outer Environment/Structure - A need for organization, keeping on top of responsibilities at home and work, keeping lists, staying mindful, alert and busy. Will work separately on a post relating the Astrological Houses (and their corresponding natural signs) to the tasks and activities of daily living.

5a-My Work and Self-Assertion: Doing - Getting/Earning/Making Money
5b-My Love and Appreciation: Having - Having/Spending/Saving Money

6b-My Knowledge, Perception, Cognition: Learning - Practical & Imaginative Intellectual involvement and interest(s).

6c-My Relationships, Connections, Friends: Seeing - Other People w/ like-minded interests, Cooperation and Group Interaction

7-My Most Intimate Relationships - Family, Close Partners, Friends and Lovers

8-My Key to Self-Healing, Understanding & Freedom - Quest for Wholeness and Self-Integration, Existential Angst and Evolution, Innermost Wounds & Healing

9-My Expansion, Abundance and Good Fortune - The Full expanse of Creation (The Sun)

10-My Responsibility, Duty and Discipline - The Ground and Ground Rules (The Earth)

11-My connection to Higher Self, Liberation - Cosmic Intelligence and Intuition (The Sky)

12-Universal and Divine Love, Transcendence - Cosmic Love and Imagination (The Heavens)

13-Universal Power and Desire, Resurrection - Cosmic Power and Evolution (The Wheel of Birth & Death and REbirth)

14a-Dharma, Individual Path Forward, Future - "The General of mine Army" - Dominance
14b-Karma, Personal Regression, The Past - "The lazy disorganized crew" - Defaults

(to be continued...)
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SPIRIT-SOUL-MATTER: Ego & Energy, Mind & Body

1-The Sun - Spirit, Will, Energy & Intuition - "The Light"
2-The Moon - Soul, Psyche, Feeling & Imagination - "The Night"

3-Ascendant/Nadir/Descendant: Body, Personality, Action & Expression, Appearance
4-Mid-heaven/Descendant/Nadir: The Cross of Matter, Environment, Public, Function

*plus Vertex, Aries Point and Equatorial Ascendant, Key Angles/Cusps

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[1b/2b - North and South Lunar Nodes: Karma, Dharma & Evolution]
[3b/4b - Part(s) of Fortune & Spirit: (Parts of The Moon & Sun respectively): Points of Integration and Coordination (of Sun-Moon-Ascendant) that lead to Good Fortune and Spiritual Upliftment.]
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INDIVIDUAL/PERSONAL LIFE THEMES

5a-Mars - Work - Action - Movement - Self & Physical Body
5b-Venus - Love - Enjoyment - People & Personal Possessions
6a-Mercury - Knowledge - Information & Personal Communications
6b-Venus - Relationship - Friends & Personal Connections

7a-Ceres - Nurturing (Self & Other)
7b-Juno - Intimate Others
7c-Pallas - Communications
7d-Vesta - Personal Growth
8-Chiron - Healing and Spiritual Path

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UNIVERSAL LIFE THEMES

9-Jupiter - Spirit and Blue Sky or Mind - Expansion - FIRE
10-Saturn - Matter and Earth or Body - Limitation - EARTH
11-Uranus - Omniscience - Wisdom - AIR - Ether
12-Neptune - Omnipresence - Love - WATER - Essence
13-Pluto - Omnipotence - Power - WATER & FIRE - Energy

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SOUL JOURNEY - PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

14a-North Lunar Node - Destiny, Evolution, Straightforwardness
14b-South Lunar Node - Origins, Regression, Complacency

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**The other Earth-Centered perspective begins at Birth (and the birth of each moment) with the Ascendant and Moon, yang and yin, outer and inner personality (sense of self) respectively, in response to early environment. Then the Sun actively develops and reveals itself overtime via the Planets, beginning with fastest moving Mercury then Venus (innermost planets that are of it's own thinking/feeling process, often in same sign), then Mars and the Outer Planets (Jupiter out to Pluto) where by the evolutionary experience unfolds for the individual via collective connection, to the world (Mars/Jupiter/Saturn) & the universe (Uranus/Neptune/Pluto) at large...

JDZ

Natal Chart Analysis (Numerological Revision)

2009-11-20T15:12:00.004-05:00

An ongoing assignment, to be added to and revised overtime as necessary...

Paying attention also to the specific numerological placements and order (1-17):

1-Sun in Virgo/2nd House conjunct Jupiter in Virgo/2nd

2-Moon in Scorpio/5th House conjunct Neptune in Scorpio/4th
Sextile Uranus-Venus-Mercury Stellium in Virgo/3rd

3a-Ascendant in Leo w/ Mars Rising (in Leo/1st House), Nadir in Libra, Descendant Aquarius, Vertex Sagittarius.
Chart Ruler: the Sun in Virgo/2nd House conjunct Jupiter (& Rolling Virgo Stellium)

3b-Part of Fortune in Libra/4th House conjunct Nadir (4th House Cusp) opposite Saturn in Aries/10th.

4a-Mid-Heaven in Aries with Saturn (Aries/10th) conjunct and Mars (Leo/1st) Trine,
Mars Ruler of MC is in Leo/1st (which disposits again The Virgo/2nd house Sun.

4b-Part of Spirit in Taurus/10th conjunct Vesta (in same) trine Sun conjunct Jupiter in Virgo/2nd.

5-Mars in Leo/1st House (Rising & in Dignity) trine MC and Vertex

6-Mercury in Virgo/3rd House conjunct Venus/Uranus & Pluto (all in same) sextile Moon conjunct Neptune in Scorpio in 5th.

7-Venus in Virgo/3rd House conjunct Mercury/Uranus & Pluto... same as Mercury (above) in all aspects.

8a-Ceres in Scorpio/4th conjunct Juno sextile Sun
8b-Juno in Scorpio/4th conjunct Ceres sextile Sun
8c-Pallas in Libra/3rd conjunct Nadir
8d-Vesta in Taurus/10th conjunct Part of Spirit, trine Sun

9-Jupiter in Virgo/2nd/3rd Houses conjunct Sun in Virgo/2nd & Pluto in Virgo/3rd & trine Vesta

10-Saturn in Aries/10th House conjunct Midheaven in Aries, in Quincunx & YOD with Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Pluto in Virgo/3rd AND Moon-Neptune in Scorpio/5th

11-Uranus in Virgo/3rd House conjunct Mercury/Venus and Pluto, sextile Moon/Neptune in Scorpio (EXACT SEXTILE w/ MOON in Scorpio)

12-Neptune in Scorpio/4th/5th Houses conjunct Moon, sextile Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Pluto, semi-sextile Part of Fortune in Libra

13a-Pluto in Virgo/3rd House conjunct Mercury-Venus-Uranus and Jupiter, sextile Neptune-Moon in Scorpio

13b-Chiron in Aries/9th House conjunct North Node in Aries/9th (opposite South Node in Libra), opposition (wide) with Mercury-Venus-Uranus in Virgo/3rd

14a-North Node in ARIES/9th House - Conjunct MC & Chiron (at their midpoint)
14b-South Node in LIBRA/3rd House - Conjunct IC & Pallas Athena

15-Elemental Distributions, Planetary Signatures and Rulers, Major Dispositors and Midpoints; a composite summarization of key chart emphases, based on all chart data

16-The Key Configurations - YOD, Grand Trine, Stelliums, T-Squares, etc as MAJOR LIFE THEMES that dictate the core lessons and themes of living.

17-The Natal Chart synthesized and understood in its Entirety

JDZ

Higher-Lower and Equal Planetary Octaves: Personal transcendence & the trans-personal

2009-11-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

Where the Sun and Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, are concerned there are no HIGHER octaves, just equal octaves, because the Sun truly is one with Jupiter and the Moon (via Earth) is one with Saturn... though the latter pair clearly indicate a duality, the Moon is private and personal, Saturn more public and impersonal (or less personal than the Moon).

Where the Sun represents Creator (the Circle), and individuals are as Co-Creators (the Dot at Center), Jupiter is the Creation... where the Sun represents pure being and vitality Jupiter is the outwardly expressed form, feeling and imagery that completes it. Where the Moon represents the need for emotional security Saturn is the harsh reality of this inherent insecurity and the way to having more stability (functionality) in one's personal existence.

The rest is as follows:

Mars and Pluto - the Individual and Universal Will, respectively. Keeping the fundamentally important Martial qualities (as with all "lower octaves") intact there is a necessity where Pluto is concerned to transcend all purely personal and selfish motivations/desires and uplift one's central intention for positive action.

Venus and Neptune - Personal and Universal Love, respectively... both are Divine though the vast ocean of Neptune is macrocosm to the personal love of Venus experienced by a lovely local seashore. Neptune is the transcendence of all emotional-personal-material attachments, it is love without any expectation of love in return, and compassion for all beings at the soul level.

Mercury and Uranus - Individual/Personal and Universal/Cosmic Intelligence... Mercury as an individual expression/vibration of Uranus operates at the level of beginner's mind with a flame of inquiry, the desire to know... then the "unlearning process" of Uranus makes us universally aware of the limits of knowledge (as nothing more than signposts pointing to the Truth or reality...) and awakens us to INTUITION, the intelligence that is a bridge to the unknown, beyond what the thinking mind could ever comprehend. The transcendence of identification with all personal-intellectual-emotional thought processes.

JDZ

The Sun

2009-11-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

By Dana Gerhart

You know those little Sun sign scrolls sold in vending machines and grocery stores? Years ago I met the founder of one such company. I'll never forget his enthusiasm. "Where else," he beamed, "can you buy a publication that's entirely about you?" Every line on every page is your story!" We can forgive his overestimating the depth and accuracy of supermarket horoscopes; nonetheless, he put his finger on astrology's fundamental appeal. It promotes a pleasant narcissistic fiction. It makes the grand movement of the solar system all about us. It makes each of us a star.

We're mad for stars. Our obsession with celebrity culture reflects a deep and universal longing: everyone wants to be someone. We want to be more than nature's anonymous display, blooming and fading by the side of the road. Everyone burns (or desires to burn) with a unique and special purpose. We're on a journey-a hero's journey! And happily, Sun sign astrology understands our heroic mission. It democratically upgrades the ancient solar myth: where once astrology was exclusively for kings, now everyone can have a horoscope.

Yet something is amiss in the kingdom. Even as horoscope columns affirm our ambitions and celebrate our radiance, cheering us on our way, there's something awkward in their tone. Sun sign astrologers often mince and prance like servants who must repeatedly assure the king. "Yes, you will have a wonderful day! You'll win your true love, collect plenty of gold, enjoy excellent health, and find victory in battle!" Are such platitudes really the stuff for heroes? For little Suns? Can we imagine the bright center of our solar system quivering as it consults the papers for news of the day's influences?"("What are Mars and Pluto doing to me today?") Maybe this is why some people feel compelled to bolster their spirits with astrological insignias on necklaces and coffee mugs, banding together with other Suns to proclaim "Aries/Taurus/Gemini/etc. rules!"

All this would have had ancient astrologers scratching their heads. For it wasn't until the last hundred years that Sun signs became so popular. Sun sign astrology was invented-by a Sun-ruled Leo, of course. Born in August 1860, William Frederick Allan, who later renamed himself Alan Leo, is considered one of the first modern astrologers. Leo strengthened the notion of character as destiny, steering horoscopes away from predictable fates into psychological profiles laced with spiritual themes. But as a businessman, he was particularly astute. With offices in London, Paris, and New York, and a staff of nearly a dozen people, he produced thousands of horoscopes every year. Like any smart CEO manufacturing a product, he recognized the need to simplify his production line. He trimmed the birth chart to just one factor: the Sun sign. With this master stroke, he created a way to divide people into simple zodiac clusters. Everyone knows their birth date. Without any knowledge of astrology's true complexity, people could easily fit themselves into one of twelve astro-groups. And that's how Sun sign columns were born.

Sun sign astrology is a profitable but ultimately flawed business. Much like fast food, it adds weight without real nourishment, increasing one's craving more than giving true satisfaction. People now wonder endlessly about their identities. Having lost an appreciation for their journey's mystery, they instead keep acquiring more mass. ("On the Enneagram I'm '4,' in Vedic astrology I'm actually a Cancer, in the Chinese system I'm a Rat, and my personal destiny number is a.") Astrologers get calls from people who have jobs, families, mortgages, and driver licenses-yet are hoping the chart can tell them who they are. Our culture is as off-center as the celebrities we like to see crash and burn on our tabloid news.

Losing center is an ironic twist on the Sun's traditional meaning-which is apparent in the glyph itself. The Sun is depicted as a circle with a dot in the middle. A unity with a center as its focal point. There are possibly a trillion galaxies in the universe, each with a hundred billion Suns. Our universe is designed for many centers. Yet we lose this revelation when we worry over much about our personal identities. Our natural radiance dims when we solidify ourselves into conditioned objects, beginning our sentences with "I'm the kind of person who." Pinned by the gravity of taking ourselves too seriously, like a star gone supernova and become a black hole, being at center yields to merely being self-centered.

Alan Leo would be mortified. So to correct our Sun sign narcissism, I propose something even simpler than Leo's master stroke. Instead of reading daily horoscopes, people could start each day by reading their hearts, for the heart offers the most vivid experience of the centering Sun. Try this right now. Simply tune into your beating heart. Stay with the sensation for a few minutes. Feel the life force pulsing through you. Notice how your attention makes the heart grow warmer. After awhile you may feel a pleasant glow. Now shift your thoughts to those activities or people who energize and inspire you. Notice how enthusiasm fires up your radiance. When you come from your heart, you light up. Others are energized by your presence. Just as the Sun is the source of all creative events on Earth, so your creativity can inspire others to express their light-like a flame that is not diminished but builds each time it's passed along. This will be true whatever your Sun sign-Leo, Scorpio, or anything in between.

Returning to Sun Worship

In the center of the Aztec calendar is the Sun god Tonatiuh, "He Who Goes Forth Shining." The Aztecs understood that all good things come from the Sun, but Tonatiuh was no Santa Claus. He had a long and menacing tongue ready to lap up the human blood he required in exchange for his life-granting gifts. Aztec priests routinely sacrificed human hearts to keep the Sun god strong, thus ensuring the survival of their people. Without their blood sacrifice, Aztecs feared the Sun would stop in its tracks and time would stand still. The world would either plunge into perpetual darkness or burn to a cinder.

Of course we know the Sun doesn't revolve around us. Sunrises and sunsets appear as Earth rotates on its axis. Earth circles the Sun and that defines our year. The laws of physics will keep the whole show going, until a few billion years from now when the Sun goes supernova. In the meantime, technology has freed us from worrying about Sun gods. For heat and light we've got electricity, light bulbs, and central heating-that's our immediate experience, that's what our children learn. If it's too cold, turn up the heat. If it's too dark, turn on a light.

So in a way, the Sun has disappeared from our lives, which is exactly what the Aztecs feared. And what's happened? Our sense of time has gone haywire. Life has sped up. Exhausted people with too much to do and not enough time are everywhere. Along with bi-polar disorder, ADD, autism, insomnia and penile dysfunction, two great maladies of our culture are depression and burn-out. Depression is a sign we've lost our fire, our inner Sun no longer rising with the day. Burn-out means there's too much fire, a constant inner Sun frying our circuits. Even though the sky above is hunkey dorey, physically, psychologically, and spiritually, we below are not. Is it because we no longer worship the Sun? Might Tonatiuh be angry? If so, how can we come back to center? Maybe we should propitiate the solar god again.

Blood sacrifice just won't do. Among the Aztecs, blood was the proper currency of exchange between gods and men. Gods gave their blood to create the world and humans were honored to return the favor. Human sacrifice wasn't barbaric; it was a gesture of divine reciprocity. In our culture a more appropriate currency might be light. Light is a metaphor for consciousness. The Sun lights our world and we can return the favor by bringing our consciousness back to the Sun. We can hold the Sun in reverent awareness. Happily, astrology gives us two exquisite means for doing just that.

Get out a copy of your birth chart. More than personality and purpose, the Sun indicates time, and this is embedded in your chart's design. That outer circle with all twelve signs? It represents a year, the time it takes for Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun, or for the Sun to rise through all twelve constellations. The transiting Sun takes one year to circuit all twelve houses of your chart, metaphorically lighting up each one for about a month. Now look at the cross in the center of your horoscope, indicating the four angles of the chart. These angles were originally devised by the Egyptians, who like the Aztecs, worshipped the Sun. They patterned the angles after the Sun's daily round.

The Ascendant carries the feel and meaning of sunrise; planets transiting this point bring new beginnings. The Midheaven evokes the Sun at noon, high in the sky at maximum glory; the MC indicates where people likewise shine in public strength. The Descendent evokes the setting sun, when the day's work is done; marking the house of partnership, it indicates where we surrender ourselves to another. The IC is the midnight point, when we are deep in sleep and the Sun is also resting from our world. It represents the private foundations of our life-our family, our home, our essential self.

Through houses and angles, birth charts offer a personalized imprint of the Sun's dual signatures, the year and the day. Though rarely discussed as such by astrologers, these two horoscope templates suggest a simple yet elegant way to carry the Sun's centering influence into our lives.

Saturn conjunction Uranus: Fundamental changes

2009-10-18T18:36:00.002-04:00

Saturn conjunction Uranus: Fundamental changes

Beginning of October 2009 until beginning of July 2010: This is an extremely powerful influence, for it represents powerful internal forces for change colliding with powerful resistance from the external world. You are trying to escape the routine, dull and ordinary aspects of your life. You try to find new things that will make your life more exciting and stimulating. But with every effort of this kind, circumstances, duties and obligations seem to hold you back and keep you stuck in an oppressive situation.

You may get to a point where the pressure is unbearable, and then you will make a sudden break for freedom. You may suddenly leave a relationship, an oppressive job or your place of residence, without warning anyone.

On the other hand, it may be possible to create a balance that enables you to sustain a great deal of tension over a long period of time and accomplish a great many changes in a highly structured way. Tasks of considerable difficulty are often accomplished under this influence, and people make Herculean efforts that would otherwise be impossible for them. Serious study and long-range projects requiring great concentration and effort can be undertaken.

Even though this may seem more productive, it really depends upon your situation. Very often a sudden break with what feels like an oppressive situation will clear the air and allow you to make a new and better beginning. On the other hand, it can cost you more than you are willing to pay. But the patient, hard-working manifestation of this energy may create severe mental and physical tensions, even to the point of physical illness. You have to decide what you can handle realistically and determine for yourself the proper course of action. At this time in your life you must make changes at the most fundamental levels. If you do not, in approximately fourteen years the consequences of not making these changes will become very obvious, and you will be confronted with the same issues again under more difficult circumstances.

Insights - Astrological-Personal-Universal

2009-10-08T15:44:00.000-04:00

Astrological references to Ken Wilbur synthetic reference of Causal, Astral and Physical Bodies... those *embodying* the five sheaths of maya or illusion (original ignorance).

Causal Body & Bliss Sheath - "ALL of US" - The Sun (universal energy, heat & light)

Astral Body & Intellectual/Mental-Emotional/Energy Sheaths - "US" or "YOU and I" - The Moon (human intelligence, thought/feeling and vital energies, subjectively and personally experienced via interpersonal relations)

Physical Body & Physical Food Sheath - "I ME & MINE" - The Ascendant (and most especially Houses 1-4). All that incarnates in form and is nourished by food, by the Earth itself, which most distinctively of all gives the masked appearance of being separate (my self and my reality, Ascendant/Horizon and Mid-Heaven/Meridian respectively), My World and World-View as coming from a unique most individual (separate) perspective.

While the Moon and Astral Body represent a "living past" which IS the present (here and now) experience, and ever changing reality, The Ascendant and Sun are together that NOW reality, of clarity, consciousness, choice and freewill, forever marching toward a projected living future *in the present*.

The Moon, as Earth's satellite (its subjective/soul existence) magnetizes and directly connects to the opposite polarities (the shadow side) of Sun and Ascendant (and Mid-Heaven)... meaning the opposite angles, the Descendant and Nadir, are primary indicators of the past shadow (or trail) that the Ascending Sign or Rising Sun leaves behind when continuing along its immediate worldly path of active manifestation, which is then projected upon others in interpersonal relationship(s).

Likewise the sign 180 degrees (opposite) the Sun is a key indicator of one's Solar past from the unique perspective of the Sun Sign. Where the Sun develops overtime along its soul path and purpose the Moon takes on and is modified by the past or shadow/polarity of the Sun Sign. While the Solar perspective remains forever future-oriented, a vital presence connected to a source, to the eternal (unchanging) present moment.... It leaves a shadow of past experience, of personal karmic baggage, behind which is at the root of self-undoing and gives purpose via contrast to the Sun and its Higher Purpose.

To be continued...

JDZ

The Moon

2009-09-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

by Dana Gerhardt

I've always been drawn to the Moon. As a beginning astrologer, I found Moon signs, aspects, and house positions far more compelling than those for any other planet. The Moon tells the juiciest stories. Our Moon remembers when we cried out in our diapers, wanting nurture, the warmth of touch, a breast or bottle of milk. It remembers what happened next, whether our needs were met and we learned our world was generous and cheerful or stingy and impatient. Aspects to the Moon describe our interpretation of mother's mothering, whether we experienced her as comforting and supportive or smothering and resentful.

The Moon was also there when we first stamped our feet and tossed our head in that special way we have. Surprised parents looked and asked if we thought we were the Queen of Sheba. Well yes, weren't we the Queen of Sheba? For the Moon's memory stretches even further back, into other lifetimes, when we picked up certain gestures, habits and expectations no one else in our family seems to have. The Moon represents a deep imprinting, physical and emotional, harboring mysteries a team of psychologists could not itemize or explain. Its reactions are instinctive and spontaneous. Its boundaries are porous, its core so sensitive, even in our elder years it can receive a cruel remark with the unprotected vulnerability of a child. The Moon remembers everything and wants only our happiness. It's the first to raise a fuss if our needs aren't getting met.

When I began talking with people about their charts, I naturally went for the Moon, asking about their childhoods, prying into old angers and recent wounds, collecting gestures, tones of voice, and other psychological clues. "Of course," my teacher said one day, "in a reading you don't immediately start talking about someone's Moon." The pained expressions of a few first clients came back to me and made new sense. Oh! The Moon is not an astrologer's dart board.

As my practice grew, I discovered not all astrologers had learned this lesson. Amy was nervous about her first session with me. Her last reading was with a prominent astrologer who'd said that with Uranus conjunct Amy's Moon, her mother hadn't wanted her, and she was destined to repeat this rejection until she dealt with her past. Amy, whose boyfriend had just broken up with her, left that reading shaken and in tears. Amy's mother may have been stressed and less than comforting when Amy was born. But over the long stretch of their relationship, the two were close companions, supporting each other's independence, and sharing many sweet and quirky Uranian traits.

Most astrology books say that anyone with a Moon-Pluto aspect must have had a horrific mother. And yet a number of my Moon-Pluto clients have complained, "Every astrologer I've seen wants to talk about my terrible mother. But frankly, my mother wasn't that bad. I love her and I don't feel traumatized." What I've learned from these and other clients is that the Moon's expression is complex. Reduce it to a simple psychological formula at your peril. It is true that over time, a few of these Moon-Pluto clients would stumble into a tear-provoking memory of helplessness under their mother's power. And while the memory released an integral piece of their own psychology, reflecting a buried need to defend against intimacy, it did not negate the rich and often supportive connections they experienced with their mom. Sometimes these lunar breakthroughs went the other way, as with my Scorpio Moon client who always felt her mother resented her, until she discovered how tenaciously her mother fought to save her life during an early childhood illness.

As a novice I thought I knew everything by knowing someone's Moon. But over time my understanding of this placement has become more like the Moon herself: It waxes and wanes. Sometimes the Moon is a potent, luminous presence. Other times, she's a cold glyph staring back from the chart with no depth or poetry. With some clients, the Moon can dominate an entire session. With others, or with the same client at another time, the Moon won't even appear. For years I've had a reputation as a Moon expert, but periodically I have to keep asking: What do I really know when I see someone's Moon? What do I know when I see my own?
The Living Moon

Vedic astrology invites us to think of the planets and luminaries as sacred living entities--as goddesses and gods. Even though I hang out with a circle of women who like to call the Moon a "goddess," I don't come to this language easily. I've never believed the orbs above hold deities like smiling marshmallow centers. I can believe in powers greater than myself. And while they may not sit at vast control boards within the planets, orchestrating all fates below, perhaps they do speak through the planets. What orbits above or appears on charts below may be like the holy statues in shrines at Hindu temples-visible messengers of a living deity. I am most intrigued by this adjective "living." It suggests to me that when I'm puzzling about the Moon, instead of opening an astrology book or consulting the night's Moon phase, I can also look for the Moon in my very own life, in my body, emotions, and moods.

I learned volumes about the Moon when I got pregnant. Surely it was the Moon who overtook my body, filling it out like a ripe fruit, nurturing the new and fluttering heartbeat inside. I knew nothing about having a baby! I read books, I watched my diet, but mostly I stood aside and watched this mystery unfold through some agency greater than myself. Once my son was born, surely it was the Moon who taught me the exquisite relief of having someone else to worry about. Overnight, self-centeredness, the constant burden of pushing forward "important" projects and shuttling from one entertainment to the next, dissolved. From the Moon, I learned the incomparable pleasure of reflecting another being's light.

But there came a time when I didn't want to be a mother anymore. I got tired of pleading with Branden to brush his teeth, wipe his nose with Kleenex, and stop tormenting the dog. I didn't want to watch "Lamb Chop" in the morning and "Barney" at night, or play with tow trucks and fire engines on the living room floor. I cringed at the sound of his sweet three-year-old voice, "Mom, will you play with me now?" I wanted to be attentive to his needs, validate his feelings, set boundaries, open possibilities, do everything the psychology books said I should, but periodically I ran dry. I lost patience and became the wicked witch.

I can see my struggle depicted in my son's birth chart. He has a Moon/Jupiter conjunction, opposite Venus, squared by Mars. I have guilty memories of enacting that Mars square. One morning in particular I had waged a long battle trying to get Branden to brush his teeth, wash his face, sit on the potty, so I could get him dressed and packed for day care. He inched so slowly down the stairs. "Let's go honey, Mommy's late for work." And then he just stood there, surveying the day. More nagging from me and a few paces further, he stopped at the flower bed and asked me (as he often did) if he could pick flowers for his day care mommy. I said we were too late today; he stamped his feet and let out a cry shrill as an ambulance siren, and I lost it. Screaming unkind words, I stalked back, grabbed a fistful of flowers and threw them at his feet.

I'm often asked by anxious moms what squares or oppositions to their child's Moon mean. "Don't worry," I want to say, "You'll find out. Watch what you do when you're hungry, hurried, angry, lonely or tired." A Moon/Jupiter/Venus/Mars t-square? There I was, Branden's impatient, adventurous, indulgent and angry mom, in a scene far worse than any from my own childhood that I've complained to a therapist about.

Enter my Moon. It's in the 12th house, square Saturn. A guilty Moon. I'm supposed to take care of others' needs, especially my son's. Or, in the more psychologically correct version: I'm supposed to take care of my needs first so that I'm always strong enough to take care of others' needs, especially my son's. But in the 12th house, I trance out of touch with my feelings. Like abandoned rabid dogs, they lunge, snarling and biting at anyone near. This begins my Moon/Saturn mantra: "I am not good enough, I am not good enough." A 12th house Moon is a caretaking Moon; it is a hungry, victim Moon. It colludes with my 11th house Cancer South Node and says: Serve others before you serve yourself, then break down like a child.

Enter Branden's lunar nodes. His 1st house North Node points towards developing self reliance and independence, while his 7th house South Node clings, at times draining vital energy from the others he can't be without. Rebalancing self and other is his soul's mission. He's got a lifetime to work on it. So of course I knew it was not his most important project as a toddler. But many times I ventured, "Branden, can you play with your stuffed bears tonight instead?" "They are not people," his 7th house South Node would cry.

Round and round I went, until one morning, the image of the Moon, its reflective light, parceled in phases, from dark to full to dark again came as a message. The Moon receives and holds the light of the Sun, as a mother receives and contains the world of the child. But the Moon goes through phases and so do moms: We can't receive all the time! What the psychologists omit, or pay thin lip service to, the Moon remembers, the Moon enacts. When the Moon is fully illuminated, it demonstrates the height of our reflective powers-our capacity to listen and intuit another's moods and needs. Nights when the Moon is dark teach the necessity of pulling back and shutting down. The inner Moon must likewise make her parched return to the well, shaking off the light of her life's many Suns. Neglect these cycles, however, and the inner Moon will take her revenge.

That's how it is with living gods. They fight, they play, they cheat, they lie, they love, they hate; in short, they live. A key difference between polytheism, the "many living gods" concept, and our more familiar western monotheism, which gives us one supreme Father, is that when there are many gods, the deities get to have both good and bad qualities. Check out the myths of any indigenous people and you'll find their gods have and do it all. But when there's just one God, he's not allowed any darkness or evil. What's bad is cast out, like that devil Lucifer, fallen from the bosom of our one Christian God. As above so below: When we don't allow our gods any fallibility, we likewise won't admit it in ourselves.

This expectation of perfection runs deeps, and it profoundly shapes our thinking. It gives us internal pictures of perfect Moon mothers, "on" all the time. With each new child-developmental theory, a mother acquires new expectations of perfection, now nurturing this, refraining from that, as though there were nothing else in her life to worry about. Perhaps this is the real source of mother rage, and why our fairy tales are filled with so many wicked stepmothers and so few smiling real ones. Of course I believed that mom was responsible for all my problems until I became a mother. Now I wonder: Where is the psychological theory that instructs mothers to listen to their inner Moons? I once heard Anne Wilson Schaef describe an aboriginal tribe that approached its mothering in a more polytheistic spirit. Each child had many mothers; all the women in the tribe shared the nurturing role. That meant any mother was free, in fact encouraged, to go on a "walkabout" when the spirits spoke and told her to withdraw and be alone.

We're a solar people. The notion that we can or should be present all the time is a particularly solar one, for the Sun is always full and shining. We bring this expectation to work and into all our relationships, especially our loves. Here too our disavowed Moons may seek revenge. When I'm in relationship with another, my emotional nature is reflective, reactive, and changing. Yet it can't be said too often: One cannot receive all the time. Even if I secretly know this about me, I will consistently forget it about you. And forgetting this means falling into the perfect mother archetype. If I'm angry because my partner isn't meeting my needs, I'm demanding my perfect mother, and my inner Moon has transformed me into a dependent child. This is one of the lessons of John Gray's milestone book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Intimate relationships are subject to emotional cycles, Gray teaches. Men retreat emotionally to renew themselves, women rise and fall in a cycle of emotional highs and lows. Acknowledging this is how we can receive and nurture ourselves-and steer clear of the perfect mother trap. The only thing Gray got wrong is that these cycles aren't rhythms of Venus or Mars. It's what happens when two Moons are involved.

In a solar return, horary, or event chart, we read the Moon's house as an area of changeability. But how do we honor this changeability in a natal chart? What really do I know when I see your Moon? What do I know when I see my own? I should know that you and I are fluid and changeable, reflecting, reacting, and withdrawing, cycling from dark to full to dark again. This is deeply meaningful information, a profound clue to the swing and dance of life. It's why Lord Siva, the Hindu god of destruction and creation, honors the Moon by wearing the lunar crescent on his crown. The Moon teaches that we exist in relationship-to ourselves as well as others-by gaining consciousness and losing it, by cycling in and out of light. This is true for men and women. Everyone has a Moon! But when I was the mother of a toddler, I searched in vain for the psychological theory that would help me teach this cycle of intimacy to my son, how to pull away and return, so he could learn this was natural and desirable, so that twenty years hence, he wouldn't lose the thread to his own emotions and shut down, or periodically hate the woman he loves, because he was first so disappointed in his mom.
When Moon Meets Moon

Astrologers presume that when two people have compatible Moons, or flowing aspects between one's Moon and another's planets, this will be a comfortable relationship, with plenty of shared sympathies and intuitive understanding. The Moon describes what we want from family life and the way we like to be at home. Venus and Mars hold the passion in a relationship. But for day-to-day compatibility-whether we like to hang up our clothes or leave them in scattered piles on the floor-this is the province of the Moon. When Moons are compatible, people say things like "I've always felt so at home with Bob" or "The minute I met Janine, it's like we'd known each other forever."

If only the relationship stayed that way! The longer we're together, the more time we have to discover each Moon's secret hallways and trapdoors, so that what once was familiar and attractive can become irritating and strange. I've had three relationships with men whose charts had a common lunar signature. One had a Virgo Moon, the others 6th house Moons. I have a Virgo Ascendant; the attraction is understandable. A man will often seek a woman to embody the traits of his inner Moon. My men initially loved the way I did Virgo, smart and organized, health-conscious, analytical, and self-possessed. What a miracle it was to realize we agreed on everything. We were so alike! But in each relationship, it wasn't long before I found myself being accused of bad behavior. They said I was judgmental, picky, and unsupportive, all shadow Virgo traits. In my twenties, with my first husband, this was probably a fair complaint. I was only my Ascendant then. During the ten years of my next relationship, with the help of a mountain of books and a couple of therapists, I worked earnestly to whittle this mask away. I learned that men didn't like to be criticized (Oh!). I developed new tolerance and patience. I dialed up the fun of my Leo Moon and reveled in the adventurousness of my Sagittarius Sun. When I entered the next relationship I was thrilled to finally be a different woman. But four months into our love affair, on one dark and very long night, I heard those familiar words: "I think you're judgmental, critical and negating." I was floored.

A friend of mine has a saying: "If ten men say you're drunk, lay down." Perhaps, despite the prior ten years of inner and outer work, I was still nothing more than my critical Virgo Ascendant. But strangely, each time this accusation was hurled, I felt that my critical, judgmental lover was negating me! So who was doing the Virgo really? And why did I keep attracting men with this sensitivity? Was it my own 12th house Moon, opposite the 6th, inviting me to play a familiar role as victim, reciting its treasured "Why do they all crucify me" script? When Moon meets Moon, it's like walking in a house of mirrors!

What really happens when one Moon shines into the dark emotional waters of another? When I look at you, do I see your Moon or mine? When one reflection meets another, we get an optical illusion called "projection." What I see in you may actually be something I don't see in myself. This ambiguity is threaded into our astrological symbolism. A man's Moon, for example, is said to describe his emotions, as well as his mother and his wife. Not being a man, I'm ill-equipped to fully sort this out, but even a woman's Moon has a dual role, describing both her feelings and her mother. Most days I feel as unlike my mother as an orange to a tomato, so how can my Moon be both of us? And why is my Moon different from my sister's, when the same woman was our mother?

I have a Leo Moon and I tend to describe my mom in Leo terms. I see her as an artist, an actress, a narcissist, a child. With my Moon in the 12th house of spirits, I acknowledge my mother as the one who taught me about fairies and magic and all things spiritual-as well as victim scripts and blurred emotional boundaries. My sister has a Capricorn Moon. She describes my mother in Capricorn terms, as a dictator and career woman, ambitious, withholding, and cold. My sister's Moon is in the 3rd house of communication. She considers my mother overly talkative, full of ideas and promises, but ultimately unstable. Each of out charts reflects a different aspect of my mother's chart. My 12th house Moon reflects my mother's Moon sign, Pisces. My sister's Capricorn Moon reflects my mother's Capricorn Ascendant.

New age philosophers like to say we choose our parents. Maybe there was a trip to a giant shopping mall in the upper worlds (about which we might wonder, "What were we thinking?!"). A more pragmatic explanation may be point of view. When we look at our parents, we select the details that corroborate our expectations; the rest we minimize. So we "choose" our parents through our planetary filters; in essence, we create them by what we choose to believe about them. My mother suffered from post-partum depression when my sister was born, which is consistent with the Capricorn tone of my sister's Moon. But my mother complains that as a baby, my sister was cold and distant, never smiled at her, and never seemed to like her since the day she was born. Each claims only to have reacted to the other's first move. I, on the other hand, with my more expressive Leo Moon, was a warmer, more loving child, or so my mother claims. And unlike my sister, I can remember my mother often being encouraging and creative. Was her Moon reflected in my waters, or mine in hers?

The Moon is memory, container of our past. But it is also porous, reactive and changeable. After my last Virgo Moon man, I entered a relationship with a 10th house Aquarius Moon (opposite my Leo). What a relief! No longer was I "judgmental" and "picky." After the gauzy veil of romance wore thin, we were trading insults like "You're such a narcissist" and "You're always working. You never have time for me." It took a few years for our respective Moons to throw tantrums and negotiate the territory, but now each is quite at home with the other, and not at all the same Moon as was with our prior partners.

If the Moon describes our habitual and changing emotional life, plus the traits of our mothers and partners, there can be no astrology text capable of summing it all. That is why, when practicing astrology, before saying much about someone's Moon, you should wait for the Moon to rise in the reading of its own accord. In fact, you should make your deepest study of your own Moon, so you can keep its neediness and projections out of the way. Then your Moon can do what it does best: listen, reflect, intuit and nourish the radiant Sun in front of you.

Seeing + Feeling + Doing = Intuition = Self-Integration

2009-09-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

Jungian astrological terms for the four angles of the cross of matter, in the natural horoscope, are Intuition for the Ascendant, Feeling for the Nadir, Sensation for the Descendant and Thinking for the Mid-Heaven. On this note, I seek to understand where I am aligned naturally in myself, at the very beginning, at the Ascendant or Rising Sun, the horizon of conscious being where my only true reference point of existence is.

Sensations and thoughts, emotional thinking, and all the content of the mind is ultimately secondary, they are effects not causes. Intuition, the true center of all "positive thinking" and visualization as we understand these, is the deepest experience of SEEING (The Sun) FEELING (The Earth/Moon) and DOING (Earth/Ascendant), where the doing arises out of deep feeling and clear seeing, the source (sun) and ground (earth) spring (moon) of being.

In speaking of action, the fundamental intuitive aligning factor is already in place... and from here the next important is to LIVE IT which means "just do it!" and not to think about it more, over calculate, keep score, worry how I am doing, and all that psychological nonsense... the nonsense and useless thinking which gets stored at the dark or shadow side (and south node) of the Moon and personal planets like Mercury and Venus.

The goal is cut clear to INTUITION, the central aligning, seeing/feeling factor, where visualizing is acting and ideals made manifest through the Individual, the ONE channel through which the universal and personal are integrative and co-creative.

JDZ

Full Moon Pisces

2009-09-07T17:09:00.001-04:00

*This is the real deal right here, forwarded to me by a friend today, very true to my own experience of this Full Moon period...

Full Moon in Pisces today 9/4!

Dearest Friends

As of this morning, Friday September 4 at 9:03 AM PDT (CA time), we have
been blessed with a beautiful Full Moon in Pisces (chart in attachment).

Compassion, art, creativity, mysticism, meditation, healing, channeling
and dreaming... are all favored this coming month (until the next Full
Moon in Aries on October 3). As we naturally experience oneness with the
entirety of life and become acutely aware of our multi-dimensionality, we
are able to access higher realms of consciousness effortlessly.

This Moon asks us to balance our dreams with our reality. This is a time
to come into alignment with what our hearts dictate, no matter how crazy
this may seem to those around us. If we have been staying in a job, a
location or a relationship just out of a false sense of safety -or worse,
fear of change!- now is the time to fine tune our life circumstances with
our true purpose. It is important that our souls soar freely. When we
follow our intuition and take a leap of faith, we shall be amazed to
realize that the universe supports us energetically, financially and
emotionally in the most magical of ways.

This is a time to tap into our inner resources, brain storm with ourselves
and like-spirited others, come up with new ideas for our businesses, our
relationships, the places where we live and how we live. This is a time to
go deeply into our thoughts and the ways we communicate. We are likely to
find ourselves separating from -or avoiding- fear based, manipulative,
egotistical individuals (they may also be serving a bigger plan by
rejecting us!!!). Anger or turning away is sometimes the most appropriate
response in the face of what threatens our integrity. We spontaneously
X-ray situations and people. This enables us to detect the lies and
realize that not all is what it seems. Intense discrimination is called
for at this time!

We are regenerating at a cellular level which also means that we should be
paying close attention to our diet. It is recommended to eat the way
Nature intended us to: fresh, raw, organic fruit, vegetables and sprouts,
making sure we drink plenty of pure, energetic water, breathe deeply,
exercise in harmony with our bodies (yoga, swimming, walking...) and sleep
enough in an electronic-free, quiet bedroom. Our night visions should be
particularly significant during this month as we literally dream our
reality into being.

Now is the time to free ourselves from whatever has been blocking the flow
of our higher self. If we ask for divine guidance with a pure heart,
spontaneous healing can occur, the fulfillment of our highest purpose can
take place and turmoil can be replaced by peace.

We are truly entering a month where the separation between what was and
what is becoming is more and more visible. The gap between those who give
faith to the collective subconscious promoting fear, scarcity and lack,
and those who are becoming true masters of their own destinies by giving
power to their divine self to create financial abundance, happiness and
love, is deepening.

The question this Full Moon asks of all us is: what reality are we
choosing for ourselves?

In Loving Light.

M.

Michelle Karén M.A., D.F.Astrol.S.

www.MichelleKaren.com

Astrologer, author of

Astrology For Enlightenment

Atria books, Simon and Schuster

Sun/Moon/Rising + Planets/Angles & Lunar Nodes - As Cause(s) & Effect(s)

2009-08-20T14:28:00.000-04:00

Sun is the Cause - Moon is the Inner Effect(s) - Rising/Ascendant is Outer Effect(s)

Moon is the Inner Cause behind the Rising/Ascendant Outer Effect, though in itself is an immediate inner effect of the cause which always is The Sun

Ascendant is the Causal Factor behind all outward Manifestation and its Effects... the inner being stored at the Nadir or I.C. and the outer world at the M.C. or Mid-Heaven, marking the upper (MC and Houses 7-12) and lower hemispheres (IC and Houses 1-6).

Descendant makes the horizon and horizontal perspective where the lower and upper, inner and outer, meet in the present moment, here and now. The Ascendant (or Self) interacting with The Descendant (or Other) in the dance of life, fleeting and transitory yet rooted in Eternity (The Sun).

The Planets indicate this entire interaction and how it develops/unfolds in the evolution of an individual human persona (inner planets) as well as collectively in society (Jupiter-Saturn) and universally for all Humankind (Uranus-Neptune-Pluto).

The Nodes are the ultimate effects or karmic consequences of our causal actions and activity that inevitably breed effects:

Suffice to say, good Karma leads one to the insight, wisdom and inspiration of the forward flow (North Node) willing to embrace the unknown and take the high road... where taking a path of strong resistance leads one to a state of least resistance in the process of one's spiritual/human journey.

Negative Karma is clinging to old ways and habits, where one relies on the path of least resistance (i.e. the "comfort zone") and in doing so is inwardly creating more inner resistance to change, growth and living in the present, free of the past.

**More to come at a later time... to see further elaboration on this topic (overtime) visit http://cosmicexploration.blogspot.com

JDZ

Jupiter & North Node meets Saturn & South Node

2009-07-27T18:26:00.000-04:00

North Node equals Jupiter plus Uranus, Neptune & Pluto (Solar)
South Node equals Saturn plus Mercury, Venus & Mars (Lunar)

Saturn (and South Node) represents the embodiment of collective humanity, insofar as that collective is physically incarnate... it is the collective yet individual karma one brings when confronting the Outer Planets (North Node) beyond it... it lays the ground or foundation for spiritual/trans-personal life by introducing personal karmas, shadows, and all that is to be healed (via Chiron) so that Divine Light at Jupiter may keep shining, ever brilliant and expansive...

Jupiter (and North Node) represents the individualized/personal experience/activity of the cosmic collective, insofar as this cosmic vibration manifests as individual character or a Higher Self awareness. In this instance South Node energies (personal planets) are raised to the higher octave vibrations of the outer planets. Mercury takes on qualities of Uranus, Venus becomes Neptune and Mars transforms into Pluto.

Saturn and the South Node keep one anchored and grounded, not overstepping one's bounds, for they represent the centripetal force of gravity and the necessity of confronting personal karma for the purpose of healing and letting go. At best, their constricted influence knows the limits of externally expanding and by confronting shadows or demons this returns the individual his/her true nature as it already is.

Jupiter and North Node expand the individual self to multidimensional levels of being and becoming... the forward moving flow and centrifugal force that takes the individual to higher conscious outermost planet experiences beyond the confines of Saturn, beyond the individual ego and its limited perspective. It teaches us, in working well with Saturn, that the individual is essentially one with the Infinite.

The outer planets (collective) need an material counterpart for the purpose of contrast and grounding and this planet is Saturn. The inner planets (individual) need a spiritual counterpart for the same purpose and this planet is Jupiter. By default, Jupiter is essentially one with the Sun and opposite the Moon, while Saturn is essentially one with Earth/Moon and opposite the Sun.

JDZ

Twelve Houses of Life - One thru Seven - The Present Moment

2009-07-19T10:08:00.000-04:00

House 1 - All matters pertaining to my physical body, personal self, physical exercise and other personal practices. How am I caring for and keeping the vehicle in good condition.

House 2 - All matters pertaining to finance, earning, spending, budgeting, planning, and overall managing of resources; also any activities involving the management of personal possessions.

House 3 - The ways in which I reach out to others, via phone, internet/email, personal and business, leisurely and work related correspondences, general communications, reading and writing.

House 4 - All immediate domestic matters of house and home, personal time for chores and errands, all household tasks and matters at hand; also, rest and relaxation, downtime, reflection and inward contemplation, self nurturing, family obligations

House 5 - Life as a creative process, the joy of being and becoming (simultaneously), meaningful creations and recreation, children, romantic affairs, artistic pursuits, all that is joyful, that we choose to do with personal time

House 6 - What I am obligated to do, private and public duties/responsibilities, a system for completing all tasks at home and on the job, for living a functional self supporting existence by taking full responsibility for the implementation; also, physical and mental health programs to keep the 1st House of self functioning optimally, regular exercise, nutrition, good hygiene.

House 7 - Social engagements, activities (committed or otherwise) with others (or any intimate other); the ties that are formed from the experiences in Houses 1-6, like-minded friends and close partnerships, having a social agenda as an addition to the practical agendas of House 6.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houses 8-12 I refer to as collective/universal themes that indicate an individual's growth and prosperity overtime, relationship to humanity and with a higher consciousness or God.

8th House is death and rebirth, of things seen and unseen (outer and inner & transformation
9th House is Self Expansion, Cosmology, Spiritual Philosophy, and all that gives meaning
10th House is Success, Aspiration, public standing, contribution & social function/reputation
11th House is Friends, groups, mentors, higher beings, all who share common hopes/dreams
12th House is the essence of the 11th turned inward, solitary experience, prayer & meditation

The idea is to focus specifically on the first seven houses (the moment) and outline as elaborately as possible all areas of life of central importance, including all items on your task list, appointments, engagements, routines, etc. Then having developed a workable system from these, one develops naturally in houses 8 through 12 which are indicative of broader life themes which can take many different unique individual forms (especially in the 9th House of Cosmology and its continuous discovery of new meaning).

JDZ

The Mundane Astrological Alphabet

2009-07-07T16:10:00.000-04:00

Fill in the blank spaces under each house archetype (and its natural rulers) with your daily agenda and all specific aspects of your mundane life that are active and relevant. The first six houses of individual self-hood or responsibility have more specific and immediate entries like "do my budget" (2nd House) while 7-12 are larger longterm personal and spiritual themes, which for the most part are determined by the activities of Houses 1-6.

1st House - Aries - Mars & Sun/Mercury - Self, Physical Exercise, Spiritual Practice

2nd House - Taurus - Venus & Moon/Earth - Money, Possessions, Earning, Spending, Budgeting

3rd House - Gemini - Mercury & Mars/Venus - Communications, Phone Calls, Emails, Writing and Reading, all Correspondence

4th House - Cancer - Moon & Earth - Immediate activities around the home and all downtime, rest and relaxation, self-nurturing, sanctuary, reflecting and being

5th House - Leo - Sun & Moon - Self Expression & Recreation, Romance, Leisure, Creativeness and a sense of Purpose (following your bliss)

6th House - Virgo - Mercury & Saturn - Work Duties, Social Responsibilities, Programs & their Implementation, including Exercise & Health (1st House) and writing lists (3rd House), and making money (2nd House) and doing chores (4th House). Divide into two parts: Individual and Social Agendas, their design and implementation

7th House - Libra - Venus & Saturn - Socialization via the activities in Houses 1-6, the inevitable inter-connection with others of like mind and interest

8th House - Scorpio - Mars & Pluto - Self-Transformation, Regeneration/REjuvenation, Feng Shui, a path of letting go and moving on, releasing all that is no longer needed

9th House - Sagittarius - Jupiter & North Node - Cosmology, Inner & Outer Journeys, Seeing the big picture, Living according to the Vision or Dharma of individual truth. Includes both Individual and Social areas of learning and activity

10th House - Capricorn - Saturn & South Node - The Long Road to Success, with temptations (saturn, south node) along the way, reaching Self-Mastery and the Highest Achievements, Social Function and Reputation, Contributions

11th House - Aquarius - Saturn/Uranus & Jupiter - All friends and group activities which act as mentors, beneficiaries, higher beings, or simply friends with shared ideals and dreams. That aspect of the ideal or spiritual experienced in group interactivity.

12th House - Pisces - Neptune/Pluto & Jupiter - The Spiritual Life, the connection to God, Prayer, Contemplation, Meditation, and all inner spiritual work, that aspect of the ideal or spiritual experienced in solitude or confinement

JDZ

Sun-Moon-Ascendant - "I, Me & Thou"

2009-07-05T18:52:00.000-04:00

This is the thought I am planting into new soil for further growth and unfoldment overtime, perhaps in this very same posted area of the blog...

SUN & MOON represent the inner self, or "How I see myself"
SUN & ASCENDANT (or Rising Sun) represents the outer self expression or "How others see me"

The "I" is inner, the "Me" is outer.... this is the basis of understanding where the individual self, its three-part personality (prior to angles, nodes and planets...) is divided into two by way of inner-outer, our dualistic perspective, and the ultimate unity which is the Sun itself, detached from outer planetary activity/awareness, and connected with all other Suns in the Universe...

The Sun is Spirit individualized, astrologically stated, the circle of infinite and dot of individuality, the eternal being of the dot ultimately connected to (and dependent upon...) that of the circle. Where the dot begins all individual creative expression and experience, it is here that the Moon (the inner) and the Ascendant (the outer) have dualistic meaning, from which all other factors spring and develop...

The MOON & ASCENDANT indicate the personal sense of self, our inner and outer persona(s), which is a product of environment as well as heredity, they essentially indicate "How I see others"... If the Moon indicates the 2nd person, how I see myself through you, then the Ascendant is not only me in the 3rd person, it is everyone in the 3rd person or it is the world at large (as I personally see it, my outlook...). Qualities of my self that I share with the outside world, my mask of personality, is how I feel connected to the outside world, in body (at the Ascendant) and in soul/psyche (at the Moon).

The SUN (not its sign, just the Sun alone...) is that aspect of our core personality which embodies the Individuality or Character, the Higher Power of the Self, the vitality and consciousness that is the self connected spiritually and cosmically while essentially detached from (and creating...) all forms of this sentient world on Earth.

[Incidentally, the Earth itself is the very substance of the Sun and the stuff the Moon and Ascendant are made of. According to Esoteric Astrological tradition, it is said to be 180 degrees from the Sun and thus in the exact opposite position/sign degree as the Sun sign... thus attributing importance also to the polarity of dark, shadow and form as well as to luminosity, energy and conscious reality]

J D Z

Heart of the Rising Sun - Astro Synthesis in the Dance of Creation

2009-06-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

I Circle of Spirit - Luminaries & Planets, Ascendant & Angles, Lunar Nodes & all Sensitive Points/Parts

Looking at life from the transpersonal cosmological perspective, to see the grander picture which is the universal dance of creation... and my part in it!

II Cross of Matter - Ascendant, MC/IC, Descendant and the Twelve Houses of Life

Labeling more specifically, in terms of my own life, what the twelve houses signify. Example using my own life...

1st House - Exercise - Physical & Mental (i.e. jogging, yoga, sitting meditation)
2nd House - Money - Earning it, Spending it, Budgeting & Making Connections
3rd House - Correspondence - Emails, Calls, Appointments, communications in general
4th House - Downtime/Reflection - Thinking, Journaling, Talking to Friends, Relaxing
5th House - Pleasure/Leisure - Everything done for fun, creative and romantic ventures
6th House - Work Duties - Showing up on time, performing of tasks & responsibilities
7th House - Social Connection(s) - Everything we do in the public company of others
8th House - Feng Shui - The elimination of dead matter, creation of space and flow
9th House - Cosmology - Man's quest for meaning, cosmic puzzle developed overtime
10th House - Aspiration(s) - Long term ambitions, goals, and heights of achievement
11th House - Friends, Guides & Mentors - Those whom we connect with that uplift us
12th House - Spiritual Life - What is my connection to God or Source Energy?

III Crescent of Soul - Individual Dharma & Personal Karma - What does my natal chart, Planets-signs-houses-aspects, reveal about my life, it's flow, function, purpose, aspiration and destiny?

Begin with the Sun-Moon-Ascendant as your fundamental and immediate NOW reality, each relating and integrating in a way that gives further expression, experience and evolution via the Inner & Outer Planets, the Angles, Nodes, Parts and Points. How does all this synthesize in your daily moment to moment existence? Astro-Synthesis is key to understanding that the whole (the individual) is greater than the sum of its parts.

IV Abhyasa & Vairagya - Laws of Vibration, positive thinking, feeling and action, and the letting go, the detachment from or death of something in our lives, clarification and purification of consciousness (external & internal) and returning to the Source. The role of the Outer Planets (especially Pluto) and Lunar Nodes play in the Sun's complete unfolding evolution. Here we blend the cosmological archetypes with the Reality of the Universe (and human life) as it is seen in the light of divine consciousness and awakening.

JDZ

Uranus and Freedom from the Known - Transcending Jupiter-Saturn Consciousness

2009-06-18T13:23:00.000-04:00

Jupiter shows us where a man or woman can just flow and be authentically oneself, within the social context of role playing, and naturally a lot of good comes out of this. This accompanied more often than not (in the average individual) with shadows of arrogance, carelessness or extravagance, an overly-cavalier and/or self-indulgent attitude toward life and (in some cases) a refusal to own up to what one chooses not to see in oneself. Out of control drunken behavior being a clear example of Jupiterian energy at its lowest half-cocked vibration. Jupiter, at its highest function, is the guide or philosopher who gives one an encouraging approach of positive inspirational thinking as a guide to living, with an optimistic outlook.

Saturn shows where it is not always okay to be freely self expressive, setting limits, enforcing rules and restrictions, adhering to codes of conduct, being fully accountable for daily responsibilities and having restraint or discipline. It is what we face each day based on the awareness that man or woman is not so perfect and free as the over-confident Jupiter has him/her thinking he/she is. There are skills to learn to make a living, errors and problems to be fixed , healing and growth that come through struggle and effort, or the discipline of a regular practice. Saturn's approach is modest and self-effacing, forever showing us how we can "do it better or right".

The excesses of Jupiter are tempered and there is a willingness to admit to a Reality or Truth (the outer planets) much greater than oneself alone. As large as the Sun is, and it's fullest expression via its largest planet Jupiter, is is but one Sun in a Universe of infinite others, and the capacity to learn new truths, explore new lands, and expand beyond anything one previously thought IS indeed a possibility! The first step to humble self and be willing to learn, inquire, see more to life beyond limits of the individual ego and personality perspective(s).

Chiron the wounded healer is a bridge from the middle to outer planets... it indicates a need for total healing and transformation that one must go through as a result of experiences in the world (Jupiter & Saturn). It is the crisis point where one must face the inner wounded aspects of oneself to go further beyond, to see clearly and act intuitively. Chiron is the key to Uranian cosmic consciousness.

It is only at URANUS, after having endured and gone beyond Chiron's testing ground, that the insight to life is clear. It is here that we are truly objective, feel the four winds, tempering Jupiter with Saturn, enlivening (or enlightening) Saturn with Jupiter, knowing when to switch back and forth, sometimes in the mundane physical world of Saturn other times in the formless spiritual realm of Jupiter.

What Uranus reveals intuitively to each individual has to be personally experienced, yet it's Truth differs slightly from Jupiter in that the Cosmic Wisdom beyond what one already personally knows (via Jupiter) reveals a truth previously unknown, and which is most relevant to the present moment or matter at hand.

JDZ

More on Lunar Nodes - Past, Present, Future & Beyond

2009-05-05T11:36:00.000-04:00

The South Node of the Moon keeps the "Lunar Self" in a private coccoon of self-protection and ultimately isolation. Any attempt at facing the present forward moving current of life meets only with resistance... that is, until seen with keen observation, complete attention and total acceptance. When seen in the light of detachment, more objectively, the understanding/awareness of all psychological conditioning and afflicting karmas that keep us stuck where we are, unable to progress wholeheartedly (with presence), it becomes clear the need to drop it entirely and take action immediately. This is the role of the South Lunar Node, and the keywords are acceptance, attention, release & letting go.

The Future orientation of the North Node (as contrasted w/ past orientation of South Node...) is all about the forward moving action which naturally proceeds from the very process of letting go... to let go is to move on, plain and simply put. Here I am challenged to take what appears to be the high road, the path of strong resistance, and still continue to "go with the flow". Creating, visualizing and manifesting new (often previously unforeseen) realities and positive experience. Using the creative power of my thought and the inner guidance of my feelings, I have the potential to expand beyond what I previously thought was possible in my private South Node world.

While the South Node, being tied to the past, is a line of least resistance within itself, eventually a great deal of resistance builds up once that comfort zone is no longer so comfortable... and this becomes clear as one attempts to meet the present reality or situation with the mindset of the past. Conversely, the North Node, indicator of present-future potential, appears to have strong resistance because it has not yet been practiced... yet as adjustments are made the North Node is perceived to be the very forward moving flow of a river that is heading to highest destiny or dharma. This being the very power that one fears (even more than failure) within oneself, it is there just waiting to be practiced and manifested outwardly.

All other factors in the chart indicate essential and existential planetary and earth bound (Ascendant & Angles) energies which express themselves spontaneously and are experienced by the native. It is the Lunar Nodes, however, that indicate to us whether we are regressing (south) or progressing (north) along the path of life.

Joel D Zenie

Todays Transiting Alignment - Earth, Air & Water

2009-04-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

*Numbers in parenthesis indicate degree of sign position

Jupiter (22)Chiron (25) & Neptune (26) - Aquarius & Air (fixed)

Moon (20+) Uranus (24) Mars & Venus (29) - Pisces & Water (mutable)

Sun (2 Taurus) Saturn (15 Virgo) Pluto (3 Capricorn) - Earth Trinity
Mercury (21 Taurus)
(Not a grand earth trine, but each sign of the Earth Trinity is active)

Also: Sun in 2 Taurus trines Pluto in 3 Capricorn, indicating strength of purpose in matters of grounded practical (earthly) concern. Mercury at 21 Taurus Trines Saturn in 15 Virgo to add skill and know how, an efficiently functioning plan... with skill and combined, all matters of earthly concern are no longer seen as a burden.

Aquarius and Pisces Stelliums indicate change is in the air, and a higher consciousness, a guiding light in the collective Pluto in Capricorn darkness. How they effect each individual depends on his/her natal or progressed chart(s).

To more clearly give an example that I know most about(my own current tranits), I have given immense attention to this for the purpose of attaining a sharp clarity and wise intuitive guidance (Aquarius)with regard to real issues in my life... Mostly it's (Jupiter/Chiron/Neptune) in my 8th House (change & death), and continued (w/Uranus/Mars/Venus) in the Ninth, by offering a new possibility and hope for a fresh start elsewhere, perhaps closer to my true home.

My overall theme, consistent w/ the Nature of Aquarius/Air and Pisces/Water (and the 8th & 9th Hses) is a leap of faith, moving boldly forward into new and unknown territory, keeping that calm inner strength and peace amidst all of it happening.

More to come later & I will gladly address anyone's questions about their own transiting natal influences at this time...

JDZ

Beyond Venus (from Libra into Scorpio)

2009-04-10T10:37:00.000-04:00

Every now and again, due to strongly Libran inclinations, I am tempted to look for that same frivolous momentary joy that others indulge in at parties and large social gatherings. It is so familiar and common, and yet I am outside of it (much of the time) looking in, unable or unwilling to merge... to do so is just a phoney awkward attempt to fit in. The same holds true online as I make more friends who share my common values and language, spiritual and otherwise... when the convos end is there really any relationship, any real communion or something akin to love and appreciation, or are we all really just playing "make believe". All is based on a concensus, a common group interest (Libra), and from this point we relate. It is just not the same thing as the bond one has with family and the closest of friends.

Shifting from this pleasant and pretty view of the world of the Libran approach, which is valid so long as it is a way of staying happy in the present, I see the Scorpio.... beyond the fair weather friends and acquaintances, beyond the pleasant courteous conduct at work, and beyond all the spiritual interests I share with others... no matter how "you and I" have in common, have read the same books, etc. With Scorpio, ruled by Mars & Pluto (inseparable octaves, individual & universal respectively), the show is over, the gig is up and the curtains go down. Here one sees the aloneness of being and the greatest desire for solitude. Scorpio, sign of the (human) jungle reminds me that nobody else is paying my rent or looking out for me, this reality is seen in most heightened form in war, where the soldier becomes ever so acutely aware of how alone in the jungle he/she really is (even as others are experiencing the same).... save your own ass or die.

It is said that character or integrity is taking full responsibility for one's own life, and this involves a very real and close up examination of one's own wishes and fears, of what I want and do not want, committing to focus on the positive while simultaneously "negating the negative". In the lightness of being, in the fleeting moment, we are to appreciate one another's company and benefit from the energy vibes of others (and vice versa), however there inevitably comes a point when we can no longer suspend disbelief, the masks are removed and the roles dissolved... now what? We can only ask ourselves what is next, once the party is over, the previous illusion dissolved into memory... a whole new birth of experience, allowing all manifestations and people to flow in and out alternatively, easily and effortlessly, fully present and unattached, embracing the eternal yet forever changing beauty of now...

JDZ

North Node Aries - South Node Libra

2009-04-03T12:13:00.001-04:00

For the sake of clarification, it is worth it (as a writer) to clarify one point regarding eastern philosophy and religion in general. It still does have its great importance, particularly where meditation, yoga and other down to earth spiritual practices are concerned. This inherited wisdom, astrologically my lunar south node, exists primarily as an internal guidance system, a reminder to let go and go with the flow... A shift in emphasis is needed, from passivity to action, without neglecting the occasional need for passive reflection and the courtesy/respect I naturally to extend to others.

As a good friend said in response to me today "it's like going to school to learn how to speak english". Some of us don't need to be any more sensitive, just more assertive and true to ourselves by having a thicker skin and firm boundaries. Then that sensitivity has value, when it comes from an individual with a strong spine, one who can totally and completely stand on his/her own two feet. Those of us born in the Aries North Node period (all of us born in 1968) must emphasize autonomy, acting not reacting, leading not following, and ultimately to reach that point where the opposite south node qualities naturally are blissfully showered upon us like "pennies from heaven"... this is our inherited wisdom which need no further emphasis, just let it be...

Peacefully
Joel

Beyond Subject and Object

2009-03-28T17:18:00.000-04:00

I hope to make this real short and sweet. My sincere thanks to all who've responded, in a most supportive and helpful way, to this post and to those of the recent past. The shift of topic is not so radical or contradictory as it may seem... in previous postings (i.e. "ending the me") I focused upon the illusion of self, or rather "self-consciousness", and how this gets in the way of true self-actualizing awareness and activity. In this series the focus is on the illusion of others, or self-consciousness in relation to others and the futile ever demanding drive that folks (like me, in my less conscious moments...) have, to seek the approval and admiration of others... without first having earned it. To earn it one must first understand and realize that to impress others is meaningless in itself... if I make my Self truly happy then chances are others will respond in kind.. and vice versa. In short, there is no me and no you... there IS an *I and an Us*, both of which imply unity, a non-dual Mahayana state that Buddhists speak of. This happens when we "cease to attribute qualities to subject and object", if I understand it correctly. The two ultimate hindrances to success and realization are just these... conciousness of self and consciousness of others. (Self) Awareness is a different reality, experiential and non-intellectual, because it already IS prior to the contrived activities of ego. In pure awareness alone there is truth, reality, liberation and realization, no self and no other(s).

JDZ

The Five Fire Planets

2009-03-14T22:32:00.000-04:00

SUN - BEING, ACTING : Spirit/Source of Life - The Will to Be, Authentic True Self

MARS - DOING, GETTING : Ego/Motivation & Desire - The Will to Do, External Physical Self

JUPITER - BECOMING, LEARNING/UNDERSTANDING : The Higher Blue Sky Mind, Abundance, Joy, Faith in the Higher Order of an expanding Universe.

URANUS - LIBERATING, ACTUALIZING/AWAKENING : Omniscient Higher Intelligence, Intuitive Flashes of immediate knowing and re-creating...

PLUTO - EVOLVING, TRANSFORMING/RESURRECTING : Ominpotent Soul Power, Death & Rebirth, Eternity & Spiritual Evolution

*In continuing with this train of thought I will follow through with the other planets (including above) that qualify as yin/feminine/water planets, and those that are Earthy and Airy (like MERCURY & VENUS).

**Ceres is the EARTH Mother, and the one body w/in the Asteroid Belt considered a planetoid; therefore it is the mother of the other 3 Asteroids, and modified by their influences, just as the Ascendant is modified by other Angles & House Cusps.

Water Planets: EARTH/MOON, CERES, JUPITER, NEPTUNE, PLUTO
Airy Planets: MERCURY, VENUS, PALLAS/JUNO, SATURN, URANUS
Earthy Planets: EARTH, MERCURY, VENUS, CERES/VESTA, SATURN

***Chiron is the Maverick... it is said to rule over the Mutable Cross (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) and is all about elemental integration... therefore the writer associates this other major Planetoid with a little of all the elements.

JDZ

On Self-Actualization & the Loss of Self

2009-03-07T17:34:00.001-05:00

I can see/understand how the reality of "no self" inevitably is misunderstood by most here in the West... This is understandable considering none of us were raised in India or Tibet.

Abraham Maslow, Transpersonal Psychologist, says in his book "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature" that self-actualization is a complete/total absence of self-consciousness. There is nothing passive or self-denying about this... rather a self-actualized being is like a top spinning so fast you cannot see it spin.... it appears to be still yet is in constant motion. When absorbed in myself it is very clear how much less is actually accomplished. Thinking of yourself is not BEING yourself... simply put. Therefore real self-improvement and empowerment is only possible where the soul ceases to be an object (an ego) unto itself

As a learned Buddhist will point out, all faculties of human beings... our body, senses, perceptions, cognition and consciousness "do not in truth add up to a self". The seemingly separate and solid individual entity is nothing at all in isolatio. All that I know and understand, enjoy and appreciate, came not from myself alone but through an interdependent relationship with OTHERS...

The reason we are here on this planet is to work on ourselves individually... and whether one has a child and family it really makes no difference... it is still YOUR child and family therefore parenting is also self-centered. Yet we are brainwashed by society everyday to believe we must keep building ourselves up, buy this product, do this workout, etc... It takes a very astute awareness, I think, to see the difference between a spontaneous self-awareness, which is positive and pure, and a self-consciousness which is obviously negative, contrived and awkward, especially when in the social or personal presence of others.

".... still in a room full of mirrors, all I could see was me, so I took my spirit and I smashed my mirror, now the whole world is here for me to see..." Hendrix

Jdz

**Copy and Paste Link for a totally cool video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrG1i_z2Kc

Ending the Me

2009-03-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

**NOTE: The combined role/function of the Outermost Planets, Pluto and Neptune, results in the ultimate dissolution of ego and personality, vanity and a deluded sense of self...

If I could drop the me entirely then the above title would not be 'ending' it would just be the end. Since I am only a regular human being, and not enlightened, the ending process is gradual... though at times one experiences a sudden awakening, what Zen Buddhists call a "mini-satori". Breakthroughs and moments of spiritual awakening exist to encourage us further along the path, even as we inevitably return to the mundane drudgery of an ordinary confusing existence (samsara).

It seems to this aspirant/writer that the sense of self is the greatest hindrance to all that one truly values and seeks in life... predominantly "The Kingdom of Heaven". In certain instances, in Buddhism, the ego is likened to the devil himself... the ultimate source of confusion, dysfunction and deception.
Yet everything we understand and strive for is to strengthen the me, the feeling of self-enclosure and overall alienation. Personal ambition it seems is all about one's ability to gain power for oneself, and to block out the rest of the world lest one chooses to engage others for manipulative or pragmatic purposes. Whether one succeeds in the endeavor of building up the ego or fails, the end result is more or less the same... superiority or inferiority, in the end there is no difference really as both are deluded.

Why do so many people see therapists in this country? Admittedly there was a time when this was very helpful... but now? From the therapist's point of view, emphasizing the 'you', it can be a positive way to bestow insight upon the patient/client, however for that patient to leave the therapist's office with thoughts of "ME ME ME... this what I MUST DO" it seems is only self-destructive. For every effort, however noble, I make strengthen the me, an equal and often greater force of negative works in the same way. Try all you want to get better, you will create more internal (and maybe external) enemies just by the very act of trying to strengthen or empower the self. As the Buddha himself says "no self, no problem"...

As much as I like certain new age philosophies that encourage us as individuals, I think it is easily misunderstood. People use the Law of Attraction to build their wealth and satisfy their personal desires, all of which are impermanent and leading inevitably to the need for MORE. To be understood correctly, one must on the one hand accept the self-absorbed nature of being human, and in this comprehension let it go completely. How do you go with the stream of well being? How do you keep in alignment with Source Energy? By letting go of the biggest upstream entity of all... the little personality self that is always demanding things like happiness, satisfaction, attention/approval from others.

"The germ of defeat is in every selfish thought"... Charles Haanal (Master Key System)

Jdz

Ad Adendum: On Gratitude

2009-02-28T17:44:00.000-05:00

In a more positive note of appreciation, which is necessary in the act of total acceptance (or surrender), I should say that my co-workers are mostly very pleasant to work with, I do see a number of people during the day whose presence alone is worth appreciating and giving full attention to. In the end it is inevitable that the mind weighs all the pros and cons of any (job) situation and with most jobs (like mine) the negative far outweighs the positive... thus it is easier to emphasize the negative more, though perhaps this is ultimately the reason why things are as they are in the first place.

While the writer makes no pretense about being unselfish, and is feeling unusually ambitious and self-centered at present, it is not without appreciation for those in my life with whom I have friendly and positive (and sometimes negative) rapport. In this case I am thankful and grateful, beyond words, to all addressed herein...

There is only one thing in this world truly as important to me as my own success and happiness (from a less selfish perspective....), and that is the people in my life who really matter... to me personally.

Sincerely w/ Gratitude,

JDZ

Pluto's Present Challenge - Contentment versus Complacency

2009-02-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

Each day of facing this present reality, the conditions of ordinary life as they are right now (particularly at home, at work, and the immediate surrounding neighborhood...), one is challenged to reach a point of "radical acceptance" or surrender, which in the heat of the moment seems unreasonably demanding. For all the great teachers speak of "accepting what is" and being content... the future will unfold naturally from a successful present. Yet when the present moment is so very dull, and the people surrounding have so little to offer you personally, then all one has really is the ability to remain bored without getting overwhelmed or over-reactive to the outside world (i.e. customers and patrons). This being what Buddhist Pema Chodron refers to as "cool boredom".

What happens however when one becomes too comfortable with being bored, accepting and surrendering, thus feeling passive in the face of circumstances and not having the will or faith to really take that next giant leap? Perhaps one is bored merely from having not taken that leap into a world of much greater possibility... and learning to accept this boredom that I myself have created is the only choice for this given moment. So it seems there is a fine line between positive contentment and passive complacency... with room for that discontentment which initiates change.

As important as it is to keep flowing positively with a hectic yet mediocre existence, which offers little for my time and effort, I still will only be happy fulfilling my true (external, creative) purpose, which at this time is to write. So to not complain (under my breath) too much about wanting to be elsewhere, while at the same knowing that to stay here indefinitely is entirely unacceptable is the trick. As much as some people say they are proud of how long I've held the library job, what makes others happy (no matter how close they are to me personally..) does not make me happy. It's been suggested that I really try hard to make a boring job interesting, which I believe I am already doing quite well... considering.

It really comes down to embracing and accepting how crummy it is to be here, to be totally present with this and not expect it to be anything better or other than what it is... not running away from the reality of how much it sucks. Maybe then and only then does one really and truly find the indomitable will to change and transform present conditions, from the inside out.

In anticipation of a brighter better future...

Joel

Luminary, Planetary, Angular & Nodal Synthesis

2009-02-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

1-SUN = Eternity & Presence (Eternal Now) - Objective Center of Spirit (yang), Higher Consciousness & Energy

2-MOON = The Present-Past - Soul (yin) to the Spirit (Sun), Mind to the Body (Earth) & Feeling

3-ASCENDANT = The Present-Future - Individual Character (yang), Outward Personality & Physical Body (Sun & Earth)
3a) Mid Heaven = The Future Outcome - The Forward (Ascending)Path of Ascendant
3b) Nadir = The Past Origin (or subject) - Mother, Home & Family to Ascendant
3c) Descendant = The Present Other (or object) - Horizon, Others & Partners

4-EARTH (Polarity) = Space-Time-Matter - The Subjective Center of Awareness (yin) & Body, Light & Dark, Shadow & Space
4a) Moon & Ascendant - Personality, Inner & Outer Persona(s)
4b) Nadir & Descendant - Relationship, Community/Society
4c) Mid Heaven & Vertex - World/Others, Fated Encounters/Events
4d) East & Aries Points - Idealism, Fame/Contribution

5-Mercury - Mars + Sun/Yang - Concrete expressions/manifestations of Solar Creation
6-Venus - Ceres + Moon/Yin - Concrete devotion and implmentations of Lunar Formation
7-Jupiter - Chiron - Neptune - The Transcendant Free Spirit, Sage & Healer
8-Saturn - Chiron - Uranus - The Genius or Fully Actualized Self & Teacher
9-Uranus - Neptune - Pluto - The Outer Planets, Agents of Change & Universality
10-Sun - Jupiter/Saturn - Pluto - The Sun at its destination and peak of perfection

**These Planets & The Sun (in #10) correspond (at this level 10) to the Ascendant, Mid Heaven and North Node respectively, in reference to the path of destiny, dharma & completion of all Earthly tasks at hand. The latter are nodal points of achievement, similar to what a gold medal or trophy represents to olympic and athletic competitors.

11-North lunar node - Sun/Jupiter/Pluto - Individual Dharma, Destiny & The Future
12-South lunar node - Moon/Saturn/Pluto - Personal Karma, Sanctuary & The Past

Part of Fortune - Ascendant/Moon + Earth = blessings & gifts from the South Node
Part of Spirit - Ascendant/Sun + Earth = achievement & aspiration of North Node

Pluto Meets Uranus - Inquiry & The Quest for Truth

2009-02-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

An interesting reply from a local friend of the Buddhist Sangha (www.dharma.tv) got me thinking more discriminately on topics of evil and hellfire, and my alleged "judgmental catholic side" that comes to the fore with such issues. I realized that there really is a discernment to be made here between that which is socially moral or religious upbringing, and that which precedes it... our feelings and emotions as they pertain to existence... this very earthly existence which Buddhists say is samsara or illusion, yet one cannot deny the aspect of Buddhism which points to nirvana and samsara being of the same essence and inseparable. It is why I am here learning from all this confusion, my errors, personal flaws and limitations, and evolving.

I CAN actually come to the point of recognizing how vindictive emotions, when overtly expressed in judgment can be very toxic... lest it be in a cathartic process (as the writer is prone to ...) of seeking clarifying or enlightening feedback.It depends whether or not one chooses to remain toxic and negative or is seeking only to understand and purge the Heart. The truth right now, which (in Krishnamurti's words...) is "a living thing" and not some transcendant otherworldly abstraction, is that I care about MY family and friends, and those who are most supportive of ME personally.... I would literally kill to protect those I love and care for, and frankly I don't think most people on this planet (or animals for that matter..) are any different or better on this count. The same love and protection I give to myself as well.

While evil may merely be an absence of good, there is an emotional element that I believe should not be brushed aside. In days of yore, and even today in Arab countries, people attended public hangings and other atrocities. There is an instinct in human beings to want justice, even flat out revenge... rather than get "holier than thou" and say "you should not be that way" why not go into it... REALLY go into it. How would you feel if your family was threatened right now.... just how much would you honestly care about the rights of this individual as a sentient being?

As much as we all really want to come together in unity the truth is we live in alienation, connecting with our own separate groups, societies and religions... and anyone who threatens to disturb or cause harm to this is considered the enemy, and this enemy if truly intending harm to others deserves little to no mercy.... Am I correct in thinking this? Perhaps only so from the perspective of another ignorant sentient human being, who feels too strongly about the people and things in this life which are my own. Yet if we don't acknowledge where we are confused, and ask questions, where is the possibility of any mental or spiritual progress??

JDZ

The Dark Side of Pluto

2009-02-20T14:10:00.000-05:00

*For those interested also in the teachings of radical eastern spiritual leaders, this article blends Buddhist and Zen or Taoist-like awareness as it is in the nature and power of Pluto.

Perhaps others (if only for a moment...) have questioned the appropriateness or delicateness of certain postings written in the recent past. Particularly regarding Kingston New York where I presently reside, and issues of greed, violence, dark capitalism, etc, and how Black Friday (for example) brings all of this right to the surface in unneccesarily tragic events. Part of the reason is because I do believe SOMEbody should bring up these issues.... the dark side of Pluto is the dark side of the human mind, manifesting in society and the world at large. In Jungian terms, if we choose to discard or disown this side of consciousness, leaving it unexamined and unhealed, it will continue to strike back as "my own worst enemy". This taking manifestation first in the Eighth House (Naturally Ruled by Pluto) and eternally brewing in the deep dark human subconscious of the Twelfth House (Esoterically Ruled by Pluto).

J.Krishnamurti and Chogyam Trungpa (whom I just found out on youtube had a dialogue back in Februrary 72') are/were two eastern teachers of spirituality considered radical, for Trungpa it was "Crazy Wisdom" and for Krisnamurti "The Awakening of Intelligence". Though religiously a Buddhist Trungpa began a whole new lineage, Shambhala Buddhism, within the Buddhist tradition. Krishnamurti was considered head of the New World Order (or some title of this nature...) and declined it, along with all notions of spiritual authority and over-identification with anything religious in the group sense of the word. Both teachers emphasize that we are to look at ourselves, examine the unregenerate human nature that brings about all the misery and suffering that is this world. Trungpa referred to this in his book "Meditation in Action" as "the manure which is first collected then scattered over the field of Bodhi".

One need not have access to any eastern spiritual teachers or books to awaken to the whole of life, which includes the bad and the ugly as well as the good. Self-honesty, humility and a lack of denial are all that is needed to shine the light of consciousness within. On this level I can look at myself directly, with some humility, and dissolve or transform whatever is the issue at hand... usually of form of dark resistance which requires only light, acceptance and letting go.

I admit to having issues myself regarding others, individuals and society, and with as much "moral relativism" as I can muster, I believe in the force of evil (the devil) and evil beings all the same. So where Mahayana Buddhists speak of "enlightenment and happiness for all beings" I vary from this in wishing all evil beings to burn in hellfires. I believe that maybe these spiritual people are conscious on a level that I cannot grasp. I watch a lot of mob movies (and the sopranos) and notice the seamy side of Pluto manifest in realities that many people will never let themselves see or be exposed to in any way. At worst most of us face sickness, tragedy, loss and death, inevitably... but these films emphasize it to a heightened degree of sociopathic mental illness. Human life in the mafia is so very cheap, dispensable and disposable... unless you become an 'untouchable'.

In feeling the tragic nature of existence on this Earth, it gives me all the more conviction and hatred for bad people... I don't ever want them to be happy or enlightened, at least not without first going through hundreds and thousands years of hellfire first. It is the Law of Karma makes sense, even when not apparent on the surface and knowing life definitely is not fair. Here is where my limit to compassion is and knowing my limits, as both Saturn and Pluto teach us (via the Moon), I can choose to emphasize the positive truth, that I care about my close inner circle of friends and family, friendly acquaintances, colleagues and coworkers and that aspect of humanity which/whom I believe to be genuinely good (with or without a million flaws).

Be kind to others (as often as possible..), live your truth with conviction and aspiration, and know your limits and boundaries which keep you alive. This is an immediate, down to earth and not so religiously decorated (aka Plutonian) way to evolve personally, individually and spiritually...

From Darkness back into Light

JDZ

Numerological Outline for Chart Reading(s)

2009-02-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

1-Sun-Earth & Ascendant
2-Earth-Moon & Nadir

3-Mars, Venus, Mercury & Descendant
4-Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron & Midheaven
5-Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Sun & Stars
6-North & South Nodes, Part of Fortune

7-Aspects and Planetary Configurations
8-Progressed Natal Horoscope
9-Transiting Planet Influences
10-Solar Returns, Current & Past Events

11-Composite & Relationship/Synastry Charts
12- Generations & Historical Trends

Note from Author - On Planetary Synthesis

2009-02-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

In the near future I may have several blogs of varying topics, all of which will be major topics of focus for my upcoming book. Topics ranging from the role of the planetary archetypes in the life of individuals and the collective human consciousness (as in this blog) to eastern spirituality and quantum theories, and most importantly a way to practice and manifest the knowledge, insight and wisdom gained in the knowledge of universal and cosmic truths.

The previous blog (at myspace) was an unstructured "stream of consciousness" which helped lay the groundwork for much of what is yet to come. This is for any/all persons interested in how the planets operate to empower and challenge us, as with the light of the Sun we continue to be the co-creators of God's universal plan...

In Light

Joel

Planetary Instincts - Intuitive Astrology

2009-02-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

I recently picked up an old (signed) book from Elizabeth Rose Campbell, whose book signing at Joshua's Restaurant in Woodstock back in September 2003 I attended. A couple of years ago I heard among a Buddhist circle of friends that she had died suddenly. The book entitled "Intuitive Astrology" is a brilliant reader-friendly, no-nonsense, practical guide to self-empowerment... written in/for this millennium.

Interestingly I recall during her talk questioning her point (that I get now...) about the Sun and how it urges one to look at *this life* as the only life we've got. I pointed out that the Sun is also symbolic of one's spirit and immortality and the confidence that the individual (at core) survives death. Her response was "as a Pisces, I am inclined to agree with you. As it turns out, The Sun is both of these things... the sense that the present is all that one has, and that this presence is eternal, independent of all belief or speculation on past lives.

I wish to share one part of this brilliant piece of Astrological literature and encourage all to pick up a copy at a local new age bookstore. This being on the Luminaries, Planets & Nodes:

SUN - The instinct to shine at the center of your own story
MOON - The instinct to have a home (and security)
MERCURY - The instinct to communicate (and learn)
VENUS - The instinct to love (and relate)
MARS - The instinct to act (survive and thrive)
JUPITER - The instinct to philosophize (to sum it all up)
SATURN - The instinct to commit
CHIRON - The instinct to heal
URANUS - The instinct to express Truth
NEPTUNE - The instinct to express Soul
PLUTO - The instinct to express Power
NODES - The instinct to look at one's past (South) and future (North)

There is a great section on the Zodiac Signs as well and the human reality these represent!!

In Stellar Light,

Joel

High & Low Octave Planets - Their Cosmic/Individual Function(s)

2009-01-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a new perspective ("The Asteroid Godesses" by Demetra George, ironically...) on astrological octatves beyond the traditionally well known outer to inner planet trinities of Mars & Pluto (1st Ray, Power/Will), Venus & Neptune (2nd Ray, Love/Wisdom), Mercury & Uranus (3rd Ray, Active Intelligence).

This extends to include Jupiter and Saturn, which this astrological student/writer has equated/related with the Sun and Moon respectively. The other higher octave of Mars is Jupiter, while Saturn is considered the lower octave of the combined/inseparable influence of all three outermost planets combined.

So the cosmic layout is as follows: Lower Octave Planets include Mars, Venus, Mercury & Saturn; Higher Octave Planets include Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto. Where Jupiter is a Centrifugal Force expanding outward to the highest universal octave(s), Saturn is the Centripetal Force keeping one centered/grounded in the baser individual octave(s) of daily survival, ego drives/concerns and the gross/mundane reality.

The Asteroid Belt is the presence of the Feminine (Venus & The Moon) Earth Godesses, symbolic of the gateway (and testing ground) between Mars to Jupiter, from the individual to the collective reality/identity of the Masculine Solar principle. Chiron embodies similar testing and trials to cross the "Rainbow Bridge" from Saturn to Uranus, from Earth to Sky, the Mundane to the Cosmic.

To understand the Planets in this way is to make the connection, and the distinction, between what is personal subjective reality and that which is cosmic or beyond the everyday... an understanding of the Planets in this way goes a long way in the comprehension of oneself, the environment and our cosmic universe...

JDZ