Category: Indigenous

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DIVINING THE TIBET SOLUTION

The future is ours for the making….

In this second part to The Tibet Solution we will explore through divination the essential relationship between the Dalai Lama and the People’s Republic of China- the results and implications are surprising and back up the question of whether a turning point is now within sight

Focusing on a few of the key elements in their horoscopes will reveal how symbolic of our times and the global shift in consciousness the Tibetan Solution can be……”can be” – there is no certainty, but, there is opportunity……

The Dalai Lama’s Sun in 1st house Cancer is blessed with the energies of Sirius – he is a spiritual leader of humble beginnings who’s light is far reaching and connects him with the ancient mystery traditions, which he both embodies through re-incarnation and through being a protector – Sirius’ esoteric function has been described as the soul of our solar system’s Sun and, as such, connects us to the galactic mind.

As a spiritual leader HH’s chart shows us Saturn in the 9th house in Pisces opposite Neptune conjunct the Moon and Dark Moon Lilith in 3rd house Virgo with Chiron forming a T square from 12th house Gemini – crystalising the Piscean energy and reflecting the occult visionary soul the Dalai Lama’s Saturn is opposite China’s 7th house Virgoan Saturn in synastry – China’s restrictions on the communal potential communicated through Tibetan Buddhism bring a new karmic structure that challenges to both contain and resonate with the soul of the “other”.

The Dalai Lama’s nodal axis shows Pluto on the South Node in the first house – we can identify him with a deep and transformative karmic legacy – he is a re-incarnate soul who has brought his roots into this life to become a leader amongst “others”….”amongst”, and not of a ‘political’, but, grounded beneficient nature…..where-as, his NNode, conjunct China’s 12th house Jupiter in Capricorn, the undoing of his leadership, and break from the past that China’s revolution brought, reveal the context of this, with the promise of benefits that would resound deeply within the Chinese communist psychology.

It is a context fueled with a fierce passion for the question of ‘home’ as HH’s 4th house Libran Mars conjuncts China’s 8th house South Node – he is in a sense bringing the ‘spiritual warrior’ archetype into the struggle for Tibetan autonomy – and yet, he is a powerful strategist, leading not through agression but through a higher order of love, a blessing on the community, as found in his 3rd house Venus in Leo.

The nodal axis in these charts are nearly squared off – being only 5 degrees from a true square – and China’s South Node is closely conjuncted by Neptune and Mercury – for the communist regime the love of the past is in its traditions, which includes the historical and judicial right for occupation within Tibet, a right it persists in citing. With its North Node in 2nd house Aries China is seeking to initiate a new internal context within which to manifest this, a soul purpose at odds with the Dalai Lama’s North Node which seeks to manifest a leading role within the world, a global grounding that has pitted the ‘West’ against China’s enforced occupation of Tibet. China will be seen as the ‘heavy’ so long as the regime persists in bringing the low side of its Mars conjunct Pluto in the 7th house into its relationship with others – the high side would see the opportunity for deep healing and in this context the Chinese nation could also be leaders amongst others…..

So, what of the healing, the Tibet Solution?

Now we enter complex yet magical territory! And, Uranus in China’s chart gives us a way in….

In both charts Uranus is at 4d 58′, China’s is in 5th house Cancer, the Dalai Lama’s in 11th house Taurus – these energies manifest the sextile through creative and worldly innovation. For China, the revolutionary force of the people was compelled to find a new identity that would both break with its historical traditions and create a paradigm shift in relation to how its people relate to its past – one that could both heal through new ideals and bring the necessity of forceful political reform to the fore – this is expressed in the yod formed by Moon on the AC, Chiron in the 10th in Leo both in quincunx to Uranus, the yod’s apex. Chiron is square the Pluto Mars conjunction. We will shortly return to China’s Uranus placement.

We find Uranus in the Dalai Lama’s chart in a square to China’s Moon – he will challenge the notion of ‘the people’ in relation to China’s revolutionary revision – it is itself in a quincunx to China’s Chiron as well as China’s Sun! which makes the Chiron placement in China’s chart very sensitive around the issue of China’s identity and forces the issue onto the negotiating table. Remember Chiron squares Pluto and Mars in the China chart! This is further compounded for China as its Sun squares its Uranus and, to add the clincher, China’s Uranus is conjunct the Dalai Lama’s AC!!

The threads of this web are strung taught and bind the two in a set of challenging aspects that express the devastating effect that China’s revolution was to have on both the Dalai Lama and Tibet. This is a diplomat’s nightmare, and yet……

To his credit the Dalai Lama has retained a desire to see Tibet remain within the context of China’s new identity – perhaps it is the exact sextile between their Uranus placements that makes this possible – more likely, it keeps the two sides in full awareness of their differences, and it is reconciliation that is being sought by both sides, but, on different terms – it will be hard won……

There is a solution…….the Dalai Lama’s Chiron squares both Saturns, sextiles China’s Mars + Pluto and trines China’s Mercury + Neptune. If the balance between the two is to find form it will be through his bringing the high side of China’s political potential, the upside of the powerhouse behind its revolutionary appearance within the world and the vision of the collective into synchronous understanding of their commonality, roots and shared future – he can appeal to China’s intellect, its roots and vision – he can help the Chinese people understand more deeply their traditional relationship with Tibet through their respect for the past – he must be careful not to provoke the Chinese State into bringing the darker side of its purpose into a conflict with its own self interests and self esteem – China has Dark Moon Lilith on its North Node and this is itself quincunx to its own Venus close to the MC. HH’s vertex is conjunct China’s Mid Heaven – as fateful a relationship as ever there was. Yet his Uranus and Part of Fortune are quincunx both China’s Chiron and Sun – they must work for a common solution that will benefit them all. And this may be surprising…..

…China has Juno conjunct the vertex in the 7th house in Virgo – it is sextile HH’s Sun – a renewed mutual contract of partnership would benefit the Dalai Lama and, no doubt, initiate a higher order of healing within China (HH’s PF quinc China’s Chiron), if he can bring the Chinese around to the compassionate view – the Chinese Venus is quincunx HH’s Mercury – he is compelled to bring this into negotiations, to appeal to the deeper side of reason and love of the higher mind. All rests on this.

With Mercury accompanied by Chiron in his 12th house in Gemini, the Dalai Lama will know that the end of his mission here will be to bring the power of compassion to bear both in China and in the world – his Venus is conjunct one of the four royal stars, Regulus in late Leo – this is a mighty power that will lead all – with his Juno conjunct China’s N Node it could just work.

It would be simplistic to suggest that our worldly solutions are presaged by the synastry in these charts, and yet, they contain the symbolic seeds of both our current East/West relations and our progress towards a unified world of common consciousness and concensus. We are all challenged to face our differences, political and spiritual, mundane and sacred, as a call to reconciliation – quality of mind, not difference, is at the root of our current global transformation – a new consciousness is achievable through compassion and acceptance. The ‘middle way’. The Dalai Lama’s middle way calls upon every individual to manifest this within themselves – this is where he differentiates his message from political idealogy or dogma. What is in the higher self can be the leader, in each of us – for Chinese and Tibetans alike. For us all it is a true blessing to be alive to witness the dignity of this struggle as personified in the Dalai Lama and his global championing of the Tibetan cause through kindness and energetic realism. No less for the Chinese regime, should they find the ability to become leaders, globally respected and demonstrably capable of embracing the holistic view of humanity, well beyond the idealism of communism – it is within their grasp, should they recognise the gift and opportunity for reconciliation. For a rising number of intelligent and well placed people within China this is becoming the obvious way forward – they are warming to the Dalai Lama’s message and it would do well for the Chinese government to listen – and to allow the energy of this groundswell to emerge. The sad fact for China is that repression is at the heart of their regime – a last astrological sting in the tail: China’s Part of Fortune is conjunct the fixed star Algor, described as the most ‘evil’ star in the heavens, harbinger of death, mass murder and dis-ease – it is at the root, on the IC in China’s chart – if ever compassion were to have a goal here it would be to bring all its healing and illuminating force to bear on this unfortunate factor within China’s nativity. There is at least one person on this planet capable of being the powerful lens needed for this force – with the power of Sirius, Regulus and the millions who support him we may yet see a great healing in our times…….the more support we give to this emergent global focus the more we are likely to see it happen, if we all take up the cause and manifest the ‘middle way’.

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Astrological Afterword

Due to technical difficulties (in the shape of a beloved old iMac) I have been unable to post charts at the time of publishing – I hope to rectify this asap – apologies for the inconvenience – nevertheless…….

Seasoned astrologers will be able to pick the bones of these horoscopes, their synastry and my reading and reset them according to their deeper knowledge and experience                  

about this……….I make no bones!

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Moth Moon Rising

A Dark Moon is rising on the wings of change……Moth Moon will shake off the dust of ages

……as we venture to break out of the cocoon of the ‘old world’ and unfold the wings of our collective future Pluto is transiting the NNode in Capricorn and squeezing the soul juice out of our old attachments, fertilising the ground of our becoming – soul and soil, a syllable apart, U and I
– can we throw off the husk and ?

On the very degree that Mars and Venus were joined on the previous New Moon, deep in Scorpio the Sabians say this Solar Lunar implosion challenges to manifest communion after seperation – the bed is still warm in the secret bridal chamber, and yet, the Champion and his Amor are going their seperate ways….Mars, unaspected, out in the world, Sagittarius warrior, floods the field with courage (power of the heart)……Venus, looking inward, retraces her steps, pregnant with the healing vision of Love (trine Chiron with Neptune), poised to force the expansive change (quincinx Jupiter and Uranus) in rebirth that will reveal hidden new strategies to shake down the old balance (Scorpio into Libra) with the laws of the heart

Moth Moon will brook no compromise (semi-sextile Saturn in Libra) – the old ways of communion will not hold – the old talk is over – a new language of the spirit earthed within the heart is our only choice, for, without communion there can be no communication….

…..and what of Mercury! The sting in the tail (Mercury in late Scorpio) – we walk our talk, or perish……

……and whom, by what means?

The people are wise and will rise in renewing our ancient bonds of knowing, ‘cunning with magic’ (NM sextile Juno in Virgo, trine Lilith in Pisces) – handfasted through spiritual sexuality

The power hungry are trapped in their phallic ivory towers, doomed by their own lustful attachments to fall on the swords of their own hubris (Saturn quincunx Lilith, Pluto on the N Node, Saturn semi-sextile Pallas) – the renewed collective contract (Saturn at the NMoon Juno midpoint) will bring them down by their own design, their own dis-owned shadow…..

And what of the talk we must walk……

Our spirits within our hearts are our guides as we enter the unknown – we all carry the flaming sword – we will explore all the energies of this inner collective cosmos on our journey, as this Moth Moon flies towards the November Full Moon

……we will begin to speak our sacred truths anew that we may know each others heart as she transits Mercury – we will take up the flaming sword and begin to wield the power of our ideals as she transits Mars – we will begin to know our deepest purpose as she transits Pluto on the North Node and we will begin to ground our vision in balance as she transits Ceres, fresh from teaching Pluto a lesson in parity and the cyclical ways of feminine wisdom – we will become initiates, knowingly wearing our wounds as a cloak of attainment, woven of the spiritual power of our visions as she transits Chiron and Neptune – we will enter the coven of the crones and taste the amniotic elixir of Life, of Love, as she enters the Lilith corridor and transits Jupiter and Uranus, quincunxes Venus – we will challenge the guardians of the old Laws to release the new feminine consciousness within as she opposes Saturn, as Venus turns direct – we will dream of our beloved as she opposes Venus – and we will awaken from our dream pregnant with the vision seeded in our psyches, feeling the spiritual embryo turn within as she stands before the Sun

……we will sing the body electric when the old patterns have been broken – and they will begin to tumble, when Jupiter strikes out into Aries and Uranus follows, returning to challenge Pluto, cracking open the chrysalis – only those who cling to the shards of the old will perish in the flame – and, even then, empowered, visionary, ensouled, we will be stepping into the unknown……

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THE TIBET SOLUTION

Support is growing for HH The Dalai Lama in his peaceful mission to help bring about the return of freedom to the Tibetan people. Currently visiting Canada, HH is revealing a significant growth in interest from a surprising source….could the solution to Tibet’s enforced occupation at the hands of the Chinese State finally be making visible the crucial critical mass – is the turning point in sight?

MIND OVER MATTER

China took control of Tibet through seizing power, ‘power over’. Although, prior to the Chinese occupation of Tibet, both countries had been negotiating an agreement on Tibet’s status within China as an autonomous region, the two sides had failed to resolve their differences. The People’s Liberation Army crossed into Tibetan territory on October 7th 1950 and by October 19th, 60 years to the day at the time of writing, the Tibetan army was defeated defending its homeland. Although the Chinese state ordered the army to halt its advance towards the Tibetan interior, proclaiming the “peaceful liberation’ of Tibet, thus was initiated, by use of force, the occupation and subjugation of Tibet. What followed changed everything……

Freedom cannot be enforced…….it is a natural state, manifest within the scope of human rights, and ‘diversity’ manifests the field within which it becomes defined. In the interim period up to the Dalai Lama fleeing Tibet in 1959 the country became divided and internal conflict undermined the pragmatic negotiation of peace. Following the 1950 defeat the Dalai Lama had the chance to oppose the ensueing Seventeen Point Agreement of 1951 that China negotiated with Tibet, and in doing so he would have had the backing of the USA – but, the USA, through the CIA, had been arming Tibetan militants who strove to resist land reform and the imposition  of the treaty. The Dalai Lama chose to go with the 17 P A. With emergent indigenous opposition both to the Tibetan government and to the Chinese occupation erupting, HH’s decision looked to be catalytic – ironic, as his long term view must have told him that preservation of the Tibetan spirit, in keeping with his pursuit of peaceful means, above physical confrontation, would be the only way forward, towards freedom. In fleeing Tibet he repudiated the agreement saying it had been made under duress and was not valid (there are specific grounds upon which this claim can be upheld) and entered the path towards collecting global support for the Tibetan cause. It is a path that has become a powerful transformative and enlightening example to the world – HH has been described as the most influencial person of the C20th (Time Magazine). This influence is pervasive and manifestly continues to grow.

Albeit cautious, a significant and optimistic wave of support for the Tibetan cause is now emerging from within the heart of China itself. In an hour long interview with Rick Westhead of the South Asia Bureau at Canada’s Star newspaper online the Dalai Lama spoke of his meetings with several hundred intellectuals, academics and high ranking officials within China who expressed the desire to align themselves with his ‘way’. The Dalai Lama advocates ‘the middle way’. Autonomy for Tibet can be achieved, HH believes, while his homeland remains a part of China – the freedom to protect and cultivate the self determination of Tibetan culture and identity within this context is central to this path of development, a path that Chinese State policy towards Tibet continues to block. And yet, for those respected free thinking individuals within China to express their support for the Dalai Lama in this context is to expose the internal discrepancy between State policy, attitudes and thinking, and the quality of mind that will produce a peaceful, intelligent and realistic solution to the Tibet problem. The Dalai Lama seeks to restore the balance of power to the Tibetan people through sharing, ‘power to’. By comparison this approach is very revealing. 
The ‘middle way’ offers a bridge…….

The emergent support within China is a sign that, at its heart, amongst the people, China’s sentient and intelligent soul, is waking up to the truth – change will come. The announcement of China’s deputy premier Xi Jinping being given the key post from which he is likely to succed Hu Jintao as premier in 2012 has been greeted with great interest globaly, and provides further indications that reform may infact come to China. Little is known of Xi Jinping – he is credited with cleaning up corruption, which is equally a code for enforcing top down control – the need for internal reform is likely to be high on his agenda. However, at present this looks likely to be focused more on maintaining internal stability rather than making sweeping structural changes. Within China the tension between centralist and regionalist tendencies, as well as the struggle between elitist and populist factions is likely to come to the fore – many regions choose to develope individualistic relations abroad through trade agreements. The speculative view is that Xi Jinping will be more open to developing foreign ties, particularly through trade. Infact, openess is a word that has already been attached to his personality and approach. And he will not be alone in bringing change to the face of Chinese officialdom – seven out of the existing nine members of China’s core decision making body will be replaced.

The coming two years will be pivotal as we head towards the time when the Chinese leadership changes hands. Internal struggles are considered unlikely to subvert the regimes overall control – the continual increasing growth of  the military’s influence both as enforcer and agent of inland security (particularly in the face of natural disasters and the regionalisation of business and industry) will make sure of that…..the next generation is going to be key.

Latest news; since this article was published, unrest amongst students at restrictions upon learning the Tibetan language is coming to light – a language belongs to a people, it expresses their soul and, as we know from internal reports, Chinese control upon Tibetan culture is very strict – watch this space!

In the recent past China has deveoped a reputation for standing back from engagement with and exerting influence directly upon world relations outside of its borders, and this has born criticism. However, with China’s profile in the world increasing, environmental events and issues hitting the country directly, the focus on human rights and increasing scrutiny of how this nation influences and relates to the rest of the world, the pressure for change will, inevitably, increase. How at home with impermenance are the two sides?

QUALITY OF MIND

Even in the most mundane sense, the impermanence of the manifest world is an understanding that is at the foundation of the Buddhist approach.

Quality of mind has the power to bring change, great change. The Chinese regime has a tremendous determinist grip on change within its borders, control through the implimentation of political ideology, an ideology that may appear to be diametrically opposed to spirituality. And yet, the ongoing conflict of interests is not about Communism v Buddhism – it does, however, highlight the inherent differences in quality of mind.  ‘Quality of mind’ as an expression of the use of ‘power’ contrasts with ‘quality of mind’ as the means of liberation from suffering.

While China has only been under communist rule for 71 years it is the power of communist politics to eclipse all other ideologies within its borders that shows clearly how the Chinese State mind exercises and relates to power. Inspite of apparent inclusivity there is a puritanical streak to the State’s mundane methodology and orientation – this is conservatism as control, structure that seeks to contain change. Astrologicaly Saturn plays a significant role within the natal chart for China’s communism, as it does in the Dalai Lama’s chart – we will look at the significant synastry between these two Saturn placements in the upcoming second part to this post.

For all the well defined intellectual qualities of the authorities within China there is little humour present within the public face of the Chinese regime – by contrast, the Dalai Lama, while he is known to be both astute and intelligent, is also known for his humour and mischevious nature. And they do say that humour, as well as money, makes the world go ’round.

Intolerance towards independant free-thinking that goes counter to the Chinese regime’s ideologies is indelibly burned on our consciousness – remember Tianamen Square. Little evidence of compassion is ever displayed. For Buddhists worldwide compassion is at the root and is the vehicle for dissemination of its own ideology. Compassion, as the manifest face of an enlightened mind, recognises the impermanence of attachment.

There is no doubting the power of the ‘simple monk’, as the Dalai Lama has described himself. His ability to maintain a relentless schedule of meetings with world leaders, giving  talks, continuing negotiations and meeting spiritual obligations speaks of a tremendous energy at work. When we look at the astrology of the man the source becomes clear – for example, his first house Sun is conjunct the brightest star in the skies, Sirius – the ‘Dog Star’. This star has been known as the harbinger of fame. It is also connected with doubling the heat of the Sun and fearlessness within nature – we will go into the significance of this in more detail in the next post.

Chinese traditional belief considers dogs to be fortunate, the ‘Fu Dog’ bringing good fortune and happiness. Infact Chinese culture abounds with spirituality and pragmatic superstition. This is a culture rich in an indigenous heritage that has been successfully carried by Chinese people to all quarters of the globe. This has been one of China’s greatest exports. The domesticaly embedded a-spiritual nature of the communist regime would at first appear at odds with this heritage. It is perhaps because of the resiliance and astonishing depth of the old culture, as well as the wiley adaptability of the Chinese people, that the spirit of ancient China remains so virile an underlying presence. There is also within this a propensity to embrace change…..

The internal paradox does find expression though – the Dalai Lama has been labeled as a ‘devil’ by the Chinese authorities. This, in the light of the roots of Chinese culture, is a clear projection of ‘shadow’. First accounts of Buddhism entering Tibet include the marraige of the Tibetan king Songtsan Gampo to the Chinese Tang dynasty Buddhist princess, Wengchen; Chan Buddhism came to Tibet from three sources, including China. Tibetan Buddhism continues to this day to be practiced within North East China and Mongolia, whose own struggle for independance from China is well known – the roots of this conflict run deep. A main feature of Chinese assertions that Tibet is a part of China rests on the idea that the region has been under continuous Chinese governance since the C13th Yuan dynasty. And for all the history that is claimed as an integral part Chinese claims on Tibet we are faced with the reality of our changing world – borders change, politics evolve, peoples continue to be subjected to the imposition of ideologies that do not reflect their true nature.

The Dalai Lama fled the country in 1959 – faced with the immediate threat of incarceration and the inevitable consequences. Amidst the increasing destruction of Tibetan culture, freedoms of its peoples and the stifling of the Tibetan spirit, he chose to preserve the potential for his role as spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, a role which has enabled him to win the support of millions worldwide – undoubtedly this has been crucial in keeping alive the spirit of Tibet and ensuring that the plight of the Tibetan people remains a pertinant issue within our global consciousness. Interestingly this factor is also revealed in the astrology and we will return to this too in the next post, the other side of the upcoming October Full Moon.

In the next post we will bring the astrological examination of this meeting of minds more into focus and look at how the stars reveal the inner tensions and dynamics of the situation. We will focus on some of the intrinsic characteristics of the charts for China and the Dalai Lama and look at their synastry for further indications of the Tibetan solution, a solution for us all.

NAMASTE

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October New Moon – a dreamt astrological reading

Sagittal Fibres : Thomas Schultz

I awoke this morning with a complete astrological reading of this October New Moon fresh in my mind – it was given in a dream. Here it is, as it happened, hot off the dream -press :       

there was no physical chart only floating images that were touch sensative – certain key elements are very ‘live’ – nothing is touched physically in the dream and yet when a certain feature is highlighted with conscious focus it becomes activated, like a link on a web screen, and the information is streamed into the dream space  – there is no sound, no voice describing anything, just instant knowing – the dream was very bright and colourful as if illuminated from within – the dream also had an expanded realtime quality that compressed upon awakening as consciousness shifted into awakeness – the demarcation zone between dream and wakened consciousness was very clear – this was not a thought that had occured immediately upon awakening – this was the dream content being carried over…….I have dreamt of divining before but this was the first time it had taken the form of an astrological reading – more on this at the close ; what follows is the essential information as it came through, in a timeline, within the dream, with back-up info from the Sabian Symbols that I referenced upon awakening – I decided not to include a chart in the end as the images remain more luminous within the mind, nearer the quality they had in the dream – the image to the left is an astonishing amalgamation of the two main symbols for the circle of the New Moon chart : 

the chart itself is oriented so that the Moons Nodes are forming a vertical axis, South at the root, North at the crown.

There are two images that appear simultaneously for the circle – in the first, the circle represents a human brain with axis of the Moon’s Nodes forming the top of our spinal column, so dividing the chart circle into right and left hemispheres, with the South Node at the brain stem….
in the second, the circle is a tree, with the roots at the South Node etc, you can imagine the rest:

The brain circle has Jupiter conjunct Uranus + Neptune conjunct Chiron in the right hemisphere;
in the left hemisphere are Mercury conjunct Saturn + Sun conjunct Moon + Mars conjunct Venus;
at the crown Pluto is just in the left hemisphere, and,in the dream, an emphasis is put on the fact that it is in this hemisphere and not exact conjunct the node

In the tree circle the pairing planets are nesting birds that are bedding down and tending to their nests; ( there was no emphasis on the seasons – the nests are both homes for the new laid eggs and shelter for dreaming – remember this symbol for what comes later)

In both circles all the planets and luminaries are in the top or upper half of the circle – the South node, while squared by the Saturn Mercury conjunction, is otherwise isolated, cut off – in the dream the south node was saying that we are being asked to address the fact that we are “dead from the neck down” – that we have lost touch with our roots and that we are in the dangerous position of forgetting where we have come from and, therefore, what we are here to become – Mercury and Saturn together are challenging us to remember our purpose, collectively, but, they also provide the means of doing this, the channel

The dream emphasised that the New Moon and Sun stand at a sensitive point in the chart at 15 Libra – I looked up the Sabian symbol for this point – it has ‘circular paths’ and the keywords are ‘Boredom or Transpersonal Peace’, in other words we have a choice – they are semi-sextile Mars and Venus which is creating a tension in which the deep sexuality of this pairing is at odds with the Moon Sun – they are not seeing each other, not working together – the mind is not seeing, integrating, the sex drive, the mating urge is entirely instinctive – their message within the dream is that we need to take this to higher ground and be conscious of our dual nature and sexual energies – the dream had it that we will become infertile otherwise – the difference in qualities is in the comparision between Boredom (seperation – especially from our animal selves and instincts) and Transpersonal Peace as possible outcomes – which do we choose (or most commonly end up with)?

In the tree circle Pluto is threatening to bring down the tree – he is pulling through the left brain and his gravity is being fed by our thinking, here emphasised by Saturn Mercury – the next New Moon in November will signal the shift, when, days later, Pluto slips past the crown point, the North Node, and into the right hemisphere (brain circle) – not only that, but, the November New Moon is exact on the point that Venus and Mars ar conjunct on now, so, this New Moon is all about priming the change – if we want to make the healing corrective shift, we can dream and think on it now and realise it in a months time – this is crucial timing!!

And what of the healing – in the brain circle the right hemisphere provides the answer – here is the Sabian message for the Neptune Chiron point : “the dependence of the purest feelings of natural living upon the traditions within which they find their most adequate and effective setting.” Anything that Chiron touches must be healed – it becomes ‘chirotic’, to borrow Barbara Hand Clow’s term, and remains so until the healing brings transformation, change – within the dream there is transpersonal and transdimensional energy available to bring this about – so, once again Saturn and Pluto can be brought in to help us ground while channeling this energy into our envisioning, planning and processes for healing – we will all have the personal take on this, so, look inside, be reflective on this Moon and let the truth become apparent

And what of that change – at 27 and 28 degrees Pisces Jupiter and Uranus are dancing the blue electric field of change – “Consumation” is the Jupiter Sabian and “Abundance” the Uranus symbol – at the heart of consumation is ‘Sharing’ and expansive consumation means taking the harvest in and sharing it widely, sowing the seeds of a new cycle that we will all benefit by, and this comes directly from the sabian text too – within the dream, in the right hemisphere these happen through creative and intuitive, receptive and innovative modes – traditions are updated and renewed (North Node), contemporised, brought into the now, released of their dogma (South Node) – Uranus surprises us with wildly unexpected acts of kindness and giving – he also has many tricks up his sleeve too, so, watch out – keep your feet on the ground and stay sharp, look for opportunities that will benefit all – no room for selfish motivation as these will backfire now, and that is part of the past we are trying to remember in order to release

I have written this straight, just got up from sleep, and gone on-line, published – over the next 24 hrs I will try and refine this post, perhaps add a chart, image – so forgive any typos!! – for now, hope you get something out of this – all blessings, happy dream seeding!

Now that a good twelve hours have elapsed from writing the above here are a few reflections on this – I felt a little vulnerable putting this out there, assuming it has any relevance beyond my own consciousness, I could easily be accused of all manner of egotistical and hubristic failings – but, no matter that it was a dream, the planetary positions remain the same and the information passed on from the dream in relation to this stands on its own merits – make of it what you will, it is offered in good faith……

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A Message from the Valley

 

Who would you look to as perfect living examples of balance, generosity and healing? Who will offer you a pathway to the stars, to reach into the inner cosmos of Earth. Who can unfailingly give you the most fundamental requirements of shelter, warmth, food and medicines? Such beings are real, they do exist, right now, here in our midst……

They have inhabited this Earth for nearly 400 million years – they preceded dinosaurs by 140 million years – before them there were no reptiles or amphibians. They are expert natural energy bio-condensers who radically altered the climate, reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to drop and preparing the terrestrial surface environment for the emergence and evolution of animals and insects – through their arrival the planet quickly began to assimilate living conditions very similar to the present-day.

Their children have carried forward their ability to transform, nurture and, literally, inspire Life into our times – and yet we massacre them daily – through this, we contribute to climatic degradation and our own demise – for a thorough over view see this link

we love them too, so why do we treat our dear friends so – they are the Standing People – the Trees, living symbols of Life. It is our greatest challenge as a species to respect Life AND to, as a species, act accordingly – we devolve into failure unless we do so – so,  if we could but take a few steps back from our madness and listen to them what would the Standing People tell us………..

…….if we lived by our hearts we would know them instantly – they would offer us a chance at rebirth as they are the midwives of terrestrial life, our relatives and elders, beloved and wise – they would fill us with wonder as they cradle the stars in their arms, as they pulse with the Sun and flow with the Moon – they would pick us up, raise our spirits,  as they dance with the wind and fill us with their songs – they would cleanse our bodies and heal our souls, as they give us the breath of Life and give back to us the sacred meeting place – they would inspire us to compassion, as they teach us of selfless giving, carry our prayers, heal our bodies – we would dance with them that we may come alive

“…….our DNA is made of the same DNA as the tree – the tree breathes what we exhale – when the tree exhales we need what the tree exhales – so, we have a common destiny with the tree…….” – Floyd Red Crow Westerman

Trees are powerful and highly evolved beings – the closer we become in our relationships with them, the more they stimulate our finer sensibilities, our deeper connections with Life and the Cosmos. They can transform our consciousness. As elder representatives of Nature they offer us a continual example of symbiotic relationship and environmental stewardship – they provide a wonderous variety of species with the essential habitat that fosters diversity and evolution. They too have evolved through this – Oaks, for example, have developed into around 450 species worldwide and, in the UK, the Oak provides a home for more co-habiting organisms than any other tree. Over 300 different kinds of Lichen alone have been found growing on Oaks in Europe and Lichen is a good indicator of air quality – infact the role of trees as indicators of balance within the health of ecosystems has given them a unique place within the consciousness and cultures of peoples worldwide.

No matter where we find trees they bring a sense of wellbeing and belonging, a reminder to those dwelling amongst the hard surfaces and sharp angles of the over-humanised environment of the flow and flux of Nature. For many living beneath the forest canopy the world is immediate, the horizon close by, the natural world a living matrix of vital energies. One western man who spent his life within the community of trees and was able to both discern and develop a profound understanding of these vital energies was the Austrian forester Victor Schauberger.

image : nevit dilmen

The son of a forester from a long lineage reaching back to the Germanic tribes Victor was born into the world of forest lore and the practical know-how of arboreal stewardship – he had a knack of perceiving the subtle and invisible energies at work in Nature. Through a mix of patient observation and inspired curiousity he made of his life a meditation on the living energies that manifest the mind of Nature through the trees and rivers, infused with the powers of Sun, Moon and Earth. Trees spoke to him, and he read their messages as energy. He came to realise that trees bridged the material and subtle realms, responding to the rhythms of Life, both sending and receiving waves of intelligent energy. Callum Coats book “Living Energies” is a itself a dedicated translation and thorough assimilation of the essense of Victor’s work.

The outer reaches of a tree’s canopy and roots transmute ever more subtle gradations of material energy units until they become pure information – the mind of the tree extends beyond its physical body, its intelligence reaching into the transpersonal, its whole being a synaptic complex of consciousness in communication. This is to describe a being that is fully awake, that is able to communicate with both inner and outer Cosmos – when trees enter the inward looking times of Autumn into Winter they focus their consciousness on the dreaming worlds, the dreamtime. Through this they teach us of the rhythm of the seasons as a reflection of our relationship with the pulsing heart of creation.

When we listen to that pulse and pick up the beat we are invited to dance – a circle of people dancing with this pulse, carried by the drum beat and sacred song, pulling the energy of the circle in towards the tree and slowly expanding out again, will awaken the tree – she will radiate a profound warmth and delicious energy, embracing us in her consciousness – to experience this is to know that this is real, beyond doubt, and it will truly bring healing. 

Around the world shamans journey with the drum to the otherworlds from the roots, branches and body of the great tree in search of knowledge and healing – the hoop of their drum is gifted from the trees, the skin often adorned with the axis mundi, the Tree of Life – for many indigenous cultures souls come in and leave Life through her nexus – the spirits congregate there – our prayers hung upon her boughs are heard and cared for – in the groves we find protection, sacred space.

Spirit medicine is only one way in which the balance of our natural relations with the Cosmos can be restored. There are other pathways that are accessible to us all and which are called into our consciousness on a daily basis, that our current planetary conditions tell us are increasingly pertinent.

fosswood dreaming : rob purday

The forests are dying on our Earth, because, through greed and dead matter thinking, we have given priority to satisying the needs of a voracious and uncaring culture, turned a deaf ear to our hearts, become disrespectful and overlooked the reality of our actions – and yet, for so many this is not a true reflection of how we would live. We have not forgotten how to listen, we can still hear their voices – and it is important that we do so for our children and our childrens children. We can reforest our home. And this is a first step – plants and trees planted with respect and in recognition of the sacredness of all Life, over generations of their family and through the seasonal cycles, will become our allies. They come to know us, form a sacred relationship with us and they will always be ready to answer when we ask them for help – this too is real, beyond doubt, and will help to heal the Sacred Hoop, the Circle of Life.

Our western thinking is a great stumbling block, and yet, it is also a great teacher – there is balance in all things. We often filter out that which we do not have tangible evidence for with our thinking – it is an affliction that is affecting our whole world and has caused great suffering within indigenous communities. Balance rather than dominance…….

Balance within communion carries a visceral potential – to restore the balance and make the encounter can be highly emotive and revolutionary, affecting of our view of the world and our understanding of our place within it, of ourselves. There is a wonderful account of such an encounter in “Of Water and the Spirit”, the autobiographical writings of Dagara elder and shaman Malidoma Some. During initiation into adulthood Malidoma describes how he met with a beautiful tree spirit, a tender yet awesome ‘Green Lady’ of immense heart and understanding.

For the ‘western’ mind this encounter is powerfully instructive as Malidoma has to struggle to free himself of the enculturalisation he suffered at the hands of Jesuit priests after they had kidnapped him from his village as a child – his return to the village created a dilema for the Elders who saw both a threat and a gift in his presence, in the cultural baggage that he was carrying. They decided that initiation was the only way forward, the make or break test of whether he could truly become the embodiment of his name, which means “be friends with the stranger/enemy”. It stands as a potent allegory for the relationship between the western mindset and the indigenous. 

Malidoma struggled over a long period under fierce conditions of extreme heat and dehydration, focusing on the tree that stood before him, to arrive at the moment when he was able to ‘let go’ and fall into the embrace of the spirit world. It was the attachment to both ‘trying to do’, contriving what he thought was expected of him, and the emotional attachment to the concrete nature of what his senses told him was real that created the barrier through which he eventually burst – he literally fell into the arms of the beloved spirit, and she spoke to him. Without this breakthrough his initiation would have failed. Even more crucially, this opened the pathway back to the original purpose that he had petitioned the ancestors to support him in before his birth, and allowed him to remember and embody his connection with the spirits in Nature, his name and soul purpose. To the Dagara trees are amongst the most evolved of beings on Earth.

For Malidoma this was the beginning of a journey into the wider world, sanctioned by his elders, his ancestors and spirit family. He carries with him the sacred medicines of his African roots, reconnecting ‘people of the diaspora’ with their roots and healing the spiritual heart of our Western cultural desert – thanks to the ‘Green Lady’. I had the benefit of several years profound and heart centered guidance and tuition with Malidoma – it brought many challenges and, like many others whom he has helped, brought a much needed appreciation of our universal nature, the ways in which we can find healing that are so deeply rooted in Nature, our relationship with the ancestors and the spirit worlds. He, with many others alive today, continues to work his magic for the benefit of us all in the world. All blessings be with the healers – human and arboreal.

The next time you enter a forest, lean against a tree or plant a sappling, please say thank-you – say it out loud, from the heart – it will bring healing into your world, our world. Such powerful healing as we find amongst the Standing people is always at hand, within the forests, amongst the watchful care of those great beings we know as the Trees. The New Moon beckons – happy dreaming!

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Being Indigenous – an open letter

Dear Reader,

“We are all indigenous, equal in essence, the sons and daughters of the Earth and yet, for some, many infact, to be Indigenous means to suffer at the hands of our brothers and sisters, to be persecuted, to be stigmatised as less than equal – until balance is restored the suffering will continue; the world will remain out of balance until this is put right.”

There are many in the world who are already doing everything they can to support the struggle of indigenous people to become equal and free citizens, within the world, on their own lands, within the contexts of independant Nation States – if you are such a person, THANK-YOU – please continue to shine your light in the world, to let it shine brighter, to be the example, the exceptional individuals who make the difference – and, may we join you……and, of course, lets remember, indigenous ‘issues’ in the world do not only apply to human-kind……

Re-balancing can happen – it is happening as we speak – and yet, the suffering continues. The message is that we need to ‘up the energy’, sustain our focus for ‘positive change’ and be ready to change our POV as the view changes. Let us examine, under the powerful lense of this Equinoxial Full Moon, some of the ways in which this imbalance persists in the world today, the better to navigate a way forward, a way of healing and bringing an end to the suffering………but, first, lets set the astrological scene :

It is Equinox, the time of the year when we adjust to the changing rhythms of day and night, darkness and light, in fluid equilibrium – it is the fulcrum point at which questions of balance can be brought into focus, given a new appraisal and a healing time prepared from what we find.

There is also a very potent Full Moon the day after the equinox, filling out this theme with passion and emotive energy – opposite the Moon, the Sun re-figures Saturn’s recent entry into the Libran influence of Justice, balance – the weighing of our soul’s path-work on Earth against our love for Humanity. Under these influences our focus becomes intensified, grounded with passion and deeply pragmatic meaning.

Uranus and Jupiter are conjunct within the equinoxial zone of this Moon and the FM itself falls exact on their previous meeting point (June 8th 2010) at the first degree of Aries – time for expansive change, emotive re-evaluation and charging up our heart-felt potential for radical healing.

Full Moons can also cause us to loose our heads, turn us into gibbering lunatics and, with the energies of Jupiter amplifying and Uranus electrifying the Full Moon, we need to be-aware of rash and over the top impulses – Neptune and Chiron continue to challenge us to work for the higher good while also letting go even though our hearts may still be in the right place –  even as we allow the power to flow through through us – its as well to be in safe and sacred space if we are working intentionally with these energies as there is an unpredictability in the mix and the possibility of becoming ungrounded.

Put all these energies together and you can see that it creates a great wave, of soul focused healing, and the dynamic re-balancing that releases us from the shackles of the past – riding it will help us to grieve old wounds, even ancient ones embedded in our DNA, clearing the way for a clearer connection with each other and the cosmos – we can bring about the change that we percieve is most sorely needed, so, it is a good time to ‘ask the question’, of what is closest to our hearts.

Applying these energies to persistant and deep wounds will bring about equally deep and lasting change – and, Human Rights is amongst the most pressing and pertinant issues that we face, day after day, in our time – what happens when the world moves WITH the cosmos in consciousness on these issues – lets find out…..

Returning to the focus of Indigenous People’s Rights in the world and, at the risk of inciting you to duck behind the sofa or run for the nearest fire hydrant, let us ask an emotive and difficult question , in keeping with this Full Moon :

"Grief" : copyright Rob Purday

‘Are the conquered and divided, missionised, dispossesed, raped, murdered, stigmatised, ethnically cleansed, dishonoured, disrespected, criminalised, Indigenous victims of genocide, enforced enculturalisation, enslavement, marginalisation, imported disease, non-indigenous values, illegal invasion, ‘legal’ subjugation, deportation, starvation and corporate greed expected to say :

          “yeh, OK, you’re right, we’re wrong – go ahead, do as you will, destroy us, control us, our land, our culture, our way of life, our communities and families – make of us a diaspora, an example of undesirability, less than worthy members of the ‘Free World’ – disregard our rights to, by your own Laws, Free Speech, self determination, equality, liberty and the basic fundamental rights of human existance, on and within the land that we, our parents, grandparents and ancestors, who so desire the nourishment of our grief shed tears, call our Home, going back longer than you can, in all likelihood, possibly remember, and would willingly shed yourselves, were YOU also vitaly in touch with your deepest roots, with the land that has given you and your kin their roots, meaning, culture and very bodies, has fed and envigorated your spirits and given you the unalienable right to say “I AM INDIGENOUS”?’

NO! I DON”T THINK SO……………DO YOU?

Indigenous peoples the world over continue to this day, in our time, to suffer exploitation, oppression and the abuse of their inalienable Human Rights – and this, despite the best efforts of the UN, the ILO, national governments and their representatives, countless dedicated organisations, lobbying, pressure, support and resource groups, campaigns, communities and inspired individuals to bring balance and equality into the world on behalf of and as representatives of Indigenous Peoples worldwide. This raises many questions – such a state of affairs is itself a persistant and pertinent question waiting to be fully answered.

Pertinent questions can be powerful motivators – they persist and remain active until resolved……..for example :

The United States and Canada are the two most prominent countries not, to this date, to have fully endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Canada, at the time of writing, is still moving towards ratification – at the time of initial adoption eleven other countries abstained – WHY?

The ILO Convention C169 that gives Indigenous Human Rights a global legal condition of recognition, as well as giving Indigenous Law a valuable degree of parity with National Law, is, to date, ratified by ONLY 22 nations worldwide, despite having been in existance for more than 30 years, and in force for 29 years – notable absentees from ratification include the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, the UK; infact every single European country except Holland, Spain, Norway, and Denmark has so far refused to ratify this noble and crucial convention – WHY?

France’s government is in the process of expelling Roma peoples; Germany’s government is heading in the same direction, with their sights on even greater numbers of expulsions than France, including large numbers of children – WHY?

Then, please consider the fact that, even when they do ratify Articles and Conventions that protect the equality of First Nations within Nation States, giving them legal rights that protect their Human Rights, Nation States the world over continue to demonstrate a liability to show harsh disregard for the same fundamental rights of aboriginal, indigenous peoples, when it comes to issues of State policy, land rights, legal rights, education and health, the abolition of poverty and particularly the Humanitarian rights of peoples whose very existance is under threat from Corporate Development of their homelands – WHY?

Given that, inspite of all the advances and immense efforts that have been initiated, embedded and enacted on behalf of and in support of the indigenous peoples of this world, that they continue to suffer, are we then to stand back and do nothing? Are we to remain passive observers of the horrors faced by indigenous peoples, day after day, the world over?

If you find that the answer is NO please take time to think on this, make a pledge to yourself, renew your old ones, to, at least one time in your life, but, better still, once a year, a month, even everyday, do at least one small thing that will help change this totally unacceptable state of affairs within our present world. And, if you find that the answer is YES……..then, thank-you for making it this far, and, having done so, just allow yourself to go one step further……

The smallest thing can make all the difference – a gift, message, prayer, dedication – even just ‘thank-you’ in some form adds more substance, more energy to the wave of change that we can and are generating in support of the indigenous and oppressed First Nations of our world – Our World…..think on it….there is so much more we can choose to do

Whatever your choices the following organisations and articles will help you make your choice an informed one – illuminations and blessings of this Equinox Full Moon be with us :

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL
IP SURVIVAL FOUNDATION
UN INDIGENOUS FORUM
UN DECLARATION
ILO C169
BEING INDIGENOUS
FOREST PEOPLE
ARCTIC PEOPLE
ISSUES AND RESOURCES
ROMA EXPULSIONS
UNREPRESENTED NATIONS
A I MOVEMENT

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10 Billion Drums – the astrology of a Global Gateway!

owlstarA remarkable event is scheduled for Friday 17th September at 7pm – its global, a real ‘sit up and take notice’ flag – we are invited to create a synchronistic wave of drumming around the Earth  – no specific place is given so it looks like a ‘rolling wave’ – with a very positive aim.

It is a well timed and propitious event that has some serious support from the astral realms! But, first, take a look through this link, ’10billionbeats’  , at whats intended and then come back to look at an astrological view of the archetypal energies that we can expect to be at work as we all resonate this through the drums!

The astrology that follows is a mixture of esoteric, intuitive, shamanic and idiosyncratic – no apologies for this – the language is full as befits the archetypes! Having unfurled them, we have to let the wind fill our sails. Not forgetting therefore, all homage to the ancestral navigators. The stars that guided them are still guiding us today. There are no houses involved in this reading as it is not tied to a location; the context is Earth. The symbology is drawn from the the archetypes of the planets, their sign placements, in aspect, and the sabian symbols associated with the degree upon which they are found within the chart (degrees are always rounded upwards) : click on the chart to see a larger version

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:00:00 GMT
chart : planetwatcher.com

    

The energies of this chart show a building dynamic that will peak at the Full Moon exactly on the Autumn Equinox 5 days later. And what a Full Moon this promises to be! All the major conjunctions in the chart are tightening in the process so the harmonics between planets involved will be tuning up as well. A wave of vibration created at this time will not fade away – it will sustain and, given that the outer planets are so much in play, will reverb through to activate the archetypes as the planets sing like tuning forks. Their influence will last through to the next New Moon and the patterns they evoke will remain long after the planets have progressed on – so this is a Golden Opportunity to Earth some profound and productive prayers with the spirit worlds. This is very much about Earth becoming a Gateway that will carry the wave, with a Terran signature, out into the Cosmos along the weblines that connect us to the planets and stars.

 Jupiter and Uranus together have been ushering a new wave of electrifying and expansive inspiration for a few months now – their combined power has been described as ‘the Quickening’ and, in late Pisces, early Aries (where they were conjunct on June 8th), they are bringing an old cycle to completion and providing the fuel for a collective initiatic awakening.

Chiron and Neptune in late Aquarius bring the visionary and the shaman together – together they invite us to journey towards a collective vision of healing.

Both these conjunctions are strongly apsected by the Sun – the challenge is to put our egocentricity aside and allow the power to flow through us – the emphasis here is on a collective effort that draws upon the empowerment that our past achievements in these areas have brought us. They are the first of the Elders holding the space and guiding us in the initiatic circle.

Pluto in Capricorn, with the North Node of the Moon closing, take the karmic impulse of our vision to the deepest roots of our earthly incarnation. Saturn squares the N Node. The emphasis here is on an harmonious realisation of the ‘heaven within us’ as it can be realised according to the great natural Laws. Pluto and Saturn are the next Edlers and act as the guardians of the intitiatic process – this has profound implications. The collective challenge is to be fully cogniscant at the beginning of the process and take responsiblility for the effects that grounding this vision will have on Life. The square means we are challenged to ensure no more blind short-term gains at the expense of our descendants. There is always balance – the mutual relationship between the destructive and the creative must be acknowledged as a necessity. Our wounds are also our power – we will come back to this.

Mercury in Virgo has a beneficial aspect to Pluto and particularly to the N Node and reminds us of the potentiality of initiation, the limitations we are seeking to release ourselves from as well as the Laws that apply in the process – we are still planetary children and yet we are committing ourselves to growth into maturity. Mercury, as go between in the process, ensures that we manifest this as a key signature, an underlying intent of the message behind this event. Mercury also aspects Mars and particularly Venus.

The Mars position tells us that while we are seeking to break free of our limitations we must not let the excitement of our thrust towards the future distract us. The challenge of the Mars Mercury aspect is in vigorously carrying forward respect for the past, our most cherished memories and our lessons learned, so that we may both be wise from experience and honouring of our ancestors. It is the Pluto connection that ensure we observe the natural Laws in all their depth as they apply to ancestry. In this moment “we are the sole reason they existed” and so it us with us and our descendants. Mars Pluto also challenges us to expand our family into all the realms of living beings, to become ensouled with our Earth heritage and to accept both the anabolic and catabolic aspects of the initiatic process in all its depths of meaning.

Venus’ position in Scorpio emphasises the passion of our heroic journey towards collective realisation. We are challenged to draw upon our spiritual strengths and to trust in the power of spirit, no matter what we may encounter. This is an expression of compassion as intelligent will infused with courage (the power of the heart) in the search for deep understanding.

The Moon’s position in Capricorn carries the signature of surrender to higher ideals. The emphasis is on complete dedication in service to the community, both Global and spiritual. The freedom this promises is framed within inner discipline – this is the challenge inherent in total commitment to a transcendant goal. It is a goal that carries forward a vision in which we reclaim our natural rights, as well as our natural rites, as the children, guardians and elders of the Earth.

With its beneficial aspect to the Sun this waxing Lunar phase is priming the Full Moon which is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus on the equinox – at this time the circle of is charged with full potential.

At the time of the 10billion drums we will have the benefit of a further very magical and intruiging pattern (not shown in the chart) in which the Moon forms one corner of what is often named by astrologers as a ‘mystic rectangle’. This web of dynamic activity is carrying a matrix of healing that reaches into the wild psyche of the feminine. As well as the waxing Moon we find Pallas, Sedna and Varuna in a dancing quatrain. So here we have Moon at 24 Capricorn sextile Pallas at 23 Scorpio, Pallas opposite Sedna at 23 Taurus who is sextile Varuna at 23 Cancer (opposite the Moon). It is Pallas and Sedna who ask for the wounding suffered by womankind at the hands of the partiarchy to be healed by finding a way through understanding, and this is understanding that seeks sublime solution sourced at the wild root. It is the pairing of Moon and Varuna that direct our prayers to the origins of all Life, to Great Mystery, as reflected in our passionate commitment to the spiritual community – whatever this may mean to us, whatever shape it may take in us as individuals, we can wear our wounds as a cloak of power and know that we are protected by Divine Law.

One last aspect which emphasises the power of the feminine is a beneficial partnership between Venus and Dark Moon Lilith – this pair have drawn a bow across the chart that will shoot the arrow of ‘Love in Kundalini’ towards the heavens – this represents a karmic inner marriage, a fusion of opposites, of spirit and matter as one, of past and future in the present – the fletch of the arrow is renewing our innocence – its tip is aiming at attunement to the rhythms of the the cosmos, ‘the heaven within’, ecstacy in realisation. It is the power of the Dark Goddess emerging from within.

Dark Goddess Moon 2010-09-08 robpurday

If it seems incredible that such powerful imagery and energy can be present and within reach – why should we doubt it; a rhetorical question, as the world around us is everyday filled with immense change, powerful challenges and demanding an equally powerful emphasis on Global transformation through radical healing. Our ancients knew it would be thus in our time. The cosmological dimensions have a grand scale, an archetypal presence within our lives that ask us to raise our sights – we can ensure this through acting collectively. Our individual paths merge when we do so – and it will serve us well, when we can resonate with the archetypes and remember, in Alice Walkers fine words, that :

 ‘we are the ones we have been waiting for’.

 

Through 10billion drums, with the blessings of all the benevolent spirits, may the seeds of our dreaming awaken, take root, grow and bear fruit, in Peace.
Posted on the Dark Moon 2010-09-08

With special thanks to Jonathan Horwitz for alerting me to this event and, of course, astronomical appreciation to the inspired and example setting folks at ‘ten billion beats’….lets drum!!!

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Climate Change, the Megaliths and the Stars : an introduction

image by Paul Taylor
“The more we know the more we realise how much we don’t know.”

In a recent article at Funkastrology titled ‘Zodiac Signs, Fixed Stars and Precession’ Jamie Partridge presents a strong case for overhauling popularised practices within astrology that are based on outmoded and misleading astronomical and astrological concepts. The article exposes the imperative need for revision and realism. Without it, divinatory practices, such as astrology, that rely on precision in establishing relationships, measure and values cannot offer full resonance, and therefore, real meaning in their readings. We need to return to the fundaments through our current knowing while moving forward, and the Funks (Jamie and his partner, co-author and astrologer Marina) are certainly going there! Follow the link and take a look at the article for a clear view of the facts and issues involved, as well as their excellent website.

As a diviner, reading Jamie’s article woke up something of an old memory, a reminder that such challenges as we are now facing had raised an absolute necessity for radical change in ancestral times, perhaps even more so than at present and certainly not only for divinatory purposes. The post sparked off a train of thought that has developed into this article – the following comments are where it all began :

“I am with you on astrology and astronomy being one in our past. Navigating by the fixed stars has an instinctive electric ring to it that feels different from the vagaries of the planets. The scientists have been telling us for years that cosmic rays from the stars affects our DNA!

Am also pulled by the idea that adaptation and survival needs brought out the hunter gatherer to agri-culture shifts – in the face of post glacial rapid climate change (theres hard evidence for a fifty year window in which that climate change happened – that’s freaky fast and uncomfortably familiar) – the shamans were there already and I’m sure their roles changed within those shifts………

Heres a goofy idea….

How would it be if EVERYTHING changed back then? Theres plenty of evidence to support the otherwise wacky idea that those rapid changes were set off by an axial shift of this planet – the skies orientation/motion would have changed with it and necessitated upgrading the astrology and cosmology [to something more like that which] we recognise now in the process.

Wouldn’t this have complicated and diversified the already existent astrological arts and call forth the need for a different kind of precision. Is it in that context that fixing everything became more of an issue (including precession – Earth began to wobble)? Next thing you know you’ve got the ancestors of science telling us how it is. (Can anyone explain why Uranus rotates on an ‘horizontal’ axis?).”

So much in our times reflects the experience of such a global shift; our concerns in the face of global warming and climate change bring up old fears deeply embedded in our collective memory – increasing earth movements, volcanic activity, tsunamis, flooding, massive damage to our biosphere through ecological disasters and environmental mis-management, wars and political tensions, not even to mention economic meltdown, overpopulation, massively unbalanced distribution of wealth and resources; the list goes on and puts it beyond doubt that this a traumatic and tough time to be alive in – we KNOW we need to change – and so, if our ancestors have survived and thrived through such immense challenges, what can their story and their legacy tell us that will help us traverse these challenges in our times:

First, let us consider a contraversial but persuasive argument – that the post axial-shift culture shock and subsequent changes actually precipitated the development of the megalithic culture as a way of re-envisioning the as-above-so-below thingum – this is supported by indigenous wisdom and collective memory. Megalithic culture reaches back to these times, roughly 13K years, and is a global cultural phenomenon. Post glacial melt has hidden a part of our past and, although in some parts of the globe the land lifted as the weight of the ice diminished, over the first 6k years of this period the sea level rose by over 100 m. Although much is now submerged of the predominantly coastal settlements from the late paleolithic, many sites from the subsequent Holocene period are now found on stable higher ground. Archeo-astronomy shows clearly the astronomical connections of site after site around the world – by the time sites like the Avebury complex and Stonehenge were being constructed this culture would have developed a grounded and in-depth understanding of the new cosmology as well as the technology to embed it – the sites are teleological. Heres a thing, for example……

Avebury Henge

 Avebury is interesting in this respect and demonstrates a profound understanding of cosmological relationships – (call it coincidence if you like, but…) the angle formed by the north south entrances to the circle are aligned at 23 degrees to the true north – this just happens to be the angle of the Earths axial tilt – the inner circles are aligned to each other at a similarly close angle. Infact the whole site displays stone placements that relate to ancient units of global measurement and proportion. On top of this the Avebury site has distinctive acoustic properties as well, and although in our times these only become apparent in the quiet of night, the original configuration of the large stones and the surrounding bank would have enhanced these apsects. This would have added heightened resonance to the space and amplified subtle nuances in the energy field of the inner space, both physical and metaphysical. There are many ways in which the henge would have been used which are no longer obviously visible to us, including astronomical divination. However, without even going into the metaphysical and spiritual attributes of Avebury (we will look more closely at this at a later date) this megalithic site alone gives much food for thought.

Whatever your persuasions……Many researchers have assembled countless pages of data and information relating to megalithic sites that support views, theories and postulations across a wide spectrum of disciplines and interests. Even though many are contradictory and at odds with each other there can be no doubt that collectively they confirm one thing – that the amount of data and skills embedded in these two megalithic centres alone is immense. They were, and still are, obviously open to being used as places of learning, cosmological and terran, and it would be my contention that the mode of learning would have been initiatic as well as technological – we will begin to explore this more in pt 2. They represent a huge investment in the people and their culture – they also represent a living legacy of our indigenous selves.

Let’s take a brief look at this investment for a moment. The effort involved in building these sites must have been immense – it has been calculated, that the shaping alone of the Stonehenge sarsons (and these are big stones weighing up to 50 tonnes or more) would have required 20,000,000 hours of work – that’s five hundred people working for 10 years – and, yes, there are wide variables that could decrease or increase this figure. Some of the stones at Avebury are twice as weighty, and even if not obviously worked, this provides endless speculation and experimentation in just how the stones were transported and located. There are astonishingly accurate measurements and alignments involved in their placements. We are talking here about setting up ‘resonance’, an immensely important function in divination, astrology, metaphysics and establishing an harmonic physical correspondence between the earth and the Cosmos. Resonance here becomes the active state of a gateway to mystery……

And what of the legacy? The building of Silbury Hill, a 130 ft high human made conical mound at Avebury henge also remains a mystery. Many visitors, however, will testify that, with an open heart and mind the place speaks volumes. Avebury can affect us profoundly; just being there can be an elevating and emotional experience, can highten our sensitivities and expand our awareness. In such states astronomical observations naturally transpose into astrological divination. Mayan diviners are famous for setting the precident. And so, it was with great good fortune I found myself joining a small party of people who met up with Hunbatz Men, a Mayan Daykeeper (calendrically divining shaman) when he visited the UK in 1993/4.

He came to Avebury and confirmed that it was a part of the global pyramidal network in which his indigenous Central American culture figures so prominently. He also ‘read’ at least one crop circle while he was there – his conclusion was startling – his understanding told him through the glyph that the Earth was out of position! We will come back to this……

Equinox serpent at Kukulcan
Equinox serpent at Kukulcan

Now, this is going to seem a little more tangential, but, imagine what we could build in our times with the amount of time, energy and insight invested in building Stonehenge – a hadron collider – clean energy technology – or perhaps we already waste that amount of time end energy many many times over on destroying each other and our planet?! If you factor in the global connectivity of our times the latent people-power becomes exponentially world changing. It is no wonder the powers-that-be in our materialistic era have so much vested interest – so long as it is controlled, people-power is the fuel for realising the governing agendas – unleash that power, and this means a radical internal shift, a shift in how we experience empowerment, and what could we achieve – a different world, and just perhaps, a lasting peace…..was this one of the prime movers for our ancestors astronomical efforts?  If they were suffering post-traumatic shock, ‘catastrophobia’ as some have called it, wouldn’t they also want to find equally radical ways of healing  it……

There is some irony in this, as the very nature of the changes that helped develop the megalithic culture to its heights also enabled the transference of power into rationalised structures within communities – so called ‘matriarchial’ societies became, gradually, subjected to ‘patriarchal’ control.

I have wondered many times, after Hunbatz left, if he was simply reflecting on the evidence and feeling of the prevelant culture in the UK – we are unashamedly materialistic. I knew that his journey carried personal significance to him at the age of 52. It is his people’s tradition that in their fifty second year the male elders make their ‘final’ journey out of the village, before they become rooted in the communal role of Elder. I knew he was looking to drum up support for the return of his people’s spiritual practices to their sacred sites, practices outlawed by the governmnent if carried out by Mayans. His ruse was to invite westerners to take the Mayan’s place, offering initiations on the key equinoxial dates, to reactivate the sites. My partner at the time went to the ceremony that re-activated Chichen Itza. I spent three very fresh and remarkable nights on top of Silbury and at Avebury complex connecting in with her – joining the two sites at the calendrical point of balance.

We had exchanged sacred artifacts, and on her return, exchanged them back in a small ceremony on the point where the obelisk had stood within Avebury circle. Now, Chichen Itza’s key structure is the Temple of Kukulcan, a 90 ft high pyramid which itself is cosmologicaly encyclopedic. The active symbol at the equinox is the shadow of the feathered rainbow serpent Quetzalcoatl – it is formed perfectly, on the equinoxial day only, zigzaging down the steps on the northern side of the pyramid to join with a carved feathered snake’s head. Just as we completed our re-union ceremony at Avebury a line of people came weaving in a dancing line between the stones around us – we did not know them, but, they brought the energy of Quetzalcoatl right home to us and Avebury. They were zigzaging a snake dance amongst the stones…..spirit will always show a way for those open to it. And, it is true that for us to find a path of reconciliation with our planet, small confirmations of this kind are made to look somewhat insignificant – indigenous wisdom, however, will tell us that they all count. We need them to count on a vast scale – with our connectivity it is just possible that we may find the crucial homeopathic dose….

I have little doubt that what Hunbatz had seen in the crop circle was a wake-up call and confirmation. I also have little doubt that he subsequently did everything he could to divine and heal this displacement, not least of all as it is the diviner’s prerogative to identify the corrective and the shaman’s to aid its realisation. In respect of this he also knew the meaning of people-power and even had a minimum number he needed to re-activate the sacred places. There is so much that we may think we have lost, and yet, it is all right here if we choose to see it. And is re-activation of our sacred places on the agenda? Will we listen to our diviners and astrologers?

avebury_aerial[2]The legacy, the investment and the corrective are converging in our times at a nexus point of necessity. We are now facing similar threats, on a global scale, to the rapid climate change experienced by our ancestors. We also know that we need a global culture shift that will correct and release us from the shadow of our past traumas and mistakes. Our shamans are still among us. They will no doubt echo back to us the displacement of spirit that our material culture has imposed upon the world and help us transit this time of radical healing – to Hunbatz, as to virtually every shaman I have ever met, to speak of the Earth is to speak of the whole living totality of Life here – and that reaches well beyond the visceral tangibility of our mundane senses. I feel that he was addressing the inner healing of spirit and matter that permeates our culture as a pathological necessity. More people visit our ancient megalithic sites now than ever did so at the time of their building – it is not without reason.

In a perfect way the megalithic cultures, as well as the astro-cultures that we have divided, into -ology and -onomy, are brought back together again in these ancient sites in a surprisingly pertinant way. This is not to voice some atavistic urge – it is to recognise our heritage, our indigenous intuitive and instinctive knowing. Just so long as we are open to recieving, we will also find healing there.

To be continued…….

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