Journal

4/1/14 4/1/14

Insights for March, 2014

“Each of us is born with a life task to reconnect to the core of our being. In order to do this, we must remove the blocks between our conscious awareness and our core.” Light Emerging, Barbara Ann Brennan, pg. 12

“Your embodied truth meter is your energy field at the physical, mental and spiritual levels: YOU CANNOT LIE TO YOUR OWN ENERGY FIELD.” David Pond, Astrologer, 2013 Winter Solstice Newsletter

“Your embodied truth meter includes your emotions, your intuition, your imagination and your soul’s urge. You can reclaim your ability to be the authority of these aspects of your being.” David Pond, Astrologer, 2013 Winter Solstice Newsletter

Where is Chiron in your natal chart? “The position of Chiron describes where we construct a bearable reality and a host of defense mechanisms to hide the loneliness and alienation suffered from being " different" and not being deeply understood..www.michaellutin.com

I have been dealing with grief and loss, as we all do, and this came across my desk (via Tricycle: The Buddhist Review) today, and I am contemplating it: "Grief might be, in some ways, the long aftermath of love, the internal work of knowing, holding, more fully valuing what we have lost." Mark Doty, "Don't They Know?

"The grief I am experiencing has a heavy weight of regret for time lost with my friend.” This, too, came across my desk from Eckhart Tolle, and I really liked it: “If your mind carries a heavy burden of past, you will experience more of the same. The past perpetuates itself through lack of presence. The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future.”

"Divine happiness, even the tiniest particle of a grain of it, never leaves one again; and when one attains to the essence of things and finds one’s Self–this is supreme happiness. When it is found, nothing else remains to be found; the sense of want will not awaken anymore, and the heart’s torment will be stilled forever. Do not be satisfied with fragmentary happiness, which is invariably interrupted by shocks and blows of fate; but become complete, and having attained to perfection, be YOURSELF." Sri Anandamayi Ma

"When the evolutionary intent is radical the capacity for resistance is enormous." Mark Jones.

I love David Pond's astrology. He writes beautifully about the upcoming CARDINAL CROSS this April. Yes, it is a very intense alignment of planets all calling for ACTION. But I am tired of hearing astrologers worry about it. It's a call to action after all, and the best way to handle a spinning pinwheel of activity is to be as centered as possible to your core. If you are very centered to your core, the pinwheel of energy spinning around it will activate and manifest for you. Get clear on your core and shift your energy to this solid place.

"For some who like this dynamic intensity, it can be a most productive, innovative forward moving time in their lives, while for others this swirling vortex feels like a tempest in a teacup that can’t be controlled.

Spring Equinox: To Dance with Change this spring, Don’t Expect a Waltz!

The astrology for this spring presents one of the most dynamic, intense, fast moving energy patterns we’ve encountered. The much-heralded Cardinal Grand Cross (also called Grand Square) comes into exact aspect this spring and the wheel of change will be spinning like a centrifuge. In the world around us we are seeing this manifest as extreme weather patterns and extreme political uprisings. Everything seems to be intensified as the clash between the old and new comes to a head. Such is the nature of the energy field around us this spring and in this newsletter we will focus on how to utilize this energy to initiate positive changes in our individual lives.It is the same Sun that rises and sets for all of us. It is the same energy field we are all in and yet, how each of us responds to this intense energy is totally up to each individual. This energy pattern produces the awareness of where change is necessary in your life, and provides the energy to take action. The Cardinal signs initiate action; don’t wait for change—seek it. The grand square is like a cosmic accelerator and you can use it to accelerate shifting from old to the new in your life.Moving from Dysfunctional to Functional As the wheel of life spins faster, it becomes more important to know your center. What is all of this dynamic change revolving around? This is the most dynamic, energetic vortex of swirling energy imaginable. For some who like this dynamic intensity, it can be a most productive, innovative forward moving time in their lives, while for others this swirling vortex feels like a tempest in a teacup that can’t be controlled.A pinwheel gains momentum and reveals its brilliance by casting off its spent fuel. Where is it that you could gain momentum in your life by casting off the spent fuel in your life; things, people, behavior patterns, that you are holding onto that no longer feed you, or are no longer functional.You can use the centrifugal force of this energy and the pinwheel effect to help you cast off dysfunctional aspects of your life. With Pluto in Capricorn, we know the ideal is to move towards a sustainable life, but before the ideal is reached, simply becoming functional is a big step, and casting off that which is dysfunctional is a beginning. This is an excellent time for facing that which is dysfunctional in your life and transforming it into functional.The vehicle of your being is going to be moving fast. How’s your ride? Smooth, bumpy or careening recklessly out of control?” David Pond, www.davidpondastrologer.com

"...as individuals, we must all do our part... our part is to make the best, most creatively inspired, spiritually astute thing we can out of the life in play." Philip Sedgwick http://philipsedgwick.com/

"There is no such thing as two people—whether baby and mother, two lovers, or teacher and student—being perfectly in sync with each other’s needs and wishes. Real intimacy arises from an ongoing process of connection that at some point is disrupted and then, ideally, repaired." Pilar Jennings, “Looking into the Eyes of a Master”

“Most of what we're missing, I believe, is trust in ourselves. Self-trust is the foundation of all other kinds of trust because all of them come back to you trusting your decision to have faith in a situation. This has been injured so many times that it seems like trust is either impossible, or it is always going to be betrayed. Neither of these is true, but it will seem true if it's the only option we have.” Eric Francis http://planetwaves.net/astrologynews/646979010.html

“I believe that trust is cultivated by exactly the opposite property: understanding what we can give to any situation. Trust and love are closely related; we tend to love what we nurture, whether it's a child, a friend, a puppy or a home. One skill here is learning to properly nourish yourself, which will definitely help -- but replacing this chilly quality of "what can I withhold?" with "what can I offer?" is going to help many ways, including proving that you really do have something to offer; something truly worthwhile -- and that may answer one of your most nagging doubts.” Eric Francishttp://planetwaves.net/astrologynews/646979010.html

“Be cool. Locate your inner weird and find your personal non-ordinary reality. Then superimpose that onto the real world.” Philip Sedgwick http://philipsedgwick.com/

“Find a place within your inner resourcefulness that brings you absolute contentment.” Philip Sedgwick http://philipsedgwick.com/

MUSIC can increase well-being for cancer patients. Yes! Make several playlists, and listen often. http://www.curemagazine.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/journey.showArticle/id/9/enableStageSubMenu/3/article_id/2281

Meditation helps relieve stress and helps us tap our inner voice: “Find solitude. Meditation helps relieve stress and helps us tap our inner voice. If you don't like being with yourself, how can you expect others to like being with you?” Kawasaki wrote.

“Many of my best ideas have come to me when I am driving alone. I've often thought that my creativity has declined because I do not take long drives as often!”

3/3/14 3/3/14

Insights for February 2014

Great image about seeing what is coming 150461_500790863303697_577324546_n

I have been trying to better understand the hype and buzz around the word "mindfulness" when it didn't seem like people were meditating. This article explains the difference between mindfulness meditation and simple everyday mindfulness. He advocates for simple everyday mindfulness and I think for some people that is a good solution and possible to manifest for benefits. I also think that classic relaxation techniques are helpful for alleviating stress. But for many, mindfulness mediation, or vipassana and it's precursor, concentration, or samatha mediation, or the classic deeper meditation practice, is more useful.http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/more-mindfulness-less-meditation/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Which meditation method is right for you? This article explains five different meditation methods and will give you good general insights into these methods. Please contact me if you would like to talk about these and which will work best for you. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/health/which-meditation-method-is-for-you/story-fnivsuep-1226814003078

Meditation app (!) - this looks pretty good - check it out - and let me know how it works for you! http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/software/meditation-apps-aim-to-lift-spirits-1.1641083#.UvEcc2SwKmA

There is so much buzz around meditation! Here is really good online source teaching classic technique. This is the same method I teach. Please contact me if you are interested in starting a meditation practice. http://whatmeditationreallyis.com/index.php/dare-to-meditate/item/15-6-meditation-methods.html

“It is when we are trapped in incessant streams of compulsive thinking that the universe really disintegrates for us, and we lose the ability to sense the interconnectedness of all that exists.” Eckhart Tolle

"A lot of people try to counteract the ‘I am not good enough’ with ‘I am good enough.’ In other words, they take the opposite and they try to invest it. That still keeps the world at the level of polarities. The art is to go behind the polarities. So the act is to go not to the world of ‘I am good’ to counteract ‘I am bad,’ or ‘I am lovable’ as opposed to ‘I am unlovable.’ But go behind it to ‘I am.’ I am. I am. And 'I am' includes the fact that I do crappy things and I do beautiful things and I am. That includes everything and I am. As you start to rest in the I am-ness, from that place, you can start to set boundaries on the way you play the game and become more impeccable in the way you play it." Ram Dass, Love Serve Remember

"Wisdom arises through the simple act of giving someone or something your full attention. Attention is primordial intelligence, consciousness itself. It joins the perceiver and the perceived in a unifying field of awareness. It is the healer of separation.” Eckhart Tolle

“If you have not found that which is timeless or formless in yourself, then nothing that you manifest will satisfy you.” Eckhart Tolle

It's an Eckhart Tolle day (!): “The significant is hiding in the insignificant. Appreciate everything.” Eckhart Tolle

"The capacity of the mind to label reality is not the same as the capacity of the soul to full experience reality." Mark Jones, Healing the Soul. http://www.plutoschool.com/

"Life expresses itself through the field of reality in which we are self-conscious centers of co-creative experience." Mark Jones, Healing the Soul. http://www.plutoschool.com/

"From the point of empowerment we better understand our place in the Cosmos." Mark Jones, Healing the Soul. http://www.plutoschool.com/

Relationships:

Have you ever wanted really good, straightforward, reasonable relationship advise? This is a great article: Stay in the Canoe & Keep Paddling. Harville Hendrix offers valuable advice to couples for successfully navigating the currents of life when in a deep relationship. http://www.eomega.org/learning-paths/relationships-amp-family/Harville-Hendrix-stay-in-the-canoe-paddle

1/31/14 1/31/14

Insights for January 2014

“I consider non-violence to be compassion in action. It doesn’t mean weakness, cowering in fear, or simply doing nothing. It is to act without violence, motivated by compassion, recognizing the rights of others.” The Dalai Lama

“Gratitude is the confidence in life itself... As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others... We can be joyful for people we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees, and for the very breath within our lungs. Like an innocent child, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive.” Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart"

“If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.” Ajahn Chah

"Winter is a time of calm, naked reflection, just like the trees without their leaves." Margaret Gervais

"Pure awareness is always centered." David Pond

“Jupiter’s intention seeks to fulfill goals, make larger claims in life and blow away limitations, resulting in boundless horizons.” Phillip Sedgwick

Send your birth date, time and place to theinsightcenter@gmail.com and I will give you insights to where Jupiter is in your birth chart, and is manifesting this energy. Margaret Gervais“

Pluto wants to egg folks into soul-fulfilling enlightenment, typically conjuring life-transforming circumstances. … may …render reactions from other people of, “WTFWYT?” … when you make such a life-shifting decision.” Phillip Sedgwick

Send your birth date, time and place to theinsightcenter@gmail.com and I will give you insights to where Pluto is in your birth chart, and how it is manifesting this energy. Margaret Gervais

“Being creative, fulfilled and stepping out in life is good for the soul” Phillip Sedgwick“Purity of view is a gateway to greater insight and even deeper levels of happiness. The momentum of mindfulness becomes so strong that the perception of phenomena arising and passing away becomes crystal clear. Concentration and awareness are effortless. The mind becomes luminous. We experience precise, clear insight into the nature of things. It is our first taste of coming home. We have rapture and gratitude.” Joseph Goldstein, Tricycle F’05

“As a being of power, intelligence and love, you hold the key to every situation, and contain within yourself that transforming and regenerative agency by which you may make yourself what you will. “ James Allen

"On an everyday level, we can bring this awakened consciousness into all that we do throughout the day. Simply staying aware and mindful of your energy while you are involved in the activities of your life, even in a difficult moment with another person, will pull you back to your center quickly. It is that simple and accessible. Your awareness is always centered and non-reactive. Your ego isn't, but when you stay consciously aware of your energy while experiencing the ego's reactions, you don't remain stuck in polarities and awareness pulls you back to your center." David Pond's Winter Solstice 2013 Newsletter

Meditation for teens, and the results have been astounding."http://www.nj.com/parenting/index.ssf/2014/01/meditation_for_teens.htmlI have created a Cardinal Cross of 2014 Synthesis Worksheet that is a very insightful and helpful tool for looking at your chart and the Cardinal Cross of 2014. What Insights/Affirmations/Intentions will you find and use to navigate and empower yourself this year?

Email me if you would like a copy or to schedule an appointment to work through your chart and the synthesis worksheet. theinsightcenter@gmail.com

This looks really good, A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers: http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Meditation-Inspiration-Contemporary/dp/1611800579/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1390585989&sr=8-24&keywords=the+beginners+guide+to+meditation

"Mindfulness is close to reaching a tipping point. Only two years ago, mindfulness and mindful leadership were discussed at the WEF for the first time. Since then, almost all of the mindfulness-related events there have been oversubscribed. Mindfulness practices like meditation are now used in technology companies such as Google and Twitter (amongst others), in traditional companies in the car and energy sectors, in state-owned enterprises in China, and in UN organizations, governments, and the World Bank." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/otto-scharmer/davos-mindfulness-hotspot_b_4671062.html

Workshop on Buddhism through the 12-step program. I have been wondering how this works. Looks like a great workshop at Spirit Rock Meditation Centerhttps://www.spiritrock.org/calendarDetails?EventID=3716Check this out: Mindfulness at Work - a podcast by Sharon Salzberg, from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. I know it's going to make me want to buy her book.https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tricycle-talks/id695108281?mt=2Re: Samatha Meditation and the watcher, very wise words from Ram Dass, Love Serve Remember today:

"The technique of the witness is to merely sit with the fear and be aware of it before it becomes so consuming that there’s no space left. The image I usually use is that of a picture frame and a painting of a gray cloud against a blue sky. But the picture frame is a little too small. So you bend the canvas around to frame it. But in doing so you lost all the blue sky. So you end up with just a framed gray cloud. It fills the entire frame. So when you say 'I'm afraid' or 'I'm depressed', if you enlarged the frame so that just a little blue space shows, you would say ‘ah, a cloud.’ That is what the witness is. The witness is that tiny little blue over in the corner that leads you to say, ‘ah, fear.’" Ram Dass“Mindfulness training, Jha hypothesizes, may work as a protective factor against the typical stresses of student life—or any stress, for that matter, since it improves emotional equilibrium and enables people to better handle distractions. “It’s similar to how physical exercise can change the body,” Jha said. “We know that physical activity helps our bodies, but we’re just coming to the understanding that mental exercise is also critical to promoting mental well-being. It’s a cultural shift.” Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist who directs the University of Miami’s Contemplative Neuroscience, Mindfulness Research, and Practice Initiative. New Yorker online blog January 29, 2014.

1/27/14 1/27/14

Meditate to Let Go

I read this article on Sunday and feel compelled to share highlights. The article is “The Bearable Lightness of Being” by Pema Chödrön, in Shambhala Sun, March 2014.

“Meditation teaches us how to let go. It’s actually a very important aspect of friendliness, which is that you train again and again in not making things such a big deal. When you have pain in your body, when all sorts of thoughts are going through your mind, you train again and again in acknowledging them openheartedly and open-mindedly, but not making them such a big deal. ...Generally speaking, the human species does make things a very big deal. Our problems are a big deal for us. So we need to make space for an attitude of honoring things completely and at the same time not making them a big deal. It’s a paradoxical idea, but holding these two attitudes simultaneously is the source of enormous joy: we hold a sense of respect toward all things, along with the ability to let go. So it’s about not belittling things, but on the other hand not fanning the fire until you have your own private World War III. ...When you begin to see life from the point of view that everything is spontaneously arising and that things aren’t “coming at you” or “trying to attack you,” in any given moment you will likely experience more space and more room to relax into. Your stomach, which is in a knot, can just relax. The back of your neck, which is all tensed up, can just relax. Your mind, which is spinning and spinning like one of those little bears that you wind up so it walks across the floor, can just relax. So shunyata refers to the fact that we actually have a seed of spaciousness, of freshness, openness, relaxation, in us. ...Enlightenment – full enlightenment – is perceiving reality with an open, un-fixated mind, even in the most difficult circumstances. It’s nothing more than that, actually. You and I have had experiences of this open, un-fixated mind. Think of a time when you have felt shock or surprise; at a time of awe or wonder we experience it. It’s usually in small moments, and we might even not notice it, but everyone experiences this open, so-called enlightened mind. If we were completely awake, this would be our constant perception of reality. It’s helpful to realize that this open, unfettered mind has many names, but let’s use the term “buddhanature.” ...Enlightenment isn’t about going someplace else or attaining something we don’t have right now. Enlightenment is when the blinders start to come off. We are uncovering the true state, or uncovering buddhanature. This is important because each day when you sit down, you can recognize that it’s a process of gradually uncovering something that’s already here. That’s why relaxation and letting go are so important. You can't uncover something by harshness or uptightness because those things cover our buddhanature. Stabilizing the mind, bringing out the sharp clarity of mind, needs to be accompanied by relaxation and openness. ...But change happens, even in our practice. This is a fundamental truth. Everything is always changing because it’s alive and dynamic. All of us reach a very interesting point in our practice when we hit the brick wall. It’s inevitable. Change is inevitable with relationships, careers, with anything. I love to talk to people on the meditation path when they’re at the point of the brick wall: they think they’re ready to quit, but I feel they are just beginning. If they could work with the unpleasantness, the insult to ego, the lack of certainty, then they’re getting closer to the fluid, changing, real nature of life.” From How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind, by Pema Chödrön. Copyright by Pema Chödrön.

She also has a CD set, under the same name, for teaching meditation. Pema Chödrön is a great teacher, and I highly recommend her book and CDs as tools to learn more about meditation, or to provide insight and inspiration to keep your mediation practice on track.If you are interested in learning more about meditation and/or taking Individual or groups classes at The Insight Center, please contact me at http://theinsightcenter.net/contact/.

1/13/14 1/13/14

2014 Astrology Forecast

I am starting the new year with expanding my practice to Seattle! I will be seeing clients in person in Portland, Seattle and always globally via Skype. Please feel free to share this email with others and I will appreciate you sharing my work with friends and colleagues in Seattle.

2014 Forecast: retrograde planets and Pluto/Uranus transits.

2014 is a year with many key retrograding planets and major aspects of outer planets. Read this accompanying chart by looking across the top at the months and read down to see what is happening that month. For example, if you are feeling confused and having a hard time moving forward in your life in early March, you can look down the vertical column for March and see that Mars (the planet of ACTION) is retrograde after March 2 and Saturn (the planet of DISCIPLINE) is retrograde after March 2, and Jupiter (the planet of EXPANSION) is retrograde after March 5.

Read below for more insights into what Mars, Saturn and Jupiter retrograde mean.If you want to know specifically how these retrogrades are affecting you based on their placements in your chart please contact me for an appointment.

Retrogrades

We say a planet is retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. It is important to be aware of retrogrades because it is a time to re-evaluate, pause, re-think, re-do, remember. The adjoining chart illustrates all of the planets that will go retrograde in 2014 and the dates of their retrograde pattern.Below is narrative on what each planet in retrograde motion may be signifying to you:

Venus Retrograde – Jan. 1, 2014 – Jan. 30, 2104 (short-lived!)

Venus is the planet of DESIRE. When Venus is retrograde, what you desire may not be manifesting as you wish. It is a good time to revise, re-new, re-establish what it is you desire about relationships and values. Do some inner work and get clear about your desires/values and wait until Venus goes direct to manifest these revised desires/values.

Mercury Retrograde – three times this year – two of them for quite short times.

Mercury represents our MIND and COMMUNICATION. We all hear about Mercury retrograde. This is when computers break, emails can’t be sent, documents get lost, cell phones won’t work and communications get screwed up. All things “communication” are affected. Linear thinking takes a break. This is a great period to take a “time out” from fast paced expectations around communications and re-think, revise, re-do, re-analyze and re-study your communications. Build flexibility into decision-making. Take time, be patient and when Mercury goes direct, your revised communications will flow. Patience is key.

Saturn Retrograde – March into July.

Saturn represents what we take seriously, rational and direct action, rules and regulations for guiding our lives, looking at our responsibilities and limitations, and defining boundaries by keeping us focused on what needs to get done. When Saturn is retrograde, this capacity does not function properly, making us less clear and less able to assess realistically what can be expected in any situation. A common mistake is saying YES when we should say NO, especially in activities and relationships ruled by Saturn’s house position. This is not the best time to make commitments. It is a good time to re-asses commitments and responsibilities, say a final NO to a commitment not worth keeping. Re-think goals along with commitments.

Jupiter Retrograde – January into March, and December.

Jupiter represents expansion, opportunity and good fortune. Jupiter retrograde is a spiritual and philosophical influence and is a time to explore ideas and philosophies to gain perspective on your life. It is also a good time to complete a Jupiter oriented project such a going back to school, taking a journey you have put off or connecting with old colleagues and friends. Because of the spiritual approach to this Jupiter retrograde transit, it is not a time to initiate business or material activities.

Uranus Retrograde – July through most of December.

Uranus represents expansion, innovation, and impulsive movement. A Uranus retrograde is a time when this energy builds and results can be very expansive and innovative. Uranus’ retrograde motion tends to stimulate deep psychological investigation and analysis. It favors activities that require bursts of inventive and intuitive energy. When Uranus transits retrograde, it will reawaken freedom urges causing the individual to suddenly rebel against ruts or confinement in their life. Wait until the retrograde is over to implement new discoveries.

Neptune Retrograde – June into November.

Retrograde Neptune causes dreamy/visionary/idealistic sensitivity and receptivity to be much more acute. Due to this heightened receptivity, we see more possibility than when Neptune is direct. We are more intuitive. Be very attuned to your inner voice/emotional intelligence at this time. Be sure to communicate and share what you are experiencing because this can be a time of psychic overload for those who are very attuned and sensitive.Note: avoid drugs, chemicals and stimulants during Neptune retrograde. And if you are sensitive intuitively, protect yourself by refraining from associating with addictive personalities, psychic attractions, and overwhelming people who drain your energies. Be aware of picking up too much energy from others. As an asset, it is also a good time to deepen psychic intuition and deep spiritual interests.

Pluto Retrograde – Mid April into Mid September.

As with these other “outer planets” (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), Pluto tends to operate even more Plutonian when it is retrograde. It is far more intense, and concentrated. When Pluto retrogrades, we are driven to let go of (regenerate) attitudes, thinking/communication modes, sense of security, tightly held emotions; in other words, a very good time to undergo internal house cleaning. Go inward and see what is happening on a soulful level. Eliminate what is not working and that you don’t need. This is a great time to gain greater control over our personal life.

Chiron Retrograde

Chiron in direct motion helps us heal others and ourselves. Retrograde Chiron attracts the guidance and healing we need in order to heal the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves. Chiron retrograde directs our focus inward. This is a good time to reflect, review, and repair. Our abilities to be more aware of the problem and the extent and root of the problem will be increased. And this will help us find the solution or gain the healing necessary to move past the problem.

Transits

All planets are in motion. As they move they are activated by the angles between them and other planets. This report focuses on the most transformative transits created by outer (farther away and more transpersonal) planets.

URANUS SQUARE PLUTO (as indicated in red on the chart) EXACT ON APRIL 22 and DEC. 15.

This powerful transit has been the dominant transit for the past several years, and will continue into 2015. On April 22, 2014, these two powerful outer planets will be exactly squared to each other (90 degrees apart). At the same time Mars and Jupiter will also square these planets, creating a Cardinal Grand Cross.Uranus is in Aries, the rebel that demands expansion of the new and is bringing in new energy. Pluto is in Capricorn, represents breaking apart and complete transformation. Mars is in Libra, which makes this planet of action more ambiguous and somewhat graceful under the circumstances, and Jupiter is in Cancer, creating expansion of caretaker/security-based energy.

There is a lot more to be said about this very dynamic and intense transit! If you want a reading during this time to see how the cardinal cross will impact you, please contact me.

9/24/13 9/24/13

Jung, Mythology, and Astrology

I wanted to know more about the historic lineage from Greek to Roman mythology, Carl Jung, archetypes to modern astrology. What is the connection between these? How is Hermes related to the planet Mercury and why? I recently found a great book to help me begin to better understand this, Mythic Astrology, Archetypal powers in the Horoscope, by Ariel Guttman & Kenneth Johnson, Llewellyn Publications, 1998.

Here are some quotes from the book that create a certain lineage from ancient mythology to modern astrology. This information is fascinating to me and forms the basis for our modern astrological interpretations. Read through this to gain insight to this progression of symbols, psychology, and consciousness. Modern astrological readings are based on these ancient and deep roots.

“Jung argued that the gods and goddesses of ancient mythology were symbolic of deep motivating factors in human psychology, elements which were shared by all humanity. Jung postulated a level of consciousness, which he named collective conscious, shared by the entire human race. (Man and His Symbols). It is the collective unconscious which creates the powerful symbolic images that lie at the heart of our deepest psychological processes and which Jung called the archetypes.” pg. 3

“Jung believed that symbolic or archetypal realities interact with the events of our everyday lives through a process called synchronicity. He described this as “an acausal connecting principle,” meaning a process which links two factors (the cosmic symbol and the worldly event) without any apparent or physical cause for that link. The union between reality and symbol takes place in an internal, psychological level, and the unconscious in the active agent which shapes the union.” pg. 3

“…astrologer Dane Rudhyar argued that the moment of an individual’s birth is perhaps the most synchronistic moment of all, for it marks our entry into a larger cosmos, both physically and symbolically. As a diagram or image of that moment, the natal horoscope or birth chart is also the image of our symbolic relationship with the cosmos around us; it places us, as individuals, in the archetypal scheme of things (The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar), The birth chart diagram itself lends credence to this notion, for it is unquestionably a kind of mandala.” pg. 3

“The word mandala is Sanskrit in India and Tibet, it describes a symbolic picture or a diagram used as a tool in meditation. A mandala is a symbol of wholeness, or psycho-spiritual unity; to meditate in a mandala aids the seeker in the search for that wholeness or unity. A mandala is generally circular, since wholeness or oneness is conceived of as a circle, without beginning or end. “ pg. 3

“A horoscope is a diagram of the sky at a particular moment in time. …a horoscope represents the birth of a human being, you are the mandala.” pg. 4

“The planets, as we have noted, are named for the gods and goddesses of Rome, all borrowed from Greek mythology, and each sign is associated with one or more of these gods and goddesses. Though astrology was born in Babylon and influenced by Egypt, it has come down to us primarily through Greek thinkers and writers. When we consider the psychological or archetypal meanings behind planets and signs, we are considering the world-view of Greek myth.” pg. 4

“The Greeks had a complex mythology, which included the story of creation and the birth or appearance of the presiding deities of human affairs. Each god and goddess had a specific function and was honored through celebrations, offerings, holidays, prayers and rituals. These pagan rituals later came to reflect the sophistication of Greek philosophy, and to embody a metaphysical rather that a purely ritual paganism.” pg. 5

“ …with the emergence of the Roman Empire, the Romans borrowed many of their deities from the Greeks. The names and costumes were changed to reflect Roman style, but the meanings changed little. Greek Hermes became the Roman Mercury, Hera became Juno and so on. The planets whose circular paths in the heavens orbit around one central deity, the Sun, have the Latin names of the gods and goddesses of Rome.” pg. 5“

Astrologers have generally been content to link the planets and signs with the Greek deities in a very general way. Mercury is about the communication because Hermes/Mercury was the messenger of the gods; Pluto is about the process of death and rebirth because Hades/Pluto was the god of the underworld. We believe that this is only the beginning, and that the key to proper understanding of all the astrological symbols – planets and sign – lies in a deeper understanding of all the mythic archetypes upon which the symbols are based. To richly experience the myths which lie at the heart of astrology is to gain a deeper and more spiritual perspective on the art itself.” pg. 6

“Astrology has indeed evolved into a psychology of myth. “Mythology is a validation of experience, giving it its spiritual or psychological dimension” according to Joseph Campbell (Thinking Allowed, Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove).

When properly examined and understood, astrology offers the same spiritual and psychological dimension as myth.” pg. 6

Follow this blog as I continue to read and explore this book.

5/30/13 5/30/13

Tough Times Clear Tough Karma

“…what has happened to us has happened because of the formed soul we already have within us at birth, the special gift we have to give the world that needs to be developed, and so we experience what we experience in order to strengthen and expand this unique soul talent or skill, and if we self-actualize this gift of our soul we will have found our calling in the world around us.”The Soul’s Code: A Search for Character and Calling, James Hillman

This was part of a great posting about Persephone, by http://esotericembers.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/persephone-queen-of-soul-and-spirit/ that is beautifully written and very apropos for today, our times and soul growth in general. I ordering James Hillman’s book today because this aligns with my thinking about the soul and the soul’s evolution.“Any situations we may have been drawn into recently, no matter how difficult, are most likely connected with our soul path and for whatever reason on a soul level we are meant to have faced whatever difficult trials and tests we have been experiencing. In fact, there may have even been a side to the difficulties that called out to us like a siren, something about our future direction calling to us from the events surrounding the experience. “http://esotericembers.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/persephone-queen-of-soul-and-spirit/“

Persephone, who transforms her abduction experience into wisdom and empowers herself with the mysteries of life, death, and the spirit world. Persephone alternates between two worlds- the living and the dead, the light and the dark, the conscious and the unconscious- in order to bring balance and equilibrium into her being.”–Ariel Guttman and Kenneth Johnson, Mythic Astrology, (p. 174) (I ordered this book too, I’ll let you know how I like it.) http://esotericembers.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/persephone-queen-of-soul-and-spirit/

If you are experiencing tough times and/or tough changes, I hope this gives you a broader perspective and opens you to possibilities. Tough times clear tough karma.