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New Moon and Solar Eclipse in Scorpio
Here on the east coast of the US there is a big astronomical and astrological event in store for us. As we move into Samhain and the Celtic celebration of the beginning of a new solar cycle we also, on Sunday morning, experience this Sun/Moon conjunction and eclipse.
I am already feeling the effects of the “dying” Moon as she slips ever closer toward the Sun. As I write she is at almost 14 degrees of Libra while the Sun is 9 degrees of Scorpio. Only 25 degrees separate them and the Sun is winning the race; he always does.
I always look forward to the New Moon, the rebirth and emergence back out of the Sun. The energies clear and there is a freshness to the astrological patterns. And I cast a new I Ching Gua to get a handle on the patterns developing for the next Moon cycle. (I’ll publish my findings here on Monday.)
Meanwhile we are still approaching this event and we need to prepare for it. In Rosemary’s “news” post today (link to that post) she writes this:
Are you ready for something new in your life? The New Moon on Sunday, November 3 at 7:49 a.m. Eastern Standard Time is a Solar Eclipse and supports you in bringing in the new energies that support your transformation.
Here is what astrologer Steve Nelson says about the event:
“The Nov 3 Total Eclipse of the Sun is the most powerful celestial event this century so far… An eclipse is an opportunity to eliminate old patterns of thought and behavior from the world. As old forms dissolve energy set free is moved into new forms, this is transformation.”
And here is a slightly expanded version of Steve’s thought on this transformational eclipse:
As old thought patterns break energy is set free for new creation. Energy flows where attention goes. All we need to do is focus on what we wish to be, feel what is needing to be let go and breathe. Energy moves with the breath. As old forms dissolve energy set free is moved into new forms, this is transformation.
I particularly appreciate the ease about this event Steve permits: “let go and breathe.” Transformational work can sometimes feel hard. I think this is the ego’s way to defend against change. The ego does not like to “let go.” I know mine doesn’t! But I certainly do like the “breathe” part – even my ego appreciates my breath work!
So I think to slip into Hamsa. This mantra is always there, of course, but not always top of consciousness. Part of the allowing of old patterns to slip away as the Moon slips into the grasp of the Sun is to set our attention on the breath, to follow the mantra “chant” as we breathe through our whole bodies. On Ham we breathe in the energy of change, the energy of the eclipse to allow the approaching event to consume old patterns, old thought-forms, old structures. And on Sa we exhale the old, expelling those patterns that no longer serve in this new awareness.
With each breath-cycle there is an opportunity for transformation. With each Moon-cycle there is an even greater opportunity for transformation. And with this approaching eclipse there is “a most powerful” opportunity to eclipse those old patterns totally and breathe in Transformation!
However you celebrate these exciting astronomical and astrological events do remember to breathe through them and simply let go!
What’s the Message? – Richard’s Commentary
As if to emphasize both Rosemary’s and my recent posts, The Divine Feminine offer a message urging us to look for the messages!
One of the take-aways I have is there are messages available to us in everything; everything we see, hear, say, feel, think, even in what we write! Rosemary channels The Divine Feminine and she writes it down as it comes. I write myMorning Pages as part of my practice; and sometimes they write themselves with little or no conscious control on my part. These too are signs and messages we need to attend to.
And sometimes these messages are hard to take; sometimes we would rather ignore them than absorb and act on them! The Divine Feminine say this about that:
Sometimes the messages are blatant and are held in your face so that you cannot miss them. At other times the messages are subtle and might be repeated many times before you realize that they are, indeed, messages for you to interpret. When you are aware that there are messages available constantly you can notice the many forms in which they come to you.
Whether the messages are blatant and we ignore them or subtle and we miss them they will be repeated! We are here to get the messages and to act on them. This is transformation.
In my previous two posts last Thursday and Friday I wrote about “home” as in homecoming and my family farm in Wisconsin. I was hit by blatant messages every moment of my trip there last week. And I got the message! The home farm has been transformed by my two brothers who still live there. Of course this is their right; I gave up all physical and fiscal ties to the farm when our mother passed over five years ago. But until this past week there was a vestige of home for me there, residing in my heart. That was my boyhood heart. But experiencing the transformation of the farm well beyond what I remember growing up has had a profound effect on me.
I have experienced my memories of the home farm has a kind of longing; there seemed to be a rather small but significant empty corner in my heart reserved for the wonderful times I had there as a kid. Perhaps I held on to that emptiness so I could fill it, replenish it when I returned there. But this trip “home” there was nothing to fill; and I quickly realized there was no emptiness to fill either. There was no subtlety to this message. And there is no need to repeat it.
I am so grateful I not only received this message but got it. I am “home” now; I’m back in Maryland with my wife, my dog and my stuff. And I am complete! I left no part of me in Wisconsin and there is no hole in my heart for anything I may have once thought I left there. It is all transformed; all for the better!
Sometimes the messages are blatant and sometimes subtle; they are always there. And they keep coming at us until we “get it.” When we do get it and act on the messages there is a sense of freedom and expansion that is wonderful.
Are the messages you receive blatant or subtle? Do you act on the blatant ones and work to interpret the subtle ones? They will keep coming until you do; and then new ones will follow! It’s part of life.
Harvest Full Moon, Autumnal Equinox, Homecoming and More
As I wrote in yesterday’s post I am visiting my brothers on the family farm in Wisconsin. I was here for yesterday’s full moon; it was huge and bright here as only it can be in the countryside where it still gets much darker at night than what I usually experience on the east coast. Here is where I got part of my starry-eyed wanderlust when I was a kid looking up at the brilliant night sky, the dense and bright Milky Way streaking overhead and the astounding constellations of the Wheel revolving through the seasons. I was thrilled to see the aurora borealis occasionally in the cold winter nights. And I always loved the rising of Sirius around the time of my birthday. The sky part of being back here hasn’t changed over the years; I can still come back to that.
To celebrate the Full Moon we were out in my brother’s garden bringing in a pail full of green beans, a few remaining peas, an awesome head of cauliflower and some still sweat lettuce coming back after welcome rain. So we did our harvesting for the day and are now enjoying the bounty.
And I’ll be here for the Equinox on Sunday – equal parts night and day. This will be a time for reflecting on balance. And it is good to be here in the place I grew up to ponder the balance in my life: the maturing urbanite and the farm-boy, the world traveler and the small-town bumpkin, the spiritual seeker with the grounded and earthy dirt-farmer son. It is always a good thing to look for balance, not just at equinoxes, but all through the year. Balance begins with inner reflection; the inner is always reflected outwardly. Outer signs of balance, like Sunday’s Equinox, are there to remind us to go inside to find the balance.
I must admit I am somewhat unbalanced by this visit to the family farm; as I wrote yesterday I have discovered it is no longer “home” for me; not even a little bit. I continue to reconcile, or balance, this finding for myself. I think I will be doing some grounding work when I get back to Maryland; the grounding that may have been a vestige of my youth here in Wisconsin needs to be transplanted once and for all. Or maybe it just needs to be replanted in my heart as the physical grounding to place recedes as an important element in my life.
Sandwiched between Full Moon and Equinox is my 50th High School reunion! I will be joining my former classmates for a dinner tonight. Will I recognize anyone? Yesterday my brother and I had breakfast in the hometown café; a couple was also in the restaurant; I knew I knew them but could not place faces with names. The wife recognized me not by my looks but by my voice! And I thought I had worked so hard to neutralize my Wisconsin accent! Betty Lou, three years my senior, looks much the same as when we rode the school bus together the seven miles into town. But recalling names is quite another matter. I hope they give us nametags so I’m not guessing wrong!
Saturday is the big Homecoming event: parade (my class will have a float of some kind since we are one of the honored classes), football (one of my nephews will play) and the evening “banquet” (I put this in quotes because it is probably not what you think; substitute glasses of milk for a fine offering of wine and you’ll get the picture!)
I’ll spend Sunday visiting and catching up with family. I fly home on Monday to get back to routines, qigong classes and a re-balancing. And I’ll take a piece of my old “home” with me in my heart.
Where do you call home? Do you attend school reunions? How do you balance all the experiences of “home” with your life now? Take a peak inside for the answers.
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! – Richard’s Commentary
And I can also say Happy Birthday to the Moon today! She is new in Virgo. This just occurred at 7:38 am Eastern time.
Do you celebrate the New Moon each “moonth”? Are you aware of the phases of the moon and her travels through the night sky? The Ancients paid a great deal of attention to this goddess of the heavens. She lighted the way of night travelers, guided the seasons and times to plant, provided a calendar, effected tides and seafaring, and offered a rhythm to life and the basis of myth and wonder.
From modern research we know that life would be very different, if it existed at all, if it weren’t for our moon. Her influence on the planet and our lives is profound. So, I pay a lot of attention to her phases and my interaction with her. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while you’ll know, for example, that I cast an I Ching Gua (a hexagram of yin and yang lines) at each new moon to divine an energy for the up-coming month. (I’ll post that tomorrow.) I also celebrate the new moon as a new beginning, as a birthday of sorts, very much in keeping with Rosemary’s message this week. So, on this new moon day consider her advice:
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! Today is your birthday. You get to choose who you are today, right now, in this moment. You don’t even have to be the same as you were when you woke up this morning. OR you can decide that you like the YOU who woke up and you re-decide to celebrate YOU! Either way, it’s your birthday today.
It is a good time to start something new. I’m going to plant some fall vegetables in my garden today. And Rosemary and I are going to review our business plan and model to determine what’s working and what can be improved. It’s a new day as well as a new moon!
And this new moon is in the sign of Virgo. This too has special meaning. A dear friend and astrologer, Gloria Hesseloff, titled in her newsletter for the New Moon: Work is Love made Visible, using a line from a poem by Kahil Gibran. The Virgo Moon calls us to a higher work. Gloria writes:
Virgo energy challenges you to release any obstacles to finding your sacred work. Integrating this goal with the radical changes that Pluto and Uranus are demanding of us right now, ask yourself, “What changes do I need to make to my daily life routines and patterns (Virgo attributes) so I can be an instrument of the Divine?
Virgo energy asks you to become highly competent in a skill that is of value to others. Then generously offer it as your high service. Your specific gifts are truly needed at this significant moment in history.
Today is your birthday! Celebrate with me as I celebrate this New Moon and “the first day of the rest of my life”! We are always at choice. I choose to make my love visible through my work.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Happy Birthday to YOU!!!
People sometimes believe that they can’t change. My wonderful Mother used to say, ‘I’m too old to change.’ But in her 60s she studied Transcendental Meditation and started to meditate. She also adopted an attitude of ‘NMP – Not My Problem’ that freed her to relax about feeling responsible for everything and everyone around her. When we said that she had changed, she replied, ‘I didn’t change. I just changed my attitude!’
Every day, no matter how old or how young you are, you can adopt a new way of thinking, especially about yourself and who you are. Every morning is a rebirth, a new start, a ‘birthday.’
When you find yourself stuck in a rut, or not sure what your next step is, remind yourself that you are always at a point of choice in your life. What benefits are there to staying in that rut? Do you really not know the next step? Or are you afraid of what it might ask of you and, therefore, you choose not to seek help in identifying it?
Happy Birthday to YOU!!! Today is your birthday. You get to choose who you are today, right now, in this moment. You don’t even have to be the same as you were when you woke up this morning. OR you can decide that you like the YOU who woke up and you re-decide to celebrate YOU! Either way, it’s your birthday today.
Celebrate who you are at your very core, the Light that was inside you when you were born that shines into the world because you are here today. Remember that your circumstances are not you. Remember that the people around you are not you – they are mirrors to help you grow.
Every day is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to be compassionate, to share, to shine your Light. Every day is a choice – to be happy, sad, contented, upset. Every day is a chance for renewal – of yourself, your relationships, your circumstances.
Every day is your birthday.
So when you wake up tomorrow, decide to en-JOY the day. Reach inside for the Light and the Joy that resides in that Light and shine. Happiness can rest on circumstances, but Joy is ever-existing within the Light. Touch it.
Celebrate YOU!!! We are all so glad that you showed up on the Planet now. Thank you!
Remember to give of yourself as well as to receive. When you choose to en-JOY your day, your smile will shed the Light on those who need it. You’ll have plenty of JOY to share with others so share it.
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!
Change…and moving in the rain!
As I write this I have finished up our first day of moving. I’m feeling a bit tired and stiff…some muscles were stretched a bit more than usual today! But thank goodness for Qigong! I moved well through the day and after a rest will be ready for another one tomorrow!
I woke up on the first day of August to rain. My first reaction was, “oh, no, moving in the rain won’t be much fun” (as if moving is ever fun!). Then I quickly recalled my Dad’s admonition to never complain about the rain. He was a dairy farmer his whole life. The grass and the crops that provided all the feed for the cattle depended on the rain. And when you are in the middle of a field, putting up hay for the winter, the rain can be inconvenient. But it is not something to complain about, ever!
I quickly changed my “oh, no” to an “oh, well, we do need some rain; and in any case there is nothing I can do about it!”
Fortunately we live in Maryland where the weather can change on a dime. By the afternoon the rain was gone and the sun was shining and we moved our first load without getting wet at all!
Whether we are talking about change in the weather or we are talking about bigger changes, like moving an entire household to a new house, change is inevitable. The only question is what attitude to assume when looking at the on-rushing changes.
And this is my point. Rosemary and I have both been writing a lot about change lately. We are anticipating many changes in the coming months. We know many will be great, in full alignment with our direction and goals. We also know there will be stumbling blocks put in our way; our lessons lie before us and we accept them. The question we ask as we move into every step, every change we either want to make or are forced to make by circumstances is: “how is my attitude toward this change?”
Some days it’s going to rain. Some days we might stumble. Some lessons may be harder to learn than others. But we both know we are on the right path, we are doing what we love, and we are ever expanding into our Soul Purpose Work.
How do you approach change in your life? Do you fear it? Avoid it? Do you rush into it with your eyes shut? These questions bring me to my second point about change: After I get my attitude about the inevitability of change set correctly I then face the choices in my response to the change.
All change comes with choice. My response today to the rain I awoke to could have been to postpone the move by a day. The weather report indicated the possible clearing by the afternoon, but you know how well the weather people predict! I moved forward with a certain amount of trust that things would work out. While my Dad was saying: “never complain about the rain” Rosemary’s Mom was saying: “things always work out for the best.” And sure enough, they did today!
So, maybe the big lesson today is “trust your parents.” They may have some pithy sayings and family proverbs to offer but in my case they tend to be right more often than not!
Adopt a positive attitude toward inevitable change, make the best choices you can under the circumstances and trust your parents! Good guidance for facing the changes that are coming!
PS: Happy Solar Return, Rosemary!! Yes, Rosemary and I have the same birthday. This year is the 41st one we’ve been happy to share!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: The Power Is in You
It seems that everyone these days is feeling the weight of a struggle in some area of their life – financial, family, health, career, spiritual. It can be a simple problem that must be solved or a complex issue that is beyond one’s control. The common thread seems to be that there is a sense of urgency about the issue and the question is, ‘What is my next step?’
Where do you seek the answer to that question? Are you willing to take responsibility for finding the solutions yourself or do you hide your head in the sand ostrich-style and hope it will go away? Are you waiting for someone to come along and solve it for you?
The answer is within you, no matter what the problem or issue might be that you are facing. Others might share wisdom or their experience. Some might be experts, some might not know what they are talking about. You might get conflicting advice from others and feel confused.
Do your research AND check in with your own inner guidance. Even if everyone around you gives you the same advice but your ‘gut feeling’ contradicts that, follow the direction of your gut. Your intuition is tuned in to the lessons that are there for you to learn. Your angels and guides are ready to help you grow. Your inner support system will help you.
Of course, it is wise to have a human support system, too, but only if those people are willing to support you in whatever YOU choose as your path. Are you surrounded by folks who want you to do things their way? Do you feel that you are criticized if you choose a path they don’t support? Then find a new support system!
The power is in you to move forward in your life. You are equipped to handle whatever lessons come your way. No matter how large or small the issue is that is on your plate today, you can take care of it.
What is the problem that wakes you up at night? What is sitting in that pile on the corner of your desk that you are hoping will go away? Who are you avoiding calling because you dread the conversation?
The power is in you if you claim it! You are not helpless even if some days it feels that way.
Ask for help. Find a friend or counselor or advisor to listen to you and to help you put one foot in front of the other. Because this is what it takes to move forward.
Many sensitive people are feeling the energy of change on the planet at this time. It is affecting different people in different ways but some of us are having similar reactions. There are big changes coming. We are all in the cauldron of transformation whether we really want to be there or not. The question is not ‘Will you change?’ but ‘How will you change?’
Ask yourself if you can see a new way to handle whatever problems you are facing no matter what they are. If everything in your life is going smoothly then look for ways that you can advance your personal growth.
It is time to transform. We’re still feeling the effects of the 2012 energy that gave a huge boost to the transformation energy. It’s not over yet!
The good news is that the power is in you!!!
PS: In this video Rosemary talks about going inside yourself to find the power to move forward. Find your guidance and empowerment inside you! Not sure how? Talk to Rosemary! Apply for a FREE “Discovery Session” with her and learn tools of self-discovery! Apply Here
Cancer New Moon I Ching Divination
The New Moon in Cancer was Monday morning, 3:15 am Eastern Daylight Time on July 8, 2013. And as I like to do, I cast a Gua, an I Ching hexagram (6-line figure) to determine what the energies will be like during this next moon cycle, for the next 29 or so days. (The next Full Moon is on July 22nd, at 2:16 pm; and the Leo New Moon is on August 6th, at 5:52 pm).
For this divination I use the yarrow stalk method and I use Toaist Master Alfred Huang’s The Complete I Ching to help me with the interpretation of the Gua.
The divination on Monday yielded a complicated picture: the numbers I cast, from initial (bottom) to top were 6, 9, 8, 8, 8, 9. The hexagram this generates is pictured here:
The initial 6, and the two nines at positions two and six are all changing lines. This indicates a lot of change coming during the month – great potential for transformation. Master Huang’s advice when given three changing lines is to read the middle line only to simply the interpretation. The initial gua then is Meng which Master Huang translates as “Childhood.” The interpretation of this initial hexagram indicates the month begins with the innocence of childhood. Wisdom is covered or hidden and needs to mature. There is good energy in youth; strong energy to gain and grow in insight and ultimately wisdom. The image of the gua is of water flowing out of a mountain, or a fresh spring. There is vitality in this initial hexagram.
Then the second 9 (middle changing line), a weak yang line become a yin line. This generates a new, accomplished gua composed of five yin lines and a yang line at position six. The accomplished gua is pictured here as Bo, “Falling Away”:
The image of this hexagram is Mountain over Earth and represents a top-heavy, unstable and unsustainable situation. Energies may be fluctuating later in the month.
The key here then is to shore up the erosion and regain some stability. Support will be required; be prepared to ask for help.
Another key is to trust in the transforming energies. We’ve known for some time now that 2013 is a year for great transformation. And the only way forward toward transformation is through the gateway of change, of instability. Awareness and preparation of our energies here is vital to moving through the transformation process as smoothly as possible.
The bottom line for me is to be prepared for the coming changes and also, going back to the “innocence of youth”, trust in the outcome.
PS: Here is another form of divination, and a great way to prepare of coming changes! Rosemary’s next Conversation with The Other Side is scheduled for this Saturday, July 13. It promises to be another wonderful evening. For a sample of the depth and detail of the messages you can expect to hear, she has posted some samples on her website: Sample Messages. Go to the link to hear and see how this works and how you can benefit with messages from The Other Side! Attendance is easy from any where in the world! Get the details here
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Storm Surge in Your Life!
Are you surrounded by storms in your life? It seems as if everyone has something going on that feels like a big storm or a series of little storms, but this is how people are describing the transitions and transformations that they are experiencing.
‘Maelstrom’ might be a better word to use, for there seems to be a lot of turbulence associated with the lessons we are all learning these days.
You might not believe it but being in this turmoil is not as bad as it seems, when you look at the big picture of your life. Of course, when you are in the midst of a storm, it’s difficult to focus on anything but the storm. However, if you lift your thoughts and consciousness to a higher level, you will see that there is a lesson to learn in every storm.
In the physical world, storms often come during the hottest part of the day and serve to break the unrelenting heat with a bit of a cool down. The air can be clearer after a storm. Some people relish a good storm with thunder and lightning and others hide in fear. Certainly there are physical storms that must be respected for the force of Nature is very powerful.
In the meta-physical world, the storms of your life are inviting you to shift into that higher consciousness so that you can complete the lesson presented and move on with your life. After the lesson is learned you no longer need the storm!
Look around you and notice where the energy feels turbulent. Is it in a relationship? A job or business? A living situation? Your finances? Your family? Your health?
Then ask yourself if you are focusing on the storm or on the lesson to be learned. They are two different things.
If you find that you are able to see only the storm then you might need to ask for help from someone who can help you get a different perspective. There is no shame in this. In fact, it is only the strong person, who is ready to evolve and grow, who is willing to seek assistance in that growth. The storm can blind one to the other possibilities that are around. It can be helpful to have a guide.
If, however, you are focused on the lesson that is being presented to you through the storm, then you will not be distracted by the storm and will continue to move forward in your personal growth and the evolution of your consciousness. The more you practice keeping your focus on the lesson, the less will be the impact of each storm that invites your growth.
Time is speeding up for humans on a path of evolution and the storms seem to be more frequent and more turbulent. This signals that our growth is happening in huge leaps, not in tiny steps. Think of a baby chick who has developed inside a nice, secure eggshell environment. There comes a time when the chick must work hard to emerge and continue its growth in the harsher outside world. And, yet, the real growth happens after pecking its way through that shell.
You are pecking your way through the shell of old patterns of thought, limiting beliefs, behaviors that will not serve the new you. Keep working at it. You will break through!
See each lesson as guidance about the next step for you. Each storm is clearing the air so that you can see the way forward. Keep working on yourself and your growth will be in quantum leaps and the reward will be great.
Weather the storm today by looking for the lesson that leads you to your best tomorrow.
PS: Are you ready for a shift? Are you prepared for the next storm surge headed your way? If you need answers for questions like “what is my next step?” Rosemary can help. Schedule a FREE Discovery Session with her to be sure you are ready to handle the next storm-cycle in your life! Schedule Here
Fires, Thoughts, Transformations and Global Changes
There is another wild fire raging in Colorado. There are actually multiple fires but the one most on my mind is near Colorado Springs in a neighboring district called Black Forest. We have dear friends who live there. And already more homes, a new unwanted record number of homes, have been destroyed by this out-of-control fire.
It was just a year ago that another wild fire, the Waldo Canyon Wild Fire, raged through our neighborhood in Colorado Springs. It left nearly 350 homes either completely burned to the ground or in shambles. Ours was one of the lucky ones, spared in an island of preservation while all around was blackened and burned. I am certain there will be new stories of miracles when the smoke clears from this current fire, still out of control as I write.
Rosemary and I have both been eerily drawn into watching the fires, listening to the reports, tuning in to the regular press conferences and live-streaming KKTV from the safety of our home in Maryland, just as we did a year ago as our neighborhood burned. Our memories of last year are vividly revived and the feelings of helplessness are taking root once again in our psyches. And to top that off, a wild storm hit Annapolis today, knocking out our power just as it did a year ago as we watched Colorado burn.
What’s going on here? What is this mysterious link between our consciousness and the patterns of heat and fire and rough weather across this country? Are the patterns programming our consciousness?
I wrote yesterday in response to the message from The Divine Feminine that our thoughts can create our reality. But what happens when our reality creates our thoughts? I believe it is our moral obligation to counter the negatives with our own positive responses. This is our calling; this is our karma!
Call it what you will: prayer, good thoughts, positive vibrations. They do have an impact. And so, with deep gratitude and with powerful hope and expectations I send out my prayers and hopes and good vibrations to Colorado Springs and Black Forest, to these communities re-traumatized by this wild fire. I send strength and endurance to all who are countering this new onslaught: the fire-fighters, law-enforcement personnel, first responders, aid providers, and especially the displaced victims, many of whom already know their homes are gone.
I know that our former community of Mountain Shadows has pulled together and our neighbors are rebuilding. They endured. And I know they will be there to aid their neighbors to the north in Black Forest. This is where the patterns of consciousness are changing and making a difference. These are communities now who are united in a common cause as they may never have been before. It is this united consciousness that can and will change the patterns of global transformation toward the good and positive.
To all who are in the way of these fires we send our love and support!
Men and The Goddess 