The Veils of May(a) 2012

Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose. 
Hail, bounteous May, that doth inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire; 
Woods and groves are of thy dressing, 
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing, 
Thus we salute thee with our early song, 
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.  

~ John Milton  1645

The month of May is ushered in with a promise of new life as the rising Sun continues its northern journey warming the freshly planted fields with its gentle rays. The glorious Sun is at its midpoint between the Vernal equinox and Summer solstice, a celestial station called the cross-quarter in many traditions and celebrated with fire rituals and fertility rites such as Beltane.  The lily of the valley is the flower of May as its spring blooms brings sweetness and happiness.  In Christian lore it is  associated with the tears of the Virgin Mary as well as the tears cried by Eve as she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  This sweet flower is also known as Jacob's tears or "ladder to heaven."  Strange allusions for a flower associated with happiness.

The Julian calendar was established in 45 BC and the month of May was called Maius, which may be named after the Roman goddess Maia.  Maius also means "larger, greater" and expresses the concept of  fertility and growth of both the season and the goddess.  The spring goddess was honored by the Romans on May 1st and 15th with an offering of a pregnant sow which signified the two faces of Mother Nature: -- one nurturing as each sow may birth anywhere from 6-12 piglets, and the other, wild and uncontrollable as sows are known to eat their young.  The Roman Maia was paired with Vulcan, the god of the underworld, because they were deities associated with heat and warming.  The warming breezes of spring fostered flora to grow, while the summer heat, ruled by Vulcan, brought ripening and harvest of crops. Ancient Greek farmers were cautioned not to sow grain before the time of her setting, or conjunction with the Sun, which may refer to the star Maia of the Pleiades located at 18 degrees Taurus that began to disappear in the rays of the Sun during the first days of spring in Age of Aries.   Strangely enough the precession has this conjunction occurring currently in the month of May when the Sun transits the nakshatra associated with the Pleiades, Krittika, from approximately May 11 - 25, and absorbs its dahana shakti, the power to burn and purify. 

In Greek mythology Maia is one of the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the ocean nymph Pleione. These mountain nymphs of Arcadia, Sterope, Merope, Elektra, Taygeta, Celeno, Alcyone, and Maia all had violet-colored hair and were immortalized in the stars as the constellation Pleiades after committing suicide upon hearing about the death of their father.  It is an interesting coincidence that the lily of the valley has a cluster of white flowers that resemble little stars.  Maia was the eldest and most beautiful of the Arcadian nymphs.  According to Hesiod's Theogony, Maia shared the sacred bed of Zeus and gave birth to Hermes (Mercury), the messenger god.  Hermes was also the god of commerce, the god of fertility, the creator of magic, and the psychopomp -- the guide to the underworld.  Thus Maia,  and the month May, are connected with all these themes -- but especially magic and fertility.

In Sanskrit the word maya is often described as the veil of illusion, but it is also the principal female deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the dream of duality in the material universe: Maya Shakti.

Maya is one of those active powers: the constant movement of the universe, pervasive to the atomic level. There is no life -- no existence, even -- without Maya, but she is so powerful that we cannot see the essence of things and mistake her movement for reality. For this reason, Maya is often called "the veil of illusion," the dance of multiplicity that distracts us so that we cannot see all matter as essentially identical. Illusion, however, as the sages have stressed, is not the same as falsehood. Maya is not a negative force, but can be a mesh through which we perceive the ultimate reality of existence -- if we are not distracted by her magnificent creativeness and complexity.  Unknown Author

The astrological line up for May 2012 may be full of Maya's creative distractions.  There is an incredible stellium of planets in the fixed sign of Taurus which will focus a lot of energy on the illusion of material comfort and prosperity.  As I have described in previous posts, Venus has been transiting the sign of Taurus since March 28, 2012.  During the first week of May it will be at its brightest -- its greatest illuminated extent in the Western evening sky.  Taurus is a powerful sign for Venus as its earthy energy is able to manifest the planet's creative impulse on the physical plane.  Venus in Taurus brings comfort and ease to life.  But as I mentioned in my last post, the luminous Evening Star has been followed by a "moon shadow," the south node, Ketu, whose energy of dissolution is unpredictable and can trigger upsets in the status quo.   When the two conjoined on April 11, 2012, six (the number associated with the planet Venus) large earthquakes shook the globe, including an 8.6 and 8.2 in Indonesia.

In addition, Venus is also on her journey of  transform from Evening Star to Morning Star during which time she appears to make a descent into the underworld, like the Sumerian goddess Inanna, setting in the West as the Evening Star and then rising again in the East as the Morning Star.

Along her path in the netherworld, Innana-Venus must pass through seven gates.  She is required to remove an article of clothing at each gate until she is completely naked, exposing her bright beauty to the darkest realms.   This descent begins on May 15, 2012 when she stations and turns retrograde at the 29th degree of Taurus -- the anaretic degree associated with an urgent need to correctly utilize the energy of that planet.  This degree is serious and indicates a narrow path. The following day Saturn, the lord of boundaries, will also be at 29 degrees in Virgo as it continues its retrograde motion shining brightly in the night skies.  Then on May 17, 2012 Jupiter will enter the sign of Taurus and bring its power of expansion and opportunity to the table.  Venus is supported by the big guys.

Although the classics consider retrograde planets to be stronger under reverse motion, they are still operating in a different mode that may cause a disturbance to their usual field of influence.  Moreover, energy slows down and becomes more internalized.  Astrologically, Venus represents how we get what we want and the nature of the love we receive. When this power is afflicted, relationships may loose some of their spark, communication may not be as sweet, or or we may not be able to get what we want as easily as when the planet is direct. When Venus is retrograde, it is a great time to turn our relationship radar inward and reassess any problems, differences, or unresolved issues.  So as the ruler of love and material security reverses direction, our boundaries around relationships and money are tested. Venus retrograde may bring events that inspire us to re-evaluate the conditions of our relationships or revise our financial plans, but as Lynn Koiner suggests, it is not a time to make any changes:

You become readily aware of any problems, differences or unresolved issues. It is NOT a time, however, to act upon any unfavorable awareness. It is purely a time of evaluation rather than direct action. As little frictions and disagreements crop up, they serve to remind you that the relationship is not perfect. Under the retrograde influence, you must assess the severity of the problem and the “cost-benefit” of the relationship. Only after Venus turns direct should you initiate any alienation if this is deemed necessary.

Moreover, the upcoming Venus retrograde takes place under the obscuring influences of two eclipses:  an annular solar eclipse on May 20, 2012 and a partial lunar eclipse on June 4, 2012.

May's new moon in Taurus receives the subtle shakti of the Pleiades from the nakshatra Krittika, but it is disturbed by Ketu's presence in the shadow released during the annular eclipse on May 20, 2012. (For a great video click here.) Its dahana shakti, the power to burn and purify, may become exaggerated under Ketu's fiery glance from Rohini.  Many astrologers assert that Ketu is debilitated in the sign of Taurus as the bull's accumulating nature is counter to the south node's impulse to dissolve and release spirit from its involution in matter.  Thus this Ketu solar eclipse in Taurus may cause discord in relationships, already pressed by Venus in retrograde motion, and downturns in financial markets.

Fortunately there is grace present as Jupiter enters Taurus three days before the first eclipse.  Many astrologers view Jupiter's sojourn into Taurus as beneficial creating prosperity and expanding "bull" markets.  Some even call Jupiter in Taurus the millionaire-maker.  However, the nodes are powerful and can disturb even the most beneficial of planets.  As my teacher used to say, when an eclipse occurs all the stars come out during the day, meaning that all the hidden issues that are always there beyond our immediate consciousness may suddenly appear.  Eclipses magnify the shadow issues underlying our illusions and amplify the emotional drama of our misconceptions and disagreements.  But an eclipse is also an opportunity to look at these hidden issues and collective denial, such as global wealth and debt issues, and shift course. 

June begins with a partial Rahu lunar eclipse of a debilitated Moon in Scorpio/Jyestha with Ketu in Taurus/Rohini followed by the astronomical event of the year: a vary rare transit of Venus across the face of the Sun on June 5-6, 2012.  Depending on your location you may see the transit either as her last steps as the Evening Star, or first steps as the Morning Star.  Most of North America sees the beginning of the transit in the afternoon and evening on June 5, whereas much of Eurasia sees the ending of the transit in the morning on June 6.  As Venus Morning Star is historically related to the goddess of war, those countries who first witness her in the morning may be the sites of future conflict.

Although Jupiter and Mercury will also be nearby, they will be hidden behind the rays of the Sun and unable to touch Venus with their direct glance.  With so many planets connected with "consciousness" lined up and in combustion with the Sun, Venus is left alone to receive the Earth's full attention.


As Venus passes between the Sun and the Earth, its movement is in essence very similar to a lunar eclipse.  So in a way we will be getting a double whammy of lunar and Venus eclipses within 24 hours of each other.   The involvement of the nodes with this Venus Transit suggests that this astronomical moment in time will be quite significant.  Because the south node, Ketu, will manifest its shadow the day before the transit, it is the only planet that will have a negative effect on Venus. Its energy of dissolution may release old karmic patterns during the lunar eclipse which may then be transformed the next day by the conjunction of Venus in the heart of the Sun, called Cazimi.  When the Sun engulfs the energies of a planet in Cazimi, it is said to imbue the planet with the intensely positive and life-giving energy through the Sun, which draws its energy from the shakti of the nakshatras that it transits: Rohini where the great red star Aldebaran resides making up the eye of the bull in Taurus.  Aldebaran is believed to be the abode of Brahma and when it lines up with our Sun we receive its many blessings. 

Thus the thus deity associated with Rohini is Brahma, the Creator, "who can bestow everything, so we should be careful of what we want." According to David Frawley, "Rohini Nakshatra represents the gods, dharma and good fortune (Lakshmi) and is said to be the most fortunate of all Nakshatras for worldly affairs."

Rohini's shakti power is rohana shakti, growth -- as might be expressed in the Fibonacci sequence, phi, the sacred geometry of the pentagram that Venus draws in the heavens over the course of eight years, and the movement of Maya Shakti.  As we shall soon see this Venus Transit in Rohini may herald a provocative shift in how we use our creative energy to produce material and spiritual wealth.  Remember that the transformation of Venus from Evening Star to Morning Star is one from the goddess of love to the goddess of war (see my previous post on Venus Cycles).  I pray that Venus becomes a warrior goddess to fight against poverty, hunger, greed and the obscene corruption in the global banking and business worlds by lifting the veil of the dance of multiplicity so that we may see that we are indeed ONE.

Namaste! Jai Ma 

 

Vernal Equinox -- It's Spring!

Spring begins today officially at 4:32 pm PDT. The term equinox originates from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because at the equinox night and day are equally long. An equinox occurs in the Spring and Fall when the center of the Sun can be observed to be vertically overhead on the Equator.



The Spring equinox marks the beginning of many calendar systems including Western astrology, Iranian calendar, the Bahá'í calendar, and ancient Eqyptian (Coptic) calendar. The Persian/Zoroastrian calendar marks the new year at the Fall Equinox. The Ancient Mayans marked this shift in the architecture of their temples. During the equinox at Chichén Itzá the rays of the setting sun shine across the stepped northwestern corner of the site's principal temple casting a zigzag shadow that resembles a diamondback rattlesnake in profile. The shadow stretches from top to bottom connecting with the carved stone snake's head at the foot of the balustrade. It is the resurrection of a solar deity called Kukulcán/Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent of the ancient Maya.



It is only in India where tradition uses a Sidereal zodiac that the new year begins around April 14 when the Sun actually enters the first sign of Aries in which it is exalted.

Today's equinox chart has the constellation Leo, the Sun's own sign, rising on the horizon in the nakshatra of Magha. Magha is composed of six stars including the bright fixed star Regulus, which is said to be one hundred time more luminous than our own Sun.



Magha translate as 'the mighty one' and its symbol is a palanquin, the royal seat of the king. Magha gives tyage kshepani shakti, the power to leave the body and is described as a very mystical nakshatra. Watch the media for resurrection themes.

In addition the Sun is transiting the early degrees of Pisces in the nakshatra Uttara Bhadrapada. This lunar mansion has the power to bring cosmic rain, varshodyamana shakti, which is typical of March weather patterns. It consists of two stars, Pegasi and Andromedae which form the two legs of the back part of a funeral bed. Like the myth of Andromeda, it signifies the release of bondage, the release of kundalini, the release of life through death -- the deep sleep of consciousness.



The deity associated with Uttara Bhadrapada is Ahir Bhudhanya, the serpent of the deep. Watch the media for stories about what is happening deep in the oceans, like the History Channel's How the Earth was Made: the Marianas Trench and the CBC's One Ocean. Click here and here for links.





The 8th house placement of the Sun in the Equinox chart gives mixed results for those celebrating this day as their new year. The Sun represents the father and kingship, so its placement in the 8th house would weaken leaders of those countries who follow this calendar as their new year. The 8th house is a dustana house that weakens most planets as it rules the unknown and chronic aspects of life. It is often described as the house of death, sex, and hidden matters. Certainly recent headlines like Church Sex Scandal Reaching the Pope do not bode well for the leader of the Catholic Church. The attack on the Pope that occurred on New Years Day may be repeated, especially around Easter.

I also view the 8th house as giving opportunities for transition, metamorphosis, and longevity. The 8th house is also a place of secret activities and health issues, so the recent push towards passing the US health care bills is marked with a lot of backroom bargaining.

The nicest astronomical moment of the first day of spring will occur in the Western sky just after sunset when the crescent Moon in its sign of exaltation will transit through the nakshatra Krittika that contains star fields of the Pleiades cluster.

Namaste!

UPDATE:
Another cool astrological event this morning -- the Sun released another CME on its far side.

Mercury Retrograde May 6 - May 30, 2009

Mercury Retrograde thru Krittika May 6 - June 30, 2009

Last night Mercury stationed and began its retrograde motion through the sign of Taurus, in the nakshatra Krittika. It will conjunct the sun on May 18, 2009, and go direct on May 30, 2009. This year the retrograde Mercury pattern occurs in Earth signs which may make the energy feel more plodding, or as a fellow astrologer pointed out may help to get the details worked out (thanks BR). This cycle begins in Taurus, and spends a few days in Aries, all in the nakshatra of Krittika, which holds the six visible stars of the Pleiades. The symbols of Krittika are a flame, razor or knife that cut away negativity to reveal the greatest truth. The dahana shakti gives the power to burn. Krittika literally means "the cutters" and is called the "star of fire".

When Mercury is placed here minds are sharped, and illusions are burned away. The retrograde may assist us to look back over the past few months and reassess our beliefs. As Mercury also rules commerce we may see more problems with political transparency and bail out plans. Today's headline on the Huffington Post read: Time to Scramble for More Funds.



Krittika contains the Pleiades , also called the Seven Sisters, a star cluster, located around 425 light years from the earth. It contains hundreds of stars and many young planets that NASA is searching for signs of life.

The Pleiades was well known throughout recorded human history. The ancient Greeks named it the Seven Sisters after its most visible hot blue stars; the Aztecs of Mexico and Central America based their calendar upon the Pleiades; and the cluster is mentioned in the Bible, when God asks Job, "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?"(Rocky Planets Might Inhabit Popular Nearby Star Cluster, by Ker Than, posted: 15 November 2007 on Space.com).

The Pleiades find their way into many modern science fiction books, TV shows and movies. An image appearing to be this cluster was contained in the Enterprise computer in 2254, when the Talosians scanned Enterprise's records in the first Star Trek episode The Cage.

In this episode Captain Pike, the previous captain of the Enterprise, is captured and tested by the familiar big-headed beings with pulsing craniums who can project powerfully realistic illusions (like Hollywood directors ;).



The Talosians were an aged, cerebral, sentient, humanoid species native to Talos IV in the Talos star group. These big-headed beings are very Mercurial, and a trip down memory lane is an interesting use of this Mercury retrograde sync.

The back story of the Talosians is much like many channeled teachings that suggest the oldest root races of humans originate from the star systems of Lyra, and after some galactic calamity escaped to Pleiades and established an interstellar portal with the earth. So whenever I see Pleiades I immediately think: Stargate or Portal.

According to Vedic traditions, the six wifes of the ancient Seers, represented by the six stars, hid Shiva's son Skanda from the demons and trained him in the various systems of knowledge. His destiny was to destroy the demons and return heaven to the Gods. Thus the Pleiades, or Krittika, is a celestial training ground where one receives instruction on one's life purpose. It is also a place of refuge.

The Talosians were once a technologically advanced culture but a nuclear holocaust left their planet virtually uninhabitable and killed most of the species. The survivors of the nuclear war congregated in underground dwellings, where they became dependent on their mental ability to create stunningly real illusions, an ability that had been developed by their ancestors. As their mental powers grew, they lost the ability to use the technology left behind by their ancestors. The Talosians found that life using illusion was addictive, almost like a human developing a physical and psychological dependence on narcotics. They became bored with the content of the illusions which they had. Their dependence upon these illusions for mental stimuli caused the Talosians to begin capturing space travelers to use as the living basis for their illusions.

Some folks in ET circles believe that 2009 is the year of disclosure regarding our government's knowledge of alien life and that BO is alien friendly, or even the reincarnation of the alien-looking ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhnaton. Mercury retrograding through the fields of our ancient alien ancestors may bring forth new information indeed, but will it be truth or illusion?

Another interesting sync is that this week the new Star Trek movie, a prequel, is being released. It is retrograding back to the early life of Captain James T. Kirk and a how they initially set out to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.



With all the Star Trek fans out there, it is a guaranteed cash crop!
Live long and prosper my friends!
Namaste!