Astro Weather July Eclipses (with Updates)

Lunar Eclipse July 7, 2009, Solar Eclipse July 21, 2009
An eclipse is defined as an astronomical event in which one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. Although any planet or moon can be involved in an eclipse, here on earth our energetic lives are dramatically shifted during lunar and solar eclipses.

A solar eclipse occurs during a new moon when the moon aligns with the one of the nodes and blocks the full light of the sun from the earth, creating a darken daytime sky, and literally shifting the light patterns of the sun. The shadows that are cast on the earth during this time are a carbon copy of the eclipse above. It is rather surreal, and thus associated with psychological disturbances, shadow issues, and fear.


A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon and has a less dramatic effect on light patterns, but does create an eerie red glow on the full moon. Its psychic effects are unpredictable ranging from the gift of new insight to the release of repressed emotions.

Because of their ability to swallow the sun (the light of the soul and source of life itself) and moon (the reflected light of consciousness) and then return them imprinted with new information, the nodes are associated with death and rebirth, and thus indicators of karma. The North and South Nodes of the moon describe points where the moon crosses the ecliptic, the sun's path in the sky. The ascending node, called Rahu in Vedic astrology, is where the moon crosses to the north of the ecliptic. The descending node, called Ketu, is where it crosses to the south. Rahu is the head of the dragon, and Ketu is the tail. In Vedic astrology they are assigned the status of planets, or chayya grahas, shadow planets. Rahu is sometimes described as the enemy of the moon, or negative Moon. Rahu as Negative Moon brings negative mental states such as psychosis, paranoia, illusion and trance. Ketu is the enemy of the Sun, and as the Negative Sun may bring self-doubt, lack of confidence and self worth, or its opposite megalomania.

There are many allegorical stories about the lunar nodes. In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a snake that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. According to legend, the asura Rahu drank some of the divine nectar of immortality. Before the nectar could pass his throat, Vishnu/Mohini cut off his head. The head, however, remained immortal as it had already tasted the divine elixir. Because of its desire for divine nectar, Rahu is associated with intoxication and is an indicator of obsession with power and fame (immortality). Rahu on a physical plane gives insatiable desire to achieve, to conquer, and to possess.


Ketu is what remains of the body of Rahu, the headless tail. The lost head symbolizes the loss of the thinking mind. The headless body may also represent an enlightened being who is freed from the thinking mind. As opposed to Rahu's affliction of the mind, Ketu can afflict the body. It is a moksha-karaka, indicator of liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Ketu can bestow great insight and healing ability, or it may place obstacles that ultimately change how one thinks. It brings spiritual tendencies, ascetism and nonattachment to worldly desires and ambitions, and it balances the materialistic compulsion of Rahu with its impulse to enlightenment.



Penumbral Lunar Eclipse July 7, 2009
The first eclipse in July is an out-of-sign partial lunar eclipse in which Rahu nibbles on the full Moon in Sagittarius -- but the astrological alignment with the Moon and Rahu in the same sign of Capricorn occurs 12 hours later, during apogee, the annual point at which the moon is furthest from the earth. In May of 2009 a fascinating series of crop circles appeared that suggest increased solar flare activity complete with coronal mass projections (CME) will occur at this time. Please see the May 17th Astro Weather post for more information.
http://starworlds.blogspot.com/2009/05/crop-circles-and-july-full-moon-2009.html


As this is a Rahu eclipse of the Moon, we may expect to see increased negative mental states. If the predicted CMEs are large enough to burn out satellites, its effects on communication could certainly give rise to fear. And guess who is traveling during this time? The President leaves on Monday for a two day trip to Moscow during this eclipse to discuss nuclear disarmament. Secretary Clinton is skipping the trip for unrevealed reasons, but probably due to her recent elbow break. Smart lady.



Total Solar Eclipse July 21/22, 2009
The solar eclipse that will take place on Wednesday, July 21/22, 2009 will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.080. It will be visible from a narrow corridor through northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, including the Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati. This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132. One of the research projects that will be keeping a close eye, and ear, on this event is led by heliologist Dr Hari Om Vats who will be studying shadow bands that occur before and after a solar eclipse. A shadow band is the play of light and shadow preceding and succeeding a total solar eclipse noticed from earth. There is a theory that suggests that shadow bands are not just visual events but also sonic, as the moon is believed to move at a supersonic speed, creating various sound waves during the solar eclipse. If shadow bands are a sonic event, it is yet to be proved, as it is not the moon but its shadow that moves at a supersonic speed during the time of eclipse.


This eclipse is a Ketu eclipse in the eighth nakshatra Pushya, and it occurs in the 8th house with Mercury. Pushya resides in the sign of Cancer, and contains three faint stars (see Starsyncs for compelling RNC image). It is symbolized by the udder of a cow reflecting the nourishing quality of this asterism. It is one of the most auspicious of all the lunar mansions with brahmavarchasa shakti, the power to create spiritual energy. As Ketu is a moksha karaka, or indicator of enlightenment, its power during this eclipse may be to release this spiritual energy; or as Ketu is the enemy of the Sun, it may release a solar archetype, like a king or leader. The line up in the 8th house also suggests a death or major loss.

Although this eclipse period promises to be intense, it is important to remember not to get caught up in the drama of any karmic release. My teacher used to say that during a solar eclipse, notice the stars when the Sun is obscured. The stars are the issues that are always there, but can't be seen in the light of day. In other words, significant information, and even revelation, may occur when the dragons head and tail meet the Sun and Moon. Observe and wait, and ride the waves when they come. You may have an interesting ride.

Namaste!

UPDATE
Sarah Palin just resigned her governship a few days before the Rahu lunar eclipse across her natal ascendant, Sun, Moon -- the chart ruler, and Mercury. No doubt some political scandal may be revealed under the eclipse period.

UPDATE: The most active sunspot of the year so far is emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere. Sunspot 1024 has at least a dozen individual dark cores and it is crackling with B-class solar flares. Somethings brewing!


More eclipse related news:
Celebrity death rumors spread online
Manuel Zelaya To Head to Honduras, Military Ordered to Turn Back his Jet
China's Xinjiang hit by violence
Map Three people have been killed and more than 20 injured in violence in the city of Urumqi in China's restive Xinjiang region, state media says.
"Biden" We Misread How Bad the Economy Was
and my fav . . .
Obama’s Youth Shaped His Nuclear-Free Vision
In 1983, BO a senior at Columbia University wrote in a campus newsmagazine, Sundial, about the vision of “a nuclear free world.”

Notice the solar/lunar image -- and the name of Columbia's campus magazine, Sundial.

Yes, Chris, I do feel the unrest in China may escalate closer to the solar eclipse as it will be most felt in Asia.

Astro Weather Summer Solstice June 21st

Happy Solstice!
The longest day of the year has arrived. Summer begins on the Sun's day this year, marked by the summer solstice which occurs when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined toward the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost point. The Sun appears to stand still at the top of the analemma before reversing direction in its endless figure-eight path.

In Seattle, where we obsess about the fickle Sun, The Fremont Fair and Summer Solstice Parade herald the beginning of summer. This year's symbolically appropriate theme is "Phoenix Rising" that includes a grand float featuring a firebird rising out of ashes to the tune of Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra (opening score in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey).



The artistic neighborhood of Fremont does consider itself to be the Center of the Known Universe, and no doubt organizers would be thrilled to see the synchronystic appearance of a Phoenix in a recent crop circle in England.



Fremont is also the home to Masonic Lodge no 92 (the building behind the Lenin statue), and the Phoenix is a symbol used by Freemasons to represent resurrection, in particular a new world rising from the ashes of Atlantis and Egypt. Some historians suggest that the Eagle replaced the Phoenix in 1841 as the national bird. Originally, the Phoenix was adopted by the Founding Fathers (Freemasons) for use on the reverse of the first official seal of the United States after a design proposed by Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress.



The mythical Phoenix is a universal symbol of the Sun, mystical rebirth, resurrection and immortality and appropriate symbol for the summer solstice. This sacred firebird has literary origins in ancient Greek mythology, and counter parts in Phoenician, Egyptian, Arabic, Mayan and Native American legends (and modern mythic tales like Fawkes in Harry Potter).



This fantastic bird boasts a multicolored plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. According to the legends, this immortal creature lives for 500 to 1,000 years, and then near the end of its life, it builds a nest of myrrh twigs and ignites itself. Both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young Phoenix arises, reborn anew to live again. The Phoenix was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being immortal and invincible — it is also said that it can heal a person with a tear from its eyes and make them temporarily immune to death.

In Vedic astrology, the summer solstice Sun always falls in the nakshatra Ardra, which is depicted as -- a teardrop. Like the tears of the Phoenix, it is a healing nakshatra and is associated with the clarity that arises after a calamity, or the the clearing after a spring thunderstorm. Ardra is located in the sign of Gemini in the constellation of Orion. It is considered the bright star Betelgeuse, and is also associated with Sirius. Yes, the summer solstice sun aligns with Masonic favorite symbol, the star Sirius. If we could see the sun against a night sky it would look like the image below:



As the Sun stands still in its northern most declination and the Earth aligns to soak in the transmitted starlight from Sirius, countless solstice participants will participate consciously or unconsciously in a global ritual. Perhaps as seen in this classic Masonic Tracing Board, angelic beings, or messages, may descend to Earth from Sirius.



We are literally basking in sunshine that is charged with energetic messages, or shakti, that Sirius may be sending. Ardra gives yadna shakti, the power to make gains in life though greater effort, and like the Phoenix we may feel renewed and rejuvenated by the initiation of summer.

Other astronomical line ups:
New Moon Monday, June 22, 2009 12:35 pdt, also in the nakshatra Ardra aligning both spiritually (Sun) and emotionally (Moon) with yadna shakti.
Jupiter Retrograde June 15 - October 13, 2009

UPDATE: Solstice Crop Circle, Yin Yang Formation at West Kennett
Near Avebury, Wiltshire,



This Double Yin/Yang, or Taiji, symbol looks a bit like the analemma that marks the sun's figure-eight path in the sky. Tai = Ultimate ji = pole, so it is an obvious comment on the solstice, but a single taiji would be enough. . . why two? Could we also be at the "ultimate poles" of the grand analemma with an unknown binary mate to our sun, often suggested to be a brown dwarf, or even Sirius? If we do have a companion star, perhaps we are at a tipping point? Ancient Vedic seers certainly wrote about our companion star and how our proximity to it marked the four yugas, or world ages, or stages of consciousness. The nakshatra Ardra is exactly opposite the galactic center -- so could this summer solstice mark a point in space where we start to leave the sleep of Kali Yuga (dark age) towards the promise of the Satya Yuga (golden age)? Very intriguing image.

June Astro Weather

Full Moon Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 11:12 am pdt
Snana Yatra

The Snana Yatra is a bathing festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha (June). Devotees of Lord Jagannath believe that if they make a pilgrimage to see the deity on this day, they would be cleansed of all of their sins. Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the temple to view the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, and Madanmohan.



On the eve of Snana Yatra, idols of these deities are brought out and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi where they are ceremonially bathed with 108 pots of purified water and then decorated for a public audience with the devotees.

This month the full moon occurs in the purifying water sign of Scorpio, in the nakshatra Jyestha. Jyestha means the 'eldest' or 'most senior.' Some scholars suggest that originally there were only 18 nakshtras and Jyestha was the last. I believe it may also have a deeper astronomical reference, like the oldest part of our galaxy.



It precedes Mula, which means "root" and the home of the galactic center. It is the last step before we come back to a rebirth at the root, or Vishnuabi, Vishnu's belly button, the center from which our entire galaxy grew. Depictions of Vishnu, the preserver, often portray him asleep dreaming on the coiled-up thousand-hooded Shesha Naga, with his consort Lakshmi, floating on the Kshira Sagar meaning 'ocean of milk' or Milky Way. The nakshatra Jyestha is ruled by Mercury, which is a reflection of Vishnu. In this representation, Brahma, the creator, is depicted as a child sitting on a lotus that grows out of Vishnu's navel. As Joseph Campbell writes:

Brahma (Ultimate Creator) sits on a lotus, the symbol of divine energy and divine grace. The lotus grows from the navel of Vishnu, who is the sleeping god, whose dream is the universe. . . . Brahma opens his eyes and a world comes into being. . . Brahma closes his eyes, and a world goes out of being.

The dragon slayer, Indra is the deity most associated with Jyestha. As the King of the Gods and protector of heroes, Indra is known for his daring nature, courage, and power, but also for his vanity, pride, and unreliable character. The word 'Indra' translates into 'celestial drop' as he was also regarded as the rain god. Rain was an important factor in the agricultural prosperity of a kingdom. Too little caused drought and hunger, too much caused flooding and sickness. Thus this god was well respected and propitiated.

As god of war and weather, Indra used weapons such as the thunderbolt, bow, net, disc, and hook. The Arohana shakti of Jyestha gives the power to rise and conquer and give courage in battle. Indra's most notable battle was with the asura Vritra, a terrible dragon, who stole all the water of the world for himself. After a mighty battle, Indra sliced open the asura releasing all the hoarded water, and thus became known as a dragon slayer. He defeats the dragon by courage and cunning, and not with one of his many weapons.

The theme of snakes and dragons may be revealed in the symbols of Jyestha: a round earring, ring, or circular talisman that represents the governing forces of the universe, and the world (crown, orb, ring, large hoop earrings worn by kings).


In India the large round earring worn by ancient kings are reminiscent of the ouroboros, a coiled snake consuming its tail, representing ideas of circularity, unity, and infinity. This ancient symbol is found in many ancient cultures, and even today in alchemy, it is a sigel for purification -- the theme of this full moon.



In Western Astrology this part of the night sky used to be part of the constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent holder who may be the healer Aesclepius. Ophiuchus/Aesclepius learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. To prevent the entire human race from becoming immortal under Aesculepius' care, Zeus killed him with a bolt of lightning (also one of Indra's favorite weapons), but later placed his image in the heavens to honor his good works. ~Wiki


Images of Ophiuchus/Aesculepius depict him resting his foot on Scorpius, the Scorpion. In Greek lore the great earth goddess Gaia sent Scorpius to kill Orion, the Hunter, who had threatened to hunt down all the animals of the Earth. Scorpius stings Orion, who would have died had it not been for the intervention of Aesculapius. Aesculepius gave Orion a sip of the Divine Elixir, revealed by serpents, that restored him to health.



The Rod of Aesculepius is the symbol for the 13th Astrological sign, Ophiuchus, and is often confused with Caduceus of Mercury (interesting since Jyestra is ruled by Mercury). The confusion regarding the supposed medical significance of the caduceus appears to have arisen as a result the military using it for the US Army Medical Corps in the early 20th century -- and may in fact stem from Babylonian symbols depicting Ishtar as 'an awakener of life and vegetation in the spring' -- which is a whole other kettle of fish that I will refrain from discussing, today.

It is intriguing that the 13th constellation is also described as the "eldest" sign both Western and Vedic traditions. Johannes Kepler depicted an allegorical and astronomical Ophiuchus in the drawing posted below. Ophiuchus is also know as the location of the last visible supernova witnessed and documented by astronomers like Kepler in 1604, at the end of the 12 baktun, and beginning of the last and 13th baktun of the Mayan Calendar which we all know resets at the ends of 2012.



As I was looking through images of the ouroboros, I was fascinated with this contemporary one that looks like a worm hole.



Ophiuchus is opposite the constellation Orion, speculated home of our alien ancestors, possible binary twin Sirius, and supposed stargate/wormhole. Could Ophiuchus also contain a wormhole, or be an astrological marker for us to locate one in our corner of the Milky Way? And Ophiuchus contains star systems that are much closer to earth than Orion. In fact one of the nearest stars to our Solar System, Barnard's Star, which was assessed by the 1970s Project Daedalus as a plausible site for a visit from an unmanned spacecraft, is part of the Ophiuchus constellation.

Scorpio likes to go deep into the darkest mysteries and all the diverging avenues, as is apparent in this post. So I say let the illuminating light of the full moon in Jyestha inspire you to dig into a great mystery, purify in sauna,hot springs, or with sacred water, uncover a plot, plan a scheme, give care to elders, or set some grand plan into motion.

Namaste!