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 

 

July Astroweather 2010

July begins in the middle of an eclipse period. An eclipse is defined as an astronomical event in which one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. Here on earth eclipses of the sun and moon occur in pairs every six months as the north and south nodes of the moon, Rahu and Ketu, align with the full or new moon. The two week period between the eclipses is often filled with dynamic shifts and changes that have an effect on the following six months -- until the next eclipse period. The upcoming week may be intense, dizzying, and eye-opening for many of us as we shift up a notch on our spiraling and evolving paths.



As I discussed in the June Astro Weather post, last week's full moon lunar eclipse in the nakshatra of Mula heralded the opening of the King Tut Exhibit in Denver, with its symbolic display of funerary art. Under the light of this shadow moon, stories of King Tut's missing penis made headlines. Even Stephen Colbert was intrigued by the missing phallus. Besides the sensationalized mystery of why it is missing, it is intriguing because during the lunar eclipse the Sun was in the nakshatra of Ardra, which is associated with the constellation of Orion and the fixed star Sirius. These stars correspond to the Egyptian goddess Isis, and her husband O-Siris, who was also known for missing a penis. Osiris is a god of resurrection and Lord of the Underworld.



Ancient Egyptians viewed the fixed star Sirius as a giver of life for it always reappeared at the time of the annual flooding of the Nile. When the star sank in the west and disappeared from the night sky, it remained hidden for 70 days before emerging in the east in the morning. This period was viewed as a time of death and rebirth. The Egyptians designed their funeral ceremonies to reflect this phenomenon. When an Egyptian king died, his body was mummified, then interred in a pyramid or other tomb. By custom, burial took place 70 days after death, when the king was "reborn" in the stars. As Sirius was involved in this eclipse, it points to the period of its helical rising, July 3 - August 11th, the possibility that a king may undergo burial rites.

During this eclipse period many themes of death and the underworld have surfaced in the media and mass consciousness. It is no coincidence that the vampire blockbuster The Twilight Saga opened the third installment aptly named Eclipse during this time. We also witnessed intense riots and political protests at the G20 Summit in Toronto, where an unusual 5.0 earthquake shook the ground three days earlier. Tropical storm Alex threatened to push the spilled oil into the northern Gulf, but turned towards Mexico instead. The stock market may be taking another dive dubbed a "death cross."



And more frightening discussions of the BP oil spill fulfilling an apocalyptic prophecy with an upcoming event that could cause the deaths of 1.5 - 3 billion people.



Thus the effects of Rahu on this full moon lunar eclipse seem to have amplified the collective fear of our death urge. 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. My personal experience of this lunar eclipse was a positive one as it effected benefics in my own natal chart. I attended a transcendent yoga class that surprisingly brought me back to the root (Mula) of my essence and that night I experienced significant dreams.

New Moon, Solar Eclipse July 11, 2010 12:40 pm PDT
The next phase of this eclipse period is the new moon solar eclipse on July 11, 2010 at 12:40 pm PDT. July's eclipse is the second solar eclipse of the year, but unlike the January 15th partial Rahu eclipse, this one will be a total Ketu eclipse. In Vedic Astrology Ketu is described as the enemy of the Sun, and as the Negative Sun may bring self-doubt, lack of confidence and self worth, or its opposite megalomania. As opposed to Rahu's affliction of the mind, Ketu can afflict the body. Ketu is a moksha-karaka, indicator of liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and it performs this function through dissolution. Thus we may expect to see sudden disease or cataclysmic events that dissolve the body and bring unexpected deaths; leaders may be less effective to make confident decisions; countries may find themselves dissolving political ties; or a delusional leader may incite a volatile incident.

During this new moon solar eclipse both the Sun and Moon fall in the sign of Gemini in the 7th nakshatra of Punarvasu. The nakshatra Punarvasu consists of two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, above the constellation of Orion. Many ancient cultures saw these stars as twins or lovers, but ancient Vedic seers interpreted them as a "quiver of arrows. And these are no ordinary arrows. Punar means "to repeat" or to "return" and these arrows function like boomerangs, or divine astras, that magically return after fulfilling their function or mission. Their perigee is the moment they hit their target, but that is not the end as the arrow must bring its rewards by returning. Thus Punarvasu symbolizes renewal, regeneration and endless beginnings. What ever we set our intent for under this influence is bound to be a completed mission. So perhaps this new moon eclipse will offer the opportunity for all of us to reach for our magical arrow, send it off with well planned intent of requesting sacred space for movement and abundance to be generated not just for ourselves, but for all earth kind.

This benefic nakshatra is is ruled by Aditi the Mother of a group of solar deities called the Adityas. The Adityas protect against various diseases, and belong to the Devas, a generic term for divine beings. They are: Ansa, Aryman, Bhaga, Daksha, Dhatri, Indra, Mitra, Ravi, Savitri, Surya, Varuna, and Yama. Surya is the deity associated with the Sun and as he is being eclipsed, his energy may not be as powerful during this time. Surya is an indicator of kings and leaders, and this eclipse may be a difficult time for any leader or countries with planets at 25 degrees Gemini. For example, the famous Indian astrologer Gayatri Vasudev uses a US chart with a Gemini ascendant, and we may witness more difficulty for President Obama as his natal Venus, ruler of his 10th house of public life) falls in Gemini in the 6th house of disease and enemies.

Adithi is Sanskrit for "limitless" and thus Aditi is also described as a sky goddess representing the unlimited space of the heavens.



Prash Trivedi writes:

Aditi, or space, is the sinequanon for any motion or movement. If there is no space, there is no motion. . . Just like the space which accommodates all, Punarvasu is very accommodating of people, situations, circumstances, and energies.

The power associated with Punarvasu is to gain wealth or substance, vasutva prapana shakti. So will Ketu's shadow influence dissolve this power, or accentuate it? Or will it yield enlightenment about how unbalanced our concepts of wealth and money are? Will Aditi, a symbol of the earth itself, who grants all abundance and gives birth to all the gods, be eclipsed by Ketu? Will she be able to heal herself, or will she 'quiver' under the shadow of Ketu?

The path of the eclipse usually points to the areas of the world that will be most effected. In this case the solar eclipse will be visible in the South Pacific and southern South America, following a path over the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Easter Island, and finally Chile and Argentina. As Chile suffered a major earthquake 6 weeks after the last solar eclipse in January, it may have experience more earth changes.



The focal point of this eclipse is Easter Island, known around the world as the location of the mysterious giant carvings called moai. Easter Island was also called Te-Pito-O-Te Henua which means "the Navel of the Earth." What could a total eclipse do to this magical site and how does it tie into the mother earth archetypes being triggered?



Easter Island has always inspired wild speculation about UFO's, Lemuria, and vanished advanced ancient races. The legends of Easter Island speak of 'Hiva' which sank beneath the waves as people fled. As the words "Punar" means repeat, and "Vasu" translates as ray of light, Punarvasu is also known as "the star of renewal" and marks the return of the light after the storm. Perhaps we will see stories surface that reveal lost ancient worlds? Or perhaps we will see the return of a cataclysmic event?

Are Eclipses Really to be Feared?
This eclipse is part of Saros cycle 146, repeating every 18 years 11 days. Saros 146 occurred previously at the Total Solar Eclipse of June 30, 1992, and will next occur at the Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2028. I remember the 1992 solar eclipse as I was fascinated by how the light shifted. It seemed very gray to me. All my co-workers went outside to experience the event. Instead of looking at the sky, we watched the eclipse in the bizarre shadows cast by the trees.



I was just beginning to study astrology, and wondered how this energy effected our own energetic field and shadows. The following year was one of great change that initiated me on my spiritual path.

Astrological traditions view eclipse cycles as a karmic time periods in which the obscuration of the luminaries brings out psychological disturbances, political unrest, shadow issues, and fear. Historically eclipses have been described in the mythology and literature of different cultures as signs of the overthrow of the natural order of things. The word eclipse comes from a Greek word ekleipsis meaning "to fail to appear" or "abandonment." Quite literally, an eclipse was seen as the sun abandoning the earth. It is unfortunate that so much negativity is associated with eclipses because my recent experiences have found that eclipses bring in profound and evolutionary information.

If we look at the phenomenon of an eclipse, we may begin to realize what is happening beyond an archetypal level. At the beginning of the solar eclipse, the Moon progressively covers the solar disk. Illumination of Earth's surface rapidly diminishes. Even the air temperature falls a few degrees. Seconds before the totality of the eclipse, shadow bands appear.



Shadow bands are irregular bands of shadow, a few centimeters wide and up to a meter apart, moving over the ground. 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. Sound waves travel 4.3 times faster in water than air, so we can only imagine what effect these sonic shadows bands may have on the waters of our planet, and in our bodies.

The next phase of an eclipse is called the diamond ring phase during which Bailey's beads appear on the solar limb. Bailey's beads are a string of bright beads of light produced by the uneven shape of the lunar limb. Baily's beads make their brief appearance up to 15 seconds before totality. When a single point of sunlight remains, a beautiful "diamond ring" effect is created against the outline of the Moon.



This sparkling signals the arrival of the moon's shadow when the last ray of sunlight vanishes and totality begins. Maximal duration of totality varies from eclipse to eclipse lasting up to 7.5 minutes.



During totality, a luminous white crown of light shines in all directions around the darkened solar disk. A million times fainter than the Sun itself, the full glory of the corona is visible only during a total solar eclipse. Wispy plumes and streamers of coronal light reach out distances up to several diameters of the Sun before they fade into darkness. The sun's corona is much hotter -- by a factor of nearly 200 -- than the visible surface of the Sun. The high temperature of the corona gives it unusual spectral features that have been traced to highly ionized Iron. The exact mechanism by which the corona is heated is still the subject of some debate, but likely possibilities include induction by the Sun's magnetic field and sonic pressure waves from below. I can't help but view the corona as the auric field of the sun, and thus wonder if we can't see other auric fields during an eclipse? Or if we may be able to access astral fields more clearly during this time manifesting in seeing auras or other psychic phenomenon in dream and meditative states.



To me the most amazing thing about totality is that the brightest stars and planets are observable during a time when they are usually blocked by the sun's light. It seems to me that we may receive more galactic information at this time. My teacher used to say that during a solar eclipse, one should take notice of the stars when the Sun is obscured. The stars are the issues that are always there, but can't be seen in the bright light of day. In other words eclipses are opportunities to realize what is present beyond daily vision, and these issues may thus be addressed.

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. Ketu 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. This Ketu opportunity to bring balance is exactly what the earth needs right now.

Namaste!

Blue Moon -- Happy New Year 2010!

Full Moon December 31, 2009, 11:13 am pst, partial Ketu eclipse 11:24 am pst
This year ends under the influence of a blue moon in the sign of Gemini. The month of December winds down with two symbolic themes reoccurring: blue and Gemini. As I discussed in previous posts the color blue permeated media images of the Norway spiral, the Nobel Prize ceremony, the COP-15 conference, and the Na'vi from the movie Avatar (thanks to Andre Heath for creating this cool collage).



The blue moon is another opportunity to shower us with a blue vibration that may trigger indigo and luciferian consciousness.

The term 'blue moon' generally refers to the second full moon in a month and occurs once every 2.7 years. We have blue moons because our calendar system was changed from a lunar year with 13 months of 28 days to a solar year with 12 months with various days. There are 13 full moons in a solar year, and the left over full moon becomes a blue one.

The last blue moon to shine on New Year's Eve was 19 years ago, in 1990 and the next will be in 2028. However, the moon will not actually be blue, except in retouched photos. The phrase 'once in a blue moon' really means an impossibility, as in never happening. So the convergence of all these improbable events and phenomena is intriguing. Are they all an illusion? Or is something impossible about to occur?

The Gemini theme first appeared during the Geminid meteor shower in mid-December. The annual Geminid meteor shower gets the name 'Geminids' because it appears to radiate from the constellation Gemini. I discussed the name of its source, a comet/asteroid called Phaeton who was the son of the Sun God, Helios. This story relates a solar theme popular at this time of year: a father Sun god sacrificing his own son to save the Earth and mankind. The meteor showers symbolizes pieces of Phaeton's exploded chariot falling to Earth.

It is intriguing that this Gemini full moon falls in the nakshatra of Ardra which is associated with the blue star, Sirius. This star is also connected to a sacrificial themes throughout many ancient and modern traditions (Egyptian - Osirius, Greek-Orion, and even new age--Christ consciousness) and even figures prominently in UFO lore.



The Hindu myth associated with Ardra revolves around the story of the demon Taraka who practiced severe austerities in order to receive the gift of 'undefeatable power' from Brahma. Thus Ardra's gift is yatna shakti, the power to make gains in life through great effort. Once Taraka attained this power, he turned around and began to oppress the gods. Could this reversal of power also be happening now? Have humans attained enough knowledge that they are turning on the gods, our ancient alien progenitors?



According to the Hindu story, the gods began to fear Taraka's power, and responded by imploring Shiva to do something about this terrible threat. Shiva created a champion, Karttikeya or Skanda, to combat Taraka. After spending his formative years with the seven sisters, in the refuge and training ground of the Pleiades, Karttikeya went forth and battled Taraka. Karttikeya was able to destroy the demon, and so rescued the world.



The story of Taraka is similar to the Greek myth of the Titan Prometheus, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man.



Zeus was so furious that he sent Pandora, the first woman, to live with man. According to Hesiod, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to mold her out of Earth as part of the punishment of mankind for Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, and all the gods joined in offering this 'beautiful evil' seductive gifts.


According to the myth, out of curiosity, Pandora opened a jar, commonly referred to as 'Pandora's box' that contained all evils that would later plague mankind. By the time she closed the jar, only hope remained.

So like the Biblical Eve in the Garden of Eden, a woman's curiosity was responsible for bringing sin and evil into the world. Is this why calendar makers shifted from a Pagan lunar calendar to a Christian solar calendar? But according to the gods, original sin is the desire for knowledge and light? So what kind of gods were they -- to be fearful that their children be full of light and knowledge? I have yet to see the movie Avatar which takes place on a moon called Pandora, but I have a feeling I might see similar themes all cast in a blue hue.



Today's full moon will also undergo a partial lunar eclipse by the south node, Ketu. Its psychic effects are unpredictable ranging from the gift of new insight to the release of repressed emotions. As Ketu is a moksha karaka, or indicator of enlightenment, its power during this eclipse may be to release this spiritual energy. A New Years meditation may be more powerful than a glass of bubbly this year, but either one will release the power of the blue moon.

Namaste!

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.