MERCURY CONJUNCTS JUPITER (6 LIBRA) … BUILDING A BRIDGE TO HEALING OR STAYING IN THE SAME KARMIC CYCLE, YOU CHOOSE (+ Mars opposes Persephone and sextiles Neptune, Venus-Juno-Nemesis trine Chiron)

Silence. That´s the vibration of what I feel now. Nothingness. The Void. Just Silence. It´s been building for days and appears to be at its climax. Perfectly timed for Mercury´s conjunction with Jupiter at 6 Libra (9:45 am UTC, 11 October 2016). It is the energy of what might be, of nascent potential waiting for a choice, a decision made one way or another – so that it may take form.

As you know, I interpret Libra as the choice or ability to make a decision through the use of detached logic. It may be graceful, it may be harmonious or beautiful – or its absolute opposite. It can be a powerful bridge that spans across differing views and perceptions of reality. It can also be the sword that breaks the bridge in two. Libra´s energy strongly relates with the value systems and choices we make when we enter partnerships and collaborations, be they personal and/or professional. It is also linked with legal matters, contracts and the arts.

Mercury helps us navigate our choices, to perceive, organize, analyse and express information to build a picture that feeds into our system of perception. Jupiter grants us the promise of expansion or amplification in whatever direction we consciously and sub-consciously choose to explore. (That is not always a positive thing)

As the two the come together, we are asked to look at the people, partnerships, and choices which we choose to invest ourselves-and-our-energies into creating or destroying at this time. It´s a very good time for the examination of one´s concept of self, one´s relationship values and ideals, and so on.

From a more spiritual perspective, it is an excellent time to re-think, re-configure and elucidate our ever-constant, ever-evolving co-creative partnership with The Divine, in all of its Forms (Masculine, Feminine, Androgynous, Hemaphroditic, etc.) and Formless States.

The choices we make and the words we utter carry greater energetic weight at this time. So take a moment to pause, breathe and then commit to / away from whatever it is that you must address at this time.

The Masculine-Feminine theme is particularly strong at this time for various reasons:

Mars (9 Capricorn) opposes Persephone (10 Cancer): We are asked to revisit the Persephone-Pluto myth, to question old narratives of just who had agency? For some, it is the straightforward tale of a daughter´s rape and her abduction (from her mother), and for others, it is a narrative of carefully calculated feminine seduction and a daughter escaping an overly controlling mother. Either way, the question comes down to who we believe is truly ´in control´, who has the final, authoritative say on which way the story – i.e. parts of _your_ story – get told. Atropos, the eldest of the Three Sisters of Fate sits at 8 Cancer to tell us that some parts of this story must end as it is their time. (Interestingly, Hades himself weighs in at 6 Cancer, squaring Mercury/Jupiter – it´s the same theme, repeated in a slightly different way)

Mars (9 Capricorn) sextiles Neptune (9 Pisces): An excellent time to set the seeds for the healing of the Masculine and the integration of yang energy within the feminine and masculine / individual / collective psyche. It is wise to avoid games of projection as one simply does not know the full length and breadth of all this species has done to over another, over vast cycles of time. Those with placements near 9 Gemini will experience this as a profound Yod, or finger of fate bringing these energies to an intense, karmic climax. Before the next one begins.

Persephone (10 Cancer) trines Neptune (9 Pisces) and the South Node (10 Pisces): The invitation to look at the cycles of blame-shame-guilt, parent-child bonds, the victim-abuser dynamic and so on. Some of that baggage will be yours, others more so with the collective unconscious. Be willing to see the story in a different way to find new paths of healing, release and transcendence (whatever that means to you). Persephone also sextiles the mean Node (10 Virgo). This is an excellent time to set the seeds for change, for drawing better boundaries and realizing that one does not need to be caught up in the same cycle of drama, to experience the same pain and suffering, repeated ad infinitium (especially with the South Node involved). Those with placements near 10 Aquarius will find this a very interesting Yod to work with.

Venus, Juno and Nemesis are all conjunct one another at 21 Scorpio. Venus refers to the process of material embodiment, the qualities and form of the feminine and to the pleasure we sustain by simply being. It also relates to finances and just about anything tangible that involves the generation of beauty, pleasure and abundance. It is certainly one archetype of the Feminine. Juno, as I understand her, is the Goddess of Thresholds – and She finds ways to keep moving us towards the next one through soul-mates (not necessarily of a pleasant, romantic, marital kind – but potentially the very opposite). Nemesis refers to an ancient winged Greek goddess of Justice who comes to clear and re-balance the scales of karma.

All three sitting in Scorpio, that´s … a whopper!

We are asked to face the Scales of Karma in the psychic Underworld. Do we honor the Dark Feminine? All aspects of Goddess (however defined)? Or do we limit our conception that which is familiar, comfortable and/or idealized? And who – in our lives – brings us the push, the need to get deeper, to recognize what we have neglected, denied, suppressed or ignored?

Scorpio´s role indicates one with whom we merge our energies – be it ´in the boardroom or the bedroom´. It can easily refer to a Shadow-worker or shaman/ka or simply one who makes us meet the Shadow within.

Venus, Juno and Nemesis all trine Chiron at 21 Pisces. Again, this exploration goes into the deep waters of Spirit, emerging from channels whose origins we have (mostly) forgotten. It is a certainly a time to explore these trickier questions of sexuality, femininity, power and and its balanced expression – through the deep waters of Karma. It´s… gonna very be very interesting for those of you with placements near 21 Cancer – as that will then be a powerful Grand Water Trine. Deep waters, indeed. Cyllarus is at 21 Cancer for us all – and let´s just say this is an impulsive energy, one that does not think before it leaps and reaps the consequences of rash judgement. Take the time to breathe before you emotionally react to something, it will help.

Some fear the Feminine´s rise to power and others see it the dis-empowerment of the Masculine as its prerequisite. I wouldn´t consider either a balanced view as God-Goddess, energetic archetypes, The Divine knows no form or gender. They cut through all of the above. And if we are to heal as a species … we´ve got to start with the schisms within, and with one another (as appropriate).

So – taking it all together – it´s a powerful time to make choices. Ones that can reinforce karmic cycles of wounding and rejection – or to walk away from them. Don´t be afraid to draw boundaries, especially when you feel coerced or guilt-tripped into giving more than you should. It doesn´t matter who´s asking.

Our choices – especially now – have the power to build Rainbow-Shadow bridges of healing that will create new pathways for change within and without. With Libra, it starts in the mind as a choice that is made. Your reality will then begin to form surrounding that choice.

So my friends, what do you choose today?

What reality do you choose to inhabit?

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.
Image: An illustration of a hermaphrodite from the Aurora consurgens, 15th century, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information and/or the ideas explored therein into your workshop materials, teachings or written work, please cite this article and author accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel

THE PISCES PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE 16.9.2016: REVELATION, MYSTERY AND THE MAGIC OF SPIRIT

We begin this article with an astronomical note, followed by the spiritual and energetic analysis this alignment brings to us all. It is a potent Eclipse and one which brings with it the opportunities for many beginnings, endings, release, healing … and initiation unto a new Path. One that will, at the very least, involve a re-conceptualization of the road you´re headed on, the world you want to create and be a part of. It´s hard to say whether this alignment is more Yin or Yang as the Masculine and Feminine come through very different, and often overlapping channels at this point in time.

ASTRONOMICAL NOTE:

The Moon (24 Pisces) opposes the Sun (24 Virgo) at 19:04 UTC on 16.9.2016, creating a penumbral lunar Eclipse, meaning that the Earth´s outer shadow falls on the Moon as the Sun, Earth and Moon line up together in space. Those of you in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, West in South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica may see a partial shading of the Moon (if you see any external difference at all).

From the astrological perspective, Eclipses are particularly significant as they act as funnels or intensifiers of cosmic energy, setting and releasing cycles of growth, change and experience in mathematically exact cycles. I work with the Saros cycle system, which sees different iterations or members of ´eclipse families´ occur in sequence, each eclipse separated by approximately 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hour) intervals.

So, look back to the previous members of this particular Eclipse family to see how the flow of energy carries through these hyper-activated points in space-time. This eclipse is Number 8 or 70 in Saros cycle 147. This eclipse was preceded by 7 others and will continue to perpetuate itself through a further 62 eclipses, beginning on July 2nd 1890 and ending on 28 July 3134. This refers to the Lunar (as opposed to the Solar) Saros series 147.

The most recent eclipses in this series occurred on 26th August 1980 and 6th September 1998. The next two eclipses will occur on 28th September 2034 and 8th October 2052. Look back to those previous dates to see where the energy you´re feeling comes from (or is linked to) and to the future dates to see where it may continue to play out.

Info on Eclipse Cycles: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros147.html

And now, the astrological and spiritual interpretation of the Pisces Penumbral Eclipse (16.9.2016).

ASTRO-SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION …

The Lunar Eclipse is, by definition, a Full Moon. We have discussed above the 18 year cycles that connect families of eclipses. In astrology, we can also find a connection between events that occur at a particular degree of an event, or, through the cycle of energy between the New Moon and Full Moon.

New Moons are excellent time for the seeding of intentions that they may culminate with the corresponding Full Moons of the signs these occur in. Therefore, the energetic seed set for this Pisces Eclipse (September 16 2016) began (in addition to the 18-year eclipse cycles) on the Pisces Total Solar Eclipse / Pisces New Moon 2016 (March 8, 2016).

You will see the seeds you set recur in some form during this Eclipse. As we´re speaking of Pisces, we refer to matters that link with your deepest, nameless, formless, unquantifiable and absolutely inexplicable relationship with Spirit/uality. It also refers to our relationship with cycles of karma carried through past-lifetimes and through intergenerational work. Here is where we consider the liminal nature of the boundaries, or thresholds, that separate the energetic frequency of consciousness/perception we understand as reality – from other alternatives. It is where, in other words, the Veil is thinned.

The psychically sensitive will benefit from the use of Frankincense oil as this will help you purify your energetic space. Make sure you use a high quality oil which you are not allergic to. Purifying gemstones such as selenite will help to clear space. Stones such as celestite and kyanite can help to open psychic bridges or pathways to other levels of consciousness – if you feel this is a safe and necessary thing to do in your journey. Aquamarine will be using in finding clarity and focus through emotional turbulence, especially when you need to come to the point of taking action in some form.

Always (especially now) seek out the guidance of a facilitator you trust if you feel you need some perspective. Those of you drawn to working with me at this juncture in your journey, please note that my next round of sessions will be between September 19-30, 2016. I´m letting the energy of this alignment settle a little first.

The Sun (24 Virgo) conjuncts asteroid Minerva (25 Virgo), asking you to hold in mind the role of the discerning mind and intellect in navigating amorphous psychic energy / impressions at this time. Not all that glitters is gold and not that that slithers is evil. So much of what we perceive passes through a mental filter which may or may not be accurate. Minerva´s role in this alignment tells me that the Goddess´ blessings are showered upon those who seek to find paths of healing, wholeness and service through the psychic or intuitive revelations shown to them at this time.

The Moon, Sun and Minerva square the asteroid Pholus (24 Sagittarius). Pholus is associated with the nature of revelation that – once known – cannot be unknown – and so creates an irreversible effect. It speaks to the power of knowledge, and with it forms of change that it necessitates. It ripples through the cosmos, affecting us through the generational lines. According this fantastic article (on the power of Pholus and what it can bring to you – astropost.blogspot.com/2010/04/pholus-files.html ), it is also an energy that can put a stop to addictions. I read that as a call to end the compulsive, sub-conscious impulses that lead us to karmic decisions, cycles and experiences that we are ready to integrate and ultimately, no longer be governed by.

Amethyst (the gemstone) can help in finding the mental clarity, whereas, Malachite can help with finding the willpower needed to overcome addictive compulsions. (All of these tools can help, but the real work still comes down to You.)

Now … the Galactic Center of the Milky Way is at 27 Sagittarius, 3 degrees away from Pholus. You´re going to find your paths, guides, mentors, gurus, teachers, astrologers, oracles, etc. to profound be way-showers at this time. Sometimes you will be lovingly brought to a new space or direction, and at other times, forcibly kicked out. You may feel drawn to or repelled from a particular path or person – and that is orient. It is all part of your initiation unto a new journey or chapter.

With this powerful energy of revelation comes change. The information you receive now may sweep you off your feet in a good way – or – make you feel like the rug you´re standing on has just been pulled away from underneath. Different people will respond differently and so there is no hard and fast rule. I would recommend grounding practices, whilst consciously choosing to remain present, open (and protected) to whatever emerges through this transit.

Psychic protection is a must. Frankincense, camphor, neem or lime (oils), labradorite or black obsidian (gemstones) can help immensely. Consider smudging your space with white sage, incense, palo santo and the like.

The healing potential of this eclipse is emphasized as the Sun sextiles, whilst the Moon trines Panacea ´the cure to all ills´ at 23 Scorpio. Those with bodies near 23-24 Aquarius will experience this as a powerful Yod (Finger of Fate), bring you swiftly to karmic crossroads. Here you will choose what ideological framework you continue to situate your ideals and sense of individuality within as you navigate the depths in the search of healing, or paths of service. It is in this search that Panacea offers her remedies.

Panacea is conjunct asteroid Isis (23 Scorpio), opening a different level of interpretation and meaning for ritual practitioners / spiritualists who invoke the energy of this Goddess. The symbol of the Ankh appears to be of immense significance at this point of time. Remember that Isis brings life and healing, and it is she who goes into the Underworld to put together, build a new phallus for and resurrect her husband Osiris (The Wounded Masculine).

With Chiron at 22 Pisces and Atlantis at 22 Cancer, we see the role of psychic healing, wounding, trauma and energies that connect with past-lifetimes in oceanic/underwater civilizations heightened. Larimar (the gemstone) can be an intense, but effective catalyst in working through the deeper emotions and memories these alignments evoke. Together with Panacea, Isis and the Moon, Chiron and Atlantis come together to form a potent Grand Water Trine in the skies. One that brings out a wide range of emotions, intuitive, karmic and psychic possibilities and experiences.

What also strikes me as curious is the fact that the March 2016 New Moon / Total Solar Eclipse also had Chiron conjunct the Moon, just as we now experience. The Wounded Healer asks us to look back to then, and now, to see what lessons we have learnt, and will continue to learn hereafter. There is the choice to transcend a particular cycle of pain and wounding, and another to accept it as a path of service. Neither choice is more sacred than the other and let no one bully you into thinking otherwise. Charoite is a gemstone that can help those seeking clarity on this particular question.

There are … so very many different asteroidal, planetary and other conjunctions that make this Eclipse an extraordinary one. I´m going to conclude this article with a brief summary of a few of these aspects:

(1) Jupiter conjuncts the Super-Galactic Center (1 Libra): Our path to growth comes through the dissolution or creation of partnerships and collaborations in alignment with our Spirit and its connection with the energies of the Cosmos (our perception of All-That-Is). Many karmic contracts will be dissolved and others may (or may not) rise to take their place. There´s a lot of energetic recalibration underfoot as we rethink our visions of balance, justice and co-existence in the world (and how all of that is possible). There are moments where we are subtle, where we do not engage – and others where we roar charging into the arena to seek justice and redress.

(2) Mars (23 Sagittarius) trines Psyche (23 Leo) / Phaethon (22 Leo) and Uranus/Eris (23 Aries), creating a Grand Fire Trine at the 23rd degree of all Fire signs. Long story short is is when we reclaim the narrative of the Rising Feminine and integrate (or … if you still don´t see Her place in the world as a valid one) or exclude it from religious, spiritual, philosophical and/or intellectual paradigms and paths. You get to re-write Your-and-Her stories right now. Follow those impulses and act upon them, but make sure you don´t burn yourself out in a blaze of righteous fury and then have no energy left for anything else. We´re all burning, the world´s burning in its own way – and let us honor one another in our search for expression, passion and truth. There´s going to be a lot of reactive energy to Daddy-Patriarch, let us not let it spin our own compasses out of control. Focus your energy into the change you want it to manifest as.

(3) Saturn (10 Sagittarius) squares Neptune (10 Pisces), Eris (23 Aries) conjuncts Uranus (23 Aries). I´ve lumped these two together as I´ve written on them quite a bit before. Re-cap: We are asked to better align our Paths with the deeper Guidance from Spirit. We are asked to recognize (and embody) the archetype of the Rising Feminine in all aspects of our being, and the world-as-we-know it. They´re HUGE alignments, but ones we have been experiencing for most of 2016 in one form or another. Saturn squares the North Node (11 Virgo) which opposes Neptune and the South Node (11 Pisces). There´s a lot of karmic drama that this plays out through and much of it will relate to our paths of service and numinous experiences of what we truly consider ´the Sacred, without necessarily requiring intermediaries.

(4) Vesta (20 Cancer) squares Venus (21 Libra) and Uranus-Eris (23 Aries). If you recall my article on the Virgo Solar Eclipse 2 weeks prior, I made the case for taking note of Vesta at this particular degree as she plays a significant role in our collective evolutionary process, at least, till 2020 – http://wp.me/p4OUNS-1nz ! I see this as a time where the Priestess realizes that she need not sacrifice her femininity, emotion or home to perform her service in the world, nor does she need to be enslaved by it all. Relationships will be powerfully reconfigured at this time – and potentially dissolved – if they seek to confine the Feminine to its (purely) domestic, sacrificial expression. Whilst mothering and nurturing your family is one of the most sacred acts of service a person can do, it need not be the only, or even, the primary way that the Feminine can be of service. I see this as a clarion call to (Pluto in) Capricorn, which gives us the opportunity to reconfigure our visions of power and the role of the feminine in the institutions that contain them.

(5) South Node (11 Pisces) trines whilst North Node (11 Virgo) sextiles Black Moon Lilith and Juno (13 Scorpio). The Karma we seek to clear pertains to the Shadow Aspect of the Feminine. Which is not an evil thing, but often carries the weight of karmic baggage and projection. An excellent time to perform healing rituals or … call it rituals of love … with/upon/for deities and archetypes of femininity that represent the wounded, scarred or forgotten aspects of She-Who-Is-Goddess. It is time to realize that the Dark Womb is Sacred Ground, rather than the chamber of shame, neglect, abuse and judgement. Those of you with placements near 11-13 Cancer will experience this intensely as a Grand Water Trine, whereas those with placements near 11-13 Aries will experience this as a pivotal Yod (Finger of Fate).

So …. like I said, a lot is going on the skies and these are selected vignettes of the celestial symphony. Stay safe, stay grounded, stay protected. And then open yourself to the embrace of the skies. You might find a new way to see it all.

General Gemstone Tip. Try working with Sugilite. I find it resonant with the energies of the Goddess, in her many, many forms (and states of formlessness).

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission.

Image: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, Nasa.http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=46209

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information and/or the ideas explored therein into your workshop materials, teachings or written work, please cite this article and author accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel.

THE JOURNEY OF THE PRIESTESS (VESTA) IN APRIL 2016: The Grand Earth Trine ; Materially Manifesting Your Path of Service, Healing and Facilitation

I´ve been going through Vesta´s aspects to other major bodies for the months of April and May – and my goodness – there´s a lot going down with the Priestess Asteroid over the next three weeks! This means plenty of opportunities to explore, expand and discover new Paths of Service, especially in ways that connect with different layers or levels of physical reality as she´s going to be in Taurus until mid-May. Here´s my earlier article detailing the different challenges, gifts and interpretive possibilities opened by Vesta´s transit through Taurus for those who want more info –http://wp.me/p4OUNS-Yf .

Between April 1 to April 25, 2016, there´s a Grand Earth Trine in the sky involving Vesta & Mercury (Taurus), Jupiter (Virgo), North Node (Virgo) and Pluto (Capricorn). This is a powerful time to focus on manifestation in this physical, earthly, material plane.

Vesta´s energy encourages us to focus upon connecting with the energy of Abundance and Presence that moves through the consciousness of the Earth and connects us all. What we do, by virtue of our physical actions, relationships and being on this planet has an influence on all else that exists – and often that relationship is forgotten. Vesta encourages us to find ways to make that material existence one that moves (purely) beyond self-serving needs, to ones which equally nurture, heal or facilitate others in finding their own abundance (and ability to serve). We give back to the Earth and all that exists with/within Her through acts of Service. This can be through facilitative work, priest/essing, new directions in your business, or making sure that basic physical needs are met – there´s a wide range of interpretive possibilites, or ways of working with this energy. For some, the energy of Earth-Abundance is in the Earth herself, for others it means business, income and finances – and for some it focuses with the sense-perception of the body, pleasures of incarnation and the joys of physicality – and so on.

Vesta interacts with quite a few bodies as part of this incredibly rich and fertile Grand Earth Trine energy – summaries of each follow:

Jupiter encourages us to explore new pathways, teachers or paradigms that connect us with the Priestess/Earth-Facilitator traditions – especially those that focus upon the Womb Center (in women) or more generally, the generative qualities of the Sacral Chakra. It also involves the physical energy of the stomach and related digestive organs, and so involves the energy of the Solar Plexus chakra as well. The Virgo energy echoes well with Vesta and serves to reinforce what she stands for – but more so through physical, tangible actions that have an immediate presence in our sense-perception of reality.

Growth, with Jupiter-in-Virgo, is through discrete, physical acts of service and the structuring of actions in rituals, habits and routines that helps us find our greatest path of growth. In other words, take care of the little things, even if they seem like grunt-work, or things that don´t yield you an immediate reward or recognition. Do them because they need to be done. Don´t conflate the need to be seen as big, larger than life, or pedestalized-as-Teacher with the work of the Facilitator. You can be all of those things, but remember the little things. They´re just as (if not more) important as the grand gestures.

The North Node tells us that the path to growth, and to releasing past karmic entanglements (Pisces) is through this routinized focus on little acts of service. In practical terms, that may require a deeper focus on the way you structure your daily life, the way you keep you physical vessel in balance with your spiritual intuition. The health of the physical body and the nutritional value (or fuel) you put into your sacred vessel is just as important as what you can channel or remember. Start with something small, and keep adding new things each day to bring greater well-being into your life, so that you may do the same for others, if appropriate. There is no point in trying to serve, or to fill another´s cup, when your own is broken and unable to act as a vessel.

The North Node´s energy (especially when it trines Vesta) challenges us to equally draw the lines of service. There are certain physical boundaries which we do need in order to be spiritually functional and healthy. Don´t be afraid to say no things that will lead you to energetic burnout or simply being ungrounded or overwhelmed with psychic energy. Part of being a good facilitator is knowing when to draw that line.

Pluto´s trine to the Vesta makes us question what larger footprint, or legacy we leave behind in this physical world and the power that we have given institutions (of governance, authority, even banking) over us and our world. Equally, we will be pulled into the deeper spaces within that makes us question how we merge our energies with others, or even how we seek to control/be controlled by others in games played by the ego. Vesta raises these questions to the Earthly Surface (Taurus), and asks how we harness , and where needed, transmute the Shadow-Self so that it may play a more constructive, facilitative role in our physical lives.

We will feel this energy most intensely between April 16-18, 2016. This is a powerful time for facilitative work for any kind, particularly those which address aspects of the Shadow, the Womb and questions of power, growth, expansion and karmic re-attunement. For those of you seeking to work with me, bear in mind that I am going to be offering Vesta and Eris sessions throughout April 2016. Timing your session close to the middle of April will yield powerful, deep and transformative results – but really, it´s present throughout the month!

There are other alignments to Vesta going exact in the month of April. Here´s a super-quick rundown.

April 2 – Vesta sextiles Neptune at 10 Taurus-Pisces. A fantastic time to find ways to bridge our spiritual experiences and formless, wordless knowing-s with more concrete, tangible, material forms of service.

Dates are given as per UTC time. Allow for a day earlier in case you live in North / South America, or a day later if you live in Asia / Australia. In any case, these are dates of exact alignments – you´ll see a clear build-up and run-down of the energy around the dates given in any case.

April 5 – Vesta opposes Juno Retrograde at 11 Taurus-Scorpio. A time to recognize the interplay of different aspects of the Divine Feminine. He we see certain acts of service (in the physical domain) can open us to a deeper exploration of the Shadow and how we connect intimately with others in that realm.

April 11 – Vesta trines Jupiter Retrograde at 14 Taurus-Virgo. A fantastic time to explore (or reject) pathways, teachers and paradigms that show us how to facilitate, nurture and serve – the self and others. It is important to honor the sacred (physical) vessel that allows us to do the work we do. Vesta reminds us to bring these insights and practices back to the flow of Abundance and Earth-Presence that connects us all.

April 14 – Vesta inconjuncts Saturn Retrograde at 16 Taurus-Sagittarius. A time to express (or reject) paths, paradigms and teachers that seek to shows us our places in the world, and the grand schematic that encompasses it all. Be it through astrology, religion, academic or foreign travel – it´s really a time where we look at the larger belief systems that underpin our perspectives – and to see how they align (or not) with the work we do in this material expression of ´reality´.

April 16 – Vesta conjuncts Mercury at 16 Taurus. A heightened flow of ideas that focus upon ways to better serve in this physical reality, and how to communicate this with others. A fantastic day for divination, dowsing or other activities that bridge intuitive information download with the deeper, grounding energies of Earth. This is a time here ideas, information or data pertaining to the lessons of Vesta (service, facilitation, devotion, sacrifice) come charging through the ether. The message will, once again, be focused upon the ways we connect with this Earth (and the many levels of interpretation that opens up). Mercury will conjunct Vesta in Taurus two other times – on May 1 (at 23 Taurus) and June 23rd (at 16 Gemini) owing to its upcoming Retrograde in Taurus.

April 18 – Vesta trines Pluto at 17 Taurus-Capricorn. As described above, the question of who controls us and whether we ought to let them arises. We frame the question of legitimacy, legacy, power and authority in terms of what we need to manifest more so (as a form of service) in embodied, physical form

Pluto goes retrograde on the same day – and so the search for the Shadow and its Lessons (and Gifts) moves further inwards, to a deeper layer of the Psyche. On this day we also see the exact Grand Earth Trine formed between Vesta, Mercury, Pluto and Jupiter in the Earth Signs. It is a powerful day to time any kind of works that involve physical manifestation, spi/ritual work, the Priestess Traditions, and so on.

Interestingly, Mars goes retrograde on April 17 at 8 degrees Sagittarius. This will encourage us to look inwards for Truth rather than seeking from an external source. Validation and guidance is lovely, but it´s got to resonate with what you inwardly know and believe in any case.

On April 23, Vesta trines the (Mean Calculation of the) North Node at 19 Taurus-Virgo. Vesta´s final exact aspect of the month (with the bodies considered here) points us in the direction of challenge, growth and opportunity. Be open to learning new ways to Serve and be flexible about letting go old ways that no longer serve as well as they used to. There is little to gain in holding onto old traditions or perspectives (as hallowed as they may once have been) if they do not resonate with the energy of the present. Honor the past, but equally, honor the need to explore different possibilities. For some, this will be a call to step outside the traditional meanings of the term Priest/ess, or even to expand the scope of what ´Service´ means to you, and how that connects with different levels of physical reality.

For those of you who use the True Node calculation, the Vesta-Node trine occurs at 20 Virgo on April 25.

And, as a general note – Mercury goes retrograde on April 28 at 23 Taurus. The Retrograde lasts until May 22, when Mercury begins its shadow phase at 14 Taurus. There´s going to be (again) an inward focus on the way we think about and express our ideas on how we exist in this material plane and are interwoven within it. Vesta would have tilled much of the soil (Taurus) as it were, making it a very interesting time to begin the Retrograde. Mercury moves out of its shadow phase and into direct motion on June 7th.

In May, Vesta´s major activity occurs through its transit into Gemini (May 16) and in its inconjunct (testing) aspect to Juno and Lilith (mid-May). This brings the challenge of reconciling different aspects lessons and vulnerabilities associated with forms of Feminine energy. More on that in May. The Sun also forms a conjunction to Vesta (May 23, 2 degrees Gemini), placing her back in the spotlight for a brief time.

Considering the sheer number and intensity of aspects made to Vesta in April – – – yeah …. there´s a lot more going on with Priestess energy this month, and with it, opportunities to manifest in the material, earthly realm.

To those who would like to work with me in learning what the Priestess archetype means for them and how they can best manifest it, consider the Vesta session (Link: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-y0 ) and time it accordingly as the intensity peaks mid-April. But really, she´s lit up the whole month!

So my friends, a great deal to explore, manifest and understand with the archetype of the Priest/ess or Facilitator in April 2016! Enjoy the vibes, find ways of healing and remember to honor our Earth-Mother through physical gestures, rituals and/or acts of service 🙂

Much Love,

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

PS – Please ´follow´ this blog if you would like to make sure you stay connected with my work and to receive important updates or new posts.

***

Additional Links:

Vesta in Taurus (Explanation of Current Energy): http://wp.me/p4OUNS-Yf

Vesta Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-y0

Eris Awakens Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-RT

Current round of sessions: April 4-28, 2016.

***

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: Dancing with Helen Moller; her own statement of her philosophy and practice and teaching formed upon the classic Greek model, and adapted to meet the aesthetic and hygienic needs of to-day, with (14761703756).jpg By Internet Archive Book Images [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, insitution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information into your workshop materials or written work, please cite accordingly. Sessions are subject to T&Cs explained in the invoice and during the session itself. Having or purchasing the sessions implies tacit acceptance of all T&Cs.

Confession: I’m an astrologer and I hate making predictions. (a.k.a. Meta-Musings on Astrology)

Astrology is a powerful tool that tells us how to navigate the flow of energy within our lives, and as they connect with the wider Cosmos.

Where you go in that flow is up to you,
What choices you make is up to you,
What life you lead, again, is up to you.

It’s a roadmap, it doesn’t tell you whether you’ll get there. It shows you the best route you can take. You still need to go on the journey though.

When I get the following questions –

Will I get married?
Will I get that job?
Will I find my soulmate and live happily ever?
and so on…

I just say I’m not that kind of astrologer…

What I can tell you when there’s a stronger chance of that happening and what you need to do to bring that flow of energy into your life/chart/being.

But I can’t tell you for sure. Well, I certainly won’t pretend to.

For the more I look I into the discipline, the more variables I see. And many of them tell me that there’s just so much we cannot predict. General themes yes, but there’s always that wildcard.

And, with the rate of current spiritual evolution/acceleration, those wildcards keep popping up!

From a philosophical perspective, I see that:

Human life, in its infinitely rich tapestry of forms, experiences, joys and losses – needs – to some extent, to remain Unknown; for it to have the meaning, power and significance that it does.

For …

If astrology could tell us every single thing about the shape our lives will take – if it was all already known in advance (to the human self/mind/consciousness) – what would be the point of doing it?

If all was already known, what then (illusion or reality of) Purpose can we reasonably assume to have? Or even of Free Will?

These are things too precious to lose for the sake of finding certainty.

At least, that’s my take on it. Other astrologers will have different views on the matter, and that is cool too.

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

#metareflection #astrologicalmusing

Terms & Conditions of Use: You are free to share this information by clicking the ‘Share’ button on FB or ‘Reblog’ on WordPress for your personal, non-commercial use. If you are an institution, organization or individual seeking to re-post this other causes, please get in touch first. © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

 

Merc Rx in Aquarius & Capricorn (Jan 2016)

Mercury Retrograde is a time where we revisit ideas, contracts, decisions, any type of significant commitment or investment of energy. Where the re-visitation takes place depends on the sign/s Mercury retrogrades in and what house/s that corresponds to in your chart.

In this case, we’re seeing Mercury shift out of Aquarius and into Capricorn, before it returns once more to the Water-Bearer. It’s a time to revisit the ideals we hold about the collective and our role within it, technological/electronic concepts, ideas or items (anything that holds that energy), friendship groups, social media networks and commitments to humanitarian causes. That’s Aquarius’ role.

Mercury’s transit in Capricorn asks us to consider whether the ideals we now believe in or identify with actually contribute to a legacy that is worth leaving behind for future generations. We also examine our relationship with institutions of governance, authority, power and statecraft to see how they best reflect (or inhibit) our fullest expression and collective dynamics of awakening – and how best we engage with these institutions. We are encouraged to get clearer about our long-terms goals and visions of the future, in ideological and material terms.

In day to day terms, it means looking at the way we communicate, express and exchange energy through our electronic/online presences, friend groups, charity/common-interest associations and with VIPs, bosses or authority figures. We may feel an urge to transform the way we see our careers and find ways that that may better align with our ideals.

The potential for miscommunication and misinterpretation is heightened during a Mercury Retrograde. Bear in mind that people (you, me, we included) respond not to the words of the message, but to their interpretation of it. Take a little time to think about what was said vs. what may have been meant before jumping the gun and allow others the same courtesy.

I’d also recommend not committing your energies/resources to major purchases or decisions now. If signing paperwork, delay if possible, or triple check all details – especially if it is related to your career and/or governmental institutions. Give yourself and others the space to look over things.

In terms of dates, Mercury retrograded earlier today (Jan 5, 2016) at 1 Aquarius ’02. It will reverse out of Aquarius and re-enter the tail end of Capricorn on January 8, 2016. The retrograde ends at 14 Capricorn ’54 on January 25, 2016. Mercury exits the shadow period, i.e. the point from which the retrograde started, on February 14, 2016. Quite a nice way to celebrate Valentine’s Day (those of you who do).

We will all be revisiting decisions, commitments and new/changing ideas or relationships with power/authority and career-related shifts or questions experienced between Dec 19, 2015 – Jan 5, 2016.

Please bear in mind that dates might differ based on location. Also – we’ve got a whopper of a New Moon (19 Capricorn) coming up on January 9th! The Sun/Moon conjunct Pluto (15 Capricorn) and square Uranus (16 Aries). For many, this will be a time reminiscent of the generation-and-life-transforming Grand Cardinal Cross of 2014, woven into the seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares (2012-2015).

Stay Tuned,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

T&Cs: You’re free to share this in the usual ways on FB and WordPress (‘Share’/’Reblog’) buttons for personal, non-commercial use. If you’d like to use it for any other purpose / promotion / institution, please get in touch with me first.  © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015.

 

Image: By Ken (Lightning over Short Hill Mountain) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

The Limits of Astrology

 

Astrology is awesome. But at some point you need to take it to another level – or discard it entirely. My theory is that we can ‘outgrow’ the natal chart. I’ve seen that with clients who have done a tremendous amount of spiritual work that they have moved past the energetic anchoring/blueprint they were born with. It’s not to say that it’s no longer accurate, but rather that the Self begins to identify with a different state of being. In all the time I have spent studying charts, I’ve only seen this happen 3-4 times. Other astrological techniques then come into play.

I feel this is important to understand and write about because people believe in astrology and see it (rightly or wrongly) as setting out the domains of what is possible. These domains are not fixed or rigid, we can – at some point – move past them entirely. The ‘boxes’ or categories we identify ourselves with then dissolve and new forms of being arise.

But again, I stress that this is an extremely rare occurrence. That’s not to say it won’t be commonplace 10-20 years down the line, certainly with some of the children being born Now and so much energetic shifting.

And yes, I work with transits and progressed charts as well. Quite a few people move past their natal charts and more closely match their progressed charts. But there are very rare cases that move even past the progressed chart … at which point astrology takes a hike … 😛

Nevertheless ..

Astrology is still useful as a tool of self-understanding, spiritual awakening and re-cognition – if only to ultimately make itself obsolete.

It provides a powerful road-map for the individual to walk upon but only if we see it as a temporary tool. Think of it as training wheels, which, at some point, you need to let go of so you can ride free.

When working with an astrologer, always bear in mind that any and all possibilities are able to be shifted, re-framed, re-cast with new meaning and purpose. We’re a lot bigger than our charts 😉

Related Video:

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Related Links:

Astrology as Bone Medicine. 

The Soul Portrait Masterclass: Awakening the Soul through Astrology

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

Image: NASA, public domain via Wikimedia commons.

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information, and/or the ideas explored therein into your workshop materials, teachings or written work, please cite this article and author accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted, commentary on astrology, gemstones, essential oils, mantras, tools, or any other material on this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel.

 

ASTRO-UPDATE DECEMBER 28, 2015

~~ Mercury trines the North Node, sextiles the South Node ~~

Mercury (26 Capricorn) trines the North Node (25 Virgo), creating an energetic current that allows us to use the power of our intellect to find specific ways, detailed plans, pragmatic approaches needed to evolve into the Virgo Nodal Energy. Virgo’s energy covers so very much (just as all signs do) – health, wellness, daily routines, rituals, paths of service, Priestessing, and so on. We are likely to draw upon the wisdom of the Crone, or far older, established sources of power and authority, to help us understand how we can best realize Virgo’s energy into being.

Those with placements near 25-27 Taurus will experience this as a powerful Grand Earth Trine. Happy Manifesting! 🙂

~~ Mercury squares Mars, Mars inconjuncts the South Node ~~

Mercury (26 Capricorn) also forms a potentially stressful-and-creative aspect to Mars (26 Libra). Watch the way you communicate/with masculine energy today. Are your words, expressions and ideas in balance with your larger sense of self? Are you responding to another’s sense of imbalance? Another way of thinking about this energy is to see what kinds of actions you can take to bring your ideas about authority, power and legacy into greater alignment with your partnerships, both personal and professional. At the intrapersonal level, this energy asks us to integrate both the wisdom of the Crone, and the Masculine Archetype (not always the easiest fit 😉 ). Generally speaking, it’s a day to think twice before leaping / speaking / acting forcefully on something.

Those with placements near 26 Cancer and/or Aries will experience this as a Grand Cardinal Cross! Patience will be key, in those cases.

Mars also inconjuncts the South Node (25 Pisces). Watch for men (or those who strongly represent the Masculine Archetype for you) with whom you have strong karmic contracts from previous times. They might make contact, or you might simply be very strongly reminded of whatever partnership dynamic you had with them before. At the intrapersonal level, this also refers to the soul’s individual journey (and embodiment) of the Masculine. We’ve all cycled between different sexes/genders before …

Those with placements near 25-26 Taurus or Leo will experience this as a Yod or Finger of Fate. Prepare for a karmic fork in the road that asks you to make a critical choice as to how you relate to the Sacred (or Dysfunctional) Masculine. You choose what you experience, so choose wisely.

~~ Grand Fire Trine & Yod with the Moon in Leo ~~

The Leo Moon currently trines Saturn (10 Sagittarius) and Uranus (16 Aries), making a Grand Fire Trine. We are called to express our most vulnerable, authentic, playful and powerful selves. Watch your gut-impulses, passions and drives as you consider matters to do with your idea of Truth / Self / Purpose / Authenticity / / Authority / Rebellion.

The Moon is also the focal point in a Yod (Finger of Fate), making inconjuncts to both Pluto (14 Capricorn) and Chiron (17 Pisces). You may find yourself wrestling with insecurities and concerns surrounding your sense of inner mastery, power and depth, especially as as you are reminded of how (equally) vulnerable you are. The Leo Moon may feel unduly stressed by Chiron’s need to learn, heal and teach through its wounds and Pluto’s uncompromising, (potentially) bullying approach to asserting who or what is in charge of you. And, as always, the apex of the Yod asks us to respond to an old karmic dynamic in a new way.

What’s the way through, you might ask?

Go back to the Leo Moon. Watch your emotional responses and reactions to other people. Get deeper with your feelings – be it anger, disappointment, and go further into it till you find, once more, your own core-self. Channel that into whatever creative or expressive channels you have – be it art, dance, play, rolling in the mud, singing, sex – whatever works for you. You might find that these activities clear your head and allow you to respond to the situation that triggered you in the first place (or you might choose to let it slide).

~~ Conclusion ~~

Quite a few potential triggers today 😉 Think twice before you act. Practice compassion to yourself, and others. Sometimes that means cooling off and walking away, sometimes it just means forgiving someone for being less-than-loving. Stay grounded, focus on the ‘small stuff’ (not that it’s really small), even if that’s taking out the trash, sharpening your pencils, or writing your New Year’s Resolutions …

Whatever happens, take nothing personally, the stars are at play.

Also – for those interested – here’s my Leo-Moon-inspired-message : Hello, 2016 🙂

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. Feel free to share for personal, non-commercial use through the FB/Wordpress ‘Share’ buttons. If you want to re-blog this for your organization, website, etc. please get in touch and request my consent first.

Image: Leo By Johannes Hevelius – Scanned by en:User:Bronger. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

HEALING THE WOUND – SOLSTICE ASTROLOGY DECEMBER 2015

Blessings everyone! At 4:47 am UTC, 22-12-15, the Sun will shift into Capricorn, marking the start of a new chapter on the turn of the astrological wheel. The celebrations of solstices and equinoxes align with different turnings, marking the changes of the seasons, significant shifts in the flow of energy, and of course, the Sun’s entry into the Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). The December solstice (Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer in the Southern Hemisphere) represents a pivotal moment in the shift of the balance, between day and night, between light and darkness (both of which are sacred). This is, given your hemisphere, either the day of the longest night / shortest day (or vice versa).

Astrologically speaking, there are a few exact alignments whose transformative energies add texture and flavour to the already-intense energy of the Solstice. Many of them relate to healing the wounds of disconnection between the masculine and feminine, much of which stems from violation, neglect or other form. Those of you working through the modality of ritual, ceremony, or other forms of spiritual healing may want to focus on these themes as they can yield tremendous energetic shifts in this window of time. Whilst you can, of course, focus on different things to honor the Solstice, these may be themes to consider including in your celebrations/work. Bear in mind this that is a very, very, selective focus on aspects I felt called to write on and go into depth. Those of you who are feeling vulnerable or easily triggered at this time, stop reading for a bit and check in to see if this is what you want to get into now.

Selected Alignments:

Sun (0 Capricorn) sextile Nessus (0 Pisces) :- This is a time in which the focus of our conscious awareness shines a light upon the parts of the soul which – to our eyes – may seem the most wounded and/or disconnected from Spirit. Very often, we see these wounds inflicted by sexual abuse, or significant energetic and physical violations of other kinds – anything that blocks us from the flow of Eros (intimacy). Those of you with placements near 0 Leo will feel this as a powerful Yod or Finger of Fate in which you are challenged to get deeper with that sense of vulnerability – and potential violation. The point here is to not allow yourself to be engulfed by your pain (well, I suppose you could do that if that resonates) – but here we see the energy of the Solar Lion able and willing to begin a pivotal process of healing and re-claiming that sense of sacred connection with the Universe, if you let it. Gemstones that may of of use: rhodocrosite, rhodonite, carnelian, thulite

Sun (0 Capricorn) trine Phaethon (0 Taurus) :- The focus of the Sun makes a significant connection to the energy of the rebellious, distrustful teenager, rejecting (and yet, at heart, seeking the approval of) the Father. Phaethon, in mythology, was the son of the Sun God. He did not know who his father was for much of his short life. When he did find out, he went to Good ol’ Dad and asked him for proof of his love. What’s that, you might ask? The chance to drive one of the most dangerous things in the Universe: The Sun Chariot. Despite repeated warnings, the Sun God finally caves in and hands him the keys (metaphorically speaking). In his inexperience and impulsivity, Phaethon nearly destroys the planet and has to be shot down by another patriarch, Zeus, by way of lightning strike. Phaethon dies and his wound is unresolved. In Taurus, Phaethon’s energies speak to deeper wounds of distrust and themes of betrayal by the father figure, often linking back to our most basic sense of security (or lack thereof) in this world. Those of you with bodies near 0 Virgo will experience this as a powerful Grand Earth Trine. Keep in mind the need to recognize those wounds, to heal them – and – if that works with your paradigm, to walk away from attachments to them. How you deal with that process is not mandated by stars or deities, that’s in your hands.

And – just to be clear – we’re talking about the Father archetype / energy signature – which does not necessarily mean (in a physical sense), your birth father. We carry these memories and energetic patterns down the ancestral line, and from our own spiritual paths of evolution – they do not exactly need to mirror or map the people in your personal (perception) of your story, but rather the one we weave together.

Sun (0 Capricorn) squared Hebe and the Super Galactic Center (1 Libra) :- Making a very long story very short: Hebe represents the flow of healing, sexual, magickal, emotional (call it what you like) energy, often through the archetype/body of the Maiden (often in her teenage years). Hebe, in mythology, gets seduced by an older figure and often represents unconventional pairings (in terms of age). In my work with clients, I often see Hebe represented in experiences where a young woman finds herself drawn to a much older figure representing tradition, authority and wisdom. She engages with him sexually, often later realizing the lure or hook that drew her into it. She might assume that she’s ‘in charge’ of her experience, but that might not be the case. Take for instance the teenage girl and her high school math teacher – I’m sure you can imagine how that plays out. For others, depending upon placements, it can refer to the same sexual energy, but one that is taken by force – though other interpretations are equally valid. Hebe now conjuncts the Super-Galactic Center – quite possibly one of the most powerful sources of energy in the Universe. It pulls us to do our deep dances with the Shadow, often through ‘The Other’ or ‘The Partner’. Some may be drawn to such experiences today, irrespective of physical age – think of her as an Archetype. Some of these experiences will ask you to be fully accountable for your role in the experience (that’s not an invitation to blame/shame/ etc. ), and to recognize where you did not have / did not feel you had much say in. The Sun’s powerful square to these bodies basically tells us that it’s time to think about the energetic legacy that our choices here, leave behind for others . It also makes us question the way we may subconsciously give over our power, agency and freedom to choose to those we assume as ‘in power’.

Again, this is collective work – you may never have had such an experience in your current life – and yet – what you do now, by sheer virtue of being, contributes to the collective expression / experience of that energy. Be mindful that some will be very sensitive to this current expression of energy.

Sun (0 Capricorn) conjunct Hylonome (1 Capricorn) :- Whilst you’ll feel this exact conjunction on the 23/24th or so, it’s energies are already quite strongly felt at this time. I somewhat uncharitably, but accurately, call Hylonome the ‘poster girl for codependency’. She marries a centaur named Cyllarus, a guy I kind of associate with the drunken football fan who jumps into the other teams’ stalls and punches a player for scoring against his home team. Cyllarus, whilst able to be passionate, loyal and noble (in a more balanced form), tends to go off the handle and into the extreme. He is triggered by anything that challenges his most cherished beliefs and whatever identity he feels to be a part of (whether it’s an ethnicity, tribe, nation, country, football team – that’s up to him). Cyllarus goes off and gets himself killed … with a spear through the chest. There’s a sense of rushing headlong into things without much thought, but he does it anyway. Hylonome, on the other hand, seeing her dead husband, throws herself on the spear after him. She cannot bear to live without him and consider an existence that is separate and complete within herself. This is not to say that Hylonome’s grief is any less valid, but to the say that she had a different choice she could have made. From my reading of her, she was so hard-wired to believe that she could not be without Cyllarus, that she did not stop to consider her choices and simply acted – out of an impulse born of her wound. Would she find love again? Could she live without him? etc. etc. etc. Those of you for whom this strikes a major chord, I’d suggest reading Women Who Love too Much by Robin Norwood. It’s a book that has changed many a life, including my own. The conjunction with the Sun, again, inspires us to make energetic choices with the long-term view of what legacy we leave behind for others to inherit. We also question the authority that tells us we must have a man to survive, or else.

Mars (23 Libra) opposite Eris (22 Aries) :- The exact point of this opposition passed a little while ago, but again, its energies remain strong. Here we are called to see how the Masculine can find ways of expression that both honor itself, and the Rising-Awakening-Embodiment-of-Self-and-Truth that Eris brings to the table, in the form of the Feminine. Bear in mind that we have culturally accepted codes of what ‘balance’ looks and feels like, even within spiritual circles. Questioning these codes and finding out what balance looks and feels like to you is Eris’ challenge.

One path of balance will be found through calm-weaving (a term from Terry Pratchett’s last book *sniff* ), and the other will be found at the edge of the sword (not the kind that slices through people, but through the illusions that we hold onto to make up a sense of ‘reality’).

Considering the other alignments, it seems to me that the Mars-Eris opposition holds the key to addressing these wounds. And no, there is no one way to do it. There is no ideal way to walk away from these experiences that is better than another. What I have found is that much of the rhetoric that surrounds ‘the healing process’ actually binds us to timelines, people, philosophies, that aren’t always the best for us as individuals.

Strike out, in other words, and find healing the way you need to.

It’s an incredible Solstice, energetically speaking. Bear in mind that the Full Moon in Cancer is just a few days away 😉

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. Feel free to share for personal, non-commercial use through the FB/Wordpress ‘Share’ buttons. If you want to re-blog this for your organization, website, etc. please get in touch and request my consent first.

MUTABLE T-SQUARE: Sun conjuncts Galactic Center (26-27 Sag), squares Moon / South Node (26-28 Pisces) and North Node (26 Virgo) ~~ a.k.a. Epic Alignments in the Skies!

Blessings all – am on pilgrimage so I’ll keep this quick. The Sun’s conjunction with the Galactic Center (watch the next 12-24 hours) , quite literally, points us to the roads, paths, teachers, paradigms, travels and philosophies (or ‘big ideas’) that help us align with our sense of who we are, and what that means within the cosmos. Also a phenomenal time for astrology or tarot readings, or acts of structured spiritual facilitation from a mentor or more experienced Hierophant-like figure (as in the Tarot). Some of you will be drawn to great truths and teachers, and others will be drawn to the opposite. Whether you fall for the false prophet, or discover a true guide is part of the experience, and the challenge of this conjunction.

The Sun is squared the Moon at this time, making it an interesting interplay of energies from different levels of consciousness. Whilst the rational mind and conscious focus of the self looks to the Path, the deeper Spirit looks to places that cannot be comprehended or defined, irrespective of experience, wisdom, or other claims to authority and knowledge. It represents the potential clash between established ‘ways of knowing’ and deeper spiritual movements that exist outside of tradition, time and space. Much like the way the phrase ‘half-moon’, or when the Sun and Moon were at square angles to one another, kept popping up on my travels – prompting me to look at the sky-charts 🙂

The Moon is also conjunct the South Node, which represents the kinds of energies that we have some prior access, potentially mastery of. At this time, we’re all drinking from the deeper waters of Spirit as we begin to re-work karmic contracts, explore previous life-cycles and/or to begin to relate to the concept of Forrnlessness. Equally, it represents the place where we are most likely to become caught up in past karmic dynamics, particularly ones which trigger a deep chord with our own emotional insecurities. The past, our ancestral heritage, our karmic inheritances – all of these can be gifts that form the foundation for our futures – they can just as easily become burdens that inhibit us from exploring the new. Which side of the Pisces Moon-South Node conjunction you explore, is, at the deepest levels, a choice that is in your hands.

The Sun, Galactic Center, Moon and South Node all aspect the North Node in Virgo, forming the Mutable T-Square. The North Node represents our direction of greatest karmic / spiritual growth at this time. These are the areas in our lives which we need to pay greater heed to. They represent areas of challenge, but equally, possibilities for growth and new beginnings. Within this T-Square, the North Node asks us to take the spiritual impulses / visions / mystical experiences of Pisces, and Sagittarius’ need for a structured, formalized Path – and to reflect upon the two with respect to the lessons of Virgo. Here the North Node asks us how we take these different types or levels of information and put them into a Material, Embodied, Physical Form of Service and Healing.

Some of you will link this back to the Priestess Traditions, Yoni/Shakti Worship, or simply a deeper spiritual appreciation of the Womb Center (in all Beings). Others will answer the question by looking at the structure of their daily lives, the rituals or habits that make up the nuts and bolts of their day – and to change them accordingly. Some will discover new paths of healing and discovering wellness, seeing Mind-Body-Spirit as an integrated whole.

And, there will of course be those who take this energy to re-fuel puritanical judgments upon the Path of the Feminine, Sacred Sexuality, the Priestess Traditions and so on – critiquing it in terms of what is ‘pure’, ‘sacred’ and – of course – ‘virginal’. Whilst the Goddess Movement has sought to re-claim these terms and older spiritual traditions associated with them, much of the planet still lives in a different understanding of reality. So, bear in mind that everyone will respond to this energy in the way that their consciousness is best able to do so.

But – Getting back to the larger picture ..

There are many possibilities as to how this Nodal challenge is manifested. The key question is: What do I do with all this information, and how can I use it to help/heal myself and others?

Those of you with bodies near 26-28 Gemini will experience this as a Grand Mutable Cross. That roughly corresponds to those of you with birthdays between June 17-19.

So, keep your eyes open my friends 🙂 This is a powerful prelude to the upcoming Solstice and Cancer Full Moon! 🙂

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Image: Astrolog Screenshot
Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

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2016: When Truth and Power Meet The Spirit (Saturn-Neptune squares) & 2016 Astrological Calendar & Preparatory Alignments (Nodes square Galactic Center, Sagittarius New Moon Dec 2015)

Blessings to All. We’ve just come from an intense Sagittarius New Moon (19 Sag, Dec 11, 2015) in which we all discovered, or found the beginnings of, the Path we’re headed on. I had begun a pilgrimage to India with my brother. We visited institutions in which the Sacred Feminine was co-opted by later patriarchal traditions, but never truly represented. We also saw the lack of literature, perspective and space afforded to the Sacred Feminine in the ‘societal mainstream’. And that is a crying shame, coming from the land of ‘a million goddesses’. That being said, the ritualistic treatment of the Goddess as sacred is at times used as a proxy for treating real human women with basic dignity (which really, does not help the latter in they day to day lives – it was a theme that came up in my doctoral research on the Indian Parliament and its inability to hold the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill. I might write more on that soon.

So yes, my path was lit like a beacon. In different ways, others would have found alignments or ‘pulls’ to their respective paradigms, roads of travel and wider philosophical/intellectual world in which their individual perspectives could be located (if at all). Significant changes in one’s relationship to long-distance travel, academia, institutions of learning, forms of organized religion, philosophical schools and such may also have been highlighted at this time. Many of you may have discovered the need to move past outdated ways of seeing the world that do not honor your own energetic presence and reality. And so the search for a new Path to Truth unfolds.

Watch for the Sagittarius Full Moon (May 21, 2016) to see how these intentions bear fruit in your world/s. Bear in mind that the window of influence for a New/Full Moon tends to be three days before and after the event itself, with longer window periods for Supermoons and Eclipses.

Whilst the Sagittarius New/Full Moon cycles bring us to an expanded (or need to expand) our sense of Truth and Being, we have two other longer-term aspects in the skies that have been continually transforming our relationship with this energy. Saturn (in Sagittarius) squared Neptune (in Pisces) and the North Node (in Virgo) / South Node (in Pisces) squared The Galactic Center (27 Sagittarius).

Saturn in Sagittarius is an energy that asks us to look at the institutions, established channels and authority that tells us how we can and ought to relate to Truth, and what happens when we refuse to comply. It is about that authoritative claim to power that on the one hand inspires us to find the path that connects us to our core-inner sense of strength – and on the other hand – it either asks us to resist institutions (governments, banks, etc.) that seek to deny that process. Those who seek power externally, rather than from within might seek to set themselves up as a new form of ‘authority’. It’s a great time in which Truth and Power are easily conflated. Saturn only leaves Sagittarius on Dec 20/21, 2017 – 2 years down the line. It will not re-enter this sign until 2044.

Saturn in Sagittarius squares Neptune in Pisces throughout 2016. Let’s look at the challenge that Neptune poses:

Neptune represents our deepest connection with the Formless aspect of Spirit which we understand as the mystical, transcendental, deeply intimate and deeply compassionate form of the Sacred. It energies are linked with the infinitely compassionate energies of figures such as The Christ, and Lord Shiva (and many others – most if not all saints, at the very least). In day to day life it reflects upon the way we achieve a sense of Oneness, or are in a state of graceful flow, in synergy with the Cosmos. It is where you find Surrender in that which you call ‘The Sacred’. Truth no longer exists at a single point in Space-Time, nor is it, any longer, an intellectual construct.

Neptune’s energy can also tell us, where, in our lives we are going to need to exercise the greatest levels of compassion, release, and forgiveness. Much of this will relate to our personal spiritual curriculum, or opportunities for growth – and to past, karmic ties. It is also the location in the chart where an individual is most prone to becoming attached to false visions, or, living in an illusory reality or personal fantasy. So, it represents a great many things – and all of these strongly contrast to the fixity, solidity, power and form of Saturn and the passionate, ideational, Truth-Seeking arrow of Sagittarius.

During the Saturn-Neptune squares, you will see this as a continual challenge to find a Path, critique a governing authority, discover a new societal/organizing structure or principle – that aligns better with the compassionate, intuitive, deeply mystical and wholly impermanent nature of Neptune. There isn’t a quick and easy solution to the square, except that we will find our answers through the Titanic friction, or energetic engagement between the two. There are at least two ways this energy can pan out – governments may find themselves becoming more open, more willing to relinquish traditional ideas of security, control and power. Or … they might be go deeper into their own ideology and ethos reflecting the status quo. Institutions of power are resistant to change, as are many individuals. That’s the kind of thing which ultimately leads to a global crisis, economic/political turmoil, and so on – I only hope that that can be averted with more conscious leadership.

We will feel this energetic push-and-pull until September 2016. Bear in mind that Saturn and Neptune will experience their own retrogrades next year, as all Mars (in Sagittarius). Mars’ role will certainly give us the energy to act upon these new visions of Truth and challenge us to find ways to align them with our deeper sense of spirituality. It can also, conversely, fuel the flames of the downward spiral (the other way this can play out).

Key dates (1-3 refers to dates where the square is exact. Dates are given as A/B to reflect time zones – those in Asia/Australia, take the later date):

(1) Nov 26/27, 2015 at 7 Sag-Pis ** EXACT SATURN-NEPTUNE SQUARE **

— March 5/6 Mars shifts into Sagittarius

— March 8/9 SOLAR ECLIPSE IN PISCES!

— March 23 LUNAR ECLIPSE IN LIBRA

— March 24/25 Saturn retrograde begins

— April 16/17 Mars’ Retrograde begins

— May 21 Sagittarius Full Moon (watch the seeds set in mid-December 2015 come to fruition)

— May 27/28 Mars re-enters Scorpio (looks familiar, doesn’t it? – that’s what Saturn did in 2015)

— June 12/13 Neptune retrograde begins

(2) Jun 16/17, 2016 at 12 Sag-Pis (both planets in Retrograde, a Grand Mutable Cross forms with these bodies in early June as well) **

— June 29/30 Mars stations direct in Scorpio

— August 2/3 Mars re-enters Sagittarius

— August 12/13 Saturn stations direct

— September 1 SOLAR ECLIPSE IN VIRGO

(3) September 10/11, 2016 at 10 Sag-Pis (Saturn is direct, post-retrograde. Bear in mind that Saturn and Neptune are within 3 degrees of one another in their respective signs all throughout July and August 2016) **

— September 16/17 LUNAR ECLIPSE IN PISCES!

— September 26/27 Mars leaves Sagittarius

— Nov 19/20 Neptune stations direct

To sum all of that up, we’re going to be seeing the most intense expressions of this energy between between June-September 2016. Different people, different states, different institutions of governance will respond to these challenges differently.

It is interesting to note that 3 out of 4 eclipses next year will involve the Mutable (Sagittarius, Pisces, Virgo, Gemini) signs. We’ll see many cycles of beginning and ending with respect to the energies discussed in this article.

2016 is going to be a very transformative year, indeed.

But that’s not all 😉

In fact- We’ve already begun to prepare for this shift with the movement of the North Node through Virgo, and its current square with the Galactic Center at 27 Sagittarius. The Galactic Center, as I’ve written about before, is an astrological point that connects us with different Paths of Truth and Guidance. The North Node, on the other hand, asks us to explore a new chapter in our spiritual expression / unfoldment / evolution. At present, the North Node is in Virgo – relating to the themes and archetypes of: The Priestess, spiritual facilitation, earthly/material vessels and paths of service, pragmatism and discernment in spiritual matters, knowing when to draw needed boundaries, health, wellness, etc. The South Node, in Pisces, which relates very much to the Neptunian energy described above (formlessness, compassion, unconditional love, surrender to Spirit) opposes the North Node and squares the Galactic Center as well.

In practical terms, this means that we already facing a deeper spiritual need to find truths that align with us at the most profound level we can experience. We are also searching for physical ways in which we can contain or express this energy in a material, grounded, practical, form. Whilst this powerful, karmic Mutable Nodal T-Square can facilitate the re-birthing of (for instance) the Priestess Traditions linked with the Sacred Feminine, it can equally birth counter-movements to the same. Each of these energies does not have one single expression, but open us to multiple possibilities.

The North/South Node squares the Galactic Center (taking a 3 degree orb of influence) between early October 2015 – the end of January 2016.

You can think about this period as the energetic preparation for the Saturn/Neptune squares (and Mars retrograde in Sagittarius) set to dominate the energies of 2016.

I hope this guide, whilst lengthy, will provide you with your own spiritual-ideational roadmap to the immense energies arising in the year ahead. What an exciting time to be alive!

Blessings,

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

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