Osiris / Isis , The Magdalene / Christ, Kali / Shiva – ARCHETYPES OF THE DIVINE MASCULINE AND FEMININE AT PLAY IN THE SKIES (25 February 2016)

I´ve been listening to the skies, and a very clear message is coming through: In the bid to Awaken the Feminine, the Masculine cannot be neglected. This is represented by (at least) three different exact aspects present in the skies now.

For reference, I understand the Divine Masculine and Feminine as energetic archetypes present in all beings, irrespective of species, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, belief system, and so on. They play out in different ways depending on other factors – like how much weight we ascribe to the fixity of gender, how we were raised, what our respective cultures told us being a ´man´ or a ´woman´ looked like – and so on. The three aspects we´ll discuss are:

(1) Eris conjunct Siva (22 Aries)

(2) Osiris (12 Sagittarius) – Magdalene (13 Sagittarius) – Great Attractor (14 Sagittarius) conjunction

(3) Vesta (24 Aries) inconjunct Mars (26 Scorpio)

Eris refers to the force of the Awakening Feminine able to exist As-She-Is, irrespective of the shackles placed upon her by an outmoded status quo that fears her presence. I see her as the agent of Chaos, strongly resonant with some perspectives on the Goddess Kali-as-Destroyer. She (Eris) is conjunct Siva, the asteroid representing the energy of Lord Shiva, the Masculine complement to Mahakali.

In mythology, despite his ability to destroy All of Creation with the opening of his third Eye, Lord Shiva demonstrates love thorugh acts of self-sacrifice (very Christ-like in that sense). He swallows the poison of the Great Serpent to prevent it from destroying the Universe, he lays down (in surrender) to Mahakali as she dances in her bloodlust. She awakens out of her frenzy when realizing that her foot now stands on her husband´s chest. There are multiple interpretations of the latter event, depicted as Mahakali standing over Shiva in a corpse-like form, smeared with cremation ash. (I quite like the narrative which takes it as a form of play, where Kali-Ma´s in the mood and Shiva´s playing hard to get 😉 ) Either way, it´s a complex interplay of energy between the Fierce Feminine and the Compassionate Masculine. They both seek acknowledgement and embodiment at this time.

The same dance of the Masculine and Feminine also comes through the second aspect discussed here – Osiris conjunct Magdalena and the Great Attractor in Sagittarius.

Osiris, of Egyptian mythology, refers to the form of the Masculine that is dismembered by his brother Set. Isis, wife and sister of Osiris goes into the Underworld to find him once more. She searches for the torn pieces of his body and crafts him a new phallus, replacing the only piece she cannot find. This theme resonates powerfully with the Archetype of the Dark Feminine Nurturer, able and willing to enter the Shadow realms to heal her Masculine Counterpart. We see the same story repeated, from the Feminine perspective, in the form of Magdalena.

Astrologically speaking, Magdalena represents the energy of Mary Magdalene – the consort of Christ, now increasingly recognized as his spouse rather than the abhorred prostitute condemned by the Church (till she was then recognized as a saint). Yes, you´d have seen that in the Da Vinci Code, but it is supported by research. The British Library also has a Hebrew scroll that indicates Christ´s referral to the Magdalene as his companion (meaning wife, in those times). I suspect this perspective will gain greater credence over time.

The Magdalene´s energy brings the message of Radical Self Embodiment, to be True to the Self irrespective of projections (or stones) cast by others. To be purely and wholly true to one´s sexuality, feminine presence and being. In a time where patriarchal belief systems had already begun to denigrate the presence of the Sacred Feminine, being the Magdalene was (and still is) a revoluationary act.

Personally, I perceive Her energies to be profoundly healing, nurturing and incredibly powerful – quite Isis-like, in fact. There´s also a strong case for comparing the mythology of Osiris with the Christ narrative. I see them as analogous archetypal pairings reflected across different spiritual and religious systems of belief and practice.

Together this Divine pairing speaks to the Masculine in need of resurrection, nurturing and healing by the Dark Feminine, able to work in realm of the Shadow, to render Him whole once more. Kali and Shiva´s interplay speaks to similar archetypes, but ones that play out in different ways. In some traditions, Kali – as the Crone Dhumavati – devours Shiva when she is hungry. An interesting variation.

It is also interesting to note that the Great Attractor is conjunct the Osiris – Magdalena pairing. The Great Attractor (14 Sagittarius) represents a gravitational anomaly in space that acts much like a black hole without an event horizon – it ´pulls´ you towards a path or teaching (or away from one, as it happens). It focuses our collective engagement with certain Paths or Themes in search of a Greater Truth – though we may individually respond to the same impulses very, very, differently.

AIn other words, the sacred interplay between Masculine and Feminine is, whether we realize it or not, weaving itself into the Paths we choose to take and embody at this time.

At the personal level, I see both aspects discussed above also mirrored by a third: Vesta (25 Aries) inconjunct Mars (26 Scorpio). This operates at a more physical, tangible level as Mars is a personal planet, representing our ability to act, to follow our passions and drives and seek out our desires. It also refers to our significant partners, those who play the more masculine role in the relationship. It may also be represented by a male (or carrier of masculine energy) in a non-partnership context. In Scorpio, the energy of the Yang (Masculine) Archetype seeks to direct itself to penetrate the layers of the sub-conscious, into intimate spaces of alchemy, destruction, and transmutation. It´s a powerful placement for Mars, and one that it will return to, in early June and late July of this year – owing to the Mars retrograde (April 17-June 28, 2016).

Vesta represents the Archetype of the Priest/ess of Facilitator. Devoted in her Service, Vesta keeps alive the Sacred Fires of Life, Creation and Intimacy. In Aries, her focus is upon rekindling the Sacred Flame within the Self and the Truth that then emerges. In practice, Vesta calls us to truly and fully embody ourselves – as we are (much like Eris) – except that she realizes this is, truly, her best route or Path of Service. Embodiment.

The inconjunct between Vesta and Mars challenges the expression of both energies. Vesta is in the Cardinal Fire sign (Aries), and Mars in the Fixed Water sign (Scorpio). Fire and Water do not readily mix (in classical understandings of the elements), nor do the modes of Cardinal (energy that takes a new direction, initiation) and Fixed (energy that seeks to hold its signature). It takes a third point to make the energetic connection into a Yod (or Finger of Fate). Interpreting that all together:

Vesta inconjunct Mars tells us that we´re looking for ways to resolve question of how to Embody the Path of the Awakening Priest/ess with more immediate concerns of how we express our intuitive and emotional depths, intensity and need to concern with respect to the Masculine. There´s a lot of deep work and karmic density coming through with our relationship with the Masculine at this time, and how it relates to the larger process of Awakening the Feminine. They´re not disparate processes, and rather, they need to connect in ways that allow one to be honored and recognized by another.

Those of you with placements near 25-26 Virgo or Gemini will experience this as a Yod or Finger of Fate. Those signal karmic decision points, powerful conduits of energy that can accelerate and/or intensify the spiritual journey you´re on. Wowza!

Even if you don´t have those points readily activated in your chart, the Vesta-Mars inconjunct is prodding you into an awareness of the Dance of the Feminine and Masculine – echoed by Eris, Siva, Osiris, Magdalena and The Great Attractor.

In fact, I found myself staring this message in the face, repeatedly, during the ongoing Eris Awakens Sessions. It kept coming through, over and over, and over again. They must both Dance.

Considering the Mars (April 17 – June 28 in Sagittarius and Scorpio) and Saturn Retrograde (March 25 – August 12 in Sagittarius) later this year — we are, as a collective, going to need to weave the story of the Wounded / Nurturing / Healing / Compassionate / Sacrificed-and-Resurrected Masculine in the awakening of the Feminine-in-all-Her-Forms.

This would of require a re-thinking of the way we relate to men and women in our lives, but equally, a conscious effort to recognize the interplay of these archetypes within our own consciousness and associated energetic lineages.

Blessings to All,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

Image: Artist’s impression of an ultra-short-period planet.jpg – NASA, ESA and A. Schaller (for STScI) from http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0612c/

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Info on the Eris Awakens Session available at this link.  Cheers! 🙂

CRISIS, TRAUMA AND HEALING: JOURNEYING WITH THE SACRED, SEXUAL MASCULINE – Sun conjunct Osiris, squared Pluto ; Mars conjunct Hebe, opposed Neptune conjunct Circe

Within contemporary spiritual writings and teachings, so much of emphasis is placed upon the Sacred Feminine and the Return of the Goddess – and for good reason. Women, and those who identify with feminine energy, have been suppressed, persecuted, oppressed and turned into vessels of subjugation, screens of projection for a distorted, socio-political system of thought, belief and action, i.e. patriarchy. Most women across the globe, and men who identify with a different sense of sexuality or simply gender identity, are still oppressed in one form or another – irrespective of a country’s level of economic, social and political capital, GDP, or level of literacy. So yes, we need to focus on the Feminine, and heavily so.

However, what is often forgotten is that the re-cognition of the Feminine principle goes hand in hand with the healing of the energetic distortion within the Masculine. I dislike using polarities such as victim vs. abuser, but it has applied across the board, especially within gendered relations. Abuse does not stop by empowering potential victims or sensitizing them to abuse, it (equally) requires us to address the roots of the dynamic of abuse in the first place. Within the masculine-feminine dynamic, much has been writing on this elsewhere – and in a very condensed summary – it comes down to the ways in which boys are socially conditioned to be aggressive towards, to assume a position of authority or condescension towards their female peers. Young boys are not encouraged to cry, to express their emotions, and to toughen up and ‘be men’. Girls are encouraged to be ‘ladylike’ in ways that do not encourage them to excel, or to enter traditional roles of domesticity and home-making. (There’s nothing wrong with that when it’s a free choice, rather than being the only socially appropriate option for a female to adopt)

Excellent FB pages such as The Girl God and Journey Of Young Women provide excellent resources where you can learn more about this, and ways you can parent children who do not identify with older paradigms of what being a girl and/or boy looks and feels like.

But let’s get back to the Wounded Masculine. Born out of a culture that taught a little boy how not to feel, or to express what he felt – even if it was sadness, anger, pain, or even an urge to wear a pink tutu … we see so many men in the world that identify with the Yang (active) principle in excess. Expression, empathy, emotion are seen as weak, debilitating things, i.e. ‘women’s’ things like childcare and housework. Force, assertiveness, power – qualities liked with willpower and drive are taken to extremes of violence, authoritarianism and suppression. We see this at the the level of the individual and collectively, at the level of government – both run by the maxim of ‘Might is Right’.

Again, this isn’t about men vs. women, as I’ve seen truly compassionate men who heal, and truly aggressive women who seek dominance at all costs. It is about a certain energetic archetype and the way it weaves its own dynamic or narrative. Statistically speaking, however, gender and sexuality plays a strong role in predicting who plays what role – they’re not determinants though. Here’s a great article by a friend of mine ( Sunyata Satchitananda ) who speaks of the same:www.sunyatasatchitananda.com/divine-masculine

Spiritually speaking, as I’ve expressed in the past, I don’t see the patriarchy as responsible for the ‘Fall of the Goddess’. I see it as a collective response to an adoption of Feminine energies in ways that were imbalanced to begin with. Most Priestesses that remember – or are beginning to – also recognize how they have partaken in a collective abuse of power, irrespective of sex/gender. Personally, I see our current experience of patriarchal dominance as a reaction to an earlier energetic imbalance in favour of the Feminine – that does not make it fair, or right – but it allows us to move past the entrenchment of the ‘us vs. them’ narrative.

For the same reason, I do not elevate or aspire to bring back the Old Ways as they needed to go. It’s about bringing back the bits that work, from different times, into something a whole lot more balanced and relevant for what we need now. And, for that same reason, my personal understanding of a utopian vision is one that is decentralized, non-hierarchical and egalitarian. Rather than ascribing sex, race, or gender as a category through which we identify one as spiritually ‘superior’ or ‘inferior’, we’ve got to (hopefully) move into a head/heart space that begins to look at things from the level of the Soul that knows no such label. For at the spiritual level, we have all played such roles (masculine, feminine, victim, abuser).

That does not mean erasing the history/herstory of violence, of gendered imbalances (past and present), or to pretend that they do not exist. It means that we need to become more aware of such imbalances and to question how we consciously or unconsciously perpetuate or participate in them – and how we can stop doing so.

In astrological terms, this need to re-examine our relationship with the Masculine/Feminine dynamic, and specifically its use/abuse of power at the individual and collective level comes through with the following (current) alignments:

(1) The Sun (13 Libra) squared Pluto (13 Capricorn). Certainly a time to explore the dynamics of power within partnerships, and also the relationship between the partnership-and-the-state. Bear in mind that Pluto is also trined Jupiter (12 Virgo), suggesting that we can find healing for those deeper, darker wounds surrounding sexuality, the abuse of power, the wounded Feminine/Masculine, and so on. The role of Virgo suggests the healing work of a spiritual facilitator/priest/priestess aligned with Feminine energy and able to work with Sacral Chakra energy – More on that below. Also bear in mind that the Sun is sextiled the Great Attractor (14 Sagittarius), making it all the more likely for us to find teachings, paradigms and paths towards healing, wholeness, awareness and balance. Those of you with placements near 13-14 Taurus are going to experience quite a profound Yod (Finger of Fate), hang in there!

(2) The Sun is about to conjunct Osiris (14 Libra) on October 8th. A time to shed the light of awareness, of focused consciousness, to the disintegrated or wounded Masculine within. Lord Osiris was torn into pieces and left for the dead in the Underworld. His wife, Goddess Isis entered the realms and literally pieced him together, re-creating a new phallus for her husband as that was the one piece she could not find. It really underlines the dominant thrust of this article .. all over again 🙂

(3) Mars (7 Virgo) conjunct Hebe (8 Virgo). The energy of the Masculine seeks healing by revisiting instances in which its earliest sexual experiences/memories/paradigms were set, often involving a violation of intimate boundaries. Again, remember that the gender roles are not static here – it could be a man remembering being hurt by a elder female in his youth, or vice versa. Ensure that you do not give additional weight to that narrative of being hurt, or by considering it a ‘fixed’ event that will always have power over your life.

(3) Neptune Retrograde (7 Pisces) conjunct Circe (7 Pisces). A caution is given here, especially with memories of abuse we uncover in dream-states or with spiritual practitioners. Not all is what it necessarily seems to be. Avoid creating a further narrative of blame/guilt with whatever comes up now. Try to see such memories or visions as symbols or metaphors as opposed to things that really happened (especially in cases where you’re really not sure). There’s a lot of vulnerability that comes through which this placement, and the use of shadow-games of projection that seek to blame one person or another as a ‘seducer’, or ‘sexual temptress/temptor’ where it may not necessarily be so. Be open to alternative explanations.

(4) Mars/Hebe (7-8 Virgo) opposed Neptune/Circe (7 Pisces). A re-emphasis of the above-mentioned themes. Those with placements close to 7-8 Gemini/Sagittarius will experience this as a Mutable T-Square or Grand Mutable Cross. Allowing yourself to shift into a more balanced vibration that facilitates healing, release, forgiveness and the recognition of your boundaries (& others) is key. Holding onto the whole victim/abuser polarity isn’t going to work that well here. Those of you who work with gemstones may consider the use of rhodocrosite or rhodonite, placed on the sacral chakra, 2-3 inches beneath the navel. It’s also a fantastic time to do any significant healing work with sexual imbalances – but also a time where you may not want to try something spiritually or ritually hardcore unless you really know what you’re doing. Neptune is sextiled Kassandra (7 Capricorn), the ignored oracle. Those with placements close to these points, and, 7 Leo will experience a Yod (Finger of Fate) that is likely to revisit past life-cycles/lessons connected to the Priestess/Mystic/Oracle archetype.

For those of you in Australia, I’d highly recommend working with Priestess Kerri Ryan, MA who runs the following FB pages: Goddess of Sacred Sex and offers sexological body-working as a healing practice. You can find out more about what she does here:http://goddessofsacredsex.com/sexological-bodywork/

Well, that about wraps up this post. I hope you use the energy of these two days to discover deeper places within yourselves in which you can find release, healing, forgiveness – and yes – Joy!

Much Love,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

Image ‘Bhairava at Kanakadurga Temple – Orange Hue, October 2015’ & Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

MARS TRINED CHIRON – THE WOUNDED MASCULINE IN SEARCH OF COMPASSION AND HEALING

Today’s Mars (21 Cancer)-Chiron Retrograde (21 Pisces) trine brings to the fore deeply karmic wounds connected with the Masculine Archetype. As Mars is in Cancer, we might find this to be an intensely emotional experience of such wounds triggered by a maternal figure, a domestic/familial situation, a housing matter and/or the emotions of a male/masculine partner. We may also equally, simply see this manifested within the animus (male archetype) within the psyche. Mars is also squared Uranus (who has just turned Retrograde at 20 Aries), making this situation or outburst appear ‘out of the blue’, in an unpredictable or erratic manner. Either way, it serves to shed light upon a level of awareness or consciousness that is required to ultimately heal the Masculine and integrate it as part of ‘I AM Consciousness’.

Chiron Retrograde’s role is to show us our deepest spiritual vulnerabilities, not to suffer through them, but to find ways we can heal ourselves and others in the process. Chiron’s medicine in Pisces tends to be compassion, unconditional surrender to Spirit and a willingness to remain open to the experience, emotion, sensation and vulnerability that such spiritual journeys often entail.

Those with placements between 14-28 Scorpio will experience this as a Grand Water Trine – and – we’re all experiencing that on account of The Moon’s ongoing Scorpio Transit. The Grand Water Trine is in its final stages, whilst the Moon meets Saturn Retrograde at 28 Scorpio. This brings an added sense of gravitas, and a need to make a lasting commitment, or decision to matters surrounding our sub-conscious fears and complexes, our relationship with intimacy, sexuality, finances and Power.

Those with placements near 13-28 Cancer or Capricorn will experience this energy as a Grand Cardinal Cross (if both are present), or as a Cardinal T-Square in the case of a single placement.

All in all, this Mars-Chiron trine brings to the fore karmic wounds of the Soul’s Journey as it seeks to re-member, reclaim and heal our individual and collective relationship with the Masculine Principle. The role of Cancer and its ruler, The Moon (The Mother) and Saturn (ruled by Capricorn, the Crone) point to the role of feminine / maternal wisdom in this process.

Blessings,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

Image: VietnamCombatArtProgramCAT01RobertCKnightWounded.jpg , public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Post & Content © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

CELESTIAL INFLUENCES THAT SHAPE THE URANUS-PLUTO EXPERIENCE : Mercury in Pisces, Saturn Retrograde, Venus at 29 Aries and The Aquarian Moon

Blessings to all. This post is about the other dimensions of change coming to us all, triggered by the powerful, final exact square of Uranus/Pluto – as expressed through Mercury in Pisces, Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius-Scorpio, Venus at 29 Aries, the Moon in Aquarius, and so on. Practical guidance and more information on Uranus-Pluto specifically is provided here: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-nW – I reccomend reading both pieces together for a fuller picture of what’s going on right now.

The biggest planetary change of late has been the start of the Saturn Retrograde on March 13. Over the next 13-weeks, Saturn will move backwards into Sagittarius, then Scorpio – asking us to revisit the lessons of the Underworld, the use/abuse of power, the honoring of sacral/intimate boundaries and the chance to resurrect the self from the fires of transformation. Right now it’s still in Sagittarius, but its energy has already ‘changed direction’ so to speak. Energetic lessons are processing now with a deeper inner focus, than what was just a week or two ago. Decisions made now feel like they have a greater weight and a heavier influence on karmic imprints and dynamics we’re working through. Bear in mind that Saturn is squared Mercury and Neptune (discussed below).

Mercury shifted into Pisces on the same day (March 13), allowing us to to find messages, insights, breakthroughs, information and the possibility of communicating with the deeper aspects of self – through all that Pisces represents. Here is where we go, as I like to say, ‘fingertip to fingertip with the Divine’. Here is the realm of the Collective Unconscious, the waters of the Cosmic Ocean that unite us all. Meditative practices that seek to transcend the mind and ego will be beneficial, as will simply allowing yourselves to ‘just be’. Practice compassion and with it, a detached perspective. Stay away from the cycles of blame, shame, guilt – and the archetypes of ‘victim’, ‘martyr’, ‘narcissist’, ‘abuser’ and so on. Generally good advice, but especially so now.

I feel that most people will be better off processing by themselves and finding the ways which are right for them to do so. Those who feel particularly vulnerable, would of course be advised to surround themselves with good company and in a supportive, space. It’s really not an alignment with a ‘one size fits all’ type of solution, which is why I’m keeping this post fairly open-ended.

Mercury is in a loose conjunction with Neptune, which stresses the need for open-endedness and a willingness to embrace the Mystery and its non-linear brand of magic. This is also why many are responding to the challenge of this alignment with the (quintessential) Piscean response of acceptance and surrender to the Divine. Remember that surrender is not the same as ‘giving up’ or ‘calling it quits’. It’s a more open, receptive and compassionate place born of Faith.

With the square to Saturn Retrograde, it’s important not to get too fixed in your own ideas of Truth, and to accept that everyone has the right to choose their own paths. Seeking to educate others on the perceived ‘folly’ of their ways is probably going to be an exercise in frustration … so I’d suggest avoiding that. Live and let live, being the operant phrase.

During the actual (exact) square (2:46 am, March 17th, GMT/UTC time), Venus will be at the Anaretic/Teminal 29th degree of Aries. Many of us will be feeling the need to break through some earlier understandings of Self and the right/need to Assert it in some way. Many of us will begin to release from Ego-centered perception, and to begin a new chapter, seeing the Self through the eyes of Spirit. Ideas surrounding what constitutes the Fiery/Assertive forms of Femininity will also undergo a significant change. More nuance, subtlety and understanding will come in working with the Solar Archetype of the Feminine (nope, She’s not always associated with the Moon, nor He with the Sun).

We will learn when to burn, when to roar, when to blaze through – and when that’s simply not required. This applies to just about everyone. The Goddesses who call to me the strongest at this time are Durga-Ma, Pratyangira Devi and Narasimhmi-Ma (fiery, Lion Goddesses). I wouldn’t be surprised if others were feeling drawn to similar figures in other pantheons – such as Lady Bast, Lady Sekhmet, and so on.

Those of you wondering about the Masculine, bear in mind that Mars (one of His representations) is in loose conjunction with Uranus itself, trined Jupiter Retrograde in Leo. The transformation is one that cuts across the male-female binary, in other words.

These shifts in self-perception and understanding of the Feminine will pave the way for a healthier, more grounded, more equitable value system through which we perceive, seek to manifest and relate to – as Venus enters Taurus. Here is when we begin to set the seeds of a new form or ideal of stability and rootedness. Here is when we begin to see how we are all connected through the womb of the Earth, as Her children, custodians, and recipients/givers within the flow of Abundance. Here is where we take that breakthrough energy with the Fires of Self and realize how they come from Mama-Gaia – and that all of us who exist on this planet share that same energetic origin and connection. It’s a powerful moment for those who work with the energy of the planet and the Rising Feminine Principle and an excellent time to clear the debris and prepare for the work of planetary healing.

Last but not least, the Aquarian Moon will be connecting your emotions and intuition the detached abstraction of mind in beautiful (what one might call whole-brain) balance. The Moon will be trined to the North Node in Libra and sextiled the South Node in Aries. This ‘Wedge’ alignment will help us find a way to navigate the karmic gauntlet and discover new ways of finding a deeper, truer sense of Balance and Co-existence, without compromising the truth of the Self.

The Aquarian Moon forms a second Wedge (opposing Juno, sextiling Saturn Retrograde with Saturn trined Juno). This particular Wedge teaches us more about opening to the Divine Feminine (Juno) and the soul-level experiences that seek to complete and complement the lessons you have come to learn. In Leo (and now direct), Juno speaks to the expressive, sacral-powered, sensual and creative aspects of the Feminine, as well as the archetype of the Lion/Big Cats. Little wonder that I’m drawn to the Goddesses listed above. In day to day practice – this alignment calls you to – Use your head, use your heart, and try not to take others’ judgment of your path personally, and avoiding judging others in turn.

The Moon will, later in the day (on March 17), oppose Jupiter Retrograde before it activates the above-mentioned Wedge. Even more opportunities for learning, expanding the understanding of Self, connecting with Guidance, healing the Sacral & Inner Child Archetype … The Moon will also be inconjunct to Black Moon Lilith at 12 Virgo. Those with placements at or near 12 Cancer will experience this as a profound Yod – Finger of Fate/Karma/God/Goddess Placement! The inconjunct alone pushes us all to develop a more balanced outlook on the energies of the Dark Mother and Dark Priestess archetype. (And no, Darkness is not Evil, it’s just a different form of energy – a lot of Sacred Nurturing can come from that space)

There’s even more happening in the skies – it’s just a very busy time in the cosmos. What I’d ideally want you to take away from this piece (at minimum) is the understanding that the Uranus-Pluto shift isn’t just focused on Aries and Capricorn – it links up to so many other houses, bodies and placements in the sky (and in our natal charts). As you would have noticed … I haven’t even talked about the significance of the approaching Solar Eclipse & Equinox in all this – stay tuned for that in a later pieces.

In Short,

There’s multiple layers and dimensions to the transformation that is taking place right now – making it a very exciting time to be alive! ❤ ❤ ❤

Blessings, and much Love to All,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
bairaveebalasubramaniam.com
fb.com/theskypriestess

Page: Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

Text & Image ( Sayapuram Mariamman JB, 13-3-15) – © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015

MARS CONJUNCTS URANUS, SQUARES PLUTO, REACTIVATES GRAND FIRE TRINE W. JUPITER + GREAT ATTRACTOR

The Lightning Strikes (Again!). Mars is now conjunct Uranus in Aries at 15 ’00. The intensity of the Uranus, the Great Revealer, the Great Awakener now meets the Fires of the Warrior Planet of Assertion and Action. We’ve been feeling a profound build-up to this (and other energies) for days now, and here we see the first lightning strike that precedes the full-blown cosmic storm. That comes later, in the final square-off between Uranus and Pluto on March 16/17. This will be a moment to remember, and Mars has just kicked off this intense energy!

Mars deals with our desires, willpower and actions taken to assert ourselves in the pursuit of ‘getting what we want’. In Aries, it is focused upon the Body, the Ego-Personality and that sense of ‘I am, I want, therefore I will get’. That can go terribly wrong when you want something that does not want you, something to bear in mind… Mars also deals with the Sacred Masculine, the male/masculine/yang partner as well as the animus (male aspect of the psyche).

Uranus is the Great Revealer and Awakener – It’s that electric bolt of Awakening that can quite literally Transform perceptions, ways of seeing and understanding, ways of knowing and being – and embodying the Self, particularly in Aries. It’s a giant wake up call for us to honor the wisdom that we innately possess, and our right to self-assertion – to discover the Spiritual meaning of ‘I AM’ Consciousness.

Stay grounded, but be receptive to messages from Spirit, from kindred friends, from those within spiritual groups or communities today. To paraphrase Leah Whitehorse from Lua Astrology, it’s a not a day where you want your own agenda to get in the way. I’d say that involves leaving your ego-rooted desires at the door and tuning up the etheric antennae.

My take on this is that some of what you receive is going to challenge the very ego-self that Mars’ ability to desire and assert stems from. It’s also going to transform your the way you assert yourself and how that links with your sense of Masculinity – irrespective of which gender you identify with. In other words, it’s an electric time for the Sacred Masculine. And that can go either way …

Whilst this energy can open up tremendous doorways to change and allow great revelations to come through, it can equally be felt as the lightning strike that crumbles the once-mighty tower. Remember that Chaos is another mode, or channel through which Spirit works it magic. It’s not always a bad thing, and very often it washes away the old, so that something new can take its place. Resist it and the process is ten times worse – go with it, and you might actually find it an interesting, engaging process.

Some may find this as a day where their (male/masculine) romantic partners issue edicts or change the very nature of the relationship in one fell swoop. It’s hard to prepare for the unexpected, but that’s how Uranus works. Sometimes it’s surprises are ones we celebrate, and at other times, not so much.

As Mars conjuncts Uranus, it squares Pluto. The Mars-Pluto connection is usually felt as a stressful, tense, one. And we’ve all been feeling Uranus-Pluto intensely, since 2012 (when its exact squares begin). In some sense, Mars has lit the flare for the final square-off, coming up in 5-6 days. You might find the catalyst to be the male/masculine romantic partner and/or some aspect of your own animus (male aspect of the psyche). Quite a lot of this will have to do with the way you choose to assert yourself and pursue what it is you desire – if appropriate.

This already intense alignment is amplified by the role of Jupiter and the Grand Attractor, part of a GRAND FIRE TRINE alignment with Mars/Uranus. Jupiter, the Teacher, amplifies the energies of anything it touches – and it is in Leo (Heart/Sacral Chakra, creativity, sensuality, romance, joy of life, children, inner child dynamics, etc.). So you can be sure that the lessons you’re receiving through this electric, fiery energy are going to teach you more about these Leo-related areas – the focus seems to be on the Sacral/Swadisthana Chakra and reawakening the gifts of the Inner, Wounded Child that have been suppressed (often due to fear conditioning coming from the Imbalanced form of the Masculine).

The Great Attractor at 14 Sagittarius, forms the other corner of this immensely powerful, electric, Grand Fire Trine. The Great Attractor (GA) is an intensely powerful gravitational anomaly that draws objects towards it, though it lacks an event horizon (like a black hole). It possess so much power that it can even bend light. In astrology, the GA, when activated, draws a person to various Pathways of knowledge, philosophy and experience. Some people will get polarized to finding a narrow understanding of Truth that excludes all else – whilst others will (to paraphrase Philip Sedgwick, the astrologer who first explained what the GA meant to the world –http://www.philipsedgwick.com/Galactic/GreatAttractor.htm ) find Truths that intersect and co-exist with one another.

In the context of this Grand Fire Trine, the GA’s role ensure us that we will be drawn towards the teachings, experiences and pathways of knowledge/knowing that will help us make the choices as to One, or Many, Truths? Some of us will also find our teachers/guides/mentors as the facilitators that open us up to these experiences, often through Uranus’ propensity for sudden, unexpected messages. Bear in mind that Jupiter is Retrograde. The lessons may not come in the expected form, and they may actually lead you to a deeper level of self-mastery – beginning to awaken the Teacher within.

The Nodes continue to exercise their influence as part of this potent alignment. Many of the dynamics you experience now will be playing out powerfully karmic chapters in our individual paths of spiritual evolution. Whatever is being dredged out now is very likely material that you’ve been hanging onto for far too long.

Also bear in mind that Saturn will begin its Retrograde on March 14, and that we have an Equinox/Eclipse coming up on March 20-21. This is an incredibly potent time, that will be reminiscent of the final week of April 2014, when we had the Uranus-Pluto square woven into the Grand Cardinal Cross.

In terms of practical advice and guidance for the next 8 days:

(1) Leave your baggage at the door. This isn’t the best time to push through with an agenda that comes from the Seat of your Ego, and not your Soul. Stay open, grounded and receptive. Let your drive towards action be moved by something beyond the Ego, in alignment with Spirit.

(2) Stay still if action feels unnatural, forced or unnecessary. People process differently. Some do better when they apply it, and others when they process it. Don’t feel the need to look busy or like you’re doing something just because it’s an energetically busy time – or because other people may seem like they’re running a marathon. Some people process better by just Be-ing. Stay true to your own process.

(3) Stay hydrated. Get enough sleep. Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol. This would be an excellent time to lay off processed foods a little (go with what’s comfy for you).

(4) If you have a spiritual or religious practice … do it 🙂 Faith is very often, the most powerful ally we have, when we find ourselves in energetic times like these.

(5) Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a decent support network. It’s a tough time and everyone is experiencing it in different ways. Know that people have stuff on their plate too, so try not to take ‘I’m kinda busy dealing with my own stuff’ as a rejection.

(6) If you can be there for a friend or loved one in need, try to 🙂 At least show them some support, if your circumstances permit it.

(7) If you absolutely must say something decisive, or break through something, or take a stand – do so with words of love and compassion. Getting into a heated discussion and trading blame/insults at this time isn’t going to help anyone. Pick your battles wisely.

Blessings to All, and I hope this information is of use to you ❤

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
bairaveebalasubramaniam.com
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Page: Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

Image: Modification of ‘Blitze IMGP6376 wp.jpg’ by Rainer Knäpper under the Free Art License. Downloaded via Wikimedia Commons
Text © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015

THE SHADOW OF THE DIVINE FEMININE AND DIVINE MASCULINE IN ASTROLOGY (INTERVIEW LINK)

Topics/Questions addressed in this interview (in order of their discussion):

– What is a Priestess?
– Who am I? How did I get started on The Path?
– What is the Nurturing Feminine/Masculine?
– What is the Assertive Masculine/Feminine?
– Astrological Bodies that represent the Feminine/Masculine
– Interpreting Venus & Mars in the Natal Chart
– The Goddess & God in Astrology
– Reinterpreting Juno and Virgo
– The Fiery Venus: Going back to Goddesses Ishtar and Inanna
– The Compassionate Masculine: The Christ Archetype and Lord Shiva
– Eroding Gender Binaries and its Impact on Astrological Interpretation
– The Path of Formlessness / Dissolution
– What is ‘The Shadow’? (Goddess Chinnamasta as Compassion, Saturn as Crone-Love – Reversing the Archetypes and bringing them into balance)
– Nessus & Overcoming the Cycle of Abuse
– Eros & Intimacy
– Re-defining Astrology as a Tool of Healing

+ why everything said in this interview is but one Truth, not fixed, and open to Interpretation and Evolution … breaking through the stereotypes!

*****

Many thanks to Empower You Media and Conscious Consumer Network TV and all panelists. Links: www.empoweryoutv.org , www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv and Living Astrology

*****

Blessings to all,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com
www.facebook.com/theskypriestess

Astrology FB Page: Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

ENDING THE CYCLE, HEALING THE COLLECTIVE: The Abuse of Power and the Feminine Principle

The Rising Feminine principle is one that has been suppressed for thousands of years, and now she is beginning to make her way back to Balance, to coexist alongside the Masculine.

Astrologically, the fierier, feistier, darker side of this rising impulse is represented by bodies like the Three Lilith-s, Eris and so on. Today, we have the Mars/Neptune opposition with Black Moon Lilith – prompting this post of reflection. It is a powerful time for spiritual facilitators to look at the Shadow Work hidden in the Rising Feminine Principle, and its relationship with the Masculine. For the astrology of it, please see:http://wp.me/p4OUNS-hI

As far as I am concerned, – and I am deliberately using the ‘I’ here to let you know that this is my perspective – subjective, personal, my understanding of truth – Accept it only if it resonates with you – …

As far as I am concerned, patriarchy is not the sole cause for the downfall of the Feminine – but a reaction to it. As one who has served through the various lifetimes, with memories awakening now, I see that women had a hand to play in it too.

Archeology and memory tells us that we were in the hallowed citadels of spiritual and political power We were in that elevated position, that pride of place.

And we fell. Oh gods how we fell. I remember it very well. I’ve spent time weeping when these memories arose (both as victim and abuser).

Abuses of power, the conflation of Ego with Spiritual Direction, energetic imbalances, sacrifices, slavery, you name it – we did it. As did they, later on.

(even this we/they business is a tenuous one, we’ve all been on both sides of the equation)

Pride takes a hard fall. And when we fell, it ushered about the rise of a new social, political and cultural order – what we describe as patriarchy. Some sources place it to about 7,000 years old in origin (I suspect a little older than that) – but we really need to ask ourselves what came before it, and why it went away.

Patriarchy, as I understand the term, established itself later. In some sense, you could call the Priestesses who abused their power as its first precursors. We did it ourselves, everything else followed afterwards, i.e. the patriarchal rule which we have collectively come to rebel against.

Which is why in this life, I’ve found it very challenging to own my power and establish myself for the work that I came to do – till recently. I sometimes get … very strange emails from people who find it threatening that I do the work that I do – only to realize they are simply projecting the fear of the past that I’d buried deep in my subconscious. I’ll tell you one thing – facing that part of me was the scariest thing I’d ever done.

A great change in my energy came about when I began to look at that part of myself – having healed the ‘victim’ – now to the ‘abuser’ – and it is the current journey I am on. Love, forgiveness and unconditional acceptance seem to be the only way forward for me, and quite likely, for men and women remembering all parts of themselves now.

So what does one do with that information?

I feel that complete healing is possible only once we stop blaming the ‘other team’ which – committed its own brand of perversion against the feminine principle. But it was not they who set the seed, they responded to it and institutionalized a particularly cruel form of exclusion, subjugation and cycles of victimization. And we are now responding to that.

We tend to say that men fear the power of Woman. And part of it is because we are truly powerful. Exceptionally creative, resilient and strong.

But perhaps, for a moment, we can also imagine that at a collective, racial level – we gave them something to fear. And from what I remember – of myself and others from these lifetimes – we did. That does not excuse their attitudes today, but puts it in a different perspective.

And so the cycle began thousands of years ago, till victims and perpetrators changed sides so often that it makes little sense to hold onto those dynamics.

Yes, men have abused women greatly – but the truth is we’ve done the same. There are no hands that are free from that cycle, unless they are ‘fresh arrivals’ to this earthly plane.

I see it all the time in charts of my clients and the movement of those energies through the natal chart, playing out into their day to day realities.

And yes, as a relatively young woman from a racial minority in this life – I too have been abused by men (and other women) in my journey. I get why holding onto those wounds seems like a survival mechanism, I get why the blame-shame dynamic seems like something you have to hold on to so you don’t compromise some sense of self-worth and dignity – up to a point.

I had to let go of just that to actually begin my Path of Service in this life.

Bear in mind that the masculine/feminine duality as a whole is one that we do not need to be entrenched in. When you look at souls from the perspective of lifetimes, as I tend to do in my work, one has to give up the luxury of neat dichotomies, or even of the idea that Y is evil and X is not.

We’ve all been men, we’ve all been women. And we come into incarnation, very often, to experience the ‘other side’ of the polarity.

At least this is what is true for me.

Let it be understood that I am not justifying acts of violence as ‘spiritual balancing acts’, or that I am saying that people should not be held culpable for any act of suppression.

What I am saying is that the cycle will only end the moment we stop running in it.

Blessings to All,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Photo: Bhairavi – The Rising Sun 19th Jan 2015 by Bairavee Balasubramaniam. Note the cloud running across the sun, looks like the astrological glyph for Black Moon Lilith! 🙂

*** POSTSCRIPT – A friend of mine wrote this in response to reading this post. I really resonated with it and thought it a great inclusion – Quoted here with permission: “Yes it is time to realize we have played all fathoms of the spectrums of a soul. There are reasons why we fell into being suppressed as women but also know that men were also done this way in the history of this Earth. It is time we embrace the duality of who we have been and who we are now. This is what we came to learn. We no longer need to be on one side or the other….we are to come to balance all aspects of our soul. Thank you for your insight and know that this is just my opinion as well” ~Waynie Hoffman, founder of Feminine Spiritual Path on FB.

THE GRANDMOTHER GODDESS, THE STAR MAIDEN AND LORD SHIVA: THE COSMOS DANCES DURING THE CAPRICORN NEW MOON

Blessings everyone. This is a particularly potent window of time for us all. There’s just so much going on in the skies, more so that usual. I’ll focus on what I am guided to identify as being of greatest use for you to know at this time

THE CAPRICORN NEW MOON – At 9:35 am, December 22nd 2014, the Sun conjuncted the Moon at 0 degrees Cap ’06. New Moons are times of potent beginnings. This is where you set the seeds of intention which you will reap during the Capricorn Full Moon circa July 1st – 2nd, 2015 (depending on where you are in the planet).

Capricorn deals with our relationship with ideas of success, achievement, recognition, power, authority and manifests in our relationships with institutions such as banks and governments. It’s been getting a lot of flack, especially in recent years with the Uranus-Pluto square, one side of which focuses on Capricorn. Remember that power, authority and recognition in themselves are not bad things – they can, in fact, be very useful tools on manifesting the material aspects of your spiritual task, path or paradigm. As long as they are seen as tools, rather than the goal , substance or desired outcome of your path. More on this here – http://wp.me/p4OUNS-fc

Capricorn’s energy is a paradoxical one. On the one hand, it embodies the pinnacle of Material Achievement, the Mountain Goat that has faced all challenges, and reached the Summit that no one else can even come close to. On the other hand, it represents the energy of the Earth Crone. Remember that the most intense form of Earth (Feminine, in astrological tradition) need not only be at the summit (externally), but equally in the Belly or Womb of our planet (internally). A Balanced expression of Capricornian energy achieves material manifestation in harmony, or balance with the deeper aspects of self, connection with Primordial Feminine energy, and particularly the guidance of the Crone of the Grandmother Archetype. You will find this energy in figures such as Goddess Pachamama, Goddess Petchai Amman (Petchai Patti), Goddess Iusaaset (“the grandmother of all deities) Dhumavati-Ma, Goddess Hekate, The Cailleach, Ajima-Ma and other Grandmother / Crone Figures. They will teach you a more balanced form of manifestation, success and achievement that resonates with your needs, and that of the Planet. Remember that the work you do in Capricorn is not just for yourself, but for the Legacy that you ultimately bequeath to future generations (of all species).

The Sun and the Moon were both conjunct asteroid SIVA (2 Capricorn) at this time. Communing with forms of this deity, worship of the Shiva Linga will be extremely beneficial to those on a Path that involves Him. Others may access the same kind of Compassionate, Powerful, Vulnerable (by Choice) Male Energy through other archetypes from different traditions. This is a powerfully Masculine energy that balances the energy of the Feminine Earth brought in by Capricorn. Hooray!

Both the Sun and Moon were squared the Super Galactic Center at 1 Libra, during the New Moon. An interesting challenge in deepening our relationship with the idea of Balance, and the relationship between Self and Other, particularly through the context of partnerships. Both Logos (1 Libra) and Lachesis (29 Virgo) were in the vicinity adding their vibrations to this potent alignment. Logos encourages the use of the detached, rational, logical mind and Lachesis represents the energy of one of the Three Fates. Her role is to measure the length of the thread of any life born into this world, and she has a great deal to do with the destiny you choose and come to manifest at this time.

This becomes a T-Square when we also consider Astraea (translation Star-Maiden) at 1 Aries. The Virgin Goddess Astraea represents the energies of Innocence, Purity and also the ability to bring Justice back into the world (Wikipedia). Personally, I feel that’s just the very start of her energy, and I’ll certainly do a post on her at a later date. In this COSMIC ALIGNMENT (no other word for it), the Star-Maiden asks you to remember your own (Self) origins in the Depths of the Cosmos, as a child of both ‘Earth and Starry Sky’, to borrow a phrase from my mentor.

In other words, there is a very fated choice that you’re making at this time, and it has to do with one of the deepest connections to Source that you could experience and imagine at this stage of your evolution. Not to be taken lightly. Watch the Capricorn Full Moon in July 2015 to see what you’ve set into motion by virtue of your choices.

The New Moon was also involved with a powerful GRAND EARTH TRINE involving 1992 QB 1 at 0 Taurus and Isis-Transpluto at 1 Virgo. 1992 QB 1 relates to the choices we made in the ideology we choose to adhere to, which shapes the way we perceive, interact with and manifest a certain ‘reality’. This meaning-and-reality-making exercise focuses upon your relationship with Resources (internal, such as self worth and external such as finances or an alternative form of economy) – that which you need to exist as a spiritual being in material form. Remember there is no one ideal that appeals to us all, so have the courage to stand to what you truly believe in. Isis-Transpluto’s influence is still being understood by astrologers. From what I understand from Lynn Koiner’s work, it is an energy which relates to the way we seek Balance in our relationships with others, and also where we realize that we can stand on our own too feet. I see it as synthesis of the energies of Libra, Virgo and Scorpio (yikes!), which only emphasizes the themes we’ve been discussing in any case.

So, to make a long story short – the energy of this New Moon is one of Balanced Manifestation of Reality (by your own Choice). It makes me think of something my dad says, that ‘God is the Creator and Man is the Co-Creator’. Let me paraphrase that to say: ‘ The Divine Creates and we Co-Create’.

Other energetic alignments, etc:

(1) SOLSTICE – A biannual event, celebrated on June 21st and Dec 21st each year, when the sun enters Cancer (Water Cardinal sign) and Capricorn (Earth Cardinal sign) respectively. It is the shortest day in the Year in the Northern Hemisphere, a time where the Yule festival is celebrated. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the longest day – honored by the festival of Litha. No matter where you are on the planet, the Solstice (which I like writing as the Soul-Stice is a pivotal energetic portal in the yearly cycle. We are called to seek a deeper, truer form of Balance. Bear in mind that Balance is not ‘defeating’ or ‘transcending’ one polarity in favour of another. It is acceptance of the Whole, in a pure vibration of Detachment.

(3) URANUS STATIONS DIRECT – A few hours before the Capricorn New Moon, Uranus stationed direct, ending its retrograde. The way in which we receive Guidance, Insights, Downloads from Guides beyond us, e.g. the bridge between the Higher Mind and Cosmos is now Re-activated. The energy moves from the internal to the external. Our source of Awakening is not so rooted now in our psyches, and can come directly do us from external sources, including friend groups and those on a similar spiritual cause.

(3) SATURN SHIFTS INTO SAGITTARIUS – Saturn will move into a new sign on December 23rd (tomorrow, my birthday, yay!). Which means that we’re experiencing the most intense phase of Saturn’s Scorpio energy now as it moves through the Anaretic degree (29 degrees). Karmic tests, trials and breakthroughs which you’ve been putting off will present themselves now as you prepare to move into a whole new 3 year cycle. These tests are likely to be focused upon your relationship with your intimate/sexual/financial partner with whom can merge energies or resources. It also refers to key moments of phases of transition through life-cycle rites (birth, death, rebirth, and so on). Some of you may find this energy expressed through challenges in acquiring resources from others, others through an intense focus upon the trials of Deep Subconscious and Ancestral Karma. Saturn will revisit Scorpio for about 3 months in 2015 as part of its retrograde.

Blessings to all! It’s a lot of information, but then again, it’s a very EPIC time to be alive.

Love you All!

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Images: Iusaaset – 83d40m – 4wki.JPG – By User:83d40m [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons ; Wolfsonian-FIU Museum – IMG 8229.JPG – Wolfsonian-FIU Museum – IMG 8229.JPG; Kailasanathar Temple – Kanchipuram – shiva lingam in side path.JPG – Kailasanathar Temple – Kanchipuram – shiva lingam in side path.JPG

YOU DO NOT NEED TO TRANSCEND YOUR DARKNESS. OR ERASE IT. OR LIGHT IT UP SO IT RUNS AWAY….

The past couple of days I’ve seen spiritual writings saturated with the idea of ‘transforming’ or ‘transcending’ Darkness, and turning it into Light. Whilst I understand the basic idea behind it, I also feel compelled to share my take on it. This understanding is simply a restatement of the Binary/Duality that so much of Spirituality claims to want to transcend. The moment you ascribe normative values such as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to experiences, and then classify them as ‘light’ and ‘dark’ – and then make narratives about which is better, which needs to be transcended, and which needs to be let go of – you’re still falling into the same trap of Judgment. (If we’re perfectly honest with ourselves — the kind of dissolution and transcendence that spirituality aspires to would require a transcending of ALL categories)

Think about it. At the end of the day, Light and Dark are different aspects of the same Reality. The moment we declare that one is somehow worse, weaker, or in need of ‘transmutation’ into the other, is the moment we officially declare war on a key aspect of our own complexity – and origins…

Now I know the idea that we’re all recycled stardust and beings of Light is true … (and I like that idea too) – but it’s also worth remembering that EVERYTHING came from Darkness.

Yes, we are children of the Supernova, but we are also descendants of a Time in which Light simply did not exist. We emerged out of that Primordial Abyss.

Those of us willing to experience ‘Darkness’ without the categories and narratives of ‘evil’ or ‘dense’ or ‘in need of transmutation’ – eventually come to the understanding that there was in fact, a Sacred, Holy Energy present in Our Collective Primordial Beginning. An energy that accompanies us through our lives, and which we return to in order to experience our most powerful moments of transformation.

Astrologers understand the pull of this energy, and the immense wisdom and cycles of learning it imparts – as expressed our recognition of points such as the Galactic Center (at 27 Sagittarius) and the Super-Galactic Center (at 1 Libra) – these are massive Black Holes which represent the energy of Spiritual Teaching (among other things) … Often, those tight aspects to these points have a strong connection with ‘Source’ (in spiritual parlance).

Spiritualists in shamanic and more ancient traditions also understand the role of the Holy Darkness, expressing this connection through the imagery of the Dark Womb of the Earth. Those who engage with the energies of the Crone, Dark and/or Warrior aspect of the Goddess will know exactly what I’m talking about. That place in which you are first discovered, nurtured, and then able to arise from (and return to, when need be).

One theory for the evolution of Life on this planet points to its origins in the deep hydrothermal vents, beneath the ocean’s floor. A very ‘dark’ place … a more relatable analogy is the how a seed must first be buried before it begins to grow…. Thinking about it… even the womb in which the human fetus gestates is … a familiar, comforting – individualized – expression and engagement with Primordial Darkness.

So no matter which perspective you look at – astrophysics, astrology, evolutionary anthropology, biology,ancient spirituality – and so on — Darkness has had a key role to play in the ‘beginning’ of Life and Existence as we know it.

So.. I’d say it’s not something to avoid – or (possibly worse) to patronize with ideas of ‘transmutation’ and ‘healing’ so it can then become ‘Light’. It is its own vibration – and one that we do not need to (and cannot) ‘light-wash’, lest we erase our own primordial origins in the process.

Darkness and Light do not share the relationship of Opposites as commonly understood – Darkness is not even the ‘absence’ of light – but the photonic saturation of Light Absorbed (thank you one of my commentors for pointing that juicy fact out)

And they really don’t share relationship of soap (Light) and grease (Dark), something which enough soap can ultimately get rid of…. That is exactly the kind of binary/heuristic duality that sprung the trap of Judgment in the first place.

Enjoy the Rainbows, Enjoy the Light – and for those of you in search of Totality … Enjoy the Sacred Darkness and all the Shades of Grey that dance between the two – whilst you’re at it.

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Image: Illustration of a black hole and its surrounding disk.jpg – NASA, public domain

NEPTUNE RETROGRADE ENDS, AN AWAKENED SKY + SHIVA’S INVITATION

At 9:34 pm, November 15 2014 (GMT + 8), Neptune’s retrograde officially ended (4 Pisces ’48). This is a phenomenal shift in terms of the energy we experience on a day-to-day basis. Neptune Retrograde in its home sign of Pisces has – for the past few months – been teaching us to get harder, edgier, and more critical (in the analytical) sense about our spiritual understandings. It’s been a rough ride for many as all forms of illusion, no matter how beautiful they may have seemed had to break.

Neptune will station direct for a little while longer before it begins its normal motion. In direct form, its energy allows for a little more softness in our spiritual journeys where everything does not have to be defined in terms of harsh truth. We begin to see the beauty in that truth and the ephemeral qualities it brings to our lives. From a strongly internal focus upon ourselves, we will begin to move outwards and seek external sources for inspiration, and connection with more transcendental understandings of the Spiritual. I expect to see many boundary-crossing works of art and other forms of inspired creation be birthed at this time – just as many will see the dissolution of many fallacies held close to one’s heart.

As this directional shift was going on, know that we also had a powerful Neptune-Moon opposition take place at the same time. The Moon was in Virgo, seeking to attend to the more practical details of life, setting necessary boundaries and searching for ways to nurture self – and others (ideally in a position of balance). Neptune shifting signs in Pisces would have had the opposite effect.

Many emotional decisions are likely to have been made now, some leading to the dissolution of older ties and bonds, linked by the energy of care-taking, or the (imbalanced) quality of Subservience (as opposed to Spiritual Service/Facilitation) – especially for those with natal placements anywhere near 4-5 degrees Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces.

This is further emphasized by Jupiter (21 Leo) trining Vesta (20 Sag) as the energy of the Guru/Guide energizes the archetype of the Spiritual Facilitator (Vesta), often associated with the energy of Sacrifice. This would have been most keenly felt in romantic partnerships and also in the nature of a parent-child relationship.

Soulmate partnerships and dynamics are under particular scrutiny at this time as Juno (13 Leo) is seriously activated by several intense configurations at this time – the Great Goddess Fire Trine, the Cauldron and November’s Mega Yod (check out my blog for info on each of these aspects if you’re interested).

Black Moon Lilith (28 Leo) also squares Venus (29 Scorpio), indicating powerful dynamics within romantic and financial partnerships which are being challenged by the wilder, primordial, irrepressible strength of Black Moon Lilith. Kali energy rises in many partnerships, now, in other words – and it is best to honor that energy seeking to express the truth of itself. Those with planets at or near 28-29 Aquarius or Taurus will feel this as a powerful Fixed T-Square or Grand Fixed Cross.

Venus at 29 Scorpio (the Anaretic degree) itself pushes us to a point of finality or culmination in some key aspect of deep, intimate partnerships. It can also refer to the way energies and funds are merged in businesses involving another person’s money (trusts, mergers, etc.).

There a bunch of other aspects also operating in the skies which amplify what has already been said and expressed. All in all, not an easy time for partnerships of any kind. With Neptune ending its retrograde, a lot of illusions (if any were left) or inappropriate attitudes/perspectives taken about partnerships will be severely challenged at this time. Some may seek to escape, retreat into their own inner worlds because the tension may be too much – if this sounds like you, surround yourself with friends and stay away from overly taxing emotional encounters. (Make your need for space and retreat known first – to avoid over-complicating an issue).

In general, rest – relax – and take a ‘time-out’ if you have to, taking this massive shift into account. It’s also a time for massive spiritual re-awakening and — a fantastic call for the awakening of the compassionate aspect of the Divine Masculine. I associate Neptune’s energies with those of Lord Shiva – and it does seem to bear fruit at this time.

The asteroid Siva (representing His energies at 18 Sag) is sextiled the North Node (17 Libra). Those with astrological placements at or near 17-18 Taurus will feel this as a powerful Yod (Finger of Fate) which will open a new chapter in your spiritual lives.

Blessings to all, and I hope this report helps you make sense of the current energies.

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Shiva image: Lord Shiva at Murudeshwar, Karnataka..jpg – By Abhijeetsawant (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Graphic: Neptune Retrograde Ends 2014 + Lord Shiva. jpg – By Bairavee Balasubramaniam (Own work) – [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]