NESSUS , HYLONOME & PHAETHON´S LESSONS DURING THE VIRGO FULL MOON (22-2-2016)

 

The Virgo Full Moon was a weird one. Its energy signature differed strongly from what one would normally expect. True, the role of the Facilitator, and its logical-pragmatic-analytical focus on detail and the daily grind was present – but so was something else. It wasn´t quite like a ´normal´Virgo´ signature (whatever that means anymore). Whilst Uranus-Pluto was cited as a likely cuplrit (so to speak), and that can well be the case, I would like to offer an alternative explanation. **trigger warning**

During the Full Moon, the Sun was conjunct Nessus (2 Pisces). Nessus is one of those asteroids which I involuntarily wince at when I see it strongly aspecting a personal planet during my readings. In mythology, Nessus reflects the energy of the abuser, one who violates the space of another, often through sexual means. In mythology, Nessus seeks to abduct and rape Deianeira, the wife of Hercules. Hercules manages to kill Nessus, but not before Nessus convinces Deianeira that his blood will ensure her husband´s loyalty to her. Long story short, Deianeira falls for the con and ensures that Hercules comes into contact with Nessus´ blood, leading to the great hero´s death.

At a symbolic level, the overt predation of Nessus is visible in the myth, as is the more energetically insidious effects of the poison, hidden in his blood. There is great irony in the fact that woman whom he intended to violate should then offer her trust to one so undeserving, ultimately leading to the tragedy of her husband´s death. So there´s a lot more going on here than the simple ´Nessus is a jerk´ narrative.

Whilst I don´t subscribe to victim-shaming in any form, Nessus teaches us that – whilst the actions of others who seek to cause harm to us are not our fault – there are certain vulnerabilities (gullability, naievete, etc.) within ourselves that we can first address.

The experience of Nessus on a personal planet can quite literally feel like a sense of violation, or, even numbness, i.e. a perceived energetic disconnection. I like Christine Sarah´s take on Nessus as the indicator of where Eros (our sense of intimacy) is most wounded. She makes the argument that this is where we feel most disconnected, and equally, where some of the greatest healing can take place.

Nessus in Pisces conjunct the Sun (3 Pisces) intensifies the emphasis on the abuser-victim and dynamics of obsfucation or manipulation, veiled in Piscean Shadow. A different alternative, as I see it, would have been a greater awareness of the kinds of ways in which we allow / have allowed ourselves to enter situations of great vulnerability, coupled with potential abuse. Some may see the roots of their own ability to play the role of the abuser in an intimate sense as well.

The Virgo Moon (3 Virgo) itself was under heavy strain, as part of a Grand Earth Trine with Phaethon (4 Taurus) and Hylonome (4 Capricorn). Phaethon´s energy resonates with that of the self-destructive teenager, recklessly and impulsively acting out his/her (perceived) distrust of the father figure. He did not know that his father was The Sun God, finding out the truth years later. Hylonome refers to the woman who impales herself upon the spear that her husband, Cyllarus, was killed by. Cyllarus himself rushed into some situation beyond his ability to handle, again, upon pure impulse. Both placements speak to a lack of restraint, and a deep sense of distrust. Phaethon distrusts his father and Hylonome simply does not believe that she can live without her husband. Phaethon recklessly drives the Sun Chariot and is killed by Zeus lest the former destroy humanity, Hylonome and Cyllarus both die because they act upon pure, unmeasured, impulse.

Virgo´s ethos is to heal, serve, preserve and find pragmatic ways to keep the routine of material life manageable. But even she has her fuse, and one that is likely to have exploded with the kinds of insights Sun conjunct Nessus brought to the fore from Pisces. Some may have found truly balanced responses to the deep, and profound spiritual recognition that would have come about – and others may have reverted to Virgo´s shadow – that of the hyper-critical, nit-picky neurotic. Perhaps a combination of both. The lessons of the Moon were further intensified by Phaethon and Hylonome´s respective positions.

Now is the time to seek out deep medicine for wounds surrounding the Father / Patriarch, the deep lack of faith or distrust of Spirit (particularly if one has suffered profound wounds), the idea that one is ´alone´ in the Cosmos (linked to the former) and generally, with issues surrounding the victim-abuser dynamic.

That alone tells me it was a whopper of Full Moon for many. Bear in mind that some will be unusually sensitive to these dynamics, whereas others, on different journeys, will have a different experience of the same. It´s hard to pinpoint what the experience will be like at the individual level, particuarly with detail-blurring Pisces involved 😉

Blessings to All. This energy remains in the skies for the next three days (at least).

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

 

Post & Image ¨Mist in Monserrat, 2016¨  © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions of Use: Feel free to share this post on FB or reblog it on WordPress using the appropriate buttons for personal and noncommercial use. If you represent an organization, institution and/or seek to use this work for any purpose, please contact me in advance. If using this material for your own written work, please cite as appropriate. Thank you.

Full Moon in Leo (Jan 23-24, 2016) – The Gods and Goddesses Get It On in the Skies :D (Moon conjunct Aphrodite, Moon trine Siva, Osiris, Iris and Magdalena)

At 1:45 am (UTC), on January 24th 2016, the Moon (at 3 Leo ´29) will oppose the Sun (at 3 Aquarius ´29). Full Moons are times of culmination, bringing to fruition seeds set during the New Moon of the same sign, 6 months prior (August 13-14 2015). The Sun and Moon in Leo were conjunct Alshesha, the Serpent Star, in a Grand Fire Trine with Uranus and Ixion and inconjunct Chiron. It was a fiercely intense time in which we were called to explore our relationship with lower chakra energy, the appropriate use of power and our relationship with the pain-wounding-healing spectrum. We will see many of these dynamics played out in complex ways over the course of the next few days. Those of you who worked with this energy last year will have an easier time working with the energy of grounding, connection with the deeper, darker aspects of energy and the gifts of the lower chakras at the present time. Otherwise, these are likely to present themselves in a more challenging way. Bear in mind that higher chakra energy-information-intuition, in itself is amazing, but still requires the lower channels to allow it to manifest in a grounded, holistic manner. Neither is less or more important than the other, they are a whole system.

In terms of the skies at present, we see the Sun in Aquarius hilighting our visions and ideals of what humanity´s greatest chance at a future worth having might look like. We may find the more eccentric, unconventional and certainly rebellious aspects of our collective ideals expressing themselves strongly at this time. Matters that surround friendships, electronic equipment, social media networks, and altruistic causes may rise to the surface at present. I associate this energy more so with the throat and third eye chakras. Watch for ideas apparently springing out from nowhere, i.e. the Aether as your brain races to catch up with all of the energetic impulses coming through. Some of these will be wonderful, and others might be things to look at closely at a different time.

The Sun will be conjunct Narcissus (3 Aquarius) and Icarus (5 Aquarius) respectively. We will be asked to take a long, hard look at the illusions we may find ourselves trapped in, irrespective of how beautiful or painful they may be. Do we subscribe to ideals fueled by the idea that we are not worthy of more? Or, do we believe in a culture of entitlement without effort? (and so on and so forth – especially as they relate to matters of love, sensuality, joy, children, and so on). Icarus´role in this dynamic is to remind us to fly high and to follow our paths, guided by the Sun. His caution is not to get caught up too deeply, lest we get burned in the heat of our own enthusiasm. We may also be asked to see where we limit ourselves in reaching farther, or aspiring for more in our lives. The Sun is also conjunct Pallas Athena and the asteroid Child at 0 Aquarius. Pallas Athena grants us the strategy and long term vision to discover a truer ideal for the self as it relates to the collective, spurred on by realizations that we may make when considering our relationship with children and/or the Inner Child within. That just happens to be Leo´s domain anyway 😉

The Moon in Leo highlights our deepest states of joy, pleasure, happiness – the sheer passion that fuels us through life, as we seek to co-create a Life of Love. Leo is associated with lovers, sensuality, children, creative projects, self-expression, vulnerability, authenticity, the archetype of the inner child, the sacral chakra (at the very least) and the performative arts. It´s about what makes you come alive, so to speak. You may see ways you can develop a deeper love-connection at this time, especially with yourself. Those of you who honor the Solar-Lion-Goddess, consider honoring the energies of Lady Sekhmet, Durga-Ma or Pratyangira Devi as part of your ritual work at this time. There are of course, other forms of Divnity who equally resonate with this energy. Interestingly, the Moon is also conjunct Aphrodite (4 Leo). heightening the role and presence of the Goddess of Sensuality and Fertility throughout this Full Moon. In other words, a powerful time to Honor Her-The Yoni-The Creative Womb as individuals, and as a collective.

The Full Moon is also trined asteroid Siva (2 Aries – the primal lingam, creative Masculine Energy) and Osiris (2 Sagittarius – the wounded Masculine brought back to life by the Feminine), Iris (3 Sagittarius – the Rainbow Messenger Goddess – she heals through the catharsis of tears and rainbow-colours-the energy of the Rays, she also warns you not to get too carried away with it all…) and Magdalena (5 Sagittarius – Mary Madgalene herself – the vibration of the Dark Goddess, the blood-rose we begin to recognize as Sacred Once More …)

Quite a few Gods and Goddesses present during this Full Moon! Well, in terms of asteroids at least … 😉

Rituals and ceremonies that focus upon bringing back the intuitive, esoteric wisdom of the Feminine will be especially potent at this time – especially as they co-create a new level of individual and collective ´reality´for us all – in conjunction with the Sacred Masculine. It´s time to get the yin-yang dance on 😉 , especially relevant for sexual healers and practitioners that work with sacral chakra energy. It will be a tremendously powerful time to do work with the kundalini, fertility magic, conception and so on, but bear in mind that you need to be as grounded as you can be for that to happen in a balanced way.

Focus upon the bridge between the upper and lower chakras and you will discover … Synergystic Magic… call it the Alchemy of Manifestation if you will …

There´s always other connections to be made with these bodies, but I feel this touches upon the key aspects of the current energy. Have faith in your bodies, your hearts, your creativity and your ability to manifest it all into being…

As there is no limit to what you can do. Not even the sky. Especially not this sky…

Though, that being said,

Treat this energy with respect and give yourself room to listen to the intuitive voice within. Follow your conscience and question why, whether or not or how to best use this energy in a way that enriches you – the collective – and the Cosmos itself.

Also – this energy will royally backfire on you if you seek to manifest abundance from a deeply-rooted belief in a lack of self-worth, an inability to manifest, or a state of mind that says that you simply can´t … Perhaps work on the deeper issues first, sorting out the roots, before trying to make the tree bear fruit in that case.

There´s more than enough abundance for everyone, so keep the good vibes flowing. Know that profound healing is possible at this time, as is profound joy!

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

T&Cs – Feel free to share this on FB using the ´Share´button or with the ´Reblog´ feature on WordPress, on your timeline, in your groups, with friends or on your pages – for your personal use. Organizations or individuals wanting to use this for other purposes (commercial, advertising, featuring it on your blog in other ways), please do get in touch with me first 🙂

Image: Kalighat pictures Indian gods f.4.jpg, 1875, The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford – Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Taurus Full Moon, 27 October 2015 (3 Taurus, 12:05 UTC).

Blessings! I’m going to keep this short and sweet as the Taurus Full Moon brings out the philosopher in me yearning to write a book on the various attempts at bridging the spiritual with the material. In a nutshell, that is the key theme of this Lunation: How do we, as Beings of Energy-with-Consciousness, relate to the experience of Physical, Material, Embodiment?

In less jargon-laden language, basically, this Full Moon asks us to understand what grounds us, how, and why. All of us look to certain material relationships, people, experiences, memories and sensations that permit us – at a deep level – to not only occupy physical space, but even to enjoy that process. It can be the memory of a nurturing mother, a lover that let you feel loved even when you felt very unloveable, the smell of a meal that makes you think of the grandmum who held you when you were little – or anything of that ilk.

If it’s not a memory, then perhaps it is the belief or aspiration to find something that will ground you, hold space for you, and allow you to simply experience this physical world – and Be.

Scorpio’s role in this configuration asks you to look at the roots of the anchor(er). It wants to the know the source of this strength and to question – whether it is an appropriate attachment – whether this energy is freely given – and how, if you want to, you can find the same strength within yourself without having to find your rootedness in another person, experience, or thing.

Scorpio doesn’t lay low on the tough questions. It’ll knock you straight in the face if you’re playing the denial game. Taurus has it’s own way of delivering a swift kick to the behind when absolutely required.

But where the question of who/what grounds you, and why? is answered in a way that resonates with your sense of integrity and,your capacity for joy, magic happens.

Taurus brings the soft vibrations of sensual joy, playfulness, and a relatively care-free approach to enjoying this material life. It doesn’t mean you have to be a glutton, or nymphomaniac. It simply means that you can take pleasure in the very, very, physical process of ‘being alive’. Even the act of breathing can turn into a very sensual, pleasurable process when you know how 🙂

Scorpio’s energy, on the other hand, leads to the waters of deep regeneration, alchemy and the inner reserves of power. It’s a lot more intense, but when balanced, can lead us to a Rebirth of the Self. This is not to say that all of our wounds magically disappear, it is to say that we may find ourselves re-cognizing the powerful, beautiful, authentic Being-in-Flesh-with-Emotion that we are. The role of a shaman, intimate and/or sexual partner is strongly highlighted here – if you’re working with another person through whatever process that comes up for you.

Looking to the asteroids – again – keeping a long story short, it seems to be a time in which we look back to the Shadow/Underworld and re-connect with allies we thought we had lost, and sources of nurture we thought we had forgotten.

It’s quite a profound energy to work with at this time, and I wish you all the very best in doing so. How this energy moves through/as you/with you depends entirely upon how you choose to let it.

Some of you will need to shed tears, others will seek out holy places (with Neptune Retrograde at 7 Pisces trining the Sun and sextiling the Moon). Some of you will turn to healers, others will face the inner self in isolation. Some of you will do one of these, all of these, or none at all. It’s really your path and your individual pattern of spiritual growth that will determine the road you choose to take at this time.

Bear in mind that we are all strongly influenced by the opposition between Jupiter-Venus-Mars at 15-17-20 Virgo and Chiron Retrograde at 17 Pisces. In more ways than one, it is truly a time for us to balance our spiritual lives with our material ones, hopefully seeing that one cannot exist without the other as long as we remain in human form.

Blessings to All ❤ 🙂

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

PS – Kudos to my epic brother Ashoka Mohannan for teaching me stuff as part of our ongoing pilgrimage in Nepal. Today, we went to a very sacred place that had water from Himalayas running through as part of an underground stream. We also found a hidden pool of water devoted to the Goddess Parvati, tucked away behind an ancient shrine to Lord Pashupathinath (Shiva). This was a location that was revealed to me purely through spiritual means in February 2014 and is still relatively unknown to most Nepali people (there’s a signboard and all, but it’s not written about anywhere). It is a very sacred place to me and I am glad to have had my brother there at a key moment of re-birth for myself. ❤

1st Image: Lele Temple rearview by Ashoka Mohannan, 2015
2nd Image: Me and my Brother by Gautam, 2015. 
Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.