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.

When Not All Darkness is Sacred: Things to Bear in Mind when Embodying or Channelling the Dark Goddess

With the Rise of the Feminine, so many of us across the Globe have instinctively sought out and begun to honor the Suppressed, Forgotten, Dark Feminine. Be She Kali, Lilith, Hecate, Dhumavati or by any other name, Her Darkness is one that any and all on this Path instantly recognize.

As I have written on multiple occasions, there is equally a trend of appropriating, watering-down and commercializing ancient spiritual traditions, rendering translations that (at times) are a far echo of what was once a powerful being or deity.

To some extent, that has happened with the Dark Goddess. In the bid to make her far more accessible to seekers, so much of what makes her Dark is forgotten or simply glossed over.

And that is .. when you really get down to it .. Not the brightest idea …

This is an energetic signature that has been suppressed, vilified, projected upon and held captive in the words, rituals and imaginations of thousands of years of patriarchal rule. Parts of it hearken back to a time before Time, a space I call the Void from which all Creation emerged. Parts of this Darkness are unspeakably, immeasurably healing and rejuvenating.

And parts of it are downright dangerous, psychotic, chaotic and out of control. This last part is the bit which I´m going to talk about today.

Some of you might find my words as a shocker, others might be be tempted to turn it back on me (i.e. project on me instead), others might wonder if I´ve finally gone off my rocker. That is your judgement to make, should you feel the need. I cannot eschew my duties in any case.

I should also add that many of you who are now just beginning your Path with Her may find Her to be the very opposite. This article is more so for those who have crossed a certain threshold in their relationship with Her and are venturing into a very different terrain. It is more likely to speak to intermediate and advanced channellers and practitioners who invoke her Energy directly.

This is not the same as being a Devotee of Her, or looking to her for Strength and Inspiration. It is a very, very, different relationship and level of engagement.

This is an article that has been months in the making with insights that have been verified by multiple practitioners of a truly advanced level whose judgement I find sound.

I have excluded all other known potential variables before putting forth my hypothesis:

That Parts of the Dark Goddess are Broken in Savage, Damaging ways. And it is up to us to Heal this Darkness. That Working with The Dark Goddess´ energy fully requires us to be present to All of These Aspects.

A few months ago, especially when I facilitated my ´Into the Void: A Journey to the Dark Goddess´ workshop in Glastonbury – I was initiated into certain energetic techniques that I have not read of or heard of elsewhere. I am in the process of writing down these transmissions that come directly from Her, straight from Source – in her Dark Form – I should say a Formless Darkness to be exact.

These teachings have the capacity to heal across timelines in a more complete form that accesses the body at a level I have no words for.

The workshop itself was attended by shamankas who had decades of experience in the field, and the facilitations were very very well received. The downloads were instants the keys I was given opened me to realms I did not consider possible. It was a gift. And most certainly a surprise.

And through that process I have seen many Shades of Darkness. Some are electric blue, some are fiery red. Some have no colour, only a taste or a texture. Some that bring me to a tearful state of reverence, and others that bring me to absolute repulsion.

Darkness is not Homogeneous. She is not Homogeneous. And we cannot Nail Her into Archetypes that Serve our Interests.

Well, not when you´re on an all-out Priestess path. At some point, you feel the rub.

Yes, She can be All-Loving, but that´s not All She is. There is a part of Her that is equally All-Hating.

With the astrological activations of Eris and Uranus, I have seen these multiple Shades of Darkness intensify, with the more bloodthirsty and destructive variant finding more ground.

Imagine having been let out of a cage after been held hostage and raped and abused for thousands of years. I´d be in a bad mood, wouldn´t you?

And I´m not just talking about the righteous avenger of Justice, the Holy Flame of Passion, I´m talking about the kind of energy that enjoys Discord. That enjoys pushing to the edge to see if you will jump.

That throws down the Golden Apple to watch them dance, and ultimately murder themselves. That brings you to the brink of desperation at which point your only choice is to surrender and to do what She bids you to.

(I know, this sounds a lot like the way the ancient Greeks and Romans understood Eris – but dammit, I´m starting to see where their fears come from. It ain´t pretty)

Before we discuss this further, I want to explain that I have taken the time to rule out other factors, in collaboration with professionals in these respective fields : –

A Mental Breakdown – Unclear Sight / Ungrounded Presence – Hijacking / Entities speaking on the Same Channel – Implants – Past-Life Karma – Rips in the Energy Field – ´The Shadow´/ Unacknowledged Self – Projection Dynamics – Disassociated Personality – Possession – and so on …

Having the same experience validated and verified by other long-time practitioners and Priestesses has given me the courage and necessary push to speak about this aspect of Her. I had to be sure that I wasn´t just picking up on something personal and projecting it onto a Divine construct. This is the hardest article I have ever had to write and I thank the sisters – and my brother – who proof-read the draft.

Again – those who directly embody and channel the energy of the Dark Goddess relate to her very differently from those who worship her as a devotee or write about her in admiration, who see her from afar.

For when you look at her Eye-to-Eye, you begin to see these Multiple Faces. Multiple Shadows.

To the many who have sought her out for healing from brokenness and victimhood – I know what I´m saying is a tough pill to swallow.

She is your Saviour, the One who brought you out of bondage. And now – could She be asking you to enter into another?

The thought is too painful to fully consider, but I must. For that is how I began with her myself – that was the first chapter of my Journey with her.

In past times, this is also why access to the Dark Goddesses was traditionally mediated by one who had crossed those thresholds and who help you navigate your way through.

To see if you were ready to truly pass through the eye of the Needle and into a different dimension of Consciousness. Things don´t make the sense the way we expect them to. To be able to tell the difference between your baggage – and – what appears to be baggage of a Cosmic Origin.

In this age, everyone is connecting with everything, irrespective of levels of readiness. We want Enlightenment NOW! And – especially – when it comes to an energy like this one .. that is absolutely not the right approach. It´s one of the reasons why working with the Dark Mothers has, in past times, come with a tonne of warning labels.

Well, like it or not, we´re all going to have face Her. Especially with the Eris-Uranus conjunctions of 2016 and 2017.

So, back to what I´d like to share with you today. The aspects of Darkness that are .. possibly not Sacred as we would like them to be … This is different from the righteous energy of the avenger, the bringer of justice. Or the benevolent, nurturing mother. Or the faceless, formless Void of Creation.

This is just batshit crazy.

I have witnessed this energy move through me, and those closest to me. And have heard of the same story or dynamic with other practitioners. And they are the same story.

Sometimes when you channel or embody Her energy, you see Her Pain. Her Shadow. And that is far larger than any one individual or story. The level and intensity of hate, rage and anger far exceeds your own. It is not even the pain of a single soul through multiple lifetimes, but of a pain that millions, if not billions have borne.

And sometimes it is Anger. It is the desire to Burn. Burn the world that held Her down against Her will.

It is a far larger than one individual´s pain. It is immense.

The images we receive are very similar as is the feel or nature of the energy which I am doing my best to describe. Something about it feels edgy, intoxicated with power – but off, so very, very off. It is the Rising Feminine, but it´s not what we expected.

And I´ve seen it move through so many people that I now can put a finger it and identify it. Not to blame or shame. But to heal.

There are these moments when you feel as though you have no control. That your usual ways of communing with Spirit are quite literally leading you off a cliff. They can be utterly selfish, utterly destructive, utterly ghastly. And still come through the same channel as so many other beautiful, uplifting messages from the Dark Mother emanate.

A very different experience from your personal shadow-work, from possession, or all that fun stuff… this moves through you like Lightning that has stood in wait for thousands of Years and whose anger can no longer be denied.

There´s no Ego-hold to it. It just moves through you like a Wave you feel you can´t stop. Because it is so … huge.

Until I reached out and found other sisters struggling with the same, I was about to throw in the towel. I had run out of explanations beyond the idea I was on the wrong Path and had taken a weird turn, now in thoroughly bizarre territory.

How was this even possible?

How could the Mother I love so much be expressing such violent, destructive-for-its-own-sake energy?

Could the Greeks have been right with their fear of Eris?

Was I internalizing patriarchal propaganda or finding an inner demoness I needed to exorcise?

Was I losing my own sanity?

Was my Ego-Shadow-Baggage that HUGE?

So many questions ..

But after much searching, verifying and discerning …

What I can understand now is that this is part of a far, far, larger thing. Something that goes beyond me as a person, as a daughter of a particular maternal line, a member of an ethnicity or race, and so on.

It´s something that each and every practitioner-channeller of The Dark Mother will face the farther they go in Her Service.

That with the Rise of the Feminine .. ALL parts of Her are waking up.

That includes the Avenger, the Protector, the Mother – but equally –

Part of her is Screaming. A part of her wants to Kill. A part of her Relishes the Bloodshed.

Imagining Her not to have these features is … to deny so much of what She is and has been through.

And that is what has happened… with the watering-down of this archetype so as to make her more accessible. In much the same way the Feminine is pedestalized to the point where she is not capable of any Evil.

And to pretend that this side of Her comes out only in response to injustice is well-meaning, but ultimately incomplete.

Different people have responded differently to this energy. Some have run for the hills. Others have embodied it and have allowed their personal baggage to be conflated with Her Shadow. Her Past. The energy they feel from Her is so powerful that it makes them feel powerful. And they attack, in Her name. And they glorify it.

There is another group who sees this as a test of initiation. Surrender to her without question and She will save you. You can call it a lack of faith on my path, but there are some things I will never do – no matter who or what asks me to, or whatever larger cause there may be. The ends do not justify the means.

Those who are working with Her purely from the Lower Chakras aren´t able to see the difference between these shades- because it looks so very similar. You need the upper and the lower working in tandem to tell the two apart.

How do you tell the difference between one fighting for justice, and one fighting just because She likes the chaos? When you´re in a stage where you´re just finding your feet, your voice and your power – this is the last thing you want to think about.

I am writing about this because (1) that´s how I process, (2) there´s bound to be other people who are dealing with this exact question-

What do you do when your Dark Goddess tells you to do the energetic equivalent of drinking poison, of mating with a monster? Or of putting an innocent in harm´s way? Or opening a door you know you shouldn´t?

(Those with Atlantean connections / past-life memories – you know exactly what I´m talking about)

What do you do when the one you trusted and loved so deeply asks you to commit an act you cannot? And every fiber in your body tells you not to?

My only response would be to find a different kind of Darkness to Heal whom you Love so very very deeply. In this case, a Priestess to a Goddess. And many others will be doing the same.

With the astrology of Eris and Uranus, I suspect this work is going to be far more significant than any of us ever imagined. Already I see many who believe they´re on the Path being utterly controlled by this variant of Darkness. And those who can tell the difference between the two are shying away from it. Some refuse to acknowledge it at all (which does not help).

It´s an ancient energy. And one that carries the scars of what we collectively did to the Goddess in the first place. When you bring back The Feminine — it´s ALL of Her. Not just the lovey-dovey, rosey, or even the avenging-for-justice bits. There is lunacy, there is hysteria, there is aggression and there is malice. There is the victim that wants to be heard and the victim-turned-bully that wants to enjoy what it once endured.

Let us be honest. If we accept that the Male God has a Shadow of Brutality and War, then why do we leave the Female exempt? I for one do not buy the woman-is-by-virtue-of-her-sex-more-sacred-argument. In our need to see Goddess as Saviour, we exclude her Shadow. Just look to the holy texts of monotheistic faith – a lot of Gods have a side that is utterly, unspeakably Cruel.

And if we look to the history/herstory of The Dark Goddess herself, her cults have not necessarily been of a peaceful kind. The priests of Cybele and her consort Attis, for instance, engaged in Self-Castration and self-whipping. An impersonator of the Aztec Earth-Mother Goddess Coatlicue was ritually sacrificed in an annual festival. Practices of human sacrifice and .. shall we say unethical magic.. have been associated with the Goddess Kali.

The list goes on. She is a whole lot more than your sister-power-girlfriend who backs you up when you need to stand Tall. There are many other facets of Her than the watered-down, New Age interpretation we´re being asked to consume.

When we bring back these Older Goddesses and their practices, we also bring back the energies associated with them. And not all of them are of Love. So when we invoke these names, we are invoking far more than our current ideas of what The Dark Goddess is what We Want Her to Be. Such is the power of ritual.

Which is why … truly walking the Path of the Dark Goddess is not something I would recommend for most people. You see every possible Shade of Light, Dark, Rainbow, Inverted Energy there is – and you are challenged to find what is Sacred within it , or what must be done to make it Sacred Once more.

Sometimes Serving the Goddess means .. ya really got to Serve Her… with a Dose of Perspective.

To me, a Goddess is not some uber-deity that watches over us. She is born of the intersections of multiple realities, fractals of a hologram that together – bring us the Illusion / Reality of One who is far greater than All. At least, that´s the way I see Her. Which may be right or wrong, but it´s only way that works for me.

When I heal myself, I heal my Goddess. I heal every woman, man, child, being I am connected with. And vice versa. When I harm myself, I make the same choice.

It´s possible – using the body analogy – that whatever this vibration is is the equivalent of bile or regurgitation. That it´s an image of the pain and distortion that women (in particular) and their Sacred, Dark traditions have undergone. Or, it´s just a part of Her we need to address.

Whichever it is, I am sure this piece will challenge and alienate many. But I hope it will find its way to many others who work with, who honor the Sacred Dark Mother for All She Is, not merely All that We Need Her To Be.

In other words, just as we have a Shadow, so does She. And when you channel Her or embody that energy directly, that Shadow comes out as well. It´s tempting to say it´s the individual self projected, or other such psychological shenanigans – but here is where I am grateful for the validation that other channellers have also experienced. It is a part of Her energy in itself. Telling the difference between these various shades of Darkness, between your personal Shadow – and Hers – is a task in itself. That´s why this path has not always been that accessible.

The question of how to heal or address this Shadow is a huge one. And I´m going to have to go back the transmissions I received earlier in the year. As I suspect my answer has been there all along.

It´s going to take Love of all Shades. Especially from the Darkest of Spaces.

I´ll share more when I can.

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Dark Mother’s Children

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 into your workshop materials or written work, please cite 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.

Image ´ Woman and Crescent Moon, oil on canvas, 24″ x 36″
© E.K.Buckley, 2009. Image used with artist´s permission. For more of her work, go to :http://www.ekbuckley.com

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission. See Terms of Use and Sharing above.

ENTERING THE DARK WOMB: LIMINALITY, DARK-ADDICTION AND THE DISCOVERY OF HOME

As you discover the sacred embrace of Night, you begin to transform your perception of the Universe. It´s like living in a different time-space, or discovering a different type of element, or language through which you interpret and engage with reality.

A very different sort of reality. One which the ancient Goddess traditions encouraged us to journey into. One which we were later told to forget, vilify, and destroy.

And so many have heeded the call of the Sacred Dark in the past 3 years (Saturn in Scorpio, and so on). So many have begun to open their eyes to that different language or paradigm.

And just as the same way Light is romanticized and stylized and distilled into a form that often forgets its essence – I see the same happening with the way we conceptualize and speak of Darkness.

Rather than the space itself – the vessel of the Void – I see many becoming more and more fixated on the Path of Getting There. Which is a natural thing, but it still needs to be discussed.

And for many the path into the shadow is Pain. Gut wrenching, soul crushing, heart-destroying pain. And metaphors of abuse. And somehow we´re supposed to enjoy this. We´re supposed to dig deep and find what part of us likes this process. With many allegories to BDSM thrown into the mix.

Certainly a route to the Darkness, but not the only one. And certainly one that perpetuates that patriarchal narrative of Pluto raping Persephone and dragging her down below against Her will.

Again, one way of Getting there.

But the Goddess has never left the Shadow. She is the Void.

So why would you need to go through that? Unless you were told you had to, and believed in it?

What happens when we identify our greatest depths, highs, lows – the feel and thrill of excitement (not always the happy kind) – with the quality of being alive?

What happens when getting thrashed, surrendering, mastering (?) or simply being with the Shadow – is really how you get off and feel … simply .. feel…. alive?

When the adrenaline of the Descent and the Hero/ine´s War/Embrace of the Dragon/Serpent/Dark becomes synonymous with Life itself?

That then becomes worrisome.

The more we romanticize the pain, the abuse and the trauma that Dark-Working can bring (in some of its conceptualizations, certainly the more common ones), the more we legitimate levels of addiction to certain forms of Darkness and paths of reaching it.

It´s the same story with codependency and the way cultural norms romanticize it. Here the abusive partner is Pluto/Saturn and somehow we´re still expected to take it – to find salvation.

Some story, different container.

An unnecessary repetition. And one that takes away from the vessel itself.

It´s certainly a part of the process, but a Liminal One.

For some people the period lasts a while, and for others it´s a quick dip – in and out.

Either way, as you head for your Descent – watch the highs and lows that come – and know that this deep emotional roller-coaster is a catalyst for your catharsis. Your undoing. Breaking. and Re-making. But that´s all that is. A Catalyst.

It´s the psychodynamic tension that makes that change, whatever alchemical release happen so that transformation can begin. The drama, in and of itself, is not the end-point or outcome of the process. Just a part of it. It helps to bear that distinction in mind.

And when it´s done … some of you will head out of the cave, the matrix of death and creation, and head back on into the sunlight. Others will find something hidden further within. And head towards it.

A black light calls. Burning with the cool fire of ice. A different sort of light and experience.

There we meet the Dark Mother. The Womb. The Primordial Chamber.

And it gets real quiet.

We enter a space of Detachment. A space where all is, has been, will be and never was.

That space, I call home.

But it takes a bit of a dance, a whirl, a tumble and turn to get here. It´s a space that has no name, no label, no time. The Dark Womb comes close, but that too is a human construct.

And sometimes we stay there for a while, or longer.

Just as the silence begins to deafen, as the sheer .. weight … of unformed potential begins to spill over and through the dark abyss, just as you both enjoy and can no longer take the fullness of the Void … without warning …

BANG!

The Beginning, Back Again.

Blessings,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

Honoring The Dark Mother: A Temple-Space ; The Sky Priestess ; The Dark Mother’s Children

‪#‎backtothewomb‬ ‪#‎morestereotypebreaking‬

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Image: The University of Utah. This artist’s conception shows what an invisible “dark star” might look like when viewed in infrared light that it emits as heat. The core is enveloped by clouds of hydrogen and helium gas. A new University of Utah study suggests the first stars in the universe did not shine, but may have been dark stars. Fair use policy.

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission. See Terms of Use and Sharing above.

INTO THE VOID: A JOURNEY TO THE DARK GODDESS (21st March 2016, Glastonbury, England)

 

** REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 14, 2016, 23:59 UTC  **

INTO THE VOID: A Journey to the Dark Goddess celebrates the channel of Darkness, the Shadow and the Night in its most Sacred vibration. We Journey to the Womb of the Earth Mother, and further still into the Black Void, the Abyss from which all originated – and to which all shall return.

This is a sacred space, one that has been shunned and abandoned for millenia – but no more…

It is time for Her Return.

In practical terms, Into The Void is an extremely intense workshop that opens and clears energetic channels connecting to our inner and outer Perceptions of The Dark Feminine.

We will be discussing specific tools, paradigms and practices that you can use to clear the energetic waterways and plunge into the depths, on your own terms.

Much of this will involve a re-signification of the process of wounding, victimization, grief and anger in the processing of deep pain. As, more often than not, we are triggered into a consciousness of the Shadow through the medium of the Wound.

That being said, if you are at an raw, early stage in processing your own wounds, or are easily triggered, please bear that mind before booking. A lot of this work will challenge your perceptions and encourage you to discover a different Path to the Dark Mother herself. And all of our paths are different.

To summarize, here are the key themes presented:

• The Channel of the Dark Goddess
• Transmutation of the Wound, Pain and Anger
• Compassion, then Detachment

 

Just some of the themes that we will be exploring during this 1-day workshop.

 

Venue: Chalice Well, Glastonbury

Date: March 21, 2016

Time: 10 am to 6 pm (estimated)

Cost: 75 GBP (sliding scale available) + 8 GBP for private access to the Chalice Well Gardens.

** REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MARCH 14, 2016, 23:59 UTC  **

 

30 places available

 

So … here we go. Into the Void!

 

To book a place or get further information, please use this contact form:

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Blessings,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD – Workshop Facilitator
The Dark Mother’s Children ; The Sky Priestess ; www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Fiona Willis – Workshop Coordinator
BirthDance UK , Sacred Cycles ; Shamanic Womancraft UK

The Power of Wounds, Empty Spaces, and the Sacred Darkness.

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We talk about turning the light on to wash away the darkness, we talk about healing the wounds and becoming whole again. In my experience of life, I find these to be statements that can soothe, but which can equally detract us from experiencing truly potent aspects of our being.

Wounds are powerful. They have the capacity to rip open our perceived walls and boundaries, and to leave us wholly vulnerable, in surrender to whatever it is we consider Sacred … or to be held captive at the mercy of our deepest fears. This is why we alternate between venerating the wound, and equally, trying to ´fill it with light´.

Wounds leave holes in you at times. And for the longest time I thought that my dark spaces were things that I needed to fill so they would be healthy, fine, glowing, full of life and love … radiant once more. I judged them by the rhetoric I knew, and for the longest time, I hated those empty spaces.

Nowadays, whilst I wouldn´t accept something boring a hole into me by force, I do see the hollowed out caverns within in a different light. Rather than seeing them as halls of emptiness, they look to me to be a sacred chamber of sorts. An inner temple. Someplace where I can sit, rest, and connect deeply with The Dark Mother, my archetypal understanding of the Sacred Darkness.

Whilst I would not say I lack wounds, or flaws – my relationship with them has indeed shifted. I accept them for what they are, and the spaces they have created. What I once thought was a loss, I now see as a space for pure connection and deep transformation.

It is a sense of appreciation for what was, but equally a more detached state of being. I do not need to re-live those wounds, or identify with them (a.k.a. the woundology paradigm), or to find people who will tear open the same spaces.

Finally, I feel that I am ready for the work I came to do. On March 21, I will be holding a workshop in Glastonbury, UK that specifically addressess the Sacred Space of Darkness and how we reach it through a channel of Love, and yes, Detachment. More on that soon.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Image: Life and Death Intermingled.jpg By NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

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HEALING THE WOUND, HONORING THE DARK GODDESS! Black Moon Lilith’s exact square to Pluto and opposition to Uranus (Cardinal T-Square, 11th January 2016).

Blessings – what an exciting alignment! Black Moon Lilith is now exactly squared Pluto at 15 Capricorn, whilst opposing Uranus at 16 Aries. Goodness, Goddess! This is a powerful activation of the exact energetic dynamics we collectively faced during 2012-2015 (with April/May 2014 as its energetic peak).

This time around, as Pluto tests our commitment to ensuring a legacy worth leaving behind and Uranus insists we burn with the truest flames of authenticity – we are now called upon by Black Moon Lilith in Libra.

She asks us the following …

Have you acknowledged my Shadow?
Have you seen it through the eyes of time?
Of depradation, of insult, of disempowerment?

Do you rage in My Name?
Do you demand justice for the hurt, the harm, the wounds that have been inflicted?

Or have you remained in acquiescent silence?

… And so on and so forth.

For context, Lilith (in the Judeo-Christian, rather than the Sumerian tradition) was the first woman created, paired up with Adam. She refused to obey him and took off. She was then projected upon as a night-terror, a queen of witches, a demonness, an eater of babies – everything that (comparatively) docile Eve was not.

Lilith’s story is not unique. We see it echoed across time, space and culture – as the independent voice, power, sexual choices and freedom of woman was forced into the Shadow. The Unacknowledged. The Disassociated. The Projected. The Othered Energy.

In Libra, Black Moon Lilith asks us to reflect upon about the types of energetic imbalances that are reflected within partnerships, arising from deeper ideals and values embedded in patriarchal modes of thought and cultural codes. Here we are asked why the feminine is essentially, told that she must comply, or else …

Bear in mind that this dynamic need not be played out in a man vs. woman sense – they are archetypes that we all bear within. For who has not, in some way, been told that they cannot afford to be sensitive, intuitive, powerful and yes … beautifully dark, beautifully sacred.

Some of Lilith’s insecurities and memories of past persecution and abuse will come out in partnerships, be it personal or professional. Within the self, it may come in the form of impulses or perceptions that your conscious perception of you are does not quite know how to express, acknowledge or understand.

Pluto’s exact square to Lilith intensifies this focus upon the shadow and the many cycles of victim-abuser dynamics that have been present within generational lines. Some of these imbalances have been integrated into cultural constructs, social mores and political ideas. They have been taught to us as being part of ‘the way things are’, or, the status quo.

I don’t think Lilith is going to stand for that at this time 🙂  – especially with her opposition to Uranus in Aries.

You might see declarations emerge from out of the blue, deep seated realizations that change your perspective on your connection with the Shadow Feminine, your idea of who you are, why you’re here and how your partnerships figure into it all.

Those of you with placements near 15-16 Cancer – this will be a GRAND CARDINAL CROSS for you! Kapow!  The role of family, the domestic sphere, your connection with your tribe, culture and the archetype of the Mother join the energetic configuration present. And they all begin to dance to this wild, dark, primal, feminine rhythm.

Bear in mind that Black Moon Lilith’s opposition to Uranus will be exact on January 25th! Two weeks later, the Black Moon Lilith-Uranus-Pluto-Cardinal-T-Square begins to fade in intensity by February 8.

~ ~ So ..  what to do about the raging wounds, triggers and shadow-dynamics coming forth ~ ~

The best thing we can do – as in individuals and as a collective – is to honor what is getting triggered, birthed and/or wounded at this time. That does not mean needing to re-play those dynamics out, but to be compassionate to the parts of you involved in it.

Some of you will experience breakthroughs at this time that allow you to process this in a way that eventually, will help you release the attachment to those dynamics.

As with any form of energetic wounding, you can choose to relate to it in a different form. Pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t help. Denying it is going to get you a Lilith kick-up-the-bum.

On the other hand, letting yourself acknowledge the fears and vulnerabilities that arise now is key. And, perhaps, more important, to realize that they are not the Sum of You.

You can let go. You can choose to manifest this energy differently. You can begin to work with the more detached aspects of Libra that say – right – I know there’s an injustice, this is what I can do to bring the scales back into balance!

For Honoring the Dark Feminine / The Shadow / The M(other) / every being whose Womanhood or connection with Goddess has been denied  – is not the same as needing to be wounded in the same way over, and over, and over again. Nor is it the same as exacting vengeance or revenge on those you perceive as being the aggressors.

The deeper you go with Lilith’s rage, you will begin to enter a space of detachment. It is neither apathy, nor is it acquiescent. It allows you to draw, once more, from that rich, dark wellspring of Her Embrace. It is a compassionate space.

And one day, the wound that took you to that space stops having power over you. It becomes a tool or modality of teaching, once cherished, but now outmoded.
And one day you begin to make entirely new choices and birth creative new expressions of who you are and how you respond to those triggers.
All in the Nascent space of Darkness, as you journey with the Forgotten Feminine.

At least, that is what I have experienced in my Journey with Her. Yours may look completely different.

As we begin this inner process of compassionate recognition, we begin a powerful process of healing – which can even lead to release. Not of the lessons the wound taught us, but with an identification with a particular dynamic of energetic wounding and victimhood – as being immutably ‘just the way things are’, or ‘just who you are’.

Your work within will begin to be reflected in your outer world – in your external partnerships, in the legacy you leave for later generations and, now, in the Sense of Self you are called to Birth into Being.

Blessings to All of You,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Terms and Conditions of Use: Feel free to share this in the usual way 'Share' on Facebook or 'Reblog' on WordPress, for personal non-commercial use. If you are an organization/institution and/or seek to use this material for any other purpose (commercial, promotional, etc.) please get in touch with me.  Text & Info © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.  Image: Lady Lilith - Dante Gabriel Rossetti [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

NEW MOON AT 19 CAPRICORN – Grand Cardinal Cross with Uranus, Pluto, Black Moon Lilith, Thereus and Cyllarus (Jan 9/10, 2016)

Blessings to All. It’s the first New Moon of 2016 – and it’s a Wowzer! New Moons are potent windows for the setting of intentions that culminate during the corresponding Full Moon of the same sign. We are now in the seed-setting cycle of the Capricorn New Moon. Its energies urge us to think about the material, physical, energetic and other forms of legacies we bequeath for later generations to inherit.

Capricorn’s energy also relates to our image or role in the public eye, be it through the successes and accomplishments we work hard to achieve, or the career or profession that gives us the scope to do so. At the societal level, it is the energy of the Supra-Conscious, the voice or level of consciousness that tells us what is socially desirable, acceptable and legitimate. Tied into this is a discussion of power, authority and the institutions that govern us as their (formal and informal) subjects, i.e. governments and banks.

Energetically, I associate Capricorn with the archetype of the Earth-Crone or Grandmother who watches over the land with a soft, care-worn expression in her face. She is custodian and protector of the land, as the legacy her grand-children will ultimately inherit (and inhabit).

As we set intentions for a new cycle of manifestation, bear in mind that this New Moon (Sun/Moon conjunction) is woven into and forms a part of an unusually potent Grand Cardinal Cross, involving Uranus and Pluto. We experienced a similar alignment with these two transpersonal bodies during April-May 2014. Though we may respond to that level of intensity differently now, you’re likely to see some echoes.

Pluto –  the planet of crisis, change, transformation, the hero/ine’s journey, birth-death-rebirth, issues with intimacy, sexuality, boundaries, power, health, regeneration, alchemy and resurrection – conjuncts the Sun-Moon at 15 Capricorn. The New Moon draws us into the depths of the Plutonian Underworld in order for us to explore the shadow and the gifts hidden within.

In Other Words,

Once More … Into the Abyss.

(But that’s really not a bad thing…)

The Underworld, just as the concept of The Shadow, is of course, one that has been heavily projected upon as being ‘evil’ or ‘negative’. That was a later cultural construct that gained currency with the rise of monotheism (and I would also argue, with the rise of patriarchy).  For instance, Greek mythology saw the the Underworld as more than a place for souls to go to upon death. It was the space in which heroes were born – as they faced their Shadow – and equally, where heroes returned to upon their death, i.e. in the Elysian fields (their equivalent of Paradise). Compare that to our contemporary (mainstream) idea of the Underworld – as a space of torture, confinement, and suffering – and you can see the deep cultural shift I’m talking about. And let’s not even get into the topic of how the Earth-Mother was displaced from her Dark Womb in later mythologies and religious conceptions. Darkness is a far more nuanced, multifaceted construct.

So, as Pluto draws you in, be it through a willing Descent into the Darkness of the self, or through the modality of crisis – bear in mind that this a journey into Shadow. Here is where the seeds lie in their nascent state beneath the soil, where the fetus gestates in the waters of the womb, the vacuum in which all existence burst forth from Nothingness. Here is the space of new beginnings, a realm of great healing, nurture, sanctuary and re-connection. And equally, here is where you hide your strengths, fears, truths and deep illusions.

Intimate partners (Pluto) and/or older, authority figures (Capricorn) may be the ones to draw you into this shadow space, more likely through the modality of conflict, rather than not. You may find yourself in games of emotional manipulation, projection and power-plays without realizing it.

Pluto, The Sun and The Moon square Uranus at 16 Aries. This is familiar terrain, what with the life-and-generation-transforming sequence of seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares we all experienced between 2012-2015. Uranus, The Great Awakener, strikes us with an erratic, unpredictable bolt of Consciousness. Where it comes from, why, and through whom, is something no one can reasonably give you an answer on – except by checking which house it occupies in your chart. In Aries, be it by initiation or as a response to something else, Uranus awakens us to the Truth of the Self.

Aries energy expresses itself easily within the lower chakras, so pay heed to those gut-level impulses and responses. You may be surprised by the Self that is revealed, particularly when its sovereignty and power is challenged by another (Pluto).

All of this energy makes an aspect to Black Moon Lilith (15 Libra), the more matured (Crone) aspect of the Dark Feminine. She seeks to find Balance in the relationships that surround her and to ensure fair play between all parties, though she is likely to be negatively projected upon for doing so (and for reacting to that projection). The fact that Zeus (the ultra-patriarch)  is nearby at 18 Libra tells me that much of this re-balancing is going to have to look at the ways in which patriarchy has limited the scope for women’s agency, identity, power and spiritual presence over the past few millenia.

She may go the route of (what looks like) the bully, trying to carve out a (probably legitimate) space that has been traditionally denied to her. She may also go the route of (what looks like) the doormat, allowing herself to be take the back seat for the sake of a relationship, partnership or collaboration. However, that type of compromise isn’t likely to last long as Black Moon Lilith pushes us to challenge imbalance, especially as she fails to tolerate it 😉 . In general, this is not the best time to seek out objective-decision making (a Libran concern) in the domain of relationships, partnerships and collaborations, owing to Lilith’s reactivity and Uranus’ unpredictability. In other words, avoid making major life-changing decisions and commitments right now and let circumstances unfold as they will. Observe first, before reacting – to whatever extent possible.

Finally, we see Cyllarus (17 Cancer) and Thereus (18 Cancer) directly opposing the Sun/Moon/Pluto combination and squaring Uranus and Black Moon Lilith – this completes the Grand Cardinal Cross. Cyllarus warns us of the costs of acting in haste, lashing out or lunging forward without forethought. Cyllarus feels particularly threatened when the group identities that he feels at home in (tribe, culture, football team, etc.) are somehow challenged. In mythology, Cyllarus goes charging headlong into something without thinking and ends up dead with a spear through his chest.

Thereus, on the other hand, asks us to be mindful of victim-abuser dynamics, especially when one feels emotionally trapped by another. In mythology, Thereus was a hunter who stalked bears, entered their caves, hit them on their head and dragged them out afterwards. He’s not big on the idea of consent or honoring the personal integrity of another. In charts, Thereus often refers to the area in one’s life where they do realize the fact they are trapped or subject to predation by another, until it is fully revealed to them. Some prefer to ascribe something positive to the entrapment (a blissful state of denial) or to get defensive and reject it outright.

So, Thereus challenges us to become mindful of hidden control tactics or energetic/emotional predation; Cyllarus cautions us against simply not jumping the gun and charging in arms akimbo when we feel things that we are strongly attached to, challenged in some way. Both are present in the sign of Cancer, representing the domestic sphere – family, home, tradition, racial/ethnic identity, relationship with the mother or maternal archetype, and so on. Whether it be the source of triggering, or the context in which we seek the dynamics of triggering play out – familial/tribal dynamics pose powerful challenges during this New Moon.

In other words, even if someone from home challenges us, or someone challenges our sense of home – think twice before responding or falling into the victim-abuser polarity. This is going to be triggering some massive shadow-work and the need to acknowledge how we – and our families – at times, hold one another in rigid, dysfunctional emotional patterns. As we make healthier choices for ourselves as individuals, and as members of a partnership, we may find resistance from family and the traditional values they uphold – or even from authorities or institutions that we allow to exercise power over us.

Thank the God/esses for Uranus and Black Moon Lilith! They give us the impetus to walk away from inherited wisdom and ancestral truths that continue (rightly or wrongly) to tell so many of us just how and why we are wounded or trapped and why that is our fault or why we can’t change that ‘reality’. Whilst there are wonderful things we can inherit from our pasts, there’s a lot of baggage that gets lumped in as well. Be mindful that your individual actions can rock the boat for others around you, but as always – Follow your Truth.

Taking these together, we see an extremely intense, shadow-oriented, unpredictable flow of energy between the signs of the Self (Aries), Partner (Libra), Family/Home (Cancer) and Career/Legacy (Capricorn). Many of you will begin exploring new directions, perhaps even with a new map (i.e. a sense of what is possible). This New Moon will be a defining time for many, strongly echoing similar dynamics we collectively experienced during the Grand Cardinal Cross of April-May 2014.

Look to July’s Full Moon in Capricorn to begin reaping the seeds sown at this time (27 Capricorn, July 19). June’s Full Moon at 29 Sagittarius will have some precursors to what we see in July. The Moon moves into Capricorn not long after it opposes the Sun at 29 Gemini (June 20).

So, taking this all together – it’s a powerful, energetically intense time that asks us to consider how we (ultimately) think about the different aspects of who we are, who we choose to connect with, where we’re from, and – where we’re going. The legacy we leave behind in the world weaves together the elements from each Cardinal sign and the challenges and strengths that they bring.

Choose your legacy wisely, and as far as you can, remember that we are all facing this dynamic – together. How strongly these placements influence you depends upon your natal chart and your own spiritual path / process of evolution.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

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.  Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016; Image © Ashoka Mohannan, 2016.

I am ….

There is a tremendous difference between embodying the Goddess in all that you are-and-do, and in setting yourself up on a new Goddess-pedestal for others to come and worship you on. The former celebrates life, Spirit, and that personal synergetistic magic you co-create with the Cosmos. The latter, alas, panders to the ego and creates the same hierarchical division that so many of us within the Goddess movement abhor in the patriarchy.

I notice more and more that the less I hold onto as an ‘I’ or ‘Ego-Self’, the freer I am to simply Exist. Interestingly, the more so I give up particular identifications, expectations, and the need to be seen as Priestess / Goddess / Sacred Woman, etc. (which is part of the path for any facilitator – ego’s way of handling this journey till you can let it go) – – -the more I let go of all this, the more people I meet who honor the Sacred in me without having to see me as their superior.

And conversely, these tend to be the type of people in whom I can see that same movement of energy, and honor as friends and equals. That being said, there are days where the Doctor of Political Science bit, or the Priestess bit, or the Daughter-of-My-Ancestors bit, or the Astrologer bit, or the other aspects of me feel like they need to be more strongly asserted. And days where I just let them all go.

And that seems to be a more whole, centered-and-ever-shifting space for me to be in. Setting yourself up on a pedestal happens when the titles/powers/gifts you have or embody become the only, dominant way you can see yourself on your path. But it’s not the whole thing. Nor do I subscribe to the p.o.v. that complete absence is the way either. One extreme seems too full of its ego-self, and the other extreme seems hollow. Middle path, all the way .. yay …

‪#‎morningmusing‬ , pre-breakfast

Bairavee

 

PS – Kali T-shirt from Glastonbury Festival 2011, England 😛

 

Post & Image © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. Feel free to share with the ‘Sharing Links’ on FB or wordpress. If you’d like to re-blog this on your website / page in any other way, please get my consent first. Ta!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does it take to Dance with your Shadow?

What does it take to Dance with your Shadow?

 

Surrender. Acceptance. Acknowledgement. Experience. Vulnerability. Release. Surrender. Acceptance. Acknowledgement. Experience. Vulnerability. Release. Surrender. Acceptance. Acknowledgement. Experience. Vulnerability. Release.

 

and so on.

 

It’s a tender process, one that requires you to dredge up your deeply rooted fears, vulnerabilities, anxieties and sources of Shame. It asks you to face up to your fears and to speak them out loud. It asks you to recognize your fear of consequences and act anyway.

 

It asks you to take a leap of faith in the pitch black of night

 

Not knowing if you’ll fly, fall, break, burn, be reborn ..

 

All of the above, more, or nothing at all.

 

~ bairavee balasubramaniam ~

Image:  Belly dancer playing with a veil at the 2012 Las Vegas Age of Chivalry (8104140497).jpg By Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons — digitally altered for this post

THE DARK GODDESS DANCES AT THE HEART OF THE COSMOS! Black Moon Lilith conjuncts the Super Galactic Center & The True North Node (1 Libra)

It’s here! It’s today! We see Black Moon Lilith conjunct the Super-Galactic Center and the North Node at 1 Libra. Black Moon Lilith (the Mean Apogee) represents the Shadow or Darker aspects of the Feminine, associated with figures like MahaKali, the Morrighan, Goddess Hecate and so on.

The Super-Galactic Center (SGC) represents, in astrology, the closest point to Source. It is a supermassive black hole in the M 87 Galaxy, residing at the heart of the Laniakaea Supercluster, of which The Milky Way is a part of.

The exact alignment between SGC and Black Moon Lilith  occurred at 13:11 UTC today (September 4, 2015) at 1 Libra 8′ ”50. The True North Node is close by at 1 Libra 8′ ”53, which Black Moon Lilith conjuncts at 13:22 UTC, some 11 minutes later.

Placements close to the SGC feel unusually intense as we are attracted or drawn towards the fulfillment of powerful contracts with Spirit/Source. These will be focused upon the ways that we connect to or relate with other people, be it through personal, professional or even intra-personal relationships within Self.

The True North Node, making its (nearly twenty-year) bi-decade conjunction with the SGC also intensifies this need to reconnect with Source and to seek balance within and without. Watch the way you relate to others now as they represent a new direction of spiritual growth for you. It’ll be challenging as we are called to develop greater detachment, acceptance and tolerance of the ‘Other’.

This may be a time in which the Fires of Self that so many of us have been stepping into as an act of reclaiming the Self, now consumes that very sense of Ego-Identity. It is here that what we thought we once were turns to ash and is consumed by a much larger need to re-connect with one’s sense of the Divine.

So what does the Dark Goddess have to do with all of this? What challenge does Black Moon Lilith bring to this already epic, intense energetic backdrop?

Black Moon Lilith represents the aspects of the Shadow Feminine that have been suppressed, unacknowledged, or relegated to some distorted conception of ‘The Other’ for thousands of years.

As so many have begun to reclaim the Shadow, many are now – at this time – focused upon that immediate sense of rage that comes with a recognition of the extent of this suppression and its energetic consequences for generations forth.

So many have associated the Shadow Feminine with that need to rage, to whip out the machete and strike off the head of the patriarchal villain. So many have associated MahaKali in particular with the need and right to rage and rebel against this unjust silencing of the Feminine.

But that too, is a part of a necessary process of cleansing and purging – a much needed release of pent-up energy before it can then be modulated in a more stable form.

In some sense, the recognition of one’s anger at the Silencing of the Feminine is but the first stage of working with the Dark Goddess. And unfortunately, that is where so much of the popular conception of Her energies ends.

…..Just as we begin the deeper Journey with Her.

Collectively, with Saturn’s final days in Scorpio, we are – all together – turning the corner in the way we Dance with the Dark Feminine. We are moving past a personal rejection or reaction towards injustice and in so doing we are allowing our hearts to Open.

We stop viewing the Justice of Ma-Kali, the Morrighan, the Dark Goddess, exclusively in terms of which heads need to roll, or through the need to ROAR in one’s power.

Multiple responses, multiple possibilities, multiple ways of responding to the individuals, relationships and connections we make in our lives then emerge. We begin to explore alternate meanings to the phrase of ‘standing in one’s own power’.

This process begins as we experience, acknowledge and embody the energy and lessons of the lower three chakras, then freeing ourselves to move towards a Heart-based (4th chakra) level of consciousness.

As Hearts Open, therein we find the Pathway, or Bridge towards Wholeness, Re-Connection and Balance (Libra).

It is this opening that the current Black Moon Lilith-True North Node – SGC alignment pushes us towards. And then ……

………..

What comes next is between You and Her 🙂

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

Image: Kaliposter1940s – With a flaming background that evokes the end of the world (bazaar art, c.1940’s) – Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (digitally enhanced for this article)