Dr Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD – Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD: The Sky Priestess

The Limits of Astrology

29 Dec 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess21 Comments

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

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

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

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

Nevertheless ..

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

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

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

Spiritual Shaming, Self-Worth and Why Suffering Isn’t the Way You Need To Go …

8 Dec 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess4 Comments

We are all, Children of the Universe. We come into being bearing so many Gifts and so much Love. We all have so much to Give.

The sad part is when we forget that we are a part of the Collective. That we too, deserve the love, nurture, support and abundance that we so freely and willingly give to others.

The sad part is when we deny ourselves the same flow of energy we seek to open for others. Some locate it within a rhetoric that says ‘if you suffer, you are sacred’.

Really? Why?

A lot of spiritual growth happens when you truly sit and feel into that question. Yes, suffering, feeling wounds, scars, trauma – can be an incredibly rewarding process. But why is being in pain any less sacred than being happy and fulfilled?

The political scientist in me says that’s an awfully convenient idea to tell a population unhappy with the way they lives are panning out. It makes for a great captive population.

‘What, your life isn’t great? Taxes are too high? The Plague? What, you want reforms? Err…Uhm… — Well… that’s just God’s way, and my, aren’t you blessed to suffer so … What do you mean why? Well, you’ve sinned!!!! (and depending on your perspective, that’s this life or lives past, or simply for having been born human and wanting to pro-create)’

The priestess in me looks at it as as a well-meaning but outdated adherence to a old paradigm that, frankly, does not hold water in the present (unless you really really want it to – and if you do, be aware that it is your choice).

And a lot of that goes back to what I’ve been writing recently on the wounded healer / woundology paradigm. There’s a very big difference between taking the time you need to work through it, and between self-sabotaging your healing process because (1) you don’t believe you can heal (2) you don’t believe you deserve to (3) the Ego says it’s holy to suffer, or (4) that you’ve sinned so badly you deserve to fry for the remainder of your existence/s

Now – this whole dialogue on sinning / attachment to woundedness / refusal to see yourself as deserving better – deserves its own book. I’m going to move onto a different aspect of the question.

Another reason (especially) healers who provide services to others have issues with healing / nurturing themselves is because of the ‘God will provide’ argument.

Let’s break that down shall we.

I recall a few weeks ago (and I’ve seen it a few times) an individual who was very upset with me charging for my services and going on my travels (it’s how I do my thing). He was so so so agitated and kept telling me how I needed to repent as God would provide me with I needed.

Truth be told, yes, God/Goddess has absolutely provided. I have a skillset which I can use, and people willing to honor the work I facilitate. I make sure that I can give back what I receive, not just through paid sessions. I actually do quite a bit of pro bono work, and donate when I can.

Plus – Spirit is the one that decides when, how much and how I do what I do. So, as I tend to say, ‘If you don’t like it, take it up with the Boss. I’m sure Ma-Kali can squeeze you in for an appointment 😉 ‘

Without much surprise, I find I never get this kind of judgment from polytheists – most cultures that believed in more than one form of deity has, inevitably, some form of being that celebrated Abundance, Prosperity, Success and Wealth.

The only ‘sin’ that I see happening is when a person gives only to receive, does not honor the balance of exchange of energy or measures their worth only in terms of dollars/currency made.

Plus, if we think about it – even within the paradigm of ‘God provides’, who is to say that flow of energy does not come through money?

Plus – if we were to hold to a very strict interpretation of that argument – by that same logic, no one would need any help from any human at all.

That’s not the paradigm we currently live in, so .. I’m not buying that argument so much. It uses the name of the Divine, but shames those who give into a place where they cannot receive.

If Ascended Beings still emoted the way most humans do, I’m sure that they’ve facepalmed quite a bit over the past few centuries.

So in summary:

Yes, you’ve got gifts to give.
Yes, you’ve got the right to be happy.
Yes, you’ve got the right to reap the rewards of your work.

No, you are not a sinner for wanting to do so.
No, you are not a sinner for wanting to not suffer.
No, you are not any less sacred for wanting to make sure your needs are met.

We have been conditioned to think this way. And it is time to lift those shackles.

Step away from anyone who has to shame you into becoming ‘spiritual’.

We’re moving into a New Paradigm, people.

Plus, we’re eventually moving into a global economy that has got to run in different ways. Once we deal with our collective issues surrounding money / energy exchange / women / the sacral chakra (all linked to the same vibration) .. I think this discussion will be completely obsolete.

Hope that happens sooner, rather than later x

Ciao for now!

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved. Please see T&Cs below. I have had to update them recently as people have been sharing my work in ways that do not honor the time and effort put into them.

** Terms and Conditions of Use & Sharing: Please note that none of the information presented above or in linked material is meant to replace advice from a medical, healthcare, legal and/or other professional service. How you choose to act upon the advice given is entirely based on your own free will. You have the right to share this freely for non-commercial and personal reasons on FB from the original FB post (with the ‘Share’ button), and, with respect to the webpage, you have the right to share it directly from the original site (‘Sharing Options’ from www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com ). You do not have the right to use copy-paste or otherwise reproduce this information on your webpage, FB page, or blog without obtaining prior written consent from the author. If permission is granted, then full credit to the author and links to her page need to be visibly published as a ‘Guest Post’. You do not have the right to use this information to promote or advertise your own services, webpage or commercial or non commercial programs – or to imply that the author endorses any of the above. The author shall not be held liable from any intentional, accidental or other consequences of acting upon, sharing, or engaging with this information in any form. Use of this information constitutes complete acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

Image: W44 Supernova Remnant by By NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT Collaboration, NRAO/AUI, JPL-Caltech, ROSAT [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Digitally Altered by Bairavee Balasubramaniam (08 December 2015).

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Why What I Do Isn’t For Everyone. Read This Before You Book a Session With Me.

26 Nov 201510 Oct 2018The Sky Priestess7 Comments

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The modality I use powerfully catalyzes the work of spiritual transformation. This can be an extremely pleasurable, or extremely painful process.

Some people truly enjoy what I do and want more of it. Others can get very put off by it and find it overly intimidating. I get more than my fair share of projection either way – be it as ´saviour´ or ´bully´. Neither identity is one I invest any emotional energy into as truly, it is not about me to begin with.

In the interests of professionalism and acknowledgement, I have prepared this document to ensure that prospective clients meet the prerequisites of my work. Those who do not are advised to wait till they to, or to work with a facilitator who is more appropriate for them.

You are not likely to enjoy the experience or to get as much out of it as you could without meeting these requirements. It is in your interest to be as honest as possible in self-assessment.

To benefit the most from my work one has to :

(1) Already have been on a path of self-inquiry with the assistance of other professionals / facilitators in the field for a good period of time. This usually involves developing a strong psychological foundation, as the prerequisite to spiritual work.

You do not need a degree in the subject or years of experience in the field.

If you feel secure in yourself and can take that leap of faith into the unknown – you´re probably alright. Still, please read the rest of this document in full.

(2) Be willing to trust the process of the facilitation and to allow the session to find its own rhythm.

(3) Be cognizant of the fact that spiritual work does not need to fit conventional expectations

(4) Be willing to suspend judgment till the process has had a chance to work (typically by the end of the session).

(5) Be willing to look in the mirror and learn from the reflection. Even if is not pretty.

(6) Have read and understood this document before booking a session.

You may not want to engage with my work if:

(1) You have unresolved emotional traumas that you are unable to acknowledge, identify or be mindful of. In cases like this, I would recommend pursuing a solid foundation of psychological exploration with a competent facilitator.

Spiritual work has a profound effect on the psyche, and if the mind is not ready to hear the truth that is presented, it is liable to distort the message and re-direct the energy in ways that can be truly damaging.

Please also note that this kind of work is one that a professional counselor / psychologist needs to oversee.

Well-meaning support networks (of friends, etc.) can actually re-inforce your perception of the world without actually allowing you to see the bigger picture and understand your own blindspots.

Knowing your own astrological chart is also not a substitute for psychological work.

In other words, the work that I do is in no way a substitute for psychological treatments or mental health counseling. If you require this, please look elsewhere.

(2) You have a set expectation of what a spiritual facilitation must look and feel like, or what it is you want to hear and how it is you want to hear it.

The specific energy of each session is different as each individual is different. Sometimes I am guided to stay in an absolutely detached space and at other times – especially when dealing with external influences on the psyche – my work is more impassioned.

Ultimately what I do is not tailored to cater to the emotional needs of the client, but to the kind of experience their Spirit is calling out to receive. And that is not always going to be a joyful process – sometimes the greatest success of the session is the client´s newly-discovered confidence to say: I hated that! And sometimes the success shows in the inner glow that radiates through a being that has forgotten his or her right to happiness.

It really … really .. differs.

In whatever role I am called to play, please be assured there is nothing personal behind any of it. Whilst I am committed to facilitate my clients in their paths of inner transformation, I do not have the time, interest or inclination to draw succour from their discomfort.

The discomfort arises when the expectations of the session do not match the reality of what is experienced. This is why reading this document is so important. For me to do my work best …

I need you to first drop your expectations about what you want to hear from me and how you want to hear it.

I deliver the message in the way your Spirit asks me to, drawn from both the astrology of your chart and intuitive guidance. You are likely to discover a whole new Self – or possibly one you knew was buried, waiting to re-emerge.

But First,

Empty The Cup.

(3) You are looking for validation or comfort.

What you think you know (and I what I think I know) about spirituality has got nothing to do with Spirit itself. They are based on mental constructs, maps and frameworks of seeing the world that the ego-mind uses to sustain its view of reality.

I am not the right facilitator for you if you would like me to validate these views, or invalidate them – as that is not the focus of the work.

Those who have enjoyed this work the most are ones who are willing to see a new vision of themselves with a scope for new possibilities. That requires emptying the cup of the mind and being willing to submerge themselves in the experience.

Those who have enjoyed this work the least come into the session with the expectation that I will make them feel better about themselves.

(4) You are looking for a shoulder to cry on, especially if freshly recovering from intense grief, trauma and so on. Please seek out a counselor. A softer modality is generally required for a time period.

(5) You are wanting to replay family dynamics with the authoritarian/absent/father/mother. Or to play out patterns of rebellion/competition against those perceived as authority figures. Please look up ´family constellations´ instead. That might be more appropriate.

Unless it is a child´s reading (in which case my approach is completely different and parents must be present in any case) – then I´m going to treat you as an adult.

And ask you the difficult questions. Because you don´t come to me to find easy answers.

I require my clients to be responsible and mindful of the energy they bring into my space, just as I will do for them.

(6) You are looking for a Guru or a Saviour.

I do not believe in a hierarchical relationship with Spirit meditated by someone who thinks they can and should control your access to Divinity. A Guru is important in learning the right methodology to do so, and can be helpful in navigating more dangerous waters in the spiritual journey.

(7) You are looking for a Bully or a Punching Bag.

My role here is to provide information.

With the sole exception of external influences that need removal (see point below), there is absolutely no need for anyone´s energetic field to invade your space and sovereign energy field in any way, shape of form. This is also not one of my offerings.

To empower my clients and allow them to move past their own internalized shackles, my role is to provide them perspective. Not the permission to lash out at me because I am present. Such behavior is not tolerated.

(8) You are looking for an energetic battery for your work and presence in the world.

It is not my responsibility or anyone else´s to power your experiences. Only you can sustain your life and how you choose act in the world. My work can be a spark to re-ignite systems within the self that have lay abandoned. But my personal energy is my own. What I can is do is to suggest ways to cultivate greater personal strength without drawing it from others – myself included.

(9) You are looking for an exorcist, medium, shaman or expert in entity removal

There are those who specialize in these fields – and I would advise looking into these possibilities only when you have exhausted psychological and physical explanations.

(10) You are in a state of extreme vulnerability, agitation, trauma, terror, mania and/or fear.

Whilst no one is 100% healed all of the time, you really need to be in a solid place with yourself before working with me. I bring a very powerful energy of transformation to each session and that can be seen as being damaging, terrifying, intimidating, bullying (you name it) to those who are on unsecure footing.

Those who have a solid sense of footing tend to enjoy the process and join in with the dance. You can see the reviews on The Sky Priestess to get a sense of what jumping into the unknown with your eyes and hearts wide open can feel like.

But even then, you have to be in a fairly solid place to begin with.

(11) You´re expecting me to be nice, friendly, sweet, cute and/or to sugar-coat the work.

Whilst I´m not rude and do not use offensive language, I´m very direct. You can get a sense of tone from this document. Those who are vulnerable and more fragile need a softer approach and are advised to find it elsewhere.

During the session, should I pick upon unpleasant possibilities (such as a potential breakup, illness, death) and/or patterns of behavior that have been unacknowledged it is my responsibility as a facilitator to inform you of this – in much the same way you would expect a doctor who spots an anomaly on your charts to inform you that there are certain possibilities that you need to be aware of.

But remember – nothing is set in stone. Remedies, where possible will be suggested.

(12) You´re looking for a friend, support network or regular mentor. This is not what I offer here. The work catalyzes your process and it is up to you to continue it with diligence with those who can support you.

In these cases – please do find a different reader. Everyone has a different learning curve and method of facilitation that best suits them. If you choose to continue with working with me, please understand that this is a choice that you consciously make and that you accept full responsibility for the consequences.

My work is deadly serious at the end of the day and I want my clients to be aware of what they´re getting into. Even if some of them giggle through the process ….

If you are not sure whether you are in the state of mind/being that would benefit from my modality – avoid it, or ask me in advance and we can have a conversation about it.

Rather than having very many clients who are not ready for this work, I would rather have fewer numbers of people for whom it will be beneficial. Sometimes it is a case of needing to develop stronger foundations – and sometimes it just comes down to a simple matter of preference.

In addition to this document, please also note the Terms and Conditions worded in your invoices. Read and understand them before committing to a session.

If you´re ready to go, just head to theskypriestess.as.me and Book Directly.

Blessings

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Contact Form:

Blessings,

** Terms and Conditions: Please note that none of the information presented within sessions is meant to replace advice from a medical, healthcare, legal and/or other professional. How you choose to act upon the advice given is entirely based on your own free will. You may use this information for educational and non-commercial reasons, in parts, or in entirety with full credit given to the author and links to her webpage (www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com ). The author shall not be held liable from any intentional, accidental or other consequences of acting upon, sharing, or engaging with this information in any form, including linked material to external sites and/or sessions with Dr. Bairavee. Use of any part of this information implies tacit acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

ASTROLOGY AND PARENTING: SESSIONS FOR CHILDREN (NEWBORNS- 6 YEARS OF AGE)

14 Nov 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess2 Comments

There isn’t one definition of what a ‘good’ parent is, just as there isn’t one definition of what a ‘good’ child is. In recent years, with so many energetic changes and waves of spiritual acceleration across the planet, the face and substance of parent-child relationships have been undergoing their own dramatic transformation.

Basically, we need new ways to understand our children. They bear within them great wisdom and the template of a new, emerging consciousness. We need new tools, or perhaps, old tools re-fashioned to understand a child’s path through a more holistic perspective.

We see this with parents who are daring to question accepted ideas about parenting, and to seek different ways of understanding conditions like ADHD/Autism and other manifestations of energetic hypersensitivity. Labels such as the ‘Indigo / Crystal / Rainbow’ generation have on the one hand, created ideal-type models to match the pace of change and innate spirituality of many of the kids being born today. On the other hand, these labels can be pretty stifling and prone to create ridiculous expectations of children when growing up. It isn’t easy being a sensitive soul in a very very, loud world irrespective of how powerful one’s gifts are said to be.

So, whilst those general paradigms help us understand the collective characteristics of this emerging generation of children, they don’t help as much when we consider the question how to nurture a specific child, growing up in a specific set of circumstances. Parents who innately understand that their children have certain special needs, or struggle with very complex spiritual questions at a young age then begin to look for other tools to help their children.

In that vein, and this emerged out of the blue at a suggestion of a friend, I began to offer the ‘Newborn Session’ – astrological consultations for new-born babies, up to the age of 6. I chose six years as the cut-off age as that generally tends to be the time by which much of the brain has been formed, as has the neural wiring/network that supports the emergence of a discrete Ego-Mind.

The purpose of this session is to help craft a set of approaches, techniques that can better help you understand what your child is doing in this lifetime, and how you can best nurture that process. It works best when you consider the information provided as a general set of guidelines, rather than a rigid, dogmatic chart or list of things that you ‘must’ do.

For instance, If I tell you that your child might have a gift for music, please don’t force him/her to go to music classes – that can create resentment against a gift that ought to be explored and celebrated.. Introduce the option of music classes, and leave it at that – as a door or opportunity that your child can choose to take. The point of astrology, as I understand it, is to allow ourselves the greatest possibility of choice, which we then navigate with Free Will.

The astrology of your child’s chart can reveal the following:

– what kind of work / spiritual experiences / lessons that your child’s soul has come to experience this time around (some of it will relate to parents/family, and others will come from different areas of life)

– inherited or easily acquired aptitude for talents, habits, certain skills or interests (which can be great things, or things to avoid, depending on what they are

– your child might be able to pick up words quickly, or maybe he/she may be too easily able to pick up vibrations in the environment, it differs)

– areas where a child might need more support (physically and otherwise)- learning techniques or modalities that would suit your child’s needs and interests (again, things to explore, not to force unto your child)

– potentially problematic dynamics or challenges that can arise and ways that these can be mitigated to some extent

– areas of strength and mutual growth for children and their parent/s or guardian/s (as this is a spiritual experience for all of you involved)

– a general road-map which can give you the tools through which you can better understand your relationship with your child, and vice versa

There’s only so much that I will reveal about your child’s chart to you as certain parts of the chart are really things that he/she should go forth and discover for themselves. There will be certain experiences that the Soul has to go through, and no amount of mitigation or early warning can avoid it.

The information given in this session not be used as a means to ‘control’ a child’s life or destiny, but to allow a parent to understand their needs and sense of being through a different perspective. If you’re looking for that kind of control over your child, you will not be granted a session. Simple as.

So what you won’t be getting is a blow by blow account of the specific life-path your child will choose to walk on. You’ll just be getting the manual of ‘How can I best help or facilitate this process’? Sometimes there are things that you can actively do, and other times, it will be a case of ‘being there’ and being supportive. Sometimes both.

Some children will be easier to work with, and others will have more Shadow-placements to deal with. Some children will easily bond with their parents, and others will have to work through their own trauma from past-times. No reading will be the same, as no child is the same 🙂

Details:

Duration: 1.5 hours
Cost: 288 USD

Sessions are via skype, payments are via paypal. I require the consent of both parents/legal guardians. It is best that both parents are present if possible with the child during the session.

Contact form:

Here’s a review from a recent Newborn Session:

“We were initially not sure if we wanted to get an astrological reading for our son who is just an year old. However, we are facing a dilemma, given our current situation we are at the brink of making life changing decisions. Hence to know how our decisions as parents can impact our son’s life, we resorted to getting an astrological reading from none other than dear Bairavee. From our past experience with her, we could trust her discretion in revealing to us what we absolutely need to know versus not know. We signed up for an hour’s session with Bairavee and she went way beyond the constraints of time to explain the complexity and subtlety of not only my son’s chart but also how it is deeply interconnected with our charts. After getting a broad perspective on our son’s soul journey and what he is here to accomplish in this life gives us insight into how to nurture him and avoid few pitfalls. Every individual is unique and hence nurturing each individual uniquely becomes imperative. Bairavee has a special gift of explaining some of the most abstract concepts with great clarity and ease. She could deliver to us the psychological and socio-emotional challenges that my son could face in his life and how we could support him through those experiences. We feel blessed to have received this information as it allows us to become more conscious and mindful parents. We wholeheartedly recommend other parents to get a reading of your child/ren from amazing Bairavee.”

~ Published with permission from Mrs & Mrs. T, USA

Disclaimer, Terms & Conditions:

Please note that none of the information presented within sessions is meant to replace advice from a medical, healthcare, legal and/or other professional. How you choose to act upon the advice given is entirely based on your own free will. Receipt and/or Payment of the sessions implies full acceptance of the Terms & Conditions as set out in the Invoice you receive when you book. All sessions are confidential, non-refundable, non-transferable and non-liable without exception. You will receive a electronic link to an mp3 recording of your session.

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
The Sky Priestess ~ www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

Image: A child’s dream of a star, Internet Archive Book Images, No Restrictions via Wikimedia Commons
Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

The Priestess In the Re-Making – VESTA RETROGRADE IN PISCES, OPPOSED THE NORTH NODE IN VIRGO

4 Nov 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess9 Comments

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Someone reached out to me a little earlier, wanting to know why things felt .. . weird. There’s a tonne of stuff going on in the Universe right now, and quite a few exact aspects in our neck of the cosmic woods. Jupiter opposed Chiron, Venus preparing to oppose Vesta, Vesta opposing the North Node, Uranus opposed Juno, Pallas Athena shifting into Capricorn (with Ceres’ recent re-entry into Aquarius) and so on …

There’s just a lot happening. As a Priestess / Spiritual Facilitator, I feel the effects of the Vesta Retrograde quite keenly. I suspect many of you who read my work would do as well.

In Pisces, the Vesta Retrograde basically asks us to Surrender, Have Faith-in-whatever-it-is-we-consider-Sacred, and to Let Go of what no longer works. We’ve been doing a lot of that with 3 years of Saturn-in-Scorpio, but this time around it’s not so much about the Hero/ine’s epic Journey into the Underworld-and-Back, it’s more like the washing away of Piscean illusion, delusion, entrapment and spiritual glamour (meant in the magickal sense).

My take on this energy is to simply let it move through you. Keep no expectations of what must or ought to be, especially in terms of your relationship with Spirituality. You’ve got the chance right now to put an end to far older karmic patterns, contracts and past-life-lessons. There’s a lot of dissolution going on, a lot of messages that come through endings and finality.

Stay open, be compassionate – especially if that means starting with you. Priestesses and Spiritual Facilitators are born of wounds – we become ready to serve once we begin to learn how to work with them, and in ways that will not harm others in search of our work.

Try not to force a logical narrative or understanding on what you’re feeling now – Pisces’ energy is anything but rational. Just let things unfold and allow the less conscious parts of your brain & psyche outlets to channel themselves into. Some of you will turn to prayer, others to solitude and nature. Some will seek to escape into obsessive-compulsive behavior, others will feel the need to fast or exercise some kind of regiment. Some will simply need sleep and sanctuary, and others will actively seek a way to make the world move a little faster. Generally speaking, if things are simply not flowing – don’t try to force them to.

Be as receptive as you can to the powerful currents of the collective sub-conscious moving through us all and let them guide you to where you need to go. Stay aligned with your sense of inner discernment and let yourself experience the powerful alchemy of Pisces, as its waters take you to new shores.

You will find great release through forgiveness and compassion. This is always the case, but more so even now. Spiritual work and rituals of release will be particularly effective now, but use them with caution and seek help from an experienced facilitator if unsure.

Vesta’s powerful lesson – to me at least – is about letting go of those wounds that started me on the spiritualist’s journey. It means changing what I thought and felt a Priestess / Spiritual Facilitator was. The wounds do not cease to exist, but an identity of service solely born of them is released. And so new chapters can begin, new journeys, new lessons, new energy can then enter the work that I seek to do.

I suspect many Priestesses and Spiritual Facilitators are feeling this in their own ways. The Vesta Retrograde ends on November 13th in Pisces and it finally re-enters Aries on December 5th, 2015. That represents the completion of Vesta’s cycle around the zodiac, beginning on February 25/26, 2012, 3 years ago!

But why, might you ask, does Vesta gain so much importance in the skies now, when there are so many other exact aspects?

Because of her proximity to the Nodal Axis. Vesta conjuncts the South Node in Pisces, opposing the North Node in Virgo.

Quite literally, new paths of Service open as we release attachments and identifications to certain types of wounds and vulnerabilities that set us upon the path we were on.

In other words, we allow Vesta to be re-born as we release her old identity and the karmic dynamics/attachments that required that identity to come into being. Some of you might find some clues as to that how/where/what/why that particular identity was born by looking back to September 25/26, 2006 – when the roles were reversed and Vesta in Virgo opposed the North Node in Pisces.

I found that my breathing difficulties and instant need to go pilgrimaging in Nepal started right after Vesta re-entered Pisces (in my 9th house of long distance travel). Many things began to be washed away, and I begin to see what this process seeks to uncover.

A New Priestess. A New Path of Service. A New … Chapter.

And by new.. I simply mean a stripping away of whatever fear, shame, pain, or attachment to certain narratives it was that made us forget what we were in the first place.

Spirit.

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

PS – For those of you new to my work, I do not consider Priestess energy as exclusive to women. It is an energetic archetype – a particular way of connecting with some sense of the Sacred and embodying that connection with/to others. This archetype can manifest in people irrespective of their biological attributes / sex at birth. The Priest, as I understand the term, refers to a different archetype – you can think of it as the difference between the High Priestess and the Hierophant in Tarot. To phrase it a different way, I’ve met Priestesses who were men and Priests who were women; men who understood the Divine Feminine and women who perfectly embodied the Masculine; and beings who understood both, and much, much, more. And that just makes the world a whole lot more interesting.

Post & Image: ‘Priestess Bairavee in Nepal, 2015’ © Bairavee Balasubramaniam & Ashoka Mohannan (respectively).

NEPAL NEWSFLASH! FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT ELECTED! (+ Other Developments)

30 Oct 20159 Feb 2022The Sky PriestessLeave a Comment

Yesterday, whilst my brother and I were eating at the ‘Authentic Nepali Kitchen Restaurant’ , we noticed a man filming something going on TV. It was a very out of the way place and certainly one of the very few places you’d see Nepali TV on in Thamel (the backpackers’ lair). The on-goings looked vaguely parliamentary, and I saw a woman speaking to take some kind of office. It excited my academic curiosity as part of my doctoral work was on the representation on women in the Indian Parliament.

It felt like a moment. Not the ones you take for granted everyday, but the ones you remember as ‘having been there when it happened’. I’d also had the pleasure of seeing the election of the First Lady Speaker of India’s Lower House from within Parliament itself. This felt like .. another one of those moments I would not forget, courtesy of the Authentic Nepali Kitchen Restaurant. For me, it was a delightful sign to get back to that part of my life, research and work as well. (And my brother took photos me of grinning like a cat who had just had two bowls of cream and tuna)

At first I thought it was a Speaker’s election, and then found myself happily corrected when we had the chance to look at some English-language news. Not a Speaker, but a President!

What makes me even happier is that Nepal has pretty much set a powerful standard for South Asian legislatures (and Western ones too) as it has passed – as part of its new constitution – a law ensuring that at least 33% of all MPs are female and that either the President or Vice President must be a woman.

In India, that particular issue has basically stayed stagnant since its first introduction as – the Women’s Reservation Bill – in 1996. Parliament has been paralyzed on account of the idea of bringing more women into its fold on many an occasion.

But not so in Nepal. I’m overjoyed!

The new President, Mrs. Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the vice-chair of the Ruling Communist Party of Nepal. She was previously the country’s defence minister. As President, she has vowed to address minority & women’s issues. Let’s see what unfolds 😉

Whilst the role of the President is largely ceremonial, what excites me about all of this is the legislative requirement of 33% women as the bare minimum. That is going to create ripples of change, and I hope it will once again fuel India’s political will to tackle the same issue once again (nearly 2 decades later). It’ll be interesting to see how this translates for a greater representation of women in South Asian Politics.

Go Nepal! Wooo!

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam. PhD

For those of you interested in my research on reservation policies, gender and politics in India, feel free to check out my PhD Thesis, The Dramaturgy of Ritual Performances in The Indian Parliament (2013) .

Bridging our Spiritual Paths with our Physical Realities – A Call to Act!

8 Sep 20159 Feb 2022The Sky PriestessLeave a Comment

Spirituality quote

Spirituality, in whatever its form, ultimately aims to bring a deeper and more sustained vibration of Love on this planet. Whilst some of that comes about through internal realization, rituals and prayer-work, there is still an equal part of it that transpires through the material, physical, hands-on-in-the-soil way.

So what does one do about it? How does one person change the world?

By honoring their energetic commitments, by acting on what they believe in.

And, at present, whilst there’s a thousand crises, plagues, floods and famines going on in the world right now – there is one that I feel strongly requires our action and attention – the migrant refugee crisis.

We’re witnessing one of the largest humanitarian crises seen in recent years, with families and little children drowning in the sea, with no place to go. Here’s two links with many, many ways that you can make a physical contribution to the relief efforts , some of which are non-monetary –

www.theguardian.com/…/syria-crisis-how-you-can-help-donate-…

www.thejournal.ie/what-can-you-do-migrants-2309710-Sep2015/

I donated directly to the UNHCR at rfg.ee/RN3uy – feel free choose whichever method/organization/type of contribution is resonant with you . There are even options to buy basic necessities for the refugees through Amazon.

If you’re not resonating with the need to act here, that’s fine. My suggestion is that you find a cause that moves you to act, something which your spiritual faith or beliefs asks you to act upon – and then act. Big, or small – think about ways you can make a tangible contribution to resolve some of the problems that exist in our world today.

Let us collectively move towards a spiritual path – that matches our actions with our energy, that bridges what we experience at a spiritual level in a physical form.

Dr, Bairavee Balasubramaniam, PhD
www.bairaveebalasubramaniam.com

RUMBLE OF THUNDER, SERPENTINE SLITHER: SUN (20 LEO) TRINES URANUS RETROGRADE (20 ARIES) , INCONJUNCTS CHIRON RETROGRADE (20 PISCES) IN PREPARATION FOR THE LEO NEW MOON – AUGUST 13/14 2015

13 Aug 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess5 Comments

Blessings to All. The celestial spotlight has been turned and focused upon matters of the heart, joy, passion, romance and the archetype of the Child. People have engaged with this energy today in a variety of ways: feeling great emotional intensity, powerful roaring release, a sense of compression, all at once – or something else entirely.

This is because we’re preparing for tomorrow’s very, very, powerful New Moon in Leo, one that involves the Sun and Moon conjunct Ashlesha – the Serpent Star. Serpent energy is by nature, neutral – meaning it can work either way for/with/against you. Serpent energy is one which deserves respect and requires deep compassion … invoking it in ritual or ceremonial ways will be exceptionally potent at this time, especially with the Sun-Uranus trine. But that brings with it a set of challenges which, ideally, one would have an experienced guide or mentor to help you through with.

Today we see the ‘preparation’ for that New Moon, and in all honesty, it looks like the celestial equivalent of lightning striking a forest, burning it to a crisp, just so it can grow once more. The seeds you set now will come to culmination about six months from now, with the Leo Full Moon in February 2016. This – to me – comes across through the Sun’s trine with Uranus and inconjunct with Chiron. Let’s talk about those.

Now, trines are aspects that amplify the energetic connection between two astrological bodies. Amplification is neither a positive, nor a negative thing – it simply means, there’s going to be a lot of whatever energy is coming through.

The Sun trined Uranus brings in a powerful amplification of Awareness/Focused Consciousness (Sun) and the Lightning Strike of Awakening/Expansion of Consciousness. So, in other words – Uranus is about to blow your mind wide, wide, open. In the signs of Leo-Aries, this trine focuses upon:

the things which make us feel good to be alive
what we’re passionate about
what we truly feel joyful about
what we love (be it our kids, lover/s, creative projects, etc.)
along with our most vital, embodied, immediate sense of Self.

Use this energy to fully embody and express whatever it is that your creativity leads you to. You may surprise yourself in what you’re able to bring through 🙂 Sexual and sensual activities will be heightened at this time as they highly activate your energy body.

All of this can be wonderful, empowering, uplifting and energizing, however, bear in mind that there is such a thing as ‘burning out’ or being ‘over-activated’. Think of the fuse that pops because it can’t handle an electrical surge – the same applies to the human energy body, as it draws in the electricity of Uranus.

Another note – especially for spiritual seekers – Uranus is linked with the activation of the kundalini and the world/vision/self-expanding awareness that it brings. Whilst it might seem like a ‘perfect fit’ for the way in which the skies are lit during this New Moon – instead of actively trying to ‘push through’ with kundalini awakening / other intense spiritual practices – it might be a better idea to figure out how to stay open, receptive and grounded to whatever comes through. (You have to make sure you can receive that energy first without damaging yourself in the process).

Kundalini awakening is a pretty serious, hard-core spiritual practice that can truly lead you to profound places in your journey, however equally debilitating effects may arise if the kundalini is improperly raised and/or not lowered. Bear in mind that kundalini energy refers, once again, to the Serpentine archetype – one that is already activated by Ashlesha’s role in this New Moon.

For more info on this topic, check out: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/the-basics-of-kundalini-awakening-our-serpentine-energy/ – I talk about the experience of kundalini and discuss some of the effects of premature awakening.

Those with placements between 13-27 Sagittarius (so, anything near the Great Attractor & The Galactic Center) will experience a GRAND FIRE TRINE, activated by Sun/Uranus.

In the skies, we do see the asteroid Ixion (The Tyrant, 21 Sagittarius) present. Certainly a time to note the ‘I KNOW AND YOU DON’T!’ kind of vibe in any kind of student-teacher/mentor/guide relationship, and to assert your Truth irrespective of who or what is going on a power trip on the basis of the knowledge they see themselves as having (to be a little blunt about it).

Teachers who have worked through the multiple dimensions of power – having it, using it wisely, letting it go, realizing you can’t ‘let it go’ or ‘have it’ because you are it – will also powerfully come forward with their views on their respective worldviews/paths. What you accept to be True, however, is entirely up to you.

In addition to these powerfully fiery influences, we also see the energy of Chiron at play during this New Moon as The Sun is inconjunct Chiron Retrograde at 20 Pisces.

Inconjuncts are fairly uncomfortable alignments as they seek to merge elements that are (traditionally speaking) not compatible with one another (Air/Fire with Earth/Water). It takes work to merge the energies present in compatible ways – in the same you have do something to oil and water to make them into an emulsion, else they remain separate.

The Sun’s focus in Leo is on matters of passion, joy, sensuality, love, etc. as has been discussed – whereas – Chiron Retrograde focuses upon the vulnerability of the Soul’s Wound and its process of healing. In Pisces, Chiron’s energy fixates upon cycles of karma, past-life connections, otherworldly experiences and the more mysterious aspects of Spirituality that are just so hard to put into words. Formless, Amorphous, Ever-Shifting.

We may find a sense of vulnerability, or a recognition of our woundedness in the more tender aspects of our inner Child Archetype, the centers for Joy and Connection (Heart and Sacral Chakras) through this alignment. We may also discover the karmic dynamics that have fueled such wounds – with the option to now release them back into the Aether.

You may be drawn to spiritual practices like transcendental meditation, art therapy, anything that gets you into that state of no-mind, fully opening to and flowing with the streams of intuition, emotion, psychic connection and spirituality of Pisces. These experiences can benefit from the intense focus that the Sun and Moon are capable of providing, as you seek to heal a particular karmic wound or imbalanced dynamic. Alternatively, they may simply be too overwhelming for some to handle – in which case, be extra gentle with yourselves and take baby steps 🙂

Now, when two inconjuncts get together, they form a Yod (Finger of Fate), in this case, completed by placements between 17-23 Libra and/or Capricorn. Those with these placements will be taken to a set of karmic crossroads where they are challenged to get through the wounding-vulnerability of Pisces and to re-discover the authentic, core of Joy within (Leo). Relationship (Libra) and Legacy/Career (Capricorn) related matters may act as a trigger for these Yods to come into play.

In short:

The skies bear a spicy, fiery, electric, serpentine energy, and one that needs to be treated with moderation, balance and respect. It’s a time where we process deep wounds of the soul and in so doing find ways to heal our most vulnerable selves. It’s a also a time where we are challenged to come forth with our truth, but in ways that Honor the Self, and All Else.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

GODDESS KALI – INFINITY AND NOTHINGNESS ALL AT ONCE!

11 Aug 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess11 Comments

The Dark Goddess… The Wild Woman… More and more of us are guided to these archetypes and energies, with each passing day. But what do they tell us about our Spiritual Paths in life? What do they actually mean in daily practice?

I’m going to do my best to answer this question through an exploration of Goddess Kali (arguably the most iconic Dark Mother/Primordial Wild Woman in this Age). We’ll be looking at the way She is described in scripture, how She is popularly represented and ways to embody Her energy in day-to-day life.

Goddess Kali is often shown with blood dripping from Her fangs, hair loose, mostly nude, standing with 8 arms (some which hold weapons, others which hold blessings) with one foot on Her consort (Lord Shiva’s) chest.

In certain Hindu traditions, She is kept outside of or at the margins of temples as Her energy is so fierce, raw and primordial. Similarly, keeping her statues or images in the home are frowned upon in some Hindu homes. Naming one’s daughters after Kali/Bhairavi (in that rawer form) is also taboo. (Thankfully my mum didn’t know what it meant in this sense when she named me!)

But now, with so much interest in Awakening the Power of the Divine Feminine, men and women are beginning to reclaim the ferocity of Kali-Ma, breaking through the taboos that surround Her.

Let’s face it. She’s a sight to behold! Badass, in fact.

Hence, the existence of a blonde-haired, blue skinned Kali-Barbie prototype, and celebrities like Heidi Klum dressing up as Kali for Halloween (not that I have a problem with the latter). And of course – the beautiful, powerful, iconic projection of Ma-Kali’s face unto the Empire State Building in New York!

In the heat of the hype surrounding this sexy, ferocious, primordial pre-Bhramanic deity from ancient India, I see many distortions and exclusions which render this Goddess a pale echo of Her true form, energy and significance.

‘I’ve got my Kali on’ … this picture fills me with ‘Kali energy’ …. I see Her invoked in daily conversation, and often exclusively to describe a state of ‘anger’ or ‘rage’, or even of intense dislike. Whilst rage is certainly one aspect of Her – it’s a very, very small slice of the picture.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad my favourite Goddess is dancing Her Tandava (Cosmic Dance) on the World’s Stage to a steadily growing global audience – I’m glad that people are beginning to see Her in their daily lives – but there’s just so much more to Her than the stereotype of ‘the Avenging Feminine’.

Which brings me back to my initial question – what do these archetypes really mean? And how do we weave them into our daily lives?

When we look at the Devi Mahatyam (an early Hindu text), for instance, we see an array of Das Mahavidya (Ten Mahavidyas, or Wisdom Goddesses) and each make up the whole that is Kali.

We’ve got Kali Herself, Tara (the Compassionate), Chinnamasta (the Epitome of Ego-Death and Surrender), Dhumavati (the Widowed Crone), Bhagalamukhi (She who Hypnotizes, Mesmerizes and Smites), Bhuvaneswari (the Cosmos Herself), Bhairavi (The Terrifying One, Destroyer of all Obstacles), Kamala (She who grants Prosperity), Matangi (She who is ‘Polluted’, Goddess of the Forests) and TripuraSundari (The Maiden who rules the Three Worlds).

There’s a lot more to each goddess – but this is just to give you an idea of the complexity of Kali – and the total spectrum of Divine Femininity that She represents. The Just Protector, The Compassionate Mother, The Detached Crone, The Beautiful Maiden, The Devoted Wife (as Parvati), and more besides – all rolled up into one Super-duper Celestial package (or more accurately, a Vibration of a particular state of Consciousness).

In other words – All this is Kali. And She is All. Some traditions even equate Her energy interchangeably with Lord Krishna. She’s pretty much … Infinity and Nothingness in a Female Form.

In other words, looking at the Totality of what She represents, there’s very little which isn’t Maha-Kali!

But what does that mean for those of us who seek to embody her Wildness? Her Power? Her Love? Her Presence?

Personally, I see it as a call to begin witnessing Her energy through every moment of our lives…

When we hold our children and nurture our families,
When we fight for justice and walk away alone, bleeding but with our heads held up high,
When we learn the secrets of Life, the Universe, and Ourselves,
When we make love,
When we are love,
When we simply breathe,
When we simply be

… Every time you look in the mirror, there She is … watch out for that cheeky wink and knowing smile…

Bringing ‘Kali Consciousness’ into daily life does not require a ritual, a ceremony, a mantra, a holy book or instrument of prayer – all it requires is You!

Live from your Heart, learn that things come and go – as do people.

Love as fiercely as you can knowing that tomorrow may wash away the hopes of today. And love anyway.

Be unafraid to reveal that Which You Are, for you cannot be contained. Just as She cannot be.

And as you stand and step into your own Power, in acceptance of its Totality – of Light, Shadow, Rage, Compassion, Joy, Sorrow – therein lies a precious gift.
You.

Blessings to All as you embark on your Journey of Fierce Love, Non-Judgment and Transcendental Detachment …

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD :

Priestess, Astrologer, Motivational Speaker & Founder of The Dark Mother’s Children ; Honoring The Dark Mother: A Temple-Space

Note: I first wrote this article for my friend Morgan Potts and her Moonblush Blog in November 2014. It has been reprinted here with her permission.

Image: Goddesses – Kali Maa.jpg; By Chobist (Flickr: Goddesses – Kali Maa) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

THE DARK GODDESS PREPARES TO FORGE HER LEGACY: Black Moon Lilith sextiles Saturn (28 Virgo – Scorpio, 10th August 2015).

10 Aug 20159 Feb 2022The Sky Priestess8 Comments

Maha-Kali’s beautiful face projected onto the Empire State Tower in New York – a paradigm-breaking/defining moment now gone viral on the Internet. I can’t think of a better visual depiction that summarizes this exact Black Moon Lilith / Saturn sextile and what it means for us all.

Saturn represents the pinnacle of material manifestation, the power of ‘the establishment’, whereas Black Moon Lilith represents The Dark Goddess herself, albeit more so towards the Crone/Detached aspects of her being. In Scorpio, Saturn demonstrates to us what is true about our our relationship with power and how we discover our authenticity in that journey of discovery. Saturn then takes these energy and power of these realizations and, like a reservoir, stores and channels it a gradual way towards the fulfillment of longer-term goals. Linked with the energy of ‘building’, few things scream ‘establishment, authority, status’ as the iconic Empire State Building in New York City (and as one clever commentator noted, essentially She’s on a giant phallus, a.k.a Shiva Lingam).

In Virgo, Black Moon Lilith rises to the Path of Service irrespective of how she is projected upon (unintended pun 😉 – as a sexual harlot, as a mad-blood-thirsty-vampiric-heathen-daimon, as something unclean, impure, etc. Those of you familiar with the history of the Goddess and Priestess traditions and the ways in which they have been suppressed and re-written by mainstream readings of religion and spirituality will know exactly what I’m talking about. In the original context of the artistic projection of Kali-Ma, her image was used as part of an effort to raise awareness of the need to protect animals (which is Virgo-an in its desire to preserve and sustain the self and others through the material world).

Seeing the two come together in that powerful, visual image just .. captures this sextile’s energy of possibility in sheer perfection.

In our daily lives, we are inspired now to come forwards – in the public eye – and Serve in the ways we see fit, embodying Her Vibration. She, Maha-Kali, represents a spectrum of possibilities too vast to ever contain in any single archetype: The Fierce Warrior, The Nurturing Mother, The Tantric Lover, The Formless Feminine; The Widowed Crone; The Maiden of the Three Worlds — the list just goes on and on..

As we embody her without fear, and in absolute integrity, we set the foundation establishing a Path of Service that will stand the test of Time, and, if need be, challenge the dominant institutions, norms and structures that seek to project upon it differently. In some sense, this image is an inverse – for it is the Super-Structure (Capricorn) that The Dark Goddess is projected upon, not vice versa.

Also bear in mind that we’re already in a fairly heavy energetic climate, what with Jupiter’s impending transit into Virgo tomorrow, Saturn preparing to enter Sagittarius, multiple retrogrades ongoing & more. I’ll be covering that in later articles so stay tuned!

In the meantime, celebrate your love for The Dark Goddess within and don’t be afraid to Serve her as you see fit.

Those of you with bodies close to 28 Aries will experience this sextile as a powerful Yod (or Finger of Fate). As I looked to a complete list of known asteroids currently at this point, I couldn’t help but notice two: Discovery (9770) and Opportunity (39382).

I read this as a threefold cosmic, energetic promise:

(1) that more and more are going to awaken to the Archetype of the Dark Goddess and recognize her as an undeniably elemental, primordial, palpable presence – or archetype – within our lives

(2) that we will individually and collectively rediscover that which is Sacred about Her and those who walk with on their Paths of Service

(3) that we will come to realization of how we can and must integrate her wisdom if we are to live with integrity, authenticity and as part of human civilization that can stand the test of time. The message for which Ma was introduced – as a fierce warrior able to protect endangered species – is a clear beginning.

Is it any surprise that the project-makers, who made this beautiful, beautiful, message possible called it ‘Projecting-Change’ ?

I leave you with the words of Vera de Chalambert, expressing her heartfelt joy at the display:

“In a breathtaking heart-to-heart, Ma Kali took New York last night. The Divine Feminine, Maha Shakti, goddess of spiritual death, destruction and resurrection, rode the zeitgeist straight onto the face of the Empire State Building…

In an unprecedented and awe-inspiring public display of art by filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and his team, Projecting Change, projected onto the NYC skyline , was meant to spark awareness of massive wildlife extinction, and be a chilling call to conservation turning the Empire State Building, New York’s brightest and most recognizable symbol and capitalism’s earliest totem, into the worlds greatest canvas, as well as its most epic tombstone and oracle of the Dark Feminine”.

(Quote Source: http://www.rebellesociety.com/2015/08/07/kali-takes-new-york-sign-of-the-times/ )