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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So my friends, what do you choose today?

What reality do you choose to inhabit?

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

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

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

The Virgo New Moon/Solar Eclipse (1 September 2016): Looking To The Future We are About to Create with Saturn, Pluto and Vesta (The Priestess)

We begin this article by looking at the future that we are about to create.

At 9.03 am UTC, 1st September 2016 – the Moon conjuncted the Sun in a Solar Eclipse (New Moon) at 9 degrees Virgo.

Solar Eclipses / New Moons are potent times for the setting of seeds, or intentions which we reap – or see culminate – at moments predicted by the mathematics and energy of astrology. The seeds you set now you will most certainly see during the next Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017).

That´ll be interesting as the Sun will conjunct Pallas Athena and Chiron in Pisces whilst squaring Saturn and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius – and of course opposing the Moon at 22 Virgo.

Let´s just say that´s going be … a very telling time.

Many questions shall arise, such as: Are we on the road to Healing, or simply Self-Deception? Are we on a path of Service, or simply Self-Aggrandizement? (and so on and so forth)

Less than a month later (April 6, 2017), Saturn will retrograde at that exact degree – 27 Sagittarius (The Galactic Center), forcing us to re-visit these questions. Saturn will re-enter, and then finally leave Sagittarius from the last week of November till the first week of December 2017.

So really … the seeds we´re setting now, at the very least (putting aside the fact this is an Eclipse for a moment), will find structure, consolidation and form in fifteen months from now!!!!

I also note two curious features shared by the current Virgo New Moon (September 1, 2016) and next year´s Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017):

(1) The Sun and Moon square Saturn in Sagittarius
(2) Pluto in Capricorn opposes Vesta in Cancer (owing to Vesta´s long retrograde from the start of Leo and back into Cancer).

So let´s break that down.

The focus on Saturn tells us that – ALL – of this comes back to the question of what Path we ultimately take towards healing, learning, expression, service – or simply the paradigms we use to navigate our lives and find a sense of place in the world.

There´s going to be a lot of physical and/or intellectual movement as we expand our horizons. Be it by travel, migration, higher education, training, speaking – or finding sources of knowledge you see as authoritative in other forms.

Without surprise, this will equally translate into consolidation and/or conflict across the lines of political, spiritual and religious ideology.

As an astrologer, I also see this as a powerful time for the creation (and necessary destruction) of different approaches to this field of human-and-celestial understanding. The same message comes through strongly through the various other hats I wear: as academic, public speaker, global traveller – my own Saturn is in Sagittarius anyway 🙂 .

But long story short …

December 2017 is going to be a definitive time for the planet. And the seeds and energetic path-working we bring to our lives right now – is going to fuel whatever direction emerges then.

So … find the road you want to take and commit to it. You might change it over the next fifteen months – and that is fine. Just pick something, and get to it.

You might want to hold off signing paperwork till early October, just to allow Mercury to finish retrograding – unless of course, it´s just following through with something you previously committed to.

And it´s probably a good idea to let the Pisces Lunar Eclipse on September 16, 2016 pass first. The Moon (24 Pisces) will be conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer (22 Pisces), both trining Vesta (20 Cancer).

Amazingly, Vesta will be at the same degree (20 Cancer) during the Pisces Lunar Eclipse (September 16, 2016) and the Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017) – and when the Vesta Retrograde ends on March 7, 2017!

Interesting times … .. and such a focus on Vesta, The Priestess – to whom we now turn.

The second shared feature between the Virgo New Moon and Virgo Full Moon is the Pluto-Vesta opposition in Capricorn-Cancer.

This tells me that what we choose now is vital in helping us understand our Path of Service, Facilitation, Priest/essing – and its relationship with familial, ancestral, shadow-based karma, alchemy, manifestation and the deepest levels of energy-working.

That´s putting a very long story in a nutshell.

Vesta, the Priestess is going to want to sacrifice herself for her family, belief system, culture, custom, tradition – or simply to feel that she belongs someplace, that she has a Home.

Pluto will challenge Her by bringing her back into the Shadow-Domains, perhaps through the pursuit of power, perhaps through pain, perhaps both. I see The Priestess needs to understand the truth of what she seeks, what she is willing to sacrifice for it, and why – without giving into Pluto´s seductive wares and/or bullying ways. Remember – this is the planet that rules violence and breakdown, just as it does intimacy and rebirth.

Navigating this alignment alone will require an level of incredible transparency, groundedness and a willingness to ´cut through the karmic BS´ (as a loved one put it). You might prefer the language of transmutation, release and/or acceptance – it comes down to the paradigm of your choice.

Whatever you choose now, let it be a choice born of love, rather the fear of abandonment, betrayal, persecution or the desire to find brute power over another. It can be easy to give into those parts of the self when one believes they have no other way out. But that too is a belief, and one that can be shifted should you choose.

This bodes to be a very very transformative time for energy-workers and facilitators, particularly those who are not averse to exploring the relationship with the Shadow in its various forms. Those of you who do ancestral work will probably already be focusing on inherited (or mimicked) energetic vulnerabilities that have passed through family lineages.

I have found that working with the Golden Ray at the Solar Plexus Chakra in particular to be very, very effective at this time. Gemstones such as citrine or golden topaz will be of great use. Watch as well the messages that (literally) come from your gut, humanity´s ´second brain´, bringing with it the information of 100 million neurons. Probiotics and Vitamin C are also things I would encourage exploring to complement energetic work at this time.

But back to the astrology ….

I have also noted another curious emphasis on Vesta in a different Eclipse – the one coming right up on September 16, 2016. At that time, Vesta will be at 20 Cancer. She will be at that exact degree (as well) on the day the Vesta Retrograde ends (March 7, 2017) and the Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017) – when Vesta will oppose Pluto (just as she is doing now, albeit at 15 Cancer-Capricorn).

I would suggest looking into this particular degree (20 Cancer) in your natal and/or progressed charts to see what transformations arise. Vesta finally moves past this degree in the final week of March 2017 – which is when I would expect to see further movement in the way we navigate the Vesta/Cancer-Pluto/Capricorn opposition. The final Vesta-Pluto opposition in Cancer-Capricorn will take place in late July 2020, at 23 degrees. Then we get into the Leo-Aquarius oppositions, which is an entirely different kettle of fish.

To me, what this says is that we´re going to be challenged to move past, transform and/or embrace the role of Vesta-as-familial-caregiver-custodian, sacrificing her power and freedom and limiting herself into the home or domestic sphere. For some, this is ideal – for others, it is a prison. But there are too many ways that particular dynamic can play out – this is just one example. The possibility of resolution here comes in the Shadow (Pluto), in being willing to face what remains unseen in the deepest energetic chambers of the ancestral line. Certainly an interesting time for Priest/esses and Facilitators in general.

As a Priestess – I have to say that this has been one of the most … incredibly intense times of my life.

(I figure that will resonate with many others in a similar vocation).

To sum up what we´ve said so far … what you do during this Eclipse – counts – big time. The ripples you make in the pools of your sub-conscious will transform into ocean tides that move and shape (and dissolve and re-create) us all.

And last but not least – remember – this is an Eclipse. And eclipses come as part of families of eclipses, most popularly classified in terms of Saros cycles. To quote NASA:

“The periodicity and recurrence of eclipses is governed by the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hours). It was known to the Chaldeans as a period when lunar eclipses seem to repeat themselves, but the cycle is applicable to solar eclipses as well. “ ~eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros.html

The current Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Virgo is No. 39 of 71 in Saros cycle 135. It began on July 5 1331 and will end on August 17, 2593. Eclipse No. 38 was on August 22, 1998, with No. 40 on September 12, 2034.

Look back to August 1998 to see how the events of then connect with the present (that´s been true to a ridiculously specific degree for me – AND – Vesta was at 20 Cancer on that date as well… you just can´t make this stuff up ). And, if you remember, look back on today if you´re still about in September 2034 😀 There will be considerable energetic linkages between all these dates (which you can find on Wikipedia).

And that is where I would like to leave this article. Rather than going into Saturn-Neptune-Nodes and their relationship with the Sun/Moon/Eclipse – I wanted to take this in a different direction – as we´ve all spent the past months moving through these exact challenges (in the mutable signs).

I felt it was time to take a step forwards and look to the future we wish to create in the time that we have NOW.

Blessings and Thanks,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post & Image ´Virgo New Moon Solar Eclipse September 1 2016´ © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission.

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.

SATURN RETROGRADE ENDS … A CALL FOR STRENGTH AND SENSITIVITY ( 12-13 AUGUST 2016 )

At 9.49 am 13-8-2016 UTC time (that´s the 12th for you in the Americas), Saturn will end its retrograde motion and station direct at 9´ 46 Sagittarius. Thank Heavens!

For the past few months, we have experienced such intensity with the Dance of the Mutable Signs (Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo Pisces) and a Grand Mutable Cross that lasted for all of June, followed by a Yod (Finger of Fate) that lasted for all of July, and a two-week-long Great Goddess Grand Sextile that will fully form on August 14 (and then end).

Oh yes, and Mars and the Moon are close by to the Lord/Lady of Time and Karma as S/he stops moving in reverse (from the earth-view that is).

Argh. Ai. Yai. Yai. Cosmos, it´s been rough.

Some of us have made tremendously powerful, bold strides in the world, and others have caved in under the pressure and crawled to safety. Usually a mixture of both.

That distinctly unstable, volatile, vacillating, alternating, serpent-sinewing dynamic has not yet ended.

It shall continue. But in a different form.

Saturn´s end of retrograde signals a time where the lessons, pressures and trials that Saturn bring becomes more externalized, and equally, more amenable to be acted upon. The pressure builds less within and the channels for its release move outwards – into the big, wide world and Cosmos.

You can think of it as the time where the seed has pushed out of its protective shell and is shyly poking through the top of the soil layer with a tip. More work, growth and consolidation comes, but a different layer, or level of consciousness. Things get pushed to the surface and cease to simmer (as much) in the psyche.

This can be a great thing, for those of you using this energy to build a stable Path for yourselves and others – or a really disastrous thing – if you use the Sagittarian platform to breed a new dogma of authoritarianism, rigidity and/or inertia.

So yes, things are about to heat up even more. As we get a lot more vocal, assertive and externalized in the ways and paths we use to navigate our world and discover a sense of Truth. Don´t forget – Eclipse Season is coming up, as is Saturn´s conjunction with Mars (3rd week of August), Saturn-square-Neptune (2nd week of September), Saturn-square-the-Nodes- (last week of September) – and so on.

We are nowhere near done with this intensity, but we will begin to engage with it differently once the Saturn retrograde ends.

At the time Saturn stations direct, we see as part of a Grand Mutable Cross – along with Venus / Urania (9-10 Virgo), Circe / Amor (9-10 Gemini) and Neptune (11 Pisces).

Venus and Urania in Virgo ask us to discern appropriate boundaries within personal and professional relationships – and – in our faith in the skies / heavens. Look to see where your energetic vessel needs further boundary-strengthening, or where the walls have been placed too high. Is your faith in your business/partnership/cosmic connection leading you to the experiences that bring you to Spirit – or are they pulling you away from them?

Circe and Amor ask us to look at the power of the written word, relationships with one´s early home & siblings, ideas and communication. Here we are shown how we are part of a collective narrative that projects its baggage unto the figure of the powerful, sexual, enchantress (Circe) – and how that gets reproduced as part of a child´s upbringing. Amor reminds us that words can be a powerful balm in healing those past wounds. But they don´t need to be pretty, just truthful.

Neptune sits in Pisces, watching over us all and asking us whether our relationship with an perception of Spirit is truly what we think it to be. The Pressures that Saturn places on our Faith-Spirit-Connection right now can crush spiritual ideals that put us out of alignment, detach us from Truth, render us overly vulnerable or susceptible and so on. It can equally consolidate your Faith, put you even more firmly onto a road to Truth and teach you how to balance Strength, Sensitivity, Openness and Discernment.

Remember that hypersensitivity is not the same as being hyperspiritual. Boundaries (Virgo) and Strength (Saturn) are called for at this time. Just as Openness, Compassion and Faith are.

Many have asked me what remedies I can bring to the situation and the Truth is the only thing I can think of is Faith. Act on what you Have to, Stand your Ground, and Have your Faith. Not necessarily a faith that something specifically good or bad will happen, but a Faith that exceeds human perception and expectation of a situation.

Some ask me why their God or Goddess isn´t saving them from pain – and here I might differ with many – and I ask them instead to look back at their paradigm (Sagittarius) and its take on Suffering (Neptune). So many people in the world pray or do rituals because they expect the Gods or Goddesses to do something for them. Because there is the expectation that prayer, rituals, being altruistic, going to a temple will yield some specific benefits.

What I have found in my work as a Priestess is – that´s just not how they roll – at least not with me. What I am called to do, I have to do without considering the outcome. There are no guarantees.

And it is in that moment where Faith kicks in, or you mourn its Absence.

That´s another thing we´ll be seeing with the Saturn-Neptune alignment. A whole lot of Disillusionment and Suffering for some – and a whole lot of Consolidation and Clarity for others. It all comes down to whether the Path we take truly aligns with Spirit.

That does not mean that I do not suffer or do not feel pain. It just means that I do not believe that my relationship with Spirit is meant to insulate me from unpleasant experiences. To, navigate them better, perhaps.

What I would suggest, at this time, is to look at what you can do to alleviate suffering. Sometimes it´s a prayer, sometimes it´s something physical, sometimes it´s just being there. Not because it´ll get you good karma, but just because. You don´t need a because.

Whatever you feel you can do to help another (who needs it and it isn´t just starting a horrible karmic cycle of dependency), go go go.

I also see so many who feel vulnerable. Pushed the point of breaking down and I would like to remind them / you / me that we are far stronger than we believe.

Even if the Gods and Goddesses don´t appeal, Have Faith in the Self. You´ve survived through so much, and you will continue to survive.

The fact you can still feel as much you can feel is proof of that. You haven´t shut down your Heart. Keep Going. Just know when to tune out and recharge for a bit.

And of course there are the – I´m too holy for engaging with this petty real-world stuff – types. Well, Good Luck to Ya 😉 The Cosmos has more in store for us all.

Trying to deny the existence or experience of certain energetic forms as a means to stop one´s perception of it (in my experience) has never really worked.

You are going to feed energy to anything that comes your way. No matter how deeply you try to burrow it into the back of your mind. So you might as well feed it with the kind of energy that forces it to transmute. I remind you here of the powerful lessons of Kung Fu Panda 3. (Excellent Film)

After all, at the end of the day – don´t we consider Acceptance-of-All at the deepest level one of the keystones of Spiritual Experience?

If you do need to withdraw from something, do so consciously and ask yourself Why?

What other options are there?

Are there fruitful avenues for engagement?

Are there ways you can support or hold space from afar?

What needs to change or be created for you to transmute whatever is out of balance? (Remember – energy is neither created nor destroyed … it just moves around in different forms)

What are you not seeing or not wanting to see?

And Why?

With Neptune´s involvement – things are … very rarely what they appear to be at first glance. Use that Virgo energy and peel away the layers.

Keep the questions coming … Let your Mind and your Spirit and Heart and all parts of you engage with whatever you´re facing, or are helping another to face.

In any case – Dancing with these themes will be at the core of the Grand Mutable Cross Saturn is a part of as She stations direct. There´s a lot more going on, don´t doubt that for a moment. But I suspect these will be the ´Big´ themes for most of us. Themes which we will continue to revisit over the next few months.

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, non-commercial 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.

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

Image: Love in a Time of Poverty by E. K. Buckley, used with the Artist´s Permission). For more of her work, please go to www.ekbuckley.com

Fatal Attractions: Cycles of Pain and the Karmic Choices we Make

 

You were sacrificed before. Maybe many times.
Your soul got used to it, Maybe you thought it was ´normal´.
You´re trying to do it again.

Short, but an answer that has deep resonance, especially for those who resonate with the archetype of the sacrificial virgin / priestess. Unpack it a little more, and you find your own reasons.

In this context, ´normal´ doesn´t mean good, bad, desirable, healthy, unhealthy, hateable – it just means that you got used to a certain vibration. And internalized it. Perhaps it´s a fixation to break through it, perhaps it´s a conviction that it´s true, or good. Perhaps it´s a need to understand it.

Whatever it is, it´s an attachment to a particular experience. And the soul attracts people, events and opportunities to once again re-live it.

Truly, it´s an argument you can make for any type of karmic lesson that keeps appearing in life. Sometimes it may seem like an unlucky streak ´this always happens to me´ .. i always end up with that kind of person ´, or really, anything that you just find yourself pulled towards without reason or explanation, as though by magic. Sometimes it´s a nice kind of pull, but more often than not – it tends to reflect what we see as our wounds, weaknesses, vulnerabilities.

Karmic attachments are things that exert a powerful pull on our psyches as we seek to understand the why and wherefores behind them. We subconsciously choose these experiences in a bid to gain a more complete experience. Ultimately, to transcend the need to experience it entirely (so the theory says).

These choices we make, which we mystify as ´karma´ , are buried in the subconscious. That doesn´t mean they are beyond our ability to understand and ultimately move past.

It´s time to stop mystifying and romanticizing choices that lead us unto paths of pain as being somehow fated, destined and/or sacred. Or simply things that we cannot change in ourselves.

Whether it´s the past-life trauma of being sacrificed or persecuted, or wounds that surround any kind of recurring lesson surrounding pain – taking a step back to understand why you may be making those choices does help. It stops you from feeling like the Universe hates you, or as though you are some pawn of Fate, moving without your own free will.

For me, at least, that has been one of the deeper realizations of my life thus far. At the day-to-day level, it has helped me to question those things which I felt drawn to, like a moth to a flame – as though I were being drawn into something I could not (ought not) question, or walk away from.

And many of the choices I have made, from taking that moment to detach – from realizing that I had a choice to let this energy into my space, or not – have led to healthier life choices. Ones that have made me feel more fulfilled as a woman and a spiritualist.

There are of course, inexplicably beautiful and powerful moments in which our souls attune to experiences of the Sublime. Those are, for me at least, qualitatively different from the karmic attractions that lead on down repetitive cycles of wounding, grief and a sense of limitation we normally associate with ´spiritual karma´.

I suspect we will see more of the former and less of the latter the moment we realize the power of our own choices in co-creating all that we experience, with whatever it is we consider the Essence of the Sacred.

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Image Information: Cornelia, the Vestal Virgin, entombed alive surrounded by bones in the dungeon. Line engraving by G. Machetti after B. Pinelli – See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

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

A Virgoan Interpretation of the Virgo Full Moon (February 22, 2016)

I have to admit I´m pretty surprised by the general thrust of the articles I´ve been reading about the upcoming Virgo Full Moon. There´s the ´don´t critique yourself too much´ , the ´you are perfect as you are´ , the ´surrender into acceptance ´ narrative and so on – things which I associate more so with Pisces. True, Neptune opposes the Virgo Moon at a 6 degree orb – but the opposition is more a call to balance the Virgo-Pisces axis, rather than to move into Pisces completely.

Virgo is of course the Priestess or Earthly Facilitator. Her role is that of a sacred vessel that channels the energies of spirit whilst being able to discern what´s what with full use of her mental and logical faculties. That role of the micro-managing organizer who puts every detail into place isn´t something to be overlooked or glossed over, it is in fact, her strength. What makes her able to serve in this material reality. Her critical faculties remain sharp in the face of the beautiful illusions and harsh truths that Piscean waters beckon her to channel and intuit.

And that is what i´m missing from the discourse right now – and generally speaking, from the larger ethos of ´New Age´ spirituality. The role of the critical, analytical mind is often downplayed for fear that it limits our abilities to accept, surrender and ´Be One´. The latter sounds more like a recipe for brainwashing, rather than spiritual awakening. If Oneness requires the lack of intellect, perspective and critical agency … it sounds like a strange place to be. (Which is why I think this is more a fear-based human narrative, rather than any Universal requirement)

In short –

• Stay grounded, do the little things that support your work, and keep your mental faculties honed.
• Pay attention to the voice of the Inner Critic as she just might have something valuable to tell you.
• Yes, you´re bringing in the Divine Waters of Spirit into your Sacred Being, but not everything that looks or claims or pretends to be Divine necessarily is. 
• Use discernment, even if others project upon it as being ´condemning´ or ´judgemental´.

That´s their issue, not yours.

I will be doing a longer post on this closer to the exact moment of the Full Moon.

Blessings,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Image: Priestess of Bacchus by John Collier (public domain image via Wikimedia Commons)

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

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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

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THE SUN CONJUNCTS THE GREAT ATTRACTOR, VENUS ENTERS SCORPIO, VESTA RE-ENTERS ARIES

Over the next 3 days (Dec 6 – 8, 2015), we’re all going to be ‘attracted’ or pulled into alignment with the people, pathways, paradigms that call to our Spirits – as The Sun conjuncts the Great Attractor (14 Sagittarius). Some of you will be discovering teachers and guides who can help you, and others will walk away from them. The question here is not about truths or teachers themselves (or lack thereof), but how you resonate with those truths and the larger belief systems that underpin them. Some of you may also discover the Teacher within.

It’s also a time where many may travel, begin new adventures, engage with academia, organized religion or other institutions that make specific, authoritative claims over knowledge. Those of you getting astrology or tarot readings, or dealing with spiritual teachers in the next three days – bear in mind that the work you do now will be unusually powerful.

Ensure that you trust your facilitator, and that s/he is willing to respect your Journey without imposing their view as Absolute.

It’s probably not the best time to get into the ‘my Path is Better than Your Path Debate’ as really, what we choose to believe has more to do with ourselves, than any external measure of it.

My suggestion is to instead, use this energy to find the path that brings you the most expanded perspective of who you are and where your horizons (currently) reach out to.

Venus in Scorpio (Dec 4/5 – Dec 29/30, 2015) – Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be drawn towards the darker, hidden, unacknowledged sides of our psyches. Some of this will come up as you seek to merge your energies and resources with another – be in in the bedroom, or the boardroom.

It is also a fantastic time to question and explore the way in which we embody different aspects of The Shadow / The Dark Archetype and its connection with the Sacred Feminine. Bear in mind that there many gifts within these hidden spaces, the black, sacred, ground within. Whilst this journey of intense self-reflection may be uncomfortable for some, it can be a deeply rewarding path or perspective to take.

Whilst associated with death, crisis and trauma- Scorpio is also the sign of healing, rebirth and alchemical regeneration.

Balance whatever deeper work that you do at this time with play – things that are uplifting, uncomplicated, joyful – both vibes are equally important. If you’ve forgotten how to play, just look at a happy baby or young child 🙂 (or cute furbaby of your choice)

Vesta’s re-entry into Aries (Dec 3/4, 2015 – March 7/8, 2016) – Vesta now begins a new astrological cycle – her transit around the zodiac over the next 3.5 years (till April 2019). We’re going to be burning through what remains of the ego-self (which we can get to this time around), and finding deeper parts of ourselves from which we can be of service.

We’re being asked to listen to our instincts and our body’s inner wisdom as we embody a particular type or path of facilitation (for self and others).

Whilst Aries can be impulsive and run head-strong into things without permission or cause, it is the same energy of the pioneer, the one who ‘breaks through’.

The question is – where is that impulse coming from – Ego? Heart? Spirit? – and have you fine-tuned yourself to tell the difference yet?

Much of these answers also relate to the path of service we choose to undertake within this lifetime. The more we are conscious of our motivations (and how they change), the more aware we become of our energy and the work that we do with others.

Summary – Taking it all together, it’s a fantastic time to get deep, to get real, to connect with the Sacred Feminine, and the Fires of the Awakening Self. Over the next three days, pay attention to whom you meet, the decisions you take, the ideas you have or encounter. They could well pave the way for another chapter of growth and experience within your life.

Some of you will experience a profound paradigm shift at this time. Some will embrace it with open arms, minds, hearts and bodies. And others will bitterly resist it as it challenges the truths they have become comfortable with identifying with. What response you have depends on upon your relationship with the idea of Truth … with a capital ‘T’.

Blessings,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

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Additional Info:

The Great Attractor is a gravitational anomaly in space denser than the mass of 1000 trillion Suns, located in a fairly mysterious zone in the Cosmos known as the ‘Zone of Avoidance’. Whenever the Great Attractor (14 Sagittarius) is activated – this time, by the Sun’s transit -, we see an intense focus on issues surrounding belief systems, paradigms, religions, world-views, long-distance travel, visas, citizenship, etc.

The Great Attractor takes no hostages, and often leads to the expression of information or perspectives that can be sharply polarizing – it leads to a ‘love it or hate it’ type of response by fairly large groups of people. It is not a private revelation, but one that involves the masses and their reactions in one form or another.

From an earlier article on the Sun’s Trine to the Great Attractor (8 August 2015) ~ http://wp.me/p4OUNS-Ap

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Image: Sagittarius A.jpg, NASA, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved. Please see T&Cs below.

** Terms and Conditions: 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 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 ), with T&Cs intact. 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 implies tacit acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

WHEN DOES THE WOUNDED HEALER, HEAL? Reflections on Woundology (Part 1)

 

Woundology is basically the idea that we hold onto our wounds because they are comfortable or familiar. We learn the language of the wound, how it works, why it’s there, but remain within the consciousness that feeds and nurtures its existence. Because that is ‘the new normal’ and it brings with it the opportunity for a shared sense of identification.

The term itself was coined by Caroline Myss, from her book ‘Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can’. It’s probably one of the most-needed concepts in our collective engagement with the term ‘healing’ and the ‘wounded healer’ archetype. Highly recommended. This is my take on her work, especially in light of recent observations and awakenings within myself.

Caroline Myss makes the persuasive case – that for some people – the work of healing gets stunted by an over-dependence on the tools that we initially set out to use to heal. She found that her peers felt more at home attending the workshops, going for therapy, courses, sessions – anything that kept that experience of the wound and its need for healing alive. They reacted badly to the idea of moving out of those spaces (at some point) and that they could develop a sense of self, community and kinship not anchored within their wounds.

In other words, they had become attached to the ‘healing process’, rather than the end-state or goal (if you can call it that) of ‘healing’.

But why would someone do that, you might ask? Why would someone become ‘comfortable’ with their wounds and engage a healing journey that never seems to end?

Myss’ argument is that having certain wounds and going on a shared journey of healing makes it possible to relate to others and create shared bonds of identification. The rationale was that if the wounds no longer existed, they would lose such – I’m calling it – ‘families of healing’.

Hence .. the tool becomes a crutch.

It’s a similar kind of dynamic when you see a person who knows they’re in pain, but, at a deep and profound level, does not wish to heal despite what they say on the surface.

In toxic relationships, it’s the same kind of behavior you see when one partner shifts their level of consciousness to something healthier, and the other partner completely loses it. They become angry, accusative, irritable and make the partner searching for something better into the ‘villain’.

The unspoken accusation is this:

How dare you shift the carefully calibrated balance we’ve built up around our wounds?

And let’s face it, some people, friendships & families stay together just keep their wounds alive – not because it’s pleasurable, but because it’s what they know. And so the same goes with an over-dependence on certain spiritual tools, concepts, paradigms and circles. We get attached to those families of healing. We subconsciously begin to fear losing them and forget their original purpose. And in that fear, we forget that human relationships thrive when they have to evolve and discover new ways of being, together.

The question is whether we want bonds that are forged through shared wounds (which is alright in itself as a starting point), and whether those bonds can survive healing out of those wounds (which is the big question). If the recovering self fears losing these ties, it’s going to make sure that it doesn’t have to face that eventuality. If you’re in a relationship where your partner does not want you to heal, he or she is going to feel threatened by your efforts to do so.

So – in other words – Woundology – as a concept – reveals to us how we may be self-sabotaging the healing process, irrespective of (externally) how much efforts we appear to be making. It speaks to those who seek healing from others – and – those who heal others themselves.

As facilitators, it is important for us to question whether our work feeds into our own/others’ needs to ‘keep the wound in place’. Much like the band-aid that provides temporary relief or the palliative that allows us to manage without shifting the roots of things.

Does the work we do actually lead to a shifting of/away from those wounds – be it for ourselves or our clients?
Does the work we do encourage attachments born of the wound, but unable to survive – or evolve through – its transcendence?

I ask myself these questions (of me, and of the clients I work with) before consenting to do a session. If I feel my session will simply keep them in the same vibe/head-space of ‘wanting to heal, but not really’, I decline to conduct the session and explain my reasons for it.

It brings a greater sense of clarity to the focus of the work and the shifting that it facilitates. I highly recommend this moment or practice of reflection to others, should they resonate with it.

Blessings To All,

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

PART 2 – Victim Consciousness and Ways of Moving through It

PART 3 – What is the end goal of healing – is there such a thing as ‘transcending the wound’?

5-minute video discussion on ‘Wound-Working and Conscious Spirituality’ –

 

 

 

** 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 ).

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© Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

 

Image: Japanese model figures; doctor and patient Wellcome L0004642.jpg – See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons – digitally altered by author within license permissions.

Heavy Hearts & Astrology: A Sky-Perspective on Current Events

So much is going on in the world right now, and much of it brings heaviness to our hearts. You wouldn’t believe the messages I’ve been seeing in my in-box, from so many grieving, in their own ways, for their own reasons.

Astrologically speaking, I’ve been trying to identify the specific placements that brought about this wave of senseless, sad human losses (in Paris, Beirut and other places) – but sometimes astrology (or any other method of inquiring about and understanding your Universe) just does not provide you with neat and tidy answers. Sometimes, no matter how much we want a simple, rational explanation for things, we just can’t find one.

Here’s a collection of some of the celestial factors that _currently_ appear to reflect the heaviness and density that so many are feeling, be it through empathy for those who have lost loved ones, or from some kind of direct tragedy or loss in personal life.

Please bear in mind that the planets are not ‘to blame’. Astrology indicates certain possibilities for action and likely outcomes, but ultimately it comes down to how we choose to work with those windows of energy and opportunity.

I have been studying the astrology of November 13, 2015 (when so much of this stuff went down) and it does tell its own tale. I might do a piece on that later, but here’s what’s happening now:

Sun conjunct Mercury  (25 Scorpio, heavy influence: 16-18 November 2015). The Light of Awareness meets the Messenger in the Dark Den of the Underworld. Our thoughts, ideas, and mental focus finds a powerful vehicle for expression today. It is likely that we each identify a personal point of crisis (or simply intense focus) today, one that requires our highest/deepest levels of integrity. We are tested today on the use of our power and the ways in which we use words to exercise that power – for words can destroy, just as they can heal.

The Sun/Mercury are close to Achilles (24 Scorpio), whilst squaring Pandora & Hopi (23-24 Leo). We are asked to be mindful of our vulnerabilities and to acknowledge the role of fear in whatever self-defensive mechanisms we erect. We are also asked to take the leap forward into the dark/the Unknown by truly expressing what we feel (thereby triggering our vulnerabilities). There is a particular state of Surrender (with Faith) that Scorpio/Pluto encourages us to adopt as we experience its energy. It’s one of those moments where you just have to take that leap and trust that your hard-earned wings will beat into motion. Hopi encourages us to take multiple views of the same situation without letting one’s self become stuck in a persecution complex. We are asked to see the lesson behind whatever situations arise at this time.

The Sun, at this time, is also opposite Sedna (25 Taurus). Her energy is one that speaks to the themes of betrayal (especially by a masculine / paternal / father figure), release, rebirth and transformation. Her mythology is pretty graphic, and I leave it to you to do further research on her if so inclined. It’s just a little too heavy for me to deal with in this piece.

Venus conjunct Black Moon Lilith (9 Libra, 16/17 November 2015). We are asked to recognize some of the shadow qualities projected unto the bodies, sexuality and material forms of the world around us. These themes will directly relate to the feminine experience and its relationship with sex, power, rights and inequity. It can be a time in which deeply rooted fears can arise in partnerships (personal and professional). Alternatively, it can be a time in which we learn to represent, embody and bring into material manifestation aspects or qualities of the Shadow Feminine/Dark Goddess Archetype. There’s a lot of ways this conjunction (as with any conjunction) can play out.

Neptune stations Direct (17/18 November, 2015 – depending on your hemisphere – a day earlier for the US/South America, a day later for Asia/Australia)

Neptune is asking us to wake up now, and quickly. We’re being stripped away for any remaining layers of illusion, or ego-serving mis-perceptions as to the nature of the spiritual path and mysticism. For some, the wake-up call will be eye-opening, for others, the pressure of Neptune stationing direct will only serve to entrench them further in a distorted perception of reality. (see below for that that ties into questions of belief with the Saturn-Neptune square). Themes that are linked with Neptune: otherworldly realms, mystical experiences, things ‘beyond the veil’, working miracles, faith healing, martyrdom, obsession, escapism, spiritual vulnerability & sensitivity, addiction and in extreme cases – suicide. If you’re feeling particularly vulnerable at this time, get to friends or a support group that can help you. It’s going to be rough for quite a lot of people.

Saturn square Neptune (5-7 Sagittarius/Pisces, 2 degree orb). Whilst this alignment is not yet exact, we’ve already begun to see it take shape. High strung debates, polarized opinions and probing questions arise as to the relationship between organized religion and the compassion we seek out in spirituality. There are other arenas of life in which this can equally play our, e.g. in higher academia, foreign travel, philosophy/beliefs (Sagittarius) vis-a-vis our relationship with ‘The Sacred’, our personal experience of spirituality, otherworldly experiences, ideas of suffering and martyrdom and/or past-life karma. You can also see this as the conflict between the Guru/Pedagogue and the Mystic/Hermit.This square will go exact on November 26, 2015. Those with placements near 7 Gemini/Virgo will experience this as a Mutable T-Square or Grand Mutable Cross.

Mutable T-Square between Galactic Center (27 Sagittarius), North Node (28 Virgo) and Vesta/South Node (28 Pisces) – Ongoing

I could write a book on this alignment and it still wouldn’t be enough. The Galactic Center represents our connection with Ascended Beings, Wisdom Teachers, Gurus, Religious Figures and others whom we believe can inspire or lead us with their version of Truth. Whether that Truth is Valid, or Absolute is a different question. People are going to be drawn to different kinds or layers of Truth at this time, some of which seem outright incompatible with others. The North Node in Virgo challenges us to find ways to implement our truths in bite-site chunks, small acts of service, (supposedly) menial daily rituals and other practical actions. It’s an excellent time for those researching the Priestess Traditions, the Mysteries of the Womb, and for those seeking alternate paradigms to thinking about rituals, health and the concept of service. On the other hand, the same stressors can lead to overly harsh judgments, pronouncements about what standards of ‘purity’ are and a generally narrow view of what belief systems and forms/paths of service can and ought to look like. Vesta and the South Node jointly ask us to release what answers we believe we have to Neptunian concerns (spirituality, martyrdom, compassion) so that we can find new answers. We are not only asked to find new ways or paths of service, but to actually release our attachments to older understandings and the wounds, or sense of spiritual disconnection, that may have inspired them. As Neptune goes direct, we’re going to feel the power of the South Node (past karmic, older attachments, potential strengths) and Vesta (the Priestess) with greater intensity.

Those of you with placements near 27-28 Gemini (birthdays near June 18 & 19) will definitely be feeling this as a Grand Mutable Cross.

My suggestion to empaths, spiritualists and highly sensitive people would be to ground themselves as much as possible in this time. Sitting in nature under trees, eating simple but nutritious food, starting a practice of deep breathing each day – these are simple rituals that can keep you grounded through the emotional turbulence that the planet is feeling. Seek help from support groups if things feel overwhelming or get overly intense. One does not have to go at it alone, for we are all in this together.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

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

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.

 

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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.