MATTER AND SPIRIT: PATHS OF UNION OR ESCAPE? (Sun trined Pluto, Mercury trined North Node and many, many other alignments in the skies – 7th May 2016)

Blessings to All. Today we see the Sun (17 Taurus) trined Pluto Retrograde (17 Capricorn). It´s a powerful day to become more aware of our relationship with power, ideas of legacy, control dramas – and – how they all connect with the way we have built the foundation of our day to day material existences. What a mouthful.

Some of you will find this a powerful day to dig deeper, to go further into the Shadow side of the Self and discover the beauty, the strength, the woundedness and the fragility hidden within. Think of it as an energy that draws out what layers of your own consciousness has spent so much energy trying to keep hidden.

And some people will absolutely freak out with the sheer intensity of it. That depends on where you are in your jouney, and what alignments are triggered by this in your natal or progressed chart.

Probably best to give people a wider berth than usual today and not force anything to come out into the open. Things are going to be erupting forth anyway so, best to let the process take its own course.

What I would suggest – as a general rule – is to observe whatever appears to be emerging from the depths today and to consciously try to connect it with some facet of your more tangible, material life – and to see – if appropriate – what needs recognition, improvement or dramatic transformation. With yesterday´s New Moon in Taurus, we´re still in the 3-day window period for setting the seeds for a new cycle of growth with this Earth sign.

Try to avoid over-intellectualizing the process, and let the lower chakras lead the way with their own wisdom.

Stick close to trees and nature if you can – or experiences that allow you to take pleasure in the world, in a balanced sense.

Pluto´s energies can also bring our our deepest obsessions and most hidden fantasies – it would be a useful tine to see how we play these our in our daily lives and rituals.

Some may also discover how forms of spirituality have become forms of escapism – even if the ego-mind believes the very opposite. That´s a biggie. I feel that´s more connected with the South Node in Pisces, and the ways it asks us to release our attachments to what we consider ´the spiritual´ so that we may (paradoxically) find it anew.

There´s a whole bunch of other exact alignments taking place at the same time. Grand Earth Trine (Pluto, Mercury, Sun, Moon, Jupiter, North Node – it becomes a Kite if you include the South Node), weak T-Square (Jupiter, North/South Node, Saturn, Neptune), and so on and so forth. And a whole bunch of asteroidal alignments as well. I´m just going to list a few in summary :

Sun (17 Taurus) opposite Askalaphus & Ceto (17-18 Scorpio): A time to look a deeper motivations, sub-conscious fears and ancestral karma. Serpentine archetypes are strongly highlighted as is the deep oceanic abyss. Watch for secrets that emerge from the sub-conscious and consider if they are yours to reveal.

Sun (17 Taurus) sextile Thereus (16 Cancer): A time to look at patterns of victim-abuser dynamics and ways we have, over time, overidentified with these patterns – with a focus on the emotional and intuitive legacies handed down through ancestral and familial lines. Those with bodies near 13-20 Sagittarius will experience this as a potent Yod (Finger of Fate) – one that asks you to reconsider your beliefs, the search for truth, travel, higher education, religious views and how they structure your reality. Some journeys, teachers and paradigms will keep you trapped and others will set you free. It´s your call.

Sun (17 Taurus) squared Sila-Nunam (17 Leo): Potential causes for conflict, or creative synergy with siblings (in particular). Fixed viewpoints appear to clash with one another. You may need to draw better boundaries so the movement of energy stays wholesome.

Sun (17 Taurus) square Hybris & Narcissus (17 Aquarius): A time to look at the fixedness of your own ideological identifications and to break through them in the search of a more profound relationship with Truth. Some will burst forth with new ideas, others will hold fast to what they choose to believe in. Work with optical calcite / icelandic spar and black obsidian if you wish. Try to look past the confines of your own perception by seeking out other mirrors. It´s not easy work, but it can be deeply rewarding. Step out of the bubble and explore other, even opposite, perspectives.

Moon (25 Taurus) conjunct Sedna and Vesta. A very significant aspect for those who honor and serve the Earth-Goddess, the Femnine archetype – or who are simply seeking to find the material and emotional basis for their sense of security (or woundedness) in the world. We are granted now a window into our deepest vulnerabilities and the choice to release them, find ways to heal them, or move into further denial of them (what you pick is up to you).

Moon / Sedna / Vesta (25 Taurus) squared Damocles and Eros (24-25 Aquarius): The deeper we process our sense of vulnerability, betrayal and abandonment – the closer we get to a place of (potential) release and healing. This will require a significant ideological shift, particularly in the way sacred intimacy is conceptualized and the responsibility you bear in seeking that sort of connection.

Mercury Retrograde (20 Taurus) trined True Node (20 Virgo): Look back to the final week of April 2016 to see what decisions were made when we had this same alignment before (as Mercury was Direct). It is a time where we re-conceptualize our ideas of service, routine, health, habits – ways we prepare the earthly veseel that ultimately becomes the channel of Spirit. You will see the final Mercury North Node trine in the late May / early June 2016. So we´re not doe with this alignment yet. Siblings and other people / memories from your early childhood may play a powerful catalytic role in discovering new paths to wellness and service at this time.

Mercury Retrograde (20 Taurus) conjunct Persephone & Sphinx (21 Taurus): Examining parent-child dynamics, attachments to the Shadow / Underworld realms and powerful rememberances / initiations into past-lives may be strongly present for some now. Again, try not to force awareness, but allow it to emerge and bloom forth from within.

Generally speaking, when I look at all these aspects (as there is a lot more going on as well) – I see a more general theme that unites them all – the emergence of a new form of consciousness that honors and engages with the material realm. Within some spiritual circles, we see the material discounted as something worthless or sinful, or simply something that must be ´transcended´ to attain greater spiritual merit.

By looking deeper into, or simply engaging more fully with the reality we chose to incarnate into, I feel many of us may find the ´missing pieces of the puzzle´ we try so hard to find.

Answers come strongly through the Earth, the World around you and the Body as this time  ❤

Much Love,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

Post & Image ´Eastbourne Bench, 5-5-2016´ © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

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, insitution 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.

ASTROLOGY, HEALING AND MAPPING THE PSYCHODYNAMICS OF THE ENERGY-BODY

Astrological analysis can help you identify the psychological, spiritual, metaphysical and other factors that lead to the manifestation of certain states of mind and related physical conditions. Whilst not to be used as a replacement for medical/alternative therapies, it gives you a framework through which you can assess the state of the physical body and its link to the energy-body.

For instance, I often work with individuals who exhibit the features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a complex phenomenon which is built up of many conflating factors). When I study the chart, I am able to pinpoint specific experiences, individuals and types of trauma linked with the onset of fatigue. And it differs for each individual.

For some, fatigue is – just what it is. Exhaustion. Tiredness. Weariness. Medically linked with hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue (with the related Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome). If you work yourself to death, at some point that body is just going to shut down and say: Buddy I´m done. Let me rest.

In others, what I see is the over-investment of their vital energy into the re-living of a certain traumatic experience and/or holding themselves in a ´brace´ position for fear that it may happen again. So rather than a lack of energy – it´s a case of redirecting it.

Another dynamic that sometimes comes up in my case studies is when a person needs to learn how to ground better into the earth and to draw up energy back into the body.

There will certainly be other dynamics as well. But this is what I´ve seen so far with my case studies.

Various energy medicine systems do this through their different traditions – the Indian subcontinent understands it through the flow of prana through the nadis – China calls it chi and the meridians. And I´m sure South America, Africa and Australia (and other cultures/civilizations) have their own ancient understandings of the same.

These are things I would like to learn and incorporate further in my own practice.

What I do with astrology is to trace or map out the psychodynamic pathways that are created between specific events, individuals, lifetimes that leads to a particular state of imbalance.

I let the chart, rather than the individual I am working with to help me identify this pathway and its own timeline of progression. To confirm what I´m seeing, I might ask specific questions like:

Did you have this experience with so-and-so in this way, at this time of your life?

Does such-and-such situation trigger such-and-such symptoms?

It is located in this such-and-such organ with such-and-such sensation or feeling?

And so on.

It really does get that specific.

And then I identify the chakra/s involved and provide practical tools to address some of the kinds of energetic imbalances identified.

My healing toolkit works more so with essential oils, gemstones, mantras and guided visualizations. For me (at present), the 7 chakra system is an excellent framework to interpret the energybody.

There are of course other conceptualizations that work just as well. But it´s a good place to start.

And for some – it´s not just the tools provided that help them – but the awareness that arises when they – logically and intuitively – see the way the dots connect up. And then the AHA! moment hits.

For some, that it is enough to trigger the release of pent of trauma, or the attachment to a certain experience of wounding that has gone on for years, and years – perhaps even lifetimes.

The face takes on a glow and you can see the instant, deep release and shifting. The work then becomes one of maintaining this state of receptivity and release.

For others, the experience is less dramatic, but still substantial. It is a baby step, but one which can become a powerful foundation towards developing a healther mind-body-spirit connection. Neither response is better or worse, as we each take different paths and timelines to healing.

It helps to know that there are alternative understandings out there as it puts your own choices in context.

And of course there will be certain charts in which karma, timing and the more hidden mysterious of incarnation simply refuse to reveal the process. In which case I work more so with symptom management.

Specifics, context and an understanding of process can be a deeply healing thing to have, especially when working through states of health described in vague or over-generalized terms.

Irritable bowel syndrome is another one … It covers so many things that you wonder what it actually is. And when you don´t understand it, and are just given things to mask or alleviate your symptoms – you´re not healing.

In my early 20s, whilst doing my PhD, I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue (similar, but not exactly the same as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Terribly draining (and time consuming). Besides medical letters that said I was tired and drained, I didn´t really get any remedies from the medical system (was in the UK). So I had to turn to alternative sources, and did find relief.

The experience helped me understand how the act of mapping, and getting specific with the energy dynamics that underpin physical health and imbalance – in itself – provides a sense of liberation. And it gives you tools, perspective and a greater sense of confidence.

 

You realize, hey – I got this.

I can do SOMETHING rather than just feeling like a victim in my own body.

 

But to be fair, Western science and medicine continues to map out the unknown through its own paradigm. As its tools of understanding become more sophisticated, what Western science ends up saying (and empirically proving) is increasingly beginning to match up with what older traditions have been saying for thousands of years.

(Yay!)

I look forwards to deepening my own knowledge of these various paradigms and combining them with the work that I do as an astrologer and a priestess. It is interesting that this is coming up for me now as my mum, dad and my brother are all doing the same kind of work through their respective inclinations.

And I´m sure many others are as well 🙂 Go Virgo North Node, Scorpio Full Moon!

Much Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: Indic Manuscript 347, side a Wellcome L0024647.jpg [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], 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, insitution 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.

‪#‎astrologyandhealing‬ ‪#‎alternativemedicine‬ ‪#‎psychodynamicmapping‬‪#‎theskypriestess‬

THE WINDS OF CHANGE – Gemini Moon, Grand Mutable Cross & Grand Air Trine (April 11-12, 2016)

Over the next two days (11 & 12 April 2016), the transiting Gemini Moon makes a Grand Mutable Cross and a Grand Air Trine. Long story short – watch what you say, think, communicate and express and how it is received. The chances of triggering / bring triggered is a lot higher over the next 48 hour period. Which isn´t necessarily a bad thing, it just means that you´re asked to face certain issues or challenges head on.

The Mutable Cross involves Neptune (10 Pisces), South Node (20 Pisces) Saturn Retrograde (16 Sagittarius), Mars (8 Sagittarius), North Node (20 Virgo), Jupiter Retrograde (14 Virgo). Which the Cross can denote stress, it can also be the launchpad for discovering new ways or creatively moving through the challenges being presented. Whether you´re a spiritual seeker, teacher, facilitator, practitioner, mystic (whatever word resonates with you) – this Cross will make you question how you explore and express your deeper connection with Spirit and the wider Cosmos.

Bear in mind that the world mirrors your journey – sometimes in an honest reflection, and at other times a distortion. Both convey truths, albeit sometimes in a more roundabout way than we would like. In short,

How do you navigate your Path through the Hall of Mirrors?
Which reflection is ´real´ – which isn´t – and what do they all teach?

In all honesty, it´s more like two slightly different Grand Crosses that are formed, as the Moon continues its motion through Gemini on April 11 and 12. On April 12, we also see the creation of a powerful Grand Air Trine.

The Grand Air Trine intensifies the power of words, ideas and more abstract forms of energy-communication. At 25 Gemini, the Moon will conjunct the asteroid Psyche, which, in combination with Black Moon Lilith (25 Libra) and Pallas Athena (26 Aquarius) – speaks to me of a potent opportunity for re-writing your narrative, especially with the Divine Feminine.

Time to look at the ways we conceptualize Her energy and mirror (for better or worse) those qualities in our own lives and self-concepts.

Suggested Practices / Handy things to bear in mind:

Speaking. Saying what´s on your mind. Expressing. (I do not mean verbal diarrhoea, or lashing out at someone – but to do so from a centered place.

Speak so your voice is heard, rather than obeyed. Both types of communication come from a very, very different place within. In other words – speak from the Heart and allow others the freedom of making up their own minds. You have that same freedom.

Listening. Taking the time to hear someone else out. Our the parts of you you don´t let yourself normally hear.

Writing (nondominant hand exercises rock) / Journaling

Working with stones like optical calcite (discernment), aquamarine / turquoise (balanced communication) and smoky quartz (grounding)

Singing / Toning / Throat Chakra Clearing

Staying open to different points of view and alternate ways of making meaning in the (and your) world, both inner and outer

Honoring deities/archetypes of Wisdom, e.g. Goddess Saraswati, Goddes Pallas Athena, and so on. (depending on your tradition)

Seeking guidance from facilitators who can help you shift and/or release paradigms that no longer work.

Remember that you do the work, facilitators are but the catalyst. It´s in your hands, or mind, rather. 😉

For those of you seeking to work with me, bear in mind that the Vesta/Eris sessions are ongoing.

In short,

Enjoy and be mindful of your words. Take nothing personally 🙂

Here´s some music/mantras for the mood :

Winds of Change – Scorpions with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (2000) –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYnjm5KjgQU

Nahko Bear (Medicine for the People) ღ Aloha Ke Akua – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsgP8LkEopM&nohtml5=False (the chorus is awesome! :D)

Hymn with English subtitles – Sree Saraswati Stotram written by Sage Agastya –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys2vTiXWhB8&nohtml5=False

And if things just get too stressful, if all the tension is just building up – watch Kung Fu Panda 3.  I kid you not. It´s got so many of the answers that so many spiritual seekers and teachers look for, presented in a way that will make  you both smile and think. 

🙂 🙂 🙂

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: International Space Station 46 – Aurora over northern Canada.jpg By NASA/ESA/Tim Peake [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, insitution 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. Sessions are subject to T&Cs explained in the invoice and during the session itself. Having or purchasing the sessions implies tacit acceptance of all T&Cs.

The Magdalene, Atlantis, Osiris, Zeus, Ceto, Varda, Narcissus, Uranus, Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter & THE ARIES NEW MOON

Hello Cosmos! The Aries New Moon (18 Aries, 11:23 UTC, 7th April 2016) has just passed – but its effects remain strong over the next 3 days 🙂 It´s an excellent time to set the seeds of new energetic intentions, ones that we will reap or see some culmination of during the Aries Full Moon (15 October).

Aries encourages us to simply Be. In all of its totality. The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the meek, the outspoken, the vulnerable, the invincible, the human, the divine, the demon, the hero, the outcast, the villain, the man, the child, the woman, the stream, the sea, the river, the mountain, the sky, the stars, the cosmos — and all, more, or none of the above.

Amazing, huh? There´s not much that Aries doesn´t cover. The only ´catch´ as it were is that the energy needs to be embodied within the self, the immediate sense of presence that is I AM. In developmental terms, this is the spark of life that precedes form (body), sensation-perception and intellect. It just IS. No words can describe it.

Society and other sources of conditioning have all but told us to bottle away parts of ourselves that we are told are either too dangerous, undesirable or simply unwanted. Sometimes this is true, and other times it´s just fear-based conditioning based on the values of the time. My suggestion, or rather caveat, to embodying your Aries energy is to remember to check in with yourself.

Ask yourself – is the ´I´ you´re bringing through one that is perceived through the Ego, the Heart, the Soul, the Mind – or someplace else? Check in with your inner compass to know which. The Self, born of Love, takes many forms: Sometimes gentle, sometimes ferocious. It all depends on which part of you it comes from. Ego, Mind, Heart, Soul, Greater Spirit?

That exercise of discernment is one for you to do and figure out 🙂 Crystals like Icelandic Spar or Optical Calcite help in that process. Black Obsidian can help as well, especially when you need that reflective mirror to help you see yourself through the lens of detachment.

The rest of this article is pretty hardcore. If you´re comfy with this general info, feel free to stop reading here as it covers the gist of it. If you´re wanting the details, the grit, the spiritual challenges and tools you might want to use – then journey on, brave reader!

***

Now, getting to the astrology of it – the Aries New Moon makes some very powerful connections to quite a few astrological bodies. Here´s what went down:

Uranus conjunct Vesta (17 Aries, February 5 2016) – This was a day when the Great Awakener/Revealer met the Priestess. And together they cleared the way for a new Path of Service through emerge. Rather than the negation of the Self, service was to come through its radical embodiment, in ways that honored emergence of new forms of consciousness within the collective. Look back then to see how that event energetically links with current energy.

At that time I was stranded in Barcelona without my passport and used that energy to go visit the Black Madonna of Monserrat. A mist covered the mountain and the church, unnaturally so for hours on end. You couldn´t even take a decent photograph of anything, it was like thick soup. Meeting the Madonna herself was an interesting experience. I was in a very vulnerable emotional and spiritual place, being stranded where I was. And all I could think of asking her was to make something happen, it was meant to. I recall seeing a very very red energy, of the Base Chakra, flaming through afterwards. It was a type of intiation I did not understand, though I am seeing its gradual emergence.

Moving to the present day:

Sun conjunct Moon at 18 Aries – Time to set the seeds of embodying the Self, in its most aligned form. Watch for mid-October, when those seeds begin to culminate. Be the Self. That´s all you need to do. Allow yourself to occupy the space you need to be you without violating your own moral or ethical compass (inner alignment). Everyone is entitled to occupy their own space, and as long as we can agree on that baseline – the work of co-existence becomes a lot easier. That would be the only caveat to add.

Sun conjunct Moon conjunct Uranus (20 Aries): A lot of cosmic-energetic downloads showing you how the Birth of a New, or simply, Freer expression of Self – is well within the needs of the group – the collective. Rather than sacrificing who we are, we celebrate one another and the individual gifts we bring to the table. Together, we strengthen the wave of energy propelling the evolution of consciousness for the whole. Keep those upper chakra channels clear, but don´t try to force their awakening either 🙂 Let it happen naturally.

Clear quartz, and again, optical calcite will be great crystal allies for this purpose.

Sun / Moon / Uranus conjunct ATLANTIS! (yes, I felt that needed the caps 😛 , 20 Aries): Time for those Atlantean downloads to begin. Those of you who connect strongly with the consciousness of past civilizations, now submerged beneath the waves – will be feeling this strongly. A word of caution – whilst there´s was a lot of epicness 😀 in those times, be it through a love of crystals, dolphins, and the Goddess – there were a lot of problems with it as well. Hence the fall of Atlantis. Whilst it is important to honor this past, and perhaps even to learn some of its secrets, it is important to also be vigiliant to its excesses.

Stones that can help: Aquamarine, Larimar, Atlantisite. Again, I would stress caution in working with such energies and lifetimes if you have not already done a fair amount of self-work beforehand. Working through the lower chakras and one´s relationship with the Serpentine Archetype, I find, is a much needed prerequisite. Just so´s we don´t end up in the same karmic cycle .. again.

If working with a faciliator, make sure they understand that pros and cons, the needs and energetic traps that can come about in working with such lifetimes / states of consciousness.

There were multiple civilizations that shared a similar fate. Others that would equally resonate are Mu, Lemuria, Kumari Kandam, and so on.

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis inconjunct Jupiter Retrograde (14 Virgo) and the North Node (20 Virgo): Long story short – these breakthroughs in consciousness, and ways of embodiment in the Self are awesome things to experience. But they also need to be funnelled into practical acts of Service, things that help to maintain and perserve the Earth-Plane and our physical vessels (bodies) that can serve within it. Think about ways to structure your daily life that facilitates better health, energetic receptivity, the need to maintain healthy boundaries and to practice self-care first! As generous as I´m sure many of you are, you can´t give to another from an empty cup. Fill your own first, then help as many as you can 🙂

Those of you with placements near 14-20 Scorpio or 14-20 Aquarius will experience this as a powerful Yod or Finger of Fate. Decision time, people! 🙂 Time to choose at the karmic crossroads.

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis opposed Zeus (17 Libra):. A time to understand both the strength, and the excesses of Masculine energy. Partnerships and collaborations appear to be the space/energy through which this needs to be addressed. Whilst the dominant expression of masculine energy in the world at present is — sadly distorted, the space for the healthy, conscious masculine is expanding. In our bid to bring back the Feminine, let us also recognize the need to hold space for the Masculine to equally re-emerge, albeit in a different form. 🙂 Bear in mind that the Masculine is expressed through all beings, not just men – vice versa with the Feminine. Energy transcends the constructs of sex and gender, though the latter tend to influence the way we interpret the former.

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis inconjunct Ceto (18 Scorpio): A time to work with imbalances in the way we engage with the Serpentine Archetype. Whilst it is hailed as the Master of Knowledge, the form of Shakti in the movement of the Kundalini – it is equally projected to us the prime villain. There is a neutrality in Serpentine energy, which means that we (especially those who work in Shamanic realms) must treat with respect, but also caution. Again, if working with a facilitator, make sure they understand this. Ceto´s energy can strongly relate to ancestral energetic patterns as well. The energy of Ceto, the Water Serpent, links strongly with that of Atlantis. Unsurprisingly.

It is wise not to fear the serpent, but to recognize its ambiguity. For the gamers out there, that means it´s a ´Chaotic Neutral´.

Recommended Mantra (if feeling overwhelmed):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i76qu8PRpdE

– use with Carnelian on the sacral chakra. Try working with Neem oil as well (external use) or Neem capsules (internal use, check with medicial practitioner if on medication).

If wanting to connect deeper, try Serpentine or Atlantisite. Again, make sure you have the prepwork for it and a facilitator who can support you through the process.

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis trine Saturn (16 Sagittarius), Iris (16 Sagittarius), Magdalena (18 Sagittarius), Varda (18 Sagittarius), Osiris (20 Sagittarius): Time to take the Self and find a Path of Truth that resonate with you. Striving to find a greater level of detachment, getting your head above the clouds in your search for truth will yield rewards at this time. The view you take of the world from the base of the foothills, and from its summit – differs drastically. Things fall into perspective.

The various Gods and Goddesses involved in this alignment bring different lessons to the table.

Magdalena (Mary Magdalene) tells us of the story of the projected, forgotten, oppressed or reviled Feminine. And the powerful, radical act that is – simply – being the Self irrespective of all that projection.

Rose quartz and rose essential oil will be powerful allies, should you choose to work with them as energetic tools.

Whilst the Archetype of the Magdalene is one that all can connect to, some identities – ethicities – heritages – have their own versions of the tale that must equally be heard and celebrated. I see this in the need to recognize the perspective of people of color (not that white-pink´s not a colour), but you know what I´m getting at. A lot of the Goddess Movement and New Age Spirituality simply does not take that voice and the histories of colonial oppression (and continued systemic racism) that non-white men and (especially) women face (as well as those who do not resonate with mainstream ideas of gender or sexual preference). Without acknolwedging these voices as equal, there is not true discourse of empowerment that can speak to all.

That being said, no matter what colour or race or gender or sex you are, sing your song. We all have the right to.

Varda´s influence brings us back to the wisdom of the skies. Connect with the cosmos in the way you see fit. Find a good cosmic soothsayer, or a spiritual astrologer you like and get the guidance you need. Or simply sit in silence and let the skies speak to you, showing the way forward.

Osiris indicates that the paths we take now ultimately lead back to the Wounded Masculine (and in parallel, the Healing Feminine). Iris indicates the benefit of emotional cartharsis at this time, and a greater use or acknowledgement of the Rainbow Spectrum in healing work. It´s also a caution not to get stuck in the search for Truth. Whatever paradigm we choose to use is trying to get us to a deeper level of reality that goes beyond dogma of any kind.

And finally, Saturn. Use the energy in your consciousness now to set the steps you need to take in the future. Create your building blocks to Spirit, as it were – through whatever Path or Teaching calls to you at this time. If you have a teacher / mentor / oracle / astrologer that you trust at this time, seek a consultation or get guidance. But remember the Teacher within, don´t forget to check in there as well. This is also an excellent time to set the seeds of research trips, pilgrimages, foreign travel or higher academic pursuits to help you learn what you want to explore and gain some mastery of.

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis squared Pluto (17 Capricorn): Long story short, if you haven´t done your Descent Work, you´re going to have to. Journeys into the subconscious, ancestral karma, energy-working in the Shadow space of the self are required to find your innermost strengths, gifts, and to allow you to complete your Hero/ine´s journey. A lot of this work – of breakdown-to-breakthrough – is going to test your relationship with P-O-W-E-R. Power, authority, hiearchy, legitimacy, mastery, wisdom and the archetype of the Crone-Elder. (Remember the lessons of Atlantis though 😉 )

Whether it´s an individual or instrument of governance bringing this energy into your life, the challenge for you is to find ways to recognize the power you seek into yourself. Here you go down, to go up. You die, in order to be reborn.

Quite a powerful time for those of you seeing significant changes in your career, or the question of what legacy you leave behind in the world! Relationships with intimate partners (in the bedroom, and the boardroom) are going to be challenging at this time if not in alignment with your deeper sense of self. If they are, then they´re going to let you get even deeper – so you get to the richness that lays hidden within the Shadow. Yum, yum 🙂

But again, there´s a lot of Shadow-work that precedes getting there 🙂 And so much of us has already been triggered in the past few years, what with Saturn in Scorpio and the exact Uranus-Pluto squares (2012-2015).

Sun / Moon / Uranus / Atlantis sextile Narcissus (15 Aquarius): Time to look at your ideals and to move beyond them. Narcissism isn´t just about falling in love with your reflection, it´s getting trapped in that reflection. Sometimes we a trapped through the illusion that we have more power than we do, and sometimes in the belief in less. Either way, it´s a time to shatter through the looking glass – and know that as you do so, you´re going to challenge others who are invested in seeing their own strength – and their relationship with the Cosmos – in ways that suit them. An interesting time to re-wire /re-think your relationship with the relationship between God/dess and Humanity. Look to Promethus, the Monkey God and others who dared to challenge the construct of the Heavens and the supremacy of the Gods in mythology. That kind of vibe. There´s a lot of fear surrounding that kind of work, but it needs doing.

Those of you with placements near 15-18 degrees Virgo will experience this as a powerful Yod. In fact, we all will – as that´s where Jupiter and the North Node are 😀

How fun!

So, putting it all together. A very epic New Moon 😀 Watch for October and see how this all plays out!

Blessings and Hugs,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Additional Links:

For those of you who are planning to work with me, consider the Vesta or Eris Specials (till end of April). Unless booked ad hoc I´m not doing any sessions in May. Time to contract and consolidate all the lessons learnt then.

Vesta Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-y0

Eris Awakens Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-RT

Current round of sessions: April 4-28, 2016.

***

Post & Image © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: Curved Ceiling, en route to Black Madonna, Monserrat. Jan 2016.

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, insitution 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. Sessions are subject to T&Cs explained in the invoice and during the session itself. Having or purchasing the sessions implies tacit acceptance of all T&Cs.

THE JOURNEY OF THE PRIESTESS (VESTA) IN APRIL 2016: The Grand Earth Trine ; Materially Manifesting Your Path of Service, Healing and Facilitation

I´ve been going through Vesta´s aspects to other major bodies for the months of April and May – and my goodness – there´s a lot going down with the Priestess Asteroid over the next three weeks! This means plenty of opportunities to explore, expand and discover new Paths of Service, especially in ways that connect with different layers or levels of physical reality as she´s going to be in Taurus until mid-May. Here´s my earlier article detailing the different challenges, gifts and interpretive possibilities opened by Vesta´s transit through Taurus for those who want more info –http://wp.me/p4OUNS-Yf .

Between April 1 to April 25, 2016, there´s a Grand Earth Trine in the sky involving Vesta & Mercury (Taurus), Jupiter (Virgo), North Node (Virgo) and Pluto (Capricorn). This is a powerful time to focus on manifestation in this physical, earthly, material plane.

Vesta´s energy encourages us to focus upon connecting with the energy of Abundance and Presence that moves through the consciousness of the Earth and connects us all. What we do, by virtue of our physical actions, relationships and being on this planet has an influence on all else that exists – and often that relationship is forgotten. Vesta encourages us to find ways to make that material existence one that moves (purely) beyond self-serving needs, to ones which equally nurture, heal or facilitate others in finding their own abundance (and ability to serve). We give back to the Earth and all that exists with/within Her through acts of Service. This can be through facilitative work, priest/essing, new directions in your business, or making sure that basic physical needs are met – there´s a wide range of interpretive possibilites, or ways of working with this energy. For some, the energy of Earth-Abundance is in the Earth herself, for others it means business, income and finances – and for some it focuses with the sense-perception of the body, pleasures of incarnation and the joys of physicality – and so on.

Vesta interacts with quite a few bodies as part of this incredibly rich and fertile Grand Earth Trine energy – summaries of each follow:

Jupiter encourages us to explore new pathways, teachers or paradigms that connect us with the Priestess/Earth-Facilitator traditions – especially those that focus upon the Womb Center (in women) or more generally, the generative qualities of the Sacral Chakra. It also involves the physical energy of the stomach and related digestive organs, and so involves the energy of the Solar Plexus chakra as well. The Virgo energy echoes well with Vesta and serves to reinforce what she stands for – but more so through physical, tangible actions that have an immediate presence in our sense-perception of reality.

Growth, with Jupiter-in-Virgo, is through discrete, physical acts of service and the structuring of actions in rituals, habits and routines that helps us find our greatest path of growth. In other words, take care of the little things, even if they seem like grunt-work, or things that don´t yield you an immediate reward or recognition. Do them because they need to be done. Don´t conflate the need to be seen as big, larger than life, or pedestalized-as-Teacher with the work of the Facilitator. You can be all of those things, but remember the little things. They´re just as (if not more) important as the grand gestures.

The North Node tells us that the path to growth, and to releasing past karmic entanglements (Pisces) is through this routinized focus on little acts of service. In practical terms, that may require a deeper focus on the way you structure your daily life, the way you keep you physical vessel in balance with your spiritual intuition. The health of the physical body and the nutritional value (or fuel) you put into your sacred vessel is just as important as what you can channel or remember. Start with something small, and keep adding new things each day to bring greater well-being into your life, so that you may do the same for others, if appropriate. There is no point in trying to serve, or to fill another´s cup, when your own is broken and unable to act as a vessel.

The North Node´s energy (especially when it trines Vesta) challenges us to equally draw the lines of service. There are certain physical boundaries which we do need in order to be spiritually functional and healthy. Don´t be afraid to say no things that will lead you to energetic burnout or simply being ungrounded or overwhelmed with psychic energy. Part of being a good facilitator is knowing when to draw that line.

Pluto´s trine to the Vesta makes us question what larger footprint, or legacy we leave behind in this physical world and the power that we have given institutions (of governance, authority, even banking) over us and our world. Equally, we will be pulled into the deeper spaces within that makes us question how we merge our energies with others, or even how we seek to control/be controlled by others in games played by the ego. Vesta raises these questions to the Earthly Surface (Taurus), and asks how we harness , and where needed, transmute the Shadow-Self so that it may play a more constructive, facilitative role in our physical lives.

We will feel this energy most intensely between April 16-18, 2016. This is a powerful time for facilitative work for any kind, particularly those which address aspects of the Shadow, the Womb and questions of power, growth, expansion and karmic re-attunement. For those of you seeking to work with me, bear in mind that I am going to be offering Vesta and Eris sessions throughout April 2016. Timing your session close to the middle of April will yield powerful, deep and transformative results – but really, it´s present throughout the month!

There are other alignments to Vesta going exact in the month of April. Here´s a super-quick rundown.

April 2 – Vesta sextiles Neptune at 10 Taurus-Pisces. A fantastic time to find ways to bridge our spiritual experiences and formless, wordless knowing-s with more concrete, tangible, material forms of service.

Dates are given as per UTC time. Allow for a day earlier in case you live in North / South America, or a day later if you live in Asia / Australia. In any case, these are dates of exact alignments – you´ll see a clear build-up and run-down of the energy around the dates given in any case.

April 5 – Vesta opposes Juno Retrograde at 11 Taurus-Scorpio. A time to recognize the interplay of different aspects of the Divine Feminine. He we see certain acts of service (in the physical domain) can open us to a deeper exploration of the Shadow and how we connect intimately with others in that realm.

April 11 – Vesta trines Jupiter Retrograde at 14 Taurus-Virgo. A fantastic time to explore (or reject) pathways, teachers and paradigms that show us how to facilitate, nurture and serve – the self and others. It is important to honor the sacred (physical) vessel that allows us to do the work we do. Vesta reminds us to bring these insights and practices back to the flow of Abundance and Earth-Presence that connects us all.

April 14 – Vesta inconjuncts Saturn Retrograde at 16 Taurus-Sagittarius. A time to express (or reject) paths, paradigms and teachers that seek to shows us our places in the world, and the grand schematic that encompasses it all. Be it through astrology, religion, academic or foreign travel – it´s really a time where we look at the larger belief systems that underpin our perspectives – and to see how they align (or not) with the work we do in this material expression of ´reality´.

April 16 – Vesta conjuncts Mercury at 16 Taurus. A heightened flow of ideas that focus upon ways to better serve in this physical reality, and how to communicate this with others. A fantastic day for divination, dowsing or other activities that bridge intuitive information download with the deeper, grounding energies of Earth. This is a time here ideas, information or data pertaining to the lessons of Vesta (service, facilitation, devotion, sacrifice) come charging through the ether. The message will, once again, be focused upon the ways we connect with this Earth (and the many levels of interpretation that opens up). Mercury will conjunct Vesta in Taurus two other times – on May 1 (at 23 Taurus) and June 23rd (at 16 Gemini) owing to its upcoming Retrograde in Taurus.

April 18 – Vesta trines Pluto at 17 Taurus-Capricorn. As described above, the question of who controls us and whether we ought to let them arises. We frame the question of legitimacy, legacy, power and authority in terms of what we need to manifest more so (as a form of service) in embodied, physical form

Pluto goes retrograde on the same day – and so the search for the Shadow and its Lessons (and Gifts) moves further inwards, to a deeper layer of the Psyche. On this day we also see the exact Grand Earth Trine formed between Vesta, Mercury, Pluto and Jupiter in the Earth Signs. It is a powerful day to time any kind of works that involve physical manifestation, spi/ritual work, the Priestess Traditions, and so on.

Interestingly, Mars goes retrograde on April 17 at 8 degrees Sagittarius. This will encourage us to look inwards for Truth rather than seeking from an external source. Validation and guidance is lovely, but it´s got to resonate with what you inwardly know and believe in any case.

On April 23, Vesta trines the (Mean Calculation of the) North Node at 19 Taurus-Virgo. Vesta´s final exact aspect of the month (with the bodies considered here) points us in the direction of challenge, growth and opportunity. Be open to learning new ways to Serve and be flexible about letting go old ways that no longer serve as well as they used to. There is little to gain in holding onto old traditions or perspectives (as hallowed as they may once have been) if they do not resonate with the energy of the present. Honor the past, but equally, honor the need to explore different possibilities. For some, this will be a call to step outside the traditional meanings of the term Priest/ess, or even to expand the scope of what ´Service´ means to you, and how that connects with different levels of physical reality.

For those of you who use the True Node calculation, the Vesta-Node trine occurs at 20 Virgo on April 25.

And, as a general note – Mercury goes retrograde on April 28 at 23 Taurus. The Retrograde lasts until May 22, when Mercury begins its shadow phase at 14 Taurus. There´s going to be (again) an inward focus on the way we think about and express our ideas on how we exist in this material plane and are interwoven within it. Vesta would have tilled much of the soil (Taurus) as it were, making it a very interesting time to begin the Retrograde. Mercury moves out of its shadow phase and into direct motion on June 7th.

In May, Vesta´s major activity occurs through its transit into Gemini (May 16) and in its inconjunct (testing) aspect to Juno and Lilith (mid-May). This brings the challenge of reconciling different aspects lessons and vulnerabilities associated with forms of Feminine energy. More on that in May. The Sun also forms a conjunction to Vesta (May 23, 2 degrees Gemini), placing her back in the spotlight for a brief time.

Considering the sheer number and intensity of aspects made to Vesta in April – – – yeah …. there´s a lot more going on with Priestess energy this month, and with it, opportunities to manifest in the material, earthly realm.

To those who would like to work with me in learning what the Priestess archetype means for them and how they can best manifest it, consider the Vesta session (Link: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-y0 ) and time it accordingly as the intensity peaks mid-April. But really, she´s lit up the whole month!

So my friends, a great deal to explore, manifest and understand with the archetype of the Priest/ess or Facilitator in April 2016! Enjoy the vibes, find ways of healing and remember to honor our Earth-Mother through physical gestures, rituals and/or acts of service 🙂

Much Love,

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

PS – Please ´follow´ this blog if you would like to make sure you stay connected with my work and to receive important updates or new posts.

***

Additional Links:

Vesta in Taurus (Explanation of Current Energy): http://wp.me/p4OUNS-Yf

Vesta Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-y0

Eris Awakens Session Info: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-RT

Current round of sessions: April 4-28, 2016.

***

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: Dancing with Helen Moller; her own statement of her philosophy and practice and teaching formed upon the classic Greek model, and adapted to meet the aesthetic and hygienic needs of to-day, with (14761703756).jpg By Internet Archive Book Images [No restrictions], 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, insitution 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. Sessions are subject to T&Cs explained in the invoice and during the session itself. Having or purchasing the sessions implies tacit acceptance of all T&Cs.

THE SKIES SPEAK, THE COLLECTIVE SHIFTS: LESSONS FROM THE BROKEN GODDESS (Mercury conjuncts Uranus, inconjuncts the North Node + Grand Sextile / Star of David with Thereus and Cyllarus, 31 March – 1 April, 2016)

Blessings everyone. Over the past few hours I´ve been seeing a lot of messages coming through – signs, codes and symbols that speak to the crossing of the threshold – from the Age of Pisces, to that of Aquarius.

I wondered why, then turned to the skies. And it was clear.

At this time, we have a Grand Sextile (Star of David) in the skies, along with an impending conjunction between Mercury (The Messenger) and Uranus (The Collective Awakener / Revealer). They both form an inconjunct to the North Node (20 Virgo).

The Mercury-Uranus conjunction indicates that we shall either be receiving, transmitting, or somehow engaging with the energy, or consciousness, of the Collective. This is a time where we think about the ideals and visions of a future that we – humanity and all else it coexists with – can aspire to manifest. We are challenged to find new ways of thought and modes of articulation that facilitate the breaking into new ground, or revelation of new codes or forms of thought – as we enter a new Age.

So much of this requires a re-visitation of the lessons from the Age of Pisces, and to allow those lessons the time they need to fade. Change, as radical as it needs to be, is not something that happens overnight. It takes time for the ideas we articulate to sediment into the material lives of the collective we exist as a part of.

In Aries, Mercury and Uranus focus upon messages that are channeled through – the physical body – the way we connect with ´I AM Consciousness´- insights on the human brain (anything neck upwards really) – things that break through old ways of seeing who and what we are, and that allow new ones to be recognized.

The old and new dichotomy is somewhat ironic, as so much of what we celebrate as cutting-edge research is stuff that has often already been said or put into practice by ancient civilizations. An article I saw yesterday captures this perfectly: Scientists now believe they have to rewrite the textbooks as they have now conclusively shown a connection between the brain and the lympathic system. Whilst this is a celebration and indeed, a triumph, for ´modern´ science, it´s something that practitioners from India and China have recognized for thousands of years. Be it in acupuncture, Ayurveda, Tai Chi, Chi Gong and related fields of body energy-medicine.

For me, I saw it in a little-known version of Hercules (starring Dwayne ´The Rock´ Johnson). Surprisingly good … and I mean graphic comic book level good. He plays the role of Hercules, essentially, as a mortal man who has an unusual amount of strength. Quite gritty.

Much of the mythological figures associated with his trials are shown to be – rather than gods – interpretations of his own subconscious. I loved that narrative.

It´s quite epic in a Promethan-MonkeyKing-challenge-the-gods kind of way. A dismantling of old hiearchies, and dissolving of the game that mortals play and gods orchestrate.

The closing scene is him essentially pushing down an idol of Pallas Athena onto a raging army. In that world, much as this one, the symbols of the gods become co-opted for the tyrannical machinations of would-be autocrats. Quite a powerful tale, and Pallas Athena a powerful symbol of the fall of the old. She is, of course, as the ancient Feminine co-opted as part of a later, patriarchal, mythology.

Think of her as the Distorted Feminine, that (alongside the Distorted Masculine) equally needs to tumble back to the Abyss as we seek balance once more.

Interestingly, the head of the Goddess rolls straight into the main villain, plunging him – and Her – into the abyss. Quite a powerful symbol.

Now this direction of thought and experience wasn´t one I thought I´d be entering. I´ve served many lifetimes in the role of the temple priestess and related spiritual … positions. And I thought that this life was going to be more of that.

I – and many other priestesses – have died in service to older forms and symbols of what was once sacred (temples, statues, sacred serpents and familiars) .. But all of that has shifted for me, and for others who come forwards to tell similar narratives of their own journeys.

The karma of that path of service no longer seems to call to me, and instead, I am asked to find something new for myself – and to recognize that this is a collective moment to discover (once more) – what is ´Sacred´ in this coming Age.

So much of what we once considered the forms and structures that hold/express the sacred need to … well .. tumble down. They need reconfiguration so we do not repeat the imbalances of the past, but build on that knowledge to find better ways of connection. Even in in the things we´re trying to bring back.

But is this a call to Ascend and leave the Earth plane? Not necessarily. If anything, it is a call to find ways of service that are reconfigured to match the energies of this new Age. But one that no longer uses that binary of Earth / Heaven , Black / White – one that sees and celebrates it all as different chapters of the same story.

In short we are called to discover a collective ethos or universalist ideal that is focused upon service to this Earth-Plane. A bridging of the rational mind and intuitive spirit in ways that no longer enslave us within the doctrine of predetermination and fatalism.

I see that expressed as the inconjunct between Mercury/Uranus (19 Aries) and the North Node (20 Virgo). Those of you with placements close to 19-20 Aquarius, or 19-20 Scorpio will see this activated as a powerful Yod (or Finger of Fate). They will lead you through powerful karmic currents, and to the crossroads of change.

It´s a very exciting time to be working with the energy of the Collective as all of this is happening whilst we have a Perfect Grand Sextile in the skies. Grand Sextiles are essentially, the Hexagram formation, or Star of David surrounded by a Hexagon. We have all but one area in Cancer (9-16 degrees) that would otherwise complete the alignment – and that too is covered when consider other asteroids. So yes, a perfect Star of David.

The bodies involved are (briefly speaking):

Vesta at 9 Taurus – The Priest/ess in Service to the Earth – see yesterday´s post for more info

Neptune at 10 Pisces – The Deep, Formless Surender to Spirit / Nothingness / Ocean of All-That-Is

Moon and Pluto in Capricorn – Questioning our understanding of authority and forms of legitimacy born of power, the idea of legacy

Juno at 12 Scorpio – the Energy of the Divine Feminine, the awakener of the Soul in the sign of the Underworld / Lessons from the Descent

Jupiter Retrograde at 15 Virgo – Growth through the Archetype and Practice of Service (bear in mind that Jupiter itself is currently squaring Saturn Retrograde – 16 Sagittarius – and Pluto – 17 Capricorn)

Thereus and Cyllarus (asteroids) at 15 Cancer – The recognition of traditional traps of identification on the victim-abuser spectrum, familial or cultural wounds that resist transcendence. The need to recognize the power of emotional movement through the past, without wanting to leap forwards / into the fray before we´re ready to do so.

Energetically speaking, it´s prime time to manifest, whatever you will. Watch your energy and intention at this time and allow it to tap into the emergent wisdom fo the Collective. Quite a lot of what will come through for you is likely to resonate with the points of the Grand Sextile. And take it in your own time, there´s no need to rush into something. If it seems too overwhelming, plug out and let things unfold as they will.

The Grand Sextile formed through the Moon´s movement into Capricorn, circa 5 am on March 31st 2016, UTC time.

The alignment dissolves just as the Moon conjuncts Pluto (17 Capricorn) and intensifies its square to Mercury and Uranus (19 Aries) I´d estimate that to be around 3.30 am, April 1st 2016 (UTC time) – roughly 9 hours from the time this post goes public.

The Grand Sextile dissolves as the Moon conjuncts Pluto, squaring Mercury-conjunct-Uranus. That activates the same dynamic we´ve been (intensely) feeling between 2012-2015, i.e. the Uranus-Pluto squares. It (in a nutshell) makes you question the legitimacy of authority and the legacy you leave behind in this world – supported by that radical break-through energy of Uranus as it propells the evolution of the Collective.

Old structures fall, as we prepare for new alignments to take their place.

Blessings to the Collective,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.
Image: Roman – Statue of Hygeia, Goddess of Health – Walters 2342.jpg – Walters Art Museum [Public domain, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], 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, insitution 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.

VESTA IN TAURUS: THE EARTH-PRIEST/ESS IN SEARCH OF A PATH OF SERVICE (March 7 – May 16, 2016)

Vesta, the Priestess or Sacred Facilitator, has been in the sign of Taurus since early March 2016. In this sign, she focuses upon finding her means of Service through the sensual, embodied, fleshy material realm. For some, it will be a call to renounce all these things, and for others, it will be a time to embody and celebrate them fully. Some will find that they´re doing both, in certain ways. Perhaps a letting go of conventional ideas of relating to the Earth and the material world, and a celebration of far older ways. There are many ways that can play out. In this article, I´m going to focus on the Earth-Gaia-aspect of it, with practical suggestions.

Unsurprisingly, the entry of Vesta into Taurus matches the time I spent in the UK on pilgrimage and strongly echoes the lessons I learnt and experiences I had there. Most of my time was spent in the countryside, far away from the cities. I felt the ancient heritage of the land and the ways its people have learnt to commune with that consciousness over time – and equally – how that relationship has been tampered with in more recent times.

At this time, those of us who work with the archetype of the Spiritual Facilitator, Earth-Worker, Priest/ess, etc. will be feeling this powerful call to serve Mother Earth. It is an excellent time to honor Her energy, presence and consciousness – and to acknowledge the harm that we, as a species, have done.

At times this comes through construction work and over-development that does not take into account the consciousness of the land it is built on. And at other times, this comes from intentional energetic tampering. You´d be surprised at how strongly that came through in the sites I visited whilst on pilgrimage. Be it through those seeking to tap into the energy hotspots to promote their personal growth (at the expense of others), or well-intentioned healers ending up amplying the damage that´s already been done.

Even in Glastonbury, of all places.

Since my last visit there to 2012, the vibration of that land has shifted (and not in a good way). More and more energy-workers and sensitives prefer to live away from the town center itself, or to avoid certain parts of it. It´s whispered between practitioners and those in the know, but really – it´s something that needs to be acknowledged.

And it´s certainly not an isolated incident. Consider the politics of control and the proposed commercialization of Stonhenge, an ancient ceremonial site!

Though .. coming back to the immediate present — Here´s a couple of ideas that you can use in your own celebration or dedication of Service to our Great Mother, Gaia.

Consider honoring the Earth in ways that celebrate her, allow her to ´remember´ her own beauty, fertility and vibrance.

Be it through ritual, focused intentions, prayers, gemstone grids – or simply a heartelt acknowledgement and the giving of thanks.

Sit under a tree, or on your favourite patch of soil and simply allow yourself to listen. Remember to unplug if things get too intense.

Working in groups is probably going to be more effective than doing it solo, for most. The land retains a lot of energy, and sometimes, when forced into an unnatural alignment, the pain and anxieties of the people who live on it (and its own consciousness). That´s too much for one person to handle.

It´s an excellent time to begin reaching out to others who can do this kind of work with integrity and knowledge. It´s quite a sophisticated skill-set … think of it as a long-forgotten form of energy technology.  In other words – If doing energetic work on a specific piece of land, seek guidance from an experienced practitioner.

That being said, honoring the Earth with your love in a simple, direct way is something that you can do as an individual. A prayer of thanks, a prayer of love.

Plant seeds if you can, and with each seed – set an intention of love, or of giving back to the Great Mother. Of finding ways of coexistence that allow us to honor Her cycles, and our own needs.

For those of you who prefer gemstone tools, try working with natural smoky quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, pyrite or moss agate – or whatever truly calls. There´s plenty of options.

Now, this is just one part of Taurus´energy – others will be working through the same dynamic, and need to serve, through others aspects of material manifestation – exploring other channels of abundance. For some that will involve the tactile body, and for others the exchange of goods, items, services and currency.

Whatever medium you use, treat it with integrity, but remember to give back  🙂 And keep the cycles of love flowing.

Those who are facing blocks surrounding that side of things – especially as there is so much spiritual shaming that comes on the moment you talk about money, sex or the material realm – consider working with the Carnelian gemstone on the sacral chakra center.

For those dealing with very raw, tender wounds that inhibit the creative expression – and pleasure within – your body, try working with Thulite or Rhodocrosite. For those who need help holding their own space in the process, try Rhodonite. You can lay these on your body or wear them as jewellery.

Finally, be it through Earth-energy-working, or simply dealing with issues of self-worth/self-esteem – if you do feel you need a mantra that can clear your space and bring you back into the present – I´d reccomend this one. The Lion Goddess (Pratyangira Devi) meditation. Deeply energizing, loving and … absolutely protective. .. Much like the Earth herself <3.

 

 

I hope these suggestions are of use and benefit. It´s a wonderful time to expand our spiritual tools and practices to work directly with the Earth-plane and to acknowledge what has been done, but also, what can be done to restore balance in the most loving way possible. And to reach out to others who do the same.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam ❤  ❤  ❤

The Sky Priestess

Post & Image ´Sunset from Boscawen-Un, Cornwall, March 2016´ ©Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

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, insitution 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.

HEADS UP! THE TRICKSTER´S ABOUT! (Piscean Projection, Chiron-South Node-Conjunction, Sun at 29 Pisces … & More)

The Universe sometimes teaches us things through the archetype of the Trickster. It´s when you experience or learn something through the act of misrepresentation or trickery, often seen as play. Coyote, for instance, is a Trickster God in the Native American tradition. That corresponds with Monkey in the Chinese tradition, or Anansi the Spider in the African tradition.

They´re not necessarily mean, just cheeky buggers who really make you learn by making you do something foolish. Wisdom comes when you realize the joke´s on you, and you see it as part of the Divine Dance – maybe you´ll have a laugh at yourself at the end of the day. Not my favourite archetype, but certainly a rewarding one (I´m a Tiger in the Chinese system, more of a serious type).

Thinking about it (and seeing the first Wikimedia Commons image that popped up – shared above), you can see Trickster energy as a different octave, or form of Chaos. Perhaps it´s Chaos (or Kaos) wearing a smiley-face mask. The Universal kick-up-the-bum or spanner-in-the-works tinkling with the jiggling of the bells on the jester´s hat. And it just makes you want to laugh, doesn´t it? (not the kind of laughter you see from Saturday night stand-up at the Apollo Theater, but the drier, existential kind).

But hey … giggling .. I mean, moving along…

Astrologically speaking, there´s a couple of candidates that might account for this Trickster vibe I´ve been seeing about:

One is the Sun preparing to leave Pisces, now at it´s 29th (final degree). We´re preparing for a new cycle (i.e. the Equinox) and clearing the psychic pipes in the meantime, before the Sun shifts into Aries. The kind of ´trickery´ one might see here doesn´t necessarily have to do with an external person, but the inner trickster-projector (quite related with some of the falliabilities of Pisces energy).. read on…

There´s quite a few bodies nearby the Sun adding emphasis the challenges and gifts of Pisces through various channels: Mercury, the Mis/Communicator – 25 Pisces; South Node & Chiron (that´s a biggie) – 21 Pisces ; Ceres (the Mother-Nurturer) – 19 Pisces.

The South Node conjunct Chiron really stresses the need to release from cycles of (perceived) woundedness, victimization and matryrdom. Through that, profound healing and access to psychic gifts is possible. Quite a lot of you will be working through past life cycles, karmic connections and generally – some pretty old stuff.

Mercury in Pisces raises the risks of verbal slippage, losing sight of the necessary details, or simply mis-communication (in general). Remember the inner trickster at play. The South Node-Chiron conjunction nearby adds a karmic weight to such exchanges. Think of them as greater gifts that allow you to clear energetic blockages.

Ceres in Pisces asks us to disconnect from over-attachments to the Mother archetype, particularly with the aspect of it that can be particularly smothering or controlling, especially through passive-aggressive methods. If you´re going to try to nurture yourself or others, be clear with your intent. Sometimes disconnection and detachment is the most compassionate thing you can do. Sometimes it´s prayer. But it really depends on your specific situation.

Generally speaking,

Watch out for seeing your own shadow as the bogeyman, mistranslations or perceptions of things that make you feel wounded, victimized or persecuted .. or just plain silly. Chances are it doesn´t really have to do with anyone else, or anything external to you. Be clear with your words as best as possible (remember the North Node in Virgo opposes Chiron), but there´s no need to cut others down. Try your best to make sure you´ve got the organizational details of things ironed out, practical matters sorted – for anything you´re working on at this time.

People will be what they choose to be and you cannot control another´s reaction to you. If you do see someone reacting strongly to something you say or do, which may be entirely innocent – bear in mind that they might be acting out some old pattern of wounding. Which does not mean you need to back down from your truth, it just means you understand the dynamic a little better.

Be clear, be honest, don´t beat about the bush. Say what you mean, mean what you say. But don´t expect others to see you in any particular way.

That´s generally good advice, but especially relevant for the present time.

At the end of the day,

Remember ….

The Trickster is at Play 😉

( Hey, that rhymed! 🙂 Hooray!
Lots of Crazy-Wisdom-Teachings today
Okay I´ll stop now …
Yay 😛 )

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Terms of Use & Sharing: Please feel free to share this (using the Share button on FB) for personal, non-commercial use – and not for the promotion of your own programs, websites, institutions, advertising or services (can´t believe I still have to say that – but hey, better than waffling about).

Text © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please see Terms of Use and Sharing.

Image: Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) (Aglais io), Otmoor, Oxfordshire, Wikimedia Commons, Fair Use Policy.

The Pisces Eclipse. A Summary of Energetic Themes and Practical Techniques.

Right, I´ve been looking at this Eclipse and considering what to write on it. There´s just so much going on, especially if you consider the asteroids. I think it´s best to bring it back to the basics.

 

(1) There´s a lot of deep, karmic processing going on right now. We´re looking at energetic patterns inherited from ancestral lineages and from past-life dynamics.

 

(2) We are challenged to see the role we play in the creation and perpetuation of these karmic dynamics in our lives. In so doing, we are asked to shed the games of projection and illusion often seen in Piscean energy. There is little room here now for the martyr or the victim.

 

(3) We are shown the ways or paths to ground or anchor new energetic vibrations that can help us in the choosing of new experiences, paths, and realities. Some of these will come through powerful teachers, and others through the use of healing tools and modalities.

 

(4) If we choose to let it, this eclipse can help us clear away karmic debris from previous times which we no longer need to re-play in our lives. Bottom line.

 

(5) As we do so, we clear the psychic waterways and are better able to step into and explore our own gifts and deeper connections with Spirit.

 

Any way you slice it, these are the key themes that the Pisces Eclipse brings to our awareness. There´s a tonne of asteroids and minor planets involved in this configuration – and really – they point to the same message.

 

Here´s a couple of practical things you can do

 

(6) Get grounded. Whether it´s with hematite or smoky quartz, cedarwood or sandalwood essential oil, walking barefoot on the ground, sitting in nature, eating warm, healthy soup – make sure your feet are planted in this earthly reality as your spirit traverses the unseen.

 

(7) Sleep, or simply Rest. If you´re feeling overstimulated, this is the best thing you can do. Things like lavender essential oil and the lepidolite gemstone are deeply relaxing. They can help you ease into a more receptive, restful state of mind. The same with salt soaks for the feet or in the tub (combining that with lavender would be great). Remember, you´re still processing internally.

 

(8) Supplement. Whether it´s with raw, healthy foods with these compounds or vitamin supplements, consider using B vitamins (in moderation) or the Omega Oils to support brain function as you go through the deep work of re-wiring. You´ve got the chance to rewrite your energetic script, and your brain will then need to catch up in terms of its physical configurations.

 

(9) Meditate. Nothing too intense at this time, unless you´re strongly called to it. But simply closing your eyes and paying attention to your breath is more than enough. Do your best to find that sweet spot of openness and receptivity, and yeah… the Universe will do the rest. In this alignment, the best thing you can do is to simply Be.

 

So, that´s what I have to say right now about this Eclipse. I´ll tune in tomorrow and see if the asteroid interpretation will be helpful. Right now the key theme is to simply Be.

 

Keep the faith, stay grounded. You´ve probably heard me (and others) say this quite a bit. But it still holds.

 

The Eclipse goes exact at 1:54 am UTC, 9th of March. (About 5 hours from the time of posting this).

 

Ciao ciao!

 

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Post & Image ( ¨Monserrat View 2016 ¨) © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please feel free to Share on social media with the share buttons for personal, noncommercial use with all links intact. For all other purposes, please contact me first. Thanks!

DROP THE DOGMA! THOUGHTS ON SAGITTARIUS…

 

Sagittarius, as a sign, and a type of psychological predisposition (especially if on the Ascendant) is very focused on its understanding of personal truths as they sit in relation to a greater body of other Truths. In other words, it wants the roadmap that shows it the various steps and twists and turns of the journey – and the dot that says ´You Are Here´.

 

The energy of Sagittarius comes alive when it can navigate its own conceptual map, especially when it feels as though it has made enough progress to be seen as an authority or master of that journey – or that is associated with such a teacher.

 

And .. well.. let´s just say it also likes to make sure you´re aware of that fact. Barring other aspects, Sagittarius finds it hard to have a conversation without referring to the thing they read, or did, or learnt from someone.

 

Now whilst that isn´t a bad thing in itself, it is – like every other sign – going to face its own challenge.

 

Let me put it this way – If you´re looking for a guide, guru, mentor or teacher to show you the way to your own salvation …. well, you couldn´t do better than Sagittarius.

 

And whilst this would have been relevant to previous ages and energetic climes, it really doesn´t hold up much in the emergent wave of spiritual consciousness we are all dancing with at this time.

 

Because Truth.. and our relationship with Truth .. is changing.

 

The old codes are shifting, and with them, a new wave of information – and modes of interpretation – are coming through.

 

The old roadmaps that said – this be the way to the mountaintop – are changing, rapidly.

 

We´ll see this with the intense focus on the Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) throughout this year and the next. A lot of pedestals are going to dissolve (and rightly so), and many of us will discover a healthier relationship with the Journey and its many Conceptual Roadmaps.

 

Navigate away, brave adventurers – but bear in mind the terrain keeps changing.

 

The ´I Know, I Judge, My Truth is Better Than Your Truth´ vibe has gotta go. At least the parts of it that make you rigid to change.

 

Just some thoughts I felt like sharing at this time. Remember, we´re in the buildup to the Pisces Eclipse! Saturn in Sagittarius squares the Eclipse, whilst Jupiter and the North Node in Virgo opposes it.

More on that soon… Stay tuned!

 

Ciao ciao !

 

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

 

Post & Image ( ´St. Michael´s Mount, Marazion, Cornwall´) © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Feel free to share this info using the Share button on FB for personal, noncommercial use. Anything else, please get in touch first.