Homo Luminus

Whoever taught you

ignorance is bliss

was ignoring the truth.

Bliss is awareness.

I'll show you the proof.

A monarch emerges

after shedding old skin,

struggling with self

before new life can begin.

Breaking out of its barriers,

then strengthening wings,

they navigate with wisdom--

we're all meant to be kings.

Transformation begins

when the timing is right.

Destiny unfolds

like new wings that know flight.

Now ignoring true nature

leaves you crawling alone.

It's time you made wings

so you, too, can fly home.

Time

Time was not always like this:

a start and stop,

forward pushing to the grave,

slaving away the moments and meaning,

daily grinding thoughts and feeling,

disenchantment of earthly blessing,

running ragged through a race,

lost in a maze that others made,

paycheck to paycheck,

orientation to retirement,

ashes to ashes, dust to dust--

this time was never meant for us.

They were buying it, borrowing it,

saving it, spending it,

keeping it, passing it,

making it, ending it.

But humanity has only a thin grasp on time.

It is not about power, and out of our control.

If captured, it slips through fingers

like hourglass sand.

Let it flow, let it spiral through the wind--

time is like this:

cycles of celebration and synchronicity,

of journeying inward, traveling outward, then in and out again,

unraveling secrets and telling never-ending stories

of the universe inside and out.

We should be making the most of this gift called time.

The Cardinal Climax

There are too many cosmic events going on at one time, and not enough time to document them. Our lives are similarly affected. This summer is anything but boring. In fact, if you haven’t experienced this time as one of the following adjectives, you’re hiding from important lessons…probably for fear of change.

We are in the midst of two weeks that have potential to be transformative, stressful, aggravating, highly active, intense, and self-educational. There is no doubt the wheels are turning with great force, and things stuck in the mud will either dislodge or get left behind.

Since last week, on the 27th, Mercury has been feeling right at home in Virgo. Mercury (the planet of communication) rules Virgo (the sign of order, improvement, and healing). This Mercury in Virgo transit lasts until October 3rd and promotes problem-solving and establishing healthy routines. We first had to cut through the confusion and opposition…but our minds are getting back on track and better able to focus. Hold that focus this summer, because we’ll all be needing it.

Mars entered Libra Thursday night and will be in this sign of Venusian harmony until September 14th. This positioning of Mars is called ‘in detriment’. When planets are in the sign of their detriment, they often have difficulty operating positively. Those who have Mars in Libra in their natal chart (like myself) have usually grown accustom to this energy, and thus can offer some insight in how to balance it.

Mars is the warrior planet and rules action, desire, and confrontation. Libra is ruled by Venus, and is the sign associated with relationships, fairness, and friendliness. So, our actions and desires during this transit become focused on our relationships and we will feel the urge to fight for equality. The discomfort comes from not being able to push full force into action because of the consideration of others’ feelings and rights. Actions will need to be focused on harmony during this transit, no matter how irritated we might get.

Over the weekend, we had Mars and Uranus exacting an opposition on Friday…challenging us to balance realization with articulation. This aspect can cause surprises and accidents. It’s also pitting the warrior against the innovator. On Saturday, we had Mars conjunct Saturn…placing even more emphasis on expressing yourself (and your desire to improve) to others. These two together are formidable opponents to the new ideas and pioneering coming from the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction. On a global scale, these oppositions are strengthening on both sides. On a personal level, try not to be too hard on yourself and others. We are all being held to high standards, and we’re being challenged to take on more responsibility than we thought we could manage. How we handle this is an indicator of our evolution. Not only is this all very stressful and active, it can also be very productive. Use your time wisely, tempering randomness with routine, and you might just come out of this completely unscathed…with wisdom attained.

Lughnasadh (August 1st) was bound to be busy. The challenging aspects of the weekend were still in effect and the Moon being void-of-course all day gave plenty of fluctuating circumstances to our efforts toward solidifying the things we’ve been pushing toward all summer. Fortunately, the morning and late night provided some emotional nurturance and spiritual solace.

The Moon is now exalted in Taurus, meaning our emotions are comforted in this energy of practical integrity. Yesterday the Taurus Moon made an Earth Grand Trine between Pluto, Mercury, and finally the North Lunar Node. This kind of aspect configuration may have been just what we needed to plant the seeds we’ve been accumulating in all this business and finally produce what we’ve been working toward. Monday was the day to get down to brass tacks and straighten everything out while we had the focus.

Juno, the asteroid of partnership and commitment, entered Leo at noon yesterday (August 2nd). Leo is a dramatic sign and is very demonstrative and romantic. Those of you in relationships, especially married couples, may benefit from a little more fun and creativity in your love life. After midnight, Juno and Uranus formed a trine…giving a sense of spontaneity (or possibly some mental stimulation) to relationships.

But even though there were good things yesterday, there was still another cavalcade of challenges. The Quarter Moon, energizing 11 degrees of Taurus and Leo, is inclining us all to use great care in nurturing the good spirits of others in order to manifest our best intentions. This may be difficult, because Jupiter and Pluto are clashing in a square again (the first one happened on July 24th, the next one happens Feb. 25th, 2011). The square was exact at 12:34am (August 3rd), but stays in effect before and after that. This is the retrograde version of what began less than two weeks ago. Whatever lessons we missed last time are up for review again. This is a contact with global implications, and is a major part of the Cardinal Squares of this summer.

Other irritations (similar to the ones we thought we relieved during the weekend of the Full Blessing Moon) may crop up, forcing more changes. It comes down to everyone needing to be in the same boat in order to accomplish goals that benefit the group. The happy-go-lucky Jupiter energy may find it hard to enjoy the order and force of necessary changes that Pluto is providing this summer. Learning to trust others, as well as ourselves, is still our key to security.

All day today, Mars is building up more tension in the Cardinal T-square. Tonight, Mars exacts an opposition to Jupiter (11:21pm) and a square to Pluto (11:59pm). Mars tends to get arguments heated, so be careful that you’re not feeding into that energy. The positive vibrations of Mars have to do with taking action and being energetic. Despite the planetary alignments currently set against each other, impeding progress and causing friction, there is a way to tweak it to a more productive (and friendly) experience.

Mars right now is transiting the 3rd degree of Libra and enters the 4th degree at 4:22pm. So, Mars is going from the Sabian Symbol of ‘The dawn of a new day with everything changed’ into ‘A group around a campfire’. So, hopefully, we woke up this morning able to let the past go and embrace the new day. Because tonight, we’ll be needing to surround ourselves with warm sociability and support from friends in order to ignite illumination and awareness in our current situations.

It’s bad enough that these alignments are inclined to add heat to current social and political climates. Not everybody exercises the positive side of squares and oppositions. Many people are more reactive than that, and Mars carries an aggressive energy. Compromise is key, yet…in group dynamics…it can be hard to have everyone on the same page. When you are aware of this energy, and you see people becoming explosive or irritable…either stay out of their way or (if you can’t avoid them) try to calm them by being a good friend.

And speaking of friends, Friday night (August 6th) Venus will also enter Libra (the sign she rules). She’s very at home in this peacekeeping sign and hopefully she will help to temper the harshness of Saturn and Mars in the squares. Venus will be in Libra until September 8th, and relationships get another boost during this transit. It’s still not going to be easy during this week, but soon the squares will soften and we can all have some semblance of a normal life again.

The first contact Venus makes to this T-square is on Saturday, August 7th in the early morning when Venus exacts an opposition with Uranus. Unusual attractions can occur under this aspect, as well as issues between freedom and closeness in relationships. Surprises may occur, challenging our ability to stay connected. Sudden realizations are par for the course, and articulation is once again the key. This opposition has the ability to boost a current situation (or relationships) into new, and perhaps even better, territory.

Just after noon on Sunday, August 8th, Venus conjuncts Saturn in the 2nd degree of Libra. The Sabian Symbol here is ‘The light of the sixth race transmuted to the seventh”. This is one of the more esoteric symbols, as it indicates the threshold between spiritual dimensions. This conjunction has to do with the evolution and expansion of consciousness through building upon a foundation of love and dedication. We may feel ourselves entering an advanced state on Sunday, after the harshness of the squares begin to subside. Our new experiences will restore equilibrium. Our challenge is to set free our limiting thought processes, which will support the planetary ascension process.

Fortunately, this conjunction inclines us to not waste our time with frivolity. We will all be more attracted to maturity, wisdom, and solid values…and commitments in relationships and business are favored at this time. By the same token, other relationships may need to be cut loose, or at least worked on seriously…particularly any that were suffering in the squares of this summer. This energy might also cause some to feel withdrawn in a crowd, and many of us might just want to be alone or with a close companion by the end of the day. This is a good time to reflect, set priorities, enjoy simple pleasures, and appreciate quality time with those you love.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi

The Oppositions and Squares of Summer

By now, you've heard tell of the stressful planetary alignments that have been building up this summer. Now that we're getting into the thick of it, and how it can manifest to the mundane world, our attention has been called to action and balance in order to lessen the stress.

This weekend (Saturday) the astral dynamics amongst the squares began with Jupiter and Pluto exacting a square. Because of the retrograde cycle, these two will exact another square on August 2nd of this year and a final one on February 25th of next year. Not only were we challenged to let go of impractical plans this weekend, but large-scale things were clashing into unseen, transformative things everywhere. From news leaks about Afghanistan, to dams breaking, to those things in your personal life that began to irritate at the start of the summer and now have come to the point of requiring action to alleviate the pressure...it's certainly getting more difficult for all of us to find the time just to breathe calmly. More difficult than that is to clear our minds in the midst of demands for attention from every direction of our lives. But clarity is what we need to discover the right action for each situation we encounter now.

The Full Blessing Moon on Sunday night gave us plenty of opportunity to balance the oppositions between 7 planets, as well as our 2 luminaries. The opposition of the Full Moon pulled between ideas of defiance and decision. In the 3rd degree of Aquarius and Leo, the Moon's Sabian Symbol was 'a deserter from the navy' while the Sun's was 'a woman having her hair bobbed'. The blessing of balance proved that it would only be attained with drastic measures and definite decisions.

Other oppositions were just adding to the push-and-pull of everything. Mercury (working up to its opposition with Neptune yesterday and with Chiron today) may have muddled dishonest communication as a product of fear with communicating our woundedness as an excuse for such behavior. On the lighter side of this is a balance between our mental and communicative capacities with our capacity for spiritual healing. At any rate, the immediacy of needs in our lives required actions with unavoidable (and, in some cases, heartbreaking) ramifications. And today, with Mercury and Chiron at odds...confidence can only come from continuity. Our honesty and endurance sustains the unity and grace we need in our lives this summer.

The main players right now in this cosmic drama are the 5 in a T-square: Pluto makes the 90 degree angle between Uranus-Jupiter's opposition with Saturn-Mars. The tug-of-war between the New Age Uranus and the Old Age Saturn has been in effect since Election Day 2008, prompting polarization more than cooperation...at least on the global scale. With lucky Jupiter now on the side of the innovative Uranus and plucky Mars on the side of authoritative Saturn, we are only building up more opposition. The message from Pluto in the 4th degree of Capricorn is that wisdom incorporates the old and the new. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is 'A party entering a large canoe' and has much to do with motivating groups to accomplish great achievements. Order and planning is the focus of the T-square during these next two weeks. And when the Moon comes along in Cancer (the sign she rules) on August 6th, the pressure is off of Pluto and all of his necessary transformation...and can be balanced again with emotional comfort from family and close friends.

My husband and I are in a play right now that actually deals with these universal themes on a more personal level. The play centers around a family whose patriarch is dying. His four children are determined to be so different from each other that they are often at odds with each other. When they gather together, hijinx ensue. The only thing that brings them back to center is the love and support of familial bonds aiding the continuation of life after drastic changes.

I hope we are all able to anchor our personal experiences this summer with the nurturance of our emotional selves. This is the very balance that most of us have been needing in the midst of our changing lives.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi

Jupiter Retrograde: Center the Heart and Enter the Mind's Eye

After the Sun's journey into Leo began yesterday, we have been more inclined to put our creative self-expression into action. Today, as Jupiter stations in the 4th degree of Aries, we might want to focus some of that solar energy on expansion within. We may need it in the weeks ahead. Any blockages, worries, fears, doubts, or other aggravating mindstuff can get a beneficial dose of Jupiter's good will if you tap into your higher planes of consciousness.

The Sabian Symbol for the 4th degree of Aries is 'Two lovers strolling along a secluded walk'. This symbol radiates balance through love and gratitude. It also resonates with the pineal gland body point, also called the third eye. This 'walk' or journey we are on has much to do with trusting others as well as ourselves. The balance of your gait on this stroll begins on an inner level. One of the lessons within this degree is understanding the enjoyment of self which fosters the enjoyment of others. It is difficult to keep balance with just one or the other. But in order to cultivate love and trust in your external environment, you must plant it and nurture it to grow inside first. Sometimes, in the face of adversity, we have to continue to replant. Jupiter Retrograde is good for such a thing, as his 'Midas Touch' has a green thumb for abundance.

Meditation on these themes is beneficial during this retrograde (which lasts until November 18th), but especially between now and August 7th as Jupiter travels backwards through this 4th degree of Aries. The time between now and that weekend is also potent with many other alignments signifying much action and change. It will be good to have Jupiter's energy in the mix of the Cardinal Grand Cross to help balance our impulsive self-expression.

Sometime this weekend, as we're approaching the Full Blessing Moon on Sunday night, find the time to meditate, learn about yourself, get philosophical, explore your inner spirituality, or simply just think on self-awareness. Ask yourself this question, 'If it were possible, where would we locate a third eye?' Expand the mind and exercise your imagination.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi

Saturn's Transition into Libra: Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Wednesday was always writing day for me. I might as well get back at that now.

The Sabian Symbol for the 1st degree of Libra is 'A butterfly made perfect by a dart through it.' Think of Saturn wearing the cloak of this symbol. Saturn, the karmic authority of the cosmos, has been clothed in Virgo's tasks and lessons, while seeing through her eye of improvement for almost three years now. But as of this morning, Saturn has ventured into the sign of Venusian Harmony. The delicate balance of all things becomes the basis of our karmic lessons this time around through Libra. For the next couple of years, there is a serious focus on relationships...and not just between people, but also the balance between everything.

It was 10:10am CST when Saturn returned to Libra for another long journey. He will be there until October 5th, 2012. This transit is the time to pinpoint, articulate, and illuminate our identities as a whole and their practical application within society. The first degree of Libra is an equinox point, and a powerful force of balance and moderation. Make the metamorphosis into your own idea of beauty and love.

At the same time, Saturn's sextile with the Cancer Sun formed a Yod ('Finger of God' aspect configuration) pointing right to Neptune and Chiron in the last two degrees of Aquarius. What was being pin-pointed can be drawn from these two degrees and their symbols.

The Sabian Symbol that Neptune has been retrograding through for a while now is 'A butterfly emerging from a chrysalis'. It emanates with metamorphosis, growth and movement and particularly within the spiritual realm when Neptune, the mystic of the cosmos, embodies it. Those boundaries between other states of being dissolve here, allowing for greater personal freedom and transformation.

The Sabian Symbol that Chiron is retrograding through is 'Moonlit fields, once Babylon, are white and blooming'. Chiron is a wounded healer, the shaman of the cosmos. When he graces each degree of the zodiac, we have our key to the gift within our wounds. Even through complex transformation, these fields are eternal and on sacred ground. We should continue to cultivate the grace we see before us today.

Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi