New Moon in Gemini: Communicating our Authentic Voice

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New Moon in Gemini: Communicating our Authentic Voice

Moon conjunct Sun @ 2:44pm CDT, 5-25-17

The Strong Sun Moon phase begins with our two luminaries meeting in Gemini…the sign of the Networker who communicates the connections of the human mind.  The weather is warming and the world is becoming increasingly more active in the warmth of the Strong Sun.  The information exchange between all of Earth’s creatures is growing to its peak during this phase as we approach Midsummer.  For us humans, this New Moon focuses on the power of our words, which hold vibrations that can either heal or harm. 

This new cycle begins in the 5^th degree of Gemini, illuminating the symbol of “A Radical Magazine”.  In my life, this symbol seems appropriate.  This VOICE blog can be considered symbolically as ‘a radical magazine’ of sorts.  You certainly don’t see these kinds of topics discussed in your local newspaper.  If you know anything about Arabic Parts, the 5^th degree of Gemini is also my ‘Part of Life’.  This New Moon is incredibly significant to me as it activates a Mutable Grand Cross aspect pattern in my natal chart.  My Psyche (asteroid of the soul-mind connection) is in the 5^th degree of Virgo, weaving the web of my Storyteller within.  My Uranus Retrograde (the Great Awakener) is in the 5^th degree of Sagittarius, inspiring insight and exploration into the foundations of my beliefs through the Liberator within.  And My Venus (Divine Feminine planet of Love and Values) is in the 6^th degree of Pisces, activating that ‘Venusian Octave’ that inspires my gifts to shine out to others through the Poet/Lover within.

Something has certainly been building in me up to this point, as you can see from the increase in my writing this spring, as well as the content.  For others, the need to communicate authentically may find another outlet.  When asked about how to align with our authentic selves, I acknowledge the inner child of each person.  Some are wounded or abandoned children, and need remembering, healing, and re-integration before the answer can fully reveal itself to them.  Some are eternal children (think, Peter Pan), Divine children, magical children, or nature children like myself.  To them, I ask, “What did you know to be true about yourself when you were a child?”  For me, the question strongly resonates with my 8 year old self, who knew I was meant to be a writer.  Do you remember your child self?  Your inner child holds the key to unlocking your highest potential on this planet.  Paradoxically, your child self was focused on play…but that play holds the wisdom of your sacred work as an adult.  What did you do for fun before you even understood the concept of work?  What brought joy into your heart as a child?  For me, it was my connection with animals and nature, my explorations with friends and family, and my creativity that set pencil to paper to record each inspiration that came to me. 

As adults, we forget a lot of the wisdom we once knew…though we see ourselves as much wiser in many ways.  Yes, we have more information and our brains are more fully formed to grasp more complex concepts now…but we also tend to cloud over our inherent, child-like clarity with the illusions of adulthood.  This New Moon means to reconnect us with the essence of truth.  Forces within the collective have been testing us through the confusion of what is real and what is fake. 

“I’m a young soul, I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit ‘bout what is true and fake.  But why all this hate?  Try to communicate, finding trust and love is not always easy to make.”  -Yael Naim, lyrics from ‘New Soul’

Frustrating as such a world can be, it is all part of the process of developing our personal sovereignty and remembering what is true for us.  We must keep in mind, and in heart, that what is true for us may not be the same truth for others.  What I see as a tree, a squirrel may see as a home.  All things are seen from the relative position of your mind and what you think you see.  You may see a situation as a problem and a friend may think that it’s a challenge and see the solution.  Of course, everyone is relatively right…because what you think you see, you do see.  However, there are better ways than going about seeing the world through the lens of what we think we already know to be true.  Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius right now challenges us to build our beliefs on sturdier foundations than we have in the past and explore the structural integrity of what is currently defined as truth in our ever-evolving world.

Which brings me to the next section of this New Moon exploration:  the Transits.  Multiple transits have been happening in the cosmos leading up to this New Moon and some will endure after it in order to integrate what seeds are planted now.  We have been receiving messages, signals, and gifts (perhaps even warnings?) that direct (or re-direct) us to a new life unfolding.  New connections may come as surprising linkages onto new pathways.  You may have become aware of this happening more and more throughout this Spring.   “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet” seems to be a prevailing mantra of astrologers about this year.  Things are lining up for initiation after initiation in 2017…preparing us for what we’ll face later.  So the cycles of this initiation are important to recognize.  They are all, in different lights, focused upon self-change…addressing our need to integrate unconscious motive with conscious intent.

One of the most significant cycles this Spring has been that of Venus.  I am rather guided by her influence, so most of you have already been reading about her a lot lately.  A week ago, though, she came out of her retrograde shadow…then exacted an opposition with with Jupiter Retrograde on the 19^th.  Since then, she has been building to a conjunction with Pallas Athena (asteroid of the Warrioress of Wisdom)…creating a powerful, double dose of Aries Warrioress energy from which to draw strength and courage.  On Monday, the 22^nd, the Moon in Aries passed by both of them, activating their shared message of feminine power.  Tomorrow (the 26^th), Venus and Pallas Athena will exact their conjunction in the 20^th degree of Aries…uniting in their cause of bringing love and wisdom together to protect the cosmic order.  The symbol of this degree is “a young girl feeding birds in winter”…bringing back a previous message from the full moon on April 11^th.  What I wrote from that very similar energy then was “This is an exchange of Ayni (the symbiotic balance of give and receive in right relationship).  It comes from a place of pure feeling…of innocence connecting at the spirit level between beings.  Life force is replenished to the birds…and delight fills the child who interacts with them.  Each is giving and receiving love and gratitude as they come in harmony with each other.”

Another significant cycle, mentioned last month in this blog, is that the lunar nodes have shifted to the Leo-Aquarius axis.  In that shift, The North Node in Leo has formed a harmonious aspect pattern with Uranus in Aries and Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius.  This configuration is called a Grand Fire Trine…activating the last degrees of each fire sign.  It signals a creative flow of energy holding space for the transformations of this time.  Though the fire signs are very active energies, the harmony of the trine is without struggle.  So it presents an opportunity to tap into…but not the push and pull we’ve grown accustomed to feeling in forcing necessary change to happen.  This energy is more like ‘you will, or you won’t…whatever’…but if you do manage to find your way to tapping in…the benefits are such blissful blessings.  The harmonious exchange involves the flashes of genius and pioneering energy of Uranus in Aries, the inner restructuring of beliefs and quest for the foundations of truth of Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius, and the North Node in Leo’s soul urge to step out of your comfort zone and embody the confident, compassionate leader you truly are.  This is gregarious energy, and often requires us to engage with others authentically through the heart…rather than hiding within our heads (as is the comfort zone of the South Node in Aquarius).  For more about this nodal shift, and how to make the best of it for the next 18 months, see ‘The Dragon’s Flight into the Leo-Aquarius axis’ from last month. 

The final cycle I want to mention as it was significant in the lead up to this New Moon is the Sun’s conjunction with the Pleiades this Saturday (the 20^th).  During this Pleiadian Alignment, information from ‘the Seven Sisters’ was flooding through our Consciousness (Sun) and being downloaded rapidly that weekend into the minds of their starseeds on Earth.  Each of us was receiving what information was most significant to our role on this planet…in as much or as little as we could personally handle.  It was on that same day that Mercury was released from the shadow of its previous retrograde…so the collective mind was moving full-speed ahead with the new information.  Two days later (the 24^th) was a significant day in the Mayan calendar…regarded as the beginning of a sustained effort to create resonance on a larger, collective scale with unity consciousness (generated by ‘the Ninth Wave’).  The Mayans were very connected with the Pleiades…so, confusing as that last sentence may be to many readers…the significance of this activation right after the integration of the Pleiadian Alignment is still worth mentioning.

In all these shifts and cycles, downloads and initiations…the impetus to share the information we’ve been acquiring is strong.  This brings our attention, during this lunation, to the throat chakra…the portal through which we communicate our truths and experiences to others. 

Two months ago, I received the 7 archetypes into my chakras through the Harmony Rite of the Munay-Ki.  Each new and full moon since, I have been integrating them one at a time, from root to crown.  The first four chakra archetypes integrated previously were animals.  The next three are guardians (sometimes referred to as ‘archangels’ by the mixing of the indigenous spirituality with the Christianized religion that South America has adopted since the Spanish Invasion).  The upper chakras relate to the three realms of the lower world (throat), middle world (brow), and upper world (crown).  Focusing now on the archetype of my throat chakra…I have written about Huascar Inka:  Guardian of the Lower World, Keeper of the Medicine Teachings, and Shadow Warrior. 

Huascar the Healer

As I approached the mouth of the cave, I shrouded myself in the Star Cloak that Huascar gifted me when we first met.  In the daylight of consciousness, it was the green cloak with golden stars that my late friend, Bill, gifted me posthumously.  But as I went deeper into the cave, the cloak transformed into the black of a moonless night with brightly shining stars.  The starlight guided me to the cavernous throat of my Lower World journey.

It was here that I was to meet my guide, Huascar Inka.  Instead, I was greeted by a large snake, hissing and dancing.  She stuck out her tongue, her eyes glazed over, then her snake skin split down the center to reveal Kali in her well-known form.  Dancing out of her snake skin, she gazed right through me.  Then her throat split open to reveal a Monarch Butterfly.  Kali placed one of her many hands under her throat and the butterfly perched on her forefinger.  Then she extended that finger to point directly at the center of my chest.  When I approached her, I could see the lifeblood pumping into the Monarch’s wings to strengthen them for first flight.  Kali’s finger touched my chest and a large green and pink zinnia flower bloomed from my heart center.  The Monarch stepped onto the zinnia and took her first deep drink of nectar as her wings came into full strength.  Then Kali disappeared and the butterfly took flight, circling me three times before transforming into a man who stood before me.  He was an ancient Incan Medicine Man. 

“You’re Huascar.  But you’ve been Hermes Trismegistus before.  And now Kali as well.  And Monarch Butterfly?”

“You have changed as well.  Your inner fire shines brightly.”

“This was the transformation you showed me two months ago, I guess?”

“Indeed.  You have become the Phoenix.”

“This is powerful medicine.  My soul has been urging me to share it with others…so that they, too, can be inspired to transform their lives.”

“This dark moon is another initiation.  This is the time to dive deep and explore the foundations of life.  As Mama Killa begins to reveal her waxing crescent, opportunities will arise to shine for others in a new light.  In the last dark moon, you experienced the inexhaustible wellspring of the Divine in your nature.  In this phase, you must remember to first draw from the well to nourish and give to yourself.  Then there will be more than enough to nourish others.  Much as you already know this, you often forget this.  You will be tested each time you disregard your own needs for the needs of others.  Remember this sacred knowledge, though, and your energy will flow harmoniously.”

“Thank you for your wisdom, Medicine Keeper.”

And just as I expressed my gratitude, Huascar shapeshifted back into the Monarch Butterfly, became luminous energy, and flew into my throat chakra through an opening at the base of my throat.  I placed my left hand over my throat to reseal it, and my right hand over the flower at my chest to reintegrate it into my heart center.  I walked back to the mouth of the cave…feeling the vibrational shift of a deep healing happening within my throat that I wasn’t even fully aware was needed before.  

For more information on the 5^th gate of Communication, where we reclaim the healthy, authentic communication of our true self, check out 5^th Chakra:  Healing the Voice.

Totem Tuesday: Condor Medicine

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Totem Tuesday:  Condor Medicine

By Felina Lune Kavi

“If you want to soar in the Heavens

You need Condors for Companions,

Not chickens trying to fly.

Both are birds but worlds apart.”

-Mirza Yawar Baig

Keywords:  clear vision, broadening perspective, insight, messenger between above and below, carrier of prayers, connection to Spirit, power, respect, healing, clearing heavy energies (hucha), emotional expression, survival against the odds, sensitive leadership, intuition, transmutation, knowing beyond feeling

In the United States, there is only one kind of Condor still alive (the California Condor).  This species has undergone a magnificent change in the past 30 years.  We were once down to just 22 of them, but efforts from people at the San Diego Zoo brought their numbers back up to around 400 currently.  For having none of them left in the wild, and now many more that are living outside of captivity, this is a remarkable example of what we humans can do when we take responsibility for harming our wildlife…we pool our resources together and revive what we almost lost.  

These efforts were not without naysayers.  Many thought we should just let them “die off with dignity”.  But this was not a natural die off that was happening.  Despite their long life span, they were dying at an alarming rate from poisons such as lead (from bullets in carcasses) and DDT as well as from electrocution from power lines.  Fortunately, with the efforts to breed them in captivity, train them to stay away from power lines, and clean up efforts with our environment…Condors are making a comeback here on the West Coast.

Condor Medicine holds within it the ability to survive despite the odds…and the ability to inspire the people of this world to care and come together to make heart-centered change.  People with this medicine may have also had to beat the odds stacked against them in their life, but have the ability to rise above it all and inspire others to make necessary change as well.

Condors are scavengers, feeding upon the carcasses of the dead.  They are like Mother Nature’s clean-up crew…but beyond that, they are transmuting death into the sustenance of life.  They symbolize nature’s balance.  

The indigenous tribes of South America know Condor (specifically the Andean Condor) as a powerful bird that eats away at hucha (heavy energies)…clearing it so that we, and Pachamama (Mother Earth), are not bogged down by what no longer serves us in life.  They have a vital role in the ecosystem of our planet.  

Those with this medicine find that their role on this planet is also important to the survival of our Earth.  They may find themselves gifted as psychopomps (soul guides) who help souls to cross over after the body dies.  They may even be skilled at death rites or work with those who are at the end of their lives, or act as grief counselors to those who have lost loved ones.  They inherently know that death is not an ending, but a transformation…and they honor it as a rite of passage.  Their medicine is in letting go of the old to make way for the new.

Condor and Eagle share many of the same qualities to their medicines…they share similar visionary abilities, higher perspectives, leadership qualities, and carry prayers and messages between above and below.  One of the main differences is that Condor medicine is more intuitive and emotional while Eagle medicine is more industrial and intellectual.  

Condors can show how they are feeling by changes in the color of the skin on their heads.  People with this medicine share a similar gift for emotional expression.  They make inspiring leaders and are sensitive to the feelings of those they work with. 

Another thing they have in common with the eagle is that, to the people of the Peruvian Andes, Condor is symbolic of the Thunderbird (while to indigenous tribes of North America, they connect the Eagle with the Thunderbird).  It is also a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.  Condors are the largest flying birds in the world with a wingspan of up to close to 11 feet.  Interestingly, though Condor Medicine is often associated with feminine (receptive) wisdom and Eagle medicine is associated with masculine (projective) wisdom…it is actually the male condor and the female eagle that are larger than their counterparts because of sexual dimorphism. 

Condor people are creators, not destroyers.  Though they can create new life from what has been destroyed (case in point, those amazing Condor people who helped to save the California Condor from the brink of extinction).  These are compassionate people who aim to work in harmony with the Earth and her creatures.  Condors don’t really build nests either, and prefer to use cracks in cliffs, boulders, and mountainsides to house their young…perhaps with just a few sticks placed around the eggs. Survival by living in harmony with the land is important to those with Condor Medicine.

If Condor is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Condor will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a condor, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Condor may be contacting you because you need to release something in your life that is no longer serving its original purpose, or you need to clear some heavy energies in order to move forward.  However Condor chooses to share its medicine, it will take you under its wing and teach you how to live more soulfully.

Totem Tuesday: Eagle Medicine

Totem Tuesday:  Eagle Medicine

By Felina Lune Kavi

“Leaders are like eagles.  They don’t flock…you find them one at a time.” -Anonymous

Keywords:  clear vision, broadening perspective, insight, messenger between above and below, freedom, courage, power, ability to grasp details and opportunities, precision, awareness, connection to Spirit, solar energy, leadership, industry, rising above the material to see the spiritual, respect, healing, carrier of prayers, knowing beyond intellect

For those of us who live in the United States, Eagle holds national symbolism as an emblem of freedom, power, and leadership in our country.  And while many misuse this medicine, especially as used by government and corporations, it is really each individual person in this country who has the ability to reconnect with the whole of this medicine and use it for good.  Eagle sends us all on a vision quest here…one that most are not accustomed to, considering we have all but lost the significance of rites of passage.  The storm is here, and Eagle is showing us the way to fly above it and gain better perspective. 

Eagle is not just some mascot for team USA (Babylon, Egypt, and Rome have all used eagle imagery for their empires as well)…but there is good reason for this connection.  Indeed, for the whole country, its medicine is currently that of the shadow totem…medicine which we have inherently, but repress in various ways, and so we don’t work with it consciously (or even constructively, much of the time).  We tend to focus on the industry and the mental power…building the biggest nest, flying higher than others, sinking our talons into what we want, consuming as addicted opportunists…but have lost our perspective as a whole, as well as the proper use of power.  

Majestic as Eagles are, many who live and work on the Alaskan Harbor (where nearly half of our nation's bald eagles live) also know them as ‘Garbage Chickens’ or 'Trash Birds'.  This is because the eagles there, especially young males, find dumpsters an easier target for finding food than to sharpen the skills they are actually born with.  In a way, you can’t deny that this reflects the convenience-fed masses that have lost their way in this country. 

But there is much more to Eagle Medicine when we fly higher above the land.  Yes, the air element of these birds is connected to the mind…but also to the spiritual realms.  Many cultures understand Eagle as a sacred messenger between above and below.   

Eagle has also been featured in various religions around the world, such as Christianity and Islam, in ways that suggest it is “on the side of God”.  There are some similar threads between different cultures, such as Native Americans and Greek Mythology, that suggest a shape-shifting magic to this medicine.  Zeus, the chief God of the Greek Pantheon, was said to change into the form of the eagle in order to control the thunder and lighting.  Some Native Americans believed Eagle to symbolize the Thunderbird as well.  In Gaelic, Eagle was called “Suil-na-Greine”…or Eye of the Sun.  Throughout history, people all over the world have held eagles in high esteem as a bird that is very connected to Spirit. 

People with this totem medicine may also develop a close connection with Spirit…sometimes to the point of being able to hear messages and see visions with Eagle Eye precision.  They may even feel a strong energizing connection to thunderstorms.  Mostly they hold great wisdom, and people respect them as someone who gives a great deal of valuable insight and perspective on life.  They are strong communicators and can use that power to send healing to others, or to crush them like the Eagle’s powerful beak crushes prey.  Again, this medicine teaches proper use of power.

There are many different kinds of eagles, and while all of them have the medicine detailed above, some of them have specific medicine as well.  Their coloring, habitat, or predominant prey can tell you more about each of them.  For example, the Bald Eagle’s diet consists mostly of fish…which usually involves them diving to the water and catching them mid-flight.  This is symbolic of the intellect of the air element being able to peer into the vast ocean of the emotional and subconscious realms and grasp what it needs to integrate (digest) in any situation.

Eagle teaches how to rise up from the material world and see the spirit within all matter.  Those with this totem have that ability, and the ability to put their leadership skills to good use.  Eagle asks us to consider what type of leader we are, and if that path we’re leading others to is one that is ultimately constructive or destructive.  It’s not always in the mind that we come up with the right answers…there is wisdom in the heart as well.

If Eagle is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Eagle will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see an eagle, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Eagle may be contacting you to help you gain some perspective on a situation by looking at it objectively…or it may be teaching you to be more aware of your surroundings.  However Eagle chooses to share its medicine, it means to empower you to soar to your highest potential.

Full Moon in Scorpio: Reclaiming Your Self-Worth by Living Your Purpose

Full Moon in Scorpio: Reclaiming Your Self-Worth by Living Your Purpose
Moon-Sun Opposition @ 4:42pm CDT, 5-10-17

“Like a beautiful flower full of color and also fragrant, 
even so, fruitful are the fair words of one who practices them.”

--"Pupphavagga: Flowers" (Dhp IV), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita

The Full Flower Moon has always been one of my favorite lunations of the year (even when stressfully aspected). The Taurus-Scorpio axis always seems to enliven the life force within us in some way; it marries depth and celebration into sacred ceremonial space for getting right to the heart of matters. This Moon is also celebrated as the birthday of the Buddha, illuminating the middle path which balances between our two luminaries in opposition upon this axis.

The feeling of this moon, I know well.  I was born under a Scorpio Moon myself, which resides in my 7th house of partnership. To live with, and through, those lessons is to know what it means to push the boundaries of human existence, and come out even more alive than before. Not an easy path, but one important that some of us learn from. The wisdom it can bring is healing for the whole tribe...As not everyone is meant to walk the edge, but can still learn from one who has.

The Taurus fuel from the Sun this season inspires the Gardener within those of us who have Taurus prominent in our natal chart.  I was born with Taurus rising, and Chiron in Taurus conjunct that ascendant in my first house of self. My own natal Chiron (the wounded healer) is currently being transited by the Sun as it moves through the 21st degree of Taurus.  There is a great deal of medicine in this Taurus energy for me, most of which came from discovering and healing the wounds (Chiron) of self-worth and finding the gift within those lessons. The highest vibration of Taurus, for me, is symbolized by the image of a healthy and thriving bee colony that not only loves and supports themselves, but the larger whole outside the hive as well...which benefits from their pollination efforts. Taurus energy honors the sweetness and sensual pleasures of life...The essence of beauty and bliss...And coaxes it out for others to enjoy. Though, in it's lowest vibrations, there is always a bit of a sting to it that can hold you back from fully enjoying yourself and others.

And here we are, this full moon, with an eagle eye set on balancing between extremes... Wanting to elevate ourselves above an opposition to gain perspective on the theme they share. Symbolism is what I use to understand the greater story unfolding. So let's take a look at the sabian symbols illuminated by our luminaries.

Sun in the 21st degree of Taurus:. “A finger pointing to a line in an open book.”

We are searching for meaning within the larger story of human existence. What line of this book draws us to look deeper at ourselves and extract our own medicine, inspiring us to let it shine? I have countless books with highlighted passages and margins filled with my own musings. Many of us have used the practice of grabbing an insightful book during times of confusion, opening it randomly, and blindly pointing to a paragraph that we read into to find guidance. Consider, now, that we are this insightful book. What line of our own story are we currently highlighting? Is it useful to us now? Does it inspire a turning point in our transformation? Is it the turning point that we are finally on the other side of? Does it get get right to the action at the heart of our matter? The sun here illuminates the current focal point we are radiating out into the world. If that current focal point isn't aligned with our whole Self, we may need to shift our focus.

Moon in the 21st degree of Scorpio: “Obeying his conscience, a soldier resists orders.”

When pinpointing what gives our lives meaning and purpose, another light illuminates what we value and what may be out of step with those values.  Societal expectations often trap us into tight little boxes of what seems to be demanded of us, especially in aggressive societies still clinging to the last grasps of what is falling away (like ours). This can keep us small and orderly, for a time anyway. But Scorpionic energy always eventually bubbles up to the surface from what is hidden...And sometimes even has the potential to explode like a volcano if it is too long repressed. We are much larger than those neat little nondescript boxes. We have feelings that are unique to each of us, purpose that we came to learn, and Mysteries yet to be uncovered...Which can look like chaos to the established order of things within societal norms.  If something being asked of us is not truly aligned with who we really are, our conscience (our individual sense of values) steps in to bring us back to our path. We accept the consequences of stepping out of the box, and we assert our inner freedom. The full moon here illuminates that though the powers that we have allowed to control us have grown in influence, we are not spiritually bound to their control (even if otherwise imprisoned).

Scorpio is a multidimensional sign shrouded in layers of mystery to keep occult knowledge protected, which means it often gets misunderstood by the perpetuation of surface appearance (Oh no! A scary scorpion! Don't cross them!)  But the scorpion is not the only symbol of this sign. The higher vibrations of Scorpio are symbolized by the Eagle (and sometimes, the Phoenix). This is fitting symbolism during this moon, for me, as I am integrating the Eagle/Condor archetype into my heart chakra now as part of a process that began with receiving the Harmony Rite of the Q'ero tradition of shamanic healers.

Deb Houlding, in the Mountain Astrologer magazine, wrote about the eagle as an evolved symbol of Scorpio energy:

“If, as the Egyptians thought, scorpions represent initiation into the sacred mysteries, we can consider the sign’s other related creature, the eagle, as a higher expression of Scorpio power. Many ancient astrologers, including Ibn Ezra [Arabic astrologer] , recognised eagle symbolism as valid to this sign, since the biblical prophet Ezekiel described a vision, believed to be drawn from Babylonian astrology and representative of the ‘fixed cross of matter’:

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man [Aquarius], and the face of a lion [Leo], on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox [Taurus] on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle [Scorpio]. (Ezekiel 1 verse 10).

Saint John’s book of the Apocalypse (Revelation 4, v7) also alludes to the vision, of which Fred Gettings, in The Secret Zodiac, writes:

The eagle of St John is the eagle of Scorpio, which sign (alone of all the twelve) has two images, the eagle the symbol of the redeemed and spiritualized Scorpionic nature, the scorpion its fallen, unredeemed and earth-bound nature.

Transcendence from the crawling scorpion to the soaring eagle, still predatory, still conveying the essence of patience and penetration, but capable of flight and height, brings together the theme of destruction and renewal as a story of evolution.”

In the Andes mountains of Peru, the paqos share the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor... which has unknown origins but is present in the oral traditions of many indigenous tribes of the Western hemisphere. The common thread in this widespread prophecy, as described by anthropologist Jeff Jenkins, is that we come to a time when “the human family would face the choice of evolutionary transformation into symbiotic presence within the more-than-human world or to continue in the destruction of the planet.”

The archetypes within this prophecy represent the coming together of the North (Eagle) and the South (Condor). The Condor represents the path of the heart, intuition, and the feminine. The Eagle represents the path of the mind, industry, and the masculine. Together, they create a bridge of understanding and symbiosis by sharing and learning the medicine of both paths through open communication and mutual empowerment.

The following is my own intuitive account of the prophecy.  I wrote it as a dialogue describing the story of this archetypal alliance growing within my own heart.

Kuntur de Hurin and Anka de Hanan

In the Upper World, Kuntur met with Anka to discuss the coming together of their people's paths.

Anka: They don't understand their potential yet.

Kuntur: They will. More and more are reconnecting. Remembering their larger family.

Anka: My people are still largely destructive, distracted by the dream of the North. They consume and consume, they seem to live for it.

Kuntur: Like Caterpillar, yes... Consuming vegetation to grow larger. But within the chrysalis of transformation, they will change the dream.

Anka: It is difficult to be patient with their process; difficult for them as well.

Kuntur: It is. But it is up to our people to become luminous as Butterfly. It is not up to us whether they succeed or fail.

Anka: Indeed. Right now, it looks like failure. It is as if they have to hit rock bottom before the flower of their collective heart can even reach the earth again to grow.

Kuntur: And my people had to feel rock bottom too, during the past Pachakuti, to unearth the gem of their collective mind away from fear of their oppressors and into alliance with them now.

Anka: How did they survive?

Kuntur: Their spirit is strong. It is the same with your people. There was a lot of death and destruction, but all was not lost. They, too, had to change the dream of the South. It always begins with ancestral lessons, and then manifests within the younger generations.  They are finding their purpose.

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For more information on the 4th Gate of Compassion, where we reclaim the healing of the emotional heart and a renewed ability to truly love yourself and others, check out 4th Chakra: Healing the Heart.

Totem Tuesday: Hummingbird Medicine

Totem Tuesday:  Hummingbird Medicine

By Felina Lune Kavi

“Like the hummingbird, we have the capacity to experience great love, bliss, healing and nourishment when we drink from the nectar that is available in our love relationships.  Yet that flower is also delicate; like our hearts and the hearts of the ones we love.  So it is important to go gently, carefully, and precisely to the heart of the flower…

In the end, it is actually your own heart you are drinking from.”

-Yollana Shore

Keywords: Infinite Joy, Illumination, Resurrection, Making the Impossible Possible, Sensual Pleasure, Finding the Sweetness in Life, Finding the Goodness in Others, Efficiency, Memory, Being Present in the Moment, Solar Energy, Service to Spirit, Essence of Beauty, Love in Right Relationship, Lightness of Being, Endurance, Timelessness, Sound Healing, Healing with Flowers and Herbs, Quick Response, Adaptability, Coexistence, Playfulness, Free Spirit

Hummingbird (Specifically the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird) is my totem on my Right.  In this direction, it is connected with the Divine Masculine within me…very much the Peaceful Warrior of my Mars Retrograde in Libra.  Though hummingbirds can get territorial when food sources are low, they usually only do minimal feather damage to each other in battle.  They will defend what is theirs...but they are lovers, not fighters.  Mostly, they are concerned with vibrant displays of courtship and finding enough sustenance to live another day.  So if you see bickering, jousting hummingbirds…plant more of the flowers that they like, or hang feeders in different parts of your yard.

With well over 300 known species of Hummingbirds, their evolution has coordinated with plants by evolving their bill shape to the shape of specific flowers.  This is why, in places like the Andes, 140 different species of hummingbirds can coexist.  This is one reason why they teach adaptability.  Another reason is that they can move swiftly in all directions and even come to a full stop, hovering in flight.  Their visual processing is so advanced that it allows them to sense all movements around them very quickly, and move accordingly to avoid collisions while speeding along.  

People with Hummingbird medicine learn to develop a similar sense of heightened awareness and adaptability, avoiding dangerous situations but also dealing with sudden changes with quick responses and strategies for overcoming obstacles in their path.  Hummingbird teaches successful coexistence among diverse groups by finding your own unique expression and medicine that contributes to the whole.

Among the smallest of birds (the smallest being the Bee Hummingbird), Hummingbirds have a spirit that is much larger than their bodies.  For example, their courtship dives, which produce a specific sound from vibrating tail feathers in some species, is the highest speed relative to body length for any vertebrate (twice the diving speed of peregrine falcons in pursuit of prey).  

Like songbirds and parrots, they also have the mental capacity for language learning (mimicry)…but their brain is larger in comparison to body size than any other bird.  Their hippocampus is up to five times larger than a songbird’s.  Hummingbirds have excellent memory.  They can remember where every flower in their territory is and how long it takes to refill with nectar after they have fed.  They also remember, year to year, where each feeder is…both at home and along their migratory path.  They learn which people fill the feeders and which ones don’t.  

By remembering their food source and the last time they visited it, they can plan with precision and visit hundreds of flowers each day to sustain their high metabolism.  This is known as episodic memory and was previously considered exclusive to humans.  People with this totem medicine often have excellent memories as well, or at least keep track of things well by writing them down.  They are efficient enough to be able to enjoy their lives and be present in each moment.

There are so many things about Hummingbirds that seem impossible at first glance.  And yet, they show us that even what we may perceive as impossible is, in fact, quite possible when you live in right relationship with your surroundings.  

Some see Hummingbird as a symbol of resurrection.  Because they go into a hibernation-like state at night, called torpor, but are revived during the day…it appears as if they die each night and are reborn each day.  During torpor, their metabolic rate drops to 1/15^th of what it is during the day while they are foraging.  

We often observe hummingbirds flitting about from flower to flower, but they are actually only in flight about 15% of the time.  Often, they are perched…conserving their energy.  People with this medicine also learn when it is best to act and when it is best to be still and observe.  They will vary between sociability and introverted times of recharge, adapting between these states fluidly.  And if someone challenges their dreams as impossible, they will prove playfully that anything is possible.

Hummingbird flaps its wings over 100 beats per second and does so in a figure-eight pattern.  This pattern connects it to infinity and timelessness.  

Though Hummingbird remembers the past and has the visionary ability to recognize the future…this bird is a teacher of how to enjoy each moment in the present, giving and receiving in right relationship, and drinking deeply from the sweetness of life.  Hummingbird is a free spirit who illuminates where our unique medicine is and how we can use it in service to Spirit as well as in interconnected ways with all of Mother Earth’s creations. 

If Hummingbird is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Hummingbird will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a hummingbird, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Hummingbird may be contacting you to teach you how to lighten up and resurrect the joy in your life.  Or it may come to remind you that what appears to be impossible is actually possible.  However Hummingbird chooses to share its medicine, it is an inspiring creature teacher who will show us how to go straight to the heart of each matter and extract the essence of beauty and pleasure from life, even in chaotic times.