The Sacred Marriage, or the Hieros Gamos as it was called in Ancient Greece, is the sacred balance between the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine. Within the polarity of these two energies, there exists a union that signifies the balance of all things. Each living being carries the love and light of this Sacred Marriage within them, though ages of societal conditioning has mislead us to divorce the one into two, instead of harnessing the power of two into one and thus realizing our full potential.
Why is it that we have been afraid, and in many cases ignorant, of this full potential for so long? True, it has been traditional in our lifetime to distinguish things into black and white, dark and light, female and male...many practices and social conventions have been passed down through the centuries and we have tended to learn those distinctions as laws. It has been, in recent past, as if our human collective has been short-sighted in looking back through past precedents...not seeing beyond a certain point in history and then declaring 'this is how it has always been, this is how it should always be, and it is what defines us.'
But what of the time before the suppression of the Goddess? Our earliest recorded history shows the Divine Feminine in a much more prominent role. The feminine mysteries were once so sacred that it was not until people started to realize that women were not just miraculously giving birth to civilizations, but that the male seed gave them impetus to do so...thus the beginning of understanding the Sacred Masculine as well. But what happened as time went on is that balance of power became difficult to attain when one had recognized the other was honored over them for so long. Previously, our most violent reactions have often come from feelings of lack and recognition of injustice. And so, over time, the masculine power began to usurp the feminine, rather than rule along side her. This was done in no quiet way. Time and time again, the sacred feminine was symbolically banished from our societies by physical abuse and mental degradation. From the raping of the priestesses, to the destruction of sacred wells and other sites of feminine healing power, to the burning of wise women...all the way to our lifetime where a 'woman's place' has been continually designated as lower and of less importance in a myriad of ways. Until these women stand firm, together, for their equal rights...as we have seen many times over in our recent history as well...the resurgence of the Sacred Feminine.
So we reach another choice point now as our powers are coming back into balance...do we punish the Sacred Masculine for their previous abuses toward us and take back control? Or have we all finally learned a valuable lesson here where we can reenter and redefine this Sacred Marriage and agree upon balance? I believe this upcoming transit of Venus occulting the Sun is urging us toward the latter suggestion.
Enough of the ancient history for now...let's just back it up to 8 years ago when we experienced our first Venus transit together. Do you remember what your life was like in the spring and summer of 2004? What would the history book of your own life look like as it recounted the events of that year? Was there some kind of disconnection between yourself and your life then that awakened a search for truth and wisdom? Had you, since that time, taken some great departure from what you once knew into unknown territory to discover yourself? Have there been countless tests of your integrity, discernment, self-esteem, and will? Have you been initiated into a completely new state of being and doing and knowing and come to a place of being able to share that with others?
It should follow, with all of our experience in 8 years from one Venus transit to the next, that we are a great deal wiser now. We're certainly more aware than we've ever been, as a collective, of the relationship between ourselves and that collective.
Venus has much to do with relationships of all kinds, and Gemini has much to do with the communication it takes to create that bond between us and others. Here and now we find ourselves in that light again, rethinking and reestablishing the foundations of every relationship through the many forms of communication we've tapped into along our journey.
Each Venus Transit brings an enlightenment of creative, scientific and communicative advances that upgrade the human race into new and accelerated ways of relating. There was a Venus Transit when Magellan discovered the world was round instead of flat, which changed our world view and lessened a fear that had held many back from venturing out into the vastness to explore. Copernicus also published his observations and calculations in 'De Revolutionibus' during that time period. There was another pair of transits when the National Mail Service began, which enabled communication over long distances. By the end of that transit, the first printing press was set up. With faster communication, the global village had found its voice. Between these transits in the 1630s, Galileo was forbidden to publish his scientific findings but his students quietly revolted by copying his work and bringing it to centers of learning in many different cities to be protected until the rise of science could spread. In the next pair of transits, there was an effort by astronomers around the world to observe and share information on the distance between the Earth and the Sun, brought to light by the occultation of Venus on the face of our Sun. This kind of cooperation had not been done by any group, scientific or not, on a global scale before. Our 'sister planet' brought forth those efforts that began the 'world brain' as it has been called. The French and German Enlightenment, along with the rise of many great artists, thinkers and philosophers, came during that time. New political and social ideas brought about profound results that spread across the globe. During the last transits of 1874 and 1882, we had the telephone and its patent two years later, as well as the incandescent lightbulb. Both were significant breakthroughs in our experience of communication and light. The explosion of information and industry really started. New inventions and medical discoveries abound during this period.
But what breakthroughs in communication, cooperation, thinking, art and science have we discovered in our last 8 years? Too many to recount here...but let's just touch on a few to get an idea of our Venusian advancement this go-around. Many of us have a love-hate relationship with Facebook and other social networking inventions on the internet...but haven't such things brought us all closer and communicating our 'global brain' at an even more accelerated pace? At a time when the old constructs of information exchange such as the newspaper and televised news seem too tightly controlled and restricted, leaving out too much of importance...we find those missing pieces on the internet and share them with others, spreading the information in a 'viral' way. And what about the revolutions we've been experiencing across the globe? They, too, have 'gone viral' as we now say when something catches and spreads through the awareness of our collective mind. Here in the U.S., we have the Occupy movement to affirm that changes are imminent and not just elsewhere but world-wide. As this movement has progressed, much like the previous revolutions of this time, the anger and resentment of lack and inequality is blossoming into a force of love and unity so formidable that no amount of scare tactics or aggression from a failed system can obstruct its boundlessness. Have we learned balance and cooperation now as we advance into the Age of Aquarius? It is evident that the majority of people on Earth have learned that peace, love, togetherness and equality is not just an ideal, but the new foundation of what we need to co-create for our future. We are acting upon it now instead of accepting a pre-fabricated dream that has become a recurring nightmare...we are waking up and changing that dream.
Neptune, the Dream Master of the zodiac, is at a standstill now...inspiring all of us to focus on what we are dreaming into being. It goes retrograde the evening before the Venus Transit (at 4:05pm CST on June 4th, to be exact). The world we have now is based on what we have dreamed before. To change the world, you have to change the dream. And that's what we begin to see as Neptune travels backward...we reexamine that dream.
All things related to the Neptunian Archetype are coming into play as we approach our last Venus Transit. Neptune is the higher octave expression of Venus...it describes transcendent love and takes it beyond the planes of ordinary existence and spreads it out into the universe. Is this precursor to our 2012 Venus Transit one that suggests we are taking these advancements to a spiritual level? I think so, and if you look at your own spiritual level compared to what it was before these transits...you'll probably see, too, that these new connections we're all experiencing have very spiritually unlimited undertones. We can, more easily now, connect to Source and understand that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Neptunian ideas of selfless service are not so difficult to grasp as our compassion for others has grown over the years. I find it very appropriate that Neptune's energy is pervading the days before and after this final Venus Transit...since this is the very 'Venusian Octave' that inspired the work I've done with 'V.O.I.C.E' since the first transit.
Let's take a closer look at the degree of the zodiac upon which Neptune is concentrating our awareness. The Sabian Symbol of the 4th degree of Pisces is 'Heavy traffic on a narrow isthmus that links seaside resorts'. The keyword for this degree is 'convergence'. This degree focuses on the coming together of people, emotions, plans and phenomena...focusing information and allowing life patterns and intuitive awareness to flow. For me, this symbol describes what it is I've been doing all of these years with my VOICEprojects, writings, and services. My intentions have always been to help others reach their goals...because I found that it is what I do best, providing others with help in a compassionate and spiritual way. Previously, before the first transit, I held myself back from doing this because it didn't seem to be widely accepted particularly in the environments I found myself in as I was growing up. But I couldn't ignore my own calling, the voice within was bigger than my own fears of failure and rejection. And I couldn't believe in the disconnections anymore because my awareness was focused on the connections, instead. I felt a 'convergence' was on the horizon...and I saw that I, just like everyone else, was to be a part of it.
And now that many of us have jumped right in and become a conscious part of what we are co-creating together...we see that we are far from alone in our efforts. We see the 'heavy traffic' linking us all together in an inspired information exchange (I call it 'inspirmation', which makes my husband laugh).
Neptune going back through the first degrees of Pisces just before Venus unites with and occults the Sun is like an officiant to this Sacred Marriage of love and light...a blessing for the convergence and union between polarities. But even before that shift, there is another balance between opposites that mirrors this idea of Sacred Marriage.
The Lunar Eclipse (6:03am) and Full Moon in Sagittarius (6:11am...also called the 'Strong Sun Moon') on June 4th is a very powerful alignment. Full Moons are always powerful times to focus your intentions on what you truly want to create into reality, and eclipses make these times even more powerful by bringing us to important choice points in our lives. But this eclipsed full moon has even greater implications as it is in the area of Sagittarius that The Great Attractor is in. The Great Attractor is a gravitational anomaly that is only observable by its effect on the motion of galaxies such as our own and others around us. It's a concentration of mass that is equivalent to tens of thousands of Milky Ways and its gravitational pull is 'attracting' us toward it at a rate of a million miles per hour. But don't worry, we won't have to worry about reaching it for a very long time. The point is, this eclipsed full moon is like an open window to that energy of attraction...which makes for an acceleration of our intentions in these next few days. Remember that 'like attracts like'...so even if you're hard-pressed to believe that kind words and positive thinking have an extraordinary effect on reality...perhaps you might want to at least give it a try for this and the next few days. It really can't hurt...and I promise you it can heal. Who knows, maybe you'll find that you like it and you'll continue it beyond just a few days. How great would the world begin to feel then, when everyone is flowing with the give-and-receive of love and gratitude?
Back to the Full Moon, which is a monthly reminder of the balance between the Sacred Masculine and the Sacred Feminine. The Sun in the 15th degree of Gemini highlights the symbol 'Two Dutch children talking' while the Moon in the 15th degree of Sagittarius highlights the symbol 'The Groundhog looking for its shadow'.
Let's begin with the Sun, representing the Sacred Masculine of projected light-energy. The keyword for this degree is 'clarification' and the symbol has to do with uniting like-minded people to achieve distinct goals, enhancing positive educational outcomes. It suggests that through peace and awareness, we can promote a culture of intelligence. This is about connecting to the child within all of us and opening ourselves up to candid conversations, expressive play, and care for those close to us. Through such honesty, we help others to talk and listen as well...which creates an easier flow of communication that expresses the complexities of life in profound ways.
In direct balance to that is the Moon, representing the Sacred Feminine of receptive light-energy. The keyword for this degree is 'reassurance' and the symbol mirrors the visual effect of a lunar eclipse. We on Earth are like the Groundhog looking for its shadow. Groundhog is an excavator, bringing to light the wisdom of the ancients, and bringing to light new information after a period of intense growth. The Groundhog matures in about two years...and the same can be said for us in the past two years. In the spring and summer of 2010 we went through an intense activation of our own maturation, signaled by the Cardinal Grand Crosses of that time period (astrological aspect configurations that urged us all, with extreme activity, to discover our true identity). Here we are, matured through those often stressful experiences, and now we are finding our full potential and full expression of our identity in the integration of our shadow.
In Jungian psychology, the shadow refers to the unconscious and those parts of us which the conscious ego (represented by the Sun in astrology) does not recognize in itself. "Everyone carries a shadow" Jung wrote, "and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is." And this describes the shadow when we remain ignorant of it or do not accept it as part of us. But embracing this shadow and integrating it into the light of consciousness allows us to see the benefit it brings...it is that which Jung called 'the seat of creativity'.
The 'reassurance' that the Full Moon brings as it connects with The Great Attractor is that those repressed or forgotten aspects of our collective unconscious are coming to light, and they mirror the repressed and forgotten aspects of the Divine Feminine. Now is the time to attract the creativity that comes from balanced integration of both aspects of ourselves. Now is the time to recognize our shadow...not as a reservoir for human darkness that, like the Great Attractor, can't yet be seen but has a mysterious pull on us anyway...but as an integral part of our identity that receives the light of our consciousness and gives birth to our reality. The Divine Feminine is not as mysterious as it was to our ancient ancestors. We can now understand how we create our own reality, and that it is imperative to connect to that balance of give and receive, and empowered by the expression of love and gratitude. And in finding and embracing our shadow with the full moon eclipse, then concentrating on what we are dreaming into reality with Neptune going retrograde...we are prepared in an accelerated way for the integration of love and light that comes the following day (June 5th) with the final pass of this Venus Transit.
Venus also represents the Divine Feminine. She, too, is the mythic 'Great Attractor'. Crossing the face of our Sun once again, she is showing us all how to connect to Source and how to harness the power of love and light together as one. Is it any wonder that scientists have discovered that DNA absorbs and emits light? And that the sacred geometry of the axial view of a DNA helix is the same as the orbit of Venus as viewed from the Earth? We ARE connected to that Source of love and light...it's not just some New Age fluffy-bunny phrase designed to ignore our shadow selves and focus on warm-fuzzies. It just IS what we are meant to BE. It is the Sacred Marriage within as well as without, above as well as below. If this time is one of accelerated intentions, for the love of our Earth please focus them in love and light. We owe it to ourselves as a whole to make our intentions align with what will attract the best for us.
This event won't happen again in our lifetime...so now is the time. It won't happen again for another 105 years. And though these transits happen periodically throughout our history...this one, and all of the alignments focusing around it and during, suggests the turning of an age. Venus and the Sun meet in the constellation of the Bull...right between the horns. Egyptians paid close attention to this part of the sky and the sight of the crescent moon of the Spring Equinox between those horns represented the turning of an age...a new beginning of the greatest kind. Here we are experiencing the meeting of two great lights in this area of the sky. We might as well welcome the Age of Aquarius and allow the Age of Pisces to fall away finally by no longer clinging to it.
Now, I want to mention that the degree of the zodiac that Venus and the Sun are meeting in is the 16th of Gemini. The Sabian Symbol is 'a woman suffragist orating'...thus bringing us right back to the ideas I was first expressing as I began this lengthy article. The message within this degree is to ground, center, balance and stabilize to provide a foundation for personal power to emerge. This determination, this focused intention, activates and manifests change. In this light, we are motivating ourselves and others into positive action...and we are reclaiming the equal balance of the Sacred Marriage in every way.
Later that night (9:55pm CST on June 5th), the Moon occults Pluto in another call to embrace and integrate the shadow for our own empowerment. First the Earth's shadow across the Moon, then Venus's shadow across the Sun, then Pluto in the shadow of the Moon. There is no shortage of light and shadow symbolism and interplay during these next couple of days. It's as if the cosmos is intent on getting us to see this shadow and see it in the right light for once.
On the 11th, Jupiter enters Gemini and connects with the Pleiades. This is just one in a series of major aspects to the 7 sisters this year. Venus met with the Pleiades in late March/early April...and the solar eclipse at the New Moon on May 20th was in the same degree as well. The Mayans observed planetary connections to the Pleiades with great reverence. These events always represented an end and a beginning of a 26,000 year cycle, another indication from the ancients that a turning of an age is upon us. These connections to the 7 sisters are similar to 'reprogramming' us through multiple celestial bodies from our solar system. And on the 11th, Jupiter (a planet of expansion and accelerated growth) begins a new cycle in conjunction with these stars. The day after, on the 12th, a 584 Day Cycle of Venus as the evening star ends as she rises as the morning star again.
In conclusion, the celestial bodies of our solar system are aligning for an extraordinary initiation of enlightenment to our global village this summer. Let's breathe new life into what defines the Sacred Marriage...as it's no longer about distinguishing male from female...but finding that we are all expressions of both energies. We have to nurture equality and promote tolerance, peace, and love. Balance, communication, creative expression, and compassion in action is what is being expressed by these energies. Find what works for you in connecting to Source and being a part of something greater than yourself...our many avenues for the expression of this are limitless. We are the dreamers of the dream, and we are the change the world has been wishing for. Now let's go out and create the best possible outcome for ourselves and the world in which we live!
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
Leading up to this Full Moon, we had an astrologically eventful Sunday. For many, the discordant energies likely overshadowed the harmonious ones. The Sun, in a 150-degree inconjunct with Uranus, may have presented you with the paradox of having to adjust your visionary ideals to achieve your goals, or vice versa. Venus was also in a discordant inconjunct aspect with Neptune, teaching us lessons of needing to look at life and love realistically. Unrealistic expectations and high ideals in love tend to bring dissatisfaction, wasting energy on a vision of perfection that will amount to nothing. Under this influence, you may also have found it difficult to make clear decisions...likely because you were more concerned with everyone liking you than actually making necessary adjustments. The inconjunct aspect (also called a quincunx)...usually brings up issues that feel slightly off-kilter and under-the-surface irritating. These energies are meant to push us toward growth.
It would have been nice to have the focus be on Venus making her transition into Libra, one of the signs that she rules. That, by itself can be a harmonious vibration to tap into...however, not when you are being faced with the discord the other aspects may have brought about. However the harmonies play out, Venus in Libra (until November 21st) focuses our attention on relationships with others...and can be of help in trying to smooth over differences with loved ones and improve the quality of our partnerships. Venus also made a 72 degree link with Juno (an inspirational aspect between the Goddess of Love and the Goddess of Commitment)...so not everything was working against us yesterday.
At 12:40pm (CDT) today, Mercury exacted a square with Neptune. Miscommunications are likely, so be as clear as possible with what you mean to say. Logic gets hazy under this transit. Things may also irritate you in a very confusing way...so be careful not to snap about something that you can't really explain. While our imagination is strong, our grip on reality may be weak...so avoid making major decisions or commitments. Disorganization and deception may come into play this afternoon, as well as hypersensitivity and hurt feelings. This is a fleeting aspect, as Mercury is quick to move on. So...just be aware that tomorrow you may have to explain yourself about something you did or (more likely) said, when you can gather your thoughts a little better. For now...let your creative and imaginative mind work with you, not against you. Writing, painting, or playing music may be just what you need to work out those nebulous thoughts.
During this time, Moon will be in the 7th degree of Taurus. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is 'A woman of Samaria'. The keyword for this degree is 'awakening' and the symbol alludes to the bible story of Jesus stopping in Samaria and meeting a woman at their ancestral well as she is retrieving water. Back then, Jews and Samaritans did not get along...mostly because they disagreed on where and how to worship God. Sound familiar to the 'which religion do you belong to and which church do you attend' judgments of today? Well, Jesus's conversation with this woman put such petty separations into perspective. Though she was an outcast among outcasts, Jesus revealed himself to her as the Messiah...awakening a sense of unconditional love and acceptance of all, not just the pious and devout followers of one way. In essence, this woman was an empty vessel and ready to receive a vision of the future...one that expresses universal love over tribal law for all people who yearn to be liberated from limiting dogma. Here, at this well, there was a meeting of the traditional past with the creative spirit pointing toward the future. This meeting always takes place in the present...a time far more important for awakened action than what has passed and what is to come. This woman was moved into a present revelation. Here lies a test for any person who claims to know their Creator. Is this the God of today, speaking the language of today, and meeting the challenges and needs of today? Many waste their lives fighting the battles of yesterday...wanting to re-establish the revivals and movements of previous centuries. In the US, as elections approach quickly, we seem to be faced with a similar thought...will we be moving backward or forward with our decisions of who we put in power? And the lines of separation between this faulty two-party system are drawn as clear as the disdain between the Jews and Samaritans of this story. Each thinks the other is a step backward in the wrong direction...while they can only see themselves as a step forward in the right direction. None of that nonsense gets us anywhere if we're overlooking the present...what is right for us right now? Alluding to this bible story is not to make our impending choices a religious matter...in fact, that's what has always limited us in the past. But religious stories are meant to show a deeper meaning that calls upon us to question our moral values and how they effect the state of the world in our present time. The moral of this story is that we are all one...and that clinging to the ways of the past does not help us to grow to our higher potential as human beings.
Now, presenting the key to balance of this Full Moon opposition is the Sun in the 7th degree of Scorpio. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is 'deep-sea divers'. The keyword is 'involvement'. Here we are meant to allow our inner light to guide us through the abyss. In the depths, we can realize our true potential and raise awareness by experiencing the world that too many take for granted. The depths of the sea in this symbol refer to plunging into the depths of our emotions and connecting with the truth that lies beneath. Careful and thoughtful consideration of a matter can bring us to a point of choice today. You may find that the high principles of the mind are deeply different than the life-giving truths of the heart. If you are Christian, or at least know your bible, you may refer back to that story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman where he explains to her that the water she seeks in the well will always need to be refilled as she thirsts again, but the life-giving water of the Spirit will become a 'well of water...springing up to eternal life'. In other words, the old ways are unsustainable...but the deepest truths of the heart and soul connect us to our higher selves...and we can learn to live without wasting our time and resources. Now another key message in this symbol of the deep-sea divers is that we need a life-line on the surface. If you need to plunge into the emotional depths, be sure that you are still connected to the reality of your natural environment so you don't get lost...or, figuratively, drown. The key to your involvement is choosing the right course of action...so, stay connected and alert. And have a happy full moon!
