Chakra Centers, Part Four: Healing the Heart

4^th Chakra:  Heart Chakra

Center of Compassion

The Heart Chakra, located in the center of the chest, is the gateway to the higher states of consciousness.  It links the lower chakras and the upper chakras and is the portal through which we radiate the power of unconditional love and gratitude and how we receive it from the universe. 

While the balanced energy of the Heart Center radiates love, compassion, and forgiveness…the dysfunctional energy of this chakra is a heart full of rage, hate, and cruelty.  Often, when a thirst for power takes control of a person’s life…the lower three chakras pool with excessive energy.  The result is that when that energy reaches the heart chakra, it is dark and heavy.  This creates the kind of outward expression that we see in most people who hoard material power…unable to trust or even truly love others, they only look out for what they assume is in their best interests.  This Scrooge-like demeanor hardens the heart over time and creates a blockage in this chakra.  With no way for the energy to go up through the upper chakras, such people are unable to even recognize a higher state of consciousness.

This is the chakra of caring and compassion.  When the heart is open and you have self-love, your relationships with others will be healthy and balanced.   Awakening the heart chakra is one of the most important steps that we can take on our spiritual journey through life.  True healing of old emotional wounds comes from here.  With strong heart energy, we stop clinging to old hurts and pain.  Instead, we feel forgiveness toward ourselves and others and we heal with love.  Resentments and refusing to forgive are the most common sources of Heart Chakra blockages.  By forgiving, you unlock the door to healing.

To balance this chakra, give service freely to others (though not in excess).  Watch movies that make you feel, listen to soothing music, play with children or animals.  Focusing on the color green (or pink or gold, whichever you most align with) will allow your heart energy to unfold, strengthen and spread out (much like wings).  Keep feelings and thoughts of thankfulness in everything you experience daily.  Feel with compassion and patience.  Most importantly, love and forgive yourself and others.  In the information below, you can find crystals and other healing techniques associated with the sense of touch (the sense connected to the heart center) that can aid you in your healing of this chakra.

Balanced heart energy:

Compassionate, empathetic, humanitarian, sees the good in everyone, desire to nurture others, friendly, outgoing, in touch with feelings, can surrender and merge in a love relationship, can wait for the right partner. When in balance you begin to express and receive abundant love.  You find out what you love to do and then you do it.  Your life purpose becomes clear as you express the energy of love. You love what you do and it shows. You are able to accept those you meet and accept them for who they are without being drawn into their drama.

You begin to give of yourself freely and openly without looking or expecting anything in return.  Love is the natural state for the mind and body, exampled by the love for a child or an animal.  You give love without expecting anything in return – you love for the sheer joy of loving.

Excessive heart energy:

Demanding, overly critical, overly sensitive, overly reactive, overly helpful, over-nurturing, over-protective, possessive, moody, melodramatic, manic-depressive, co-dependent, inability to let go of a relationship, feels overwhelmed, manipulative, uses money or sex to control people, martyr, a master of conditional love: "I love you if", withholds love to get the desired behavior: "You wouldn't do that if you really loved me."

Deficient heart energy:

Relationship issues, commitment issues, emotional unavailability, emotional insecurities, hides emotions, erratic emotions, resistance, jealousy, possessiveness, paranoia, feeling sorry for yourself, self-neglect, indecisive, aloofness, overly private, bitterness, worries a lot, afraid of letting go and being free, non-nurturing, non-supportive, low milk flow for nursing mothers, sexual energy feels unworthy love, can't reach out, terrified of rejection, needs constant reassurance.

Illnesses associated with the heart chakra:

Heart pain, heart attack, high or low blood pressure, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD, negativity, poor circulation, fatigue, difficulty breathing, tension, insomnia, anger, paranoia, fibromyalgia, cysts and breast cancer.

Glands/organs/body parts associated with the heart chakra:

Heart, lungs, immune system, thymus gland, lymph glands.

Stones/crystals/minerals to aid the healing of the heart chakra:

Emerald, green or pink tourmaline, watermelon tourmaline, malachite, green jade, green aventurine, rose quartz, rhodonite, red calcite, ruby.

Healing the heart chakra with touch:

Touch is the first intimacy that we know as infants and remains our most powerful, unspoken means of communication throughout our lives.  It is in our heart center that we learn about touch and how we, in turn, wish to touch others. One of the most heart opening feelings is when you are holding and stroking a baby.   If you know a Reiki practitioner, these healers are skilled at healing with touch as well.  The best, most immediate, way to heal yourself and others with the sense of touch is to hug someone…hug everyone.  It’s not just for ‘hippies’ anymore.  ;)  Hugging heightens the energy shared between heart chakras of individuals.  Petting animals, especially cats, is another way to open the heart center.  When a cat purrs, they do so during both inhalation and exhalation with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz.  Studies have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve muscle growth/repair, tendon repair, mobility of joints, bone density and promote pain relief, swelling reduction, wound healing and overall healing. 

As the heart chakra is also connected with the energy of the hands, mudras (special hand positions) are beneficial for opening the heart and send more energy to it.  To open the heart chakra, sit cross-legged.  Let the tips of your index finger and thumb touch on both hands.  Put your left hand on your left knee and your right hand in front of the lower part of your breast bone (a bit above the solar plexus).  Concentrate on the heart chakra and chant the sound ‘YAM’ (YAHMNG).  The sound, from Sanskrit letters, causes a resonation in your body that you can feel in your Heart Center.  Do this meditation for 7-10 deep breaths.  Chant the sound three times each breath.

Chakra Centers, Part Three: Healing the Identity

3^rd Chakra:  Solar Plexus Chakra

Center of Power

The Solar Plexus Chakra, located below the ribcage, is the seat of identity, personal power and will.  In this power center is where your primary power animal resides.  Blocks and disruptions to this chakra often lead to your power animal being forced out of its ‘home’ in your energy field, and its medicine becoming inaccessible until the damage is repaired on a spiritual level. 

From a shamanic perspective, each of us has the ability to connect with 9 primary totems, while also learning the medicine of other totems throughout life’s journey.  But, the 9 primaries surround us and protect us in all directions (north, east, south, west, right, left, above, below, and within).  At different initiations in our lives, our primary power animal may change…but no matter the direction they represent, the power animal resides in the solar plexus and connects us with our personal power through its specific medicine.

When the solar plexus is open and balanced, you have found and accepted your unique gift…the work that gives you pleasure and makes you feel fulfilled.  One way to find your gift is to consider what you most enjoyed doing when you were a child, this will give you clues about your natural inclinations.

This is the center of Chi (life force energy).  It has to do with personal identity, ego, power, will, self-discipline, self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-understanding, and self-respect.  It is here where you accept or reject who your truly are.  This is the area where you give or restrict your own personal freedom, form personal boundaries, give away personal power or exert your will.  Desires that are formed in the Sacral Chakra are then manifested by the will power of the Solar Plexus into physical reality.

When two people are in a heated argument, the light from the solar plexus turns from bright yellow to dark.  The way the lights from the two chakras mix is characterized by negativity.  The darker the light is, the more hate is there between the two.  When it turns dark enough, it becomes black and a blockage may arise in the solar plexus center in one or both of them.  A block in this chakra forces the power animal out, creating illness that is often difficult to heal without outside help…as this chakra, when clear, has much to do with self-sufficiency and reflects the opposite when blocked or damaged.

To balance this chakra, rub your belly.  Visualize sunshine radiating out from your solar plexus.  Breathe deeply, using your diaphragm.  When you breathe in this way…it is much like a hot air balloon.  Breathing in, your belly and chest expand.  Breathing out, your belly and chest deflate.  It’s much different than the kind of ‘sucking in the gut’ inhale…as using your diaphragm allows for full expansion of the lungs.  Focusing on the color yellow will help you to connect with your ‘gut’ intellect and uplift your connection to your own power.  Also, connecting with your power animal, either physically or through visualization, can strengthen this center.  This chakra is linked to the sense of sight (just as the root is linked to smell and the sacral chakra is linked to taste)…so visualizations of what speaks to your own sense of power are very beneficial for healing this chakra.  Belly dancing is great for this chakra.  Yoga poses such as the cat, the bow, the twist, and the coil are very helpful as well.  Something you can do daily is to hug yourself while twisting from side to side with your chest out.  Sunlight and yellow flowers are some natural things that can help out too.  In the information below, you can find crystals and other visualization techniques to aid solar plexus healing.

Balanced solar plexus energy:

Outgoing, cheerful, self-respect, respect others, strong sense of personal power, skillful, intelligent, relaxed, spontaneous, expressive, takes on new challenges, enjoys physical activities and good food.

Excessive solar plexus energy:

Judgmental, critical, demanding, workaholic, perfectionist, bullying, stubborn, arrogant, boastful, impulsive, , spiteful, cruel, violent, war-like, aggressive, overly competitive, argumentative, egotistical, sense of entitlement, conceited, over-confident, overly intellectual, refusal to admit when wrong, may need drugs to relax, sexually inhibited, can't show emotional warmth.

Deficient solar plexus energy:

Depressed, lack of confidence, overly sensitive to critisism, need for other’s approval, worries about what others think, self-doubt, confused, aloof, pessimistic, lazy, stagnant, feels unworthy, low/no self-esteem, power issues, lack of self-assertion, needs constant confirmation of self-worth, inability to manifest, low/no ambition, fear of taking action, fear of moving forward, physically weak, poor digestion, afraid of being alone, sexual energy is insecure, needs constant reassurance, jealous, distrustful.

Illnesses associated with the solar plexus chakra:

Digestive difficulties, weight issues, eating disorders, hypoglycemia, hypochondria, ulcers, gas, food allergies, liver problems, diabetes, over-sexed, gall stones, fevers, acne, muscle cramps, spasm, depression, difficulty breathing.

Glands/organs/body parts associated with the solar plexus chakra:

The diaphragm, the breath, adrenals, skin, digestive organs, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, gall bladder, liver.

Stones/crystals/minerals to aid solar plexus chakra healing:

Citrine, gold topaz, amber, tiger’s eye, golden beryl, yellow tourmaline, gold calcite, sandstone, pyrite and gold.

Visualizations to aid in solar plexus chakra healing:

In the morning when you wake up (if you do wake up in the morning), go outside and face the rising sun with bare feet planted on the ground (or from an eastern window inside if the weather isn’t ideal).  Visualize the golden light of the sun shining into your power center…connecting with and cleansing your own light.  Greet the sun with gratitude for its healing.

The following links are some videos you can use to meditate on your power center.  The main thing is to focus on yellow or golden fiery images as you connect with your sense of Self. 

Flute and Sitar Solar Plexus Meditation (8:15)

Manipura (Solar Plexus) Chakra Meditation (8:52)

3rd Chakra Balancing with Tibetan Singing Bowls, Solfeggio Frequency, and Affirmations (8 minutes)

Additionally, the best ways to find your power animal are through shamanic journeying or guided meditation.  You can also find them through dreams, memories of childhood experiences or animal connections, or intuitive connections made between you and an animal when encountering, watching, or visualizing that animal.  The following link is a guided meditation you could use to find your power animal, I highly recommend it if you aren’t already sure.  Whichever animal/insect/mythical beast/etc. sticks with you in your ordinary conscious awareness (as well as your dreams) afterwards…this is the totem that is stepping forth as your primary power animal whose medicine will keep your solar plexus chakra balanced.

Power Animal Journey guided by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free 

Chakra Centers, Part Two: Healing the Emotions

2^nd Chakra:  Sacral Chakra

Center of Emotion

The Sacral Chakra, located just below the navel, holds the desire to give and receive pleasure, enjoyment, and satisfaction from life.  It gives us the ability to feel emotions and vibrations from others.  This is the seat of creativity, and also the center of sexuality for women.  The Sacral Chakra is influenced by how emotions were expressed or repressed during childhood.

To balance this chakra, express your creativity.  Create love, friendship, art, music, a meal, etc.  Eat healthy foods.  Dance, move your hips, laugh and have some fun.  Focusing on the color orange can enliven your creativity and passion.  You can open this chakra by using foods and crystals as well, listed below.

When two people who truly love each other make love, the light and energy from their sacral chakras mix.  This creates a fantastic aura around them which has a vibration so powerful that a lot of negative karma can be burned away.  Expressing yourself in this way, or by any creative act, can help you to develop personally as well as spiritually.

Balanced sacral energy:

Friendly, joyful, concerned for others, sense of belonging, easy emotions, intuitive, clairsentient, good sense of humor, radiate warmth and compassion.

Excessive sacral energy:

Emotionally explosive, reactive, overly ambitious, overly helpful, manipulative, envy, vanity, selfishness, caught up in illusions, overindulgent, promiscuity, adultery, sexual energy sees people as sex objects.

Deficient sacral energy:

Shy, timid, immobilized by fear, overly sensitive, self-negating, socially awkward, creative blocks, hides emotions, burdened by guilt, sexual energy is clingy, co-dependent, feels guilty about having sex, abused, frigid or impotent.

Illnesses associated with the sacral chakra:

Kidney weakness, diabetes, liver problems related to excess, constipation, loss of weight, irregular menstruation, ovarian cysts, uterine cancer, STDs, PMS, hormone imbalances, hernias, muscle cramps, lack of energy, allergies, repression and inhibition.

Glands/organs/body parts associated with the sacral chakra:

Skin, kidney, mammary glands, ovaries, testicles, prostate, spleen

Stones/crystals/minerals to aid sacral chakra healing:

Carnelian, coral, amber, orange calcite, cherry opal

Beneficial foods and drinks for the sacral chakra:

Spring or Artesian water, seeds (especially flaxseed), tropical fruits (especially coconut and coconut oil), nuts, orange colored (natural) foods.

Chakra Centers, Part One: Healing the Root

As Saturn retrogrades, and so many of us are working on our internal power structures, now would be a good time to review Chakra Healing.

When you are experiencing physical illness, discomfort, or pain in your body…these things are often symptoms with a spiritual root.  Learning about your chakras can help to speed up your understanding of the illness as well as the process of healing your body.

1^st Chakra:  Root Chakra

Center of Manifestation

The root chakra, located at the base of the spine, is the grounding force that allows us to connect to the earth energies and empower ourselves.  This is the center of physical energy and vitality and gives us the energy necessary to succeed in earthly matters such as business and financial security.  This chakra rules all forms of security, safety, survival, physical self-preservation, heredity, passion, and matters of the material world, as well as primal erotic and procreational urges.

Every other chakra is downstream of the root and can only receive the energy that the root chakra can pass through it.  So, the path to health and power goes right through the gender organs.  To understand your root chakra, you must come to a place of peace with your sexual energy.  This is where a man can learn to integrate his feminine power and a woman can learn to integrate her masculine power.

To balance this chakra, connect with the earth.  In the warm months, this is easier as you can go barefoot outside.  However, there are other things you can do year-round.  Dancing is very good for grounding.  Also, domestic tasks such as cooking or cleaning will help you to ground.  Focusing on the color red can help bring your energetic body ‘down to earth’ and in alignment with your physical body.  You can open this chakra by using scents and crystals as well, listed below.

All of the emotional, behavioral, and physical health issues listed below have to do with the ability to let go.  When we cannot release what is holding us back, we cannot move forward.  When we cannot release what is blocking our root, the energy cannot move forward through us. 

Balanced root energy:

Centered, grounded, secure, stable, healthy, fully alive, unlimited physical energy, can manifest abundance. Ability to initiate sexual encounters is comfortable and natural.  Takes good care of the body. Eliminatory system functions well.  People who have open root chakras love their lives and love their physical incarnation in their present bodies.

Excessive root energy:

Egotistic, self-indulgent, self-centered, domineering, greedy, sadistic.  Sexual energy is entirely genital. Judgment and biased opinions.

Deficient root energy:

Lack of confidence, weak, can't achieve goals, absent-minded, confusion or boredom with practical aspects of existence, problems with the home, worries about survival, overabundance of stress, suicidal, physical pain, feel unlovable, little interest in sex, masochistic.  Fear and insecurity. Blockage in this energy center of the body can result in a core sense of unworthiness and self-doubt and shame. Thought forms such as "I don't deserve love," "I'm ashamed of who I am," and "I'm always misunderstood," are common in people with a blocked Root Chakra. They try to compensate for these feelings by acquiring, keeping and controlling material possessions, by becoming addicted to material things.  The ultimate root chakra failure is suicide.

Illnesses associated with the root chakra:

Drug addictions, anemia, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, gynecological problems, Aids, herpes, candida. Decreased immune system. Lower back pain. Sciatica. Constipation. Hemorrhoids.  Colitis.  Prostrate problems.  Physical problems with the coccyx, anus and genitals.

Glands/organs/body parts associated with the root chakra:

Adrenals, kidneys, spinal column, colon, legs, bones

Stones/crystals/minerals to aid root chakra healing:

Ruby, garnet, bloodstone, red jasper, black tourmaline, obsidian, smoky quartz

Aromatherapy for the root chakra:

Patchouli, cedar wood, lavender, musk, hyacinth, cinnamon and sandalwood

The 2013 Cold Moon: Gracefulness is Flexibility of Character in Action

The 2013 Cold Moon:  

Gracefulness is Flexibility of Character in Action

New Moon Phase Begins at 1:44pm CST on Friday, January 11th

December often brings us gifts along with baggage.  The 'time which is no time' between Samhain and the 12 days of Yule often wrap us tightly away into our inner lives while proceeding with the holiday traditions of the season as our primary outlet for creativity, generosity, and expression.  But there, too, are unspoken obligations that take precedence over really working with the shadows we're carrying...after all, we're gearing up for the return of light by our efforts to sustain it in our interactions.

And then January comes...named after Janus (the god of beginnings and endings, gates and doorways, transitions and time).  We're often still hovering on the threshold of some transformational shift...and this January is no different.  Even with the Aquarian shift of Yule last year, Father Time gives us many steps to deliberate before reaching the door that opens only by the use of our individual gifts as keys.

The more baggage we carry from the previous year, the slower we come to the top of the stairway before us.  Notice, even as we drop some of the less useful trappings of days gone by...our shadows still follow diligently.  This is right...as our shadows are always with us.  It only matters whether we reject them and misuse them, or if we accept them and agree to bring them into the light we're heading toward so that we may finally understand them for what they are...those wounds that hold our greatest gift.  Without them, there would be no Chironic Key to Janus's door before us.

So bring no fears or doubts, no struggle or siege, no ineffective baggage with you into the next moon phase.  That which was habitual during the Moon of the Long Nights is no longer applicable to the healthier habits that must now supplant them and enlighten us along our journey.  That which brought us closer to self-discovery and re-invention is ready for the world to see…so unravel the layers of guilt and pain, and step lightly through your own enlightenment.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Mourning Moon Eclipse: If You Love Something, Set It Free...

The Full Mourning Moon is always a time when we feel the need (or are sometimes forced) to let go of something that we have clung to out of dependency, addiction, habit, fear, or insecurity.  It’s a time of purification by washing away the past which we no longer need and creating room to focus on the joys of the future.

Unhealthy habits, toxic relationships, fears of our own power, damaging thought patterns, and old ways that get us nowhere are just a few of the things that may have come up to the surface in order to be dealt with now.  Regardless of what specific effects this eclipsed full moon is having in your life, the point is that the choice is yours and yours alone.  What patterns do you see playing out in your life that sabotage your own empowerment?  Now is the time to replace those worn out patterns with a tapestry more vibrant, more full of life, and more representative of the life story you wish to create.

On Monday, Mercury ended the last retrograde period of this year…stationing direct in the 19^th degree of Scorpio.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree (that Mercury is still slowly creeping forward in until today) is ‘A parrot listening and then talking’.  Parrot totem medicine has much to do with color and communication.  These are very social, colorful birds that show us the power of our creative voice, and the many things we can do with it.  With our collective mind intent on listening and keeping the lines of communication open…this past week has been like one long conversation we’ve been needing to hear and then continue by voicing our own truths.  What is coming up in conversation may be more important than we realize…so listen up…this is a portal to changes and shifts of direction that will lead you to where you’ve been meaning to go.

Throughout the week so far, the aspects between planets in the sky have carried on this conversation with as much emphasis on letting go of what no longer works as they have on demonstrating your commitment to something you are truly passionate about.  We are making room for new opportunities to unfold here…and that brings us to this morning’s eclipse of the full moon.

Every eclipse brings up matters that are crucial and that need our careful attention.  After all, decisions made and circumstances brought up are likely to have an effect on your life for at least 6 months…sometimes for the rest of your life.  The eclipse of the lunar light indicates the shadows that move across our emotional state in times when we need to balance between extremes.  As the penumbral veil passes, the sun shines a spotlight on how we feel about the events transpiring in our lives.  If we are in a state of crisis, we would do well to remedy the situation with clearer intent.  If we are in a state of balance, then we can help others who may be feeling less harmonious at this time.

The Full Moon was in the 7^th degree of Gemini yesterday morning, and the sabian symbol for this degree is ‘an old fashioned well’.  Water wells are ancient symbols of nurturing and fertility; a physical representation of the live-giving qualities of the Sacred Feminine.  Wells are associated with divine wisdom, the deep understanding of the ultimate nature of reality and the plentitude of the void (Sunyata). The Moon at full mirrors these same qualities, as she is the symbol of the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess.  This full moon represents an upwelling of possibility and the source of all potentialities that flow from the ground of all being (Mother Earth).  Now is a time to ask yourself, figuratively, are you drinking pure knowledge directly from the source?  Or are you buying into something bottled and shipped by man?  This is a timely question when we consider the doomsday scenarios entertained by the masses this year.  But on a more individual level, in any scenario, are you trusting the wisdom within?

As with every full moon, the Sun is opposite the moon…this time in the 7^th degree of Sagittarius.  The sabian symbol for this degree is ‘cupid knocking at the door of the human heart’.  In our house, we call him Eros…not quite the winged baby flying around shooting arrows, but more the young man who fell in love with Psyche (as depicted in the drawing on the header of this blog from the children’s story ‘The Arrow and the Lamp’).  This is a call to open your heart to universal love, allowing an open and honest exchange on a heart level between you and others.  Love is knocking…let it in.  This is the key to opening yourself to the possibilities and potentials symbolized by the wellspring of the full moon.  Again, these symbols hearken back to commitment in relationships just as Venus conjunct Saturn brought up at the beginning of this week. 

And speaking of love, which the lessons of this Full Moon are primarily about, Venus is involved in a sextile (60 degree aspect of opportunity) with the Mars-Pluto conjunction from Tuesday.  First, on the day of the full moon, she sextiled Pluto.  Strong attraction often occurs under this influence, when something deep inside you draws you to relationships that reveal your hidden self.  With the shadow of the eclipse leading up to this opportunity, there was likely an intense need to share, give and receive love…and to be accepted and wanted in return.  Your emotions may have been deepened by the circumstances brought up during the eclipse.  Here we were guided to release something that may have kept us from being truly close with others…and then opened the door to let love in.

Then today, Venus sextiles Mars, when the result of our efforts and communications within relationships may bring us back around to romance, flirtation, and warmer expressions of love.  The emotional and artistic influences of Venus combine supportively with the action urges of Mars to create a cooperative effort in almost anything attempted.  This favors not only love relationships but also formation of friendships.  Happiness today, after the strong planetary pulls of the week, is there if you reach out for it and take the opportunities before you.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Pallas Athene at the Apex of Agitation

Tonight, at 7:25pm CST, Pallas in Pisces shifts out of retrograde and into direct motion.  Pallas is the asteroid of the wise warrior princess, a motherless goddess said to have sprung from the forehead of Jupiter/Zeus.  She is the feminine equivalent of Mars, though she is much more the mental strategist than the gung-ho warrior.  All areas that she rules are prevalent today while she is stationed, such as:  creative intelligence, invention, strategy, patterns, diplomacy, feminine wisdom, order, visualization, intellectual skill, and the father-daughter relationship. 

In Pisces, Pallas sees through the material world to grasp reality through imagination, visions, and fantasies…the energy of the enlightened warrior.  However, she is not well placed in this sign (her usual clear-headedness becomes a bit blurred around the edges with the Piscean view.  But she is also under a lot of celestial stress as she is at the apex of a T-square aspect configuration…which means she’s at a 90 degree square with the opposition between Juno in Sagittarius and Vesta in Gemini.  The stress of this opposition focuses its energy on Pallas’s apex, and can cause us to put too much emphasis on the dream world and lose connections with what is real and what is not. 

As usual, we’ll see a lot of this happening on a grand scale…but let’s take a look into the specific degrees we’re dealing with here so that we might find a better outlet for the focus of this hard-hitting energy on the individual level.

Pallas is in the 23^rd degree of Pisces.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is ‘a materializing medium facilitating a séance’.  The keyword for this degree is ‘sensitivity’.  This degree points to the ability to give of one’s own vital energy to substantiate one’s conscious ideals or unconscious desires.  Depending on the motives of the ‘medium’ in each situation you encounter, the display of psychic power can be positive (such as receiving communications from the spirit realm) or negative (such as deception or psychic attacks).  Look deeper into this symbol and you can see that it refers to any person, possibly even yourself, who believes they have a mission, or any special gift that can be of value to the community, and must substantiate this belief by producing results.  Such results always demand, to some extent, the gift of some power of value which is deeply one’s own.  Afterwards, the medium is usually exhausted as they are giving of their own energy to help others connect to something meaningful.

Juno, the asteroid of the Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth who rules commitment, the wife-husband relationship and protection of females, is in the 20^th degree of Sagittarius.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is ‘men cutting through ice for summer use’.  The keyword is ‘procurement’ and refers to the foresighted use of natural resources to supply future needs.  Active planning for and commitment to the future needs of humanity and foresight based on knowledge of the cyclical processes of nature will assure supply.  Juno in Sagittarius will have a lot to say about what is needed for the future, and while she may come across as a queen making self-righteous demands…there is truth to her words.

Vesta, the asteroid of the Goddess of Hearth and Home and the priestess who rules the sacred flame, sisterhood, and security, is retrograde in the 23^rd degree of Gemini.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is ‘Three fledglings in a nest high in a tree’.  The keyword is ‘elevation’ and refers to a secluded haven promoting comfort, safety and protection.  This degree is about the growth of spiritually creative processes in an at least relatively integrated mind.  Birds usually refer to spirit, or the higher and freer aspects of the mind.  This is about creative integration, and suggests that the ambitious mass protests of aroused and largely blind desires should be transmuted through harmonization with natural drives and attuned to the phases of natural evolution.  Vesta in Gemini elevates the collective mind on a spiritual level and seeks to secure as much information as she can to ensure the enlightenment of the global village.  However, she is under stress with this T-square and this can create a scattered mind or lack of focus and a diffusion of intimacy through trivial chatting or rationalizing feelings. 

What the combination of these three feminine asteroids is telling us is that while we balance the security of the home and the commitment of our relationships, we may find ourselves focused on the psychic attacks or draining of our power from ‘emotional vampires’ that may be creating obstacles around us.  However, if we keep in mind that Pallas is skilled at strategy and creative intelligence, as well as recognizing the patterns of things, we can tap into her warrior spirit in a diplomatic way and ensure the best outcome for all involved. 

These 90 degree angles indicate frictional contacts possibly related to the communication of personal wisdom and truth.  Differing ideals are creating clashes, and Pallas in Pisces is working overtime to teach us how to stay fluid and adaptable through the friction in order to manifest desired results. 

Hers is not an energy that is simply here today, gone tomorrow.  This asteroid which represents the female warrior who did it as well as, if not better than, the men has been highly prominent over the past months.  Her energy was an integral part of the first two exact squares of Uranus and Pluto in June and September…adding the element of establishment-busting female fight, leadership, and strategic direction to the world changes being made at those times.  This was when she was in Aries, conjunct Uranus (the rebel).  She retrograded back into watery Pisces on October 3^rd…and on January 10^th, 2012 she will move back into fiery Aries.  On January 28^th, 2013, Pallas will conjunct Uranus again and then square Pluto again on February 12^th, 2013. 

But this T-square energy (like a celestial cat-fight) is in effect into the first week of December.  A fever-pitch may come on the day of the Full Moon (November 28^th) when Juno and Pallas exact their square while Mars and Pluto are conjunct in Capricorn and Venus and Saturn are conjunct in Scorpio.  Discernment is key here, so choose your angles and your battles…we are meant to get very clear now on our own truth and beliefs, but forcing the issues (especially when outnumbered) will only lead to more obstacles and stress. 

The Sagittarius New Moon on December 13^th will stir it all up again, with a conjunction to Juno and a square to Pallas, though Vesta will have retrograded out of range of a T-square by then.  This is closely followed by the Sun reaching an exact square to Pallas on December 15^th.  On December 22^nd, the Sun will exact a conjunction with Juno at the beginning of Capricorn by that point.  Then on December 29^th, Mercury squares Pallas…so there is no shortage of emphasis on these themes above causing a bit of an uproar throughout the rest of this year.  Pay attention to social tension as a guidance mechanism through these tumultuous times and adjust accordingly.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

New Moon Eclipse in Scorpio: Diana the Huntress

Shift Happens

You're not losing your mind.  Losing control, though?  Maybe.  But that's the point, really. You never had it fully to begin with...no matter how many choices you've made that were distinctly your own.  We're not super-human after all, and we can't do it all...some things fall through the cracks while we're sifting through priorities.  And then the shifts happen.  Slow down, stand still, move ahead, back it up...the energy of the Universe moves in mysterious ways, but the timing is always impeccable.  The rhythm is down to a science, and the messages move us like art.  

November begins the 'time which is no time'...the deepest dark of the year between Samhain (October 31st-November 1st) and the 12 days of Yule (December 21st-January 1st).  This transition between the Celtic New Year and the Winter Solstice Holidays is as magickal as it is mysterious.  There certainly is an otherworldly undertone to all happenings as we float along with our bodies, trying to keep up with a societal pace that no longer allows the time to pause and reflect at the crucial crossroads of the seasons.  We're seeing ourselves do all this business, and hearing ourselves say all these words...but are our feet even touching the ground?  What on Earth is real, and what is illusion?

So, on U.S. Election Day, Mercury steps in and focuses our attention on the 5th degree of Sagittarius before retrograding (backtracking, from our point-of-view) to pick up those pieces we overlooked while speeding ahead through autumn.  Mercury rules communication, transportation, and the mind.  In Sagittarius, Mercury takes our collective mind on an adventurous journey, seeking meaning in the bigger picture and expanding our perspective. The degree where it stationed is represented by the Sabian Symbol 'an old owl sitting in a tree'.  The image calls to mind a double-shot of wisdom, as the Owl totem and Tree totems are well known for wisdom medicine.  It also suggests that this retrograde got us to stop a moment and view a situation from all sides, piercing through the surface for the truth with sharpened eyes.  Many hear 'Mercury Retrograde' and automatically assume the worst will happen.  Mechanical and technological delays, communication breakdowns, scheduling snafus and Murphy's Law often come up at this time...especially if you are in a full-speed-ahead mindset needing to get too many things done.  Try to see it differently.  My printer ran out of ink and paper when I needed a bunch of scripts for my class, but what I did have was sufficient.  A mother stopped me after class that day to talk about costumes and makeup, and if I had left on time I might have gotten into an accident with the crushed car that was holding up traffic on my way home.  The delays often have good reason.  This is a time to look inward and re-evaluate what you put forth before the shift, rediscover something important you may have overlooked, and reconnect with the still voice inside you.  Make time to rethink some things, and you'll be using this retrograde to your best advantage.

Now this particular retrograde goes on most of the month, and shifts back to direct motion on November 26th.  We're not exactly clear of the lessons of this time, though, until December 14th when it gets back to this same degree where it first stationed.  

On Sunday, November 11th, we had another planetary shift...but a much slower one.  Neptune stationed that weekend in the 1st degree of Pisces and is now moving slowly forward again in direct motion.  When Neptune's at a standstill, prevalent themes play out in the areas of dreams, spirituality, inspiration, imagination but can also get hazy in the areas of addiction, deception, and confusion.  Anything that you can't quite define or control usually comes up around these times.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree of Pisces is 'a public marketplace'.  Commerce is the theme, and during a mercury retrograde mixed with the nebulous nature of Neptune...what's being bought and sold (whether figuratively or literally) may be questionable.  Social exchanges may have been a bit heavy or confusing...but we're coming out of all that with a certain indescribable enlightenment.  

On Wednesday, November 14th, Chiron (the Wounded Healer) will also station direct in Pisces, though in the 5th degree.  So, this whole week is also colored with our deepest wounds either reopening to be properly healed or healing others with the gift within our own wounds.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is 'a church bazaar'.  With Neptune and Chiron working together in Pisces, we'll either be swimming through emotional seas or streaming the currents of spirit.  And to make matters a little more emotionally in-depth, Mercury Retrograde brings us back into the intense waters of the Scorpio mind this same day.  Sensitivities may be on high, but remember that everyone will be feeling these effects in some way.  You may feel alone in your woundedness, but we're all in it together working on our own wounds while healing the wounds of others.  This 'church bazaar' that brings community together is a light social gathering full of strange items and treasures from all around the world.  There is something for everyone here, whether it be something that reminds us of our childhood, something that recalls a lost piece of our soul, or something that connects us to our spirituality.  You will find what you never realized you were looking for.

Diana the Huntress

The New Moon clocks in at 4:08pm CST today (Tuesday, November 13th), followed by a solar eclipse at 4:17pm...all in the 22nd degree of Scorpio.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is 'hunters starting out for wild ducks'.  Appropriately, the new moon represents the maiden aspect of the triple goddess...Diana, the huntress.  This degree also suggests the stealth and strategy involved in keeping hidden while stalking the prey you are after, which resonates with the shadowy nature of the Solar Eclipse.  Every new moon is an opportunity for new beginnings...when we release what no longer serves us from the last moon phase and move on with better intentions and goals for the next few weeks.  To avoid being the 'sitting ducks' in this image, we imagine ourselves as the hunters instead...waiting in the shadows and readying ourselves to aim directly for our goal.  

Diana is the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and birthing...associated with wild animals and woodland.  Animal totem messages may show much insight during this time.  Whatever it is you've been meaning to bring to birth in your life...focus your intentions on that goal and make it happen during this moon phase.  The effects of eclipses have far-reaching implications...so whatever you make your focus now, may be a significant part of your life for at least half a year to come, if not for the rest of your life.  Steady your aim.

Happy New Moon!

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

Full Moon in Taurus: Awakening to the Depths of Truth

"The creative future descends first to that which becomes chaos."  -Dane Rudhyar

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.

But these weren't even the main astrological happenings of the day.  Mars in opposition with Jupiter (exact yesterday morning) likely brought about some major challenges for many of us.  There was likely some kind of competition, a tug-o-war of sorts, yesterday having to do with desires and ambitions being unchecked and too aggressive.  Whatever went haywire because a lack of temperance and moderation may have caused some sort of separation.  The main reaction this often brings up is one of having to silently consider (and likely regret) that you may have bitten off more than you could chew in some situation.

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.

So, this brings us to today...where many of these aspects from yesterday are still in effect but dissipating in intensity.  We have other things to consider now as well.

Just after 1:00am (CDT), Moon entered Taurus and Mercury entered Sagittarius.  Moon is exalted in Taurus, which means this energy is often beneficial or harmonious for our emotional comfort after a confusingly combative void-of-course Moon in Aries yesterday.  Mercury in Sagittarius brings a future-oriented optimism to mind, and gives us some freedom to explore expansive thoughts and ideas.  Of course, politicians enjoy getting away from the Scorpio Mercury's way of probing into the shadows to get to the truth, and into the broader 'big picture' discussions of Mercury moving into Sagittarius...where forward-thinking vision is the thing, though the details may be overlooked.  We'll get more into this when Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius on US election day (how fitting).

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.

At 2:47pm (CDT), the Full Moon in Taurus will attempt to bring our energies back into balance...if we are open to it, of course.  Though, if we're still in combat mode, the tug-o-war continues.  Let's take a look into the specific imagery that this Full Moon alignment evokes.

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, to bring this symbolism to a more individual level, the Moon is calling us to embody the archetype of the Samaritan through understated, kind service to all...even those who are often avoided...with no expectation of gain or compensation, for the betterment of society.  We are meant to separate superficial spin and rationalization from the search and source of being genuine.  So today, keep your mind open and listen for something said that may reveal a deeper truth and perhaps put you in contact with the very source of your own concerns.  Search for honest and meaningful disclosure...not avoidance by lies or half-truths.  Deception is all around us...engrained into our lives by way of outdated customs, traditions, and programming.  You may find it difficult to uncover the truth.  Those who are lying may mask it well with confidence and a reasonable tone.  Just be sure you are not one of them upholding the lies...act with integrity and kindness and you will discover the path that is right for you.

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!

Love and Gratitude,
Felina

Welcome the Fall

Mother Nature shows us the most majestic ways of death.

There’s no flood of tears to blur the beauty of the release…

Only a graceful letting go of dried up dreams in warmer colors.

There’s no painful screams to drown out the presence of the Fall…

Only whispers of wind to carry life scuffling along with new meaning.

She watches us too…in all our stubborn refusal of becoming.

Are we as frustrating as we feel, or does She share a similar awe?

Perhaps, in our Mother’s eyes, we are goldening in a fiery display...

Giving birth to new life in the midst of our own dying Autumn.

We stand our ground in the cold that consumes us, warming what waits within.

We are aging together, side by side, like old friends.

She in her glory and we in our agony, reflections of each other.

We learn from each other our own catharsis, our own liberation,

And we let the old self go--in our own understanding of change…

Turning in season, we honor the harvest and welcome the Fall.