New Moon in Cancer: Navigating a Change of Heart

 

New Moon in Cancer:  Navigating a Change of Heart

Moon conjunct Sun @ 9:30pm, 6-23-17

The Blessing Moon phase begins with our two luminaries meeting in Cancer…the sign of the Caretaker.  On Tuesday night, the Strong Sun entered Cancer at the Summer Solstice (Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere) and the waning crescent Moon reflected that light on the shortest night of our year here in the North.  During this solstice each year, we collectively pause and take notice of how far we’ve come since the previous Equinox.  For many of us, we appreciate what we’ve accomplished in those growing days.  We can also see what was necessary to weed out in our lives in order to grow.   

Now, we come to a seasonal quarter in which we shift from one allegiance to another, symbolized by the shift from longer days into longer nights.  The Moon reigns now, until the Winter Solstice.  For us humans, a re-orientation begins in our lives that reflects this shift.  We often begin feeling into where we can be better caretakers…of ourselves, our loved ones, our environment, and our world.  Cancer is all about home and family…not just in the domestic sense, though attention to what is closest to us often comes first.  Home is not just our house, but also our body and our Earth.  Family is not just what we, ourselves, have created…but also the larger family of living beings on Earth as well as our ancestors from the past and our next generations to come.  This New Moon in Cancer provides us with a new beginning where we choose the path that best nurtures and aligns with the directional flow of our soul…the path where we lead with our heart.  In nurturing ourselves, we can better nurture others.

This new cycle begins in the 3^rd Degree of Cancer, illuminating the symbol of “A man bundled up in fur leading a shaggy deer.”  Here, we are moving past what we know and travelling into the unknown.  This symbol evokes the image of the indigenous Sami Noaidi (shaman of the Nordic lands).  The Sami people are the only people who are allowed by law to continue their ancient custom of Reindeer husbandry…as it is integral to both their survival as well as their spirituality.  In my post about Deer Medicine, I mentioned the connection between deer (of all types) and the ley lines of the land. The symbol for this New Moon degree connects us with the Pathfinder archetype, and shows us how to use what is at our disposal to help navigate through life’s challenges.  Since the New Moon after the Spring Equinox, we have reached a state of preparedness through lunar initiations that has brought us to where we are now. Our sacred work lies before us, that which we’ve been building toward for months…and we must venture out into rough terrain with courage and conviction. 

Following a soul calling is no easy task…it is a Hero’s Journey, with all the tests and ordeals that follow.  We’ve all received the call to adventure this year, in some way. Something arose that pulled us out of our ordinary existence.  The call is different for everyone.  The death of a loved one that shakes us to our core, the necessity of career change, a failed relationship, moving to a different land, a health crisis…and suddenly we realize we can’t go on the same as we have been.  Significant changes in our lives have urged further transformation into the next stage of our individual journeys.  In the current astrological climate, where there is almost (*almost*) a respite after some heavy-hitting energetic shifts, some of us may take a step back and refuse the call momentarily.  If you are in that headspace, it can easily hold you back for longer than you intended.  Predictable gets comfortable, after all.  Until you start feeling regretful again. But by then, jumping in looks even more daunting.

Look to a mentor who will train, equip, or advise you to carry on (or, consider what you are reading here is a reflection of that encouraging energy…and the man leading the shaggy dear is showing you the way, if not the writer).  Many of us are already crossing the threshold into unfamiliar territory…and this New Moon will bring us our first test.

While I must remain vague on what is shifting in my own life right now, I can tell you that it has (in recent weeks, especially) triggered “ALL the feels”.  Cancer energy does that to many of us, after all.  I actually feel like I’m going through a grieving process, though no one close to me has died.  “One door closes and another opens” is an accurate description of this month for many of us.  Along with those feelings, confusion sets in as well.  Neptune Retrograde is still reminding us, “you don’t need to know everything right now…quit trying to make sense of it”.  Neptune, instead, keeps bringing us to dreamtime and otherworldly journeys…preparing our collective unconscious for what lies ahead.  Fortunately, I have a harmoniously aspected Neptune Retrograde in my own natal makeup…so the cryptic, symbolic language outside of our conscious understanding is where I often find deeper truths anyway.  Which brings me to the following…which can be considered my own Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Three 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.  This New Moon is my final integration, where I am focusing on Pachakuti in my Crown Chakra.  Pachakuti is the organizing principle and Guardian of the Upper World in Incan cosmology…the Keeper of Possibilities, Transformer of the World.  In the Upper World, the Hanaq Pacha, we step outside of linear time and into circular time.  Pachakuti can make time stand still, bringing heavenly order.  Coming into relationship with Pachakuti allows us to recognize what can be changed and that we can change things before they are born. 

Pachakuti the Transformer

In the void, I asked Mama Tuta for clarity.  I was taken to the realm of the Stone People.  An apacheta (a stone cairn) at the base of a mountain told me to climb up the mountain.  Tall as it was, it took no time at all to climb…there is a certain heaviness of limitations that is left behind with the body while traveling through non-ordinary realms.  I was familiar with this mountain, though my body had never even been near it.  I had climbed to the citidel in the sky of Machu Picchu. 

“Is anyone here to guide me?”  I asked in this Upper World Realm. 

A Stone Giant, which I hadn’t noticed until it moved slightly to face me, answered.  “I am always here.”

“Are you Pachakuti?”

The Stone Giant’s features looked amused by my question.  “Pachakuti is in all of us.”

“I see.  Can you tell me what am I here to learn?”

He pointed the way.  “Go to the Intiwatana stone. You will know it.”

“Thank you.”  I replied, and walked in the direction of a large, terraced pyramid.

At the top, there was a beautifully carved piece of granite that looked like an altar.  As I stood before it, the rising sun projected a triangle of light through the stone and illuminated two concentric circles on the floor. 

It occurred to me that I should place my left ring finger in the center of the circles, since it is my only finger with a concentric whorl print.  When I did, two figures of Tai Tai Inti (The Sun) and Mama Killa (The Moon) appeared on either side of me. 

“We appreciate you paying attention to our dance.”  Mama Killa said.

“I have learned a lot from both of you over the years. Thank you for your wisdom.”  I replied.

“This lesson will be different, as you can see.”  Tai Tai Inti told me.  “The New Moon after the Solstice marks a time when the people on Earth have a choice of many timelines.  The one they have chosen previously is not sustainable.  The people in your country, specifically, are approaching a great change.  Pachakuti awaits their choice.”

“Do you mean the Total Solar Eclipse is the great change?”  I asked.

“Yes.  When you see me glide across and cover his light with my body…your country’s day will turn to night.  Your people’s shadows will have the opportunity to become conscious.  Celebratory as many will seem in being part of this, it will also feel as though long-untended wounds of their ancestors are reopening to be healed.”  Mama Killa warned.

“You must work together to heal those wounds, as they are also the wounds of Pachamama.”  Tai Tai Inti added.

“So this New Moon begins…what, exactly, for us?”  I asked.

“It begins the coming together of your people…all of them, not just the one’s who have already committed to consciously healing.  The intention must be set to reach as many as possible between now and the coming eclipse, to encourage each unique medicine within them as you can.  Too many are in a destructive dream state.  Their illusion is that nothing can be, or should be, changed.”  Tai Tai Inti answered.

“The truth is, everything changes, one way or another.”  Mama Killa said.

“And we have to change it to the best possible outcome.”  I agreed.

Mama Killa smiled.  Tai Tai Inti gestured toward the top of the stone altar.  “Look here.”  He told me.

I placed my forehead against the top of the warm stone.  Visions flooded in.  The globe of the earth from a cosmic view.  The focus zoomed in above where the path of the eclipse would be soon…from Oregon to South Carolina.  Little lights along the path moved closer to each other and brightened the darkness between them.  Lights from north and south moved in as well and joined.  A heartbeat grew louder and louder.

I lifted my head, amazed.  I turned to Tai Tai Inti and Mama Killa.  “You’re bringing them together.  They don’t yet understand the greater reason, but they are being drawn in.”

They nodded in agreement.  I thanked them and returned home.

For more information on the 7^th Gate of Authority, where we reclaim our reconnection to the Divine and to our spiritual Self, check out 7^th Chakra:  Healing the Spirit.

Full Moon in Sagittarius: Attention is the Coin of the Realms

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Full Moon in Sagittarius: Attention is the Coin of the Realms

Moon opposite Sun @ 8:10am, 6-9-17

The Strong Sun Moon may appear tiny, but it will pack a powerful punch.  It looks smaller in our night sky because it is at apogee (exact at 5:22pm CDT yesterday, June 8^th), when the moon is in the farthest point of its orbit from earth.  To the casual moongazer, the size difference may not be as obvious as a supermoon (moon at perigee)…because at apogee, the moon only appears up to about 14% smaller.  Quiet and distant though she may seem, this Full Moon has a big message that may hit close to home for many of us (if it hasn’t already…since the energy leading up to it has been anything but subtle).

Before going into the astrological details, I feel the urge to remind you that you are not alone.  For many of us, we’re experiencing great shifts in our lives this month…and for some, the manifestations of these circumstances can be downright brutal, depressing, or scary (or all of the above, and more).  If you feel this doesn’t apply to your life right now (or you are experiencing huge shifts but in a really positive way)…be there for someone who is going through turbulent transformation.  Help them through it however you shine best in their lives.  These are the very catalysts that can make or break an individual…and we don’t need anymore broken people.  We’ve seen the worst of what that can do.  Whether you are in the thick of something, or willing to help another through it, don’t be afraid of your ability to transform heavy energies.  Every one of us can do it, though it is more difficult to do it when we are in a powerless state.  Protect the planet.  Use your medicine where needed.  Make your intention clear, and allow for miracles to manifest.

Inner Planet Ingresses

Our three inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) all shifted into new signs this week.  These are known in astrology as the “personal planets”…their cycles and placements within the natal chart having very personal effects upon each individual (as opposed to the outer, transpersonal planets…which often have very global effects in transit and generational effects in natal charts).  On Sunday, Mars moved into Cancer.  On Tuesday, Venus moved into Taurus and Mercury moved into Gemini.

Mars’s ingress into the sign of Cancer shifts the focus of actions and desires into the watery oceans of emotion.  This can feel combative at first, until Mars settles in to this sign of home and family.  Where is the beginning of Cancer in your natal chart?  Mine is in the 3^rd house of communication…and I have already had to check myself a couple times this week in response to emotional triggers.  There can be a very protective energy to this Mars in Cancer combination…and threats to the freedom or well being of loved ones, families, children, or the home environment can give rise to the warrior within. Even those of us without these familial influences featuring strongly in our lives will still likely feel a need to lash out in response to emotional attacks from within or without.  However, this is not what Mars in Cancer is all about, but it can incline such behavior.  As Mars moves through this sign until July 20th, we are all confronting our emotions head on…and at every instance, we have to realize ‘what part of this feeling is mine and what part belongs to the other person?’  Don’t allow yourself to be sucked into the lower energies that others may be acting out.  Energy always needs a place to go…and if it's not healthy, don’t give it a home within you when it’s not yours to begin with.  You have your own emotions to work on.  If you feel safe enough to do empath work, you can help the other person raise their frequency so they don’t spread those lower vibrations to others and do any more damage.  If you don’t, or don’t have empathic inclinations, just steer clear and don’t feed into it.  Focus on how you are feeling.  Cancer energy can help us get to the root of emotions, and Mars’s battle here is really one of taking right action in response to those triggers and softening the blows.

Venus was a warrioress herself for most of the Spring in the sign of Aries, but her recent ingress into Taurus has her once again laying down her battle gear and getting back to more pleasurable experiences.  After the battle of the Divine Feminine resurfacing in a world inclined toward patriarchy, Venus shifts our focus to what it is that we truly value and love to do.  What brings us joy and pleasure?  And how can we receive an abundance of those things in healthy ways?  The area of the chart where Taurus begins gives clues to where in your life this Venusian shift is focusing for you.  Venus in the sign of the Gardener says ‘the seeds of the Spring have sprouted and grown, the flowers have blossomed, the fruit of our labors are coming to be enjoyed.  This summer is the time to make what you love be what you do.”

Mercury’s ingress into Gemini is as harmonious a placement as Venus is in Taurus.  The mind delights in the efficient gathering of information, networking with others, and communicating knowledge. Do pay attention to where your mental energy is focused.  The house in your natal chart where Gemini begins can clue you in to what area of your life needs this mental shift most. 

Sagittarius Full Moon and Jupiter Station

Traditionally, in astrology, the sign of Sagittarius is said to be ruled by Jupiter.  In this full moon’s chart, Jupiter is stationed and turns direct shortly after the Full Moon’s exaction…so the potency of Jupiter’s focus on growth, abundance, and luck pools and amplifies the energies at play during this lunation.  A Full Moon in Sagittarius while Jupiter is stationed in Libra is a rare occurrence, so it is interesting that the very same occurrence can be found in Donald Trump’s birth chart (though his birth was just before an eclipse, but he was also born on a Friday in June).  I felt this synchronicity should be brought to light.  I don’t like even mentioning his name because I don’t resonate with much of anything he puts out into our world (I don’t hold any hostility toward those who support him, I just have no natural alignment with his way of life or his actions on the world stage…as if that isn’t already obvious…and what he and I care about is in stark contrast).  But it should be mentioned because it seems this Full Moon is going to be affecting him probably more than anyone else most of us know of…and the whole world will be watching how that’s going to play out.  For those of you reading this, magical thinking is more powerful than wishful thinking…if you want to give energy to necessary change, set clear intentions and connect with others to harmonize the will of the collective.

Strong Sun in the 19^th degree of Gemini:  “A large archaic volume”

We, as human beings, carry a vast amount of knowledge and heritage with us.  All of this, together, is the collective mind of the human race…to which this symbol refers.  The Strong Sun in this degree opens this large archaic volume into the light of consciousness during this Full Moon, teaching us from many wisdom traditions that are the foundations beneath any of our cultural or individual mindsets.  This wisdom is of remembering (or, rather, re-membering…putting pieces of ourselves back together as a whole).  Modern day living has a way of scattering us from one direction to the next…many of us just trying to find our center within a sea of distractions.  By now, we have learned that focused intention is a powerful way to manifest what we truly need in our lives.  But there is more to learn.  There is always more to learn.  Taking time to connect with guides and ancestors can bring beneficial answers and highlight the parts of our path that we’re not seeing during this busy month.  At the very least, soaking up some sun in the next few days can bring a download of wisdom into your body too.  Sun is conjunct Ceres (which was exact on Monday, but has been in effect for a couple weeks now), which is the asteroid of the Caretaker, the Nurturing Mother.  So the Sun is also highlighting how we are nurturing others, and in what ways we feel nurtured.  If one expression has been outweighing the other, we will be called to find a balance.

Mini Moon in the 19^th degree of Sagittarius:  “Pelicans moving their habitat”

There is a need to find a new way of life…to remove ourselves from what is no longer serving us and, in many cases, threatening our health or survival.  Pelican medicine is focused on flock and family, especially the younger generations.  The collective feeling of this moon is to create some distance (moon is at apogee, after all) between what is toxic in our lives now and what we really need in order to heal.  With Chiron at the zenith (Midheaven) during the Full Moon exaction, our woundedness will receive a spotlight in all of this…guiding us toward our specific healing path.  Saturn is also conjunct the moon, though a few degrees away.  Still, the energy of restriction and difficult lessons is building into a moment of maturation that may manifest a little later in the day.  

Pluto in the 19^th degree of Capricorn:  “A small child with a huge shopping bag”

Pluto here is activating an aspect pattern with the luminaries that we might call an ‘Irritation Triangle’.  With a semi-sextile to the Moon, Pluto focuses a sharp wedge of uncomfortable energy toward the Sun through an inconjunct (or quincunx…150 degrees) aspect.  The inconjunct is a little jarring, but is meant to encourage necessary growth.  In this degree of Capricorn, Pluto carries a heavy load of transformative energy.  Where ever the sun is transiting in our natal chart (19 Gemini) is where that pressure will be felt most, and where ever Pluto is in our natal chart (19 Capricorn) is where it is coming from.  This is an energy of accelerated growth…where the child is carrying out responsibilities even before fully developing in effort to help out.  Essentially, you may not feel ready to be of service in the way that you want to…but situations will still arise to prove to you that you are ready to grow quickly into whatever role is calling you.  Don’t hold yourself back because you don’t have degrees and experience…take on the experience as it comes.  Maybe it’s that you’re afraid to do something on your own.  The truth is, you can.  This is not a time to stay comfortably where we’ve always been operating…it’s a time to break out of routine and try something new.  Pluto is conjunct Juno at this time so there may be an obvious focus on relationships as well.  For those that are suffering under the weight of unhealthy relationships, here’s your chance to make a break (it may not be a clean break, things could get messy…but if it’s necessary then Juno is empowering you to do what you need to do).  For others, this may just be an uncomfortable growth period in your relationships.  You might need to make personal changes without waiting on your partner to get on board and change too.  Do it anyway, and allow them their own time to develop at their own pace.  Taking the initiative to make healthy changes in yourself often inspires those close to us to do the same for themselves.  Inspiration is often a better motivator than forceful demands.

Jupiter Stations Direct in the 14^th degree of Libra:  “A noon siesta”

 Jupiter, the planet of growth and abundance, has been retrograde since February.  During the Full Moon, Jupiter is stationed (not moving, from our point of view on earth anyway) and will turn to direct (forward) movement less than an hour after the full moon at 9:03am Friday morning.  With all this activity, there is an evident need for a period of relaxation and recuperation…so that we may recharge and allow ourselves to ‘digest’.  So, don’t forget self-care…things like meditation or even napping will do wonders for our bodies and our psyches this month.  We are not meant to sustain constant activity.  We all need a little down time to rest and digest.  Jupiter, as one of the social planets (along with Saturn), reminds us that social structuring cannot be maintained without taking breaks.  Dreamtime during this station (as well as the time leading up to it and following) may present us with messages and answers we need for the growth period that is occurring now. Jupiter stations in harmonious aspects to the opposing luminaries, so if you want to tap into the best of what this full moon has to offer, drop Pluto’s heavy load for a moment and take time to quiet the nervous tension that’s been building.  Pick it up again with a renewed sense of optimism and determination after a much-needed, though probably short-lived, break from activity.

The Uncomfortable Growth of the Inconjunct Aspect

Pluto isn’t the only inconjunct pushing for growth this full moon (though he is the only one directly focused on the full moon energy, so his transformative influence is going to be obvious).  There are two important, and interconnected, aspect patterns occurring at this time that are a combination of inconjunctions and sextiles.  The aspect patterns are called Yods (also known as ‘The Finger of God’).  This is about timing and adjustment…it has the same feeling of uncomfortable growth from the inconjunct aspects, but the sextile presents a more apparent opportunity to take necessary action in that growth.  The pattern looks like an isosceles triangle…and the apex planet at the point across from the sextile is where the ‘finger of God’ is pointing you to make an adjustment. 

One of these yods involves the sextile between Stationary Jupiter in Libra and Vesta in Leo (asteroid of the Priestess of the Sacred Flame), both inconjunct to Neptune in Pisces (which will be stationing retrograde next week).  The other yod involves the sextile between Neptune in Pisces and Juno in Capricorn (mentioned above in conjunction with Pluto), both inconjunct to Vesta in Leo.  It is the square between Jupiter and Juno (husband and wife, King and Queen) right now that’s providing the stressful activation of these yods, but they are pointing us to adjust where Neptune (Pisces 15) and Vesta (Leo 14) are in our natal charts. 

Neptune in Pisces is the Mystic, the Empath, the World Server, the Healer.  Spiritual and helpful as this placement is, in an inconjunct its attributes of being confusing, nebulous, and escapist can be heightened.  However, the yod pointing here is not necessarily a call to develop clarity in the area of life it is transiting, but more to go with the flow of not knowing.  It may be a message to stop trying to control everything and just allow the adjustment to happen in a mystical manner.  Or it may be another call to ask guides or just trust Spirit.  Again, meditation, shamanic journeying, or revelations during dreamtime may be more along the lines of what you need to make some adjustments.

Vesta in Leo is the Fire Priestess, the Heart-Centered Leader, the Divine Child, the Caretaker of the Creative Spark Within.  In many ways, the roles are similar…but the mode of expression is illuminating and fiery with Vesta while Neptune is watery and mysterious.  The inconjunct aspects to Vesta point a focus toward hearth and home, and tending the sacred flame within.  Interestingly, the Roman word for hearth is ‘focus’…and that kind of dedication is what Vesta is known for.  Where Vesta is transiting is where you need to create your sacred space and connect with the shakti energy of the Divine Feminine, or where you can reconnect with your inner child and how much they know about the very thing that makes you feel alive being the thing you should be focused on creating in your life.  The challenge is that it may not be anything close to what you’re actually giving your energy to lately.  Therein lies the need for adjustment to facilitate growth.

Let us not forget the Grand Fire Trine mentioned in my last post about the New Moon.  It’s still in full effect…and the Full Moon axis is nearly making it into a Kite pattern…with the Sun as an anchor to give the harmonious creativity some form.  Yes, there is a lot of uncomfortable energy surrounding us…and yes, there is potential for crisis…but there are also cathartic, creative outlets still there for us to tap into and explore.  

Journeying with the Archetypes

At the end of March, I received the shamanic archetypes of the Munay Ki into my chakras through the Harmony Rite.  At this lunation, I am integrating Quetzalcoatl into my Third Eye Chakra.  Quetzalcoatl is the Guardian of the Middle World and our Consciousness, known as ‘The Feathered Serpent’ because he is a combination of the bird (Quetzal, representing the link to the sky and the Upper World) and the snake (Coatl, representing the link to the earth and the Lower World).  He is known as the Lord of the Dawn, the Day Bringer, and the Morning Star (Venus).  Quetzalcoatl brings harmony and order, organizing our conscious, waking life.  The Feathered Serpent holds the animistic wisdom of our Earth that, when called upon, can bring necessary order to our practical, material world.  In times like these, a little divine organization goes a long way.

Quetzalcoatl the Morning Star

Just before dawn, I woke up and walked outside.  I sang ‘Guided by Venus’ to the Morning Star, and welcomed her on my journey.  My cat, Ani, rubbed against my feet. I bent down and rubbed her head.

“What are you doing out here?”  I asked.  It seemed a valid question, since she’s usually reluctant to go outside.

She answered by leading me to the backyard, through our garden.  It wasn’t quite the same at the break of dawn as I remembered it at other times.  The gentle breeze seemed to make everything dance.  I realized I had rarely ever been in our garden for a summer sunrise, and certainly not for a few years at least.  Am I really that nocturnal?

“Yes, you are.” Ani replied to my thought.  “But the Day Bringer has a message for you today, that’s why you’re here.  I’m here to guide you.”

“This is still dreamtime?” I asked, sitting next to my familiar beside the strawberry patch.  “I thought I was awake.”

“We both are, but our bodies are still sleeping in bed.  I’m still on your legs.  Our souls have sacred work to do.” She jumped down from the edge of the raised bed and looked east with me.  The first strokes of sunrise painted the horizon.

“I love you, Ani.  I’m glad you’re with me.”

Ani rubbed her head against my hand then sat in my lap, purring. “I love you too.”

The sunrise was rapid, almost like time was accelerating.  Then at the first glimpse of the fiery orb over the horizon, a large and radiant phoenix flew from the east toward us.  It landed on a garter snake at the south entrance of the garden and took it gently into its claws, circling low around the perimeter of the garden beds.  Then as the phoenix with the snake began to slowly descend before us, both of them transformed into one of my Spirit Guides, a black-haired woman with changeable wings.  Her wings were white and angelic now.

“You’re Quetzalcoatl?  I’ve always called you Deja Vu.”  I said to her.

“I’m Quetzalcoatl in a form you know.  You can still call me Deja Vu.  It’s an appropriate name for our connection.”

“Ani says you have a message for me.” I stood up as Ani hopped down from my lap.

“Yes.  You share your understanding of ‘as above, so below’…but you must also share your understanding of ‘as within, so without’.  Your tribe will say ‘be the change we wish to see in this world’…but then they will worry about how to change the world and will scatter their focus for something to do outside of themselves to create that change.  Becoming the change is inner work, the outer work follows a flow that starts within.  The outer world reflects back to you the inner changes you make.  This is forgotten or ignored when people worry about the state of the world.  With worry within, the worries manifest and amplify without.”

“Yes, we have to send out harmonious healing by transmuting our consciousness from heavy energy to light energy.”  I agreed.

She winked, “From lead into gold.”

“It’s difficult to piece together the best way to explain that. Do you have any advice on organizing my thoughts into the right words?”

“As you say in your acting classes…’Don’t just tell me, show me.’”  She replied and flew away again toward the sun. 

Ani started walking back to the house, turning her head over her shoulder to say, “Time to return.”

For more information on the 6th Gate of Perception, where we reclaim our spiritual vision and our ability to manifest spirit into matter, check out 6th Chakra:  Healing the Thoughts.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi

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.