Chakra Centers, Part Six: Healing the Thoughts

6^th Chakra:  Third Eye Chakra

Center of Intuition

The third eye (or brow chakra), located between the eyebrows, is the center of psychic power and intuition.  The third eye functions include logic, intellect, and Higher Thought. This chakra enables you to experience telepathy, astral travel, past life information, and psychic channeling.  This is the chakra where you can tune in to your Higher Self and activate spiritual wisdom.  

This is where we learn open mindedness and where we learn to understand reality with detachment.  An open third eye also allows us to have psychic dreams, dream recall, clairvoyance, soul realization, spiritual sight, and telepathic communication.  This is the seat of the mind, intuition, intelligence, perception, concentration, imagination, visualization, reasoning, insight, memory and clear thinking.  It governs the mental images and ideas that flow in and out of the mind.  The subliminal messages and ideas (both positive and negative that the ego believes about the self, society and the world) are replayed here.  The third eye controls the way a body perceives the Self and the world.

By the power of your thoughts, you create the world.  Thoughts are energy.  Thoughts are things.  This chakra, when balanced, allows you to detach and release those heavy thought forms that weigh you down…the fears, negative perceptions, and worries that lower your energy.  Those fears become entities in your energy field, feeding off of your own energy.  When you give energy to them, they cling to you…wanting more.  When you deny them energy and attention, they dissolve away. 

The thoughts of others with whom you interact can influence you and your experience.  For instance, when interacting with a positive, creative person you will feel uplifted and stimulated even when no words are exchanged.  Your mood is elevated and you feel full of energy and joy.  Similarly, when you interact with a negative person, you begin to feel lowered and drained.  This is a direct result of another person’s thoughts, which are a form of energy around you.

To balance this chakra, learn to have an open mind.  This does not mean you need to believe everything.  But consider everything.  Feel whether or not it resonates truth to you.  Meditation and visualization has a powerful effect on this chakra.  Focus on the color indigo, the depth of this color speaks directly to your mind's eye.  Be aware of your thoughts.  Think positively.  Crystals and other healing methods aligned with this chakra can be found below.

Balanced Energy:

Charismatic, can receive guidance, not attached to material things,

no fear of death, master of yourself, you no longer need another person to complete yourself.

Excessive Energy:

Egomaniac, proud, grandiose, manipulative, denial, self-delusion, spaced out, living in illusions, refusal to face reality, escapism, overly sensitive, fearful, religiously dogmatic, authoritarian.

Deficient Energy:

Non-assertive, undisciplined, lack of future planning, commitment issues, confused, lack of concentration, muddled thinking, physically and materially focused, tense, excessive worrying, forgetfulness, oversensitive to the feelings of others, afraid of success, little (if any) psychic skills or intuition, superstitious, dogmatic, rigid beliefs, inability to be who you really are, lack of discernment, schizophrenic (unable to distinguish between Ego self and Higher self).

Illnesses associated with the Third Eye Chakra:

Confusion, nightmares, mental illness, migraines, bad eyesight, eye problems, lack of clarity, tension, psychic or mental exhaustion, problems with glands, and psychosomatic disorders.

Glands/organs/body parts associated with the Third Eye Chakra:

Pineal, pituitary, brain, eyes, ears, nose.


Stones/crystals/minerals to aid the healing of the Third Eye Chakra:

Lapis lazuli, azurite, sodalite, kyanite, sugilite, quartz crystal, sapphire, fluorite, .

Healing the Third Eye with meditative thought:

How to Heal the Pineal Gland and Meditate

Guided Brow Chakra Meditation

Pineal Gland Activation

Chakra Centers, Part Five: Healing the Voice

5^th Chakra:  Throat Chakra

Center of Communication

The throat chakra, located at the bottom of the neck, is the seat of self-expression and verbal communication.  The throat stores your ability to speak the truth, verbalize ideas, speak needs, stand up for yourself, assert will, and express creativity.  When you speak falsely, either from lying or omission or gossip, you create an energetic imbalance.  Essentially, what you communicate is what you get.

When the voice center is open, you will have a powerful desire to talk about what you are experiencing.  When you do this, some of your old friends may fall away but your true friends will always be there for you.  So, let go of the ones who are uncomfortable with the new person you are becoming.  You are not meant to be who they expect you to be.  You are meant to be your true self.  You will find that there are many new and wonderful friends who will be magnetically drawn to you as your own energy changes.

When you have a conversation with another person, without the desire for dominating each other, the light of the throat chakras mix which creates a brilliant blue aura.  If the energy or intent of the conversation is negative…the light grows dark and can create a block.  When this happens, one or both may feel unable to express clearly what they mean to say, or the words to resolve the tension, and the result can be more negativity being expressed which makes matters worse.

Speaking through the heart can mend these broken lines of communication…but can be difficult when dealing with a block.  Humor can protect against this kind of darkness…as it is disarming and can add brightness to the heaviness surrounding a darkening discussion.  Often, when you feel your true voice blocked, it is a good idea to take some time to clear it before saying anything more. 

To balance this chakra, sing!  There are always people who don’t think they have a good enough voice to sing…and just that thought alone can weaken the energy of this chakra.  Nobody said you have to be the best singer, or even very good.  It doesn’t matter how you or others may rank the sound of your voice.  Your voice is perfect because it is yours.  So, let it sing without being crushed by judgment.  Other ways to balance this chakra are humming, chanting, speaking positive affirmations, communicating humor and love, laughing, smiling often, speaking your truth, talking with trusted friends and loved ones, etc.  The throat chakra is connected to the sense of hearing…so listening to something that speaks truth to you can also help to open this chakra.  Listen to music (and create some yourself), listen to a guided meditation on chakra opening, listen to the sounds of children playing or birds singing, listen to the wind and all the sounds of nature, listen to the quiet voice within you that knows your truth.  Focusing on the color blue (the brighter, the better) can also help to soothe and heal the throat and its energy.  In the information below, you can find crystals and healing sounds to aid the healing of the throat chakra.

Balanced throat energy:

Honest, trustworthy, makes good choices, self-expressive, laughs often, not afraid to speak their heart and mind, social, congenial, contented, centered, can live in the present, good sense of timing, good speaker, creative, can meditate and experience Divine Energy.

Excessive throat energy:

Arrogant, boastful, self-righteous, talks too much, chatty, tactless, speaking without thinking, gossiping, know-it-all, lying, obnoxious, sharp and hurtful tongue, dominates conversations, endless lecturing, loud booming voice, dogmatic, addictive, sexual energy may be macho/aggressive, prefers partners who can be dominated.

Deficient throat energy:

Scared, timid, holds back, quiet, inconsistent, unreliable, weak, devious, manipulative, inability to voice opinions, won’t speak up, easily deceived, high anxiety, shy, fear of public speaking, indecision, stutters, can't express thoughts and feelings, can’t relax during sex, feels conflict with their religious upbringing, may be afraid of sex.

Illnesses associated with the throat chakra:

Communication and/or speech problems. Knowledge used unwisely, ignorance, lack of discernment, thyroid and immune system problems.  Inflamed throat, swollen glands, convulsions, allergies, tonsillitis, laryngitis, hoarseness, muteness, mouth and teeth issues, speech impediments, colds, coughs (including nervous coughs).

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

Thyroid, parathyroid, throat, mouth, teeth.

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

Turquoise, chrysocolla, blue topaz, aquamarine, blue tourmaline, blue obsidian, aqua aura.

  

Healing the throat chakra with sound:

The Temple of Sacred Sound is an interactive site by Jonathan Goldman which my friend, Dan Furst, introduced to me years ago.  Here is the link: Temple of Sacred Sound

This is a short video of sound healing with a crystal singing bowl for the 5^th chakra.

Crystal Singing Bowl for 5th Chakra

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