 The New Moon is on Sunday, September 25 at 4:54 p.m. in 2° Libra. Libra is a sign of partnerships, so starting a new project in partnership is favored. Libra, symbolized by the scales, is about balance. "It's not how you predict the future; it's how you balance the future." Goswami Kriyananda How do we balance our future using the information in the New Moon chart? The first thing is the understanding that balance comes from re-balancing. Re-balancing is a process of realizing we're off-balance and pulling back toward whatever balance means to you. In yoga, we're usually talking about peace and equanimity. So, when we find ourselves off-balance emotionally in some way, we use a technique like deep breathing or meditation to bring us back.  If Libra is a sign of partnerships, we balance the next several days by paying attention to the partnerships in our life: marriage, work projects etc. Since Libra is an air sign and air signs mean communication, then we pay attention to all communications and use the Libra faculty for tact and diplomacy. Balance, un-balance, re-balance. And then as Mercury makes its stationary point on October 2 at 24° Virgo, we double up on tact and diplomacy, letting go of giving critiques to others for a few days. Because the Saturn/Uranus square is still in orb in the New Moon chart, we contemplate ways to harmoniously balance caution with creativity. The old versus the new. Tradition in contrast to modern culture. With Mars trining Saturn in the New Moon chart we can use consistent and focused energy to get our New Moon projects geared up. You can turn all the above into affirmations if you like:
I move through the day with an abundance of balanced and constructive energy.  The Most Important Thing
Ray Grasse often posts excerpts from his books on Facebook. Recently he posted this conversation with Goswami Kriyananda via Ray's book Urban Mystic … RAY: What is the most important thing a person should know? KRIYANANDA: That they can find answers for themselves, that they don’t need teachers, gurus, priests, rabbis. As my guru said to me, “No one should have greater interest in me than me,” No one would have greater interest in you than you. And so that you— whoever that you is—should pick up the search. So I think the answer is, we can find the answers. Life is knowable. More of this conversation here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10158911440401592&set=a.60334886591 You can find me on:
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 The Full Moon is on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 4:58 a.m. CDT in 17° Pisces. This full moon heightens our sensitivity. Sometimes it's an empathic, compassionate response to the plight of others. Sometimes it's an awareness of the vastness of the ocean or the universe, giving us greater perspective. It can also make us a bit too easily hurt when we feel we are being critiqued. Remembering to send some compassion and lovingkindness to ourselves (the critiqued) and the other (the critic) can be healing. Mercury goes retrograde on Friday, September 9 at 8° Libra. As many of you know, Mercury retrograde can begin to be felt in the days approaching the aspect. Yesterday, I was bringing my computer back from the repair shop. It was a good feeling. I got it set up on my desk. Plugged in the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse. Turned it on. The monitor didn't come on. I could see the fan whirling, the lights were on, the computer was working. But no video. I started to freak out. I called the repair person. He kindly walked me through the steps I had done setting it up. I insisted that I'd plugged the HDMI cord in. "Where?" he asked. I carefully and calmly (I mean, with controlled hysteria) told him that I'd put it in the obvious HDMI plug-in on the back of the computer: "It's the top port on the back."  "On your computer, the HDMI plugs into the video card. It's lower down," he said. I had to get out my mini-flashlight and my reading glasses to find the right port. The monitor came on. "It works!" I was so grateful and relieved. And so embarrassed that I hadn't remembered where the monitor cable went, even though I'm sure I'd hooked up the computer before. This is a true story and a Mercury retrograde metaphor at the same time. During Mercury retro, remember to take some time to think before reacting. You don't have to have all the answers. Ask an expert for help. Mentally, take out a flashlight and shed some light on the issue. Symbolically, take out your reading glasses and check the fine print. Be polite, not reactive, in conversation and written communication. Goswami Kriyananda said that these are magic words, "Who, what, when, where, why and how." They can be used in times of contemplation on a topic or self-reflection i.e. "Who am I?" "What is my life all about?" "Why am I here?" The three weeks of Mercury retrograde are a natural time of in-turning. Therefore, good for reflection. Also good for researching information for projects that will start after Mercury goes direct (October 2nd).  Online: I was fortunate to attend the ISAR 2022 conference in Colorado last month. I met Jenn Zahrt who is not only the editor of The Mountain Astrologer but has recently founded The Celestial Arts Education Library (CAELI). It is located near Olympia, WA. This is an actual physical space, home to a large collection of astrology books and magazines. Check out the video:  The New Moon is on Saturday, August 27 at 3:16 a.m. CDT in 4° Virgo. It's a good time for getting organized and paying attention to the small details of life. Sharpen your pencils (symbolically or actually) in order to write lists or study something new. The mythological Virgo is the goddess of the harvest. Take a look at what you planted in the first part of the year, i.e. where you put your life energy, and what is ready to be reaped now. "The day of fortune is like a harvest day, We must be busy when the corn is ripe." Torquato Tasso With Mars in 4° Gemini in a square to the Moon and Sun there is a tendency to be just a bit too critical and picky. There's a difference between good judgment and being judgmental.  Whenever I'm thinking about what to write at the new or full moons, I pay attention when slips of paper fall out of a stacked pile or a notebook. This time it was a quote from Goswami Kriyananda: "Seek out your own illumination with great diligence!" This is something he often said to his disciples and students. Sometimes he said "Seek out your own illumination with greater and greater diligence!" Whatever your spiritual practice, intensify and nourish it at this new moon.  With the New Moon in an earth sign, try Tadasana, the Mountain Pose to feel grounded. Here's a recent article by Naomi Greene, a yoga teacher and swami of the Temple of Kriya Yoga: https://www.naturaltucson.com/2022/07/31/407330/tadasana-standing-on-your-own-two-feet
Coming up: Mercury Retrograde September 9 at 8° Libra. Pay attention to verbal and written communications, especially contracts involving partnerships. You can find me on:  The Full Moon is on Thursday, August 11 at 8:35 p.m. in 19° Aquarius. The Moon is conjunct Saturn at 22° Aquarius. This can bring us into social situations where the conversations are more serious or deep. To keep things balanced try to focus more on facts than opinions. What Saturn wants from a situation is respect. Even in disagreement, try to be as respectful and considerate as possible. Saturn often symbolizes the immoveable object or an insurmountable limitation. But even a limiting force like gravity can be overcome temporarily by an airplane. Aquarius is an air sign and ruled by Uranus. Uranus is the spark of genius, inventions of the human mind. When we lift our minds from the personal to see life from a greater horizon of awareness, what was once limiting is now a steppingstone to our goal. If you like using Sanskrit mantra, a Ganesh one can be helpful. Ganesh represents the aspect of God as 'overcomer of obstacles.' Try this version by Deva Premal: At this Full Moon, the Moon, Sun and Saturn are also square to Uranus at 18° Taurus. Because Uranus makes its station retrograde on August 24 at the same position, 18° Taurus, this pattern will persist a bit longer than the usual effect of a Full Moon. I wrote this about the Saturn Uranus square in an article for Yoga Chicago Magazine in 2021: "Saturn is tradition. Uranus is rebellion. These forces seem like they should always be opposed to each other, but they can work together if you see Saturn as foundation and Uranus as creativity. Most arts have a foundation of skill or mastery of the basics and yet the true artist is often the one that brings that spark of genius to their work. We can use these scenarios to recognize Saturn and Uranus patterns in our own minds as we go through [ the next two weeks]. Are we resisting something new or rebelling against a longstanding pattern? Are we playing the role of the parent? Are we the rebellious child? Are we being too extreme in our plans or too conservative in our decision making? How do we approach the future? Saturn resists the future. Uranus loves the future. To have compassion for yourself and others, try to see both sides of these polarities. Reflect on what a small step toward a middle ground would look like. Sometimes we believe we are required to judge others when no one asked us to. Peace comes to us when we expand our acceptance of others exactly as they are."   The New Moon is tomorrow, Thursday, July 28th at 12:54 pm in 5° Leo. Energy and vitality will give us a boost for our personal and creative projects. We'll enjoy social events, and be drawn toward fun and entertainment. Leo has a symbolic correspondence to the Strength card in the Tarot. One meaning of this card is using skillful means, a loving spirit, or just persistence and determination to calm down unhealthy passions and desires. This is an image of the Strength card from the Rider-Waite deck with the illustration by Pamela Colman Smith:  Jupiter is at a stationary point at 8° Aries in trine - harmonious - to the Sun and Moon. This brings a dimension of finding pleasure in study, deep dives into philosophy or scripture. Depending on your nature it could be the beginning of travel or adventure.
Coming up: ISAR Conference, August 25 - 29 in Denver, CO https://isar2022.org/ https://isar2022.org/speakers/  The Full Moon is on Wednesday, July 13 at 1:37 pm in 21° Capricorn. A full moon is always a polarity with the Moon on one side of the zodiac and the Sun in the opposite degree. In this case, the Moon in Capricorn represents practical concerns that may limit the Moon's emotional expression. So, we might need to focus on our immediate responsibilities for a few days. We may experience others as cold and unfeeling. It can be helpful to remember those people could have stressful home and family obligations that are unknown to us. The Sun in Cancer opposite the Moon also indicates a focus on home and family at this time. How can we find balance during an opposition? We look for the 'helper' planets, the ones that have a harmonious aspect to both opposing planets. In the case of this Full Moon, Uranus in Taurus is sextile to the Sun and trine to the Moon. Also, Neptune in Pisces is trine to the Sun and sextile to the Moon.  Uranus suggests being open to new ideas when you're doing problem solving. There could be a new electronic product or online service that could be beneficial. Because Uranus rules astrology, try taking a deeper look at your own natal horoscope for clues to current issues. Neptune brings us back to using skillful spiritual means to harmonize a challenging situation. Yoga, meditation, prayer, mantra, and chanting, for example, can lower our tendency to instantly react to circumstances. Neptune also rules artistic expression, indicating a good time to either create art or appreciate it. Walking by water in nature can help - or simply taking a bath or shower which cleanses your aura as well as your body. If you want to transcend our local solar system's astrology take a look at the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope that were just released. They are mind-blowing! (I am illustrating today's Astrology Update with one of them.) We are looking at a tiny segment of space "so distant in the cosmos that it shows stars and galaxies as they appeared 13 billion years ago". The reveal from the JWST around this New Moon is great symbolism for being able to see farther with a clearer perspective. Here's a link to see the difference between the previous images from the Hubble with the new clarity from JWST. https://www.yahoo.com/news/side-side-photos-show-much-093933983.html   The New Moon is on Tuesday, June 28 at 9:52 pm CDT in 7° Cancer. There's a focus on home and family. It's a good time for making where you live peaceful and harmonious. With Neptune at its stationary point at 25° Pisces, things are too nebulous for deep cleanouts because there's a chance you might throw out something important. Avoid strong chemical cleansers during Neptune times (a week on either side of the station point). Think more about improving the atmosphere: natural scents like essential oils, soothing or upbeat music, objects of beauty such as artwork, photos of loved ones, or plants and flowers. Cancer is a water sign and Neptune is a 'watery' planet. In mythology, Neptune was the ruler of the oceans. All things related to water are important at this new moon. That includes remembering safety rules when going swimming. It also suggests paying attention to plumbing issues. There may be even more stories than usual in the news about water, scarcity in some places, too much in others.  Water in astrology is also related to our moods and emotions. Use skillful means like meditation, yoga and related types of balancing techniques to calm the waters. Dreams at night may be more vivid and/or meaningful. Be sure to write them down and give yourself some time to contemplate their significance. Coming up: July 12th, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom Dave Gunning: The Kite Formation Presented by the Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR Email janetberres@gmail.com for the zoom link or connect with the group on meetup or Facebook: https://www.meetup.com/The-Astrology-Group-of-Northern-Illinois/ https://www.facebook.com/NCGR-Northern-Illinois-Chapter-346385895441088 The National Council for Geocosmic Research is an organization for astrological education and research: https://geocosmic.org/   The Full Moon is on Tuesday, June 14 at 6:51 a.m. in 23° Sagittarius. The energy is playful, social and talkative. With Neptune in the square position at 25° Pisces, friendly chat can get you so comfortable that you put your foot in your mouth or betray a secret. We forget that words have power. It can be helpful to others if you veer to the positive in communications, not just with others but also with yourself. Remember to look at yourself in the mirror and say "Hi there. I like you." Listening to ethereal music or chanting a mantra can lift you up more than usual at this time - but not to be used when you're driving! The Summer Solstice is June 21, the start of a new quarter year, a new season. Enjoy the long days of light. Affirm your most important goal for the months ahead. Planning ahead: Neptune makes a stationary point going retrograde on June 27th at 25° Pisces. Note down your experiences at this Full Moon. They will show you the areas you need to pay attention to around the 27th.  Coming up: Astrology: Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR The Astonishing Synchronicity of Astrology and the News with Elisabeth Grace Tuesday, June 14, 7:30 p.m. on Zoom http://www.chicagolandastrology.com/news.html Email janetberres@gmail.com for the zoom link RETROGRADES-THE BIG REWIND with Lin Ewing: Karma, Reincarnation, Re-Visioning Sunday, June 26, 2022 - Zoom or in person at Life Force Arts https://lifeforcearts.org/events/retrogrades-the-big-rewind-with-lin-ewing-karma-reincarnation-re-visioning/ Professional Astrology Course - Temple of Kriya Yoga Goswami Kriyananda is the instructor via his audio recordings and writing. Marcia Sacks helps to answer student questions. https://www.yogakriya.org/professional-astrology.html Online: Short videos by Eric Klein from Wisdom Heart on business and life success. Eric is a disciple of Goswami Kriyananda and a swami of the Temple of Kriya Yoga. He is also a leadership coach and teacher of mindfulness in the workplace. https://www.wisdomheart.com/godgracegoalsetting  The New Moon is on Monday, May 30 at 6:30 am CDT in 9° Gemini. With this New Moon we feel flooded with data, input from the internet, email, social media, books, magazines, news sources, recipes, things to do, and lots of ideas for the future. The problem is that we find ourselves lacking the ability to make a decision. It's like a delicious restaurant menu with lots of choices. If you know your goals, it's like knowing what you have a taste for when you look at a restaurant menu. If you don't know where you're supposed to be going, it's easy to get lost. Gemini energy is restless and wants to go somewhere quick but can't always decide where to go. Wisdom may be making decisions that take you in some way toward your life's purpose. The Mars Jupiter conjunction in Aries is exact the day before the New Moon on May 29th and is still active now and as part of the new moon chart. The essence of this aspect is expanded energy. If you are filled with anger, that will be expanded. If you are filled with productive motivation, that will be expanded. Jupiter symbolizes masters and mastery. Life could bring you the teacher or expert you are looking for. Mars/Jupiter can also be carelessness or recklessness when driving. It might not be you, so watch out for those around you. It can also be the urge to drive fast so watch for speed traps and traffic light cams. Here's a more complete rundown of the Mars Jupiter conjunction for all twelve signs from the astrologer and yogi Acyuta-bhava Das. I wrote the following in the last issue of Astrology Update because I like to plan ahead. These stationary points are in orb now, meaning this aspect will intensify as we go toward the middle of next week and then ease off gradually.
The Mercury stationary point squares the Saturn stationary point, but also opposes the point at which the Lunar Eclipse occurred. This can re-trigger an emotion or event from May 15th. This combination is active at least a week on either side of June 3/4. In general, these two directions symbolize extreme slowdowns and delays especially in the area of communication and transportation. Plan your schedule so that you have plenty of time to get from one place to another. Also, plan your work projects with an extra cushion of time to complete. If you feel you are up against a wall (Saturn), back up and take your time plotting out a solution. Writing things down (Mercury) whether it's a list of next steps or venting your frustrations into a private journal, will help you re-gain your balance.   There will be a Lunar Eclipse on Sunday, May 15th at 11:13 p.m. CDT in 25° Scorpio. Deep emotions arise, linked to memories of the past. Even if you have done work with letting go of old resentments, you might find yourself having to do a bit more. This often comes about when you meet a new person who reminds you of a previous situation. On the other hand, a look back may be a secret passage to an inner gift. Mars and Neptune are conjunct in this eclipse chart at 24° Pisces. Caution around boiling (Mars) water (Neptune). Rash actions can get you into hot water, too. Sales people (Mars) can be deceptive (Neptune). Other drivers (Mars) can be 'spacey' (Neptune). On the positive side, Mars conjunct Neptune can symbolize strong ability to visualize. This can be great if you are an artist. It can also be used with imagining a positive future or meditating on a yantra, mandala, or object of beauty. Sometimes, when I'm at an exceptionally beautiful natural location, I pretend I have a built in camera in my mind and take an internal 'photo' to use as a meditation focus later. Just recalling the image (or the feeling you experienced, if you are not a visualizer) can help you calm down in stressful environments.  Coming up: June 3, Mercury Station Direct 26° Taurus (opposes Lunar Eclipse point) June 4, Saturn Station Retrograde 25° Aquarius (squares Lunar Eclipse point) The Mercury stationary point squares the Saturn stationary point, but also opposes the point at which the Lunar Eclipse occurred. This can re-trigger an emotion or event from May 15th. This combination is active at least a week on either side of June 3/4. In general, these two directions together symbolize extreme slowdowns and delays especially in the area of communication and transportation. Plan your schedule so that you have plenty of time to get from one place to another. Also, plan your work projects with an extra cushion of time to complete. If you feel you are up against a wall (Saturn), take a step back and plot out a solution. Writing things down (Mercury) whether it's a list of next steps or venting your frustrations into a private journal, will help you re-gain your balance.  Books and Resources:
"When the Stars Align: Reflections on Astrology, Life, Death, and Other Mysteries" by Ray Grasse was just published a few weeks ago. Ray studied at the Temple of Kriya Yoga and has written books about Goswami Kriyananda and Kriyananda's teacher Shelly Trimmer. He was interviewed recently on The Astrology Podcast. Goswami Kriyananda's "The Wisdom and Way of Astrology" is now available as a Kindle ebook. I really enjoyed a recent interview with Demetra George on The Astrology Podcast. She has a new book out on Ancient Astrology and gives a lot of background on the early days of Project Hindsight which translated many ancient astrological texts into English. Along with Goswami Kriyananda's "Wisdom and Way", I often used Demetra George and Douglas Bloch's book "Astrology for Yourself" in my beginning astrology classes. You can find me on: |
AuthorMarcia Sacks is an astrologer in the Kriya Yoga tradition. Archives
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