MARCIA SACKS

The New Moon is on Sunday, March 10 at 4 am CDT in 20° Pisces. This New Moon can bring intuitive guidance. If you're using this New Moon as a time of new beginnings, take plenty of time for reflection, prayer or just having a friendly conversation with the way you visualize the Divine. Another Pisces keyword is 'receptive' which makes it an excellent time to surround yourself with an environment that evokes beauty and wisdom.

Pisces is ruled by the planet Neptune and the New Moon is in a wide orb conjunction with Neptune at 27° Pisces. With this aspect, we can find ourselves with "rose-colored glasses", looking at a situation or plan and only seeing an illusion of our dream and not the down-to-earth complications that may come with it. Go slowly into new projects and relationships and allow yourself time to gather the information you need.

Music and mantra are especially effective at this time.  Here is a very relaxing mantra for peace "Om Shanti Om" by Meditative Mind:

Even though this is a 3 hour recording, just a few minutes may be enough to evoke that feeling of peace.

Online:

Eric Klein from Wisdom Heart talks about "How Astrology and Meditation Work Together": https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3529876043993781

Ray Grasse's article on "Saturn as the Key Karmic Challenge of the Horoscope":
https://www.astro.com/astrology/tma_article200420_e.htm

You can find me continuing to teach and mentor at the Temple of Kriya Yoga's Professional Astrology Course: https://templeofkriyayoga.org/professional-astrology/

The Full Moon is on Saturday, February 24 at 6:30 am CST in 5° Virgo.  With the Full Moon in Virgo we find ourselves concerned with the practical and the details of life. Saturn conjunct the Sun and opposed to the Moon indicates our worries and limitations are magnified. Virgo's critical expression which can be so helpful in decision making is not at its best, since it will skew toward thinking small and choosing less than we deserve. Generally, people will tend toward being self-critical. Because Mercury is also in opposition to the Moon, communication with others may contain more judgment than open-mindedness. Kindness and compassion will be helpful in these situations.

Online:

What is the most elevated planet in your horoscope? It's the one closest to the Midheaven or the highest planet above the horizon. Ray Grasse, who studied with my guru Goswami Kriyananda, wrote this interesting article for the Mountain Astrologer Magazine which is now available on the astro.com site and includes an interpretation for each planet:
Decoding the Most Elevated Planet

The New Moon is on Friday, February 9 at 4:59 pm CST in 20° Aquarius. One of the keywords for Aquarius is fellowship. Our social interactions are like food. Some are more nutritious than others. This New Moon could be a good time to think about who you enjoy hanging around with. Or is there something in your life that needs to be fed and is there a gathering or meetup for that? Aquarius New Moon can bring new friends or new adventures with long-time friends.
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The New Moon is squared to Uranus at 19° Taurus so I will add some cautions. Uranus is the modern ruler of Aquarius and both the planet and the sign have a love of freedom and an urge to rebel. This can be good energy for thinking outside the box or a lightning strike of genius. However, It can be challenging if you're at work and you feel an impulse rising to yell out "I quit!".  Using this last example as a symbol, "just say no" to unexpected desires that are likely turn your life into chaos. Or at least take a week or so after the New Moon to reflect and find the path of wisdom.

Happy National Haiku Writing Month!

I'm trying to write a haiku every day this month - because it's National Haiku Writing Month! https://www.nahaiwrimo.com/

February, the shortest month of the year is the most appropriate for this shortest of poetry forms. I decided not to judge my haiku, just write them. I gave myself permission to be good, bad or indifferent.

Goswami Kriyananda had a Japanese haiku by Issa that he quoted from time to time:

Even in Kyoto
Hearing the cuckoo’s cry
I long for Kyoto

Here's one of the ways I look at that haiku. We try to be aware of the moment, to be in the now, but each moment is colored by all our memories and emotions of the past. So where exactly are we? What are we really longing for?

Here was my haiku from the other night:

Taking out garbage
Quick glimpse of constellations
Walking to the curb

Have fun writing haiku - good creative play for New Moon in Aquarius.

Coming up:

​2024 - A Smorgasbord of Excitement
An astrology talk by Dawn Silver
Northern Illinois NCGR
Tuesday, February 13, 7:30 pm via Zoom

From Dawn: Guru Jupiter causes a whirlwind of exciting relationships to every planet. This is a fantastic year to start a new business as Jupiter bestows his gifts to Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron, and the North Node. Start a healing practice, study esoteric sciences, go back to school, and take the trip of a lifetime!
Registration link and more information here:
http://www.chicagolandastrology.com/news.html

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The Full Moon is on Thursday, January 25 at 11:53 a.m. CST in 5° Leo.  With the Full Moon in Leo, there is often strong determination to take charge of things in your life. Since it's a global, not personal, astrological configuration, we'll find ourselves in a whole world of people who want to take charge of things. With the Sun and Pluto in the opposite sign, Aquarius, there will also be a whole world of people who will rebel against those who appear authoritarian. To be able to enjoy the warmth and creativity of Leo, try to let go of micromanaging yourself and others. Take time for listening and work toward true dialog. Interesting conversations and unique points of view are the benefits of open-mindedness at this lunation.
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Uranus goes direct on January 27 at 19° Taurus. At least a week on either side of that date, we tend to experience sudden, unexpected changes of plan. One way to expect the unexpected is to be flexible (physically, mentally, and emotionally). Because there's an accident proneness with Uranus stations, I try to tell myself to move more slowly and consciously. Same for driving. On the other hand, it should be excellent for studying astrology or any metaphysical system. Watch for new ideas that can break you out of old mental patterns. 

Online:

Friends in Kriya

You can often find me at my favorite Zoom group "Friends in Kriya". It's a weekly gathering of Kriya yogis Sundays at 5 p.m. central time. It includes discussion (unrecorded) plus meditation, chanting, a short talk given by various swamis, disciples and students  (recorded).  I always come away more balanced and peaceful.
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There is no charge and it is open to anyone interested in Kriya Yoga. The weekly email gives the link to the Sunday zoom and a link to the recording from the previous week. Sign up for the email here: https://www.wisdomheart.com/friends-in-kriya-opt-in



Café Astrology

Café Astrology is a good website for astrological data.
Their ephemeris for 2024 is here:https://cafeastrology.com/2024-ephemeris.html
And their aspectarian for 2024 is here: https://cafeastrology.com/astrology-of-2024.html

The New Moon is on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 5:57 am in 20° Capricorn. New work, new responsibilities and new accomplishments are represented by a Capricorn New Moon. If you aren't faced with anything new to work on, take a look at old but meaningful projects that have gotten sidetracked due to other priorities. It just might be the right time to put a little energy into one of those and see what happens. Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn and the planet of foundations and building, is in a harmonious aspect to Jupiter, traditionally seen as the planet of good fortune. Mars, the planet of action, is compatible with both Jupiter and Saturn over the next several days. The work put in from the new to full moon should be very productive of success.
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The New Moon in Capricorn can also be a good time to reflect on walking the path of Karma Yoga, which is unselfish service.  Karma yoga means doing your life's work because it needs to be done, without the expectation of a reward, doing it as your devotion to the Divine, and for the betterment of all life forms.

Online:

The Professional Astrology Course
Temple of Kriya Yoga

This 24-month online self-study program enables you to start wherever you are in your astrology studies – novice or experienced student – and gain the skills necessary to become a practicing astrologer.

Once you enroll in this online course, you will be able to study at your own pace. You will gain access, lesson by lesson, to Goswami Kriyananda’s astrology recordings and writing which he enhances with his own unique humor, experienced perspective, stories and examples. Even though the title of the course is Professional Astrology, it is not just for people whose goal is to read charts for others. It can be a valuable learning experience whatever level you are at. It is an educational program that builds a foundation of the basic components of astrology and develops your knowledge from there. Those who complete all lessons and requirements of the course will receive a graduation certificate.

You will also have the opportunity to join fellow participants in monthly Zoom discussions on astrology led by Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda, who is a graduate of the course and has been a practicing astrologer for over 40 years. These are sometimes casual question and answer sessions and sometimes webinars on specific topics.

A complete description of the course can be found here:
https://templeofkriyayoga.org/professional-astrology/
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the course.

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You can often find me at Second Sunday Tarot:
​https://www.meetup.com/tarot-336/

Next meetup is Sunday, January 14 at noon CST

This is a discussion group for anyone from beginner to long-time reader of the Tarot. Formerly a meetup for people in the NW suburbs of Chicago, it has 'temporarily' been a Zoom group since 2020 and has members from all over the world. Sometimes a wild ride from the sacred to the profane and back, it is a very welcoming and fun group. Bring your deck.

The Full Moon is on Tuesday, December 26 at 6:33 pm in 4° Cancer,  a sign related to home and family. Jupiter at 5° Taurus is in a harmonious position to both the Moon and Sun making it a congenial time to be around relatives and friends.

The sign Cancer also contains the concept of the nurturing parent. It's a blessing to be around loving family at this time. Or, be your own nurturing parent. Buy yourself a present and serve yourself your favorite holiday foods. On a deeper level, find the aspect of the divine in your tradition that represents unconditional love and let that serve as the focus of your meditation or reflection.
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What I really want to say is take care of yourself. It's not a selfish act. It's of benefit to all. Goswami Kriyananda often gave this benediction at the end of a noon meditation: "May you be blessed, that you become a greater and greater blessing to others."

For more from Goswami Kriyananda, check out his end of the year meditation.  I'm not sure what year this was recorded. It was posted for the Temple of Kriya Yoga's noon meditation last Sunday.

The New Moon is on Tuesday, December 12 at 5:32 pm CST in 20° Sagittarius. The fire and flexibility of Sagittarius brings lively energy for social events. At its deepest, Sagittarius can relate to our highest aspirations. That makes this New Moon a great time to write down your resolutions for the year ahead. Sag also has a correspondence (via the 9th house in astrology) to foreign languages and foreign travel adventures so maybe add some of those types of things to your list of goals for the year.

​Mercury goes retrograde on Wednesday, December 13 at 8° Capricorn. Short distance travel may be slower than normal. Take your time and watch for changes in driving conditions.  Not good for signing contracts or other legal documents - don't be hasty, read the fine print. 

Wishing you lovely holidays filled with light and joy and peace.

The Full Moon is on Monday, November 27 at 3:16 am CST in 4° Gemini. A Gemini full moon finds us restless, lots of thoughts running through our heads, decisions with too many choices, opportunity but too many directions we could go. Fun energy though for games, puzzles, and chats about books, TV shows and other light topics.

Mars opposed the Moon at 2° Sagittarius indicates that anger can flare up quickly during intense conversations. Saturn (at 0° Pisces) is square to the Moon, Sun and Mars which means that hurtful words can have a long lasting effect. Strive for verbal non-violence. 

I always look around me as it gets close to a lunation.  What are the symbols, how do they relate to the Full Moon, and what might they mean? Right now as I'm writing this, the carpenter repairing our deck is drilling and hammering right outside my office.  I'm thrilled that the work (Saturn) is getting done. But it's giving me a headache (Mars).
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When the symbols and astrology line up so perfectly, I can laugh - which lightens the heaviness of Saturn and softens the effect of Mars. It does have me thinking about sharp things like drills and nails. In general, knowing that Mars is part of this lunation, it's a general caution to be careful with tools and in the kitchen over the next few days. But I was also thinking about Saturn and how, at its best, Saturn is the expert craftsperson, the one who has mastered the use of their tools.

Coming up:

Neptune goes direct on December 6 at 24° Pisces. At least a week before and after a Neptune stationary point, things (like our thinking) become more vague and nebulous. You will be well-served if you write everything down rather than relying on memory. That includes careful calendaring and journaling your activities. Promises made during a Neptune station are hard to fulfill because of unforeseen circumstances. Good for creative efforts because Neptune expands the imagination. Good for art, music, poetry and appreciation of beauty of all sorts. Great for meditation as long as you don't get so relaxed that you fall asleep instead.

Online:
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Goswami Kriyananda's book "The Laws of Karma" is now conveniently available as a Kindle ebook. On the Amazon page there's a long sample excerpt. 

​You can find me on:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• ​Yoga Chicago Magazine
• Temple of Kriya Yoga
• The Professional Astrology Course

The New Moon is on Monday, November 13, 2023  at 3:27 am CST in 20° Scorpio. I think of Scorpio as still water in a pond. It can be clear water, so still that we can see all the way to the depths in order to see our inner riches. Scorpio can also be water in a stagnant pond, like a mind that never thinks a new thought or holds lots of debris from the past. So when the new moon is in Scorpio, it can be a good time to take an inward journey to check out what's going on in there. Seated meditation and also walking contemplation is good. Daily reflection (tarka) is a good practice at the end of the day. Here's my article about tarka from 2019. Learn something new, especially topics that you feel intuitively guided toward.  These are all good things for the days around this New Moon.

In conflict with this inward journey, the New Moon is conjunct Mars (22° Scorpio) and opposed Uranus (21° Taurus). With Mars and Uranus in opposition combined with the New Moon, people generally feel more hyper, more wired, on the tips of their toes and the edge of their seat. There's the potential for brilliant insights and flashes of genius.

However, this lineup can create a certain type of accident proneness which can be triggered when we don't slow down and pay attention. Remember that Mars rules sharp objects and fire so use caution in the kitchen. Be careful driving, especially keeping an eye out for erratic drivers. Uranus symbolizes electricity and its devices so be aware of the tendency for computer issues to raise our level of frustration and anger.
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Here's a great meditation video to cool off and calm down. Offered by Swami Jnanamudrananda for the Temple of Kriya Yoga, it has no words, just the leaves falling and the sound of the raindrops.

Online:
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Tuesday, November 14, 2023  7:30 pm CST via Zoom
INTERCEPTED HOUSES...THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION

Chicago area astrologer Lin Ewing will be giving this talk for the Northern Illinois chapter of  NCGR. To receive the zoom link for this meeting, email [email protected] for payment information.

The Full Moon, which is also a partial Lunar Eclipse, is on Saturday, October 28 at 3:23 pm CDT in 5° Taurus. Taurus is an earth sign with a strong connection to the material world and our possessions. With Jupiter conjunct the Moon in the eclipse chart, it's a good time for gratitude for what we have but also to be open to receive even more blessings both material and spiritual.

Mars at 11° Scorpio is opposed to Jupiter and Moon in the eclipse chart which suggests there may be an urge to force life changes in conflict with the Taurus desire for stability. An example would be the ambition to start an exercise program versus the inclination to watch TV in a comfy chair. Using the impulse to change by channeling it into a slow but steady (Taurus) plan of action may be the wisest at this time.

If you enjoy chanting, here's a mantra aligned with the principles of Taurus (and its planetary ruler Venus). "Om Shrim Maha Lakshmiye Namaha" It is a mantra honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and generosity. Deva Premal does the chant on this video. 

Coming up:

Saturn goes direct on November 4th at 0° Pisces. The days close to a Saturn station we are usually overloaded with work or experiencing time delays on projects or just trying to get somewhere on time. Schedule break time into your day planner and give yourself extra minutes to travel to appointments. 
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At the Temple:

The Annual Blessing for the Departed held by the Temple of Kriya Yoga will be this Sunday, October 29, 2023 beginning at noon central via Zoom. It is a great blessing offered to our loved ones who have left the earth before us. Temple disciples and swamis will lend their meditative energies to vivify the ritual. For more information and the Zoom link go to: https://templeofkriyayoga.org/ about halfway down the page.