The Full Moon is on Tuesday, April 23, at 6:48 pm CDT in 4° Scorpio, an excellent time for turning within and reflecting on the past two weeks. New moons are new beginnings and full moons often hold the results or culmination of things started at the new moon. In this case, the last new moon was a solar eclipse which is very potent for new beginnings. This past weekend we experienced the Jupiter Uranus conjunction, the urge for expansion combined with the urge for freedom. This Full Moon will re-emphasize that conjunction's new thoughts and ideas, perhaps the lightning strike of genius. Write down your ideas and reflect on the possibilities and potential that fulfilling them will bring. One symbol for Scorpio is still water, representing the clear pond in which you can see straight through to the bottom. When you can clear your mind, the waves of emotion subside and you can see each situation clearly. The Full Moon is square to Pluto at 2° Aquarius. Pluto is at a stationary point on May 2 bringing powerful ideas about transformation over the next two weeks. The most harmonious way to use this energy is to work on your own transformation and let go of trying to change the others in your life. I often use Pluto stationary points to clean out closets or old papers. I just have to remember to only work on my items, not those belonging to the other people in my household. Mercury goes direct on April 25 at 16° Aries. A few days after that, things that have gone 'backwards' in the past three weeks will begin to move forward. Exactly at the 4/25 stationary point though, there will tend to be both communication and travel delays.
Coming up: Save the date: I'll be doing a talk on Karmic Astrology for the Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm CDT via Zoom. I'll have more details in the next Astrology Update. Online: Lots more about the Jupiter Uranus conjunction, especially regarding its historical patterns, in this Astrology Podcast with Chris Brennan and Richard Tarnas.
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The New Moon, which is a Total Solar Eclipse, is on Monday, April 8, at 1:20 pm CDT in 19° Aries. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, rushing into the future, moving forward with a burst of fiery energy. It might sound good until you find yourself (metaphorically) a rider astride a bucking bronco wondering how long you can hold on. If you already have a goal or project plan in place, put your energy there. Don't be surprised if there are some obstacles. Mars (the ruler of Aries) is conjunct Saturn at this eclipse time which can mean authority figures can (temporarily) block your actions. Saturn can be very helpful if somebody in your life insists you run your plan in a business-like way. Even if your plan is something simple, like a resolution to meditate daily, businesslike could mean writing down your intention, making a commitment to a certain time and place and establishing your meditation practice as a priority. A mantra for overcoming obstacles might be helpful to get Mars and Saturn working together constructively. Try this Ganesha one, "Om Gum Ganepataye Namaha". The approaching Jupiter-Uranus conjunction is also in the chart of the eclipse. That makes the eclipse a trigger even before the exact conjunction on April 20 at 21° Taurus. Jupiter is the urge to expand or grow and Uranus is the urge to seek freedom or disrupt the old order of things. At its best Jupiter is wisdom and higher learning and Uranus at its best is the lightning strike of genius. Watch for new thoughts and big ideas coming into your mind and write them down before they vanish. For astrology students: A conjunction is the most powerful aspect and can be both harmonious and inharmonious depending on the planets involved. Some of Goswami Kriyananda's words for Jupiter in harmonious aspect to Uranus: "originality and creative genius which often manifest in the realms of religion, law or medicine." And inharmonious: "tendency toward revolutionary attitudes and actions, often in the realm of religion, law, medicine or governments." Watch the news between now and the end of April and see if you can pick out the stories that match the aspect. Watch your own life and see if you can recognize Jupiter and Uranus in the flow of your thoughts and your impulses toward action. April is National Poetry Month
I was in a poetry salon this morning at The Narrative Method where we write to prompts and share our writing in small breakout groups. The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction was on my mind so this was my haiku-ish poem today: Thinking a new thought How does that work in everyday life? The space between thoughts Thoughts and memories Where is the space in between Things past, things to do In a quiet room Sitting, breathing, and doing no thing Spark! Flash! Radical! The vastness of space Planets, galaxies, universe And beyond the beyond ~~~ Marcia Sacks 4/5/24 Coming Up: The Babaji Festival from The Temple of Kriya Yoga April 21, 2024 starting around noon via Zoom More information soon at https://templeofkriyayoga.org/ The Babaji Festival celebrates the gurus of our lineage and will consist of music, meditation, wisdom talks and stories, plus I will be giving a short astrology talk with a meditation for the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. --- Ray Grasse's latest book "So What Am I Doing Here, Anyway" will be out on April 25th. This collection of astrological and philosophical essays has been reviewed by The Mountain Astrologer magazine. --- You can find me continuing to teach and mentor at the Temple of Kriya Yoga's Professional Astrology Course: https://templeofkriyayoga.org/professional-astrology/ This Full Moon is a Lunar Eclipse taking place on Monday, March 25 at 2 am CDT in 5° Libra. It is an "appulse" lunar eclipse. The alignment of the Moon, Earth and Sun are just the tiniest bit off. That means we won't see any darkening of the moon in an eclipse effect. Because it takes place in the middle of the night for most of the US, we might experience it more in our dreams. Our dream state seems to be more active and dreams more memorable at the Full Moon or a Lunar Eclipse. Be sure to write down your dreams in the morning and reflect on the symbols. The Lunar Eclipse in Libra expresses a duality with the Moon in Libra and the Sun in Aries. The Libra energy is all about building partnerships and conducting oneself in a tactful and diplomatic way. The Aries energy is about taking action and in the course of that action it can be assertive or aggressive. In your everyday life, watch where you are on the sliding scale of diplomatic to assertive. Depending on the situation, do you have the ability to slide the scale (change your emotional state) to facilitate the wisest or most productive outcome? Coming up: April 1, Mercury retrograde 27° Aries. When you read something online or on paper in the days surrounding this stationary point, be sure to validate that it isn't an April Fool's Day joke or that you've read the text correctly. May not be the best time to joke with others. Communication mistakes can take until Mercury goes direct on April 25 to clear up. April 8, Solar Eclipse, 19° Aries - Solar eclipses always bring change. Can you guide the change? Use this eclipse energy to visualize your positive future. Make a wish list of what you'd like to come into your life for the year ahead. Or create a "treasure map" by finding pictures of things on your wish list and make a collage. Online: I attended the Temple of Kriya Yoga Seminary program in the 1970s and was ordained Swami K. Adinadananda after graduation. This video tells a little bit about the seminary. There is great value in the different subjects studied. The greater value in my opinion is the opportunity to reflect on a life of service, and how we, as priests, bring whatever wisdom and compassion we have into our everyday lives and share that with the people around us. 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 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. To use this Full Moon as a "spiritual scientist" or astrological observer, try this simple mirror work technique: Look in a mirror, smile, and say to yourself, "Hi there! I like you!" Observe your reaction and determine how difficult or easy this was for you. Write down your score in your journal, calendar or any piece of paper: On a scale of one to ten how much resistance did you feel when you said it? Zero is no resistance (or "that felt great!"). Ten is a lot of resistance ("I totally rejected that statement"). This would be one way of measuring how much the Moon/Sun/Saturn aspect is affecting you. A further experiment would be to do it every day, tracking it for a month and see if your response changes the week after the Full Moon when the Saturn energy starts to dissipate. Or if it's different when the New Moon is in Pisces on March 10 and is even farther way - 9° separating from Saturn. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. --- 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. 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. |
AuthorMarcia Sacks is an astrologer in the Kriya Yoga tradition. Archives
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