Transformational Music For the Beleagured Soul

At the end of a lecture our teacher would play one of the Gurdjieff/de Hartmann compositions. He said the music would touch upon a part of us that was rarely if ever contacted. I think some music is like an aural mandala, it has an ordering principle and as such is fortifying to the beleagured soul.

This piece is called Holy Affirming, Holy Denying, Holy Reconciling--Gurdieff's Triamazikamno. 

Sometimes when you're stuck, and you're not quite sure what you need to do get an aspect of your life moving it can be very useful to remember this Gurdjieffen principle Triamazikamno-- the law of three:

Affirming-force or the pushing-force.  Pretty much always followed by:

Denying-force or resisting-force and needs in order for things to get moving:

Reconciling-force.

It's not usually clear where 'reconciling force' is coming from, it could be from another person, (unwittingly).  Or it could be from somewhere more transcendent.  It's difficult to say, but it's always useful to remember to pray for, or call on Third Force i.e Reconciling force,  when you're stuck.




And I found this a description of the experience of listening to what is usually just called Gurdjieff Music. 

One of the titles given to a collection of this music was “Journeys to Inaccessible Places,” and there seems no better description for the strange inner travelling I was called to, when available to it. At such moments there was a sense of total “consonance” between the vibrations of sound, a passing phenomenon in a temporal world, and the resonance from a world which has always been. [source]

"Character is Destiny"

Feel the power. Click photo for Aggrandisement

I've been getting into this image in the last few minutes. It is my current desk top image.  It'll do-- a bog standard Mac issue, although bog standard certainly isn't an apt description of this photo in particular. . .  I think it very Pluto square Uranus and it also matches my mood, or my ambition (which is a bit scary).  Yes, I've had an epiphany -- of sorts, as they say.  Mercury is still in my 12th house, so I am going to keep this epiphany to my self for now--more or less . . .

Meanwhile in the more mundane world.  I just et my dinner on a sandstone rock, midst scrubby banksias, overlooking the Megalong Valley.  Out on Narrowneck as we yocals like to say.  There are tourists about.  It's a great view to the west, and a nice steep cliff to look down off. I saw the Sun and the Moon, but I"m not sure about Venus.  I hadn't taken a torch so I didn't want it to get too dark before I'd have to wend my way back up a goat track to the car and so I'm not sure if the star that I did see was Venus, it was nowhere near the Moon or if it was then all I can say is Aquarius is ginormous... 

So anyway, I'm glad you've been enjoying the 'stars',  as have I--always something to look forward to huh?  Mercury in the 1st House here I come. 

I read to today an interesting concept--a quote that has got me thinking character is destiny--it was in relation to one's natal chart.  It has had the effect of making me accept myself a little better--just like that. Three little words.  So at the end of the day I am perfectly happy being completely eccentric. I was laughing too this afternoon with a friend who is also eccentric and we agreed that once 'eccentric' it was probably physically impossible to get back into the mainstream.  Tee hee

December New Moon Scopes

Happy Christmas peoples, but more's the point happy new Moon. Expect a happy, energised day, keep it light, keep it fun. Keep it breathing. Not sure what you're going to do with the kids who'll be up at sparrow's. They will be extra excited and you may as well be too.

The New Moon 25/12/2011 at 5.06am--sharp. That's Australian Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time. AEDST or UTC+11.

 

CAPRICORN

A power-packed annual new Moon today for Celestial goats as the early morning new Moon conjoins with Pluto by the afternoon.  Expect a charge of sorts.  You don’t need me to tell you that Christmas day can have its difficulties, but this one is the ‘nicest’ Christmas vibe we’ve had for quite a while.  This is as you know, not the day to force the issue, or make bold statements and besides you’re probably feeling very much more like staying schtumm about what you see unfolding around you.  Very wise.  Mercury is still in your 12^th house and staying schtumm has been easy for you almost habitual, of late, but this too will pass.  This last new Moon of the year really does symbolise the closing of one door and the opening of another. 

Keep things light and breezy today and for the month ahead. People will be looking to you for guidance, sensing your inner resources are being enriched, even though you are a little more ponderous, slightly unsettled but still able to smile, keep it together and play your part as a wise and powerful peace-keeper.  Tomorrow Jupiter direct, the pressure of Xmas suddenly over—you can really relax and have some fun.  On Friday the Sun joins Pluto—powerful energies being illuminated for us all and by the full moon Mercury moves into Capricorn and you can really start communicating and articulating some of the insights you’ve had over the last two months, easily, happily and naturally.

AQUARIUS

One last reflective look back before your annual new moon next month.  The Neptunian fog is beginning to thin considerably and for the first time in a long time you can see a future world in which you very much belong.  Christmas can bring out the complete dill in people, some reverting to infantile behaviour—grown adults throwing tantrums, stressing out about who did what to whom etc (yawn), while you at this time of year with the Sun in your 12th house seem always elsewhere otherworldly, watching the shenanigans, twice removed.  This year is not so different although the madder may seem more manic and you and others like you may have decided to opt entirely out of the whole debacle and go very low key.

However, should you find yourself in the thick of it today with friends and family you will not be looking nor necessarily feeling your usual infamous aloofy self.  Communications will flow easily as others respond to you vibing charismatic charm and grace.  Any misgivings you have about the level of twatdom in the species you’ll be able to keep to yourself, filing away, with no inner conflict about whether you’re being entirely honest.  Neptune has given you some salutary lessons about when and in what situations it is wisest to simply STFU. Take the energies Venus is offering you to lighten up, to help out others with Neptunian compassion tinged insights and a chance to express your love.  If you find yourself alone, you will be in good company.  Enjoy the view. Do a little dance.  It’s very exciting this new feeling.

PISCES

There was a time in the not too distant past, when your Aquarian friends were giving you ideas about compassion and mysticism and you were encouraging Aquarian friends to be more Uranian. You each swapped the other’s ruler. I.e., your ruler Neptune was in Aquarius (and still is –just) and Aquarius’ ruler Uranus was in Pisces.  All seems to have gone eerily quiet of late.  The Aquarian in you has lived or acted out it’s influence and it now seems a bit old hat as waiting in the wings is the biggest most mystical element in your life.  These last weeks and days of Neptune in Aquarius are giving Pisceans a sense of excitement twinged with a little foreboding about their role ahead.  And there’s a reason for that.

Christmas is a time of year you tend to glide through in your relations with the world at large, fairly easily. This time of year the Sun is transiting your 11th house and you lot become the sympathetic grease on the wheels effortlessly (oh if they only knew!) smoothing over other people’s sometimes testy behaviours. Your compassionate nature manifests for all the world to see and use on a day that is often fraught with acute feelings of loneliness and suffering. It would be better, wouldn’t it, if Xmas day was not quite so hyped into being the be-all and end of all of, what? The retail year?

Today’s new moon in your eleventh house is reminding you of all learnt about being Aquarian-like when Uranus transited Pisces.  A reminder that conformity has incredible downsides in a time when the lowest common denominator is pretty low and pretty cruel.  Take any upswing in your public persona and an increase in your gravitas, and take notice of who appears more in your life.  Take yourself seriously, everybody else is.  Pisceans have their work cut out for them doing what they most dearly love to be. Yes you read that correctly.

ARIES

You’ve got about a fortnight before that pesky planet Mercury, who kept us all more or less marking time this month, comes barrelling through your 10^th house to join the Sun and Pluto.  Christmas can sometimes feel like a spanner in the works when you’ve got so much going on, on all fronts.  But things not going to plan, the annual silly season, are all part and parcel of the human’s lot in life.  Your’s were good stars last month and they’re good stars this month, they’re just a little more urgent this time ‘round. Uranus has gone direct at 0 deg of Aries encouraging radical transformation if not quite a bolt of lightening to all the things you identify as being you.  It’s quite a deal of energy to channel responsibly sans carnage.  Mars in Virgo is your friend.  He’s in your 6^th house, i.e, Virgo’s turf, you can score many added Brownie points for the things Virgoan in you.

The Christmas day new moon is in your 10th house, it is supercharged by Pluto.  Things you have always wanted may well come to pass with the resources you have going for you.  Bloody great stars for an Aries really.  Lucky you. Be very careful, suck in new information, look left and right when crossing the road etc. Remember Virgo.

TAURUS

A Christmas day new moon in your 9^th house of broadening horizons, distant travel, philosophy and higher thoughts, will tend you towards a reflective time.  But with the promise of a bigger more expansive future based on bona fide insights gleaned and new more relevant information at hand you also have a new found freedom.  This year you’ve been able to throw off the shackles that restrained you from broadening your scope.  Your career has seemed nebulous at times and at other times, not terribly real in terms of who you are becoming.  All this murkiness, turgidity about what you do as defining who you are is something slipping from your grasp—you happily let it go to make way for a more authentic, reinvigorated version of yourself   Your health is firmly back under your control and you have loads of energy and motivation to develop an approach to health and fitness that will serve you for years to come.  Jupiter direct tomorrow, the silly season in full swing, use this time to get into the backyard with the kids for fun and games and to charm and beguile the elders hanging back behind the barbie.  Keep your eyes trained towards the horizon for a calling of sorts and the freedom that new knowledge can bring.

GEMINI

A reflective Gemini, seeking out foundations with vigour and a heightened sense of compassion for others, acutely aware that there are many hidden dimensions to life.  What are we to make of Geminis of late? Let’s break it down and divide in two . Ok let’s not.  A Christmas day new moon in your 8^th house of secrets, death, sex, taxes, shared resources and psychic experiences just about covers the gamut of the mysterious world our friend the Gemini is traversing.  Christmas encourages you to find more meaning and this one’s supercharged.  Everyone’s getting a dose of the Uranian, it appears to be what’s needed.  Uranus direct in your 11^th house, is most auspicious and Jupiter is direct tomorrow in your 12^th.  These planets speak about someone whose inner core is changing. Who is no fool, and who is being charged with a secret, succeeding streak of universal love.  Yeah. Really.  Hold fast that sense of purpose you now have.  Write down what you now know and remember where you are in life and where you want to be in say 10 year’s time. The clarity you have now is a gift to remember. Your Xmas present to yourself 2011.  A gift that in five year’s time will still be ‘giving’.

CANCER

Business partnerships, those to whom you’re close and like and those to whom you’re close and maybe not so enamoured are in the spotlight warts and all at this time of year and with December’s new Moon these associations are strengthened and renewed where worth it or given one last going over before being assigned to the never to be revisited/lessons learnt/too hard basket. Not that you have failed in any way if you know you really must give up on something you once held dear.   You have been doing the hard yards in relation to brutal realisations of both more impersonal partnerships and the strange and intimate entanglements that can snare us below the surface.  Tomorrow you will feel 100% better about the way in which you can cruisily and joyfully glide about within and throughout your social sphere.  You too are a revolutionary and your role in the unfolding drama that is life on earth is instrumental to how the business-side will work. Odd out of left field ideas of an entrepreneurial bent should be noted down and taken seriously. It is the season to be silly though.  Big sigh.  Stick with the health plan and continue with the winnowing.  It’s only a day.

LEO

A very do-able line-up of stars for today and the month ahead.  Zoom, zoom, munch, munch. I don’t think there’s much to get deep and meaningful about.  The facts are that the Sun and a new Moon both illuminating Pluto are charging up your house of work and service, health and hygiene and Mars angling around for a long ride through your 2^nd house, is providing the requisite energy for doing this—not to forget, by any stretch, Jupiter going ‘direct’ tomorrow in your house of pubic office.  Venus gracing  your 7^th your house of nearest and dearest is helping to make things sweet.  Leo’s need only be there lovely Leonine selves.  Getting your infamous, magnificent pride back again and feeling tip-top about it, feels so good.  Let’s just call it divine dignity instead, wrought through some humble-ments. Happy days ahead Leo.  You are needed and you are loved.

VIRGO

Are you exhausted yet?  Because we all are.   Geebus seven more months to go of this Mars in Virgo business. Seven more long months—watch them fly.  Really if you haven’t already, it’s time to get a plan.  This is a long haul of Martian energy at your disposal—for all of us, and to go the distance you’ll need a sound plan. You could find yourself reflected in the eyes of someone out-Virgoing you. Take the pointers.  We’re all at it and you’ve got the ultimate in streamlined nit-pickery/go-back-and-do-it-again-Saturn in your second house, more or less putting the brakes on your wilder schemes to reorganise the planet and making sure you do it wisely.  A good thing. The month ahead from today reminds the Virgo to get out and have some fun—explore the hills, go on adventures, you know the saying all work and no play makes Virgo’s really bloody annoying.  You’re never dull so no fear of that, always a mystery, but remember to ease up and take the time to relax in the months ahead, starting now.

Working out whatever it is that you ideally should be doing, turning your daily life into gold is getting clearer by the day.  Pity this Martian energy can’t be bottled for *Ron. Nobody’s going to blame you or despair of your energy now, you won’t let them anyway you wont be going awry –just off.

LIBRA

With Saturn hanging around in Libra and Mars next door in Virgo this Christmas day new Moon will boost along the psychological revelations and subsequent changes many a lovely Libran has been undergoing.  The Sun in Capricorn and today’s new Moon will in a few days time throw more light onto what particular types of foundations you’re being asked to re-examine. Venus in your 5^th house is helping Librans take some festive joy into their hearts, so remind yourself to keep things light and breezy in all your interactions.  You may feel a little cut-off or isolated, your unconscious is processing a veritable oversupply of ‘home truths’ but they’re not of a nature to be easily articulated.  Saturn is there to help not hinder and to make sure you get it right.  You will be at ease communicating in your usual charming way, but now is not the time for bolshevist tendencies or trying to make sense of what you’re going through to anyone else. They sort of understand anyway. Go easy on yourself and trust that you will get it right on all levels.  But as the mystics say don’t mix your levels as they do not make sense to one another—yet.  The first half of this year is about making preparations, getting your house in order.  Get back to basics. Develop some practise you can do alone, that grounds you.  There has never been a better time to take up walking and meditating.

SCORPIO

Getting together with people who can further your aims is something of a theme for the coming months.  What indeed those aims might be is a question you’ll have to ask yourself.  Good that your bullshit detector is on high alert.  You will be feeling as sociable and chatty as any Scorpio can, all the while assessing who can help you get what you want and who is of no use whatsoever.  This sounds rather clinical and fairly self-centred but actually for you nothing now could be further from the truth.  You have energy galore to channel into-- let’s call them in the broadest sense ‘public works’.  With Uranus in Aries, for Scorpio Suns and risings you feel you can make a brilliant contribution.  Just what though, it’s too soon to tell. What you can tell now is who are contenders for the ride and who will help and who will hinder. Venus graces your home life and foundations of your life, adding mystique and loads of charisma to an area of your chart that Neptune has been radicalising.  Some things have faded into the fog and others are there to stay with you for the long haul.  It’s been a trip, a restructuring trip. Take refuge if you need to in the beauty and safety of your domestic sphere and if that’s not possible dive into the beauty and exciting, wised-up old soul within.

SAGITTARIUS

Uranus direct in Aries a couple of weeks ago, Jupiter direct today or early tomorrow, Mercury direct (at last) and still in your 1^st House and a new Moon in your 2^nd, I dunno Sag you could be accused of being too bloody buoyant for words.  Sagittarius rushes in where angels fear to tread? Well just hold that thought, take a few deep breaths and a reality check.  Ok. GO. Far be it for me to rain on your parade, no come back, it really is a case of all systems go.  So where’s Saturn?  Wherever Saturn is in your chart is the area where a foot flat to boards and the chance you could be just a tad too incorrigible for words will apply the brakes.  Watch for foot in mouth this festive season because you could make some almost unforgiveable faux pas with the rellies.  We’re all on the brink of a new age of sorts when Neptune moves house, aside from what on earth could happen with Aries in charge of Uranus. Some are feeling a little nebulous about so much rampaging change. You can’t afford to alienate anyone with a careless, carefree remark.  Today though you’re in the clear just be a little sensitive to those more worried, fretful souls. 

*Australian colloquialism  'Ron' meaning later on

'Stars' up Tomorrow early.

First Light by Arjan Veen (Daluth Ship Canal, Lake Superior, Minnesota)

New moon tomorrow morning 5:06am (AEDST) minutes before first-light, half an hour or so before sunrise.  A good time to think and an excellent time to shunt demons. [sigh] Next.  

For today or tomorrow (depends) is indelibly printed on our Christian orientated western minds as being some 'big thing' type of day. When we spend time with family (which we should probably be doing more than once a year anyway) stuff our faces with glorious food, and buy each other presents. Really it should be a day when the 'grown ups' grow up I think.  It just feels a tad pointless to me, just a little meaningless.  But that's just me.

I will know it's first light, because where I'm sleeping takes in the sights and sounds of first-light spectacularly. 

I like the 'vibe' of Christmas day and I tank teh great and good Lordy above that I am free of having anything much to do wiv it, and can go and hide in a hut in a paddock and look at the stars.  Which, that reminds me, I've taken not inconsiderable time to 'work out' of myself for your lighthearted amusement at first light-tomorrow

♆ in ♒

Cortona Fog by Sean Bentley

Neptune has been in Aquarius since 1997. Aquarius is the 11th sign of the zodiac and influences 11th house-type things--groups, friends and acquaintances etc. It is the house of humanitarian type interactions.  Tonight I was wondering if Neptune transiting this house for as long as it has, has had something to do with a shift in the way we relate to each other on an everyday casual basis and I guess if you follow astrology this is what it should be doing.  Have you noticed as have I, that the days of people 'dropping-in' unexpectedly or unannounced seem to be well and truly over?   Neptune confuses but it can also give subtle intuitive insights.

Perhaps socially we've become a lot less confident in our relationships and are more circumspect about where we stand in relation to groups we think we would like to be associated with.  Either because we now see them for what they are, even if we've not been able to articulate it.  Or we have simply become disillusioned and confused about where and who 'our people' actually are?  Or a bit of both?  We know now to ring on our handy mobile phones, before we turn up on people's doorstep--a given these days where once it was not so important.

I think we will all be hugely relieved to see Neptune exit Aquarius in February 2012, it's enough alright already, it's been a trip, especially for the Aquarians.  I don't imagine we'll all start madly popping-in on each other again, but maybe Neptune moving into Pisces, the sign it rules, will be a boon for the planet in other ways?  The first time in 168 years that Neptune has been 'home'.

I think Neptune energy in Pisces will flow beautifully and help counter the harsher aspects of the outer plodders who have come to cross purposes of late, i.e, Uranus in Aries, squaring Pluto in Cap.  It's my hope that Neptune in Pisces for the next fourteen or so years will train our attention on to the smaller, furrier and more innocent things in life and we might be a little more concerned about how they are faring the disaster that is mankind.  (Souls included in the 'more innocent' category.)  

Something to look forward to.

The Power of Self-Sensing.

Observing one's thoughts and emotions can be overwhelming.  And observing 'I' needs to be moved around fairly regularly.  Observing your thoughts with an accompanying eye-rolling negative emotion, only serves to reinforce the eye-rolling negative emotion and in the end, after years of struggling with your thoughts, it dawns that it's not our thoughts that are troublesomely obstinate, but the emotions behind the thoughts. Anything that reinforces negative emotional states really should be avoided --like the plague.  The second you realise you're watching yourself and there is an accompanying and familiar feeling of stagnation or a sense of an undefinable background dirge going on, is the second you must move observing I to a fresh vantage.

Self-sensing your body is a way to move your observing 'I' and stop negative thoughts and feelings attaching themselves to your observing 'I' and becoming habitual.  It's a radical jump to the left in terms of getting out of your head, i.e, your thoughts while remembering to surrender any woe-is-me feelings for a while.  How much emotional pain going around and around in your head can you cope with?  Really? How about giving yourself and your beleaguered soul a break and take a dip into the mysterious realm of the etheric and real in the gurgling, every-cycling, dynamic body. What a thing!  What an instrument!  

Any child can self-sense and it's a boon to the physical body to get some mindful attention from numero uno in the engine room.  Practised daily or hourly like any discipline you become better at it and learn to move energy around your body very quickly.  It teaches you how to focus your attention, it teaches you about your body.  You can self-sense anywhere, anytime. Feel out your left foot, your smallest toe, the soles of your feet, every crevice and nook of your body.  You can blast bits and pieces with colour or a lovely Sufi exercise is to go through every part of your body from head to toe and every organ in between saying the words, Lord God. 

If you can manage to self-sense when you're in a hurry, (which I can attest is a challenge) it helps you keep it together--literally.  It can be a meditation, but need not be. While you're twiddling your thumbs, self sense your thumbs, whilst your sitting waiting for something, self sense if only for a few seconds each time, you do it you are practising and exploring.  

If you want to have some control as to what energies you attract and grant entry to,  the quality of your own energy and how it can be usefully revivified, if you want to be able to protect yourself in an instant from all manner of greebly things and simply have more self-control and more self knowledge, self-sensing will help--a lot.

♂ Conj ☾

I saw this today on youtube.  It got me all bolshie. And rightly so.   Mars conjunct the moon.

♂ in ♍

Mars in Virgo is very good for practising your music.  Especially if like me you play largely from memory.  I am polishing up the Xmas Carols on the flute. My specialty when it comes to (effing) Christmas Carols are Australian Bush Carols (or some such.) The Three Drovers, Orana, etc.  They are getting increasingly obscure it seems, but are quite pretty tunes and it strikes me somehow quite Protestent.  Hmmm. Oh well.  They are what they're mean't to be, which is fairly cheesy.

Whether anyone knows they are Christmas Carols will be the test for those throwing money at me for playing them.  I think at one stage they may have been obligatory in some people's lives and they differ from Little Town of Bethlehem (oh) in that if you recognise them, they are unmistakably Australian.  If you like that sort of thing, which frankly, when you're here and in it, is probably not terribly much.  One really needs to travel to appreciate Australia.  Travel a long way away for a very long time.

Mars in Virgo.  It's not rocket science.  You can imagine . . .  the energetic use of your self-discipline for the next 7 or so months.  Practise, practise, practise what you're good it for the next six months and you'll be sublimely good at it for life.  You will understand it inside and out and if you can understand one thing completely, you can understand many, many, more almost instantly.


A quote: (No! Never.)

Self-discipline is crucial to a simpler more contented life.  

Tenzin Gyatzo.

Mars will be in Virgo until about July next year.  That's next year.  Ages away. Huh? 

There are no decent recordings of these carols on youtube.  A situation . . . .  Off for more practise.  The only problem with music is it can be so hit or miss.  I find focusing on something small and obscure and trying not to think anything usually yields the best results.  This is I suspect is the Tao of music--not making an effort. 

Your time starts now . . . .

Mercury direct in early Sagittarius as of 12:43 today AEDST.  With a Leo moon.  Nice 'n firey.  Yee har.  What a relief!  I've been feeling very bolshie all  morning.  #unisuper.  Don't get me started!

But will tread carefully and still be a little circumspect in the real world of drivers,  supermarket shoppers and general nutters and schemers on the street.

Move along little doggies.  The Sun even came out--briefly.

New moon horoscopes taking shape.

Post-eclipse, waiting on Merc Therapy. 100% effective only $9.99

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a representation of the unconscious self," and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality. 

Actually it's completely free.  Heh.  Sorry about that. 

Feeling frazzled folks?  This could be the distraction you've been looking for!  

I can't pretend to know anything much about Mandalas, but can see that they're a very good idea.  To gaze upon, to make, to contemplate the beauty and the order of them.  Indeed, I don't doubt there are thousands of people taking soul-numbing drugs who could probably 'cure' themselves much more effectively, even improving on the current model, through mandala appreciation and application.  The aim of any psychotherapy should be to enrich, awaken and enlarge your spiritual life not simply return you 'back' to 'normal' i.e, mediocre or average.

I have no idea why I decided to go looking for Mandalas;  I used to play a game when I was fourteen, with a friend and we would track back through our thoughts to work out where a particular thought originated.  I think we proved to each other that it could be done. But the discovery of the birth of what led to what led to what wasn't particularly enlightening or interesting.  For some reason I have an image of pine trees when I remember us playing this game.  

I am at fear of digressing wildly today, so I will stick to the topic at hand even though I know not from where it sprung.  I'll remember later.  

Teh Tao of Mandal. I've never drawn a Mandala, because I'm fairly sure it involves a certain amount of ruler-work and mathematics. Any mandala I've drawn tended to be more like this below.

Drawn usually quickly with a biro on a piece of white A4 maybe with the help of a saucer. Done when bored or something and not necessarily as a spiritual exercise.   (In other words I did draw one once and it actually looked nothing like this one).  but you get the picture.  I'd recommend a googling of mandala images to find the ones you like. Or better still draw your own.

They are truly beautiful and particularly ordering to a disorganised, post-eclipse, waiting on Mercury moving-on type mind.

As the saying goes, physician heal thyself. 

Phoenix Water Dragon Up from the Deep.

From a Feng Shui standpoint 2012, the year of the Yang Water Dragon, brings many possibilities for good fortune.  Water Dragon Inc.

 

Knocking things off the list of stuff to endure, eclipses to observe, time to pass, all things to move on and there is nothing much that stays completely still--for long.  Chinese New Year in late January will herald in a Dragon year--water Dragon.  Happy 60th to all you water Dragons.  May your 60th year on planet Earth, be your most abundantly happy. 

I think school teachers ought to know, if only as an idle curiosity, what Chinese year the majority of their charges were born. Something a little more to go on when confronting a classroom-full of Monkeys or Tigers, or Snakes.  I'd want to know.   Imagine thirty Tiger, 13 year olds.  Egads. 


Back to lists,  Mercury direct on Wednesday in the afternoon AEDST about 4.30 I think. Apparently we should not expect things to pick up and start running clockwork-like for at least a few days.  By Sunday the eclipse will be a thing of the past and we can start to wind down to Christmas seven days hence and the last new moon of the year.

Another otiose post I'm afraid.  I'm trying hard to ignore the horrible sounds of violence and destruction that are coming from the sitting room--television.  And now suddenly still and quiet, and the garden sounds like a rainforest. 

Maybe we can look forward to a wet 2012 in a water Dragon year?  More rain, more growth.  What the planet needs. More growth, more green more oxygen.

9/12/2011 on Planet ⨁

Click-on to 'Aggrandize'

There seems to be a dearth of anything that is really engaging me at the moment.  There is only one solution to this problem and that is to come at it from a different angle. So an otiose post, one of probably two to be found here.

It is grey and cold here today and has only stopped raining today, after two days of day and night, non-stop, pitter patter. The air is not only pregnant with a budding full moon with added eclipse, but also thick with water.  It's all so very dense. 

Genius that I am, I figured out that plotting the planets onto a natal wheel, gave one a pretty clear indication, in fact a pretty accurate indication of where in the sky everything is or was.  The cloud parted enough to prove this startling discovery of the bleeding obvious, when I saw both the Moon and Jupiter the other night when I was putting out the rubbish.  Jupiter has been rising in the evenings and stands-out like the proverbials, so is not hard to spot.  I knew the Moon would be very nearby because, it too was in Taurus where Jupiter is.  I could also tell that we wouldn't be seeing Mars or Saturn as they had already passed the 180 degree mark--if daylight can be measured in degrees which I suspect it can. 30 minute segments, but best not get too deep there into maths.  

I did figure out why Jupiter won't be sucking Saturn into it's gaseous vortex when they are conjunct in 2020. And that would be because even at their closest i.e, teh (Grand Conjunction) they are 100 million miles apart and while Jupiter's big, that's gotta be some vacuum that can suck something in from 100 million miles. 

What I have been pondering of late is the idea that the planets serve a function that is beneficial to Earth--even if that function is one relating to the psyche (and obviously if you follow astrology which I do, they do that).   It requires a couple of leaps of faith or informed guesses to suggest that Earth is the only planet in our Solar system that has a form of life capable of a degree of consciousness, a statement which will always be resisted by some, but one I think is probably at this point in time quite probably true.  I don't really want to think about the semantics relating to what constitutes conscious life, let's take human beings with beating hearts and a brain as a baseline.   It would be interesting to ask astrologers what they think the state of mankind would be if there were no planets.   The Professors of Astrologie would probably have to argue that zis is impossibleur and clearly it is.  But the whole idea that the Solar system is necessary for life on Earth in a mechanical sense and in a metaphysical sense is very interesting.  We've been encouraged not to be Earth-centric, for centuries, because that was to believe we were at the centre of the universe and that 'life' spins around us and there are obviously problems pertaining to aggrandisement and self-importance that we are generally encouraged to believe are misguided.  We know the Earth is not the centre of the universe and that the Sun doesn't revolve around us, but that's not to simultaneously believe that as merely 'the third rock' from the Sun we have absolutely no consequence above that.  I don't think life is so meaningless frankly, I'm not sure that Planet Earth is the bee's knees exactly, but I think it's probably not being too self important of us to think we are the most psychically dynamic planet in the Solar System which is both a terrifiying and exciting prospect.

75% huh? That's a lot, the majority in fact.

Astrology Houses

Image source: Astroprofile.

1st House  

♈
House of Self

The First House is commonly referred to as the House of Self. The cusp of the First House is the home of the Ascendant, the Sign which was rising on the eastern horizon at the precise moment of one's birth. By thinking of this in terms of sunrise and new beginnings, one begins to grasp the concepts of the First House. The new beginnings here are centered around the individual: the self and the attendant voyage of discovery which defines a person. Who are you? What will you become? How do you realize your best self? The First House speaks to the realization of one's ultimate potential. This process of becoming a unique individual is one of the greatest contributions we make to the world in which we live. The distinct qualities which we possess are often referred to as personality. The First House addresses the individual, his or her comportment and approach to life. In other words, the sum total of one's being. This is the package we give to the world. The packaging itself, or our outer being, is also governed by the First House -- think the physical body and the way in which we present ourselves, and in particular, the head and face. Early childhood is also ruled by the First House. Everything from our earliest steps to our view of the emerging world is considered here. How will we develop? What is our view on life? It all begins at the beginning (the First House) and serves to shape us for all time. In sum, the First House speaks to the person we are becoming and will become, both internally and externally. It addresses our personality and presentation to the world, our essential qualities, and approach to life, demeanour and basic sensibilities. The inner self and outer body are what the First House is all about. The First House is ruled by the Sign Aries and the Planet Mars.

2nd House
♉
House of Possessions
The Second House is commonly referred to as the House of Possessions. While this speaks to that which we own, it's not limited simply to tangible things. We own our feelings and emotions, as well as our inner selves, abilities, needs and wants. When we own up to something, we are in fact claiming ownership of our greatest possession, our self. Using our possessions, including material goods, to maximum advantage is also within the realm of the Second House. Our possessions should enhance our lives and those of others in addition to fostering a general sense of well-being. This brings forth the concept of value which is key to the Second House. What do we value, both tangibly and intangibly? Why do we value it? Who do we value? What do we really own? What do we want to own? Why? Our effective resolution of these questions is a large part of what the Second House is all about. Specific possessions covered by the Second House include earned income and our ability to influence it, investments and moveable property (cars, clothing, jewellery and the like). Debt is also part of the equation here, since we own the responsibility to pay our bills. How we view money, the acquisition of wealth (and debt), financial reversals, savings, budgeting and financial status are all ruled by the Second House.


For those of us who believe that money will set us free, it's interesting to note that this maxim finds a home in the Second House. Personal freedoms as established by financial capability and sensibility are addressed within this House. To a great extent, our possessions and what we do with them help to define us as viable human beings. Taking it a step further, will these material goods help us gain social standing, recognition, friendship and love? Used properly, they very well might. Therefore, the goal implicit in one's possessions could be defined as the ability to use those possessions honestly and to our best advantage and for the greater good. If our possessions work for us and those around us, what more could we ask? Well, one more question does come to mind: what goes around comes around? Sounds about right! The Second House is ruled by the Sign Taurus and the Planet Venus.


3rd House  
♊
House of Communications

The Third House is commonly referred to as the House of Communication. In this House, much of the communication is going on between the individual and those he or she holds close: brothers and sisters, as well as neighbours. While communication here can be both written and verbal, it also has a conscious quality to it. Think about kindred spirits and mental connections. This serves to highlight the role of intelligence within the Third House. Intelligence, as viewed in this realm, is the analytical ability one possesses within his or her environment, specifically a basic grasp of things and a practical sensibility. We use this intelligence to help us work effectively within our world and with those in it. The Third House reminds us that it's okay to use our conscious skills, as well as a more reflective intelligence, in order to make our way. A symbiotic relationship with those we hold close is also part of the plan. Let's not forget that our minds are powerful, quick and dexterous. Some things will be well thought out, others nearly automatic. Maximizing our sum potential is the key. Early education, effectively teaching us how to think and communicate, is also covered by the Third House, as are short trips. Again, the proximate nature of travel speaks to the intimate nature of the Third House: those we know well, in our environment, keeping that environment tight. Harnessing our intelligence and sharing it effectively with others is the essence of the Third House. How do we best state our case with others, often those we love the most? Will our actions be true to our environment, and our planet, for all time? This brings to the fore emerging forms of intelligence-gathering, such as computers. Will they make or break communication as we know it? The questions posed by the Third House can be answered by listening to that House: think, process, and share. The Third House is ruled by the Sign Gemini and the Planet Mercury.


4th House
♋  
House of Family and Home

The Fourth House is commonly referred to as the House of Home. When we think of home, we think of that place where we put down our roots. We lay our foundation and plant ourselves firmly into the Earth, as it were. One day, we will return to that very same Earth. The Fourth House brings things full circle by also addressing old age, endings and our final resting place. Much of the emphasis of the Fourth House, however, is on the concept of home. By laying down roots, we make a home for ourselves, or more specifically, the self. It's worth noting that in addition to the external home (all the bricks and mortar around us), we have really brought the essential self home. 'I'm home.' The words themselves have a peaceful ring to them. The self is now centered, grounded, one and at peace with the Earth. We seek to come home both physically and psychically, for ourselves and for those we love. By creating home, we create a meeting place, a sanctuary, a sacred place for ourselves and for others. In our home, we integrate the self with all that has come before us and helped to shape what we are today. We create a domestic space which comforts and nurtures us and serves to keep safe those we love. Also important here are family history, cultural and societal norms, and ways of being. All of these are ruled by the Fourth House, as are our ancestry, roots and heritage. These qualities are brought 'home' through us and integrated into the place we call home. Helping to create the home we make are our parents, for it is they who greatly nurture and shape our being. Therefore, the Fourth House can also be thought of as the House of the Mother, the Parent or the Nurturer. Looking at things from a strictly tangible point of view, we can see that the Fourth House also encompasses physical structures (houses) and real estate. The Fourth House represents family, history and traditions. All of these contribute to the process of becoming a true, actualized and individualized self. This is how we come home. The Fourth House is ruled by the Sign Cancer and the Moon.



5th House  
♌
House of Pleasure

The Fifth House is commonly referred to as the House of Pleasure. Oftentimes, pleasure is the result of a creative act. The simple act of creating is, essentially, giving of oneself and making something -- making another? Yes, the Fifth House does speak to procreation and children, but it also addresses the creation of art and culture. The creative life is one from which we can derive much personal pleasure and self-satisfaction. Do I like this? Does it make me feel good? Does it bring me pleasure? The answers therein are the domain of the Fifth House. Taking this pleasure principle a step further, one can give it a more human face, even two faces. Romance and romantic affairs, both emotional pleasures, are within the realm of the Fifth House. Emotional satisfaction can be gained in many ways, and yet another way addressed by this House is gambling. While this implies a financial risk, it can also be viewed as the willingness to take a risk -- on love, with money or in life. A gut risk in the hopes of a pleasurable outcome is how the Fifth House sees it. This House is actually quite rich with pleasures since it also lords over fun, games and hobbies. Life is more than just being or doing, it also includes finding -- finding the pleasure in the acts in which we engage. Children as a source of pleasure are also important in the Fifth House. This brings us back to creativity, since through our children, we create an extension of ourselves and then watch it grow. Giving our children all the good we had (and have), and then some, is certainly a pleasurable pursuit. How will this manifest itself? What form of pleasure and emotional release is

best for our children? Music, dance, theater, art, science, literature -- these fancies are for them and for us. Play for the purpose of emotional enrichment and pure pleasure is what the Fifth House is all about. The Fifth House is ruled by the Sign Leo and the Sun.


6th House
♍
House of Health

The Sixth House is commonly referred to as the House of Health. Implicit in maintaining good health is the ability to cope in the face of adversity, and this theme rings truest in the Sixth House. As human beings, we naturally have shortcomings. What will we do with them? How will we react in the face of a personal crisis? Crises, illnesses and reversals of fortune are all part of our Earthly trek. How we confront these situations and deal with the lessons they invariably teach us helps to define the person we become. Our fears may hold us back, but if we can meet them head-on and come out stronger on the other side, we may learn the valuable lesson of service or what our life's work should be. Work and service are central to the Sixth House. The focus here is on employment (employers and employees), training, those who serve us (along with those we serve) and those who depend on us. Keeping ourselves strong throughout these efforts is also important here, which is why this House further focuses on health (good and bad), diet, fitness and hygiene. Essential to the work we do in life is the work we do on our self. Duty, responsibility and personal growth all contribute to the creation of a fully-realized being. We work for others as well as for ourselves; we are at service to those who need us, including our own being. There will be times when crises of health or faith will stand in the way of our best self. At those times, we must endeavour to heal ourselves (again, the focus of this House is on health) so that we can return to the work of realizing our sum potential, of serving our world. The Sixth House also addresses the daily dailiness of life: what will I wear today? Do I need a haircut? Has the dog been fed? These simple matters keep our engines humming and enable us to do the more important work of our choosing. It's a patchwork quilt: the ability to serve others in health and through work which is both valuable and fulfilling. The Sixth House is ruled by the Sign Virgo and the Planet Mercury.


7th House
♎
House of Partnerships

The Seventh House is commonly referred to as the House of Partnership. With this House, we see a shift away from the self toward another -- a partner. By cooperating with and relating to another we unite for the purpose of achieving something. Purpose is important to the Seventh House -- the act of accomplishing something great or small for the self, the partnership and even society as a whole. In uniting with another, we also become a more valuable member of our world: we make a contribution, one small cog in the wheel of life. We have purpose. Cooperation and partnership help to expedite our purpose in life. Through a partnership, we fill out our essential being. Suddenly, we see ourselves in context. Through a partnership in which we work, play, love and/or create, we are fully formed and completed. The other half helps to make us whole. Ultimately, how we relate to others will help to define the success we have as a human being and as a member of humankind. The Seventh House shows us that partnerships can take many forms: marriage, business relationships, contracts, legalities, negotiations and agreements. We will cooperate to a greater or lesser extent in these varied partnerships. The quality of that cooperation, in essence how we relate to the other, is key to the Seventh House. Why do we choose this partnership? Is it for love or money? Practical reasons? Social considerations? There are many reasons for uniting with another. We may choose to fill voids we see in ourselves. We may simply want the company and companionship of another. The partnerships we form say a great deal about ourselves and also serve to teach us much. This House wants us to know that the quality of our partnerships will enhance our lives, make them fuller, more special and better for everyone. Tensions within a partnership also serve to teach us lessons. For this reason, the Seventh House also focuses on the darker side of our unions. Divorce, lawsuits and treaties all fall within this House. At its worst, a partnership may create enemies -- and on a more global scale, these rifts can deteriorate into war. It is our reaction to this adversity which will shape the partnerships yet to come. The Seventh House is ruled by the Sign Libra and the Planet Venus.


8th House
♏
House of Sex

The Eighth House is commonly referred to as the House of Sex. This House delves into relationships -- interactions with another and how certain aspects of those interactions can take on a more communal nature. It speaks to what our relationships will bring us and how we can get the most out of them. Returning to this House's emphasis on sex, it's important to note that the French refer to an orgasm as 'le petit mort' or 'the little death.' When we reach that exalted state of communion, we leave a little of ourselves behind -- die a small death. One can also choose to view this as growth, a new beginning, the rebirth of the soul or a gain for the partnership. The Eighth House is an equal-opportunity House, placing sex, death and rebirth on the same level playing field and acknowledging the viability and importance of all three. We will all experience death and rebirth as part of our lives: failed relationships leading to new ones, career changes, a new hairstyle. We are regenerated and reborn with each new phase and should welcome them. Shared resources also fall within the Eighth House: inheritance, alimony, taxes, insurance, and support from another. Financial supports as well as spiritual, emotional and physical support are addressed by this House. While our relationships share many of the aforementioned things, they also have their own dynamics and grow from within (we grow through our sexuality as well as through other more tangible means). That said, much as our relationships are expansive, they also have certain constraints, many which are placed on them by society. Again, taxes, alimony and the joint nature of assets come to mind. Yes, with every opportunity we have, we may face a restriction along with it. Once again, death and rebirth. In keeping with the transforming nature of this House, rituals are highlighted. Every group has its own way of peering in and looking deep into the soul and the past, if only to get a sense of what we truly are. What quality will our rituals take on? Exalted states or metamorphoses? What secrets do we keep and why? How we manage our interactions, relationships and rituals are important to the Eighth House -- will we be honest, effective and responsible? Will the riches generated by our relationships benefit the group (company, humankind) as a whole? Our legacies are key to this House: how we conduct ourselves now, and how that will play out for all time. The Eighth House is ruled by the Sign Scorpio and the Planets Mars.


9th House  
♐ House of Philosophy

The Ninth House is commonly referred to as the House of Philosophy. In keeping with that theme, it's our search for meaning which is the focal point here. By virtue of exploring our world, we start to grasp everything that is available to us. It all boils down to understanding: understanding that which we see and feel and probing further in the hopes of realizing true meaning. Through higher education, we have the hope of understanding concepts and theories which will enhance our world. Whether its philosophy or psychology, the Ninth House reminds us that we are on a voyage of discovery. Along that road, we will come face to-face with our ideals and further shape the ethics by which we live. Another approach to clearer meaning and understanding of that which we see, and more importantly, that which we do not see, is through religion. Understanding and accepting that which is greater than us and our world is key to the Ninth House. Sadly, we might not always be humble in the face of what we have. A concrete understanding of the possibilities in life may well lead to ruthless ambition and greed and an over-expansion of the self. To face these demons most effectively in society, we institute laws. These laws provide for the orderly and positive growth of that society. In much the same way, philosophy and religion help add focus and purpose to a productive society. How members of a society relate, and knowing and respecting the laws, by which they live, are core tenets of the Ninth House. The way in which we expand our inner and outer lives is also addressed by the Ninth House. Travel and interaction with other peoples and cultures are a means to this end. Our dreams, those which illustrate our past as well as those which speak to future events, also help to mould our being and our relationships. Taking this a step further, psychic as the bearers of relevant information also come into play. Additionally, the Ninth House addresses publishing and multinational ventures such as import/export businesses. This House also has a multigenerational view, taking into account grandchildren, as well as in-laws. At the end of the day, however, the Ninth House is best described as philosophically inclined in the search for meaning and truth. The Ninth House is ruled by the Sign Sagittarius and the Planet Jupiter.


10th House
♑
House of Social Status

The Tenth House is commonly referred to as the House of Social Status. It is about the place we have attained in our social (or work/career) grouping and in society as a whole. Think status, the authority it conveys, and consequently, the role we take in our community. It also speaks to any promotions we receive, any fame we may have or will come to have and the types of business and social activities in which we partake. With respect to achievement, this House focuses on how we see ourselves and how the community as a whole sees us (and our efforts). Through this House, we work on manifesting ourselves. Vocation is important in the Tenth House. What role will we choose and how will we best fill it? How much do we want to achieve? Career, professional goals, ambition and motivation all come into play here. In a more practical context, employers and their rules are covered here, as are any other organizations (specifically the government) which have the ability to rule over us. Along with our life's work comes the challenge of ruling over others, although there will generally be someone who lords over us. The prestige and social status we accrue by virtue of our careers and vocations can be seen, intangibly, in the form of ego gratification. How we manage this is addressed by the Tenth House. It may be most difficult to tire of financial rewards in our consumerist society; surprisingly, ego massage may grow old more quickly. The question of how we will manage these gifts, and the status that comes along with them, is important to this House. Will we use our power to truly help society, or will we be wilful and reckless? Not all of us are cut out for grand scale social success or equipped to help society significantly. It's also worth noting that many of our successes are achieved with the aid of society, not in a vacuum. The relationship of the individual to a group and to society is also highlighted in the Tenth House. To improve things and to make an impact, we must feel a real kinship to the cause; a fervent resolve to change things is necessary. In this way, we will achieve that social status which is truly worthwhile. Lastly, in keeping with its focus on rulers, the Tenth House addresses the father, who is generally the more authoritarian parent. The Tenth House is ruled by the Sign Capricorn and the Planet Saturn.


11th House
♒
House of Friendships

The Eleventh House is commonly referred to as the House of Friends. Through our friends, we find strength in numbers – we see the power of the collective, the group. Groups addressed by this House include clubs, organizations, social groups, networking organizations and professional associations. The focus here is on the activities we undertake within these groups, how we make a difference and as a result, how we grow and actualize our true selves. Further, it's the group, by virtue of its collective strength, which helps to define what we as individuals will do. As we grow, we have more opportunities and possibilities available to us, and the Eleventh House addresses these. Our interactions and efforts are in keeping with our priorities in life; these interactions have the ability to enhance our lives. A labour of love? Yes, in many ways. Through our friends and group activities we add substance and meaning to our lives and to society. The Eleventh House also speaks to destiny -- in simple terms, our hopes and dreams, what we desire and what we want to achieve. Our creative vision is highlighted, the simple act of working toward our maximal selves. The power of collective creation, as well as the creative sparks generated by the group, are also important to this House. By banding together, we can create so much more. In joining with our friends, we not only accomplish a great deal, but we can also enjoy the fruits of our labour. The Eleventh House also addresses the kind of friend we are: what do we do for others? How do we view our friends? How do they view us? It is our basic character which, to a great extent, defines the friends and groups we choose. Oftentimes, we work with our friends toward a greater good and in the hope of improving society. This is our philanthropic side coming to the fore, the ability to selflessly and eagerly help others. It is also our humanity manifesting itself most effectively. At times, we may upset the proverbial apple cart, but the sum total of our efforts should be to look at the end result. If that's good, then the process of getting there, for better or for worse, is worthwhile. Lastly, the Eleventh House also governs stepchildren, foster children and adopted children. The Eleventh House is ruled by the Sign Aquarius and the Planets Saturn.

12th House
♓
House of Subconscious

The Twelfth House is commonly referred to as the House of the Unconscious. The unconscious state can help engender our successes, as well as assist us in coping with our failures. Success vs. failure: do we consciously confront our lives or subconsciously sweep things under the proverbial rug? This House might more aptly be called the House of Reckoning, since it is in the Twelfth that we review what we have been (and done) and decide where we go from there. Along with these unconscious musings, we also deliberate on strengths and weaknesses which are hidden from public view. Our subconscious works hard on our behalf, trying to make sense of our lives. This shadow play is slow and long, and often fraught with fear and pain. It is in this context that we are confronted with our sorrows, suffering and the secrets we keep from ourselves and from others. Ultimately, we are also confronted with our fate: karma. Here we meet up with the results of everything we have done. This further puts the focus on repressed agendas and restraint. What have we wrought with in our lives? This is a key question of the Twelfth House, and we will deal with it both consciously and unconsciously. Will the answers compel us to be transformed or reborn? This is another cornerstone of the Twelfth House -- the manner in which we move forward. We can learn much from the unconscious. In its most noble manifestation, we will be prompted to be charitable. If we learn our lessons, both past and present, we are also better equipped to move forward. The Twelfth House compels us to seek closure in a spiritual way as an aid to positive growth. The last House of the zodiac also recognizes that we can feel bound in life -- stuck and confined. For this reason, this House rules jails, hospitals, institutions, asylums and any space that inhibits freedom. More gloominess in the Twelfth comes in the form of danger, secret enemies and clandestine affairs. Beware! While some may decry the Twelfth House as the garbage bin of the zodiac, it's really an unfair term. Ultimately, this House is the champion of positive transformations. It is here that we stand on the precipice and determine how we will proceed. By visiting the unconscious and meeting with the past, we begin to glean what the future will bring. The Twelfth House is ruled by the Sign Pisces and the Planets Jupiter.