By Milky Way Maid
As I have mentioned in my last weekly column, I have been re-reading a couple of Barbara Hand Clow's books, Catastrophobia and The Mayan Code. The latter book has some interesting things to say about the years 2011 and 2012, in regards to her astrological interpretation of the upcoming Uranus-Pluto square.
As some of you may recall -- and yes, I am aware of the joke that if you were really part of the '60's then you won't remember it at all -- there was a Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the 1960's.
To quote Ms. Clow at length in her notes about the '60s: Uranus came together with Pluto (conjunct within less than five degrees) during 1964 through 1968, which initiated a time-release depthcharge of radical transformation in culture and individuals. Uranus rules change and transformation, and Pluto rules processing our deepest and darkest emotions. In modern times, Uranus and Pluto are always in key angular aspects when radical shifts in consciousness occur. When they come together, the greatest forces of change are set in motion. Since Pluto was only sighted in 1930, the 1960s saw the first-known conjunction of Uranus and Pluto. Before this we had not been conscious of the human potential for enlightenment of all people, only of an occasional guru or saint.
Going back to the 1960s in your mind, do you remember the Summer of Love in San Francisco, the Beatles (etc). The media and the previous generation have done everything possible to make it look like all that crazy behavior just went away, but it has not. Knowing how expanded consciousness feels has caused this cultural seed to germinate within the planetary mind ever since the 1960s...
According to astrology (she continues) whatever happened during the conjunction of Uranus and Pluto in the 1960s would manifest globally as soon as these two planets reached their first square (a 90-degree angle) to each other...
With Uranus and Pluto, when the first square comes, the creative explosion of the 1960s will release into the world. Guess what? (she asks) Uranus comes to its closest square in to Pluto during 2011, and then the exact squares are during 2012 on June 24 and September 19! Just coincidence? Well, the exact reading for the Uranus/Pluto squares in 2011 through 2012 is that “the enlightenment energy discovered by the Children of Love will manifest as a global force in 2011, and during 2012, no one who lives on the Earth will be able to resist melting into enlightenment.” You will live and breathe enlightenment. I can assure you that you will not be able to resist being swept into joy, creativity, and fusion with awesome cosmic forces; it will would be like resisting a tsunami.
She also says that “Saturn in Aquarius and Pisces from (1991 to 1996) was a practice run for Uranus in Aquarius (1996 to 2003) and in Pisces (2003 to 2011); and for Neptune in Aquarius (1998 to 2012)... Uranus rules radical transformation of self and cultures; Neptune rules enlightenment processes. Neptune dissolves our resistance to the spiritual forces in the universe and erodes egoic boundaries until we surrender to bliss. Actually, the most important planet to track from 1999 to 2012 is Neptune, since it rules all the processes of enlightenment. Neptune in Aquarius from 1998 to 2012 brings in the coming Aquarian age of human enlightenment.
[The above excerpt was from The Mayan Code, Barbara Hand Clow, 2007, Bear & Co., Appendix B, pp. 226-228.]
I have been seeing the peace-sign motif and daisy flower motif springing up the past couple years, usually worn by the younger generation (what are they now, Gen Y, or the Indigoes?). It is my heartfelt hope that the younger generation push aside the controlling mechanisms of the elite, and reject war as a solution to any problems.
And just as Eastern mysticism became a subject of intense interest and study in the 1960s, perhaps another MIDDLE-Eastern discipline will be brought home with the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan – perhaps Sufism? Perhaps the forgotten branch of Christianity called Manichaeism? Perhaps Islam itself? Perhaps the true roots of all of the three major religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) will send out another shoot, embracing all its branches in a truly ecumenical faith.
I do not think that drugs will be a major part of this Uranus-Pluto scene, although I do think that marijuana will eventually be legalized. I think that more of us may be sensitized to the subtle energies of these planets that perhaps drugs will not be necessary. In fact, it could be that the millions of Americans who are saddled with pharmaceutical prescriptions will be able to throw away their drugs, and latch onto natural healing and natural highs.
I can recall Time magazine in the 1980s or 1990s, wondering where the hippies went. Its answer was that they all put on suits and joined corporate life. The difference being that these former hippies started many companies whose intent was to create the better world they envisioned in the 1960s. Those who became lawyers, sued for protecting air and water quality, and for damages from chemical pollution. They remade the world by starting companies that produced products that were Earth-friendly, ecologically-sound, technologically advanced, and often socially egalitarian.
Many of these companies were later bought out by the large corporations, and the enlightened principles under which they were founded bit the dust. Now, I could see a new wave of startups (perhaps started by some of the long-term unemployed in these United States), founded once again on these enlightened principles.
And BTW, as a person who has been saddled with Neptune rising, and got tired of other budding astrologers looking at me askance when they saw my chart, I am finally glad to hear the truth about Neptune being clearly stated. I think my life has been about trying to get my head straight, without crutches like drugs or drink or whatever, and I have been plunging into reading about self-improvement and spiritual enlightenment topics since I was in my teens or earlier.
If the 1960s were “wild and crazy”, then Jesus Christ was a “wild and crazy” guy.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Saturday, October 23, 2010
HALLOWEEN 2010 – Who will you dress up as?
By Milky Way Maid
Yet another in my continuing series of Halloween columns, in which I foolishly try to suggest costumes for the current holiday. A few famous names follow each sign below.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Buddy Ebsen, Ann Miller – There is nothing in the sign Aries this year, but that does not mean you could not adopt a costume as a fiery Aries-type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea? Leo is your fifth house sign, house of fun and parties, so dressing up as any of the famous Hollywood gods and goddesses may appeal to you. Yet another option presents itself in dressing as your alter-ego opposite sign Libra, which is experiencing a Saturn transit. See Libra paragraph for ideas along that line.
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - Fred Astaire, Margot Fonteyn, Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo, your solar fifth house of fun and parties. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - Isadora Duncan, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson - Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night. Saturn is still in the sign Libra (your solar fifth house of fun and parties), so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc.
CANCER - June 21-July 22 - Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, Twyla Tharp – Cancers always tend to dress up as Mother Earth types. But this year Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio, in your solar fifth house of parties and fun. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Leonide Massine, Mata Hari – Leos, or Leo rising, have Sag in their solar fifth house of parties and fun. This year Pallas is there at 9 degrees of Sag. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Gene Kelly, Agnes deMille, Lola Falana, Mitzi Gaynor – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo this Halloween. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West. Also you may check out your solar fifth house of fun and parties, Capricorn, where Ceres as well as Pluto are found. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Rita Hayworth, Ben Vereen, Fayard Nicholas, Arthur Duncan, Juliet Prowse – Saturn is still in the sign Libra, so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc. In your solar fifth house of fun and parties is found Neptune, which suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket?
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Eleanor Powell, Savion Glover, Anne Reinking – Vesta is in Scorpio this Halloween; Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals. Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces, your solar fifth house of fun and parties; this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Hermes Pan, Sammy Davis, Jr., June Taylor – The asteroid Pallas Athena is in Sag this year. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses. Alternatively, Aries is in your solar fifth house of fun and parties, so you might dress up as a fiery, pioneer type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea?
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - George Balanchine, Moira Shearer, Debbie Allen, Gwen Verdon – Ceres and Pluto are in Capricorn this year. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone. Pluto suggests costumes as underworld types, like Scarface, Al Capone, and the like. Your solar fifth house of fun and parties is Taurus, which receives no transits but is always up for a party. You may dress up as a musician or actually perform for the other guests. How about dressing as Amadeus Mozart, Franz Lizst, a Beatle, one of the Kiss members, or as a musical instrument?
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines – Neptune is in your sign this year, as it will be for some time. Neptune suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the bootlegger, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket? Alternatively, you may choose a character based on your solar fifth house (which rules fun and parties) sign Gemini. Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Tommy Tune, Cyd Charisse, Rudolf Nureyev – Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces this year. this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver. Alternatively, you may elect to dress as an alter ego (seventh house) personage. That means Virgo, and this year both the Moon and Juno are transiting. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
Yet another in my continuing series of Halloween columns, in which I foolishly try to suggest costumes for the current holiday. A few famous names follow each sign below.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Buddy Ebsen, Ann Miller – There is nothing in the sign Aries this year, but that does not mean you could not adopt a costume as a fiery Aries-type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea? Leo is your fifth house sign, house of fun and parties, so dressing up as any of the famous Hollywood gods and goddesses may appeal to you. Yet another option presents itself in dressing as your alter-ego opposite sign Libra, which is experiencing a Saturn transit. See Libra paragraph for ideas along that line.
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - Fred Astaire, Margot Fonteyn, Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo, your solar fifth house of fun and parties. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - Isadora Duncan, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson - Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night. Saturn is still in the sign Libra (your solar fifth house of fun and parties), so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc.
CANCER - June 21-July 22 - Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, Twyla Tharp – Cancers always tend to dress up as Mother Earth types. But this year Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio, in your solar fifth house of parties and fun. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Leonide Massine, Mata Hari – Leos, or Leo rising, have Sag in their solar fifth house of parties and fun. This year Pallas is there at 9 degrees of Sag. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Gene Kelly, Agnes deMille, Lola Falana, Mitzi Gaynor – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo this Halloween. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West. Also you may check out your solar fifth house of fun and parties, Capricorn, where Ceres as well as Pluto are found. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Rita Hayworth, Ben Vereen, Fayard Nicholas, Arthur Duncan, Juliet Prowse – Saturn is still in the sign Libra, so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc. In your solar fifth house of fun and parties is found Neptune, which suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket?
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Eleanor Powell, Savion Glover, Anne Reinking – Vesta is in Scorpio this Halloween; Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals. Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces, your solar fifth house of fun and parties; this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Hermes Pan, Sammy Davis, Jr., June Taylor – The asteroid Pallas Athena is in Sag this year. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses. Alternatively, Aries is in your solar fifth house of fun and parties, so you might dress up as a fiery, pioneer type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea?
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - George Balanchine, Moira Shearer, Debbie Allen, Gwen Verdon – Ceres and Pluto are in Capricorn this year. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone. Pluto suggests costumes as underworld types, like Scarface, Al Capone, and the like. Your solar fifth house of fun and parties is Taurus, which receives no transits but is always up for a party. You may dress up as a musician or actually perform for the other guests. How about dressing as Amadeus Mozart, Franz Lizst, a Beatle, one of the Kiss members, or as a musical instrument?
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines – Neptune is in your sign this year, as it will be for some time. Neptune suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the bootlegger, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket? Alternatively, you may choose a character based on your solar fifth house (which rules fun and parties) sign Gemini. Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Tommy Tune, Cyd Charisse, Rudolf Nureyev – Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces this year. this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver. Alternatively, you may elect to dress as an alter ego (seventh house) personage. That means Virgo, and this year both the Moon and Juno are transiting. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Condor and Eagle Fly Together, Fulfilling Ancient Prophecy
by Milky Way Maid
Over the course of this year, four meetings at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering will culminate in the passing of the chief's bundle from a North American Indian to a South American Indian. It will be the first time that a South American holds the title and bundle of chief in the North American tradition.
This is said to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy that one day, the Condor (South American Indian) and Eagle (North American Indian) will fly together.
The Condor is represented by Don Valerio Cohaila (aka Freddy), a Peruvian Indian, and the Eagle is represented by Leonard Crowdog, chief of the Lakota nation (Sioux).
What is the meaning of this event? The prophecy states that there will come “a time when the Condor and Eagle fly together, then it will be a sign that the children of Mother Earth are re-awakening.”
The children of Mother Earth are represented at these shamanic gatherings by those who uphold many other spiritual traditions from around the world. Other attendees include practitioners and members of groups such as the Oneida, a Hmong shaman, a Norse staff carrier, and (North American) shamanic teachers.
Other Andean teachers and healers also attended; among them are Juan Gabriel Apaza, who calls on the spirits of the the mountains, animals and all of nature to connect North and South, and Mary Rutherford, a teacher of the Andean tradition.
The shamanic gatherings take place at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek, WI. The article about this event was so scanty on hard facts that I cannot tell when the last gathering was, not even what month it was. But since the latest ceremony was the second of four to take place over the span of a year, it seems reasonable to guess that they take place on the equinoxes and solstices.
The article appeared in the August 2010 issue of Essential Wellness. One may surf over to the MidwestShamanicGathering.com site to find out more and register with them.
Over the course of this year, four meetings at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering will culminate in the passing of the chief's bundle from a North American Indian to a South American Indian. It will be the first time that a South American holds the title and bundle of chief in the North American tradition.
This is said to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy that one day, the Condor (South American Indian) and Eagle (North American Indian) will fly together.
The Condor is represented by Don Valerio Cohaila (aka Freddy), a Peruvian Indian, and the Eagle is represented by Leonard Crowdog, chief of the Lakota nation (Sioux).
What is the meaning of this event? The prophecy states that there will come “a time when the Condor and Eagle fly together, then it will be a sign that the children of Mother Earth are re-awakening.”
The children of Mother Earth are represented at these shamanic gatherings by those who uphold many other spiritual traditions from around the world. Other attendees include practitioners and members of groups such as the Oneida, a Hmong shaman, a Norse staff carrier, and (North American) shamanic teachers.
Other Andean teachers and healers also attended; among them are Juan Gabriel Apaza, who calls on the spirits of the the mountains, animals and all of nature to connect North and South, and Mary Rutherford, a teacher of the Andean tradition.
The shamanic gatherings take place at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek, WI. The article about this event was so scanty on hard facts that I cannot tell when the last gathering was, not even what month it was. But since the latest ceremony was the second of four to take place over the span of a year, it seems reasonable to guess that they take place on the equinoxes and solstices.
The article appeared in the August 2010 issue of Essential Wellness. One may surf over to the MidwestShamanicGathering.com site to find out more and register with them.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Chinese Astronomy Recorded Comets and More
by Milky Way Maid
I was astonished when I attended a museum showing of Chinese astronomical artifacts, which toured a couple years ago to the Midwest.
One exhibit displayed a chart of the many different types of comets – 27 in all, according to an ancient chart. Their close observations noted not only the size and shape of the tail, but any discernible differences in the core of the comet. You can view this chart online at here. Thank you to the University of Maine for that.
Comets were called 'broom stars' (tui xing), named after their tails, which they duly noted always pointed away from the sun. They had no idea what the cause of that orientation was, but they made copious notes of that and other details. The Chinese are believed to have made the first observation of the legendary Halley's comet in 240 BC. On its return in 530 BC, they noted that “In September, it was one degree to the northwest of Xiatai (a star in Ursa Major).”
According to the folks at China.org, the Chinese noted in addition to comets, the lunar and solar eclipses (the ones visible in their region), novas, and more. They invented astronomical clocks, and a type of armillary showing the relative positions of the planets. [The Greeks and the Arabs also had armillaries.] Yet astrology as we know it today or even in medieval times was not part of Chinese astronomy.
The Chinese focused more on the constellations, creating one of the earliest star maps ever found. They gave their own distinctive names to our familiar constellations; for example, the Big Dipper was called The Plow. The North Star was Bei Ji. Another constellation was called the Winnowing Basket.
You can read a general overview of Chinese astronomy at http://www.china.org.cn/e-gudai/6.htm
Both the Chinese and the Greeks were fascinated by comets; the Greeks called them “bearded stars,” or aster pogonias. The ones with longer tails were called aster kometas, from which we get the name comet. The Greeks knew that comets were not planets, but were unable to determine their true nature.
However both the Greeks and Chinese read omens into the appearance of a comet. The Greeks tended to link drought and high winds with the appearance of comets, an idea that persisted into the Middle Ages when comets became heralds of disaster. The medieval people believed that comets were a “fiery corruption of the air” that brought earthquakes, disease, famine, etc.
The Chinese read into the appearance of comets something of karmic retribution. They believed that if an emperor was unjust, or had governed badly, that the heavens would make their displeasure known, with the appearance of a “guest star” (another name for a nova) or with other unpredicted changes in the sky.
This widespread folk belief may have been manipulated by parties hungry for power. On at least one occasion, the onset of an multiple-planet conjunction was used by one army to infer that the heavens were displeased with the current regime, and successfully overthrew it.
So keep an eye on the sky if you want to hold on to your throne!
I was astonished when I attended a museum showing of Chinese astronomical artifacts, which toured a couple years ago to the Midwest.
One exhibit displayed a chart of the many different types of comets – 27 in all, according to an ancient chart. Their close observations noted not only the size and shape of the tail, but any discernible differences in the core of the comet. You can view this chart online at here. Thank you to the University of Maine for that.
Comets were called 'broom stars' (tui xing), named after their tails, which they duly noted always pointed away from the sun. They had no idea what the cause of that orientation was, but they made copious notes of that and other details. The Chinese are believed to have made the first observation of the legendary Halley's comet in 240 BC. On its return in 530 BC, they noted that “In September, it was one degree to the northwest of Xiatai (a star in Ursa Major).”
According to the folks at China.org, the Chinese noted in addition to comets, the lunar and solar eclipses (the ones visible in their region), novas, and more. They invented astronomical clocks, and a type of armillary showing the relative positions of the planets. [The Greeks and the Arabs also had armillaries.] Yet astrology as we know it today or even in medieval times was not part of Chinese astronomy.
The Chinese focused more on the constellations, creating one of the earliest star maps ever found. They gave their own distinctive names to our familiar constellations; for example, the Big Dipper was called The Plow. The North Star was Bei Ji. Another constellation was called the Winnowing Basket.
You can read a general overview of Chinese astronomy at http://www.china.org.cn/e-gudai/6.htm
Both the Chinese and the Greeks were fascinated by comets; the Greeks called them “bearded stars,” or aster pogonias. The ones with longer tails were called aster kometas, from which we get the name comet. The Greeks knew that comets were not planets, but were unable to determine their true nature.
However both the Greeks and Chinese read omens into the appearance of a comet. The Greeks tended to link drought and high winds with the appearance of comets, an idea that persisted into the Middle Ages when comets became heralds of disaster. The medieval people believed that comets were a “fiery corruption of the air” that brought earthquakes, disease, famine, etc.
The Chinese read into the appearance of comets something of karmic retribution. They believed that if an emperor was unjust, or had governed badly, that the heavens would make their displeasure known, with the appearance of a “guest star” (another name for a nova) or with other unpredicted changes in the sky.
This widespread folk belief may have been manipulated by parties hungry for power. On at least one occasion, the onset of an multiple-planet conjunction was used by one army to infer that the heavens were displeased with the current regime, and successfully overthrew it.
So keep an eye on the sky if you want to hold on to your throne!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
There's something weird about (Saturn moon) Rhea, alright
by Milky Way Maid
Scientists suspected there might be a ring of debris around Saturn's moon Rhea. But when the Cassini spacecraft flew by and took pictures, it found nothing. Hmmm.
From the article in the Monitor: "There are very strong and interesting and unexplained electromagnetic effects going on around Rhea," said Matthew Tiscareno from Cornell University, who led the imaging campaign. "But we're making a pretty strong case that it's not because of solid material orbiting the moon….For the amount of dust that you need to account for [the earlier] observations, if it were there, we would have seen it."
Full story is at http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0729/What-s-that-weird-thing-around-Saturn-s-second-largest-moon
Scientists suspected there might be a ring of debris around Saturn's moon Rhea. But when the Cassini spacecraft flew by and took pictures, it found nothing. Hmmm.
From the article in the Monitor: "There are very strong and interesting and unexplained electromagnetic effects going on around Rhea," said Matthew Tiscareno from Cornell University, who led the imaging campaign. "But we're making a pretty strong case that it's not because of solid material orbiting the moon….For the amount of dust that you need to account for [the earlier] observations, if it were there, we would have seen it."
Full story is at http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0729/What-s-that-weird-thing-around-Saturn-s-second-largest-moon
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Chicken-Soup Sign Cancer: The Crab, The Scarab, Other Shelled Critters, and The Crib
by Milky Way Maid
It may crush native Cancerians' sensitive feelings to learn that the the brightest star in the constellation Cancer, Lucida, is only a fourth magnitude star. It takes a sharp eye, or a telescope, to track the passage of Cancer across the summer sky. Come to think of it, four is both the magnitude of its star and the house of the zodiac which it rules. So there may be a certain apropos quality to the number four here.
Yet dim as it was, the Egyptians used Lucida to mark the summer solstice from about 2000 BC to 1000 BC. The Egyptians did not call it the Crab, they called it the Scarab, or actually Scarabaeus. The Scarab is the sacred beetle that rolls a ball of dung around, a ball in which it has laid its eggs for the next generation. Other Egyptian sources may have called it the Stars of the Water, or the Two Turtles, according to Rupert Gleadow in The Origin of the Zodiac. (Egypt does have river turtles, which are hard shelled critters just as crabs are.)
By the time the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes wrote of this constellation, it was called the Crab. He described it as being made up of two asses and a crib. The crib portion lies near the top, between the two asses, and is named Praesepe which is Latin for "the manger". The nebula in Cancer is known as the Beehive, flanked by the two donkeys, Asellus Australis (the southern donkey) and Asellus Borealis (the northern donkey).
The image of the manger and asses was transformed into one of a Nativity scene, a manger where the baby Jesus was laid, during the Christian era.
The Cancer native might not like to show their feelings outwardly. They retreat inside their shells, or cocoon inside their homes, and watch TV or surf the web. They may sublimate them into eating or overeating. They may become toxic people who poison the atmosphere around them with their unexpressed/suppressed, unprocessed feelings.
And yet they can be the most understanding and supportive friends and parents, who soothe your brow and offer chicken soup (either literal or metaphorical). They do not generally try to solve your problems for you, though they often offer the best advice you ever got.
They are the homemakers and hoteliers and restaurateurs of the world. They know just what will make a place feel like home, and they know how to make a cold impersonal hotel room liveable when THEY are travelling. They pack a few family pictures along, and maybe a special pillow, and some tea bags, and they'll be alright.
All too often Cancer is short-changed when one is evaluating the special skills of each sign. His or her executive ability is too often unrecognized. After all, one of the biggest skills a successful homemaker has is time management. What else? Well, there's people skills, akin to personnel management or supervisory experience. Often they set budgets and weekly menus. They actually do so many tasks that there is not enough space in this column to list them all, and I don't want to give myself a headache trying to do so.
Rulerships and Keywords: Feminine. Receptive. Watery. Parts of body: stomach, breasts, nutrition, digestion, uterus. Bakeries, boats, buildings, lakes, ocean, pools, plumbing or sinks. Country, home, mom, apple pie. All water creatures but especially the tortoise, blue topaz, lychnis, green jasper, euchite, agate, chalcedony, amber, the lotus flower. The Greeks, at least according to a list by Manilius*, assigned Mercury (Hermes) to rule over Cancer. The Greeks assigned it the herbs comfrey and mandragora oficinalis.
*The full Manilius list, as recounted by Plato, is as follows: Pallas rules the woolly Ram, and Venus guards the Bull,/ Apollo has the handsome Twins, and Mercury the Crab,/ Jove, with the Mother of the Gods, himself is Leo's lord;/ The Virgin with her Ear of Corn to Ceres falls; the Scales/ to Vulcan's smithy; while to Mars the warlike Scorpion cleaves;/ The Hunter's human part Diana rules, but what's of horse/ Is ruled by Vesta, with the straitened stars of Capricorn;/ Aquarius is Juno's sign, as opposite to Jove,/ And Neptune owns the pair of Fish that in the heavens move.
It is interesting that under this regime, Libra is given to Vulcan the smithy, since it is the only man-made object among these constellations. Pallas seems apropos to Aries, since she sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus her father, and was usually clad in full armor. Venus to Taurus, and Mars to Scorpio, and Neptune to Pisces, are as we have it now, and I can understand Apollo for the Twins (His chariot is pulled by TWO horses) although Apollo's sister was Pallas Athena. Jupiter as ruler of Leo seems odd but then again Leo is the kingly sign. It's really kind of cute that they assign Ceres to Virgo; it seems so obvious. Diana also seems an obvious choice for Sag, tho we have no idea what they were thinking of by assigning Vesta to to either Sag or Capricorn. What does Vesta have to do with goats or horses or any livestock?? Tis a puzzlement indeed. And what about this Mercury rulership over Cancer? Well, Cancer's many 'hands' make her a multi-tasking demon. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.
It may crush native Cancerians' sensitive feelings to learn that the the brightest star in the constellation Cancer, Lucida, is only a fourth magnitude star. It takes a sharp eye, or a telescope, to track the passage of Cancer across the summer sky. Come to think of it, four is both the magnitude of its star and the house of the zodiac which it rules. So there may be a certain apropos quality to the number four here.
Yet dim as it was, the Egyptians used Lucida to mark the summer solstice from about 2000 BC to 1000 BC. The Egyptians did not call it the Crab, they called it the Scarab, or actually Scarabaeus. The Scarab is the sacred beetle that rolls a ball of dung around, a ball in which it has laid its eggs for the next generation. Other Egyptian sources may have called it the Stars of the Water, or the Two Turtles, according to Rupert Gleadow in The Origin of the Zodiac. (Egypt does have river turtles, which are hard shelled critters just as crabs are.)
By the time the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes wrote of this constellation, it was called the Crab. He described it as being made up of two asses and a crib. The crib portion lies near the top, between the two asses, and is named Praesepe which is Latin for "the manger". The nebula in Cancer is known as the Beehive, flanked by the two donkeys, Asellus Australis (the southern donkey) and Asellus Borealis (the northern donkey).
The image of the manger and asses was transformed into one of a Nativity scene, a manger where the baby Jesus was laid, during the Christian era.
The Cancer native might not like to show their feelings outwardly. They retreat inside their shells, or cocoon inside their homes, and watch TV or surf the web. They may sublimate them into eating or overeating. They may become toxic people who poison the atmosphere around them with their unexpressed/suppressed, unprocessed feelings.
And yet they can be the most understanding and supportive friends and parents, who soothe your brow and offer chicken soup (either literal or metaphorical). They do not generally try to solve your problems for you, though they often offer the best advice you ever got.
They are the homemakers and hoteliers and restaurateurs of the world. They know just what will make a place feel like home, and they know how to make a cold impersonal hotel room liveable when THEY are travelling. They pack a few family pictures along, and maybe a special pillow, and some tea bags, and they'll be alright.
All too often Cancer is short-changed when one is evaluating the special skills of each sign. His or her executive ability is too often unrecognized. After all, one of the biggest skills a successful homemaker has is time management. What else? Well, there's people skills, akin to personnel management or supervisory experience. Often they set budgets and weekly menus. They actually do so many tasks that there is not enough space in this column to list them all, and I don't want to give myself a headache trying to do so.
Rulerships and Keywords: Feminine. Receptive. Watery. Parts of body: stomach, breasts, nutrition, digestion, uterus. Bakeries, boats, buildings, lakes, ocean, pools, plumbing or sinks. Country, home, mom, apple pie. All water creatures but especially the tortoise, blue topaz, lychnis, green jasper, euchite, agate, chalcedony, amber, the lotus flower. The Greeks, at least according to a list by Manilius*, assigned Mercury (Hermes) to rule over Cancer. The Greeks assigned it the herbs comfrey and mandragora oficinalis.
*The full Manilius list, as recounted by Plato, is as follows: Pallas rules the woolly Ram, and Venus guards the Bull,/ Apollo has the handsome Twins, and Mercury the Crab,/ Jove, with the Mother of the Gods, himself is Leo's lord;/ The Virgin with her Ear of Corn to Ceres falls; the Scales/ to Vulcan's smithy; while to Mars the warlike Scorpion cleaves;/ The Hunter's human part Diana rules, but what's of horse/ Is ruled by Vesta, with the straitened stars of Capricorn;/ Aquarius is Juno's sign, as opposite to Jove,/ And Neptune owns the pair of Fish that in the heavens move.
It is interesting that under this regime, Libra is given to Vulcan the smithy, since it is the only man-made object among these constellations. Pallas seems apropos to Aries, since she sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus her father, and was usually clad in full armor. Venus to Taurus, and Mars to Scorpio, and Neptune to Pisces, are as we have it now, and I can understand Apollo for the Twins (His chariot is pulled by TWO horses) although Apollo's sister was Pallas Athena. Jupiter as ruler of Leo seems odd but then again Leo is the kingly sign. It's really kind of cute that they assign Ceres to Virgo; it seems so obvious. Diana also seems an obvious choice for Sag, tho we have no idea what they were thinking of by assigning Vesta to to either Sag or Capricorn. What does Vesta have to do with goats or horses or any livestock?? Tis a puzzlement indeed. And what about this Mercury rulership over Cancer? Well, Cancer's many 'hands' make her a multi-tasking demon. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Book Review: “Occult America” follows hidden thread of spiritual seeking throughout American history
by Milky Way Maid
A new book by Mitch Horowitz, "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," reveals a previously ignored thread in American history, the progress of the personal spiritual search. Horowitz writes that “The arcane philosophies grouped under the name of occultism represent an unheralded thought movement in America's national life, one that not only placed horoscopes into nearly every daily newspaper, but that transformed a young nation into the launching pad for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that spanned the globe in the 20th century.”
The medieval church had succeeded in squeezing every type of nature worship, astrology and cosmology and related arts, into a dark basement with Satanists and black magic purveyors. But during the Renaissance, church reforms allowed studies of Greek and Roman pantheons, culture, and science; later they discovered old Egyptian texts. Europeans became fascinated with the idea of a subculture of adepts in all the hidden arts or crafts. In spite of astrologers being forced out of respectable colleges during the so-called Enlightenment, European royalty “maintained discreet ties to occult societies and impresarios.”
Across the sea, a new nation became home for religious refugees from Germany and elsewhere. In 1694, and group of Germans were led by Johannes Kelpius to Pennsylvania, where they could practice the arts of astrology, alchemy, numerology, and mystical Christianity. They were followed soon after by the Quakers. Upper New York state was quite a hotbed of religious fervor, giving rise to the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Spiritualism, Mesmerism, and assorted other 'cults'.
Nowadays it is an open secret that many of the Founding Fathers were members of the Freemasons. Their occult symbols still decorate our paper money, and it is said that their geometry is hidden in the layout of the national capitol in Washington, D.C.
The mid-1800's produced another spurt of spiritual self-discovery in Transcendentalism, shepherded by intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Their brand of religiousity was separate from organized religion; in fact they insisted that the only true place of communion was within, not in a church. Transcendentalists drew upon terms from 'Hindoo' texts as well as Hermetic principles.
During the same period, Spiritualism was born and flourished in a phenomenon that has not been matched. A craze for seances, table rapping, and mediumship could never satisfy the incredible yearning for communication with those who have passed on. And I might add, that it is a yearning that is still being actively taken advantage of in the modern media.
Fortunately other, more intellectual, threads of occult wisdom balanced them out. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky created the Theosophical Society, the intellectual equal of Emerson and Thoreau. Blavatsky came to America in 1873, and two years later founded her Society in New York City. It was dedicated to reintroducing Hindu and Buddhist ideas not only here but in India, to which the Society moved within a few years of its founding in the States. Its influence was enormous but in surprising ways. A young Mohandas Gandhi came into contact with her followers while he was still studying in London in 1889. Gandhi credited the Theosophists with bringing him back to Hinduism.
Another thread of American spiritual activism is called New Thought. Founded by a New England clockmaker named Phineas Quimby, it focused on mental healing, sometimes with the aid of Mesmerism. Quimby treated a young lady named Mary Baker Eddy, who drew upon her experiences to found the Christian Science church. You may find related elements in Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking, Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Dale Carnegie, (How to Win Friends...), and for that matter in Wayne Dyer (You'll See It When You Believe It), Norman Cousins (humor therapy) and The Secret.
The modern landscape is littered with both successful and moribund belief systems, but at least we have all had a chance to try them out for ourselves. And how many bookstores, not to mention talk shows, would have been boarded up if not for sales of myriad titles on how to fix your own head. The unfortunate result, in my opinion, is that Americans have settled for philosophy a la carte, or to put it another way, believe whatever you want to believe. We are too lazy for rigorous mental exercise, and probably won't even read someone's book if he/she is not also an entertaining speaker. That is our loss. America has been truly blessed with some gifted and wise people, and we would do well to dig out their old books and learn from them.
A new book by Mitch Horowitz, "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," reveals a previously ignored thread in American history, the progress of the personal spiritual search. Horowitz writes that “The arcane philosophies grouped under the name of occultism represent an unheralded thought movement in America's national life, one that not only placed horoscopes into nearly every daily newspaper, but that transformed a young nation into the launching pad for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that spanned the globe in the 20th century.”
The medieval church had succeeded in squeezing every type of nature worship, astrology and cosmology and related arts, into a dark basement with Satanists and black magic purveyors. But during the Renaissance, church reforms allowed studies of Greek and Roman pantheons, culture, and science; later they discovered old Egyptian texts. Europeans became fascinated with the idea of a subculture of adepts in all the hidden arts or crafts. In spite of astrologers being forced out of respectable colleges during the so-called Enlightenment, European royalty “maintained discreet ties to occult societies and impresarios.”
Across the sea, a new nation became home for religious refugees from Germany and elsewhere. In 1694, and group of Germans were led by Johannes Kelpius to Pennsylvania, where they could practice the arts of astrology, alchemy, numerology, and mystical Christianity. They were followed soon after by the Quakers. Upper New York state was quite a hotbed of religious fervor, giving rise to the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Spiritualism, Mesmerism, and assorted other 'cults'.
Nowadays it is an open secret that many of the Founding Fathers were members of the Freemasons. Their occult symbols still decorate our paper money, and it is said that their geometry is hidden in the layout of the national capitol in Washington, D.C.
The mid-1800's produced another spurt of spiritual self-discovery in Transcendentalism, shepherded by intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Their brand of religiousity was separate from organized religion; in fact they insisted that the only true place of communion was within, not in a church. Transcendentalists drew upon terms from 'Hindoo' texts as well as Hermetic principles.
During the same period, Spiritualism was born and flourished in a phenomenon that has not been matched. A craze for seances, table rapping, and mediumship could never satisfy the incredible yearning for communication with those who have passed on. And I might add, that it is a yearning that is still being actively taken advantage of in the modern media.
Fortunately other, more intellectual, threads of occult wisdom balanced them out. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky created the Theosophical Society, the intellectual equal of Emerson and Thoreau. Blavatsky came to America in 1873, and two years later founded her Society in New York City. It was dedicated to reintroducing Hindu and Buddhist ideas not only here but in India, to which the Society moved within a few years of its founding in the States. Its influence was enormous but in surprising ways. A young Mohandas Gandhi came into contact with her followers while he was still studying in London in 1889. Gandhi credited the Theosophists with bringing him back to Hinduism.
Another thread of American spiritual activism is called New Thought. Founded by a New England clockmaker named Phineas Quimby, it focused on mental healing, sometimes with the aid of Mesmerism. Quimby treated a young lady named Mary Baker Eddy, who drew upon her experiences to found the Christian Science church. You may find related elements in Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking, Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Dale Carnegie, (How to Win Friends...), and for that matter in Wayne Dyer (You'll See It When You Believe It), Norman Cousins (humor therapy) and The Secret.
The modern landscape is littered with both successful and moribund belief systems, but at least we have all had a chance to try them out for ourselves. And how many bookstores, not to mention talk shows, would have been boarded up if not for sales of myriad titles on how to fix your own head. The unfortunate result, in my opinion, is that Americans have settled for philosophy a la carte, or to put it another way, believe whatever you want to believe. We are too lazy for rigorous mental exercise, and probably won't even read someone's book if he/she is not also an entertaining speaker. That is our loss. America has been truly blessed with some gifted and wise people, and we would do well to dig out their old books and learn from them.
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