This waxing Moon cycle brings us four planets transiting Scorpio- Sun, Mercury, Saturn and Venus- as well as an exalted Mars in Capricorn. This is a powerful time of transformation. Mars will help us with fulfilling duties, goals and action steps. If we are paying attention to our emotional landscape, we may notice an increase in anger, agitations and inner frustrations, as well as increased fear and other uncomfortable emotions. Potent and powerful messages are just under the surface if you're willing to go deeper and ask what your deepest, darkest needs are. Hidden in our shadows are gifts waiting to be found. As mentioned in my New Moon Wisdom post: "This cycle in many ways is the final extraction process of our past many months of dancing with all that has transpired in and through Libra. We are finally able to release what needs to be released, while keeping parts and pieces that we want. The next step will be to use what we've harvested and let the manure become the necessary nutrients for our garden of life." The next Full Moon is on December 6th with an exalted Moon in Taurus in the creative and benefic Rohini nakshatra. More on this in my next Moon Wisdom post. Horoscopes for the Waxing Moon Cycle {November 22nd to December 6th} *Horoscopes are based on your Vedic rising sign. You can also check your Moon and Sun signs for further insight. Do the same with your Navamsa signs for further clarity. Do not use these horoscopes with your “Western Sign” as there is likely no correlation. These horoscopes are meant to be used as a broad overview of the current transits and obviously do not address the specifics of an individual’s unique chart. Aries: With four planets in your 8th house right now, it's time to really do some deep investigative personal work. Use this time for transformation- changing old fears, vulnerabilities, traumas and haunts into awakenings and awareness. How far are you willing to go in order to change? At the same time, work is picking up and career seems to be charging forward mightily. Make goals, take action steps and be bold, but not at the cost of your personal development work. Or can they both inform each other? Self care practices continue to be helpful and important part of your personal process right now. This is non-negotiable. Taurus: Your romantic compulsions are leading you right into your most important inner work right now. The mirrors coming to you from others in the coming weeks will be powerful reflections for you to introspect, transform and change- if you're willing to go towards your darkness in the process. Learning from your anger, your pain, emotional turmoil, and frustrations will be valuable, so charge forth! This is a time of depth and healing if you truly choose to use it as such. The gift you receive for your efforts will enhance your ability to receive, to be nurtured and nourished. Isn't that what you are craving anyway? Gemini: It is all about healing and being healed for you right now. Digesting and assimilating old patterns, behaviors and parts of your life that are long overdue. These pieces are connected to your creativity, courage, action steps, passion and relationships- all from your past. Suddenly, you are feeling charged and motivated to make some big, bold changes; Mars will help you with moving through your past once he moves to your eighth house. Your emotional body is a primary resource for you at this time. Your feelings connected to comfort, support, nourishment and money, will help you look into your shadows and see the missing links you've been over looking. Get comfortable with your discomfort. Cancer: Your fifth house is crammed with four planets right now which helps you address aspects of your passion, your romantic needs and wants, as well as your creative abilities. Are you listening to your emotional body for the memos? Trust and safety issues come to the forefront for you, so be willing to go more deeply into your insecurities. I promise you there is a gift wrapped piece of your soul waiting in these emotional challenges, if you are willing to dive in and be curious about your darkness. Relationships are a challenging and yet powerful resource for you right now. What is your deepest need? And what aren't you receiving in your life? What are the wounds that keep you from healing and moving forward? Go there. Leo: Your heart-center, home life and emotional body is your central focus right now. Use this time to touch deeply on your emotions, your feelings, and your needs for comfort, safety and security. There's a certain willingness to dive into your healing work right now as Mars exalts in your 6th house. What old patterns have been keeping you in the dark, locked into your shadows? Awareness and awakenings will be assisted by giving yourself ample alone time to linger in silence, contemplation and meditation. What parts of your past are keeping you trapped in fear, hurt and filled with anxiety? What is the brave face you wear truly hiding? Take your masks off. Virgo: It's taking all your courage and willingness to look into your biggest challenges. Right now, Rahu is still in your head. You're either missing the biggest gifts of your shadow work, or diving right in! Creativity, the arts, the hands and arms, are all vital resources for you and your healing work. Make sure you are working directly with your body, mind and emotions in order to address what is holding you back on all three levels of your life. What is your resistance and where is it located in your body? What emotions are the most challenging and potent and how do you hide them? Be curious and start shining light into your dark corners. Dance with your shadows. As Mars goes exalted in your fifth house, your passion, digestion and anger get amplified. Take this as a good sign, but work with this properly to harvest the gold. Extract the passion. Libra: Your second house is fully charged with four planets right now, while Mars is exalted in your fourth house of heart, home and liberation. This is a time period that tests your comfort levels. Discomfort is coming in multiple forms and effects your heart, your emotions and your sense of security. I ask you to go into these challenging feelings with curiosity, willingness and courage. Your current state of affairs (financial and otherwise) may seem to have no connection to your early childhood losses and disappointments, yet the planets say otherwise. What pieces of your childhood need to be confronted, cleaned up and healed in order for you to finally get the deep nourishment and comfort you so desperately crave? Your work is exploring the emotional body messages very intimately. Don't forget to let the rage out in healthy ways. Scorpio: It truly is your time to take the spotlight and you are likely feeling it. Your first house has four planets in it, meaning your head is filled with multiple types of energy, pulling you in multiple directions. Work with your past and the anxieties and fears that it challenges you with. Forge forth with creative and career projects. Liberate yourself from old relationship patterns and the vows you've made around them. Work consistently and methodically to reach your goals and aspirations. Mars is exalted right now in your third house of hands, creativity, the arts and communication. Be bold and make the most of this time in order to courageously move forward in your life- towards goals, desires and dreams. If you want it to happen, create it. Sagittarius: Mars moves out of your head and into your mouth, your second house. Watch your anger levels for signs about your needs for nourishment, comfort and support. What is underneath the anger? What need has not been met for you and how is this connected to an early childhood wound you may be carrying still? Notice your food choices in relation to your emotions and avoid excess alcohol and intoxicants. With four planets in your twelfth house, focus on retreats, travel and alone time for now. This may help you digest some of the past that has yet to be assimilated. Seek resources and tools that help with this releasing and letting go phase. What are you finally ready to let go of and liberate yourself from? Look to your emotional body for clues, especially the challenging emotions that are stuffed neatly into your body. Capricorn: You are charged and fully loaded right now Capricorn. In your usual work pony fashion, you know how to really push it into high gear to get the job done! With so many irons in the fire that are blazing hot, I have to be that voice of reason, the one that reminds you to pause and hit reset from time to time. Like every day, multiple times a day! These pauses will help you fully integrate the intensity occurring right now- in your relationships, in your head, with friends and possibilities. There are gains and losses right now, as there always are, and it's your job to dance with both effectively. Pluses and minuses represent polarities and the grande illusion of separateness. For you, working with your vulnerabilities and weaknesses as actually the supportive allies that they are, will be important to contemplate and reconcile with. You might finally realize why you push so hard. Aquarius: Your career is demanding most of your energy right now and requiring you to cut losses, find some silver linings, and re-prioritize. This is an ideal time to be thinking creatively and communicating effectively to get yourself recognized. Meet and greet the right people and be ready to make changes that have been a long time coming. Mars is exalted in your twelfth house right now. Relationships may be mixed with passion and rage. You are working with themes of nourishment, comfort and support right now. Your shadow has you both refusing to see what needs to change for your ultimate needs to get met, while simultaneously making you address this issue head on. Pay attention to your emotions right now. If it doesn't feel right, it isn't. Pisces: This is a powerful time for you, your wisdom and dharmic path Pisces. With four planets in your auspicious ninth house, it's time to put the pieces together and step firmly into your life purpose. Look for clues in your emotional body wisdom. Sense and feel into your yeses and no's. Serendipity and extra support are good signs that you are heading in the right direction, a nourishing direction. As Mars moves to your eleventh house, you will need to keep your momentum going with action steps, goals and maintaining focus on your desired outcomes. Working with self trust and intuition are vital as you become more attuned to what is right for you and what is wrong for you. Need some extra guidance and clarity? Schedule a session with me.
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The Differences Between Eastern and Western Astrology Part 1. Jyotish is a Sanskrit word that translates as the study of light (Jyoti means light). Rooted in a tradition that can be traced back thousands of years, Jyotish has a very long history of being a tool of self discovery and awakening. The knowledge of jyotish is among the numerous Vedic texts. These ancient texts have been largely passed from generation to generation as an oral tradition, yet were originally cognized by enlightened rishis of the past. Eventually the knowledge and wisdom of these rishis was written into the volumes of Vedic texts we know today. Each of these ancient Vedic texts has a purpose- which is to help humans awaken and become fully realized, enlightened. Although the Hindu religion uses the Vedic texts as resources for their beliefs, the Vedic texts pre-date this organized religion. This is an important distinction to make; the Vedic texts are not in and of themselves a religion, though the Hindu religion is based on them. Thereby, Jyotish is not a religion either. The Jyotish texts are among the many recognized Vedic texts, and are part of the Angas, or Six Limbs of the Vedas. The Jyotish texts incorporate both astronomy and astrology, and are connected to the eyes, our ability to see; Jyotish is considered the "eye of the Vedas" quite literally. The purpose of the Jyotish texts is to awaken one to their cosmic, divine existence, to truly teach the reality of "as is the macrocosm, so is the microcosm." The recognized grandfather of Jyotish is considered to be Parashara. He was truly a sage, an enlightened being by all accounts, who lived around 2 to 3,000 B.C. according to Indian historians. It was Parashara who wrote the jyotish texts originally, into what is known today as the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. This has been a guiding resource for jyotishis (students of jyotish) for millenniums and is a foundational understanding of Jyotish, the principles, practices and cosmic intelligence that guides our human existence- whether we choose to recognize this phenomenon as reality or not. The ancient tradition of Eastern astrology, or the sidereal system, has a profound lineage of masters, of seers, that is linked to it; this is unparalleled in the modern, Western astrology realms (also known as Tropical astrology). Though ancient Vedic astrologers were well aware of the difference between the fixed zodiac (sidereal or nirayana chakra in Sanskrit), versus the moveable zodiac (tropical or sayana chakra in Sanskrit), they chose to use the sidereal zodiac for reasons of accuracy. (I will discuss calculations more in part 2 of this article). Western astrology, the way it is used today is quite new, and it cannot be linked to ancient roots like that of the sidereal approach. I believe this to be the most important distinction between the tropical and sidereal approaches to astrology. I'm a traditionalist in many regards. I want a lineage connected to my knowledge and resources. Lineage is important for me in order to trust the knowledge that I'm receiving. The wisdom and guidance of the ancient Jyotish system provides this for me. Living in a Westerncentric society, yet having grown up in a yogic family with Eastern philosophy and spiritual ideals instilled into me, I have often contemplated the differences, the clashes, in Western ideals vs. Eastern ideals. Western ideals, in my view, are very rooted in an externalized reality- what we can see, what is "known", what can be "proven" in tangible ways. The West trusts the thinking mind, yet mistrusts the emotional and intuitive aspects of existence. Western ideals are connected to wanting tangible proofs, and there is a generalized mistrust in anything that can't be proven through the West's favorite tool of proof, science. In general, these ideals tend to clash with what I've learned from Eastern philosophy and spirituality. The wide gap between Eastern and Western ideals, however, seems to be changing more and more as a result of Westerncentric ideals becoming globalized. However, in my experience, and through my studies of Jyotish, the East by and large accepts the senses, the feeling level of life, in a way the West can't quite grasp. Spiritual existence (not just religious) is an accepted and even essential ingredient for understanding one's life. The spiritual realms are a trustworthy resource and a valid one. Westerncentric ideals on the other hand, tend to question and doubt the unseen realms, and even mistrust the innate intuitive guidance systems hardwired into our human body. Simply put, the West seems to be mainly concerned with the more tangible realms, that which is outside of ourselves. The West is very concerned with what effects the surface of life will have on an individual's experience in this lifetime. In contrast, the East seems primarily concerned with the intangible as a driving force for one's life experiences. The spiritual realms, one's inner reality, and how these factors will effect one's overall life (and lives) is the primary consideration for all aspects of life according to Eastern ideals. These philosophical distinctions become important when looking at the differences between astrological approaches- Sidereal vs. Tropical- as well as this idea of fixed and unfixed realities. Essentially, Eastern astrology, the sidereal approach to studying the cosmic self, is based on the fixed reality of life, that which is unchanging. The ancient jyotishis knew that using a fixed zodiac was ideal as this mirrors the essence of our non-changing self, the Atman, or soul. This non-changing expression of reality, of our cosmic existence, is expressed eloquently in the Mahavakyas and can be stated quite simply as tat tvam asi, or thou art That. In contrast, the Western approach to astrology, or Tropical approach, is based on the moveable, changing reality of life- as is expressed by the fact that these astrologers choose to cast their charts based on the unfixed zodiac. This is a decidedly poignant distinction that I feel truly accentuates the many differences, philosophically and otherwise, between Eastern and Western approaches. As with predominant Westerncentric ideals, there is an obsession with all aspects of life that are not lasting, that are fleeting illusions. The East knows better. I admittedly have issues with the Western approach to astrology and I do find it a bit irksome and tiresome to be corrected by Tropical astrology followers who claim my posts are wrong. Though this is slightly annoying, the main reason that I am troubled by Western astrology is a result of its historical connections to the time of Ceasar, the Romans, and the Christian religious mandates that still predominate Westerncentric cultural paradigms. I will highlight this here, but there are in fact numerous resources that do a better job of accounting the atrocities of the Greco-Roman cultures and their lasting impact on our sense of time, our measure of time, and the effects this has had on every aspect of our human existence. Undoubtedly, Roman rule changed the course of history, of life and cultural ideals, of our modern spiritual and philosophical understandings. We are still working with many of the failings of this historical time period in my opinion. The Julian calendar which was introduced in 46 BC (though Roman calendars were in place prior to this) is really when the recognized calendar shifted from a Moon based calendar (and in many regards a nature based calendar) to a solar based calendar. This may seem insignificant, yet the implications were very serious and lasting. It is well documented that when the calendar shifted from Moon based, to Sun based, there was also a shift in how the divine feminine and women in general, were perceived, treated and recognized within society. A shift happened during Roman rule and it has cost humanity greatly. This is when the ultimate shift occurred between honoring feminine ideals versus masculine ideals. This is when Western values and philosophies, and the mind, the mental body, became king. This is the historical time period when women, and our innate intuitive gifts, began to be feared and made evil. This is the time when dogmatic, base religious ideals took over, and ultimately suppressed the awareness of cosmic intelligence within every human being. This is when the goddess died, and the male god came into predominant power. As a result of this intense shift in consciousness, a deep appreciation, respect and reverence for the divine feminine, the emotional body, and women was lost. I've spent years studying the goddess and how the divine feminine was slowly killed off; killed not only within our cultural and historical understandings, but also killed within our own spirits. This absence, and Her denial, is what I consider to be the most tragic and striking loss for our Westerncentric civilization as a whole. The issue of the goddess and the divine feminine may seem like a separate concern, not connected to the differences between sidereal and tropical astrology. I, however, see the connection as a striking and important one. The Vedic tradition recognizes that the energy of the Moon is feminine and has qualities that correlate to the divine feminine within us and also the functioning of the Divine Feminine in Nature as well. The Sun is recognized as a decidedly masculine energetic expression, which expresses itself within us and in Nature as well. (It is not just the Vedic tradition that honors the Moon as the feminine and the Sun as the masculine energy). Using a solar based calendar and basing our sense of time on the solar aspects of life, the masculine, negates the importance and the impact the Moon has on our life and on time itself. In fact, the Moon is our most remarkable entity for marking time accurately. The phases of the Moon, the ones we see as the Moon waxes and wanes, are perhaps the most basic expression of the Moon as natural time keeper. In Vedic astrology, the understanding that Moon is our time keeper, is quite elaborate and truly worth studying. For me, these are all remarkable philosophical distinctions between the Eastern and Western approaches to astrology. As a Vedic astrology scholar (life long student), I never cease to be amazed at the depth, the understanding and the recognition of the feminine that is interwoven into the Vedic knowledge and the understanding of our cosmic existence. The feminine is recognized in fact, as having more importance than the masculine in many ways. For without the Moon, its nurturing qualities, its ability to comfort, support and most importantly, to create, there would be no existence. No mother, no life. The feminine is who brings us life, brings us into being. It's this depth and this foundational understanding, this honoring of the Divine Feminine, that makes Jyotish a premier resource for understanding ourselves, our innate nature, the depths of our cosmic existence. I will address calculation differences in Part 2. Leave your questions below, and I will try to address them in my next post. Jyotish References: Science of Light, Freedom Tobias Cole Light on Life, Hart Defouw and Robert Svoboda Want to learn more about transforming your life through jyotish and embodiment work? Schedule a session with me.
Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you Moon is now waxing, yet the week starts with a very new Moon still, which is quite empty. It will move through third to tenth tithis or Moon phases this week. We may notice our energy picking up as a result later in the week, especially as Mars shifts into its sign of exaltation this week. Monday, November 24th Today's Intention: Churn your ocean of milk into butter. Moon hops into Sagittarius and Mula nakshatra just after midnight central time zone. Moon joins Mars here. Mercury is at the edge of Libra and Jupiter has moved to sandhi degrees (it is over 28 degrees of Cancer). Mula is ruled by Nirrti, the goddess of adharma (against dharma) and she brings with her the ability to break, disrupt, and uproot. She is like the plow to our inner fields. She can help us pull up weeds and prepare our soil for a new garden. Don't let her toss out the good stuff though! As the planet Ketu rules this nakshatra, we can get insights and work with self discovery today, or insanity and fragility. Go gentle, go slow and attend to your self care. Mercury moves into Scorpio at 02:13 am CST, joining a packed house! Venus, Sun, and Saturn are also in Scorpio right now- all receive drishti from Jupiter and Ketu. With Mercury (mental body) arriving into the sign of transformation, we can expect the mind to go through shifts and changes in the coming weeks. Mind, emotions and body are all extra sensitive right now as Saturn and Ketu touch our depths. This is an important time of self care, while also bravely going into our shadow parts and doing some deeper investigative work. What are the strong emotions, sensations and feelings coming to you right now? What stories is the mental body sharing with you? Use these as insights in order to go further into your depths as you seek healing and insights. Be willing to probe below the surface. Moon moves to PurvaAshada at 23:07 CST. Tuesday, November 25th Today's Intention: Gain momentum from your inner steam. Venus shifts into Jyeshtha nakshatra at 01:58 am CST. Let creativity and communication merge now. Create, co-create and work on sharing your creative offerings with others in the coming days. Mars moves to sandhi degrees at the edge of Sagittarius. Moon transits PurvaAshada, conjunct Mars in Sagittarius. PurvAshada is ruled by Aditi, the water goddess, as well as Venus. This combination is all about sensing and feeling our internal waters, working with the rising and lowering tides within. With the Mars Moon conjunction happening currently, we can access our intense, passionate internal waters in a very tangible way. You may experience anger and agitation, but look closely. Underneath that anger is intense, palpable passion. This passion is a gift from the divine Mother herself. Rise with these strong waters and take some powerful action steps. These passionate tides are here to help you shift, change and transform. Use them wisely. Swift moving Mercury conjoin Saturn in the 2 degree range later today. Get embodied and spare yourself some headaches. Moon moves to UttarAshada at 21:43 CST. Wednesday, November 26th Today's Intention: Put your dreams into action. Moon transits UttarAshada, and is in exact conjunction with Mars in the early hours of the morning central time zone. Moon then jumps into Capricorn at 03:21 am CST, while Rahu, Jupiter and Saturn give their drishti to Moon now. Watch for over working, over pushing and forcing outcomes over the next few days. This tendency and theme of pushing too hard, continues in the coming month and a half, once Mars goes exalted here in Capricorn tomorrow. It's as though the Moon is ushering us into this cycle and giving us a jump start on this activation. Let UttarAshada and the Vishva Devas be a resource of positivity, strength and self reliance today. Let them help you overcome your obstacles and harness the positivity of this time. Lead by example and show others the way. Swift moving Mercury is cruising through Scorpio right now, already shifting into Anuradha nakshatra today at 04:43 am CST. Gather your resources in the coming days, friends and all. On an inner level, use this time to put some pieces together from your inner depths. Let the mental body guide you with this. Moon moves into Sravana nakshatra at 20:13 CST, inviting in Vishnu to our evening. Thursday, November 27th Today's Intention: Expand yourself and what feels possible, but be here now. Mars hops into its sign of exaltation, Capricorn, just after midnight central time zone at 00:57 am CST. The next month and a half are potent, powerful and fully ignited by the fire of Mars. This is a time to get a lot accomplished, take powerful action steps, and get goals set and structured. Be mindful of pushing too hard, over-working, forcing outcomes and neglecting your self care. Pay special attention to your anger, as there will be many potent and powerful messages coming to you by way of this emotion. Moon transits Sravana nakshatra today, inviting in Vishnu and his expansiveness to our day. Vishnu is responsible for maintaining dharma, for passing knowledge and wisdom through his ruling element, Akasha, space. With Moon receiving drishti from Jupiter, Rahu and Saturn today, while conjunct newly exalted Mars in Capricorn. We may feel four levels of pressure occurring simultaneously. Paying special attention to your emotional body wisdom will be important today. Where is the pressure coming from and how can you relieve it safely? How can you get more nourished and what is the underlying need below the emotion? If we can harness the awareness of being pulled in multiple directions, we can likely find a neutral territory in the center of the chaos. Today, seek the neutral, the center, the integration of opposites and extremes. Expand yourself by standing in the center of yourself. Doing a three level check in can help you find this. Moon moves into Dhanishta nakshatra at 18:43 CST and the Vasu Devas are ushered in to offer their light. Friday, November 28th Today's Intention: This little light of mine, I'm gunna let it shine. Moon transits Dhanishta nakshatra, ruled by the Vasu Devas and the planet Mars. Once it moves into Aquarius at 05:59 am CST, it gets out of the frying pan and excess pressure from four other planets. Likely we will feel the sense of relief and things smoothing out- inner and outer- as a result. Notice today how there is a need for both slow and fast. I urge you to surrender to the slow, steady and physical body needs. Honor your body, give it TLC, move it gently and harvest through its wisdom. The Vasu Devas allow us to shine, to give and receive our light and to be illuminated. Open your creative channels and let your light shine! Create, share, express, give and receive your abundant light. What makes you shine brightly? Do this. Moon moves to Satabisha nakshatra at 17:16 CST inviting in Varuna. Saturday, November 29th Today's Intention: Move the destructive forces within you and let them dance into a new form. Moon transits Satabisha nakshatra and the deity Varuna, as well as Rahu, arrive into our day. Varuna guards Natural Law, the order of the universe and he rules over karmas connected to suffering and disease. He has immense knowledge because he understands the spectrum of experience available to us in our human form. He reminds us to properly care for our body, mind and emotions to prevent suffering. Moon shifts into PurvaBhadrapada at 15:56 CST, and Ajaikapada arrives into our evening with Jupiter- both rule this nakshatra. Ajaikapada is another name for Shiva, Lord of the Dance. With one foot up and one foot rooted into the earth, he symbolizes immense feats, the delicate balance of life, and the dance between movement and stability. Sunday, November 30th Today's Intention: Sift and sort the pieces of your life. Make new friends, but keep the old. Saturn shifts into Anuradha nakshatra at 08:54 am CST and will be in this lunar constellation for a little over a year. This is a good shift for Saturn to make and it will likely be a valuable transit for helping us put the pieces together in our lives that need to be re-assembled, re-stored and re-aligned, in order for greater wholeness. Since Saturn is in Scorpio, it's very definitely a time of deconstruction, change and transformation, yet with Saturn transiting the friendly star of Anuradha, ruled by Mitra, we have a chance to create some helpful and lasting changes for ourselves- if we are willing and able to work with the finer details of our lives. Mitra is the deity of friendship, so expect him to offer support and resources for building alliances over the course of 2015. Anuradha is ruled by Saturn, so this is a constellation that does well with Saturn's finite abilities. Gain resources through networking, connecting, sharing, being benevolent, speaking the sweet truth. It will, however, be very important to remember the big picture over the next year, as Mitra and Saturn may get us lost in the fine details of life, forgetting the bigger, overall, reality of existence. Read more about the Saturn in Scorpio transit. Moon jumps into Pisces at 9:01 am CST, joining Ketu there and receives drishti from Rahu and Jupiter. Moon moves into UttaraBhadrapada at 14:44 CST. Ahirbudhnya, the serpent of the nether realms, helps us today with uncovering hidden parts of ourselves. He is a Rudra, a strong force of Nature, one that can remove calamities, misfortunes and can help us overcome obstacles. With Moon in conjunction with Ketu and receiving gaze from Rahu, it's important to remember self care guidelines, and pay special attention to your emotional body in the coming days. Flashes of insight and awareness may arrive today, yet may trigger discomfort. Work with your discomfort effectively, invite it in for a cup of tea, and begin to find a new relationship with your disillusionment. Now's the time to transform your shadow parts. Want to learn more about transforming your life through jyotish and embodiment work? Schedule a session with me.
Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you New Moon Wisdom + Creative Ritual for the Waxing Moon Cycle {November 22nd to December 6th}11/21/2014 Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. ~Brené Brown The New Moon is at 06:32 am CST in Scorpio and Anuradha nakshatra. Saturn, Venus and Sun are in Scorpio as well, which puts four planets in this sign at this time. All four planets receive drishti from Ketu and Jupiter. Three of these planets are in Anuradha nakshatra, while Saturn is still in Vishaka. This combination of energy exemplifies change, transformation and working with our darkness, in very tangible ways. While also enlivening a certain theme of gaining insights from releasing and letting go. This new Moon invites in a certain mystical element, one that invites us to go into our depths and harvest our inner riches. But don't be surprised if you discover shadows instead of light, as this is the gift of Scorpio, the 8th house, and its ability to transform our beings. But from the depths of our darkness, we can truly access our vulnerability. It's here in this fragility, where our deepest and most profound ability to transform and change exists. Vulnerability truly is our power, our strength. It is in our willingness to work with our shadows, our own darkness, that we can transform ourselves. Scorpio is directly connected to the eighth house and all eighth house matters of the zodiac. The body parts connected to the eighth house and Scorpio are the genitals and the excretory organs. These parts of our human body, our physical cosmic form, exemplify our vulnerability, as well as our ability to release and transform. These parts of the body are also part of our second chakra, which correlates to our sensing and feeling capabilities, our animal instincts and our human animal needs. This is also why the Moon (the sensing and feeling, emotional body of our being) is debilitated in Scorpio. We must not negate these aspects of our being. Our sensing and feelings, our vulnerabilities and our ability to release and let go are vital for our health, well being, our sense of vitality and wholeness. These themes are alive in this coming waxing cycle so pay close attention. This cycle in many ways is the final extraction process of our past many months of dancing with all that has transpired in and through Libra. We are finally able to release what needs to be released, while keeping parts and pieces that we want. The next step will be to use what we've harvested and let the manure become the necessary nutrients for our garden of life. With multiple layers of Mitra influencing this new Moon, fine detail becomes another part of our theme in the coming cycle. Mitra is a deity that rules precision, exactness, focus and detail, while also being considered the "friendly star". This soft, mild and gentle star, allows us to probe into the details of our being, contemplate, honor and acquire the details we need to tend to our heart, and our emotional body wisdom. Use this time to dig into your depths, your shadow parts, and seek wisdom for honoring these aspects of yourself. Look for the gifts within your darkness. Put pieces together, in order to help make sense of the nonsensical, to attend and tend to your brokenness- the illusion of the shadow. Make your emotional body and physical embodiment practice your priority at this time and harvest from the wisdom of your own knowing. Creative Ritual for the Waxing Moon Cycle The emotional body and physical body become potent messengers for us at this time. These body's can be entry points for our deep harvesting process. The cosmic and creative intelligence coursing through us can be accessed as we cultivate a relationship with our senses, feelings and sensations. This is the beauty and strength of the body- which gives us access to our deepest needs, desires and wants. This creative Ritual is designed to get you gently attuned to what these messages may be. I also recommend using the 3 level check in to help you make vital distinctions between the messages of each body: the physical, mental and emotional bodies. For more information about getting embodied, read this. 1) Sitting, standing or laying down, begin to notice your breathing. Notice the quality of your breathing. Get intimate with the sensation of how the breath feels moving within your body. Feel the breath as you inhale and the chest expands. Feel the breath as you exhale and feel the chest collapse. 2) Notice any sensations in the body that are arriving for you. Is there a certain body part that feels tight? Cold? Energized? Painful? Throbbing? Seek out any sensations that are present for you and let your attention go to this part of the body. 3) Use this sensation for greater inquiry. Does this sensation have a color? Maybe it has a shape or brings with it an image? Perhaps it has a sound? Be curious and ask the sensation to give you some deeper information. 4) Harvest this information. As you gather these pieces of information from your body ask the sensation to answer these three questions: I am, I want and I need. Based on the answers you receive, you may wish to begin moving with the sensation and let it inform your physical body movement exploration. You may also wish to do a drawing in order to harvest your findings more intimately. I suggest exploring both of these processes in order to awaken your dialogue and start deepening your relationship with your physical body. I am passionate about embodiment! This is why I offer my clients a very unique synergy of modalities to help them get embodied. Using jyotish insights from your own karmic life map, I am able to prescribe individualized and specialized body part work, in order to maximize healing and transformation. My embodiment prescriptions are ideal for overcoming obstacles and blockages that may be hindering health and wholeness. The body is our biggest resource for awakening, and I'm here to help you awaken through the messages of your body wisdom! Want to learn more about transforming your life through jyotish and embodiment work? Schedule a session with me. Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you I used to be the yogi who hit the mat every day. Yoga was my life. I understood the purpose of yoga and used the brilliance of proper sequencing in my practice. I incorporated pranayama, asanas and sivasana as an ideal three part system of wholeness, or yoga, and as preparation for my meditation practice. Yoga wasn't the only part of my movement story though. Dance has been a staple of my life since I started ballet at the age of four. Later I moved on to modern dance, various styles of African dance and Afro Brazilian dance as well. My love of dance, moving the body, and my passion for understanding the arts as a necessary language of culture, led me to an undergrad in Ethnodanceology. Since I come from a yogic family, creating a life for myself that embraces daily and regular practices of awakening, have seemed normal, healthy and even necessary for me and my evolution. My upbringing also helped me understand that the body is a vital resource for one's awakening, evolution and ultimately enlightenment. These values hold true for me still. But five years ago, I stumbled upon Body-centered Expressive Art Therapy, and my spiritual views, my body practices, and my movement exploration began to radically shift. My practice of awakening is still centered around my body and my practice is still daily. But the rest of my process is entirely different. In the Body-centered approach to art therapy that I work with, we understand that we have more than one body. We have the physical body yes, and we of course have the mental body, but we also have an emotional body. These three bodies are upheld by the spiritual body. (This corroborates with the Vedic understanding as well). Each body in fact has the ability to communicate with us and has a language all its own. In order to be fully embodied, we must learn how to speak with each of these bodies and to harvest their unique wisdom and messages. The fact is that most of us are working entirely with the mental body- day in and day out. And this is where we get stuck. We let the mental body tell us what to do. What it needs. What it wants. We let it tell us how to behave, what is acceptable, what isn't. We let it tell us all kinds of stories, and we listen to it! We even let the mental body tell us how to move our body. This is vital to understand. When we do yoga asanas, dance techniques, and other mechanical movement practices, we are letting the mental body tell our physical body what to do. This can strengthen the mind/body connection, but it doesn't guarantee nor imply embodiment. What is embodiment and why does it matter? Embodiment implies that we are working with the wisdom and knowledge of the physical body, not separate from it, outside of it or against it. That we are in direct dialogue with the language of the body and therefor harvesting from its immense wisdom. It's about resourcing from the messages of the body and letting your body speak to you very intimately. Most importantly, it implies the capacity to deeply listen to its messages. This is why I love somatic and body-centered approaches to movement and therapy. Through a body-centered approach to movement, we are creating a special dialogue with our body and its messages. We have an opportunity to build a relationship with it in very intimate ways. We can resource from the body and the innate and vast wisdom of the body. We are then able to let these impulses of the physical body inform our movements in order for deeper awareness. This is a very big distinction between most yoga and dance practices, and embodied movement practices. In an embodied practice, the body informs the movements, not the mental body, not the mind. It's true, a yoga asana practice and even some dance practices, might make you feel more in touch with your body and its messages as a result of moving it into certain shapes and forms. This is the gift of working with what is known as the "mind body", but I invite you to take this a step further. In this place of deep listening that may arrive during or after your yoga or dance practice, spend time with your body's wisdom. Hang out here and harvest. Listen. Inquire. Ask questions. Get really good at asking your physical body what it needs and wants. Use these tips for greater embodiment during your movement practices: - Start with a four level check-in. Embodiment begins when we can clearly identify what each level of awareness is offering and sharing with us in any given moment. Check in daily with what is arriving on your mental body level, physical body level and emotional body level and spiritual body level. This will get you started. - Instead of doing a set sequence of asanas, postures or movements, start your practice by listening to your physical body's messages. Is there tightness in a certain part of the body? Can you sense openness and space in another part of your body? Go into these sensations and inquire about them. What message do your tight shoulder or hamstrings have for you? Ask and ye shall receive! - Notice when you are pushing yourself to achieve an objective or outcome. Do you "push through" your practice even when you are tired or worn out? Do you force yourself into a posture just to arrive into a desired shape or form? Do you notice inner dialogue about what is "right" in your yoga practice and what is "wrong"? Notice where your practice includes "shoulds" and "have to's" as well as "supposed to's." What happens when you release these? - Build your movements based on deeply listening to your body's impulses. Let the impulses that are present in your body, be the catalyst for your movements. This is a profound step towards embodiment and it will allow you to deepen your relationship with the messages coming from your physical body. This is very different than imposing postures onto the physical body. Embodiment is intrinsically connected to the now. It doesn't actually require long, arduous physical body movement practices, but it does require willingness to let the physical body speak to you. Use these four steps to help you become more adept at listening to your physical body's messages: 1) Sitting, standing or laying down, begin to notice your breathing. Notice the quality of your breathing. Get intimate with the sensation of how the breath feels moving within your body. Feel the breath as you inhale and the chest expands. Feel the breath as you exhale and feel the chest collapse. 2) Notice any sensations in the body that are arriving for you. Is there a certain body part that feels tight? Cold? Energized? Painful? Throbbing? Seek out any sensations that are present for you and let your attention go to this part of the body. 3) Use this sensation for greater inquiry. Does this sensation have a color? Maybe it has a shape or brings with it an image? Perhaps it has a sound? Be curious and ask the sensation to give you some deeper information. 4) Harvest this information. As you gather these pieces of information from your body ask the sensation to answer these three questions: I am, I want and I need. Based on the answers you receive, you may wish to begin moving with the sensation and let it inform your physical body movement exploration. You may also wish to do a drawing in order to harvest your findings more intimately. I suggest exploring both of these processes in order to awaken your dialogue and start deepening your relationship with your physical body. I am passionate about embodiment! This is why I offer my clients a very unique synergy of modalities to help them get embodied. Using jyotish insights from your own karmic life map, I am able to prescribe individualized and specialized body part work, in order to maximize healing and transformation. My embodiment prescriptions are ideal for overcoming obstacles and blockages that may be hindering health and wholeness. The body is our biggest resource for awakening, and I'm here to help you awaken through the messages of your body wisdom! Want to learn more about transforming your life through jyotish and embodiment work? Schedule a session with me. Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you Don't Miss My *free* Embodied Chakra Class!
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