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Time to Clean House: Saturn Retrograde 2015

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, Saturn on March 14, 2015 by themagickalpen

Image:TimeKeeper web series

March 14 – August 1/2.2015
11:02a.m. (EDT)
Saturn Retrograde

Saturn stationed retrograde this morning in the Astrological sign of Sagittarius. Saturn is the planet of reform, structure, order and time. Within Saturn’s energy is the gift of organization and making changes that are permanent and as lasting as the Gatekeeper of Time shows the eternal impermanence of everything.

A Saturn retrograde applies pressure to those things that need re-structuring. This is the time of doing some house cleaning on those inner spaces leaving an open and welcoming home for those we wish to interact. This is the wisdom of the Mother who has the experience of time on her side as she guides her children towards stability in their life’s endeavors. She may not always be gentle in her prodding and push and may ultimately have to resort to forcibly pushing them out of the nest; but the result is always one of them gaining a new level of strength whether it be through adversity or success.

I envision planetary Saturn’s rings as the holders of the cyclical continuity that remains within their bounds. These are the finer extensions that reach out and into the vastness of space each complete in its own rhythm and elliptical. This is reminder to me of the power of extension that I hold as time and space move around and through me and order and structure are what define the efforts and progress made in the impact I have on all that surrounds.

The astrological sign of Sagittarius, as we have learned, is one of outreach and networking. This is the fire that leaves its mark on all it engages and offers choice of bringing that fire of action and will to the place of a full blaze or simply the momentarily igniting that will catch on at another time. As Saturn dons the costume of this energy, order and structure take on the focus of where will and action are required to create permanent change. Additionally, the goal will be one of working collaboratively in communal effort as it spark of structure and restoration of order spreads creating a pattern that is timeless and cyclical in nature.

The Saturn retrograde allows us to realign what has shifted out of balance. To search deeply within where our nurturance and tough love needs to be exacted and open ourselves to the truth that the time limits we impose and their seeming constraints affect us only in as much as we allow them to. Saturn’s energy pulls us into the primordial womb where our life’s stories may be rewritten to propel us forward strong, capable and catalytic (Sagittarius) in all of our interactions.

This is not a comfortable or easily traversed retrograde, but if used wisely and with great respect we can learn a great deal about ourselves and how the structures we have set up for ourselves have contributed to who we are now. This is the impermanence of all we believe to be true. And the illusion of time that categorizes, marks and stamps its date of expiration on everything.

Some Breathing Room

Image: Fire breathing Guinness world record holder Fredrik Karlsson doing “The dragon’s breath”

Jupiter remains retrograde in Leo, another Fire sign; this of the fixed modality. This is the support of expansiveness that pulls to the centermost core those areas of ourselves that require a more resilient nature and those that need to find their space held within in contracted state.

Think of these two planets working collectively in a cross current of timing and inner space. Jupiter (flexibility and outreach) in Fixed Leo (structured Fire of action and will that synthesizes and regulates). And Saturn (structure and synthesis by control) in Mutable Sagittarius (flexible and expansive Fire that flows from the contraction of lower will as it expands into the release of expansive Higher Will).

On the Prowl-Full Moon in Leo

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, Full Moon, Jupiter, Lunar, Mercury, The Temple of the Sun on February 1, 2015 by themagickalpen

Full Moon in Leo
February 3.2015
6:09 pm (EST)

Sun in Aquarius

Retrogrades: Jupiter in Leo and Mercury in Capricorn

The Moon waxes Full Tuesday evening at 6:09 pm (EST) in the astrological sign of Leo (Fixed Fire). The opposition of astrological energy that naturally occurs during a Full Moon phase is the tug of war between what appear to be opposing energies. In this lunation that thought is best expressed using the imagery of a big cat on the prowl, moving with stealth and hidden in the darkness of the night sky- until it walks into the rays of moonlight. The strength of Solar energy is mid-point in the visionary sign of inquisitive Aquarius; this is the energy that seeks its information in all spaces, both overt and occult. As the creative waters of Mother’s Moon are strengthened with the Leonine dynamics and skill of Leo; Aquarius often presents its insights and all the while those recipients of these bytes of info, had no clue these were part of the skill set for that individual. When Aquarius goes on the prowl for knowledge, nothing is off-limits for what it seeks out intuitively (Lunar). The quality of Fixed Fire is that of applying the necessary heat that will force movement and thus catalyze to active synthesis and expansion of whatever that heat makes application to.

Fixed signs are the source of stability primarily through their ability to gather everything that is relevant, stir til just right and then allow natural expansion to occur moving towards something entirely unexpected. As such when applied to water the action is one of forming boundaries and creating suitable container to distribute the flow in a viable manner. Add to this the Solar expression of Leo, that finds its greatest strength in the sheer magnetic appeal of placing itself in the center of any situation and you have the necessary fires of magnetic attraction that serve to quicken as the womb of creation becomes a fertile container for whatever may be birthed.

The caution however is one of making that container one that is driven by ego and action that is only directed towards self-gratification. Being in the spotlight and the strength and courage that is acquired from adoration and accolades is very seductive. Having the potential for great leadership can go terribly wrong when it becomes domination rather than collaborative and caring interaction. No great leader has become so without recognition that without having mutual respect between themselves and those they lead is the first and foremost ingredient to success.

Drawn to the Light…

The challenge in this Full Moon’s energy is one of balance and finding just the right amount of claiming your place in the spotlight (Leo) and doing so for the sake of humanity’s uplifting (Aquarius). Like the moth attracted to the light, a swift demise in what your initial altruistic intention was may occur with too much attention and light that reveals your vulnerabilities. If we draw on the Sun’s energy of strengthening Aquarius’ natural detachment from singular human needs, the potential to remain strong and determined in what will benefit all concerned is much more likely.

From a perspective of elemental correlate, we have the opposition of Sun in Airy and cerebral Aquarius and Moon in Fiery and fiercely protective Leo. Water fans the flame of Fire if appropriately and gently applied. If too much force of air is released that same flame may be extinguished if it has not been allowed sufficient time to build in intensity. Mind and Will to Action are great bedfellows that produce the most amazing and accomplished of children when each is willing to give a part of themselves in sacrifice to other. If not approached with mutual respect, all those wonderful inventive thoughts dissipate and never take form and the will to act burns itself out moving without informed direction in a chaotic and unproductive way.

This is an excellent Full Moon configuration for finding that place within that inspires you to move, act, think, and fuel a future that exemplifies the higher vision of your most creative self.

Retrogrades of Potential:
Mercury in Capricorn and Jupiter in Leo

You may have wondered why I did not post about the Mercury Retrograde that occurred on January…. If you have been following these Temple explorations, you know that I like to think outside the box, and push the standard interpretation to reveal a more intuitive expression. I waited for the mid-point of both the Mercury and Jupiter retrogrades for this Full Moon and the mid-point of the Solar energy of Aquarius.

Mercury is mid-point in its retrograde energy of Capricorn; the astrological sign we explored last month that holds the keys to dipping into what will ground and anchor and reaching up towards what connects us to the cosmos. Capricorn relates to the “human” experience and manifest reality, so those communications will be practical mundane in orientation. Although Mercury retrograde has the bad rap of miscommunication, what if we thought instead of this dynamic as opportunity to be more precise and deliberate in our communications. Add the range of Capricorn’s experience and its sure-footed style and we have optimum time for really taking our time in what and how we communicate. Add a Full Moon that is in Leo and this deliberate pacing can be applied to those passions (heated (leo) water (moon)) that we act impulsively on and then regret that impetuosity later.

Jupiter acts as the expansive ingredient. Retrograde, that expansion takes the form of density and amplification of what would normally flex and contract easily and smoothly. In the astrological sign of Leo- and with the Moon being in Leo- this amplification could be used as the electromagnetic field that draws to itself quickly and easily.

Combine Mercury and Jupiter’s dynamics as a working tool and the potency of this Full Moon kicked up several notches and what we seek to attract is drawn from the depths of what me MOST desire and are passionately and emotionally engaged in. Magickal work requires intention fueled by desire (and what fires us up). This is the perfect combination for fueling an intention that requires extra magnetism and concrete, deliberate communication sent into the aethers.

The mid-point of Sun in Aquarius adds the dynamics of probing the future and intuitively rationalizing an outcome that is inventive and creative. A skill of Aqaurius is being able to see the bigger picture- apply that to the working of Mercury and Jupiter described above- and you have the possibility for having a stable container (Fixed Air) that thought (Aquarius) and heart (Moon) can co-create.

Read more about Retrogrades:

Mercury
Mercury Stations Retrograde Tomorrow AM
Meet Me at the Station

Jupiter
Expanding Spaciousness

On the Prowl…

Silently under full moon’s light I move seeking the all that I most desire. Emotions well up and I envision a future that holds all in the embrace of God and Goddess. I feel the weight of this future’s responsibility and think on how I may step into the spotlight and shout to all of the world that this is the plan that will change everything that we believed not possible.

Quietly I seek out all that I need to know to bring this future into reality. Stealthily I inquire and dive deeply into the emotional reserves of all I meet to see what it is that will quicken their creative fires towards this goal.

Mother Moon lights the way and the need to fuel this desire and intention grows and expands within my beating heart that connects me to all of humanity. Soon the Sun will rise and I will emerge from my night on the prowl, sated from my informed capture and strong enough to courageously act upon the work that is at hand.
Resources and Reflections

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A Future Tree

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The Motherboard – Sun in Aquarius

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, Retrogrades, The Temple of the Sun, Uranus on January 20, 2015 by themagickalpen

Sun in Aquarius
4:44 am (EST)

New Moon in Aquarius
7:59 am (EST)

Waters flow within the
Circuitry of electric form
The aperture opens to
Let in more light and
Macrocosm stretches
Beyond the horizon of gaze.

Borne on wings of creative endeavor
And fervor for the unimagined
The space of physical being
Soars above the fields
Of that which is only
Seen by the keenest of eyes.

Fixed and unshakable
The swirlings of mind
Coil out from the lower
Reaches of the Divine
Returning upon themselves
Upwards towards the apex
Of more refined Light.

And, Man in all his
Glory embraces the
Light body of another
Yet to be realized, but is
Seen through the lens
Of the visionary as
The word ‘namaste’
Is uttered in the
Sacred Silence.

The Sun transited into the astrological sign of Aquarius in the wee hours of this morning at 4:44 am (EST) and 3 1/4-hours later the Moon waxes New into the same sign. A double dose of mind and new beginnings of an astrological sign that brings the Flame of inspired Mind (Sun) of will and the Visionary heart (Moon) of detailed foresight into alignment.

In accord with the subtle irony that permeates an astrological sign that is most at home in the communication of its mental explorations, today is the set-up for Mercury (communication) to station Retrograde tomorrow at 10:54am.(EST) and remain so until February 11th.

I told my tales and spoke my truths
Words taking form quicker than
Tongue could send them forth.

I shared my visions
Of a world and people
Guided by Thought’s greatest gifts.

And on the day when all
Would be seen and the
Visions would come to life
Breath hovered mid-air
Waiting for breeze of forward flow

And all remained silent held

In Mercury’s ecstatic embrace.

Aquarius – The Water Bearer

The astrological sign of Aquarius is one of the Element of Air and the Fixed Modality. Its planetary ruler is Uranus; the dynamo of electrical charge that catalyzes and prods change from the status quo. The natural energy of the Sun, that of shedding great light on whatever is in its spectrum, now has the assistance of stable mind that is expressed in lightening thought and creative invention. The Sun in Aquarius goes about its work of inspiring everyone to think outside of the box and explore the nether reaches of the vision of what could be. This is the opportunity to embrace technology, science and the Cosmos as you find your place of inspiration within it.

The caution with Aquarius is moving so far from the human experience as the mind reaches further and further away from the perceived limitation of human form that a cold and detached demeanor can develop. Aquarius is considered the great the humanitarian; but the truth of that humanism lay in the ability to willingly sacrifice the one for the greater good of the all. Uranus’ emphasis on an electric like style of communication further complicates this tendency as each new experience lights up the individual continually piquing an already ever seeking curiosity. In this way, the impression becomes one of a knowledge “junkie” ever seeking the next fix in new experience, new book and new world’s to greedily assimilate.

Uranus is the ruling planet of Aquarius. Its quality is that of pure energy and catalytic stream that pulses life into everything it encounters. In Aquarius this manifests as having the ability to act as a catalyst to spur humanity on towards its highest expression. Thoughts move through the Aquarian mind like downloads of information, often making it difficult to articulate in an emotional and meaning-filled way. With the energy of Uranus, Aquarius becomes the “Motherboard “ of the master computer without whose components the computer would not work nor be able to bring to light the varied forms of communication and information needed for advancement.

Saturn is the co-ruler of Aquarius which brings the dimension of self-discipline and great structure to the energy that Aquarius offers. Saturn’s aspect of time gives the overshadowing that in the Aquarian expresses as being conversant of all time- past-present and future- concurrently and in a way that can extract the best and most viable material that is gathered into the next great invention. The regimented approach of Saturn’s energy expressed through Aquarius gives the appearance of being unwavering in their stance and opinion and having total disregard for others input. The Aquarian sees this structure as a necessary means towards a goal that is yet unrealized by most.

The Element of Air

Aquarius is an Air sign. The quality of air expressed in Aquarius is a mind that has the ability to absorb great amounts of information and then analyze, organize, sort and glean exactly what is needed for the solution. We saw mind expressed as Gemini and the ability to circumnavigate and change course instantaneously as its communicative style. And, we experienced the balanced and harmonious mind of Libra seeking to refine all that enters into the equation. Now, we have arrived at the place of synthesis of both of these styles and their conversion in a product with greater potential for expression that reaches far and wide in its impact.

A Fixed Modality

As we have already experienced with the Fixed signs their primary directive is that of taking all that lay on either side of its stability- the initial catalyst and the flexible ending- and provide the structure and boundaries that will allow them to interact and interweave their singular strengths. The first Fixed sign we encountered was one of Earth- Taurus- and provided the ultimate container of strength and stability in manifest form.

The second of the Fixed signs was expressed through a Fire sign, Leo and served to bring into the spotlight what needed restructuring and what would act as the magnetic source attracting to itself more of this brilliant light. This energy stood strong in its convictions and had the strength of will and the courage to defend its actions required to develop the necessary discipline to hold true to the course.

The third of the Fixed signs was expressed as Watery Scorpio. This is an energy, whose goal is one of dipping deeper into the hidden motivations that are the seedings of an inspired heart. These are the waters that seek appropriate boundary on the shores of one’s own experience and carve the inlets that will quench the thirst of a desire to become and to know more of one’s true nature.

Arriving in the space of Aquarius and the inventive mind, the Fixed quality is expressed in being able to direct the flow of thought both an involutionary and evolutionary flow. This circuit is the basis of retrieving information that is both relevant in the present and cutting deeply into the emerging future. The experience of the past serves as background reference, having been retrieved from Scorpio’s probing in the unconscious self, and is quickly left behind as warp speed carries the Aquarian towards future plans.

Strength and stability
Are the footprints left
On earth’s foundational
Form and I stamp my foot
In acknowledging my
Own presence.

The Sun beats down hot
And un-relentless in what
It will extract from my essence
And calls me to be courageous
As I move forward on my path.

I step into the cool waters
To soothe a burning heat
That has held me strong
And secure in my determination
The waters rise in recognition as I
Sink into their inly black depths.

I rose from the turbulent surface
Up towards the heavens and into
The blackness of time and space
My thoughts the constant companions
That guide me across star filled sky.

I dream and see the visions of a
Newly dawning day and now
Ablaze with information’s light
Descend to answer humanity’s call.

The New Moon in Aquarius

The Moon waxing New in Aquarius provides an extra bolster of energy to explore the recesses of your thoughts and inventive inspirations. Brainstorming and problem-solving with creative outlook as the primary directive are well suited to Aquarian energy. Calling upon Uranus can expedite the mental pursuits, although overload can also result much like the flow of electrical current that is too strong for what the amps can withstand. Let your imagination take center stage knowing that this is often the greatest source of “thinking outside the box”. Although the emphasis is on the “I” with Aquarian energy, that “I” can be experienced as the Higher Self and the information sought and received that of illumined mind.

The Next Step

Knowing how each sign moves to the next and the interaction between each as they evolve towards completion (and threshold of renewal) of the wheel in Pisces tells its own unique story of the astrological wheel. Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. Capricorn acted as the testing ground for what could become reality and served as the affirmer of the resilience and sure-footedness that can be achieved in the steepest of heights and the deepest of depths.

Aquarius’ image is that of the water-bearer; pouring its life giving waters out for humanity to drink. The mystery lies not in the water being poured, but in the empty space left in the vessel now awaiting the filling of water that will next sustain. Nature abhors a vacuum so the implication is that we must freely give of our resources so that we may receive what will be needed anew.

The energy of Scorpio provided the necessary prodding to explore the deeper aspects of the emotions and access the hidden keys of memory that has been hidden and within the fires of Sagittarius, the forging of what was tempered in the waters of transmutation into a more flexible and expansive form is at hand. Sagittarius looked out at the night sky and did not see only darkness, but imagined the beauty of what lay beyond sparkling from the heat of stellar light that are the wishes, hopes and dreams released to be share by the Cosmos. This vision shone brightly within the realm of the human experience as Capricorn moved through terrain that is unforgivable, yet still finds its place of acclaim atop the highest mountain. Now, having gathered all that is needed to proceed fully informed and ready to reach new levels of understanding, Aquarius releases its inventive spirit and visionary insight for all to make use of.

The Motherboard

This solar month is one of focus on the steps taken towards achieving each goal. This energy relates directly to what and how the Mind processes information and then provides all that is needed to create anything from it. Aquarius rules the 11th House of the Zodiac. This is the house of alliances, partnerships and organized community. Aquarius serves as the glue that continually shifts the direction of those alliances and organizations prodding them always forward towards future goals. This is the Solar month of identifying where your inventive skills lie and being open to the possibilities as technology advances and new products and ways of communicating develop at a rapid pace. Aquarius loves the future and all that is available to enhance the process of retrieving information.

In the chronology of the Zodiac, this phase of this Solar journey carries us into Aquarius and the opportunity to envision a brighter future and then support its creation with fact, formula and sound information. This is the energy of the maturing man or woman who leads by example and provides the blue print for what soon will be. The knowledge achieved in Aquarius is what carries forward next into the final sign of the Zodiac- Pisces. Having placed the final touches on what can be achieved by seeing more, the heart opens to an understanding of all loving compassion and the wisdom of humanity serving humanity as a collective and Divine whole.

And, so with the innovative vision of Aquarius, we call forth the energy of the Sun as it continues its zodiacal cycle. Once again we repeat the invocation that opened the Gate to this Temple. As you read through it think back to a point in time when you were amazed by a scientific finding or received your first computer, tablet or smart phone. The excitement and the power you felt in having this information readily available and the joy in being able to share what you had learned. This is the gift of Aquarius.

As you read through the invocation, think about what each line of reference evokes within you and stimulates your own desire to hold as mystery that only you can reveal as you seek its deeper meaning. What goals are stirred as you read of RA’s power as expressed within the heart felt words put to paper. This is the power of planning and standing strong in your humanity as you pursue these goals. Use this gift wisely this solar month as we invoke the Solar month in Aquarius and awaken those fires of RA to quicken your surrender to the death of false perception and the rebirth of who you truly are.

Hymn to RA

All Hail to Thee, Mighty RA
Blaze of noon day sun.
Your fiery orb high in the
Sky above as we kneel
Beneath the heat of
Your radiance.

All the Gods bow to your radiance
All the Goddesses sing hymns of praise
To Your glory and man
Lays prostrate in humility
And devotion at the altar of
Your making.

Sweet music of adoration and offerings
Brought forth from the Black Land
Rise up in praise and thanks for
Your Sustaining Light.

All darkness flees at the touch of Your hand
All ceases its movement as Your expansive
Rays stretch across the morning sky.

The lotus opens to receive Your Touch
And the sands glisten as rare jewels
As You gaze upon each grain washed
Clean in the boundless ocean that
Reflects the brilliance of your face.

All Hail to Thee
Amun-RA
All Hail to Thee
Who sits high
Above the world.

Khepra in the East
Atum in the West
Whose eye holds the
Point of Life and the
Trifold Arc of Power.

Your eyes see all and
You are the place of return
Within the glowing blackness
Of the Midnight Sun.

All Hail to Thee
All Hail to Thee
Amun, Amun, Amen!

Crashing Waves on a Craggy Shore: Full Moon in Capricorn

Posted in Auspicious Days, Full Moon, Waxing Moon on January 3, 2015 by themagickalpen

Full Moon in Cancer
January 4.2015
11:53pm (EST)

Sun in Capricorn

The Moon waxes Full late tomorrow evening at 11:53 pm (EST) and on the cusp of the next day, January 5th. The moon will hold the energy of the astrological sign of Cancer (Cardinal Water). The opposition of astrological energy that naturally occurs during a Full Moon phase is the tug of war between what appear to be opposing energies. In this lunation that thought is best expressed as the crashing of waves on a craggy shore. The strength of Solar energy is mid-point in sure-footed Capricorn; the energy that can scale great heights and plummet the depths. Now, the turbulent waters of Mother Moon are ready to test that cautious sea-goat and see just how far it will go to overcome the challenges and risks of slipping.

The quality of Cardinal Water is that of churning the emotional currents emanating from a variety of unexpected sources. Cardinal signs represent the first bubbling up. As such when applied to water the inference is that of little springs that erupt here and there and when any find weakened or suitably flexible space, become the torrential waterfall or flooding seas. Add to this the Solar expression of Capricorn, that strives towards perfection in methodical and carefully placed steps. Home is found most comfortably in the mid-space of feeling secure and anchored on level ground. Just as the Goat can navigate the most treacherous of cliff-scape, so too Capricornians are able to navigate the challenges and obstacles of earthy existence that most would falter upon. The caution however is one of over caution and inertness, never truly trusting that the steps and actions taken will be precise and accurate. Using the analogy of agitated water and slippery banks, its requires adequate light to clearly avoid the pitfalls of drowning one’s emotions caught on the slippery rocks of aspiration.

One Emotion In Front of the Other…

The challenge in this Full Moon’s energy is one of getting caught in the emotional tides of self-destruction before the journey of a New Year’s energy even begins. This is the space of hopeful resolutions made on January 1st and the realization that some are far too lofty in ambition to achieve and others simply require too much emotional engagement compared to the results achieved.

However, if we light the way of our goals with the brilliance of Mother Moon’s light and the supportive hand (and intuitive heart) of one who blesses her children, those emotions that would otherwise rage out of control can be soothed and comforted as acceptance of those aspects of our weaker nature are embraced and offered as the supporting hand of our strengths.

From a perspective of elemental correlate, we have the opposition of Sun in Earthy Capricorn and Moon in Watery Cancer. Earth and Water are work collaboratively for the most part. Moving water carves out its path as Earth provides the necessary resistance. Earth becomes the container that holds the body of water in place and helps to guide the subsequent flow. Earth requires water to sustain its life. This might be considered a “love/hate” relationship as each relies on the strengths and weaknesses of the other.

This is an excellent Full Moon configuration for shedding light on where and how your emotions reach the points of highs and lows and establishing the ledge of mid-point where they are most at home. The astrological sign of Cancer is very attuned to family and the emotional supports derived from a place and people who are our biggest fans.

A Place of Calm in Cancer’s Healing Light

The cycle continues and the return to a place of calm in Cancer’s healing light is at hand. I will spend some time this evening entering into the healing of Mother Moon. Please enjoy a….Bonus Pathworking: The Hall of Cancer

Crashing Waves on a Craggy Shore

Image: Laird Bindrim

One foot in front of the other as moonlight illumines the way. Waves crash around me, and the anchor of rock and earth sway in reverberation as my physical body teeters precariously on slipper slope. The rock of anchor that is my physical being is battered by waves of emotion that I cannot control and I wish not to contain. Skin absorbs the moisture of weeping and sweat and I am reminded of the joys of exertion in climbing towards my aspirations.

I continue upward, still not yet ready to surrender and fall back into waters that may be too deep for the fullness of my lung’s breath. I think of my resolve and I remember that I am sure-footed and capable. I remember that this is just a night of discovery and in that discovery there will be challenges and obstacles that I must overcome. Mastery of my emotions – Joy in my physical being and scaling the heights of a craggy shore as the waves crash into the depths of my soul.

Resources and Reflections

The Temple of the Moon:
Day Twenty-Eight: Fill Me Up
Day Twenty-Seven: Floodgates of Release

Next Post
A Tree of Highs and Lows

As Above, So Below- Sun in Capricorn

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, The Temple of the Sun on December 19, 2014 by themagickalpen

Sun in Capricorn
6:03 p.m. (EST)

New Moon in Capricorn
8:36 p.m. (EST)

Lens of Sight

Matter of continuum
Depth and breath
Of thin air
One step taken
Carefully and slowly in pace.

Diving deep to feel the
Sting of new beginnings
Structure and form
Taking shape as
Pause recoils.

The Master waits at the
Gate and the Adept
Reaches out gingerly-
The hand withdraws.

And the steepness of drop
Reverberates at the base
Of darkened well
Gold coins falling as leaves
Carried within the
Space of airy breath.

Once again, the ascent begins
The space of time claiming
The continuum of earthy
Strength and will.

One step taken
Carefully and slowly in pace.

The Sun transits into the astrological sign of Capricorn early this evening at 6:03pm (EST) and 2 1/5-hours later the Moon waxes New into the same sign. A double dose of earthiness and new beginnings of an astrological sign that brings the Fires (Sun) of will and the Heart (Moon) of great emotional depths into alignment.

The potency of this transition of interaction between Sun and Moon become the public stage of light for two other auspicious events that occur today- The Winter Solstice and the stationing direct of Uranus….

A beautiful dance of light and dark as the polarities move
through the heavenly ballroom of the Wintry Sky.

I see the brilliant orb of the Sun moving into Capricorn as his consort Lady Moon waxes New wearing her veil of darkness. The Winter Solstice heralds the shortest day of the year as night consumes Sun’s brilliance and we wait for the re-birthing and turning of this tide at Dawn’s light. And, Uranus, the phosphorescent holder of the Fohat (aka. electrical light charge) stations Direct, propelling us into a less intense focus of the interrogators’ light.

Capricorn’s Sea-Goat

The astrological sign of Capricorn is one of the Element of Earth and the Cardinal Modality. Its planetary ruler is Saturn; the supreme organizer and keeper of time. The natural energy of the Sun, that of shedding great light on whatever is in its spectrum, now has the assistance of foundation that is expressed in manifest form and the collaborative efforts of the below and the above. The Sun in Capricorn goes about its work creating from a solid foundation and then works its way through every challenge with deliberate and precise action. This is the opportunity to scale the heights of potential while remaining firmly anchored and grounded in the human experience.
The caution with Capricorn lay in the potential for inertia. The same slow and methodical approach that is accessed in aspiration for a goal can leave the aspirant lingering far too long in the comfort of surety of foot. Saturn’s input of organizing and restructuring lends a hand as the intended goal is plotted out, plotted out again and then still labored over with not much progress being made.

Saturn is the ruling planet of Capricorn. Saturn is the Lord of Time and the energy of structure as held by the Gates of Time. This gives Capricorn a seemingly expansive perspective on time and using that broad view to set goals and with organized deliberation go about achieving them. There is the feeling that all of time is on their side and they are willing to spend inordinate amounts of time in pursuit of their goals. The additional quality of Saturn is that of regimented structure. This can sometimes lead to having a very narrow perspective about what the best course of action is, but can also serve to bring all the stray bits of resources into a useable well-defined unit.

The Element of Earth

Capricorn is an Earth sign. The quality of earth expressed in Capricorn is strength and agility in navigating the paths of life and material existence, both pleasurable and challenging. They are firmly rooted and anchored in whatever their life’s goal becomes and remain steadfast in acquiring the necessary resources to remain solvent and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

A Cardinal Modality

As we have already experienced with the Cardinal signs their primary directive is that of catalyzing and initiating new beginnings. The first Cardinal sign we encountered was appropriately one of Fire and served to begin the cycle of the Zodiacal wheel and Solar Year. The initiating quality of this sign was one similar to that of striking a match, setting fire to the will to create and providing the fuel to carry that intent forward.

The second of the Cardinal signs was expressed through a Water sign, Cancer and served to stimulate the emotions in a way of pushing the boundaries of these waters out beyond what would hold them hidden in the subconscious. This energy was expressed in the yearning and need to identify what is defined as home and family and that which supports loving and loyal relationships.

The third of the Cardinal signs was expressed as Airy Libra. This is an energy, whose goal is one of stimulating mind and creating new visions of what is possible to be made manifest in the world. Grace and beauty stand at the helm and the scales of balance weigh and measure what is worthy of creative mind.

Arriving in the space of Capricorn and the foundation of earth, the Cardinal flow of catalyzing is achieved in the manifest realm and the products are those that serve as a new source of anchor that provides a stable point of origin from which to move.

I bubble up from
Earth’s strengthening core
My intention filled with
Seeking what is held in
The great above.

I reach deeply into
The very heart of the
Midnight Sun of
Earth’s molten core.

Strong and stable from
A surface that is finely
Crafted and etched with
My many paths of pursuit.

The New Moon in Capricorn

The Moon waxing New in Capricorn provides the energy to lay claim to those things that provide anchor. If we use the flow from Sagittarius and the areas of networking we have forged and select those that are most viable calling into manifestation we can use the shoring up of Capricorn as each step of planning is created from solid ground. Calling on the energy of Saturn as ruler of Capricorn and its organizing skill offers the potential for not getting waylaid by inertia and indecisiveness; now not only having a solid foundation but also the necessary scaffolding and structure for ascent towards the pinnacle of goal.

The Winter Solstice

The night is cold and I stand facing the darkness; thick and almost opaque in its veiling. I think on all that has brought me to this point of the Great Wheel and call to myself the memories of lessons learned and shadowy places uncovered needing nurturance and cultivation. Each memory is illuminated from within and I feel the heat of my Inner Sun flaring out from center’s core; extending light filled streams of connection to each treasured sensation and image.

Tingling energy moves across my back affirming my growing anticipation of the promise held in the rising sun as I await the dawning of the Solstice Sun. I think on the moments of waiting I have seen at this same cycle of time the many years before and how each has held its own joy of new expression. I breathe into these thoughts, envisioning the flame of sunlight growing within myself. I breathe deeply into the joy of being able to turn the focus of that light outwards as the sun gains strength in the sky above and I attune to that same solar cycle within.

I look ahead and see rays of filtered light flowing around and through me casting their long slim finger-like beams on the snowscape in front of me. The time is now. One more deep breath in affirming the strength of the dark that has come before, and I turn to face the rising sun. Dawn of the Winter Solstice has come and with its rising so too does the rising of my illuminated self; forever changed…

Tonight marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The polarity of Dark and Light is engaged in the space of one relinquishing its control so the other may gain momentum. This is much like the energy of Capricorn as its skill lay in the ability to move between light and dark, the above and the below, mind and the watery depths of heart.

Read More of the excerpt above at WitchVox:

The Gift of Yule: An Illuminated Wheel

AND, Uranus Stations Direct
5:45 p.m. (EST)

Image: Nasa.org

Electrical Uranus stationed retrograde in July and has done its work of amping up the neural pathways, and general state of electrical energy for these past months. Irritability, instability and nervousness have been the undercurrents that many have been navigating as sparks flared with Uranus receiving the additional bolster of being in the astrological Fire sign of Aries. Aries, as we have learned is enthusiasm unbridled and place that energy in the field of Uranus and enthusiasm becomes agitation.

As the energy of Uranus peaked and has come to its waning point of release from its stronghold as it stations direct at 5:45 pm (EST) today, the effects of a thorough and precise pass through of maximum electrical current are readied to begin the process of integration and change, much like a rewiring and upgrade to greater wattage.

For more about the Uranus Retrograde read:

Uranus Retrograde-Deflecting Light

The Next Step

Knowing how each sign moves to the next and the interaction between each as they evolve towards completion (and threshold of renewal) of the wheel in Pisces tells its own unique story of the astrological wheel. Capricorn is the tenth sign of the Zodiac. Sagittarius acted as the initiator, propelling through the Gates of Transformation and new growth as the archer sought the goal of maximum reach.

Capricorn’s image is that of the sea-goat; equally at home in the depths as well as being able to deftly and precisely scale the steepest of cliffs. Capricorn’s energy lends itself towards being ambitious in nature with a fixed determination to achieve. Because they have often had to climb steep hurtles, once achieving success they are able to use the lessons learned in the ascent to hold them securely at the top. Numerologically, the number 10 fits well in this definition. Ten is the beginning of a new cycle- one that is dual in nature and relies on the relationship of two numbers and their energies working collaboratively. One (1) is the singular nature- the “I”- whose awareness is solely within its own creation. Zero (o) is the limitless cycle (circle) of eternal birth, death and re-birth; one of the many cycles of the cosmos. Now, go back to the image of Capricorn. It’s sure-footed nature is dependent upon its own singular skill and persistence working in collaboration with the forces of nature, the cycles of season and time. What was inference in Sagittarius’ initiation of Nine is now the reality of endings that forge new beginnings that are stronger and more assured with the collaborative efforts of another by your side.

The energy of Scorpio provided the necessary prodding to explore the deeper aspects of the emotions and access the hidden keys of memory that has been hidden and within the fires of Sagittarius, the forging of what was tempered in the waters of transmutation into a more flexible and expansive form is at hand. Sagittarius looked out at the night sky and did not see only darkness, but imagined the beauty of what lay beyond sparkling from the heat of stellar light that are the wishes, hopes and dreams released to be share by the Cosmos. This vision shines brightly within the realm of the human experience as Capricorn moves through terrain that is unforgivable, yet still finds its place of acclaim atop the highest mountain.

At this time of the year, the emphasis is one of celebrating the Light and Dark as co-creators of how the months ahead progress as the Solstices (Winter and Summer) demand their share of Light and Dark. In the Northern Hemisphere, the holiday season is underway and communing and sharing the light of gratitude and expression of appreciation are the intent. The Wintry weather drives the celebrations indoors where friends and family gather, each having their own personal hurdles to cross in finally arriving at this place of love and light on the longest night of the year.

In the Southern Hemisphere everyone has been enjoying the heat of the Summer Month’s and the holidays we celebrate are those of vacation and a break from the daily routine of work. The Sun has shone brightly and now on the day of the Summer Solstice we linger outdoors in celebration of the Longest Day.

Although the celebrations of the season and the time in the Greater Outdoors pass, as the Solar Month progresses the lessons gained from being fully in the physical world and subject to its cycles of Light and Dark acknowledges the greatest goal of having an experience as a being of light in the world of physical incarnation.

As Above, So Below

This solar month is one of focus on the steps taken towards achieving each goal. This energy relates directly to what the Mind (Above) and the Heart (Below) can collaboratively manifest as each step of aspiration is carefully and orderly placed. Capricorn rules the 10^th House of the Zodiac- the Midheaven. This is the venue where all the successes/failures are exposed for all the world to see. This is the House of personal acclaim and in the cycle of the Zodiac would be likened to the promotion or recognition for your vocation or avocation by those outside of your immediate family. This is the Solar month of retrieving all that has supported who you have become in your life’s journey.

In the chronology of the Zodiac, this phase of this Solar journey carries us into Capricorn and the results of all the hard work and effort are gathered in a place of recognition for work accomplished and reprimand for stones left unturned. This is the energy of the mature man or woman who has the confidence in their abilities to clearly see where they should affirm their loyalties and take action. The acclaim achieved in Capricorn is what carries forward next into defining our place within the greater community of Aquarius and its work of visionary synthesis.

And, so with sure footedness of the Sea-Goat of Capricorn that is the symbol of Capricorn, we call forth the energy of the Sun as it continues its zodiacal cycle. Once again we repeat the invocation that opened the Gate to this Temple. As you read through it think back to a point in time when you received public recognition for a job well done. Now, think back to all the steps that went into reaching that point; most importantly all the points of slipping and falling backwards, as you persevered nonetheless. And, in the end, the scrapes and bruises, the healing and the regrowth of any wounding that occurred was forgotten in the glory of pride and success. This is the gift of Capricorn.

As you read through the invocation, think about what each line of reference evokes within you and stimulates your own desire to hold as mystery that only you can reveal as you seek its deeper meaning. What goals are stirred as you read of RA’s power as expressed within the heart felt words put to paper. This is the power of planning and standing strong in your humanity as you pursue these goals. Use this gift wisely this solar month as we invoke the Solar month in Capricorn and awaken those fires of RA to quicken your surrender to the death of false perception and the rebirth of who you truly are.

Hymn to RA

All Hail to Thee, Mighty RA
Blaze of noon day sun.

Your fiery orb high in the
Sky above as we kneel
Beneath the heat of
Your radiance.

All the Gods bow to your radiance
All the Goddesses sing hymns of praise
To Your glory and man
Lays prostrate in humility
And devotion at the altar of
Your making.

Sweet music of adoration and offerings
Brought forth from the Black Land
Rise up in praise and thanks for
Your Sustaining Light.

All darkness flees at the touch of Your hand
All ceases its movement as Your expansive
Rays stretch across the morning sky.

The lotus opens to receive Your Touch
And the sands glisten as rare jewels
As You gaze upon each grain washed
Clean in the boundless ocean that
Reflects the brilliance of your face.

All Hail to Thee
Amun-RA
All Hail to Thee
Who sits high
Above the world.

Khepra in the East
Atum in the West
Whose eye holds the
Point of Life and the
Trifold Arc of Power.

Your eyes see all and
You are the place of return
Within the glowing blackness
Of the Midnight Sun.

All Hail to Thee
All Hail to Thee
Amun, Amun, Amen!

Jupiter Retrograde-Expanding Spaciousness

Posted in Auspicious Days, Jupiter on December 8, 2014 by themagickalpen

December 8.2015
Jupiter Stations Retrograde
3:41 pm (EST)

The largest planet in our Solar System- Jupiter- stations retrograde this afternoon in the astrological sign of Leo. Jupiter is considered the great expander and has strong affinity with prosperity of all manner. Jupiter is the planet we use for money matters and financial gain calling upon the God, Jove as conductor of a strong and steady flow.

We have already explored the dynamics and magnetism of Leo in the Temple of the Sun and the fiery will to action that emanates from this brilliant centerpiece as the Sun itself reigns as ruler of this sign. When we think of Jupiter and Leo as co-conspirators the result is nothing less than spectacular!

The key point here is the retrograde stationing of Jupiter. As mighty Jupiter hangs in pause, things are going to expand and heat up. Beginning this retrograde while the Sun is in the fiery sign of Sagittarius adds an extra boost of dynamic flame to whatever it is applied towards. The opportunity is one much like a hot air balloon. The heat exerted on the expansive balloon offers enough flow to cause the craft to rise and be carried aloft in search of new adventures. Leo’s Fires applied to expandable Jupiter carry aloft the aspirations of will, desire and action to a place of the new trails and new connections of Sagittarius.

Now let’s apply this thought to the concept of spaciousness. Spaciousness is being open and receptive to allowing things to move through your awareness and being. Spaciousness is perceiving yourself as having room to grow and space gently between those intervals that gently pushes apart cell and structure as it creates space for more. Spaciousness is breathing deeply and fully taking in everything and still not being completely filled as each increase creates paths of opening for more.

Now what if we could take this spaciousness and add layer upon layer of magnetism. As we expanded our spaciousness we drew more and more to ourselves. Each exhale opens a little more space to be filled. Each inhalation draws in magnetically what we wish to attract. And, so this cycle of expansion and contraction continues.

Let’s go back to the beginning and the traditional application of Jupiter’s energy towards abundance. This Jupiter Retrograde sets up the action of attraction, opening the “space” to receive this abundance and then breathing into the heart of its catalytic fires .

Jupiter remains retrograde until April of next year;so, use these months to slowly and steadily increase those areas you wish to be more abundant in your life.

Sun in Sagittarius: Aim High, Breathe Deep and Just Let Go!

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, Bonus Posts, New Moon, Sagittarius, The Temple of the Sun on November 21, 2014 by themagickalpen

Sun in Sagittarius
11.22.2014
4:38 AM (EST)

New Moon in Sagittarius
7:32 AM (EST)

Planetary Ruler: Jupiter

The Hunger

I stand on the horizon senses
Keen to the rhythm of life all around me
I breathe in the world’s offerings and
Send the experience outward, always
Looking towards the sun and sky
And that which is said to be beyond my grasp.

It is this reaching and straining that
Feeds my hunger to explore and extend
Beyond my limitations
And, once my will takes hold
All that lay within in my sight
Narrows to a single point of focus.

Restrained tension pulls against
The strength of carefully placed
Goal and the final pause of release
Is that which achieves its apex beyond
The keenest of sight.

Once again, the archer sets the course
As movement becomes dynamic
And primal urge bursts into the flames
Of desire and enthusiasm.

Tension gives way to flexibility of
Intent and directed will issues
Forth from that which has been
Carefully ignited.

I fan the tiny embers
That expand and become
Torches that are held towards
The highest of aspirations
And just as sharpened arrows
Carefully aimed hit the core of
Their determined mark these
Fires I set to burning within
You will give birth to spontaneity
And finely tempered form.

My paths are many and each is lit
By the embers I have set to
Smoldering deep within.

I am the teacher and the student
Who waits eagerly to blaze a new trail
I am the place from which the Phoenix
Arises and mine is the expanse that
Lights the way as the
Sea goat begins his journey.

The Sun transits into the astrological sign of Sagittarius in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow at 4:38am (EST) and 3-hours later the Moon waxes New into the same sign. You cold think of this as the double reverberation. The archer draws back its bow, lit with the solar arrows in the midst of night’s hold and the emotions built up from holding back in release allow the arrow to shoot forth, determined and carried on the freshness of Dawn’s light.

The astrological sign of Sagittarius is one of the Element of Fire and the Mutable Modality. Its planetary ruler is Jupiter; expansive in its abundance, prosperous in its outpouring and huge in its impact. The natural energy of the Sun, that of shedding great light on whatever is in its spectrum, now has the assistance of something of weight and substance that can deliver the 1-2 punch of Solar enlightenment. And, if that is not enough to get you going and stirred to action, dodging those carefully place flares of Sagittarius’ fiery arrows set forth will call you to a more aware state, if for no other reason than defensive measures. The Sun in Sagittarius is the ultimate networker. This is the opportunity to engage everything and everyone who you think will be supportive in helping you achieve those loftily aimed goals of action and dynamic will.

Just as our last solar month of Scorpio had maximum potential for reinventing ourselves and transforming all these little known treasures that make us who we truly are, Sagittarius is now ready to stretch and grow expanding upon what was brought from the fuels of intense desire and try out all the new ways this transformed self can make use of what it has learned. The attribution of the Archer to Sagittarius speaks of the control and preciseness in aim required to be successful in what it sets out conquer. That is also not to say that in the trying, there will be many failed attempts, but that is after all how we learn, grow and become more malleable and flexible in the actions we follow through with.

The caution with Sagittarius lay in overextending and flexing muscles that are not quite ready to stand the true weight of what it seeks. This presents in spreading so many seeded areas over so much ground that the effort taxes the seeder and the quantity lays waste to the successful quality of a much more limited seeding fueled by selectivity and discernment.

Jupiter is the Ruling Planet of Sagittarius. It is the largest known planet in our Solar System and has long been associated with abundance and in particular manifest gain and prosperity. If we apply this action to that of action-seeking Sagittarius we could liken it to the speculator who makes no gain unless the necessary funds are supplied. There will be the flexible contraction and expansion of inflation and deflation that occurs and if, just as the Archer carefully plots his course, the gains are cashed in at just the appropriate time, prosperity will ensue. If not, all will be lost in reckless aim. Calling upon this energy in a productive manner and bolstering it with the energy of the Sun can produce results that increase the results of any endeavor in a manner of steady and smooth growth.
The Element of Fire

The overwhelming energy of Fire is that of transformation through change. Expressed through the action of Sagittarius, this Fire is one that sends its sparks out in many directions with the aspirations that one or two will energize, take root and ultimately become the bonfires that quicken and transform. If actively engaged and passionate about whatever change is set into motion the catalytic fires of “will” travel far, fast and wide. Like a brushfire this fast moving energy can raise everything in its path, but if tempered by a strongly framed boundary of Higher Will, the fires will blaze with discernment and affect positive and productive outcome.

Although Sagittarius is a Fire sign; there is an underlying nature of air that supports the efforts of this action. Air fans or extinguishes the fires in accord with the degree to which it flows. Air as mental activity, can override an impulsive nature towards action or feed it exactly the correct calculations to make it blaze even higher.
A Mutable Modality

As we have already experienced with the Mutable signs their primary directive is that of flexibility and creating the necessary boundaries that permit endings of what is no longer needed so that the flow towards new life may begin. Think of the receding shoreline that is carved in suitable manner by the ebb and flow of the tides. With each drawing in of tidal breath, life is pulled from the expanses of the sea’s depths and with each exhalation of flow some is left behind and some is carried out towards new horizons and new beginnings.

The first Mutable sign we encountered was appropriately one of Air (Gemini) the essence of expansion and flexibility where it weaves its course. The mutable quality of this sign was one of adaptability of mid, thus allowing for the torrent winds of communication to form rhetoric for all that it touched.

The second of the Mutable signs was expressed through an Earth sign, Virgo. Here the emphasis was one of growth through analysis, sorting and putting everything through the trial and filter of what would anchor and serve as base to built and expanded upon. Virgo took hold of the reins and the control exerted crafted the appropriate boundaries for each thing it was called to.

We now have arrived at the third of the Mutable signs, Sagittarius, and having received the blessings of regeneration and rebirth for the preceding sign of Scorpio, stretching the limits and contracting to spring forth what can only be imagined on horizons yet to be birthed are the actions to be taken. Fire blazes the trail, destroying much in its path, but also providing the ash of composting that protects the new life already stimulated into growth beneath the surface. What energies may be raw, vulnerable and unfinished, but as it reaches in seeking its supports everything is nourished from its efforts along the way.
Fires burn hot
Between loins
Ready to give
Birth.

Life spills forth new
And unblemished by
The ravage of time and
Structured restraint.

Embers smolder from
The after birth of form
That has been called
To seek more of its kind.

Expansion seeks to complete
The action it has catalyzed
And from this desire borne
On the arrow of the seeker’s
Will the seeding begins anew
And Fire burns hot between
Loins ready to give birth.
The New Moon in Sagittarius

The Moon waxing New in Sagittarius provides the energy to catalyze all of those dreams, hopes and goals that have lain dormant. Reaching out and interaction, networking and researching what tools and people will be of the most help are intentions well served by this Moon. A traditional use for this New Moon’s energy is one of seeking financial prosperity; largely because of the support of Jupiter. This is a goal that all would benefit from; but I also like to think more globally and seek those things that will make me more abundant in all of my life’s workings. Prosperity in all endeavors brings more to each of the layers that encompass that larger self.

The Hall of Sagittarius: A Pathworking of Expansive Reach

To begin your process of sifting through what you wish to accomplish, spend some time with the Pathworking below. When you have completed this contemplation, record in your journal what you wish to actively seek during this Waxing of the Moon and the Solar Month. Click Here…

Neptune Stationed Direct

11/16/2014 2:04 AM (EST)

The intensity of the waters have receded and we are seven (7) days into the forward motion of Neptune in Pisces. During this time of retrograde, there was much illusion to be found as the murky waters can be deceiving in what the precise and accurate location of anything is. Emotions were raw and vulnerability was at an all time high causing many to shut down emotionally, so deep was the pain and suffering that was so profoundly experienced. Now we have the ability to see more clearly and to allow ourselves to be guided once again by our emotions – tempered by mind. The timing of this forward motion is using its lessons to guide our hand (heart) as we ready ourselves to actively seek our will through the light of Sagittarius. Neptune offers the place of deep insight and holds key to the mystical realms of knowingness crafted by compassion. The intent of wielding mastery of a sharp and pointy object (the arrows of spiritual truth) is in the knowing of when and where to aim and discerning what must be slain for nourishment and what must be allowed to thrive and grow more fully until the time is right.

Wash your hands of aiming in waters of healing and trust your instincts before you propel yourself and your will forward. Heed the warning of being submerged too long in what serves you not and clouds your vision and steals the breath of your determination. Arise to the surface holding the trident of flame, air and water and pierce through what would keep you fearful of acting upon your desires. The power is held within the drawing back of the bowstring of your heart’s gnosis and the release of action pure of intent and true of aim that emboldens anything lacking the fullness of its expansive reach.

The Next Step

Knowing how each sign moves to the next and the interaction between each as they evolve towards completion (and threshold of renewal) of the wheel in Pisces tells its own unique story of the astrological wheel. Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the Zodiac. Scorpio offered mystery and the taste of initiatory experience, but Sagittarius is the true initiator, putting it all on the line in search of community. Numerologically, the number Nine (9) heralds the ending of a singular nature and the threshold that passes into dual relationship- 10 being the next in line. The inference is one of endings that forge new beginnings that are stronger and more assured with the collaborative efforts of another by your side.

If we look at the dynamics of energy thus far, beginning with the cardinal sign of Aries, we could think of the three signs that begin the astrological wheel as the quickening Fires (Aries- Fire) within the body of manifestation (Taurus- Earth) that gives rise to aspiring towards the heavens (Gemini- Air). Now enlivened by the desire to “know”, the healing and nurturing (Cancer- Water) of what no longer serves this goal is brought front and center into the Light of Day (Leo-Fire) to be strengthened as it is readied for the detailed analysis of Virgo (Earth) that seeks to create a new form for its manifestation. Libra (Air) applied the finishing touches to what Virgo had reduced to the most essential components. Using the adaptability and deftness of a mind that could easily calculate and mentally weigh both benefits and detriments, Libra moved with skill and grace to accomplish what was made ready. The energy of Scorpio provided the necessary prodding to explore the deeper aspects of the emotions and access the hidden keys of memory that has been hidden. Now, moving into the fires of Sagittarius, the forging of what was tempered in the waters of transmutation into a more flexible and expansive form is at hand. Sagittarius looks out at the night sky and does not see only darkness, but imagines the beauty of what lay beyond sparkling from the heat of stellar light that are the wishes, hopes and dreams released to be share by the Cosmos.

At this time of the year, the emphasis is on collaboration, making new friends and spending time with family and those we treasure. The holiday season fast approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and the wintry weather drives people indoors, seeking warmth and refuge in the arms of loved ones and at the hearth fires of home. This is the time of offering freely of yourself and seeking out the most appropriate gift to express your feelings. This is the time of action as the business of the season moves us from party to home to work to shopping and in this business we generate our own sparking heat from the efforts taken and the love shared.

In the Southern Hemisphere the focus is on the warmer weather and getting outdoors once again to visit with and enjoy the activities of Spring and Summer. We take holiday and set aside extra time to enjoy relaxed time with those we cherish. The Sun shines brightly growing in its strength and the longer days seduce us to remain longer in the heat. We feel energized, alive and a willingly participant in the glory of life and all the new adventures we set off upon.

Although the celebrations of the season and the time in the Greater Outdoors pass, as the Solar Month progresses the lessons gained from seeking out others to come play and join in the experience is one of expanding what and who you know. This is the true growing of an abundant and prosperous life, filled with joy and the people who catalyze that joyful state within you as you pass it along to those you interact with.

Aim High, Breathe Deep and Just Let Go!

This solar month is one of focus on striving actively towards reaching our goals, expanding our circle of community, resources and talents and seeing where all of this takes us. This is the Solar month of adventure, exploration and trying on something new to see how it fits.

In the chronology of the Zodiac, this is the space of time to prepare to step into your full glory. To assess your strengths and weaknesses and than put them out there for reaction and response from others. The next phase of this Solar journey carries us into Capricorn and the results of all the hard work and effort are gathered in a place of recognition for work accomplished and reprimand for stones left unturned. This is the energy of the mature man or woman who has the confidence in their abilities to clearly see where they should affirm their loyalties and take action.

And, so in the spirit of adventure that is Sagittarius, we call forth the energy of the Sun as it continues its zodiacal cycle. Once again we repeat the invocation that opened the Gate to this Temple. As you read through it think back to the first time you were social and accepted for who you were without question. Think back to all the plans, goals and desires to be a mover and a changer, carving your own paths and inspiring others along the way. This is the gift of Sagittarius.

As you read through the invocation, think about what each line of reference evokes within you and stimulates your own desire to hold as mystery that only you can reveal as you seek its deeper meaning. What passions are stirred as you read of RA’s power as expressed within the heart felt words put to paper. This is the power of creativity and its ability to transform all that it touches. Use this gift wisely this solar month as we invoke the Solar month in Sagittarius and awaken those fires of RA to quicken your surrender to the death of false perception and the rebirth of who you truly are.

Hymn to RA

All Hail to Thee, Mighty RA
Blaze of noon day sun.

Your fiery orb high in the
Sky above as we kneel
Beneath the heat of
Your radiance.

All the Gods bow to your radiance
All the Goddesses sing hymns of praise
To Your glory and man
Lays prostrate in humility
And devotion at the altar of
Your making.

Sweet music of adoration and offerings
Brought forth from the Black Land
Rise up in praise and thanks for
Your Sustaining Light.

All darkness flees at the touch of Your hand
All ceases its movement as Your expansive
Rays stretch across the morning sky.

The lotus opens to receive Your Touch
And the sands glisten as rare jewels
As You gaze upon each grain washed
Clean in the boundless ocean that
Reflects the brilliance of your face.

All Hail to Thee
Amun-RA
All Hail to Thee
Who sits high
Above the world.

Khepra in the East
Atum in the West
Whose eye holds the
Point of Life and the
Trifold Arc of Power.

Your eyes see all and
You are the place of return
Within the glowing blackness
Of the Midnight Sun.

All Hail to Thee
All Hail to Thee
Amun, Amun, Amen!

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The Mysteries of Fertile Flow: Full Moon in Taurus

Posted in Auspicious Days, Full Moon, Lunar, Solar, The Temple of the Sun, Waxing Moon with tags Eagle, earth, fixed modality, Four Holy Creatures, Full moon, Lunar Magick, Scorpio, Taurus, Temple of the Sun, Water, winged bull on November 3, 2014 by themagickalpen

San_Miguel_de_Allende_Mexico_137

Full Moon in Taurus
November 6.2014
5:23 p.m. (EST)

Sun in Scorpio

Darkened waters
Flow in earth’s
Fertile Temple.

Moon light finds
Crevices of opening
Lighting the waters
That hold the mystery
Of foundation’s story.

I seek the solace of
What is hidden deep
Beneath and promises
Structure of earthen form.

I seek what lay in the
Dark waters that will
Support and uphold
My stepping into
The vast unknown.

I call forth the
Guardians that hold
The key to my Soul’s
Deepest desires and
From their grace I find
That fertile space of
Mysterious flow.

The Moon waxes Full on Thursday in the astrological sign of Taurus (Fixed Earth) and you can feel the build up intensely as it reaches deeply into the very core of who we are as physical beings. The opposition of astrological energy that naturally occurs during a Full Moon phase is the tug of war between what appear to be opposing energies. At the time of this Full Moon the Solar energy is expressed by an astrological sign who remains hidden and cloaked by the persona it chooses to present (Scorpio) and the very concrete and tangible energy of a Full Moon in Taurus, the earthy sign of strength and fearless in putting itself out there.

This is the Full Moon that occurs during the “tween” stages of death (Samhain in the Northern Hemisphere) and anticipated creation of newly conceived forms (Beltane in the Southern Hemisphere). Each holds the mystery of a cycle that continues in process eternally as something decays and disintegrates to give way to something fresh, new and with promise.

Everything about the Solar Month of Scorpio feels mysterious and dynamic and ready to be explored intensely and with fervor. Scorpio as a water sign amps up the intuitive nature and Taurus as the holder of Mother Moon’s burgeoning, provides the stable container through which they may flow strongly. Because of its placement at the heart of the thinning of the veils of Samhain (and Beltane) we reach out to ancestor and beings of the Greater earth with a deep yearning to know more of their wisdom, feel the blessings of their gifts and enter the healing waters of solace at being able to connect once again with what we can no longer see.

This Full Moon makes optimal use of the Fixed modality of both of its astrological signs. The fixed Water of Scorpio and the Fixed Earth of Taurus. We have discussed previously the energy of the Four Holy Creatures as being held within these two of the four signs of attribution (Aquarius and Leo, being the other two). Here we see the tension of opposition between the winged Bull of Taurus and the Eagle of Scorpio. Both ascending to loftier heights and thus leaving their baser more primal qualities behind, yet both still of the Animal Kingdom. One the king of the skies (Eagle) and the other the master of Earth’s strength (Bull).

The natural point of opposition here between Moon and Sun is one of remaining firmly grounded in Spirit (winged Bull of Taurus) and the unlimited soaring above towards the point and source of Spirit in its highest form (the eagle of Scorpio). The opportunity here is one of transcending emotions that hold you inert and allowing them to rise in meeting the expression of their true form and fullness informed from the wellspring of a wisdom that is from a Higher source. Envision this:

The Moon shines brightly in her fullness across a landscape of firm earth. You stand in the beams of Her glory, anchored, strong and with a heart that beats fiercely and strongly; ready to guard and protect all that you hold dear. You walk with authority moving across fertile ground and the damp earth beneath gives way at the weight and might of your physical form.

You breathe in air that is full and richly scented with life that await beneath the surface of your domain and pride and confidence flow from each footfall. You continue to walk and the ground beneath becomes moister with each step, water bubbling up from beneath this surface as moonlight sparkles now like diamonds on its gently moving surface. You take another step and feel the sharp pain of a stinger pierce the flesh of your foot and all the nerve endings in your body awaken in response. You feel the thrill of pain and life as you are moved from the reveries of your power.

Visions of crystal clarity and the knowledge that you have stepped on a creature hidden in the soft soil beneath flood through you. A brilliance of light flashes and the light of the Moon is now the brilliance of the Sun shining down on parched land. You are surprised that one has given way to the other. You see the vast expanse of all that surrounds and look upward towards the burning orb of Sun. You feel the warmth of heated waters beneath your feet and the pain you felt gives way to soothing heat. You have never felt more alive and more connected to all that surrounds and is within you.

You breathe deeply into this space of power and strength the veiling of the world around disappears and you find yourself once again in the brilliance of Mother Moon’s Full Light. The beating of your heart strong and affirming your physical form and the uplifting of your spirits complete as emotion and body, heart and temple of precious life are one.

The Mysteries of Fertile Flow

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On this evening of the Full Moon I am going to make optimal use of honoring the vessel of my human form and allow the flowing waters of fertility and strength to create new streams of opening to those deeper waters of my emotional self. I will stand strong in the deepened waters rooted in my humanity and the many ways I choose to express it. I will call on the tension of a Sun that holds strong in what boils deep in the caverns of what I have created as place of prison and limitation for its growth and expression. I will look more deeply at what is held within that will nurture, safe guard and be brought into the healing light of Mother Moon’s grace, no longer cowering in the dark. These are the mysteries I will seek and carry with me into Friday evening as the potency of Astrological Samhain calls me to re-member.

Resources and Reflections

The Temple of the Moon:
Day Twenty-Two:Waning Moon in Taurus

Check back Friday for a Special Post about Astrological Samhain

November 7.2014
7:56 am

Sun in Scorpio: Open the Flood Gates and Lift the Veils

Posted in Astrology, Auspicious Days, New Moon, The Temple of the Sun on October 22, 2014 by themagickalpen

Sun in Scorpio
10.23.2014
7:57 am (EDT)

New Moon in Scorpio
5:57 pm (EDT)
Solar Eclipse (Partial)

Planetary Ruler: Pluto

AND
Venus Transits into Scorpio (4:52 p.m. EDT)
2/days left of the Mercury Retrograde that begin on October 4th – October 25th

You Think You Know ME?
You may think that you know Me
But my masks are many and I hide
My secrets well.

My passions are intense and move
Through me flowing like hot lava
Despite my conservative
And cool exterior.

And those of you who think
Me cold and unfeeling
Only see the mastery of my
Facade which protects the exposed
Soft belly beneath.

It is often in the dark of night
That I find the greatest solace
But if I linger too long that place
Of comfort becomes the prison
From which I strain and struggle
To break free.

I pause and breathe deeply
To allow the realization that
These walls of confinement
Are My frightened emotion’s
Creation; and the walls crumble
Around me as the light of Dawn
Filters through.

The sands of time shift and flow
From one tightly held container
To another.

The truths of my own history’s
Stories are drawn up from the
Darkness and into the blazing sun.

I examine them and relearn the
Greater lessons of pain and the
Exquisite pleasure of self
Knowledge contained in each.

And, once mastered and reclaimed
As paths back to myself my Spirit soars
And all see me as transformed
The burden has been lifted
And, I look once again towards
The full Light of Day.

No, you will never know
All of my Secrets
Many lay hidden
Buried even to me.

But, without their stories
To be lived you would not be
Charmed and seduced by
My enigmatic charisma.

Tomorrow will be a power house of astrological energy with multiple configurations to weave your own personal magick within. The Sun transits into the astrological sign of Scorpio at 7;57 am (EDT) and 10-hours later the Moon transits New into Scorpio as a partial Solar Eclipse punctuates the activities. As if this isn’t enough, Venus, the planet of relationships and beauty transits into Scorpio at 4:52 pm. and Mercury completes the last 2-days of its retrograde which began on October 4th; stationing direct on October 25th. Now you may thinking to yourself, too much information!; but, looking at a broader picture that is inclusive of some key points that can be harnessed productively is never TMI. As we begin our day entering the mysterious realms of Scorpio, the advent of All Souls’ Day/Samhain rises up to greet us.

The astrological sign of Scorpio is one of the Element of Water and the Fixed Modality. Its planetary ruler is Pluto; the cold planet of the underworld that lay shrouded far away from plain sight. The natural energy of the Sun, that of shedding great light on whatever is in its spectrum, starts the work of heating the waters of the emotional landscape so that the hidden secrets of what really underlines their intention can come to the surface. The Sun in Scorpio provides optimum illumination to enter those hidden corridors of the psyche, our own personal underworld and engage those aspects of being that may never see the light, nor the transformation available from a perspective of strengthening sunlight.

This solar month has maximum potential for reinventing ourselves much like the attribution of the three levels of archetypal energy gifted to Scorpio. The Scorpion is the most well known and the sting of that creature when provoked comes up from the nether regions of our emotional experiences making known its otherwise hidden energy. The Eagle, second of the archetypes speaks of the ability to see far and with accurate focus when we have learned to master those primary instincts that guide our emotional survival. And, the last of these archetypes is that of the majestic Phoenix. The alchemical mythical bird that has ability to transmute through the fires of purification and rise from the ashes reborn and renewed.

The caution with Scorpio lay in the innate ability of this sign’s energy to cloak and mask what is in turmoil and turn to addictive and self-deprecating behavior as the energy sinks deeper into the black abyss. Because Scorpio is a fixed water sign, the stability and structure that would normally be achieved by the fixed nature becomes the unyielding pool that holds waters destined to stagnate if not brought to a place of movement and light.

Pluto is the Ruling Planet of Scorpio. It is the furthest away from Earth and the Sun with very little known of its true nature. This can also be said of the dynamics of Scorpio. Those born with their natal Sun in Scorpio stand in the background silently observing, taking it all in, formulating their opinions and then retreating just as covertly as they arrived. Pluto is the higher vibration of the planet Mars and the assertive energy that is Mars becomes transformed into dynamic and potent powers of persuasion. Calling up this energy in a productive manner and bolstering it with the energy of the Sun can produce a scenario that is magnetic in its effect on anything it is applied towards.

In the case of Scorpio, the ability to actively tap into the dynamically charged power of transformation is focused on what emotions serve as the catalyst for passionately pursuing what is desired. Scorpio has an intensity that stirs and prods the intuitive self to stand front and center. The goal of keeping hidden in plain sight requires a sensitivity that most do not recognize as such. Knowing when, where and how to allow a little more of the true self to be seen and when to remain in lock down are skills that are crafted most successfully when honed through the emotions and the subconscious storehouse of memory of what has served and what has not. It is from this place that our most treasured imaginings and visions have the potential to become reality. Magickally, when we fuel our desire from the moving waters of our intuitive nature nothing can stop the tremendous force as the floodgates open.

The Element of Water

The energy of Water is that of the Emotions and the expression of the heart felt desires guided by the feeling process. All of the Water signs hold great potential for developing the healing and compassionate aspects of their emotional being. Clarity of these waters determines the connection to the intuitive nature that flows freely when our emotions are open and receptive to receiving the information.

Although Scorpio is a water sign; there is an underlying nature of fire held within the scorpion influence. This is the sign of ultimate and permanent transformation. But, beware! Scorpio is also the master of pulling up to the surface those things that lay buried deep within, even if they are not ready to be exposed.

A Fixed Modality

As we have already experienced with the Fixed signs their primary directive is that of providing the suitable container that can synthesize and provide the necessary structure to change the course of what it receives and what it disburses. The first Fixed sign we encountered was appropriately one of Earth (Taurus) the epitome of organized and foundational structure. The fixed quality of this sign was one of affirmation of how the qualities of synthesis and holding steady what is under its care provides the necessary seeding place for continuation of what was begun in a variety of forms.

The second of the Fixed signs was expressed through a Fire sign, Leo. Here the emphasis was one of courage and fire that was wild, yet controlled in its impact. The spotlight shone brightly on what had been gathered into a place of magnetic and dynamically charged strength that knew of the need to provide for and feed what it nurtured.

We now have arrived at the third of the Fixed signs, Scorpio, and the waters of the heart carve deep crevices in the foundations that strain to hold them. AS these waters leave their mark along the way, the channel created will dip and hide from view as needed to ensure a flow that remains uninterrupted in its course towards more expansive seas.

The waters flow
Emerging from deep
Wells hidden in the
Body of Gaia’s earth.

Nothing stands in the
Way of primal instinct
Survival and the safe
Guarding of the
Vessel that holds
The source of outpouring.

Waters bubble up
Running free and wild
Across parched sea beds
And revive the hidden
Life that yearns for
Mysteries lessons.

Waters soar high
Reaching like heated
Geyser spraying
Droplets of potent
Rain as dry throats
Open to receive its grace.

The time is now and
All heart is laid bare
Open and vulnerable
As stinger extends and
Pierces the barrier of
Restraint that has held
Time’s hand prisoner.

The New Moon in Scorpio

I like to use the energy of the New Moon in Scorpio to begin the process of opening to the call of the ancestors and the final harvest. Scorpio has natural ability to draw from the subconscious what is needed to connect to the astral and ephemeral realms as well as the insight of intuitive vision that lay within. I am including a link to a pathworking that I wrote some time ago that can be used as preparation for the opening of the veils and communing with ancestors. I would use this several times during the next few weeks leading up to astrological Samhain (not on the Oct. 31st) on November 7th.

Excerpt:Parting the Veils and Opening to Ancestral Wisdom

Find a quiet space where you will not be disturbed and sit comfortably allowing your breath to establish an even and relaxed rhythm. Make note of any tension you may be holding in your body and as you exhale gently breathe that tension out; allowing it to drop around you like beads of water. Allow any thoughts that wish to have your attention to be acknowledged and then gently let go to pass as leaves in a gently flowing stream. Draw your consciousness up to rest in the space of your third eye and mid-forehead. See in this space a blank inner screen. You are sitting as observer and you take note of a small blue dot of energy that is central within that space. As you continue to breathe deeply and fully you see that the blue sphere is expanding and coming to fill the entirety of the space in front of you. You feel the energy of thousands of tiny blue dots comprising this veil of mist and you issue forth the intent of communing with your Ancestors and seeking their wisdom. You take a deep breath in. As you slowly and gently exhale you step through this mist and emerge to find that you are standing in the center of a moonlit forest clearing. You see the silhouette of tall shapely trees just ahead of you and can smell the fragrant burning of wood wafting through the air. Read More at WitchVox:

The Solar Eclipse:

Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute

A Solar Eclipse occurs only at the time of a New Moon and when the Moon passes between Sun and Earth, partially or fully blocking the sun’s light. I think of this as a veiling of the Sun’s Light with the Moon’s energies acting like the polarized lenses of glasses. You are aware that the sunlight is strong and intensely bright, but the glare has been filtered and the shading serves to bring out the deepest and richest colors and details that would otherwise be lost in the brilliance of the light. Tomorrow’s eclipse is a partial one, so being receptive to where that greater detail ebbs and flows as the Moon moves across the path of the Sun of strengthening can give additional insight that is needed to begin the process of connecting more deeply to your emotional motivations.

Credit: MrEclipse.com

The Eagle

The astrological sign of Scorpio is the third of the Fixed Modalities and one of the Four Holy Creatures in its elevated form. The Fixed Modality is the mid-station between what is newly birthed in the burst of Cardinal outpouring and what becomes the flexible and pliable essence of synthesis that is the Mutable modality. Each of the four Fixed signs of the Zodiac has within its stable container of structure the potential to reform and transform what enters into it and bring it to its highest expression. These higher forms are one of the meanings of the Four Holy Creatures of esoteric work.

They are:

Taurus- The Winged Bull- Earth
Leo- The Winged Lion- Fire
Scorpio- The Eagle- Water
Aquarius- The Winged Man- Air

The representation of the Eagle in this particular Solar Eclipse is one of reminding ourselves of the pinnacle and loftiness that can be achieved when we flow in accord with the natural strivings and reachings of an inspired heart. The Eagle soars high above, selectively choosing what will nourish it, where it will create its home and always carried on the winds of an inspired mind.

The astrological sign of Scorpio is an energy that thrives in the experience of the mystical, occult and esoteric. With this energy as the underpinning of this Solar Eclipse we could interpret the energy available from an esoteric perspective. We already have learned that Scorpio is the great transformer. Scorpio is also the master of death and rebirth. It primary goal is one of uncovering and revealing what lay buried in the deepest and darkest recesses of our being. This is achieved through the work of introspection and feeling our way through each of the labyrinth like structures we have created.

The last Solar Eclipse occurred in April in Scorpio’s opposing sign of Taurus. The strengthening of the Moon’s energy as it moved across the face of the Sun then, was one of building sure and steady foundations that would allow the expression of the emotional self to bask in the security and safe guarding that Taurus could provide. Now at this opposite end of that pole we are ready to allow the flood gates of our emotional reserves to receive the same strengthening from Father Sun. The choice here lay in whether we allow the out-picturing of this action to be accented by a lashing out of emotions driven only be instinct, or can rise above to see what is really occurring under the surface. The ultimate gift of this Solar Eclipse is one of allowing the gentle rays of sun’s light to burn off the dross of emotional sabotage and rise from the experience reborn.

Re-read: New Moon in Taurus: Dig Deep, Stand Strong and Soar

Venus Transits into Scorpio: The Dark and Mysterious Female

Venus is the planet extraordinaire regarding love beauty, refinement, passion and the interlacing of hearts. So, having this planet move through the passionate waters of Scorpio means that the experience will be one that is unforgettable. This is the proverbial “bad girl” archetype that possesses easily, takes what she wants, makes no excuses for her behavior and fully embraces all that life has to offer. And, all the while the recipient of this energy languishes in the beauty and fullness of what transpires.

Read More about the planet Venus: The Temple of Venus

Mercury Retrograde in Libra

And, finally, Mercury holds strong with its mishaps and miscommunications for the last two days of its retrograde. Those last sputterings of blockades to effective and productive communication are just about ready to open up and the speed with which things will return to normal can be head spinning to say the least. Mercury began its retrograde in Scorpio and continued its retrograde back into Libra where it picks up momentum at the mid-point (16-degree) marker on October 25th when it stations direct.

Using the flow of its energy we call upon the balance of mind held within the refinement of Libra (Air//Intellect) and align this with communication that holds the mind focused in the waters of Scorpio’s Moon and Sun. As the momentum of this planet’s energy resumes during the Solar Month we have the opportunity to build upon this melding of mind and heart. Don’t be surprised if it is easier to communicate your emotional truths during this period; and some revelations that you normally may have been keeping hidden are ready to be tested in the light of day.

The Next Step

Knowing how each sign moves to the next and the interaction between each as they evolve towards completion (and threshold of renewal) of the wheel in Pisces tells its own unique story of the astrological wheel. Scorpio is the eighth sign of the Zodiac. Numerologically, the number Eight (8) relates to the image of the Lemniscate, eternity and the cyclical nature of all cosmic action. The lessons gathered and acted upon within the Seven now arrive at a state of moving seamlessly and simultaneously within the past of our experience, the present of our current awareness and the future that beckons us to surrender to the evolutionary seas of refined shores.

If we look at the dynamics of energy thus far, beginning with the cardinal sign of Aries, we could think of the three signs that begin the astrological wheel as the quickening Fires (Aries- Fire) within the body of manifestation (Taurus- Earth) that gives rise to aspiring towards the heavens (Gemini- Air). Now enlivened by the desire to “know”, the healing and nurturing (Cancer- Water) of what no longer serves this goal is brought front and center into the Light of Day (Leo-Fire) to be strengthened as it is readied for the detailed analysis of Virgo (Earth) that seeks to create a new form for its manifestation. Libra (Air) applied the finishing touches to what Virgo had reduced to the most essential components. Using the adaptability and deftness of a mind that could easily calculate and mentally weigh both benefits and detriments, Libra moved with skill and grace to accomplish what was made ready. Moving into the energy of Scorpio each step along the way served to prepare and fine tune what needs the ultimate transformation of death through release; rebirth through greater knowledge of Thyself. These waters have carried many far out to sea and depending upon what preparations were made, these were forever lost in the pervasive darkness of emotional overflow. If successfully navigated the shores upon which they arrived offered a space of renewal and the gift of mastery over a turbulent sea.

At this time of the year, we see the mystical gifts of Scorpio expressed as the veils open to the otherworld and heart is kindled by the desire to once again seek the wisdom of what was and the promise of what will be. This time marks the celebrations of Samhain and Beltane in Northern and Southern Hemispheres respectively. The common denominator is that of access to wisdom and thus the opportunity to use what is gifted towards the transformation of your physical and spiritual existence. Samhain honors the beloved dead who have crossed the veils and the seeking of their knowledge in guiding us towards greater awareness. We seek answers, move in reference as the air becomes dense and thick as realms of existence merge and synthesize becoming as one for this brief period of time. In the Southern Hemisphere the focus is on the fertility of Beltane, the promise of union and the blessing of new life emerging from the veils of what waits conception and new incarnation in physical form. We honor the life of the Greater Earth and the blossoming of fullness and strength of full sun’s light. Although the celebrations pass, as the Solar Month progresses the lessons gained the experience of life and death and the reminders of our place within that sacred cycle grow and expand as the tides of our heart open to new shores of expression.

Open the Flood Gates and Lift the Veils:

This solar month is one of focus on what moves and stirs us at the deepest levels of our emotional expression. In the chronology of the Zodiac, this is the space of time to prepare for what lay ahead and enter into the journey fully present and engaged- heart, mind, body and Soul. This is the energy of the mature man or woman who has measured the full worth of their potential and is now ready to express their deepest fears and their greatest loves as the waters pour forth. The veiling of pretense and assumption of what they are not falls away and what is left is raw, exposed and vulnerable. Libra provided the vision of beauty: Scorpio must now actively seek it and bring it to life within its birthing waters.

And, so in the spirit and intensity of Scorpio, we call forth the energy of the Sun as it continues its zodiacal cycle. Once again we repeat the invocation that opened the Gate to this Temple. As you read through it think back to the first great secret you held close to your heart. The excitement of knowing something that others did not and the deeper insight it gave.

As you read through the invocation, think about what each line of reference evokes within you and stimulates your own desire to hold as mystery that only you can reveal as you seek its deeper meaning. What passions are stirred as you read of RA’s power as expressed within the heart felt words put to paper. This is the power of creativity and its ability to transform all that it touches. Use this gift wisely this solar month as we invoke the Solar month in Scorpio and awaken those fires of RA to quicken your surrender to the death of false perception and the rebirth of who you truly are.