Scorpio Full Moon 5/14 Life's Balance

I hope the height of spring is being kind to you. I hope the last two weeks have brought you much needed light and celebration. I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy the abundance and beauty that surrounds our side of the planet this time of year. The new moon in Taurus was just what we needed after an eclipse cycle and an intense celestial alignments. And even though I have found some relief in the blue skies, warm sun and fresh flowers and fruits, I cannot help but feel Taurus's astrological partner bearing down.

Taurus and the celebration of fertility, Beltane, is directly across the wheel from Scorpio, and the celebration of death, Samhain. During the Taurus new moon, which happens mid-spring, we get a taste of life's balance as the moon reaches her zenith. Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio is closer to us now than he usually is, as he is the furthest planet and takes the longest to go around the sun. Pluto has been a part of many of the current changes and crises and as king of the underworld, shaman of transformation, holder of power and teacher in death, sex and renewal, he casts a mighty shadow amidst the brilliant light of spring.

I am trying to focus on the beauty of life, the blessings, the gifts, the miracles. But it's hard to focus on the bountiful farmer's market when the honey bees that make it possible are facing mass extinction at our hands, or the flirtatious frolics of Beltane when more than 200 young girls have been kidnapped in Nigeria. It's hard to celebrate the mother giving birth when I want to mourn the mother who has lost a child.

I have also been reading a lot about the state of our planet in an Eco activism course and while I try to focus on all the good happening and the people committed to a sustainable future, it's hard to read statistics and stories about poison, pollution, greed, corruption, birth defects, GMO's and not feel sick and hopeless. But this is the balance of life.

There is no light, without darkness, growth without decay, birth without death. Without struggle, how do we change? Without challenge, how do we rise? Without winter, how would we appreciate summer? I have been taught that while in human form, there will always be duality. This is what we sign up for when we come here. The secret that Pluto forces into the light on this full moon, is that we have to look at the darkness and the light. We have to see them, know them, honor them both. It's okay to wail when tragedy occurs, or throw up when you read about something that devastates you. We don't need to ignore it or become De-sensitized. We also don't need to become violent ourselves and cause more harm.

Empathy is one of the most important lessons we can learn, and the sooner we learn it, the sooner our world changes for the better. Pluto is not going anywhere. There will always be things we cannot control or understand or like. But there is a balance. The balance that comes from grieving with grace, being of service, being grateful, being real. Because shit is getting real.

The Scorpio full moon is not all darkness. It is also said to be the moon Buddha was born under and because of that, it holds more potential than any other to transmute negativity and connect to divinity.

Deal with your darkness on this full moon. Cry, rage, stomp, scream. Grieve, mourn, weep, share your story, struggles, disappointments and angers. Then be still. Thing about the gifts, the life still happening all around you. Offer a prayer, a song, or silence to the moon. Ask for the balance needed to walk this world in a good way, an awake way, an empathic, compassionate, loving way.

There is no way to get rid of the shadow. There is no way to get rid of the death in life. But there is a way to live in beauty, no matter what. As always, it is our choice how we receive and respond to these cycles.

I want to offer you a couple mantras as blessings on this full moon. If you feel inclined, chant them. Chanting is very powerful. They are both from Buddhist traditions, which feels appropriate, too. The translations for these vary, fyi, but it is more about how you feel when you say it.

The first is longer and one I use for Samhain/Scorpio cycle in October:
Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Swaha
(Gone gone gone beyond, gone completely beyond, into awakeness, so be it.)

The second is shorter and is said to encompass all of the Buddha's teachings:
Om Mani Padme Hum
(Homage to the pearl in the Lotus)
So much love and light to you and all the world!
#bringbackourgirls

Taurus New Moon/Solar Eclipse~ Invoking the Earth Goddess

Taurus New Moon/Solar Eclipse~ Invoking the Earth Goddess

"We ask for the presence of the spirit of Gaia and pray that the breath of life continues to caress this planet home.

"May we grow into true understanding — a deep understanding that inspires us to protect the tree on which we bloom, and the water, soil, and atmosphere without which we have no existence.

"May we turn inward and stumble upon our true roots in the intertwining biology of this exquisite planet. May nourishment and power pulse through these roots, and fierce determination to continue the billion-year dance.

"May love well up and burst forth from our hearts.

"May there be a new dispensation of pure and powerful consciousness and the charter to witness and facilitate the healing of the tattered biosphere.

"We ask for the presence of the spirit of Gaia to be with us here. To reveal to us all that we need to see, for our own highest good and for the highest good of all.

"We call upon the spirit of evolution, the miraculous force that inspires rocks and dust to weave themselves into biology. You have stood by us for millions and billions of years — do not forsake us now. Empower us and awaken in us pure and dazzling creativity. You that can turn scales into feathers, seawater to blood, caterpillars to butterflies — metamorphose our species, awaken in us the powers that we need to survive the present crisis and evolve into more eons of our solar journey.,br>
"Awaken in us a sense of who we truly are: tiny ephemeral blossoms on the Tree of Life. Make the purpose and destiny of that tree our own purpose and destiny.

"Fill each of us with love for our true Self, which includes all of the creatures and plants and landscapes of the world. Fill us with a powerful urge for the well-being and continual unfolding of this Self.

"May we speak in all human councils on behalf of the animals and plants and landscapes of the Earth.

"May we shine with a pure inner passion that will spread rapidly through these leaden times.

"May we all awaken to our true and only nature — none other than the nature of Gaia, this living planet Earth.

"We call upon the power that sustains the planets in their orbits, that wheels our Milky Way in its 200-million-year spiral, to imbue our personalities and our relationships with harmony, endurance, and joy. Fill us with a sense of immense time so that our brief, flickering lives may truly reflect the work of vast ages past and also the million of years of evolution whose potential lies in our trembling hands.

"O stars, lend us your burning passion.

"O silence, give weight to our voice.

"We ask for the presence of the spirit of Gaia." (Invocation by John Seed)

I have been quoting a lot more in these musings lately, and I think it is partly because I am back in school and in the role of the student, one of my favorites, as I am constantly having my mind blown with new info I want to share. I also think that being in school, working, baby, life, etc have made it so I need to fill up more. I don't have as much to give, so I need help, help to inspire me, guide me, teach me and support me in this time of transition and transformation.

The last few weeks have been intense. But we knew that. As I write this, we are moving into the cardinal cross alignment, right between the lunar and solar eclipses, the full and new moon. The energy is waning, time for release and surrender is here. Everyone I know is feeling these shifts in different ways but we are all, human, plant, animal, we are all feeling it. Additionally, this past weekend was Easter, a celebration of rebirth, and we also have Earth day (4/22), a celebration to bring awareness and change to the environment. Release, surrender, rebirth, awareness, change. Powerful words. Too powerful to experience alone.

That brings me to the above opening invocation and the upcoming new moon and solar eclipse in Taurus.

Taurus is the sign most closely associated with the earth Goddess, also called "Gaia."She is ruled by Venus, but her energies of intent are fixed earth, or maintaining the physical realm. Taurus connects us to the slow, deep, sensual powers of the cycle, and it makes sense as she firmly holds the mid point of Spring on the celestial wheel. Taurus time brings us the most fecund, juicy, sweet and playful part of the season, as we see in the cross-quarter day of Beltane (May 1st, 2 days after the new moon)

As we are reborn from the universal womb into the new cycle, we emerge into the loving, magical hands of the Goddess. Gaia is alive and ready to greet us with beauty and joy after our long journey through the eclipse vortex. But unlike the traditional helpless infant who can only take from his mother, a relationship we have been engaged in for too long, the hope is that, after this huge transition, we can take care of her, just as she takes care of us. We can give to her, as she gives to us. We can love her, as she loves us. We can sustain life on her and she can sustain life in us.

The vision I hold for this new moon, accentuated as it is by the eclipse, is a delicious new relationship with self, other and planet. I hope this past month has opened our minds, hearts and eyes and we can find gratitude for all of our life. We can be grateful and reverent in this gift. As we celebrate mid-spring, the feminine and the Taurus cycle, we do it with reciprocity and consciousness. Taurus loves to be in the body and we often feel lustful and sensual in her light, but perhaps rather than a selfish lust, we bring it to nature. Long walks with bare feet, planting seeds in a sacred way, dancing or making love on the earth, as was a traditional Beltane rite. We celebrate her and she celebrates us through the blossoming happening all around us.

And, don't forget, during this month we honor Mother's Day (May 11)! What can you offer to the great mother of us all?

Take care of yourself, but do it in a healthy way. Get to the farmer's market and buy local, fresh foods to enjoy and share, Go for a hike and thank the trees, or plant one! Buy yourself a new outfit or goodies made from a local, sustainable company, give your home and yard a makeover with green and eco options! We can be sensual and sensible. If we bring Gaia into our comforts, into our hearts, she responds a hundred fold.

"Awaken in us a sense of who we truly are: tiny ephemeral blossoms on the Tree of Life. Make the purpose and destiny of that tree our own purpose and destiny."

I love John Seed's invocation. I encourage you to read it out loud as you pray, meditate, walk in nature or participate in any Beltane rituals. It is a sweet way to connect and set strong intent for this cycle. I also encourage you to get out, onto the earth and just as we need to ask for help from those around us when we lack inspiration or support, Gaia needs us. We need each other. Offer yourself to her in whatever way you see fit, and receive her in the same way. The time is now, in the height of light and life, to show our gratitude and re-connect to our deepest roots and to Gaia.

I wish you all a magical and blessed new moon, a sacred and sensual Beltane and may the highest magic of mid-spring, renewal, fertility and joy be with us all, and with the earth.

Virgo Full Moon 3/16/14 Planting a new garden

"After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans, And futures have a way of going down in mid flight.

After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much, so plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn, that you really are strong and you really can endure;

And you learn and learn.....with every good bye you learn."

(Comes the Dawn by Debra Rich)

I carried the above poem around in my wallet for years. I think the first time I read it was in a "Dear Abby" newspaper column or something similar. I recall how something stirred in me as I read and re-read the words. I was much younger, at the place where I was truly learning the difference between a "woman's grace" and a "child's grief." I actually have not seen it in a couple years. Then, the other day, I received an email for a poetry exchange, kind of a chain email thing, asking me to send an inspirational quote, prayer, etc to the next woman's name on the list, then continue it on. For whatever reason, the Rich poem came to mind and has stayed with me.

I was pondering the upcoming Virgo full moon. I still ponder Virgo much more than any other sign, though I have been trying to learn more as my son carries not only a Virgo moon but a Virgo rising. I know Virgo is symbolized by the "Virgin," a word that traditionally meant "one who belongs to herself." I also know it's energy and element are mutable earth and that she is ruled by Mercury and connected to healing, organizing and cleansing. Still, nothing ignited in my intuition.

I considered where this full moon falls in the natural wheel: directly between the Pisces new moon and Aries new moon. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I feel like Pisces cycle is intended to close the last cycle, washing the old away in her sacred rain, absorbing all parts of the past and reminding us that we are all connected. Aries, as we shall soon see, is the beginning of the active season, the young, independent, excited candle, eager to make her mark and get the party started.

If I feel these energies in my body, which Virgo rules the human body, and in the changing earth around me, Pisces is the melting snow, the spring rains that prepare the soil. Aries is the divine spark that activates the seed and blossoms to the light. Virgo full moon would then be everything between the healing waters and transforming fires. She is the seed, the earth where the seed is planted and the flower that shall soon grow.

This image brought the poem back.

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul."

The first part of the poem is the waters of Pisces. The realization of what has past, all that has changed, the emotion of letting go of what was. We then move into Virgo: the healer and the gardener of our inner and outer garden. The full moon illuminates our grief and cycles completed, and yet she also shows us where we have grown and how we can take the old and use it to prepare the soil to plant new seeds, seeds that have potential to spark and take flight.

This full moon has the power to heal old wounds, cleanse our bodies/minds/hearts and guide us in choosing wisely where and what to plant in the cycle ahead. Get out on the earth under this moon. Write about the last year or just the last month. Write about what you release and what you will plant. Sit or stand bare against the soil, the fertile ground. Ask to receive the healing and guidance needed for the Spring ahead.

Use the last two weeks of winter, between now and equinox, the remainder of Pisces watery rule, to plan the most beautiful, abundant, magical garden. Perhaps it exists only within, or maybe you could plan something for the outside, too. Use the next fourteen days to prepare, continuing to work with water (Pisces) and earth (Virgo) as you absorb, heal and become inspired to let your garden grow.

Full moon love & abundant blessings to you, the earth and to all beings!