Aries full moon and total lunar eclipse 10/8

The nature of fire.

I am writing this in the car as we drive home from Joshua tree. I have been in the car a lot this last cycle, driving from Oregon trees to Malibu beach and down into the high desert.

There have been many things to reflect on in these hours on the road, watching nature change as the car speeds from one place to the next.

Fire is one of them.

Northern California was covered in smoke, Mt Shasta barely discernable in the  haze, from wild fire as we winded down the 5 freeway. Central Cali was barren, beaten down by the heat of the sun and the brutal drought. The mountains around Malibu were also rather dry and the wind blew hot for October even on the beach. The desert was beautiful, cooler than the valley but the sun still offered triple digits. On my first night in Joshua Tree, we shared in a fire ceremony. Yes, fire is all around us.

This full moon, the second in four total lunar eclipses, has been on my mind, and she is also claimed by fire. Aries, cardinal fire, the initiator, the war God, our passion, aggression and personal flame. The Aries full moon is always an invitation to trial by fire but the lunar eclipse upgrades the heat from candle to wild fire, much like the ones that have been burning through my state.

The thing about fire is that it is so necessary. Life doesn't exist without the sun, humans would not have evolved without their ability to create and sustain a flame. Even the wild fires stimulate a kind of transformation in the earth that awakens new seeds and growth.

Fire is destructive, dangerous and volatile. Fire is creative, inspiring and powerful.

Not going to lie, I am a little anxious about the current climate politically, energetically, emotionally, spiritually, physically. The planet is changing, the fires of transformation are already burning bright and book ended by Mercury retrograde, we enter an eclipse cycle fueled by fire and water, Aries and Scorpio, Mars and Pluto, war and death and yet, also passion and re birth.

I have read so many interesting things about these energies swirling and spiraling, but as I, too, am a bit lost in the flow, unsure of where I am going, what I am doing and who I am, all I can offer is this contemplation on fire.

There are two sides to the flame, the face that burns and the one that fuels. It can be hard to discern which side is what so my best advice is to seek an intent of your highest self for the highest good that is beyond willing to burn away all that does not serve us any more and to feed the passion of your soul that lights you up greater than anything else.

Hold this intention and trust the process. Give yourself to the fire as the trees on the mountain do. Let go of the old. Have faith in what is deep inside, ready to be seen. It may take a while for the smoke to clear, but it will. And when it does, the transformation will be complete and beyond what we could have imagined. Fire is the power of spirit, after all.

This is a great full moon for purifying practices like mantra, yoga, sweating, drumming, dancing and fire ceremony. The eclipse is visible from America in the wee hours of the morning so if you can tune in and do your practices then, it's even more powerful. But intent is most important so carry it close to your heart and check in often in the days to come.

Many blessings and prayers for all beings, may the fire awaken the changes needed and clear away all that is not so that we can live in peace, love and bliss.

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