Monday, May 07, 2007

Do some of us avoid tragedy by foreseeing it? Some scientists now believe that the brain really CAN predict events before they happen.

Professor Brian Josephson, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist from Cambridge University, says: "So far, the evidence seems compelling. What seems to be happening is that information is coming from the future.

"In fact, it's not clear in physics why you can't see the future. In physics, you certainly cannot completely rule out this effect."

Virtually all the great scientific formulae which explain how the world works allow information to flow backwards and forwards through time - they can work either way, regardless.

Shortly after 9/11, strange stories began circulating about the lucky few who had escaped the outrage. It transpired that many of the survivors had changed their plans at the last minute after vague feelings of unease. It was a subtle, gnawing feeling that 'something' was not right. Nobody vocalised it but shortly before the attacks, people started altering their plans out of an unspoken instinct.

One woman suffered crippling stomach pain while queuing for one of the ill-fated planes which flew into the World Trade Center. She made her way to the lavatory only to recover spontaneously. She missed her flight but survived the day. Amid the collective outpouring of grief and horror it was easy to overlook such stories or write them off as coincidences.

But in fact, these kind of stories point to an interesting and deeper truth for those willing to look.

If, for example, fewer people decided to fly on aircraft that subsequently crashed, then that would suggest a subconscious ability to divine the future. Well, strange as it seems, that's just what happens.

Although these premonitions are not in glorious Technicolor, they are often emotionally powerful enough for us to act upon them. In technical parlance it is known as 'presentiment' because emotional feelings are being received from the future, not hard facts or information.

The military has long been fascinated by such phenomena. For many years the US military (and latterly the CIA) funded a secretive programme known as Stargate, which set out to investigate premonitions and the ability of mediums to predict the future. Dr Dean Radin worked on the Stargate programme and became fascinated by the ability of 'lucky' soldiers to forecast the future.

These are the ones who survived battles against seemingly impossible odds. Radin became convinced that thoughts and feelings - and occasionally-actual glimpses of the future - could flow backwards in time to guide soldiers. It helped them make life-saving decisions, often on the basis of a hunch.

If we are all regularly sensing the future or occasionally receiving glimpses of it, as some mediums claim to do, then doesn't that mean we can change the future and render the 'prediction' obsolete? Could such science fiction have a grain of truth in it after all? The emerging view, Bierman explains, is that 'the future has implications for the past'.

"This phenomena allows you to make a decision on the basis of what will happen in the future. Does that restrain our free will? That's up to the philosophers. I'm far too shallow a person to worry about that."

The problem with presentiment is that it appears so nebulous that you can't rely on it to make reliable decisions. That may be the case, but there are plenty of instances where people wished they had listened to their premonitions or feelings of presentiment.

So should we listen to our instincts, hunches and dreams? Some experts believe we may already be using them in our everyday lives to a surprising degree. Dr Jessica Utts at the University of California, who has worked for the US military and CIA as an independent auditor of its paranormal research, believes we are constantly sampling the future and using the knowledge to help us make better decisions. "I think we're doing it all the time," she says. "We've looked at the data and it does seem to happen."

Labels: Intuition, Science

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 5:25 AM :: |

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Sunday, May 06, 2007

Beltane and Wesak - a Taurus Fiesta

(A portion of this article is reprinted from an earlier post)

In ancient Celtic times, the wheel of the year was honored as the turning of the seasons. In the northern hemispheres, the winter solstice was the shortest day of the year and represented the return of the light, and the summer solstice, being the longest day of the year, was the Celtic fire festival. The equinoxes represented the points of balance when day and night were of equal length: the vernal equinox represented planting and fertility, and the autumnal equinox was the time of harvest. (Southern hemisphere civilizations had their own traditions of marking the seasons which obviously were very different than in the north.)

Halfway between these solar events are the "cross-quarter" days, the times of magic. Still celebrated today for their imaginal power, these were the periods when the Sun was at the midpoint of the fixed signs: Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius. In the astrological wheel, the cardinal signs of initiation are followed by the fixed signs of stability, which are followed in turn by the mutable signs of adaptation. So we have cardinal Aries at the Vernal equinox (in tropical astrology), followed by fixed Taurus at the cross-quarter, which precedes mutable Gemini. Cancer begins the summer solstice, followed by Leo at the cross-quarter, which precedes Virgo, and so it goes around the wheel.

Each of these "triplicities" as they are called has a different energy. The cardinal signs demonstrate leadership, they initiate action, each in its own way according to its element (fire, water, earth and air). The fixed signs are stable, rooted, grounded. In many ways they are the most powerful because they don't blow off steam like the cardinal signs, and they are not tempted to lose themselves through adaptability like hte mutable signs can. The ancient Celtic peoples found the mid-point of the fixed signs to be magical and called them the "Gates of Power." The first "Gate of Power" in the year occurs in the mid-point of Taurus, which technically does not occur until May 6.

The ancient Celts called the first cross-quarter festival Beltane, from the ancient word for "bright fire" which honored the god Bel, the god of solar light. On the eve of Beltane, bonfires were lit throughout the land to invoke protection for the crops and farm animals for the coming year. Beltane was a fertility festival, and marriage vows were often lifted for just one night. The dance around the Maypole is a clearly phallic symbol calling for fruitful fields and families.

In the middle ages, Mayday became a time for the craft guild to celebrate the patrons of their craft, and later trade societies and then unions celebrated Mayday as their holiday. May 1st later became the holiday of trade unions after a general strike and riot in Chicago resulted in the establishment of the eight hour workday which is now commemorated by International Workers Day on May 1.

The first Full Moon in May, which occurred just a few days ago, is also honored by some Buddhist traditions as the Wesak festival which celebrates either Buddha's birth, death, or the time at which he became enlightened. Wesak is traditionally celebrated according to the Chinese lunar calendar as the Full Moon of the Fourth Month. However, the World Fellowship of Buddhists in 1950 passed a resolution requesting heads of governments to standardize the celebration in the Full Moon in the month of May. This is complicated in 2007 by the fact that there are two Full Moons in May, the second of which corresponds to the fourth month in the Chinese calendar.

Regardless of what we celebrate and how, both of these celebrations fall in the month of Taurus where the Earth can be celebrated as a living deity. Although Venus is the traditional ruler of Taurus, I personally look at Earth as a more appropriate ruler of Taurus, which is associated with the pleasures and riches of our planet. Beltane is the Celebration of Bel, the god of light, and Wesak is the festival of light. Let us this weekend honor the light that resides within us that shows us the way, the light that resides in those around us so that we may respect and honor every living being, and the light of the earth and the Sun that feeds and sustains us.

Labels: holidays

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:46 AM :: |

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Friday, May 04, 2007

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and the Saturn Return

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, currently starring as Henry VIII in Showtime TV's "The Tudors," recently checked himself into a rehab center at the age of 29 - smack in the middle of his Saturn return.

Meyers is an interesting actor - he has a sneering intensity that reveals his background as a bit of a punk as well as blazing if androgynous good looks and startlingly blue eyes. Born and raised in Ireland, his father left the family at an early age and some sources say that he spent some time in an orphanage because his mother was unable to care for the whole family. He was first spotted by a casting agent in a pool hall where he spent much of his time after being expelled from school. An advertising campaign attracted attention and shortly thereafter he was cast in a small role in the film, "A Man with No Importance." After auditioning with Neil Jordan for the film "Michael Collins," Jordan noted that he "[came] into the casting session with alarming certainty" and was obviously very gifted (source IMDB database).

Meyers was born with the Sun in Leo, the sign of royalty. It is no surprise that Meyers' major roles have included playing Elvis the King and King Henry VIII of England! Leo's quest is to celebrate the Self from within, to achieve a generosity of spirit that is not dependent upon outward acclaim. Like all Sun signs, Leo individuals do not always master this quest right away and instead spend much of their lives in dependency upon the attention and adoration of others until they are able to achieve a healthy expression of the ego. The Leo Sun exhibits confidence and independence, with a strong will and generous spirit. Like the Lion for which they are named, they are born leaders and typically very charismatic. Meyers is no exception to this description although his Leo Sun is colored by some challenging influences from other planets.

Meyers' Sun is exactly squared (90 degre angle) by Chiron, the archetype of the Wounded Healer. The Sun represents the physical heart, and Meyers was born with a heart condition fitting perfectly into the drama expressed by the square of Chiron to the Sun. This challenging aspect identifies an early wound to his essential Self as represented by the Sun, and since the Sun often signifies the father in the birthchart, it shows that this wound likely came from the father or a father figure in his life. Meyers has said that the scars on his face came from accidents as a child when he fell off of chairs, but this is a typical excuse of abused children and hints of darker incidents in his early family life.

Meyers' Sun is also squared by Uranus, the planet of rebellion and authenticity. This configuration puts pressure on the individual to express their own identity in the most revolutionary way possible; to open new doors and continually reinvent themselves. Uranus is unpredictable and in challenging aspect to the Sun often describes a rebellious relationship with authority figures. There is an impulsive nature and a fierce resistance to rules and to being controlled in any way. On the other hand, the intuition and instincts of the Sun/Uranus combination is very strong and provides a powerful guidance for these individuals.

Chiron and Uranus, both square to the Sun in Meyers' chart, are therefore opposite each other by 180 degrees. We call this a "T-square" because of the shape the three planets form in a chart. The opposition of Chiron and Uranus creates difficulty in the nervous system and can indicate a person who has trouble channeling their emotions in a positive way. There can be anxiety and general emotional discomfort, and it is not unusual for these individuals to seek an outlet through drugs or drinking, particularly at an early age. This aspect is also very common in the charts of healers who, having found balance in their internal energy system find that they are able to promote healing in others through various modalities. For Meyers, with both Chiron and Uranus in stressful aspect to his Sun, he has had a difficult time finding himself and feeling comfortable in his own skin.

Meyers' Moon is in the adventurous sign of Sagittarius, indicating a love of travel and expansive experiences, and it is opposed by a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter which indicates that his expectations (Jupiter) are larger than what he feels he really deserves (Moon). For this reason he may always feel somewhat dissatisfied and may give of himself too freely. The opposition between the Moon and Venus shows a tendency for emotional conflict in relationships.

The Venus/Jupiter conjunction in this chart falls in Gemini which reflects Meyers' somewhat androgynous appearance and attitudes. He has expressed appreciation for male beauty as well as female, and he was "adopted" at the age of 14 by a farmer he calls his "gay dad." Gemini is a sign that is very curious and enjoys trying on different roles and personalities, and it is not unusual for someone with a strong Gemini influence to be bisexual although this is by no means a rule.

Meyers has a history of aggression; he and his then girlfriend were arrested for assaulting each other back in 2005 although he later said it was just a shouting match. But this is not the chart of a violent individual - Mars is in Gemini, where it is much more likely to express anger verbally than physically, and his Mars makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to Pluto where it adds intensity and power and an ability to channel his anger through productive means. However, the Sun/Chiron/Uranus T-square is a painful dynamic and together with the insecurity of the Moon/Venus/Jupiter combination we see a touchy and very emotional individual who does not have a natural way to channel these emotions when pressed.

The Saturn Return occurs when Saturn, traveling through the sky in orbit around the Sun, returns to the same degree as Saturn in the birthchart. It is the best of times and the worst of times - it's the time when we are forced to relinguish the gratification of our ego for the sake of achievement in the material world. This can lead to great success following a period of hard work, and it can also bring endings and painful challenge. For Meyers the Saturn return has brought both. Saturn first returned to its place in his birthchart last September when Saturn was opposing Neptune in the sky. Saturn builds form and Neptune dissolves it, so this dual pressure can be very difficult to manage especially when combined with the inherent difficulties in the Saturn Return. While his career was building (he was chosen as the face of Versace, given the lead role in "The Tudors," and cast in two major films all at the same time), Neptune was eroding his confidence and sense of self.

The second phase of Meyers' Saturn Return came just as Meyers entered rehab. Saturn can feel like a vise which applies slow but steady pressure until we finally either surrender or seek release in some other way. In this case, transiting Saturn was pressuring Meyers' natal Saturn for several months and it is no surprise that he needed a break. The Saturn Return can be difficult, but it builds depth and strength of character as we face the challenges that are offered to us.

The film industry is difficult for individuals who have never developed a healthy ego and sense of self that arises from a relationship with one's own self. Film stars are always looking in a fun house mirror and never really have the chance to see themselves in that medium. There is an enormous amount of talent and raw creative power in this chart, and hopefully he will be able to utilize this time to deepen his own self-understanding so that he can truly realize his great potential.

Labels: Celebrities, Saturn return

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:20 AM :: |

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Thursday, May 03, 2007

The astrological symbolism of Ceres

Empress card from the Sharman-Caselli tarot deck

The traditional astrological symbolism of Ceres has not really worked for me and I'm finding it not to be useful now that the importance of Ceres has been promoted with her reclassification as a "dwarf planet" along with Pluto. Some of the interpretations assigned to Ceres by astrologers are these:

Ceres in the horoscope shows the early nurturing we received and how we nurture others. It also directly rules food and clothing. I have seen two cases of professional designers who had Ceres aspecting Pallas (which rules the ability to see patterns). Ceres in the Houses shows where we are most likely to express our nurturing side and also where we can best receive nurturing. (astrologer Bob Marks)

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The Ceres asteroid represents the rhythms in a woman's procreation cycles. In her role as mother, the Ceres woman treasures family heirlooms. The biology of life cycles and female passages are within Ceres' domain. The asteroid, in charge of mothering and the family tree, rules the blossoming of a young girl's body into womanhood. Eating disorders that result when a woman resists this entrance into fertility also have their place under Ceres' skirts. (Astrology.com)

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In astrological delineation, we can look to her for very specific information about matters relating to food and nurturing, and where the two meet. She can represent the quality of nurturing we got as a child, and how we function (or don't) as nurturers in our relationships. (astrologer Eric Francis)

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The problem for me with these definitions is that they are either too oriented towards female psychology, in which case Ceres has no use for half of the human population, or the definition is too similar to that of the Moon. The Moon already symbolizes how we were nurtured - it shows our instinctive reactions. It shows what we need to feel cared for and how we care for others. While it's true that food is a big part of nurturing, this did not seem to me to be an adequate description of Ceres who has now been reclassified along with Pluto as a major catalyst for transformation.

Each of the outer planets serves as a "higher octave" for the more personal planets. The term "higher octave" means that there is a higher, or more transformative and transpersonal, expression of the more individualized energy of the personal planets. For example, Neptune, associated with universal love, is said to be the higher octave of Venus which rules individual love. Uranus, ruling insight and discovery, is the higher octave of Mercury's communication process.

As I work with Ceres more in personal readings, it is becoming more clear to me that Ceres acts as the higher octave of the Moon. WIth Ceres the emotional security of the Moon is transmuted to a sustenance and nurturing of our spiritual security and sense of place on Planet Earth. As we become more disconnected with the Earth and our sense of the natural rhythms and cycles of the seasons, we lose touch with a part of our own internal being. This can create a desperate sense of spiritual starvation within us as we stuff ourselves with bioengineered food that is loaded with chemicals that leaves us feeling undernourished and thirsty for a life that has meaning.

In mythology, Ceres was the goddess of plenty - the bearer of fruits and grain that nourished the world. But on the dark side, her grief over her lost daughter caused her to roam throughout the world, ignoring the crops and causing devastation and famine everywhere she went. For this reason, I believe that Ceres is associated with prosperity and abundance. Jupiter signifies the optimism and sense of meaning in life that brings about an abundant life, but Ceres represents the actual bounty - the foods, the flowers, the birds and plants, and the desperation that results when the bounty is withdrawn.

I am beginning to look at Ceres as the place in our chart that connects us to our natural selves. Difficult aspects to Ceres show challenges to our ability to feel safe in our bodily incarnation and denote areas where we need to make a more direct effort to honor the rhythms of nature and to feed and nourish ourselves. On a more global level she reminds us that without a connection to nature we cannot as a species survive.

Each of the planets demand a burden from us and bestow a gift, and where the burden of Ceres is a spiritual starvation, the gift she bestows is likely a sense of peace and beauty in the truth of the physical world that surrounds us.

Labels: Ceres

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:15 AM :: |

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Egypt and the Lunar Return

Art by Nancy Bright

Looking ahead to my own progressed Lunar Return (when the progressed Moon returns to its place in the birthchart), I found this great article called "Cycles within Cycles."

Often we think of a planetary event like the Saturn Return (when transiting Saturn returns to its place in the birthchart) or the Uranus square or opposition. But in reality each cycle is a dance that opens channels of awareness, preparing us for the next dance. The second Saturn Return at age 56-58 is follows shortly by the closing square of Uranus to its natal place, resulting in a shedding of the calcified personality that Saturn has eroded and the emergence of a newly restored exhilaration. What is less well-known is the doorway created by the Progressed Lunar return which takes place shortly before each Saturn return, approximately every 27 years.

Saturn is the Lord of Discipline. He cut off his father Uranus' genitals and flung them into the sea. The waters were fertilized, and Aphrodite sprang from the foam. This simple story is very reflective of the Saturn return. Something that seems very valuable must be sacrificed in order for something beautiful to be born. Saturn was not just severing his father's genitals: he was removing him from his entrenched place of power, dispersing his fertility and power to other things and relegating him to his place in Heaven where he belonged. Likewise in the Saturn return, one must sever one's self from what is unnecessary so that energy can be released and utilized for something better, no matter how painful the process. Uranus is thus known as the Father of the Heavens, his wife Gaia the Earth.

Those who follow Egyptian mythology will know these archetypes as Nuit and Geb. Saturn can be seen as a duality of Ra and Thoth by following Plutarch's version of the birth of Nuit's children. In its rigid, unchanging form, Saturn is Ra: he sealed up his Mother's womb so that Horus could not be born, thinking he could rule forever and evade prophecy. However, Thoth played a trick on him and added 5 days to the end of the calendar (representing the symbolic difference between a calendar year and a lunar year), henceforth allowing Nuit's other children, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Set, and Nephthys to be born since Ra was not paying attention. A Saturn return can be very much like this. Change may be resisted and self-deception attempted despite knowing full well what must occur or be done. But sooner or later, the true nature of the situation must be shown allowing growth to occur.

The Lunar influence of a Saturn return is not an accident. Just prior to one's Saturn return, which occurs around age 29 1/2, one experiences their Progressed Lunar Return. . . . When [the Moon] comes back, you are able to integrate all of the emotional information that you have been collecting for the last 28 or so years into a cohesive working whole. Emotional issues that were confusing before suddenly become clear. You will need this clarity in the next couple of years.

This scenario is again reflective of the duality of Ra and Thoth, or the Sun and the Moon in classical Egyptian mythology. Ra, the Sun or Saturn, is blinded by his power and refuses to relinquish, though he knows very well that it has been foreseen that Horus will overtake his power eventually. Thoth, the Moon, is a reflection of Ra. In his pale silvery light he is able to see what Ra will not, and subsequently trick his brother into doing what must be done: the true face of Saturn. The Moon offers one the perspective one needs in order to see through some of the rigidity Saturn displays, especially when its power is threatened.

As I stated before, Saturn is the Lord of Discipline. Just as the Moon has been busy collecting emotional information for the last 29 years, so has Saturn been collecting constructive information about what works in one’s life and what doesn't. When Saturn reaches its natal point in one's chart, that same completeness that the Moon enabled with one's emotions is triggered in one's sense of order and discipline. This knowledge in mind, Saturn begins getting rid of anything it doesn't need. . . .

I like the poetry of this connection between the Moon and Saturn and find it very illustrative of the Saturn Return process that is so often feared.

Labels: Progressions, Saturn return

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:22 AM :: |

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Scorpio Full Moon! And other planetary news

From Skywatch for May, posted this morning:

There are two Full Moons in May, the first of which is on May 2 at 6:10 am EST in Scorpio. Scorpio is the sign of intensity and passion, the impulse that pulls us into the deepest part of our soul and forces us to experience life in the most profound way possible. The Full Moon occurs when the Moon opposes the Sun, and although the Sun illuminates the Moon it is the lunar consciousness that prevails. Emotions run higher during the Full Moon, and we have greater access to the underworld of our psyche with the Full Moon in Scorpio.

This Full Moon incorporates a conjunction of Mercury to the Sun, suggesting that our emotions will be at odds with our thoughts and mental functioning during this period. There is also a square to Chiron which opens up doorways for old wounds that we thought were healed long ago to surface and remind us that we are not yet completely healed. A wide square to the Full Moon opposition from Saturn hints that we may find ourselves feeling isolated and alone as we face the wounds from our past that Chiron presents. This is a good time for introspection and personal work, and the inclusion of Mercury suggests that journaling or talking to a friend can be quite productive now.

Mercury is approaching a square to Chiron now that culminates on May 4 and we are likely to continue feeling the effects of Chiron's efforts to promote healing of our mental faculties by clearing out the old wounds that we harbor within us. Fortunately, harmonious aspects from Mercury to Saturn and Uranus aid us in achieving stability (Saturn) and offering insights (Uranus) that help us through the healing process that continues through the first week in May.

Jupiter has been within a degree of a trine to Saturn for the past month or so. This is the second phase of this Jupiter/Saturn cycle, and it reaches the exact degree of that trine on May 6. This is a wonderful dynamic that connects the endurance of Saturn with the optimism of Jupiter; it facilitates the spiraling effect of growth and keeps us from unraveling under the simultaneous influence of a square of Jupiter to Uranus which accelerates our growth but which lacks sensibility and practicality. The trine of Jupiter to Saturn is a long-term event that will continue into 2008.

photo by Peggy Roth Major

Labels: Full Moon

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 9:25 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- George Bush: A Look Ahead

Ever since George Bush began the debacle known as the Iraq War he has been going through a series of problematic planetary cycles that have put him under tremendous pressures and forced confrontations with many of his friends and associates. You can read more about the overall State of the President in this article from January which has links to previous posts as well.

Transiting Saturn is still putting pressure on Venus in his chart, showing difficulties in partnerships and relationships of all kinds. His crony Alberto Gonzales is being scrambled in Congressional hearings, his devotee Condoleeza Rice is being relegated to the back burner after her failed mission to repair the international alliances which her boss had destroyed. Despite the pressures of Saturn, a planet that normally has us retreating into darkness as we prepare our next move, Bush is out wielding his sword all over the place, the schoolyard bully trying to bluff the bipartisan Congress with his phallic veto powers.

George Bush's current transits are a lesson in the fact that harmonious transits are not always a good thing. Jupiter in Bush's natal chart is square to his Sun, an aspect that tends to create an aggrandized (Jupiter) ego (Sun). Currently, transiting Jupiter is trine Saturn and sextile Neptune, and all three planets are aspecting this Jupiter/Sun square. So we have transiting Jupiter expanding Bush's sense of self-importance even more and Saturn adding stability to the mix. Meanwhile Neptune is opposing Bush's Venus, making it difficult for him to see his relationships with any clarity.

Most alarming, transiting Jupiter began an opposition cycle to Uranus in Bush's chart back in February, exciting his rebellious nature and causing his expanded ego (Jupiter/Sun square in his chart) to demand new forms of expression (Uranus). The Mars/Uranus conjunction over the past few days has aspected Bush's natal Uranus, throwing more fuel on the fire. He is impatient now and more likely to take action without thinking.

Bush may begin to lose some of his bravado over the next few weeks as transiting Mars opposes Neptune in his chart, a short-term event which normally creates confusion (Neptune) around what we want and how we get it (Mars). Early June could be problematic as well, with Mars making a square to his Sun which tends to stir up anger and resentment, and Mars opposing his Chiron which can bring up painful issues from the past. In addition, transiting Mars will oppose Bush's progressed Mars - more aggression and belligerence, and then during the second week of June we have Mars opposing his natal Jupiter, demanding recognition. After running wild with his pals Jupiter and Uranus, Bush's Mars faces obstacles in the third week of June with Mars making a square to Saturn. With Saturn conjunct his Venus at the same time we may begin to see more of an attempt towards conciliation as his dealings with others become more difficult.

The Mars events continue into July, making it very likely that the battle with Congress will continue into the summer. Hopefully the President can see far enough past his own ego to be able to work with the rest of the US government and solve the major problems facing the country.

Labels: GWBush

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 5:04 AM :: |

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