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LightofSamhainSmall

There have been a few posts on FaceBook in the last few weeks that have really caught my attention. These melded together when I saw an article in a small spiritual review magazine on ‘ascension’.

This article outlined the various stages of ascension, showing at as a progression, as a ladder, as something that you strive towards. This is nothing new. There have been books over the last 30 years that have echoed the same idea – lifetimes are thought of as linear, progression is a straightforward process of becoming ‘ascended’. The concept too, is that is you ‘fail’ at an level, you have to go back and start again. Mmmm…….

My first query is – what is ascension?
Most of us are aware of its meaning in a biblical sense, but in what way is it being used nowadays? The worst case scenario is that it is being used to describe a process that will get you ‘away from here to a better place’ – ‘here’, being the experience of being a human on planet Earth.

As Naisha Ashian beautifully put it a week or so back:
“Raise your consciousness and your vibration will take care of itself. High frequency does not mean “good” and low frequency does not mean “bad”.”
“When you meditate your actual vibration (frequencies of heart and brain) get lower.”
“Low frequency (for instance, 7.8 hz– which is a Schumann* resonance of the Earth) is extremely helpful to the body and assists with proper cellular regeneration (high frequency causes cellular mutation and cancer), circadian rhythms and proper cellular metabolism.”

(*Space vehicles have to be fitted with Schumann generators to keep the astronauts healthy)
Lowering your frequency helps to keep you in touch with the planet. Anything that takes you away from being here, now – is probably suspect advice.

Be here, now. Don’t try to run off anywhere else.

The second query – what is the effect that these articles, workshops and books are having on people?
Those caught up in the glamour inevitably start to see themselves as lacking in some way. The hype encourages people to embark on the ‘process’ of self-improvement mostly out of fear of being left behind, fear being the odd one out in a group or fear of being seen as a failure. Each step on the ladder is often being seen as a goal to be achieved.

You are worthy and valuable as you are.

The third query is ‘who’ or ‘what’ is ‘ascending’?
Many teachers over the millennia have tried to help us to understand that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We have already reached ‘it’, but we are not aware that we have.
‘There is no reaching the Self. If Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now but that it is yet to be obtained. What is got afresh will also be lost. So it will be impermanent. What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So I say the Self is not reached. You are the Self; you are already That.’

(Sri Ramana Maharshi)

You are already ‘there’, but you may not be aware that you are.

The fourth query is – who is judging who is ‘ascended’?

The knee-jerk reaction is to see people who have a high public profile and are demonstrably spiritual people as automatically ‘further up the ladder’. Indeed some people in that category see themselves as such!

Oh….. if it were that simple!

In the grand scheme of things the differences between those who consider themselves ‘well on the way’ and those who are beginning their journey of self-awareness is miniscule.

Try not to compare yourself to others. They have their journey, you have yours.

The ‘ascension levels’ are often described as changes to the different layers of our being. As an astrologer for over thirty years I see these processes in people’s charts. There is no set order to these challenges (or initiations, if you like). You don’t ‘do’ the physical one and then move onto the ‘emotional’ one. They come willy-nilly, in the order that you ultimately have chosen for this lifetime to achieve personal goals or to gain experience. True, there may be issues that you do not complete or fully integrate and these may be carried over as unfinished business, but these are not failures. They are simply parts of the on-going process.

You do not have to strive for the ‘ascension’ levels as they will come to you at the appropriate time and in the appropriate type for you. When you encounter them, try to understand the core of what is going on and take the lesson on board.

Past or other-life issues are simply bits of you that are not in the present time. Rather than spending time wistfully thinking about or dreaming about these and what they mean, try to understand the core of the issue and embrace it.

Get as much of you as you can, into the here and now – embrace it, integrate it. The journey will take automatically you to your inner or higher Self.

Not so much an ‘as-cension’ process more if an ‘inward-cension’ or even a ‘de-scension’ into who you really are……

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maatsmall

Maat or Ma’at, was the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law and justice.

Maat was also personified as a goddess who regulated the movement of the planets and stars, seasons, and the actions of both mortals and the deities. In this way she set the order or logos of the universe. Egyptians believed in an underlying unity in the universe and that proper conduct in public life upheld that (21st century politicians please note!). In short, everything, everywhere was linked to and part of Maat.

Early records indicate that Maat is the status quo for nature, society, in every dimension. Her role in and after creation is to prevent the universe from returning to chaos. Pharaohs were often depicted with the emblems or images of Maat to highlight their role in upholding the laws of the Creator.

Maat was depicted as a young woman, usually holding a sceptre and ankh. Sometimes she is shown as having wings and nearly always has a feather as part of her headdress.

Her energy is often thought of as a combination of the planet Saturn (law, tradition, stability) and the zodiac sign of Libra (The Scales). The stone Lapis Lazuli has close connections to her.

She also had a role in Egyptian mythology as the person who dealt with the weighing of souls that took place in the underworld, after death. The departing soul (the heart) was weighed against her feather to determine whether the soul would reach the paradise of afterlife successfully. You can find a list of the questions that the soul was asked below the main text. These questions are comprehensive and anyone telling the truth would answer ‘no’ to at least one, consigning the soul to another incarnation.

Anubis/Thoth would then weighed the heart against Maat’s feather and if the scales were balanced the soul was released into the afterlife.

Maat has a temple dedicated to her in Karnak and there have been hints in documents that suggest that there were at least two others ( Memphis and at Deir el-Medina)

Having done Kabbalistic pathworkings linked to Maat when much younger, I can vouch that when working with her energy one has to be clear about one’s motives, completely truthful and honest or all hell will break lose!

Here is a translation of the 42 Negative Confessions. Some of them may seem repetitive, but this is caused by the inability to translate the exact intent and meaning of the original language.

1. I have not done iniquity.
2. I have not robbed with violence.
3. I have not stolen.
4. I have done no murder; I have done no harm.
5. I have not defrauded offerings.
6. I have not diminished obligations.
7. I have not plundered the neteru.
8. I have not spoken lies.
9. I have not uttered evil words.
10. I have not caused pain.
11. I have not committed fornication.
12. I have not caused shedding of tears.
13. I have not dealt deceitfully.
14. I have not transgressed.
15. I have not acted guilefully.
16. I have not laid waste the ploughed land.
17. I have not been an eavesdropper.
18. I have not set my lips in motion (against any man).
19. I have not been angry and wrathful except for a just cause.
20. I have not defiled the wife of any man.
21. I have not been a man of anger.
22. I have not polluted myself.
23. I have not caused terror.
24. I have not burned with rage.
25. I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth. (Ma-at)
26. I have not worked grief.
27. I have not acted with insolence.
28. I have not stirred up strife.
29. I have not judged hastily.
30. I have not sought for distinctions.
31. I have not multiplied words exceedingly.
32. I have not done neither harm nor ill.
33. I have not cursed the King. (i.e. violation of laws)
34. I have not fouled the water.
35. I have not spoken scornfully.
36. I have never cursed the neteru.
37. I have not stolen.
38. I have not defrauded the offerings of the neteru.
39. I have not plundered the offerings of the blessed dead.
40. I have not filched the food of the infant.
41. I have not sinned against the neter of my native town.
42. I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the neter.

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VenusScorpio

I have been pondering the placement of Venus in my natal astrology chart over the last few days. My Venus is in the sign of Scorpio, 5th house, and is, at present, being influenced by the planet Saturn, as it passes though Scorpio (transiting Saturn conjunct natal Venus), Saturn takes about 28 years to complete one cycle through the zodiac, so this is the second time I have experienced this effect of Saturn on my Venus.

 The first transit occurred between December 1983, allowing for retrogrades, it left the proximity of my Venus, in September 1984. I can remember little of that time. My younger daughter would have been between 21 months at the beginning and two years 6 months at the end. It was probably one of the most financially secure times in my life. Emotionally and mentally it was also quite stable as I had had none of the postnatal depression I had experienced four years earlier. Spiritually it was time for reading and it was also when I resumed my studies as an astrologer. (I gave up whilst my daughter was very small, due to ‘baby-brain’!)

 If you look at standard astrological assessments for natal Venus in Scorpio, they are usually focused on the sexual and erotic nature of the Venus/Scorpio mix and often not that flattering! Having said that, several people in public life also share this placement with me – Leonardo de Caprio, Mahatma Gandhi, Hugh Jackman, Bill Gates, Demi Moore, to name a few, plus (Goddess forbid!), Vladimir Putin, with whom I also share my birthday! (His ascendant is 3 degrees Scorpio, mine is 18 degrees Cancer)

 In the superficial astrological blurb available, Venus in Scorpio focuses on the sensuality and passion of the Scorpionic energies – deep, not easy to read, stubborn, jealous and intense – all of which I can relate to though as far as jealousy is concerned not something I would easily admit to. It is not jealousy of others, their possessions or position in life, but a type of jealousy aimed when others take more than a friendly interest in my partner. I relate this to the ‘all or nothing’ element of commitment with this planet/sign mix, to the extent that one of my favourite quotes is ‘Do or do not  – there is no try’, attributed to Yoda in ’The Empire Strikes Back’. Commitment and loyalty are 100% until betrayal by another party, then I simply withdraw completely and walk away.

Venus in Scorpio is also considered to be a karmic placement for the planet with regard to relationships. The crunch is on the ability to love, accept and tolerate oneself and to have a sense of self-worth. Lack of these is often displaced onto other people as wariness, distrust and a need to manipulate. From a soul point of view, the destructive and transforming nature of Scorpio would activate in any relationship that does not help with the development of the higher self. (A good excuse if ever I heard one for giving a partner the elbow!)

From a holistic viewpoint Venus in Scorpio has the capacity to change the vibration of energy, like a rheostat does in an electrical circuit, stepping up and stepping down the power. The capacity to heal is therefore powerful but it needs to be harnessed in a way that the amount of energy given out or taken in would not damage the healer or client. Physical therapies would therefore be attractive, if there was a mechanism to do this within it – like I found in several of the therapies I trained in. The ability to see into the murky depths of any person or situation does give an unnerving skill to see to the truth or possibilities available. This can be used in psychological investigations, counselling and mentoring. Venus in Scorpio is very much the ‘Lady of the Lamp’ who can show the soul the way forward.

I think the depth of perception is what makes many people scared of me, both men and women. I always thought this was because of the strong Uranian energy that I carry (the rebel, the square-peg-in-a-round-hole who never fits in and was never meant to!), but now I am not so sure. Having learned the hard way to ground and anchor my personal energies to keep me safe, I forget how this must come across to others, especially those I do not know well.

So what of this Saturn transiting natal Venus in Scorpio? Certainly, this time, the financial security is not there (downturn and all!). Other areas of life are steady, at the moment. The current trend with Saturn started at the end of January 2013 and leaves my Venus at the end of October 2013. Saturn will be here to anchor the Venusian energies, allowing them to become manifest in the world. It is also certainly marking a time of reassessment and reappraisal.

Being well into my ‘crone years’ it may be no surprise that I have been drawn back to exploring the nature of what are called the ‘Dark Goddesses’, those creative embodiments of merciless clarity, reflected in what I see as the ‘Venus in Scorpio’ energy. They give the ability to wield power with compassion to heal and transform oneself and then maybe allow anything that is left to ooze out, into the world.

 Over the coming months I will be blogging on the Dark Goddesses from differing cultures and belief systems – so watch this space.

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My book ‘The Sovereignty Year’ * (linked to the Sovereignty Essences**) describes the facets of the Goddess for each of the 4 solar stations of the year and the 4 quarter-days between. In the book the facets are given Celtic or Arthurian names, but each has a resonance worldwide.

Spring Equinox (20/21st March)

The archetype in Arthurian Grail legends is Kundry where she is described as a wild woman, an ugly crone who challenges Gawain. She also appears in Wagner’s ‘Parcifal’ in a similar role. The name ‘Kundry’ itself is derived from the German for ‘news’ or ‘information’ (Kunde). Indeed although depicted as an ugly woman she is also described as wealthy and learned.

In many Celtic tales she is referred to as the ‘Loathly Damsel’ whom the hero is often required to kiss. When he does, her ugly form will then dissipate and she is transformed into a beautiful woman. As a facet of Sovereignty (the Goddess of the Land) any aspiring king or knight must embrace her in her worst aspect in order to have the authority to rule. This can also been seen as a need to love the Land in winter, which allows the flowing season of spring to appear!

The Loathly Damsel also appears in the folk songs, like ‘King Henry’first recorded by Steeleye Span in 1972

Click Here

In this song ‘King Henry’, Henry is challenged to do the ugly crone’s bidding, which he does, to the letter, and is rewarded.

“Take off your clothes now King Henry
And lie down by my side,
Now swear, now swear you King Henry
To take me for your bride.
Oh God forbid, says King Henry,
That ever the like betide,
That ever a fiend that comes from hell
Should stretch down by my side.

When the night was gone and the day was come
And the sun shone through the hall,
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall.
I’ve met with many a gentle knight
That gave me such a fill,
But never before with a courteous knight
That gave me all my will”

This type of ‘challenge’ made to men is present in many cultures and many legends and reflects the ancient tradition of women holding the power and ‘ownership’ of the Land. In Egypt, for example, the pharaohs only ruled by the power of Maat – the goddess of judgment and balance. If he did not meet her requirements, he did not rule.

It has only been since the balance between male and female was lost, that men have taken over that role of ruling and ownership alone and in the process have tended to subjugate and denigrate their role to bolster their own. Regrettably many religions, business and goverments continue to regard women in this lowly way.

The energy behind the goddesses of the Spring Equinox epitomises knowledge, challenge, teaching and destiny.
Kundry is regarded as a guardian of tradition and has no qualms of getting down to do the most difficult of tasks. She has clarity and compassion, but is also thought of as wrathful or ‘black, indicative of the amount of power she wields, rather like Kali of the Mahavidyas and Hindu mythology.

Kundry represents the voice of the Earth and therefore the voice of Sovereignty. When approached in the right way she has much to teach much about how we approach experience. One way is to embrace everything and look at life as a play of the Elements, another is to study theories. One way is to know things intellectually and the other to know things from the center of our being. This reflects the duality of the spiritual path, a recognition of the balance of male/female within.

The Spring Equinox energy also has close links with serpents and dragons, with all the mythology that both entail.

Visualisation from’ The Sovereignty Year’

Kundry’s Dragons

1. Begin by settling your body into a comfortable position.
2. On each outbreath relax your body
3. Imagine yourself in a small clearing within a wood, surrounded by trees with spring flowers bursting from the ground beneath your feet.
4. Follow that pathway before you and begin to walk into the wood.
5. The further you go, the more rugged the ground. You come across a stream that is running very fast.
6. Centre yourself, and ask for help from the Earth elemental energies, to enable you to cross the stream.
7. Before you, stepping stones emerge from the waters and you can then safely walk across.
8. Continue following the path until you come to a place where a veil of ivy bars your way.
9. Sweep away the ivy and you see before you a tree stump, framed by two other trees.
10. As your vision clears, you notice that there is a silver dragon entwined around one tree and a gold one around the other.
11. On the tree stump you can see a hologram of moving and changing lights and energies, and you draw nearer for a closer look.
12. In the ever-moving spherical hologram you see people, places, the future and the past.
13. Centre yourself once again, closing your eyes.
14. When you open them again, the hologram has changed to a view of far-off galaxies that move to engulf you.
15. Concentrating on the trees around you, you become aware of the dragons speaking to you.
16. Stay here for a while. Listen first to the gold dragon, then the silver. Listen to what they say and look closely at anything that is offered to you.
17. When you are ready to leave, thank the dragons and see them merge before your eyes and dissolve into the galaxies and stars.
18. You find yourself, once again, on the shores of the fast running stream. The stepping stones are still visible, but as you use them to cross over, they disappear from sight.
19. You retrace your steps to the clearing in the wood, noticing the beauty of the flowers.
20. Stay still for a few moments and then bring yourself out of the visualisation.

* Hardcopy version of ‘The Sovereignty Year’ is available from:
greenmanshop.co.uk

*PDF version is available from TreeSeer.com

** Essences are available from: greenmanshop.co.uk

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New Year 2013

As some bright spark has already said – “if you are reading this, then you have survived the ‘end of the world’ on the 21st December 2012”. According to more traditional Mayan sources we are entering the time of ‘Pasha’, the phase of brotherhood.
The New Year, January 1st 2013 gives us a flavour of what the beginning of this new phase might be. From a quick look at the astrology chart for the New Year, it seems we will be dealing with continuing financial and social revelations for a while yet which may need some decisive handling and international co-operation at some point.

New Year fireworks
The past 30 years have seen continuous efforts in business and financial institutions to want to see growth and expansion – more money, more power. This is unrealistic and unsustainable in the long-term. Having ‘enough’ is a concept that many individuals are beginning to accept as the only way forward for us all that does not engender over-consumption and greed. It is also a way forward to begin to share global resources properly. Maybe companies and some countries need to learn this too.
Many countries’ constitutions have their ‘birth days’ on the 1st January and the widespread use of this day as such a powerful marker, ties countries all around the globe into similar energy patterns. This is unfortunate. With the natural movement of Pluto reaching the exact Sun placement of the 1st January (10 degrees Capricorn) in the last half of January 2013, we can be sure that more shifts and changes are on their way, big-time. The cleansing and driving force of Pluto will stay with us as a global community until September 2014!
Having survived the two and a half year period of Pluto directly affecting my personal astrology chart (conjunct natal Chiron), I can vouch for the depth of transformation that countries will find themselves in and the changes that will need to be made and the habits that will need to be released, if the governments and businesses want to survive.
The potential for this ‘new start’ is huge, so let’s hope that politicians, financiers and business-people have the courage to run with it!

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To complement my ‘other half’s’ posting earlier today – The Eight Corners of the Year – on his blog (http://simonhlilly.com). Here is an explanation of the energies during the solar cycle.

EarthCycle

This diagram shows the energy flow around those 8 times in the year that are celebrated in many communities.

We are now at the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere (20th/21st December). This is one of two times in the year when the Sun ‘stands still’ in relation to the places where the Sun rises and sets, from the Earth’s viewpoint. Many sacred sites are linked into the solstice alignments – Stonehenge and Newgrange being the two most well-known. The summer solstice (northern hemisphere) is the 20th/21st June. As the name ‘sol’/’stice’ suggests, energy ‘stands still’ too, so represent times for consolidation, integration, reflection – any in many cultures – celebration! The solstices occur at the same dates in the southern hemisphere, but the seasons are reversed.

The two equinoxes – spring and autumn (again reversed in the southern hemisphere) – represent times of the year when energy is moving very fast. These times can be used to makes changes – if you can catch the moment – or simply experience the speed of events.

In the northern hemisphere, following the winter solstice – about 6 weeks after – we have Imbolc (2nd February), one of the 4 fire festivals marking the quarter-days of the Celtic calendar. 6 weeks after the spring equinox there is Beltane, following the summer solstice there is Lammas and after the autumn equinox there is Samhain/Hallows Eve.

These quarter days have energies linked to them that can be harnessed by us. the energy flow is not too fast and is not stationary. These quarterdays are therefore often linked to celebrations of achievement, the past or provide easy access to subtle energies.

Happy Solstice!

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