May 2007
by Cayelin K Castell
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…for the Cosmology of a civilization
both reflects and influences
all human activity, motivation,
and self-understanding
that take place within its parameters.
It is the container for everything else. ~Richard Tarnas “Cosmos and Psyche
Intimations of a New World View”
The above quote from Richard Tarnas is a reminder of the vital importance of consciously choosing to participate in creating a new Cosmological perspective that ideally integrates a magical world view as well as a practical, logical approach into a holistic expression that reconnects us with greater meaning and purpose reinvigorating our living connection to Source. Awareness of the Celestial Timings at this 26,000-year turning of the great cosmological wheel is a significant way to consciously participate in being informed by, and helping to inform, the unfolding Great Mystery as we actively dream the dream onward. http://www.shamanicastrology.com/articles07.htm
Gratitude for all that IS…
As May begins, the Sun and Mercury in Taurus remind us of the importance of communicating our Gratitude for the gifts of life we receive everyday. Many take their lives for granted and forget how blessed they truly are especially when they are going through difficult times. No matter how challenging life is, if we look deeply enough, there is always something to be grateful for. Many native traditions teach us of the importance of giving Gratitude for being alive. That we have life, that we live–for many native cultures this is considered the most precious gift we are given.
Practicing Gratitude everyday is a magical act that elevates and harmonizes our vibrational field, drawing to us more and more to be grateful for. Giving advanced Gratitude adds to this in miraculous ways. Advanced Gratitude for experiences and things that have not yet happened begins drawing them to you. As Stacey Robyn reminds us in the quote below, Gratitude is the “master key” to “re-program” and “re-create” our reality.
With this in mind, I am including daily Gratitude statements in the May Timings. Some statements are representative of the energies of the day, while others are inspired by my own Gratitude practice. I offer these statements of Gratitude as a way to further inspire my own Gratitude practice; and if it helps to inspire yours, then I am grateful for that as well. So this seems like a good time to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the many resources that helped me to create these May Celestial Timings.
Gratitude is truly a Master Key,
opening all doors of possibility,
by assisting our ability to re-cognize,
re-program, and re-create our reality –
by beginning within…
Stacey Robyn author of “Go Gratitude.”
Visible Planets
- Sun (10 Taurus to 10 Gemini) the Sun ends this month conjunct the Fixed Star Aldebaran inside the Sacred Hoop.
- Mercury (9 Taurus to 3 Cancer) Mercury conjuncts the Sun and makes its move to the evening sky on May 3. This month, Northern Latitudes have an opportunity to see Mercury in its best appearance this year from May 18 into June. The night of May 31, Mercury will not set until almost two hours after the Sun. This is about as good as it gets with Mercury. Also Mercury is within 27 degrees to lower right of Venus closing the gap to 22 degrees by end of the month.
- Venus (22 Gemini to 24 Cancer) is moving through the Sacred Hoop crossing the center point at the Galactic Edge on May 7. Evening star Venus shines brightly high above the western horizon after Sunset, setting about three and one-half hours after the Sun. As May begins, Venus is passing through the stars marking the Horns of the Bull, and comes within 4 degrees of Pollux (in the Twins) on May 29. On May 19, Venus passes within a degree of the New Crescent Moon.
- Mars (19 Pisces to 12 Aries) is brightening and rising about 2 ½ hours before the Sun, and is visited by the Moon on May 8.
- Jupiter (18Sag47 retrogrades to 15Sag36) is continuing its retrograde journey back to Antares, rising earlier every evening as it approaches opposition to the Sun, when Jupiter will be rising as the Sun sets in June.
Saturn (Now Direct 18Leo17 to 19Leo38) is on its way to conjunct Regulus, the Heart of the Lion, by late August.
- Moon (goes through all the signs in a month starting this month in Scorpio and ending it in Sagittarius.) The Full Moon in Scorpio is May 2. The Moon then catches up to and occults Antares on May 4, and is about 7 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter until dawn. Moon is 8 degrees to upper right of Mars on May 12, and appears near Venus on May 19. The New Moon Crescent joins with Venus on May 19. On May 22, Moon is 2 ½ degrees to upper left of Saturn, and 4 ½ degrees left of Regulus on May 23. The Moon passes by Spica on May 27 and 28. The second Full Moon of May lands on the 31st. See article on Understanding the Blue Moon. http://celestialtimings.com/articles/blue-moon.html.)
Invisible Planets
- Uranus (17 Pisces to 18 Pisces) stations Retrograde June 23.
- Neptune (22 Aquarius to 22 Aquarius) Neptune stations Retrograde May 24.
- Pluto (28Sag44 to 28Sag07) stationed Retrograde on March 31, and stations Direct on September 7.
- Chiron (15Aquarius29 to 15Aquarius38) stations Retrograde on May 21.
Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks the first week of May but the Full Moon affects viewing.
May Daily Highlights
May 1, Tuesday. May Day, Beltane Moon is in Scorpio.
May 2, Wednesday. Scorpio Full Moon (12 Scorpio).
May 3, Thursday. Sun conjuncts Mercury and Moon moves into Sagittarius.
May 4, Friday. Southern Lunar Standstill.
May 5, Saturday. Moon conjuncts Jupiter and then Pluto in the Lunar Standstill. Mercury sextiles Uranus and then squares Saturn.
May 6, Sunday. Moon crosses Galactic Plane as it moves into Capricorn. Venus opposes Pluto
May 7, Monday. Mercury squares Neptune
May 8, Tuesday. Venus moves into Cancer crossing the Galactic Plane at the June Solstice point of zero Cancer, Sun sextiles Uranus, reminding us Uranus will station Retrograde June 23
May 9, Wednesday. Sun squares Saturn as it picks up speed in its forward journey. Aquarius Last Quarter Moon is 19 Aquarius
May 10, Thursday. Moon conjuncts Neptune and Jupiter squares Uranus
May 11, Friday. Mercury moves into Gemini and Moon occults Uranus
May 12, Saturday. Moon conjuncts Mars, Sun squares Neptune and Moon moves into Aries
May 13, Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day. Mars squares Pluto
May 14, Monday. Moon moves into Taurus
May 15, Tuesday. Mars moves into Aries
May 16, Wednesday. Taurus New Moon (26 Taurus) near the Pleiades.
May 17, Thursday. Moon in Gemini conjuncts Mercury in the Lunar Standstill at the Galactic Edge
May 18, Friday. Moon crosses June Solstice at the Galactic Edge as it moves into Cancer this evening
May 19, Saturday. Lunar Standstill Moon conjuncts Venus at the 6th gate, Mercury opposite Jupiter
May 20, Sunday. Mercury squares Uranus
May 21, Monday. Moon moves into Leo, Sun moves into Gemini, and Mercury sextiles Saturn
May 22, Tuesday. Moon occults Saturn (19 Leo)
May 23, Wednesday. Today is the Virgo First Quarter Moon (2 Virgo) and Mercury trines Neptune
May 24, Thursday. Neptune stations Retrograde, Venus trines Uranus
May 25, Friday. Moon moves into Libra
May 26, Saturday. Vesta joins Antares
May 27, Sunday. Mercury opposes Pluto
May 28, Monday. Moon moves into Scorpio and Mercury moves into Cancer
May 29, Tuesday. Sun conjuncts Aldebaran
May 30, Wednesday. Moon moves into Sagittarius
May 31, Thursday. The Sagittarius Full Moon is near the Fixed Star Antares
May 1, Tuesday. May Day, Beltane. (See May 2006 Celestial Timings Archives for more on Beltane.) The Moon enters Scorpio this morning (3:41 am Pacific time) further activating the Full Moon Fixed Grand Cross that will be exact tomorrow. Scorpio is an energy noted for its willingness to explore and expand the edges of our personal and collective experience. This is also known as Edgewalking. Edgewalkers walk the edges of old and new ways, bridging what has been, with what is emerging, while releasing what is ready to die, and being transformed by the alchemical fires of change.
This Full Moon Grand Cross is occurring in what Shamanic Astrology refers to as the signs of Self-Interest also known as the Fixed signs of Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius. The Sun and Mercury are at 11 Taurus and the Moon will come into exact opposition (11 Scorpio) tomorrow at 3:09 am PDT. Saturn is at 18 Leo, Neptune is at 21 Aquarius, and Chiron is at 15 Aquarius.
The signs of Self-Interest are focused on developing personal aspects of the Divine expression. Taurus learns about self through development of the ability to receive itself through experiences of pleasure, beauty, and deep intimacy. Leo takes this a step further learning about its divinity through developing the qualities of radical, radiant self-love, self-confidence, self-acceptance, and self-approval. Scorpio develops the qualities of divine Will as an individualized expression learning to manifest spirit into matter for an orgasmic ecstatic experience, and Aquarius extends this to encompass the cosmic perspective revolutionizing conscious awareness of the Divine. The fixed signs, when healthy, are also about experiencing Bliss. Joseph Campbell advocated for following your bliss when he said, “I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.”
The Sun is the life-giving fuel or energy available during the different seasons of the year, and the Moon is a transmitter of the mysteries of whatever sign it is occupying. Saturn is the structure or form we give our lives. Chiron is the Shamanic healer distilling the healing elixir that transforms our wounds into the medicine we carry. Neptune facilitates new visions and dreams through contact with the field of all possibilities deepening our inner knowing and developing our inner eye for seeing beyond the illusions of this external reality.
We are living in a time that is challenging and expand our current perception of reality. The old structures are giving way to new concepts and ideas. The more we try to hang on to what has been, the more intense the events become; so we will let go and evolve. Changes are happening, because it is time in the grand scheme of life. Letting go helps to ease the process because it is happening anyway. Letting go of our pictures and beliefs opens the space for magic to happen.
I am deeply grateful for the gift of my life, and the opportunity to experience this magically transformative time at the Turning of the Ages.
May 2, Wednesday. Early this morning is the exact Scorpio Full Moon (12 Scorpio) Grand Cross (See May 1 and 3.) The ancients referred to a Grand Cross as a Cosmic Cross or opportunity to integrate many seemingly, very different elements into a greater whole. This Grand Cross turns into a T-square tomorrow, continuing to have a powerful effect well into the middle of this month.
I am deeply and profoundly grateful for the transformative experiences of love I have had, I have, and I will have in my life.
May 3, Thursday. Still within the Full Moon window, the Grand Cross has shape shifted into a T-square, with the Sun and Mercury (11 Taurus) exactly conjunct. (See May 1 for details.) Astrologically this T-square is a formed by the opposition of Saturn (18 Leo) opposing Chiron (15 Aquarius) and Neptune (21 Aquarius) and all three are being squared by the Sun and Mercury in Taurus. This configuration resembles a “T” when viewed on a chart, giving it the name of a T-square. Some sources also consider this configuration to have a similar effect as the Cosmic Cross. This T-square is occurring in the signs of Self-Interest. (See May 1.) The Self-Interest signs have the will and the power to focus on and complete what has been started. Allowing our awareness to be attuned to whatever is shifting in the Divine Design, from the macrocosm of stars and planets to the microcosm of DNA molecules and particles of light that make up THIS world experience, aids us in the transformative process.
Tonight the waning Moon in Sagittarius is approaching Antares (Heart of the Scorpion, Watcher of the West) also known as a portal to the Mysteries of the Heart. (See May 4, 26, and 31.) The Egyptians associated Antares with Isis and worked with this star as an interdimensional gateway. Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld, authors of Starlight Elixirs and Cosmic Vibrational Healing say, “Antares influences the place just before choice…If you attune to this in anyway, asking with love in your heart for the higher path to be shown, so it will be. The opportunities for this may come forth in ways that were perhaps unexpected.” Tomorrow, the Moon Occults Antares for the third time this year as part of the Lunar Standstill activation.
I am deeply grateful for greater trust in my own Heart-Knowing.
May 4, Friday. Today begins the Southern Lunar Standstill window, with the waning Moon approaching Jupiter tonight. The Moon is occulting Antares for the third time this year. (See May 26.) And the T-square that began a few days ago is intensifying as Mercury (15 Taurus) exactly squares Chiron (15 Aquarius) today and will oppose Saturn (18 Leo) tomorrow. With both Chiron and Saturn in dynamic aspect to transformational messenger Mercury, shamanic healing at the DNA level where our cellular programs reside is intended. When Chiron is involved, it could be a healing crises or decision point to go forward with a whole new program hardwired directly into the DNA of our physical structure. These new upgraded programs include reactivation of the DNA connected to our full abilities, including what may seem to be in the more magical of realms, telekinetic, telepathic, and psychic powers. Remembering to rest and replenish ourselves daily helps in smoothing out the integration of these deep physical changes.
I am deeply and profoundly grateful for all the healing messages that are facilitating my daily experiences of greater health and well-being.
May 5, Saturday. Today is Astrological Beltane when the Sun reaches 15 Degrees Taurus or the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. (See May 5, 2006 Celestial Timings Archives.) Also, today, the Moon conjuncts Jupiter and then Pluto in the Lunar Standstill. Mercury sextiles Uranus and then squares Saturn. The waxing Sagittarius Moon joins Pluto late tonight (11:45 pm PDT) or in the early hours tomorrow morning depending on your time zone. (2:45 am on May 6 EDT.) This is another opportunity to notice any shadow issues around what we perceive and believe is the truth. The external truth is always changing as our perception changes. What we perceive as truth in the world today may not be true for us tomorrow.
The Lunar Standstill Moon conjunct Pluto at Galactic Center illuminates the shadow of how cultural and religious truths can obscure the importance of allowing each person their own process of discovering what is meaningful and true for them. This is a time for tuning into your own truth in whatever way works best for you. It might be helpful to sit in a meditative state and extend your awareness to Galactic Center. Once you feel you are connected, then you can ask for messages or information that would be helpful now. Writing your impressions, visions, or thoughts that come through, without editing, can be amazingly instructive.
I am deeply and profoundly grateful for my growing, expanding, evolving connection to the Truth of who I am.
May 6, Sunday. FYI…At three minutes and four seconds after 2 A.M. on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07. The southern Lunar Standstill Moon crosses the Galactic Plane as it moves into Capricorn. The monthly passage of the Moon across the Galactic Gateway accesses the central portal through which Galactic Intelligence enters our world. The Moon is a transmitter, sending us direct transmissions from the intersection of the plane of the Galaxy with the plane of the Ecliptic, where the December Solstice is now aligned, for only one period of time in an entire 26,000-year cycle. This is a great time to do an inner journey to this portal to access what information is there for you now.
Venus (28 Gemini) opposes Pluto (28 Sagittarius) signaling a Shamanic Initiation for the Sacred Feminine as she explores the Heyokah Coyote (Gemini) Shaman (Scorpio/Pluto). This Timing brings the Queen of Heaven face-to-face with Her deepest fears, providing an opportunity to transform them into the medicine She carries. The Heyokah Coyote Shaman is a powerful, emerging feminine expression that has not had a safe space to express in times past. Indeed, many women have felt a need to be secretive about the power and strength they carry in order to survive persecution from those who fear this energy. It is challenging to find a healthy expression because it hasn’t been safe. This is a time when these shadowed elements may surface for clearing and integration, so their full strength and power can again have a healthy way to express.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunities that support me in integrating more and more of the strength and power of who I am.
May 7, Monday. Mercury (22 Taurus) squares Neptune (22 Aquarius). Mercury’s Neptunian encounter is a message about the power Forgiveness has in creating new internal space for fully experiencing love, intimacy, pleasure, and enjoyment. The Neptune fog and resulting confusion is eliminated when we are attuned to our inner knowing, and able to engage the power and grace of Forgiveness, including forgiving the unforgivable, and forgiving ourselves and anyone who has ever caused us hurt or harm. Through the healing energy of Forgiveness--Love is liberated--and with that release, freedom, peace, power, enjoyment, and the pleasure of life are more fully possible.
I am grateful for the healing Forgiveness process that is liberating me to love myself more fully.
May 8, Tuesday. Venus moves into Cancer, crossing the Galactic Plane at the June Solstice point of zero Cancer and remaining in Cancer until June 15. The Great Goddess Venus has moved into the archetypal realm of the Great Mother who knows not only how to nurture her children and family, but also how to nurture herself, so that she remains balanced and able to more effectively nurture others.
The Sun (17 Taurus) sextiles Uranus (17 Pisces) indicating the move toward the Uranus Retrograde station on June 23. Any outer planet (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto) sextile the Sun is either heading toward a Retrograde station or has recently stationed Direct. In this case, Uranus is moving toward Retrograde, where the ideas put into motion now will undergo a refining process when Uranus begins to retrace its path in June. Sun sextile Uranus may produce unexpected events to expand our cosmic perception and indicates an opportunity to engage progressive, innovative changes that enhance the big picture within the evolutionary flow.
I am grateful for the unexpected events that help me grow and appreciate life more fully.
May 9, Wednesday. The Aquarius Last Quarter Moon (19 Aquarius) is exact at 9:27 pm PDT rising around midnight local time. The Last Quarter Moon is a good time for integrating the wisdom and experience gained from the Moon’s journey since the New Moon on April 17. Aquarius reminds us to check into the cosmic overview, letting go of all the limiting “shoulds” and “should-nots” that distract us from being in the present.
Sun (18 Taurus) squares Saturn (18 Leo) as it picks up speed in its forward journey after having stationed Direct on April 19 bringing to light any lingering, limiting beliefs that do not support our emotional needs in the area of self-love and self-confidence. In the energies of the Sun/Saturn square, we are reminded that our beliefs shape our reality and attract experiences to us that reflect what we believe and perceive is true. The Science of Mind premise is “Change your Thinking, Change your Life.”
This is a powerful time to note your true priorities and heart’s desire--and to note if your thinking is supporting the full manifestation of your desires or if it is holding you back. This is a great time to take responsibility for your reality and to make choices that support your priorities, ultimately building new, practical, and effective structures that support your growing, changing needs.
Layne and Paul Cutright support this premise in their book, You're Never Upset for the Reason You Think, saying, “Your consciousness is a powerful force for creating. It determines the people you are attracted to and the people who are attracted to you. If you want to improve your lot in life, or the quality of your relationships, choosing to accept personal responsibility is the first and most important step."
I am grateful for all the reflections I have created in my life that help me take greater responsibility for my reality.
May 10, Thursday. Moon conjuncts Neptune (22 Aquarius) in this Last Quarter Moon window, and Retrograde Jupiter (18 Sag) squares Uranus (18 Pisces) exact today, but the Jupiter Uranus square remains an active influence for most of May. Through creative imagination (Neptune), and through unexpected events intended to support our freest possible expression (Uranus), the expansive (Jupiter) alchemy of this combination helps us to more freely live our truest heart’s desire. This requires trusting Divine Timing, as it unfolds in so many magical and yet often unexpected and possibly confusing ways, knowing that the intent is to break up the limiting beliefs that have held us back from expressing our true selves.
I am grateful for unexpected changes that help me to more fully live my true heart’s desire.
May 11, Friday. Mercury (29 Taurus) is passing by the Pleiades and moves into Gemini where it remains until May 28. As Mercury connects with the Pleiadian stargate, passing into the Sacred Hoop, the transformational messenger is accessing the informational doorways that stretch beyond our known reality providing new perspectives, added insights, and new networks of inspiration.
Also today the Moon occults Uranus in a series of occultations that began last year accelerating the changes Uranus brings to the Pisces Mysteries. This is yet another opportunity to shift the old assemblage point of the Pisces lineage that was built around the misconception that suffering and sacrifice were necessary for evolution and liberation. As Uranus travels through Pisces until March 12, 2011, we are experiencing a revolutionary assemblage-point shift, birthing a new paradigm anchored in Universal Love and Compassion as the leading edge of sacred service to life and mystical union with the Divine.
I am grateful for the messages I am receiving now that are expanding my perception and strengthening my voice. I am grateful for how my voice is growing stronger, clearer, more loving, kind, wise, and heart-centered.
May 12, Saturday. The Moon conjuncts Mars at 27 Pisces in a near exact square to the Shamanic Initiator Pluto at 28 Sagittarius. The Sun (22 Taurus) squares Neptune (22 Aquarius), and the Moon moves into Aries, moving to create yet another Grand Fire Trine drawing our attention back to the imagery of the Phoenix incorporating Shamanic death and rebirth through choice. This is a version of the Phoenix myth describing how the Phoenix used cinnamon bark and fragrant leaves to create a nest. Then the Phoenix constructed an egg out of myrrh to facilitate its transformation from an old and dying bird to a young and vital one. The Phoenix sings songs of praise to the Sun, and the Sun catalyzes the fire that consumes the Phoenix before it is reborn. This is a demonstration of the power and potency of giving advanced gratitude for the changes we are calling to ourselves.
I am grateful for the opportunity to die to my old self, and be reborn into a revitalized, stronger, wiser expression of who I am.
May 13, Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day. Mars (28 Pisces) squares Retrograde Pluto (28 Sagittarius) further activating any lingering shadowed areas of co-dependent Pisces that is over identified with rescuing or fixing others. This is especially true for anyone who believes it is their sacred duty to help others even when they haven’t asked for it or when someone says they do not want help. Offering love, support, and help is a part of the Pisces mysteries and can be a healthy expression when Pisces is not attached to how their offer is received, or not.
I am grateful for the all the healing I have done and continue to do around releasing co-dependency, while I am discovering more and more, my deepest, heartfelt joy and greatest gifts that are mine to express.
May 14, Monday. Moon moves into Taurus reminding us to savor and enjoy the abundance of life while also expressing genuine Gratitude for the love, beauty and abundance we already have and will experience in the future.
I am grateful for all the daily abundance I am experiencing, including love, joy, fun, and financial ease along with rapidly growing financial prosperity, magnetizing and attracting more and more finances for the purpose of having more and more joyous experiences in fulfilling my divine destiny.
May 15, Tuesday. Mars enters Aries, journeying here until June 24 in the domain of the Sacred Warrior archetype. The Sacred Warrior or Spiritual Warrior is one who is committed to upholding the sacred order of life. The shadow of the Aries warrior shows up as the soldier who commits to a cause that is primarily for his benefit, or the mercenary who sells his skills to the highest bidder. In the Bhagavad-Gita (an ancient, sacred Vedic Text), a discourse takes place between Lord Krishna and the heroic warrior, Prince Arjuna, on the battlefield of Duality. The exchange between Arjuna and Krishna clarifies the dharmic duty of the Aries warrior.
On the battlefield, Arjuna notices that the opposing army contains relatives and friends whom he doesn't want to kill, so he lays down his arms. Krishna responds with four reasons for fighting and action in general, of which the chief is that the true self or soul is immortal. The discussion advances to teachings on right and wrong, action and inaction, life and destiny, eternity and God. Krishna is identified as the Supreme Being, Primal God, Highest Abode and Eternal Spirit, who is an Avatar, or a temporal embodiment of God. http://www.island-of-freedom.com/gita.htm
When Arjuna encounters his dilemma and lays down his arms, Krishna reminds Arjuna that he cannot solve his problem on the level of the problem. Arjuna cannot solve the issue of what to do through his intellect within the framework of Duality; rather, he must transcend and go beyond what is seeming logic and reason. He is instructed to go beyond this dualistic world and the judgments of right and wrong; freeing himself from any personal desires, and releasing any attachments to the results of his actions. Krishna instructs Arjuna to go to a place of “Pure Being,” and from this place, take action; because in a state of Pure Being, his actions are automatically aligned with his dharma or divine purpose.
This describes the pure essence of the spiritual warrior who courageously transcends his own need to be right, to have the last word, to be victorious, to dominate others, and to conquer at any cost. Instead, a true warrior transcends the apparent external conflict and aligns with Divine Will, thus fulfilling his dharma, whatever it may be, without attachment to the outcome. In the end, Arjuna takes up his arms, fulfilling his dharma as a truly great warrior whose even greater purpose provides us with a profound teaching that still serves today.
I am grateful for all the ways I am protected, and for the inspired action that fulfills my heart-directed life purpose. I am grateful for all the love and joy I experience as I live and express from my heart, more fully every moment.
May 16, Wednesday. This Taurus New Moon (26 Taurus) is located near the Pleiades. Some mythic Tellings describe the Pleiades as a stargate or doorway home. The Sun illuminates the Pleiadian doorway once each year when it passes by this constellation. (See May 19.)
The Waxing Moon moves into Gemini conjuring images of the Fool jumping empty-handed into the void, completely surrendering the limits of the mind, realizing the mind cannot know it all. With the Moon moving into Gemini in the New Moon window, this is an opportunity for embracing the surrender of the mind’s need to figure things out.
I am grateful for how my mind serves me in fulfilling my purpose and how I transcend the limits of my mind to experience genuine inner guidance in the here and now.
May 17, Thursday. The Lunar Standstill Waxing Crescent Gemini Moon is crossing the Galactic Edge and conjuncting Mercury (10 Gemini) near Aldebaran, the eye of the Bull. (See May 29.) Evening star Mercury is visible on the western horizon in the twilight hours after Sunset and is fairly easy to spot for the rest of the month. Both Moon and Mercury are transmitting messages from beyond our galaxy. Due to the Lunar Standstill degrees of the Moon, the Crescent Moon can be seen setting at its northern most extreme.
Noting the energy of the Gemini archetype, as it expresses as the coyote, the trickster, the sacred clown, the court jester, we are reminded of the value of “Crazy Wisdom” guiding us through the shifts and changes of these times. The Crazy Wisdom of Gemini has many forms and expressions. This example is a crazy-wisdom-way of reminding us that everything and everyone does have a much bigger and more significant impact than perhaps previously imagined.
"If you think you're too small to have an impact: Try going to bed with a mosquito in the room." ~Anita Rodrick
I am grateful for the growing gifts of accepting myself and others, releasing judgments and attachments to results. I am grateful for all the heart- and spirit-directed opportunities I receive each day, that are mine to experience and express.
May 18, Friday. Today the Sun (28 Taurus) is moving into a one-degree orb with the Pleiades stargate (29 Taurus), and will be exact tomorrow. (See May 19 and 20.)
The Moon is moving into Cancer, crossing the center of the Sacred Hoop or the Great Shining Circle, currently marking the June Solstice point in the sky. The June Solstice is a movable point taking 26,000 years to travel through all the ecliptic-based constellations. Currently, this point is located at the place where the Milky Way and the Ecliptic intersect at the Galactic Anti-Center or Galactic Edge, one of the main indicators of the current Turning of the Ages we are now experiencing. This suggests we are completing with what has been in our old vibrational code, as we receive the galactic download, and begin shifting into a whole new vibrational frequency. This vibrational shift is happening with or without us and is easier to assimilate when we surrender our ego attachments to how we think things should be.
Everyday we are voting for the reality we are creating by what we think, feel, say, and do. The thoughts, words, actions we are choosing reflect and further energize our personal vibrational signature. When we choose new ways of acting, thinking and speaking, focusing on self-forgiveness, self-care, self-healing and self-love, then we are further energizing and celebrating the abundant blessings of beauty, love, and pleasure available to us when we are open to receive them with gratitude and appreciation.
I am grateful for the pleasurable beauty and love I am experiencing, as I focus my thoughts and actions on gratitude and appreciation for who I am and for the gift of my life.
May 19, Saturday. The Lunar Standstill Moon conjuncts Venus (12 Cancer) at the 6th gate in the Mayan Days of No Shadows when the Sun conjuncts the Pleiades and the Zenith at Chichen Itza in Central America. May 19, 20 and 21 mark the annual zodiacal conjunction of the Pleiades with the Sun. The Mayans left us an important clue about this Timing, built into the pyramid (Kukulkan) at Chichen Itza. May 20 is exactly 60 days after the Spring Equinox and the pyramid Kukulkan rests at a latitude where the Sun reaches the Zenith (exactly overhead) at Noon when no shadows are cast on the pyramid. These days occur twice each year and were called the “Days of No Shadows” by the Mayans.
John Major Jenkins, author of the Maya Cosmogenesis, indicates that the pyramid Kukulkan, (a.k.a. Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent) tracks the Sun-Pleiades-Zenith conjunction. The Crotalus rattlesnake found repeatedly in Meso-American art resembles the Mayan glyph for the Sun “Ahau” (pronounced Ah-how) and relates to the flow of time or the flow of consciousness through the seasons of life as they end and begin again.
“Tzab” is the Mayan word for the Pleiades, also known as the rattle of the snake. When the Pleiades conjuncts the Sun at the zenith, the rattle is in place. This Sun-Pleiades-Zenith alignment is occurring during a 72-year window, from 1976 to 2048, with the well-known date of 2012 at the center. Interestingly and highly synchronistically, on May 20, 2012, the Sun-Pleiades-Zenith passage features a solar eclipse, meaning the Pleiades and the Sun are joined as the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. The implications of this event are worth pondering as we approach that date. Meanwhile the Sun is a catalyst, or key, further unlocking the Pleiadian stargate over these days when the Sun and Pleiades join together at the zenith.
Also today, Venus (12 Cancer) and the Moon conjunct, as Venus passes through the 6th gate (the Gate of Perception) on her way OUT of the Underworld. In the cosmological telling of Venus, through the story of Inanna, this is where the newly emerging Goddess retrieves her staff or her earrings (depending on the version of the story you read), symbolizing her reclamation of her connection to magic and inner vision. This is a powerful time to engage these ceremonial images especially for those who are currently in a Synodic Venus Return. Synodic Venus Returns occur every eight years, so if you have turned or are turning a multiple of 8 (16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, etc.) between January 20, 2006 and August 24, 2007, you are in an eight-year Venus Return cycle. A synodic Venus Return lasts about a year and a half, or 584 days, and is designed to empower the archetypal Sacred Feminine we are investigating in the current life.
I am deeply grateful for all the magic and miracles that are mine to experience.
May 20, Sunday. Mercury (17 Gemini) opposes Jupiter (17 Sagittarius) and Mercury (18 Gemini) squares Uranus (18 Pisces) at the center point of the Days of No Shadows. Transformational Mercury is receiving an expansive download from Retrograde Jupiter now heading back toward Antares. Mercury is also receiving unexpected messages from Uranus that could include seeming disruptions or miracles depending on what is needed to create the changes that are unfolding.
Being open to a renewal of vision, or a possible whole reorientation of vision, around our personal truth is a nearly year-long feature, as Uranus and Jupiter have been dancing in square to one another, coming back for one last exact pass on October 9. This can be experienced as a breakdown to breakthrough. Often the disruption is initially intense, obscuring logic and reason until the dust settles, and a new picture comes into focus. For many, it may be October before that happens, so it helps to go with the flow and trust what is unfolding.
I am grateful for the liberating changes that support me in being more of who I truly am. I am grateful for the magic and mystery that inspires and informs my life.
May 21, Monday. The Moon moves into Leo, the Sun moves into Gemini, Mercury (19 Gemini) sextiles Saturn (19 Leo), and Chiron (16 Aquarius) stations Retrograde going Direct on October 20 at 10 Aquarius.
The Sun enters Gemini in the early morning hours today where it remains until the June Solstice activation of the Galactic Gateway, moving into Cancer on June 21. The Gemini mysteries include the art of being in the moment, spontaneous, outrageous, hilarious, and entertaining. This is the domain of the trickster who defies logic and reason, who goes beyond the ordinary boundaries of duality, who demonstrates that things are not as real as they appear, leaping empty handed into the void knowing and totally trusting s/he has transcended the laws of duality and is now living total freedom.
For those who have planets or angles between 10 and 16 degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio, this Chiron station Direct is significant in your Chironic healing initiation--that can take you deeper into whatever wounds you are assimilating into the medicine you carry.
I am grateful for all the ways I am healing and growing in self-confidence and self-love.
May 22, Tuesday. The Moon occults Saturn (19 Leo), and with all the fire signs involved in a wide Grand Trine from expansive Jupiter (17 Sag) to shamanic initiator Pluto (28 Sag), and warrior Mars (6 Aries), this is a great time for taking inspired-committed action (Mars/Aries) that valiantly promotes new forms (Saturn) of real, honest, heartfelt Self-Forgiveness, necessary for experiencing genuine Self-Love (Leo), so we are fully living the radical truth (Jupiter/Sagittarius) of who we are. You know you have fully Forgiven yourself, or at least are making progress, when you no longer are doing unconscious negative self-talk or self-destructive activities.
Many spiritual traditions speak of “40 days” as an initiatory period. One technique is to write out a simple Forgiveness statement everyday for 40 days, while noting all the thoughts, feelings and situations that come up in opposition to the new program you are establishing in your being. Taking a few minutes to journal about these things is a helpful way to clear them and to actively Forgive yourself for whatever they are. This practice can help you get to unconscious ways you have not yet Forgiven yourself. I am sharing with you some statements that are intended to assist you in finding the Forgiveness statements that resonate for you. Feel free to use any or all of the statements below that work for you and/or to write your own statements of Forgiveness.
It might help to invoke or call upon your Divine Essence, or connection to Source, Spirit, God/dess, Great Mystery, a Higher Power, etc. in whatever way works for you. Use as many expressions as you feel guided to use. This example calls upon the Divine Mother.
Holy Divine Mother through your blessings, grace, and guidance – through the power of love that streams from you:
I know and feel myself fully and freely forgiven for all the ways I have not loved myself.
I know I am forgiven for all the harm I have ever thought or done to myself or others.
I forgive myself for all the ways I have ever disapproved of myself or others.
I forgive myself for all the ways I have not been fully present or fully myself at any time.
I forgive myself for all the ways I have allowed fear to dictate my choices and actions.
I am grateful for all the ways I have already forgiven myself for my mistakes, as I fully embrace living the miracle of who I am!
May 23, Wednesday. Today is the Virgo First Quarter Moon (2 Virgo), and Mercury (22 Gemini) trines Neptune (22 Aquarius) accelerating what is already being rewoven in the overall life pattern, assisting us in practically and realistically engaging the celestial realms of insight and inspiration beyond Duality (Sun in Gemini, Mercury trine Neptune in Aquarius), for the purpose of bringing the Spirit of these ideas into a grounded sacred form (Virgo). It may be helpful to take time to ask for inner guidance on how to integrate these accelerated changes in ways that support this evolutionary process.
I am grateful for the changes that support my evolution and growth in living a magical life.
May 24, Thursday. Neptune stations Retrograde (22 Aquarius) until October 31, when it stations Direct at 19 Aquarius. Those who have planets or angles between 19 and 23 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius, and Leo are on the leading edge of this deepening Neptune process. It helps to remember that it is okay to feel confused, to have no idea where you’re going, to have no idea what the next step is, to be in the unknown. This is a time for dreaming and visioning, giving the incoming visions space and recognition without necessarily acting upon them until you feel clarity from your inner guidance. Even projects already in motion may be up for some quiet reflection and revisioning, while releasing attachments to specific pictures or outcomes and allowing for the possibility of even greater expression to unfold.
I am grateful for the wisdom of being okay with NOT knowing who I am and where I am going, as I allow myself to embrace the unexpected gifts of living in the unknown.
May 25, Friday. Moon moves into Libra transmitting the mysteries of balanced, harmonious, conscious–equal-partnership. These mysteries are committed to recognizing the importance of all our relationships especially the relationships that teach us more about who we are. Relationship coaches, Layne and Paul Cutright, provide additional insights, saying:
“The first step in creating evolutionary relationships is committing to your conscious evolution. Then allow the vision of what is truly possible for you and the people you love to so stir your soul and fire your imagination that you decide to do whatever you can to achieve that end.”
I am grateful for all my relationships, and how I am learning more about myself through their reflections.
May 26, Saturday. The asteroid Vesta, Keeper of the Sacred Flame, is conjunct Antares from May 21 to June 2, with the exact conjunction today. Vesta returns for another conjunction with Antares from August 20 – 30, with the exact conjunction on August 26. Plus, the upcoming May 31 Full Moon is conjunct Antares and Vesta, Jupiter is stationing Direct conjunct Antares in August, and the Moon is occulting Antares SIX times this year, on March 11, April 7, May 4, June 1, June 28, July 25, and November 11, according to Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar. With so much focus on Antares, it seems timely to investigate more of the energies of this Star.
Antares, a.k.a. Alpha Scorpii, marks the heart of the Scorpion and is a fascinating fixed star for many reasons. It was one of the four royal stars of Persia, consider Watcher of the West and also linked with Archangel Uriel. It is also one of four stars found closest to the Ecliptic; the others include Aldebaran, Spica, and Regulus. It is because Antares is so close to the Ecliptic that it can be occulted by the Moon, and during the years of the Lunar Standstill, the Moon occults Antares often.
Antares is also one of 15 Behenian fixed stars considered especially useful for magical applications in the medieval astrology of Europe and the Arab world. The root word of Behenian derives from the Arabic word “bahman” which means "root.” The Behenian stars were considered a source of astrological power when one or more planets were conjunct. Each Behenian star is also connected with a ritual gemstone and plant that was used to help draw upon the star's influence (e.g., into a talisman). It was believed that when a planet was within six degrees of a Behenian star, the star’s influence was greatly heightened.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), an influential renaissance writer, gives us another perspective of how Antares was worked with in times past:
"The thirteenth is called the Heart of the Scorpion, under which, amongst stones, is the sardonius, and amethyst; amongst plants long aristolochy and saffron." Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. I, Chapter 32, (Tyson ed.) page 99. He also says: "Under the Heart of Scorpio (Antares) they made the image of a man armed, and with a coat of mail, or the figure of a scorpion; it giveth understanding and memory, it maketh a good colour, and aideth against evil spirits, and driveth them away, and bindeth them." Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. II, Chapter 47, (Tyson ed.) pages 395-6. http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/home.htm
Antares is similar to the influence of Mars and Jupiter, and has been linked with success and good fortune, as well as danger and malevolence. Many of the fixed stars are well known for their shadow expressions. Naturally, every aspect in this world has a seemingly dual nature or shadow side. That is because every aspect in our experience, whether in nature or in the heavens, is a part of who we are. It is up to us to choose how we engage these energies. Antares does have the potential for great power when used wisely with Integrity and Heart. However, if a person is accessing Antares for power over others, then ultimately, these energies will backfire, causing their downfall.
I am grateful for the teachings of the Stars that remind me of my interconnectedness to all of life.
May 27, Sunday. Transformational messenger Mercury (26 Gemini) opposes shamanic transformer Pluto (26 Sagittarius) diving deep into the fears that limit our fullest, most empowered and loving expression of who we are. Pluto also dives deep to discover the strengths and abilities that are still unconscious, and brings them forth often, through experiences that challenge and test us, by pushing us beyond our comfort zones. This Timing provides an opportunity to deepen and intensify our mental experience of the emerging truth of this time. Self-Forgiveness is a key practice quickly facilitating greater Self-Love.
I am grateful for my ability to forgive myself, and for knowing I am divinely forgiven as well.
May 28, Monday. Moon moves into Scorpio, and Mercury moves into Cancer (crossing the Galactic Edge) where it remains until August 4, due to the upcoming Mercury Retrograde that begins on June 15 and ends July 9. Mercury’s message in part is about drawing upon the regenerative power of self-nurturing so that we may be of healthy, loving assistance to others when needed.
The Moon in Scorpio reminds us of the mysteries of magnified personal power that comes from surrender and facing our fears. The Buddha taught that Willingness, Flexibility, and Openness bring strength, and that being attached to Being in Control, while running from our fears, brings us greater pain. Pema Chodron asks in her book, The Places that Scare You “But do we understand that becoming familiar with the Running Away is the key? Openness doesn’t come from resisting our fears, but from getting to know them well.”
I am grateful for all the ways I am getting to know and accept my fears, because I know that is the edge of growth that is empowering me to be more authentically who I am.
May 29, Tuesday. The Sun (9 Gemini) is making its annual conjunction with the fixed star Aldebaran inside the Sacred Hoo. Aldebaran is exactly opposite Antares and is also one of the four royal stars or "Guardians of Heaven." Aldebaran is a portal to the Mysteries of the Mind and Antares is a portal to the Mysteries of the Heart.
When the heart is directing the mind, we are co-creating a magical world based in the power of love rather than what has been the driving force…the love of power. The supportive energies of Aldebaran are accessed when we approach its mysteries with Integrity, Honor, and Purity of Intent. According to the information in Starlight Elixirs and Cosmic Vibrational Healing by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld http://hilarion.com/stars.html, Aldebaran is linked with the original genetic coding that allowed for the experience of Free Will here on planet Earth, and …”the beings from Aldebaran hope that humanity may someday choose to co-create a civilization with them….” The Sun acts as a doorway, illuminating the mysteries of this Star that support our current journey, when we are willing and open.
I am grateful for making choices that allow me to embrace and experience more love and joy in my life.
May 30, Wednesday. Moon moves into Sagittarius, further supporting the quest for radical compassion as it relates to our personal spiritual journey; and, how once integrated within our own being, the genuine compassion we have for ourselves and others becomes a way we are truly in service to Spirit.
I am grateful for the truth that I already experience, and for the evolution and growth of even greater, more magnificent Truth to reveal itself to me.
May 31, Thursday. This Sagittarius Full Moon is the second Full Moon in this Calendar Month. This is sometimes called a Blue Moon, though two full Moons in a Calendar month is not where the term Blue Moon originated. (See Understanding the Blue Moon.) This Full Moon is also conjunct Jupiter, Vesta, and the Fixed Star Antares. (See May 26.) This Sagittarius Full Moon is highlighting the energy of the heart through Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion, along with other powerful medicine animals such as the Dragon and the Serpent also associated with Antares.
Some cultures saw Antares as the Heart of the Dragon. According to Richard Allen Hinkley’s book, Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, the Chinese linked Antares with the Azure Dragon, a primary celestial guardian. Dragon lore abounds in many cultures. In the Western traditions, the Dragon is often depicted as a shadow expression of crafty magic, greed, and evil intent. The Chinese associate dragons with luck and regal authority including some of their Kings, who were called Dragon Kings. In the Arthurian legends, King Uther Pendragon (father to King Arthur) used a golden dragon as his standard. Uther Pendragon is an actual historic figure though there are conflicting bits of information about his character and what kind of king he really was. http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/uther.html The main thing to note here is the use of the Dragon as symbol of kingship.
There are also myths and stories that describe Dragons as having wisdom, purity, compassionate Life Force, and the knowledge of all things. The 1996 movie, Dragonheart, tells the story of a dragon who willingly gave a part of his heart to save an ungrateful, spiteful, and mean boy-king’s life. Before sharing his heart, the dragon exacted a promise from the boy that he must live by the Dragon’s code of honor. The boy falsely promised, believing he was beyond being held accountable to such rules.
Over time, the young king repeatedly broke his promise, and the wisdom and purity of the dragon’s heart was corrupted. Where healing for all the people could have taken place, if the king had used the gift of the dragon’s heart wisely; instead, his craving for power over others resulted in greater suffering. In the end, the heroic dragon, along with help from a noble knight, restored honor and freed the people from the young king’s oppression. The king died in ruin as is the ultimate outcome of anyone using the power of Antares, or the dragon’s heart, for his or her own gain at the expense of others.
In another German Dragon myth, the hero Sigfried slays the Dragon Fafnir. The blood from the Dragon’s heart gave Sigfried the knowledge of all things and the ability to communicate with the animals. The Dragon Fafnir had become corrupted by the vast treasure he guarded, and had lost a vital connection with the purity and compassion of his own heart.
The potency of this Full Moon with Antares and Jupiter combines all these elements to produce an alchemy that works at a deep cellular, atomic, and sub-atomic level. The key is to attune to your true heart’s desire, taking wisely inspired action that comes from Integrity, Honor, and Love. (See May 3, 4, and 26.)
I am grateful for all the mythic teachings that help to support and further my life journey.
Cayelin is available for personal readings.
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