Monday, August 03, 2009
Solar Eclipse
(Note: the following commentary on the eclipses was forwarded to me by a friend, but I do not know its original source. The ideas it contains are very fascinating, and I suspect many of us are already well into the experience of major transition in our lives.)
A New Peace
Past the Total Solar Eclipse in July, Great Mother now gives birth to a new consciousness on Earth. Bask in the vibrations of freedom, unity and transpersonal love.The Lammas Gateway opens this weekend and culminates in a powerful Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius next week. This is another potent time for prayer, ritual and manifestation, an opportunity to align with the divine will of the cosmos.This summer's trinity of eclipses completes next week with a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse the night of August 5/6, just as the Earth reaches the mid-point between the June Solstice and September Equinox.
The eclipsed Moon at 14 Aquarius joins the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in the later degrees of the same sign. Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the Awakener. His lightning bolt strikes suddenly, swiftly, opening us to new insights and possibilities. Brilliant, daring and revolutionary, Uranus ushers in the next astrological age.Right now transiting Uranus in Pisces is opposing Saturn in Virgo, and both are squaring Pluto for the next several years. The energies of these outer-planet aspects are destructive, forceful and relentless. The structures and forms of our lives - as well as the beliefs they represent - are being reconfigured from the inside out.This weekend is the Lammas cross-quarter gateway, the midpoint between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox. This is a powerful time in the solar year as the Earth journeys around the Sun. Traditionally the Sabbat of Lammas falls on August 1 and extends through the zodiacal point when the Sun crosses the 15th degree of Aquarius (on August 6/7 this year, depending on your time zone).Add to this the three powerful eclipses this summer, and we've got the ingredients for a highly volatile, fast-changing landscape filled with sudden twists and turns. Reality, as we know it, is breaking up. Institutions are crumbling. The playing field is being leveled. Shifting economies mean differences in the way we live our lives. We're forced to evaluate our priorities and pare down to essentials. For most of us, day-to-day existence looks wildly different today than it did a year ago and will continue to morph through this transition.The stellium of planets in Aquarius is a beacon. This is where to focus in coming years. The unpredictable energies of Uranus teach us to let go, open to the destructive/creative forces of the Universe, and allow love to shine through. We're entering the astrological age of Aquarius, and this eclipse supports the transition to a more humanitarian, egalitarian and spiritual world. The conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius brings healing and expanded consciousness, an opening to the love of the cosmos. The Moon in Aquarius teaches emotional detachment. The brotherly/sisterly love of agape reigns. In the Aquarian Age, we living cooperatively, for the common good, acknowledging the special gifts each one contributes within the community. What unique talents will you offer at this special time in Earth's history?
Lammas celebrates the first fruits of the harvest. The masculine and feminine energies have combined to fertilize the crops that are beginning to yield fruits, vegetables and grains. The Earth and the Sun share with us. We, in turn, share with each other. This is a disseminating period culminating in the Full Moon, whose light bathes us in the radiance of Divine Love. The eclipsed Moon shows us what lies in the shadow, both individually and collectively. How are we prepared, and not prepared, to live a simpler way, cooperatively, in harmony with our brothers and sisters around the world? How are we taking care of ourselves, each other, and the Earth?
As we make our way through the 2012 Gateway, we're learning to let go. What was before is no more. What's coming is our own creation. If we choose to focus on Aquarian ideals, we'll be aligned with Universal will, and the way will be made clear to manifest and create powerfully. If we resist and fight the changes, we'll have another kind of experience. Neither path is easy. Following the path of love reaps infinite rewards.This is the most exciting time imaginable on planet Earth, a time of awakening, the flowering of love. At this Full Moon, and through the Lammas gateway, please consider joining in prayer, meditation and ritual from your location to receive the incoming light of the cosmos and disseminate universal love to all beings and the Earth.
Om Shanti
Timing and Ritual
Lammas - August 1-7 Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse - August 5/6
Full Moon is exact at 8:55 PM Eastern August 5; 12:55 AM GMT August 6 Eclipse Duration - 7:01 to 10:17 PM Eastern August 511:01 PM GMT August 5 to 2:17 AM GMT
August 6 The beginning of this penumbral eclipse of the Moon is visible from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, western Russia, western Asia, South America, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. The end is visible in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South America, North America except the Northwest, and parts of the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.You can convert to your time zone here:http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.htmlCeremony, ritual and meditation will be ultra-powerful throughout this period, and especially during the eclipse window on Wednesday night through zodiacal Lammas on August 6/7. Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals celebrating the plentiful ripening grain and the prosperity of the land and people. It's traditionally observed with festivals celebrating early harvest, with an intention of giving back to the community.More about Lammas and the Sabbats: http://www.starcraftsob.com/craft/sabbattiming.shtml
(Note: the picture at the top is not of a solar eclipse. I tried to find one but could not, so I put up this picture of a star (the heavens) from the Hubble site.)
