Category: Star Guidance

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Gemini New Moon – June 6, 2024

Tomb of Inherkau no. 359 Second chamber, South wall “The great cat of Heliopolis” killing the enemy of the sun, Apophis.

New Moon in Gemini

The new moon is at 16 degrees of Gemini and its conjunct Venus and the Asteroid Apophis, also called Apep, Panacea and square to Saturn in Pisces.

The ruler of the New Moon is Mercury, which is conjunct Jupiter…  and all of these planets are in Gemini!

Gemini rules learning, communication, news, editors, and reporters. Storytelling and gossip. Vehicles; planes, trains and automobiles. It also rules twins, pairs, and any two. It’s comedy and trickster energy. And it’s writers, mathematicians and magicians.

The new moon, as always, is a time for setting new intentions. With all of this Gemini energy, the focus of your intentions can and should be on any of the above areas ruled by mercury. Do you want to complete a book? Are you planning to go back to school? Have you always wanted to do stand-up? Set intentions to make them a reality! With so much Gemini energy, powerful manifesting magic is available to us. Venus conjunct the New Moon invites us to include our partners (relationship, marriage or business). The power of two will be magnified.

The ruler of the New Moon, Mercury is also trine Pluto which adds power to your thoughts, feelings and words. This recipe for powerful manifestation must be approached with maturity as there are a couple of challenges to this powerful magic. Saturn is square to the New Moon and Venus causing us to feel insecure in our thoughts and feelings and to have difficulty expressing ourselves.

The New Moon is also conjunct Apophis. Does Apophis (also called Apep) sound familiar? During the eclipse in April, NASA sent up several probes in a mission they called APEP (Atmospheric Perturbation around Eclipse Path). This was on top of the ‘devil comet’ passing by the eclipse and the reactivation of CERN on the eclipse day had everyone freaking out! This was because the mission was named after the Egyptian god who was an opponent of the light or MAAT and therefore the opponent of order and truth. In fact, Apophis/Apep was a giant snake that tried to swallow the Sun in its journey through the underworld (nighttime). Apep was temporarily successful when darkening the Sun during an eclipse. Eclipses happen twice a year and are mostly unnoticed, but this one pushed everyone’s fear button. This fear energy is reignited at this New Moon!

Apophis is not a god to worship. In ancient Egypt, rituals instead were performed to banish chaos/Apophis/Apep. They created an effigy to burn once a year, and worrying about creating chaos with the image, they also made sure to create images of other chaos-conquering gods.

The Sabian symbol for the new moon is “The head of a youth changes into that of a mature thinker.” What do you need to do to change from a youthful to a mature thinker? While the ancients used a ritual to defeat chaos, all of this mercury energy is inviting you to learn, study, communicate with your lover or business partner, and avoid gossip, lies or trickster energy. This is easier said than done! To create powerful magic with our partners, we need to be on the same page or at least able to hold our center and “banish chaos” when we are not in agreement.

F Scott Fitzgerald wrote “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time. H. Maynard Smith said, “A broad-minded man, who can see both sides of the question and is ready to hold opposed truths while confessing that he cannot reconcile them, is at a manifest disadvantage with a narrow-minded man who sees but one side, sees it clearly and is ready to interpret the whole Bible, or, if need be, the whole universe, in accordance with his formula.”

Recently the Internet has been abuzz with the ideas of Terrance Howard. He starts his many arguments with the idea that 1 x 1 does not equal 1 but rather it equals 2. This has created two opposing camps; camp Terrance and camp ‘stick to acting’. However, with all of this Gemini energy, we are being asked to be mentally flexible, and curious, to develop our minds to hold two opposing ideas. A good Gemini will get you going, piss you off mentally, and once you are good and pissed off will say “I was just being devil’s advocate”. Can you withstand Gemini’s upending?

Perhaps a Terrance exercise can help you. If you are camp ‘stick to acting’, stretch your mind to consider Buckminster Fuller’s quote “unity is plural and at minimum two. In his book Physics Aristotle wrote “the smallest number, in its strictest sense of the word, is two” In fact according to D.E Smith, up until the late 1700’s “school arithmetic’ still taught that one was not a number. You can find these quotes and more in this video on court astrologer and polymath John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica, wherein Dee refuses to use the number 1 and instead replaces it in all instances with an L –  Check out videos 2 and 3

If you are team Terrance, explore the ideas of his detractors. Dr. Hossenfelder is a good one

If you are not interested in the least with what Terrance Howard has to say, try the exercise with whatever conflict of ideas or opinions that arise – challenging yourself to hold two opposing views. This is the trick for banishing the Apophis, or the chaos in our minds, and more importantly, It is the Panacea, the other asteroid conjunct the New Moon, which represents finding solutions and healing.

At this new moon, burn an effigy of all that is creating chaos in your life, but make sure to also create, welcome, and embrace things that will overpower the chaos (curiosity, communication, understanding, and mental flexibility). This will be the key to working magic with your partners and manifesting any intentions you seek to create.

Here is the Apophis/Apep Ritual:

In the The Books of Overthrowing Apep or the Book of the Ritual consisted of a making wax model or small drawing of the serpent, which would be spat on, mutilated and burned while reciting spells that would aid Ra. These are the chapters from the first book:

    • Chapter of Spitting Upon Apep
    • Chapter of Defiling Apep with the Left Foot
    • Chapter of Taking a Lance to Smite Apep
    • Chapter of Fettering Apep
    • Chapter of Taking a Knife to Smite Apep
    • Chapter of Putting Fire Upon Apep

Happy New Moon in Gemini!

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Sagittarius Full Moon – May 23, 2024

Full Moon May 23, 2024

The Full Moon is at 2 degrees of Sagittarius. Sagittarius rules beliefs, international affairs, travel, publiLilith - Inannashing, and religion. In its lower form is fundamentalism, international issues and issues related to publishing.

The Moon is conjunct with Lilith and opposite the Sun conjunct Venus, Jupiter, Terpsichore and Admetos…. So for this post, I will focus on our beliefs!

In my upcoming book Mary Magdelene; The Sacred Relationship Path to the Age of Aquarius (tentative title), I explore Lilith in depth. From the book:

In early Sumerian mythology, love poems between Innana and Dummuzi were sexual and explicit. One story of Iannana involves Lilith. The more familiar story of Lilith is that she was Adams’s first wife. The lesser-told story is the one told in the epic of Gilgamesh; a Sumerian tale that involves Inanna and a Huluppu tree. In this story, a snake is in the roots of Inanna’s tree and is described as ‘uncharmable’. The dark maiden Lilith is at the trunk and an Anzu-bird (lion-headed eagle) is seated on the branches. Innana has been growing and nurturing this tree, but now she wants to use it to create a seat and a bed. The clash of Lilith, the snake and the bird in the tree stops Inanna from being able to transform the tree into the creations she desires.

The Anzu bird is said to be the stealer of destinies. The snake, however, was a symbol of fertility and sexuality, and Lilith is traditionally a wind demon. Lilith’s name comes from the Sumerian word lilitu, which means a wind spirit or a female demon. But what exactly is a wind demon? In Akkadian, the four winds of the cardinal directions were wind spirits with the South West wind being female and the other four male. The wind was considered the breath of the demon.

It should be first understood that demons were not necessarily bad. Mesopotamian academic Irving Finkel reminds us that we cannot impose our conception of demons onto the ancients. Demons in this period held both good and bad qualities. They were simply spirits on the earth plane, intermediaries between the gods and humans. For example, the demon ruling over the Lilith, Pazuzu, was feared as the king of the southwesterly wind that brought famine and loved as the demon that protected children from other child-destroying demons.

In Mesopotamia, the wind direction associated with Lilith, the South West direction, was stormy and hot. It was recorded that many rainstorm came from southwesterly winds and that the wind moved counter to the “normal” wind, which blew in the other direction. Normal wind in Mesopotamia was North Westerly wind.

But why would wind be a demon? The wind is not uncommon in the world of ancient medicine. In Tibetan it’s called rlung; translated as ‘wind’, the Greek equivalent is pneuma, (where pneumonia comes from) and it is qi in the Chinese tradition. In the astrological/hermetic tradition wind can be inferred to be related to the humours (hot, dry, cold, wet), which in turn are connected to the cardinal directions. Wind is related to the seasons; heat in summer, wet in the shoulder seasons such as spring and autumn, and cold in winter. The manifestation of wind is matched to the seasons.

In Chinese medicine, healing is related to yin and yang, the balance of energy and it is often winds that throw this balance off causing illness.

Wind can be considered good until it becomes too much! Imagine your mother telling you to do up your jacket or you’ll “catch a draft”. Or that you are trying to light a fire… some ‘wind’ is needed to stoke the fire, but too much can blow the fire out!

Going back to Inanna’s story, we can say that the snake is energy (sexual energy) and Lilith, the wind demon is a hot and stormy wind which stokes the energy. Lilith was said to come and have sex with men at night, hinting at a wet dream or something that would cause him to be uninterested in sexual relations with his wife. In women “The ardat liliµ is a sexually frustrated and infertile female who behaves aggressively toward young men.” So to put it bluntly, Lilith is a hot summer wind that can throw sexual energy out of balance.

With this new understanding of Lilith and with Lilith conjunct the moon at this full moon, we can shift the winds of our understanding, allowing us to release or balance belief systems, specifically around sexuality. We can let go of our traditional idea of demons as all good or all bad. We shift its connection to our beliefs about sex, sexual expression and sexual health.

The ruler of the full moon is Jupiter. Jupiter is conjunct Venus at the last degree of Taurus. This expands and increases our desire for love and relationships to a heightened place. It has a feeling like “now or never”. Jupiter and Venus are also in an out-of-sign conjunction with the Sun now in Gemini. The Gemini Sun is curious and needs to explore. We want to explore love. We want to explore sex and sexual expression!

This is further evidenced by the Sun conjunct the asteroid Terpsichore. In Greek mythology, Terpsichore is one of the nine muses and goddesses of dance and chorus. Terpsichore is related to dance, aerobics, flexibility; coordination, agility, grace and mobility; It is also connected to body image/ego and body language. We have a strong desire to move, dance, sing and express!

The problem comes with Admetos (a hypothetical planet). Ademos is also conjunct the Sun. Admetos is associated with matters that get blocked and come to a standstill.

Pull it all together and it can be said that this full moon is an astrological retelling of the story of Inanna and the Huluppu tree. Venus and Jupiter are expanding our desire for love, and Terpsichore is enchanting us with a need to express ourselves. Lilith with the moon is stoking the hot winds of desire… putting the flames of our desires out of balance, and Admetos like the Anzu-bird is blocking our expression. We are likely to feel hot bothered and out of sorts!

Fortunately, the Full Moon is creating angel wings with Neptune at the last degree of Pisces and Pluto newly in Aquarius. This provides a place for the full moon to express her emotions and sense of being. One angel wing is the moon is trine and the Sun sextile to Neptune.  This connects us with our intuition and feelings and provides an outlet for self-expression and creativity, especially if connected to a sense of spirituality. The other angel wing is the moon sextile and the Sun trine to Pluto. This gives us access to emotional control and the ability to channel our emotions in a desired direction. It also connects us to personal power, and since Pluto is in Aquarius, we can also connect to the power that comes from groups and cooperation.

All in all, this energy provides a means for transmuting “bad demons” or negative feelings about sex and sexual expression, and to channel any traumas into art or artistic expression. We have an opportunity to balance the winds, to release and to invite into our lives whatever will help bring yin and yang…. what is it for you? aligning chakras? tantra? Abstinence? A Pole dancing class?

The key to accessing the full power of this full moon is expressed in the Sabian symbol “two men playing chess”. The goal of the game is “checkmate”, which is to put the king in a position where he has nowhere else to go. Chess can teach us how to be strategic, aware of the entire board (our surroundings) and to tame our impulses. Ultimately it is a game of balance; the chess board being a famous symbol of good and evil, yin and yang.

Happy Full Moon in Sagittarius

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Aries Solar Eclipse – April 8, 2024

The solar eclipse is happening at 19° of Aries. Aries is the sign of ‘I am’, it signifies courage, independence, and defining the self as separate. It is the sign of the pioneer and those who are enterprising.

A solar eclipse is a supercharged New Moon. New Moons are generally times for setting new intentions and becoming clear on what we want to manifest in our lives. Eclipses magnify this power. Intentions set can move us towards our purpose. The points where the plane of the Moon’s orbital path meets the ecliptic are called lunar nodes. Eclipses happen when the moon comes in front of the Sun on that path. The lunar nodes are always closest at eclipses. The north node is also called the dragon’s head and the dragon’s tail is the point on the other side, the south node. This eclipse is a north node eclipse, which makes it a more positive eclipse, moving us in the direction we are meant to go.

The eclipse is conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer. Chiron is an asteroid that represents our wounds. In Aries these are wounds related to being ourselves, who we are, striking out independently. These wounds generally come from others not liking or accepting our individuality. Those wanting us to conform or remain part of the tribe. Thinking differently, dressing differently, and striking out on our own requires courage.

Chiron deeply colours this eclipse as it is at the exact degree of the eclipse. Those Chiron wounds we have suffered for standing up and being ourselves can be eclipsed during this time. If we need to fight for our right to be ourselves, we will be well equipped as Chiron will allow us to access the right skills and to balance fighting with peace.

In Chiron’s myth, he was raised by Apolo, who taught him many skills including medicine, music, prophecy, poetry and law. Chiron was kind, wise and mild. He became the teacher of many men and always taught them to balance “ reason and wildness”. Chiron was immortal but became physically wounded, could not die and experienced constant pain. He gave up his immortality to allow Prometheus to live. In so doing he was rewarded with a place in the stars.

The eclipse has a sacred warrior energy to it. The ruler of the eclipse is Mars, which is in Pisces, the sign connected to spirituality, unconditional love, and the collective unconscious. It’s conjunct Saturn in Pisces which does bring a challenge to the sacred warrior. The challenge has a karmic feel as Saturn is connected to Karma. It’s also connected to time, the status quo, and institutions. In its role as karmic, it brings lessons, structure and responsibilities. Pisces is also the highest octave of Venus, which speaks to unconditional love. Chiron will bring up attempts to wound our identity, courage, or physicality. The key to overcoming these wounds is generosity; giving to others what you have learned through the pain you have endured unconditionally!

If you are planning to have a ceremony at the eclipse, tap into chitons the healing power through music and vibration… drums, flute, singing bowl or the voice… 174hz is said to have the frequency of healing, 396hz removes fear, 417hz is said to heal past trauma and may be a good one for this eclipse because it’s related to the sacral chakra, as is mars.

Mars conjunct Saturn has another energy associated with it. Mars is our sexuality and in Pisces, it can have the energy of sacred sexuality. Mars in connection with Saturn can take on a darkness or in its highest expression can be disciplined and structured.

As a dark expression, Mars and Saturn would show up as bondage, domination and submission, sadism and masochism.

According to the Merck Manual

“Sadomasochistic fantasies and sexual behaviour between consenting adults is very common. Masochistic activity tends to be ritualized and long-standing. For most participants (similar to most other paraphilic interests), the humiliation and beating are simply acted out; participants know that it is a game and carefully avoid actual humiliation or injury, often through the use of a prenegotiated “safe word.” However, some masochists increase the severity of their activity with time and may stop using their safe word to protect themselves, which can potentially lead to serious injury or death.”

In other words, the professionals say that there is a healthy and an unhealthy expression of this side of Mars and Saturn.

I think there is a higher expression of this energy. The highest expression is hieros gamos” or sacred sex. Sacred sex invokes structure and discipline through structured practices such as seed retention and energy direction. The goal is to reconnect with the divine through integrating masculine and feminine energies and to create positive alchemy.

This brings me to the asteroid Magdalena. Magdalena is conjunct with the North Node. It is associated with the energy of Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene has been connected with Inanna, Ishtar, and Isis and all are associated with the divine feminine. Mary Magdalene was accused of being a prostitute but was likely connected to sacred sex practices. Mary Magdalene was also connected with gnostics and the catharsis, religious groups who held importance to the divine feminine or Sophia.

At the eclipse, the Sun and Moon are united. On its own, this unites masculine and feminine. The fact that the eclipse is happening in Aries, draws in Mars, the ruler of the eclipse. This is also masculine energy! Mars is in the sign where Venus is exalted or in her highest octave and this draws in Venus. Venus will be Aries, where Venus is said to be debilitated and ruled by Mars. So in a way, they are submitting to each other and taking on the energy of each other.

Sun and Moon, Mars and Venus coming together is powerful alchemy!

To add to it, the asteroid Magdalena is there with the north node and she is calling us to move towards the divine feminine. To remember the ways of sacred sexuality. In Aries she reminds us of a time when Venus was associated with war… when She was associated with Inanna, the goddess of love and war. She reminds us to fight for the return of the divine feminine. But also the healing of the masculine!

When the divine feminine was submerged and suppressed, it is said that the alchemy of sacred sex went underground and became misused showing up as sex magic, designed for only material gain. It is rumoured to be used by the likes of Jeffery Epstein and others that likely show up in his little black book, but also goes back in time. This energy can and will likely be used by dark forces, but it is also equally available to those who carry the light!

The Sabian symbol is A young girl feeding birds in winter. It reminds us that we can survive in harsh conditions, but life is made easier by giving, sharing and compassion.

Happy Solar Eclipse!