The Free Will of Saturn

Mercury will be in exact conjunction with Saturn in the sign of Scorpio on November 24th and the Saturn influence will be strongly influencing Mercury until the 29th.  Saturn is also strongly impacting the Sun now and the conjunction will be exact on the 29th.  Often the Saturn influence can feel heavy and even negative.  However, Saturn is also known for truth and peace while having the ability to ground  energy.  The grounding of energy is something that we all need at this moment.  Try to take advantage of the heavier nature of Saturn and as we move into the holiday season be practical in both spending and the use of one’s energy.  Saturn can make it easier to rest and rather than having fanciful expectations for Thanksgiving gatherings try to keep things simple and use the focused patience of Saturn to get things done without drama or the expectation of being superwoman or superman.

As Mars passed over the degrees of our recent eclipses he showed his influence in Paris and many of us shared the pain of the French people as a result of the awful attack on one of the world’s great cities.

Mars, as we all know, is a planet of war and aggression. The fact that the attack involved Rahu is one of the reasons why it took the world by surprise.  Rahu can bring about shocking events and in matters of war and politics will often bring about events that are not only surprising but also indicate betrayal playing a background role.  It might take some time to figure out the background actions and players in this event.

Fortunately, this is the last eclipse in the signs of Virgo and Pisces as these two signs gave strength to the hidden details in the planning and execution of the heinous attack.

It is important to keep in mind the energy of Rahu in this attack.  Rahu has been in Virgo which is a Mercury ruled sign and Mercury rules communication. Rahu tends towards lies, hysteria and drama.  Rahu also has a strong influence over television, films as well as the actors who work in the various media mediums.  It is important to not get pulled into the politics of this time period.  Under the Rahu influence we can be sure that no one in the media knows the full truth and that there are those in positions of power who are working very hard to put Americans into fear mode for their own political gain.  Fear is a strong and negative weapon used to dis-empower the average citizen to the point that the people lose serenity, confidence and feel mistrustful of anyone who can be considered an outsider who doesn’t look, speak or think the same.  It is a powerful tool for those who want to rule the world.  We always have free will and it serves all of us to not give into the histrionics of fear-mongering.

About a year ago the eclipses happened on October 8th and 23rd. It was the time period in which Ebola had reached high levels in Africa.  As the news hit the air-waves the media covered the subject with great drama and Americans responded with great fear.  The fear was so great that governors were forcing aid workers into isolation even after tests came back negative. People were outraged that our own citizens were being brought back to hospitals which specialized in infectious diseases.  Some were so outraged that they wanted to deny American citizens the right to come back into our hospitals and were demanding that America keep them on ships out in the sea to be treated.  Of course, there was no epidemic in this country and our citizens came back and were given the proper medical treatment.

Once we moved past the eclipse energy the hysteria stopped.  That is the nature of the eclipse energy.  It was sad to see so many losing their lives in Africa and today it is sad to know that families are grieving the loss of loved ones.  Fear and anger doesn’t help solve the situation in France – it only serves those who are trying to manipulate those making political power plays.  We in America are very proud of our “free-will” it is important to remember that “free-will” also includes refusing to give into the hysteria causing manipulations which makes matters worse and often brings us down a path of fear and mental darkness.  Saturn’s influence on Mercury and the Sun invites all of us to step into the truth of common sense and calmness.

 

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New Moon In Libra

The Moon just entered the sign of Libra (11/9/15) and will be exactly conjunct the Sun on 11/11/15 at 12:45 PM Eastern Time. Mars will be exactly conjunct Rahu at the same time.

The New Moon is considered the end and the beginning of the monthly Lunar cycle. It is time to leave behind the emotions of the old and embrace a new beginning. The days immediately before and after the exact New Moon can be low in energy and is a good time for rest and reflection. Of course, with the fiery Mars conjunct the eclipse point, the world is not in a relaxed state and our own minds and emotions may be is a bit of turmoil.

Libra is the sign of relationships and indicates the need for harmony in relationship and balance within ourselves. The preceding sign of Virgo can bring about stress and tension in our body and mind as well as within our relationships. The New Moon in Libra is our opportunity to begin to restore inner balance and more harmony with others.

It can be helpful during this time to tune out the chatter of the media and negative people. The New Moon day is the day when we can use the cosmic energy to set our goals and intentions for the new Lunar cycle. The past few months have been more challenging than usual and often those challenges reflect in our relationships and in our own bodies and minds. Take advantage of this time period to meditate and breathe with conscious attention and determination to bring peacefulness into ourselves as well as our relationships with others. The best way to prepare for the lessening of the planetary challenges coming our way during the month of December is to find it within our selves.

One of the quickest ways to bring about balance is by taking a few moments to do alternative nostril breathing. Find a quiet place and sit in the classic meditation pose or on a chair making sure the spine is straight and the head is centered. Use the right thumb to close off the right nostril and breathe through the left nostril for a count of four seconds then close the left nostril with the pinky and hold the breath for two seconds then release the thumb from the right nostril as you exhale for four seconds. Begin over again by inhaling through the “right” nostril for four seconds, hold for two seconds and then exhale from the “left” nostril again (one full cycle). Doing the complete cycle twenty-six times is recommended.

Fussy Times

Mars and Venus are now closely conjunct in the sign of Virgo and both are very close to our friend Rahu. Venus will be exactly conjunct on the 8th of November and Mars will be exact on the 12th. My experience has taught me that the most challenging times are as the planets “approach” the exact point of conjunction. Venus is debilitated in Virgo and Mars is not well-placed either. This energy can heighten our levels of stress and those around us can seem more fussy than usual. Venus is a planet of relationship and Mars can be a planet of anger. It is important to not throw fuel onto the fires which may appear in our personal relationships.

Virgo is the sign of health and has an influence over business. Mercury rules Virgo which emphasizes business and until the latter part of November we may hear negativity with regard to business. Rahu is one of the eclipse points and with Mars crossing over the point of the recent eclipse and we should not be surprised if the planet experiences a large natural weather event. The involvement of Mars can also herald the trumpet of war in one of our many trouble spots. Fortunately, the influence in Virgo will not be with us for long and no matter what the news we should not overreact to it.

On a personal level it can help to understand the nature of Virgo. Often under the Virgo influence one can get enmeshed in details and lose sight of the bigger picture. Virgo is on of those signs which can push towards “hamster braining” and with the Mars influence it can be difficult to let an insult, worry or disappointment go as it gets played out over and over again in our minds. It can be much better to use exercise or diversion to help one move on from the worry or anger. Since it is possible that the situation which is affecting us can come via a personal relationship or co-worker restraint might be the best way to handle the situation especially since the chances are high that the situation itself is being caused by the other person’s own stress and worries. Mars, of course, is anger and to quiet the reactive anger it can help to take a few moments to breathe in and out of the left nostril. A helpful mantra for anger is “Om Hoom Om” which can be more effective than the well-known counting to ten.

Whenever there is a strong influence in Virgo health becomes a factor. Since Virgo has an influence over the digestion attention should be given to the quality and quantity of the food that is eaten during this time period. Mars rules the blood and Venus rules the blood circulation which means that this is not the time to ignore viral or bacterial infections. Allergies tend to be high during the fall and it is best to pay attention to allergens so that the immune system is not weakened to the point that it becomes easy to get an infection.

The Sun will move into Scorpio and out of debilitation on the 16th of November a few days after Mars passes the exact degree of Rahu. This will begin the upswing and while we are not yet into the clearer skies of December the stress should begin to lessen. The most intense days, in my opinion, will be as the Moon passes through Virgo, Libra and Scorpio which is going to put pressure on our minds and emotions. Be aware from 11/7 until 11/14 and use whatever tools you have to try and be as non-reactive as possible.

Ram Dass

November 4, 2015
“Learn how to be comfortable with aloneness, and not keep defining it as loneliness and realize that while your incarnation, your ego, is a socially derived construct, your soul is not. Your meditation practice is done in order to bring you back into your soul identity, where you can recognize that we are all alone, but you’re only lonely if you’re caught down in ego.”