Insights for December 2014
Philip Sedgwick is an Astrologer I follow, http://www.philipsedgwick.com/. He writes a great blog and you can sign up to receive his newsletter. His December 26, 2014, post included a really valuable exercise (highlighted below) for Jan. 1, 2015. It is not a typical New Year’s Resolution exercise, it is based on current planetary positions of Jupiter and Mars and thus a really great time for this exercise to review your beliefs in relation to the past year and actions that you will take. I am sharing it because I think it’s wise and informed. I feel compelled to do this exercise and I thought you might also feel compelled. Enjoy!
“Come New Year’s Day, Mars in Aquarius and Jupiter in Leo, retrograde, line up on opposite sides of the zodiac to see if earthlings might be able to interpret and engage the tug of war they enact.
The actual opposition occurs at 20:23 U.T. on January 1, so for some in the world it will already be the second day of the year and the calendric new leaf should have already been turned.
Mars and Jupiter in opposition are quite powerful, and if one is prepared, no doubt many good things can be extracted. The essence of the aspect is that by directing clear, focused energy and activity into life’s efforts, the greatest goals and most magnificent objectives appear closer on the road ahead.
Jupiter is retrograde, so it may not be that goals are immediately fulfilled. Likely, that’s a good thing. With Jupiter reversing tracks, the time is ripe for review, revision and any other red prefix word that may not actually be a word, but would do well to be. Works like redeclaration, recommitment, reinvention come to mine. The implication of “re-“ in the Jupiter retrograde context is:
Review all plans from the past goal cycle, in this case likely a year, neatly a half Mars cycle. Note levels of completion accomplished, current interest in fulfilling the previously stated objective, and apply some mental absorption ointment in the spirit of “If I had known then what I know now,” ensuring that all future efforts will be smarter and energetically more efficient - something planets in Capricorn can applaud.
More fundamentally, Jupiter in retrograde enquires regarding the platform philosophy in play that one uses to drive the rationalization system behind every effort in life:
What do you believe?How is what you intend to do working to fit into the big picture in a big way? After all, Jupiter is big (and proud) and Mars is in Aquarius.Are there missing pieces in the thought sequence?Given what you know now, do you still believe everything you believed when the last wave of life objectives launched?What enhanced knowledge can you now apply from wisdom gained?What do you do if your instinctive nature of what you feel to be correct disagrees with an ingrained philosophy or creed?
Mars in Aquarius seeks to offer a few details on his hot action, pre-flight check list:
Are you still into what you are doing? You know, does passion still fill your belly’s furnace with fire about this activity or objective?Remember, every deed impacts the entirety of Earth. Every living organism is affected by every action by every person.Do you really have everything good to go, or should you look around for any last minute tools you might want to pack up?This thing you’re doing, it’s good for everyone, right?Be present every step of the way, which means, no projecting uncertainty, doubt or fear of outcome(s) into the energy expended.
This is a big splash pattern. With the clarification of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, significant progress can be instated in the early days of 2015.” Philip Sedgwick, A Mars-Jupiter Kickoff ~ 26 Dec 2014, Skyscraping, http://www.philipsedgwick.com/StarBlogs/StarBlogsB.htm
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"The transformation that comes through meditation is not a straight-line progression. It’s a spiral, a cycle. My own life is very much a series of spirals in which at times I am pulled toward some particular form of sadhana or lifestyle and make a commitment to it for maybe six months or a year. After this time I assess its effects. At times I work with external methods such as service. At other times the pull is inward, and I retreat from society to spend more time alone. The timing for these phases in the spiral must be in tune with your inner voice and your outer life.Don’t get too rigidly attached to any one method – turn to others when their time comes, when you are ripe for them." Ram Dass, Love Serve RememberHarvard Unveils MRI Study Proving Meditation Literally Rebuilds The Brain’s Gray Matter In 8 Weeks http://www.feelguide.com/2014/11/19/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks/“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.” Eckhart Tolle“When you renounce something you are tied to it. The only way to get out of this is to see through it. Understand its true value and you won’t need to renounce it; it will just drop from your hands.” Awareness, Anthony De Mello, pg. 16.And, “deep inquiry leads to understanding.” Sandra Brooks."Our minds are habituated to relate to suffering by resisting it through blame, bitterness, anger, resentment. That resistance is what the Buddha called 'the second arrow,' which follows the first arrow, the direct experience of pain. So much additional suffering comes from believing that 'things shouldn’t be this way'—when in fact they are that way." Ronna Kabatznick, "Sea of Sorrow" Tricycle: The Buddhist Review"As you breathe, in cherish yourself, as you breathe out, cherish all Beings." HIs Holiness the Dalai Lama Thank you for posting this The Norbulingka Institute."Saturn just exited the dark underpass of Scorpio and entered fiery, truth-seeking Sagittarius today, December 23. Living authentically can be more liberating than one realizes and this will be your two and a half year window to step into stride with the most honest and natural version of yourself. It will extend your view of the horizon and shine more light on your evolutionary path ahead. It will show you what is realistically possible, which will be far more than you allowed yourself to envision in the past. Ultimately it will push you to be TRUE to you!You will need to slow down long enough in order see the sign posts along the way, and for some, you will be called to 'fall on your knees', surrendering in preparation to receive the truth of your next move. What a gift that will prove to be." Kristin Fontana http://kristinfontana.com/starcast/2014/12/24/