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Issue 59 – Spring 2003: Moon Talk – Part One

Issue 60 –Summer 2003: Moon Talk – Part Two: Mother Moon

Issue 61– Autumn 2003: Lightning Over the Waters

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ISSUE 59 – Spring 2003

MOON TALK – Part One
by Melanie Reinhart

Our home planet is actually a binary system consisting of the Earth and our Moon which completes one orbit around the Earth approximately every 29 days in an intimate relationship explored here by Melanie Reinhart

The Moon, we are told, is lifeless, uninhabited and devoid of water. This description of the sky’s much-beloved luminary reminds us that we too have no light without the Greater Source, for without some reflective ability we too may feel lifeless and uninhabited. When disruption and chaos threaten our material and emotional stability, attunement to the Moon’s cycle helps cultivate a sense of participation in a deeper cosmic rhythm. Her reliable waxing and waning reminds us that change is the only constant in our lives, and is linked with a higher order implicit in our experience, even if invisible to us.

Water and the Moon

Paradoxically, there is an ancient association of the Moon with water, and with the life cycle of birth, fertility, development and decline, as portrayed in the cyclic rebirth, increase and dying away of the Moon’s light. The gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon creates the tides, drawing the sea into rhythms that also demonstrate the elemental power of tide, wave and storm. Our very bodies are mostly fluid, and we too are thus drawn. Familiarity with our lunar nature helps us feel more clearly the shape-shifting of our own and others’ emotions, and thus to be intelligently aware of the undercurrents concealed under an apparently smooth sea. Water is the carrier of memory, where the traces of our emotional experiences live on. It also symbolizes the power of imagination to dream, envision and pre-configure what we seek to manifest in our lives.

Dark of the Moon

As the Moon disappears, these imaginal realms open. We may revisit the past and release it with new understanding, and also prepare our future through investing the promptings of our spirit with life-force and intention. Just before and after the New Moon, the Moon is invisible. Astronomically, the Sun and Moon are located on the same side of the Earth, so in fact the Sun’s light is shining on the dark side of the Moon which we never see, symbolizing the light shining unseen in the realms of darkness within. Twice a year this relationship moves into an alignment which results in a Solar Eclipse, always at New Moon.1

Just before New Moon, our physical and emotional energy levels may lower, as the out-going lunar month gives way to the in-coming cycle. Because we live in a culture which values speed and activity, creating endless pressures to perform, it is easy to miss the cues and over-ride these subtle rhythms. This can result in feeling out of sorts, as energy is lost through pushing against this rhythm.

Allowing the out-going Moon cycle to be released through rest, ‘down time’ and introspective nourishment can be profoundly refreshing and bring significant gains of energy after the New Moon occurs. So when the Moon disappears, dare to ‘veil yourself’, embrace your solitude, review the previous month, sit awake in the dark and feel the presence of ‘what is’ in your soul. Curl up on the sofa, allow yourself to dream, waking and sleeping, as you prepare for the turning of the cycle into renewal and fresh initiative. This is the time to write your journal, develop intentions and plans for the forthcoming month, take inner action to resolve issues lingering from the previous month. Do this through reflection, forgiveness work, prayer and any other method which helps you to allow stuck energy to move again. To meditate at the actual time of the New Moon may bring the wondrous experience of sensing the precise beginning of the new cycle. Clarify your goals and consecrate your intentions to the highest good of all as you enter the new phase.

The light increases

The enchanting sight of a thin crescent Moon greets us every month, hovering delicately in the dark night as a sliver of luminosity, often revealing the outline of the whole Moon still unrevealed. Allow yourself to feel the waxing of your own energies, carrying forward the impulses, decisions and dreams born at the New Moon; let its nightly increase of light bless and encourage you. Activity is easier with less resistance, confidence increases along with our feeling of availability to others. Awareness is directed naturally into doing, relating, achieving. Emotional and mental energy intensify, flowing faster and more powerfully, and peaking as the Full Moon occurs. We are often more outwardly expressive around the Full Moon, for good or ill, and knowing this can help us make wise decisions about communication in our relationships. Greater access to our feelings may bring strong experiences of insight, joy, ecstasy and heightened creativity but may also put us in touch with anger, reactivity, impatience and intolerance. Consciously slowing our pace can help.

Illumination

In many traditions, ancient and modern, the New and Full Moons are celebrated through meditation and often accompanied by ceremony, fasting and/or silence; this practice builds momentum as the very passing of time is rendered sacred.1 At Full Moon, if we allow the energies to register inwardly, we create an oasis of calm as the illumination of the Sun, reflected by the Full Moon, is received into the soul. At this time, the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, which stands in the middle like the much-loved Earth-child of its cosmic parents, Father Sun and Mother Moon. How might it change our life to feel this sense of deep participation in the unfolding cosmic mysteries, as a ‘child of the Universe’?

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References

1. A few of the ‘moon dates’ in this quarter:
New Moon 1.4.2003 at 19.19 GMT
Full Moon 16.4.2003 at 19.36 GMT
New Moon 1.5.2003 at 12.15 GMT
Full Moon 16.5.2003 at 03.36 GMT (eclipse)
For further times consult Raphael’s Ephemeris 2003 (available from Midheaven Bookshop +44 (0)20 7607 4133), email Melanie (address below) or send an sae to her at BCM Starwalker, London WC1N 3XX.

ISSUE 60 – Summer 2003

MOON TALK
Part Two– Mother Moon
by Melanie Reinhart

For many cultures, the Moon is the Great Goddess present through the waxing and waning of life in all its manifold forms, her shape-shifting but predictable cycle embracing the paradox of continuity within change

Each day, the very cells of our body are dying or being born, and the Moon reminds us of what remains: the Unknowable Mystery of Life. Indeed, in the 16th Century English mystery play called Mary Magdalene, the Moon is specifically described as the Mother of Jesus, the vessel...in whom he rested before he ascended to the Sun.1

Weaver of light

The luminous thread we may imagine the Moon tracing around the Earth symbolizes the protection offered as we attune to her cycles. In our busy world, currently so wracked with strife, we may lose contact with the larger cosmos we inhabit, the cycle of seasons and indeed the very language of our bodies. However, whatever our location, spiritual beliefs or life-style, we can experience a profound dialogue with the Moon’s cycle, and in so doing facilitate our direct connection to the energy of the Cosmic Feminine. Here are some practical suggestions.

Contemplating the zodiac at New and Full Moon

At New Moon, the Sun and Moon are on the same side of the Earth,
together in the same zodiac sign. At Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are on either side of the Earth, in opposite zodiac signs. In each case use the Moon’s sign if you want to contemplate the zodiac themes. In the box on page 53 are the dates and exact times of New and Full Moons and Eclipses, GMT throughout the next year.2 The Moon’s zodiac position is shown first, then the Sun’s.3 Eclipse times note maximum coverage only.4

Using this information

These meditations are best done at the exact time of the New and Full Moon. If that is not possible, within 6 hours: before Full Moon is preferable, and after New Moon. Keep a journal handy; your experience may be clear at the time but is easily forgotten. You might like to create a special Moon Journal for the purpose. A minimum of 15 minutes is recommended, but allow as much time as you need, as it is
important not to rush.

Preparation for both meditations

Create a beautiful, clean space without clutter or interruptions. Light a candle if you wish. Sit cross-legged on the floor, or in an upright chair with your feet touching the ground. Place your hands in your lap, fingers interlinked, with thumb-tips touching. Your arms make a Moon circle. Become aware of your breathing, and allow due time for yourself to settle into quietude. From your coccyx, your tailbone, stretches a beam of soft light, like a tail, which connects you to the very centre of the Earth. Feel yourself supported. Now sense the top of your head, where a beam of soft light connects you upward to the celestial realms. Rest in the grounded spaciousness and earthy clarity available in your own unique heaven/earth connection. Know that you belong in Life, and are nourished.

New Moon meditation

Imagine the round space of the dark moon, covering the bowl of your pelvic girdle from below the navel up to your brow. Rest in the feeling of warm inviting darkness, velvety, empty, peaceful and full of potential. Enjoy the sense of containment offered by the curving circle which encloses your body. Allow it to become a sphere. Reflect upon the last two weeks of your life, since the last Full Moon...use your diary if your memory needs jogging. Bring your life into this space, and allow some digesting time as you let go. As the space empties, contemplate the quality of the zodiac sign in which the Moon is currently placed, or simply enjoy the space. Invite and welcome the subtle sense of a new impulse arising. End with a dedication.

Full moon

Imagine the round space of the radiant moon, covering the bowl of your pelvic girdle from below the navel up to your brow. Rest in the feeling of fullness, luminosity, fruition, creativity and radiance. Enjoy the sense of containment. Reflect upon the time since the last New Moon. Bring your life into this space, offering appreciation and gratitude for what has arisen. Contemplate the quality of the Moon’s sign, or simply enjoy the space. End with a dedication.

Dedication

Open and close each meditation with a dedication, in your own words. Here are some examples to work from: I dedicate this meditation to the Highest Good…May I be nourished so I may nourish others…May my gratitude for any healing or benefit gained be expressed in service to others…I offer this meditation in praise of the Unknown She.5

New and Full Moons and Eclipses

At Full Moon, the Moon's position is shown first, followed by the Sun's. At New Moon they are in the same sign.

New 29 Jun 2003 18:38 07°Cancer37’
Full 13 Jul 2003 19:21 20°Capricorn59’ 20°Cancer59’
New 29 Jul 2003 06:52 05°Leo46’
Full 12 Aug 2003 04:48 19°Aquarius05’ 19°Leo05’
New 27 Aug 2003 17:26 04°Virgo02’
Full 10 Sep 2003 16:36 17°Pisces34’ 17°Virgo34’
New 26 Sep 2003 03:08 02°Libra38’
Full 10 Oct 2003 07:27 16°Aries35’ 16°Libra35’
New 25 Oct 2003 12:49 01°Scorpio41’
Full 9 Nov 2003 01:13 16°Taurus13’ 16°Scorpio13’ (LUNAR ECLIPSE at 01.18)
New 23 Nov 2003 22:58 01°Sagittarius14’ (TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE at 22.43)
Full 8 Dec 2003 20:36 16°Gemini20’ 16°Sagittarius20’
New 23 Dec 2003 09:43 01°Capricorn08’
Full 7 Jan 2004 15:39 16°Cancer40’ 16°Capricorn40’
New 21 Jan 2004 21:05 01°Aquarius10’
Full 6 Feb 2004 08:46 16°Leo54’ 16°Aquarius54’
New 20 Feb 2004 09:18 01°Pisces04’
Full 6 Mar 2004 23:13 16°Virgo43’ 16°Pisces43’
New 20 Mar 2004 22:42 00°Aries39’
Full 5 Apr 2004 11:01 16°Libra00’ 16°Aries00’
New 19 Apr 2004 13:21 29°Aries49’ (PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE at 13.33)
Full 4 May 2004 20:32 14°Scorpio42’ 14°Taurus42’ (LUNAR ECLIPSE at 20.29)
New 19 May 2004 04:51 28°Taurus33’
Full 3 Jun 2004 04:19 12°Sagittarius56’ 12°Gemini56’
New 17 Jun 2004 20:26 26°Gemini57’

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References

1. Marjorie Malvern, Venus in Sackcloth. Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press, 1975, p121, as quoted in Barbara G. Walker The Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets, New York: Harper & Row, 1983, p672.
2. In UK during summer add one hour Daylight Saving (30.03.2003 - 26.10.2003). Data computed with Solar Fire V5 software.
3. For general purposes, the precise degrees and minutes can be ignored. However, readers familiar with their astrological charts can check whether a New or Full Moon exactly touches a natal planetary placement, which increases its significance.
4. For duration and visibility of forthcoming eclipses, see http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/UpcomingEclipses.html
5. See the article by Hilary Hart in Caduceus issue 59, pp30-33.

ISSUE 61– Autumn 2003

LIGHTNING OVER THE WATERS
Macrocosm and Mythic Images

Melanie Reinhart explores the seven-year
mutual reception between Uranus and Neptune
which begins in 2003

The planet Uranus rules Aquarius, and Neptune rules Pisces. They are currently moving through each other’s signs, in a transit traditionally called a ‘mutual reception’, reflecting a particular alchemy of opposites.1 The challenge is to include what is alien, to appreciate what is different, to do it with clarity and to dissolve and reform our understanding accordingly. First, we explore some of the mythic images associated with these two planets, as they mirror current events in an evocative way. Outer planets demonstrate processes bigger than the individual, and Uranus and Neptune could be seen as the archetypal energies of The Magician and The Mystic, respectively. Certainly, they are a potent pair – cosmic yang and yin, male and female, also collective mind and feeling.

Uranus – Primordial Sky Father

Uranus was the primordial Sky-Father in the Greek creation story, both son and consort of Gaia, theprimordial Earth Goddess. As the god of all potential, the infinite realm of ideas, he loathed his numerousimperfect offspring, the earthy race of Titans, who were cast into prison deep in the Underworld. Eventually, tired of his tyranny, Gaia plotted with the Titan Kronos to overthrow Uranus, and they crept up on him while he slept, brutally castrating him with a sickle. His bleeding genitals were thrown into the sea, and Kronos took over as ruler, soon becoming paranoid as an oracle declared that he too would in time be overthrown.2 He swallowed his own children in an attempt to pre-empt this fate.

Gaia is our home planet, where mindless productionism drives us to behave like the mad broom in Dukas’ symphonic poem of Goethe’s story, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which Walt Disney popularized. The Uranian realm of infinite possibility is invoked by commercial interests to create desire and greed which fuels our compulsive consumerism. We are compelled to innovate and experiment unceasingly, without thought of consequences. However, even a minor natural disaster reminds us of how fragile are our creations. Abuse of the Earth’s ecosystem (Gaia) directly contributes to ‘natural disasters’ like floods, droughts and earthquakes. As in the myth, she eventually retaliates.

Neptune – God of the Sea

The planet Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea, often the traditional domain of a goddess. The Latin mare meaning ‘sea’ gives us English words like ‘maritime’ and in French la mer is very similar to la mere, the mother. The image of water as the origin of life has a very different feeling to that of Neptune, standing with his trident raised like the ancient English King Canute, who ruled from 1016-1035, when Neptune was in Aquarius, as it is now.3 Water dissolves and erodes solid forms, and the energy of the planet Neptune symbolizes change brought about in this way through ‘watery’ processes – dissolving, eroding, swamping, engulfing, as well as refining, washing clean, purifying, quenching spiritual thirst. In alchemical language, it is the solutio.

Aphrodite/Venus arises

After the bleeding genitals of Uranus are thrown into the sea (associated with Neptune), Aphrodite, goddess of Love, arises from the watery foam, while the Furies are born from blood which fell on the land.4 Blood spilled over land always begets more vengeful ‘Furies’, but this image of Aphrodite arising perhaps suggests something else. Water relates to feeling and imagination, which allow us to engage with and foresee consequences, and are essential ingredients of mediation and conflict resolution, as they are not about ‘who is right’. Venus, an inner planet, emphasizes the importance of establishing a basis of personal values and skilled communication in how we relate to collective issues.

Through the glass darkly

Considering this mutual reception as reflected in world events tells us more about how the fear-based ego resists the incoming energies and seeks to appropriate them than it does about the pure qualities of the energies themselves. In the next issue, Part Two of this article will explore the more inward and personal symbolism of this mutual reception, but meanwhile more about the ‘big picture’.

Both Uranus and Neptune are far-away ‘outer’ planets, not visible with the naked eye. Their cycle represents the rise and fall of different cultural and historical movements depicting the ideas, dreams and resulting political revolutions which shape history. The previous cycle began in 1821, and ended in 1993. We can see how both capitalism and communism peaked and declined during this time, and indeed can be symbolized by Uranus and Neptune respectively. The Earth’s resources were catastrophically exploited by industrialization and technology of a Uranian kind, while Communism espoused the distinctly Neptunian illusion that by eliminating social differences, abundance would result for all. Needless to say, both systems are currently still imploding.

The new cycle

A decade into the new cycle, the symbolism of Uranus and Neptune can perhaps offer a useful forward perspective. Currently, the capitalism of the previous cycle is being replaced by globalization, scientism, and technocracy. Enter Uranus,disguised as the Imperialist Big Brother, implementing theimpersonal grand idea at distance through brute force,misinformation and using digital weaponry to create ‘shock and awe’. Enter Neptune, furtive, elusive and undermining, aptly symbolizing the ‘invisible enemy’5 eroding the aspirations of world domination as the tide alters a coastline. Westernsuperpowers no longer fight the ‘devil’ of communism;terrorism is now the enemy, whose waves are fed by the murky waters of emotional and sometimes ‘religious’ tribalism.

The polarization

The emerging polarization is rapidly defining itself. Historically this culminates as Uranus and Neptune reachopposition. This last happened in 1906-1910, and the next time will be 2078-2081.6 In 1906, the young lawyer Mohandas Gandhi launched in South Africa a peaceful movement of resistance to Apartheid. The New South Africa was born just after the last Uranus-Neptune cycle ended. In this new beginning, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a unique experiment in attempting to acknowledge and heal the wounds of the past. The human cost of war and oppression is usually measured in statistics of death, ignoring wounds carried in the soul of the living. This process, whatever its flaws, was a landmark inhuman history, officially acknowledging as it did the mentaland emotional suffering of a nation, and trying to address it.

The opportunity

This mutual reception can be seen as supporting the arising of the kind of detached understanding and compassion which alone can prevent differences developing into conflict resulting in violence. Paradoxically, this is done not by glossing over differences, but by clarifying and accepting them as we orient to the underlying Unity. Both Uranus and Neptune offer paths to an experience of Unity, but they travel through different territory.

There is much we can do, through being aware of national, racial and religious polarization. The question arises: how to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem? In the next issue we explore this question, using the notion of ‘Jihad vs McWorld’7 which is both the title of a book and a wonderful short-hand for the energies of Uranus (McWorld) and Neptune (Jihad) when operating in a distorted way.

We will engage the planetary symbolism to reveal ourinternal polarizations, through whose understanding we can cultivate a basis for clearer action.

References

1. Including retrogradation, Neptune is in Aquarius 29.1.98-3.2.2012, and Uranus in Pisces 10.3.2003-28.5.2010. These planets had two mutual reception periods in the last Millennium: 1671-1676 and 1835-1844, and the next will occur 2170-2175. This article also refers to their cycle from one conjunction to the next.
2. This story also concerns the succession of power from father to son. The complex father/son relationship between Bush Jnr and Bush Snr is no secret, and has manifested with astonishing literalness in that the son has tried to overcome the father by ‘succeeding where he failed’.
3. Although later hostile chroniclers portrayed Canute ranting at the waves as he tried to control them, it seems that in fact he was trying to demonstrate to his people that even the king was subject to natural law.But see www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page35.asp
4. See Issue 57 for the article Queen of Heaven and Earth about the cycle of Venus. Note also that one of Aphrodite’s main titles was ‘Aphrodite Urania’.
5. Although several dubious horoscopes of Osama bin Laden are circulating, each purporting official sources, the one most favoured shows the Sun in Pisces. This puts his birthday as the very day that Uranus went into Pisces – March 10th, which is also the anniversary of the destruction in 2001 of the Bamian Buddhas in Afghanistan.
6. These oppositions will begin across Capricorn/Cancer and shift to Aquarius/Leo.
7. See Jihad vs McWorld by Benjamin R Barber, Ballantine, 1995.

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