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Issue 62 – Spring 2004: Lightning OverThe Waters – Part Two

Issue 63 – Summer 2004: Journey across the Sun

Issue 64 – Autumn 2004: Sedna – Goddess of the Frozen Waters

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Issue 62 – Spring 2004

LIGHTNING OVER THE WATERS
Part Two: Up Close and Personal

by Melanie Reinhart

This is the second part of an article which began in Issue 61. Its aim is to explore the mutual reception of Uranus and Neptune, concentrating on their energies within our personal experience

As I was finishing Part I of this article, a friend shared with me an image she felt described our times. I was deeply touched, especially by its astrological resonances.1 She described ice floes breaking up under a warming sea, and polar bears and penguins left marooned on little pieces of ice floating away from each other. Many animals like to huddle together, and suffer incredibly when separated. So this image reflects the poignancy of rapid change, where the seemingly solid territory we once inhabited breaks up and the familiar seems to float away from us. Old friends, places, habits, beliefs, and comforts depart, and we stand alone likemarooned polar bears on our own little piece of ice.

But it is the warming sea that creates this breaking-up, and if we wait patiently, other beings may float toward us, also solitary, and their ice floe may even join with ours. The warming sea contrasts to the previous frozenness and also reminds us of the flow of unity underlying all life. As our structures break up, we are also introduced by fate or circumstance to new possibilities. Waiting peacefully helps us see these new relationships and connections which are being brought to us.

The World Stage

It is easy to project our own internal conflicts onto the world stage, thus rendering impossible any creative action. But if we realize that ultimately the world is indeed all of us, we can engage deeply with the metaphors which are presented outside of ourselves, and understand that they also mirror what goes on within. Conversely, this inner process increases our options in terms of action ‘out there’, as it prevents us from merely projecting our own unresolved personal issues back into the collective, thus becoming part of the problem, not the solution.

Jihad vs McWorld

As mentioned in Part I, this evocative phrase describes in contemporary metaphor how the energies of Neptune (Jihad or Holy War) and Uranus (McWorld) operate in their most distorted fashion, abusing the energies of heart and mind respectively.2 Allowing the global situation to mirror our inner conflicts, we may discover this polarity within such tendencies as depersonalization and exploitation on one hand and obsessive emotionalism on the other. In other words, we may see where and how we treat ourselves and others as commercial enterprises,exploiting our energy, talents andresources for dubious gain based on consumerist notions (McWorld,or Uranus).

We may also discover an internal Jihad where our personal desire for punishment or revenge is justified in the name of God (however defined) or rationalized in terms of tribalistic politics or principles. The original meaning of Jihad recognizes the intense inner spiritual work required to confront aspects of our own shadow. We can surely feel embattled as we confront the unbeliever or hardened cynic within. However, as I understand it, the externalization of this concept into war and violence is a distortion of its original inner meaning. Where do we still harbour separatist feelings of blame and judgement? Where is our own jihad directed? It could even be against ourselves. If so, what are the convictions that perpetrate this? (pun intended).

Working together

In terms of pure qualities, Uranus and Neptune symbolize the following: Uranus brings insight, clarity, understanding, perspective, detachment and equanimity. Neptune evokes compassion, devotion, inspiration, surrender, peace and unity. Turbulence occurs as these arising qualities impact the density of our fears, negative beliefs and unhealed past suffering. So the work of embracing these energies inwardly lies in gently exploring in a non-judgemental way whatever things are preventing access to these precious states, whose real purpose is to nourish body and soul, enliven the mind, and thus promote right action. As the two planets are currently in each other’s signs, try combining qualities from each list as a focus for contemplation. For example, Uranus awakens compassion, Neptune surrenders to insight.

The following calendar list shows auspicious days for meditation on these themes. You will notice that the dates below alternate between Neptune events and Uranus events, some quite close together. In each case, start attuning a few days before the date listed. This prelude time may see events precipitate or inner processes intensify. Nearer the actual date, the pure energy will usually be more easily accessible formeditation.

On the list below, D indicates when either planet is turning to Direct or forward motion, and R indicates the turn to Retrograde or backward motion.3 The latter ushers in a period of integrating inwardly and processing the results of changes that have recently happened, while the former often indicates change manifesting.

Sitting quietly, centring yourself and becoming aware of your breathing, allow yourself to settle into a receptive state. Take one of the qualities listed above for the planet whose activity is emphasized on the day you choose, and perhaps write it on a piece of paper in front of you, or see if there might be a colour which resonates with it. For example, if you are working on a Neptune day and you choose the word peace, you might associate pale pink with peace. Another person might feel that turquoise expresses peace. Use whatever arises. Now give yourself sufficient time to sit with this process. Allow yourself to drink in the quality, through mind, heart and body. And, most important, give space to any resistance which may arise. Concentrating on peace may bring to the surface areas of conflict in your life. Include these too, perhaps by writing them down, or just welcoming them into your consciousness. Many conflicts dissolve by themselves if we leave them alone, but some do require action. Often we are not able to discern the difference, and we struggle to resolve what is not resolvable while neglecting areas of action where we could make a difference. Peacemaking within is a valuable process in itself.

References

1. Thanks to Hazel Marshall, who runs Rock Bank, a Centre for Transpersonal Psychology near Leicester. Tel: 0116 236 4256 for information about their programme. See Part I of this article for furtherinformation on the astrological symbolism.
2. See Jihad vs. McWorld by Benjamin Barber, Ballantine, 1995. The book explores this dialectic in the contours of society, but I have taken the liberty of using Barber’s phrase as a means to discern inner processes.
3. These differences in apparent planetary motion are geocentric, as in reality the planets are all orbiting around the Sun. Nevertheless, living on the Earth as we do, the shifts and differences are easily sensed.

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Issue 63 – Summer 2004

Journey across the Sun

The first ‘transit’ of Venus since 1882 will occur on June 8th 2004. Melanie Reinhart explores the symbolism of this event

When a planet passes in front of the Sun, a ‘transit’1occurs, in which it is visible as a small black disk moving slowly across the Sun’s shimmering face. The next occurrence of this rare event will be on June 8th, lasting from 06.13am BST to 12.27pm BST.2 At 09.43am BST Venus and the Sun will be in exact conjunction as Venus crosses the central area of the Sun, as if the Goddess of Love reveals herself in a moment of deepest intimacy with her fiery consort.3

Transits of Venus occur in aregular rhythm of 243 years, as illustrated by the table below.4 Two occur in December, eight years apart, followed by a gap of 121.5 years. Then the next two are in June, also eight years apart, and followed by a gap of 105.5 years. (8+121.5+8+105.5 = 243). The transit date migrates slowlythrough the year, and the entire cycle takes more than 80,000 years to complete.

Eclipsing the Eclipse

Although the alignment is the same as an eclipse, Venus will not darken the Sun’s light. With proper equipment, however, the transit will be visible.5 Significantly, the places affording the best view correspond roughly to the path of visibility of the total solar eclipse of August 11th, 1999. At that time, a great shadow raced over the earth, beginning near New York and crossing over to Europe, Israel and the Near East, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India. Now Venus follows. Astrologically, Venus is the goddess of Love, which at its deepest level is the experience of connection with all creation, and so influences our values and choices. Here is our current challenge.

The Ripening of Karma

On the inner levels, eclipses signal endings. They may accompany blessed closure on matters lingering and painful, or herald the painful loss of what we hold dear. Our karma matures, and situations precipitate like ripe fruit falling. To witness a total solar eclipse is an initiation of deep purification, resonating for several years. Your journal or dream book might reveal a clustering of intense, deep and transformative experiences within a week or so of an eclipse; a list of recent and forthcoming ones is given below.6 Note that there are no more total solar eclipses until March 2006, as if allowing time for integrating the deep changes which have recently taken place (see ‘Table of Solar Eclipses’).

The Sacred Heart

The transit of Venus will be a curving trajectory across the Sun, like the parabola of a playful dolphin arcing in and out of the water. Indeed, in ancient Greece, dolphins were sacred to Apollo, a Sun god. Normally Venus is not visible when conjunct with the Sun, which represents the primordial Yang force, the source of radiance, light and warmth. During a transit, however, she makes the journey of Love across the Sun, the Heart of the Solar System. In the Catholic tradition, the image of the Sacred Heart may be seen as a depicting the healing which draws the poison of unredeemed suffering from the heart chakra. In August 1999, at the time of the solar eclipse whose path the Venus transit will follow, the whole Sun was darkened, showing only occasional flares around its black edge. In June, the small black disk of Venus will move across the fiery glory of the Sun. Juxtaposed, these two images are reminiscent of the Tao, where light resides within darkness, and darkness within light. Something comes full circle, is complete, turns into its opposite. The Sacred Heart bleeds.

The Heavenly Twins

The conjunction occurs in Gemini, sign of the twins, ruled by Mercury, god of communication. The small black diskmoving across the Sun is like the ‘still small voice’ of conscience within, or the quiet truth spoken in confidence. Venus is the ‘esoteric ruler’ of this zodiacal sign,7 which means that relationship issues take on archetypal dimensions as deeper cosmicrealities play out through our joys and difficulties with others. The commitment of Venus in Gemini to personal dialogue and exchange of ideas means that barriers drop, defences release and hearts open. The inclusive nature of Venus illuminates the sign of Gemini, where dark and light are contrasted.8 Venus will be Retrograde between May 17th and June 29th when she turns Direct again. These dates are markers of deep significance, personally and collectively, which may fruitfully be observed as sacred days. The whole period is like a descent into our depths (May 17th-June 8th ) and a returning after renewal (June 8th-29th). The transit on June 8th is the centrepiece of this process.

The Crown of the Bull

In terms of constellations,9 Venus and the Sun will hover between the horns of the Bull, just above its head. At the crown chakra, energy descending is ‘stepped down’ in voltage, experienced as unitive states of Being which nourish the soul and translate into appropriate action. Astronomically, this is mirrored by the amazing fact that the conjunction occurs exactly where the Galactic Meridian intersects with the Ecliptic. The Galactic Meridian connects the North and South Poles of our Galaxy,10 the Milky Way. The Ecliptic is the path of the planets around the Sun. Like Russian dolls, the Earth is within the Solar System, which in turn nestles within the Galaxy. In the same way, our individuality finds meaning in relation to that which is greater than us.

This image can provide a healing focus, particularly auspicious on the dates mentioned. We can allow ourselves to feel safely contained, as if by the orb of the Sun as we wander to the Source which irradiates the depths of our very cells, releasing new solar vitality, meaning and energy. Give thanks and share the benefit that comes to you.

References

1. This usage of the word differs from its usual meaning in astrology.
2. BST = British Summer Time, one hour ahead of GMT.
3. See Issue 57 of Caduceus. The article ‘Queen of Heaven and Earth’ is very relevant to the material under discussion here.
4. The reader is referred to the following websites for more astronomical information:http://sunearth/gsfc.nasa/gov/eclipse/transit/catalog/VenusCatalog.html (Venus transits from 2000BC to 2000AD – the work of Fred Espenak.) http://ds.dail.pipex.com/eclipse99page/trans.htm (nice diagrams) http://mercuri.am.ub.es/venus2004_eng.html (visibility maps)
5. Do not try to view the transit without the guidance of a professional astronomer.
6. Check whether these eclipses fell within a few degrees of any planetary positions on your own horoscope. If so, the significance of this period is increased.
7. See Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, Lucis Trust, 1951.
8. See the material on the Sumerian goddess Inanna, as per reference 3 above.
9. Meaning its position relative to the stars.
10. In the constellations of Coma Berenices (N) and Sculptor (S) respectively.

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Issue 64 – Autumn 2004

Sedna: Goddess of the Frozen Waters

Melanie Reinhart explores the meaning of the discovery of a new ‘planet’ called Sedna, announced in March this year.

New ‘planets’ are announced from time to time, demonstrating more journalistic ambition than scientific fact, as the criteria for planet status has not been met by any new celestial object discovered in the past 15 years. The same is true of Sedna. However, let us allow the Heavens to ‘speak’ in the time-honoured manner of astrological tradition, and engage our imaginations with this event.

Star of David

Sedna was discovered at 6.32am on 14/11/2003, in Nogales, Arizona,1 and was announced on 15/3/2004. Last November’s eclipse season2 featured an exact Star of David pattern between planetary aspects, most precise around the Lunar Eclipse on 9/11/2003. The hexagram or six-pointed star is a powerful symbol, with one triangle pointing up and the other down. Heaven and Earth unite, bringing balance, harmony and awareness, providing an akasha, a space for heartful things to happen. Clearly, the world is in desperate need of just such qualities. I believe that Sedna’s discovery at this time has an important bearing on this. Check your diary to see whathappened for you during November 2003, for we know now that Sedna, Inuit Goddess of the Frozen Waters, was then awakening as if from a dream within the soul of the collective. Follow, then, the ripples of whatever stones were dropped into the mirror pool of your own soul…

The story of Sedna

The story of Sedna, like the Parsifal story in Western mythology, is a multi-faceted epic saga, with many regional variations whose anecdotes are sometimes contradictory.3 Here is the main outline of one version:

Sedna is a young woman whose father becomes impatient with her because her suitors always reject her, or she rejects them. She is finally coerced into an arranged marriage with a man who seems elegant, wealthy and kind, but who turns into a cruel raven once they are in the marital home. When her parents leave after visiting, Sedna tried to escape back home with them. However, disaster strikes – their small kayak is attacked by the raven, who pursues them once he discovers that his wife has fled. The father, fearing the swooping raven will capsize the kayak, tips Sedna overboard into the icy sea. She holds on desperately to the side, but he chops off her fingers. As her frozen fingers sink into the icy waters, they become the sea creatures of the Arctic wilderness: seals, whales, and fish.

Eventually Sedna herself, fingerless, injured and betrayed, sinks to the bottom of the ocean, which she is said to rule to this day. If she is angry, she withholds food and the people do not eat. She may also entrap the spirits of the departed. Then the shaman must make a journey down into the depths, and try to soothe her, comfort her, and assuage her rage. He will comb her tangled hair, plead with her, and show her pictures of the children who need food. But Sedna will not relent. Eventually the shaman must return, defeated, banging his drum, and singing to life. Only then, maybe, sometimes, will Sedna release the creatures who feed the humans, so that life may go on.4

The symbolism of frozen water

Sedna’s orbit is about 10,500 years long, so the last time she was where she is now was during the last Ice Age. It is said that we are facing the possibility of another Ice Age, owing to disruption of the Gulf Stream by non-saline water moving down the Atlantic from the melting Polar Cap. How fitting also that she should be discovered now, during the mutual reception of Uranus, the Awakener, and Neptune, King of the Sea.5 The encounter with what has been lost, drowned out, or frozen long ago is her theme, which can be taken most fruitfully on the inner levels. In other words, our own ‘Ice Age’ is being highlighted here: the wounds in the soul caused by the impatience, condemnation, dismissal or anger of the father; the living hell of unresolved outrage; the violence of hardship where we cut off from what is desperate and vulnerable in ourselves or others in order to survive. And how this harshness is internalized. This is a grim story of cruelty, coercion and betrayal, with no happy ending. Sedna will not relent. She will not give the people food. She will not release the spirits of the dead.

However, the version quoted here tells us that even in the face of unrelenting trauma and suffering, we can, indeed must, beat our drum and sing to life. This is not a plea for escapism, but rather an acknowledgement that the Work is about keeping our heart open in hell.6 Sedna’s story is about acknowledging just how bad things really feel, and starting from there. Radical acceptance is demanded. Allowing love and harmony into our lives (symbolized by the Star of David) may mean opening to the frozen places inside where we are conflicted and feel unloving. To try and manufacture joy is to metaphorically cut off our own fingers.

Synchronicity

As CG Jung noted, synchronicity often accompanies something emerging into consciousness. Within a week of Sedna’s discovery, there was the biggest seal hunt in about 50 years. Hundreds of thousands of seals were killed, and, citing ‘indigenous customs’, the exploiters scored a legal victory over animal rights protesters. The supreme irony of this needs no comment, but indeed raises some important questions.

Cruelty and torture

On 9 May 2004, the Sun was conjunct Sedna for the first time since her discovery, bringing light to her story. The international press was dominated by revelations of brutality and torture perpetrated by the occupying forces in Iraq. Truly the submerged suffering of the tortured victims surfaced in an ocean of obfuscation, outrage, confusion, denial, blame and shame. The repercussions have yet to fully unfold. However, these events have opened the secret world of war. When individuals tell their stories the healing is contagious and others are encouraged to do likewise. The Sedna story, like any major epic, has been told and re-told down the ages, and we may always listen afresh.

The ocean of Samsara

The ocean features in many current issues: controversies over fishing rights, widespread water pollution, diminishing fish stocks, and extinction of oceanic species. In esoteric literature, we find the notion of the ‘waters of space’ as the primal stuff of pre-creation, and it has been discovered recently that indeed space is full of hydrogen and oxygen, which together make water. In the Buddhist tradition, they speak of the ‘Ocean of Samsara’, meaning the boundless expanse of illusion and distraction in which the unwary can drown, suffering endlessly until purified by understanding and compassion.

Alignment with the Sun

Sedna is an object technically called an ‘oortoid’,7 meaning that she emerges from the inner edge of the Oort Cloud, a region of deep space from which are said to originate the long haul comets that periodically appear. Because Sedna’s orbit is so long, her position barely shifts from one year to the next. So in an individual horoscope she cannot be used like a planet. However, she is currently in the 18th/19th degree of Taurus, so anyone with planets at this degree of Taurus/Scorpio may feel a resonance with this story of holding fast, or perhaps being held fast, to the truth of personal emotional suffering and waiting for the right time to release or reveal. There is enormous transformational power in this. Equally, feeling our own frozenness makes possible a healing of subtle but profound significance.

Each year, in May and November, Sedna is highlighted as the Sun passes her degree of the zodiac. Those dates are:

Sedna is now on the inward arc of her long journey around the Sun, slowly approaching closer, symbolizing things ‘coming to light’. Uranus is currently in Pisces, ruled by Neptune, the King of the Sea, who has perhaps found his goddess consort in Sedna, who presides over the deep and frozen waters which hold in compassion our deepest traumas and suffering until we may, like the shaman, have the courage to once again emerge, playing our drums and singing to life.

References

1. The time digitally logged on the first photograph of Sedna’s position (ie first recognition).
2. The eclipse season is the period of time which occurs twice each year when there is usually a solar eclipse accompanied by a lunar eclipse (there are occasionally more than one of either, and also they may not be visible). Eclipses will be two weeks apart, and so an eclipse season is roughly three weeks, allowing for the energy to approach and recede.
3. If you search ‘Sedna’ on the Internet, you will find an astonishing array of variations.
4. Thanks to Brian Lee who sent me this version, from Edward Carpenter’s book O What a Blow That Phantom Gave Me. He also mentioned the significance of the times when the Sun conjuncts Sedna.
5. See my articles ‘Lightning Over the Waters’ in issues 60 and 61.
6. This phrase comes from Stephen Levine speaking on tape.
7. See www.expreso.co.cr/centaurs for free download of Sedna ephemeris (in Riyal software).
8. For practical purposes UT can be treated as GMT.

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© Caduceus, 2005.