Today while watching a movie that leans heavily on a lunar eclipse as part of the plot, I thought about the one happening today. (I definitely watched it with a full heart as the director was my 1st roommate in grad school and our meeting changed my life. It was a dream come true for him…and me.)
I don’t like writing about eclipses in the general sense. Mostly because they never sound good, even when one attempts to spin them as good. I literally spent 5-10 minutes reading a colleague’s blog and thought why would anyone read this in his or her right mind unless s/he wanted to be scared shitless. Or worse, read it all just to think about the worst possible fiascos in what will most likely be distant lands. And then only have some remote smug satisfaction that an astrologer predicted wrack and ruin months ago based on eclipse. If that’s yay-worthy, I’ll pass.
Generally, eclipses sound much better when you talk about them in a specific chart, by a matter of degrees. Actually, they sound a lot better for individuals. When we apply them to nations, they can sound awesome or awful. And all that would really matter if more heads of state listened to astrologers…still. But as it stands, they don’t even listen to the scientists on their payrolls.
This lunar eclipse aligns with any astrological point, like your ascendant or midheaven, or a planet that’s close to 5-6 degrees of Scorpio or Taurus. You can think of an eclipse as an activation for all the issues, promises and problems for that particular point or planet. The “good” or “bad” of that point or planet depends on whether that point or planet is auspicious. (I know that’s not specific enough, but then again that’s the problem with writing about eclipses, as I said, right?) Truthfully, I can better deal with the implications for an eclipse in your own chart in a session. Please believe me though when I say I didn’t write this post to be a pitch for that. It’s the truth, nevertheless.
With this eclipse, my mind drifted with less interest about attempting to nail what particular events it might hold for the general public. Or Libras. Or even my sign, Scorpio. I thought a lot more about looser connections.
Having a lunar eclipse/full moon in Scorpio-Taurus, by virtue of those signs being ruled by Mars and Venus, respectively, highlights how we experience our desires. I think a lot about desire, if mostly because the word itself directly relates to my profession. Desire literally means de (of or from) + sidere (star). Or what comes from (or is of) a star.
Perhaps the old Romans were saying our desires come from or move us toward the stars. Take your pick. But there’s another way I wrap my head around this. Desire is certainly about what you want, but it’s also a lot about how you go about getting it. Desire stays afloat in our psyches with the wings of Mars & Venus and their flapping is what transports us to our own private heavens or hells. Desire is no small thing even when you desire something small. So that means that “power” isn’t the only thing that comes with responsibility. Your desires even requires more responsibility.
If you desire a Mercedes Benz, you can choose to steal one (if you know how) or you can buy one (if you have the means or a savings plan to do so). One way could land you in the hell of a jail cell and the other could put you in the vehicular heaven of smooth open highway without a care in the world or a cop car on your tail. It’s all about how you go about it.
It’s also about how you tap into where you desire comes from. If it comes a small place within yourself, then chances are this is the same small place you’re going to stay in until you find something larger or similarly small yet different. If it comes from something as bright and vast as your spirit, burning like a star within you, then your joy might burn just as bright and vast.
So, basically, I’m talking about how you experience heaven and hell on Earth, much like one of my favorite parables. But I’m also talking about being responsible for your desires, not only the way you go about them.
Every day I watch men look hard at women who pass them on the street with what looks like desire. Sometimes they say something. (Most times I wish they wouldn’t because it’s usually half-hearted and quickly becomes harassment.) Other times they just look. You know, the kind of lecherous look at the front and the back of a human being as if they’re appraising food. And I’m always struck by a question, “What does he really want in that moment?” I mean, it’s all “lust of the eyes” right there. But what’s being stoked in the heart, the classic seat of desire? Is it the habit of looking at “things” you’re never going to pursue? “Things” that you half-want, mostly couldn’t handle or keep up with if given a quarter of the chance? Is it all a nod to carnal desire to remind your body that it’s still alive? Or a pass to your ego to let you believe that you still are highly desirable because you looked, regardless of whether you really see or have been seen (in all your antiquated playa glory)? Or, to be fair, maybe these men are looking because they still have eyes and cherish the delight of flesh they see with them. Nonetheless, desire starts to flutter its wings and the question is still, “Where are you letting your desires take you?”
I’m still of the mind that if you’re in the habit of letting desire beat its wings willy-nilly and with no focus, you’ll find yourself nowhere or anywhere, like short stops at heaven or hell with no consistency. And for those women ogled by those men on the street, they have to beat off half-hearted angel-winged addresses that quickly turn batshit when not appreciated or well-received. So it’s amazing how so few men realize how they’ve made their desires flightless birds, without soar or spirit, by abusing them. Just the beating of inner wings and eyes with no heart fueling them. That’s one of the saddest parts.
But this isn’t a post about ending street harassment. Or to upbraid men. Maybe that’s another time. But let this eclipse be a reminder of how your desire is a portal to your own heaven or hell. Don’t abuse it. Treat your inner wings of desire with respect and responsibility. You can’t manifest anything of serious value without your wings of desire being strong and firm. When another flaps his or her wings your way recognize rightly the might or meekness of each flap. Treat it accordingly. If your own wings are stirred, then perhaps you will soar together. If not, keep beating your wings of desire from the heart, following your course, undeterred by those who can’t keep up. You have a heaven of your own choosing to reach.
Do Trekkers/Trekkies have astrology to thank for Vulcan?
May 8, 2013 — return2thesourceAs I prepare for an awesome webinar this Saturday, I got to thinking about a tidbit when I was heavy into studying a particular kind of esoteric astrology a decade ago. There are several kinds of esoteric astrology, but the most notable one in Western astro circles comes from Alice Bailey. According to Bailey, she received transmissions from a Tibetan Monk, Djwhal Khul, and it is his insights & teachings from which she outlines an esoteric astrology. She published the eponymous tome in 1951. The system focuses on “seven rays” by which human beings receive energy and consciousness that help us evolve as a race. Different planets were “transmitters” for one or more of these seven rays.
Trekkers doing the most as Vulcans
Without getting too caught up in a very elaborate system, one of the planetary centers Khul/Bailey describes is Vulcan. According to Esoteric Astrology, Vulcan was one of the planets of the 1st and 7th Rays and its spiritually “sensed” presence was part of a worldwide preparation for humanity to be on the “Path of Discipleship.” I found a lengthy-enough treatment of what “discipleship” entails from this esoteric point of view here. One little problem about Vulcan, though. There’s no astronomical evidence that it exists. Bailey believed it would be found behind Mercury. The faithful maintain that it will be discovered just as some esotericists claimed to have sensed Pluto before its discovery. We’ll see.
Nonetheless, what I find FASCINATING that although Vulcan has not yet been found, it still has quite a life similar to Bailey’s ideas and intentions through the Star Trek mythos. According to Star Trek lore, Vulcans are the aliens who saved humanity once they saw we had developed the ability for warp speed. (See Star Trek: First Contact for more on that) The Vulcans continued with keeping humanity in a “discipleship” as we see in the Star Trek spin-off series, “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Once we had proven that we could be responsible, I suppose we were “initiated” into a higher level of responsibility. A responsibility that became the United Federation of Planets.
Now I’m not sure where Gene Roddenberry got the idea for Spock and the Vulcan race for the original series, but those are a couple of interesting parallels there, no? Star Trek started a full 15 years after Esoteric Astrology had been published, so it’s quite possible that “Vulcan” was in high currency in occultic/speculative circles. If Roddenberry picked up some ideas there, perhaps Trekkers/Trekkies have a stronger connection to astrology than most would think.