Author Archives: Karen Mullen Smith

Learning to see in the Dark

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Learning to See in the Dark-If we fear the dark, if we avoid it and never go there, we will never know it. If we never know it, it will always have a hold over us, and we will be vulnerable to manipulation- suggestible and controllable. There is a reason why there has been millennia of conditioning to fear the dark… it stops us from entering.

But we need to enter the dark, to have a look and see for ourselves what hides there. Only we cannot see with our physical eyes, we have to learn new ways of seeing. There are different rules to sees in the dark, different tools are needed. Blanket rationalism, what we call common sense, linear thought, cause and effect, physics and the laws of the material world do not hold up so well in the darkness.

Symbolism, synchronicity, imagination, visualisation, power of thought, the language of the soul, intuition, and all things that have been rejected or deemed inferior in enlightened society are what is needed to see in the dark. In a word, magic, to see in the dark we need to learn a little magic. It’s no coincidence that Gnostics, witches are other magical people-heretics as they are known-have been punished. Conditioning tells us that these people are to be feared as the real doers of evil, but that is not true, they are maligned because they are seekers, seers, and knowers of the truth… because they have entered the dark and can shine a light on those who cast shadows on the illusionary walls of reality. And maybe they also know how to create from the primal darkness, the void, in new and powerful ways.

People who have lifted the veil are dangerous to those who would rather keep their workings and their knowledge secret. It’s not easy to enter the dark and face what is there – many trials lay in wait- but until we do our lives are not truly our own. In the dark, what we have come to believe as reality will be tested and much will crumble. And I’m not going to lie, this can shake us to our core. It will be shocking, and we might try to deny it, but once we have awakened there is no going back.

When we finally claim our power, we are no longer unwitting actors in a pantomime show where those who can see the bigger picture (including the disenfranchised parts of ourselves banished to the unconscious) are yelling, “behind you”.In and of itself darkness is neither good nor evil, it just is, it is a primordial condition of existence as is light. There can be treachery and trickery in the darkness just as there can be illusion and trickery in the light. We can be blinded by the light and the dark equally.

The trick is to go inward to the ember of truth inside ourselves, to reignite and tend our inner flame, or light… to reclaim our sovereignty.

The Chid Will Lead Us Home: Honouring the Life of Alice Miller.

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What the Water Gave Me- Frida Khlao- 1938

What the Water Gave Me- Frida Khlao- 1938

Born in Poland on 12th January 1923, Psychologist and Psychoanalyst Alice Miller was an influential and controversial figure. Much of her work centred around getting in touch with the truth of our childhood-including the various humiliations and betrayals we may have experienced. Accordingly, by freeing the wounded child within and finally feeling the feelings that we have repressed we are granted access to our true selves.

Miller maintained that what passes for child rearing is often “poisonous pedagogy”. She thought that analysis further betrayed the wounded child and what was needed was “empathic witnessing”, not interpretation. The ideal would be as a child to have had at least one adult who understood and supported the truth of the child’s experience. According to Miller what was more likely is that the child was exploited to serve the needs of the unhealed parents who were themselves traumatised children. In this way, she says society betrays the child… you can see why her views are controversial.

While Freud- whose model Miller trained in-initially accepted the validity of child abuse his theories were later modified to assert that much of the child’s experience was in fact fantasy. In 1988 Miller resigned from the International Psychoanalytic association which represented Freudian thinking, and continued to ruffle feathers by asserting that Bowlby and the like modified their theories in order to be accepted.

I have personally gained so much from reading Alice Miller and consider her a “gnostic therapist” … how can we truly know ourselves, and therefore know God if our child has been silenced and lost?

For me she is a shining advocate of the Child.

In her astrology Miller has an asteroid Child/Sun Quintile which shows a talent and gift- a positive relationship between the child and the ego conscious. Asteroid Child is also in a harmonious aspect (trine) with Venus highlighting a sense of love and value for the Child.

In the opening paragraph of her first book, “The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self” she says,

“Experience has taught us that we only have one enduring weapon in our struggle against mental; illness: the emotional discovery of the truth about the unique history of our childhood. Is it possible, then, to free ourselves altogether of illusions? History demonstrates that they sneak in everywhere, that every life is full of them- perhaps because the truth often seems unbearable to us. And yet the truth is so essential that its loss exacts a heavy toll, in the form of grave illness. In order to become whole, we must try, in a long process, to discover our own personal truth, a truth that may cause pain before giving us a new sphere of freedom. If we choose instead to content ourselves with intellectual “wisdom”, we will remain in the sphere of illusion and self- deception.”

With love to anybody who is retrieving their lost child. 

Alice Miller

Alice Miller

 

 

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Full Moon Musings: Collective Rebirth or New World Order?

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Lately I have noticed a few posts about the evils of AI; while I am not exactly an advocate myself, I also recognise that all of us- almost all of us- have contributed to its development. 

Have we not spent the past couple of decades bearing our soul to the machine, describing every nuanced experience on the inner and outer planes and documenting our physical and spiritual journeys to be logged, processed, turned into an algorithm and packaged back to us in slick and seductive ways? Not to mention the tracking techniques of the virtual eye that is constantly watching our online activity for marketing and other nefarious purposes.

Granted, an imposed incarceration on a global scale did little to boost our resistance particularly as strong emotions like fear and anger were so prevalent. Now there’s talk of another lockdown, this time to save the planet instead of each other. Did we not lament how grief stricken and angry we feel at the destruction of the planet? Yes, we did, and it was noted and used in ways that many suspect is not solely in the interest of saving the planet. 

AI may not be our friend, but we have certainly befriended it. 

Did we believe that the sensitive hues of our unfolding soul glorified in our unique tapestry for all the world to see would not be bought and sold… as every great work of art has been. 

The problem is that our ego gets in the way; we want to be seen and known for who we are and are only too willing to bear our soul as a plea for recognition …this is a very real human need but as with many intrinsic human needs it is vulnerable to manipulation.

Sharing of information tentative or bold creates a collage, a signature, of who we are. We created it ourselves and were encouraged to do so from the day we were born… we learned to prefer this and not that; be this or that way inclined; we are known to react in certain ways in certain situations; we have a favourite colour, music, food, holiday destination, dream job (what do you want to be when you grow up?). We are an exquisite composite of opinions, preferences, and beliefs. Cultural repitition keeps it all in place as we hang on to our constructed identity. As the outer identity takes primacy the inner truth often suffers.

An aside- could it be that our culturally ingrained fear of the feminine and her erratic ways has to do with not being able to easily pin her down.

In our “talk show” culture we have learned to bear all… streakers on the playing fields of a brave new world. We have an image of who we think we are or who we want to be, and now (if we choose) we can create an AI persona and appearance to project to the world. I am guessing that some people feel more comfortable with this artificial persona than who they really are… and I know we do it just for kicks too. 

We complain that we are being controlled. That the-powers-that-be are micromanaging every aspect of our lives, body, soul and mind… maybe they are… and maybe we let them. It has always been a trade-off.

After centuries of a rationalist materialist and secular world where we have been conditioned to look outside of ourselves to the affairs of the world above our own soul, our inner connection has diminished. Many of us do not know how to reignite our light. I am reminded of the indigenous tribes who forgot how to make fire. 

We are cascading down the virtual highway at an alarming speed, but no one is going to put the brakes on for us. We have let ourselves be known and someone has our number but that’s not the full story…

Never let anybody steal your golden apples- I wrote this a couple of years ago and while it sounds a bit cryptic, all it really means is protect your essence. 

Tomorrow the Gemini Full Moon is conjuncts Mars. This could be a time to contemplate how to use our libido and warrior energy for a purpose higher than fighting an enemy that always seems to be one step ahead. The sacred warrior is a master of energy while the front-line soldier has no choice but to be in constant attack and defence mode. We can all step back from the front-line if we choose. 

Also figuring in the full moon chart is Black Moon Lilith conjunct Pallas- Athena which speaks to me of hidden wisdom. Lilith will never be fully accepted and understood in the worldly world of daylight and solar consciousness, she operates behind the veil and on the dark side of the moon. In her alliance with Pallas- Athena she has at her disposal the laws and power of the world and can operate successfully under the light of the Sun. Athena may have been birthed through the head of her father Zeus but she wears on her aegis the head of Medusa.

The symbols of Athena are the spear and shield showing that she is a warrior goddess and is also protected. Her totem animal is the Owl which is also how Lilith is depicted. The Owl is hidden wisdom, or wisdom of the unseen worlds; combining these things is a powerful weapon to navigate the seen and unseen worlds. 

Receiving the full light of the Sun (solar consciousness), and reflecting that light to the Earth, the Sabian symbol for the Sun’s degree is 17 Sagittarius and speaks of “Collective Rebirth”. 

Keynote-

“The culturally stimulated longing for group participation in a process of rebirth.”

The danger is that rather than participate in a process of collective rebirth (which begins with the individual) people currently feel so pushed and pressed that they may agree to an enforced new world order. 

While it seems that we may not have any choice in the mechanics of the outer world we do have self-authority and an Inner Kingdom which no one, man or machine, can capture unless we let them. 

Full Moon in Taurus Lunar Eclipse: An Intuitive and Personal Enquiry

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in lumine tuo videbimus lumen

“In your light we see the light.”

Mario Rapisardi -Lucifer

Mario Rapisardi -Lucifer

A Moon Uranus conjunction can feel unsettling; the outer planet of awakening and liberation dislodges us from our habituated emotional patterns- patterns that may have been installed in us from birth. The Moon also relates to the unconscious mind and points to beliefs and perceptions that have developed as a result of these patterns. It goes without saying that these thought processes have to an extent been conditioned and passed down through our ancestral lines.

We like what we like and do what we do until our consciousness demands expansion and we learn to release learned ways of being- ways that once protected but now stifle and cause suffering. Uranus’ electric lightning bolts send currents of energy through our system jolting outmoded and stagnant habits while facilitating new processes – not always comfortable!

The danger here is that we become dislodged from our earthly and embodied connection, the soil from which we are born and the kinship in which we were raised. Under this influence we can eastly become the maverick, the radical, or the lone wolf crusading for a cause or a freedom at the cost of our common humanity and need for earthly connection.

On this full moon, Uranus is making its final square with Saturn, lord of time, karma, and physical and social laws. This transit can bring unexpected changes that have not been asked for, or else cause difficulty in initiating change that we do want. What appears at first to be a restriction however may in the end be a blessing as things are put in place to facilitate our evolution. Saturn is a hard task master but in his tough love we are primed to be responsible, mature adults creating structures and containers that enable our soul’s expression in the world. Saturn and Capricorn are connected to bringing light into the material world, even the darkest places.

The tension I sit with personally on this full moon is how to break free from restrictive patterns and toxic processes inherited from intergenerational trauma, while remaining connected to my ancestral lineage. We incarnate into the families and communities that we do for a reason. How do we make a stance for who we truly are while keeping the love light flowing. Often this tension is so great that we break away from our families of origin in the belief that we can free ourselves, though in doing so we cut ourselves off at the root.

Recently I have been working with people who are walking this line in a bid to heal their deepest wounds. Words like “entity “and “curse” are not out of place in a shamanic session. While that could sound a bit scary, opening the space for deeper enquiry into the origins of these experiences sheds much light. We cannot kill our demons it seems; instead allowing them to lead us back to the tender root of dislocation is where the soul weaving happens.

In this full moon chart, there is an aspect pattern known as a Lucifer Rectangle which is a Mystic Rectangle occurring in the signs of Pisces, Virgo, Taurus, and Scorpio.

  • Sun 16° Scorpio
  • Ceres 16° Virgo
  • Moon/Uranus 16° Taurus
  • Nessus 13° Pisces. Neptune 22° Pisces

With the planets and asteroids involved I feel the potential of this lunar eclipse is healing the ancestral, and in particular mother line. Breaking free from binding negative emotional and lunar influences offers the ability for re-parenting, or re-mothering, accommodating our unique spiritual selves and still allowing for social and kindred acceptance. How do we show up in our families and communities as we truly are on a soul level.

I see this as a time to reclaim the dimensions of power and light that exist on the levels of soul and spirit that want to be channelled through the physical plane.

Lucifer may be the adversary or the Light Bringer. In freeing himself according to his own nature and spiritual essence he transgresses the family unit (in his case, God the father and the holy family). He dares to break free and in so doing becomes a light in the dark. In Christian mythology, anchored in duality, Lucifer is seen as the bad guy who disobeyed God- though he may also be the redeemer. Uranus and Lucifer are on the same team- both are interested in your awakening and liberation… though the old God Saturn must be paid his dues.

One final comment about the full moon chart is that asteroid Lucifer is conjunct Pholus in early Capricorn which I feel speaks to the human family soul, light, or medicine having been thwarted throughout the generations; Capricorn is involved in the processes of light descending into the physical world. In the people I work with we often find that once the family wound has been recognised and the “entity” has been seen for what it is, the light of the line can shine through.

During, and in the aftermath of this lunar eclipse we have an opportunity to quieten the overplayed tape recording of outmoded patterns, beliefs and stories and open ourselves to receive our light, facilitated by Uranus… just remember to stay grounded and connected.

I am available for astrology consultations exploring these dynamics in your chart. I am also available for Shamanic healing sessions.

Libra New Moon, September 2022: The Wasteland & the Fisher King

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Image: Venus setting fire to the castle where the Rose is imprisoned in the medieval French romance ‘Roman de la Rose’

New Moon in Libra Sunday 25 September at 22.54 BST

During the past two weeks while much attention has been on the Royal House of Windsor and the British Monarchy, I have been looking at the astrology charts of some key royals and royal events.

The archetype of the King and Queen, their symbolic and literal meaning and how it connects with modern Britain has fired some interesting questions. Astrology offers clues about the inner life of the Royal family- a powerful institution that operates far beyond either the individuals or the structures that form it.

The question of whether Charles III may be a Fisher King has breathed new life into the Grail myth. Intimately bound with Britain and the Arthurian legends, the magical quest for the ‘Sangreal’ (blood royal) flows through time with the promise of renewal.

Healing comes when a young knight asks the sick king the correct question, “what ails thee?”

In astrology the Centaur Chiron, half human, half horse has attributes that have been paralleled with the Fisher King… a wound that does not heal, an element of sacrifice, acceptance of one’s destiny, and finally redemption.

Chiron, who is also known as the wounded healer suffers but holds the key to renewal. In the chart of the now king, Chiron is strong at 28 Scorpio inconjunct the Moon at 0 Taurus (with the lunar North node at 3 Taurus). Chiron is also inconjunct Uranus at 29 Gemini creating an aspect pattern known as Yod- the finger of God-or the finger of fate.

Charles’ Sun is conjunct Chiron strengthening the ‘chirotic’ signature and hallmark of a possible Fisher King.

The motif of the Fisher King, expressed through Chiron, is even more pronounced in the chart of Prince William, the now Prince of Wales. With a Yod pointing to Chiron, William also bears the signature of a Fisher King… particularly interesting is his Chiron exactly conjunct Venus at 25 Taurus.

In the Grail myth, inappropriate or disrespectful treatment of the feminine festers at the core of the disease that pervades the land; this is expressed in the brutal treatment of the Maidens of the Wells in ‘The Elucidation’.

While in Charles’ chart Chiron conjunct the Sun points to a wound of the self and to the masculine, in William’s chart the close Chiron Venus conjunction highlights the wounded feminine or loss of the feminine. This theme is painfully highlighted in Prince William’s life through the death of his mother, Diana on 31st August 1997.

As the current King (and his heir) prepare to shape the future of Britain and the third Carolean era, the woman who connects them, Princess Diana of Wales, dead for 25 years does not rest easy.

The events of her death are chilling and mysterious and raises questions that many do not care to ask, and others do not care to answer.

Beneath the surface, in the subtleties of the collective psyche this mystery creates deep-seated unease causing a cognitive dissonance. Something is not right …

While the questions remain unasked and unanswered there is a disturbance in the field and the possibility for true restoration and renewal remains out of reach.

As we move into Venus ruled Libra season there is an opportunity to evaluate the information and facts however this cannot be done within the spheres of the exterior world; inner vision is needed. After all, the operations of the British Royal family are complex and not always as they appear.

In this new moon chart, there is a strong kite aspect pattern with Venus at the apex or release point. With a grand trine in earth the top of the kite is Neptune at 23 ° Pisces (which is conjunct asteroid Diana at 20 ° Pisces).

Pisces – the fish- theme has been integral to recent events in the royal mythopoesis not least because Charles became king around the time of the Pisces full moon.

Neptune ruler of Pisces in opposition to Venus in a kite configuration at the seed moment of the new lunar cycle feels important and timely especially as it coincides with the Sun’s ingress into Libra where the scales of justice weigh the heart of the matter.

I feel this is a turning point.

The kite pattern is also present in Diana’s chart with a grand trine in water with Chiron as the release point and Pluto the transformer as the active opposing agent in earth (Virgo).

Chiron runs through the charts of the royals like a (potential) sacred stream watering the Wasteland where the earth has become too dry and arid from generations of patriarchal tradition. It shows the wound and the antidote. While the Maidens of the Well are captive in the castle of the shadow kings, the soul of the land and its people suffer.

Diana’s Chiron at 6 ° Pisces on the release point of the kite, transformed by Pluto- death- is a story of sacrifice on many levels but was not in vain. Who could help but think of Diana at the passing of the old Queen? Her spirit lives on stubbornly refusing to be silenced in death just as in life.

In her chart asteroid Diana- the Moon goddess- is conjunct Neptune which shows up prominently repeatedly in the royal mythos.

Neptune has an illusionary, smoke and mirrors quality where things are not as they appear, and the fairy-tale belies a darker truth. Diana known as the ‘Fairy-tale Princess’ was unable or unwilling to sustain the illusion. Also known as ‘England’s Rose’, Diana once radiant and fresh withered and died in the foul air that surrounded her.

The rose is a symbol of the sacred feminine which is different to the sovereign feminine within patriarchal institutions. While the rose is withered, and the wells are dry the Grail is not found, and the land lies in waste.

In Need of a Little Sobering? Welcome Virgo.

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Image~ Virgo, illumination from an Italian book of hours, c. 1475; courtesy of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.

Image~ Virgo, illumination from an Italian book of hours, c. 1475; courtesy of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.

After the bold flamboyance, creativity, and well, maybe a touch of Leo hubris, the Sun enters Virgo on 23 August (UK).

Maybe we explored being in the spotlight more than usual, or else unleashed a new wave of creativity during Leo season, and now we are being called to discern- what from those experiences can we take forward as we ground the creative buzz into a practical reality. Self-interest alone will not cut it; Virgo wants to know if our creative and individual zest is of service to the collective.

Virgo asks- how can we synthesize the rampant energies of Leo into a workable form, sound enough to withstand the conditions of the material world, and legitimate enough to have credibility.

One task of Virgo is to cut the wheat from the chaff- what at this stage holds up to scrutiny and what still needs time to bake in the alchemical alembic.

Virgo finds her fullest expression in service to the whole, a duty She is able to sustain through the condition of self sovereignty- she is the Virgin, after all- whole unto herself; Virgo contains the energy within until She consciously chooses how to direct it. With scrupulous discernment She avoids energy wasting whether ideas, emotions, people, or any frivolity that does not serve Her goal or will not yield a tangible crop.

Ruler of the sixth house, Virgo is also involved with the health and wellbeing of the physical planes including the human body, and the body of Gaia. Routines, practices, rituals, and systems that facilitate the merging of spirit and matter in realistic and well-functioning ways is the work of Virgo.

Holding the chaff of wheat, She knows the secret of regeneration.

The shadow side of Virgo is control and an exacting nature that can sometimes inhibit the free flow of emotions; there can be a tendency to over-analyse and nit-pick. Virgo can be a little detached as at this stage we have not yet turned our attention and energy to union with others.

The glyph for Virgo and Scorpio is similar with the M of matter (Mother) turned inward for Virgo and outward for Scorpio; energy/libido is contained within (Virgo) as in the virgin archetype or shared (Scorpio), where unconscious forces loosen control. Libra, the sign in between balances these polarities as we learn the art of relationship.

So now that we are infused with creativity and a sense of what wants to be birthed through us into the world, it is time to reckon with Virgo who will ask us to be accountable, practical, and realistic in our endeavours. Ideas without foundation or motivated from hubris or a desire to be seen for the sake of being seen will not hold up in Virgo’s court. She wants to know, will there be a harvest next year… and will it benefit all.

Virgo’s medicine is particularly relevant now as we sit uneasily between the New Age and Tradition, between information diluted through endless disembodied repetitions on platforms like social media, and a perennial wisdom that stands the test of time through all ages. Virgo may be viewed then as a gnostic messenger, synthesizing and grounding spiritual energies through matter as direct and embodied experience.

Transiting Venus on the South Lunar Node: The State of Independence.

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William Holman Hunt 'The Awakening Conscience'.

William Holman Hunt ‘The Awakening Conscience’.

When Venus transits the South node, it may be a time when a relationship ends however it could also be that expectations around relationships more generally are reviewed. I have this transit happening now and for myself, I recognise that it is not so much about letting go of a particular relationship but an outmoded attachment style.

When I consider the early conditioning that I received around intimate partnering I see that there were a lot of unhealthy factors involved- my role models were not particularly relationship conscious, not only in my family but also in my community and in the wider collective… all those co-dependent pop songs! Dysfunctional messages about what a relationship is, how it should operate, the role of women, the role of men, and most insidiously of all the privacy, silence and ‘behind closed doors’ attitude that prevailed made for one hell of a toxic soup.

These days my journey to liberate myself from negative programming is releasing the need to engage in unhealthy situations. What strikes me is how limiting relationships can be when the people involved act out of their unhealed trauma, or shadow. Although I also recognize that personal growth can come from experiencing these kinds of relationships or ‘woundships,’ and that even ‘bad’ or toxic relationships can be a pathway to liberation and awakening when we cultivate enough self value and self-love… to let them go!

Our relationship patterns run deep and becoming more informed about attachment styles, trauma bonds, and co-dependency allows for the potential to move away from destructive or limiting situations. As this happens, we might also find that so much of our lives are entwined with these patterns, for example we stay in abusive situations because our financial security is bound in it, or else the relationship supports our victim story, or reinforces false beliefs connected to our self-esteem and self-value.

Early family dynamics that are not made conscious will repeat ad infinitum in our adult relationships.

These formative experiences when left unacknowledged seep into our intimate partnerships, friendships, work situations, and in fact all inter-personal relationships because the common denominator is us, and that is where the transformation needs to happen. There are a lot of podcasts, books, talks, seminars, and general information about narcissistic, and abusive relationships and while it is good that the ‘behind closed doors’ mentally is breaking down there is also a danger of continuing to project our inner wounding onto those we perceive as having hurt us. They may well have hurt us however the continued projection keeps us in a victim stance and denies the possibility for true inner work.

As Venus transits my south node, I am letting go of old and entrenched patterns and beliefs about myself and myself in relationship, not just in intimate partnership but with the world and its systems… and dare I say illusions. So much of what I consumed was not of my truth, and I allowed myself- because I did not have the necessary tools, or self gnosis- to participate in toxic and self-defeating situations.

Any planets in aspect to Venus as she transits the south node will give a fuller picture of what is being let go of. For example, Venus is currently in a trine aspect with my Mars Chiron conjunction. This speaks directly to an inner shift where I am changing my relationship with the wounded (Chiron) masculine (Mars) so that the wounded masculine becomes the healthy masculine – an ally not an enemy. This transmutation is facilitated by Chiron and the Chiron return through which I have just moved; it is an inner change where I am developing a new relationship with my animus or inner man, and the shift is also reflected in my outer relationships with men.

In forming a new relationship with the masculine principle, it is not only my partnerships that are transformed but also my relationship with work, money, commitment, focus, boundaries, assertiveness, strength, courage, and other qualities that while are not exclusively masculine are expressed in a particular way through the masculine. In connecting with these things in myself I do not have to assign them to the men in my life and then get annoyed when they fall short… which inevitably, if the relationship with my inner man is unbalanced, they will.

That said I value and cherish the potential for beautiful union where each partner is committed to owning themselves and taking responsibility for their own soul.

A Portal to Meet With the Gods: Sourcing Light.

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Mercury by Evelyn de Morgan1870-1873

Mercury by Evelyn de Morgan 1870-1873

Gods are personifications of unconscious contents, for they reveal themselves to us through the unconscious activity of the psyche. 

~Carl Jung, CW 11, p.163.

I am loving the ‘Sourcing Light’ readings that I am currently offering; there is a certain alchemy that happens between the moment, the chart, myself, the client, and what is rising in the collective.

Before the session I explore the chart, examining in the first instance the traditional planets, angles, aspects, etc., and based on that I begin a kind of ‘tracking’; I get a sense of what wants to be included… I listen.

Given that there are over two thousand asteroids- not to mention the Kuiper Belt Objects- there is no way to engage the mind or left brain alone, what is needed is intuition and an ‘imaginal enquiry’. It is a deeply satisfying and exciting process- a bit like playing the hot-cold game with the chart; I can feel when something is relevant or not and then like a ‘join dot’ the picture begins to emerge, and the chart speaks. Obviously, this is stronger sometimes than others though the chart always seems to offer what is needed in the moment.

Sourcing Light sessions are particularly dynamic as it involves tracking power.

The space that the client and I create expands to include the liminal, engaging both left and right brain thinking that allows for creative exploration. There is a certain feeling that rises when an archetype ‘speaks’, is witnessed, and interpreted… a bridge is formed between the unconscious or subconscious psyche and the conscious mind. Even if there is no time to fully explore the meaning, a seed has been planted that can be watered, or kept for a future time when the conditions are ripe, the soil is fertile, and the soul is ready.

Always in this process I am learning too; it is a beautiful reciprocation. Sometimes I discover a new archetype… or it discovers me… or else I get a deeper sense of an archetype I have already worked with.

Often my client shares something that has meaning beyond their personal experience that ripples out beyond the space, shining a light on the collective… a golden thread.

Working in this liminal space is vast -a portal that dissolves time and space and opens multi-dimensional, or circular perception… very different to how most of us are taught to think. It allows for feeling, intuition, and magic and with that we begin to remember the parts of ourselves that have been overlayed or banished because they are considered irrelevant in our modern world, or else they are threatening because they are powerful.

The beauty of working with the asteroids is that through their mythology they seem to reflect the split off parts of ourselves, the fragmentations that have become dissociated from the conscious mind and yet continue to exert power and influence in our lives.

Some people believe that the asteroid belt was once a planet that was broken into many pieces as a result of a collision… some believe this planet was Ceres, the Great Mother. Are we reweaving our connection to the Mother through the asteroid gods and goddesses?

Even farther in our solar system, the first Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) was discovered in 1992- Pluto and Charon which were discovered earlier are also in the Kuiper Belt though at the time of their discovery, the KB was thought to be a repository for periodic comets. Since its discovery, the number of known KBOs has increased to thousands. That these bodies are beginning to materialise in human consciousness symbolically reflects discoveries in inner space… as within so without.

In a recent “Sourcing Light” session I worked with a woman who had a strong Makemake in her chart; Makemake is a plutoid in the Kuiper Belt and is named after the Easter Island god of humanity and connectedness. In astrology Makemake is associated with knowledge of the natural world, the need for its preservation, and right use of resources. This awareness does not arise from a purely scientific perspective but as a recognition of the Earth as a sentient being, a spirit infused organism, part of the cosmos, and the world soul from which we are not separate.

Makemake points to Earth Wisdom and incorporates ancient, and indigenous Earth based consciousness, a wisdom that we desperately need to bring to bring back online.

Also prominent in my client’s chart is Haumea, another KBO, named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth who is connected to the deepest secrets of regeneration and renewal. She births from parts of her body other than her womb- from her head, thighs and other limbs thus suggesting that she hold the key to shamanic wisdom of cellular regeneration… again, deeply needed knowledge in this time of bio- chemical and pharmaceutical overuse.

How these archetypes spoke in my client’s chart was enlightening for us both.

The gods attempt to communicate with us in infinite ways; astrology is a wonderful portal in which if we are willing to step into the mirror, beyond the confines of the rational mind and meet them halfway, we are gifted their message… if it is part of our soul’s calling, we may also be infused with their vibration, and encouraged to express it in the world.

Talking of messages from the gods, Mercury who is the ultimate messenger of the gods and who is pictured above, is today making a trine with Uranus, expanding our mind, and encouraging less restrictive, more enlightened modes of communication. The north node, our collective density is also involved in this aspect.

Venus’ Ingress into Leo: From the Temple of the Heart All Are Warmed By the Sun.

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Venus enters leoThe full Moon in Aquarius, Venus’ Ingress into Leo, and the Assumption of Mary all occur over a few days (now). It is a time when solar feminine power is expressed. This multi- event opens a portal, an invitation to connect with our inner light generated from the celestial Sun.

Symbolically Venus in Leo energy is contained within the myth of the goddess Cybele who is known as the Magna Mater “Great Mother”.

Ishtar is also associated with the Lion; the entrance of Ishtar’s Gate, adorned with ornate lions and bordered with rosettes symbolise Her role as a fertility goddess.

Fertility as it relates to solar energy has a different quality than lunar energy- it is a conscious force. In the same way, Venus as Morning Star has a different expression than Venus as Evening Star.

Venus in Leo is the generative active feminine who dons her golden crown from which rays of illumination and love shine upon all who come in contact with her.

This is the feminine who in herself is a generating power no longer only reflecting the light of the Sun as a lunar consort but instead claiming and embodying it as her own authority.

In its positive polarity Leo is transmitted through the Temple of the Heart and affects the collective in positive ways.

There is a caution however that without balancing Leo with the polar Aquarian energies the King can become over inflated and self-interested leading to the ruin of his dominion when he is cut off from his inner Sun and creative fire. The danger here is that the cut off masculine covets feminine energy sometimes in transgressive ways- this leads to the Wasteland and is at the heart of the Grail mysteries.

Containing one’s solar energy, expressing it appropriately, and protecting it when necessary is important work on the path.

This time is about the feminine principle actively taking her place in creating a new vision through the power of her heart, self-authority, and inner light.

Full Moon in Aquarius: Black Madonna- Queen of Heaven and Earth.

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The Black Madonna of Chartres Cathedral.

The Black Madonna of Chartres Cathedral.

The full Moon on Friday 12th August at 02.36 GMT at 19 Aquarius 21’ is the final supermoon of the year…the moon whispers her secrets in our ear as she comes in close to the Earth.

Carried on the wings of Mary as She ascends onto Her Heavenly throne (The Assumption of Mary, 15th August) the message is one of peace.

Something has been accomplished in the realm of spirit even while here on the human realm we may still be catching up.

The sabian symbol for the lunar degree is PHASE 320: (AQUARIUS 20°): A LARGE WHITE DOVE BEARING A MESSAGE.

KEYNOTE: The answer of spiritual agencies to thorough, sustained, and victorious individual efforts.

The Divine is totally “present” in the heart of all true victories.

What the “message” is depends on the particular situation, but the white dove always signifies peace; at the very heart of this peace is the CERTIFICATION of individual worth and victory.

The Dove symbolism connects auspiciously to this lunar illumination and Assumption, as both Mary and Venus have associations with the Dove.

In the full Moon chart, asteroid Magdalena is at the apex of a Yod aspect pattern- Yod is the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is known as “The Finger of God”. There is a cosmically ordained fate at work.

Just as Mary the Virgin Mother is assumed into heaven an act which was officially recognised in 1950, Mary Magdalene once demonised as sinner and prostitute is rightfully acknowledge by the Catholic Church in 2016 by upgrading her memorial day to a feast day.

One of four Marian dogmas, The Assumption of the Virgin marks the journey of Mary, once her earthly life has finished and She is taken into heaven to be crowned “Queen of Heaven”.

The Assumption offers a living mythology and a symbolic revelation, it flows in and through us as a psychic reality regardless of the literality of the event which incites so much discussion in scholarly circles.

One way to approach the symbolism of the Assumption is:

The Virgin (whole unto herself) is lifted (Assumption) into the kingdom of Heaven (divine consciousness).

With the full Moon conjunct Saturn a degree of seriousnes is indicated; we are being guided to take responsibility for our habituated and unexamined behaviours, to break old limiting stories and look toward a self-sovereign state.

In a square with Uranus, the energy of change, liberation, and awakening is available even while there may be actual or perceived threats to our security- change is rarely smooth. However, the tension between Saturn and Uranus has been going throughout 2021 with the last exact hit on December 2021.

As we let go of old restrictive forms of security the possibility for a more authentic reality is possible.

The dark goddess offers guidance and support in walking the path to liberation which at times can be shattering; Dark Maid Lilith as priestess of the Dark Queen makes her presence felt next to Venus in a close conjunction on the full Moon and an exact conjunction on Assumption day.

Aspects of Lilith are also involved with the Magdalena Yod- Black Moon Lilith and Dark Moon Lilith (true) in a sextile with Kaali/Mars/Uranus, and both of these forming an inconjunction to Magdalena. The energy of Magadalena is realised through Lilith, and Kaali/Mars/Uranus.

Through developing inner vision to see the dark side of the Moon as it relates to an essential feminine, and with a harmonious and creative relationship with a powerful sacred masculine (Kaali/Mars/Uranus), the divine feminine may be realised and take her rightful place thus allowing for restoration.

We see this motif also in the Grail myth through the maidens of the Maidens of the Well who transgressed and degraded, are held captive by the shadow masculine. It is the sacred masculine that will redeem the maidens and restore the land.

The Black Madonna who is known as the Queen of Heaven and Earth, transcends duality as a generative (solar and lunar) feminine power who accords with the cycles of the Earth and the Cosmos guides us to come into harmony with nature within and without, which in reality is the same.

If Mother Mary is the Immaculate conception, Queen of Heaven, the Black Madonna is the fecund, fertile “Queen of Heaven and Earth” who is not separate from the darkness or light or from Earth or Heaven and has integrated the Sun & Moon. She is the bridge between distinctions of duality that have caused humanity to separate form their divine nature and in so doing have separated from the body of the living Mother and the divine nature within.

Introduced to Christianity through the Knights Templar, the Black Madonna shows that we cannot be reunited with Christ (the divine) without accepting that Christ is also within matter, in us and in the living Mother Earth. What has been cast out must also be included as God… I hear the beating wings of Lilith… and Lucifer.

The Lilith Venus conjunction over the period from the full Moon to Assumption points to the need to integrate the exiled feminine and the idealized feminine and to know a truer more essential version not just of the feminine but of humanity. It also points to a deeper awareness of the Earth as a divine sentient being.

As Jungian analyst Ean Begg writes, “The Black Virgin is a Christian phenomenon as well as a preservation of the ancient goddesses and compensates for the one-sided conscious attitudes of the age.”

Like the Hindu goddess Kali, the Black Madonna is the ever-loving Mother even while she destroys- she destroys illusions, untruths, and rampant egos hell bent on separation. Her destruction is divine in accordance with spiritual laws, not man-made laws that have become separated from these laws. She destroys in order to renew, and she asks us to look within and surrender what is not the truth of our being.

While Mars continues in a conjunction with the lunar north node, Uranus and asteroid Kaali, the male polarity is also being renewed.

A more authentic masculine and a more authentic feminine gives way to a sacred marriage in which the devastation we have witnessed between the sexes may finally lose sway. This will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the world and on the Earth- as within so without.

 In his book Mammon and the Black Goddess, Robert Graves says,

“The Black Goddess is so far hardly more than a word of hope whispered among the few who have served their apprenticeship to the White Goddess. She promises a new pacific bond between men and women, corresponding to final reality of love, in which the patriarchal marriage bond will fade away.”

Integrating Lilith, blending her with Venus, the idealised feminine is not easy for in that we face our shame, rage, and our own unacknowledged darkness, however it is the path of power. Once we have integrated and reckoned with the parts of ourselves that have acted unconsciously, they no longer control us, and we are freed from drinking from empty wells and from wastelands.

Mary Magdalene the woman who faced all of these things and still walked the path to wear her crown in heaven is testament to what is possible.

The Magdalene I feel is a living symbol of the Black Madonna, a beautiful integration of the human and divine- Queen of Heaven and Earth- an emanation of Sophia, the feminine face of God who merges with matter.