“For this was Seynt Valentyne’s Day. When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,”

Parliament of Fowls , Chaucer

 

…in our morning Yoga class here in Cabuya, there was a sound of a “strange cat” purring the loudest motor I’ve ever heard in the top of a palm outside the studio.  Having no idea of the origin of the sound, I intuited it to be some sort of Valentines day nature call from a unknown tropical source.  At the end of the class it was revealed: 2 Herons flirting in the top of a Coco tree! Ahhhh Amor! Chaucer was right: Birds find there mates on this blessed day.

Valentines day has never been my fondest “holiday.” Maybe its because I’m always in some confusing entanglement with my heart around this time of year.  But even when I’m with someone, it’s never been fuel for expressing more affection than I already do in my day to day exploration of Love. In looking at the aspects of the planets in the sky today, I immediately got a dark and inspired feeling about this Valentines day.  Having read a wonderfully revealing article on the history of Valentine’s day (Here) the ominous energy increased.  Who would have thought that the origin’s of this Lover’s day had its origin in bloody sacrifice, flagellation by cultish men of Rome chasing scared women, beheadings, and Chaucer poems.  Mmmmm…..In the sky today Venus squares Pluto, the Scorpio Moon turns into a 3rd quarter phase “pilgrim,” and Mercury gets lost between Neptune and Chiron in Pisces.  An interesting astrological gestalt for the day red, chocolate, and heart felt love letters.

 

Astrological breakdown

 

Venus is still degrees away from Uranus in Aries (see: Reflections of Venus) being electrified and persistently asked, “Who am I really?” She (Venus) is thus being activated by the world-changing square between Pluto and Uranus.  Many Astrologer’s are deeming this the “2012 aspect.” I feel it has everything to do with facing Fear (Pluto) and transforming in the space it creates. By doing this work we either get to experience a “breakdown or a breakthrough” (Uranus) according to our responses to this Fear! Whether we have a Valentine today or not, I feel it most important to still be internalized, and asking ourselves all the important questions: “Am I dependent on another person?; “What do they represent that I’m not”; “How can I internalize them and become them?”; “Why do I long for Love?”

The Scorpio Moon is in it’s 3rd quarter phase, dying and waning towards the next New Moon in Pisces.  This strengthens the collective need to be internal and deeply reflecting.  Steven Forrest calls this Moon “the Pilgrim.” I love this.  It’s like a pilgrim of the heart and mind.  In this lunar phase we are cutting ties with the world and looking for better techniques which assist us in understanding our inner universe.  Meditation? Dream yoga? Art? Music? Writing? Whatever suits you best, do it. Of course, many of us will be spending most of the day cooing our mates, but just make sure that by the end of it, you make some sacred time for yourself to reflect on all you have said, done, and promised.  You are the ultimate valentine!

The last aspect I would like to mention is Mercury in Pisces, transiting between Neptune and Chiron.  The Messenger is just a degree away from where the upcoming New Moon will take place at 2 degrees of Pisces.  Mercury is said to be “fallen” in Pisces (weakened).  I can see how this is true in many ways.  There is a lack of boundaries to Pisces.  It’s an infinite ocean of ideas and dreams.  The Messenger can easily get lost in chasing dreams, this thought and that one, and being influenced by other people’s perspectives.  Try not to be naive today.  Be careful with promises and plans.  Stay cosmic, yet stand true.  Mercury in Pisces is wonderful for activating the higher centers of our consciousness, thus its perfect for meditation.

Despite all the challenges in the sky today, it doesnt mean we are destined for broken hearts and chocolate tears.  The Venus square Pluto may bring up some deep emotions though–even some secrets that have been festering in your lover’s heart.  Invite them in. The truth will always set you free.  Once you get it, at the end of the day, while laying in bed–whether alone or in the arms of a lover—allow Mercury to travel the infinite ocean of your imagination, and think: How cool it is to love and be loved.  Agape!

….if you would like to explore Venus deeper in your own chart–both natally and via transit–you can contact me for a Venus specific reading, and we can distill the true nature of your Goddess within…..KOSMOGNOSIS@GMAIL.COM

And….a gift from Ray:

 

Pura Vida,

sOma

WWW.HOLESTOHEAVENS.COM

featured image by Mark Henson

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Looking at Death transits is one of the most fascinating aspects of Astrology to me.  Through the transits to a person’s natal chart you can distill all of the aspects which weakened a person’s vital life force. In Whitney’s case, it is no exception to this rule.  She was found dead Saturday afternoon in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton.  Cause of death still undetermined, yet, speculation speaks to a potential combination of xanax/alcohol and then drowning in a bathtub.  Let’s take a peak through the Astrological lens in the attempt to find out potentially what it was without an autopsy report.

Here are the transits for that day:

(sorry about the blurriness and size; I couldn’t seem to change it.  Hopefully you can zoom. If not, go HERE)

When looking at a Death chart, it is always important to look for 3 main aspects:

1. Transits in the 8th house and the activity of its ruler: The House of “Death”

2. Transits in the 6th house and the activity of its ruler: The House of “Healing”

3. Important planetary returns happening: Cycles ending and beginning

In Whitney’s case, all 3 are highlighted.  First of all, Saturn has been transiting in her 8th house for the last 2 years, having opposed her Moon/Jupiter conjunction and squaring the Nodes of the Moon.  This speaks to karmic–even fated evolutionary lessons–and emotional challenges to an intense degree. The ruler of her 8th house (what facillates Death and Rebirth) is Venus.  Venus had recently moved into Aries to form a conjunction with Uranus (sudden trauma) and opposed her Mars just a day or so before her death. It all speaks to potential accidents (Mars in combination with Uranus via transit being triggered by Venus–the ruler of her 8th house–is an accident signature).

…just one aspect like this isn’t enough to cause death though (I would never predict such a thing).  There has got to be more.

Now we look to the 6th house where we find her Sun and Uranus natally.  Her Sun in Leo rules her 6th house, meaning part of the Self-actualization of her Spirit (Sun) is to learn how to take good care of her body, mind, and spirit.  Via transit, the Sun is found in her 12th house just a few days away from her Saturn and a week after her Sun/Sun opposition (always a challenge for a person in my opinion).  This transit happens every year because the Sun moves around the chart every year, but you can definitely see a foundation being built.  When the Sun illuminates Saturn, it is like a beam of light coming down from the sky showing all of the most challenging karmas we are carrying in our Soul.  The 12th house relates to escapism and drug use.  See where this is going?

….Then we look to important returns

There is nothing exact but there are looming returns in 3 places which relate strongly to the theme we are dealing with.

1. Chiron’s return (you can see Chiron just a few degrees away from her Pisces Asc).  The Ascendant relates to vitality, the body, and our will to live.  Chiron, sometimes deemed “the wounded healer,” brings forth some of the most painful energies in our being.  This becomes readily apparent when he returns to himself around age 50. She was 48!

2. Jupiter’s return which happened last Spring.  Jupiter has a 12 year cycle which relates to expansion and opportunities in life.  Interestingly enough, Jupiter seems to show up in some way in nearly every Death chart I look at. Perhaps an opportunity to try again…in another life?

3. Mars retrograde in Virgo.  Natally, Whitney has Mars in Libra in her 7th house. Mars was just degrees away from returning to himself before he went retrograde a month ago.  Collectively, we are all feeling this one.  When Mars goes retrograde, so too does our energy.  It’s in Virgo, so it relates to the health of our bodies, routines, and services.  Being that it is in her 7th house (the House of Love) it is my guess she was incredibly distraught and angry (Mars) about some dispute with another person–maybe a lover, maybe Bobby?

…the foundation is being built.  Do you see what I see?

Like playing Jenga, there is but one block you pull or add that can tip the whole tower. In Whitney’s case, it was the transiting Moon. Look to her 8th house (again, the House of Death) and you will see how the Moon had entered her 8th house just hours before she was found dead.  I would guess she moved into the afterlife the moment the Moon in Libra entered the house. That’s how these transit’s work.

Take all of this information and add it to the fact that not only was Chiron moving out of the 12th house, but Neptune just moved into Pisces as well, holding hands with Chiron. Feb 3rd was when Neptune moved into Pisces.  It relates to the end of hope and the beginning of truth.  It had been transiting through the house of addiction and escape for most of the 21st century for Whitney.  This coincides with many of the years of her addictions (though I will admit, I don’t know much about her life. This is just what I gathered). Sun and Mercury were also transiting this house in the hour of her passing!

My conclusion? Drugs and water (12th house themes).  I feel the suspicion of an unconscious stupor caused by drugs, leading to drowning is quite a likely outcome.

It always saddens me to here of a person passing.  But then again, it is such a beautiful moment also.  I’ll admit, a part of me even gets jealous.  This is such a cruel world at times…oOo

R.I.P Whitney.  You shined like a true Leo!

Love,
sOma

KOSMOGNOSIS@GMAIL.COM
(if you would like to set up a reading or ask a question)

www.Holestoheavens.com

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“Prometheus is reaching out for the stars with an empty grin on his face.”

Arthur Koestler 

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely”

Carl Gustav Jung 

 

…Adrift.  Roaming new territories we probe sporadically for a sense of safety.  Yet, we find that there is nothing…except the stars! The stars–like forever mother’s and father’s– never let us down….

 

Venus is now in Aries is holding hands with Uranus (via conjunction) at 2 degrees of Aries.  Having drifted through her exalted sign of Pisces over the past month, she now grabs for fire to create the vision she was granted within her starlight dip within the Divine ocean.  It’s an interesting contrast between Pisces and Aries for the Goddess of Beauty.  In Pisces she is said to be strongest (exalted) because of the feeling of Divine love inherent within the Archetype; she is said to be “in detriment” in Aries because it is the sign of Mars, her opposite.  Perhaps the fireballs of new life and instinctual drive tend to overwhelm and dry up, even overwhelm her sensitive nature. Whatever the case, she is there now and she is merging energies with the Promethean impulses of Uranus.  With empty grins on our faces, we stare into the stars–into ourselves–to accept ourselves completely–with or without a lover by our side.  This is a time of radical self honesty. Dare to be alone.  To reflect.  And remember.

 

 

Culture shocked:

Whenever I travel to a new spot, there seems to be three phases I experience:

1. Giddy excitement due to the novelty of the experience……followed by:
2. A hollow void of nothingness–especially when language barriers are present!…..followed by:
3. Complete clarity of purpose.

 

Having just arrived in Costa Rica for my “working vacation,” I must say, this trip is no exception.  The void hit hard yesterday. Funny, because it occurred side by side with Venus moving into Aries.  In reflecting on Venus’s passage through Pisces (mid Jan) into Aries (yesterday) I realized something profound: This entire trip, in all it’s magic, began to bloom when Venus moved into Pisces.  Now that she has left Pisces and entered Aries, the new life, the novel energies have become manifest.  mMmmmm….Now, think back to mid Jan for yourself, and reflect.  What kind of dream began to marinate back then? What is becoming manifest now?

Being that Venus is also conjunct Uranus in this moment I am writing, it is no wonder that I am failing at prying myself away from the computer (Uranus).  It is a crutch.  A sense of security from my “other life.” It allows me to continue on with my creative process (Venus) and give me radical reflection on my current state (Uranus).  It also brings me connection via email, facebook, and skype.  Luckily, we live in an advanced human reality where we get to stay connected wherever on the planet we are.  Pretty special.  It allows for this process to be much easier on the heart and mind.  Imagining what it would be like 100 years ago, to leave all of those you love and are learning to love, to completely disconnect from the reality you have created….just imagining.  What a beautiful self created trauma that would have been.  And it wasn’t that long ago.  We are so lucky. Totally connected through computers, ever evolving technological monkey’s. I reflect.

…speaking of monkey’s: Have you ever heard a Howler? Now that is some serious shamanic vocal technology.  Nightmare creators!

In the end, we are all alone.  We die alone.  It’s perfect.  Allow the stars to help you remember.  Be radical.  Individuate.  Take your heart to new places, separate from the old and known and move towards the novel.  Establish new relationships.  Redefine the ones you are in.  This is just another step of prep in the first quarter of 2012, making sure we are fully aligned to our truest Individuated state before the cosmic storms–whatever that means.  Don’t be afraid! You are love.  No need to look for it or attach to it in unhealthy ways.  Praise Venus! Praise Uranus! They are walking like weirdo’s in a strange world, talking in a bizarre tongue which nobody could possibly understand.  It’s perfect. They are reflecting, just as we are. May we all find “conclusions.”

…if you would like to know where this is happening in your own chart and how it is affecting you personaly, please contact me at KOSMOGNOSIS@GMAIL.COM.

Love,

sOma

WWW.HOLESTOHEAVENS.COM

featured image: Krystaleyez

other image: Tarazan

 

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“If it’s ka it’ll come like a wind, and your plans will stand before it no more than a barn before a cyclone”
Stephen King, Wizard and Glass

…Last night, I was supposed to be flying to Costa Rica.  Ka saw to it and made it not so. (Ka is the mysterious energy binding all life together–through fate, “will,” and karma).  A wonderfully beautiful snow storm came through Colorado as we arrived at the airport, stirring up much worry about our departure.  The ride was mystical.  Foggy.  Ephemeral.  Strange.  Inspired. Dreamy and activated.  An intuition in me knew we weren’t leaving. But we tried.  In the end, it wasn’t the snow which held back the plane until 2 in the morning, no, it was the 1st officer on our flight who didn’t realize his passport was to expire.  Because of this, a sold out plane of eager travelers were screwed in the middle of the night, and were sent scrambling for a pillow to lay their head on.  It was beyond frustrating yet it was perfect. We were all faced with two choices: Fight it or surrender. Most fought and bitched, of course.  We surrendered without a fight, knowing the perfection of the whole ordeal.  Reason? Blame? It was Neptune, slowly moving it’s way into Pisces.  The only thing we can do is surrender in the presence of Neptune’s waves.  It is Ka’s will.  Through it, we find our way through magical encounter and uncanny coincidence. Still uncertain of what it may be, I have the utmost faith it will reveal itself soon enough.

Neptune enters Pisces today at 2:03 pm EST, after 14 years in Aquarius. It will stay in Pisces, the sign of which it’s the modern ruler, until 2025. I have written much on this topic in the past few month’s (just browse through my latest blog’s and you will find a few treasures).  My favorite quote about Neptune is also the subtitle to Maurice Fernandez’s book on Neptune: “the End of Hope and the beginning of Truth.” Sobering indeed yet liberating.  Aligning to the Truth–or the inevitable–is the only way to navigate these waters, now and perhaps forever. Another interesting quote on Neptune which Eric Francis used on a recent post is “Scratch a Pisces find a Virgo.” It relates to the polarity of Pisces and Virgo (Trust vs. Control).  In Astrology, polarities are everything.  To fully understand an Archetype, you need to understand its opposite.  As Neptune moves into it’s own sign, I feel that uncontrollable, haphazard events are going to materialize in exponential fashion.  The test?: The see the blessing in frustrating disguise.  It’s all happening for a reason.  Ka’s will.  To fight it, is like fighting a riptide.  There is no blessing there, just drowning.  And so, we learn to swim effortlessly in the seas of Pisces.

Chiron also sits in early Pisces via Transit.  Neptune and Chiron have been traveling side by side for quite sometime.  Chiron isn’t just bringing healing to this overwhelming and unpredictable dynamic of Neptune but also grounding.  The ability to recognize the signs.  Chiron, after all, is an immortal Master.  Walking side by side by us during this time (or surfing/swimming), I feel Chiron is offering some vital insight into our current dilemma.  The oceans–both literal and metaphorically speaking–are getting rough; we shall need ground and guidance.  Chiron can show us techniques in finding ecstasy.  Ways in which we can align to the supernatural powers of Neptune in Pisces.  Ways of breathing, dreaming, and moving.  Pay attention.  Don’t get flustered.  We don’t know enough to worry.  Just float down the river and allow the blessing force of the Universe (Pisces) take you away.

….If you have a Neptune in Pisces story you would like to share, please post it on here in the comments.  Also, if you are interested in how this transit if affecting you in your own life, don’t be shy, and contact me at KOSMOGNOSIS@GMAIL.COM….

namaste,

sOma

www.HolestoHeavens.com

 

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