2010 Mayan Calendar

I haven't posted much about the Maya Calendar since I began this blog, but in case you are looking for a decent calendar which celebrates Maya imagery and the Tzolk'in this 2010 Mayan Calendar is the calendar to buy. The website also has plenty of authentic information about the Tzolk'in and other aspects of Maya calendar systems compiled by a Dr. Ed Barnhart, a researcher currently working in Mesoamerica on behalf of the Maya Exploration Center, a non-profit research and education center. I bought last year's calendar and thoroughly enjoyed its combination of Maya symbolism and clear, bright photography.

This is an excellent calendar to buy even if you are not interested in following the current Maya dates, because they leave plenty of room to write on the calendar should you need that. All the same, this calendar uses the commonly accepted correlation between the Maya Calendar to present time otherwise known as the "Goodman, Martinez, Thompson" correlation (GMT correlation). The images for each month focus mostly on Classic Maya architecture, but also include pottery images in high detail.

Saturn-Uranus Opposition

I've been anticipating this week with some trepidation in light of my visit to the Emergency room last January. My rational mind insists there is little to be concerned about. After all, the doctors have all shook their heads in wonder and attributed my experience to little more than unintentional overindulgence.

But I can't discount the astrology of the moment. Today marks the central opposition of Saturn with Uranus and the blogs across the astrology blogosphere are filled with meaning and wisdom about this unique configuration. All the same, this clamor for understanding leaves me feeling a little empty and world weary.

It has not been my intention to use this blog as a political soapbox, but my natal chart echos the United States Sibley chart which is often used for analyzing astrology for the US. So I'm not surprised my ambivalence is also echoed by a majority of people in this nation who simply want to weather this period of economic restriction with a modicum of dignity while preserving the structure of their lives in the midst of a health care revolution.

I have little faith in the leaders who emotionally shout and rail against those who call for consensus and compromise. While I have benefited from the current Status Quo and I am grateful I qualified, charity is not a safety net for our nation. It is only a stop-gap for the few lucky people without insurance who have the "good sense" to become sick at the beginning of the year. When the donations run out, the uninsured, including me, become the burden of a seemingly unsympathetic government.

I don't really have any empowering insight into this opposition. It is far too easy to look deeply for meaning and become lost in the potential for universal health care, while overlooking reality: a large percentage of our country's population have poor or no access to common health care. I have to remind myself that Uranus in Pisces is emotional and adjusting while Saturn in Virgo is physical and flexible. It is quite clear to me which will win out in the end, but as with all astrology, what remains important is what you are doing with your time now. I'm going to spend some "me" time in my garden.

Mercury Rx Taurus and Gemini

Mercury stationed direct last Saturday evening after a nearly month-long retrograde period. The station is the point when a planet appears stopped in its forward movement and can last a day or so. While it is typical to discover electronic flukes during a Mercury retrograde (Rx), the station is often when Mercury Rx effects are felt most strongly. It is also a good time to review communications and monetary transactions.

Mercury entered the first degrees of this Rx period back on April 22nd when it passed through the twenty second degree of Taurus. Its forward movement carried it through the end of April to May 1st when it entered Gemini. It began its Rx station by appearing to slow down from our observation while earth's orbit coincided with its position in the sky.

Mercury stationed Rx in the beginning of Gemini, where Mercury is said to rule, but it moved back into Taurus for most of the Rx period, from May 7th through the 22nd, traveling between the first degree of Gemini all the way back to that twenty-second degree of Taurus. Emails not sent (or otherwise held onto) is a typical effect of Mercury Rx in Taurus as Taurus is fixed energy and tends to preserve the status quo. For the following two weeks while Mercury remains in Taurus one may encounter more communications that have been held onto or waylaid through the potential of this fixed energy.

Once Mercury enters Gemini again it will be easier to correct any complications that have surfaced as a result of mercurial blindness during this and previous retrograde periods. Gemini is the zodiac sign of mutable air, so has advantages over the fixed earth energy of Taurus when it comes to communication. We can all expect our lives to speed up as our communications become more effective and critical during Mercury's transit through its own kingdom.

A Thought About Values

Quantum Mechanics suggests that we are made up of nothing more than tightly packed particles of energy and that reality is nothing more than the gradual expansion and transfer of that energy throughout our immediate universe. How do we turn that into meaningful truth? Through believe in self and understanding of how we effect and can help one another. This idea includes and encompasses all human systems of thought, so there is no hierarchy or dominance of one being over another. God is omnipresence and permeates all life and existence. Tao is the constant exchange of light energy and dark energy which life emerges from. Morality and ethics develop out of values developed through communication and recognition of mutual goals. Compassion for oneself and thus all humanity is the highest value one can achieve.

Two ideas I've learned from Astrology

A short time ago I jotted down several ideas that had been buzzing around my head about my interest in astrology. These aren't very concrete, so bear with me.

The world is as it's supposed to be.

This wouldn't be obvious to the casual observer. Too often if we are feeling unsatisfied with our lives or perceiving the world as full of suffering, it is difficult to see that this is no different than when our mood is happy and light. The potential for dissatisfaction and suffering is just as prevalent when we are unhappy as it is when we are happy. Astrology shows that there is always an overall general influence to any situation and the more specific you get, the more you realize that this influence is constantly changing. So there is never a point in time when dissatisfaction or suffering is the same, it is either getting better or getting worse. The best part is that you get to choose which.

Don't accept absolutes.

This follows the point of the previous paragraph so perhaps it doesn't need more explanation. Still, it is not an obvious conclusion when relating with astrology. One of the first practices of astrology is to look at a natal chart and compare the information contained within as if it was a moment cast in concrete. But the name "natal" tells you exactly what that point in time represents: nativity or a beginning point. Every moment from that point to the present represents your life, not simply what was percieved at the beginning. A natal chart is a tool for reflection on your present self and does not determine anything more than your potential at birth.

I think this principal is the most confusing aspect to grasp about astrology. The question that comes up almost immediately is how can a point in the past represent my whole life? The answer isn't a simple yes or no, because astrological information pivots on the interpretation of the moment, not the fact of the moment itself. This division between fact and interpretation is a conversation humans have been engaged for millenia and could even be said to be the essence of philosophy.

Astrology on the Internet

My education in Astrology has been helped by all the information on the Internet. You can find horoscopes from popular astrologers, articles on current transits, and a host of articles people have written and posted. Perhaps it is too much information, which is why a directory is useful. Last year I participated with one such directory, The Astrology Blogger Directory.

Jeffrey Kirchner, of the relationship astrology site, Seduction Central (now Sasstrology), initiated this directory, and while it is far from complete it is a great source for study. You can find Rhythm of the Spheres there and many other excellent blogs. Seduction Central is also a great source for connecting with other people.

Speaking of other people, I've been quite impressed by some of the younger astrologers who have made quite a splash over the past few years. For example, Moses Siregar III has caught the attention of many astrologers with his astrology conference in Sedona, AZ, appropriately called The Blast. This spring as well, Moses offered a class in Astro*Cartography which I'm sorry I was unable to attend. I'm sure we will be seeing more of him in the future.

Another young astrologer I've been watching is Christopher Witecki from SoulgardenTV. Which is a high bandwidth site, but I prefer watching Chris's simple and direct horoscopes at YouTube. Perhaps my only complaint is these are "Sun sign horoscopes", so you have to apply them very generally. Chris gets his point across in his very grounded style, which you'd expect from a fellow Taurus Sun. I admire that he's out there on the Internet promoting astrology, not an easy thing to do well.

With my eleventh house Neptune (read that "astrology with friends"), I will likely do little more than post occasionally here on this blog, but I do aspire to the level of participation these astrologers accomplish. I think in time the Internet will become a defining marker of our society just as television has, and a way to connect on a fractal dimension to a wealth of collective knowledge. It has certainly dissolved many boundaries that seemed insurmountable even ten years ago, but even that will change.

Pluto transiting the house of Self

Pluto entered my first house at the turn of the century. I was living alone in the middle of Seattle (next to the freeway), disillusioned with my life and my own ability to create happiness for myself. I desired a fulfilling primary relationship, but years of dating people who were fickle and emotionally motivated had taught me the crucial lesson of not holding onto the expectation that these people I kept meeting could bring me happiness. Very little of my life felt fulfilling and while I understood happiness had to develop from inside my own consciousness, I had no idea how I was stopping myself. All the same I recognized this was a critical blindness that needed growing up.

I’d been exploring spiritual traditions for answers and my exploration of astrology eventually resulted in my first consult. My astrologer suggested I still needed to let go of those things that were holding me back. When I asked specifically what I needed to let go of, he basically said, “let go of everything and what sticks to you is what you need”. I have been practicing “radical letting-go” ever since. It remains a difficult practice, often requiring me to soberly confront notions I’ve been taught my whole life as “being realistic.” But instead of crashing into the ground as I feared I would, my life has changed for the better and I'm beginning to feel "in the flow" again.

Soon after my consult, the funds I needed to leave my unsatisfactory job suddenly appeared and I began to understand I’d let go of my belief that employment was the only way I could support myself. Within a year I moved to Vashon Island; I’d let go of the notion I needed to be in the city to realize my dreams. While I’d met my partner a year before my consult, not holding expectations about my happiness resulting from our relationship, deepened and strengthened our connection.

Today I am a much happier person than I was even five years ago. Looking back at what I learned from astrology emphasizes the effect Pluto has in our lives. Letting go of false notions we believe are true can be scary, but necessary for true happiness. I’m still learning how to apply it effectively in my life but I’m sure Pluto’s entry into practical Capricorn will be very enlightening.