Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Capricorn/Leo Moon cycle: The Time is Now

In this newsletter:

*Introduction
*Summary of Sagittarius/Cancer Moon Cycle
*New Moon In Capricorn
*A NEW ERA OF EARTH REALITY/CAPRICORN AND SATURN INFLUENCE AND THE NEW MOON - JANUARY 8thfrom Guru Rattana: http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/
*Leo Full Moon

Bonus sections from Guru Rattana: sky events; Understanding how to work with the energies of Capricorn and Saturn from Guru Rattana: http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/

*SATURN, JUPITER AND PLUTO IN EARTH SIGNS
*A NEW ERA - PLUTO ENTERS CAPRICORN
*UNDERSTANDING SATURN
*CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS EXPRESSIONS
*CHANGE, EVOLUTION AND GROWTH
*THE PARADOX OF THE BEAST
*SATURN'S PSYCHIC PROCESS
*UNDERSTANDING SATURN'S LESSONS
*INNER SHIFTS CREATE OUTER SHIFTS
*SEARCH FOR MEANING AND SELF-DISCOVERY
*MAKING OUR UNCONSCIOUS CONSCIOUS
*THE WORLDLY PATH OF SERVICE
*CAPRICORN'S PATH TO ADULTHOOD
[1] Separation from Mother
[2] Enter Adult World of Father
[3] Rebellious Youth
[4] The Rite of Initiation and Maturing into an Adult
[5[ Finding a Vocation and Role in Society
[6[ Peace with Father and Faith in Higher Power
[7[ Acceptance in the Present Brings Connection with Spirit
[8] Crystallization through Voluntary 'Imprisonment'
[9] Internalized Ethics and Inner Authority
[10] Merging of Son/Father Polarity
[11] Serving Humanity and the Divine Plan
*DEEPENING YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
*YOGA AND MEDITATION TO ACTIVATE AND CONTAIN FIRE
*REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES


Introduction
Happy New Year! I wish you a new beginning of peace, joy, and fullfillment of all your dreams. 2008 is a 1 vibration year. We are starting a new 9 year cycle and there’s a lot to do! This new cycle will bring changes to humanity the likes of which have never before been experienced! Take a deep breath of confident knowing and take the next steps to manifest your unique gifts and become whole! We have the opportunity to make Gaia whole now. Play your part, take the next steps to deeper self knowing so you return home to who you are to make Ourselves whole again.

Below is my interpretation of the energies of this and the previous moon cycle. Following this interpretation I’ve included a lengthy discussion of the deep meaning of the Astrology we’re living now written by Guru Rattana. Blessings, Helen

Summary of Sagittarius/Cancer Moon Cycle
(December 9th-January 8th)
We are just finishing up the lessons of faith and vulnerability of the Sagittarius/Cancer moon cycle. During this time we’ve had the opportunity to expand our philosophical and/or spiritual/universal/world view to bring hope to the vulnerable parts of ourselves who live in fear (without hope or faith). The lesson of this moon cycle was to bring hope to the hopeless parts of ourselves. The bottom line message of this moon cycle was: there is fear and vulnerability when you are emotionally dependent on others’ authority. The message of faith was: trust in your own deepest knowing. The waning Cancer full moon may have revealed the source of Cancer vulnerability: giving our authority away to others or emotional dependence on others or taking care of others at the expense of your own needs is the actual source of vulnerability.

New Moon In Capricorn: Tuesday, January 8th, 6:67 am EST
The waning moon has revealed the antidote: the next steps necessary to manifest and share your unique gifts with the world from a place of personal authority. Now is the time to do it. State your intentions clearly. What is it that you feel ready to roll up your sleeves for to create the life that serves your highest goals? Are you ready to practice (loving) discipline, to practice until you make it perfect, to set realistic goals, to reclaim your emotional and physical energy for your own creative endeavors? Are you ready to reclaim your emotional and physical energy by letting go of blame and caretaking others to avoid taking care of your own needs? We must do it now to be able to share our unique gifts with the world. We are needed now.

And the time is NOW! Pluto will enter Capricorn on January 25th . The last time Pluto was is Capricorn was during the American and French revolutions, the beginning of the Industrial Age and Technology revolutions.. The world is getting ready to re-establish power dynamics. You must know what your unique gift is and offer it now to re-balance power in the world. (I strongly suggest reading the detailed meaning of the Astrology below to learn more about how to work with the energies of these historic transits)


A NEW ERA OF EARTH REALITY

CAPRICORN AND SATURN INFLUENCE AND THE NEW MOON - JANUARY 8th
Saturn, the planet of responsibility, accountability, maturity and master of our destiny, is currently exerting a powerful impact on our lives. We are being urged to stabilize our consciousness at a higher level and to ground Spirit in our bodies for our own healing and for the healing of the Earth.

December 19th, Saturn stationed retrograde at 8 degrees Virgo. Until May 2, when Saturn goes direct, we will feel drawn to simplify our lives and to eliminate that which has become unessential and unproductive. The theme for the next few months is 'reduce stress and eliminate hassle.'

The Capricorn New Moon is the first new moon of 2008. In this space between our past and our future, we need to ask ourselves, what new structures we wish to create in our lives. Our major concern is to make sure that we are climbing our own mountain and following our own path. Take a careful inventory of your life. What do you want to do with your life? Where are you stifling your own creativity and progress? Where can you step forward? How can you better align with your own flow and with the times?

Leo Full Moon, Jan. 22, 2008, 8:35am EST
The highest expression of Self (Leo) willingly contributes to world for the benefit of Us (Aquarius). We have a Divine responsibility to discover and manifest the gifts of ‘Self’ for the benefit of all. You must know who you are to be a healthy cell and do your ‘right’ job here on Earth. You know deeply who you are and the gift you are meant to share. I understand Leo best as a cell in a living being (Aquarius). If you’re a kidney cell you want to be the best kidney cell you can possibly be, for your own health and the benefit of the whole organism. You must make sure you have balanced salt and sugar intake for proper kidney cell function; you don’t focus on oxygen intake, that’s a lung cells job, but oxygen, sugar and salt intake are important for all cells as a whole. You know You (the collective) needs oxygen but you focus on doing your job: salt and sugar balance. It would really upset the balance if you focused on oxygen intake and put sugar/salt balance second (This is what immature Cancer does, btw). Healthy Leo realizes that expressing its unique gift is truly for the benefit of all.

In the evolution of the personality (individuation), ‘Self’ is rightly mixed up in and woven with ‘Ego’. Our evolutionary job is to separate Self from Ego. In many spiritual traditions, however, we’ve been taught that Self is Ego and must be sacrificed for the benefit of all, but this is a mistake. Self describes the unique qualities of you that you must know and be in order to share them. Ego is attachment to feelings of either superiority or inferiority about Self-how you are unique. This limits the healthy, flowing expression of the whole being. The Ego is invested with staying separate from the whole. To go back to the kidney and lung cell analogy, the Ego feels that being a kidney cell is more/less important than being a lung cell. But we know we need them both equally. To say it another way, whether you’re a first string violin or a tuba or triangle in the orchestra, your music is vital to the expression of the composition. Even if the instrument makes its unique music for 30 seconds or 18 minutes in a 20 minute piece, it is no less or more important than any other for the expression of the whole.

So this moon cycle asks you:

*to first recognize what you need to do to be the best kidney cell or lung cell or first violin or tuba. Do you need to practice stabilizing salt or sugar or learn how to maintain resonance in your strings or reed? Are you willing to bring your intention to what you need to focus on to do your job now?

*to then work with any lingering Ego issues, usually fear based, about attachment to superiority or inferiority about your unique gifts. The Leo Full Moon will reveal your unique lesson here. Peace, love, blessings, gratitude for your willingness to show up for this work, Helen

Claim Your Gift and Come Home


Discussion of the sky events:
From Guru Rattana: www.yogatech. com/nmb
SATURN, JUPITER AND PLUTO IN EARTH SIGNS

The two social planets - Jupiter and Saturn - and one outer planet - Pluto - are entering earth signs. This shifts the energy dynamic on the planet to a more practical orientation.

SATURN passes though a different sign of the zodiac every two years. Saturn entered Virgo September 2, 2007 and will remain through Oct 29, 2009. Those with Virgo Sun, Moon, Ascendant or several planets in Virgo will be particularity affected by Saturn's lessons.

JUPITER visits each sign of the zodiac for 12 � months. Jupiter went into Capricorn December 19, 2007 and will stay through January 6, 2009. Our expansion in the next year will be facilitated by Capricorn strengths. Those with Sun, Moon, Ascendant and several planets in Capricorn will have their spirits lifted and projects supported. If, of course, WE do the work.

A NEW ERA - PLUTO ENTERS CAPRICORN
Pluto moves into Capricorn January 25, 2008 and stays through 2024. Pluto's long stay in each sign of the zodiac means that it, along with the two other outer plants - Uranus and Neptune - defines eras and generations. All three outer planets will announce endings and beginnings by changing signs in the next four years. Uranus will move into Aries May 28, 2010. Neptune will move into Pisces February 4, 2012.

The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was November 1762 through Decemer1778. This is the time of the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution, the beginning of the industrial revolution and technological development, and the expansion of free trade and civil liberties.

Saturn rules Capricorn. This means that we better get a handle on how to deal with Saturn if we want to take advantage of its liberating possibilities instead of feeling like we are being subjected to its tyranny for the next 16 years. In traditional astrology, Saturn is considered malefic. Even if we don't dread Saturn, we are apprehensive and would choose to avoid its heavy hand if we could.

Pluto has been in Sagittarius for the past 14 years, which in many ways has felt like a relief from the previous 12 years in Scorpio (November 1983-November 1985). (Pluto's elliptical orbit means that the time spent in each sign varies.) Pluto rules Scorpio, which intensified the penetrating knife of Pluto while it was in Scorpio's deep waters. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, whose expansive, benefic, and positive attitude in many ways softened the Pluto's truth and consequences program.

On the other hand, the reckless, speculative, overextension of Jupiter got us into a lot of deep trouble, personally and collectively. Now stern Capricorn and Saturn have arrived to straighten us out. They should actually have a favorable influence in moving us back on track - forcing us (1) to live within reasonable limits, (2) to be more realistic about use of resources and (3) to take responsibility for the impact of our actions or lack of action.

UNDERSTANDING SATURN
CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS EXPRESSIONS
All astrological archetypes -- signs and planets - are expressed both unconsciously and consciously (and every shade in between). The more unconscious we are, the more we subject ourselves to their negative expressions. The more conscious we become, the more we are able to take advantage of their powers and gifts. Understanding how Saturn operates and its special nuances can help us more wisely navigate the next 16 years.

Playing by Saturn's rules can reduce both headaches and heartaches. How about trading a simpler life style for no credit card debt or threats of foreclosure? How about finding out if your dream lover is married before you start dating? Saturn causes stress if we don't abide by the rules. It relieves stress if we obey.

CHANGE, EVOLUTION AND GROWTH
The outer plants - Neptune, Pluto and Uranus - challenge our view of reality and ourselves, which is from the Infinite point of view always too limited. This is also true of Saturn, which lies between the outer and the personal planets. In traditional astrology (before the outer planets were discovered by modern astronomers) the Saturn archetype was used to explain many of the lessons of Pluto and Uranus. All four planets have a different approach to tearing down the wall we build between our personality and our souls and the Universe. Each in their own way helps us discover that life, the universe and ourselves differ radically from what we perceive and imagine.

Saturn, Neptune, Pluto and Uranus each specialize in different types of wake up experiences. And we all react differently to these experiences. Some welcome their revelations. Others get upset, angry and blame outside influences and God for disturbing their lives. Those who accept events and are willing to makes changes within themselves have an easier time. Those who fight change continue to invite external events to wake them up. Energy that we cannot effectively internalize will be expressed externally, until we learn the lessons.

Our attempts to play safe by maintaining the same rigid attitudes and behaviors sets us up for events to wake us up. If we fight, we get hammered even further. If we accept the situation as something necessary for our growth, the Universe can become our friend, and we can take advantage of the evolutionary opportunities as they present themselves.

Pluto is the dark mother who exposes our fear of unconscious power, primal feelings and sexuality. Pluto expresses as dark moods and deafening silence. It brings to the surface uncivilized urges, primitive desires, inexplicable emotions and passionate instincts.

Saturn is the dark father who expresses as control, limits, restriction and rigidity. To avoid our Saturn lessons we defend our position with 'hyper-rationality, coldness, criticism, rejection and a sort of wet-blanket atmosphere that spoils everything" for those around us. *(1)

THE PARADOX OF THE BEAST
In myths and fairy tales, the beast is always the dark side of the handsome prince. This paradox or duality is an operating principle in life. As we study all the astrological archetypes, it is important to keep in mind the constant undercurrent of paradox and duality. Realizing that embracing our dark side opens us up to experience higher levels of conscious is particularity important when we attempt to understand Saturn� who specializes in playing the role of the Beast.

SATURN'S PSYCHIC PROCESS
The Saturn archetype represents a psychic process *(2) that serves to gradually awaken our consciousness so that we can attain more mature and authentic levels of Self. The individual psyche is pressurized with the purpose of achieving a more complete and harmonious integration of all our soul qualities. We are each driven to have a conscious realization or inner experience of psychic wholeness. It is only when we understand the hidden gifts that lie beneath the apparent flaws of our inner Beast that we can be freed from Saturn's spell and can become the Prince. Our gifts and true self lie hidden in our unconscious. Saturn works to crack the wall between our conscious and unconscious selves.

Saturn is called the "the keeper of the keys to the gate" and "dweller at the threshold." The threshold is the gate to consciousness. We must past through the unconscious to open the gate of awareness. Saturn helps us achieve freedom and fulfillment through self-understanding and self-acceptance.

UNDERSTANDING SATURN'S LESSONS
Saturn works through the educational value of pain, restriction, discipline and hard work. Saturn creates experiences of limitation and frustration. When we feel victimized by Saturn's heavy hand, we often react with self-blame, feelings of guilt, self-depreciation, and depression. Saturn knows that we do not get serious about self-discovery until pain and suffering give us no other choice. Then we grudgingly accept the necessity of our Saturn experiences. Nothing motivates our self exploration more than being backed into a corner where we have to work ourselves out of the predicament.

Wherever Saturn shows up we experience problems and delays in achieving our goals and difficulties in successfully expressing ourselves in the world. When Saturn is active in our lives, we encounter painful circumstances which seem to just happen. We feel thwarted for no apparent reasons. We often call these unpleasant happenings bad karma. But this is a superficial interpretation of a deep acting process.

We generally interpret what we draw to ourselves as chance or good and bad luck. In our victim mentality, we blame others, the system or God. We learn to be cautious, to protect ourselves and to be more appropriate. But practical wisdom is not enough. Saturn teaches us to take a broader perspective of our life challenges and to place them in the context of our evolutionary growth. Without this deeper understanding, we feel like pawns of fate and that we have no control over our lives. *(3) Saturn teaches us that we are not free until we take responsibility for our fate and for the consequence of our actions.

INNER SHIFTS CREATE OUTER SHIFTS
If we carefully observe our self-growth process, we can witness how our inner shifts are reflected in our outer circumstances. This is not to say that we consciously create all our situations. Our soul is a dynamic underlying force orchestrating the events that favor our evolutionary unfoldment. Our soul wants us to expand our consciousness. As we do so we begin to understand how all aspects of our psyche interact to make us change and grow.

The Saturn process shifts us psychologically by educating us in a practical way. We learn to cooperate with what is happening in our lives, instead of protesting and resisting. We earn our freedom by searching within to understand how we interact with the world and by adjusting our interactions accordingly. We foster our self-development by understanding the value of our experiences.

SEARCH FOR MEANING AND SELF-DISCOVERY
To learn our Saturn lessons, we need to search for the meaning of the disappointments, fears, delays and struggle associated with Saturn experiences. Resolution is not found is stoically enduring our pain, doing nothing, having blind faith, and hoping that our patience and self-control will help us pay off this onerous karma. *(4) Even patience and a positive attitude are not sufficient. We have to dare to ask 'why' we are experiencing fear, delay, sadness and disappointment. What insights can we gain through these experiences that offer deeper meaning into ourselves and our lives?

There is so much about ourselves, our psyche and how we unconsciously shape our reality that escapes our awareness. Saturn asks us to investigate how our thoughts, beliefs and emotions are expressed outwardly in the physical world. Saturn wants us to understand how the experiences we encounter are drawn to us by the creative power of our own psyche. *(5) Most of us are in denial about and do not comprehend the synchronous way in which our inner reality creates our outer reality. Saturn invites us to pay attention.

Saturn makes us earn free will through self-discovery. Saturn's gift is the psychological freedom that we experience from taking the noose of external authorities off our own necks.

The discovery of Self requires that we become our own authority. We must learn to differentiate between external values, beliefs and worldviews that we acquire from our parents, our peers, society and the collective unconscious and those that we discover by connecting to the wisdom inside ourselves.

MAKING OUR UNCONSCIOUS CONSCIOUS
Saturn makes sure that we understand that superficial explanations of a problem will not make it go away. Saturn teaches us that beneath what we consider a problem is an attempt of our soul to awaken us to a more inclusive viewpoint and to find more balance in our psyche. *(6) What is really happening is not an event per se, but our unconscious striving to become conscious. The more our unconscious becomes conscious, the more we integrate unconscious aspects of ourselves and the more we experience wholeness.

When our conscious intentions, desires and actions conflict with what we are unconsciously creating, we experience deep inner frustration, anger and sadness. Our existential pain can be experienced as futility, purposelessness, guilt, regrets and fear. What is really happening is that we are sabotaging ourselves with our unconscious programs and patterns. Pitted against ourselves, our self-destructivenes s becomes our worst enemy. We have to make this unconscious tendency conscious to do something about it.

The deeper purpose of many of our issues is thus to uncover the reasons for our self-destructive patterns. As we do so, we can reorient ourselves to utilize these primal energies in a more useful and creative ways. The conflict between conscious and unconscious (light and dark) is to bring into consciousness more aspects of our soul. Understanding the irony of our Saturn lessons is necessary to release us from fear and guilt around the inevitable pain associated with the process of becoming more aware. Accepting Saturn's mode of operation lessens our psychic burden and serves to set us free from our own chains.

THE WORLDLY PATH OF SERVICE
Many spiritual seekers wish they could give up personal ambitions and withdraw from the everyday world. However, escaping is not the path of today's spiritual seeker. Mountain top retreats were in vogue for centuries, but in these times seekers feel impelled to find a way to integrate their spiritual path with their worldly activities. Saturn, planets in the tenth house and in Capricorn direct us to embody Spirit and assume positions where we serve humanity. We are called upon to apply our knowledge in a vocation that makes a tangible contribution in the world. We actualize our dharma through serviceful achievements and by assuming positions of leadership and authority in the world.

CAPRICORN'S PATH TO ADULTHOOD
The Cancer/Capricorn polarity integrates the Mother and Father archetypes. Cancer represents our inner child. Capricorn represents our inner adult. Cancer is about self-nurturing. Capricorn is about inner authority and establishing an inner foundation of clarity, peace and stability. The Capricorn impulse gets us in touch with the function that we are on Earth to perform and how we can serve the collective.

Two defining themes of Capricorn's path are (1) separation from the Mother and (2) success in the world of the Father. *(7) The Capricorn archetype teaches about the relationship between father and son. 'Father and son' symbolize the relationship between child and adult, youth and old man, puer and senex. The lessons of this archetype are applicable to both men and women. Both sexes seek creative expression in the world. Below I outline the major phases or themes of the archetypical Capricorn path that transforms us from an innocent child into a wise adult.


[1] Separation from Mother
To grow up and become an adult, we must outgrow and break away from dependence upon our mother. We must learn to nurture ourselves and become emotionally self-sufficient. Attaining emotional independence, like every other aspect of our maturation process, takes time and serious inner work.

[2] Enter Adult World of Father
At some point, usually in our late teens (officially at 18), we enter the world of adult action. Thrust upon us is the necessity of building our future. The adult world is the sphere of the father. Joseph Campbell explains - "Whether he knows it or not, and no matter what his position in society, the father is the initiating priest through whom the young being passes on into the larger world." *(8) The growing up process involves (1) exploring the world on our own terms, (2) discovering both our weaknesses and our gifts, (3) learning worldly lessons and (4) figuring out how to financially support ourselves.

Reflecting on the relevancy of integrating the son/father polarity for women as well as for men helps us understand why the feminist movement has been so intent upon achieving equality for women in a 'male' world. Achieving fair access to the world business, education, etc is part of becoming an adult. Women so longer want to be treated like children.

[3] Rebellious Youth
As we step out into the adult world, our father is initially perceived as the punisher, strict master, ogre who spoils the fun. What we do not understand is that the father role serves the purpose of helping us understand how the world works so that we can learn, accept and play by society's rules.

The rebellious youth does not comprehend that to succeed in the world one must accept certain conditions and conform to certain limits placed upon us by society and physical reality. We are not inclined to patiently prepare ourselves for our adult journey. We are impatient and want everything to happen now. The na�ve and childish puer or puella (masculine and feminine terms for the person who does not want to grow up) acts spontaneously, without forethought and expects instantaneous results.

[4] The Rite of Initiation and Maturing into an Adult
Our rite of initiation is more than an event, a point in time, a legal marker or a ceremony. Our adult initiation is not achieved through proclamation, cleverness or a ceremonial event. Moving out of childishness, innocence and naivet� is a long term process. This life-long ritual of maturing into an adult involves deep inner transformation, which is progressive and continual. We are always in the process of growing up. Every achievement and every path to success must pass by "the throne of the Father." *(9)

Our inner transformation requires self-honesty, which is difficult in face of the oppression of individual psyche by the collective subconscious, religious guilt trips and childhood programming. In addition Saturn and Capricorn have an internalized sense of inadequacy, self-consciousness, sensitivity to pubic opinion, fear of failure, and a propensity to attract situations that are socially embarrassing.

The above may create a sense of inertia which prevents us from getting started or even admitting we have ambitious goals. This adds to Capricorn's frustration because it has a deep desire to succeed in life. The above combined with a love of success and an inner drive to make a useful contribution to society conspire to push the reluctant Goatfish forward. Austerity often camouflages Capricorn's intense ambition, which remains unconscious in younger years and is uncovered only after serious inner work, which prepares us to be effective in the world.

[5[ Finding a Vocation and Role in Society
Preparing for and finding work and a vocation is a big part of our initiation into the adult world. We must accept responsibility for educating, supporting and taking care of ourselves.

We must make the transition from ungrounded idealism to active participation in our community. Our involvement in our community involves some kind of service and role within the whole. We must define our goals ourselves and guard against basing them on external values. What is important is that our goals serve some group purpose. When individual goals align with social purpose, our climb can be successful. When they do not, we feel a sense of frustration and futility.

Our transition from son to father, from boy to man, from child to adult is relevant to both men and women. Both puer and puella will have their narcissistic and spoiled brat tendencies challenged. We have to find our special niche in life to experience our uniqueness. Being the center of attention and focusing only on oneself in the child's world is no longer available to us. We gain recognition and satisfaction through our contributory role in society.

[6[ Peace with Father and Faith in Higher Power
What appears to the rebellious youth as imprisonment is freeing for the budding adult. Commitment to an adult life, which requires making peace with the Father, helps us develop a connection with and faith in a higher power. It also helps us cultivate self-confidence, courage and trust in ourselves. We need the above to remain steadfast when we are challenged with conflict and failure. An external, paternalistic ideal of the Father will not hold up when we are tested with loneliness and despair. Our relationship with Spirit is forged as we deal with both success and failure.

(7)Acceptance in the Present Brings Connection with Spirit
The immature puer Capricorn experiences dissatisfaction and feels trapped in relationships and jobs - anything that involves commitments and responsibilities in general. Puer's ideal is not in the present, but somewhere in the future. His excuses are that he wants to keep all options open and test the waters before committing. His real motivation is that he wants to put off growing up. He fantasizes about fame one day and has expectations about achievement and recognition. He hopes for more satisfactory relationships and vocation in the future. The problem with these idealized future-oriented fantasies is that they keep puer in a state of discontent.

We experience freedom only when we accept our life as it is in the moment. Our spiritual growth happens when (1) we accept and appreciate what we have been given, (2) sincerely respect our life as it is, (3) treat ourselves with kindness, and (4) care for life as a treasured gift. When we come to terms with our life as it is, our orientation shifts (1) from the future to the present, (2) from ideals to reality, (3) from spaciness to depth, (4) from discontent to peace, and (5) from ego-driven to spiritual power.

Power is not achieved through sacrifice or martyrdom. Power is not earned through worldly achievements or recognition. Power is forthcoming through connection with Spirit. This connection is forged by the mental attitude of acceptance and the emotional stance of consent. We open ourselves to Spirit when our heart and mind are not fettered by expectations, attachments and desires that limit what we can receive. Only when we are open to unconditionally receive, can Spirit flow through us. The door to our mind and heart must continually be pushed open a little further. We must clear the dust off on a regular basis. We must periodically renew ourselves to be renewed.

[8] Crystallization through Voluntary 'Imprisonment'
The motif of voluntary imprisonment and crucifixion runs like a dominate theme in the Capricorn psyche. *(10) Ironic as it may seem, Capricorn seems to thrive on problems, voluntarily submits to restrictions and almost always chooses the path of most resistance. This is because Capricorn's rite of passage happens by facing life's challenges. Capricorn's path is about crystallization of the Self, which happens only under intense pressure.

Capricorn also voluntarily accepts what may appear at one level to be imprisonment because at an unconscious level it understands that limitations actually help us define our path, contain our energy, and usefully circumscribe our actions. We consent to what seems like restrictions so that we can ground ourselves and establish our niche in life.

[9] Internalized Ethics and Inner Authority
Senex, meaning the old wise one, can represent our personal father. But it also represents our internalized ethics which bind our consciousness. We initially acquire an operating code of ethics not only from our father, but from our mother and from external authorities in the world - religious beliefs, the educational system, teachers and cultural consciousness.

Imposed on from the outside, this form of indoctrination becomes a superego, which dictates to and controls our inner responses. Silencing our authentic inner voice, it fetters our personal freedom. This externally molded inner voice morphs into a critical inner parent, which judges us, keeps us locked into sin/guilt trips and basically torments our inner child. Killing the father is basically an internal process whereby we (1) get in touch with our internal duality, (2) understand the origins of our negative voice, (3) end our self-judgment, and (4) develop an accepting and non-judgmental inner parent/father. We set ourselves free in our own psyche when we support instead of negate ourselves.

The dawning of an internalized ethical code which is our own frees us from the sense of sin before a wrathful father. The awakening of an inner authority that can guide us sets us free to follow our own path. The identification of a purposeful vocation that we can commit to liberates us from the dark night of purposelessness.

[10] Merging of Son/Father Polarity
One basic Saturian truth is that our human nature is set within certain limits and boundaries. When we resist, we experience pain. When we accept our natural limits and quit tormenting ourselves, the father and son merge as our inner male. The father/son initiation is an inner experience which allows us to get in touch with and integrate deeper levels of ourselves. This integration must take place to become self-sufficient and effective in the world. This is true for both men and women.

Capricorn is a confusing mixture of polar opposites -- strict morality and law and lawlessness and shame. The stern lawgiver, whose structured view of reality and strict rules collide with the lustful and freedom loving desires of the young son. These two personalities exist within the same person. The son must face the disapproval and punishment of his stern father. In doing so, he finds his father within himself. The old king father must own the son's rebellion. In doing so, he re-discovers his youthful spirit that he thought he had outgrown years ago. *(7 FLG 245)

The oneness of our inner child and parent releases us from our inner duality. This is when we become the king or wise person and connect with our inner wisdom. The Father's mercy is experienced as truth. It is not a sugar coated ointment meant to appease our ego. But our inner male does not desire phony candy. It is the Truth that sets us free!

It is only after this inner integration takes place the youth and adult are merged into a complete human being. This usually happens later in life. Only then is Capricorn's youthful spirit able to surface. The youth that we missed is recovered from deep within the psyche of the mature and experienced man or woman. This is accompanied by the sustaining foundation of the liberated adult Capricorn, who has faith in him/herself and the Divine. This faith shows that our initiation has been well earned.

[11] Serving Humanity and the Divine Plan
Saturn and Capricorn do not support an other-worldly escapist path. Capricorn must learn its lessons and make its contribution in the world. Capricorn's role in the world is to serve humanity and a higher cause. The long, tedious process of surrendering the limited ego, giving up attachments, and transforming the critical mind into a consciousness bound by a universal code of ethics has an important purpose. It is to prepare us and to make ourselves available to receive Divine guidance, direction and wisdom about our service to humanity. It takes years to clear our karma, let go of our childish games, and shift out of subconscious self-sabotage so that we can assume our kingly (royal) wise role in the world.

Saturn and Capricorn help us see how our unconscious holds us back. The long self-initiation process makes us an independent adult. As we evolve, it becomes easier to answer the question -Who Am I in the world? We identify and are able to commit to playing our part in the spiritual evolution of the plant.


DEEPENING YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
YOGA AND MEDITATION TO ACTIVATE AND CONTAIN FIRE

"Your greatest power is when nothing disturbs you, when your peace of mind is always in one piece, when you are not afraid." - Yogi Bhajan

The increase of earth energy can help us become more grounded and make it easier to focus on our worldly tasks. But an abundance of earth energy, without enough fire, can also make us feel sluggish and depressed. Earth has to be able to find the light within. A good Kundalini yoga kriya to do at this time (especially in the northern hemisphere where the days are short) is the one for Sun Energy on page 34 of TRANSITIONS TO A HEART-CENTERED WORLD.

This set stimulates the fire in the navel and moves this fire up to the heart. The first exercise blocks the left nostril with the thumb of the left hand. Do breath of fire through the right nostril for 3 to 5 minutes. This clears and focuses the mind and begins activating our internal fire.

Between exercises and after the set, pay attention to the warmth in your body and the light in your mind. Focusing on these comforting experiences helps us contain and ground the energy of our soul in our body.

REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES
Austin, Stephanie, "Cancer New Moon," "Capricorn Full Moon," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #136, December/January 2008, p. 103-4.
Behari, Bepin, Fundamentals of Vedic Astrology, Lotus Press, 2003.
Behari, Bepin, Myths and Symbols of Vedic Astrology, Sagar Publications, 2003.
Bogart, Gregory C., Astrology and Spiritual Awakening, Dawn Mountain Press, Berkeley, 1994.
Greene, Liz, The Astrology of Fate, Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, Maine, 1984.
Green, Liz, The Outer Planets and Their Cycles, CRCS Publications, 1983.
Greene, Liz, Saturn - A New Look at an Old Devil, Samuel Weiser, 1976.
Houlding, Deborah, "Capricorn the Goatfish," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #136, December/January 2008, pp. 40-47.

1. Green, Outer, p. 140
2. Green, Saturn, p. 10
3. Green, Saturn, p. 12
4. Green, Saturn, p. 11.
5. Green, Saturn, p. 12
6. Green, Saturn, p. 10
7. Green, Fate, p. 246
8. Green, Fate, p. 245
9. Green, Fate, p. 245
10. Green, Fate, 247
11. Green, Fate, 245


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