An astronomical event, the winter solstice is the exact moment when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn and those of us in the Northern Hemisphere experience the shortest period of daylight and the longest nighttime during…
I wake in the early morning hours, when I can still see the stars, to bring in the light of day with meditation. It has always been important, in all the ancient spiritual traditions, to greet the dawn of a new day, to give praise for having come through the darkness yet again.
The ancient Egyptians believed the Sun God, whom they called Amun-Ra, created and then sustained life itself, and ruled as the first king of Egypt. Each day Ra arose as a beautiful child, climbed into a boat and swept across the sky. At the zenith of the day, high noon, he was at the height of his manhood and strength. By late afternoon, he was exhausted, and by sunset he was a feeble old man. At night, he entered another boat and the gods took him through the 12 perilous provinces of the underworld, the hours of the night, when the serpent monster of darkness threatened to swallow him in his weakened state. Somehow, Ra always survived the battles of the night and emerged once more into the brilliant light of a new day. Praise be!
If you look at the cycles of your life, they are much the same as Ra’s daily journey. You come through whatever darkness strikes at your heart—whether that’s depression, or illness, or financial difficulties, or any distress or unhappiness—and, with the help of energy medicine, are born again into the light of day, where you grow stronger in wisdom and inner illumination as you get more connected to your inner Sun, your Higher Self.
In the cycle of light and dark, the dark symbolically evokes negativity and the unknown, while light conveys the positive aspects. The Bible is full of light as the symbol of divine presence and salvation. Jesus became the “light of the world,” while Satan, originally an angel of light, became the prince of evil and darkness and ruled the underworld.
But many thousands of years ago, the Vedic seers in ancient India saw the cycle of light and dark in a much “bigger picture” way—as a vast cycle of time, a great spiral of creation that brings mankind and our planet close to the source of light, then we move farther away into the darkness, and finally return to the light again in great cycle composed of four yugas (great ages). These ages are based on the movement of our solar system within our galaxy—a 12,000-year “descending” time period when our solar system is moving away from the galaxy’s center of magnetism and the strongest light, and 12,000 “ascending” years when our solar system slowly returns to the point closest to the “central sun.”
Stay with me. I know this may seem complicated, but it’s worth understanding because it relates directly the spiritual awakening that is happening these days.
The four yugas are: the Satya yuga, the Golden Age with its direct perception of spiritual truth; the Treta yuga, when spiritual perceptions are less clear; the Dwarpara yuga, when humankind is focused on conquering space and electrical energies; and the infamous Kali yuga, when humanity is not able to perceive anything beyond the physical, material universe.
According to some modern spiritual teachers, well-versed in astronomy and mathematics, we started to cross the threshold into the ascending Dwarpara yuga around 1700 AD, the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, and now we are finally starting to come out of the Kali yuga, which darkened humanity’s knowledge for 2,400 years. It’s the journey to more light, more consciousness, and more awakened beings on the planet.
If you’ve wondered why you have a certain pull towards spirituality now, why teachings about energy medicine are starting to enter mainstream awareness, and why so many of the patriarchal beliefs and institutions that came out of a Kali yuga mentality are now crumbling before our eyes, it’s because we are on the path back to the light. Sort of like Amen-Ra, we are waking up as children of the light. We’re taking our first steps into higher consciousness, or we’re here to guide others along in their awakening process. Enlightened beings, after all, are those who have merged with the light.
As we leave the Summer Solstice behind us, it’s a good time to think about these cycles, what season comes next, and what part we can each play individually to bring the world closer to harmony, balance, and enlightenment over time.
While it may not seem like it, this is the general trend of the world (although sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back). But we each have a part to play to make it so.
What will be your part?
If you have a hard time answering this question, consider joining our flagship Level I program, which provides an introduction and base for LifeForce Energy Healing.
Or, if you already have some experience and knowledge, dive into our most transformational, year-long Master-in-Training program. It is our most life-changing, and most exclusive, program. Space is extremely limited but doors are currently open for registration, and you can find out more by clicking here >>
Imagine the charm of April showers, a sweet prelude to the radiant beauty of May flowers. It’s the herald of spring, when the earth awakens, shedding off the icy blanket of winter. This is the enchanting tale behind the Native Americans’ naming of April’s full moon – the Pink Moon. Named for the blooming ground phlox, a mesmerizing pink floral carpet, the Pink Moon is an epitome of spring’s arrival. This year, it graces our skies tonight, April 23, a celestial spectacle promising a spiritual bouquet awaiting your discovery.
Spring’s first blooms, be it the shy crocus peeking through the snow or the vibrant daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths breaking free from the soil, are a sight to behold. The ground phlox, the Pink Moon’s namesake, symbolizes harmony and sweet dreams in the language of flowers. Spring’s blooms bring a surge of hope, sweetness, and a sense of endless possibilities. Do you have a favorite blossom?
Embrace the spirit of the Pink Moon. Embark on a nature walk to a place that captures your heart. As you stride, immerse yourself in the unique beauty of your surroundings. Explore the plants, trees, flowers, and rocks that you’ve noticed but never truly appreciated. Focus on their light, color, shape, or the unique feeling they evoke. If there’s a flower, unravel its beauty from within, much like the renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Be mindful of the buzzing bees, the unsung heroes of plant pollination. Observe the birds and animals around you. Could their presence signify something?
Savor the natural beauty, thanking your senses that allow you to experience nature in its full glory. You’re an intricate part of this creative universe. As the Pink Moon approaches, contemplate on how to infuse joy and purpose into your life. Each moon cycle signifies the passage of time, and the Pink Moon marks a new beginning. It’s a fresh start for any dream, endeavor, or personal growth you’ve been pondering upon.
What do you know?
Dive deep within yourself. What are your strengths and abilities? What are your heart’s desires, life’s purpose, and core values?
What do you want to know?
Are your actions aligning with your life’s purpose? What are the challenges you wish to overcome, and what are the skills or knowledge you desire?
Who can you ask?
Where do you seek wisdom and spiritual guidance? Where do you find solace? Do you call upon divine help, friends, family, spiritual teachers, or nature’s energy?
Answering these questions will connect you to your higher self, leading to self-discovery, peace, joy, and a sense of limitless possibilities.
May the Pink Moon illuminate your journey to self-awareness, celebrating the miracle of being you. May its healing radiance bless you on this evening of April 23, 2024.
The skies are gearing up for a celestial spectacle on Monday, April 8, 2024, as we anticipate the arrival of another total solar eclipse.
This awe-inspiring event will cast its shadow across a path from Mexico through the U.S. and into Canada, offering a unique opportunity for reflection and renewal not just for those directly in its path, but for observers worldwide.
A total solar eclipse is more than a rare astronomical occurrence; it is a moment steeped in spiritual and esoteric significance.
As the moon veils the sun, we’re invited to consider what aspects of our lives might be ready to undergo a transformation.
This cosmic alignment beckons us to embrace change, urging us to leap forward into new possibilities as we let go of the past.
The anticipation of the eclipse has the potential to stir the soul, propelling us towards our true destinies.
This upcoming eclipse is not just a phenomenon to be observed with special glasses; it is a moment to be felt deeply, connecting us to the greater cosmos.
The alignment of the sun and moon can act as a powerful catalyst for awakening, offering a time to realign our inner selves with the universe’s vast energies. As these celestial bodies converge, their influence can illuminate the paths we are meant to tread, revealing what must be released to make way for growth and fulfillment.
On April 8, 2024, as the day momentarily turns to night, let this eclipse serve as a reminder of the cyclical nature of existence and our part within it.
The temporary obscuration of the sun invites us to delve into our own shadows, to explore the parts of ourselves that need nurturing or change. It’s an opportunity to reflect on our journey, reassess our direction, and renew our commitment to personal and spiritual development.
Consider the eclipse as a cosmic pause, a time to meditate on your life’s narrative. What chapters are concluding, and what new stories are ready to begin?
How can this moment of darkness rekindle your inner light, guiding you back to your purpose?
Use this time to journal, to set intentions, and to connect more deeply with your inner self and the universe.
As we stand under the eclipse’s shadow, let us also remember our collective responsibility to our planet. Inspired by the perspective gained from space, let this event remind us of Earth’s fragile beauty and our role in its preservation.
Let the eclipse of 2024 be a turning point, not only personally but also for our global community, as we seek healing and harmony with the natural world.
While this is a powerful event during which we can’t help but to look to the skies, the astral realms can offer us wisdom beyond belief at any given moment. You just have to know how to ask. Learn to seek beyond space and time to get the guidance you require at any given moment.
And you can learn to do just that in our bestselling Astral Wisdom course. Learn all about it right here >>
Easter brings a whirl of color and joy, doesn’t it?
Ever pondered why an egg-bearing bunny becomes the season’s star, delivering treats to children under the cover of night? Or where the tradition of egg decoration, letting both young and old unleash their inner artist, originally came from?
And perhaps most intriguingly, how did the profound celebration of Christ’s resurrection intertwine with the whimsical tale of the Easter Bunny
Easter, rooted deeply in Christian tradition, blossoms today as a vibrant fusion of narratives, rituals, and customs drawn from a multitude of cultures and belief systems, some even tracing back to times before Christianity’s rise.
Yes, many Easter customs we cherish today carry the legacy of ancient celebrations.
Despite the modern-day commercial whirlwind of Easter — think oceans of plastic grass and a deluge of sugary Peeps — the core symbols and practices retain their profound meanings, celebrating life’s renewal and the awe-inspiring power of rebirth.
As someone deeply immersed in the realms of spirituality and energy healing, I find the rich tapestry of Easter’s cultural and historical layers utterly captivating. I invite you to join me as we delve into ten surprising truths about Easter, hoping to illuminate the deeper connections and meanings behind our beloved springtime rituals.
The custom of hard boiling eggs during Easter has medieval roots, born from the necessity to preserve eggs laid during the Lenten season when their consumption was forbidden.
With Lent’s conclusion at Easter, these preserved eggs became integral to Easter meals and celebrations, laying the foundation for modern-day Easter egg hunts and rolls.
Embrace this season as an opportunity for spiritual reawakening, leveraging the inherent energy of rebirth to realign and rejuvenate your inner self.
A great place to start is our bestselling introductory certification course into LifeForce Energy Healing (Level I), which you can access right here >>
Or even take an approach which offers a little more hand-holding and guidance through your healing journey by booking a private session with one of our expert LifeForce Energy Healing practitioners. You can find them here.
As the last snow of the winter season disappears from the ground and green stems start to push through the soil that has protected them from the harsh elements, the cycle of life begins again with the annual spring equinox. During the spring equinox, the plane of the Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun, resulting in the day and night being equal in duration — an astrological event of absolute balance.
The spring equinox is a time of rebirth for all life on our planet: plants sprout from the ground and colorful flowers bloom; animals emerge from hibernation to mate and give birth to new generations; and birds migrate north for nesting and nourishment opportunities. As winter places us in a life of darkness, the spring equinox is a time of joyful celebration as all life on Earth receives an extra dose of nourishing sunlight.
When the day and night are in equal balance, it’s no surprise that your body, mind, and spirit feel naturally energized (probably more so than you have at any time during the dark winter months). You may already have plans to spring clean your home — changing the batteries in your smoke detector, donating accumulated items that you do not use to goodwill, and cleaning behind the refrigerator — so, what better time to take stock of your spiritual house and do a bit of spring cleaning. Just like your physical home, the debris of everyday life can accumulate and cause clutter in your energy field; use the natural energy boost that the spring equinox gives you to clear away stagnant energy in your chakras and ensure you start the cycle of rebirth both healthy and happy.
The annual spring equinox: a time of balance, rebirth, and rejuvenation
March 19th marks the vernal equinox and official first day of spring, and the weeks before and after this significant date are a time of balance, rebirth, and rejuvenation.
Equinoxes happen twice a year (in the spring and fall), giving you the opportunity to use the natural balance of solar-lunar energies to achieve balance in your own life. Working in alignment with nature’s vibrations boosts your spiritual efforts, and this time of reawakening is ripe for clearing and balancing your chakras and energy field. Harness this power of renewal to purge the unnecessary from your energetic closets and vacuum up any emotional residue. It’s time to spring clean your soul!
Clearing your chakras = cleaning debris out of your pipes
Your chakras are invisible (but vital!) energy centers that are designed to move energy between your personal field and the universal field, and, when spinning correctly and unencumbered, these chakras are the means by which you replenish your energy and restore your health. If you’ve been studying energy medicine with me, you know that your body is made from your energy field — and that anything that goes on (or in) your energy field has a direct impact on your body. So, if your chakras are blocked, energy is unable to flow freely in your field; eventually, the clog will result in physical symptoms, which can be anything from headaches to chronic disease.
One way to visualize your energy flow is to think about it in terms of the water pipes in your home (your energy = water / your chakras = pipes). Just like your chakras, if there is a clog somewhere in your home’s pipes, there will be water back-up…which eventually has to go somewhere and will likely cause damage to the pipes and structures around it. Just like that water, your energy has to go somewhere…and keeping your chakras clear and your energy flowing is the best way to keep your body from experiencing injury or illness as a result of clogged pipes.
So, how can you keep your chakras clear?
Clogs and blockages in your chakras are caused by traumas that aren’t fully released or emotional build-up (that can be two days, two months, two years, or two decades old). And just as it’s never too late to tackle the often overlooked places in your house (like the chimney or under the couch cushions) that can go years without a thorough clean-up, it’s never too late to clear out old traumas with energy healing. Every bit of work you do toward improving the flow of energy in your field and body is going to make you feel better.
There are activities that will do a general job of clearing negativity from your field, like meditation, but there are also targeted methods for balancing each of your seven main chakras. To find out which of your chakras is dysfunctional, you can work with a spiritual teacher or energy healer, or have a friend check your chakras with a pendulum.
Energy healing methods to clear and balance your chakras for the spring equinox:
Together, your chakras govern all areas of your life: relationships, weight loss, stress, career, self-esteem, love, spiritual progress, and everything else. When they are in balance, you are in balance, and your whole being is lighter, freer, healthier, and happier. So take advantage of the days getting longer and the blossoming of nature this spring, and rejuvenate your soul with the clearing, charging, and balancing of your chakras.
Your first chakra is all about security and feeling safe in your environment. To ground yourself and strengthen your connection to Mother Earth, try walking barefoot in freshly grown grass or on a sandy beach.
Your second chakra governs how you experience pleasure, and a common issue for this chakra is shame. Water has cleansing and healing properties, so immerse yourself in water for 20 minutes — in the ocean or a clearing bath with sea salt and baking soda.
The third chakra is where your will and self-esteem resides, and physical movement, especially outside in the early morning sun or in the evening before sunset, really recharges this chakra.
Your fourth chakra is the heart chakra, and when it’s open, you can give and receive love easily and in a healthy way. Practicing love with a pet who loves unconditionally is a great way to heal your heart and become open to trusting love again.
The fifth chakra is about speaking your truth, choosing to express the real you. Journaling with total honesty can clear and charge this chakra—and help process old traumas. Journaling is a major part of energy medicine and is incredibly freeing!
Your sixth chakra, the “third eye,” is where your higher intellect and clarity of vision reside. Daily meditation—another essential part of energy healing—helps to awaken this chakra so you can increase your intuition and inner wisdom.
An open seventh chakra can be attained through meditation and prayer since the crown chakra is what connects you to spirit. Here you can ask your higher self for guidance.
"*" indicates required fields
You undoubtedly know a lot about your own energy centers, the chakras, but have you ever thought about the Earth as having energetic vortices as well? As we slowly transit out of the Piscean Age and enter the Aquarian Age, we should regard the Earth as a sacred living being instead of as a battleground for the endless wars of humanity. One way to see the planet’s sacredness is to delve into the mystery of its highly-charged chakras.
The first chakra is Mt. Shasta, in northern California at the southern end of the Cascade Mountains. Shasta is the primal chakra of the world’s energy system. It is here that the universal life force is gathered before being formed into you and me and every living thing on earth. Mt. Shasta is like a geyser, spouting a huge uprush of prana into global circulation before it is embodied in various forms, just like the kundalini energy surges upward.
The second chakra of the Earth is centered on the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes Mountains. Here positive life forms are “birthed”—evolutionary advancements that will take us into the future. The raw material of Mt. Shasta is structured in new ways by the Lake Titicaca chakra. The great circle of the second Earth chakra also includes Cusco and Machu Picchu. How does the undifferentiated life force get from Mt. Shasta to Lake Titicaca? It travels an energetic current, called the Plumed Serpent (found in many myths from South America), which is one of the two great ley lines on the planet. (ley lines are mystical alignments of landforms)
For the third chakra we go to Uluru and Kata Tjuta—twin sites in Australia’s Northern Territory. You may know Uluru as Ayers Rock, the former name used to describe the huge red monolith. Kata Tjuta has many large red stones rather than just one. Here, the solar plexus of the globe functions to keep up the Earth’s vitality and that of all the species on the planet. The Rainbow Serpent, that great ley artery, comes up from beneath the Earth to emerge at Uluru, which then “sings” a special songline that moves on to Kata Tjuta. In Dreamtime legends of the Aborigines, it is said that this umbilical cord of the planet will one day unite heaven and earth.
Making the leap to the fourth chakra, the “heart” of the Earth is at Glastonbury, Somerset, and Shaftesbury, Dorset. The Rainbow Serpent sweeps through the sacred sites there, such as the Tor at Glastonbury and the Avebury Stone Circle. Glastonbury is famed as the center of the Holy Grail, while Shaftesbury holds the Sacred Spear of Purpose. When these two massive earth energies merge, the Rainbow Serpent will be able to carry the Holy Grail frequency around the world. Interestingly, this is where there are so many sightings of crop circles that have magnetic abnormalities. Here is where we can open our hearts and help to heal the earth.
The fifth chakra, in the Middle East, is the throat’s energy center, where the voice of the Earth is coming forth. It is the only chakra that is not along a ley line, but it is in the exact center of the Earth’s land mass. The turmoil in the Middle East is trying to tell us something, but it seems like no one is listening to the “cries of the mother” as the planet calls for help. Mt. Sinai is the center of the three sites that define the Earth’s throat chakra in between the Great Pyramid of Egypt and the Mount of Olives. Here is where a planetary “New Jerusalem” can be the eternal home of all faiths and cultures living in peace.
What about the planet’s “third eye?” The sixth chakra of Earth moves west, a twelfth of the way around the world, at the dawn of each new aeon. These days, the sixth chakra is located in western Europe, conjunct with the heart chakra. This Aeon Activation Center will next be in Brazil. In the same way as your pineal gland opens portals that let higher dimension energies enter you, so does this chakra of the earth.
Mt. Kailash, the “roof of the world,” is the most sacred of the Himalayan mountains and represents the seventh chakra, the crown of creation. Mt. Kailash connects the earth with its spiritual destiny just the way your crown chakra connects you with Divine Will.
It is said that there is a Lost Chord of Creation. In terms of the earth chakras, Mt. Kailash sounds the note of praise of the sacred; the heart center of the world sounds the note of love, and Uluru and Kata Tjuta sing of thanksgiving. When these three notes are combined into one force, the world will be regenerated!
Now that you’ve learned about the energy vortexes that represent the Earth’s chakras, you may be interested in reading, clearing, balancing, and charging your own personal chakras for healing. You could start by exploring our Chakra Wisdom course. And if you’d like to begin your journey toward energy healing (including the higher chakras), consider beginning with our Level I LifeForce Energy Healing Certification course. If you think you’re ready for more advanced and individual training and healing, check out our Level IV LifeForce Energy Healing Certification course. Either way, we’d love to see you here!
Heads up, sky watchers! The 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower will be one for the records. Since there will be an almost New Moon, the view from a dark viewing spot on clear, cloudless night promises to be a crowd pleaser.
This year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its best during the coming weekend, Saturday night, August 12th and Sunday night, August 13th. The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brighter annual meteor showers, but this year, with the Moon shrinking to an invisible Micro New Moon, the sky will be about as black as it can get, so spectators can expect to see as many as 100 shooting stars (and some fireballs, too) every hour.
The Perseid showers began in mid-July and will persist until the end of August, so avid sky watchers have already witnessed sporadic shooting stars and will do so for a few more weeks. But if you want to join me in enjoying the most shooting stars per hour, mark your calendar now for this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13, and make plans to locate the best vantage point in your area for witnessing one of the universe’s most impressive shows.
If the weather forecast for your area is clear and cloudless, and you live in a well-lit city (or near one), it’s best to “get outta Dodge” and into the hinterlands, as high up and away from artificial lighting as possible. If you live on or near a mountain range, you will have the best view of the Perseids.
Dress according to the night-time weather in your location on these nights. Take something along to lie down on — a yoga mat, sleeping bag, air mattress, or antigravity recliner — so you can easily look up into the night sky for hours. Remember that you will need up to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the level of darkness that will surround you on a light-pollution-free night. Take a blanket or two, something warm to drink, and get comfortable. Refrain from using backlit mobile devices, to help preserve keener night vision. Be prepared to drift into/out of sleep, and just enjoy the experience like our ancestors did.
Hint: To find the correct “stage” for the Perseid meteor extravaganza, gaze toward the radiant in the Perseus constellation (from whence this meteor shower gets its name). If you can’t readily spot Perseus, look for Cassiopeia, which looks like a W or an M — because it may be easier to locate in the night sky.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant rises into the sky during the night, reaching its highest point at dawn. So, you can expect to see more “shooting stars” (meteors) after midnight than before.
Another hint: even though meteors emanate from the radiant, they can show up anywhere, so you’ll be seeing some of them out of the corner of your eyes at times.
A bonus: during these nights, you will also be able to see Jupiter and Saturn without a telescope in the eastern and southern sky. They will appear as larger, bright stars, but they won’t twinkle the way distant stars do.
But Wait! There’s Even MORE to See Overhead in August!
On August 31st you will be able to experience a double delight: a Super Blue Moon!
The last time a Super Blue Moon occurred was in December 2009, and the next time it will happen is August 2032, so catch it this year, if you can! (The next Blue Moon will occur in August 2024, but it won’t be a Supermoon.)
Check for Your best time to see the Perseids here.
All of these phenomenal celestial events are not only breathtaking to watch, but also have a profound energetic impact on our everyday lives. And if you learn to analyze exactly what impact the planets are having, you can completely alter the course of your decision making, and thus your life. Want to figure out how to do this based on a proven, ancient science? Join our Vedic Astrology course today by clicking here >>
“When the moon is in the 7th House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars…”
Above is the opening line of AQUARIUS, a scintillating song from the iconic stage play and motion picture HAIR. Oddly enough, it’s a Vedic-lunar-astrology based tune, not the usual (and less accurate) western sun-based astrological perspective.
Modern western astrology is tremendously simplified, often focusing solely on the position of the sun at your time of birth.
But here’s the truth: the sun is the wrong celestial body entirely!
According to eastern Vedic astrology, it is the position of the moon, not the sun, that matters most, from an energy perspective. The moon influences Earth’s tides, our reproductive cycles, and more. So, in this respect, the moon is mightier than the sun because of its proximity to us and its ability to influence our lives.
Discover the connection between the moon, its energy, and your health and destiny.
For those blessed with attentive, loving mothers, the words mind and mother conjure up fond memories of the countless times she delivered empathy, sensitivity, responsiveness, and sustenance.
In your birth chart, in which phase was the moon? That is the phase which reveals how keenly and naturally you are capable of experiencing the divine mother inside yourself and how clearly you can nurture and empathize with others. It is also that phase which determines your sensitivity and ability to grasp all that is available to you as a human being.
In Vedic Astrology, the Moon is the second planet (after the Sun) in the order of nine planets. It is a factor of mind, mother, mental state, morale, material things, happiness, peace, wealth, etc.
The Moon is considered by Vedic astrologers to be the most influential planet because it governs our mind and emotions, temperaments, behaviors, moods, instincts, emotional makeup, and feelings.
The moon is considered our most important planet (although scientists don’t call it a planet) because of its “next-door neighbor”-like proximity in our solar system. Because it is so close, it influences our tides, our reproductive cycles, our fertility phases, and other aspects of our emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, not to mention our ultimate destiny!
When the Moon is robust and well-positioned in an individual’s birth chart, they are well-connected to their emotions and insights, and they can express their feelings openly and honestly.
But when an individual’s Moon is weak or less well positioned, they can have trouble processing their emotions, they can feel disconnected from their feelings, and have difficulty expressing their emotions.
So, the condition of the Moon in your birth chart offers crucial insights into your inherent capacity for intimacy, self-awareness, and mental and emotional growth.
The Moon is the single most important planet in Vedic Astrology (Jyotish) because your state of mind determines your emotional responses to everything that life presents to you. The Moon is especially important in determining your ability to attach, love, nurture, and mother (offer care). It also influences your habits, emotional reactions, and instinctive behavior.
The Moon represents your instinctive response to your environment, and how you use your imagination. The Moon can become a crucial guide to understanding yourself and others by helping you tap into your inner resources to create positive change.
In Vedic Astrology, the Moon is also believed to represent your unconscious mind, which can be accessed to gain greater insight into your hidden emotions and desires. In each birth chart, the Moon can reveal how an individual responded to their early childhood experiences and how those experiences continue to influence them.
The Moon is also believed to represent the powerful people who play major roles in our lives: our parents, caregivers, and others who provide emotional support.
Individuals born under a New Moon are frequently restless, impulsive, and constant change seekers, while those born under a Full Moon appear and present themselves as more stable and temperate personalities because they can tap into their fundamental emotional needs and stabilize themselves during times of trauma and ambiguity.
The Moon also represents the systems within our bodies that nurture and feed us: our blood, which distributes nutrition and oxygen to all parts of our body: our womb, which nurtures growing fetuses; and our brain.
In Vedic astrology, the compatibility of prospective marriage partners is determined by the placement of the moon in each person’s chart. The closer the prospective marriage partners’ moons are, the better the relationship is likely to be.
Your health and physiology are influenced by many factors, including diet, exercise, and genetics. But perhaps among the most crucial influences on your physical well-being is the moon. According to traditional Vedic texts, the moon governs your blood and buoyancy (your water retention, or lack thereof), plus a number of mental health issues.
And the moon affects your physical health, too, including unusual/abnormal sleepiness, various afflictions, abscesses, and other maladies. And the moon may cause indigestion, female health issues, jaundice, mental aberrations, blood impurities, and death from water-related illnesses.
Powerful feminine energy
Your crown chakra (emotions, instinct, mind) is ruled by the moon
The stronger your connection to the full moon, the more your heart chakra is aligned. Your heart chakra is home to kindness and forgiveness. This means that a full moon is the perfect time to let go of negativity.
Meditation and healing take place at their fullest during a full moon. This period represents transformation, fertility, and completion.
Many people find moon-gazing peaceful and therapeutic. Watching the moon regularly can boost your awareness of the natural world and add a level of wonder and peace that surpasses what you may be achieving with more typical meditation.
Right now, you can register for our brand-new, live, 7-week course on Vedic Astrology with one of the world’s premier experts on the topic. Learn all about Vedic Astrology – the more accurate astrological science – has to say about your life path. Register now >>
Today, I would like to tell you about Vedic astrology. Vedic astrology is not separate from Vedic philosophy or Vedic meditation, (both of which I teach), but entwined with both. Many Bollywood celebrities believe deeply in the power of Vedic astrology, and it is threaded throughout Eastern culture and spirituality today. Teachers and sages continue to give it serious study around the world, and the line from now to the dawn of Vedic astrology can be traced back for thousands of years.
To begin with the words of the spiritual teacher Yogananda, “Astrology is the study of man’s response to planetary stimuli. The stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of cause-effect equilibriums which each man has set in motion in the past.” As we shall see, this is very important to understand. Because when we talk about Vedic astrology, we are also talking about karma.
Vedic astrology first emerged in India between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. Ancient Indian astrologers looked to the stars for guidance and navigation. Jyotisha, which translates roughly as the “science of light,” helps us understand how karma influences the present. The seven chakras of the human body correspond to the seven main planets in the Vedic system. We can draw upon Vedic astrology and its insights to guide us along our spiritual journey.
Astrology is thought of as the “eyes of the Veda.” Vedic astrology is not just about daily predictions but is integrated with meditation as a means to approach the divine. In practice, Vedic astrology is mathematically sophisticated and requires extensive study to master. Some family lines in India can track their lineage as teachers of astrology back for centuries.
Vedic astrology needs to be studied on its own terms and within the long history of Vedic philosophy. Still, it can be helpful to begin with comparisons to one’s own culture and traditions. Western astrology began in the Hellenistic period, which dates from the death of Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.E. to the start of the Roman Empire in 31 B.C.E. In other words, while not as old as the Vedic tradition, Western astrology is also really old. Western science may frown on astrology, but it still has much to teach us if we are willing to learn.
Western astrology uses the tropical calendar, which is based on the 365 days it takes the Sun to pass from vernal equinox to vernal equinox. A tropical year is divided into 4 seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Western astrological charts are based on the planet’s fixed positions.
Vedic astrology, on the other hand, uses the sidereal system, which looks at changing, observable constellations. The sidereal system dates to the time of the Pharaohs in Kemet, over 7000 years ago; a little older than Western, for sure! A sidereal year is the time it takes a planet, say the Earth or Mercury, to orbit the Sun once with respect to fixed stars. In Vedic astrology, the birth chart for an individual reflects the exact position of the planets over the place of their birth, at the precise moment of their birth.
Now it starts to get very interesting. The tropical system and the sidereal system drift apart by about 1 degree every 72 years, and a sidereal year is 20 minutes longer than a tropical year. This may seem inconsequential, but it has a huge effect on the results of the two systems. Nevertheless, Western and Vedic astrology both have twelve signs, and the meanings ascribed to the signs have some similarities.
However, your sign in Vedic astrology will likely be different from what you are used to. One of my students, for example, was born on October 25. In Western astrology, she is a Scorpio (Vrishchika in Hindi). In Vedic astrology, she is a Libra (or Tula in Hindi). Vedic astrology would also point out that your rising sign is more important than your Sun sign.
This is all quite complex, which is part of the reason that some Indian universities offer degree programs in Vedic astrology. We can only consider the broad outlines of the two systems today. However, hopefully, this brief introduction to the differences between the two systems will demonstrate how distinctive Vedic philosophy is.
Before we move on, I want to say a quick word about one more astrological system. In the early 20th century, K.S. Krishnamurti, one of India’s most noteworthy astrologers, developed a system called KP Astrology. Many consider this to be a modernized version of Vedic astrology; it is, in fact, simpler to use and integrates certain aspects of Western astrology. I do not have time to go through the key differences now, but I just wanted to mention this and emphasize that we are talking here about ancient Vedic astrology, not the KP version.
In the Vedic tradition, astrology works with meditation and other devotional practices to guide us as we walk our spiritual path toward Enlightenment. Parashara Rishi, a Vedic sage, is the father of Jyotish Shastra, Vedic astrology. Parashara Rishi wrote the Vishnu Purana—the first 19 Puranas—and established the fundamental principles of Vedic astrology. Roger Gabriel, an expert in this field, puts it well when he wrote that “Jyotish helps you understand the effects of an external Universe on your life. Meditation brings you the realization that the Universe is within you; that you are the Universe.”
Vedic astrology, meditation, and ayurvedic medicine are interwoven in a holistic system that seeks balance in the mind, the body, and the spirit. Daily pop horoscopes are fun, but Vedic astrology is a serious approach to understanding cause and effect as it influences you throughout your lifetimes. All of them. Which brings us to . . . karma.
Vedic astrology as a philosophical system cannot be separated from the concepts of karma and reincarnation. A Vedic birth chart not only lifts the veil on your future; it shows you how the arrangement of the planets at the moment of your birth reflects all that has come before. In other words, it shows you your collective karma from previous incarnations. Whether positive or negative, these reverberations shape you as you continue your journey in this current body.
Karma has many layers in the Vedic system. Sanchita Karma is the accumulated karma of all your past lives, both good and bad. Pralabda Karma can be thought of as the “unfinished business” of your previous lives, which you need to confront in this lifetime. Kriyaman Karmais is the new karma you are generating, right now, every moment of every day, through our thoughts and actions. And, finally, Aagmi Karma is the karma of future birth for those of you whose journey continues into yet another lifetime.
Let’s pause for a moment. The idea of karma can be difficult for Westerners to accept and even disturbing to some. Contemporary and secular Western values put a great emphasis on individual agency. The notion of past lives and collective karma often agitates those who believe that life should be largely under their control.
Karma, from the Western standpoint, also sometimes seems to contradict the notion of free will, which underlies everything from who we marry to our legal system. Taken simplistically, some observers may wonder if karma does not “blame the victim” and allow offenders to go “scot free.” If karma extends thousands of years and multiple lifetimes into the past, how can any of us be sure of what justice is today?
But let’s go a bit deeper. Vedic philosophy is distinct from Western philosophy. We do not want to simplify too much and the study of either of these systems requires dedication and effort. But we also do not have to put everything into a binary model of either “good” or bad.” Perhaps it is better to sit with these beliefs for a long time and resist the urge to judge. Wisdom does not happen in one day, or even one lifetime.
So, without simplifying too much or proposing a false equivalency, let me note that the principle of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31)” has a lovely resonance with the principle of karma. By the way, I am not the first to note this. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi—yes, the guru who instructed The Beatles in the practice of meditation—discussed this more than once, even on the Larry King Show.
My point is this: Vedic astrology does not absolve us of agency or free will. Sanchita Karma is eternal, but the other layers of karma can be changed. The birth chart maps our karma and points to areas wherein we may have challenges in this lifetime due to accumulated bad karma. But it also points to possibilities for growth and happiness. In either case, apart from our Sanchita Karma, we continue to steer the ship, within the boundaries of the planetary influences at the time of our birth.
In the slightly paraphrased words of Snei Joshi, a Vedic astrologer, “The Vedic horoscope of a person is like a businessman’s balance sheet at the beginning of every year. It represents the total debt and total credit accumulated by the soul in its past lives.” We are not absolved of the responsibility to use the wisdom of the stars in making good choices and attending to our spiritual wellbeing.
Which is why to talk of Vedic astrology is also to talk of Vedic meditation. Om is the sound of the universe at the very beginning, at a time stretching so far back into the mist that we label it eternity and try to understand. Through meditation, we can let go of our attempts to confront Enlightenment “head on,” and truly connect with that which is eternal, divine, everlasting.
In Vedic astrology, the mantra selected by a spiritual teacher like myself resonates in your body and corresponds with the three fundamentals of life: Creation, Preservation, and Destruction. When you align your meditation practice with the insights contained in your astrological chart, you will begin to see the unity between thought and deed, action, and reaction, the past, present, and future. You will move beyond this moment to connect with all that has come before and that which will be, and finally achieve transcendence.
Now, none of this is going to happen today or tomorrow. It may not happen in many lifetimes. But the essential point is that meditation works with Vedic astrology to guide you along your unique spiritual journey. The past exerts a strong influence on what is possible in the present, but you are not a prisoner of past choices or a victim. You are not given a free pass to stumble around and chalk-up everything that happens to “karma.” Instead, drawing upon the knowledge contained in your birth chart, and devoting yourself to daily meditation and your mantra, you begin to move from darkness towards the light. If you are not yet meditating with a mantra that has been selected for you, you can do so here>>
Swami Vivekananda, the seer who we can thank for introducing the Vedas to the Western World, captures all of this in a very simple but profound way. He taught that the mind is everything. As many have said, “What we think, we become.” This is why Vedic meditation and astrology are inextricable from each other. The insights of your birth chart are not a prison sentence, but rather a way to connect the vast complexity of karma to your real, lived life. You have choices to make and work to do.
I hope that you have found this introduction to Vedic astrology helpful and encouraging. As noted, Vedic astrology is an ancient system, and we cannot master it in one session or even one lifetime. And yes, just as in the West, Vedic astrology can be used for what we might call “pop” purposes, but that is simply a byproduct of our times. Vedic astrology has enriched thought and culture immensely, been a core component of Vedic philosophy across oceans of time, and continues to be taught and used today.
Through serious study and meditation, each of us can apply this wisdom in our own lives. Vedic astrology, coupled with a devoted meditation practice, has the power to bring us that much closer to Enlightenment.
And because so many people have asked, we are going to be introducing Vedic Astrology in depth, beginning with a FREE event, which you can register for by clicking here >>
Ancient civilizations were keenly attuned to celestial events. They had to be. Agricultural or hunter-gatherer in nature, these people relied on their ancestors’ knowledge of the predictable changes that seasons bring to the land. Each season compelled precise “marching orders” that needed to be completed to help ensure their survival!
Among the longest-observed and celebrated astronomical anomalies were two solstices (two dates during the year when the sun appears to stand still) and two equinoxes (“equal-night” events).
Today, we call these four days the first day of summer, autumn/fall, winter, and spring) and today’s farmers and subsistence hunters and gatherers continue to regard them as crucial dates because nature’s relationship with the sun changes ever-so-slightly (but crucially) during these times.
Those who live in rural and suburban areas can easily witness the changes that the four seasons bring, especially if we live in the northern part of the northern hemisphere: Seattle, Boise, Kalispell, the Great Lakes region, and the like.
In the spring, buds erupt from the ground, leaves erupt from branches, and robins return to pull juicy earthworms from newly warmed soils. Before too long, baby rabbits, birds, mice, rats, moles, and shrews begin to make their appearances. The environment comes alive with vibrant colors, sounds and activities.
As spring progresses toward summer, plants begin to ripen and living beings begin to mature. The land and air get warmer and natural water sources become scarcer. Field irrigation becomes necessary.
By the time summer solstice rolls around, the sun is beating down on the planet as many as 16 hours a day in the northern hemisphere (as opposed to the scant eight hours or so that it receives during the winter solstice). Abundant fresh produce floods farmers markets. Life is good. In fact, life is great! “If only this could be the status quo year-‘round,” I’m sure many of our now-long-dead ancestors wished!
But they knew better. They knew that summer was the last gasp as far as abundance went. They knew they needed to continue preparing for the cold, barren, bleak winter months ahead; they couldn’t rely on international commerce, as we do, to deliver what they would be needing to sustain their lives during the exceedingly lean months that stood between them and mid-spring the following year.
So, it should come as no surprise to learn that they acknowledged, with enormous reverence, the value of Sol. Stonehenge and other solstice-specific monuments dot the globe, bearing mute testimony to the reverence our ancestors paid to their life-sustaining environment and to its chief benefactor and influence, the sun.
In Greece, the people celebrated the agricultural god Cronus during the Summer Solstice. During this festival, the social policy was reversed and enslaved people were served by their masters or treated and addressed as absolute equals.
For days before the summer solstice, ancient Romans attended a festival honoring Vesta, goddess of the hearth. This was the sole annual opportunity for married women to enter the temple to submit offerings to the goddess in that sacred space.
The ancient Chinese honored the earth, femininity, and yin during the summer solstice.
In Northern and Central Europe Germanic, Slavic and Celtic tribes greeted summer by building immense bonfires. The tradition continues to this day in several countries.
Nordic mariners met to discuss legal matters and resolve disputes during the summer solstice. They also visited wells that they believed possessed healing powers and built bonfires around them.
Here in the Americas (North, Central and South) ancient Indigenous tribes took part in centuries-old midsummer rituals, some of which their ancestors continue to this day. Some scholars believe that Wyoming’s Bighorn medicine wheel aligns with the summer solstice sunrise and sunset and served as the site of their annual sun dance.
Although not a lot is settled about the ways ancient Central Americans celebrated midsummer, the impressive ruins they left behind point to the significance of the summer solstice to them. Many of the temples, public buildings, and other structures that remain today are precisely aligned with the shadows cast by summer and winter solstices.
Celtic high priests (today called Druids) very likely led ritual celebrations during midsummer, but it’s unlikely they took place at England’s famous Stonehenge site. This conjecture hasn’t kept modern Druids from gathering at the monument during the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes, though.
The term solstice comes from two Latin words, “Sol” (sun) and “Sistere“ (“to stand still”). During both annual solstices, ancient astronomers noted that only during two widely separated days each year (in June and December) did the sun appear to be stationary in the sky.
A solstice marks one of the two times each year when the sun is farthest away from the equator.
This year in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice will take place on Wednesday, June 21st at exactly 10:58am Eastern Time / 7:58am Pacific Time.
Summer and winter solstices happen at precise times; they are not day-long events, although these moments have been celebrated throughout the same day for thousands of years.
This year’s winter solstice in the northern hemisphere will occur at exactly 7:27p.m. Pacific Time/10:27PM Eastern Time on Thursday, December 21.
In addition to bonfires, fairs and festivals, some people use the occasion to restart their lives, let go of what no longer serves them, and/or open up to meaningful change. Following are examples.
If you’re into yoga, start the day with a sun salutation to calm and center yourself.
Set new goals/intentions. Cast off whatever no longer serves you so you can open space in your life to laser focus on new goals and intentions. Perhaps start with what’s in your closet and/or bonus room, even if your goals aren’t physical items. Doing so will reset your mind to realize that you’re completely capable of creating the life you want.
Create a summer bucket list. Make concrete arrangements to do whatever you feel you must do to feed your spirit before summer’s expiration date.
Make A Flower Crown: In a folk tale from Finland, a young woman collected seven flowers under her pillow on Midsummer night (aka the Summer Solstice) and lo and behold, her future fiancé appeared in her dreams! Whether you’re looking for a mate or just for some creative fun, making a flower crown is a delightful idea!
Start A Summer Garden (Or Add To Your Existing One) But only if you love gardening. Many people feel renewed and/or meditative when working the soil.
Throw a Summer Solstice Party. Get outside with great friends or family members. Build a bonfire, sing songs, play instruments or your favorite music, and eat your favorite foods.
If you can’t be at Stonehenge, watch the livestream to witness the sunrise through the center stone during this year’s summer solstice.
If you’re in the far north (Alaska or Iceland), play a midnight sport (baseball in Alaska, golf in Iceland).
Take a hike. Climb with a friend to an alpine meadow, waterfall, or some other natural wonder.
Play some lawn games. Lawn darts, bocce ball, horseshoes and other lawn games are great fun.
Stargaze. Get outside of big cities and into sparsely populated areas to rediscover a night sky filled with an uncountable number of stars.
Go berry picking. Harvesting wild, edible berries is a favorite pastime of a lot of outdoorsy types.
Catch the wave! Go surfing (board, body, or wind) or waterskiing. It’s exhilarating. (Remember the sunscreen!)
Go camping. Whether you employ a tent or a camper, camping is where it’s at for those who want to surround themselves with nature.
Take an evening swim. If you can swing it, swim naked in the dark with a romantic partner. Love is in the air!
For many reasons that are now clear, the Summer Solstice has been an all-important day throughout history. It is also a day of equilibrium and powerful celestial energy. It’s an ideal to pause and think about where you have come in life, and where you want to go. And if you feel as though you have much to accomplish, like you are ready to step into the person you were put on this Earth to be, then you should consider our year-long Master-in-Training program. It’s our most intimate, powerful, and exclusive program. A program that drives the time of life transformational in a year that most people couldn’t imagine in a decade. And the doors for registration are now open.
If you’d like to learn more about the types of transformations people experience in this program, you can watch our recent free Open House and hear directly from the people who experienced it. Click here to watch it now >>
If you’re ready to reserve your spot for this life-changing program, then do so by clicking here >>
Spring officially arrives today, March 20th, at 5:24 PM EDT, as we reach the Spring Equinox. In one of those rare moments of total balance in the Northern Hemisphere, during the Equinox, day and night are both 12 hours long. The sun rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.
If only we could put our own lives in such balance!
The spring equinox usually heralds a compunction to sweep out all the dust bunnies, rearrange sock drawers, and tackle that mess in the garage. But this year, I suggest that spring cleaning can have a new meaning for those of you who truly seek an expansion of consciousness: try cleaning out your old beliefs, the ones that no longer serve you.
Whether we realize it or not, much of what we believe has its roots in our childhood, when we unconsciously absorbed the ideas and prejudices of our families, friends, teachers, and the culture we grew up in. For example, if you grew up in the south-west of the United States in the past 40 years, there’s a strong chance you assume all Mexicans are illegal and suitable for menial labor only. However, if you grew up in France during the same time period, you might assume that any Algerian you pass on the street should be engaged in manual labor.
Look carefully at the ideas you hold to be self-evident. Do you think that nobody should eat meat? That liberals (or conservatives) are responsible for all our societal woes? That cancer or other illness is somehow our own fault?
Take the time to examine your beliefs. Start with the areas of your life that are causing problems. Are you unhappy with your weight or appearance? Why? What was your family’s attitude toward body image? Did they mock fat people? Praise your sister but ignore you? Compliment those who were light-skinned? Make sure you had a nose job when you turned sixteen? Banned short skirts? Not let you out of the house unless you were wearing make-up?
Are you in financial distress? What was your family’s attitude about money? Were they content with and grateful for whatever they had? Were you desperate for extras? Was saving expected of you?
Are you an activist? Do you listen to a broad range of views before deciding where to focus your energies, or do you assume that your beliefs are the only right ones and the “other side” is completely wrong? Were political issues debated in your home, or were there simply pronouncements that determined which way you were expected to believe?
There are two main questions to ask yourself about any belief you hold: “Where did this belief come from?” and “Does it still work for me, or is it limiting me in some way?”
The most difficult belief to examine is about your basic identity. The famous Indian sage, Ramana Maharshi, started a lineage of spiritual self-inquiry with the critical question: Who am I?
Indeed, who are you if you strip away your dearly-held beliefs? Who are you beyond your occupation, your marital status, your motherhood or fatherhood, your sexual orientation, your bank account, your politics, your gender? Who are you?
One of his students asked Buddha, “Are you the messiah?”
“No,” answered Buddha.
“Then are you a healer?”
“No,” Buddha replied.
“Then are you a teacher?” the student persisted.
“No, I am not a teacher.”
“Then what are you?” asked the student, exasperated.
“I am awake,” Buddha replied.
Right now is the perfect time to reset, rebalance, and re-examine everything in your life. To understand what past traumas have solidified you in your current position and what you must heal from and overcome in order to move forward. A great way to do this, is to connect with other healers and seekers of truth.
And while it may not be possible to hop on a plane and go to a retreat this very moment to jump-start this process, it is possible to relive a powerful retreat that was recently held in Malibu by the Deborah King Center. We’ve distilled the powerful teachings and experiences into 11 hours of life altering material. And you can learn more about it here >>
Winter Solstice is upon us. We’re at a turning point as our planet Earth makes its annual rotation around the sun. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the next 24 hours will be where we get the shortest amount of sunlight because the sun is lowest in the sky. In fact, the sun appears so low in the sky (because of the tilt of the Earth on its axis) that it seems to set in the same place as it came up—an illusion that makes it look like the sun isn’t moving at all.
That’s where the term “solstice” comes from. The Latin solstitium translates as “the Sun stands still.” Solstice has been a special moment in time even during the Neolithic era, as seen in ancient sites like Newgrange in Ireland, which is aligned with the winter solstice sunrise, and Stonehenge in England, which is aligned to the winter solstice sunset. Back then it was a time for feasting before the famine months of deep winter set in. Cattle were slaughtered so they wouldn’t have to be fed during the winter; the wine and beer brewed from summer’s harvest were now fermented and ready to drink. So, the heart of Solstice was family and friends getting together to feast and exchange gifts, just as we do today.
And because the event heralded the beginning of the return of the sun, it was the time to celebrate the birth of the sun god in cultures around the world. The birth of Jesus was set as December 25th because it was the date of the festival of Sol Invictus, the sun god of the Roman Empire, and to incorporate indigenous Yule traditions into a Christian framework.
The Romans did it up in grand style, honoring the god Saturn with the festival of Saturnalia in the days of solstice. Businesses would close down and there would be big banquets, music, gift-giving, and nonstop parties—with an abundance of candles symbolizing the returning power of the sun’s light.
What does Saturn have to do with solstice? Solstice begins on the first day of the astrological sign of Capricorn, which is ruled by Saturn. That heavy planet is known as a spiritual teacher, preparing you for the obstacles you have to surmount on the path to liberation—like getting through the long dark night of the soul.
In the Vedic tradition, the winter solstice is called the dawn of the year, knowing that the budding flower of time will unfold over the following year. According to Vedic Astrology, the Sun gives access to exploring your future with strength and courage. The sun is the eternal atman, the spiritual life principle of the universe, and the source of much of your energy. It sustains and empowers life through the balance of the seasons.
Just like the first two hours of the morning are when you receive the seed principle of the day, the returning light of the sun at solstice will help you receive the seeds you need to plant for new growth over the coming year. It’s right now, and not January 1st, for the time for New Year’s resolutions.
Join me today in a Vedic fire ceremony for winter solstice to revisit the past year and reflect, without judgment, on what you need to cast off, and to invite in a focus for setting new goals that will help you move in the direction of your dreams. The energy of the solstice supports you in letting go of old habits and beliefs and opening up a fresh chapter in your life. The Sun God starts to rise again, and your soul ascends to spirit.
On the winter solstice, the sun reaches the dark zenith of the underworld, where true light is reborn stronger than before. It points to achieving peace, prosperity, and wisdom.
Since the start of the solar year celebrates the rebirth of the Sun, it’s a wonderful time to meditate on darkness and light, and what they mean for you.
So close your eyes, and take in a deep breath and exhale any tension in your body, then let your breathing become slow, deep, and easy. It is the dark of the longest night of the year. The dark of deep space between the stars and planets. The dark of the depths of the seas. The dark of the womb.
Imagine you are walking alone in a dark forest. It is dusk and there is no moon. You walk slowly on a barely visible path, past trees shrouded in gloom. Your heart is heavy.
You have been through a challenging year and you worry about what might be coming in the next year. You made mistakes, you suffered loss, you had pain. You tend to be hard on yourself, and all you can see are your failures—the times you closed your heart, the times you reacted in anger, the times you saw someone in need and turned the other way. A new year lies ahead, and you know there will be new challenges and new uncertainties.
Not far away from the dark woods you know that people are caught up in a whirlwind of activity. They may have lost sight of the meaning behind the holidays—the rebirth of the Light.
It’s a time of depression for many. Maybe you’re dealing with a difficult diagnosis, or you went through a traumatic event this past year that you’re still reeling from. Or, like so many, you may be feeling the pain of the world—there are so many in desperate situations who are dealing with poverty or war or persecution. Or you may be feeling the pain of the earth as mankind continues to deplete her resources.
You keep walking as night takes hold of the bleak beauty of the wintry forest. The darkness grows deeper.
The darkness holds your unseen worries, the anxious thoughts that circle endlessly in your head and don’t let you rest, the fears for yourself and those you love. Will you be safe? Will you be healthy? Will you have enough sustenance—not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually?
You may wish for the darkness to dissipate, but the darkness is necessary. It is the womb of your being, where the seeds of your future germinate. What have you planted deep inside yourself? What plans are being formulated for your future? Are you feeding your potential for spiritual growth? Is a desire to serve others, to relieve the suffering of others, ready to emerge?
Let’s take a moment to plant seeds of focused intention. These seeds will grow to be the gifts from the darkness for you. Success lies in finding the solution to a problem. Whatever issue comes to your mind, know that there is a solution waiting for you, that you can find that solution today as you bring more light into your awareness.
Create in the light that arises from the darkness. When you allow yourself to go deep into the darkness, to explore its depths and its edges, you honor both the dark night of the soul and the rebirth of hope and vision.
An old teacher of mine used to say, “You have to kneel before you can leap.” Think about it. If you want to jump up in the air, you first have to crouch down to get the momentum you need to spring up. The same is true for spiritual growth. You have to stop fearing your own inner darkness, the uncertainty of life, the depths of your emotions, the dark night of the soul. You have to embrace that which is hidden and honor all the parts of yourself—the high and the low, the powerful and the weak, the light and the dark.
Are you ready to release whatever no longer works for you?
Are you ready to shed whatever is taking up too much of your internal space? Is negative self-talk overriding your hopes and dreams? Are you letting your light shine brightly, or are you hiding it? Are you tired of not living up to your potential?
Set the intention you need right now to release whatever no longer serves you and get ready for rebirth and renewal.
Feel how those good intentions are lifting the darkness a bit. Join me as we breathe in the crisp night air and inhale the invigorating scent of cedar and pine. The first stars are breaking through the darkness of the night and we can now walk more confidently by starlight. There are sounds of rustling in the forest, but it all seems so benign as we suddenly see through a gap in the trees to a spot of light in the distance.
We come to the edge of the clearing and we see someone who beckons us forward – we feel welcomed. A faint glow seems to emanate from the fringes of her robe, it is a woman, with a wrinkled weathered face peering out from the hood of her robe. She is tending the small fire and invites you to sit with her on the blanket that is laid out on the ground. Join her and warm your hands at the fire, then sit and stare at the flames as the sweet smell of burning cedar perfumes the air.
She tells you her name is Brigid, she is the early Celtic goddess of healing, poetry, and fire, from the ancient lineage of Druids. She has woven ribbons of red, green and white, the colors of the Druid holiday season, into her silver braided hair. She speaks to you gently, slowly, thoughtfully, as she continues to watch the fire, saying:
“You have nothing to fear from the darkness, for she is your mother and the mother of the Light. Forget your burdens for a while. Take rest here. The light cannot return until the darkness is complete.”
You watch as she reaches into a bag and takes out some herbs. She holds the plants to her lips and murmurs a soft chant in a language you don’t recognize, then throws the herbs into the fire. Pungent smoke washes over you, and you grow sleepy. The old woman advises you to lie down and enter a dream state. You feel yourself pulled into a semi-sleep. As if from a faraway land, you hear her voice.
“It is time to be magical, my dear, in this sacred clearing. You are here to honor the gods of the coming light, whose power gives life to everything which is alive. She says:
“We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we return
As our ancestors worshiped Her
On air, land, and sea.
Mother, I feel you under my feet.
Father, I see you where the eagle flies.
You shall reach us, you shall teach us
And reveal our fate!
Burn bright, flame within me,
Kindled in the eternal fire.
In your dream-like state, you feel that deep peace, the peace of spirit that passes all understanding. Knowledge arises within you of how to proceed in life. You gain the wisdom that is the gift of the difficulties you have encountered and overcome.
Slowly you wake up. Looking up into the night sky, you see the stars, twinkling in the dark sky. Brigid says, “See the turning of the wheel, the endless cycle that connects us all. May you be guided to the returning light.” And say with her: I am both dark and light. I am both dark and light.
Slowly you rise from the blanket and offer your sincere thanks and gratitude to this ancient woman who has gently given you such solace, such relief from the sorrows you were carrying alone in the dark. You have received the blessing of the ancients and a spark of new life and can carry on. You feel connected to the Source of all life and can sense the swirling nurturing energy of the dark.
You remember the ancient Vedic prayer for illuminating your life, a famous chant from the Upanishads.
From non-being, lead us to being
From darkness, lead us to light
From death, lead us to immortality
And may the infinite light arise within you.
The Vedas are ancient texts that hold the keys to personal healing, self-fulfillment and enlightenment. Within the Vedas, you can find the Sutras – mystical phrases that hold within them immense transformational power.
Right now, you can experience the “seeding” of these 20 sacred phrases in your consciousness — and transform your personal energy field.
The Shift Network has bundled Deborah’s bestselling Sacred Tools for Modern Master course – in which she teaches the Sutras – with three other offerings. Right now, you can get all 4 bundled for just $98! And you can pick it up by clicking here >>
We all know what Mercury retrograde is, right? It happens when the planet, Mercury, appears to be moving backward, relative to earth, but, in fact, is just slowing down, in a sort of “moonwalk.”
Communication snafus at this time of year are common and travel can be a nightmare. Your flight lands in New York City while your bag goes on to Chile.
There are usually three retrogrades every year, but in 2022, there are four. And this last one carries us into the new year – it starts on December 29 and ends on January 18.
In Vedic astrology, Mercury retrograde isn’t necessarily a bad thing. According to Vedic teachings, life is intended for spiritual growth and this growth is facilitated by karma, the idea that every thought, every action, has a corresponding reaction. Given this, Mercury retrograde is just another opportunity for spiritual growth. So it shouldn’t elicit an “Oh no, not again.”
As I mentioned earlier, communication and travel can be challenging. But there’s also an upside. Any place you travel to during a retrograde is a place to which you’ll return. So, if you’re planning to travel during the 3 weeks from Dec 29 to Jan 18, as I am, be sure your destination is a place you want to visit again.
As far as communication is concerned, say what you mean when you say it, especially during Mercury retrograde. One of my students really disliked her job but was afraid to quit. Then during a recent Mercury retrograde, she was told she had to take on the responsibilities of a colleague who was gone on vacation. It meant she would be working 10 hours a day six days a week and just thinking about it exhausted her. Without thinking she said no to her boss, telling her, “I’m underpaid as it is.”
She said her boss looked stunned and stared at her in disbelief as she picked up her purse. But before she reached the door, the boss offered her a promotion at over one and one-half of her current compensation. She had reacted viscerally, without censoring herself, and it had paid off. That’s classic Mercury retrograde: she said what she meant to say, it was the truth, and, in her case, it paid off.
Mercury also rules cars, computers, and anything with moving parts. So, the advice on that front is don’t purchase anything with moving parts during a retrograde. But suppose your computer crashes a week into the retro and can’t be fixed?
The computer is vital to your employment and you can’t wait.
Another one of my students faced this dilemma. She Googled around until she found a place that rented computers by the month. The price was reasonable. She rented her dream computer and at the end of the retrograde, she loved it so much she bought it. That part of the fiasco worked out to her benefit.
Mercury rules the conscious mind and any profession dealing with writing, teaching, speaking, books, or publication. Mercury is the messenger, the left brain is its vehicle, and it usually speaks to us in terms of logic and reasoning. In Vedic astrology, when Mercury is retrograde, our intuition deepens and the coincidences – the synchronicities – can be awesome.
As described in the Vedas, all of us, everything really, is under the control of time. Inexorably, we are pulled from one stage, or level, to the next, each step determined by our own karma. But, remember, our karma is totally under our own control, as we have free will.
In his book, The Astrology of the Seers, David Frawley says:
“What we call the planets are no more than points of light in a vast energy network, connected intricately by subtle lines of force, linking the entire solar system into a single organism. Though the planets appear like small points of light in the distance, their energy fields are present on Earth, and they are responsible for many of the formations of the Earth life and of our own bodies and minds.”
So, with any Mercury retrograde snafu, don’t panic. Nearly always, there’s a hidden nugget or treasure. One of my new students owned a two-year-old American bulldog, Abby, who had developed a bad limp. My student told me he took Abby to the vet who determined that she had a torn ligament. He got a date for the surgery – the day before Mercury turned retrograde, when it was in the “shadow” period. The vet’s assistant left a sponge inside during the procedure, and the surgery had to be redone! Wisely, my student waited until after the period of retrograde, and the second surgery went without a hitch, plus the vet reversed the charges so it was a win/win after-all! Mars rules surgery, something to think about before you schedule one.
The stars themselves have no conscious benevolence or animosity toward us – they are only sending out positive and negative energy that affects us in much the same way that the natural world we live on does. When I was a mountain climber, I knew that the mountains themselves had no attitude pro or con toward me; they just “were,” and if I incorrectly “read” them and journeyed into them in bad weather or on loose rock, to my peril, that was my mistake, not theirs. It’s the same with the stars and planets; they are inherently neutral to us; it’s up to us to use common sense about the effect of their movements on us each individually, and act accordingly.
They include such luminaries as Prince, Buckminster Fuller, Steve Jobs, Madonna, and Lady Gaga! Not a bad lineup, right? If these people were able to shine as they have, then the rest of us shouldn’t feel daunted or intimidated by just 3 weeks of a retrograde.
One of the standard pieces of advice you’ll hear about Mercury retrogrades is that you should stick to the three Rs: revise, review, reconsider.
In other words, don’t start anything new, don’t make submissions, and don’t sign contracts for anything – a sale, a purchase, a deal. What these bits of advice are really saying is give your dream home, creative projects and manuscript or screenplay, the best chance ever by waiting until after retrograde. Sign the contracts and deliver your project or manuscript when the energy whips through the universe without obstacles or challenges. But even when you don’t wait and sign during a Mercury retrograde, there can be unexpected nuggets. A writer student of mine got evicted during retrograde (not good), but while camping at her folks for a month, she serendipitously met a publisher guy through her parents, and, voila, got a good job copywriting for him right after the retrograde. That was the nugget she wouldn’t have received had she not had to move.
According to the Vedas, our futures are determined by both destiny and free will. Destiny, in fact, creates our free will. Her destiny to live at her folks’ house, briefly, created the situation where she had the free will to end up working in the publishing business.
Mercury retrograde is just another astrological cycle – like a lunar phase, like the return of a planet to where it was when you were born.
It has its own protocols, its own guidelines. But because it rules the all-important communication, its effects spill over into many areas of our lives. Yes, there can be negative consequences, but the long-term impact is often quite positive, as you’ve seen in the earlier examples.
These retros last about three weeks. You can keep track of them on any number of websites and it’s definitely to your advantage to do so. They enable you to plan things in advance: trips, engagements, weddings, moving, the sale and purchase of a home or car or computer, and when to publish your book.
Yes, friends and family may remark that your reliance on astrology is a waste of time. Until they have a personal melt-down during Mercury retrograde.
During retrogrades, people you haven’t seen in years may suddenly reappear in your life – your ex, a childhood friend, a former partner, people you haven’t been able to find anywhere online. It can be a great time to mend fences.
Vedic philosophers and astrologers understood the power of Mercury retrograde long before Western science. In the words of Bertram Malle, a renowned social cognitive scientist at Brown University, the serious study of astrology “provides a powerful vocabulary” to understand “life’s challenges and opportunities.” I now want to turn to the Vedic perspective, as it has so much to offer those of us on our learning and spiritual journeys.
The Sanskrit term for retrograde planets is Vakri, which translates in English as ambiguous, evasive, and indirect. It is not wise to meet a retrograde planet “head on” and try to power through the vibrations it releases. Far better to bend and be flexible in responding to this agitated energy. This wisdom is mirrored in the Vakra Asana beginner’s pose in yoga, which gently twists the spine to strengthen it and make it more flexible.
Vedas believe that we are driven by two forces – fate and individual will. If we are too passive during Mercury retrograde, all sorts of arguments, problems, and misery can occur. But if we insist on having our own way during this phase, and our energy is too forceful and arrogant, we are likely to bang our head against a wall, accomplish little, and might even find ourselves going backwards from our goals.
Better to keep in mind the wisdom of yoga and make a conscious effort to approach Mercury retrograde openly and flexibly. No one expects someone in Vakra Asana pose to twist so hard that they break their back. It is a gentle pose designed to open energy pathways and release negative tension. This same wisdom can apply to gracefully bending into a Mercury retrograde cycle. Go with the energy and surf it. Best not to try to master it or defeat it.
Vedic astrology emphasizes the analysis of individual karma. It seeks insight into all the forces—past, present, and future—that influence one’s life path, and which collide or merge with the paths of others. The concept of karma—often misunderstood in the West—means that every thought and every action create a reaction that reverberates through time and space.
The Vedic tradition also holds that the point of life is spiritual growth. We may enjoy our pleasures, relationships, and dreams here on Earth, but a well-lived life is devoted to reaching spiritual Enlightenment. The Vedas believe that the position of the planets and stars exert a direct influence on our karma and, hence, our journey to Enlightenment.
Mercury, known as Budh, is one of 9 planets in Vedic astrology. The Sanskrit root verb for Budh is buddhi, meaning logic, intellect, and reason. Mercury retrograde throws our rational mind into disarray, distorting communication and increasing the likelihood of bias and misperception.
Yet Mercury retrograde also offers opportunities to cleanse negative energy and clear the ground for new initiatives and adventures. Several crystals—particularly when used in conjunction with meditation and breathwork—can help you to unlock the positive energies of Mercury retrograde. Labradorite is renowned for its calming and grounding effects, for example. Hematite is another grounding crystal that helps to pull negative energy from the body. Black tourmaline, a root chakra stone, helps to release anxiety and fear. Lapis Lazuli can be used to reconnect with your intuition and inner wisdom.
There is an ancient mantra that, with practice, can help to focus the mind and connect with the power of Mercury: Om Shree Budhaya Namaha. Om represents the Divine and the earliest emergence of sound. The next three words can be roughly translated as “Salutations, auspicious guru, I bow to you.”
The Vedas developed a system whose insights and tools for personal and spiritual enlightenment endure. With effort, humility, and self-reflection, this ancient wisdom can help you to use the power of Mercury retrograde for good. The stars and the planets influence our fate, but we have the power and responsibility to study these forces and make choices in our lives.
Mercury retrogrades are our reminder to be present and to embrace epiphany. Don’t fear the retrograde. All Mercury’s “moonwalk” backwards is doing is, showing us our lives from a different perspective. That offers us clarity and a deeper level of consciousness, a better understanding of ourselves and our world.
Like everything else, Mercury is a part of an interconnected net of energy. That is why we are so affected by it. And there is great knowledge and wisdom that lies in the cosmos, but it’s only obtainable by those who have the skill to access it. If you’re interested in traveling beyond space and time, to gain access to this wisdom, and design the life of your dreams, consider joining our bestselling Astral Wisdom course by clicking here >>
The Celts and Buddhists know how to celebrate this annual planetary event.
Scientifically, in the northern hemisphere, the Fall Equinox is the date when sunrise begins to happen later every morning and nighttime begins to fall earlier every evening. It is the halfway point between our longest and shortest days of the year.
During the Fall Equinox, the sun appears immediately above Earth’s equator (located at 0 degrees latitude at Earth’s widest girth) and our planet in both hemispheres receives roughly equal amounts of daylight and darkness.
This is also the date when plants begin to die or go dormant and hibernating animals start heading for their wintertime dens or nests. Autumn officially begins in the Northern hemisphere on September 22nd most years and will last until December 21st this year.
These days in both hemispheres, it’s easy to forget the inherent risk to human survival that autumn played in bygone eras. Like the rest of nature’s environment-supported beings, millions of humans had to begin preparing in advance for several months of slim pickings, keenly aware that it would be months before the first signs of spring edibles would begin to peek above the frozen ground and animals could again be seen wandering around in abundance, promising an end to months of isolation and privation.
So, it’s no surprise that most cultures honored the changing of seasons by celebrating spring and summer and by focusing their common spiritual energies on celebrating harvests, thanking their Creators, and praying for their deliverance through the far more challenging fall and winter seasons. With the ravages of global warming, we may be returning to this mind-set in the future.
Various cultures celebrated the abundance of their agricultural and hunting harvests at this time even as they prepared to survive the upcoming months-long season of wintertime darkness, deprivation, and death. They also considered this equinox a special opportunity to connect with the divine and to seek continuing providence during the forthcoming months of lack.
For many of us who are intimately in touch with our essence, the Fall Equinox stirs something elemental in the heart, mind, and spirit. What is this special time of the year communicating to you?
Following are just a few possibilities!
Tune into your unique rhythm. Slow down sufficiently to listen to your inner guidance system (your intuition).
What is your heart asking of you? Is it asking you to donate to the less fortunate, with winter just around the corner?
Is it asking you to let go of the things that you don’t value or use anymore, knowing someone else will benefit from acquiring them?
What other things is it asking you to let go of, or to recover from, by way of some action, not to benefit others, but to benefit your own heart, mind, and spirit?
There are no wrong answers here. Your heart knows what your spirit needs to boost your vibrational frequency!
Celebrate the fruits of your labor. Make a list of the things you’ve succeeded at doing since this time last year. Acknowledge them in all their glory. Pull out all the stops. Feel the joy!
During this equinox, Mother Nature begins preparing for a type of death, and you, too, may feel inclined to let things go. Is there anything right now — anything at all — that you know you will benefit from by putting it out of its (and your) misery? Regrets? Missteps? Toxic relationships?
Consider planting your own vegetables or herbs (if you’re in a lower part of the hemisphere that will allow) for an upcoming spring harvest. Planting for renewed life during this “season of lack and death” (especially during a global pandemic) signals to the universe that you are intentional about surviving and about fostering survival, despite the multiple challenges that accompany living.
Consider building an altar, or placing pumpkins on your doorstep, or hanging an autumn wreath on your door. (Whatever works with your spirit to acknowledge and celebrate the equinox.)
Consider meditating on the equinox and how this one differs from ones you acknowledged and/or celebrated a few years ago (pre-pandemic).
Alternately, your spirit may simply direct you to release your attachment to taking any kind of action at all, or making any decision, so you can simply observe how things unfold and resolve on their own. Again, there are no wrong choices here!
Whatever you decide to do or to refrain from doing, whenever you do it with intentionality, you will gain clarity as you unite your mind with your spirit and nature.
The Celts, skilled astronomical observers, recognized various points in the solar year as times of change and shifts in Earth’s productivity, considering them of immense spiritual and practical significance.
Three stalks of barley tied up with rafia represent the cutting down of John Barleycorn during Mabon, the Celtic celebration of the Fall Equinox.
The ritual of John Barleycorn is a folk tale and song evoking the sowing, growing and harvest of corn.
To the Celts, Mabon is also a time to honor the Spirit World and address their own spirits. It is when Celts stop, relax, and enjoy their personal “harvests” from whichever projects they have been working on all year long.
On this date, the Druids honor The Green Man, God of the Forest, by offering sacrifices to trees. Ciders, fertilizer, herbs, and wine are all appropriate offerings.
Mabon focuses on balance because on this date (and only one other all year long) true balance is observable in nature. Day and night are equal in length.
Symbols: cornucopia (horn of plenty), pinecones, seeds
Colors: brown, copper, dark green, yellow (light and dark), orange, red,
Foods: apples, beans, cider, corn, root vegetables, pomegranate, pumpkins, squash, wine
Herbs: mugwort, rosehips, rosemary, sage, yarrow
Stones: amber, aventurine, cat’s eye, citrine, jasper, sapphire
Flowers: marigolds, sunflowers, thistle
Deities: Demeter, Green Man, Inanna, Mabon, Morgan, Persephone, Pomona
Animals: blackbird, Owl, salmon, stag
Romans held an (undocumented) Festival of Pomona, linked to the goddess Persephone in Greek mythology, during this equinox.
Despite the lack of a documented festival in her honor, Pomona was considered a wood nymph. The Goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards, she was believed to watch over and protects fruit trees and care for their cultivation.
The origin of Higan dates from Emperor Shōmu in the 8th century. It is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects for seven days; three days before and after both the Spring equinox (shunbun) and Autumnal equinox (shūbun). It is observed by nearly every Buddhist school in Japan.”
During this time, many Japanese visit the graves of their ancestors to thank them and to pray to go to the world of enlightenment after their own passing. Some Buddhist temples hold a memorial service and festival during Higan.
Perhaps now is a good time to consult your spirit guides to discern what resonates with you about this equinox and how you would like to acknowledge it.
Think back as best you can about your ancestors, especially the ancient ones, and consider how they viewed this time of the year, when there was only home, hearth, and, hopefully, an amply stocked below-ground root cellar to sustain them during the upcoming dark, cold months.
Before electricity was available for refrigeration and heat, isolated in small villages or more distant farms, this was a time of thanksgiving for adequate harvests of various kinds, as well as a time to seek favor and continuing provision from unseen helpers, known and unknown, in the world and beyond it.
Consider creating the story of one of your ancestors who was alive in the 1700’s or 1800’s; before radio or TV, before flight, before any of our modern conveniences (most of which we take for granted). What was cooking like? What was washing clothes like? What was hunting or gathering like? If you can get inside someone from another era and begin to see what this month’s equinox represented to them, you may be able to find ways to honor both your ancestors and their ways of coping with the next several months of early darkness, increasing coldness, and less available food except for what they’ve painstakingly gathered and stored that will keep for months on end (heavily salted jerky meat, canned and dried fruits, roots, nuts and vegetables).
An Emergency Services Manager once told me that the great earthquake that is anticipated in Southern California will take us from the Space Age to the Stone Age within minutes. Without our modern conveniences, what would the next few months of life be like for us?
It was like that for your ancestors. They survived. They even thrived well enough to have offspring, who had offspring, who resulted eventually in your existence right now.
What kind of thanks were they giving this at time of year? What kind of prayers were they saying? What were they doing, and what had they been doing, to prepare for the coming months of lack?
Meditate on how fortunate you are to be living right now, even with all that seems to be going sideways in the world right now.
Let the energies of this equinox and your own sense of balance guide you to make this year’s Fall Equinox a lasting memory!
The Autumn Equinox represents an “end” of sorts. A perfect time to say goodbye and let go of the things in your life that are holding you back. And endings make way for new beginnings. So, this Autumn Equinox makes the perfect time for you to focus on healing and letting go of past traumas, to make way for a new beginning where you step into your most powerful self. LifeForce Energy Healing is one amazing path to do this. If you are new to it, consider joining our Level I program to start getting into the basics.
If you are more experienced, we still have just a couple spots left for our year-long Master-in-Training program (which starts this week). It’s is the most transformational program we offer, and is truly a path towards a new beginning, a new life, and a new you. Learn more and register by clicking here >>
