2023-SpringEquinoxBlog-featured

Finding Balance during the Equinox: Spring Cleaning the Mind

by Astrological EventsFeaturedSelf Love
Spring Equinox

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.

Spring Equinox

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?

Spring Equinox

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?

Spring Equinox

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 >>

Vedic Astrology

Using Vedic Astrology to Guide our Spiritual Journey

by Astrological EventsEnergy MedicineFeaturedPlanetary
Vedic Astrology

The Karmic Wisdom of the Stars

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

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.

Vedic Astrology

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.

Vedic Astrology

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.

Vedic Astrology

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.

Vedic Astrology

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.

Vedic Astrology

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>>

Vedic Astrology

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.

So many asked when I will be teaching Vedic Astrology in depth – hopefully sometime this year!

Winter Solstice

Vedic Fire Ceremony: Commemorate the Winter Solstice

by Astrological EventsEnergy MedicineFeaturedSolar
Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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. 

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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. 

Winter Solstice

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?

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

“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.

Winter Solstice

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.

Winter Solstice

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 >>

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

That Old Mercury Retrograde

by Astrological EventsEnergy MedicineFeaturedPlanetary
Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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. 

Say What You Mean

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.”

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.”

The Hidden Nuggets

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.

Vedic Astrology Show Coming Up

Mercury retrograde is a part of Vedic Astrology which is a big topic, and one I will cover in an upcoming Facebook/Youtube show right after the New Year, on January 10, 2023. All we need to know today, in order to understand Mercury retrograde in that system of thought, is that the stars and planets have a powerful influence on our lives. The ancient Vedic texts tell us that our karma is directly related to the stars and planets and that, in fact, this branch of their science is the very focal point of the Vedas. And I use the word “science” intentionally, as the study of astrology in the Vedas, or what is called “Joytish,” is both incredibly profound and highly scientific. Our scientists are just beginning to discover what the ancient seers knew over 5,000 years ago. We can only hope that our James Webb Space Telescope can begin to catch up to the Vedas one day soon!
Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde
Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Famous People Born during Mercury Retrograde

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.

The Three Rs

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Those Cycles

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Yoga Asanas

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Individual Karma

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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. 

Cleansing Crystals

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.

Vedic Astrology Mercury Retrograde

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.

Reminders

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 >>

astral wisdom course
2022 Fall Equinox

How Will YOU Celebrate the Fall Equinox?

by Astrological EventsEnergy MedicineFeaturedLunar

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

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.

2022 Fall Equinox

The Fall Equinox Affects Our Spiritual Essence

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.

This equinox was equal parts celebration and supplication in a great many cultures

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.

2022 Fall Equinox

Your Genetic Memory Hasn’t Forgotten

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!

2022 Fall Equinox

At the Heart Level …

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!

At the Mind Level …

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!

2022 Fall Equinox

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?

2022 Fall Equinox

At the Spirit Level…

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.

How Other Cultures Celebrate the Fall Equinox

CELTS & NEOPAGANS

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.

2022 Fall Equinox

Mabon Symbols, Colors, Foods, Herbs, Stones, Flowers Deities, and Animals

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

2022 Fall Equinox

THE ROMANS

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.

BUDDHISTS

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.

2022 Fall Equinox

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.

2022 Fall Equinox

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.


LifeForce Energy Healing® I

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 >>


Supermoon Sturgeon

Three Ways to Celebrate the Sturgeon Moon (and The Bounty of Nature)

by Astrological EventsEnergy MedicineFeaturedLunar
Supermoon Sturgeon

August’s Sturgeon Moon (aka Green Corn, Fruit, Barley, Grain, and Red Moon by other tribes) is the last supermoon of 2022. It is a time for reflection and gratitude for the many ways in which nature provides all of the essentials to sustain life in all its diverse forms in every season on our home planet.

It is called a Sturgeon Moon because it was during this time of the year in eras long past when the sturgeon in the Great Lakes were plentiful enough to provide ample sustenance for indigenous people. Native tribes caught, ate, and dried sturgeon in sufficient amounts to carry them through a series of the harsh fall and winters that followed on the heels of summer. The Indigenous peoples who inhabited the Great Lakes region followed the fish, which were a major food source. Sturgeon were so plentiful that the Potawatomi and Ojibwe tribes’ legends “tell of rivers so full of sturgeon that a person could walk across the water on their backs.”

Supermoon Sturgeon

Every ounce of the sturgeon was used by Indigenous tribes. It provided fresh meat. Later, when it was dried, it tasted similar to pemmican and could be kept for years. Bones were used for spears for hunting and needles for sewing; parts were used to make paint and glue for teepees; their oil was used for healing; bags and containers were made from the skin of the fish; and the stomach lining was used as drum coverings. So critical was the lake sturgeon to the Indigenous people that they called it “Buffalo of the Water.”

The August Sturgeon Full Moon testifies to the final days of summer and signals the beginning of harvest season. This is the perfect time of year to acknowledge and celebrate the rewards of your hard work.

Indigenous peoples on all continents generally have a far healthier respect than Industrial Age cultures do for the provisions that nature provides entirely without help or management by humanity. August’s Sturgeon Moon gives us the chance to meditate on Nature’s provisions and on our responsibility as stewards of the planet to do as much as we can to maintain its ability to continue to provide for all of the beings who live here.

Now is the perfect time to harness the natural energies that surround you during the Sturgeon Moon and focus them on taking care of yourself, your family, and all the other beings who contribute to your well-being across the globe, from honey bees to blue whales.

3 Ways to Celebrate the August Sturgeon Full Moon

Soak in a relaxing, spirit-soothing herbal bath.

Use chamomile, lavender, rose, and peppermint in your bath if peace and comfort are immediate goals. Add in heather, jasmine, or lemon balm to receive an extra dose of relaxation.

Supermoon Sturgeon

Light candles and play your favorite songs. Let your mind be quiet. Rest and recuperate so the tasks ahead can be undertaken with a renewed mind and spirit.

Supermoon Sturgeon

Participate in the Feast of New Bread Ritual

The Feast of New Bread was celebrated by ancient peoples after they had harvested their grain. They were celebrating the fact that there would be a storehouse of available food during the upcoming harsh winter and early spring months.

Bake a loaf of bread like your ancestors did (over an open fire or in a clay oven, if possible) and meditate with the intention of taking yourself back to simpler times, when modern day hassles didn’t exist, and artificial stressors were few and far between. Create something from scratch in memory of them and then thank them for persevering, for without their successful navigation of natural and manmade challenges, we wouldn’t even be here today!

Erect an altar, visualize your goals

An altar space is crucial if you believe, as I do, that putting positive, loving energy into the world can help you achieve your most cherished goals. The August Sturgeon full moon is a sign of empowerment, of creating and saving nutritional stores for an adequate abundance during leaner times.

Supermoon Sturgeon

Choose a small table, a shelf, or a windowsill to transform into your altar for August and beyond. Its very existence will remind you to meditate on your gratitude for the adequate provisions that frequently arrive in your life, either “just in time,” or for a less-plentiful time in the future.

Create a dream board, or pin images of places you hope to visit on your altar. Or simply scatter onto it positive quotes to remind yourself about the happiness and inspiration that are available to you at a moment’s notice.

As long as you remember to embrace the fact that you are powerful and worthy of ample provision, you will receive everything the August Sturgeon Full Moon offers you.

If you have a big vision for your life, but know that in order to achieve that vision you must first heal and invest in self-transformation, to become the person who is worthy of that vision, our year-long Master-in-Training program provides exactly the life-changing education and support that you are looking for. You can learn more about it by clicking here >>

Light & Dark

The Cycle of Light and Dark

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingEnergy MedicineFeaturedLunarMeditationPlanetarySelf LoveSolar
Light & Dark

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.

Light & Dark

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.

Light & Dark

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.

Light & Dark

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 >>

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox: Planting Your Soul Garden in 5 Easy Steps

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingEnergy MedicineFeaturedMeditation

Spring is just around the corner and the flowers have gotten the word! At the vernal equinox, the equilibrium is perfect—night and day, light and dark are balanced on the brink of change. The shorter days of winter are past and the longer days of summer are approaching. Just as the natural world is poised for a season of new growth and rebirth, so is the human spirit. Spring is the perfect time for cleaning, clearing, balancing and beginning fresh. I’m sure you can feel the urge to open your heart to brighter and better times ahead. Why not plant the seeds of new spiritual growth today? Think of the beautiful blooms and life-giving plants that nature is calling forth right now. You can be blossoming, too, and nurture a garden for your soul.

What spiritual growth would you like to experience this spring? What do you need to be happier, healthier, more loving, and more giving? As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I can suggest a dizzying array of ways for you to nurture your soul, discovering new life and vitality where you might not expect it. Just acknowledging your connection to the Divine source of all life is a great beginning. All growth, all healing, and all awareness are yours for the asking when you draw closer to the ultimate energy of creation. Let’s look at some of the seeds you can plant right now for a blossoming future.

Spring Equinox
  1. Clear and balance your personal energy system. Since all the universe is made of energy, the best way to keep flowing and growing is to make sure your connection to the power grid is solid. Your chakras, your personal power stations, work best when swept clean of the negative energy, the debris of last season’s traumas and disappointments.
Spring Equinox
  1. Rediscover your connection to Nature. There’s no denying your deep attachment to the natural world. You are as much a part of the green and growing flow of life as that lovely daffodil blowing in the spring breeze. Treat yourself to regular visits to a favorite natural place—a park, a grove of trees, a beach, a hillside, or even a leafy neighborhood block. Make this your place to observe closely and know well. Your place will welcome you as a regular and offer the grounding energy of Mother Earth, the blessings of fresh air, sunlight, and infinite sky overhead.
Spring Equinox
  1. Start a course of spiritual study. Whether you read spiritual texts, study the wisdom of ancient or modern masters, or take classes and workshops, you can embark on a program of learning that feels good to you. When faced with the greatest challenge of my life, I studied energy medicine and found not only healing but my soul’s purpose and the path to profound joy.
Spring Equinox
  1. Keep a daily journal of your observations, your feelings, and your blessings. One good thing about regular visits to your favorite spot in nature is that you will always have something to write about. You can begin with your observations of things you notice with your practiced eye: a new bird, a friendly squirrel, new plant growth, a blossoming flower, a spider web, colors, patterns of light. Then move into your feelings and thoughts each day and finally record all the things you have discovered to be grateful for. Your gratitude creates a positive and healing energy that attracts even more reasons to feel blessed and beloved by the Universe.
  1. Learn to meditate. With the help of a trained instructor who can guide you, you can create a meditation practice that will stay with you and open amazing avenues to peace, joy, and understanding. If you always suspected there was more to you than the material world was seeing, there is! Meditation offers an opportunity to travel deep within and discover the astonishing connection you have with the Universe and all that is. If you have questions, the answers can be found and a path can be opened to the life of your dreams.

Just as a healthy garden needs a connection to the universal elements that nurture and nourish life so does a healthy soul. Take steps to provide the optimum conditions you need for your spiritual growth, blooming health and abundant happiness by starting a meditation practice with me!

2019 Super Moon

7 Ways to Utilize the Power of the Pedigree Moon

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingFeaturedLunar
2019 Super Moon

Full moons tend to have nicknames, and some Native American tribes called the February full moon the “hunger moon” or “bone moon” since hunting was usually rough in mid-winter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac called it the “trapper’s moon” because the dead of winter was the time to trap fox, mink, and beaver as their coats were their fullest at that time. It’s also called the “snow moon” because February is typically the month of heavy snow.

In the spiritual world, the moon represents your inner world, your emotions, thoughts, and desires as well as your shadow self and your dreams. The moon affects the frequencies of both your conscious and subconscious mind, and offers you the chance to unlock what has been hidden within you.

Our closest companion in the sky, the moon exerts the strongest tidal forces when it’s closest to the earth. The tremendous energy of the full moon pulls not only the ocean’s tides, but also your watery emotions. This means it’s important to know that whatever is happening inside you will be amplified. Whether you are happy or sad, you’ll feel it more so.

This also means that your spiritual energy will be stronger, so it’s a great time to meditate deeply.

Here are 7 tips for working with the full moon energy:

  1. Try to stay calm and let things go. Forgive others. Write what you are grateful for, as it’s a powerful time to acknowledge the beauty of life. Keep the energy moving in a positive direction.
  2. Spend some time outside under the full moon if possible. If you’re in a comfortable climate, take a “moon bath.” If it’s minus 20 degrees out, try to catch a little moonlight through your windows, that works too! This is also the perfect time to put your crystals outside to cleanse their crystalline structure and fill them with celestial vibrations.
  3. Have a clear intention of what you want to manifest. Focus on your dreams and use the extra energy that’s available to make them come true.
  4. If you join in a group full moon meditation, the sacred circle will be intensely powerful. Members of our Soul Family meditate together regularly (you can join us here). Meditating alone or in a group during this strong lunar energy will imbue you with calm, stillness, and increase mindfulness.
  5. Be ready to open spiritually as the lunar energy stimulates your 8th through 12th chakras to begin to open like the petals of a lotus. You’re being prepared for your next spiritual initiation.
  6. Do a ritual associated with Goddess energy. Our moon is feminine, the companion energy to the masculine sun. Find a way to express your feminine creative energy. Step outside and sing to the moon to get things moving!
  7. Remember that old lullaby: “I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me.” Use the amplified spirit that is available to send good vibrations out into the world.

So join me on this super full moon, and increase your lunar connection; it will support and bless you throughout this next year.

Christmas star conjunction

The Great Conjunction

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingFeaturedPlanetarySolar
Christmas star conjunction

Hi Friends,

Today is January 5th – a day that many people around the world celebrate as Epiphany or Three Kings Day. For Christians, it celebrates the day that the 3 wise men followed an unusually bright star in the sky to lead them to Bethlehem.

Today, I want to talk to you about this star. More importantly, I want to talk about how stars can be our guiding lights.

It’s not entirely clear what exactly the Star of Bethlehem was. Some suggest it was a supernova – the explosion of a very large star. Others say it could have been a comet. But one really neat idea is that it was the alignment of two planets in the night sky – so closely aligned that they appear to be one very bright star.

This is called a conjunction. And we just had a very great one last month.

On December 17th, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the Southern sky so closely that it appeared to be a single star. True, in reality, they are two planets that are millions of miles apart, but to us on Earth, it appears as if two bright objects slowly combined together before drifting apart.

Isn’t it sort of funny how these planets aren’t even touching, but for us: they put on a dazzling show that won’t be replicated for hundreds of years? I love to think about that. I love to think about how we have navigated by the stars, planted our crops by the stars, dreamt by the stars, and kept record of our stories by the stars. All the while, these stars exist so far away from where we stand, that it baffles the mind to comprehend.

We, here on Earth, are the recipients of the particular position and light that these stars cast. Nowhere else in the Universe do the stars look quite like they do on Earth at night.

Some might look at this reality and suggest that putting emphasis on these astronomical events is misguided – that it is only an illusion from our viewpoint on Earth. I don’t believe that. Just because the Stars exist independent of us does not mean they don’t serve as guides for us.

Think of the Sun. It rises in the East. If you wake and follow the Sun, you will walk East. It has guided you. Does the Sun exist solely to guide you? Doubtful at best!

It’s the same as how the trees are dependent upon the Spring warmth to bloom. Without Spring, the trees will not flourish, but that does not mean the Spring exists solely to make the trees bloom.

This is how I felt watching the Great Conjunction last month. Yes, I know that these planets are fixed in their orbits, and that they are millions of miles apart, but they have created an alignment for us to view on Earth that is worth pausing and taking in.

And the one thing I kept coming back to is: what could it mean?

What could that Great Conjunction be leading us to?

All I know is that I felt an urging, a sense of profundity, and of connection when I saw that Great Conjunction. I am hopeful, therefore, that this union of the planets might foreshadow a union of two great forces coming together to make something brilliant.

What that brilliance might be? Well, perhaps you need to look to the stars to find guidance of your own.

The stars are out there, friends. They may be lifetimes upon lifetimes away, but their light shines on the Earth constantly. And I encourage you to look to them for guidance and support. Their light has granted many travelers safe passage over the millennia – and I know they’ll do the same for you.

Trust in their light. It’s the same light that the sun brings down on all of us – the light that provides warmth, energy, and life for all of us. Their light is affirming, and powerful. And if you’re ready to take the next step to learn how to harness this majestic healing power of light and energy – the same energy that guides us from the stars – then I encourage you to join me on my transformative and empowering journey of Medical Intuition, where we’ll learn how to read and heal with the powers of light, intuition, and energy.

Find your guiding light.

Deborah

2020-LastFullMoonBlog

Cold Moon and Reflection

by Astrological EventsFeaturedLunar

I like taking time to look at the moon – particularly the full moon. I take comfort in knowing that all around the world, millions of us are looking at the same moon at the same time. And we all are looking at the same moon that all of humanity has looked at over our shared time on Earth. And billions more of us will look at the same moon for millennia to come.

When I stop to stare at the moon, I feel a connection. I feel as if a great reflection of light has shone upon me. Not just the light of the sun reflected off its surface – but the light of these souls, past and present, all staring up at the moon in wonder.

It’s interesting, this concept of “reflection.” Thousands of years ago, the brightest minds in our land believed that the moon created its own light, until a thinker named Anaxagoras proved differently. No. The moon doesn’t create light. It reflects light. It’s a mirror.

This got me thinking about something a little closer to my chest: my heart. For many thousands of years, it was supposed that the heart created all of the blood in the human body. The liver consumed it. It wasn’t until 1628 that William Harvey proved that no, it doesn’t create blood. The heart circulates it. It is an engine.

These are groundbreaking discoveries that have taught us so much about our universe and ourselves. But, I imagine, for a moment, that when these discoveries came – there may have been a little sadness.

Sadness for an understanding that no, the moon isn’t a creator. It is a reflective rock.

Sadness for a realization that no, the heart isn’t a creator. It is a circulator.

I’ve felt this sadness. We’ve all felt this sadness: the sadness that comes from a feeling that our life isn’t what we wanted it to be. Maybe we didn’t discover a cure for cancer, or win a Nobel Prize, or win an Oscar for our environmental documentary.

And for a moment, we have a sadness: because we think we’re not what we dreamed we’d be.

We feel, dare I say, inadequate.

But I’m here to tell you that isn’t true.

Think of the moon. Is the moon any less special because it doesn’t create its own light? No! The moon gives us light in the darkness, serving as a literal beacon and guiding light when we are enveloped by cold and confusion.

The moon connects us with each other: it serves as a spiritual conduit with souls around the world.

Is the heart any less magnificent because it doesn’t create blood? I think not. It sends life-sustaining blood to our brains, to our lungs, to our toes, to our liver. It sustains us. The heart drives our body. It doesn’t need to create our lifeblood to spread our lifeblood.

We are just as magnificent as the moon and the heart. And when we discover our purpose or where we excel – be it as a sharp accountant, an inspiring teacher, a nurturing father – we must remember that our magnificence is not tied to what others have envisioned for us.

We all have a role to play. It just might be that our role is unexpected. It might be something we never imagined.

Our moon lifts our tides; our hearts oxygenate our bodies.

When we stare at the moon, the energy of our hearts ties to every human who has ever stared at the moon, past and present. It’s a mirror to the souls of our human race. It reflects the sun’s energy to us, and our energy onto each other.

Is there anything as magnificent? No other object in the universe does for us what our moon does. No other heart serves your body as yours does. No other person makes the same difference that you make.

You are magnificent. And – equally important – everyone is as magnificent.

Let us celebrate our uniqueness while recognizing the immaculate validity of each of us: children of the human race. Embrace this mystic, inner energy.

Can you feel it? The energy we share? Learn how to master this interconnected network of energy.

And consider further activating your unique gifts and learn how to embrace the pure radiant light of healing through a journey of Medical Intuition; you can learn all about that upcoming course and join me here.

And reflect your newfound knowledge back into your shared community.

Become as the moon. Reflect your energy and set the world alight with your magnificence.

2020 Winter Solstice

The Abduction of Persephone, the Goddess Queen of the Underworld in the Dark Days of Winter

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

The trees are bare and stark. The sky blackens with storm clouds. It gets dark outside early in the day. In the gloomiest part of the year, all you may want is to sit in front of a blazing fire, snuggled up in a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate in hand. But know that we’re coming up to the Winter Solstice, when, slowly but surely, the light starts coming back. In the dead of winter, when spring’s flowers and budding trees are still months away, the days start getting longer, and more light starts to infiltrate our awareness.

The descent into darkness is laid out in the Greek myth of Persephone. Zeus gives his brother Hades (the King of the Underworld) permission to abduct his daughter Persephone. Hades rises up from a dark hole in the earth, seizes Persephone, and takes her off to the underworld to be his wife. The permission given to Hades by Zeus shows that the journey into darkness is not at odds with the will of heaven. Her abduction is a step forward in her growth as a spiritual being, a rite of passage into a fuller life.

Persephone resists this process, as we all do. She seeks help from gods and men, none of whom will come to her rescue. Finally her mother, Demeter, appeals to Zeus and he agrees to set Persephone free—if she has not eaten any food in the underworld. By the time Hermes arrives in the underworld with Zeus’s message, Persephone has already eaten some pomegranate seeds. As a compromise, she is allowed to spend six months a year with her mother in the upper world, and then must join her husband in the underworld for the rest of the year. Thus, Persephone encounters her shadow side most profoundly through her intimate relationship.

The spiritual journey is more than just an ascent into the light; it is also a descent into the shadow world, where we earn the wisdom we need to be lightbearers. Of course, the best way to stay in the light, no matter how dark the winter (or your life) may be, is to connect with the light within you in whatever way you find most conducive. You may do it through a practice of meditation and/or prayer, through any of the creative arts, or through some form of service to those who are in need.

You can find comfort and warmth by joining with others, whether in traditional religious holiday observances or by creating your own ceremonies and traditions. Shared experiences of consciousness are a powerful way to increase your light.

It’s possible to find light even in our darkest moments in life. Like Persephone’s underworld, the darkness holds the source of our greatest illumination. My diagnosis of cancer as a young woman held within it the seed of my becoming a healer. Your higher self, your inner Zeus, knows what you need in order to grow stronger in the light.

Are you in the grips of the underworld? Instead of denying or running away from or fighting against a plunge into an emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual dark night of the soul, use whatever challenges come your way to grow inside. Here are some tips on how to surrender to the process and come out lighter and brighter:

  • Don’t label something as bad or wrong. Let go of the need to judge what is happening to you. Accept the experience for what it is.
  • Don’t blame others. Take responsibility for your own life.
  • Stop projecting stories from your past onto this moment in time. The same goes for living in fear of the future.
  • Embrace whatever challenges come your way, and don’t worry if things don’t turn out as you had planned. Trust that higher forces are guiding you.
  • Even though you might not be able to see the big picture yet, know that there is a reason for whatever you are experiencing. You are part of the grand plan.
  • Be at peace, and be willing to do the inner work that is needed to heal the outer struggle.

 

We are all being called to be lightbearers, to help shine light in the dark corners of the world. We are spiritual beings who are here with a purpose and a mission. Our soul qualities need to develop. So whatever dark days you are living through, know that there is, in fact, light at the end of the tunnel. Persephone arises into the upper world every spring, signaling the time of rebirth into the light.