God: Lugh God of Light, the Harvest, All – Skills, August festival Lughnasa is in his honor. Goddess: Brigit Goddess of the fires of inspiration, healing, divination and smithing.
Lugh and Brigit are patrons of arts and crafts.
Blackberry fruit contain vast amounts of anthocyanocides, which are found in the pigment that gives the berries their color. Anthocyanocides are powerful antioxidants that help to reverse cell damage caused by free radicals, and are reported to be instrumental in preventing heart disease, cancer and strokes.
Blackberries can be used as an astringent or tonic: infusing the leaves in warm water will help rid the kidneys of stones, the fruit is good for the the gastrointestinal tract, and the root has strong astringent properties.
The blackberry stimulates and awakens love and sweetness.
The thorns and brambles of this plant teach that patience and persistence will eventually bear sweet fruit. Blackberry enhances forgiveness that comes over time and with loving efforts.
Blackberry is very helpful to enhance quieter states of meditation, it calms the anxious mind and teaches a patient path to enlightenment. It also counteracts the Libran tendency towards indecision and procrastination. It increases the formation of goals into action via willpower.
The 3rd, Manipura, (solar plexus) chakra is strengthened, along with the bladder.
When there is any difficulty with the planet Saturn, even if it is only a hard aspect with the fast-moving moon, blackberry will help.
The blackberry helps to increase patience, and it eases the onset of age on the physical plane, while also enhancing the spiritual and astral bodies.
* I am not a medical doctor, informational purposes only.
January 23 2012 – February 9, 2013 Year of the Water Dragon of the rain
Yang Dragons are protectors of the East. They are associated with spring, green/blue, the elements wood/water. They control the rivers, rains and storms. Naga (sanskrit for serpent-like creatures) protected Siddharta, Guatama (the Buddha) from wind and rain for seven days.
Visionary, outspoken Dragons (Chen) are blessed with vitality, health and enthusiasm. Self-sufficient with a strong power of will, Dragon is a particularly lucky sign promising health, wealth and happiness. Dragons are witty, restless, freedom-loving and secretly enjoy shocking others with their eccentric behavior. Dragons are incredibly perceptive, imaginative, intuitive and drawn to the inexplicable. Dragons are original, admired and loved but they often prefer to remain at a distance. They are rational yet their actions are most often driven by instinct. Dragons are flamboyant, unpredictable, assertive and crave the limelight.
Dragons are especially compatible with Monkeys, Rats and Snakes.
Famous Dragons: Salvador Dali, Charles Darwin, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde
Water as an element is receptive, passive and reflective and flows around obstacles.
Water (in frozen and liquid form) covers 75 % of the Earth’s surface. The human body is 70 % water, blood 80%‚ brain 75%‚ liver 96% water.
Water conducts electricity which makes it the medium of bio-electricity in all living things. The Water Dragon known as the electric eel can produce up to 1,000 volts with a current up to one ampere.
Electrolytes become ions (click here for more on ions) in water and conduct electricity. Drink plenty of water – especially in Water Dragon years in order to maintain electrolyte balance within the body.
Water Dragons are shape-shifters, revered and worshipped in the east- they are protective, humane and benevolent benefactors. Water turns Dragons protection towards matters of the heart and emotions of fellow human beings. Water Dragons are naturally drawn to metaphysics and intuitive arts. Water Dragons advocate justice, are humanitarians and are more willing to share than other Dragons. Water Dragons are optimistic and see things objectively. They know the ring of truth and are fluent communicators, open to new ideas and experiences.
Year of the Water Dragon and Neptune is going home to Pisces in February ? !
WoOo HoOo !
Sounds great to me ! (click here for Neptuneinfo)
New Moon in Capricorn, folks. Draw up your maps, plot your course !
New moon signals a time of planting seeds for future growth, new moon in Capricorn – specifically long term yield and growth on the material plane. Capricorn is the career driven 10th house sign – the midheaven – the peak of public achievements. Capricorn rules time, building, Earth and stones.
I am a Capricorn rising with this new moon conjunct my Ascendant, quintile (spiritual gifts) Mercury, trine my Venus /Jupiter on the 8th (my Pluto is also in the 8th which rules mines) so ~ a timely I love rocks / crystals post !
Sun and Moon are coming up to conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, which rules mines and the underground where crystals are formed…hmmm…perhaps this is the light in dark places I was referring to in a previous post !
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Pictured above is a specimen of rainbow moonstone, ruled by Moon and Neptune. (I have Moon exalted in Toro, opposite Neptune which is my most highly aspected planet, and I wear rainbow moonstone often.)
Moonstone is a feldspar, a type of rock which makes up to 60% of the earth’s crust. You may come into contact with feldspar every day without even knowing it. Resistant to chemical corrosion, it is used in glassmaking, ceramics, as a filler in paint, plastics, and rubber. Moonstone is formed by twinning which is the layering of atoms between chemically compatible (high temperatures) and incompatible (low temperatures) intergrowths which separates the layers causing shimmer and refraction of light.
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A few words about my kinship with stones :
The person carrying the stone must seek enlightenment within/without, but I DO see stones as lower frequency fortifiers, if you will, while on the journey.
A cleanse/ prayer/ intent fashioned as an energy to work in accordance with the stone, which I feel holds the frequency of the intent longer and over a more drawn out period of time because of its slower vibration.
Then it works as a ‘helper’. For example, if in a busy moment in a noisy crowd, it can be a ‘touch- stone’ reminder of the committment made during the longer cleanse/prayer ceremony.
Like a mental breaker switch- touch it- get a reminder of the direction of personal will and intent. When under stressful energies, it is there to fortify.
With that said, an acorn, buckeye, piece of driftwood, shell or whatever could hold the same gift from an above ground/ in the sea standpoint, particularly if it was a gift from a loved one ~ which adds a zing to the vibe.
While river stones and crystals are earthEarthEARTH underground and hold power in a different way since they are formed over eons by pressure.
I feel they offer a solid document, if you will, of the agreement humans make coming into this Earth arena. They are remnants of our ancestors and carry knowledge of other times in rock form.
When I hold a fossil, ammonite in particular, I am reminded of time and my small, yet important place in it – am reminded to act accordingly as the spiral of life reaches ever outward.
Think of the stones as allies on the journey. My stones will remain long after I’m gone … gives perspective, you know..?
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Moonstone is the stone of the High Priestess, the keeper of divine feminine mysteries.
It can be used to aid the journey inward, reveal emotions, instincts and hidden memories. It is helpful in dealing with fluctuation, cycles, changes, and it fosters serenity, sensitivity, and nurturing.
Moonstone can help guide you on your spiritual journey with the aid of the Great Mother, Gaia. Moonstone teaches the cycles of life and how to work with them, it helps give insight, a higher perspective, a higher vibration, and increases empathic abilities.
Rainbow moonstone is a protection stone that diffuses a rainbow prism of energies throughout the aura, it helps deflect negativity and clears the emotional body.
Historically, (it wouldn’t be a Cappy Moon, and I wouldn’t be a Cappy ASC if I didn’t go into the history) moonstone is said to predict the future if held under the tongue on a full moon.
Hindus believed it was moonlight, hardened. It was used to aid in birth (I am currently having Pluto square Saturn – my chart ruler and am using it to aid in re-birth), restore balance and harmony between feuding lovers (pass the same moonstone between each other every two weeks) as well as to cure sleeplessness. It is a good stone for teenagers as it helps balance and soften the emotions and alleviates mood imbalances.
On a subtle energy level, moonstone when used as an elixir, is beneficial for female health of all kinds. It alleviates stomach (moon ruled) and digestion problems by activating the Manipura, or solar plexus chakra behind the navel.
It also is very beneficial for alleviating anxiety and stress by bringing balance to the emotional body. On a cellular level, moonstone elixir regenerates human skin tissue and stimulates the pituitary (master of hormone production) gland.
Moonstone aligns the astral and emotional bodies. namaste~ gneissmoonastrology.net
New Moon in Capricorn December 24, 2:06pm CST, USA.
New Moon brings a fresh cycle, increase of light and energy.
Set intentions for your future according to the moon in Capricorn.
Capricorn is eons of earth (material world) crystallization. Honor yourself, others and the Earth with Moon in Capricorn.
Make long-range plans, practice ritual, conserve and be disciplined.
This moon favors business and career, workings that will produce at a delay or long-term.
Capricorns Use their Time wisely.
What does the phase of the moon at your birth tell you..? click here.
The breath is a mantra spoken 26,000 times a day.
The past is behind us, the future is unformed and the present unfolds quickly.
Detach, accept the impermanence of all things.
The breath is born (inhale).
The breath lives (oxygen in our blood).
The breath dies (exhale).
Each inhalation is cleansing, each exhalation a release of the old and impure.
The old gives way to the new.
This is nature’s way.
Envision your life renewed with each inhalation of breath.
One of the first things I did was go to the grocery store to buy food. It was a novel idea at the time, for I hadn’t really shopped for food in about 10 years. Now here I was, 30 years old, and probably doing the first good grocery shopping in my life. I was an adult with a credit card, a checkbook, and an ATM card. I could buy whatever I wanted in the store, but I had no idea where to start. I thought that everyone was staring at me. It had been so long that I had been anywhere sober that I didn’t know how to act or how to deal.
It was like being on LSD. The lights in the store were blaringly bright to me and the music seemed to be playing hidden messages. I bought some milk and barbecue sauce and cigarettes, and that is all. My shirt was drenched in sweat and I was having a full-blown panic attack. As I drove my car home, I stiffly steered my machine out of the way of three accidents as I rode the brakes the whole way. I could smell my brake pads when I got home.
~Duff McKagan, on his sobriety from “It’s so Easy and other lies” (click here) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duff McKagan rose to fame as bassist for Guns ‘N’ Roses in 1987, when the band released Appetite for Destruction.
It is is the highest selling debut album of all time in the US, with more than 28 million copies sold worldwide.
Next year’s class of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be headlined by Guns N’ Roses, the only group on the ballot to be inducted in their first year of eligibility. Click here for Cleveland R&RHoF
I’ve been reading Duff McKagan’s autobiography and obviously GN’R partied, but I had no idea how far it had gone for Duff personally. He is brutally honest, candid and wryly funny in his accounts of his life as bassist of GN’R.
On May 10, 1994, Duff’s pancreas burst and he was told by his doctor if he had one more drink he would die. He spent two weeks in the hospital recovering and taking small steps in the early stages of detox. He credits his sobriety in large part to guilt over seeing his mother suffering from worry while he was in critical care.
He describes his recovery from addiction through a love of mountain biking, and his voracious appetite for reading. He began to write columns for Seattle Weekly, and later many other publications. For Seattle Weekly McKagan archives, click here.
While in recovery Duff read GN’R financial documents and found he couldn’t understand them. He decided to enroll in financial accounting courses (got an A in his first class) and discovered his love of academics. He earned a 4.0 and was on the President’s list, quite an achievement from the earlier addictions he describes in his book. When he saw a need for musicians to be educated about their financial holdings and business deals, it lead him to start his own wealth management firm, MeridianRock, to educate musicians and give them the power to make good business decisions on their own behalf.
Duff is a 9 life path, meaning he is in a lifetime of completion. Nine is the culminated knowledge of all the numbers before it, and is a number of utopian ideals. Nines are spiritual and often have a lifetime of overcoming difficulties. They learn how to succeed themselves, in order to teach the world how to do the same. (I’m a nine too.)
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This is a solar chart, I don’t have the correct birth time, so keep in mind the planets in signs remain the same, houses may change.
First off, I was struck by how Duff has several difficult fixed (ingrained over several lifetimes) squares (inner conflict, obstacles) involving the Sun (ego, spirit) and Moon (feelings, fluctuation) – they are the luminaries, the conscious (Sun), and unconscious (Moon).
Hopes (Sun) and Dreams (Moon) forming an obstacle to one another.
Moon and Neptune in Scorpio are quiet, secretive and perceptive, if they do not find stimulation, (speaking from my personal experience here; and Duff speaks of facing it in the ring) they can turn the Scorpio stinger on themselves to feel something, anything.
Moon (habits, instincts) conjunct Neptune can mean addiction in its low vibration, or spiritual healing at its highest vibration. This conjunction is intuitive, and feels the cosmos coming in. It is a conjunction that can bring mystical emotions, heightened perceptions, illusions, daydreams and imagination into the waking life 24/7.
Note also the asteroid Dionysus 3671 is opposite Sun and Mars and square Neptune. Dionysus is symbolic not only of wine and merriment, but also of the sharp pruning of the vine in order for it to bear the best fruit. Sun (life, spirit), Mars (the blade) and Saturn (pruning) conjunction in Aquarius has indeed led to the bearing of Duff’s best life / fruit.
Coupled with a hedonistic Sun / Mars conjunction in square ( inner tension ) to the often delusional energies of Neptune, that’s one heck of an obstacle. Sun conjunct Mars is raw power, tempered by Saturn (the tester, restriction, karma) the need to restrict and rein in the wild tendencies inherent to the nature of Aquarius. That trio of planets in Aquarius, is in itself a hurdle.
Here’s his ace in the hole : Mercury trine Uranus. Mercury is thinking; Uranus intuition and innovation. Mercury in good aspect to Uranus is the sign of genius, a quick study. The mental faculties are very sharp and capable of radical trail-blazing ideas. Through his love of learning (Mercury is study and is sextile {opportunity} Venus, love) he transformed his life (Sun) his habits, (Moon conjunct Neptune) and his creativity, his love and spiritual health (Venus exalted in Pisces) all by taking the opportunity (sextiles) to learn and stimulate his intellect.
He also took the opportunity (sextile) to keep actively busy through sports (Mars), higher education (Jupiter), and he continually pushes his endurance (Aries) physically in order to improve his self-esteem (Sun).
Duff’s North Node of Destiny is in Cancer, the sign of nurturing. Once he got himself on his feet, he will push ahead helping others too. Now Duff is strong in heart, mind, body, and spirit and has a loving family. He is, by building (Saturn rules building, the earth and rocks) MeridianRock (perfect name- I love it !) reaching out to help his fellow musicians learn how to handle their finances so they can take care of themselves too.
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Very quickly I want to say a few words about the day Duff was admitted into the hospital with a burst pancreas. Moon rules the pancreas, and conjunct Neptune in the natal, it can indicate a weakness. If circumstances in the life and transits activate it, trouble may arise. Duff speaks in his book of alcoholism and drug use spiraling out of control, and that will further weaken the body.
Transiting Sun 19 Taurus (life-force) was opposite (call for compromise) Moon 19 / Neptune 17 conjunction (addiction) in Scorpio (the house of death and rebirth). Transiting Moon was also nearing opposition at 11 Taurus. Transiting Neptune was conjunct natal Mercury (which is trine Uranus in the natal – that’s a wake up call !) Transiting Pluto and North Node of Destiny were conjunct in Scorpio as well – a call for transformation, rebirth, and rising to meet your destiny. Ohm mani padme hum
Duff’s band, Loaded released their 3rd studio album, The Taking, earlier this year, see the video below for an acoustic version of Flatline.
The above is Russil Paul from The Yoga of Sound, the below is directly taken from the liner notes in the 3 cd set. Clickhere for a previous post on sound healing and more Russil Paul.
This is one of the most powerful and popular Hindu mantras.
Shiva is the great dance of energy that is the very nature of the universe. Shiva is that dark principle, which destroys the shadow in us all. Shiva is the ancient power represented by the mountain and the phallus, the great inner strength and resolve of the yogi, the Purifier, and the one purified by fire. This chant is the great hymn to Shiva.
Chant Om Namah Shivaaya , draw the mantra out with your breath, and feel your spirit merge with the energy of Shiva, the ancient cosmic mystery. Breathe slowly and deeply after each mantra, and experience the continual movement of your body as it turns, a motion that you share with the planets and stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~ This is what you’ll hear from my truck as I blow by you on the highway leaving a trail of incense heehee true story.
Uranus is odd. It points to the odd in the natal chart. Whatever it aspects in the natal gets a ping-zing of quirk.
Uranus is known as the awakener. It is eccentric in natal chart operation and in orbit. The poles of Uranus are perpendicular to the ecliptic (orbital path around the Sun) which means it kind of rolls around thesun on its equator. Each pole will experience a 42 year day, followed by a 42 year night.
(Yes, Uranus has rings, and no they are not red, this is an infra-red camera pic.) The reason Uranus appears such a vivid blue is the atmosphere absorbs all red wavelengths of the visible spectrum, preventing it from bouncing back into space – all we see is the blue-green spectrum of color.
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Saturn (terra firma, being grounded) is the traditional ruler of Aquarius. The root (security) and sacral (desire) chakras are in the red color spectrum they are primal and personal, (represent being grounded).
While the blue color spectrum is the 3rd eye (intuition, pure communication) and is seeing the BIG PICTURE – it is more of a tribe vibe, being open to new possibilities, and innovations. Uranus shifts between the two in an instant. Grounded to ether ! Snap !
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Uranus is by nature an energy shifter. It shifts perspectives, vision and thinking like a lighting bolt.
Uranus went retrograde on July 9, 2011 – direct motion reboots things stalled at that time. Also look to your house of Aries at zero degrees, this is where Uranus goes direct. Pay attention to the same degrees of Libra (opposition, others and compromise) and Capricorn and Cancer (squares, the inner tension) for where to expect groovy energy downloads.
Uranus goes direct with a quintile – that’s a gift, a talent –the spirit quest – to Venus, the planet of love, art, beauty, kindness, self-worth and values and oh yeah…the green thing, money. $$
Actively engage a shift in these areas – that’s your talent, so use it.
What Uranus will bring up is anybody’s guess, it is the wild unpredictable the free and untamed.
Bend rather than break ~ be pliable, resilient and kind.
Retrograde motion is when the planetary energy is turned inward, direct motion energies pour outward. The few days prior to either are usually amped up a bit, lol. You may tweak – fair warning ! Just keep in mind others are tweaking too – particularly those with Uranus prominent in the natal ~ when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Uranus rules astrology, wireless, telepathy, inventors, the eureka ! , and magnetics.
Uranus’ magnetic field is odd in that it is not centered on the center of the planet and is tilted almost 60degrees with respect to the axis of rotation.
Since Uranus rules magnetics, polarities (positive and negative), and higher thought – be aware of what you draw to you by thought – for thoughts become deeds.
Because this Full Lunar eclipse is in Gemini (rules hands) I am leaving you with some info about mudras !
Different fingers represent different elements :
Finger — element it represents
Thumb — Fire or Sun
Index finger — Air or Wind
Middle finger — Sky or Space *
Ring finger — Earth
Small finger — Water
*note : now I will always see this gesture (in title) in a whole new way YaY !
There are various hand positions used in both kung fu and in yoga. The hands in kung fu often form shapes that are representational of animals. The tigers claw, the snakes head or the cranes beak are all traditional shaolin hand positions. In yoga the hand gestures are called mudras. A mudra sometimes is a symbolic shape similar to the ones in kung fu, yet more often they are energetic connections being made in the nadis or meridians. By connecting fingers, or pointing certain directions we direct energy and link up specific channels to generate a particular set of internal resonances. The hands are vitally important to the brain. There is an equal amount of cortical tissue dedicated to the hand as there is to the whole rest of the body. By engaging our hands, our breath, our bodies, our focus we awaken our inner sense of awareness and unify ourselves.
Gneiss Moon Astrology 