Pluto, Wesak, and Historic Opportunity

Pluto, the Great Transformer, makes its final passage across the Galactic Center, completing the series of historic conjunctions that began in Christmas week, December 2006 (what a week that was for me! My story about living mobilely, The New Nomads, which I'd been trying to write for 3 years, suddenly came gushing forth in 3 hours!).

This final Pluto/Galactic Center tete-a-tete takes place with Pluto in retrograde motion (appearing to travel "backward" from our vantage point on Earth) into Sagittarius, before turning direct and moving into Capricorn for the next 15 years.

Intuitive astrologer Allison Rae, whose latest issue of Cosmic Time is replete with topical information, says, "When the Lord of the Underworld aligns with the massive star- and planet-making black hole at the center of the Milky Way, changes are deep, fast, furious and long-lasting. It may not feel like it, but all Heaven in breaking loose on Earth. During this retrograde phase, we have another chance for Divine Love to emerge as the dark recesses of the individual and collective psyche are purged of illusion - the self-limiting thoughts, beliefs, programs and addictions that have no place in an enlightened future."

We also enjoy two full moons in Scorpio, April 20 and May 19-20, bookends for Wesak, the Buddha's birthday celebration, which this year takes place April 20th. Since Pluto rules Scorpio, this can be an especially rich growth opportunity, notes Rae, a time to "uproot longstanding karmic patterns and accelerate our transformation into self-realized divine beings." It's also an auspicious and potent moment to pray for Tibet liberation at long last.

A Time to Yinify

As Easter and the Equinox are kinned this year, it seems an ideal moment to embrace union and renewal on all levels. I coined the word yinify years ago to mean, bringing more of the Feminine energy and the essence of harmony and balance into ourselves and into the world.

While I've long supported Dennis Kucinich, who embodies yinification to a remarkable degree, with his withdrawal from the U.S. presidential quest I now view Barack Obama as a candidate who, by both his nature and personal history, stands poised to bring a divided country closer to collaboration than ever before. I think it would be absolutely awesome to have these two insightful, impassioned leaders share stewardship of the USA's highest elected office.

Enjoy this impassioned talk:
A More Perfect Union

And read Dennis's visionary speech, Spirit and Stardust, first delivered at the Praxis Peace Conference in Croatia in 2002.

Aries Amplifies: Earth in Rebirth!

Astrologer Allison Rae has a euphonic way with words, especially as Spring bubbles to the fore once again. Here's an excerpt from her current newsletter:

"...a new Light bursts into being with the animated energies of the Aries Equinox and Full Moon this week. We're freshly reconfigured from the powerful February eclipse series, good to go for the next round of evolutionary expansion.

"The Sun enters Aries late Wednesday or early Thursday, depending on your time zone, marking the Vernal Equinox and the beginning of a new astrological year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's Autumn Equinox, a time of harvest and reflection. Day and night are equally balanced. The cardinal, initiating energies of this equinox alignment give the cosmic green light for whatever you've been dreaming of beginning, or becoming. Life on Earth is poised for rebirth. The equinox is followed closely by the Libra/Aries Full Moon, emphasizing themes of balance, harmony and new beginnings.

"The March 19-21 Equinox portal is an auspicious moment in cosmic time. This alignment is filled with magic, mysticism, surprises and connection with other realms as Venus and Mercury join Uranus in transcendent Pisces and the Moon conjuncts Saturn and the fixed star Regulus. A vision for humanity's future takes shape with Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius.

"Our thoughts, words, actions and emotions will be amplified throughout all dimensions during this special gateway. A star is born, the polished crystalline gem you are becoming, shining, brilliant in the awakening sky."

And fellow shapeshifter Lara Shah, an international connector/catalyst with a wild and wacky sense of humor, reminds us to "breathe and laugh a lot. Just laugh yourselves silly. See the divine comedy that is life."

As I say on the Live Your Light home page, "Laughter lights us up. Conscious evolution is purposeful play!" And this, siblings on the journey, is what it means to look on the Light side!

Happy rebirthing...

Total Momsense: Hilarious Maternal Wisdom

This vid is too good to save for a Mother's Day post: everything a mother says in 24 hours, condensed into just under 3 minutes, and sung to the William Tell Overture:

The Mom Song

Better sit up straight and wipe that smirk off your face, if you know what's good for you...

The Wealth We've Waited For

It's time for the wise to be wealthy! In her latest transmission, Patti Cota-Robles joyfully announces, "2008 will go down in the annals of history as the Cosmic Moment when Humanity’s descent into poverty consciousness was reversed by the unified efforts of Lightworkers everywhere." Yippee! How ready are we all to welcome the abundance that is our birthright?

Patti reports: "During this momentous time, we will burst the paralyzing grip that our fragmented human consciousness has had on us. This obsolete aspect of our personality has manipulated us for aeons of time into believing that we are only our physical bodies and that the physical plane of Earth is all that exists. This fallen, fear-based level of our consciousness accepts the illusion of lack and limitation. It also believes that it has the right to do whatever is necessary in order to get what it wants, even if it means lying, stealing, cheating or killing. All we have to do is observe the atrocities taking place all over the world to confirm this statement.

"This is a New Day on Planet Earth, however, and we have reached a critical mass of energy, vibration and consciousness that is lifting us into the patterns of perfection for the New Earth. Together, this year, we will cocreate the NEW Archetypes for Humanity’s Abundance and establish a new paradigm on Earth based on the infinite flow of Abundance from our Father-Mother God. Through our unified efforts, our Victory is assured!"

She goes on to explain what I and so many others around the world have been committed to this lifetime: helping to unify our feminine and masculine energies into wholeness, both within ourselves and as a planetary organism. Because as we attain balance and open our hearts to full breadth, peace and prosperity must follow as the natural outcome.

And now we have reached critical mass (or, we might say, an uncritical mass :-) and the process can flower into fullness. This is true abundance: health, wealth and wisdom united, as we come to realize we are never alone, but instead, ALL ONE.

In the Pink with Tink

What Shines/March 2008 is about a Big Tank of Pink Liquid (you'll have to read the newsletter to discover what that means!) and also describes several inter-species instances of predators becoming pals. Loyal reader and contributor Jacqui Hoag just sent another pink moment over the wire: a dachshund fostering a piglet! His name's Pink, a combo of "pig" and "Tink" (the Mama dog). Pink's the cleanest puppy/piglet ever, because Tink licks him all the time.

Hi Tech for Higher Purpose

Since I just referenced the famous Star Trek transporter device in the March issue of my e-zine, What Shines, I was deLighted to find the following article on how so many of the visionary TV show's technological inventions are now in actual existence (or getting there).

I've always thought Star Trek was written by walk-ins (higher dimensional aspects of ourSelves that step into our 3-D bodies, often moving our lives in very different directions. BTW, having a walk-in is a clear soul agreement, so if the information is new to you and scary sounding, fear not: no one can "walk into" your body without your consent!).

So...we've enjoyed our techno-toys, and are now delving more deeply into how we can use technology for the highest good of the planet. Check out these nifty adaptations of brill sci-fi:

Star Trek Tech

Leap Year ~ Not! The Laws of Time

Every four years, we add a day to the calendar to even out Earth's elliptical orbit. It seems a bit grandiose to think that humans are correcting the Creator's error, eh?

From an indigenous perspective, time has an entirely different flow ~ and meaning. Since discovering the Mayan Calendar in 1996, I've learned to live on two levels simultaneously: our 12:60 Gregorian calendar, which measures time in 12-month and 60-minute increments, neither of which is natural and all of which leaves us breathless and starving for peace, and the 13:20 Mayan cycle of 13 Moons and a 20-count unit of measure, which we actually embody (20 fingers and toes). Just holding this both/and has expanded my experience.

With Leap Day tomorrow, and 2012 looming, it's useful to delve more deeply into what, exactly, is going on. I'm going to be writing more about 2012 soon, as lately I've been hearing several young people express fear about what this date portends. But for now, here's some Leap Year clarity with a Mayan Calendar perspective, from timekeeper Aluna Joy.

"The Mayan date system presented in Mayan Astrology skips leap year days altogether in order to stay in sync with galactic cycles. In other words, it literally ignores the Gregorian day, February 29, and continues the sacred count on March 1. This method adjusts for the Gregorian discrepancy every four years by skipping one day every four years.

"The traditional Maya had no problem with the Gregorian calendar, but of course, they didn't use it. This eliminated one problem, yet they still had to make an adjustment of 13 days at the end of a 52-year cycle during their New Fire ceremonies. They kept the sacred count for 52 years, skipped over 13 days or Suns, and then resumed their sacred count in order to stay in sync with galactic cycles. The New Fire ceremonies represent a complete cycle of the Haab (Long Count), the Tzolk'in (260-day sacred cycle), and the Pleiades, coming full circle to their places of origin. The following quote is from Mayan Elder, Hunbatz Men, in his booklet Tzol ek' Mayan Astrology, 'Due to very precise and consistent methods of observation, the Maya came to establish the well-know cycle of the NEW FIRE or TUNBEN K'AK, which is celebrated every 52 years.'

"The big question here is what about those days we just flippantly skip over that were given to us by the Creator, Hunab K'u? Do we just toss them out with the morning trash? The problem we are encountering here is based in our perspective. Through the vision of my buddies, the Cosmic Maya, I was shown some intriguing perspectives or shifts in orientation, helping me see the problem from a different angle or light. You will have to tune in to Spirit and feel for yourself. Remember, proof is in the experience.

"The first and most powerful problem we have is how we approach the sacred calendar. We are approaching it from an Earth perspective that is still not in sync with the galactic whole. Then we try to cram the sacred Tzolk'in cycle into a Gregorian one. This doesn't work without some adjustments, as we all have deduced by now.

"We are emerging out of an age of darkness. We are beginning to remember long-lost truths. We are also stretching toward galactic alignment. This tells us that we are out of sync with the galaxy. Right? Well, if we are out of sync with harmonious galactic cycles, how could we possibly force the sacred Mayan calendar, which is based in the harmonious cycles of the universe, into the framework of the faulty Gregorian calendar without some difficulty? We have been assuming that a sacred day in the Mayan calendar is the exact length of a solar/Earth day. We know it is not. The problem is not with the Mayan calendar, it is not with the Sun, it is with our Earth cycles and our currently used Gregorian calendar. We are trying to link the sacred calendar to the faulty Gregorian based calendar instead of the other way around

"The Cosmic Maya share that our Earth is spinning too fast at this time to synchronize totally with the sacred cycles. They say that the earth is now slowing its spin as they anticipated. (Scientists have confirmed that the earth is indeed slowing its spin) When it slows to the point of harmony and synchronization with the sacred timing cycle (in 2012), Earth will balance its rotational speed and we will align with the galaxy. It is at this time that we will be able to merge and integrate our solar cycles with the sacred cycle."

Anger, Fear and the Age of Ethics

Dear Ones,

Below is possibly the most important post I've ever made in this blog. It's a lengthy communication from Leslie Temple Thurston to her e-list; there is no online link. Please read in its entirety and pass along to all you know; this is crucial information for our individual and collective healing/transformation at this time. I have felt what she describes myself and acted on it, realizing even in the moment how out-of-proportion my anger was. And I have had two people erupt on me in like manner.

Awareness in awakening makes all the difference.

Blessings and Light,
Amara


Dear Everyone,

I am writing to share something with you that I see happening energetically to some of us right now, and I suspect, soon to be all of us. It looks and feels very weird and unusual. This "happening" feels like an exceptionally strong vibration passing through the physical and subtle body, at the level of the solar plexus, night and day. It feels either like your solar plexus has been "hollowed out" and you may feel hungry – or it can turn into a strong vibration of fear and/or anger in a split second depending on some sort of stimulation. And it just sits in the solar plexus, seemingly for no apparent reason. Quite a few people I have spoken to are feeling this as well.

After many, mostly sleepless nights, of being threatened repeatedly by what seem to be occult forces trying to pull me out of my heart, and into the experience of this overwhelming energy/vibration of fear or anger, I have begun to understand a little of what its purpose is. In the past month it has been running relentlessly through my body day and night, without me knowing exactly what it is. I have begun to see that this is some sort of set up, or process which we all need to understand. Finally, its source and purpose seem a little clearer, and I wanted immediately to let you know what I suspect it to be, so that you don't fall into the trap of projecting it out or making it personal. Let me explain.

These feelings/vibrations of anger/fear feel awful in the body, and it is so easy to project them on to some situation that might be happening in your life that is difficult — don't be tempted to do that. Doing that would blow any situation out of all proportion and push you into the realms of delusion and deep trouble. You could suddenly find yourself in a battle with someone where the issues are hugely magnified and seem completely insoluble.

The whole energy configuration is at best a process, and needs to be looked at in that light. Don't take its surface appearance too seriously. It is an illusion. An illusion of the times we are in, those of the 5th night of the Galactic Underworld, and it is being exacerbated by the current astrology — that of Mars' opposition to Pluto.

This configuration of Mars/Pluto has been happening for awhile, since the late fall, and is building towards a climax that will take place between now and early to mid-March. Be aware that this is very extreme astrology, and is hitting everyone at the level of their deepest shadow and deepest wounding. So, you definitely have some deep processing to do during this time, but once again a reminder to be most careful not to project that these feelings are real or are the result of some situation in your life that is difficult, because it will have the effect of making everything worse and cause you to lose the connection to your heart.

In the past few days I have spoken with several people and from sharing with them what I have been feeling and seeing, we have mutually established that we are all feeling the same thing — this intense flow of a fear/anger vibration ripping through the body night and day. It is so unpleasant and distracting, keeping you awake at night especially. For some people it only happens in waves, for some it is there all the time. It appears to take your life force, is very debilitating on the nervous system and can leave you exhausted.

When I first felt it, I fell into the trap of associating it as being the consequence of a difficult process that is happening in my life. Yesterday, I recognized that it was not necessarily directly connected to that situation, but that, as a projection, it was making the situation appear worse than it actually is.

And then I began to look elsewhere for an explanation of the bodily sensation of fear/anger. I asked Archangel Michael for help and this led me into doing some deep processing of early childhood trauma, which led into a samsara, which begun back at the time of the ancient collective wounding associated with "The Fall" of the Neolithic civilization, and the disaster programming associated with that time — the beginning of patriarchy. It worked out so wonderfully when I did that and there was a huge release! Since according to the Mayan Calendar we are at the end of Patriarchy, it stands to reason that we are clearing the beginning of it. Also, according to the Mayan Calendar we are at the beginning of the "Age of Ethics."

So with that clearing, what had been feeling like "the fear of being attacked suddenly, unexpectedly and opportunistically" came up as nothing but a samsaric process, even though it was being mirrored in my life as something "real". It had the feeling of anarchy that brought up the fear. This fear is our deepest wounding as a human collective right now. I allowed myself to go into it and enter deeply into the feelings (which took awhile) and in the end it was relatively painless and easy to let it go. I found that it could be released along with the early childhood trauma of being abandoned and rejected at birth in this life, which was the shadow of that "Fall" time being repeated in probably each and every life I/we have had since then. A very big clearing happened, and the bodily feelings of fear/anger went away.

Now, sitting here at 2:00 am, writing since I woke up, the feeling is slightly present again, but I am seeing it now in a different light, at a different level, as a fear of dissolution, of the ego's journey of coming unglued, and of ultimately, a letting go of the ego — whereas before, yesterday, it had been discerned as a fear of loss, scarcity or destruction and death — in other words it took me all the way down the downward spiral, and then became what I perceive to be our final step, the surrender of ego.

Having processed my way through many squares over the past couple of weeks, as I tried to understand what this energy was about, squares mostly around a kind of irrational, anarchistic and chaotic quality I was experiencing that was associated with the process, it has cleared enough to where all I am now left with is a vague feeling of discomfort in the solar plexus area around the idea of loss, moving into a feeling which I perceive to be a fear of coming unglued or of egoic dissolution. It feels like death but I see it is ego death.

In other words this very intense bodily feeling that was being interpreted as fear or anger, (they are very akin to each other, the same vibration actually, as it is experienced by the tyrant [anger] or the victim, [fear]) and which felt very threatening, has morphed into not much of a reaction at all, except to notice its faint presence in the body — and it is not scary anymore. I will process "fear of dissolution" but it does not have the huge "charge" it had anymore and I am no longer being fooled into thinking it is necessarily associated with the difficult situation in my life. I believe it is a collective process, although I have been working it as though it was personal, since making it subjective has given me a very deep connection to what is happening and has helped in understanding it—at this very important time in our/humanity's evolution.

Why are we feeling this "stuff" and where is it coming from? I believe it is coming from the Pluto/Mars opposition, the issue of us being in the "5th night" and other astrological "complications".

The main thing I really want to warn you about IS TO NOT PROJECT IT OUT ONTO SOME SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN BE DELUDED INTO MAKING "REAL" AND/OR THAT MIGHT LOOK SCARY OR DIFFICULT. It could complicate that situation hugely, and besides, what we are being tempted into here, IS A HUGE TRAP.

Spirit had created a couple of scenarios for me that were proving difficult, and which suddenly became overblown and "hugely scary" and would not resolve, as this energy was overlaid on to them. And I soon saw that the temptation was to associate the bodily feelings of fear/anger with the processes that were trying to resolve on the outside. It was necessary to separate the inner states from the situations outside. They were not connected.

My concern, and it is a very real concern, is that ordinary people who have a tendency to project their feelings onto the outside, will feel these feelings/vibrations of fear/anger and look around in their life to see where the feelings may be coming from, and what is "wrong" in their lives. Then they will project these feelings onto any outer situation that seems problematic, thus blowing the situation out of proportion and distorting the process. I am seeing that this energy could lead to disputes being exaggerated hugely.

This is a scenario where fighting or wars could break out in the coming weeks. It could lead the world into some sort of disaster. We are entering a dangerous time in fact. The energy could create dire consequences (such as the man who "went postal" on Valentine's Day in Illinois, and opened fire on a group of people, killing 7 and wounding 18), but on a much grander scale.

Fear and anger take us out of our hearts and cut us off from our divine connection. And so in situations such as this energy unfolding itself into the world right now, people become very vulnerable and susceptible and can find themselves in very dangerous situations where they are without the ability to access their hearts. It is always our heart which guides us along the proper course of action, helping us keep our proper alignment during difficult times, and when we lose connection to it, we become vulnerable to occult and opportunistic forces that can manipulate us into creating bad karma for ourselves.

I see that the big picture here is that the process has been set up by spirit to help us shift and leave third chakra selfishness/patriarchy with its tyrant/victim configuration, to move into heart-centered life in a higher dimension. This is the ultimate issue/process of our present times as you all know—the one on which the fate of the world hangs. I have written about how this year is perhaps the most major time for global transformation that we have ever experienced.

So I see this current set-up as a test that we are being taken through right now. And the choices are being dangled in front of us like a great, ripe, tempting apple — fall again or ascend.

We, as impeccable and responsible people who can see more deeply into the truth of what is unfolding here, can provide a service to the world by seeing this energy for what it is — that it is nothing but a process — and address it accordingly. By doing the process fully and clearly, we can help stabilize the world by holding The Middle Way and not falling into the trap of making any of what is passing through us, real.

But by using the potential that these strange, intense feelings of fear and anger (and hate actually) offer us, we can look deeply into ourselves and clear out very old samsara — to the benefit of all.

Making the right choice now is the window of opportunity that will benefit us individually during these dark times, if we can take it and respond to the situation from the proper place of detachment.

Love,
Leslie

P.S. – An important addendum that I just received from Bella Cloude follows:

There are significant implications to the lunar eclipse full moon that occurs on February 20th. This bridge between the February 6th new moon in Aquarius solar eclipse, and the coming full moon Lunar eclipse — sun in Pisces moon in Virgo, will determine the course of many events, I believe. The Piscean - Aquarian transition time is reflected in this moon cycle. Neptune and Chiron are in Aquarius — our etheric body (Neptune) along with the wounded healer (Chiron).

Now we are entering in the vortex of the lunar eclipse — Saturn in Virgo (our karma teachings) conjunct the full moon in Virgo. Remember Karma is not only cause and effect but also effect and cause, so we are cautioned not to dwell on the effects of Karma — only to let it clear.

See You on the Dark Side of the Moon

This week heralds the second of two eclipses this month/moon cycle, and I love how seasoned astrologer Allison Rae frames the possibilities. This is from the current issue of her newsletter, Cosmic Time:

"The Total Lunar Eclipse this week promises a consciousness shakedown.

During the Full Moon on Wednesday night, the reflected light of the Sun will be blocked by the Earth, creating the illusion of the Moon darkening' as it turns a deep red-brown.

The play of 'light' and 'dark' is highlighted at each Full Moon. With a Total Lunar Eclipse the effect goes quantum. The cosmic energies transmitted through this portal offer a unique opportunity to see another side of your self, embrace and transform the shadow.

Emotional cleansing triggered by the eclipse can bring balance and restore the self to wholeness. Flow with this energy rather than resist it. Explore the subconscious. Dance with the shadow. Merge with Essence. Let go.

We're dealing with the individual and collective shadow, as world events reveal. Our prayer, intent and conscious participation in this divine drama create an opening for the light of higher consciousness to heal and transform humanity and the Earth.

A new paradigm is emerging. You can help guide this transition through your own practice of mindfulness throughout the eclipse period, and beyond."

Wishing You Love!

Love to all!

What Do You Do When A Health Food Salesman Comes to Call?

...Go ahead and vitamin!

This riddle, which was on a greeting card I sent to a friend years ago when she managed the vitamin department of a health food store, might serve as the anthem for now, when a lighthearted, slightly quirky, Aquarian approach will serve us better than any linear, mental reckoning.

We are greenlighting possibility and opportunity. On Caroline Casey's always irreverent, cosmic radio show (archived online), she mentioned that this Chinese Year of the Rat equates to the Hindu deity Ganesh, a well-loved, elephant-headed icon known as The Remover of Obstacles. May it be so!

And along this same reframe, I love what the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who just left the physical plane on February 5th at age 91, had to say about money. According to Deepak Chopra, one day Maharishi and his close advisors were discussing a very expensive venture. "But where is the money going to come from?" asked one, a bit concerned.

"From wherever it is right now," was the Maharishi's cheerful reply.

Ashé! And so it is!

Wisdom from Feathers and Fur

I've known of cats and dogs that lived harmoniously together, but the idea of a bird caring for a kitten seemed like a stretch, until I saw this video:

The Crow and the Kitten

What might the animal "kindom" (send the "g", for galactic, out to our Mother, the Milky Way, and we're all kin!) teach us about being our brother's and sister's keeper?

200∞ is a galactic year...let's reach out to yinify ~ my term for uniting in the feminine essence of acceptance and collaboration with and for all.

∞∞∞∞∞

This beautiful message is on the back of a "Frog" birthday card sent by my super-supportive cyber friend Jacqui de Maya, who also forwarded the above video link:

"If you talk to the animals
They will talk to you
And you will know each other.
If you do not talk to them,
You will not know them.
And what you do not know
You will fear.
What one fears one destroys."

~ Chief Dan George

"Across the Universe" Beamed to Polaris!

Fittingly for an Aquarian whose has always felt like a starseed from a distant galaxy, I was excited to learn that on February 4, 2008 (my birthday), NASA will beam the Beatles' tune "Across The Universe" to Polaris, also known as the North Star, 431 light years away.

This is being done to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of the Deep Space Network, and the 50th anniversary of NASA. The idea was hatched by Beatles' historian Martin Lewis, who encourages all Beatles fans to play the track as it's being beamed to the distant star at 7 pm EST in the US.

From now on, 2/4/08 will be known as "Across the Universe Day". The event marks the first time a radio song has been beamed into deep space, and was approved by Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Apple Records.

Cool, huh?

Imbolc: Return of the Light

In just a few days, on February 2nd, we celebrate the annual return of the light, with the holiday known variously as Imbolc in the Celtic tradition, Candlemas in the Christian tradition, or Groundhog Day, which carries little lore compared with the other two yet is unfortunately best known in mainstream culture.

Visit author Mara Freeman's excellent Wheel of the Year page on Imbolc and the Mystery School tradition.

I also highly recommend the book Brigid's Charge by Cynthia Lamb, a beautifully researched autobiographical novel that illustrates what life was like for woman healers and mystics in colonial America.

Practical Pluto? Align with Your Wisdom!

The full moon and Pluto, the celestial plunger, bring potent messages about alignment and personal choice. Aluna Joy puts it succinctly: "We have come to the time where we need to sacrifice our suffering, lose attachment to our dramas, and surrender our addictions to lack of any kind."

Surrendering my addiction to lack is a biggie; I've become adept at living nomadically, have written about life as a New Nomad, and connected with many others traversing a similar path. But I can serve so much more effectively with greater 3D resources!

The same goes for suffering. I'm producing a trio of eBooks adapted from 7 years' worth of my e-newsletter, What Shines. The first book is on a tight timeframe to be ready as a bonus offering for a huge promotion slated to start February 3rd. The author of the book launch referred me to a graphic designer to get the eBook in proper form, and even though the signs were clear we weren't a match, I struggled to make a square peg fit a round hole, thinking it my only resource. Since I refused to release this maligned pairing, Pluto plunged me free, and the perfect pair of wondrously talented women emerged almost overnight.

Here's what astrologer Stephanie Austin has to share about this shift:

"At this Full Moon, the Sun — along with Chiron, Vesta, Mercury, Neptune, and the North Node — are all in Aquarius, emphasizing the importance of creativity and collaboration, practical and visionary thinking. Mercury will be retrograde from January 28 to February 18, doubling its time in Aquarius this year (from January 7 to March 14), which further encourages us to consider alternatives and reassess our alliances. Venus conjuncts Pluto on January 23, (at 29°56’ Sagittarius), exposing new truths and new prospects, if we are willing to listen and speak from the heart.

"Pluto, the archetype of death and rebirth, has been in Sagittarius since 1995. On January 25, Pluto enters Capricorn and initiates a new era, transmitting its evolutionary energies through Capricorn until November 19, 2024 (with a final retrograde into Sagittarius June 13 to November 26, 2008). Pluto reveals the shadow of whatever sign it transits; the dark side of Capricorn is the victim/tyrant archetype, which are two sides of the same coin. Pluto’s passage through Capricorn forces us to look at how we are dealing with authority and accountability, making painfully clear the price we pay for victim consciousness and deceit. Pluto reminds us that we always have a choice and that, when we abdicate our responsibility, we give away our power. It also asks us to walk our talk, and to live in accordance with spiritual as well as material realities.

"On a collective level, Pluto in Capricorn transforms governments, corporations, organizations, and any institution which is not serving the greater good. Traditions, conventions, and standards will change as patriarchal dominance is challenged, and issues of wealth distribution, the environment, recycling, civil rights, marital rights, retirement and aging will be reassessed and reformed. Business, borders, laws, property, and resource rights will be redefined. Pluto has not been in Capricorn since November 1762 – December 1778, the period that saw the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution, the abolition of the Inquisition in France, the first circumnavigation of the Earth, and the beginning of a worldwide industrial revolution fostered by burgeoning free trade, civil liberties, and technological developments.

"Each one of us, along with the Earth and the Cosmos itself, is participating in a grand experiment. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift, transitioning towards a new age of unity, equality, and diversity. Nourish yourself daily with beauty, nature, community — whatever helps you remember your connection with the web of life and your place in it. Trust your inner guidance. Choose to live in Love, not fear. Remember: 'When nothing is sure, everything is possible.' ~ Margaret Drabble"

Subterranean Homesick Blues

Karen Bishop's latest discourse, on the symptoms of spiritual emergence, is one of the clearest I've read in awhile. It literally is like tunnel travel, or being in a submarine: we've had the spiritual equivalent of the bends. (I personally was nauseous for 3 months, then one day it vanished, and the ringing in my ears began. But that, too, is now past.)

As we transmute density at the speed of Light, we're releasing the old through our physical vessels. Symptoms can include:

* intense muscle aches
* sinus pressure and headaches
* deep body pain
* ringing in the ears
* nausea
* intestinal distress
* coughing and chest congestion
* feelings of pressure or toxicity in the body
* insomnia
* a feeling that absolutely nowhere feels right or comfortable
* a wondering where home might now be, with seemingly nowhere else left to go, or nowhere left that seems to “fit.”

So hang on and hang in there, fellow travelers, because you're almost through, and almost Home!

1111/11:11

It's a '1' year of new beginnings (2+0+0+8 = 10 = 1+0 =1), and today is 1/11, a 1111 day! And, if you're familiar with the 11:11, it is also an 11:11 day. (See Solara's excellent Nvisible site for more information.)

Channel Michele Denman calls this a time of Heartweaving:

"As we enter the gate of 1:1:1, we enter the Age of the Galactic Sun.

The New Christ is born and Heaven on Earth is returning.

We are entering the Golden Age, the age foretold.

Old timelines no longer matter, that is the age-old timeline from
the Mayan Calendar of 2012, is now outdated and no longer useful.

We are in a new Time, a New Age, a new Clock.

The calendars of yesteryear are no longer needed as we enter
Our Internal Time now, which is NOW.

We are the creators and the creation of the Now is simple; it is Joy.

Heaven returns in an instant.

Those hearing the Call right now, are knowing that the
Age of Aquarius, the Golden Age begins now.

February 1st of this year marks the beginning of the New Creation.

That is, we will see our creations unfold before us, as the New Year.

This is the New Egypt, the New Aquarian Gospel, the age foretold that
is now.

As we weave and re-weave the magic of the Heart, we are entering
the Age of the Sun, the Golden Age. The Heart Energy is imperative.

Ishanyi, the Feminine Christ stands before you in her Golden Aura,
heralding the Second Coming, the Coming of Love.

Your Heartstrings are magic as they re-weave the magic of creation.

Unfold.

New Heaven."

Balance Beam 2008

All of our work now is about bringing ourselves into balance. I wrote about this in my January newsletter, "Opposites Attract." Celia Fenn, who channels Archangel Michael, offers some wise guidance for realigning ourselves elementally. These tools are frequently practiced by indigenous peoples when they need to restore harmony:

SPIRIT : When you are in balance with Spirit, you will be connected to your Heart and you will radiate Universal Love and Joy and Peace. You will feel that "All is One" and you will live in Harmony and Respect with all life. You will walk your path in confidence, following your Heart's guidance.

When you lose that balance and the connection, you will fall into patterns of ego and mind analysis. Here you will seek to judge and categorize, and you will rely on the thoughts and guidance of others to feel safe. You will feel a distinct lack of Love and Joy in your life, for you are not connected to your inner Source of Light.

When you feel this imbalance, your work to create balance again is to re-connect with the Love and Joy at your Heart's core that is the essence of Who You Are. Release all fear and all judgment, release the hold of the mind and the ego. Surrender to the flow of Spirit in your life, until you can feel the Joy and the Love again. Know that all else is illusion.

You can also look to see if there might be imbalances in the other elemental energies of your being.

FIRE : When your Fire energy is in balance, you will feel a sense of Motivation and Enthusiasm for life. You will have energy and you will feel Joy. You will be connected to your Passion and your Sexual and Sensual energies.

When the Fire energy is out of balance, you will feel tired, even exhausted and drained. You will feel angry, or panicky, and you may fall into destructive rage and bitterness. You will find it hard to forgive and let go. You will fall into judgment to justify your lack of movement and growth.

To balance the Fire energy it is good to do a Fire Ceremony. Release into the fire all that you no longer need in your life, and ask that the transformative power of Fire reconnect you with your Passion and Joy.

WATER : When your water elemental energy is in balance, you will demonstrate qualities of Nurturing, Caring, Gentleness and Sharing. You will feel Trust and Acceptance, you will live in Grace and Gratitude, with Calmness and Serenity. You will feel Unconditional Love at all times.

When your water energy is out of balance, you will feel sadness, depression and self-pity. You will feel weepy and unhappy and dissatisfied with your life. You will compare yourself with others and will feel cheated by life in some way.

To regain your balance with your water energy, it is good to do a Water Ceremony for cleansing and balancing. Ask Water to re-connect you to your Grace and Serenity. Open your Heart to water, that you might feel the essence of Nurturing, Love and Gentleness, deep in your Being, and that you may live in Grace and Calm and Peace.

AIR : When you are in balance with your Air energy, you will feel Optimistic and Hopeful and Centered. You will be Flexible in your responses to life's challenges, and you will accept the process of change and growth with Joy. You will see change as a blessing, no matter how it may appear in your life, for you will perceive the inner blessings. The element of Air allows for Movement, Shifts, and cultivates Flexibility of Spirit and Trust in the processes of Spiritual Evolution and Growth.

When the Air element is out of balance, you will feeel anxious, inflexible and "stuck". You will feel threatened by change, and will be argumentative and defensive. There will be a lack of focus and direction in your life. You will not seem to hear others, and they will not hear you. You may experience a sense of chaos and disintegration around you.

To regain balance with Air, do a Ceremony for the Air elementals. Ask that Air teach you to be flexible and graceful and to bend with the wind like a reed, so that you may gain inner strength and resilience. Ask Air that you may soar like and eagle on the spirals of wind and see the Truth that is your Truth and the Love of All that Is.

EARTH : When your Earth energy is in balance, your life will be Structured and Ordered and you will experience physical Abundance and Joy. You will feel Secure and Safe on Earth, and you will trust that what you need will be provided. You will enjoy being in your Body, and you will feel Health and Vitality. You will honor and care for your Physical Body with love and nurturing. You will honor your physical environment, and you will live with Simplicity and Grace and Beauty. Simple things will give you pleasure.

When your earth energy is not in balance, you will feel lethargic, spacey and dizzy at times. You will fear lack and scarcity, and you may become greedy and selfish. You will be unwilling to receive from others. You will perhaps feel physically weak and tired and ill, and there will be little motivation to care for your physical being and your environment. You will feel a lack of Joy and a lack of fulfilment in your life.

To regain your Earth balance, do a Ceremony with the Earth elementals and ask to be re-connected to the Earth that is within you. Ask for the aspect of "grounding" in your life, so that you may manifest and create in a grounded way, and that you may enjoy life in a physical body, to the full. Ask to be shown how to live a balanced life that will honor your body and your environment, with Simplicity and Grace.

Law of Attraction In Action

To start the New Year off in the spirit of positivity and possibility, I offer these words from an old soul in a youthful body: 20-year-old Stephanie Snyder, who personifies the Law of Attraction in action. I profiled Stephanie in the January issue of my e-newsletter, What Shines, for her conviction in following her heart and relocating because her inner voice was so compelling — and her new life is unfolding beyond her wildest dreams!

I'll have a follow-up report in the February issue. For now, here are Stephanie's wise words, penned on one of her last nights caring for a sweet, wheelchair-bound teen girl with whom she'd developed a special bond:

I have learned that some of us are differently abled, but we all deserve love the same.
I have learned that Patience really is a virtue.
I have learned that we all have a story to share, and the importance of taking the time to hear as many as possible.
I have learned that Love always wins.
I have learned that sometimes it takes some of us just a little longer......
I have learned that most peoples intentions are for the greater good.
I have learned that Compassion cannot be taught from a textbook.
I have learned that all things must end to allow for new beginnings.
I have learned the importance of time and sharing it with others.
I have learned that there are no mistakes, and none have ever been made.
I have learned the power of Love and our ability to Create and Live it.

Dream Big!

This incredible credo appeared in a Macintosh computer ad 16 years ago! Thanks to astrologer Alison Rae for reprinting it in her latest issue of Cosmic Time:

New Year's Blessing

Dream big.

If there were ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily —
but for something that tugs at your heart,
something that’s your aspiration,
something that’s your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easily.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
pack it up, and call it quits.
Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
determination, and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect,
and your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you.
And you will pass this way only once.

Do it right.

A Message from Mary Magdalen on 2008

This message came to me a few days ago via oracle and sound healer Jennifer Posada, and is the most compelling and uplifting — not to mention accurate — entreaty to each of us I've yet read regarding the promise and penumbra of now. Here is her transmission in its entirety:

"Dearest Friends,

I write these words to you from a place beyond time, to tell you what you of great heart must know from within it. You stand at a crucial moment, one which can allow you wondrous advantage in the time of the turning of the great wheel.

As you begin this new year a vacuum is opened in which you can reconsider your reality. This is a powerful opportunity, for it is in your reality that the seed of the greater collective is born.

This, beings of flame and light, is the year to reclaim your power. For you will need it for the road ahead, and it will be the bearer of your joy. This is not a passive process. To reclaim your power is to investigate your heart, seek out the places you have given its gold away, and actively recover it. The gold of your heart can only truly be shared from within, and the places we may have partitioned it out will only weaken our energy fields at a time when their strength is needed.

You will need your voice. If you have lost it you will have to find it. You are its mother, so it will never be too far from your reach. It is time to cull from the clay of your being, and create yourself anew.

It is a time to take a retreat, or to make space to reflect in writing or thought. It is a time to consider all the people, places, situations and things in your life and decide if they are supporting you or drawing from you. This you must know, for this is the simplest of ways to strengthen your field.

Then you must decide. You must decide who you are going to be when your power is truly your own again, and the life you want to live from it.

When you decide the life you would like to have, do not do so in fear. Do not choose a life based on potential catastrophe or in expectancy of poverty. For this is not what you wish to bring forward. You must be aware, educated and prepared for that which you are led to prepare for. But should you make the choices about your future or new life in fear, it will make a very weak foundation.

The coming year marks the beginning of the end of the world you know. This can be a reason for terror or for throwing a celebration. It is you who decides. This world has known catastrophe before, just as you in your own life have known catastrophe before. For that reason you know that fearing it will bring no good. We must know joy to build reserves of energy which would serve us in times of challenge. We must have a light load within if we wish to float rather than sink in the seas of uncertainty.

For when I say this year marks the beginning of the end, you may focus on the end, or you may focus on the beginning. For it is more truly, the beginning or the end.

How differently might you see your life if you thought this year was the beginning of a new era, rather than the descent into great destruction and distress? If we are all dreading the time of change, who will anchor the joy of the new? If we are all in labor pain, who will assist with the birth?

But our joy cannot be abstract. It must be inspired. It must come from within, and be allowed to take form in our outer lives at the very personal level. And joy cannot be forced. We can only make way for it.

Here are my offerings of how to cultivate your inner earth for joy to take seed and root, to make your life thriving and prosperous with flower and fruit.

Don't postpone your bliss. There is no reason it can't start now.

Find, with great courage, the places you have been giving your power away, and say goodbye to them. For if you are giving your power away repeatedly, joy cannot find consistent sanctuary within you.

Dream a new vision. Turn a page in your life and imagine that the entirety of your future is a blank slate. Do not paint misfortune onto it as a background just because your world is in change. See the change as good. Bless the change. Trust that the universe will take care of you, and follow the guidance it gives you. Prepare when and how you must for whatever you feel may be around the corners in your life, but try not to do so out of fear, and instead out of calm and centered response to your guidance.

When you are choosing what to paint on this blank page, choose powerfully. Choose to carry over only that which nourishes you and reflects you. Think radically. Let go radically. Love yourself radically.

This is a year of setting foundation for the changes to come, and you want yours to be strong and full of supportive resourcefulness and creative energy. Do not give up on your dreams because the world is shifting. She is shifting to encompass them.

Draw or write about your visions for your future before or at the time of the new year. Revisit and add to or change them several times. Daydream about them. Pray, if you choose, to me for three days either in the morning, before sleeping, or during your meditation or writing if you would like assistance with your new vision or reclaiming your power. Then look for signs in your life in response.

Know that I am with you. For I have returned to the consciousness of the many as the embodiment of the return of the goddess, in communion with god, in androgynous wholeness, in divine oneness. I am the second coming, and I come forward in you. Know your power. It is all that is needed for the birth of the new world. Begin the new world now. Do not wait. Begin to live it in your life, and create it around you. You are the hope and the light, and the joy of my heart.

In Great Love,
Mary Magdalen"

The Red Planet Offers Opportunity for Healing

Mars is glowing brightly with the full moon this almost-Christmas eve, giving Rudolph a run for his money ~ and an AP science writer decided to have fun describing its celestial prominence by recasting the traditional reindeer song:

Mars is a red-tinged planet
With a very shiny glow
And if you look to see it
You will find the moon in tow.

All of the other Yuletides
Santa would have at his side
The shiny nose of Rudolph
Acting as his big sleigh's guide

But this very Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph, now with Mars so bright,
You can stay at home tonight."

Then all the reindeer teased him.
And they shouted out with glee:
"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
Outsourced to astronomy."


On the astrological side, this retrograde Mars is "increasing the impetus for courage or bravado, assertion or aggression," says astrologer Stephanie Austin. "In Cancer, Mars advises us to examine our motivations and our tactics closely. Are we sidestepping the real issues? What must be faced, felt, and forgiven?

We can use toning to help heal and ground our energy. Red corresponds to:

∞ the first chakra
∞ our tailbone
∞ the musical note A
∞ the vowel sound ooo (as in tool)
∞ our adrenal glands, legs, feet, bones and large intestines.

It is the center of our vitality and life force — the primary energy of existence. So let's use this red for its healing power and regenerate as we segue into 2008!

Global Pulse ~ Honoring All Life

Happy Solstice to You! I've received so many and varied Solstice-related messages it's difficult to know what to share; at this time, trusting your own guidance is key. Go deep within, and breathe with the Mother all the peace, love, balance and bliss you intend for your own life and for the planet.

This worldwide virtual event, which takes place one week from now, seems like an ideal ceremony to close out a tumultuous year and usher in 2008. I've met Estara, and she is embodies the Goddess:

Worldwide Sound Healing Meditation Ceremony

Special Live Video Web-cast Event
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2007

Join in as we create a global pulse of consciousness to facilitate a positive shift on our Earth

This is a Galactic Alignment Gateway of a super high energetic impulse of cosmic energy that is available to change the very fabric of our reality.

This ceremony has been inspired by spiritual visions and communications from the dolphins and whales to gather the collective power of human consciousness.

This event will be a multi-media ceremonial presentation and performance to create a global heart entrainment unifying the power of the group worldwide with a collective intention to honor all life.

This ceremony will include:

* Guided Activation and Initiation Meditation
* Live Ceremonial Trance Rhythms
* Sacred Dance Higher Dimensional Energy Transmissions
* Vocal Soul Frequency Chants
* Visual Animations of Higher Dimensional Realms
* Special Harmonic Tuning Instruments producing the sound frequencies of the star & planetary alignment
* Live whale songs broadcast from Hawaii

For More Information visit EstaraWeb.com

Global Pulse ~ Honoring All Life
Worldwide Meditation and Ceremony

It is important to gather people specifically at this time to commune with the dolphins and whales to ignite a global pulse of unity consciousness to honor all life and deepen our inter-connection with our environment that we call Earth and the universe. The evolutionary process that humanity, our Earth, solar system and galaxy are in requires our full connection to be restored. Through creating a global pulse of unity consciousness - coming together as one vibration of intention - we will ignite our hearts and souls to remember on the deepest level our connection with all life

The global pulse ceremony will be based on the five elements of creation and will be a meditation journey experience to restore connection with the consciousness of the Earth and the Universe. The dolphins and whales are frequency keepers and carriers and they will be assisting us during the ceremony. They will be joining us live as we interact with them and listen to the wisdom in their song. They are the planetary pulse keepers and they have a message for us to hear. They are singing us the new codes of information that will connect us with universal time. It's time for us to listen to them together in a harmonically unified field with a collective intention to receive their wisdom. They will be recording the new records that we will be accessing and bringing into this dimension for the birthing of a new reality.

Part of the purpose of the Global Pulse Project worldwide meditation ceremonies is to create a wave of energy, a pulse on the planet - stabilizing the heart pulse in unity consciousness instead of in fear. This is also stabilizing the experience and knowingness of our future. We will be connecting with the rhythms of the Earth and the rhythms of the universe so we can be part of this evolutionary shift together and move through this grand alignment that is occurring in grace, ease, beauty, joy, and in unity.

Galactic Alignments

Global Pulse ~ Honoring All Life
Galactic Alignment - Dec. 29, 2007

This day is a highly dynamic evolutionary next step in consciousness.
It's a day when things materialize before us. It's when we can change our bone structure, our ego into our higher self in physical form.

The dynamics of the energy on this day haven't been available until now - when the cardinal signs of Capricorn and Cancer are in their special placement with the planets. Because of this alignment, the portal is open and we can jump in and access the energy and become part of the dynamic.

Cardinal Signs are epic, they establish things, put them into action, and set structure. The cardinal signs of Capricorn and Cancer will be activated on Dec. 29th through an opposition. This polarization is acting as a divine birthing channel to birth a new energetic into form and will be more apparent at the Spring Equinox.

This polarization that is occurring between Capricorn and Cancer will be opening the portal to the other worlds to go into the core emotion of our soul origins.

Capricorn lifts the veil and opens a portal to the other worlds. It creates the opening to bring the energy from the other worlds into this realm to materialize in physical form. Capricorn is considered a Sea Goat in ancient esoteric teachings opening the dimensions between the sea animals and the land animals.

Cancer brings us deep into our soul. It descends us into our core emotion and connects us with the origins of our soul.


Powerful Electrical Energy Current

Sun (Capricorn )→→→→→→ Earth →→→→→→→ Sirius (Cancer)
Mercury & Jupiter .............................................. Mars
Cosmic Father ........................................ Cosmic Mother
Star ................................................................ Star


In Capricorn we have the Sun, Jupiter, and Mercury - opposing - Sirius and Mars in Cancer. The Sun is our center of life energy. It heats up and sparks the command center of our own vital essence. Sun opposing Cancer will be igniting the spark in our heart that connects us with our soul.

The Sun opposes Sirius in Cancer only once a year - setting up a powerful electrical energy current flooding the Earth with light codes of information from the Sun and Sirius.

Sun being the cosmic father and Sirius being the cosmic mother - we are giving birth to a higher form of our being. Mars in Cancer brings the initiative energy into the depth of our soul origins. Everything is in place to bring the cosmic awareness of our divine nature and the actual energy of our soul into expression through our physical form.

Jupiter heats things up and is the planet of increase and expansion. It increases and expands anything that it is relating to. Jupiter has been collecting wisdom in the sign of Sagittarius and now being in Capricorn is ready to increase and expand that wisdom into physical form.

Jupiter in Capricorn opposing Sirius and Mars in Cancer will be increasing the energy that's being activated and expanding it into the future million fold. Jupiter is increasing our connection with our soul origin to birth it into form.

Jupiter is a bearer of gifts - gifts of abundance, health, hope, happiness and the balance of life energy. Jupiter restores hope and helps us to sort out the truth from the false. Jupiter will increase whatever your intention is that you allow yourself to experience.

Jupiter being in Capricorn conjunct the Sun expands your hearts desire into physical manifestation. With the high grace and lightening qualities of Jupiter, you get what you truly wish for.

Mercury connects us deeply with our nervous system and opens up these more subtle communication channels. Mercury in Capricorn opposing Sirius and Mars in Cancer assures that all the communications channels are open and quickens the speed of transmission in Mercurial fashion. Mercury a messenger of the angelic realms also assures that only the highest communications will be happening during the alignment.

We will also have a Grand Trine in Earth.
Sun, Jupiter, Mercury in Capricorn - Trine Saturn and Moon in Virgo - Trine - Sedna and Ceres in Taurus. All of this grand trine Earth energy will be activated and funneled through the Capricorn - Cancer polarization.

Sun in Capricorn Trine Saturn in Virgo - crystallizing our self in physical form.

The Gateways are open and all the energy is available for us to come into a deeper union and embodiment of our higher self. Let's create a global pulse of higher consciousness!

Going Home

We're closing out a cosmically challenging year and entering the gateway to the NEW in such a major way! Ace astrologer Kelly M. Beard leads off her current Lunar Reflections newsletter with the perfect quote for now: "We don't know where we're going...but we're on our way!"

I've felt this way since stepping into my nomadic lifestyle in 2000. As Kelly describes learning to do "the same old things" in brand-new ways, I imagine you, like me, can take her counsel to heart: "If you are accessing your new rhythm and trying to find 'your (new) way', court the Goddess of Wisdom rather than the Goddess of Wealth. While both are powerful and useful in their own right, ultimately, wisdom allows you to create whatever you can imagine ~ and the Goddess of Wealth will then court YOU!" (I am hoping She finds me soon ;-)

But we are definitely en route Home, full throttle. Patricia Cota-Robles, in her comprehensive alert for the upcoming year, writes in part:

"2008, which is numerically a ONE year, will be a time for new beginnings and a birthing into a higher aspect of our Divinity. We may not fully understand just what this means, but the Company of Heaven is assuring us it is a glorious opportunity to transform our lives. All we have to do is take advantage of this auspicious year by focusing our intentions on creating the positive lives we want to experience on Earth.

"One is the number of new beginnings, and eleven is the master number that reflects the transformation of the physical into the Divine. January 1, 2008, is numerically a 111 day. Eleven days later on January 11, 2008, we have a 1111 day.

"During this rare eleven-day period, the I AM Presence of every person on this planet will integrate the highest potential of the miraculous activities of Light that took place in 2007. This integration will gently reflect into the hearts and minds of all Humanity, and it will raise the energy, vibration and consciousness of every facet of Life evolving on Earth the maximum that Cosmic Law will allow."

Earth's Heart Meridian has been opened. Love flows in. Everything is possible.

Blessed Be.

Part of the Plan? Dan Fogelberg Departs

In an eerie case of deja vu, I was thinking about Dan Fogelberg today, wondering whether I'd soon be hearing his holiday-themed song, "Same Old Lang Syne" on the radio. I was a great Fogelberg fan during his heyday in the mid-late '70s, which were also my college years.

Imagine my shock to log on just now and read that Dan made his transition to the angelic realms today at age 56, due to advanced prostate cancer. Like John Denver's untimely demise in a plane crash a decade ago at age 54, this comes as yet another wake-up call. I lost a good friend to leukemia at age 54 on fall equinox, and many others in recent years, all in their 30s, 40s or 50s, to brain tumors, cancer or stroke.

While one perspective is that they've completed their earth journeys this time around and were ready to travel onward, still it makes me realize just how precious and fleeting our moments in a body really are. This entire year at the half-century mark has been a sobering ride for me. I've written a rather sassy, upbeat story called Facing the Fifties that has yet to see publication (though I've been trying :-) so if you'd like a copy in Word, please let me know.

May you be richly blessed with the will and the ways to manifest your destiny and live the life you desire and deserve.

Much love to you,
Amara

Making Religious Life Fashionable

I thought the headline was a joke: "Japanese Monks Stage Fashion Show." But no: in a bid to woo the younger set back to Buddhism, monks actually donned elaborately-hued robes and hit the catwalk in Tokyo today to show just how colorful the monastic life can be.

As someone who grew up in Paramus, New Jersey, a town with the highest per capita retail sales in the United States and a place where, as I used to joke, "when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping", I found it amusing and somewhat amazing that the monks felt they needed to appeal to outer appearance in order to entice young people into exploring the inner life.

Granted, we all come to our evolutionary journey in our own way and time ~ and I certainly was still workin' the shopping gene in my 20s and early 30s. Even with the detachment I now feel towards the temporal trappings of our corporeal existence, I confess I still love beautiful clothes, whether or not I own them. The difference is, I'm well aware that possessions are not the answer, just something to enjoy on the journey.

So we do what works to get the message across. In this case, dress it in bright green and purple patterns, and literally pray for the best.

12:12 alignment: Portal and Portent of Possibility

The 12:12 gateway just past ushered in a huge opportunity for growth. It is a window, so the exact date is not as crucial as our intent and emotional state: the art of allowing vs. "forcing" has never been more defined!

Karen Bishop offers her usual insightful input in her latest alert about the close of 2007 and what's in store. I highly recommend reading the entire post. Here's an excerpt:

"2007 was a rocky and challenging year for many…especially the latter six month period after the solstice. And now, another solstice is due to arrive, marking the final point of this deep transitional and preparatory period.

This deep period of excavation that lasted for so many months was vitally necessary to our spiritual evolutionary process, as it prepared us for the next level of spiritual hierarchy. And the best is yet to come…we have been preparing for it! Higher vibrating key concepts and ways of being were integrated within us, notably: learning and experiencing how to stay still and in our center and how to harmonize with the energy of community.

When we first arrive in a higher dimension or higher vibrating energy, it feels glorious, as all our needs seem to be met and we seem to be able to create much of anything instantly. As time progresses, we find ourselves aligning with these newer higher realms, and this always involves a clearing and purging of any energies or patterns within and without which no longer match our new surrounding vibration. So we first feel great and then we feel not so great.

And as complicated as it may seem, our outside vibration does not dictate our inside vibration alone. How we vibrate on the inside, also dictates what occurs in our outside reality. So then, creation and evolution is always a two-edged process. It comes from the outside and it comes from the inside, culminating in an alignment and burst of creation and change, similar to the big bang theory.

This process can create some confusion, chaos, and what may seem at times, an unending roller coaster ride. We adjust our vibration within, through clearing and letting go of lower vibrating energies (which is initiated by the newly arriving outside energies!), and then the outside reality feels downright unpleasant to be in, at times causing depression and anxiety, and always, that no sense of place feeling. This is because the outside physical manifestations no longer fit our new inside vibrations.

Add to this the waiting times, as we need to wait for a critical mass to catch up, in order to arrive at that culmination point for creating new in the physical, and this results in the wading through quicksand experience, the lethargy, and the lack of passion. All are typical ascension experiences.

So then, how does all this relate to where we are now? We are most certainly moving up the rungs of the ascension ladder, piece by piece, and experience by experience. Currently, we have reached a new level, and this involves the level of living in unity and within community. This new level, as with all levels, also connects us more fully with Source, or our souls, and this then, has most recently created the adjustments involving being still and staying in our center.

Having a physical ailment or injury forces us to stay down, and thus creates a situation where we must get out of the way, allowing Source to enter more fully. Do you remember in months past when some of us re-visited an old injury or physical malady that lasted several weeks? This was why. If the right side of your body is continually aching, stiff, or uncomfortable, or even if you experience injuries on your right side only, your soul is making an attempt at re-aligning you with Source. Making things happen by ourselves is not the way in the higher realms. It is Source who does it all (or our souls), and this can readily happen when the lower vibrating aspects of ourselves are out of the way. Injuries or discomfort on the right side of our bodies indicates an over-use of the old masculine.

We are needing to evolve from the old male identity on the planet, to the new identity embodying much more of the feminine. (None of this is new news to most of you, just a recap here to assist in explaining our current status.) And the feminine is needing an adjustment as well. We are learning the true and higher ways of giving, supporting, allowing, and receiving. All these adjustments within involve a way of staying still, in our center, not extending, not doing it all, and the like. When we are present and still, Source can then find us and we are then within a portal or an alignment with the higher realms. And this is where true creating occurs."

Yinification in Argentina

In what seems to me an outpicturing of the Divine Feminine/Divine Masculine integration taking place within each of us and all across the planet now, Argentina's outgoing president has passed the baton to his wife, who is not only the first woman to be elected president of Argentina, but also symbolic of the power transfer from the masculine model to the more collaborative feminine role now enjoying a resurgence as we surf towards true unity and wholeness.

As I've written before, few people realize that the U.S. Constitution is patterned directly on the Iroquois model of leadership, with one glaring omission: we have no Council of Clan Mothers, or Grandmother Council, which was integral to the Native American structure that so inspired Thomas Jefferson. Perhaps if our Founding Fathers had included Founding Mothers in the new nation's governing equation, we'd consider ritual-based decision making, that honors both masculine and feminine voices and envisions the outcome unto the seventh generation, the natural course for balance and well being. Imagine what our culture might look like if the White House consulted a group of wise women prior to implementing any major policy change!

December: A Deepening of Authenticity

This is quite a month, energetically speaking. You're probably already feeling the shifts. Here's some helpful insight from two respected sources:

Li Walter, who focuses on Mayan cosmology, sends this counsel for the following days and weeks: "There's a going away party in the late degrees of Sagittarius, aligned with the Milky Way's Galactic Center... the main event is a conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto on and around Dec 11th, the 10 Human portal day, just before both planets move into Capricorn in the coming weeks. Jupiter shifts on December 18th and Pluto on January 25th. The Sun is approaching and will join them in Sag and the transition to Capricorn as well.

This conjunction of personal, social, and transpersonal planets in the uplifting fiery sign of Sagittarius will bring a focus on self-betterment and an expansion of personal power. This is a time for putting energy into what's important to you.

This place of meeting is in the heart of the World Tree [Note: I've written about the World Tree in my newsletter, What Shines. Request Issue #53], the meeting point of the path of the Milky Way galaxy and the path traveled by the planets. The Sun, center of our solar system and Pluto, the outermost planet that bridges us beyond the solar system, aligning with the center of our spiraling galaxy, pumped up by Jupiter, offers humanity a vast expansion of the scope of our experience of selfhood within the universe."

And from South Africa, Starchild Global creatrix Celia Fenn shares these Energies for December:

"The 12:12 stargate on the 12th of December will provide a moment of intense Cosmic Diamond Light in which things will be seen in all their Radiant Truth. You will be given another significant opportunity to release old illusions that may hold you back from entering into the flow of Abundant Love. You may experience the Joy of a Radiant Miracle, as your life changes direction in the new flow of Love.

The Solstice, on the 22nd, will bring you a powerful moment of Integration and Balance, a time to Pause and Reflect, and be within your own Inner Heart temple, as you balance and ignite your own Twin Flame energy. This will be a powerful time to work with the Sacred Heart meditations.

Then, on the 24th of December, the Full Moon will be in Cancer. This will be a Moon that will carry the full radiance of the Divine Feminine energy in its Lunar manifestation, loving, nurturing, mystic and mysterious. This is followed by the Christian Festival of the birth or rebirth of the Divine Masculine as the Divine Child, called Christmas.

A time of New Beginnings and New Potential that will lead you into the year 2008, with its energy of the 1:1:1 on the 1st of January."

The Golden Compass Points True North

I was among the legions of moviegoers who swarmed to see The Golden Compass this weekend. A massive fan of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (consisting of the Compass, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass, all very enticing titles), I hoped the film would live up to the book. I rarely go to movies, especially not of books I've savored, because the adaptation to screen often elides critical material or changes important aspects to fit a 2-hour timeframe, which can be frustrating. But The Golden Compass did not disappoint.

While the movie did indeed change and compress the book somewhat, the visuals were strikingly similar to my imagination; it was as if the director/producer/set designers climbed inside my mind to deduce how best to translate such a richly fantastical tale to the Big Screen. And while I found myself rather breathless at the pace, it's worth seeing on many levels.

Foremost is the delicious controversy the film is generating, initiated by the Catholic Church. Having remained staunchly silent as the Harry Potter books and films took the world by storm, they have apparently decided this film is the one to boycott. And, of course, as controversy is wont to do, this stance only makes people more curious and more likely to go see it!

The premise, at a basic level, has to do with the forces of good and evil, free will vs. control. It's a marvelous testament to following one's inner guidance, defying authority to do what's right, no matter the consequences. Since this is intrinsic to human DNA, it's easy to find yourself cheering 11-year-old Lyra as she consistently outwits those who stand for order and oppression to seek the Truth, wherever that journey may take her.

And this is another triumph of Pullman's book and the movie: a heroine rather than hero. Make no mistake, I love Harry Potter, and...it's inspiring to see a young female protagonist.

So while the film lacks the book's nuances and story development, not to mention more leisurely pacing, I highly endorse it. If you have the time, read the trilogy and then go enjoy the movie versions. I feel sure parts 2 & 3 are in the offing, because The Golden Compass movie concludes with many loose ends just like the book, putting us on notice that there's more to come.

Animal Instincts

This heartwarming footage shows that bonding across beliefs is as powerful as bonding between species: an African lion hugs and kisses the woman who rescued him years ago and visits him every day.

Road Signs & Speed Bumps

2007 has been a "9" year (2+0+0+7 = 9) numerologically, which connotes closure and completion on many levels. The 9-year cycle that began in 1999 is ending. When I think of how radically my life has changed in less than a decade, it's one more confirmation of the acceleratef alchemy that defines now.

I became cyber-savvy that year, started to craft material for what would become Liveyourlight.com early in 2000, published numerous articles in print magazines and newspapers focusing on how to bring spirituality into our daily lives, and generally began living my life purpose and mission. What a thrill!

I also began living nomadically, though it didn't feel so much a conscious choice as a necessity. Yet everything on our evolutionary path is grist for higher consciousness if we allow ourselves to surrender to it. Now, when I don't have whatever I need right there on the car seat next to me, it almost feels strange. Although I love the idea of having a home base, I don't know if manifesting one at this time is in my highest interest.

And hence the quantum choice point. In her latest alert, Karen Bishop says we are all being prepared for community, which means our solitary journeying and arrogance are being spiritually sanded away. It's time to release what's comfortable but no longer serves (even if it's living as a nomad ~ or holding tight to one locale when we're being asked to live more fluidly!).

We'll know what to do next because Spirit will invite us, via signs and signals. Sometimes it's as simple as someone suggesting you move to their town because it seems perfect for who you are. Or it might be continually hearing about a certain place in conversation. Pay attention, and the messages will become clear.

As I say on my CD, What You Need to Know Now, "Let go of what you know, how it ought to be, what you think you should do now...Pry your mental fingers loose. Once you do, you'll have a sense of exhilaration, of flying, because there's so much space around you! Having the courage to be in free-fall, to release one trapeze bar before the next has swung into view, is an essential step in re-imagining your life. Excess baggage will only weigh you down. "

Blessings on your journey into the new now!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Are your ears feeling a little swollen, irritated, or otherwise stressed lately? I felt like I had tinnitus a few nights ago; that high-pitched sound we occasionally experience hit with much stronger force than ever before, and would not stop no matter what I did. Panicked, I couldn't fall back to sleep, thinking I'd somehow acquired tinnitus.

Well, like the first Superman episode (can you remember the television show that describes how he first came to Earth? And the woman who would become his Mom heard a ringing in her ears that turned out to be the rocketship carrying her infant son approaching?), the annoying buzz turns out to be a positive sign. I should've known: almost every time I experience a strange "symptom" these days, it's just another sign of ascension.

In her November Earthlog, Archangel Michael channel Celia Fenn explains that the latest crop of physical changes is how our 3D bodies are expanding to hold the enormous Love now streaming onto the planet. About the ear symptoms, she writes:

"...as part of the changes, the human angel template is being re-wired to accommodate for a wider range of visual and auditory ability. Think of it in this way, when we started to use digital cameras, we started to photograph 'orbs', and some people can even see them. I know I can. Now, your body is the same, as you 'upgrade' to your new Human Angel design you will begin to see and hear things that were previously beyond the normal range for humans. And I was given to understand that this is literal and physical, and not just intuitive.

"So, we can expect that as we enter the New Earth and the New Cycle, we will have extended vision and hearing. But, as always, your Higher Self will only allow you to experience these things when you are able to integrate them into yourself and are capable of dealing with an altered range of perception. Most people take time, and they have difficulty in 'letting go' of old ways of perception because these make them feel safe.

"As Michael explained it, the new abilities of vision and hearing are linked to the Heart. We will learn to literally see and hear from the Heart. Our perceptual 'wiring' for these senses will go via the heart. Can you imagine what a difference it will make when we are truly able to see and hear with the heart? Oh yes, and to speak from the heart as well. I did notice last night that I was coughing a lot, and I have noticed at workshops that I do on my 'Sacred Heart' meditation, that people start to cough, so the Throat Chakra is also being re-wired to connect up with the Heart flow.

"I have noticed too with people that I have been connecting with over a long time, suddenly, like me, they are becoming more poetic and more able to express what they are feeling in their hearts. It is being able to express what is in your heart that makes you feel a deep Inner Peace, but it is also being able to receive the expressions of others into your heart that gives rise to Gratitude. And when you put together Inner Peace and Gratitude, then you undoubtedly get Joy and Love.

"So, you might say we are all being re-wired to express and receive Unconditonal Love through Creativity, from the Heart! Indeed, what an exciting experience...and what wonders await us in the future as we learn to work with this new range of perceptions and feelings that are gifted to us so that we might BE LOVE at the highest level of which we are capable."

Comet-ose

Though Comet Holmes has been around for over a century, it's now erupted into a celestial phenomenon: bigger than the Sun, and continuing to expand.

Comets were once thought to be supernatural omens. As we enter a time when more Light is flooding onto the planet than ever before, it seems Holmes, the good detective, is helping to illumine our way. The currently comatose are being called to awaken at Light speed, because it's time...

11:11

Tomorrow (today in some parts of the world) heralds what has always been a major stargate for us all: the 11:11. South Africa-based Lightworker Celia Fenn offers some insightful words on our present passage and the new global currency: Love.

I'd like to share an excerpt from my e-newsletter, What Shines for November 2005, which focused on the 11:11 doorway and is still relevant to now:

"November 11th signals a transformational gateway. Eleven is the master number reflecting the transmutation of physical to divine. You may have begun noticing 11:11 on digital clocks. This is an encoding that activates our cellular memory of the ascension process that's well underway.

It's often been difficult to tell whether we're moving towards the Light or deeper into shadow, when so much is being brought to the surface to be healed. The Tao Te Ching says, 'The way out into the light often looks dark/The way that goes ahead often looks as if it went back.'

I've just finished reading The Magic Circle by Katherine Neville, another evolutionary guidebook masquerading as fiction. Neville's narrative traces a cache of cryptic manuscripts across aeons, as one family struggles to protect these documents that, when decoded, will determine the fate of the world.

The time the text points to is now: the dawning Aquarian Age. And there is much discussion of geomantic lines of power: key points on Earth that can divine our destiny. What reverberated in my mind was "Axis mundi": the mythic center of the world that connects Heaven and Earth.

The Axis mundi correlates cross-culturally with the concept of the World Tree, as well as with the caduceus, an ancient symbol of alchemy that today denotes the medical profession. The caduceus has long been my personal power symbol. For me, the two snakes entwining face-to-face represent the ultimate union: an alchemical wedding that forges something more magnificent than either could alone.

This is the Axis mundi to which we're heir: Love, and reverence for all life. We even embody it: the Heart chakra is the center of the body, connecting the three spiritual chakras above it with the three physical chakras below. As we engender greater love and compassion, we merge Earth with the Heavens.

And at last we are ready. Enough of us have cooked in our cultural cauldron to create an uncritical mass, a confluence ('flowing together') of allies.

You're invited to the Axis Mundi Dance—the most exuberant synchronized Dance of all time. Eleven a-lovin'. It's purely elemental."

Sign of the Times

It was a tight call as to which quote I'd use to lead off the November issues of my e-newsletter, What Shines. I ultimately chose to go with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh because the overall tone was uplifting. However, I want to pay homage to the visceral poetry of Colleen Redman, because this piece certainly carries a powerful message:

Sign of the Times

Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign
over the forest
Hang an “Out of Order” sign
on the White House door
Proceed with caution
Yield to your conscience
Handle the whole world
with care.

Transcending Material Martyrdom the Natural Way

Many of us find that as we advance spiritually, our material resources dry up. Yet since all money metaphors contain water imagery (cash flow, liquid assets, currency...) this seems like imagining the Sahara when we're actually standing at an oasis.

Tom "Montalk" has an intriguing on article on reimagining wealth consciousness that discusses the concept of flow, tied in with both the breakthrough film The Matrix, and the power of Nature, the latter of which I discuss in in-depth in the current issue of What Shines. He writes, in part,

"Because money is a type of flow, we can make a comparison to water flow in order to illustrate the difference between making money the Matrix way or the Divine way. To empty water from a bottle, common sense says to tip it upside down. Sure enough, the water goes 'glug' several times and eventually empties. But if instead one first shakes the bottle in a circular motion, the flow forms into a vortex that more rapidly and efficiently drains from the bottle. Nature loves efficiency, and the vortex is nature’s most efficient form of flow. If one initiates an impulse in line with the laws of nature (shaking the bottle / leaping toward a wisely chosen goal on solid faith that the material means will synchronistically fall into place), the resulting flow will be many times more efficient than were these laws ignored. The Matrix method of progress is based on ignorance of higher laws and is inefficient. But if one initiates an impulse in line with those higher laws, progress speeds up as reality aligns via numerous synchronicities, just as flow speeds up as water aligns into the shape of a vortex.

"To increase the flow of money, you must exercise your ability to spend it. This is no different from increasing physical energy by exercising your body. Pinching your dollar to save money is like staying physically inactive to conserve energy...It is the pinching and holding on to your last dollar, fearing that no more will come, that actually prevents your receiving more. For giving, more than anything else, helps to open the channel so that supply, both spiritual and material, can freely flow.

"Opening flow requires that money come purely as a byproduct of following your heart; money is not an incentive when the heart alone compels you into action. In other words, the 'incentive' for doing higher productive work lies beyond material compensation, arising instead from an inner sense of service, compassion, wisdom, courage, and necessity. By acting on these living principles as they are felt and acknowledged, the material details automatically work themselves out.

"To summarize, material martyrdom is not necessary for spiritual progress. When in balance, material prosperity naturally arises when priority is given to spiritual prosperity. Where the Divine Will flows, material limitations melt away."