Capricorn Lunar Eclipse: Letting Go & Yin & Yang

Capricorn by Josephine Wall

Just like the chart for the Solstice, the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse on June 26th picks up the ongoing cardinal t-square formation of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, bringing the themes of this formation even more strongly into the frame of our consciousness.

In my blog about the Solstice, I talked about how so many of us have had a challenging couple of years. We’ve been dealing with big changes, responding to the need to set new boundaries, adjusting to restricted or reduced circumstances, not to mention trying to keep up with the tiring juggling act we’ve had to perfect in order to keep everything in balance! This could be operating at any level or all levels - the emotional, mental, spiritual or material level, for instance.

All in all, collectively and individually, we’ve been feeling stretched and squeezed and prodded and now we feel just about ready to pop and indeed, a Lunar Eclipse certainly represents a time when energies are released, not just on the day of the eclipse itself but in the lead up and after.

A few ideas on how to work with the Eclipse energies below, but first, a very quick look at the chart for the Eclipse below. Just like the Solstice Chart, Jupiter and Uranus (on the left) are connected to the Sun (at the bottom), Saturn (on the right) and Pluto (at the top of the chart). Joining Pluto is the Moon in Capricorn and joining the Sun is Mercury in Cancer. They’re all connected by a series of squares and oppositions which form a grand cross – see the cross pattern in centre of the circle, marked out in sharp, red lines? For more on what the grand cross means, see Solstice and the Grand Cross.

Chart set for the moment of the Eclipse, June 26 2010. Click on the chart to enlarge.

Take my word for it, this is powerful stuff, incredibly energetic, but potentially very tense. So what to do to make positive benefit of the powerful energies and to help release some of the tension?

Do Some Releasement Work

A Lunar Eclipse represents a culmination and presents an opportunity for release, for letting go, consciously and with awareness. Here are a few ideas for releasement work you could do during this Lunar Eclipse time.

First of all think about what you would like to, or need to, release. It could be negative thought patterns; old issues around family dynamics; unhelpful attitudes towards prosperity or pride and ego issues. Or perhaps you need to kick a bad habit, heal an unhealthy relationship pattern or let go of old grief that’s preventing you from moving forwards.

Breathe of Gaia by Josephine Wall

Once you know what you would like to release you can try any of the following, as suits you:

~ Say a prayer to your chosen God or spirit
~ Make a wish
~ Write an affirmation and say it aloud
~ Write a letter to yourself, detailing what you want to release then (safely) burn the letter to release the energy
~ Talk it through openly with a supportive, non judgmental friend. Acknowledging a block can be a good first step to releasing it
~ Perform a banishing spell, if you are so inclined
~ Ask the Archangels to help you cut the cords for what it is you want to release
~ Visualise yourself letting go through meditation work
~ Work with the appropriate crystals, candles, essential oils or flower remedies. If you are not sure which crystals, candles etc are the right ones use your intuition.
~ Use your imagination to make a ceremony out of it, perhaps by using pictures, music and song, dance, incense or precious objects.

Good practice for releasement work:

~ Pick a quiet time and place where you won’t be disturbed. Turn your phone off!
~ Before you begin, make sure you feel calm, centred and grounded
~ Always be positive
~ Always work from a place of love and compassion
~ Always assert that this work is done for the higher good and that it harm none
~ Always do this work only for yourself. You have no business doing this work for other people's issues. For example, if your partner's stubbornness drives you crazy, you should never write an affirmation asking for them to be less stubborn. Instead you could write an affirmation to help you stop being irritated by the stubbornness, such as: I release the part of me that is irritated by you.
~ Always use the present tense in your affirmations, prayers, wishes etc. For example, I now release past hurts that are holding me back or Please help me release past hurts now
~ Show gratitude by saying thank you or by making some other gesture of thanks

Balancing Yin and Yang and Honoring the Goddess

Just like the Lunar eclipse in Cancer on 31st December, this Eclipse reminds us that Cancer – the yin, lunar sign, is the empty leg of the cardinal t-square (the only cardinal sign not inhabited by an outer planet in 2010).

Cancer by Josephine Wall

So perhaps we should be making more time now for Cancerian things - the yin energies - such as home, family, security, nurturing, instinct and reflection.

All eclipses, being powerful alignments of the Sun and Moon with the Earth, speak of the irrefutable balance in the universe between the masculine/solar/yang energies and the feminine/lunar/yin energies. They seek to remind us of how we must work to maintain that balance here on our planet.

Letting one side take over creates imbalance and disruption. Are we not seeing the evidence of how disastrous an imbalance of these energies can be in the Gulf Coast oil spill? The yang, masculine energies have penetrates the ocean’s riches for profit, disregarding issues of safety and of concern for nature and its resources.

This is more than enough reason to honour the feminine spirit, nod to the goddess, the moon and the mother energies within ourselves, our spirituality and our world. Give thanks to maidens, mothers, wise old crones. Invoke the spirit of Gaia, mother earth, the water goddesses such as Sedna, or any other goddess figure or mother figure you feel drawn to. Ask them to send positive healing energies in the right direction.

You could also do worse than to meditate on the beautiful images featured in this blog post, which represent Cancer, Capricorn and Gaia. They are all by artist Josephine Wall and you can see more of her stunning work at http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/

I’m sure I will return to these themes again soon, as there will be a total solar eclipse in Cancer in July, just a few days before the cardinal t-square of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto comes to its fullest exactness.

Working with the Planetary Energies

Working with the planetary energies simply means sitting up and taking note of the symbolism they represent by sign and by their connections (aspects) with other planets. While I do not believe that planets 'make' things happen, our experience of astrology tells us that their symbolism is definitely reflected here on earth in our collective and individual experience. Taking this view allows us the free will and opportunity to use the planetary energies positively.

This work will be more powerful if you work with transiting planets that are making connections with (aspects to) one or more of your natal planets or points. In the case of this Eclipse, the planets discussed below will currently be transiting your chart if you have planets or points in the first five degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn in your chart (you can get your chart at http://www.alabe.com/).

The following is more or less a repeat of what I said in the Solstice blog post, but with the addition of the Moon and Mercury:

Saturn in Virgo reminds us to take a reality check and helps us to remember that sometimes it’s the small, practical, carefully thought out things we do that make the difference, not the grand gestures. When Saturn goes back into Libra in July, it reminds us to find balance in our lives, to set healthy boundaries in our relationships, to act justly and to opt for fair compromise.

Uranus in Aries, here in conjunction with Jupiter in Aries, reminds us to have faith, to think big, to be creative, to experiment, to express our individuality and authenticity, to get excited, to grab opportunities and to jump right in and initiate change.

Pluto in Capricorn reminds us to own and use our personal power wisely and responsibly. We’ve collectively worked hard to get to this point and we are ready to learn that having and holding power doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, mean taking the power away from someone else. Pluto (along with Saturn) can also help us to keep things in perspective, to act properly under pressure and not to let fear blind us from seeing things clearly. The Moon in Capricorn joins Pluto for this intense Eclipse, taking the emotional level up a few notches. This combination could bring some super deep emotions to the surface. Find some way to release them in a controlled, steady way!

The Sun in Cancer reminds us to care and to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and nurtured, to honour the goddess, as I spoke of above. Mercury in Cancer brings emotional conversations and reminds us to think with our gut, our instinct, as well as with our logical right brain.

For some more astrological ideas on how to work with eclipses see Working with Eclipses

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

A Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse

The New Year, indeed the New Decade, is ushered in by no less than an Eclipsed Full Moon. Not only that, but it's a Blue Moon - wow, what amazing energies to let go of the old and welcome the new.

Eclipses are about release and letting go, so before the festivities begin today this is a good time to think about what negative attachments you might want to work on.

This is highly personal work, but here are a few ideas based on your Sun sign:

Aries: Letting go of old issues around family dynamics; reconsidering the work-life balance

Taurus: Releasing negative thought patterns that have been holding you back

Gemini: Learning to value yourself more, letting go of self-limiting beliefs about yourself

Cancer: Releasing self-critical behaviour, learning to love yourself for who you are

Leo: Letting go of the need to always be in the spotlight by recognising when to retreat and rest

Virgo: Releasing the need to be over self-sufficient by learning to accept help from others

Libra: Letting go of unneccesary notions about status and learning to be who you are rather than what you think others expect

Scorpio: Thinking about where you have become stuck in a rut, broadening your horizons

Sagittarius: Letting go of the need to always be 'on the move' by allowing yourself the time to stop and take stock of your life

Capricorn: Releasing negative behaviour patterns in relationships

Aquarius: Working on kicking a bad habit and maintaining a healthier lifestyle

Pisces: Learning to remember to unburden yourself of the worries of the world once in a while, so you can enjoy life more

A few ideas for releasement work:

~ Say a prayer to your chosen God or spirit

~ Make a wish

~ Write an affirmation

~ Write a letter to yourself, detailing what you want to release then (safely) burn the letter to release the energies

~ Talk it through with a friend or a partner, ask their advice

~ Perform a banishing spell

~ Ask the Archangels to help you cut the cords for what it is you want to release

~ Visualise yourself letting go through meditation work

~ Work with the appropriate crystals, candles, essential oils or flower remedies

A few 'rules' for releasement work:

~ Always be positive

~ Always work from a place of love and compassion

~ Assert that this work is done for the higher good and that it harm none

~ Always do this work only for yourself. You have no business doing this work for other people's issues. For example, if your partner's stubbornness drives you crazy, you should never write an affirmation asking for them to be less stubborn. Instead you could write an affirmation such as: I release the part of me that is irritated by you

~ Use the present tense in your affirmations, prayers, wishes etc. For example, I now release past hurts that are holding me back or Please help me release past hurts now

~ Always assume success

~ Always show gratitude by saying thank you or by making some other gesture of thanks

For my blog on how I feel this eclipse, in the sign of Cancer, fits into the overall cosmic pattern of the next few months, click here>

For some astrological ideas on how to work with eclipses, click here>

Here's to a healthy, happy, prosperous 2010 to you all.

With love and blessings,

Mandi xx

Libra New Moon Meditation

A New Moon, under the darkening sky, is a good time to go within and this Libra New Moon, on the 18th October, is a good time to reflect upon where we need to find balance in our lives. So, this month, rather than looking at the astrological chart for the New Moon, I have devised a meditation which you may enjoy.

All you will need for this meditation is a quiet place and an Autumn leaf. It can be done indoors or outdoors.

Start by sitting down in a comfortable position and concentrate on your breathing, following your in-breaths and out-breaths until you start to feel stiller and calmer. As you breathe out, relax your body, making sure you are not tensed up in your shoulders, back, facial muscles etc. Make your breaths slower and longer, but comfortable. Feel your lungs filling up on the in-breath and emptying out on the out-breath.

When you are ready, take up your leaf and visualise the following image:

“A little boy, rebellious against school, watches a fluttering autumn leaf that seems to spell out his lesson for him”.

This is the Sabian Symbol for 25 degrees of Libra (the degree of the New Moon, rounded up).

Think about this image as you look at your leaf. Imagine you are that little boy, looking at the fluttering autumn leaf. What lesson do you think the leaf can teach you? Look at the colours. Think back to when it was a young leaf in the spring, unfolding and growing, full of promise. Then see it in full green colour in summer, on the tree, magnificent and strong. Look at the leaf now, beautiful, but dry and fallen from the tree. Imagine the tree in winter, bare of leaves. Now visualise the tree coming back into life in the spring and give thanks.

Now think about your own life. The ups and the downs. The happy times and the not so happy times. Think about how your life turns like the seasons. If life is currently happy and full, rejoice and give thanks, but if life has been difficult, absorb the promise of the tree and have faith in a new season of happiness and fulfilment to come. Take a moment to enjoy this feeling. Feel that you are able to hold your problems in perspective and balance now, for you are wise and like the tree, you will know when to surge forth and grow and when to rest and wait for better times.

Check in with yourself now to make sure you are still breathing and your body is still relaxed.

Look closely at the patterns on the leaf again now. Look at the symmetry and balance and contemplate where in your life you need to find more balance and harmony. Visualise yourself living your life in complete harmony and balance. Enjoy this feeling.

Now think about a circumstance where you have rebelled or resisted recently. Why do you think you did? What does this tell you about yourself? What is the lesson here? Like the little boy, ask nature or spirit to help you find the answer. Let the thoughts and images float around you now. Resist the urge to follow a single train of thought, try to remain detached. If you need to break a train of thought, go back to contemplating the leaf and check your breathing.

When you are ready, give thanks to nature or spirit. Go back to concentrating on your breathing and then slowly come back to yourself. Make sure you are grounded before you jump up, to avoid feeling lightheaded. A good way to do this is to plant your feet firmly on the ground and feel the earth beneath your feet. Visualise your feet as the base of a tree, with deep roots – secure, solid and safe.

Enjoy.

Namaste
Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/