Aug/Sept 2002

Deep Sustainability
Roar Ramesh Bjonnes

Community Owned Enterprise
Ron Phillips

Police State Measures Will Not Make Us Safe
Kayla M. Starr, MPH

Can Democracy Survive Endless War?
Edited by Eli Pariser

A Popular Revolt This November
Ted Glick

Turning the Trolls to Stone: Strategy for the Global Justice Movement
Starhawk

Navigating the Tides of Change
David LaChapelle

Dispelling the Myths About Smallpox
Michael Framson

Observations Of A Medical Revolutionary
Doug Falkner

The Emergence of Mind-Body Medicine
Robert Newman

A Childhood Stolen and Redeemed
John Darling

Healing Hints
Peter Moore, MFCC, CGP

Flax Seed
Rebecca Wood

The Yearly Round
Richard Moeschl

The Movie Mystic: "Beautiful Mind"
Stephen Simon

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Cosmic Calendar

By Salina Rain

In early August four planets and asteroid Vesta line up in fire sign Leo, with Sun, Mercury, Mars, and then Jupiter moving into the sign of the regal Lion on the 1st, which also marks the sacred cross-quarter day, Fire Festival of Lammas (halfway between Solstice and Equinox). This is the most fertile time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when much we have been working on comes to fruition. This year the intensity of the speeded up energy field affects us strongly, with Uranus in late degrees of Aquarius, joined by wise Pallas, and the ongoing pressure of Pluto and the South Node pushing us to finish with karmic conditions and transform our reality. This entails many endings in alliances, family situations, and relationships, and the very foundations upon which we have built our lives so far.

Karmic conditions are showing up now as problem areas, making it necessary for us to closely attend to whatever presents the most difficulties for us. Karma, or previous actions requiring balancing or release, can be showing up in the cells of our bodies as physical conditions we can heal by addressing the deeper layers of the psyche. Chiron in Capricorn is helping us to restructure our whole system of health and healing, reawakening us to the multi-dimensional aspects of the human energy system. We begin to acknowledge the false, incredibly limiting, premises of our established system, which has diverged completely from traditional wisdom that served humanity for millennia before “science” became ruler. Neptune in Aqua-rius, meanwhile, is busy washing away the old paradigm views of religion and spiri-tuality, while attuning us to the importance of experiencing the sacred in our everyday lives. We can have direct contact with the Divine, and no longer require a mediating specialist (priest, priestess, rabbi, minister, shaman).

Leo’s fire brings us more fully into ourselves now, with a strong need to express who we are and what we’re about. There are three kinds of “fire” in the zodiac signs, and in occult tradition: electric, solar and fire by friction. Leo represents the solar fire, rising from the heart to the head, potentially enlightening or destructive, but changing our mentality. (Rudhyar) As our relationships and alliances shift we’re finding common ground with unexpected new partnerships and group associations, with the current solar fire releases.

New Moon on the 8th at 16 degrees Leo is joined by impulsive Mars, trining Pluto-South Node and opposed by Neptune in a wide arc. Leaders of all types will find they need to be more in tune with the will of the people, even as the tendency may be towards ego and ethno-centricity, and trying to hide ulterior motives. This highly creative and overly dramatic lunation brings out the best and worst, from inspired self-expression to monumental palavering with a great amount of pushy, belligerent behavior to get the point across. Focus on where your heart leads you, accepting courage from the universal energies for support of your highest yearnings. Saturn trine Uranus-Pallas ensures new directions, with particularly feminine wisdom guiding us, and continues this time of restructuring and renovating, on all levels. Pride, ego and the creative fire must all be surrendered and devoted to the good of all in order for us to collectively avoid the worst case scenarios, while we are called individually to subordinate our egos to the Higher Self—which is the experience of bliss that many of us are looking for in our relationships and addictions. Rudhyar’s interpretation of the Sabian Symbol for the Sun and Moon’s degree speaks of a period of release is: “A volunteer church choir singing religious hymns. The feeling of toge-therness which unites men and women in their dedication to a collective ideal.”

Full Moon on the 22nd in the last degree of Aquarius is also significant in its collective karmic implications, joined by Uranus, opposed by Mars with the Sun. Expect extremes of brilliance as well as bizarre and shocking events. Science, outer space, and technology, healthy community and aligning with the cosmic order are emphasized, with probable resistance to new ideas by the old, established order, or egos getting in the way in some aggressive form. This degree implies a major ending, or turning point, in the progression of our evolving consciousness—the head vs. the heart, individual vs. the collective, autocratic rule vs. consensus decision-making. Venus sextile Pluto-South Node, Saturn trine Moon-Uranus help us deal truthfully with our old and new alliances and create a master plan for the future. Jupiter and Neptune opposing give us abundant room for dreaming, bringing through into this reality the other dimensions in which we also exist. Rudhyar’s interpretation for the Moon’s degree: “An unsealed letter. The realization by the individual that all thoughts and all messages are inevitably to be shared with all men.” This seems to speak to the evolutionary state we are entering where all knowledge is freely shared as we say goodbye to the Age of Exclusivity, which can also be compared to a major Dark Age. Rudhyar also comments: “There is nothing more senseless than possessiveness in the realm of ideas.”

Sun enters Virgo on the 23rd of August, for the solar journey through the sign of training, discipleship, discrimination, and the specific work that accompanies harvesting our “crops,” whether they be on the physical, mental-emotional and/or spiritual levels. After several months of an internal journey Pluto pivots to direct motion at 15 degrees Sagittarius on the 26th. Check out the position of this degree in your chart, as an important transformational process is at work there that is being highlighted and energized in the realm of beliefs and higher perspectives.

As September rolls in Juno in Virgo and Saturn in Gemini are already in a pretty tight square, implying women up against a brick wall of establishment palaver around health and work issues. Remember the saying “God is coming and She is pissed”? An apt image for this configuration, ‘cause we’re not buying it. New Moon comes at 14 degrees Virgo on the 6th, with a fateful square to the Moon’s North and South Nodes, along with Pluto. Spiritual Housecleaning on a major scale comes to mind for the collective, along with however this powerful T-Square impacts us individually wherever these points fall in our personal horoscope. This lunation looks very busy as it challenges us to eliminate our more self-destructive behaviors, especially as a species. Smudge your living and work spaces, use sea salt, lemon juice, lavender oil, whatever your preference, but do a space cleansing with clear intention. Venus, Saturn and Uranus form a Grand Air Trine, bringing forth long term changes, or at least a new plan, affecting women, government, finances, newly made alliances. Wherever these planets impact your chart they’re pointing toward opportunities for structuring or restructuring partnerships that work for each party and will last over time.

On the 14th Mercury turns retrograde for 3 weeks, at 13 degrees Libra, messing around with clear interpersonal communications as well as reliable information sources. Beware all the standard retro Mercury cautions with vehicles, travel plans, missed appointments, and delays, especially in signing any binding contracts. This period presents an opportunity to review our most fundamental thinking, particularly around relationships, group associations, social interactions, cooperative efforts.

Harvest Moon on September 21st at 28 degrees Pisces waxes Full at 6:59 AM, with Sun and Moon squaring Saturn, a fairly tense and pressurized pattern. Problems with water are emerging again, as we there may be a further push to control water sources by the dinosaurs of the old paradigm. Spiritual yearnings vs. “practical” considerations are pulling many in different directions until we realize that they are one and the same. We must integrate our spiritual ideals into our daily lives or we will shrivel up and die from lack of nourishment from our Source. Focus on the essentials now, and integrate prayer, meditation, and dream tending into your work-day routines. We cannot be controlled if we don’t give away our power to others, no matter how “expert” they seem.

Sun enters Libra on the 22nd for Fall Equinox, a highly sacred time of balance and harmony, one of the four seasonal gateways of the year. Mars square Pluto today does not bode well for the coming season, which appears to be marked by conflicts stemming from age old resentments and offences. However, the belligerence and disharmony will receive the benefit of the Sun’s full illumination, hopefully allowing many to finally give up the fight. In any case, anger and rage are surfacing rather than festering in the dark, with the potential for release and healing. Focus your prayers and mantras on peaceful resolutions at this magical, pregnant with possibilities, moment in time.

Salina Rain, a professional Astrologer, offers readings and consultations, with a major focus on life purpose and navigating transitions gracefully. She is also at Master level of Reiki Jin-Kei-Do, an eastern lineage of energy healing, transmitted through the ancient Tibetan Buddhist line. Salina is available for astrological consultations and Reiki Jin-Kei-Do classes, (707) 668-5408, P.O. Box 1081, Blue Lake, Ca. 95525-1081, or astro@salinarain.com. Visit www.salinarain.com for more detailed forecasts.