Meditation Informs Healing Facilitation

Dixie Lee Peas, the adventure begins

My friend called me last week to say that our mutual friend, the extraordinarily generous old-timer farmer, had some bush beans, cress salad greens and tomatoes for her and that I could share in the haul if I did the picking.

So of course I said, “Sure!”

Keep in mind that this mutual farmer friend of ours has lived in Virginia all his life and grew up on the land he still owns. And his house is built into the side of a hill – yes, has bushes and grass and sod for a roof. And he has a stove pipe and several vents peeking through said grass.

And he has some really funny euphemisms and other fantastic anecdotes! So I said, “Yes! I am happy to spend time picking beans with Simon.” I made that name up to keep his real name anonymous.

A farmer's house under a grass rooftop — A farmer’s house under a grass rooftop

I will start from the beginning… Oh – and if “Simon” lets me, I would love to write a book about him, complete with recordings of his classic old Virginia accent (which you don’t hear anymore due to all the dilution).

As I drive out toward Mr. Underhill’s house and land and garden, it is a chilly summer morning. We are in the midst of a “polar vortex” in July and it is 72 degrees in Central Virginia at 10 AM in the middle of July! I turn off the main highway onto a typical, green-tunnel-of-trees-and-canopy, country road. It is narrow and I go up and down hills and around several wide curves. At one point I cross over a one-lane-bridge – those are always fun. I take it for granted myself, considering I was raised in the country myself (in beautiful Nelson County Virginia), but then I realize there are probably some city folk who don’t have a clue what I mean. So a one-lane-bridge is a narrow, bumpy, wooden bridge over a little creek or stream.

I get out to the driveway onto Simon’s land, which has a cute name. I cross over a cow grate immediately, and I assume that at one point, this large swath of land held many heads of cattle on it. At first the driveway is all gravel and it is wider than my Toyota Corolla. The driveway looks like it is well trodden (by cars). Then I take a left at a fork and the lane narrows a tiny bit. Passing several white farmhouses, I drive another quarter of a mile and I take yet another left at a fork in the road. And now the driveway has tufts of grass sticking up in the middle, as there are obviously less cars that come this way. And I hear several plants and vines striking the side of my car as I drive by them (the road has narrowed and one side has trees which come pretty close to the two tire tracks).

Then a dirt spit juts off to the right but I stay in my two gravel tire tracks. Then I go across a bizarre chunk of concrete which serves as a bridge over a little trickle of a stream. I’m not sure how old that chunk is, but I trust it, for now. And now I know I am getting close – there are several large rocks which have weathered over time and are sticking up out of the ground like ancient teeth, plus there is an old, rusted barbed-wire fence on the right.

Now, in a strange twist of things, the driveway is suddenly paved. And I see the barns in the distance which rise behind Simon’s house. Going around a bend, which wraps around a vine-covered fence post, I am suddenly at Simon’s house. Now I say the word “house” with some hesitation. See above picture…

Outside of his front door, there is a large assortment of junk metal, old buckets – some of which contain plants and other which seem empty, hub caps, old tires and several fig trees of all things! Oh plus there are about half a dozen broken tools which have obviously been rusting for years. And his house is built into the side of a hill. Maybe that is why I made up the name Simon Underhill for him… 🙂

I knock on the door. Nothing. I knock again. He had told me that he was going to be in the back doing some canning, so assume that is where he is. I wander toward the garage and take a peek inside – more of the same, tools, buckets, gardening supplies, picks, tools for his truck, etc. Then his door opens and I walk briskly back to meet him.

He is in his underwear with a thin long-sleeved shirt on his torso, so his long spindly legs are peeking out from under the shirt. I am a little taken aback, but by this point I have learned not to expect the usual from Simon. He tells me he will be right with me and shuts his door.

I wander around the side of his house and look at the bushes and grass on his roof. Oh, I should mention that I sprayed my legs and feet with this potent insect repellent which contains DEET (30%) to keep the bugs and ticks away from me. But in the time I walk from his front door and around the back of the hill which contains his “house,” I already have to pick off two eager adult deer ticks. Yummy! 😦

I peer around at the dilapidated barns and farm out buildings behind his home. I anticipate asking him about these. I am curious as I suspect this land has a rich story to tell.

By the time I get back around to his front door, and fortunately I might add, he is dressed and holding two buckets….

To Be Continued…

What little I know about Birth Dynamics

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting! If you would like to receive a Spiritual Astrology interpretation or process-oriented bodywork, you can check out my website at www.mkirbymoore.com

As some of my readers may know, I have been studying process-oriented bodywork, pre- and perinatal psychology and Tibetan Buddhism for some years now. I have been giving and receiving treatments since 2004, and every day, I am amazed at how many layers there are to plumb the depths of. For instance, I recently received a treatment when the practitioner asked if I was a “forceps baby” – meaning were forceps used to get me out of my Momma? Yes, I was. So I am going to describe what happened next, but first some context.

I have been taking regular classes – at least 60 hours of class time per year since 2005, I have been giving and receiving regular treatments – I need my self-care / bodywork maintenance (!), and I have gone through some intensive birth process workshops and somatic process retreats. So I am probably not a novice anymore, right? I am blessed and yet I make stop-and-go progress which is occasionally frustrating. So this is the context in which I was receiving this most recent treatment.

So yes, I was a forceps baby. Keep in mind I am not a doctor, I’m not an obstetrician, and I am not licensed to practice medicine. So this is just for entertainment purposes or to be used as experiential testimony. After going through some basic listening stations along my body (feet/ leg bones / hip bones / ribs / paired cranial bones, etc) and then checking my sphenoid bone (the bone behind the eyes), she told me that my cranial bones were pretty locked up. I was feeling that. She asked if I wanted to try something. I said sure!

So she asked me to put my hands on my head, above my ears, and then she put her hands on mine. Keep in mind that this practitioner working on me has years of experience and she is certified as a registered craniosacral therapist, and on top of that, she is more of a listener and a healing coach than a “I’m going to fix you” type of practitioner, and that is why my body responds so well to these treatments. I am not recommending this to be tried at home – if you want a treatment like I am describing, you should research who in your area has studied some solid modalities like Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Pre- and Perinatal Psychology, Somatic Experiencing, etc.

Back to the story, her hands were on top of mine, applying very gentle “pressure.” Then she asked me to put all my angst and feelings about those forceps into my hands as I pushed hers away from my head. She recommended I make some sounds. So I did. I grunted and expressed my objection to anyone using a harsh, invasive, powerful force on my malleable baby head. And then we did this another two times, each time I was moaning or groaning or saying “No!” with determination. She resisted my hands a little, so this was not easy.

Then, after the third time, I told her I noticed a small, vulnerable part of me that wanted to cry. She asked where I felt that in my body, and I said I thought it was in my gut. Keep in mind that it is not easy for me to get to this baby part of me. I have done years of work, and yet I think some non-verbal aged trauma (pre-one-year-old) is very difficult to touch and process. So I was amazed at how such a simple exercise could do this.

Then she re-checked my cranial bones and she said I needed to take it easy for the next few hours as my bones had loosened up, but that I might feel wonky for a little while as a result. And sure enough, that afternoon, I could really only do about half an hour of work before I felt a strong need to rest for the same amount of time. It was like a magnetic pull to rest down!

I just want to express my little non-educated opinion on the subject of using forceps. First, I am glad forceps was the “worst” intervention used to get my baby body out of my mother! If a C-section was the next step, I’m glad they used forceps. And apparently, for babies who are sort of “stuck” in the birth canal, the use of forceps can sometimes be forced to be done blind. So I hope my doctor was very skillful!! And I certainly hope doctors are still skillful using this technique today.

With that said, the use of such a strong force on a baby, even if done right is an invasion. Therefore, I think it is necessary to talk to the mother and baby ahead of time – tell them what is coming. And just as importantly, it is necessary to have someone (a nurse, a mid-wife, a doula, etc) present at the birth who understands how to adjust babies’ cranial bones so that they don’t internalize that loss of control. I wanted to make my own way down the birth canal – but after 8 hours of contractions and pushing, the doctors decided things for me.

So there I was at the tender age of Zero, already developing a distrust of doctors, a fear of the medical system and I was already getting my sympathetic (fight-flight-or-freeze) nervous system geared up as I wanted to fight the doctor who had that horrible contraption around my head. BLEHCK!!!! No thank you!

And this is just one trauma that I experienced as a baby. You know, I wonder if this (and other traumas too) is why I do not enjoy celebrating my birth day. I always thought it was because I wanted to be humble or modest, but it might be more than that. Why would I want to remember the most important day of my life when it was marred by complications, mechanical interventions and potentially insensitive doctors? Yeah.

If you have read this far, you might need to take a deep breath. I am fine. Fortunately I have met with teachers and practitioners who know how to help me process all this “stuff.” I have overcome depression and headaches and other issues and I am really doing well. I am healthy and I continue to enjoy plumbing the depths of these psycho-emotional layers of what it is to be a body and be a human. Yay!

Thank you for reading.

Natal Jupiter in the 12th, Transiting Jupiter 12th

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My last post was about having natal Jupiter in the 12th in the sign of Cancer. And now, for the next few months, transiting Jupiter is also in the sign of Cancer, meaning for me Jupiter is traveling through familiar territory – the 12th house. So what are some potential ramifications of this?

The 12th House in the larger scheme of Astrological Cycles… Go back and peek at the previous post if you have not already done so, because that will detail what Jupiter in the 12th (as an independent Astrological House) can mean. Here I will detail what the 12th House means in relation to the other Houses.

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In Western Astrology, the 12 Astrological Houses each describe and are associated with differing areas of life. The 1st House is typically the beginning, the time and situation around one’s birth, and it is very self-oriented. What is my path? How do I go about treading my path will show up with the sign on the Ascendant and its aspects.

Likewise, as the 1st House is the beginning of a new cycle, the 12th House is the closure of the previous cycle. That is why the 12th House is sometimes described as the Cosmic Dustpan. Because that is where we are tidying up all the work done in the previous Houses and WE ARE PREPARING FOR A NEW CYCLE TO COME ABOUT.

But if you are like me, you are not entirely comfortable with the unknown! We want some control. We want some knowledge about what is around the corner. This is why most of us do not go through huge upheavals during Jupiter’s transition from 12th to 1st. (But we might say it is an upheaval when the Progressed Moon or Saturn go from natal 12th House to 1st.) Generally speaking we will have some knowledge about what is around the corner, but the details will be missing. For example… I am going to start a new direction in school – graduate school maybe? How am I going to pay for that? Which school will accept me? Where will I live? Will I have to get a job while I am in school? Etc…

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Temptations as the 12th is associated with Neptune… For me, as I mentioned in my previous post, Jupiter in the 12th House is not always easy. Yes it is Jupiter we are talking about, and yes in the 12th it is known as a Guardian Angel… But too many Neptunian influences will be difficult to navigate through. If we have Jupiter trine to our Sun, Moon or Venus from the 12th House, then we might be inclined to sit back and wait for the blessings to fall into our laps. I am not saying we are lazy (look to Saturn’s placement to answer that question). But we have learned that we are just fortunate enough to get by and we can be content with that. This will not be everybody, but this could especially be true for people with Jupiter in Cancer making a trine to a Piscean Sun Moon or Venus (plus a couple of planets in Virgo). You will be blessed in that case. But how you go about using your potential is up to you.

I started off this section mentioning the Neptunian temptations because Jupiter in the 12th is in Neptune’s domain. And again, this would be true more so for people with strongly Neptunian charts. Look for a stellium (3 or more planets) in the 12th House or in Pisces and / or look to strong Neptune aspects (conjunct / square / opposite Sun, Moon, Mercury, Ascendant). If we have a strong pull from Neptune when Jupiter is in the 12th house, instead of waiting with confident patience, knowing that we must consciously pause while a change of energy comes about, we might push on with frustration and tire ourselves out. Or we could become frustrated with the waiting and say to the Universe, “Screw this! I’m going to escape from this difficult waiting tonight!” You will hear Neptune’s voice whispering in your ear – and if a lot of 12th house energy or Neptune / Pisces energy is flowing around your chart, then you should find a wise person and ally yourself with them. I have heard it said that a Dragon – a powerful, wise and compassionate person is hard to find, but if you know of a Dragon in your neighborhood (an authentic spiritual teacher might very well be a Dragon), then you should seek them out. Especially during Jupiter’s transits through your 12th House!

When Jupiter is in the 12th House, see what forms of self care are both easy and kind to our selves. We can take a short bath. We can take a quick nap instead of using the computer to distract ourselves. Maybe we can go for a nice walk or a short hike? When you hear Neptune’s silky seductive voice whispering in your ear, move your awareness down into your heart. What does your body want? What does your heart need? Maybe sleeping would be a better idea than watching that Star Wars marathon…

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Feeling uncertain about the future but resting in the immediately present blessings… When Jupiter is in the 12th House, typically things will work out quite well within the next year. When Jupiter actually crosses the Ascendant, things will have been gradually clearing up and by that point, you will know what direction to pursue and how to go about that pursuit. We will probably be able to wait patiently while Jupiter is transiting the 12th House, but like I mention above, who is good at waiting patiently with confidence? This requires that we TRUST the process and trust the Universe to provide for us. And frankly, at times, that can be terrifying! Most of us use some form of distraction to pass the time. We do not like the word “bored.” We would rather spend an hour on Facebook than lie around waiting for the Universe to show us our path 🙂 But if you can slowly start to realize the ways in which we take a detour from our path, then we can start to do self care or spiritual practices which help us stay present and aware.

Jupiter in Cancer, 12th House

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We are excited about recording videos for Trauma Informed Astrology. Check the site to register for upcoming New Moon Workshops: http://www.traumainformedastrology.com

And we will have courses coming out on Teachable soon (certainly by January of 2023).

Let’s unpack Jupiter in Cancer in the 12th:

What is Jupiter about?

Jupiter is the jovial, optimistic, speculating, the-grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-fence, wanderlust-filled, adventuring, mental pioneering, broadener of horizons. Typically, Jupiter is seen as one of the sources of enthusiasm in the astrology chart. Does your Jupiter trine your Sun Moon or Mercury? If so, you may be prone to bouts of enthusiastic delight. 🙂 Also, Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and it is the only planet which actually gives off energy by itself (without the Sun being involved). It’s size indicates how it tends to expand our thoughts about what is possible. Jupiter can push the envelope as it were and this can definitely show up with a potential to gamble when we have a strong Jupiter (or in fire signs). Although in this case – a watery sign like Cancer and a diffuse house like the 12th, gambling may not be indicated or recommended (look at the 5th house for more clarity around speculation).

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Jupiter in Cancer?

Jupiter is exalted in the sign of Cancer. What does exalted mean? This is the second most potent placing for the planet to be. Jupiter rules Sagittarius. Meaning it is very strong in that pioneering, studious (sometimes know-it-all sign), adventuresome fire sign, but it is also strong in the sign of Cancer. Why? Because Cancer is all about nurturing and taking care of our loved ones – be they family members or close friends and associates. When Jupiter’s natural expansion encounters Cancer’s natural love of nurturing, it is a good combination, let me tell you. In Buddhism, the word for the “highest” altruistic motivation is called Bodhicitta, which means the mind which wishes for all sentient beings (seen and unseen, known and unknown) to attain happiness and complete enlightenment. It is a very powerful motivation. However, most of us (myself included) have a difficult time maintaining strong Bodhicitta because we feel slighted by anger or jealousy or not getting our way (etc…).

Well Jupiter in Cancer has a natural leaning toward an altruistic motivation. You will not find many people with Jupiter in Cancer with a powerful cutthroat mentality unless it shows up in multiple other areas of the chart. Jupiter in Cancer types will be natural cooks, care takers, nurses, teachers, healers, and / or realtors (Cancer has a Lunar connection to the 4th house of land and real estate as well).

Jupiter in the 12th house?

Jupiter in the 12th house is said to be the Guardian Angel of the astrology chart. Why is this? Because the 12th house is the most mysterious of the Houses. It is where we subconsciously work against ourselves. It can also indicate a natural proclivity toward spiritual practices and awareness. It can even indicate psychic abilities (whether the individual wants them or not). Keep in mind that the 12th house is strongly associated with Neptune (and Pisces). Previously, before Neptune took over Pisces’ rulership, Jupiter ruled the sign of the bonded dual Fishes. So Jupiter in the 12th house is not much of a detriment when looking at planetary strengths. Normally all planets (save Saturn) lose strength when they are tenanting the 12th house. Jupiter still loses overall strength by being in the 12th, however it might confer extra intuitive abilities and not to mention unexpected luck and spiritual protection.

Jupiter in the 12th is watered down though. You will not often find crazy dare devils who are risking their lives deep into their 40’s and 50’s with this placement. Depending on what the 5th house and its ruler look like, you might take a few risks, but this individual will probably realize the fragility of the human condition sooner rather than later. And yes, I speak from personal experience… Therefore a watery Jupiter in a watery house is not going to be the wildly adventurous or overly jovial type (unless other strong indications exist in the chart).

So… My Jupiter in the 12th, in the 29th degree of Cancer indicates that I have the potential for spiritual awareness, a natural proclivity toward giving and altruism, a desire to nurture those who I care about and I might even have innate healing abilities. Hhhmmm. Well this all sounds great so far right?! And it is. I am quite blessed.

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So why am I hesitating? Because Jupiter in the 12th house indicates a strong leaning toward a nebulous Neptunian nature. And then if this individual (me) is a Pisces, which I am, with Neptune squaring his natal Sun, which I have, then there is often times too much Neptune going around. And what does this mean?

Neptune seeks to transcend this dense world of relative reality we live in – in other words, Neptune seeks to transcend planet Earth and all the physical phenomena that come with living on this great planet. Neptune is the escapist, the addict, the artist, the seeker, the poet, the romantic and the mystic. But it is never the pragmatic realist. Sorry folks. So that is why it has taken me at least 35 years to begin to realize what I am doing on this planet. And this waiting is often times hell. I would rather push push push and accomplish something (this pushing is probably Saturn talking by the way, or an unconscious double bind speaking), even if it feels empty down the road than sit around and wait for my energy to rise. (Because Neptune can also indicate a watered down immune system where your energy will literally wax and wane.)

With all that said, Jupiter in the 12th house in Cancer is an incredible blessing. I am in contact with my spirit guides. I do not “hear” them directly yet, but I have spent a lot of time working on embodying and becoming more grounded. So I feel it in my body if a decision is way off the mark. I will get a quick head-ache if I make a severe detour from my path. And my body suffers if I waste too much time with less-than-wholesome pursuits.

I hope this speaks about Jupiter in Cancer and / or Jupiter in the 12th house a little. Let me know if you have comments on this subject.

Thanks for reading!

Spring 2014 update & crystal healing beds

Hello dear readers,

I have not been posting much recently because I have been working several part time jobs (at the same time). I am still waiting tables at a nice golf and tennis resort in town. Plus I have been helping a friend build a large deck on his house for a few weeks. And I am still working the front desk at the Bed and Breakfast where I live (downtown Charlottesville) – this is usually only one day a week. On top of that, I see clients one or two days a week as well. So all of my sparse down time is going toward self care and rest.

Fortunately I have a couple days off this week and I might have three days off next week! Wow! What will that be like? Although I am to help my step-dad build a new deck on their house starting in a few weeks… So I am happy to be staying busy.

I also wanted to say that I have started exchanging with a friend. I offer her Craniosacral treatments in exchange for lying on her crystal healing bed (from John of God’s center in Brazil). http://www.johnofgodcrystalhealingbeds.com/healing_sessions.htm

So far I feel that it does what the website says – I feel my chakras are balanced, I typically fall asleep for at least a few minutes (and considering my busy schedule, I could use some rest), and I feel more present, more grounded and often times I feel more embodied after lying on the bed. I do feel that there are altruistic beings working with and on me, but I do not know exactly who they are. I have not seen them or heard anything while lying on the healing bed.

By the way, “crystal healing bed” might be a bit of a misnomer. What it is is a bed you lie down on while the crystals are above you. There are 7 crystals which have different colored light shone through them onto your body. The various colored lights blink at a pattern which has been determined to have healing effects. The frequency of the blinking pattern can be slowed or increased. The colored lights are all associated with the 7 chakras – starting with violet at the crown chakra, indigo at the third eye, light blue at the throat, green at the heart, yellow at the solar plexus, orange at the secret place and then red at the root chakra. It is pretty wild.

My friend is interested in having more people use the crystal healing bed, so let me know if you are interested. She lives in Crozet, Virginia. Email me using kirby[at symbol]mkirbymoore.com or you can call me to inquire about it – 434.465/0603

You can also visit my website for more contact info and to see what I offer: www.mkirbymoore.com

Series on Hatching: Light Beings in the O.R.

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As I wrote in my previous post, in 2002 I went into the hospital after having a prescient dream of having appendicitis. If you have not read that post, I would suggest doing so. Apparently the surgery went well, and also, with a fact I was not aware of, about 5% of people undergoing appendicitis surgery have complications (in my case, there was an arrhythmia) and in my case, they stopped my heart for a few minutes. I was “fine” considering I was already hooked up to life support and there was no brain damage. However, I would argue that there will always be ramifications when stopping someone’s heart (on a tangent: in the Tibetan language, the word for “mind” is sem pa and it is also a word for “heart.” Whenever a Tibetan person talks about their mind, they are often times pointing at their heart).

It turns out there were ramifications to having my heart stopped. I will be jumping back and forth a little here as far as a timeline goes, so hopefully you can keep track with me 🙂 Surgery – March 2002, Dreams about surgery – March 2005, Realizing the gravity of the dreams – May / June 2005

It took 3 years to begin to have dreams about what actually happened during that night of the surgery. And in the midst of those three years, my life started to change rather remarkably for the better as I began to study Spiritual Astrology, Reiki Energetic Healing and Western Shamanism. And of course, I should add that whenever one goes through a huge shift or transformation, there will be waves and troughs – periods where adjustment, reorientation and integration are necessary.

So first, about the dreams I had. I had that surgery around March 1st, 2002. Then a series of events led to my being invited to Hawai’i to take part in a dynamic week of workshops (Sacred Partnerships), swimming with the dolphins and going on whale watching boat trips. I met some incredible people and I had several vivid dreams. I was staying on the Big Island, where it is said that the energies are so powerful that your intention will come true (especially if it resonates with your Higher purpose). So they say be careful what you wish for while on that island. I am now wondering what I wished for, because I got some vivid glimpses into another dimension.

It was nearly 3 years to the day of the surgery when I had my first dream (about it). At first, when I had these dreams, I did not have a clue what I was seeing or why or how it affected me. Anyway, here is an example of the dreams: I am out of my body. I cannot see “myself” whatever form I am in, but I can feel and sense and see light beings around me. They are golden in color and a bit nebulous. I am very happy, blissful, feeling calm and at ease to be among these light beings.

In the second dream, the setting similar to the above details, plus I notice I am in a large hospital-type room. There are about 6 doctors or nurses in scrubs around a table. But I want to stay with the light beings. Their golden warm energy / light is soothing and I don’t want to leave them.

I had a total of three dreams about this event. And in the final dream, these light beings somehow (without opening their “mouths”) urged me back toward the operating table. I don’t recall any words, but somehow these beings are screaming at me to go. So I hesitantly glide back toward the doctors and the operating table. Then I am horrified when I am close enough to see who is on the table. The body and face on the table belong to me. It is my face. And then the doctors are doing something to shock “my” body around the heart area. And then I woke up from the vivid heart-pounding dream.

So of course I was shocked and very curious about these dreams, especially after having the third one. What was that about? Due to the three years of time overlap, I did not immediately put two and two together and it took discussions with several friends to realize that the dreams were about my previous surgery and that I had indeed left my body.

Another factoid which I feel may be pertinent here. When I had these dreams, in a new-age bed and breakfast on the Big Island of Hawai’i, I was staying in the “Dolphin” room. When I first entered that room, there was a picture of dolphins on ever wall – at least four pictures. Then I told the owners of the B & B that I was having rather remarkable and kind of terrifyingly vivid dreams. So near the end of my stay, they informed me that the “Dolphin” room where I was staying was actually the Archangel Michael room – because underneath each of those dolphin photos was a picture of the Archangel Michael – who I happened to be named after (my first name is Michael). So who knows, perhaps he had something to do with the timing of those dreams. Maybe it was the magical island I was staying on, or maybe it was just time.

A part of the reason I am sharing this information now, years later, is that these light beings or guides who I observed in those dreams would actually play a role in my life later on. And that is what future blog posts will be about.

Thank you for reading!

Bodhisattva Astrology

As my last post was a little dour and / or fatalistic regarding this heavy aspect in the sky, I wanted to post something for the rest of you, who have cultivated more awareness and an altruistic heart. When we start to refine our loving-kindness and compassion, opening our hearts appropriately and holding a noble intention within that vast open heart space… we are less compelled by our stars. Meaning, once we have the awareness to see and act beyond our lower self’s egoic needs, as we open to sharing, caring and giving to others responsibly and appropriately, then we have obviously moved beyond some of the more gross levels of karmic obscuration. And since I think the astrology chart represents our karmic imprint, if we start to move beyond the gross karmas, then our astrology chart is more of a less-than-vital-tool rather than something we must desperately keep track of. We can pick it up and peek at it if we wish, or we can continue loving and growing and giving to our community and benefiting sentient beings.

So what I am trying to say… is that this heavy aspect configuration of the Grand Cross in the Cardinal signs will either be felt internally by you (especially if you have a personal planet – Sun, Moon, Mercury or Mars – around 12 degrees of a Cardinal sign); or if you fit the category described above – if the fatalistic astrology books do not make sense to you because your spiritual practice has started to bear fruit, then keep on doing what you know in your vast heart to be right conduct. Continue sharing your bright soul with the world and bringing presence and skillful compassion wherever you go.

Know though, that there are many beings suffering a little bit more at this time due to this aspect. This aspect is not easy for most people. Especially if you are like me and you are just bouncing from karmic encounter to karmic encounter. Being a ping-pong ball can be fun… until you drift toward a major league slugger who is up to bat 🙂

Thanks for reading. See my other posts on Spiritual Astrology for more.

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Cardinal Grand Cross, April 2014 (and stomach illnesses, self-care)

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting and feel free to visit my website to support what I do. www.mkirbymoore.com

Recently, as most of you might know (whether consciously knowing about the aspect, or from feeling its highly potent effects), there has been a potent astrological aspect forming in the sky. And yes, I could have written about this sooner… because it is about as strong as it is going to get right now. As I write this! What does this aspect involve?

Pluto is opposite Jupiter and Mars is opposite Uranus. And they all square the others… Meaning this is a Grand Cross, one of the strongest aspects that can happen – especially when movers and shakers like Pluto and Uranus get involved too! It happens to fall in all of the Cardinal signs – Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Aries, Jupiter in Cancer and Mars in Libra.

There has been a lot written about this potent setup on various websites, but I want to focus on the Health implications of this dynamic and powerful configuration. I have not seen much on this topic, and Medical (or Health) Astrology is one of my areas of focus.

Is it just me, or have there been a TON of stomach “viruses” going around for the past couple weeks. And people can tell me that it is due to the changing weather until they are blue in the face, but I disagree. Why? Because it is becoming warmer and this is Spring time – the time of year everyone comes out of their shells, feels better and wants to get outside. Now allergies (pollen) are a different story – that is normal. For me, the majority of my family members had someone in their households come down with a stomach virus recently and numerous friends. I’m wondering if there is more to this than just a virus.

Why would I think so? Because the Vagus nerve is strongly implicated with the Cardinal signs. And the Vagus nerve has a lot to do with our digestion and stomachs in general. Here’s more info: Libra is associated with the kidneys (strong Vagus tie), Aries is associated with the forehead and the adrenals (also strong Vagus tie). Then Capricorn has to do with the Gall Bladder and the Skin – both strongly tied into the Vagus system and finally the sign of Cancer is associated with the stomach and the skin (again major players in the Vagus system).

So I hypothesize that people are purifying a lot of negative karma right now as the energies of the planet and us individuals on this planet are heightened, and one of the main ways in which we are purifying that karma is through stomach and digestive issues. Certainly the skin and adrenal issues could also come into play (see the list above). By the way, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. SO THIS INFORMATION IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT OR ABSTRACT HYPOTHETICAL PURPOSES ONLY. Sorry about that. I had to include that somewhere in my post… Please do not act on any “medical” advice I might suggest as I haven’t the foggiest idea what I am recommending and I am not liable for your doing so! 🙂

Now, back to this thought. Have you seen a lot of stomach issues recently? Like more than normal for this time of year? I have not checked, but I wonder what the CDC says about this time of year and stomach viruses…

Anyway. What can you do to reduce the effects of this huge aspect? Emergency self-care. If you know your astrology chart well, go take a look at it now. Yes, go take a peek. Do you have any planets between 8 and 15 degrees of Cardinal signs (see the signs above)? If you do, then you might want to practice some Emergency Self-Care.

What does this radical level of Self-Care look like? Cancel anything on your docket that is not mandatory. Spend more time outdoors. SLOW DOWN. BREATHE. Did I mention slowing down? One result of this potent aspect, involving Mars opposite Uranus is the tendency to speed up – especially when driving. So consciously slow down. Is your heart racing recently? Then take some time to sit quietly and breathe. Maybe some gentle yoga would be good. Taking a bath might not hurt. Do what you know nourishes and supports you. Let go of anything and anyone that doesn’t.

AND TAKE A NAP. Nothing slows us down like lying down – the kidneys and adrenals (and your whole endocrine system really), will thank you. 🙂

Thanks for reading! Go to my website if you are interested in having your Astrology chart done – www.mkirbymoore.com

Attending Garchen Rinpoche, April 2014

A few things I learned after attending a full weekend empowerment with a sublime master…

I got to renew refuge and bodhisattva vows with Garchen Rinpoche, which is also so very precious. There is a story that when Rinpoche left Tibet for the first time in 1980, when he was in the Dalai Lama’s presence, instead of requesting a high tantric initiation, all he wanted was to renew his Bodhisattva vows. I think this shows his innate humility and desire to be of service. He is not paying lip service at any time, even when his disciples aren’t around and (in case you did not notice) I think Garchen Rinpoche is the real deal in terms of being a spiritual master one can rely on to escape from this samsara existence of dissatisfaction and suffering.

First, I heard Garchen Rinpoche allude to the fact that he is going to pass away at some point. Usually, when older Lamas start mentioning that, it is good to pay attention. And this brought up a scary thought: most of my heart teachers are over the age of 65 – Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche and Garchen Rinpoche (yikes!). And why stop there, the Dalai Lama is in his 70’s also… Therefore it is time for me to get my butt in gear. Back in 2006 / 2007, when I first met with precious Drikung Lamas, I practiced like my hair was on fire and I apparently earned some results. However, due to many factors, over the past few years I feel like I have been half-assing my spiritual practice. Sure my practice has shifted, but let’s be honest, getting into college basketball 100 % for a few weeks means whatever my spiritual practice is, it is suffering 😛

Second, in a similar vein to the above thought, I need to maintain my Tibetan language better. There were opportunities galore to practice Tibetan and I puttered along like a tortoise at the Kentucky Derby… Ugh! Thankfully my new living situation puts me three blocks away from Tibetan vendors who WANT to chat with me in Tibetan. What am I waiting for?

Third, politics are pervasive, even in a spiritual community. I asked several board members of a spiritual organization (anonymity here is good) why they were flying in a Lama to teach in the DC area when another Lama, in the same lineage, lives nearby. Why don’t they ask him to teach? They could save some money on the plane tickets and they might save a little jet fuel at the same time. But no, they said the Lama I suggested was not from one of Garchen’s monasteries. Oh. I guess that must matter enough. I guess we should start splitting hairs and add yet another Kagyu sub-lineage (as if there were not enough of these already).

Fourth, whether or not my mundane family members understand the reason I must continually attend Dharma teachings or not, I go to them to recharge and rekindle a flame of inspiration and devotion. I saw many friends who I had not seen in months and I got to spend time in Garchen Rinpoche’s precious mandala of energetic loving-kindness. He would not have to say anything for me to be learning. And I would still pay to bask in his gentle and loving presence!

Overall I am very happy to receive these blessings and I’m sure once I settle back down at home here that I will be even more grateful for the positive shifts I intend to effect in my life. Yay!

Thanks for reading!

Series on Hatching: out of body, near death experience

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I am planning to post several strands on here about how some connections have been coming together as of late. I have not shared this information publicly in the past for a number of reasons but I think it is time I ‘fessed up to some experiences I have been blessed to encounter.

Back in 2002, I was attempting to be an ordinary young man (who happened to drive an ’84 Volvo 240 DL and was concerned about his diet). Other than my concern with what I was taking in as far as food, I was not into many (any?) alternative subjects or topics. Actually, come to think of it, 2002 was quite the turning point in my life. So what changed, you ask?

For starters, I was enrolled in an Eastern Thinking philosophy class at the local community college, and it was in that class where I first connected with Buddhism (through Zen, along with learning about Taoism and Confucius). It was during that class that I had a dream one night. I had been playing poker with friends, and dare I mention this, I had a few drinks so I opted to sleep on their couch rather than trying to drive home in a questionable state… And it was that night that I had a dream, and that dream told me explicitly that I had “appendicitis.” I think I am pretty blessed to have a voice tell me that, but that is a whole other story.

So I was young and not terribly educated (at that time), and I had no clue what appendicitis was. My mother is a nurse, so I called her and asked. She was slightly concerned but after asking me about several of the symptoms, it seemed I was relatively fine.

Well that night, for no obvious reason (I was at home), I got sick briefly and inexplicably. Then the following day I started to notice a discomfort in my belly, down on the right side a little (another symptom of appendicitis). Therefore I started becoming worried – I mean that was the only dream of that type I had EVER experienced!

In spite of not feeling any pain – I discovered in high school with a couple of previous surgeries that my pain threshold was / is out of this world – and I went to the Emergency Room. Well guess what – the doctor poked and prodded my belly and he told me very definitively that if I had appendicitis, I would not be able to stand that type of palpation. As in, “why wasn’t I screaming in horrific agony?!” Sorry doc – you apparently have not met a past life yogi. As far as I was concerned, that dream was all I needed to validate my situation, not to mention the throwing up for no apparent reason and there was a little discomfort.

Finally I was persistent enough that they drew blood and sent it to the lab for testing, leaving me in a thin hospital gown in the chilly E.R. patient waiting area for the two hours or so that took. But sure enough, the doctor came back about 2 – 3 hours later and said, “Uhh… Your white blood cell count is off the charts, we should wheel you back to the O.R. now. [For your “previously non-existent appendicitis”]” Thanks doc, way to validate my fear of your misunderstanding me and my awareness of my body.

I was put under anesthesia and apparently I did and said some funny things that night as I was under the influence of morphine. It was a laproscopic surgery which meant there were three small incisions (one for the camera, one for the cutting tool and the third for where they bagged the pieces of appendix and pulled them out). In spite of being under the influence of that opiate, I learned something bizarre that following morning.

The surgeon came in and was talking me through the surgery. He said several normal-sounding-things and then he dropped in, “And we had to stop your heart.” Keep in mind I was seeing rainbows and dreaming of unicorns a moment earlier, but I’m sure my head dropped a little to the side in the classic “Mrrrwhat?!” expression. I asked him a little about this considering I knew my heart was a good ways away from the appendix area and he mentioned that I started to have an arrhythmia and they were forced to reset my heart beat. Aha!

Well guess what? Them stopping my heart apparently had vast psycho-spiritual implications as well – go figure. At the time, I did not know it. I’m assuming my green mental awareness and consciousness could not yet handle knowing that truth, so instead, I received dreams about the out-of-body, near-death experience which happened as they stopped my heart.

I was in Hawaii for a dynamic week of workshops, whale watching and dolphin swims when I started having the dreams and it was nearly three years to the date of having had the surgery (and I had studied several esoteric subjects by then).

See my next post detailing all of this. Needless to say however that my life and lifestyle started to dramatically change during and after 2002.

Thanks for reading.