Meditation Informs Healing Facilitation

How do we practice Relationship Astrology appropriately?

I need to start out by stating that I am not an expert on this subject. Maybe you could consult Robert Hand or Liz Greene or Stephen Forrest – someone with decades of experience. For me, I have been studying astrology for about ten years, and I have been on an accelerated path of personal growth work through Buddhist meditation practice and from giving and receiving Process Oriented Bodywork during that same time period. Therefore I feel I do have a unique perspective on Astrology, but I stress am no expert.

For those of you who stuck with me after that disclaimer… This post is a little bit of a rant against the oversimplification of Relationship Astrology websites and this post will explain how we practice a more comprehensive form of Relationship Astrology. I want to state that there are at least a couple of good books on this subject – for instance “Planets in Composite” by Robert Hand is a fantastic book for experienced astrologers who can stick with a subject even during a few dry spells – Hand goes so in-depth that he will temporarily lose any superficial readers. But if you stick with it, this book is a gem of knowledge.

So, for the sake of brevity, I am simplifying the process of appropriate Relationship Astrology interpretations here.

As I mentioned in the last post, where I elucidated the merits of Frequency-based Astrology, you will recall that I mention the horribly simplified statement that “Aries women fit best with Leo and Sagittarian men.” Yes, maybe this is true for SOME Aries women. But the reason why it is true is not because of the one-size-fits-all theory of astrology, rather let me use an example:

Say Martha (fictitious name) is an Aries Sun (10th house), Cancer Rising with a Taurus Moon (11th house). Now would a Leo or Sagittarian man be good for her? Perhaps. To know with more certainty, we would need to know the ruler of her 7th house (the house of intimate relationships), in this case Saturn (Cancer Rising means Capricorn is on the Descendant which is ruled by Saturn), and we would need to know its aspects and then we must understand that this is only the first step to see what Martha’s capacity is for relating and who she desires in a partner. Next we would look at planets in her 5th, 7th and 11th houses, her Venus, Mars and Uranus placements and aspects to see if there are other indications of relationship needs – Mars in Scorpio in the 5th house here would be MUCH different than Mars in Cancer in the 12th house!

Say we determined that Martha would need someone to either be an authority figure to her (Saturn) or maybe she needs someone who can be emotionally intense (maybe some good Scorpio energy indicated by Venus in aspect to Pluto). Do either of these needs describe the average Leo or Sagittarius? No! But, is it possible that a Leo Sun sign man could also have Saturn on his Capricorn Midheaven and be the disciplined, less-than-emotional authority figure that Martha needs? Yes! Or could that Sagittarian Sun sign man have a Scorpio Moon and therefore have the depth of emotional intensity that she longs for – Yes!

If you have not gotten the subtle hints, I am trying to say that Relationship Astrology is very complex! To say that ALL Aries go well with ALL Leo Sun signs is hogwash. There are many levels and layers to look at first before we can say, “Oh she will match up well with him. And that relationship has a good chance of being long-term.” Therefore, if you are searching for a very superficial answer to your relationship questions, then go ahead and use the recipe websites. But don’t expect to have an accurate in-depth interpretation!

What is the first step in practicing Relationship Astrology appropriately? I already touched on it a little. Step One – We must know the individual’s chart or charts in the case of two people. Without taking the partner into consideration, first we must see what is Martha’s capacity for relating in general. What does she want? Does she have several indicators that she wants to be a hermit in a nunnery somewhere and that she would be perfectly content in a celibate lifestyle? No – of course not! That is why she is coming to you in the first place – she wants a MAN damn it, but why don’t her relationships work out?!

Once we determine Martha’s relating ability and needs and desires and we determine that she wants to be with a member of the opposite sex, then we must also look at the partner’s chart for his capacities and needs in relationship. Keep in mind we are blending Frequency-based Astrology with Natal Chart interpretation here. We know X, Y and Z about him and his chart concurs with what he has told us – so we have a good fit and we know that his birth time is probably pretty accurate (something else to factor in).

That was the first step (individual needs and capacities). What is step two? Once we know what the two people’s capacities and needs are, then we need to see if they fit together. Step Two involves doing Natal Chart Synastry. We hold up Martha’s chart to his chart – let’s fictitiously name him Earl. Okay so let’s assume we see that Martha needs someone to either mother (remember her Cancer Rising) or more likely, she needs someone to be a father-figure to her. And this information would need to come from more than just the Rising sign – that tells us where to start but we need more evidence and strength to come to that conclusion. Let’s say she has Venus conjunct Saturn in the 7th house (in Capricorn). She has had some disappointments in love and she appreciate’s how Earl is a disciplined, dispassionate Leo Sun sign who is concerned with his career as a bank vice president and who has been steady in his courtship of her for five years now. He is also twelve years her senior and they do not want to have children. So we discover that Earl would meet most of Martha’s needs.

Next we would need to check to see – does Martha meet Earl’s needs? Remember we are keeping all of this in mind and we are only sharing what is appropriate with the client. There are never two perfect partners – if there was someone who met all of my needs and with whom there would never be a disagreement… then I think I would be in heaven, but I still think there would be some conflicts 🙂 So we MUST keep in mind that Martha has the karma to be with Earl in this moment and no matter what we see, we have to support her in her decisions. And we must be very skillful when describing conflicts and disharmonious aspects. And of course, if everything were peachy and roses, then she wouldn’t be coming to you (the astrologer) in the first place! 🙂

In the next post, I am going to cover Composite Charts in Relationship Astrology.

Raw thoughts on Relationship Astrology

This post is about the practice of Relationship Astrology and because I personally know Western Tropical Zodiac Astrology, that is the perspective I am coming from. I am writing this post because I want to state my opinion about oversimplification of Western Astrology, specifically around the technique of Relationship Astrology and the problems with doing so.

Who has read websites or books that state “You are an Aries Woman so you fit well with X, Y and maybe Z men (or partners).” Or to get into the Natal Horoscope a little more, there are always those recipe websites which say something like, “Oh your Saturn squares X’s Neptune so that is going to equal a betrayal of trust at some point [or substitute your own rigid interpretation here].” 🙂

When you read either of these sentences what goes through your mind? Is Astrology really a one size fits all modality? No, I don’t think so.

I want to introduce two things in this post: first the idea of frequency-based astrology and second, upon discovering the merits of frequency-based astrology, then we must go deeper into the charts and also go deeper into the client’s history. In the next post I will expound upon what is Relationship Astrology and how do we practice it appropriately.

First, frequency-based astrology. What is it? This is where we realize that due to varying karmic predispositions and backgrounds, we could have a similar chart to someone else and be having a completely different set of experiences and situations in life. Sometimes you will find really great people with difficult charts – take Mohandas Gandhi for example – he had a challenging (to say the least) T-Square in the Fixed signs. He had Pluto conjunct Jupiter in Taurus, opposite Mars and Venus in Scorpio with his Moon in Leo completing the squares. So due to the Fixity of his personality, once he established a belief, he stuck with it to the end. But he accomplished incredible results in spite of the strong Polarity in his chart. And of course with these extraordinary energies at work in his chart, to say he would be without idiosyncrasies would be a big mistake – because he certainly had a number. To make certain it is clear that I have analyzed his chart more in depth, he did have a Grand Trine in Fire signs (Saturn, Neptune, Moon meaning he could make his dreams a reality especially with the utmost perseverance from those Fixed planets mentioned above).

Nonetheless, you can easily find people with planets in a Fixed T-Square who have chosen to be criminals or who have chosen to continue having a victim-identity or another form of listless less-than-productive life (and productivity can take many forms, so know your capacity first and foremost before you take my words too seriously). And we can find many people with Grand Trines who just coast through life, evading challenges and responsibility. I personally know people with intense Fixed oppositions who manifest that incredibly overpowering energy with mild to severe mental health issues – maybe a personality disorder as some complex traumas have forced the individual to completely blank out a specific sphere of their lives. And yet, they may still accomplish a great deal of positive benefit for the world!

I want to be clear – having a Fixed opposition in your chart is not bad. In fact, I am a firm believer in the fact that we must have some difficult aspects in our charts to get anything accomplished in this lifetime. I have seen so many people with a double Grand Trine bouncing from activity to activity, rarely focusing and getting down to mastering anything. You must read and interpret your entire chart. We all have Fixed signs in our charts. You have to take your whole chart into consideration and be able to understand the intricacies of the signs, houses and aspects. Then we can make a judgement about our capacity – and we must also take the next step and take responsibility for our lives. No blaming our situation on our charts, no saying, “Oh, I’m a triple Pisces so I didn’t have a choice in the matter!”

So how do we know what someone will do with the energy of their astrology chart? We have to do a little interview – what is their history like? Do they meditate? Do they like to do yoga? If they do yoga, do they use yoga class as a competition or feather-in-their-cap type of dynamic? Or are they legitimately working to deepen their yoga practice in a way that is truly kind and compassionate to themselves? We can get a sense of where someone is at just from their voice on the phone – are they embodied? Are they timid or confident or apathetic, etc. But generally we need to have a little bit of information about where someone is one their path – whether it is mundane, spiritual, agnostic, whatever. When someone comes to you asking exclusively when they will get their next BMW, there is probably very little point in telling them about the subtleties of advanced meditation (provided you might know something about the topic and know when it is appropriate to share this information with others) – although I do know a couple of exceptions to even this rule!

There are many spectrums of life – spiritual, material, social, movement / rigidity / flow, aesthetic, etc. We need to find out what the client wants to know and then discover where they are on those spectrums.

Then we will have a sense of the frequency of the individual behind the energy of the chart. Why is this important for Relationship Astrology? What could be more pivotal?!?! If you have two charts that look pretty good, but then you meet the individuals and he is a yogi who has completed ten years of successful solitary meditation retreat and she is a hardcore Jehovah’s Witness… Just saying! Not that this relationship is a guaranteed failure. But the astrologer would have to search pretty deeply to find out where their interests intersect.

In the next section, I am going to elaborate upon Relationship Astrology and its ingredients: the idea of Natal Chart interpretation for Relationship needs, wants, capacity; Chart Synastry – comparing two Natal Charts; and introduce the notion of Composite Charts.

Thank you for reading.

Tangled, Moving Through, Upward: New Reality (2nd Part)

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. To support Kirby in his business and blogging efforts, please visit Kirby’s website. Thank you for visiting!

In Part One, I describe the tangle about having moved to a new location (Tampa Florida) and I briefly described how I deal with that stress (which I heap on myself). You should go back and read Part One if you’ve not already.

In this part, I will continue to mention how I unravel the enormous ball of self-inflicted pressure and then I will conclude with what my guidance is saying about my situation.

Somatic exercises seem to be best for me for unraveling my tangled emotions. When I start fretting, which these days is at least once per day, the tangle starts to build. Then if I search for jobs and expend effort and mental energy in the process, the tangle grows and grows.

One of my teachers is Julie Henderson, PhD. She is the founder of Zapchen Somatics and she is a spiritual teacher in her own right. She has written several books on energetic self care, Zapchen and she has two interpretations of the I Ching out. Yes, I prefer using her versions, although I have several copies of different interpretations for balance and perspective. In Zapchen Somatics, we are radically penetrating and playfully disengaging from strict internal conditioning and beliefs. Rigidity is rooted out and played with until it either dissolves or needs a nap. It is a profound and potent modality. I am not able to do it justice with words. But one MUST have an authentic teacher of it who embodies the work in order to truly receive the transmission of gentle loving mischievous kindness.

It allows me to notice when conditions of inner tangling are starting. I notice when I start to disembody or disassociate (to drift up and out of my body). If this is occurring though, that means I did not heed the yellow warning flags from earlier and rather I am now faced with red caution flags. This is an immediate sign that I need to pause whatever I am immersed in and do some self-care. And once I do so, I can generally come back into alignment within minutes. My body is starting to rest in easy present alignment so I notice the discomfort of conforming or reverting to old rigid patterns.

Therefore I am definitely experiencing a different reality than most people. Now the question is, what do I do with myself having realized that I am in a relatively different place than I was five years ago, or even last year? I am not independently wealthy. I need money to pay the bills. In this regard I am just an ordinary human being. So this is where frustration sets in. What the hell do I do now?

I like what the latest interpretation of Julie’s I Ching has to say on this subject (by the way, you should really consider picking up a copy of this book if you have the chance – Julie’s website – www.zapchen.com is a little out dated considering she has been recovering from illness or been in retreat for about five years now. But you should get this book). Kua 46, Yao 6 (line 6) says, “You have grown like the grass in the spring, beyond the edges described in the stories of your culture. Take care. Progress, both relaxed and alert. Take time to examine the new scenery and compare it to what you know. Learning really new things will open reality for you and keep you safe.”

Now I know several things: I have a tendency to allow fretting to become a big tangled mess inside; AND I have the skills and patience to move through these obstacles one right step at a time; AND I am experiencing a slightly different reality than most people (while being an ordinary human being on many levels).

Knowing these things, I still don’t know what to do with my life or my time or my energy and I still have to put food on the table. So I am just going to try to heed Julie’s advice: “Do your best not to fret, just keep going.”

I do know that I have innate gifts as a healing facilitator – whether using healing touch with bodywork or using soothing insightful words with Spiritual Astrology – and I appreciate putting these gifts to use in benefiting others. But so far, there are obstacles as people do not know how to reach me or maybe the obstacles are internal. Who knows. May I be able to benefit many beings very soon!

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Tangled, Moving Through, Upward: New Reality (Part One)

I am continuing on my previous theme of describing my move to Tampa Florida.

A lot has happened since I moved down here two weeks ago, and at the same time, very little has occurred. First I will talk a little about this and then describe my reactions and inner tumultuousness. Finally I will end with what my guidance is saying (even though I still don’t completely trust my guides or this radical process).

So. What has happened since moving down here? Internally, I have done some good practice and I have had some days where I actually napped. I have been so worked up over the past couple months that napping was usually out of the question unless I was sick. Considering I feel this move is / was equivalent to a major rebirth in my life (moving away from my family, moving away from the place I called home for 27 years, moving away from friends and support in Virginia), I know I need A LOT of time to integrate and renegotiate the terms of my life. My heart is fearful and anxious most days, unless I am doing my utmost to practice self-care and that means doing spiritual practice (inner yoga) and somatic exercises for wellbeing (outer yoga).

I have met with some neat new people but this only happens once or twice per week considering how much down time I am preferring to take. Therefore much has happened and very little has happened, simultaneously 🙂

Now – what is happening in my reactions internally? There is a reason I put the word “Tangle” in the title. When I start trying to do the conventional route of using employment agencies or calling around about job openings, etc, I start getting very worked up inside. Tension becomes the norm as my torso braces for oppression which may not actually show up. What is happening inside me? I suspect several things – in the past the I Ching spoke about (and it still does actually) my beliefs and in particular, my conditioning not keeping up with my present reality. What does this mean?

This is very complicated. But let me try to sum this up briefly – I was born with birth trauma AND like all children, I took on some if not most of my parents’ beliefs about the world and about myself (about reality really) AND I was born into a culture that rarely ever slows down enough to take a deep breath, let alone deal with an internal emotional conflict. So this means I have spent the past 10 years plying apart these layers of conditioning and misunderstandings about reality which tend to bombard us on all levels – whether watching TV, talking with family members, going to church, etc. There are misunderstandings about reality running rampant in this world and without a qualified guide or mentor or teacher, it is impossible to start to figure it out 🙂

Deep breath… where was I? Yes, concluding the part about my conditioning needing to catch up with my perception of reality. I have been very fortunate to meet with qualified heart teachers, spiritual gurus and exceptional bodywork and psychology teachers. Therefore, my personal growth work has been on an accelerated pace as I move toward constant easy presence in my body, as a body and as awareness and as I come into alignment with what is. And this last sentence is no light task that can be accomplished over night. I firmly believe that my fortunate karma from past lives allows me to undertake this swift radical inner tectonic shift with relative “ease.” (You will see how easy this is for me below. ) So don’t try to copy my path without first getting a solid understanding of your own capacity! For me, I am starting to realize that I am a spiritual being having a human experience (not sure who this quotes goes to but it ain’t mine originally).

With all this mentioned as context, let me now describe the ingredients of this inner tangle which can spring up with such swiftness as to be remarkable and frightening: when I start worrying (fretting) about how I have not made much money in the past month and how money has gone out faster than ever before, I immediately go into a form of fight or flight and I am afraid this tangle can sometimes get to be so big that I might even start to fade toward freezing (in psycho-physiological terms, when we have exhausted our resources and we can no longer fight or run away, then the body will freeze in an attempt to play dead. Freezing is a pre-cursor to trauma and if it is not resourced, this is what leads to PTSD symptoms – among other things. Keep in mind this is a gross oversimplification of the trauma cycle.)

Why might I start to move toward frozen tissue (freeze)? Because I don’t know what direction to take. And because I know from previous experience – I had the shingles relatively recently from too much stress from over working – that I can only take so much stress. It is like an endless cycle – I’m stressed out about money and income and what to do with my life now; and simultaneously I am even more stressed because I know the damage stress can inflict on my body. SO, how do I put an end to this horrible cycle?

Deep breath… first I am blessed to have clear guidance – not from outer sources (yet) but rather I explicitly trust the I Ching (book of changes – a form of divination originally from China) to describe the subtleties of what I am experiencing. Occasionally I might rely on its advice too much – but it generally tells me if I am doing so. I believe the wisdom beings or Angels can speak to me through the I Ching; however, more importantly I feel it is my heart’s true communication rather than my distorted mind’s ideas about what it wants life to look like.

Luckily I have been trained in many modalities for self-care. This includes spiritual practices from Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism to Energy Medicine techniques like Reiki and Pranic Healing and it also includes physiological techniques from Craniosacral Therapy, Somatic Experiencing (Trauma Resolution), Visceral Manipulation and others. So my repertoire of ways to be kind to myself is pretty vast. But I just need to remember to use them! This is how I break free from the tangle described above.

In Part Two I will describe what my guidance is saying.

Thanks for reading!

Personal Planets in Astrology: Aspects Carried Forward

Continuing from my previous post describing what a Personal Planet is and how fast they move compared to Outer and Transpersonal Planets (see previous post if need be), now I am going to elaborate on a phenomenon I have noticed for some time, but I rarely read about it.

I already mentioned that the Personal Planets are the fast moving planets of the Horoscope – the Sun through Mars, including the Moon. Because these planets move rapidly, they have more of a day to day effect on life. In the case of the Moon, there can even be an hour to hour effect on life as it moves one degree forward every two hours. Now what happens when a Personal Planet brushes by another planet in your Natal Chart?

Let’s take the example of a conjunction: say I have Moon conjunct Mars in my 3rd House, both opposite Pluto in my 9th House. What is one possible manifestation of this potent conjunction / opposition? There are many potential results from the 3rd house planets – siblings, relatives, local moves and transportation, communication, etc, but let’s focus on the communication facet. Occasionally, when people have some spicy planets in the 3rd / 9th houses, this can indicate that they have a strong need to argue their point. If they feel they are right about something, they will automatically get behind their words and philosophy in a strong manner – they might raise their voices or get very defensive if they are told that philosophy is rubbish. Let’s think about this type of individual (maybe they even have a Fire sign on their Ascendant, making this fiery defensive stance even more palpable).

Now what happens when one of the Personal Planets comes along and makes a conjunction to those 3rd house planets? Let’s take the Sun for example: Sun conjunct Moon and soon thereafter it will conjunct (be next to) Mars and at the same time, oppose Pluto. What are the odds that they will get into a heated argument during that three to five day window? I’d say pretty good. In fact, if we use Mercury or Mars to make that conjunction / opposition, I would also say the odds go up in regards to a strong defensive stance. What if there is an Outer Planet making a square from the 6th house? Say Uranus is really stirring the pot from the 6th. If Mars or the Sun comes along and makes a conjunction to Moon / Mars and opposes Pluto, well then we have a really hot T-Square activating by Transit. Then it would be a good idea for that person to avoid any risk-taking type activities (no reckless / daredevil behavior) and especially to avoid firearms (Uranus square Mars / Pluto – too much energy will require a healthy outlet).

Now we have set up what this individual can go through on a monthly (Moon) or annual (other Personal Planets) basis. Then depending on where the Outer Planets are located, they might have one or two challenging years per decade (let’s keep it simple for now). Having set this up, let’s look at what a Personal Planet’s movement across this aspect looks like.

We already discussed what Mercury or Mars crossing through the 3rd house might look like. When Mercury is conjunct Mars and opposite Pluto, you better believe there will be some “chance” meetings with people who can stir up this individual. Get the fur on the back of their neck rising with just a few select – and probably emotionally charged – words. Here is where I want to introduce a relatively new concept. As I mentioned above, I have not read this many places (although I suspect a good book on Transits might contain it).

In the above example, Mercury (on average) will only be conjunct the Moon and Mars for a few days right? And opposite Pluto for a few days – tops. At least in terms of the exact close orb of conjunction and opposition (I usually use 3 degrees in this case). But what if Mercury’s next aspect will not be happening for another 15 days or another 10 degrees? This is the new part.

I have noticed time and again that Mercury will carry the essence from its recent aspect forward with it until it comes into orb with another planet or until it changes signs. So to discuss this further with all the Personal Planets – Mercury conjunct Mars / opposite Pluto will lead to communication along emotionally charged lines unless there is a lot of Aquarius / Capricorn / Libra / Gemini energy really restraining the individual and their possible emotionality. And then, after Mercury moves forward, until it makes another major aspect or changes signs, the individual will be tempted to get into verbal arguments and debates (at least for a few days after the actually aspect fades).

Venus crossing this configuration – potential conflicts with loved ones, romantic partners, business partners, etc. And this tendency toward defending one’s stance, even creating a conflict, will last for at least a few days after these aspects are beyond the 3 degree orb OR until Venus changes signs or makes another major aspect.

And we would use the same theory for the Sun and Mars. Only the Moon is different.

The Moon moves so fast that we cannot say that the effect from these aspects will last for several days. Here we have to substitute the word “hours” for “days.” The Moon crosses Mars / Pluto and the person might feel extra agitated or frustrated for a few hours, and it might continue for another few hours after that – but only if the Moon has not made another major aspect and is in the same sign.

Let’s say Mars is at 15 degrees of Aries and Pluto is at 13 degrees of Libra. When the Moon crosses these points (moving through Aries), at that particular hour, this influence will be most full – if they were to get into an actually fight over something they felt strongly about – it would probably happen with the Transiting Moon at 13, 14 or 15 degrees of Aries. But I am suggesting that this tendency toward conflict or emotionality will last until the Moon leaves Aries (which would be another day) or until it makes another major aspect from a later degree of Aries. For instance, if Saturn were at 24 degrees of Cancer, then the Moon would acquire a new essence for a few hours, leaving the Martian / Plutonian one behind.

Got it? Let me know if you have any questions or if you disagree 🙂

Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out the Spiritual Astrology category at the right to see other articles I have written about topics astrological.

Personal Planets in Astrology: Movement & Essence

I am writing this post about the Personal Planets in the Horoscope. Specifically I am writing about their movement through the Zodiac (and through our own charts) and how they interact with our Natal planets.

What is a Personal Planet? Also known as the Inner Planets, these are planets (and Lights – so count the Sun and Moon here too) which move rapidly through the Zodiac. What do I mean by rapidly? Well Mars is the “slowest” of the personal planets and its average movement is more than half a degree per day. So typically, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Moon and Mars are considered the Personal Planets.

Another reason these are known as “personal” is illuminated in this example. I have three female friends who are born within one month of me in the same birth year (1979). Two of them are born within 15 days of me actually. With this in mind, how similar will all four of our charts be? What will be different? Well, knowing we all have the same birth year, that means that most likely, we will all have Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and even Chiron in the same signs – this is especially true because we are born with one month of each other. These are known as the Outer Planets because they move so slowly (and because their reflection in the birth chart is usually more subconscious until we do some work on ourselves to grow and mature psychologically). What will be different about the four of our charts is the Personal Planets. The Sun moves one degree per day. Mercury’s movement is quite varied because it goes retrograde three times per year – so it zips ahead of the Sun, slows down, goes backward (Rx) and then races forward again. Mercury can move as much as two degrees per day. Venus’ orbit is the closest to the Earth’s, so it typically moves around one degree per day or a little over, going retrograde about once every two years. And I already mentioned Mars. The Moon is the one “wild card” as it were, moving one degree every two hours. It changes signs every two and a half days. Therefore the Moon vacillates very often – hence the moodiness of Lunar types and the changing of the tides every day.

Knowing these planets’ speeds, we can see that even over the course of 15 to 30 days, some of these Personal Planets would change signs. My Sun is near the end of Pisces, so someone born 15 days later would be guaranteed to be an Aries, etc etc for the rest of the Personal Planets. And here is a curious fact: if someone is born 15 days before or after you, their Moon will most likely be in the sign opposite yours (my Moon is in Libra and sure enough, both of my friends who are born 15 days before and after me have their Moons in Aries). So we can see that the Personal Planets are called “Personal” because even when someone is born near your birthday, their Personal or Inner Planets can be quite different from yours.

As an aside, the planets Jupiter and Saturn are known as the Transpersonal Planets because they have more of an overt effect in the chart than the Outer Planets, but they move slow enough that over the course of several weeks, they will still be in the same sign. Jupiter moves about 30+ degrees per year while Saturn averages 12 degrees of forward movement per year. Therefore, going back to the example above – my three friends who are born near my birthday all have the same Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Chiron and Pluto. When I was born, Jupiter was Rx at 29 degrees of Cancer, so that means the person born a month before me has it in Leo.

In my next post I will elaborate on the Personal Planet’s aspects and movement through the Horoscope.

Frustrated in Tampa

I am about to share some things which are a bit more personal than some of my other posts. And with this said, you (regular readers that is) are probably thinking to yourselves, “What? He already shares intimate details of meditation retreats and other areas of his life. How could this be more personal?” We will have to see.

First of all, I have moved. As I mention in previous posts, I have been prepping for a big move for some time now. When I was in Virginia, waiting for the days to pass when I could head south to start a new life, I felt ready to move. Now that I am here in Tampa, I’m frustrated.

I want to provide some background info so this new sharing is better understood. I came to Tampa for two weeks back in early August to make certain this was the place for me. It felt pretty good. My spiritual teacher is nearby, it has a great Buddhist sangha, it has pretty many alternative practitioners (at least not too far away in St. Petersburg) and it is a lush beautiful environment in which to live. Also, when I was here previously, the internet worked easily and I could have many pages open at a time.

Since I was last in Tampa, I did a bit more channelling and I helped to assist a class in Craniosacral Therapy, so I felt very embodied and relatively close with my guides. Guides here means beings who are not in a body (at least not in our dimension). Some people call guides wisdom beings, angels, etc. And some people (not me for the moment although I hope this changes shortly) have a strong connection with their guides so they have enhanced intuition and wise guidance to follow. I would consider this to be a blessing. Of course, when working with guides and other-worldly beings, you must first be discerning about those said beings’ intentions and agendas. Once you determine that they mean no harm and are beings of high frequency of love, compassion and joy, then working with them is very fruitful.

So that is my context. Now, why am I frustrated? Because I am apparently waiting for something (my guides are telling me to wait). I want to find a job now. “No wait a bit.” How long do I need to wait? “Until you feel a felt shift in the situation.” When will that happen? “Stupid question. See previous answer.” Argh!! “Back off. Slow down. Practice self care. Soften your eyes, be in your body.” More argh!!! “You are stubborn aren’t you?” Yes. I am apparently changing / shifting something internally in preparation for the future. The future is apparently involving a female partner for me, but I need to pause on that too. “Stop hurrying. Your need to know is an obstacle in this situation. There is no rush.” Okay… working on it!

So I think I know it is talking about. She is presently engaged elsewhere. I might not even have the “right” person in mind. I need to do what ten years of spiritual practice / bodywork / and somatic processing have prepared me for. Playfully resting in the moment and waiting without gripping or grasping or clinging to the outcomes I prefer. Wow – this is going to take all the skills of presence and patience that I possess. Wish me luck!

Did I mention I have not been here an entire day yet… Hoping I can relax into “don’t know mind” real quick.

Thanks for reading.

Ready to move

I am continuing my theme of describing inner and outer feelings as I prep for a move from Virginia to Florida. As I mention in previous posts, it feels like a huge piece, and yet, I am somehow prepared on the inside. I am ready for a big change.

I am helping a friend teach a Craniosacral course here in Charlottesville and then I am departing my VA residence for good the following day. And I am finally desiring this move. I’m ready to get on with my life down in FL.

My plans, as best I know them, are to move. Settle in to my new place. Find a job – preferably part time, but I will take any decent paying, not-terribly-stressful occupation and then I am strongly considering doing Massage School which will start in January. Why Massage school?

Because Florida has strict rules about being licensed to touch, which I am actually thankful for. With a higher percentage of older people in that population, the ease of fraudulent activity means there have to be strict regulations. So that is great. Plus, Licensed Massage Therapists are able to bill insurance in some instances (in Florida and some other states as well).

However, as the joke goes – “how do you make God laugh?… tell him your plans.” I am flexible and if my heart changes about what is next for me, then I will go with that flow.

I am also considering teaching some workshops on self-care – energetic self-care, emotional, physiological, etc. So we shall see what unfolds! Hooray.

Thanks for reading!

Resistance to surrender

I surrender. I admit it. Reluctantly. I would LOVE to visit with at least 30 more friends before I leave for Florida (I’m moving in about 10 days). However, I have now been sick twice in the past two weeks, which is very unusual for me considering the level of self care I try to maintain. So, I do not have much of a choice left. I surrender. The lunches and dinners I have currently planned I am attending. Otherwise, I need to rest down to allow the inner work to percolate and integrate.

It has only taken me three or four years to get to this point. And due to living in this rat race oriented culture, a goal oriented, doing, intensely focused, strung out culture… I might get peer pressured into rushing rushing rushing… No strong opinions there! He he he. Not good. But at least I am getting better at overcoming my resistance to letting go. Or perhaps the right word might be becoming aware of my resistance. Seeing that the universe actually does take care of me – clients tend to only come to me when I least expect it (subtext: when I exude tons of effort, I get very few lasting clients), I can slowly relax through more and more layers of rush rush hurry hurry.

There are a few clients I am seeing, but then I can be found in my bed. Doing the most important work to date – allowing what is mine to come to me. 🙂

Thanks for checking in! Until soon, kirby

Capturing my heart’s thoughts around transition

Dear Readers,

Are you still out there? 🙂 I sometimes go weeks these days between posting here, so I wonder… Anyhow, I am writing today about my on-going transition. I am moving to Florida in less than two weeks. Wow! It is really happening, and I am going whether I feel ready or not. I am ready, but I still feel a little trepidation. I have faith and I am aware of a desire to know what I am going to be doing once I am down there.

So I was speaking with a friend recently and she (you will know who you are if you read this – thank you for the clarity by the way!!!) articulated something which really resonated for me. I have been walking the dog in the mornings here, and sometimes the clouds are clinging tightly and precariously to the mountains behind my parent’s house, in a most beautiful way. I wonder if they are a reflection of my inner state – am I clinging on to my life here because it is what I know. I could grow, I could expand, but that is unknown and I am at best anxious about the unknown.

Sometimes I see the misty mountains in the distance. They are shrouded in moist air or the distance makes them blur and blend into the far horizon. Nonetheless, my heart tells me that there is a poem that needs to be written about Virginia, about the Rockfish Valley, about leaving my life here. So she asked me, “is there any grief around your leaving?” “Do you have any melancholy about this big shift?” And I’m honestly not sure – if I do, I have not given it time to articulate itself. I barely feel it. I have slowed down so much over the past year or two, and yet, do I need to be going slower to truly feel what my heart is trying to express?

I like something else that she said. I mentioned that I got sick last week in a strange and mysterious manner. I said I thought it was because I was stretched so thin, that I did a house call with a new client and that might have put me over the edge. She mentioned that she was “Pacing [her]self [energetically and] emotionally. That it was basically like running a marathon.” Now I don’t know about marathons, but what she said definitely resonated. Maybe I need more “me” time. Maybe my adrenals and endocrine system need an entire day off with nothing, and I mean absolutely Nothing, to do. I don’t know.

And that is okay! I am capable of resting in “I don’t know” mind. In fact, this is where I go nowadays when I meditate. I try to let go just a little bit more. But this move is big. This unknown is big. So I rest back into wisdom company. I try to remember my teachers and the joy that brings me. I stub my toe and curse and then I keep moving forward in a mindful, healthy manner.

So maybe soon (I’m hoping!) there will be a poem about misty mountains and clouds gripping the edges of the slope and about my sadness at leaving my motherland. Wish me luck!

And thank you for reading.