Green light for Astrology

Hello Dear Readers,

First, I realize I need a website. And that project is next on my plate. I have started a Weebly account and will begin progress on a site shortly. However, until that is complete (and very professional / presentable), I will continue to post new developments here.

So work has been slowing down. That is, working for someone else in a job which is difficult on my body. It is a job which requires skillful charm and requisite patience and frankly, I am tired of it (it is waiting tables in an upscale golf-resort / fine dining restaurant). It was enjoyable in December when we were so busy the days just flew by, and the paychecks reflected that busy-ness, but no longer. Hence I intend to be of benefit to many people in a job that I enjoy, which is healthy for my body and which I can sustain with ease and grace.

As many of you may know by now, I have been working closely with the I Ching for the past three plus years, taking time to explore various interpretations of the Book of Changes and to develop a reliable relationship with it. By the way, when I throw the I Ching, I visualize my heart teachers (Tibetan Lamas) and wisdom beings (wisdom deities) present in front and above me, then I picture my question and then I throw the coins. Therefore, I hope that the advice I receive is actually a reflection of what is. I seek to penetrate through pretense and to get underneath what I want (deluded desire) to see the raw truth (sometimes uncomfortable) in that specific situation.

With that said, recently the I Ching gave me the green light to offer Astrology Interpretations to a larger audience. It said that this is a fruitful time for it, and that fruitful times also pass, so get started.

So here is what I am offering in regards to Astrology:
(please visit the Spiritual Astrology category and look at previous posts which describe what the following topics are)

For $125, I offer the following:

Full Natal Astrology Interpretation (90 minutes recorded interpretation) or

Complete Two Year Timing Aspects (90 minutes recorded conversation about the chart’s Transits, Progressions and Solar Arc Directions) or

Full Medical Astrology Interpretation with Medical Astrology Timing Aspects (90 minutes recorded interpretation)

Keep in mind, that while I have been studying Medical Astrology for six years, while also focusing on learning and providing healing facilitation through process-oriented bodywork; I am neither a doctor nor a licensed medical practitioner, so I do not claim to cure, treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. The Medical Astrology interpretation is for educational purposes only.

Relationship Astrology interpretation (90 minutes recorded interpretation) this includes the Chart Synnastry and a detailed explanation of the Composite Chart of two individuals.

For $90, I offer the following:

Relocation Astrology – Astro-carto-graphy and Local Space Astrology (one hour recorded interpretation)

Rectifying the Birth Chart – if the birth time is unknown, we use the process of Rectifying the Birth Time to work backwards using major events in a person’s life to match it up with the proper birth time. (one hour conversation to discern the correct birth time)

Finally I offer individual tutoring in Spiritual Astrology at the rate of $40 per half hour or $65 per hour. Learn how to discern a chart’s basic drives and patterns, look below the surface to see what a chart’s evolutionary background is and look to see how these traits are progressing through the individual’s life with timing aspects.

Again, please visit the Spiritual Astrology category on the right to see previous posts describing each of these areas of what I offer in detail. Also, if these rates are too high, I can compromise to find a good rate for both of us. Do keep in mind however that most of these offerings require three to four hours of my time – counting preparing the charts, reviewing them and then doing the actual recorded in-person or over-the-phone interpretation.

To contact me to set up an interpretation, call me at four three four (area code) four six five zero six zero three. Thank you.

While I have been trained in everything that I mention above, working with several astrologers and mentors over the past seven years, I feel that I excel in a few areas of astrological interpretation. Natal Astrology is the basis of all branches of Western (Spiritual) Astrology, so I feel very confident discussing the intricacies of an individual’s Birth Chart. Then I have spent the most time focusing on the Timing Aspects – the Transits, Progressions and Solar Arc Directions and I am good in the art of predictive astrology (within the bounds of Frequency-Based, Choice-centered Astrology).

Also, on a personal level, I have been seeking a romantic partner who inspires me to be a better human being, one with which I can have a co-creating, provocatively-transformative and an aligned-with-a-potent-spiritual-intention relationship. As a result, I have spent a lot of time looking at relationship astrology charts – primarily for clients professionally, and in my spare time. Therefore I particularly enjoy working with clients for Relationship Astrology interpretations.

And finally, as I have been studying multiple modalities of healing facilitation, such as Reiki Energetic Healing, Craniosacral Biodynamics and Visceral Manipulation, I am also intrigued with Medical Astrology. I find the human body to be a fascinating mystery, which when viewed through the lens of Medical Astrology, begins to be understood in new, dynamic ways. And as a result, I am very happy to do these interpretations with individuals.

The Astrology of Embodiment, Introduced

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. I am writing off the top of my head, so this could either be very good or an enormous flop! Thanks for sticking with me either way.

I believe the astrological chart (the Natal Chart, the Birth Horoscope, etc) to be a snapshot of our gross karmas, at least in a nutshell. What do I mean? If you believe in reincarnation, great, if not, can you just pretend for a second? So we have past lives. Say there is unfinished business with other people, animals, enemies, locations, etc. And there is unfinished business with regard to our strong habits and predispositions. There may also be unfinished business with regard to certain cultures and belief systems. This all shows up in the birth chart. We reincarnate to clean up these various situations and strong inclinations, if they need to be cleaned up of course. If not, then we reincarnate to benefit others, which is not such a bad thing.

For the most part, especially here in the West, just about all of us share one massive shortcoming in common. We are stuck up in our heads. Meaning we are not in our bodies – it takes effort to be aware of our tummies, to be aware of our breath. We have to purposely slow down to get in touch with our body’s needs. Why is this the case? I’m not saying we are all suffering from this affliction. Luckily, there are teachers and sublime beings who lead others back home into their bodies. But for the most part, especially in less-than-conscious families and industries, people are just running around being aware from the neck up.

Well, as babies, we emulate those around us. Studies on mirror neurons shows that kids (0 – 7 especially) do what their caretakers do. (This is why it is vital for parents to walk their talk – no saying one thing and doing another and expecting their kids to honor their words! Getting off that soapbox now…) It is natural – we want to learn from our parents and become functioning teenagers and adults. Unfortunately, if the adults we are learning from have no clue what it is to be embodied… if they are just in their heads, out of touch with their hearts and bellies, well then what chance do we have as babies?

As babies, we seek to be as safe and comfortable as possible. To do so, we emulate our parents. If our parents are living a stressed, tight, rat-race-oriented lifestyle, then as babies we learn to lock up certain parts of our body. I mean, what is the point of having an open heart if it is just going to get hurt and wounded everyday? So we start to close certain parts of our breath, we tighten our shoulders, in a sense creating a natural defense around our tender, vulnerable areas. But is this really necessary? Well, at that young impressionable age, yes. As conscious adults with choices about how we carry ourselves, how we use our tools of consciousness and awareness, NO!

In this series of posts, I intend to go into the shadow side of each planet. What does it mean to have a challenged Mercury and how does that affect embodiment? Or Mars? Or Jupiter, etc?

I will ponder this subject for a few days and then post the next article in this series.

Thanks for reading.

Awareness of Head, Heart and Pelvis in relationships

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Thank you for reading.

I got this information first from Julie Henderson’s body of work – with Zapchen Somatics; but it has also been reinforced by years of giving and receiving process-oriented bodywork (Craniosacral Biodynamics, Reiki Energetic Healing and Visceral Manipulation among other potent modalities). This information is very precious. It is also very potent, so kindly treat it accordingly.

In Buddhism, there are the three doors through which we encounter the world (and receive the precious Dharma) – body, speech and mind. In the body, the three doors are represented by the body at the forehead, the speech at the throat and the mind at the heart. This is very important – the heart has more to do with the mind (subtle consciousness) than the brain does. With that said, let’s push ahead into a more fully embodied dynamic.

In Zapchen Somatics, a modality created by Julie Henderson, PhD., the three main centers are the Head (representing the brain, wisdom and clarity), the Heart (representing the heart, compassion and kindness) and the Pelvis (representing the pelvis and potency). Without awareness of all three, we are out of balance. Because a kind heart which is not informed by discerning clarity becomes very foolish. Likewise, a potent being who has neither kindness nor clarity quickly becomes a monster and loses many of their friends in the process.

Within relationships, we are attracted to someone for a number of reasons, but ideally, we want a balance of these three centers pervading that attraction. Let me elaborate: when we are young, and we don’t know ourselves well, and we have bucket-loads of hormones coursing through our bodies, then it makes sense that we have a Pelvic-oriented attraction toward someone. If we have not explored a lot intellectually, we do not know our mind well, and we don’t know who we want to be with intellectually. And if we have many unresolved wounds and misunderstandings, then we will not really be in our hearts, and as a result, there might merely be a lot of bumping of pelvises. But, for those of us with experience in intimate sexual relationships, we know that a relationship based solely on sexual attraction can wax and wane, and eventually burn out.

Therefore, it is good to get to know yourself. Do some work to come into your body – receive bodywork, do yoga, do meditation, go for soothing hikes in the woods, and above all else – SLOW DOWN! In Julie’s work, it requires years of time to fully come down out of our heads – seriously. Think about our culture – our time is limited and pressured, most people live in a rat race, barely making ends meet, and if we have a family to care for, we can’t count our spare time on our thumbs! Therefore, it is good to take time while you can, when it is appropriate to get to know yourself. Once you start to get to know your proclivities and predispositions, you can work to start changing any that don’t lead toward happiness and well-being.

Then once you start to work on yourself, then you will slowly start to come down out of your head and into your heart. As you come down into your heart, your pace of life and your kindness toward yourself will improve, slowing down and resting down with more ease. But it takes time! I cannot stress this enough. I have bodywork clients who I have seen off and on for five years who are just starting to be in their bodies. And they may have years to go before it is an easy, stable embodiment.

But once you start to come down into your heart, you will still have moments when you lose your balance – because a heart that is not supported by a conscious pelvis can easily start to suffocate and retract. There is potency in the pelvis – and depending on our wounding, we might have more or less access to that potency from the get go. But without awareness of our patterns, that potency might manifest in strange, distorted ways. That is why it can take 20 years to fully embody – say we pop one strong habit or pattern every few years… Well it will take a while to get there 🙂 But with slow, stable, diligent effort, we will get there!

And once you start to get there, you will notice when you are in alignment. You will notice when you start to fall out of balance. And hopefully you will have worked with a coach or healer or spiritual teacher who can authentically teach you tools for quality self-care – how to come back into alignment with ease and grace. And how to not beat yourself up (be kind!) when you do stumble, because we are human beings and we make mistakes – it’s not an “if,” but a “when.”

So when we start to embody more fully, when we are in touch with our innate potency, which is guided by both compassionate kindness and wise clarity, then we will start to be a ruby among garnets, a polished gem. Then people will feel comfortable around us naturally without our saying anything special or doing anything out of the ordinary. They will sense the ease in our field and they may (or may not) notice the way in which we gracefully move our embodied form. But most importantly, they will feel at ease because we are in our hearts, which is supported by our potency – so we can kind when appropriate, or fierce if need be, but it will be a wise wrath.

As such, I recommend taking time for self-introspection before falling into a relationship. If you feel a strong connection with someone, take the time to check in – do we laugh a lot together? Do we connect on intellectual subjects? Meaning, can we be together without constantly needing to be thinking about sex? Is there an empathic connection – meaning a heart connection? Are they able to be kind to me and to themselves? And of course, without the pelvic connection, you don’t have easy sexual relations… So go for all three if possible. But that requires you to be in your heart, in your body, comfortably and in alignment.

So be careful what you ask for – because if we pray with diligence for a potent, transformative, healthy relationship, eventually we will get it. If we pray for a partner that we ourselves are not, then expect to be called on your stuff. And acknowledge the areas that you need to change. Be flexible and fluid if possible. And then you will be able to navigate through the many obstacles which can arise when practicing relationship yoga.

(It also helps to have a reliable, authentic spiritual practice to dedicate yourself too – then you are buoyed and supported by a lineage of healthy wisdom, and you have a spiritual family to fall back upon in case those obstacles become too heavy. See my other posts for more on this subject of authentic spiritual practice – especially the Dharma category.)

Thank you for visiting and if you have the desire, visit my Chipin page to see how you can support my blogging and travel adventures:

http://kirbymoore.chipin.com/pilgrimage-to-nepal

Astrological Venus: a measure of desire

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for reading and enjoy your visit.

When we think of Astrological Venus, whether or not we have much experience with astrology, we probably think what? That men are from Mars and women are from Venus? Yeah, and? Well… Venus is the female symbol. Yes. What else? Venus is one of the brightest “stars” in the sky, occasionally rising before the Sun (as Phosphorus) and sometimes setting after it (as Hesperus), the morning and evening star respectively. Venus is apparently a very hot, dry planet if you were able to peek through its thick cloud cover. But now let’s change gears and look at the esoteric interpretation of it’s symbol.

What is the symbol of Venus? We see a circle representing the spirit, the unborn and the unceasing over a cross of the material (form) realm. In Isabel Hickey’s book, Astrology: A Cosmic Science, she indicates that this symbol shows the ultimate power of unconditional loving-kindness and limitless compassion (the circle) to overcome anything worldly (the cross), which is Venus in its highest manifestation. I would happen to agree here, but I don’t think many of us encounter Venus in such a pure, ego-free manner.

Personally, I think of Venus as being similar to the concept of Yin (versus Yang which may be more aligned with Mars). Yin is an Eastern concept for the essence that is fertile, receptive, yielding and fluid. It is a very slippery dynamic, one that I believe must be felt, experienced, embraced before we can gain a fuller understanding of its machinations.

But, despite ancient Hellenistic astrologers calling Venus the Lesser Benefic, what happens when we have too much Venus in our charts? What happens when we have multiple transits and progressions activating Venus (or we have personal planets that GET activated by Venus)? At that point, we get the chance, if we are ready, and if conditions are ripe, to see how our mind deals with desire.

During these times, there might be a romantic, passionate tryst. There might be overindulgence in sensual pleasures such as wine or chocolate or furs or Ritz Carltons, etc. But what happens when we pause in the midst of this desire? What happens if we break up with someone during one of these heavy-Venus-laden times? What happens if Uranus gets involved and we lose everything (temporarily) in the midst of Venusian yearnings?

That is where the rubber meets the road my friends. That is the true chance to practice contemplation and introspection. And at this, you might say, “DUHH!!” And rightfully so. But what happens when we unpack those feelings? What happens when we sit with the raw element of an unpacked emotion – such as fear, or vulnerability, or shame? Allowing it to sweep over us, whether it takes three hours or three days? Have we ever allowed ourselves the time to feel something until it is completely exhausted?

No? Well neither have I. But I wonder what is hidden beneath those luxurious layers of Venus’ silkily sensual satisfactions. What pearls and gems await our discovery? What is our hectic, busy, discursive mind afraid of our discovering? Oh how I wonder.

What do I mean by seeing how our mind deals with desire? Well, if we have the positive karma for it, during times of heavy Venus (or Jupiter, the Greater Benefic, for that matter), we will be faced with abundance – possibly a poverty of riches (to borrow a phrase). What do we do at that point? Do we fall in head first, drunk with pleasure and constantly want more? Or do we stick with what we know, what is stable and steady (and what is actually Saturnian and disciplined)? How can we find a balance? This is the test actually.

This constant desire for more brings up an anecdote: there was once a monk who happened to come across a great treasure – an enormous, perfect sapphire. This monk said to himself, “I am going to give this perfect gem to the poorest person in the land, because they need it more than anyone else.” So do you know who he ended up giving that gem to? Well, to the King of course, the only man in the kingdom who had everything, and who still wanted more.

To conclude, I do not think of Venus or Jupiter for that matter, and not even Saturn, as challenging influences in the astrological chart. I feel that certain astrological dynamics will reflect various situations in our lives where we may have too much of a good thing (Venusian or Jovial abundance). Then we are tested – are we content? Can we let go and enjoy just a taste? Do we yearn for more, having tasted a little bliss, lusting ever further?

If you go back through my previous Spiritual Astrology posts, you will discover at least one post on the benefits of astrological Saturn. And here, I paint an abundantly-strained picture of what happens with too much of anything, even too much of a good thing. If and when you come across a really really good year (which probably has Venus and / or Jupiter functioning behind the scenes) what do you choose? Balance or excess indulgence? It is certainly possible, although for many of us, it can come as such a surprise that it catches us off guard. This is where a good coach or teacher can come in handy – reflecting our situations back to us, suggesting moderation and sticking with wise choices.

So yes, I suggest vigilance and mindful awareness even in the midst of positive transits. You might even say, especially in the midst of these blessed aspects. Keep alert to all the little tricks your discursive mind can play and then you will be on your way to equanimity and the middle way.

This was written by Spiritual Astrology Kirby Moore, an ordinary human being whose mind continues to amaze and surprise him with its layers of attachment and aversion. Thanks for reading.

North Branch School memories

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Please enjoy your visit!

Recently my mother was asked by the Director of Alumni Relations of North Branch School to write a paragraph about how the school in Afton has shaped our family. North Branch is a small alternative school (grades K-8) in Afton Virginia, but much has changed since I went through their ranks, more than 17 years ago…

About these changes, let me start by saying that I was apart of the school when it was still getting situated and stable. There were two people in my graduating class… Yeah, me and a female student. So the school has definitely grown and continued to attract great local teachers and students.

One of my most fond memories, believe it or not, is of being in the sixth grade and of tracking the stock market. This is an example of NBS’ dynamic mixture of life skills and academic subject matter. We were given a fake $1000 to “spend” in the stock market. In case you have not noticed, this was a part of math class. I recall that I was one of the few people who more than doubled my money by the end of the project! What fun! Of course, I may have only enjoyed it because I was making so much money… But nonetheless, it was a great learning experience.

I also recall running through the pine forests on the NBS land, playing various kids games such as capture the flag. Nature was an integral part of the curriculum at NBS, whether we were working to create the nature trail running behind the school, or gardening, or starting sprouts to later put in the garden, I was glad to be so in touch with the Earth.

And of course, who could mention NBS, having attended, and not think about their annual winter solstice play, “St. George and the Dragon.” In this play, the characters and plot mirror the dying year, and the bright Sun within St. George must die and then be reborn, reflecting the longest day of the year (which of course was later adopted by Christians to reflect the resurrection of Jesus, but let’s not get into that right now!). While I was attending NBS, I was a shy, reserved, and fun-loving child. I never wanted to be in the spot-light, so my parts in the annual play were always minor or peripheral. I think my culminating-eigth-grade-roll was Father Christmas, a beer and cheer loving character who acts as a narrator of sorts.

Anyway, I got to step into the limelight as it were, when, fifteen years after I had graduated, Charlotte, the Founder and Director of NBS, asked me to take part in the alumni version of the play. And I got to play the role of my childhood dreams – nope, I did not want to be the pure and chivalrous St. George, rather I wanted to get my hands dirty and to play with inner shadowy material. I chose the Dragon! What fun too. That alumni production was apparently a huge success, because when adults do the performance, we seem to bring a lot of feisty innuendo to the characters which middle schoolers are not capable of expressing.

I’d love to see the video of that performance, because while I was changing into my glittery-scales and shiny-claws, and not to mention the enormous Dragon head, I missed what was perhaps the best part of the performance – the two headed Giant who sounded like he was from deep within the Appalachian roots of West Virginia. The Giant of course is the first foe of St. George, before he must rescue a maiden from the terrifying dragon. Our Giant that year brought many waves of rolling laughter through the crowd.

Little did anyone know, but earlier in the day before the performance, I had been apart of a rare meditation group which was focusing on a very potent practice that particular day. (This group is no longer in existence btw.) Therefore, when the Dragon came out, he / I was breathing fire and ready to eat human flesh, preferably a virgin maiden; I was embodying it, feeling it in my core. Hopefully I did not scare too many audience members, but I suspect that was one of the most visceral Dragon-performances yet (and NBS is about to have its 30th anniversary). While the Giant elicited laughter, the Dragon elicited huge cheers when (he finally allowed) St. George (to) put him down. This performance was very cathartic for me, as I got to publicly express that shadowy material and I think many people were surprised when, at the end, all the alumni performers bowed, and there was a tall-grown-up-version-of-timid Kirby, in the Dragon suit… How incredible 🙂

My mom knew that I might have a little something to add to this aforementioned request, so she told me to send her my thoughts on how NBS shaped my life. For some reason, a muse was within reach and I hastily wrote this poem:

Earthy tones and lyrical notes descend,
Autumny Mother Dolly enters,
When fond memories of NBS opened,
Chummy Father X Mas sans antlers,
Piney boughs ‘n mistletoe too,
Lordly St. George appears anew,
Magical Rockfish, rolling hills we view,
Fiery Dragon, yummy yummy stew,
Rest down in nature’s embrace, allow vitality,
Blundering Doctor, knavely and boastful,
Offer your gifts, connect to community,
Chuckling Fools laughter, eternal revival.

North Branch School has a great blog at: http://www.north-branch-school.org/

I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you for visiting!

Inspiring Buddhist Tales, pt 2

Continuing the series from my earlier post, this is another tale I heard from the local (Charlottesville) yogi friend of mine. See the previous post for more info.

This story also comes from Wisconsin – Deer Park to be exact. It also involves Geshe Donyo. In a deity yoga retreat, usually the goal is to accumulate a certain amount of mantras. These retreats are not for anyone – one must have received authentic teachings, transmissions and instructions from an authentic teacher (typically a Tibetan Lama in this case).

So in one retreat, where the goal was to accumulate a million mantras as a group, one woman was brave enough to ask what was truly bugging her. She asked Geshe la, “Rinpoche, I love this particular practice, but my days are so busy. I have to care for my family and then go to work. I don’t normally have this kind of time, can I cut some of the practice off?”

Geshe la responded, “Sure you can cut some of it off. What part do you want to take out?”

She continued, “Oh marvelous… let’s see here… what if I don’t do the blessing mantras and the Vajrasattvas to begin with?”

Geshe la: “Well, if you cut out those mantras, then you will not completely purify your gross or subtle karmas.”

Questioner: “Oh… then how about cutting out the long lineage prayer? There is the short version of that.”

Geshe la: “Sure, if you don’t want the blessings of the lineage masters, you can cut that out.”

Questioner: “Uhhh… The torma takes some time to make. Do we have to do that practice?”

Geshe la: “Well the torma offering is apart of how we accumulate the siddhis. So if you don’t want, then you can cut that out.” [Siddhis are supernatural abilities which authentic practitioners eventually begin to gain access to as they progress on the path. But they are not the goal of the practice.]

By this point, the lady felt a little ashamed and stopped asking what else she could shorten the practices with. My yogi friend said, and I happen to agree on this point, that the practices have been passed down from truly magnificent spiritual masters, and they weeded out any unnecessary or trivial sections, leaving us with the juicy bits we need to gain authentic progress. So when doing practice – do the practice. 🙂

[Not that I am a good example of this. The lazy practitioner who authored this post is busy typing away on this blog instead of sitting on his cushion.]

Inspiring Buddhist Tales, pt 1

I am starting a new series on here. Over the past few years I have been speaking with an old yogi here in Charlottesville, who for obvious reasons will remain unnamed, and I have been collecting some of his many colorful stories. It is very incredible – despite not having ever left the United States, this yogi has met with some of the most respected Buddhist Masters of the past 50 years.

This particular story is about Geshe Donyo, who was teaching at Deer Park, near Madison Wisconsin. One day, Geshe la was teaching a full six hours on all the levels of vows – inner, outer, secret, the Pratimoksha, the root downfalls, the minor downfalls, etc. The only text this Geshe had in front of him, which he never turned a page of, was a very thin pecha (Tibetan scripture). Therefore a woman was curious about it.

At the end of the teaching, she asked Geshe la, “what text are you teaching from? Because you have been speaking today about dozens of topics and yet that text in front of you is so thin! Can you tell me which text it is?”

Geshe la looked down at the text in front of him. He picked it up, slowly analyzing it. Then he smiled at her, “Oh! This is a tantra (meaning it contained nothing of which he had been teaching). I feel it is auspicious to have a text in front of you when you teach the Dharma, so therefore, this morning, I just grabbed it off the top of the stack when I was coming to teach.” This meant that he had everything memorized from that six hour teaching and that the thin little text was just a spiritual support.

The yogi I spoke with believed that Geshes like Geshe Donyo may have tens of thousands of pages memorized… Wow! Actually, Geshe Donyo went on to become the Abbott of Sera Je monastery, and then Abbott of one of the Tantric Colleges at the Monastery (a highly respected, intellectually demanding post).

Pulling out the wrinkles, a poem

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thanks for visiting!

This poem arose as I was driving down to North Carolina to see friends old and new, and to attend a full weekend of Dharma teachings. I’d say it reflects my yearning to have someone special to share my life with. I’m not in a huge rush though, as the traits I am seeking in her are more important than settling for anything less.

Our eyes meet, briefly, curiosity beckons
You look away first,
Merely dipping your toe was enough
We pick up the next sheet
Me longing to connect, you, content
This is life at its finest
A tiny tug, a little shake
And the wrinkles come free
Folding, we draw closer, again
Our fingers momentarily brush; a spark dances up my spine
Did you feel it? Do I ask too much?
Maybe we will come together,
Two threads in a complex quilted pattern,
The wrinkles continue, constantly yearning for liberation

Astrological Chiron: Spiritual Barometer or Errant Asteroid?

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited (as I hope to one day soon publish some of these posts). Thanks for honoring my request and enjoy your time here!

First, to get some vocabulary out of the way, as it would be good to be on the same page… Chiron is a physical astronomical body. It orbits between Saturn and Uranus, with a very eccentric orbit – sometimes straying closer to Saturn and other times veering off toward Uranus. Chiron is a large asteroid or a comet that got trapped by the Sun’s gravity (and therefore lost its tail). Chiron’s orbit is also eccentric, like Pluto’s, in that the plane of its orbit is significantly different from the plane of the rest of the inner planets (at its most extreme positions, Chiron can be more than 15 degrees above or below the typical declinations of the majority of the planets).

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Chiron spends the longest in the sign of Taurus (tropical zodiac) and therefore the shortest time in Scorpio, when it is closest to Saturn. It has about a 50 year orbit cycle around the Sun.

According to myth, Chiron was a centaur chieftan who was an excellent warrior. In some legends, Chiron did very well fighting for Zeus, securing victories for the King of the Gods. In return, Zeus (Jupiter) granted Chiron immortality. As a result, Chiron eventually tired of seeing his friends slowing aging and then passing away and he went to live in a cave. He was not a complete hermit however as he studied extensively the healing arts, astrology, poetry, literature, philosophy and he became very skilled in teaching others the chivalrous art of war. Hence Chiron is credited with training many of the famous Greek heroes including Asclepius (who would go on to become the God of Medicine and Healing), Achilles, Hercules and others. Chiron is known as the Wounded Healer however due to the myth that in a later war, when he was immortal, he was shot in the leg with an arrow that had the Hydra’s venom on it, meaning this poison had no known antidote. As a result of his immortality, he could not die, so he was in tortured anguish and pain and eventually he was forced to ask Zeus to revoke his immortality meaning he was doomed to die from the venom. Therefore there are many metaphors to draw from when interpreting Chiron’s influence in someone’s Natal Chart.

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One Hour Astrology Interpretation. Get your Astrological birth chart interpreted from a Spiritual / Karmic / Evolutionary perspective. You name the topic (area of the chart) and we can dive in - these are some possible areas to look at: Timing Astrology, Relationship Astrology, Medical Astrology, Natal Astrology, Psychological Astrology. Thank you!

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Because Chiron is such a small astronomical body (a large asteroid is nothing when compared to Jupiter or Saturn), we use very small orbs when determining if Chiron makes any aspects in the Natal (Birth) Chart. Personally I use the 3 degree orb rule for Chiron and there are no exceptions (sometimes people make the Sun and Moon’s orbs larger but not here). Therefore, it is rare for Astrology Charts to have many (more than 2 or 3) major aspects involving Chiron. I think of the major aspects as the Conjunction, Opposition, Square, Trine and sometimes the Sextile although that is a touch flaky in this case. The inconjunct (quincunx) aspect needs to practically be exact for it to apply with Chiron in my experience – a one orb is best, but the individual might feel it if one planet is one degree in conjunct Chiron and the other base planet is two degrees.

I apologize ahead of time for talking about myself, however I feel a strong connection with Chiron and therefore I feel a personal anecdote or two will shed light on this subject. And I’m a Leo Rising so I am working on overcoming some innate pride and / or arrogance 🙂

With that said, I personally have Chiron conjunct my MidHeaven from the 9th house, square my Ascendant and trine my Saturn. Not many aspects, but I feel that Chiron is definitely involved in my public / professional life as it conjuncts my MidHeaven. In my limited experience of working with possibly three hundred charts professionally, it is very rare to encounter people with more than four major Chiron aspects in their Natal Charts. I also have experience of having practiced Tibetan Buddhism in a dedicated capacity for several years now, and as a result, I have seen the charts of numerous other sincere practitioners.

Comprehensive Natal Chart Interpretation

Kirby will spend 90 minutes interpreting your Natal Birth chart. You can chat about any area that you like. This includes printed charts and it also includes about 30 minutes of preparation time! These are typically done on the phone, via Skype or in person if you happen to be in Virginia, USA.

$150.00

Despite the fact that I mention Buddhism below, I think that you could easily substitute any authentic religion which leads to more openness, heart awareness and the betterment of its practitioners (so Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc etc). So in my limited experience, I have witnessed many occasions where major Chiron transits (when Transiting Chiron moves into a major aspect with a personal Natal planet or when an outer transiting planet moves into a major aspect with Natal Chiron) lead to spiritual unfolding or decisions to deepen one’s Buddhist practice. Here are some examples:

One friend of mine has Chiron squaring the Nodes of his Moon natally. He does not have much else going on with Chiron, but in this case, this is enough 🙂 So what happened when transiting Pluto came in the same position as his Natal Chiron? Well he had always been into studying and practicing Buddhism, but he decided at that point in time to become a Buddhist monk. Talk about a serious change!!! That required a significant reorientation of all of his friends and family members, but he is committed and he has made it work.

This was also the case with another friend who had Chiron square his Sun, trine his Moon and opposite his Jupiter. When Pluto moved to square his Chiron, Jupiter and conjunct his Sun, he took refuge with a well-known Tibetan lama. Taking refuge means to become a Buddhist in one’s mind and actions – see previous posts for more on this subject. But there are several commitments involved, so it should not be taken lightly. Then, about nine years later, when Uranus moved to conjunct his Chiron (squaring his Sun, opposing his Jupiter, trining his Moon), he also decided to become a (Western) Tibetan Buddhist monk. I believe this was also the time of his Chiron return – which occurs around age 50 or 51. For people with many Chiron aspects, if we put in the work, often the Chiron return is a significant time of spiritual realizations or deepening of awareness.

One of my lay-person practitioner friends and I always look to see what Chiron, in our charts personally and in the transiting sky (universally), is doing whenever we are about to attend a major teaching or ceremony with a high Tibetan lama (with whom it is very rare and precious to meet). It is typically fascinating how many aspects Chiron itself (or planets to Chiron) is making at these times. For instance, when I attended the Dalai Lama for a major ten-day teaching in Washington D.C., transiting Jupiter was conjunct Natal Chiron (a once-in-twelve-years occurence) and transiting Pluto was trine my Chiron (a once-in-a-lifetime-as-a-functioning-adult occurence).

I am not saying Chiron is limited to Buddhism. I am not saying that when you have a major Chiron transit that you will become a monk or nun (because I sure won’t!). Rather, the key is to know that we have inner-personal-growth work to do (emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, etc), to accept and acknowledge our many faults and afflictions, to gain right understanding about these afflictions (not feeling ashamed or guilty merely because we were born for instance), and then to get on with healing our minds and bodies and moving towards an understanding of universal loving-kindness. This is what Chiron speaks to in individuals who are willing to listen. And as I mention above, I believe that individuals with 3 or more major Chiron aspects have an innate attunement to Chiron and it’s many manifestations of dynamic healing energy.

Please do not fret however, if you are reading this, it means that you are seeking and searching, and these traits are also revealed in the chart with Jupiter, Pluto, Uranus and the 8th / 9th houses. Therefore we do not have to have a highly-geared Chiron to have spiritual realizations. Rather it depends on our intention, our motivation and our dedication as to how much we discover in this lifetime.

Kirby Moore is a healing facilitator who utilizes Spiritual Astrology, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Process-Oriented Bodywork in his private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia. He also does phone sessions with individuals in addition to teaching occasional classes and workshops.

Urban Dharma, Asheville North Carolina

So I got to spend a couple days with friends and Sangha members in North Carolina. It was very pleasant – fulfilling, relaxing and potent. I had heard much about Urban Dharma, having seen it in its planning stages and hearing about all the developments, but I had yet to visit – either Asheville or UD. So this is my less-than-expert report about the Center.

Urban Dharma seems to be a multi-denominational Buddhist center. What I mean is that it is not associated with a specific lineage exclusively. I have a feeling there will be a number of Drikung Kagyu teachers coming to give blessings and Dharma talks, but the center welcomes Buddhists of all flavors. The primary Buddha statue on the shrine is of Amitabha (Shakyamuni) – not exactly Tibetan Buddhist – however there are a number of Tibetan Buddhism statues on the sides of the shrine, along with several Tibetan Thangkas – large, ornate scroll paintings scattered throughout the temple space. Therefore I got the feeling it was a Mahayana center which was flavored with the strong essences of the Tibetan tradition.

The shrine is just gorgeous. It was designed around the large (maybe three or four foot tall) stone statue of Amitabha. The shrine was built on site and the polished wooden stump which Maitreya Buddha stands on is just incredible. They said that the wood was so beautiful that they did not want to cut it to fit the shrine – instead they put a hole in the bottom of the shrine to accommodate the polished wooden stump! See the picture below to see how the wood goes through the top layer of the shrine.

Urban Dharma is well situated in Downtown Asheville. It is right across the street from the Grove Arcade – a fancy building which houses an indoor mall of sorts. Therefore the Center may receive many people who just happen to walk by and see that there is a Buddhist temple to visit. And if you have not visited, it is well worth it!

When you walk into Urban Dharma, you will find yourself in the Gallery – a shop where they sell various Buddhist ritual items, statues and artwork. The proceeds go to supporting the various Buddhist events at the center. Then behind the Gallery is the temple space. At present, there is a Buddhist shrine with multiple statues on it – the large stone statue being Amitabha, then there is a stupa, a section for Dharma texts as well as statues of Chenrezig and Manjushri. Thangkas of the Medicine Buddha mandala and Shakyamuni Buddha round out the main shrine. At present there is also a Protector Shrine dedicated to Achi Chokyi Drolma – one of the Drikung Kagyu Protector Deities. Buddhist Dharma protectors are wisdom beings who swore to protect the teachings and to offer guidance and protection to sincere practitioners. There are plans to put in two shrines, one on each of the side walls.

Primary Shrine at Urban Dharma, NC

In the back room is a small kitchen area where we had the food for the potluck. And then upstairs is a conference room that was transformed into a storeroom where they conduct the activities of Tibetan Spirit (tibetanspirit.com) such as selling, packing and shipping Buddhist ritual items, statues and Thangkas. Very cool. These proceeds also go to support the Dharma Center’s activities (and overhead).

There were many young people at both Saturday’s and Sunday’s teachings, which I was very happy to see. It seems like a great community, and it will only get stronger as they plan to fill statues together and have more events of a community nature, versus just doing Buddhist events. For instance, this Wednesday they plan to have a dynamic music venue, which they are calling a friend-raising event (not fundraising). 🙂 Neat!!

I plan to head back to Urban Dharma in March and / or April when they have well-known teachers coming such as Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen and Garchen Rinpoche.