Rectyifying a Birth Chart (Discovering the Birth Time when it is unknown)

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Thank you for visiting my site! Please visit the page above entitled “Astrology” to see Kirby’s current rates and more.

This is a brief post about Rectifying the Birth Time

About Rectification – when we work backwards using events in a person’s life to find the birth time (which is unknown at first), this is called Rectifying the Birth Chart. This is yet another example of how, in the hands of skilled astrologers, astrology definitely “works!!” Using information we have explored and discussed with the client about their personality, we might have a strong suspicion about the Rising Sign (which is the sign on the Eastern horizon at the time of birth – it creates the framework of the chart and it is vital to get events accurate in Timing Astrology) but we might not know which degree it is on.

For instance, say someone is a natural leader, they are fiery yet refined and they have a strong sense of inner confidence and self-worth, and if this influence does not show up in many other areas of their chart, there is a chance this person is a Leo Rising. But were they born with an early (e.g., 2 degrees) Leo Ascendant (Rising) or a later one (29 degrees)? In general I find the traits of early degrees to be strengthened, meaning the Leo Rising at 2 degrees would be more fiery and less refined whereas the 29 degree person would have had more time to “figure out the Leo Rising energy.” To find out, at least to within 10 minutes of the accurate birth time, we work backwards using major events from that individual’s life – these could be the birth of children, marriage, divorce, significant accidents, illnesses or surgeries, major promotions, etc. If I can get my hands on five or six accurate dates of major events, I can usually rectify a chart to within 5-10 minutes of the accurate birth time, within an hour or two. And this is not an easy accomplishment, if I may brashly say so myself! :~)

Sometimes I find that I had the right Rising sign in mind, other times not. There are indicators that can throw you off – say the individual has Neptune on their actual Rising sign, this can really fog and cloud the process of finding it! That is until you realize this possibility, ask the right questions and then it becomes clearer! Similarly having Uranus rising (near or just below the Ascendant) can fool one to think that individual has an Aquarius Rising sign, when they actually have another sign there. As the reader can discern, there is much to keep in mind when interpreting a chart, and this comes into play when rectifying the birth time.

Kirby Moore has been studying Western Astrology since 2003, having studied under numerous Western Astrologers with backgrounds in Karmic Astrology, Evolutionary Astrology and Hellenistic Astrology. He sees clients professionally for Spiritual Astrology interpretations both in person and over the phone. His private practice also includes Craniosacral bodywork and healing facilitation through healing touch. To schedule an appointment, you can reach Kirby at the following number in the U.S.: four three four, four six five, zero six zero three. Thank you for reading.

Spiritual Astrology and the Secret of Self-Knowledge (Natal Horoscopes)

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. See the above page “Astrology” for more info and for Kirby’s current rates. Thanks for reading!

In this post I will describe the benefits of having your Natal Chart or Horoscope interpreted by a competent Astrologer.

Kirby Moore specializes in working with individuals and Natal Astrology – which is the basis for Timing Astrology and for Relationship Astrology if you want to go on and look at those areas. Natal Astrology, when interpreted with the individual’s consciousness in mind, reveals a beautiful, mytho-poetic account of the individual’s personality strengths, challenges, gifts and more. And coming from an Evolutionary Astrology background, Kirby’s interpretations include more of a Soul Reading, where you have been in the karmic past and which directions it would be good to move forward in. These interpretations make great gifts for newborns and parents alike!

Unfortunately I think there are some well-meaning people out there who read a few books about Astrology and then they speak about it as experts. Or, even more disappointingly, perhaps some astrologers see the $$ involved in publishing quantity books versus quality. There are many, many astrological resources available which should actually be called what they are: “We will tell your fortune according to your birth day!” or “This is an astrological cook book – all the recipes are prepared ahead of time, if you are looking to grow psychologically or if you want to evolve spiritually, then you won’t get much from reading this!” Of course, these titles would not really sell per se, so we are where we are. 🙂 Those are strong words yes, but someone has got to put a stop to the fatalistic trends in astrology. Saturn is NOT bad! But nearly every astrological cook book will at least hint at the challenges and speak abut Saturn’s aspects with negative connotation. Not good. See some of my previous posts about Saturn for more on this fascinating subject.

These resources add to Astrology’s implausibility and allow people to be correct when they say that Astrology “does not work.” Because it is true – if you do not take the client’s consciousness into account when doing the interpretation, you will probably do very little to benefit them. You must have an open, flexible mind which is supplemented by some years of living experience and observing astrology’s possibilities around you. And this is just a start – you must be able to meet your clients where they are, which also means either dissolving your prejudices completely or suspending them and seeing clients with an unconditionally open heart. Not easy, and unfortunately it doesn’t occur very often. And I can’t say I do this every day, but I’m coming close. 🙂

Well, if the Natal Chart is interpreted by someone (note – NOT a machine, not a computer program or an astrological website recipe maker) competent, the Astrology Chart can transform into a dynamic mytho-poetic portrayal. What most people see when they look at an astrology chart is a large circular ring divided into 12 segments, with strange foreign glyphs in little clumps around the ring. It looks complicated and flat. This is normal, do not fret. To a well-trained astrologer however, seeing an Astrology Chart is like reading the Matrix code. There is Pluto square Mars and with what you have told me up to this point, that means… Oh here we have Jupiter conjunct Uranus and in your case that implies…

Supposedly at the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece, one of the phrases engraved above the entrance was “Know Thyself.” This important phrase is still applicable today (even more so now perhaps with all the distracting technology we have to play with), and in Western Astrology, we have a great tool to help us discern our hidden vices and virtues, to know ourselves better. We start with the Natal Horoscope – this is the chart that is cast at the moment we take our first breath as a newborn. This chart marks the location of the planets as they appear from the place of birth. So to cast a Natal Horoscope, one needs the birth date, place and if possible the birth time. Without the birth time, there can be a lot of information gleaned from the chart, but with the time, it becomes more precise. See the next post for a method to Rectify or determine the time of birth using life events, a technique known as Rectification.

The Natal Horoscope tells us what energy (planet) is manifesting in which area(s) of life (astrological house) and it shows us how these energies are interacting with each other. Is there graceful easy flow between Saturn and Venus for instance? Or are there obstacles? What does this mean to that particular individual? The area of life that this aspect affects would show itself through the astrological houses involved. And remember, to conduct an professional and personal interpretation, we must take the frequency or consciousness of that particular client into account. For example, if someone comes to us and the first thing they say is, “Yeah, I’m wondering when I’m going to earn my first million so I can afford that Porsche I have had my eye on…” We have to approach them where they are. Conversely, if someone comes to us and says that they have been to see numerous astrologers and psychics about a spiritual or psychological issue, this probably means they are seriously looking for quality answers and they don’t want to be treated like a bunch of mere planets and aspects. No pun intended! 🙂 We are all unique individuals on different paths – whether emotionally, physically, spiritually, psychologically, etc. And we should do our best to tailor the interpretation to the client.

Kirby Moore has been studying Western Astrology since 2003, having studied under numerous Western Astrologers with backgrounds in Karmic Astrology, Evolutionary Astrology and Hellenistic Astrology. He sees clients professionally for Spiritual Astrology interpretations both in person and over the phone. His private practice also includes Craniosacral bodywork and healing facilitation through healing touch. To schedule an appointment, you can reach Kirby at the following number in the U.S.: four three four, four six five, zero six zero three. Thank you for reading.

Spiritual Astrology and Relationships: Who am I really dating?

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. See the page Astrology to see Kirby’s current rates.

My housemate recommended that I do a post on this subject, after he received an impromptu interpretation from me. He was blown away by all the information that could be gleaned from his birth chart (and subsequent timing charts), so I was pleased to have been of benefit to him.

Having experience with peace-building work and Compassionate Communication, I work with couples and partners (of any sort) with Relationship Astrology. The Synnastry and Composite Charts provide a fascinating window into the dynamics of any relationship – whether intimate, professional, familial or otherwise. You can also look at the relationship of two or more organizations: whether corporations, non-profits, nations and more. These charts can show which direction a group is headed as well, allowing every individual’s Astrological offering to be taken into account.

So for all of you out there who just recently started dating someone, or for anyone who wants to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their partner, do you really know who you are dating? Do you want to know? And this goes both ways! Yes ladies, there are guys out there who track astrology, present company excluded.

Relationship Astrology is an interesting facet of Western Astrology. Of course it all starts with the Natal Chart – the birth chart is an integral part of astrology, so knowing your birth time is important, but not always vital. In Relationship Astrology, you compare your birth chart with your partner’s. This is called Chart Synnastry. A Synnastry Chart is simply one chart with two rings of planets – one is your planets and the others are your partner’s. However, this chart can reveal many fascinating details. Why are you attracted to your partner? Who desires a more physical relationship? What does your partner want from you? What do you need from your partner? You can also receive an interpretation to find out who would be good for you (and why). These insights and many more can be gleaned from a Synnastry Chart. But there is more!

Another intriguing side of Relationship Astrology is when you create a new chart for a relationship. You might wonder, “how do you go about doing that, and how could it possibly work?” These are great questions! This new chart which is generated from two people’s charts blended into one is called a Composite Chart. Composite Charts can be created for any kind of relationship – husband / wife, employer / manager, father / daughter and of course potential boyfriend / girlfriend. You can even create functional Composite Charts for two or more Corporations, two or more Nations and for groups of people. Say you want to see how well a Board of Directors would work together – you could have a Composite Chart made and interpreted for as many as six or eight people (after that it might get a little funky, but it would still be fun to analyze).

Composite Charts are primarily purchased however, because someone wants to see how or why their relationship is or is not working out. Composite Charts are very fascinating as I mentioned – this is because you can see the overall direction of the relationship – why did the two of you come together? In which area of life do you work together the best? Are you sexually compatible (if appropriate)? Is this a good partner to have children with? Are there stabilizing aspects in your Composite Chart which will keep you together even after the initial glamor has worn off? Will there be smooth sailing or rough patches ahead? All of these questions and more can be answered from analyzing the Composite Chart.

Included within my Composite Chart interpretations are the Timing Aspects of the Relationship – often times we can see when and why the two of you came together, you can see beautiful times of compatibility and ease, along with times of challenging self-grasping and stubborn resistance. Armed with the insights of what to expect however, you can avoid many impulsive (emotional-reaction-based) decisions which might disrupt a dynamic growth-oriented, co-creating relationship!

So schedule an appointment today to discuss your Relationship Astrology!

Kirby Moore has been studying Western Astrology since 2003, having studied under several Western Astrologers with backgrounds in Karmic Astrology, Evolutionary Astrology and Hellenistic Astrology. He sees clients professionally for Spiritual Astrology interpretations both in person and over the phone. His private practice also includes Craniosacral bodywork and healing facilitation through healing touch. To schedule an appointment, you can reach Kirby at the following number in the U.S.: four three four, four six five, zero six zero three. Thank you for reading.

The Many Benefits of Spiritual Astrology: What is possible?

This material is copyrighted by Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  To support my business and blogging efforts, please visit my website. More recently, I have begun teaching Astrology classes on Trauma-Informed Astrology, see http://www.traumainformedastrology.com for more! Thank you for visiting!

To begin with, Spiritual Astrology is more than “cook-book astrology,” where someone finds out your astrological planets and signs and determines what that means without really getting to know where you are on your [emotional / psycho-spiritual / life-experience-maturity-level] path. Spiritual Astrology is frequency-based astrology which means that it takes the client’s frequency or consciousness into account. When you look at the birth chart, you see a two-dimensional circle that is divided up into twelve sections known as houses. Within these houses are tenanted all the planets of the solar system, including the two lights (the Sun and Moon, which in Western Astrology are basically considered planets too). Therefore we have the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars and all the way out to Pluto, which is still considered a planet by astrologers. So we take this two dimensional circle, along with its unique aspects and houses and we add the client’s consciousness into the mix. This adds another dimension that no astrology software or astrology website can provide. When major asteroids are added to the mix, the range of possibilities in a birth chart is infinite.

I believe an Astrological birth chart is a reflection of an individual’s gross karmas. What the heck does this mean? What I mean is that we all have energetic bodies, we have psychological habits, mental attitudes and dispositions, but without being born in a human body, we would never be aware of these characteristics in the way we are able to perceive them as humans. So what the heck does that mean? What I am trying to say is that we are actually spiritual beings having a human experience, and being born human creates a unique opportunity to experience a world through the five (or more) senses and to interact with other sentient beings in this world. In Buddhism, there is the belief that the only part of someone which goes from rebirth to rebirth when we die is the subtle consciousness. This subtle consciousness comes into a womb around or shortly after the time of conception and stays with the new body until its elements dissolve and the subtle consciousness must move on to the next one. This is why I suggest that we are spiritual beings having human experiences.

Unfortunately, not many of us recall that we are spiritual beings. Rather, we get caught up in the duality of this world – this is MY body (and it HURTS!), that is YOUR car (and doesn’t it look great?!), this is THEIR money (oh! now I’m jealous). I am apart of the 99 % or the 1 % and they aren’t. We easily get tangled in the web of sensed objects and beings and then we get further entangled in our reactions to these perceived objects. And by getting tangled up in life as it were, we are experiencing manifestation of gross karmas – inner or outer events of a perceivable nature, where more than one individual can affirm to have witnessed or experienced it. However, if we are able to realize that this world is more of a playful dance of vast energy and awareness and less a tangled web of dense, solid objects and / or stick emotions, then we can start to take that soothing deep breath and disengage just a little bit more. When we disengage and move toward equanimity and non-attachment, then we move toward subtler karmas; this disengaging is a step toward spiritual awakening and away from the gross karmas indicated in one’s birth chart.

Therefore, whether you are someone who is pursuing spiritual fulfillment, or someone who is after that dream inheritance (or car, or babe, or stud, or retirement, etc), Spiritual Astrology can meet you where you are and proceed from there.

In future posts, I am going to cover Spiritual Astrology and: Relationships – Who am I really dating?, the Secret of Self-Knowledge and Natal Horoscopes, the Benefits of AstroCartography and Relocation Astrology, All the Intricate Components of Timing Astrology – Transits, Progressions, Solar Arc Directions and More!

Kirby Moore has been studying Western Astrology since 2003, having studied under several Western Astrologers with backgrounds in Karmic Astrology, Evolutionary Astrology and Hellenistic Astrology. He sees clients for Astrology interpretations both in person and over the phone. His private practice also includes Craniosacral bodywork and healing facilitation through healing touch. To schedule an appointment, you can reach Kirby at the following number in America: four three four, four six five, zero six zero three. Thank you for reading.

Identifying an authentic meditation teacher

This material is copyrighted by Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  To support my business and blogging efforts, please visit my website. More recently, I have begun teaching Astrology classes on Trauma-Informed Astrology, see http://www.traumainformedastrology.com for more! Thank you for visiting!

Hello! This is a post about finding, investigating and discovering an authentic meditation teacher.

How many of us here in the West even know where to start on this journey? Finding a qualified teacher is important – especially if you consider your spiritual practice and progress to be important. It’s like going to a properly trained surgeon to have your appendix removed. You wouldn’t go to a lawyer for that job, would you? Here is an example of merely going to someone who claims to know what they are doing, but when you get there the conversation goes like this:

“Hello, I just wanted to be sure before we started, you are a doctor right? Because my appendix is having problems man!”

“Yes, I got my doctorate in Herpetology from Whahoopitz College.”

“Wait, what?! I thought you were a surgeon.”

“No I study reptiles, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. I learned that some reptiles have appendixes.”

“Oh, well in that case, this is hurting pretty bad so we might as well get started…”

Seriously!?! Big problem. We want to be sure we are getting quality training from a qualified teacher. If nothing else, we certainly don’t want to back-slide down the ever-so-treacherous and steep spiritual path. Yes, unfortunately there are frauds out there, plus there are well-meaning people who might have learned a couple things from an authentic teacher and then decided they were ready to teach (which translates to: they are ready to inflate their egos and make claims they really can’t back up). So get it right the first time!

Here is some pithy advice:

If you meet someone who claims to be an advanced meditation teacher, run! Get the hell out of there as fast as you can! The strongest, highest quality anyone can have is loving-kindness and the second most coveted spiritual quality is humility [and modesty].

If you find out that someone wears certain clothing on the days they are teaching, but then they put on a completely different outfit the other six days of the week… you might want to skedaddle. Take the words “clothing” and “outfit” here to also mean personality, behavioral standards, ethical conduct, etc.

If a “teacher” says one thing but overtly goes against their advice, this might be a bad sign. It is definitely a bad sign if you question them about this and instead of patiently discussing why they went against their advice, they get defensive and suddenly you feel victimized. Run! Fast! This is not an authentic teacher! Get the hell out of Dodge!

If someone’s name is Master Whoseewhatee, be extra skeptical. What makes them a master? Who says they are a master? Where did they study? Are their students truly benefiting and growing? Remember the humility comment above – and with that in mind, who would call themselves Master So-and-so? AND can they answer the questions in this next paragraph in the affirmative?:

A qualified meditation teacher can and will answer the following questions in a way that is clear, unequivocal and in a parsimonious fashion. Oh and they will be open and honest about the answers: Who did you train under (who are your teachers)? What makes you qualified to teach meditation? Do you have the blessing of a qualified teacher? Do you have a title? Who gave it to you? Are you a part of an authentic (living) lineage of teachings? Do you know the root texts on meditation? Do you speak / read the root languages of those root texts?

Keep in mind that here in the West, there are many, pardon the turn of speech, white people who have never spent significant time in the East, who are becoming authentically qualified to teach. Or at least they have their teacher’s blessings to teach. Therefore, these qualifications that I set forth in the above paragraph are strict – who besides a well-educated religious studies scholar would know those root languages? Or who other than a Buddhist monk (or nun) who has gone through their rigorous Shedra – or monastic colleges? Well sincere monks are typically authentic meditation teachers but sometimes it is difficult to find a Buddhist monk or nun to teach you. What then? Sometimes an authentic meditation teacher will not know those root languages and that is okay, just not ideal. They should at least know a little about the root texts.

Here’s the thing – if someone has studied the root languages of the root texts, and if they can teach meditation, then there is a chance that they are able to do two important things: think critically (from diligent, systematic study) and have decent emotional intelligence. It is one thing to be able to think rationally and be a linear type of person, but it is quite another to be able to do that when it suits the situation; and when we enter the watery psychological realm of emotions, rationality and linear processes often fly out the window, and an authentic teacher ideally should be able to understand both of these processes.

To wrap up, we want to find a teacher who is approachable, down-to-earth and who knows the subject matter. Someone who is arrogant is not an authentic teacher. Someone who seems like they are too humble to be anyone special is often just that – many Tibetan lamas seem to be content little bumbling monks, who claim not to know or do anything special in the least. And then when they die, the world discovers that they were secretly keeping rainbows and spiritual realizations in their hearts… So stick with humility, modesty and balance and you won’t go wrong in your search.

For an example of an authentic teacher, I would like to share my experience of living above a Zen Buddhist temple, and therefore, having the Zen Priest as my landlord and teacher. Also, if you have not already, you can visit the “Dharma” page on my blog – there you will find my experience with another secret yogi who passed away in 2008. That was a unique connection for me. But back to the Zen Priest.

This man was retired, having been an engineer and occasional adjunct professor at UVa. He did all the manual labor around the Zendo, which I was happy to pitch in to help with. So I would come home from school sometimes and find him mowing the lawn, or weeding, or even putting stain on the new fence. This was despite the fact that he was in his 70’s. Also, he never claimed to have any special qualities and he would always change the subject or minimize your perceptions of him if asked. He was great at practicing self-deprecation, but in a humorous almost respectful sort of way. No one was better at pointing out his own flaws than himself.

However, I would always feel really, really good if I was lucky enough to sit next to him in the Zendo. (By the way, see my first few posts on here to see pictures of that Zendo.) Also, if I was fortunate enough to be the last out the door, meaning that I would have a few minutes alone with him, I would also feel very good upon leaving. It was never anything he said. It was never anything noticeable that he did. But the sensations of joy and happiness would almost always linger for a few hours after meditating with him. The only indication of his qualities came through if you asked him who his teachers were. Unfortunately, being more a student of Tibetan Buddhism, I did not know much about Zen or its teachers, but later, when I looked them up, he had studied with some true masters indeed.

He never called himself more than he was. He said in Zen that a teacher’s teacher was called the Roshi. As a Zen Priest, he was capable of doing the ceremony for others to become Priests, and he was the leader of all the Zen practices and ceremonies. But that was it. For him, it is literally a life of chop wood, carry water. And it has done something marvelous for him.

In closing, may all beings be blessed to know and spend time with an authentic teacher!

The humorous subtleties of studying the Tibetan language

As some readers may or may not know, I studied the Tibetan language for 2.5 years, primarily focusing on Colloquial Tibetan (Literary or Classical Tibetan is an almost entirely different animal). At present, I am living with a Western Buddhist monk whose family of origin comes from India, so I am being introduced to new ways of thinking and being every day. However, today I heard a funny story about his trial and error as he now studies Tibetan language.

In Tibet, there are three main language and cultural regions – Central Tibet or the U Tsang region, Amdo in the northeast and Kham in the southeast. Plus there are multiple smaller regions to the west and north (not knowing much about these, I will stick with the “big three”). In each of these regions, there is a central dialect and dozens if not hundreds of tiny sub-regional dialects. This is due to the fact that in these regions, there are many remote areas, valleys and mountain villages which have their own unique accents and different pronunciations.

With that introduction, my friend the monk is in a class whose goal is to teach the central dialect of the Central U Tsang region. This is known as Lhasa Kae or spoken language. Now there just so happens to be a new student from Amdo, who does not know how to speak Lhasa Kae. And guess who my friend was partnered with? Yep! The new student from Amdo of course!

So this is how some of their conversation went, with imagined mental commentary provided:

Monk: How are you?
Tibetan from China: I am good. And blah blah (something about) cheese.
Monk: (what??!! what does cheese have to do with anything?) Well… I like cheese. Yes, I like cheese.
TfC: oh…? that is good…

later… Monk: So what do you do?
TfC: I am a lawyer who studied Chinese law.
Monk: Oh that is so great!
TfC: No, Chinese law is confusing and different from American law.
Monk: Oh. What do you do as a lawyer?
TfC: I put Tibetans in prison.
Monk: (OH MY GOD!!! Are you serious!! Why am I talking to you??!! I hope I’m not getting anyone in trouble!) Oh I see…

later… Monk: Are you married? Do you have a wife?
TfC: (Jesus Christ!! I thought you were a monk!) You have a wife?
Monk: No! No, I am asking if you have a wife. Are you married?
TfC: Then why do you have a wife? Monks do not have wives.
Monk: Right. I am a monk. I am not married.
TfC: Oh, okay…

Luckily, the monk said he started to draw pictures, use body language and finally spell out what he was trying to say, and he got most of these confusions cleared up! It turns out the Tibetan guy was not talking about cheese for five minutes, rather there was a difference in pronunciation that sounded like chu ra – the word for cheese… and instead of imprisoning anyone, he actually works with Tibetan entrepreneurs, trying to help start businesses. The word for prison can sound very similar to the word for business. Ahh… The joys of mis-communication!

Practicing a new flavor of potent kindness

This material is copyrighted by Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  To support my business and blogging efforts, please visit my website. More recently, I have begun teaching Astrology classes on Trauma-Informed Astrology, see http://www.traumainformedastrology.com for more! Thank you for visiting!

a post arising from a recent retreat, about authentic kindness

Recently, I came out of a short six day retreat, but I felt like I had been accelerated very rapidly (shot out of a whirling sling to be exact) down my psycho-spiritual path. Prior to retreat, I had been lallygagging along, not really doing much practice or much in the way of deepening subtle awareness…

However, in retreat, we did silent meditation, Zapchen Somatics – taking meditation and awareness into the body through playful skillful exercises, and we also did dream acting / playing / sharing. I found this last piece to be the most potent. And I actually got to work / play with one of my dreams twice – we were a small group. It was so fascinating how one little section of one dream could reveal so much, and I’m sure I could keep working with that little tiny scene for days and days! Wow!

One result from doing this internal work with my shadow material was that I grabbed hold of my power. Technically, this potency that I found was not somewhere else, it was within me, but I accepted it, I became it, I embraced it. My voice also deepened a bit and definitely became more resonant. Once I stood in the place of my terrifying shadow, and got to say words as SHADOW and be its mysterious potency, I felt much clearer about how my fear of shadowy places is just a misunderstanding. It was a fear of the unknown, but it was not an appropriate fear. Prior to retreat, I had been reading many little quotes about stepping off the edge of a precipice into the unknown abyss. Well… That is what I needed to do! And luckily I had the resources around me to assist me with the process! And I did it.

So the reason for the title of this post is that I received bodywork a few days ago, which was a few days after retreat, and at the end of the session, I felt entirely embodied and empowered – at least as much as I had felt up to that point in my life. I was asked what I wanted to take away from the session, to take with me as I left the healing space. Taking a few seconds to become clear, I did not hesitate in saying, “I am practicing a new flavor of potent kindness.” This was pretty revolutionary for me, here’s why:

In Zapchen Somatics, Julie Henderson, the creator, says that there are three main centers in the body. The head, the heart and the pelvis each represent one aspect of enlightened mind – the head is clarity, the heart is kindness and the pelvis contains potency. She says that without authentically being in all three centers, we cannot practice the full version of any one quality (clarity, kindness or potency). What this means is that, to practice “kindness” without being clear, is foolish. To practice “kindness” without being in touch with our inner potency, is foolish. So I am referring to a wise kindness that is informed by both true clarity and authentic, embodied potency.

Side Note *** Please keep in the mind that to come into all three bodily centers can take years, seriously – for most people who live busy hectic lives, sustaining their families and social connections, doing this work can take decades. Therefore, if you are one of the billions of people who are cut off from one or two of these centers, don’t fret. Know that it is possible to come down into your body eventually, and when you do, it will be an incredible sense of liberation and ease. But until that time, do be kind and gentle with yourself and your process. End side note.

Therefore, when I say that I am practicing a new flavor of potent kindness, it is coming from the realization that previously, I did not practice authentic kindness. Because in the past I was definitely cut off from my pelvis. This is ultimately due to my karma, so it is no one’s fault but my own, however the way I could tell I was cut off from my pelvis was because of difficultly breathing really deep belly breaths, and because I had had some surgeries around my pelvis, and because I had birth trauma to work through, and… huff huff puff puff! 🙂 due to my conditioning – I don’t think either of my parents are ever in all three of their centers, so how could I have known that it was okay to fully embody them myself? Nope – not safe around them! And if my mirror neurons learned to cut off my pelvis from a young young age, how could I have known anything different?

So why do I say that I was not practicing authentic kindness previously? Because by being cut off from my pelvis and my potency, I was cut off from my creative, appropriately-self-oriented juices. By being in my head, as most Westerners are, and by occasionally drifting down into my heart, I was always “kind” and “sweet” and “well-loved.” Seriously?! No thank you! I am a man damn it! If 99% of the people I meet love me, that is actually a PROBLEM. It means that I was a big time pleaser, placator, push over, shape shifter and that I sacrificed my needs to take care of others’ needs. Again, I want to say a big, “No Thank You!!” to those energies and wish them well as I have separated from them. They served me well for 28 years and now it is time to wear my authentic power and potency all the time.

Therefore, I would recommend that you analyze your life, analyze your relationships, reflect on the way you react to certain people. Does everyone you meet love you? Do you bend over backwards for one type of personality or gender? Are you aggressive and hyper-competitive, meaning most everyone you meet does not love you? Do you feel cut off from your pelvis? Do you have sexual inhibitions or difficulty letting go and fully experiencing personal pleasure? If you can answer yes to any of these questions on a regular basis, then it means you are not entirely embodied yet, but don’t worry, you have lots of company 🙂

And yes, the rare individual can be in their heart only and neglect their head and pelvis, and there might be the rare individual who is in their pelvis, but neglect their hearts and heads (meaning they would be seriously driven, selfish, sexually motivated and have very little capacity for empathy, rationality and altruism). So it is good to determine where you are on this spectrum. But simply notice it – do not judge it. We are where we are for a reason. And we should start where we are. Don’t worry, don’t fret, just take a deep breath and try to relax, knowing that if you got this far through this blog post, then it means you most likely can embody fully with some work, with some effort and under the guidance of a qualified teacher. And most importantly, be gentle.

Our body tends to respond easier and more swiftly to kind actions and thoughts versus those contraction-creating methods in which we beat ourselves up. For me, I came to this little tiny, insignificant clarity/kindness/potency realization within seven years of cultivating deeper embodiment and intensely striving to gently pulse through the frozen tissue within. Now don’t get me wrong, I still have tons of work to do! I have just glimpsed what is possible and I still have years to go to stabilize this level of empowered embodiment! And I am human, meaning I make mistakes, I stick my feet in my mouth and I am very rough around the edges at times! So I have lots to do, lots to refine and luckily I have quality heart teachers to continue leading me down appropriate and authentic paths.

May sentient beings be blessed with auspicious circumstances and insights.

Craniosacral Awareness Re-emerging

Recently, I started assisting a friend of mine as she taught a Craniosacral class. It is a class for beginners, looking at the basics of healing touch, alignment, self care and of course going through the fundamentals of Craniosacral work.

For anyone out there who does not know what Craniosacral Therapy (or Craniosacral Biodynamics) is / are, they are modalities that work with balancing the cerebro spinal fluid, deepening awareness as energy, as body and as fluid awareness. CST has been very beneficial in treating a number of issues associated with head injuries, headaches, back problems, pelvic issues and many things in between. In particular, Craniosacral Biodynamics, which is the more holistic of the two (Craniosacral Therapy is more mechanical in orientation), is extremely potent for those people who are sensitive to it. The layers of contact and healing touch are simply extraordinary. Each day I practice, I realize more fully how one could spend an entire life practicing CS Biodynamics and be learning up to the day of death. Wow!

And what I am becoming aware of, having now assisted with two three-hour classes, is that my personal experience and awareness of the Craniosacral rhythms is deepening to points I did not think were possible. To clarify, the tides or rhythms at which the cerebrospinal fluid ebbs and flows are known by three names as 1) the Cranio Rhythm (once every 3 – 5 seconds), 2) the Mid Tide (once every 20 seconds or so) and 3) the Long Tide (once every 50 – 100 seconds). These tides can be tracked and perceived once a practitioner has a lot of hands on practice under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Sometimes when a client goes into a deep state of healing relaxation, these tides cease altogether or become so slow as to not be perceivable. This cessation is known as a “still point.”

For most practitioners, they must put their hands on a client to feel these rhythms. I am beginning to notice that as I walk around the class, holding space (being aware of the vastness of the sky above and bringing my attention out to the horizons behind me and to the sides), if I focus on someone’s table – students work in pairs, one giving a practice treatment and one receiving – I can tell if / when someone goes into a still point and when they come out of it. Plus I have the same breath changes as they do. Pretty amazing!

It seems my depth and intensity of practice is starting to pay off. Also, when the students were working on each others’ occipital bones, I felt mine open and widen and appreciate the change in the energetic field. Similarly, when students started working on each others’ sacrum, I felt a shift in my own as it opened and began to loosen its strong attachments. Very cool!

I will keep tracking what I notice and keep y’all updated. Thanks for reading!

Back from retreat, August 2011

Our brief little 5.5 day retreat ended today, with a beautiful pot-luck luncheon. It was great to see community members supporting us and the food was exquisite (anyone ever heard of rice-cous? Someone made a delicious low-sugar cake out of it and twas most scrumptious!).

I have a lot to chew on… I worked a dream piece twice – at first wrestling with my shadow parts, then witnessing new possibilities and finally stepping into the shadow parts of me. Whoa I said some funny stuff! And I now own my power – it will be a balancing act and pendulum swing for a few weeks I suspect as first I will need to get used to this new information (clarity, directness, potency, fiery-kindness) and then of course once it gets to be normal for me, then my friends and family will need to get used to it. Well, tis about time! Yummy stuff!

I will say more about this soon. But I definitely have some homework from this potent time of meditating, processing and dancing the shadowy dreams. It is so fascinating how, when we are really really busy, that we can have some of the most potent dreams and yet never be able to access the hidden, subtle (and so powerful) messages hidden within them. It is only when we slow down… name the sensations that are arising… then name the subtle needs of these reacting parts… and finally we can play, dance, share and process all the numerous possibilities that arise. Whoa! Actually, now that I think about it, there are no words which can do justice to what I just witnessed and the way our group came into possession of new fiery wisdom.

Thanks for reading anyway! 🙂

As an update, I am continuing to see clients for bodywork (Craniosacral, Reiki) as well as offering Spiritual Astrology interpretations. I am planning to be with these new waves of awareness, and to continue radically changing my skin as it were. More to follow soon.