THRU THE LENS OF HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

Two babies were 'in utero' - wombmates! One is called Ego, the other is called Spirit. They are having a conversation.
Spirit says to Ego:
"I know you are going to find this difficult to believe but I truly believe there is life after birth"
Ego shouts back;
" Don't be ridiculous. Why must you persist with this notion that there is something beyond reality? Why don't you just accept your lot in life and stop parroting all this 'life after birth' nonsense."
Spirit quietens down for a while but then just has to speak up again.
"Now, don't get mad Ego but I also believe there is a Mother"
" A WHAT??" shouted Ego
" A Mother" said Spirit calmly
" How can you be so absurd?? You've never seen a Mother, can't you just accept reality? THIS is it. trust me Spirit, there is no Mother"
Spirit stops her conversation for a while but her restlessness got the better of her.....
"Ego" she implores, " Please just listen. Somehow I feel that those movements we both feel; those ones that make us so uncomfortable, that continual closing in an repositioning we both feel. I sense that this is somehow getting us ready, moving us towards a growing light and we are going to experience it very soon."
"Spirit" said Ego angrily, " Now I know you are insane. You have never known that. How can you even contemplate such an idea. The movements. Those pressures you feel. These are your reality. You are a distinct, separate, being. This is your journey; darkness, pressure, a closed in feeling. This is all there is. This is what life is all about and you are just going to have to put up with it. Now grab your cord and stay still."
Spirit relaxed for a little while but soon she can no longer contain herself. "Ego" she says " I have only one more thing to say and I will never bother you again."
" Go ahead" Ego said with an exasperated tone.
" I believe that all these pressures and all this discomfort is not only going to bring us to a new celestial light but when we experience it we are going to meet Mother face to face and know an ecstasy beyond anything we have ever experienced.
"Spirit" said Ego. " You really are crazy. Now I am convinced of it".

This story was told by the motivational speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer when promoting the concept of higher consciousness, purpose and unity

Keep the faith. However confused, dark or all at sea you feel, there is a purpose.

I loved this story. I thought I would share it with you now as I know this week is proving to be particularly difficult for some, and this entire period, where many people have lost their jobs or are enduring financial hardship, is one in which it is difficult to keep faith in any higher purpose.

We just need to give in, to surrender, to the process and trust!

There are a number of planetary cycles stirring up our Selves and environment at this time. A cycle known for its particularly difficult birth pains is the Saturn/Pluto cycle. The square aspect of these two culminated in the sky on Sunday. Although the two planets reached exact alignment, with both at 1 degree 42 minutes of celestial longitude in the signs Capricorn and Libra, they remain very close (what we sky watchers refer to as 'within orb') in days and weeks to come. Additionally, you should know that this is a 3 pass transit due to retrogradation, so they will meet again on 31 Jan 2010 and 21 Aug 2010. 3 pass transits usually work out on the physical and mental planes in this fashion: as a notable Crisis, followed by Action, then Resolution.

Look at it like this; an event occurs or a realisation is arrived at. You may see this as a crisis. On the next pass you revisit it (or it revisits you) in someway and you either integrate the change and it becomes an accepted part of your life, or you back away, having reviewed it, and change tack i.e., you take action. Then on the final pass you look back and see how your life has changed forever as a result of a process, event or decision set in place at the first pass and you'll know, better, how to proceed from thereon in. At that point it is over - resolved as best you know how. All this will occur between now and Aug 2010.

For those of you who are going to be affected by this transit on a very overt level, you will already know what the 'issue' is. It may be around money, work, relationships, family but you will 'know it' by the fact that it is threatening your equilibrium and, like it or not, it is transforming some previously established part of your life.

It's not necessarily bad or negative - although it is often challenging. Remember too though, someone, somewhere in the world got engaged, secured a great job, fell in love or even won the lottery this weekend on this transit. All of these events transform the structure of one's life and each presents its own challenges, but overall they are joyous.

We all have a choice at each moment to look at our life from the perspective of Ego and our isolated, separated Self, or from the point of view of Spirit, who sees the connection to the whole picture. If you 'work with' what is happening - meaning; use conscious awareness, then even if it seems tough or challenging for a short while, the ultimate benefits will outweigh the negatives. Ultimately you are facilitating your own spiritual growth in line with nature's timetable. Your part in a greater plan is unfolding.

CYCLES
The way any cycle works out is different to the retrograde transit where the planets meet 3 times. When looking at cycles we have to look at their start point - when the 2 planets were in conjunction indicates the start point in this cycle of unfoldment. So zero degrees was in 1982 - 8th November 1982 to be precise. Next came the square ( 90 degrees, 1993/1994) then the opposition (180 degrees, 2001/2002) and the closing square is right now (270 degrees, 2009 and into 2010 as mentioned). This whole time period, and what has occurred within it, is now in the autumn phase and seeking closure.

Every Saturn/Pluto cycle, not just this 1982 one, has a close historical correlation to events in Pakistan and India, to the Commonwealth and to large scale transformation of countries and their borders.

Cycle watchers will look to these things and know that some growth stage will be occurring for:-

Anyone, or anything, born/established with a natal Saturn/Pluto aspect.

Anyone or anything who was 'born' on 8 Nov 1982 ( or close to) as they will resonate to this cycle.

Transiting planets arriving at 27 Libra - or 27 of cardinal signs- the position of Saturn and Pluto in 1982.

Anyone born on Nov 14/15 of any year (and a few days either side) could have a challenging year ahead as the cycle will be exact in their solar return chart.

Anyone born with Sun or Moon at 1-3 degrees of cardinal signs Aries, Libra, Capricorn, Cancer is in the throes of extreme change as the current alignment falls at 1 degree triggering their charts.

The Thames Barrier in London was publicly demonstrated on 7 Nov 1982. This makes it resonate very strongly to the Saturn/Pluto cycle. It may now need repairs or worst case, will fail in the next 10 months. Expect Canada to be in the news. Pakistan and India, as mentioned, are greatly affected by this ongoing SA/Pl transit.

Prince Charles has the exact square in his Solar Return, as it was his birthday on the 14th, so expect long overdue changes in the Royal family in 2009/2010.

9/11 occurred on the SA/Pl opposition in 2001. This square therefore tells us that another stage in this tragic 'event' is now due to occur. We should therefore be on high alert this week, and around the others two dates mentioned, with regards to terrorist activity emanating from Al Qaeda or events that bring survival (either of structures, boundaries, Governments, landmasses and leaders - all Saturn ruled) into question. It may just be the issue around the trial of the 9/11 suspects that the aspect is triggering. As Saturn is in Libra, the significator of fair trials and justice.

Watch the news headlines and then Google back to 2001 or 1993/4 or 1982 to see if you can spot a connecting thread to the story or person you are assessing.

With regards to financial situations, historically the SA/PL cycle has seen recessions come to an end. In this case however other cycles, and that fact that we still have 2 more SA/PL squares to go, make this distinctly, capital D, unlikely. In fact, I notice today's New Moon squares the Pluto of the NYSE and Mars is approaching Uranus (some shock - or a surprise?). Mid 2010 looks dire as far as the overall global financial situation is concerned and Christeen Skinner, an expert Financial astrologer, sees a currency crisis looming, possibly due to even more money being pumped into the Banks/system at the looming Jupiter/Neptune in December.

Christeen has this to say:

Way back in September 1873, a group of banks in the US came unstuck. Within days it was decided to CLOSE the New York Stock Exchange: the first time this had happened. It didn’t reopen until the last day of that month.

Can I see that happening again? Will it be a stock exchange or part of the banking industry that is compelled to close its doors whilst a mess is unravelled? Well yes, all that’s possible in February 2010.

Before then there has to be obvious chaotic activity and a marked downturn: the question, as always, is when?

This week? It could be argued that the markets have gone as high as they can since the March low. As of this Tuesday, the number of planets (inc. the Moon) in Fixed signs, reduces. With this, a slide could begin. If the markets do move up on Monday, I think some people will start to worry. If they withdraw funds, the slide could start

Okay, so this is not positive news. But, in the context of forcing things down a birthing canal so that the pain and pressure can give way to some light, understanding and growth, I strongly feel it is best to just accept what is occurring and not to resist.

Keep faith!

WHEN A THEORY BECOMES A FORCE

Through the course of a normal week, I often stumble across interesting little snippets of symbolism and/or astrological information. Where I can, I put them into a Tweet but quite often, as space there is limited, they get filed away in the recesses of my mind or computer, never to be seen again.

Earlier today, a friend and I were discussing this propensity for me to be a mine of tit-bits of information. "A mine of useless information" I lamented. "Oh no" said my far more positive pal, " A mine of useful information. Someone will find it interesting, and anyway in this day and age of speed, many people prefer their information delivered in short, sharp bursts". "

I took her comment on board and although not as short as they could be, here are some bursts of the useful/less facts that have caught my attention and been stored away this week!

I made a tweet earlier this week that, as Neptune was stationing direct this week, there may be more earthquakes. Well, I don't know that there were more than usual, there are actually many each day, every day, but there were some larger ones. One shook up the Azores. This one caught my attention as the Azores belong to the Portuguese and this week the Lisbon Treaty is shaking up the face of the globe.

The treaty was signed by the Czech Republic, meaning it has now been ratified by all 27 member states. It will most likely come into force on 1 Dec 2009. Make no mistake, this Treaty is big news even if many of you in more distant locations have heard little of it. It means that we will soon have a President of Europe (President of the European Council) and although, at the moment, word is he's not likely to be chosen for the position, Tony Blair, the person who committed all our troops to the War effort, is a candidate.

The Lisbon Treaty is a classic Saturn in Libra agreement as it will lead to what are called legal co-decisions and it's also very much a Saturn in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn event - redefining the legal and authoritative landscape of a huge portion of our globe. (Incidentally, negotiations began around the SA/PL opposition in 2001).

The President won't have the powers of a Head of State but, just the terminology President of Europe carries an air of incredible authority, and that person will have a close alliance with many world leaders and countries bordering on the Middle East. If you want to see how big this European Union is go here and scroll down to the animation under sub-heading 'Ratification'.

I do hope they choose wisely. Tony Blair has Mars rising. There are lots of interpretations of this but a certain amount of impulsiveness across the axis of 'the way one deals with enemies ' is to be noted.

Moving on but still looking to unification; did you know that on the Washington National Monument there is an inscription on the steps that reads: Fy iaith, fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl Cymru — Cymry am byth. It's Welsh for 'My language, my land, my nation of Wales — Wales for ever'.

Why is it there? It is said that no-one knows, but it's widely believed (behind the scenes) it is due to the fact that over 50% of those who signed The Declaration of Independence were of Welsh origin, including Thomas Jefferson. If you want to know of the remarkable influence the Welsh have had on America (and I love this because my Mother is half Welsh) then read these speeches given to the House of Representatives and the Welsh Assembly (especially the latter one) and prepare to exclaim, Gosh Golly! Proud to be Welsh/American

If you wish to look more deeply into this subject go here and here's a nice page I found on Wales and Standing stones

Talking of my Mother, as I was, she just had her cataracts done. Fabulous timing and symbolism as it was done just as Neptune went direct, allowing the fog to lift and one to see more clearly!

Would you like to see clearly into the future? Then you may like to take heed of this quote I came across from the Prophecies of Paracelsus:

There is not the slightest doubt that if the Present is the result of the Past, the Future will be the result of the Present. The three being one, the Future should be as easily read as the Past. But this can only be done when the finite mind of the Seer becomes one with the infinite mind of the Seen, by a manifestation of the Soul, which is the Creator, and source of Truth.

Note: The three being one. There is no separation. All we have is Now!

This week I'm sure my skin is slowly turning yellow. The reason why? I am chucking copious quantities of Turmeric into almost everything I eat! This is as a result of reading recent newspaper reports of it's magical properties. It has been proved to keep cancer cells at bay and to be good for stiff joints and all types of other ills ! Here's a good page of information and another on this 'wonder shrub'. You may like to incorporate some into your daily diet too.

Back in 2006 I referenced a book I was reading by Lawrence E Joseph, entitled Apocalypse 2012 - An Optimist Investigates the End of Civilisation. The book was popular then (I recommend it) but now it is going stratospheric and in the build up to 2012 he's revamping his website to cope with the inundation of interest. I decided to give the book a quick reappraisal, this week and I wanted to share a quote from the book:
'Of all the the potential cataclysms Armageddon is the only one for which significant numbers of Muslims, Christians and Jews actually hope, pray and scheme. Karl Marx observed that when a theory grips the masses it becomes a material force...

The doctrine of Armageddon has gripped several small, but extremely motivated and influential groups.. and that doctrine is rapidly becoming a powerful, perhaps unstoppable force. Whilst most abhor and eschew the harness of fundamentalist thinking, history is not driven by most of us. It's the fanatic few, at whom we may laugh one day and cower before the next, who are history's engine'. 'Evangelical Christians are the group most eager to precipitate Armageddon, ( a great war said to precede the Apocalypse) looking forward to the Rapture, the exalted moment when...true and faithful Christians are literally lifted up into the air, into the heavens, to join God'.

Lawrence E. Joseph has a big point here. We really shouldn't be fearing natural cataclysms so much as we should hope our powers-that-be are keeping an eye on those with a vested interest in seeing a final clash between Good and Evil as confirmation of their interpretation of the Scriptures.

2012 is becoming so huge in the collective psyche now that it is likely to become a self fulfilling prophecy. He goes on to mention the extremely worrying fact that a few years ago the oldest Christian Church in the world was unearthed in Megiddo. He mentions that This discovery has been hailed (by fundamentalists) as another 'sign' that the end is near ( In Hebrew Megiddo becomes Megeddon).

Talking of End Times, Carl Calleman, who will be speaking at this conference next week, believes that the end date of the Mayan Calendar is not 21 Dec 2012 but even closer; 28 Oct 2011 He tells us why here

Finally, talking of shifts, look out for changes from 11 November when Heliocentric Jupiter changes signs for the first time since Dec 2008. It moves to Pisces. Heliocentric means looking out as if the Sun was the centre of our system and not the Earth. For reasons that we don't yet understand, heliocentric charts seem to provide an additional level of information and aspect patterns within the helio charts often have a bearing on events on Earth. Here's an explanation of Heliocentric Astrology

On Calleman's date of 28 Oct 2011 in 'normal' astrology there will be an exact opposition of the Sun to Jupiter and a precise trine from Jupiter to Pluto which means that the Earth will appears to be conjunct to Jupiter using Heliocentric terms and Mercury would be conjunct to Pluto. There's no incredibly unusual significance in that but the fact they both occur on that day is mildly interesting!

One potentially very interesting point re 2011/2012 that I noticed is that the planet Uranus will move from southern to northern declination ( declination is the distance above or below the Celestial Equator) between the two dates and it happens more than once. On April 9 2011 it will go to north declination and then back to South on Oct 16th 2011 then on Jan 28 2012 it will go North.

The last time Uranus changed declination was in 1968 and 1969. I guess this could potentially have some bearing on Earth. Uranus is known as The Awakener!

* * * * * *

PS. Here's a nice little PDF with some great diagrams on Celestial Navigation!

SATURN'S ON THE TURN

It's a changing of the guard from 29th October 2009 as Saturn moves into a new sign - Libra.

Astrology is primarily the study of cycles and the cycle of Saturn would, quite obviously, have begun when the planet itself was birthed. From a symbolic point of view however a planet's cycle begins when it enters the first sign of the zodiac, Aries.

As there are 12 signs of the zodiac the fact that Saturn is about to enter Libra, 6 signs away from Aries, is significant. (Note: for those of you new to astrology, please know that the signs do not correspond to constellations, of which there are 88 known ones with 12 or 13* lying close to the ecliptic)

Now whenever we are talking about a cycle the word circle could also be used as a substitute. When we do this often the astrological symbolism becomes more clear. When dividing up circles we are using straightforward geometry. If we have agreed to divide our circle up into 12 zodiac signs and give each 30 degrees, then the circle must have 360 degrees and the half way point will be 180 degrees. In astrology we call the 180th degree 0 Libra. This angle from the start point of 0 Aries is then known as an opposition.

If you imagine tracing your finger around the outside circumference of any circle, starting at, and returning to, any point one movement will always be outgoing, and the other incoming. A circle is therefore analogous to the natural flow of life. Breath is drawn in, rests and then goes out (is expelled). All of nature follows this movement. Circles divided into 2 parts, therefore describe what we term the waxing and waning phases. It is most common to hear this term in relation to the Moon, but it applies to all cycles whether it is of a planet or even a plant.

A planet at 180 degrees is at a natural transition point. It's 'on the turn'; shifting from an outgoing cycle to an incoming one. This fulcrum point is where things change or change tack. In this case the planet we are tracking is Saturn which has a cycle of 28.5 years. We are at the opposition of a cycle which began at 0 Aries on 7 April 1996.

In celestial/terrestrial symbolism, Saturn has been noted over the eons to correspond to rules. We could therefore, have forecast ahead of time that the coming days and weeks would point to the rewriting, or change, of the rule books.

And so it is.

In the news today members of the British Parliament are literally re-writing their code of conduct rule book over claims for expenses. They realise a change is needed if they are to stand any chance of maintaining authority over, and respect from, the voting public. Expect to see lots of other changes with things which correlate to 'Saturn' in days and weeks ahead. To work out ahead of time what these may be. Here are just a few ideas and key words for Saturn:

Boundaries of countries
Leaders and leadership (Saturn's turn would favour the Conservative Party, or another party, in Britain from now on but other countries could see leadership changes).
One's relationship to the physical body and material life as opposed to the spiritual
Laws
Business
Older People
'Establishments' and Institutions, including Banks
Construction
Those whose authority has been unassailable since the 0 Aries start point, 7 April 1996, will now start to slowly wane in line with natural law.
Lead (Saturn's opposition could affect the price of lead. I'm not a financial astrologer but if it has been high since 1996 it will possibly drop - or vice versa - only a change of direction is noted at 180 degree junctures)
Anything begun in April 1996 could be on the turn or be being rewritten

Interestingly gravity and time correspond to Saturn. In the next 14-15 years will our viewpoint on the nature of gravity and time change? I think the answer is; undoubtedly yes, but maybe some news will come out when Saturn is around the 0 degree mark. It returns to zero degree Libra, due to retrograde motion, in 2010 too: 22 July 2010. So watch this date for all of the above.

If you wish to look back in time you can track Saturn cycles, as whatever unfolds now will always have its roots in what was begun in previous cycles. Again, each cycle is 28.5 years so each turning point is roughly half that. (It is never exact due to the phenomenon known as retrogradation). Looking back 3 Mar 1967 was the start of the previous Saturn cycle and that one came to the 180 degree transition on 21 Sep 1980 (0 Libra).

Let's remember that what we call Time is really just the term we have adopted to describe the way we track a succession of cycles related to our viewpoint from Earth of the Sun and Moon. In the bigger picture, all of the bodies in the heavens are moving and have cycles ( even the apparently fixed stars) and it is Saturn's cycles which astrologers believe most clearly define and shape our civilisation.

This current Saturn cycle will end on 25 May 2025. Just as our world changed beyond recognition between 1967 and 1996, so too between 1996 and 2025 will Saturn mark a new era.

* * * * *
To read my new post on 2012 - please go to Cosmic Cipher

Notes:

Image at top shows the Seal of Saturn

* Another point of debate is whether there are 12 or 13 constellations. Different cultures use different numbers

Update on my last post on Jan Moir. Jan Moir posted this apology. Unfortunately some very vindictive people started a Facebook page petition calling for her to be sacked. Really, it beggars belief.

LAY OFF JAN MOIR

I have no comment to make either way about the content of Jan Moir's column (about Stephen Gately) but I will get quite vociferous about the internet campaign launched against her.

Whether you are in the UK or not, and know of this story or not, the principle is the same......

When a furore ensues like the one raging around Ms. Moir all those people joining in the 'war of words' against her must be EQUALLY as intolerant as she is, otherwise they would just say 'I don't agree with what she said' and leave it at that. They wouldn't vehemently react against it and actively seek to incite others to agree with them, or work to see her punished.

Jan Moir accepted a job. That job, like that of Amanda Platell and the late Lynda Lee Potter, and all columnists of this ilk, involves being caustic tongued and critical about those in the public eye. If someone wants to get paid for that kind of work, then they have to live with their decision - and believe me they do suffer for that choice. Making critical, negative comments day in day out is eventually poisonous to one's soul. A really happy, sorted person would just never contemplate taking on that kind of job in the first place, probably because deep down they know that nature's laws always kick in.... Law 1: thoughts and words are things, they have energy and if you constantly put of negative energy then Law 2: you will attract it back in some form.

Astrologically, Mars is moving to Jan's Uranus, and Tr Uranus is conjunct her Mars (She was born August 1956) I doubt she'll keep her job, she'll probably walk even if they don't push her. These aspects denote that internally she's needing to be free of something and that's manifested in a way that she probably, subconsciously, knew would cause a stir and shake up her life.

Ultimately though this whole episode shows the truth of the Universal Law of Attraction (aka resonance) - she's just attracting back anger that must lie deep within her Self so she can consciously deal with it. Which leads me to Law Number 3 ; only hurt people hurt.

Until we can find compassion and tolerance for every individuals point of view and see their views, not as an attack on us (or the person they are talking about) but as a reflection of themselves - i.e. their being critical says more about them then it does about who they are writing about - the world's problems will never heal.

Wars start because two countries have two opposing and irreconcilable views. How does it further humanity's wish for peace on earth if we wage war against another individual for their viewpoint?

If I were Darren Brown, Stephen Fry or M&S I would be ashamed of what I had done at this juncture, for all the reason's stated above, and because I firmly believe in Law 4 : Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Still I won't let it bother me after writing this because this I know for sure: these two men, the companies that are distancing themselves from Jan Moir, and all the people speaking out against her, will realise the error of their ways when they too are one day (and it will come) are verbally attacked and persecuted for saying something controversial. That's the natural law.

Leave this poor woman alone.

LIVING WITH JOY

The signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are taking the brunt of the current planetary alignments. With Saturn and Pluto squaring off across the solar angles of their chart, the energy is very intense. One might deduce that this aspect is already manifesting in a way that makes many people (and countries) of those signs feel as though they are just surviving their life at this time, rather than living it with joy.

The part of the cardinal cross affected is known esoterically as a Crisis of Equilibrium. The square to Capricorn is all about our innate need to find out who we are and what our purpose is, without losing balance and perspective.

This square continues on and off (within orb) now until early 2011 but peaks 15th November, 31st Jan 2010 and and 21st August 2010. so this is a long term process of a change in consciousness for all of us and not just a quick fix issue.

With Saturn, the sign of structure, about to enter a new sign, Libra*, relationships, marriages, professional agreements, public perception of us and how we relate to our enemies (our capacity for diplomacy) are all coming up for review, change and ultimately, transformation (Pluto). So too is everyone's relationship with money and the economy (again!).

Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, harmony and joy. Sadly for many that joy is found seeking physical money and material goods, rather than harmony between ones outer abundance and inner wealth! So for those who ignore their inner Self and insist on making what they own or possess who they are, I have to warn you, Saturn/Pluto aspects are known for being brutal. People who derive their identity from their partner, their job or what they (the person) are against rather than what they are for, will be severely tested too.

Mars is also on the move, transiting into Leo for a 9 month stay and this denotes that conspicuous cuts (Mars) in ostentatious (Leo) expenditure are needed this Christmas season. For those who 'get' that money is like the total amount of water on earth - always pretty constant; if a tap is broken in one place you just have to find another one that works - then things will work out okay.

Having an abundance mentality means that you don't need to possess or covet anything, anyone, or even any job. It doesn't however, mean your tap will permanently be on either! It simply means that you have an inner trust, that will carry you through 'dry' periods, knowing you'll always be OK. That's abundance. Those who hang on, or resist, adapting to change (which will come thick and fast with Saturn and Pluto in cardinal signs) could take a pounding.

Relationships will be tested, (Saturn Libra) especially for those who are Aries, Librans, Cancers or Caps but remember this old axiom and loosen your grip: What is for you will not pass you by (or leave you).

Families with inherited wealth, Saturn (old) Libra (money/agreements around wealth), those who have invested in traditional, established companies (Pluto in Capricorn) or those who lord their authority over others in an unfair way, could be in for a bit of a ride. ( Am I picking up on something to do with the House of Lords or Parliament in writing that?) Anyway, here Mars in Leo also comes in again as Mars denotes cutting away at expectations of entitlement, as well as pruning flamboyance or super inflated ego's back down to size!

The forces of change are truly upon us and Saturn/Pluto aspects are great levellers - in every sense of the word (look out too for an increase in disasters or disputes ( wars?) which break down boundaries and level buildings and ground). Those who judge others (Libra) may now find themselves facing a judgement day! (X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing judges just popped into mind then, as well as the legal profession and ambassadors)

So, I think I have made it clear as a bell that whatever you may read, with regards to the financial meltdown, astrological cycles inform us we are not out of the woods by any means. More chickens could be coming home to roost this autumn/winter and by the time next spring comes, and the credit cards are full to the brink from Christmas expenditure, for many the game could truly be up. The 29th degree of Taurus is associated with Bankruptcy but so in many ways is Saturn in Libra. Libra is the 6th house from the 2nd so this house denotes the way in which our money works for us.

So take my advice, spend (Venus) wisely (Saturn). Structure your daily expenditure and finances, look at relationships and agreements, realistically, and fairly (Saturn in Libra). If you are in trouble now, consider consolidating your debts or agree to pay them off slowly but surely.

I'm sounding like doom monger. We do have difficult times ahead but it doesn't follow that you have to be unhappy. Ultimately it's all happening to bring those who are too firmly rooted in materiality to a realisation about what is really important in life, and to illuminate those areas of our lives which are not serving our spiritual growth. If you can do that consciously then this period is all about supportive relationships ( Saturn Libra) that will endure anything thrown at you (Pluto). It's about overcoming patterns which have held you back and perhaps also about grand passions, creative or romantically
(Mars Leo) which forever change you (Pluto) and the way others perceive you forever.

By 2011 we'll be out of Saturn/Pluto's current survival and restructuring mode* and the Saturn/Uranus one which I have spoken about many times before will also be behind us.

The new cycle of Jupiter conjunct Uranus in June 2010 and again in 2011 will definitely get things moving and (along with Jupiter's move into Pisces in January) is possibly the most exciting and positive shift on the horizon. There are whole host of other planetary cycles coming along to continue this 'consciousness raising exercise' up to 2012 but don't just listen to my take on it all. Other astrologers devote their entire time to these larger cycles of change as they relate to the life and the economy. If you are close to London, why not book a place on this:

TRADING IN 2010
with Christeen Skinner
author, The Financial Universe

10.30 – 16.30

Friday October 23rd 2009

Regus, Stock Exchange, London

Where financial matters are concerned, astrological knowledge gives a competitive edge. This seminar is suitable for those who are familiar with the glyphs for the planets and signs. You do not have to be a full-time astrologer or trader to gain from the material presented. 2010 promises to be a thrilling year: planet formations in the coming months are quite different to any that we have experienced in our lifetime. With Jupiter making swift passage through Pisces and forming rare alignments with Saturn, Uranus and Pluto especially, investment challenge will be as never before.

In this seminar we will study the key dates of 2010 and identify the sectors most likely to flourish.

One session will be devoted to currencies: the US dollar, Euro and Sterling

Jonathan Jones, a trader who uses astro and technical expertise will show how he has successfully used this combination of techniques. The cost for the day is £135 including refreshments and lunch.

To book a place, please email christeenskinnerATgmail.com
Say Kathryn sent you!

Finally this 56th verse of the Tao Te Ching is something I feel it would be good to share at this time:

Those who know do not talk.

Those who talk do not know.

Keep your mouth closed.
Guard your senses.
Temper your sharpness.
Simplify your problems.
Soften your glare.
Be at one with the dust of the earth.
This is primal union or the secret embrace.

One who knows this secret is not moved by attachment or aversion,
swayed by profit or loss,
not touched by honour or disgrace.
He is far beyond the cares of men,
yet comes to hold the dearest place in their hearts.

This, therefore, is the highest state of man.

In other words, Look within. This is the way that one comes back into equilibrium and begins living (Saturn) with harmony and joy! (Libra)


* Saturn retrogrades out, back into Virgo, for 3 months in 2010 but still in aspect to Pluto. This cycle is also very much about displacement of people - as a result of war, disaster or in the context of the economic slump- and could see many people losing their homes. Our home is analogous to our body that houses our soul. The body is just a temporary shelter, like a house. Both can pass away but the soul lives on. The quest for immortality does not refer to finding everlasting physical life but knowing that one's life - soul - is eternal. This brings illumination and joy!

A DIFFICULT TIME FOR OBAMA - and the Moon!

My wonderfully warm and talented colleague, Martin Davis taught me all I know about Locational astrology. This is the branch of astrology which looks at the planetary correspondences 'up above' to precise locations on the Earth's surface 'below'.

In recent weeks I have been busy with other pursuits but Martin never took his eye off the ball. He warned of a window of time around the Libra/Aries Full Moon, in which geophysical upheavals were likely. Sure enough, the build up to this Lunation brought several catastrophic earthquakes, typhoons - and a tsunami.

Martin was basing his predictions upon a specific cycle: the applying conjunction of Mars to the South Node. This aspect, as he reminds us, is not rare. It occurs approximately every two years but, when it occurs in tandem with other intense outer planetary aspects it has been noted to coincide with major disasters or political events.

The South Node and Mars were applying on 9/11 when the planets Saturn and Pluto were in opposition. This time around we have the conjunction of Mars and South Node and a Saturn/Uranus opposition. In addition to this, the recent lunation on Sunday 4th Oct, occurred across the cardinal signs. Cardinal signs are often associated with very visible events in the life of an individual, or those that occur on a global scale, as opposed to internalised events.

You can read the article Martin's posted on all this here. In it he warns of the potential for more problems that will last until the Mars/Node aspect has perfected and parted. The aspect is exact on 9 October and finally separates by mid month.

Combine this with the unsettling observation of Vedic astrologer, Komilla Sutton (a must read too) regarding the same conjunction and the debilitation of Mars, and it all adds up to a tense October - and indeed, beyond into 2010.

What I find most interesting about this Mars/Lunar Node aspect, besides the geophysical activity it has already triggered, is that on the date that it becomes exact, 9 October, NASA will be bombing the Moon.

Obviously this will be an event to which the entire world turns its attention, corresponding as I say, to the fact that Sunday's lunation was in a Cardinal sign. Furthermore the LCROSS centaur bombing will occur near THE MOON'S SOUTH POLE . I put this in capitals as here we have an extraordinary bit of correspondence; Mars, the planet of things which impact or penetrate is currently in the sign which rules the Moon, Cancer, and is exactly conjoined to the Lunar South node.

Impact is scheduled for 4:31 a.m. PDT or 7:31 a.m. EDT (11:31 UTC) You can read about observing this event here

So, can we expect more than just a short, sharp plume of lunar debris? Well maybe. I don't think you can mess with Mother nature and not see some effect from the cause - energy never disappears, it just changes form.

What concerns me most however, is the deeper symbolism. Remember, astrology is a language and often their are subtle nuances that only those well versed in the language pick up on. Bombing the Moon (Mars in Cancer) may be one simple translation but here's another observation....

America has it's 'birthday' on July 4th. It is therefore a Cancerian country, ruled by the Moon. In symbolic language, the planet ruling the USA is about to be 'attacked' or 'penetrated' (one could take this further and say it's a bit of an inside job as it is an American mission).

As the Moon is the natural significator of water and emotions and they are looking for water, it leaves me with this unsettling feeling around deluges or a sudden overload of public emotion.

Furthermore, I recently came across a book written in 1916 which states that America was 'born' very close to 2pm. Now I could write several posts on the debate around the timing of the signing of The Declaration, I know there is no definitive time and I don't want to get into that here, but let's use 2pm. This gives Scorpio rising (very apt, for reasons I'll go into another time).

So Mars rules the chart and not only is transiting Mars conjunct the South Node in the heavens on 9th October but Tr Mars is exactly conjunct the progressed Nodal axis of the 1776 chart on the 9th Oct and opposite natal Pluto! (Note: This would be so whatever time chart you use but Mars gets added significance if we use a 2pm chart).

In astrology, aspects to the Nodes point to fated events often of a karmic nature. We reap what we sow. They also point to our journey - where we have been, compared to what awaits us; our destiny.

Even more interesting than this, from the point of view of cycles and correspondence, is that just 2 days before the Moon bombing, on the 7th October, President Obama's Progressed Moon changes sign*. This is the culmination of a 2 year cycle where his Moon has been moving through the sign of Aquarius and now moves into the water sign of Pisces - his solar 8th house of money, banking, taxes and transformation ( deaths/birth, endings/beginnings). His Moon will not have been in Pisces for around 27 years. Now I'm not making some dire prediction here**. I am just noting that we have confluence of factors. This week there is a significant shift for the President and when the President's chart moves, so usually does something in his life or the country he presides over.

So, all eyes will be on NASA, America and outer space this week, let's just hold our breath and hope that the addition of a Venus/Uranus opposition to the aforementioned already tense line up, doesn't bring a shock or surprise closer to home.

*Saturn also moves close to conjoining the President's progressed Sun
** That said if I was looking for a threat to his health, and/or some serious difficulty to him or his family ( females), I'd advise him to be cautious this week in particular
Pisces is the sign associated with religion, health reform, charitable concerns,fraud, viruses, collapse, bankruptcy, chaos and a multitude of other things. It's a feminine sign and will possibly see the President becoming more intuitive and emotional.

WHO'S FOOLING WHO?

Except for a quick reference, I'm ignoring the 'metaphysical' for this post. 'Normal service' will be resumed soon but, today I am unashamedly stepping up onto my soap-box.........

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

This was the quote that sprang to mind when I read about the sad demise of Natalie Morton. Natalie was, unbeknown to her or her family, walking around with a huge malignant tumour in her chest. We are being asked to believe that this tumour just happened to kill the 14 year old shortly after she received the HPV Vaccine.

While I'm not attempting to dispute that Natalie was a rarity in having a totally undetected, life threatening mass, are we really meant to swallow this statement that her receiving the HPV jab was not a contributing factor in her death?

"The pathologist has confirmed today at the opening of the inquest into the death of Natalie Morton that she died from a large malignant tumour of unknown origin in the heart and lungs," she said.

"There is no indication that the HPV vaccine, which she had received shortly before her death, was a contributing factor to the death, which could have arisen at any point."- Dr. Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for the Coventry area

(Forget all the Government obfuscation you may be reading in the numerous media articles about this, those words above are a direct quote and direct quotes, in quote marks, printed in numerous papers are rarely inaccurate due to the possibility of libel).

What beats me is just what indication they need when before she had the jab Natalie was alive and shortly after she had it, she's dead.

The truth is that if you choose to be vaccinated, or to allow your child to be vaccinated, against anything (and it is always a choice) if you have a severely compromised immune system (even just a temporary compromise) then most jabs could trigger all sorts of side effects; some that lead to a worse outcome than getting the disease you are vaccinating to prevent. It is this that people are not fully informed about.

Maybe Karen really didn't have long left (and here we are back to the fate and freewill debate that I touched on in my last post) but, my concern is how are you to know if you, or your child, has an underlying health issue unless you are first given a battery of expensive health checks? Are Governments offering those for free? No. As it stands at the moment you offer yourself, or your babies, up to the needle and take your chances - mainly for diseases that one stands a remote chance of contracting anyway.

I am fully aware that in most cases disastrous side effects will not occur but we should at least be offered the unbiased facts so that we can take an informed decision. Otherwise one runs the risk of becoming a hastily swept-over statistic.

At this point Natalie Morton will undoubtedly go down in the record books as a mere anomaly in an otherwise safe vaccination programme, but how would you feel if it were your child? Unless enough people demand more transparency about the risks, and not just in this programme but in the Swine Flu one, the HPV and all others, nothing will change. I'm moved enough to write about it (again) and I hope others will be too, Ultimately those who speak out cause a trickle of dissent to become a river and the river to become a flood. No one ignores a flood.

With the planet Uranus due to move into Aries in 2010, I predict a revolution (Uranus) against jabs (Aries) but sadly I fear this astrological aspect could also warn us that any real change may have to be preceded by a spate of more unexpected (Uranus) deaths from vaccinations (Aries) before people really sit up and say "Enough is enough, I refuse to be a puppet of the drug companies and Government" ( Saturn opp Uranus and Pluto into Capricorn).

I'll leave you with this comment from The Daily Mail on the same topic:

The findings come as the cervical cancer vaccination programme was branded a 'public health experiment' by a senior researcher who helped develop the drug. Dr Diane Harper - one of the world's leading cervical cancer experts - said health officials and drug firm bosses were exaggerating the jab's benefits.

Now that's not in quotes, so let's not rush to hail Dr Harper as a 'Whistle Blower' but it gives cause for thought and very serious concern.

AN ACCIDENT OF FATE

All of us are moved by an energy. Moreover, it's an energy with intelligence. Some may term this energy Mind, others prefer to call it Source or the Collective Unconscious - even Guardian Angel.

Whatever name we bestow upon this invisible form of energy, it connects us all and, I believe, if we become open to its presence we can use it to 'collaborate with fate', gaining the best possible outcome, even from the most difficult trials and tribulations.

Quantum physics tells us that this energy to which I am referring, appears to have a wave like motion. Just as all forms of waves peak and trough, so if we look hard enough we can discern a time of increase and decrease; an in-flow and an out-flow; an active and passive phase in everything we encounter.

Our language is replete with phrases which denote that, at some subconscious level, we are cognisant of these natural peaks and troughs. For example, a very common way in which we refer to the 'peak' phase is as a run; ' I had a run of good luck' or 'I had a run of overhearing the same conversation/seeing the same pictures/seeing the same name' ( we like to term these as coincidence).

Sometimes it's a run of feelings, in which case we may hear people remarking; 'My mind was suddenly flooded with ideas' or 'My mind was suddenly filled with the urge to contact'....

Whether we act upon, or ignore, these periods could, arguably, alter our level of participation in our fate. Personally I believe one can collaborate with fate by becoming more aware of these peaks and troughs and then trusting and cooperating with them. This can be encapsulated in the advice: 'When you know- go. When in doubt - do nowt*.

In the story below, taken from a weekend newspaper article by journalist Bel Mooney, the M.P, Chris Patten acted upon one of these invisible prompts. If we could ask him what was going through his mind at the time, I'm sure he would say that he was just filled with the urge to call his Mother .........

Bel was invited to be on a TV Programme. Chris Patten, a then unknown Member of Parliament, was a fellow panellist. She takes up the story here.....................

We were to become friends - but that's not the story. Some years later I interviewed him for a Radio 4 series on bereavement and he described how he realised that night that he hadn't talked to his mother in a while and, of course, she should know that 'her son was about to appear on this glamorous television programme'.

Which she would never see. For that night, Lord Patten's mother died in her sleep, at the age of 60. It was entirely unexpected. He knew that, had it not been for the accident of the programme, he would not have phoned her as he did. Our lives become so busy, don't they? So the lesson of the tale is: always make time to make contact - because you never know what's going to happen.

Bel's advice is obviously sound. The story is undoubtedly true but, is the premise? Was it an 'accident of fate' that were it not for the programme might never have occurred? I'm not sure. How is anyone to know what may have happened if Chris Patten had not been invited to appear on that show? My belief - my hope - is that something else would have caused him to call his Mother but who's to say? The real magic is that he acted on a prompt, and he'll never regret doing so. Fate conspired and he collaborated.

Whatever your thoughts on this matter of fate and freewill, I think an underlying truth is apparent; The secret to a life of few regrets is to get into alignment with - to become totally aware of - this force in life that moves us to times of action and times of rest. For where awareness and harmony reside, joy and acceptance can surely flourish.

As the Sun is now in Libra, there is no better time than the next 28 days to weigh up just how actively you harmonise with the forces that shape your life!

* Nowt is an English word (often used in the North of the country) meaning, nothing.

A PLAN IS UNFOLDING

It's Sunday morning and I just sat down to listen to a replay of a radio show, kindly sent to me by a reader, featuring an interview with Wayne Dyer. As many of you know, Wayne has been, via his books and tapes, one of the guiding forces in my life. He has undoubtedly helped to shape me and my consciousness into the form it takes today. If ever I am asked the question, 'What book has most changed your life?' the answer has always been the same: Wayne's book 'You'll See it When You Believe It' which I read back in the early 80's.

This book changed the lens through which I viewed my life. It spoke to me. If he could overcome struggle and find magic in his life then so, potentially, could I.

And so, although some of you may have heard the news already, I was caught totally off guard when Wayne revealed in this interview that he is dealing with cancer. Wayne has Leukemia, an incurable but not life threatening form of it known as CLL.

All over the Net you will see (or for those like me who came to the news a little late, I'm sure you will soon see) people talking about Wayne's battle with cancer or his struggle with this illness. One thing you can be sure of though, is that you will never hear Wayne use those words himself. If he taught his legions of aspirants anything it is that one does not 'battle' or 'struggle' with illness, for how and why would one fight with their Self. Instead one finds the cause of the dis-ease and deals with it as symptomatic of an imbalance at work somewhere in the life being reflected in the physical body. When one receives a diagnosis, you change the outer and the inner will follow suit; you change the inner thoughts and the outer shell, that your Self is temporarily inhabiting in this lifetime, will surely respond.

Earlier this year, I decided to take a break from blogging. At the foot of my last post in March I wrote:

Oh and finally before I go..... Here's a link to the latest audio from Wayne Dyer. It's a couple of hours long but if you have resonated with me over the years, you'll definitely like this. What I noticed in listening to it is that Wayne sounds a little tired. I've been following his work for 29 years now (saturn return!) and this is the first time ever that I have noticed a drop in his energy levels. As a Taurus, Pluto rules Wayne's 7th and is in his 9th - so, maybe he needs to review his extensive travel and his teaching/lecturing commitments at this time?

Wayne revealed his condition some weeks after that post.

At some level I must have been tuning into Wayne, no doubt because I have been so closely aligned with him, on an energetic level. Much can be discerned through the voice. I also recall looking at his chart at that time and thinking that if his new film was labelled 'The Shift - from Ambition to Meaning' it could herald some big change in his own life - again, the As above, so below, as within, so without - as without , so within principle at work.

So what does the illness of one of the 'Fathers of self-help and personal empowerment' have to teach us? Well we could go down the route of asking if Wayne, like the title of his film, needs to move from ambition to more meaning. After all, we teach what we most need to learn and he is constantly on tour or promoting a new book and appears to spend little time at home.

We could hazard a guess that he has contracted this (made a contract with God to have it!) as it reminds us all that no one is immune to the tests and trials of life (and that phrase 'No one is immune' is key when we are talking about cancer, a disorder of the immune system).

We could even ask if he was 'walking his talk' but no, this is, for what it's worth my take on it.....

I personally think that, the best way to teach is always by example. I believe that Wayne has such an important mission here on the terrestrial plane that he has made himself open (subconciously of course) to show people first hand that there is a different way to view and approach illness and it is this Shift - a paradigm shift - in the world of health that he has come here to lead, and next has to focus our awareness on.

The work was begun by his close friend and mentor Louise Hay ( who overcame her own bout of cancer) and is being perpetually promulgated by a whole stable of Hay House authors. His friend and colleague, Deepak Chopra has also made incredible breakthroughs in the field of 'quantum medicine' and the way we all think of and deal with dis-ease, but my guess - and maybe my hope - is that now Wayne has to really show us how it's done. No pressure Wayne!

Just because a person has proved themselves to have a gift shouldn't single them out for any extra help or concern than any other less prominent person but I do hope you will say a silent prayer for Wayne as he navigates this part of his journey.

*******

I've now read The Lost Symbol. I don't want to hear or read the critiques about Dan Brown's writing style or people bashing the fact that the characters and storylines are becoming formulaic. As with Wayne, I believe Dan Brown is fulfilling 'a mission' - he's being of service. He's bringing the subject of the ageless wisdom (and how it is veiled in symbolism, metaphor and allegory) to a whole swathe of the population who would never normally be exposed to it. For this we - especially we as astrologers and metaphysicians - should be grateful.

Foster and Alice Bailey wrote this very prescient remark over 50 years ago:

"Masonry has still, Masonically and spiritually to 'prove itself'. When this takes place and the spiritual purpose underlying all Masonic work is better grasped, then the Law of the Builders can make its influence felt. The group work for the race can be done. Then the conscious cooperation of the Lodge at labour on High will be seen. Then Masonry will be established as the custodian of the Mysteries of the spiritual life upon Earth, and will prove itself to be the force of life which lies at the heart of all true religion"

I have come a long way in my decades of treading 'the path' but I can honestly say that it was only through the study of Freemasonry (which I mentioned how this arose in my last post, visible beneath this one) that I have finally understood and realised how all the cogs fit the wheels and what is unfolding.

Please read Dan Brown's book - no, devour Dan's book. Not only is it a page turner of a yarn, it is packed full of factual information for any student of The Mysteries. I give it 11/10

Let Light, Love and Power, restore the Plan on Earth

BROWN'S LOST SYMBOL - An esoteric revelation

The secret is how to die................

What a great opening line to a book! It certainly seems like Dan Brown is not going to disappoint us when his latest blockbuster novel, The Lost Symbol, is published tomorrow.

Apropos of this event I would like to share with you a most intriguing story of how I recently uncovered a few secrets of my own:

Earlier on in the year I was tasked with the project of researching a book about synchronicity. To be more specific the book was to focus upon the significance of the number 11 and the increasing recurrence of the number in the sequence 11.11. Those of you with an interest in metaphysics may already know that this number sequence has been dubbed 'the time prompt phenomenon', due in the main part to vast numbers of people noting its repeated appearance, above all other sequences, in digital form i.e. as the time 11:11 on their clocks, watches and computer screens.

Initially I looked into the numerological significance of 11 and 1111. Then readers were invited to write in with their own stories and I spent many days enthralled by some the incredible tales which arrived in my in-box. Mindful of the need for balance, I also looked at academic and scientific explanations for the 11:11 phenomenon such as confirmation bias, subjective validation etc. It was interesting research but something wasn't right. At the back of my mind something else was percolating. Eventually it bubbled to the surface. Whenever I looked at, or doodled the numbers 11 or 11:11, I didn't see numbers, I kept seeing pillars and towers.

Once I acknowledged this my quest subtly changed direction. Before too long, I realised I was no longer researching about synchronicity, instead I was living my own daily ongoing synchronicity, for I was repeatedly noticing articles and pages on the Internet which referenced things like the Tower of Babel, the tarot card The Tower or the pillars outside buildings and in particular the Temple of Solomon and pages about Freemasonry.

Soon after this, I noted that two sets of 11 i.e. two times 11 equated to the number 22 - the number of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and the number of pathways between the Sephiroth in Kabbalah (the Jewish version of the mystery religion). Again articles kept popping up with judicious timing and before long I was immersed in deepening my understanding of Kabbalism and Freemasonry. Next the two pillars of the Tree of Life with its central supporting pillar - often referred to as the neutral pillar between 2 opposing forces or male and female - grabbed my attention. Everywhere I looked I no longer even saw the number 11 or 11:11 as mathematical objects,or even towers, I was now seeing them as symbols of a portal or gateway. I wondered what else I would uncover for the book if I kept following this mystical trail and just 'went with the flow'.

The resulting days and weeks turned out to be less of a gentle flow and more like a swirling vortex of energy. I got pulled even deeper down into the world of occulted wisdom ( occult by the way simply means hidden or veiled - nothing sinister) I found myself up to my ears with information about Mystery Schools, Secret Societies and Invisible College's. It was coming in faster than I could cope and I was wondering how on earth to piece it all together. It was at this juncture that I had one of those truly jaw dropping synchronicities - as probably only someone who set out to research them in the first place can!

My Mother who obviously knows I'm interested in anything 'esoteric' called and asked if I had heard of someone called Peter Dawkins because not only was he a friend of her friend but he was speaking about Freemasonry that weekend. What she didn't know was a) that I was even researching Freemasonry or that b) only the previous day I had watched Peter being interviewed and decided I simply had to find this man and speak to him as he was a world expert on Sir Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon being, amongst many other roles, the founder - The first Grand Master of Freemasonry - in its present form.

I couldn't make his talk that weekend but as a result of her call I did indeed find myself sitting in Peter's home a few weeks later. He was the answer to my prayers, and quickly pieced together for me the missing jigsaw puzzle pieces around what 11 and 11:11 really means, why we are seeing it and what it means for 2012 and how it links in with Freemasonry and the Ancient Mystery schools.

The bigger picture soon became clear as I sat listening in rapt attention. Peter is one of the most erudite men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. With his assistance I have now learned all about the central tenet of the all the mystical teachings. I understand the true foundations of America and its greater purpose, 'the secret of how to die' and also was thrilled - in fact spellbound to hear the story of the most likely whereabouts of some incredible Masonic 'treasure'; documents, artifacts, records etc which may well be to what Dan Brown is referring when he wrote in his pre launch copy: 'It's buried out there somewhere'.

Now, at this very apt juncture in the cycle of the planets Saturn and Uranus (the opposition occurs on The Lost Symbol launch day and speaks of startling revelations about things considered to be rock-solid) I'd like to share this life changing wisdom with you.

This information is freely available to those with the time and desire to read lots of books and delve deeply into the world of symbolism, allegory, myth, history and much, much more but you don't have to bother with such things for I have collated all the pertinent information together. I'll be continuing to shape and polish this vast amount of information into a finished publishable form in coming weeks, but as the topic is about to become 'hot' I've decided to share some of it with you right now.

What I would just like to say though is that I now believe Freemasonry deserves our highest respect. It is an accumulation of eons of practical observation into nature and her harmony. It is not something to be either feared, ridiculed or suppressed. Rather 'The Craft' as Freemasonry is known, is a modern day manifestation of the mystery religions and forms the foundation for an esoteric empire which has America at it's head and Egypt at its heart and the path to unity and the creation of a 'heaven on earth' at its core.

So without further ado here's some basic facts and revelations. I freely admit I have incorporated some unanswered questions and teasers just to whet your appetite for my book.

I have marked certain entries below with a star for they need need more careful contemplation than may immediately be apparent. Please skip read to the end if you simply wish to find a brief synopsis about 'the secret of how to die', remember there is an obvious role of the practicing Freemason, and a hidden, spiritual inner role. Read everything on many levels.........

Ok here goes then in Q&A format.......

Q Why are there 33 degrees in Freemasonry? To what does the 33 allude?

A There are really only 3 degrees in Masonry. The third degree, the Master Mason, is the top rank - the others are all more like sideways steps and are levels of further instruction. The 33rd level is the highest level of instruction. Regarding the number 33, I have seen some people point to the fact that the temperature at which the solid form of water, ice, melts back into water is 32-33 F. This can be seen as metaphorical of finally being freed from constriction. Some will say it is connected to the 3X3 Grand Omnific Royal Arch word and the 'signs' made with feet and hands intrinsic to that initiation level. Some may say it references the significance of the 33rd degree of latitude, or to the fact that if you use a letter for a number A=1 B=2 as your cipher then the word BACON = 33. (Francis Bacon)

It could allude to 'the thrice great' Hermes especially as 1 divided by 3 = 0.33 recurring. It could indeed be all these things including the number of the trinity or 3 as the number of a triangle. Multiples of 3 are certainly used prolifically throughout all masonic chapters, lodges and initiations but the esoteric (occulted) reason is that there are 22 pathways between the 10 Sephiroth in the Tree of Life 22+10 =32, (33 therefore being the ultimate) and there are 33 bones in the human backbone in 3 different sections and they lead to a place some refer to as Golgotha where something special occurs (that's all I'll tease you with at this point) Sleuths go figure!

Q What does the phrase Ordo Ab Chao mean?

A Order out of Chaos. It is a phrase that is used widely in Masonic symbols and emblems. It alludes to the creation of the Universe.

Q What, then, is Freemasonry?

A Freemasonry is basically a science of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. " As the most vital parts of Man are contained between the two breasts, so the most valuable tenets of Masonry are contained between 2 extreme points of the compass- which are virtue, morality and brotherly love." (3rd degree Master Mason initiation ritual). Masonry teaches Faith, Hope, Charity and strength, beauty and wisdom but is also the vehicle through which accumulated wisdom can be safely delivered to those who can use it to do some good and to help a greater plan unfold.

Q Francis Bacon was known by many titles such as 'The Herald of The New Age' what was his name for America?

A The New Atlantis.

Q Were Washington DC and other key cities in America originally laid out according to star maps and according to Geometric patterns?

A Yes. As above, So below. As below , So above. There will always be the 'spiritually blind' Mason who will dispute this but then they may have joined for other reasons than to 'Know Thyself' - if you get my drift!

Q Were many of the Founding Fathers Freemasons?
A. Yes or involved in some form of esoteric practices

Q What is the capital of the American State which contains anonymously funded Guidestones?
A. Atlanta (Atlanta/Atlantis....) Just coincidence?

Q Who or what were the 'Builders from the East' or the Builders of Baghdad?

A They were Masons.

The word Freemasonry at one time, and more correctly, Free Mason or Free and Accepted Mason, is not a very ancient title. It means men free to practice Masonry. The longer name however is also said to be a corruption of Freres Macons i.e Brother Masons in French.

Q How are Freemasonry lodges situated

A Due East to West

Q Why?

A Because the light (Sun) rises in the East but also because the gospel was first preached in the East and moved to the West.

Q What else is aligned this way - due East to West

A Churches and Chapels (with the altar in the East). Check it out. Most are.

Q What is the pass-word of the Master Mason

A Tubal-Cain

Q What is the ultimate goal of a Master Mason

A Hopefully to find equilibrium and illumination. Not all Master Masons reach that goal!

Q What were the pyramids built of?

A. They were fashioned out of Stone.

Q Who built them then?

*A Stonemasons! Let that one percolate. How old is Masonry!

Q What does Pyramid mean

A Pyr = Fire or light and Mid = measure. Light measurers!

Q What do builders use to make cement?

A Sand and water.

*Q What is the collection of salts; calcium, magnesium and silicon in the Pineal Gland known as?

A Pineal Sand - again Sleuths, delve deeper or wait for the book!

I'll just add here as a teaser:

Virgin = Pure

Mar-y or mare = water

Q Where else is there a pyramid?

A In the Medulla Oblongata in the skull.

Q. What does the masonic tool, the Trowel, signify?

A It symbolises the tool to spread the cement which unites a building as one common mass and for spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection.

Q What is 'the lost word'?

A. There are many secret words and passwords but the lost word is ultimately Love!

Q What do the Letters GAOTU stand for?

A. Grand Architect ( sometimes Artificer) of the Universe.

Q To what do the letters A.U.T.O.S.A.G refer?

A The Latin translates to the To The Glory of The Grand Architect of The Universe

Q To what do the letters G.O.D stand for?

A They are the initials of the three Hebrew words. Gomer = Beauty, Oz = Strength and Dabar = Wisdom. Three of the founding principles of Freemasonry

Q What are the three degrees of Freemasonry called

A 1.The Entered Apprentices

2. The Fellow Crafts

3. The Master Masons

Q What does the Hebrew letter Mem-M signify?

A Woman, Mother, womb, water, Mary and is the 13th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. It is one of the three 'Mother' letters

Q Why is the number 13 significant to the founding of the USA?

A The Sun occupied the 13th degree of Cancer on 4th July 1776 and this date was chosen by design. Cancer is a feminine sign and represents the mother, her breast and nurturing. The US plays the part of Mother to the people. It began as a nation of 13 states. Furthermore in 1782 the obverse side of the United States seal contained 13 stars and stripes, an olive branch with 13 leaves, an eagle with 13 arrowheads in the quiver held in the tallon and a motto' E Pluribus unum' which had 13 letters. When a new seal was adopted in 1921 the digits of the year add to 13 and a pyramid was shown and the Great pyramid's base in Egypt covers 13 acres. There are 13 steps or terraces in the image and the motto Annuit Coeptis contains 13 letters and translates to 'Prosper us in our understanding' Again no synchronicity but by design.

On this date in 1776 the planets representing Beauty (Venus) Wisdom ( Jupiter) (see G.O.D. above) were also in the sign of Cancer and the planet representing Strength (Saturn) was in Libra - ruled by Venus. The Moon was in the sign of Brotherhood and Freedom - Aquarius.

Q What does the letter G stand for in Masonic Symbolism?
A G.O.D , God, Geometry, Gnostic Gospels - and some could say Goodness and Glory

Q What is the temple made 'without sound of saw or hammer?

A The temple of the human body

*Q Why was Marie Bauer Hall, mistaken and what is her connection to the national tree of England?

Q What did John Dee reputedly pass on to Francis Bacon?
A His knowledge and his connections at the Invisible College

Q Why was John Dee the original James Bond?

A He was Agent 007 in the Court of Queen Elizabeth 1st

Q What number was Freemason, Benjamin Franklin?

A Agent 72

Q What did the word Los stand for?

A Sol - the word for Sun reversed. It was used as a Masonic password.

Q What are the 3 jewels of The Master Mason?

A Humanity, friendship and Brotherly love

Q What does the plant Acacia contain?
A DMT

Q Why is this plant significant to Freemasons?
That one I'll answer in my book

Q What does Boaz stand for?
A (pillar of) Strength

Q What does Jachin denote?
A Establishment

Q Which town, again in Georgia, takes its name from one of these pillars?
A Jakin

Q What do the 2 pillars in the Lodge signify?

A Positive and negative, male and female - polarity. In the middel you are in equilibrium " In strength shall this house be established"

*Q How do Isis and Horus link to Demeter and Perspehone and Dionysus?

A Once harmony is achieved, beauty can follow and beauty gives rise to joy.

Q What are the 'secret' words of Masons?

Q The word Rosicrucian comes from Rose Dew. What links Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry and what is the dew to which they refer?

*Q Why are the signs performed with the feet and hands in freemasonry called the Due-guards?

Q What is the annointed one annointed with?

A Oil.

Q Why is oil significant? What oil?

Q To what does The Royal Arch truly refer?

*Q Where can one find an eternal lamp?

Q What is the real symbolism of the all seeing eye?

All unanswered will be covered in my book. I'm just trying to get your mind asking questions and making connections!

Q. What does the name Hiram Abiff signify?

A. Hiram Abiff is a corruption of the word CHIram. CHI is the Greek Kristos or Christos - the anglicized word is Christ or 'the annointed one'.

Q*. How does this link with the Chi Rho symbol and the planetoid Chiron?

*Q Chiram Abiff is another name for Hermes Trismegistus " Chiram telat Mechasot" - the Chaldean version of the Emerald Tablet Chiram is the universal agent, one in essence but three in aspect.

How does this link into the hebrew letters Cheth, Resh, Mem and the three single consonants of the Hebraic alphabet- Jod, Heh and Vau?

Q Why does this link into the word for Chiropractor

A One who tends to the musculoskeletal system namely the spine

Q What shape is the Sacrum

A It is a triangular bone

*Q To what does Solomon's Temple really refer?

A The human body

Q What is the 8th Chakra?

A The Alta Major

*Q How does this link to the word Altar and why?

Q What is the alphabet at the top of this page

A It is the key (cipher) found on four pieces of paper inside the Ark of the Covenant. It is used to discover the Grand Omnific Royal Arch characters written on the four sides of the Ark. The ark was found in the secret, curiously arched, vault below the trap door (8-10 feet down and only reached by coiling a rope 7 times around the body leaving two long ends) along with the Keystone of the arch of a Mark Master Mason - Hiram Abiff

and finally

Q. What would happen to Christianity as a religion if the resurrection, like the above tale, was purely metaphorical and allegorical?

Hmm, much to ponder here and so much more to explain and share.

So, what is the secret of how to die? The 'secret' of Freemasonry (which is not actually secret, just veiled wisdom) is that one can learn to free the spirit from the physical building (masonry) that houses the spirit to achieve immortality via the creation of the immortal light body. One can learn how to die whilst alive and bring heaven down to earth - to create your heaven whilst on Earth. This process will be further revealed in my book. How does all this link into the 11:11 phenomenon and 2012? All I can say now is that it does and I'll be sharing what I know about that too!

Enjoy Dan Brown's book!

APRIL THRU SEPTEMBER 09, PLUTO RX

Hi everyone,

I'm taking a break from posting here for a while. I'm a Scorpio and Pluto, the ruling planet of this sign, is currently stationing. It will turn retrograde on April 4th 2009 until September 11th, 2009. This is a perfect opportunity for all Scorpio's to review matters relating to their Self and their commitments; particularly those which involve the way they communicate, interact, express themselves or share their knowledge (Pluto in Scorpio's solar 3rd). Personally I know this is the ideal time for me to devote myself to writing my book and regenerating other projects.

Wherever you have Scorpio on the house cusp, the people, things, places etc which that house corresponds to, combined with the house which Pluto is currently transiting (Capricorn) will give you a clue as to what themes you need to merge together. Retrogrades indicate what you may need to review, return to, or 'finish off' at this time. Once done, you can then expect to re-emerge - somewhat like a butterfly from a cocoon - invigorated and transformed when the planet returns to forward motion in September and particularly when it re-crosses the 3 Capricorn location, right at the end of the year.

Remember too, we always have to leave something behind for something new to come into being.

Under any Pluto transit, we feel pressured to eliminate and release the old, outworn, outdated and obsolete in our lives. When Pluto is transiting retrograde, we are urged to let go of attitudes, thinking or communication patterns, security drives, rigid emotions; a time to undergo an internal form of house cleaning....

For more on Pluto Rx read Lynne Koiner

I'm not abandoning CWF, just taking some time out, but please don't go! There are well over 350 articles on my blogs and website for you peruse and I also invite you to view my latest quarterly newsletter/e-zine, which contains a number of interesting articles by myself and other authors, plus numerous links to some fascinating sites. You can find Spring 2009 here

The archive for all previous ones can be accessed here.

Until next time then, thanks for your support and feedback - particularly to those of you who have been faithfully following CWF since 2006. I started writing for my own amusement, knowing that if what I wrote was meant to be shared with someone, they would find their way to these pages - I'm astonished just how many found their way and that's what has kept me writing for so long. Thank you.


Kathryn x

Oh and finally before I go..... Here's a link to the latest audio from Wayne Dyer. It's a couple of hours long but if you have resonated with me over the years, you'll definitely like this. What I noticed in listening to it is that Wayne sounds a little tired. I've been following his work for 29 years now (saturn return!) and this is the first time ever that I have noticed a drop in his energy levels. As a Taurus, Pluto rules Wayne's 7th and is in his 9th - so, maybe he needs to review his extensive travel and his teaching/lecturing commitments at this time? Anyway here it is, Enjoy

A MYSTICAL UNIVERSE

The late, great, Theosophist and Astrologer Alan Leo repeatedly used the phrase, Character is destiny i.e., As you think and act inwardly, so you attract and become.

When an actor or actress plays a part, the way we distinguish a good performance from a bad one is if it is utterly believable. This happens when the thespian merges their Self so utterly and completely into the role that they become the character they are portraying.

What I note is that in some, as yet, unexplained part of our reality, sometimes character reveals our destiny even when the character is an assumed one. This is extremely interesting to students of metaphysics because the whole premise of the efficacy of manifesting rests on a person's ability to assume the feeling of being, or having, something so completely, that it shows up in their life.

Incidentally, the words Self-efficacy is defined as a person’s perception of their ability to produce an effect or reach a goal.

So, what are we to make of the fact that Liam Neeson portrayed a bereaved husband in the film, Love Actually?* Or that he has already shot performances in the upcoming films "After Life" and "Five Minutes of Heaven," (neither of which are in distribution at this time).

We all know the phrase 'Art imitating life' but what is this phenomena? No one would ever want to be deemed responsible for attracting tragic events into their life and it's obviously not as simple as saying that if one plays a part then that precise destiny will befall you. That is patently wrong. You only have to think of some of the bizarre roles assumed in Sci-Fi films or thrillers - Anthony Hopkins won't suddenly be found eating human livers with fava beans and a nice Chianti like Hannibal Lechter.

That said, the roles one is drawn to, or invited to play as an actor/actress, may show some correlation to a repressed or unconscious side of the psyche. Maybe it is a case that we are all drawn to play out their greatest fears (or in some cases fantasies) at some level. Or perhaps to work through a role to prepare us for a later, real life event which, at some unconscious level, we know lies ahead. I am reminded here of the Professor who specialised in a very rare form of brain cancer and then died from this same disease herself.

No one knows what's really going on, but again metaphysicians/quantum physicists would say that the answer lies somewhere in the fact that every moment in time, has the quality of everything that will happen, has happened or will ever happen within it and that our Time/Space perceptions are illusory. So the fact that someone chooses some course of action at any given time can hold the outcome, just as astrology looks at the birth moment as describing the course of life.

There is a case to be made for this line of thinking for the 'synchronicity of life' is apparent all around us. Vanessa Redgrave ( Natasha's mother) was, in a few weeks time, due to reprise her role in the play 'The Year of Magical Thinking'. This is a story of bereavement and personal grief set around the real life personal loss of the play's writer, Joan Didion. who lost her daughter and husband. The daughter was in a coma in hospital and later died.

Reviews for the Broadway show which originally ran from 2007, told us that Didion found solace in "magical thinking," and was stunned by the realisation that "life changes in the instant".

The Redgrave family has been beset by drama both on and off the stage. Here is a brilliant article on Natasha and the family One that will be particularly interesting to astrologers wishing to know how the 'chart fitted the life'**.

There are many other cases of life imitating art; just a couple of very well known examples that spring to mind are the fact that Christopher Reeve had played a paralysed Police officer in the film Above Suspicion prior to becoming paralysed himself. Grace Kelly filmed The Swan in which she played a Princess. She then went on to marry Prince Rainier and become Princess Grace of Monaco.

The parallels are, therefore, not always negative. However, when a play or film come out where the actor or actress has an affair, becomes a parent, plays an alcoholic, is beareaved or faces some particularly emotionally charged event, it has been noticed that, in many cases, there is some issue around these themes playing out in their personal lives - or of those close to them. The 'law' of attraction, where like meets like, appears to be at work.

I'd be interested to hear of any examples you may have noted in this area over the years. I believe that discussing these subjects will help us to move closer to understanding more about how we may consciously, or unconsciously, collaborate with our fate.

* * * * * *

* The film Love Actually was produced by Tim Bevan who was married to Natasha Richardson's sister, Joely so the extended family were probably also immersed in this role to a greater extent than normal.

**For more on the astrology of Natasha and Liam Neeson please see my latest newsletter here