November 2010: Pluto Conjuncts the North Node

November 4th, 2010

Continuing from last month, Venus is still retrograde, however, this will turn a little less intense when she goes into Libra on November 8th.  This will be a time to work on long lost art projects and begin socializing with forgotten friends and family.  When Venus turns direct on November 18th, you can move forward in any new relationships, and integrate all you have learned, with Retrograde Venus.

This month the North Node and Pluto will be conjunct in the sky.  Remember, the North Node shows you where you are heading in life, while Pluto, transforms by tearing down old patterns,  and then rebuilding new ones.

This will be an excellent time to hold onto your hat, when this conjunction goes exact from Nov. 5th – 22nd.  Lot’s of intense change is in the works.  You may feel life is a bit out of control, but don’t resist, or you’ll get caught up in Pluto’s undertow.  Just relax, and try to go with the flow.  You’ll be surprised to see where you land in the coming weeks or months.

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Frog Totems

October 6th, 2010

I love listening to the tree frogs singing at night during the summer months, like a lullaby putting me to sleep.  However, during my 35 years in NC, I never knew what a tree frog looked like until a few years ago when our region suffered a huge drought and they suddenly began to appear in my porch planters.

Tree frogs blend in with their surroundings by changing their color according to where they are.  They can sit for hours and sometimes days in the same spot waiting for their next meal to arrive.  And they seem fearless, as they do not hop away when I come close to them.  I discovered this characteristic quite by chance, while sitting on my metal, patio rocker.  There was this little critter sitting stationary in the curl of rod iron, swinging away with me that day and the next one after that.  When a tree frog accidentally discovered my kitchen, I learned first hand how far they can jump.  I finally caught up with my little friend glued to the side of my refrigerator.  Gently catching him in my hand, it was a great treat feeling his tiny suction cupped feet on my fingers.  “Ok now”, I said, “You belong outside”,  as I placed him in one of my plants.Being an amphibian, Frog totems are associated with both land and water.  North and South American Indians link the frog with rain, weather changes, and fertility of crops and people.

Emotions are also the realm of the frog, and a frog encounter can help us to understand our sensitivities to another’s emotional states. As the frog’s life cycle involves a metamorphosis from tadpole to adult, so too, can it help us to understand and flow with the transformations in our own lives.

Because frogs are extremely sensitive to sound, as your totem, it may be telling you of a new psychic ability, that of clairaudience or the ability to hear sounds psychically.

Has frog hopped into your life lately?  If so, you may want to ask yourself, if your life is too mundane.  Or do you need to divert your attention into a new creative experience?  Are you drowning in your emotions?  Its time to sit up and face the music of life and make the necessary changes to keep yourself moving forward.

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Venus Retrograde

October 6th, 2010

As you learned with my past entry on Mercury Retrograde, when a planet is retrograde it appears to be moving backwards in the heavens.  Venus, the planet that rules love, pleasure, relating, beauty and desire, turns retrograde every 18 months.  This fall Venus will be retrograde from October 8, until November 10, 2010 in the sign of Scorpio and then Libra.

This will be a time to reassess your values and your relationships. Are we connected to the right people?  Are our relationships serving our needs?  How are we relating to others?  These are some of the themes that may arise with Venus Retrograde.  With Venus in Scorpio, hidden issues of jealousy and resentment may come out of the closet.  What do you need to forgive and let go of?  This is a good time to heal your trust issues, take responsibility for your relationships, and release limiting beliefs and feelings.

Reevaluate what you want in life and plan some forward movement to get it.  When Venus Retrograde goes into the sign of Libra on November 8th, take some time to work on forgotten art projects that have long been on the shelf.

Because we will not be thinking clearly, this is not a good time to begin a new relationship, make wedding plans, have surgery, buy expensive luxury items, invest or begin new financial activities. Material goods that you expected may be delayed, and monetary rewards may not be forthcoming.  All of this will need to wait until  Venus turns Direct on November 10th.

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Lizard Totems

September 16th, 2010

Lizards are great garden companions, as they keep the bug populations down.  I love sitting on my patio and watching all of the different kinds of lizards that hang out there.  We seem to be on the same wave length and often times I sit and sing to them.

Over the years, I’ve had to rescue a few of them from precarious places or mishaps and they have grown to know that I will do them no harm.  The last such rescue took place this summer, when one of them had crawled into a flower pot that didn’t have a drainage hole.  While routinely watering, I found this poor fellow nearly drowned and hanging on for dear life.  Quickly, but gently, dumping the water out, I helped my soggy friend to the pavement, and then to the refuge of one of my plants.

Shamanically, lizards can help us identify with subtlety of perception, how to bridge our conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings, and help us become lucid in our dreams.

They help us to gain the ability to perceive subtle movement, in our physical, ethereal, dreaming and waking states, while teaching us to feel what others my not feel, to see what others may miss, and to hear what others do not hear.  Lizards also teach us objective detachment, how to break from the past, and how to explore new realms in our lives.

So if you have lizards where you live, it might be prudent to make friends with them and sit a spell.  You may find new abilities cropping up that you didn’t think you had!

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Domes – Why put them on architecture?

September 16th, 2010

Why did the ancients put domes on their architecture?
Domes are a replica of the celestial sphere of the heavens, and because of this they are a sacred symbol, that represents the natural order, and the cyclic repetition of the universe.

We can feel this sacredness when we enter a place of worship that has a dome. The the high ceiling allows us to feel elevated and in this way, we can more easily contemplate the Divine.

Acting as a cosmic canopy, domes can be both visible  and hidden from sight.  For instance, the Native American Kiva, sports an invisible dome that represents the cosmology of the Seven Sacred Directions.

The symbol of the Dome can also help us to bridge our conscious and unconscious feelings and thoughts, as well as, the mundane and sacred aspects of life.

 

About the Author…
 Barbara-Lynn Freed has over twenty years experience in Shamanism and teaches a 3 year Shamanic apprenticeship called Resurrecting the Old Ways:  Walking the Land & Honoring the Spirits in Right Relationship.  To find out more about this program and how to sign-up visit her website.

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Mercury Retrograde – What is it?

September 16th, 2010

A retrograde planet simply means that from the earth, it appears to be moving backwards.

Since Mercury is the planet that works with many different kinds of communication, when it is retrograde, it tends to play havoc with connections, computers, and other electrical devises. It can also cause delays, lost packages, doing things over, indecision, ambivalence or second-guessing ourselves.  It is definitely not a good time to sign contracts or have surgery, because we are simply not thinking clearly, so it’s easy to make a mistake.

So, how can we get the time of Mercury Retrograde to work for us, instead of against us?

The idea here is to go with the flow!  This is the perfect time to slow down and examine our lives.  In this way we may be able to find new perceptions or change our life rhythm.  It is a time to reflect, meditate, contemplate and take a break from our routines.

That’s nice, you might say, but how do I conduct my business affairs and earn a living this way?  Instead of charging forward with new plans of action, tie up loose ends, clear off your desk, and return to old, neglected projects that have been sitting on the shelf.  In this way, you will be ready to move forward with new business when the retrograde period ends.  By learning how to use Mercury retrograde periods wisely and consciously, these times will usually turn out for the best.

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Summer Eclipses 2010

July 9th, 2010

What is an eclipse?

In astrology an eclipse is a play between light and shadow and occurs when there is a lunation near one of the moon’s nodes.  Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth comes between the full moon and Sun, so that the earth’s shadow is cast on the moon.  A solar eclipse happens when the new moon comes between the Sun and Earth, and casts a shadow on the Sun.

Ancient cultures all over the world tracked eclipses because they created their calendars based on the lunar cycles.  To establish an accurate calendar, they observed the moon’s movement on a regular basis, by constructing megalithic observatories such as Stonehenge.

Eclipses have always portended momentous change for both personal and mundane events, and their affects last for six months.  The June 26th Partial Lunar Eclipse at 4º46′ Capricorn was no exception, as it was also part of a rare 7 planet Grand Cross configuration.

A Grand Cross is formed when planets literally form a cross pattern in the sky.  The recent configuration included, the Moon and Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in late degrees of Virgo, Mercury and Sun in Cancer, and Jupiter and Uranus in Aries.


So What Does it all Mean?

There is lot’s of speculation going on amongst astrologers on the internet, without consensus.  In fact, many astrologers insist there is a T square happening, and don’t even recognize the Grand Cross.  So for what it’s worth, here’s what I think.

In keeping with the theme of light and shadow, June’s partial lunar eclipse conjunct Pluto, can personally teach us all, how to passionately clean up our lives literally and figuratively.  We must ask ourselves what personal patterns do we have that are still supporting the old paradigms?  The astrology is demanding that we transform our old, hidden patterns and move deeper into the power of Love & Light.

A Grand Cross is made up of 2 oppositions and 4 squares, all of which denote stress.  The opposition of Sun/Mercury and Moon/Pluto have to do with balancing your conscious thoughts with your unconscious emotions.  While the opposition of Jupiter/Uranus and Saturn, are balancing the need to be head strong, freedom loving, and thrill seeking, with the actions of being grounded, stable, and maintaining the status quo.

Squares denote conflict and challenge and hopefully result in transformation. Specifically the 4 squares in June’s Grand Cross denote the following:

Pluto/Moon square Jupiter/Uranus: Letting the past die to make way for new passionate emotional experiences vs. The creation of new opportunities for expansion and growth.

Pluto/Moon square Saturn: Letting the past die to make way for new passionate emotional experiences vs. Disappointments and heavy responsibilities that can bring depression and a lack of confidence in changing old habits.

Sun/Mercury square Jupiter/Uranus: Harnessing ideas and decisions through will power vs. The need to be free to create new opportunities for expansion and growth.

Sun/Mercury square Saturn: Harnessing ideas and decisions through will power vs. Obstacles to change, and difficulty in maintaining a positive attitude.

However these aspects are affecting us, we must become aware of our own issues surfacing now, and move inward to process the complex energies being brought forth at this time.

July 11th Total Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses happen on the new moon and signify beginnings, usually manifested as events in the outer world. Those who have the cardinal signs of Cancer, Aries, Libra and Capricorn in their charts around 19 degrees will be most affected by this eclipse.  Remember, the affects of  all eclipses will be felt for 3-6 months after they have occurred.

Here we are all being called to use previously learned skills and talents in new ways and create opportunities in the realm of home and inner security.

The most troublesome squares have disappeared, and have been replaced with positive energies of the Sextile of Sun/Moon to Mars, and trines of  Venus to Pluto and Jupiter/Uranus to Mercury.

Wherever this eclipse falls in our birth charts, we have the opportunity to begin anew.

Do you have any insights about eclipses you would like to share?


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Walking the Path of Surrender

April 8th, 2010

Back in the early ’90’s, when I was first beginning my spiritual healing practice, it was popular for practitioners to increase their clientele, by setting up shop in various cities, and working out of New Age bookstores.   This method seemed to be working for many people, so I too decided to give it a try.  It was really a lot of running around, but because it turned out to be fairly lucrative, I continued my monthly traveling route to and from the North Carolina cities of Raleigh,  Wilmington and Greensboro, for nearly two years.  I saw it as a win, win, win, situation, for the client, store and myself, and a great way to serve these communities.

In retrospect, I know now, how unwise it was to work on folks right off the street.   I never knew who I would be working on or what malady I would have to deal with.  Most clients were fine, but there were a few, that I would have been better off never meeting.  I am reminded of a young woman who had a black amoeba like energy,  stuck in her third eye.  My guides took one look at her and said sternly, “Step out of the room!  We will work on her ourselves.”  And then, “Don’t accept any money in exchange for this healing.  You don’t want anything connecting the two of you when she leaves.”  Well, I was young and inexperienced back then, what did I know?!

During that time I was also in the processes of educating myself through a four year apprenticeship in Native American healing and spirituality.  My teacher and I usually met a couple of times a week for our session work together, which usually consisted of discussions, profound healings, and sacred pipe ceremonies.  It was truly a transformative and educational time for me.  However, I was unprepared for what was soon to transpire during one of our healings.  Our time together started out fairly routinely, however, as soon as I lay down on the table, The Guardians of the Directions came and talked to me about my healing practice.  They said, ” You think you are serving others, but really you are only serving yourself!.  If you truly want to serve others, what you need to do is cancel all your appointments for the next month, and let us bring you people to work with.”

Well needless to say, I was in shock.  First of all, I really felt I was serving others, and never even entertained the thought that I was just serving my ego.  And there was absolute terror, at the thought of loosing all my hard won contacts, and having no income.  Did I really want to do as I was being asked?  Would the Guardians come through for me?  How committed was I to this path anyway?  It really threw me into a very profound, although short lived, Dark Night of the Soul.  Several days later, after much soul searching, I finally decided to follow the Guardian’s suggestions.  I cancelled everything on my calendar for the next 30 days, and thus, my path of surrender began.

The path of surrender, is extremely yin in nature, and little understood in our culture.  Most people are continually pushing and promoting themselves to get ahead.  In the path of surrender, all things that I need are simply brought to me by Spirit.  I live in a state of Grace.  Through the years, the Guardians of the Cardinal Directions, have become my most cherished companions, protectors, teachers, guides, and allies.   Although I have not surrendered my free will, I am always mindful of what I am being asked to do to serve humanity.

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Totem: Talking to the Deer Spirits

March 22nd, 2010

Every year I usually go to some type of Spring Equinox celebration, and this year was no exception.  I attended a small labyrinth gathering on the beautiful property of a friend of mine.  We did a group walk in her 40 foot, well cared for, labyrinth and afterward, toured her manicured, all year round herb and vegetable gardens.  I enjoyed looking at the greens growing in her greenhouse, and picking up some gardening tips, along the way.  Of course, most of her garden was surrounded by a 7 foot fence to keep the deer from eating her crops.

Having no known predators where I live in North Carolina, deer are overly plentiful.  So it’s not unusual gardening conversation, to have folks comparing deer stories and ways to keep them at bay.  Most people I meet convey much frustration about deer eating whatever they plant around their house.  They have tried everything to keep them away; spraying plants with “deer off”, hanging “Irish Spring” soap in the trees, urinating to mark their property, (Yes, really!), using dogs to bark them away, growing plants that deer don’t like, and of course, fencing them out.  Nothing usually works, except for the fences.

Most people always seem astounded when I tell them that I’ve never had deer problems where I live.  Sure, I see them walking in the woods during their morning or afternoon strolls, but they know better than to come into my yard.  And when they do, I go out, bang on a pot, and chase them away.  It’s a real clear message that says, “You’re trespassing here!  Go away!”  However, these actions are only a last resort.  My real secret, is having the Guardians of the Directions (east, south, west, north), intercede for me, by simply asking the deer spirits to stay away.  And if that fails, they surround my property with Panther energy.

The reactions are usually the same.  “The Who?  Guardians?  Who or what are they?”  In Native American circles, The Guardians of the Directions are sometimes called Spirit Keepers.  They sit at, and are in charge of, the energies of each Cardinal Direction.  They are real Divine Beings, that symbolize four archangels in the Judeo-Christian belief systems. (Gabriel in the East, Micheal in the South, Raphael in the West, and Uriel in the North).  In fact every ancient culture worked with the Guardians in some capacity.  Today, they are only known to indigenous peoples, and those of us who work shamanically or follow the old ways.

It is through years of working in Right Relationship with Spirit and all of my relations, that the Guardians of the Directions have volunteered to speak to and work with other spirits in my behalf.  However, you too, can have such a relationship by opening your hearts, shifting your perceptions, and committing to a life of Right Relationship, where all life is sacred, and everything is interrelated.  When we walk our talk in this way, a whole new world opens up to us.

If you are interested in learning how to connect with the Guardians of the Directions, let me know.  We can work together in my seminar Creating Sacred Space.

Do you talk to the Spirits?  Let us know about your experiences!

Learn more about the Ancient Ways and sign-up for my monthly newsletter.

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The Law of Attraction: Should We Use It?

March 13th, 2010

By now every man, woman, and child in the US must know about the“Law of Attraction”. Having its origins in New Age circles, we can thank Esther Hicks for making it a buzzword in mainstream America.

“The Law of Attraction”—–what does it mean?” asks the neophyte.  It means that if you concentrate and focus on what you want, you will attract it to you.  Hey man, you can fulfill all of your desires!  How cool is that!  And because it’s a “Law” its spiritual too!

Hmmm…what’s wrong with this picture?  Don’t the eastern religions teach spirituality is being Detached from one’s desires?   They say we need to release our desires to move forward on the spiritual ladder.

When we focus on the “Law of Attraction” we are merely reflecting our consumer-oriented society’s needs and our culture’s disconnection from gratitude.  As if we don’t already have enough, now we can satisfy our More Syndrome and fulfill all our monetary desires.

The “Law of Attraction” is but one Law governing this Planet.  Let’s balance out our actions by learning about the “Law of Reciprocity”. Then instead of fulfilling our desires, maybe we can change our lifestyles and save the world.

So what is the deal with the “Law of Reciprocity”? The “Law of Reciprocity” is based on the “Law of Right Relationship” which says that all life is sacred and that everything in the Web of Life is connected.  When we get something, we need to honor the Sacred and All of Our Relations, (the 2 legged, 4 legged, fishes, insects, plants, trees, winged ones, mountains, stars), by giving something back in return.

And when we give something back, it needs to be:  Without Attachment, Without Controlling the Outcome, and Without Strings Attached.

An interesting thing happens when we allow ourselves to work with the“Law of Reciprocity”. All of our:

–  Poverty transforms into abundance

–  Greed & envy transforms into gratitude

–   Competition transforms into cooperation

–    And domination transforms into equality


If, we had as many people committed to the “Law of Reciprocity” as there are committed to the “Law of Attraction”, a wondrous healing and renewal could happen on Earth and in its human collective.

Wouldn’t it be nice if this change began with YOU!

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