Dark Moon

Within the still silence of the Taurus New Moon, Earth awakens. Across hillsides and valleys, in deserts and forests, the Goddess blooms in twilight silken splendor.

As the Sun and Moon meet Thursday evening, we are reborn into higher love. Venus, evening star, goddess and midwife, presides over the western horizon after sunset. All the planets and stars shine as jewels in the womblike, moonless sky. The New Moon is exact at 9:04 PM Eastern on May 13.

Sensual, earthy and passionate, Taurus is ruled by Venus, goddess of love. At this lunation, relationships and finances come into focus. All New Moons are endings, and new beginnings. What's coming to completion in your life, especially in these areas? What are you creating in this new cycle?

With Mercury now direct and also transiting Taurus, it's time to revisit our values. So many changes are happening so quickly these days. What do you hold most dear in this transition to the next world age? What are you willing to fight for?

Perhaps more than any other sign, Taurus reminds us to care for the Earth, to live sustainably, to live in balance. Are you feeling called to commune in nature, under the stars, at the sea or in a forest? This is a perfect time to visit your favorite places of peace and power. Make your home and land sacred through prayer, ritual and intent. Listen to the voice of Mother Earth. She will guide you.

Mars in Leo ignites our passions. Chiron in Pisces promises spiritual healing. Jupiter, the Guru, approaches conjunction with Uranus, the Awakener, in late Pisces. This dynamic duo opposes Saturn in Virgo. Notice the flow of spiritual energy, insights and inspiration, and the dissolution of structures and patterns that no longer your evolution.

Celebrate your divinity with this New Moon. Honor the Earth. This is a night to dream, and dance the dance of love.

Cosmic Time

The book, Cosmic Time, is my offering to Mother Earth during the 2012 transition. This magical moment in Earth’s history is a turning point, a time of shifting consciousness filled with quantum possibilities for transforming our lives and our world.

In Cosmic Time, we explore indigenous wisdom, prophecy, environmentalism, astrology, esoteric teachings and shamanism to shed light on personal and planetary transformation within a cosmic context.

To celebrate the Taurus New Moon, you may purchase the book at a special reduced rate of $15 each including postage and handling (US & Canada), for up to 6 copies. International postage varies. Please e-mail me to place your order and receive the discount.

2010 Ascension Activation

Tonight's teleclass focuses on indigenous wisdom, sacred sites, Earth changes, prophecy and a possible pole shift. The program will be recorded and available for download whether you're live on the call or not. You may register a la carte, in 4-week segments or for the full 16-week course. You'll receive audio recordings of all classes so you won't miss a thing.

Details and registration: http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#2010

StarTalk New Moon Teleconference

Our new monthly astro forecast teleconference features current and upcoming astrological highlights in an interview/Q&A format moderated by Bob Keeton of Living Successfully Radio.

Highlights this week: Taurus New Moon, Spring Full Moon Festivals, the ongoing Saturn-Pluto-Uranus T-Square and upcoming Grand Crosses of Summer. The program will be recorded and available for download whether you're live on the call or not.

Learn the dates of specific planetary alignments and find out how these energies might express in our lives and our world. We won't just share what the astrology is, we'll explain what it means.

You may register a la carte each month, or save by signing up for all four programs, May through August. Details and registration: http://www.StarPriestess.com/events.html#newmoon

Reflections

Endings are always new beginnings. As another season draws to a close, my heart overflows with gratitude for the sights and sounds, the range of emotion and sensory perceptions, the sheer bliss of engaging with life, love and the sanctity of being this summer.

The eclipses in July and August signaled a big new beginning. So big, in fact, it hasn't had a chance yet to root. The Moon waxes to full this Friday in a culmination that's less about completion and more about process and integration. More about that in my ezine this week.

I've had the honor of traveling throughout the western United States this summer, visiting in new and favorite places in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. What a ride.

The adventure began with the Return of the Ancestors, a global gathering of cultures and generations in northern Arizona in April. Then came immersion with the Sayaka Inka, spiritual emissaries from Peru who dance and sing and pray their way into the hearts of all who cross their path.

Our Core Shamanism Weekend on the Full Moon in June was another high point. An amazing group of masterful beings gathered in Denver to learn and grow as we played in the quantum field. All of that was, apparently, a preparation for attending the Kachina Dances on Hopi Second Mesa on the Summer Solstice. I can't imagine a more precious birthday gift for my Cancerian soul. Hovering on the edge of the mesa, lulled by the rhythmic dances, the drum and the chant, I'm transported deep within the cosmos, to a place of peace words can't describe.

In July, we celebrated the Lunar Eclipse with a creekside ceremony filled with nuance and synchronicty in Aspen, Colorado. For the July 22 Solar Eclipse, I opted for private ritual near the ancestral home of the Sinagua in Arizona. After that, a tour of natural building sites led through parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

Our August 5 Lunar Eclipse ceremony in Sedona erupted into a moment of nostalgia with a spontaneous chorus of "Age of Aquarius," led by Sedona goddess Jewels who, of course, knew all the words. Night sky watching for meteor showers capped off the August celestial celebration.

The journey continues. Now the Moon is growing full again, another cycle coming to an end. It's hurricane season for many, and wildfires are raging on the West Coast. The changes are accelerating, to be sure. We can resist the flow, or attune to it and expand in consciousness as we journey through this momentous time.

In my book, Cosmic Time, I write about embracing all that's precious to us. What will we preserve, protect and savor as we move through the 2012 Gateway? This summer I've been privileged to see, hear, taste, smell and touch the Earth, mother goddess, in new and exciting ways. The laughter of children rings in my heart. A mountain breeze whispers through forests of aspen and pine. I drink in the morning mist, my toes oozing in briny sand as I walk along a windswept beach. The hot, musty vapors of earthen healing caves soothe my body and soul. I carry new respect for the skunk and his medicine. The birds call my name. Fire lights my way. I delight in chill ocean air.

It's all vibrant, juicy and sacred. I want to always to feel this alive, to relish the world around me every moment of every day.

A message that came again and again in my travels was an important one. It's about the waters of the Earth, how they connect and unify us, sustain life, and offer the possibility of deep healing. The waves and tides teach us about natural cycles, the ebb and flow of life. We'll explore these themes in coming weeks and months, tapping into the wisdom of the Earth to find out what she needs, and what she offers. There were many familiar messages, expressing in myriad ways, reminders about taking care of ourselves, the Earth and each other. The waxing Moon invites us to get back to basics, to be fully present in each moment, to walk mindfully, in loving service.

We're beginning a new project this fall. Actually, it's a continuation of Cosmic Time in a new form. More about that to come. For now, a pause. Meditation, integration and gratitude. Honoring the change of seasons. Aho.

Institute for Cultural Awareness - Return of the Ancestors

http://www.instituteforculturalawareness.com/

Sayaka Inka

http://www.myspace.com/sayakainka

Cosmic Time Book Excerpts & Ordering

http://www.starpriestess.com/timebook.html

Facebook Pages

http://www.facebook.com/sayaka.inka

http://www.facebook.com/starpriestess

We Return

As Return of the Ancestors comes to a close, we're left with countless memories, and the radiance of pure love. Hundreds came, from all over the world. Each one a wisdomkeeper, each a jewel, blessing the Earth and her creatures with vibrations of hope, forgiveness, oneness.

In diversity, we discover our unity, the rich and varied flavors, colors, textures, smells and tastes of existence on planet Earth. Wherever we are on this blue sphere, we share a love that transcends seeming boundaries.

I remember.....

Gazing at the stars as small groups passed on the way to this program or that, chattering in their home languages. French here, Japanese there, many varieties of Spanish and North American native tongues. Meanwhile, the stars shone in clusters. As above, so below.

The ceremonies uniting the North and the South, the East and the West. The dancers, the musicians. Rinpoches and Medicine Men hugging, smiling, bowing, drumming.

The women sharing their prayers, their visions, their hopes and their dreams for a better world. Women, the life bringers, from Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, North America. Gentle, strong, confident, determined. Singing their songs, showering blessings.

Children running, dancing, laughing, playing. Carrying the light.

The embrace of Mother Earth, the hospitality of the people, new friends, ancient memories, native soil. Endless devotion. There will be more to share soon. This is a moment to savor.

In' Lakesh. Namaste. Mitakuye Oyasin. Om Shanti. Shalom.

Some photos: http://photobucket.com/alliepix

In' Lakesh

Many are preparing now for Return of the Ancestors, a multicultural gathering of Elders, Youth Leaders, Wisdomkeepers and Bridge Beings from around the world. This event will be held April 18-28 at sacred sites around northern Arizona, including Sedona and Hopiland. I’ve written about this on my web site, in my blog and the ezine. The web site for the gathering is http://www.instituteforculturalawareness.com/. Opening ceremonies begin tomorrow morning in Sedona.


Whether you'll be attending in person or not, please consider joining in prayers of unity around this historic gathering. It’s quite remarkable that indigenous Elders from around the world will meet together for ceremony, sharing and creating a new vision for humanity and the Earth in these times of accelerating change. Those who are involved hold the highest vision of Oneness and Unity, knowing that all faiths, traditions, practices and energies must come together to co-create a better world for future generations. I’m joining my brothers and sisters in support of taking this next major step in our evolution as a people.

I invite you to join me in praying for the resolution of differences, for the opening of hearts and minds, and for the highest lightwork to be done in this dimension and others as people from around the world join together as one. Prayers and ceremony in all parts of the world in conjunction with this event will contribute to this multicultural, multidimensional experience and benefit all beings.

In Oneness with those who have come before, those who are here now and those we are to come.....

In' Lakesh. Namaste. Mitakuye Oyasin. Om Shanti. Shalom.

http://www.instituteforculturalawareness.com/