Om Guru

You don't need to be astrologically savvy to know that something extraordinary is happening this summer.

It's wild in the heavens and on Earth.

A series of three eclipses comes to completion this week with an electrifying Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius on Wednesday night, during the Sabbat of Lammas.

Jupiter got blasted by a comet just days before the New Moon Solar Eclipse on July 21/22. A gaping wound is visible near the gas giant's south pole.

Right now Jupiter is aligned with Neptune and Chiron in a historic triple conjunction designed to guide us through these volatile times. Meanwhile, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto are dancing in a T-square formation that signals sudden, deep and lasting transformation in our personal lives and outer world.

It's definitely all related.

Intrigued by the photographs of post-impact Jupiter since they first started surfacing on the Internet, I've been sitting with the meaning of the obvious synchronicity in the timing.

Aside from Jupiter's astrological correspondences with wealth, fame and fortune, the gas giant has a very spiritual meaning in astrology. He is the teacher, the guru, one who transmits the knowledge and wisdom of a higher power. On our planet, the term "guru" has come to describe a spiritual teacher.

The July 21/22 Solar Eclipse was visible in many parts of Asia, and the path of totality cut directly through India, the Motherland of spiritual teachings on Earth. Hinduism, the heart of Buddhism, is an empowering source of wisdom for our times. The Vedas predict the timing of vast cosmic cycles and prescribe spiritual practices to help us align with the flow of destructive/creative energies expressed in the dance of Shiva and Shakti.

It is from India that the practice developed of worshipping teachers known as gurus. Today, this tradition is transforming for many of us into a spiritual, devotional practice honoring the god/goddess in all things.

In astrology, Neptune represents our spirituality. Chiron is the wounded healer. How profound that Jupiter sustained this wound as the Sun, Earth and Moon aligned to create the longest Total Solar Eclipse this century. The guru has been scarred. His atmosphere, or aura, is already transforming as a result.

Is it possible that it's time to release our attachment to authority outside ourselves and honor the Inner Guru? Is it time to recognize ourselves, and each other, as divine creator beings? Perhaps the god/goddess resides within, and we are free to allow divinity to shine through us, to dance in delight with the universal flow of creation.

Namaste.

Comet impact on Jupiter

http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=19&month=07&year=2009

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17491-jupiter-sports-new-bruise-from-impact.html

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse August 5/6

http://www.StarPriestess.com/cosmic_time.html

My recent blog posts and ezine give an overview of the summer eclipse season and ideas for navigating eclipse energies. These practices and the larger astrological context are highlighted in my book, Cosmic Time. Through my Astro-Shamanism practice, I offer individual empowerment sessions to assist you in navigating these volatile times.

For details, please visit my web site

http://www.StarPriestess.com

Love Divine

There is a point beyond time and space where creation begins. A place of complete stillness, peace, serenity. Love. On the energy of today's Total Solar Eclipse, go there.

A Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun’s light from the Earth. In a Total Solar Eclipse, the sky appears to darken. Moments of darkness during the day call our attention to the inner realms, the Void, womb of creation. This is a powerful new beginning. Eclipses clear out the debris in our lives and bring us into alignment with the cosmos.

In Cancer, this New Moon Solar Eclipse drives us deep within to explore the roots of our feelings. This is an opportunity to break through longstanding emotional patterns that block the fullest manifestation of our Divine Essence. Cancer rules the 4th house, which has to do with homes and nurturing. So many are being displaced from their homes these days. We open to the realization that our physical home is merely one representation of the Spirit that sustains us. Great Mother, the Earth, provides in myriad ways.

While the July 21/22 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse will be visible in Asia and the South Pacific, the effects will be felt worldwide. In general, the path of an eclipse (where it’s visible) will be the geographical areas where the most widespread and sudden changes will take place. Where the eclipse falls astrologically in your chart will determine the areas in your life that will be most affected by this celestial house cleaning.

The July 21/22 Total Solar Eclipse will be visible in parts of India, Nepal, China and the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible in a broader path covering most of southeast Asia and northeastern Oceania. The path of totality cuts through the homelands of some of the most ancient and relevant spiritual teachings on Earth, including Hinduism, the Vedas, Taosim, and the I Ching. Tibetan Buddhism is rooted in Hinduism. Watch for the essence of these traditions to enter mainstream conscious awareness.

In July and August, there are three eclipses – two in Capricorn/Cancer and another in Aquarius/Leo. This series is designed to open the heart as we refine our values and priorities in alignment with the Aquarian ideals of humanitarianism and service.

The only total eclipse of the year happens in Cancer, the sign that most fully embodies the energy of Divine Mother, and continues as the Sun enters Leo. This will be a moment of intense transformation for humanity, an invitation to open to the embrace of the cosmos at this critical time in Earth’s history.

The New Moon on July 22 is the second New Moon in the sign of Cancer this year. In the last degree of Cancer, it's time to wrap up the old and begin the new. Eclipses happen in 6-month and 19-year cycles. What's coming to completion in your life within these time frames? What are you beginning that's new? Eclipses break up energy patterns, freeing us to create anew.

The eclipse period - as the Moon passes over the face of the Sun - lasts several hours. The moment of the New Moon - when the Sun and Moon meet exactly - is the time of greatest eclipse: 7:35 PM Pacific July 21; 10:35 PM Eastern July 21; 2:35 AM GMT July 22.

You can convert to your time zone here:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Ritual is appropriate throughout this period. Eclipses are points of balance and illumination. In Buddhist tradition, they are holy days reserved for prayer, reflection and meditation on behalf of the collective. Our thoughts are amplified exponentially through these portals created by the alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon. With the energy of the Solar Eclipse, we're planting the seeds of something new that will culminate over the next six months and 19 years. Create with intent.

Eclipses aren't the only astrological news this summer. There's also a triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron and explosive alignments of Uranus, Saturn and Pluto. All of this happens as we make our way through the 2012 Gateway, the time when our Sun aligns with the Galactic Equator. We explore the astrological context of the eclipses in my book, Cosmic Time, and in my 2009-2012 Astro Preview. You'll receive a complimentary copy of the preview report when you order the book or make a donation to support my ezine and blog updates. Click here for details.

You can watch animations showing the path of the Total Solar Eclipse here:

http://www.shadowandsubstance.com

Read more about the summer eclipse series - including tips for navigating the eclipse energies - in my previous blog posts below and in my ezine:

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

More specifics about the eclipses:

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/total-solar-eclipse-july-22-2009.html

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

This truly is the Summer of Love. The heavens are conspiring to open the hearts of humanity, healing the wounds of many lifetimes. These celestial energies can help us transform our lives in miraculous ways as we align and flow with the changes. My work with individuals in my Astro-Shamanism pratice is especially potent during eclipse periods. Click here for details. Please be in touch if you'd like to schedule a personal session at this special time.

Namaste.