New Moon Journal

Guardian of the South

Trees are sacred, their presence grounds me. Lack of trees is one of the reasons we are leaving the South Florida area. Most trees here were cut down for development, many were lost during the last hurricane. I need trees because I am a Jersey girl at heart, to feed the need we planted flowering trees that would remind me of the seasons.

Many of our trees go dormant in the winter and then roar into color in early June. When Hurricanes Katrina, Jeanne, Wilma hit South Florida in 2005 we thought this tree was a goner...especially when we found her stripped bear naked and limbs all askew (100 mph winds will do that) after Wilma. Our gardener Jerry said he could save her-thanks Jerry!. This week I started a nature journal for the new homeowners so they know what each tree looks like in full bloom. Hopefully they’ll be good stewards of the land!

This year our Guardian of the South is putting on a magnificent flower show, it started in late May and she just keeps getting better and better... my husband feels the tree is saying good-bye to us. **sigh**

I am busy packing up the house and scheduling things for the move. Mercury retrograde has been especially challenging in terms of paperwork, and getting information from both the Sellers and Buyers.

I'd have a good closing if it weren't for you....

As an astrologer I know Mercury is retrograde, but it’s the other people in my day-to-day life that don’t know. Realtors, bankers, sellers, buyers, home inspectors...

I can’t very well go up to the person and say (or shout) "you know Mercury, the god of communication, is out to lunch people...we need to be on top of this! So please lets double check the work and get back to me, sooner rather than later."

The Full moon in Sagittarius at 28 degrees on June 18th is aligned with Pluto and Venus, that means there’s a release of this pent up energy! A mind fart ready to happen?

Everything will even out. Mercury in Gemini goes direct on June 19th (just 24 hours after the full moon). Yeah! But let’s also remember that Mercury doesn’t leave it’s shadow until the 4th of July (at the time of fireworks on the east coast) when it reaches 22 degrees of Gemini.* This is the time things start to move forward that you felt were at a standstill.

Do you have any planets in your chart at 22 degrees? In the signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces? If so expect some aha’s. The key is to look back over the last three weeks and ponder this~

• How have I been challenged?
• Have I been heard?
• Did I ask the right question in a clear concise way or was I muddled?

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.- Anne Frank

Let’s all go outside with our journals and sit under a tree. Happy full moon!

_{* Mercury retrograde: Mercury Retrograde started on May 26, Memorial Day Monday, turns direct on June 19th and comes out of its shadow on July 4th 2008.}

More Flowers:

www.flickr.com

Mars Retrograde-seething red

Seeing Red. Mars is retrograding. This morning I woke up to find my mailbox overflowing with 50 plus emails from the New Moon Journal with posts going back to the year 2000. Oh my!

I am in the process of finding out exactly what happened. To those of you affected by this unwelcome email blast I offer my sincerest apology. I have support tickets in, but this doesn’t excuse the way your mailbox got trashed this morning.

In August I noticed sporadic double postings and complained to TypePad that something wasn’t right with the RSS feed on The New Moon Journal. Tech support gave me a short term fix, advising the tech team was working on it; they’d get back to me. This week I complained once again because I never got an answer whether it was fixed or not. At the same time Tech support added RSS feed to my comment area *yeah*.

I republished the Journal and suspect the faulty RSS feed problem got fixed or triggered at the same time, thus the massive email broadcast of old posts. Who exactly knows what happened on the technical side, but I did not consciously go out and deliberately send massive emails to you, that’s not my style.

Astrologically speaking Mars went retrograde in the sign Cancer yesterday. I expected things to get a bit feisty because Mars’s task is to secure, protect and defend our borders- the home front and your mailbox. Mars is an action energy in the sign Aries, it transforms in Scorpio (remember we are still operating in a New Moon in Scorpio); Mars feels impeded (like a wet blanket) in the sign Cancer. This Mars in Cancer retrograde energy can bring up negative emotions like people being snappy and grouchy, angry and agressive. Seething red.

Needless to say I not only got zapped by the 50 plus emails sent by myself to myself *ha ha* but also the sting of frustrated readers unsubscribing and letting me know "why the hell why I am unsubscribing!!" It’s been an interesting morning. I feel a SoulCollage® coming on!!

So be aware.

The Holidays are fast approaching with Mars in retrograde motion in the sign Cancer (home and heart). Restless Cancer is ruled by the Moon- emotions, mothering. You may either evade by going into your shell or outright attack. Either way you are seething.

Know too all forms of communication are being challenged, since Mars plan of action is to move into the sign Gemini a few days after Christmas. Gemini ruled by Mercury relates to speaking, communication, siblings, computers, networking and neighbors. In light of this you may enjoy reading this post about leadership before you are inspired to send out an angry email while Mars is retrograding-Stop: Don’t Send That Angry E-mail!

I appreciate your patience and **deep breath** I am sure that this is a one time event and truly hope this won’t happen again.

If you decide to come back use this link to Subscribe to new moon journal by Email

Libra New Moon, Mercury retrograde

Dear Clarence, I thought we were through and it was over between us but your face is back on TV and you’re talking about it again. The comments you made on 60 minutes about Anita Hill just brought it all back up. I hadn’t thought about you and those dang hearings for a very long time. Well it was no coincidence that I just happened to tune in at the exact moment you slipped into your own denial to say “she’s lying.”

I fumed about it for the next 24 hours, mulling it over, wondering why. Why am I reacting? Ah it brought up my own journey with the joys of being stalked. You mirrored for me yet again how people spin their shadow back into the dark so they can’t be seen, and deny, deny, deny.

One too many men in my life wore their lies like a truth. It’s crazy making at it’s best for women. When we allow the energy in those lies negate our power, dull the senses and dumbs down our intuition. Destroys creativity. Quite frankly sir with the war, the environment in chaos and the children suffering I have had enough. I am grateful though, another layer is revealed reminding me how far I have come. I appreciate that.

From the expression on your face while driving that RV you’re having some anger issues, a good dose of therapy might be in order. Ditch the book tour, book a session with your therapist, go put your robe on and get back to work, there are problems that need solving. Yours truly, Michele

"If I am not laughing at it, then it’s not healed."

I was not laughing Sunday night. In the early eighties when I entered the business world no one did anything about sexual harassment at work. Professor Hill and I are the same age. Most of us were numb to the psychic abuse and tolerated a ’boys will be boys’ mentality that ruled the business world. Glass ceiling.

For you youngsters just watch a few episodes of AMC’s Mad Men to get the flavor that energy. On a personal level I witnessed my sister get a great internship and become a news producer at the NBC station. One day she innocently answered the apartment door and there stood her boss in his underwear ready to get it on; he harassed her for months and nothing was done. She wanted to work in her industry, get paid a fair wage and not be stalked. In the end she filed a lawsuit, went to court, the case got dismissed. They said versus she said. Dear Sis walked away from television. I have other stories but I won’t bore you with them. Who do I believe? You got it.

Libra is about the fine art of relating. Last month while clearing clutter I found this book left over from my teenage years (that’s a 1970 baby blue eye-shadowed Cheryl Tiegs on the cover). And strange enough there aren’t any chapters that read...

When a boy is interested in you, he’ll make all sorts of unwanted advances while you play coy, but the ultimate compliment is he’ll get up from the table at which the two of you are working, go over to his desk to get a soda and ask, "Who has [put a] pubic hair on my Coke?" Now you know he’s available and interested.

What it does say- "Grown men seldom gab this way. Adult guys know they’re men. They don’t have to show it off or talk it up." This whole historic incident is so what happens when Libra and Scorpio collide.

Time to put out the welcome mat for the New Moon in Libra and Mercury retrograding in Scorpio. The keyword for this lunation is Sovereignty- a woman’s right to self-govern.

Mercury retrograde in Scorpio October 11- November 1, 2007 Just after the New Moon in Libra Mercury retrograde begins at 10 degrees of Scorpio at 9:00 pm est. We are already in it people. Two weeks prior to any Mercury retrograde the call is to become aware of what is tweaking you, that is where the learning is. It’s a time to de-clutter your toxic thoughts. This transformation of thought is what The Secret and The Law of Attraction speaks to. A Mercury retrograde offers us both a challenge and an opportunity to slow down, figure out the internal chatter- is it serving or diminishing my life plan and make the necessary changes to get back on track. For more about Mercury retrograde in Scorpio -there you’ll find a ritual to help things along.

Mercury, the alchemical change agent, asks how do I digest the information I take in? Mercury retrograde gives us a do-over period, it’s the Universe’s way to say stop the car and look at the map- am I heading in the right direction. While Mercury is retrograding our conscious mind is out to lunch and collectively we are not operating at full steam- it’s a time of "introspection and investigation." (Wickenburg, p. 123) There’s a reason why you don’t start projects or sign contracts, or start a book tour. And why it gets a bit chaotic, everyone’s unconsciously checking their road map.

New Moon October 11, 2007, 1:01 am est at 18 degrees of Libra. Read more about Libra here. In the Libra Mysteries we are called to balance even though things seem out of balance. Balance related to truth telling. A woman’s truth is hardwired into the practical and mystical, the intuitive. The seat of those intuitive powers lie within the three archetypal waters of Cancer[home/mother], Scorpio [death/rebirth] and Pisces [Spirit, the Muse].

< Here’s my SoulCollage for Libra-I am the One who Partners. First wed Self to Spirit then to the sacred other. In my own birth chart watery Neptune sits at 29 degrees of Libra in the 12th house square Uranus in Cancer at 29 degrees both retrograde. Inward before going outward.

Any of you come from a dysfunctional family? Then your truth meter is out of whack and it may be up for some re-adjustments at this new moon. Within every family children are finely attuned to the energies at play...they know what others deny. The mind and heart get conflicted, and the inner balance goes out of whack. Not good for a girl trying to "get a boy" or entering a marriage.

How do you distill truth in your body? Watch for power leaks this month and frauds being unmasked. Be prepared for your own mask to come off. We’ll see this play out in the media and with people in authority being spotlighted. How is this tweaking you? Embodying spirit invites sovereignty- the inner authority to co-create with Spirit, a holiness that recognizes truth and follows the mystery.

The Libra mysteries speak to the importance of all our relationships within and without. Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac. It is an air sign and it is cardinal. Air signs are intellectual and social. Cardinal signs are action oriented, with Mercury retrograding action may be a bit premature. So sit a moment before you react. Libra’s energy invokes your shadow for healing; we see the illusion of someone else’s projection [shadow] and fear [ego] in relationship. Libra offers the sacred mirror. When I come from my lower nature, and the energy is blocked I find myself picking up a sword [words, actions, deeds] for self-protection.

What sword are you holding? To experience this sit quietly a moment and tell yourself a truth. Breathe into that truth and see where the energy flows and how the truth affects you. Make a note of this experience.

Now get up, move around and sit down again. Tell yourself a lie . . . where did the lie hit you? How did it affect your energy? Play with this. Begin to understand the balance of this energy and truth in your body, and how truth communicates with you.

Truth. This energy comes into the fifth chakra [throat] from the forces of the lower natures- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th chakras. Self expression in the fifth chakra is counterpart to the sensate reception coming in through the second chakra. In the second chakra we open to allow the world in through our senses. If this journey was negotiated [as a child] with love and compassion, the second chakra speaks to the 5th and our inner self is expressed outward to the world. -Anodea Judith.

Not defended, we merge. We forgive. Our creativity soars. What messages did you get as a boy or a girl that no longer serves the Divine Self. At this new moon we greet those messages in partnership with someone else. Mercury rules our thinking mind while retrograding through Scorpio our initial programming around sexuality and creativity is coming forward for clearing/renewal. The urge to merge.

Libra’s trait’s- harmony, beauty, wisdom, truth, balance is the etheric template formed in childhood from patterning and programming, conscious or unconscious. We bring that template into all of our relationships for healing, growth and empowerment. Marriage of the self as it relates to the other. We call the sacred other by various names- my colleague, my husband, my daughter, my father/mother, friend and lover. Who and whatever I meet reflects of my essence, it’s part of the "One and the many" Seena Frost discusses in her book SoulCollage®.

Here is Diane’s SoulCollage for Libra "I am the One who is balanced between heaven and earth, between night and day and on the edge of infinity."

It’s time to walk the razors edge, the balance of opposites with faith, hope and trust; like the Goddess of Justice [Pallas Athene] in the Tarot deck who can stand blindfolded. She depends on her intuitive inner sight to weave truth within and without; balances the polarity of light/dark, good/evil, rich/poor with compassion, wisdom and grace. The Goddess of Justice represents the Libra energies, the energy of Order and Harmony expressed at the threshold of one’s divine consciousness and one’s personality [ego]. Then again Libra also represents war.

"How can this energy be associated with war and be considered a Goddess of Order and Harmony? Because divine order, the first law of the universe, can only be achieved through destruction of that which is in disorder. . . .the ego says- don’t express your truth or inner knowing, just go along with the insanity in the name of peace. However, peace at any price is not the way of this Goddess. She is a warrior and she will not accept chaos, confusion and turmoil. She doesn’t think twice about blowing away these problems in a very positive and powerful way. When Christ said that he does not come to bring peace but a sword (right thought), he proclaimed a great truth. No one can have peace until she reaches a state of balance, a state of equilibrium, in which her spiritual process is not hindered by any physical, emotional, mental, personal or social problems."- John Price

How are you currently defended? Have picked up your own sword for protection through your words, emotions and/or thoughts? Force calls for offense. Power calls for nothing- it knows the best defense is no defense- because there is no fear of merging, no loss of self. Surrender. Trust. Love. Compassion. Hope and joy.

Carpe Diem- seize the day. People born or influenced by the Libran urge are the people that seize an opportunity. They are in the moment. A person moving through their fears, understanding their own duality and shadow can see the truth in both their inner and their outer worlds. The power to relate to others is this sign greatest concern.

Beauty, balance, harmony, equality and justice are important where Libra is in your chart. All lessons of Libra involve the realization and integration of opposites, particularly those contrasts found within personal relationships.

The primary purpose of this sign is one of sharing ideas, experiences your life-with others. The house that Libra is on in your chart is where you need to develop a healthy balance between personal goals and respect for the goals of others. Libra shows where you need relationships, which offer feedback, which, in turn, help you develop into a more objective, "other-oriented" individual. Where is Libra in your birth chart? Venus rules Libra and this lunation along with Mercury.

Cooperation is required. Compromise is necessary. Change is inevitable.

Venus rules Libra, she represents beauty and harmony, the law of attraction, ruler of the Greater Mysteries representing love and compassion. In Libra rules the love nature- of sex and passion from an ego [Aries] and a soul level [Libra]. Through the art of relating she brings the ability to both imagine and vision, to change things for the better.

Where does Venus sit in your birth chart? Where is Virgo? At the time of this New Moon Venus and Saturn are holding a meeting in the 2nd house. Edit and sort through your own issues of Self-worth and making money. Take responsibility. Remember Saturn’s there demanding change. Ground the lessons in and respond.

What do you still battle? What has been slaying you for the last 29 years that now calls for order? What is seeking balance that first appeared in the late seventies?

For more information about your chakra system and healing I suggest reading Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self by Anodea Judith. This month focus on the 5th and 2nd chakras. Our chakra system is a computer system within our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Start tracking these energies in sacred relationship- new insights are born. I walk the middle way through Libra (any sign) and "poof" your own Magician appears!

Remember to laugh loud and full from your belly because you now know

"If I am not laughing at it, then it’s not healed."

And Clarence certainly isn’t laughing.

Thanks to all who shared their SoulCollage® for the Libra energies:

www.flickr.com

Top 12 fav blogs-what's their sign?

Ever asked a blog "what’s your sign?" Here’s the top 12 blogs I put my glasses on to read and where I’d place them in the astrology wheel of life. Step back Aries, Pisces comes first on this list.*

1. Pisces-spirit, dreamtime, inner muse: Notes from Dreamtime by writer and shamanic practitioner Craig R. Smith. Smart and irreverent, Craig writes one of the best blogs on shamanism I have found. I am sure there are others and if you blog about shamanism please share the link. Most blogs are just not worth my time to read. Check out a recent post on shamanism and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -Braving the Past *Pisces comes first because it’s my blog and hey, I am a Pisces.
2. Aquarius-awakening, individualist, lightning: An Aquarius person...they are way out ahead of the pack telling their truth while leaving others in the wake scratching their heads wondering- "What’s wrong with you?" Bottom line they are not the status quo. My fav Aquarius pick is Rosie’s Blog. Yes she’s wacky, she’s the court jester [Fool] and she has heart. There is always something that grabs me on her blog like this quote from a reader "we all carry monsters and angels in our hearts - truth allows one to diminish - the other to thrive."
3. Capricorn-public self, the corporate life, working world: Think of AMC’s Mad Men and how they spin the merchandise. A Capricorn blog for me - Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pam Smart. Pam is a great marketing coach I worked with last year who shares how to ’get a life’-step into your power and live your truth beyond the Corporation.
4. Sagittarius-teacher, risk taker, the Hierphont: JWalking by David Kuo over at BeliefNet is a conservative Republican from the early Bush years who had a change of heart (cancer does that to people) and got back to the basics. Truth. While I don’t agree with the politics his insights make me think. Check out his post on Converted by Clinton.
5. Scorpio-transformation, letting go, power: Spiritual Emergency and Spiritual Recovery The 8th house reflects transformation issues- death and rebirth. Many times people get stuck in the journey because they don’t know what is happening. These two blogs are a great resource for the Scorpio energies at play.
6. Libra-harmony, partnerships, balance: Fair and balanced relationships...I offer up The Official Blog for The Work of Byron Katie. No need to say more.
7. Virgo-order, edit and sorting, healer: The Kitchen Designer. As an interior designer I love Susan Sera’s energy and insights into living, designing and planning [so very Virgo] a kitchen. Her work and gardens, c’est magnifique!
8. Leo-joyfully feisty, creative, child-like: There are so many bloggers I could list here, how about my top three- Claudine Hellmuth. Aunty Cookie, D’Blogala
9. Cancer-home, heart[h], family: SouleMama blog by Amanda Soule shares her wisdom, art and stories of creating a home, being a mom and getting back to basics. Her blog was such a hit with readers she got a book deal! Her new website is gorgeous!
10. Gemini-siblings, networking, communicating, thinking: The Wish Jar by Keri Smith. Keri communicates her insights about being an artist, getting back to basics. She’s pregnant and full of creative insights. Watch what a pregnant artist does!
11. Taurus-financial security, self esteem, material things: Success from the Nest by Tony D. Clark asks "Do you want to do meaningful, fulfilling work, and achieve wealth on your own terms - all from the comfort of your own nest?" With his cartoons and insights this blog makes me ponder on my Taurus issues in a good way.
12. Aries- leader, warrior, feisty: Fire, spunk and spirit define’s Sandra Gahlinger’s blog Tittyology. But first read what the Providence Journal wrote as Sandra said “bon voyage to my boobies party,” her “fond farewell to my mammaries,” and her “ta-ta to my ta tas.”

I have to ask what sign is the New Moon Journal for you?

What blogs do you read? Ever thought about what astrology signs a blog relates to in the scheme of life?

I invite you to comment below... share your favorite blog [or two] and what’s it’s sign?

The sweet smell of success

Here are some New Moon Journal® blogkeeping issues (so very Virgo) I need to address. Subscriptions and Content...

RSS problem- RSS is how this blog is published and sent to you. Over the last month I have been getting rebroadcasts of old posts from The New Moon Journal®. How irritating. If I am getting them, then so are you.

I am sorry.

I have talked to both Feedblitz (my subscription service) and TypePad (where my blog is hosted). No one has an answer for me yet. **argh** I appreciate your patience while I work this out. If you read a lot of blogs I suggest using a feedreader. I use BlogLines and love it. I capture the blogs I want to read by clicking the little orange box (found in the person’s blog) and BlogLines does the rest. BlogLines is my morning paper.

The Sweet Smell of Success- Thanks for the link!

I love writing, creating and sharing about the Moon. After six years of publishing The New Moon Journal® [252 posts, 152 comments] my efforts are paying off. Others are picking up the excitement of working with SoulCollage® and the New Moon energies. I am proud to say this blog is being talked about and I am so grateful.

• Amy Cunningham, from Chattering Minds over at BeliefNet wrote a wonderful review this summer while saying good-bye- Websites to Visit, Blogs to read. Thanks Amy! I miss you!
• Astrologer Molly Nagy on About.com posted an article about the New Moon SoulCollage process here. Thanks Molly!
• My Space News links to the New Moon Journal here.

Are you feeling inspired by this website? Are you a blogger? An astrologer? If so I’d appreciate a link on your blog back to the New Moon Journal® when discussing the New Moon SoulCollage® process!

Please let me know about your SoulCollage® cards and I’ll add them to Flicker with a link to your site in the gallery of New Moon SoulCollage® images. And if you blog about SoulCollage® I invite you to join the SoulCollage® WebRing.

So that’s enough blogkeeping for me today, and yes, the New Moon Journal® is now officially registered and trademarked. Yeah!

Martha Stewart and Me, 6 degrees

Beeswax and SoulCollaging®. Martha Stewart and Me. Six degrees of separation.

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one "step" away from each person he or she knows and two "steps" away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is no more than six "steps" away from each person on Earth.-Wikipedia

Do you want to follow an artist and be inspired by not only her talent but also her ability to market and be a successful business woman?

Yesterday collage artist Claudine Hellmuth* was on the Martha Stewart Show. I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER! In 2003 I took a beeswax collage class with Claudine in Orlando. I made several great pieces and got hooked on beeswax. The smell of beeswax is just wonderful as one paints to glue down objects and add color. Those beeswax SoulCollage® cards created a buzz the SoulCollage Facilitator training in February women asked "how did you do that?" Well I have Claudine to thank!!

Here’s one of those pieces turned into a SoulCollage® card using old tissue from a Simplicity dress pattern, wax crayons (red and yellow) and old photograph (that’s my mom’s baby picture**smile**).

The fun of not only discovering new ways of creating but also...

• Community-being in all that creative energy with others of like mind and heart creating art.
• Sharing-Claudine walking into the room with a giant duffle bag of images and dumping the pile on the floor for us to play and create with.
• Observing- I sat in the first row. After getting the class started we got to see Claudine’s process for perfecting and doodling a "new" technique she called Poppets®. Now to see those Poppets® on the Martha Stewart Show was just delicious.

She is a great teacher and I just love her blog, her enthusiasm for the Work and how she keeps reinventing her self and her art. Here’s a snippet from her Beeswax Collage DVD, and if you can catch her on Martha Stewart’s show.

* Six degrees-Holly over at Decor8 (Great blog, great ideas) showcased Claudine’s art a few months back, a Martha Stewart producer reads Holly’s blog and contacted Claudine to be on the show. Six degrees of separation. Yahoo to the power of community and blogging!

Remembering the 2,996

On the 5th year anniversary of September 11th, 2001 I made a commitment to honor one of the 2,996- Loretta...

"I say a heart felt prayer for the world on 9/11, for those heroes that died. As part of the 2,996 project, I honor one hero- Loretta Vero [2,376], a corporate travel consultant who worked on the 94th floor of the South Tower at the World Trade Center. At the time of her death Loretta A. Vero was 51 years young and planning to marry, she had no children, but doted on her niece and nephew. Click to read the rest of the 2006 post here."

Today is the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Virgo, a new moon honors the dark, honors death and subsequent rebirth into fullness. Seena Frost in her book SoulCollage shares "the essence of Death is Transformation. Like the Fool, it is an Interpreter and Surpriser."

We all have been transformed from the 9/11 experiences...today I honor this energy by lighting a candle. Remembering. Honoring. Namaste.

Medicine for the Earth

Been on the road getting Dear Daughter off to fall semester but wanted to share this with you. Sandra Ingerman is a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend who travels the world teaching others how to transform toxins* in our environment. A friend sent me Sandy’s u-tube video about Medicine for the Earth.



For more information also visit these sites:
Medicine for the Earth at http://www.medicinefortheearth.com
Shamanic Teachers http://www.shamanicteachers.com
Here’s the link to Sandra’s Monthly Newsletter
Here’s her books...



* Michele’s Testimonial: I have been integrating the Medicine for the Earth principles into my life and healing practice since 2000.
Two years ago at our neighborhood 4th of July cookout Dear Husband was frying fish. The pot got knocked and spilled boiling oil down Dear Husband’s leg. Immediately I transfigured and started doing healing on his leg, it was an amazing experience. While he experienced 2nd degree burns, the leg never festered, nor did it cause him any great pain, and there is very little scaring.

Holding the Charge

Vision quest, renovation... it’s a special time of year as we collectively enter a 40 day, 40 night period of transformation at the Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 1st, 2007. Are you ready? Like Neo, in the movie the Matrix, you and I took “the pill” to wake up and come out of the collective sleep. Taking this pill means we are called to live our Brilliance, warts and all, to become the sacred observer, the guides in service to our fellow man and the earth. It’s not some of us, it’s in all of us. The energy of Gemini is about living this Divinity. The keyword for this lunation is Embodiment.

In the language of Aramaic there is no word for "good" or "evil". In Aramaic the words would be "ripe" and "unripe. As we make judgments about the goodness or evil manifesting in the world right now I encourage you to work with the metaphor of ripe and unripe. It really helps shift perspective about the forces being played out [in the world].- Sandra Ingerman

A shamanic practitioner works with subtle energies related to the spiritual aspects of an illness. Possession happens when we are not filled with our own power, through the trauma/drama of living life our energy goes elsewhere. Our brilliance recedes. In shamanic terms this creates soul loss, spiritual intrusions and possession. From a shamanic perspective we can see this in extreme cases like the Virginia Tech shooter-there was soul loss and then possession. It is a spiritual illness.

A shamanic practitioner works with a client to restore their power through spiritual means- journeying, ritual and intention. It’s a heart centered process, that is not about good or evil…it’s energy. Light. How do we restore power, embody Light?

Like an energizer bunny -how long can you hold the charge? Be the Light? Holding the charge is directly related to holding the right thought, then relating that thought through right speech, like the movie The Secret. Manifesting the ability to self-correct. A man called last week looking for a depossession, the phone call went like this...

“I think am possessed”.

Michele: Oh my, well we all are in some way.

"I’ve worked with a spiritual healer and I am not any better."

Michele: I am sorry to hear that...I listened for about five minutes and finally said, "Can you stop telling the story in your head and heart, quit sharing the story with others? Quit feeding the energy?"

"What?? Huh?"

In South Florida many cultures practice the art of black magic. This man got mixed up in the wrong crowd and at some point woke up. He shared about feeling psychically attacked, developing stomach problems that the medical community couldn’t address.

Possession is a form of fixation, it’s akin to being possessed by a thought that you just can’t shake…i.e. drinking, eating, spending, stalking. Addictions are a form of possession by a strong emotion/thought. Yes there is such a thing as a possessing spirit or entity- which in heart-centered shamanic depossession work is called a ’suffering being’, so I took this man at his word. It is real for him, and so is his story.

Print out this story in Word.
Print out this story in PDF.

Does your story possess you? We all have a story we share, but if that story is disempowering, then where is the value of constantly repeating it? If you have been building negative intent (anchoring) within your psyche then this is the moment you have been waiting for.

On August 11, 1999 there was a total eclipse of the Sun at 18 degrees Leo. When energy such as this manifests, it makes a mark on the plate. When another planet passes over the mark, it affects the plate and sounds forth its message. This eclipse marked the plate in the four fixed areas in your chart- the places within our psyches where we are most stubborn and rigid- Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are the cornerstones of a building. This area is being renovated collectively.- from Grow what you know.

Since April of 2007, Saturn in Leo is moving over 18-21 degrees of Leo, opposing Chiron in Aquarius. Pluto opposes the Sun/Moon at the New Moon offering up a break-thru. The Universe is sounding it’s message and you are ready to receive it. In September of ’06 Saturn reached the 18th degree of Leo, went forward and then backed up in retrograde, this time offers up nine months of insights. I am writing the New Moon in Gemini story early so you can dance through it, know what is happening.

If Leo’s energy represents your creativity and Aquarius represents becoming the innovator, then how are you "being the change you want to see in the world" ? (Gandhi)

While we dance through these Gemini energies from May 21st-June 20th look at your story, how is that myth empowering your thinking and communication today. What has changed since 1999, in the last nine months? I invite you to honor this journey. Make the necessary changes.

Last month’s Taurus energies were about finances, so you may find yourself challenged to speak up, speak out. Gemini relates to sibling issues- brother and/or sister tweaking you. Find your voice, communicate your needs about your worth. Be kind. On the flip side you may be shouted at…can you keep your cool and really listen?

There are many forms of possession…and most times when healing is challenged it’s because we are attached to the story. The trauma/drama becomes more important than living our brilliance.

One day my friend John was in the hospital with a chronic fever due to his HIV infection. He called as a last resort. Drugs weren’t helping, doctors gave up, he had no faith in the God or the world.

In the hospital we talked a bit. I offered to do a shamanic journey on his behalf. I don’t diagnose, I become a hollow bone for the healing to come through. As I rattled and sang... I saw John playing with rabbits, first as an adult and then as a little boy... then there were thousands of rabbits showing up in my journey. I took this as a sign and brought back Rabbit as a power animal for him. I blew the energies into his heart chakra, and rattled around my friend singing softly. I saw my friend in all his Brilliance, honored his journey, honored the disease. On return I shared the story of what I saw, what my Teachers shared, explained how to work with this power animal. John smiled and shared that he raised rabbits as a child- they were his favorite animals. We laughed and joked, and when I left his eyes were brighter, more full of life.

A week later John called to thank me, he said his fever broke within 24 hours of our session and he was able to go home from the hospital. John, like the energizer bunny "held the charge".

When we feed the negative intent with our thinking, our brillance recedes- that’s why Taurus comes before Gemini. The new moon in Gemini on June 14th, follows Taurus. The Quest: how are you called now to speak your truth based on your issues with self esteem and self worth? What tweaked you last month and how are you communicating these issues in a healthy way?

The principle that guides the Way of the Visionary is telling the truth without blame or judgment. When we express the inner Visionary we know and communicate our creative purpose and life dream, act from our authentic self, are truthful and honor the four ways of seeing.- Angeles Arrien, The Four Fold Way

Know what you’re worth, then the right thoughts anchor, you can Grow what you know. At the time of the new moon in Gemini on June 14th we have moved into a 40 day~ 40 night vision quest. In the old days we’d check ourselves into a monastery for spiritual contemplation and integration, now we are called to undergo this task in our work-a-day world. Take good care.

Can we integrate and be catalysts for change- through our ability to dream a new dream in this apparent chaos? This is a time of reflection, renovation and restoration. During this lunation you are entering a profound time of change where we witness our past, present and future self.

A client may work with a spiritual healer only to find nothing happens. Why? Remember it is a 12-step process (Aries through Pisces), so if you start in May/Taurus clearing the subtle energies, expect a shift 9 months later-February/Aquarius. If you find yourself stuck ask these questions:

• How invested am I in this trauma/drama?
• How is this feeding me? Is there another way?
• How am I letting support in?
• Do I need to reach out?
• If I let it go, what are some alternatives to filling the void. [Find a way to play].

As we work with the energies of Gemini, ask how am I Being the energizer bunny I am meant to be!

Suggestions for the Gemini energies:

Misplaced energy can be birthed to a new place-thank the life experiences and send it lovingly away. You might imagine your Helping Ally or Angel with a Fed-Ex box. Empty your mind, empty your affected chakra into that box and send it out into the universe so another may create with it. Imagine filling up with Light, what color is it? Actively engage these energies, work with the New Moon SoulCollage® process for the Gemini energies.

I am the One who is speaks my truth.
I am the One who is Brilliant.
I am the One who shares healing Stories.

Give this energy within you a place to speak. Share your SoulCollage... let me know what happens.

* In addition to serving as one of advertising’s most recognizable symbols, the Energizer Bunny® has become a cultural icon, serving as a symbol of longevity, perseverance and determination.

If you need a shamanic practitioner go online to www.shamanicteachers.com.

No more peanut butter, the end of an era

The end of an era, well friends today I made my last peanut butter and jelly sandwich **sigh** Good-bye Skippy. Dear Daughter graduates from high school next week and now she is on exam schedule. Each morning for 12 years I lovingly made her school lunch...a ritual that marks the beginning of my day, one heartfelt connection to our sweet child. In a month she heads off to college, it came so quickly. Now my/our life changes in so many ways. I find myself remembering and crying over the littlest things. Did this happen to my mom as I pushed off from home and waved good-bye??? I wonder...

She’s my mystical, magical girl-child who danced and twirled with me on the front driveway to the music of Enya, who saw auras, who innocently shared her past lives by saying "don’t worry Mom, I’ve lived and died many times, and I’ll live and die again."

She is the most amazing person, this baby, this girl now this young woman. She brings me so many blessings....

Today she doesn’t remember this 4 year old self - the One who didn’t care what others thought or whether her hair was straight... who freely conversed with Mom about mystical topics, who spoke her mind - no, wait, she still does...don’t all these Pluto in Scorpio children do that? **laugh**

When we enter school a part of us retreats..the mystical magic (M&M) child self goes into the shadows, especially at the first Saturn square (age of seven). I think they call it the age of reason. At some point all women are called to reclaim that magic again between the ages of 37-45. Some do, some don’t. I have great faith she will re-member.

Today we need more magic in the world, less reason. Now as a practical, passionate, young adult she’s more business- Mom’s mystical stuff is just plain weird. And that’s okay, her M&M self is still there, waiting to return. I am ’the Mom’ she has to rub up against **smile**. I am proud of her in so many ways.

At the New Moon in Taurus we attended college orientation and entered a whirlwind of activities. As our family sat in the audience watching the festivities I wondered where is Taurus for you Dear Daughter? I haven’t spent much time analyzing her chart. As an ’astrologer mom’ reading my child’s chart felt invasive; I decided long ago to let go, she can create her own myth without Mom’s input. She wouldn’t listen anyway.

But on return from orientation curiosity got the best of me, Dear Daughter has Taurus in the 9th house- the house of higher education, the teacher. As I wondered through her chart and saw the planetary aspects her story unfolded in a new way- one I couldn’t see when she was 4, 6, 8, 15... the energies are playing out as she navigates her future. It’s all about right timing, cycles, honoring the beginnings as well as the endings. While bittersweet, this journey is awesome. What a good time to be graduating and heading off to college... someone please hand me a Kleenex.

More about graduation at Chattering Minds.