I’m in the thick of a great book – i read a lot of great books, all of the time… (as do you, I’m sure!) but this one made me want to get to word out very quickly to everyone in reach. It’s perfect for Zone living or flow living (several authors have been writing about flow) – anyways being involved in a number of paradigms (and fields of influence), while having been in the cross-roads of many of them, and weaving together my own tapestry of wholistic thought and practice, well; it has taken a lot of investment on my part to acquire, open my mind, and then to integrate and share my sources in the networked brain language way that is uniquely me. This book I am bringing forward in mid-stream, haven’t integrated any of it yet (okay, maybe some) – when I took my first leap in 2007.
Anyways, without further ado: I strongly recommend those who are wishing to expand – to read: The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks
When I first encountered Gay and Katie Hendricks, it was in one of those emails I signed up for several years ago – when my consciousness expansion was rounding a new corner. I probably listened to one of the free web-conferences when they were just budding into a field of opportunity that many are still capitalizing on.
Anyways,
I’m still working on photographs (in my mind), astrology updates (in the ethereal, too), and going back into my deep dive – pulling a swan dive for this one, so I have to really work on my physical body to get that grace and elegance flowing and ready to be channeled….
Love you all!
Ka
P.S. I’d like to add that this book is a good recommendation for the Mars/Pluto conjunction that is currently taking place in Capricorn. I have (Mars/Pluto) natally in Libra (a nice square for me – even ‘extra’ pressure to ‘transform’) and for me is works well with this book – that 12th house is all about the unconscious…. this book is all about (the rest of the title): “Conquer your hidden fear and take life to the next level.” Anyways, I believe that no matter where in your chart is the Mars/Pluto conjunction that we are all experiencing… this book will help you get past what Gay call’s your (ULP) – Upper Limit Problem.
Today as I was drawing up the astrological chart for the Vernal Equinox, I was running into all sorts of snags in terms of saving the chart and technological stuff. So, I had to sit myself down and slow down. I recalled back to all the progress I made with my em-Wave heart coherence the day before, and I was thinking about how I practice astrology and what I can contribute. Often times when we have a Full moon, or a New Moon or another punctuated seasonal event, we often embellish (as a culture) the sign that the Sun is in. Now, the Sun is special to me, sure (as a Leo), but in reality, what we are seeing is a BALANCE of signs and energies at any given moment. I say this because my natal Sun is in Libra’s house. So, balance is incredibly important to me, as we perceive it. I also have a tendency to believe in an inherent and natural balance that happens on its own, the way matter settles under gravity.
We have so many planets in Aries right now, and so it’s easy (understatement) to get carried away. I know I have been ~ so much creativity, there’s the gentle kick-back though and reminder for me, today, to just ‘be receptive’ and settle into some of this exuberance. Or, let the exuberance settle into me. There’s this excitement of what is to come during this time of the year – what has been growing and what might be around the corner waiting to be planted. Nevertheless, there is also this sense of ordinariness that creeps in and reminds me, we faithfully celebrate the turn of the seasons every year. If we didn’t, I don’t believe that we would be upsetting the Gods/Goddess/or Nature itself.
Back to the point about balance: I like to look at signs in “‘2’s.” Like a virtual see-saw, with a central pivot. I do not focus all my energy on the one spotlight sign: Aries! There’s a natural focus on Aries right now. So, I look to Libra. Do you follow me? Once I spring, there’s gotta be the opposite movement, “the catch.” I want my virtual see-saw to be nice and chill though, so there’s gotta be a central focus – between the two. But in balancing, just like a bicycle, I have to subtly pivot to both sides, one at a time.
A few years ago I did trapeze with my husband for the very first (and only) time. I’m going to use that as my metaphor. The Aries energy was helping me climb up that pole and reach the heights that I was reaching, but that was only the beginning. I needed the “will to move.” What I also needed was the listening ears for the instructions about how to hold my hands, and what to do when the trapeze bar came my way. I could see the net, yes, but when you are up-high, you don’t really calculate how much spring is in that net that helps catch you if you fall. There’s more. I didn’t know there was more until I was listening to the directions. I was told how to position my hands so that I would be ready for the catch. That’s right. Not only did I have to catch the bar, and then put up my knees and let go of my hands, my final fete was to open my hands and allow myself to be caught. That part was easy, but it was also tricky; it required one extra moment of acceptance, receptivity.
So, Libra is needed – to balance – the Aries energy.
During this Vernal Equinox, what are you catching? What’s in your net? What are you listening to? How will you bounce if you fall? Will you make ‘the catch’ and allow yourself to ‘be caught’? How can you balance your receptivity to others with your will to live and do and be so freely?
Ka Malana holding up April Elliot Kent’s book: Astrological Transits.
Some people are just so easy to converse with!
That’s how I feel about April Elliott Kent.
When she and I met, I didn’t realize that I’d be taking my astrology anywhere. As a solo practitioner of astrology, I didn’t really have any astrology friends. I was mostly closeted about it for a while. I was discovering it all on my own, with the help of books, while maintaining and editing my own constant reflections upon the transits. To me, it was my private scientific investigation.
Eventually, I had this blog, and I was meeting with the occasional client. I was still feeling out what exactly I wanted to do with my clients in the astro realm. I kept looking for the “WE,” the co-creating. How could I really be of service in a way that also worked within the flexible framework of my highest values and within my integrity? These were the types of questions that I began asking myself while healing from a major back injury, when I met April two years ago, in my new city.
I didn’t realize that April was such a popular and well-established astrologer!
She was just such a great friend to me from ‘go,’ and I noticed that we linked up nicely when comparing our charts, but I really only looked ‘after the fact’ for any astrological connection. Then, after a while, I started to read her blog posts on the New and Full moon (just like I had been writing about on my blog!) and I kept getting more and more of this sense about her as a WISE woman, with a delightful conveyance of the astrological archetypes. Truly her writings are highly accessible, and contribute to anyone’s monthly astrological undertakings.
To say that I have developed a deep respect for this woman as a person far surpasses even my own understanding for what she knows about astrology! That being said, I want to move onto a review of her book. Yes, I will basically be doing that from the perspective of being a friend and a fan.
A Beginner’s Book is a beginner’s book; it is something that you can understand if you don’t have a lot of background knowledge. The full title of her book is Astrological Transits: The Beginner’s Guide to Using Planetary Cycles to Plan and Predict Your Day, Week, Year (or Destiny). Side note, I can admire a woman who uses parentheticals. It’s one of my favorite features for writing in TODAY’s complex world. I applaud her use of parentheses in the title of this book.
If you notice the way I photographed the book, it appears as though it is as big as my heart–no, even bigger. It takes up the entire space of my chest. Why did I photograph it that way? Although this book is a “beginner’s book,” I see the value in all things “beginner,” and recognize that this book is for me. ☺
I commend this text for its concise organization, while containing a lot of solid “How To” information. April writes to TODAY’s astrologer: Astrological Transits makes what is classic, accessible. I am also referring to her writings, here, where her style really shines.
For the non-astrologer: Other books like it (Beginner’s Guides: sure there are some exceptions but…) rarely do they include a tiny little box of helpful tips specifically like, “how long this transit lasts,” and the approximate age that you may experience a particular transit. You do not have to be an astrologer to learn from this book!!! Whether you are an astrologer or not, consulting with another astrologer can be very helpful, as it helps to guide your understanding of what you are learning, experiencing, and evaluating.
Here’s an excerpt: I like April’s advice here about the Sun transiting the 10th house of a natal chart; it’s good advice for anyone, at any time!
The trick to enjoying the Sun in the tenth house is to imagine not that you’re in an inferior position that must be escaped at all costs, but rather that you’re in the perfect position to get where you’re going. Part of that journey begins with a plan—for your career or even for your whole life. If you already have a plan, revisit and revise it. If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t recognize it when you arrive. Also, since you probably work plenty hard already, work smarter—and learn to delegate. Even if you can do anything, you don’t have to do everything. Partner with others who like to do things you don’t care for, and vice versa. You’ll go much further with help from others than you can alone.”
Please visit her here @ BigSkyAstrology.com, where she’s been publishing for 15 years! Astrological Transits: The Beginner’s Guide to Using Planetary Cycles to Plan and Predict your Day, Week, Year (OR DESTINY) is her newest book!
In Astrological Transits, astrologer April Elliott Kent teaches you:
How Today’s astrological weather affects your birth chart and what is going on in your life
Ways to make the most of good transits and harness and transform the energy of challenging ones
The roles recurring planetary cycles play in your life and how to anticipate important transits
This month’s Lunar Eclipse will occur on April 15, 2014. In California, it will happen at 12:42am. The month is filled with challenges and opportunities, and the feminine energy returns.
Challenges & Opportunities
This month we have a lot of “heavy duty” transits. The Grand Cross pattern that the heavens have been cultivating is known to bring challenging experiences. These experiences, however, can be very constructive. Often, they ARE constructive, but we don’t realize that until the pressure is turned down, way down. The Grand Cross is simply a pressure valve, and it can be expressed in many different ways, each unique to one’s own chart and behavior pattern. We can even see this pressure valve trying to release itself in the land with the earthquakes in Chile.
Any challenge has the potential to bring out the best of those working toward a goal by transforming challenges into opportunities. The Grand Cross pattern provides an opportunity for maintaining one’s focus, and specifically in a Cardinal Grand Cross, using that focus as a trajectory.
Unfortunately, the Grand Cross pattern/configuration does not lend itself really well to teamwork. The energy is so very centralized, and it’s a good idea to watch any area of your life where you may be overdoing it, or any area that is demanding too much of your time where your energies are too scattered. You want to make the best of the energies that are supporting you!
Feminine Return
This Lunar Eclipse in Libra certainly calls for some peace and some grace. It’s best to take your time when you can; the pace of interaction can be swift and jarring for those who are sensitive.
Now is the time to find/create the quiet, safe place within yourself; or, it can be any place you designate. Let the receptive, feminine energy (also known as the yin shadow) ‘cool down’ some of the fiery masculine energy of Aries, the yang excitement. In other words, find the Libran balance, the fulcrum point, and rest in stillness for a while.
Both of the eclipses this month call upon the Goddess energy, the White Tara of Compassion. The Lunar Eclipse on April 15th is in Libra, a masculine sign ruled by a feminine planet; and, the Solar Eclipse is in the feminine sign of Taurus, on April 28.
Finally, the most satisfying and pleasant feature of this month’s planetary configuration is the grand trine of Saturn, Jupiter, and Chiron. Venus (ruler of Libra) will be transiting conjunct Chiron (applying aspect), and by month’s end, Venus will be forming a harmonious trine with Saturn. Venus rules both Libra and Taurus, making Venus a prime motif for us all month.
Personal note: I shall be taking a break from my blog writing/sharing for most of the month, and will be focusing on my clients, my schoolwork, and travel. We live in exciting times, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to share so much through the blog-space!
In honor of this switching of the tides, I thought I’d write a little something about it. According to my trusty ephemeris, the nodes changed into Aries/Libra on February 20, 2014. While some of the new energies and themes may seem to have really changed the tone of our surrounding relationship themes, the new Libra/Aries nodal positions will be in effect up to October of 2015.
The nodal positions in our birth chart show our soul’s past and future trajectories. While this may sound like fate/destiny, it’s really only so in the sense that we are working with archetypes. There’s so much room for movement and interpretation in this expression of the archetype—such as is with astrology.
What the changing nodal positions indicate is theme for all relationships and outcomes. In essence, the nodes express the focal point for the One’s evolution, and therefore consciousness taken as a whole.
Libra/Aries changes the tone quite a bit from Scorpio/Taurus. Perhaps we’ve taken things as far as they can go “on our own.” We’ve may have even triumphed with the energy of individuality and with Uranus currently sitting in Aries, there’s been a lot of electricity and inspiration in self-motivation—but it’s also been a lot more erratic. Where’s the balancing point? What’s the unifying piece, the “key-stone” in togetherness?
This is what it means to have the North nodal position in the sign of Libra. It means that we are working on making things more pleasant for ourselves and for those around us. We are more interested in developing social graces and tactfulness. The idea and the goal is for the expression of the individual, Aries, energy to find ‘peace’ within the Libra framework of beauty. This, in essence, is the balancing of the masculine ‘within’ the feminine.
Mars as ruler of Aries has been in Libra for an extended stay. The energy of Mars has been bubbling to the surface in little spits and fits. Underlying is the need for expression in a socially acceptable way. The planet is healing this anger and the boundaries put in place by Scorpio/Taurus arrangements.
Kokology is the study of kokoro (“mind” or “spirit” in Japanese). It is a game of self-discovery that was designed by Isamu Saito. We are about to play it!
Directions: read the exercise below and leave a comment with your own response to what follows in the story. Once I have 3 comments/responses (or until I get back to my computer)—I will post the responses/meanings to the kokology game in my comments section.
The Game Begins: Welcome to My Parlor
In the human unconscious, spiders hold a place of fear and respect that’s entirely out of proportion to their tiny size. Perhaps it’s their skill in hunting, their patience when lying in wait, or their ability to weave devious webs to trap their prey. Whatever the reason, spiders evoke a strong mixture of feelings in us all.
Imagine you are a spider, sitting at the center of a large web you have spun.
You will need a pencil and paper for this one—to record your answer (or you can describe with words what you pictured in the comments section).
1). Draw a picture of your web and the number and types of insects you have trapped in it.
2). You move to make a meal of one of your pray, but somehow it frees itself from the web and escapes. As it hurries out of reach, the lucky bug says something to you. What are its parting words?
****************************************KEY************************************Kokology’s Key to “Welcome to My Parlor: The spider is one of the great hunters of the natural world. Your impressions of life as a spider show us something about how you see your experience as a hunter in the wilds of love. 1.) The number and types of bugs you drew corresponds to your own love conquests. The web represents your strategies and techniques for luring others into your clutches, while the types of bugs you caught reflect your opinion of your former lovers. Was it a single common housefly? A lovely butterfly that only leaves you hungry afterward? Perhaps a fat, juicy caterpillar? Or maybe an unappetizing mass of mosquitoes, roaches, and worms wriggling as they await your approach? Some spiders will eat anything. 2). The parting words of the bug that got away are your memories of rejection in a failed conquest. Let’s face it, we’ve all been shot down at one time or another–this game shows the words that hit closest to home. “You’ll never catch me, you ugly old spider!” Ouch. “Better luck next time!” Well, thanks for the encouragement, anyway. “Hooray! I’m free, I’m free!” Okay, you’re free. But you don’t have to be quite so happy about it, do you?”
Fiesta Estrellas 
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