Total Lunar Eclipse
Messages from the Heart of the Lion
and the Belly of the Whale February 20, 2008 |
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Totally Visible, Totally Awesome
Total Lunar Eclipse
coming to a North American sky near you!
the show begins @ 8pm EST
and ends @ 12:30am EST
on Wed. February 20th
Pull up a chair and pray for a cloud-free, relatively 'not cold' evening! The Sun and Moon are putting on a show for you this week! Hey Everyone, would you like some mid-winter celestial entertainment to help you get through these last few weeks of snow and ice? Well, here you have it. It's a regular Eclipse Hootenanie! Here are all the details, sent in an invitation from the Sun and the Moon:
What: The last Total Lunar Eclipse until December 21, 2010. This week's Eclipse occurs with the Sun in Pisces and the Moon in Virgo, both at 1 degree 53 minutes.
Where: Your backyard (bundle up and/or pray for comfortably cool weather with clear skies!)
When: Wed. February 20, 2008 at approximately 8:00pm EST to prepare for the onset. Details on Timing: "The Moon will enter Earth's much darker umbral shadow at 8:43pm EST on February 20 (5:43pm PST). 78 minutes later the Moon is entirely within the shadow and sails on within it for 51 minutes (about average for a Total Lunar Eclipse) until it begins to find its way out at the lower left (southeastern) edge. The vaguer shading of the inner penumbra can continue to be readily detected for perhaps another 20 minutes or so after the end of the umbral eclipse. Thus, the whole experience ends toward 12:30am EST for the East coast or during the mid-evening hours for the West." - Guy Ottewell, "Astronomical Calendar 2008" p. 9, p. 38, pp. 42-47
Bring: BYOSD - Bring your own Sparkly Drink;)
So What's the Big Deal: Eclipses are a beautiful time for a celestial party! And "this Eclipse is superbly timed for viewing by virtually all of North America on the evening of February 20th (some Eclipses occur during the day and we can't see them). Almost everyone in the Americas and Western Europe will have a beautiful view of this Eclipse. The Moon will be high in a dark evening sky as seen from most of the United States and Canada while most people are still awake." - Guy Ottewell, ibid
Other Facts for You: "Every eclipse belongs to a series of similar eclipses 18,030 years apart (the period called the Saros). This is the 60th in the 71 eclipses of the series assigned the arbitrary number of 121. Solar eclipses at the ascending node gradually work their way southward across the Earth. Thus, the remaining 11 in this series (February 17, 2026, February 28, 2044 etc.) will cut across progressively smaller segments of the Antartic continent and ocean. After 2044, the members of series 121 are only partial eclipses (the shadow's axis missing the Earth) the last barely touching on June 7, 2206." - Guy Ottewell, ibid
So What Does it All MEAN: " A Lunar Eclipse is an alignment of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth similar to the alignment of the tumblers in a combination lock opening a portal to previously unrealized planetary and personal codes. Eclipses accelerate change, clearing, eliminating, releasing, and transforming so we have the ability to more fully manifest our personal and collective codes in alignment with our divine design. When visible, Total Lunar Eclipses are an opportunity to witness all the phases of the Moon, from Full Moon to Full Moon, in about 3½ hours. This is a rapid acceleration in our space-time experience collapsing what is normally about a 30 day cycle to just over 3 hours. - from shamanic astrology mentor, Cayelin Castell
Daniel Giamario - founder of shamanic astrology and my teacher - described this Eclipse as "central and powerful...a night of high ceremony." P.S.: Daniel also has noted that he doesn't really like to teach under a Full Moon Eclipse as it is so intense and there is a lot of (paraphrasing) "projection of inner shadow material" going on. Some of you may recall that I taught my first ever class on Abundance (then known as the Valentines Day Angel Gathering) on March 4th 2007 under a Total Lunar Eclipse. Those of you who were there: do you remember the intensity that day?? The room was literally crackling! It wiped alot of us out. Total, indeed!
So keep it breezy and social and FUN...
As for me, my celebration will be very low-key. I am going to go to a friend's house nearby and we will have a quiet evening of eclipse-gazing and the ceremonial drinking of sparkling grape juice from champagne glasses (if I can remember to bring them:)
And if you like, you can scroll down for some other thoughts on the energies of this exclamation point at the end of this month's Eclipse Portal.
I hope you have a Totally beautiful Eclipse experience
with Lunar Blessings
Carol
here's what the eclipse will look like
Carol Ann Ciocco
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Mercury Pauses to Whisper a Message
(as we emerge from the vortex)
 It just so happens that at the exact time I am typing these words (approximately 10pm on Monday night February 18th) Mercury is Stationing Direct. I.e. from our perspective on earth, he appears to be stopping in the sky and then changing direction. Imagine a train pulling backwards into a train station and stopping; then - after an appropriate pause - starting up and going forward. So, all this week, within the Eclipse window, Mercury will be 'hovering' over us, 'standing still' in the sky. This increases his power and energy in our lives. Since the energy Mercury carries is of the mind and communication (the throat and 3rd-eye chakras), he will have messages for us: Messages about the past two weeks within the Vortex of the Eclipse; as well as Messages connecting back to August 28, 2007 and March 4, 2007 when we had a similar Eclipses in Pisces-Virgo.
In fact, 2006 and 2007 were very heavy with Pisces-Virgo eclipses. They were asking us to focus on our daily routine, instructing us to "clean up our acts." This is the last eclipse in the Pisces/Virgo for a while now. We will be "switching over" to more of the electric Aquarian/Leo polarity for the eclipses this August. (P.S. get ready to sizzle! Think back to two weeks ago, the intensity of that energy!) From there eclipses will shift into the Capricorn/Cancer polarity. And the next Total Lunar Eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010, i.e. at the Winter Solstice; and it will be in Gemini/Sagittarius. So, this week's eclipse not only points backward: it points forward to that powerful Solstice time two years from now...edging us closer to 2012.
Even though this week's eclipse is in Virgo/Pisces, it still has the same impressive line-up of Aquarian planets with us since January. Now, Venus is newly into Aquarius, Mercury is hovering at 9 degrees Aquarius, Chiron is at 17 Aquarius, Neptune at 22 Aquarius, and the North Node at 27 Aquarius - phew! So it's still highly charged with (r)evolutionary energies.
 But we are now crossing through and out of the Vortex energies we entered the night of February 6th - the sometimes violently tornadic energies of 2 weeks ago. (In fact, tornadoes once again ripped through some of the midwestern states yesterday.) In my last newsletter, I said that Rat (our steward for this year) would be scurrying into the Vortex and going for a ride with us. Now he is scurrying out. Along with Mercury, he brings us messages:
I am the self-proclaimed acquisitor. I am a link yet I function as a complete unit. I aim at encompassing heights and strike my target, sure and steady. Life is one joyous journey for me. Each search must end with a new quest. I am progress, exploration and insight. I am the womb of activity. I AM THE RAT - The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes
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Regulus & Saturn: The Lion & The Jaguar
Archangel Raphael, the Cat & Lion People
and the Collapse of Time
 Today is President's Day here in the U.S. It is no coincidence then that Wednesday's Eclipse is highlighted by a conjunction of the planet Saturn and the Fixed Star Regulus - the Heart of the Lion in the constellation Leo. Regulus is one of the 4 Royal Stars of Persia. (The others are Antares, Aldebaran, and Fomalhaut - which will figure in this Eclipse window as well - see the next section for more info on Fomalhaut). Regulus in particular is associated with royalty, with world leaders; and in today's day and age would appropriately apply to Presidents here in the U.S. This eclipse brings energy to the leaders of the world. (P.S. we are all leaders in one way shape or form.)
Regulus was associated with the Archangel Raphael, "the Watcher of the North." Raphael means "God's Healer" or "Doctor of God." Here we have a glimpse into the "Cat and Lion" energies, the healers and doctors of the Universe. This also shows us that leaders at all levels of society (and especially at the level of nations) are meant to carry this healing energy. Part of a leader's job is to bring healing and unity to the land, as per the directive of the star Regulus. (Incidentally: the presidential primaries continue here in the U.S., with perhaps the choice being made this week between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate. One of them could be eclipsed this week.)
 Cayelin Castell says that "the constellation of the Lion in the sky is linked with the Sphinx on the Earth. The Sphinx is the guardian of the Hall of Records on Earth. Moon (aspects) with Regulus allow us to see through the veil into the Hall of Records. This Behenian star has been also magically activated by the transits of Saturn and Venus (in 2007). Saturn will come back to station within less than two degrees of Regulus on May 3, 2008. Saturn will be within 6 Degrees of Regulus from mid-February to mid-July 2008 meaning this magical star is strengthened during that time by Saturn's presence. Regulus is a star that assists us in recognizing patterns, and the micro patterns within the patterns." The recognition of patterns is essential to the Virgo energies of this eclipse. We can choose to tune into the higher wisdom of the Hall of Records (also known as the Akashic Records) and observe the patterns of our lives and of what is going on around us.
Fixed Star expert Bernadette Brady tells us that with Regulus we must be cautious NOT to act from revenge. She says that this star can take a leader to great heights; but if at any time they stoop to the level of their 'enemies' and reach for revenge, they will FALL from Grace (see the next section for more information on the concept of a FALL associated with this eclipse).
The key to NOT 'falling' and NOT acting from revenge is to anchor your actions in the Heart of Compassion. The Heart of the Lion asks this of you. Don't get so caught up in your detached observance of the patterns around you (or in the thrill of 'the roar':) that you miss an opportunity to Love. Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld, the authors of "Starlight Elixirs & Cosmic Vibrational Healing," suggest that we earthlings are actually teaching the beings of Regulus a little something about Love and coming from the Heart!
 And, as if we don't have enough felines for our eclipse line-up yet, Wed. February 20th also just 'happens' to be 6 Jaguar in the Mayan Day Count (at the time of the Eclipse in Washington DC on the East Coast of the U.S.) The Jaguar is one of the key power animals of the Mayan cosmology and holds the energy of the Shaman, the one with Heart Knowing and Magic. The Healer. The patterns continue...
Lions and Jaguars and Sphinxes - Oh My! Well, amidst all of this feline flurry, Saturn brings a strong earthy Virgo energy to the mix. Saturn carries an authoritarian vibe. But in Virgo, Saturn is more of the worker-bee than the leader; suggesting that it's time that we all roll up our sleeves and get the job done. I.e. rather than projecting all of our power onto the "Powers that Be" (the Leonian Gods with Royal Blood) and waiting for them to save the world for us.
During the 3 hours of the Lunar Eclipse, Time will "collapse" and in a sort of TIME-LAPSED PHOTOGRAPHY an entire month will play out in a few hours. Here is a Re-set button for you. This is a good time to open up your celebratory heart of compassion and healing, to open up your inner Akashic Records, to tune into the Sphinx of wisdom that lives inside you, and to run with the power of the Jaguar under this Full Moon Total Eclipse. Enjoy the blessings of shining your Light as a guide and leader for those around you.
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Jonah & the Whale: The Fall
of Martyrdom as a Strategy
and the Emergence of Compassion
as a Balm to the Soul
Still within the Eclipse window, on Friday February 22nd the Sun will be very near the Royal fixed star Fomalhaut in the constellation of the Southern Fish or Whale (Pisces Astrinus).
 Cayelin Castell writes, "Fomalhaut is the 17th brightest star in our night sky and is the most prominent star visible near the constellation of the Water Bearer. Fomalhaut is located beneath the Water Bearer and marks the open mouth of the fish who is gathering the water droplets or nectar falling from the water jar. The imagery of Kwan Yin holding the water jar over the dragon's mouth was inspired by this area of the sky.The Moon was near Fomalhaut at the August 2007 Lunar Eclipse and now the Sun is near this star during the February 2008 Lunar Eclipse. This is a great time for working with the imagery of the healing nectar falling easily into the mouth of the fish healing the wounds generated from the misconceptions of genuine compassion and self-sacrifice. The original meaning of the word 'sacrifice' was 'to make sacred.'"
The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 2 Virgo echoes this idea of re-imagining what compassion is, what healing is ... and what true sacrifice is. The symbol is "A Large White Cross, Dominating the Landscape, Stands Alone on Top of a High Hill." Here the energy speaks to the old ideal of carrying a cross and becoming a martyr for a cause. Standing alone shows that this can be a lonely path, one perhaps bereft of joy. Instead of bearing a cross of isolation and martydom, perhaps we should create more of a balance in life, "money, relationships, family, career, etc. This can lead to a stronger sense of spirituality and dissipate feelings of sacrifice, separation or loneliness." (Linda Brady)
Here we have the Piscean energies of this eclipse emerging into our consciousness to bring healing waters of compassion to some of the more fiery/electric/charged energies of late. Compassion is a balm, a nectar for the Soul. Oh and don't forget: our compassion needs to extend to ourselves as well. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to get! Even the Buddha reminds us: "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."
 The Moon Mansion of this Eclipse is Mansion Twelve, entitled "The Fall" by the authors of "The Moon Oracle" (Caroline Smith and John Astrop). Here we see an image similar to that of the Fool card, but with more of a careless energy attached to it. "A young woman runs without looking where she is going. She is approaching the end of a jetty and is about to fall into the water. In the background, standing before some buildings, two figures are waving and shouting a warning. There is a Red Moon against a dark sky" in the background. (Interesting, since Full Moon Eclipses are often Crimson in color. See below for more info on this phenomenon.)
We see in this symbol, the FALL FROM GRACE that was predicted with Regulus if we don't lead from the Heart of Compassion and Healing. Here we are being warned to find a balance between recklessness (the lion roaring out of egocentricity perhaps, a pitfall of Leo) and the need for restraint (the martyr being the extreme here, a pitfall of Pisces). Notice if a wrong decision has been made. If so, Humble yourself in Honesty; because there is still time to rectify the mistake. Note: It will take a few more weeks for Mercury to get up to his "normal speed" and we are still in the drawing-board phase of many projects, so mistakes may surely come to our awareness. Also: the astrological new beginning of the year is on the New Moon in Aries on April 5th, so many of us are still in the process of percolating.
 If we DO fall into the water, what will happen then? The story of JONAH AND THE WHALE is another facet of the energies of Fomalhaut and the lessons we are learning about compassion within Humanity. The story of Jonah from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is often told at Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It also is associated with Lent, or the purification of the Soul through fasting and prayer. (Remember what we have just learned, however, about going to extremes with religious fervor!)
Jonah is the archetypal "reluctant prophet." God told him to go to Nineveh (kind of like going into a crime-ridden neighborhood or a "red-light district") to encourage the people there to repent. Jonah didn't want to go, so he hopped a ship and went in the other direction! (Ah, I can relate!) So, the story goes: God sent a storm and a Whale swallowed Jonah into his belly, where Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights, um... giving him some time to think:)
"Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God, out of the fish's belly." Jonah 2:1
"I sank beneath the waves and death was very near. The waters closed around me and seaweed wrapped itself around my head; but you, O Lord my God, have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death." Jonah 2:5-6
"Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Mathew 12:40
30 days, 3 days, 3 hours... "a rapid acceleration in our space-time experience collapsing what is normally about a 30 day cycle to just over 3 hours" This Eclipse experience can be like that for us: a 3-day, 3-minute, 3-hour immersion into a time-outside-of-time. 30 days of Lent collapsed into a few hours on a winters night.
Jonah ended up going to Nineveh, mainly because that's where the Whale coughed him up! And in fact he was successful in his mission: the entire village of Nineveh repented!
According to Smulkis and Rubenfeld, the Royal Star Fomalhaut brings with it some teachings about addictions. Fomalhaut is associated with the Archangel Gabriel, the Watcher of the South, and God's poweful messenger. With Fomalhaut in the picture we can ask ourselves some questions: when we carry the message of God, are we ADDICTED to the feeling of power, of being a "savior" to others? This is especially important for those of us in the healing fields. Or are we addicted instead to doing things our own way, to going the opposite direction of what our Highest Guidance asks of us (like Jonah did)? Fomalhaut asks us to take note of where we are addicted or "enslaved" to people, places and things in our lives. And to remember that even religion and spirituality can become an addiction.
True compassion - for self and others - is a way of life, not a dogma and not a severe path of sacrifice. Just a path of Love, a path of the Heart. On the night of this Eclipse, start with Loving Yourself.
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Red Light in the Dark
The umbra is the part of Earth's shadow where the Sun is blocked completely. So why does the eclipsed Moon glow deep orange or red, rather than being blacked out?
The answer is amazing.
The red light you'll see on the Moon comes from all the sunrises and sunsets that are occurring around Earth at the time. Our atmosphere scatters and refracts (bends) the sunlight that grazes the rim of our globe, sending some of it into Earth's shadow.
If you were an astronaut standing on the Moon, the situation would be obvious. You would see the Sun covered up by a dark Earth that was ringed all around with a thin, brilliant band of sunset- and sunrise-colored light.
Watch the Moon carefully for other colors during totality, especially through binoculars or a telescope. Sometimes delicate blues, greens, and purples come and go. Time-lapse photography may show "flying shadows" crossing the Moon's face during totality. These result from different features along Earth's sunrise-sunset ring fading and brightening as the Sun shifts position behind Earth.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/15357796.html
 brought to you with Love by Carol Ann Ciocco
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