Monthly Archives: May 2012

The Cosmic Story: Gemini New Moon Solar Eclipse 2012 By Cathy Lynn Pagan

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                                                          The Cosmic Story:

Gemini New Moon Solar Eclipse, May 20, 2012

Now is the Time — Hafiz
Now is the time to know That all that you do is sacred.
Now, why not consider A lasting truce with yourself and God.
Now is the time to understand That all your ideas of right and wrong
Were just a child’s training wheels To be laid aside
When you finally live With veracity And love.

My dear, please tell me, Why do you still Throw sticks at your heart And God?
What is it in that sweet voice inside That incites you to fear?
Now is the time for the world to know That every thought and action is sacred.
This is the time For you to compute the impossibility That there is anything But Grace.
Now is the season to know That everything you do Is sacred.
(The Gift – versions of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)

Total Annular Solar Eclipse 

May 20th‘s Gemini New Moon joins with the south lunar node, engendering the first annular eclipse in 18 years — an eclipse that appears to have a “ring of light’ around the Sun.   The eclipse starts in southern China, passes through Japan and ends in the western US.   In other parts of the world in daylight, the Moon will partially cover the Sun.   The eclipse starts on May 20th at 8:56pm UT (Universal Time) and ends on May 21st at 2:49am UT. For more information on the timing for your area, you can go to: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-may-2012.html .   For the US, that means it starts at 1:56pm PDT/ 4:56pm EDT.   And it is total at 4:48pm PDT/ 7:48pm EDT.


Solar Eclipse Ring of Fire by Cathy Pagano/Kepler

 

So now that the technical information is out of the way, just what does the Gemini solar eclipse have in store for us?   A solar eclipse is a special new Moon, when the Sun and Moon and Earth line up on the same plane in space.   This line-up disrupts the “usual’ energy, dissolving old complexes/behavior patterns and allowing new archetypal energies to emerge from the unconscious (the light of the Sun/consciousness is blocked).   The south node of the Moon indicates where our comfortno longer serves us and points to what we have to release.     In Gemini, the energy that needs releasing is the way our culture has trained us to think about things.   As Hafiz says, ” Now is the time to understand that all your ideas of right and wrong were just a child’s training wheels, to be laid aside when you finally live with veracity and love.”   The US President just came out of the closet in support of gay marriage — a new perspective on partnerships that is sorely needed (Saturn in Libra is helping this along).

With the new Moon on the south node in Gemini, our old perceptions, thought patterns and knowledge can dissipate , leaving us open to perceive, think and know in new ways.   These old habits of mind no longer reflect the new realities of life, and so they no longer serve life.   Despite any uncomfortable feelings, release these old concepts, and try to see the world with a compassionate heart. ” Now is the time for the world to know that every thought and action is sacred. ”   I think we’re all ready for that, don’t you?


Gemini by Cathy Pagano/Kepler

The sign of Gemini relates to the Mind, highly curious and hungry for knowledge, and how we use the Mind to think, gather knowledge and communicate.   The sign of the Twins, one mortal and one immortal, implies that there are many ways to understand life, from common sense to the most complex mathematics.   This eclipse can do away with the patriarchal misconception that only factual knowledge is “real’.   Be open to your own unique way of learning, see what you discover and when necessary, share it.

Neptune in Pisces (squares) pushes at this eclipse, urging us to listen to our psychic abilities.   Neptune can confuse us with deceit and illusion, but it also opens up our imagination to thehidden realities of life.   This is a more right-brain, feminine way of knowing than our analytical, verbal, problem-solving patriarchal left-brain mode.   Real wisdom comes from an intuitive, feeling understanding of life.   This eclipse has the potential to change how we understand our world and each other.   So plant a new wish at this new moon eclipse to see the world through different eyes, touch the world with different hands, hear the world with different ears, smell and taste the world in truth so we know what the Earth needs too.


Gemini Solar Eclipse 2012 by Cathy Pagano/Kepler

Mars in Virgo opposes Neptune/Chiron in Pisces and squares this eclipse, giving us the determination to follow through on this change.   Just remember, don’t fall into the Virgo trap ofhaving to be perfect; think rather in terms of being whole.   Mars’ gift in Virgo is to uncover what the real nature of our desires are, and then to infuse us with the energy to go after them.   That’s what this Mars retrograde in Virgo was all about.   We need to know ourselves, what we desire out of life, and how we want to live our lives.   Only then can we create a different future for ourselves and our world.

There is definitely a watery theme to this very airy eclipse.     It’s fascinating that this eclipse arcs over the Pacific Ocean more than any landmass, accentuating Neptune’s sway over the oceans and the collective unconscious.   And it’s interesting that filmmaker James Cameron descended to the deepest part of the ocean, called Challenger Deep, part of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, in late March for the first time since 1960, when it was explored by U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and the late Swiss explorer Jacques Piccard.

The Pleiades by NASA

As Marina at Darkstar Astrology mentions, this eclipse occurs on the fixed star Alcyone in the Pleiades.   This star cluster, called the Seven Sisters, is an ancient part of our collective psyche, known as a source of wisdom and origins in many mythologies.   The Pleiades are associated with the rainy season and fertility, and so we see the watery symbolism again.   The Cosmic Story tells us we need to be washed clean of our old perceptions and stuck beliefs. This baptism will renew our energies and allow us a more balanced understanding of life.   I had a dream in which I saw the Pleiades shining in the daytime sky — a sure sign of a cosmic renewal.

We’ll need new, refreshing insights as we move into this summer’s first Pluto/Uranus square, so the revolutionary energies can flow through us peacefully and artfully.   I believe we must join together and use our artistry to enchant people with the possibilities of how we can change the way western society operates, and more importantly, how to use our imaginations rather than fall into our fears.

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A Mother’s Love Knows No Boundaries

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Mysteries of the Heart
It is not commonly known that a baby’s heart develops and begins beating in the fetus before the brain is formed. Or that the human heart possesses a complex energetic system that processes electromagnetic information that research shows can be detected up to three feet outside the body.

IHM’s research shows the heart produces 40 to 60 times more electrical amplitude than the brain. The heart acts like a director, and much of the rest of the human body follows its lead.

“The heart puts out a powerful, rhythmic signal that the brain responds to,” IHM Director of Research Dr. Rollin McCraty has explained. “In a way, we could say that the heart and brain ‘talk’ to one another, and together they set the rhythms for the entire nervous system and body.”

The heart also sends signals about how we feel. As we experience emotions such as happiness, sadness, love and fear, that emotional information is encoded in signals from the heart and projected around us.

Emotions sometimes appear to affect our surroundings, much like in the saying, “You could cut the tension in the room with a knife.” That saying may have its roots in the stress signals our hearts project in tense situations. This could explain how, when a child or parent is facing a challenge, each is sensitive to what the other is feeling. It could also account for why mothers always know when their children are up to some mischief, or why we can detect the emotional vibes of people around us, especially those we love or care about like family or friends.
We Are What We Feel
Parents and caregivers know that being upset usually makes it harder to think clearly. That’s because when we are anxious, afraid, worried, frustrated or upset, our heart rhythms are uneven and incoherent. Negative emotions register in the brain and body as stress and create incoherence.

A negative emotion immediately triggers a chain reaction in the body: constricted blood vessels, higher blood pressure, cortical inhibition, immune-system suppression and compromised hormone balance among other effects.

On the other hand, heartfelt positive emotions such as love, care, appreciation and compassion have the opposite effect. Positive emotions produce smooth and coherent heart rhythms, making it easier to think clearly and make good decisions, as well as improving health.

Jane Nelson, the bestselling author of the Positive Discipline book series, says it’s very important for parents to be aware of how the heart is directing them. “I teach parents how to listen to their hearts,” Nelson said. “When they listen to their hearts’ intelligence, they make better decisions.” View the free webinar with Dr. Jane Nelson, Cultivating Positive Discipline for Children.
Meet Claire, a Heart-Intelligent Parent
Claire Shaffe, a mother of two, has tapped into her heart’s intelligence for a number of years by practicing HeartMath techniques with her family. She said the techniques have improved her relationship with her children and helped her stay connected with her heart and set a loving example, even in difficult situations.

“When I’m up against one of those standoffs where my children are disagreeing with me on what a healthy snack would be or when bedtime is, I use my heart tools so I don’t react from anger or frustration,” Shaffe said.

“If a feeling of frustration comes up, I pause for a moment before I respond, and I use the Attitude Breathing®Tool (explained below) that I learned from HeartMath. I breathe in deeply and slowly through the area of my heart, and focus on feeling an attitude of love. Then I breathe out slowly a feeling of deep care. Before I know it, the frustration has dissipated and I feel more centered and balanced. From this place, I’m better prepared to respond with understanding and care, even if my decision isn’t a popular one.”

When you take a moment to shift away from frustration by recalling a genuine feeling of love, care or appreciation, you are replacing a negative emotion with a positive one and you are realigning the brain, heart and nervous system. The shift to this more coherent state enables you to make clear and efficient decisions, out of caring, rather than frustration.

Shaffe said a bonus of practicing the HeartMath techniques is knowing her children are observing how they guide and help her. They see her making a shift from frustration to a new, more constructive perspective. She said there have been times when her children have asked if they could practice HeartMath’s heart tools with her.
Parenting with Attitude
IHM has developed many heart-based tools and techniques for improving the lives of adults and children. For parents and caregivers, heart tools like Attitude Breathing can be a great asset in the daily care of children. As Clare learned, children are easily influenced by the adults around them and benefit from observing this tool in action.
The Attitude Breathing ® Tool
Use HeartMath’s Attitude Breathing to help you synchronize your heart, brain and nervous system and shift into a coherent state. Here are the steps of this effective tool:

  1. Breathe in while focusing on your heart area, imagining you are actually breathing through your heart. It may help to place your hand over your heart.
  2. Now concentrate on a positive feeling or attitude as you breathe out.
  3. Lock in this new feeling as you continue to breathe it in and out through your heart area.