7TH MOON CELEBRATION, NEW MERCURY, MARS/URANUS TANGO

7TH MOON CELEBRATION, NEW MERCURY, MARS/URANUS TANGO

The appearance of the crescent Moon on the evening of September 27th signals the beginning of a ten day period celebrated in five world cultures. Traditional Cherokees, Chinese, Jews, Hindus, and followers of the Greek Mysteries all believe this the time each year when the world recreated. The more we get to core during these ten days the
more we are empowered to recreate our world.


THE SEVENTH MOON & THE TEN DAY / NINE NIGHTS FESTIVAL

"Through celebrations in their seasons are the deeper powers
of human nature realized"
- Rudolph Steiner

The crescent Moon nearest Autumn Equinox signals the beginning of
a new cycle of creation according to many ancient traditions.
The Cherokee call this the Great New Moon and believe it is when
the world is recreated each year. The remarkable parallel between
this Cherokee traditional belief, Jewish Rosh Hashanah and
corresponding celebrations of other diverse world cultures is
the subject of this article.

The New Moon closest to Autumn Equinox is the 7th New Moon of the
zodiacal year, the 7th after the Spring Equinox. The 7th New Moon
becomes visible this year on the evening of September 27th. This
is when the Cherokee traditionally begin their new year festival
called Nuetiegwa, the Great New Moon Ceremony. In Jewish custom
the shofar (a ram's horn)is blown to announce the beginning of
the New Year. The Jewish New Year celebration Rosh Hashanah begins
their Ten High Holy Days.

The beginning date of this celebration period depends on the Moon
being far enough separated from the Sun to appear as a small crescent in the western sky. The Moon cycle becomes viable and seeds are best sown on all levels after the crescent New Moon becomes visible.

As this New Moon occurs in the early morning hours of September 26th in Europe and in the hour before midnight on the US east coast, the Moon will first become visible on the evening of September 27th in most parts of the world.

The time of the New Moon’s appearance may vary by a day according
to location. This is compensated for in Jewish custom by celebrating Rosh Hashanah for two days. Rosh Hashanah officially begins this year on the evening of September 26th. But as the Moon is too close to the Sun to be be visible on this evening in most of the world, the dates given in this article begin with Sunset/crescent on September 27th, so September 28th is taken as the first day of the celebration. Those who honor the official Rosh Hashanah and Ten Holy Day sequence should subtract a day from the following dates.

The shadow of the past cycle generally shows itself in the days
before a new Moon and this is particularly true for this 7th Moon
of the zodiacal year. The more there is awareness of personal and
world shadow and need the more spiritual power is invoked for healing and renewal.


CROSS CULTURAL CELEBRATION

There is a universal belief in a former Golden Age in which all
people lived in peace and prosperity. Divisions and strife came
with the advent of free will, people went their own way, there
was a confusion of tongues.

When the old divine order broke apart no one culture could contain
knowledge of it. So the different elements of the former Edenic
world came to be incorporated and preserved as core beliefs of
diverse cultures of the world.

Individual and collective fragmentation is overcome as these
diverse elements of universal consciousness are brought together
again at a new and more inclusive level. While we are not going
back to the Garden as it was, the common vision and consciousness
of that ancient time can be restored at a higher turn.


DAY AND YEAR AND THE 7TH MOON

The early Celts, Jews, Arabs, Hindus and many Native American
tribes people customarily began their day at Sunset. Catholic
holy days are also celebrated beginning the evening before (e.g.
Halloween or All Hallow's Eve).

Day is born from night as yang is born from yin. Similarly the
Spring/Summer yang half of the year is born from the yin Autumn/
Winter half. Just as the day begins with Sunset so the year has
its beginning on the most subtle level at the time of the Autumn
Equinox (Sept 23-27). So it is reasonable that the Equinox New
Moon begins the spiritual year.

Indigenous peoples have from ancient times recognized the power
of the Moon. In all the old cultures the New Moon is celebrated
when the waxing crescent first appears in the western sky. Life
force is renewed then and all outward activities are supported
by the New Moon energy.

Cherokee women dance at this New Moon from the time the crescent
is sighted until it sets on the horizon. The women’s dance is
believed to help the world be reborn and ground (embody)the new
energies of the time. The Cherokee call this the Great New Moon
Ceremony - or Nuetiegwa, the Big Medicine Moon.

Rosh Hashanah begins the Ten High Holy Days. The blowing of the
shofar, the ram’s horn, announces the beginning of the Jewish
New Year.

Numerous parallels exist between Jewish and Cherokee celebration
and religious tradition. Some say the Cherokee are a lost tribe
of the Jews. It is more likely that the two cultures share a
common understanding of the cosmic order of creation.

The Great New Moon Ceremony begins a spiritual renewal and healing
which culminates 10 days later in the celebration of divine union
called Atohuna, the Friends Made Ceremony. The intervening days
are a time for healing relationships, for making amends with
friends, and opening our hearts to wellspring of love within.

"I have found the paradox that if I love till it hurts,
then there is no more hurt, but only more love."
- Mother Teresa


HINDU NINE NIGHTS FESTIVAL

Hindus celebrate Navaratri, the Nine Nights Festival, beginning
on the night of September 27th. During these nine nights Mother
Kali is invited into homes and provided a place at the dinner
table. Kali comes to consume the discord of the past year.
Ritual bathing, burning of incense, anointing with oil, and
sharing of prayers mark the beginning of each of these Nine Holy
Nights. Only one meal is eaten each day and this after Sunset.
(Fasting by day and feasting at night nourishes the inner life.)

On the 10th day (October 7th) Kali slays the Demon Bull and
evil is vanquished from the world.


CHINESE NINE NIGHTS FESTIVAL

The Nine North Star Spirits come down to Earth during the nine
nights following this New Moon. The ancient Chinese saw these
9 nights as the most important of their calendar year. Nine North
Star Spirits descend and the God of Death walks the world to help
free us from our old ways. This time is observed by fasting and
sexual abstinence (the conserving of ching for the new creation
parallels the biblical parable of saving oil for the lamps).
Reconnection with ancestral power and transcendent purpose is
effected by facing north in meditation and focusing attention
(imaginatively, if not actually) upon the North Star. This star
is believed to be the pivot round which turns the mandala of
creation. The spirit of the North Pole Star can help us become
more strongly centered in our soul's purpose in this new cycle
of creation.


10 DAYS OF THE GREEK MYSTERIES AND THE KABALA

Initiates of the ancient world were instructed in the Mysteries
of Eleusis during this ten day period (beginning with New Moon
nearest Fall Equinox, the 7th New Moon after Spring Equinox).
Candidates for initiation would meet together on the first
evening to receive verbal and written instruction for this
10 day period.

A key part of what was shared at Agormos, the day of assembly,
is the correspondence between each of these days of creation
and what are called the "sephira" in esoteric Jewish tradition.
These 10 luminous spheres on the mystical Kabala Tree represent
stations of the soul's journey. Each of these Lights is related
to a planet beginning with Malkuth, the Earth, on the first day,
then Yesod, the Moon, on the 2nd day, and so forth.

The activities prescribed for each day of the Mysteries of Eleusis
correspond directly to the governing planet of the sephiroth!

The dates, sephira and planetary rulers this year are:
Sept 28 - Malkuth / Earth, Sept 29 -Yesod / Moon , Sept 30 - Hod
/ Mercury, Oct 1 - Netzach / Venus, Oct 2 -Tifareth / the Sun,
Oct 3 - Geburah / Mars, Oct 4 - Gedulah / Jupiter, Oct 5 - Binah
/ Saturn, Oct 6 - Chokmah / Uranus (governor of the realm of stars),
and Oct 7 - Kether / Neptune (the planet of mystical union).


GREEK MYSTERY SCHOOL TRADITION & CROSS CULTURAL CELEBRATION

September 28th (from Sunset the 27th) - Day 1 in the Greek Mysteries is a time for sharing primary instruction. Some of this is verbal and some nonverbal through a revealing of the "hiera" These are sacred objects that stimulate new, broader, deeper realizations. Insights and further instructions are looked for in dreams. A gathering with friends who share interest in the mysteries can quicken this process.

September 29th - "Halade Mystai!" To the Sea Initiates! was shouted at Eleusis on the 2nd Day of the Mysteries (the day of the Moon, ruler of the Sea). Candidates wore deer (creature of the Moon) skin before entering the water and donned a new white cotton robe afterward. This ritual bathing was to release the past and absolve from evil. River immersion at dawn is customary this day among the Cherokee.

It is a Jewish tradition to cast bread crumbs into the sea or moving water today to release the sins of the past year. The Bible passage Mic 7:19 is quoted: "You will cast your sins into the depths of the sea." A new garment is worn for this occasion in Jewish tradition as in the Greek mystery school tradition.

September 30th - Day 3 is ruled by Mercury. A wake honors Aesclepius, the god of healing, this day in the Eleusinian Mystery School. Mercury with the caduceus is the Roman god of healing. Health giving fruits of the harvest are shared this day. Seven sacred herbs were gathered this day by the Cherokee to make their purging/healing black drink. Seven Cherokee women began a 7 day fast to bring revelations to their tribe.

October 1st - Hymns to the Goddesses were sung on Day 4 (the day of Venus), "Kathathion" in the Greek Mysteries. A solemn procession occurred during which sacred objects of Demeter were revealed one by one from a holy basket to stimulate the higher consciousness of the initiate. These objects are both symbolic and energetically instrumental. They included sesamum, carded wool, rock salt, a serpent, pomegranates, reeds and ivy
boughs. The mysterious pyramid shaped cakes called kykeon were also prepared this day.

October 2nd - The 5th Day of the Greek Mysteries was called Torch Day. This is the day of the Sun and Tifareth. People would run about in the evening with torches in hand to light the way for Persephone. This goddess of the underworld and of the heart (Kore is her other name) enters the Greek ritual drama now. Demeter, mother of Persephone, carries a torch into the netherworld in search of her.

Note: Demeter, the Great Goddess of the Eleusinian Mystery School
(she who reveals the Sacred Mysteries) became the favorite of the
Age of Enlightenment Freemasons and so came to be the prototype for America's Statue of Liberty. She holds the torch of truth that leads to freedom. Ceres/Demeter is the Great Goddess, Gaia, Anima Mundi. She shows how the fire of primal nature can be raised to become the light of the world, of understanding and divine purpose. So Demeter, our Liberty, leads us to soul freedom. The Greater Mysteries are entered this day at Eleusis. Pools of purification are visited at Sunset following which occurs the Mystical Entrance.

October 3rd - The Day of Iacchos. This is called Holy Night in the
Greek Mysteries. Iacchos is the child son of the Holy Mother Demeter. He accompanies her in the underworld quest for Persephone. Iacchos, whose name means "fish," is one of a number of ancient precursors to the coming of Jesus/Iesus as an enlightened world savior. (Jesus said that he had come not to deny but to fulfill the prophecies.)
Iacchos leads a procession with singing and dancing and clashing
of brass cymbals. Priests in this parade displayed the "toys of
Iacchos." His toys included: "knucklebones" (in the shape of the
five platonic solids), a ball, an apple, a mirror, a top, and a
doll. The Day of Iacchos is also called the Day of Sacrifice.

October 4th - Day 7 of the Mysteries is the Day of Games. Jupiter
is jovial and reigns over social frivolity. Music and dance are
highlights of this day. This was a day of merriment before the
serious day to follow.

October 5th - Day 8, the Day of Saturn, is a solemn occasion.
The mystical drama of Demeter and Persephone was enacted on this
day. Sacred places, the "Stations of Cora / Kore", were visited.
These include a holy well called Callichorus which translates as
"Stone of Sorrow." A circular path around this well has been worn
deeply in stone by millennia of spiritual seekers. This is the day
to feel and release sorrow that may otherwise block the way to
greater understanding and self-realization.

Along with America's Goddess of Liberty we may now feel the
sufferings of the world. Like Native America's Ghost Dancers
we let ourselves fully feel the pain within and release through
deep breathing, chanting, and maybe even some emotive groaning
as we move clockwise / Sunwise around the releasing circle. The
combination of prolonged deep breathing while diving deeply into
each agonizing feeling can effect this emotional clearing. (Emotion
cannot be repressed while breathing deeply.) It may be helpful to
drink lots of pure water today to help release emotional toxins.

October 6th - Day 9 is the Chinese Chung Yang, Climbing the Heights Festival. Tradition minded Chinese go to the top of a mountain today for a special picnic. "Top cakes" and chrysanthemum wine are shared.
This ritual observance brings prosperity and professional advancement in the coming year. Sometime during the "yin hour" between 3- 5 PM local (midway between true noon and Sunset) the "Spirit Star" will come down from heaven with blessing and good fortune for the year. Those who are especially blessed may receive a vision of the Queen of Heaven.

October 7th - Day 9 of the Mysteries is called Plemo Chori, the
"Pourings of Plenty." A ritual drama called the Vision of the
Shining One is enacted in a subterranean grotto.

Today the Cherokee Chief climbs to the top of the 7 sided Council
Lodge and sings praises to Yowa the Creator. Cherokee men then chant and beat around each home and building clockwise with white sycamore rods to clear away evil spirits. The way is cleared for the kindling of the sacred New Fire on the day following.

October 8th - Day 10 in the Mysteries of Eleusis is shrouded in the mystery of union with divinity. Day 10 is when Kali slays the Demon Bull and evil is vanquished from the world. Statues of Kali are then bathed in the sea to wash away the evil of the past year.

The Jewish Yom Kippur is a day of solemn observance and penitence.
Fasting from Sunset to Sunset is an important part of this celebration.
Forgiveness is sought for the sins of the year. This is the Day of
Atonement. Through repentance, reconciliation and surrender the
worshiper comes to at-one-ment with God. Yom Kippur is an opportunity for turning back to God. “Turn toward me and I will turn toward you.” Women wear white today and men wear kittels, white robes, as symbols of purity. This holy day brings renewal to those who seek it in their hearts. The invocation spoken “Hadesh yameinu ke-kdem” literally means
“Make our days new as of old.”

The Cherokee call this day Atohuna, the Friends Made Ceremony. A New Fire is kindled and vows of eternal friendship are made in the
presence of Yowa the Creator. As with the Jews, this is the day held most sacred in the Cherokee calendar year. The New Fire started this day was kept lit in the council lodge through the year until the following Atohuna New Fire Ceremony. The spirit of this holy time was perpetuated by that living flame throughout the year in temple and home.

Here are some of the key observances of these holy days:

1) Dancing while the crescent is visible the first few evenings
2) Water immersion on Day 2 to purify & let go worldly attachments
3) Evening meditation facing north toward the pole star
4) Fasting, evening meals only (a Hindu tradition), vegetarian diet
5) Going to a mountaintop on the 9th Day for picnic and communion
6) Fasting on Day 10 with reverence to the Creator
7) Deep breathing to energize and integrate new realizations
8) Exercise leading each stretch with a deep breath to release stored
physical and emotional tensions and open to spirit

LINKS
The Ten High Holy Days
http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/
The Ten Sephiroth of the Kabala with Planets
HTTP://WWW.USERS.BIGPOND.COM/PHDALEY/KABALA.HTM
The Hindu Nine Nights Festival
http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/mcc0833.html
Climbing the Heights Festival (Double Nines Festival)
HTTP://WWW.CHINESEFORTUNECALENDAR.COM/DOUBLENINES.HTM
Essene Gospel of Peace Fasting, Purifying Angels
http://www.essene.com/GospelOfPeace/peace1.html


LIBRA NEW MOON CHART

The New Moon at 3 Libra on September 26th (3:09 GMT)carries the
influence of the 1st Libra decan star sign Serpens (teaching,
healing, revealing) through the lunar cycle that continues until
October 25th. Though the planets never cease their motion, a
conjunction of two celestial points - especially the Sun and Moon
– fix a pattern like a still photo that is projected onto the
collective mind. So the New Moon astrological chart indicates
what is to be or can be unfolding during this lunar cycle and
the spiritual year.

The Sabian Degree Symbol for the 3 Libra New Moon is:
"THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY REVEALS EVERYTHING CHANGED"
Dane Rudhyar's Keynote is "The ever-present possibility of
beginning again on a new foundation of values."
Astrologer Lynda Hill says: "This pictures a sudden, new beginning.
Hard to believe at first, but eventually it will dawn on you that
things are different in the light of a new day. Take heart, realise that the darkness is abating, and gradually let go of what went before. New perspectives and new realizations."
more at http://miva.zodiacal.com/oracle.mv

At this Libra New Moon, the planet Saturn and the asteroid Ceres
conjunct the US and President George W. Bush’s Sun at 13 Cancer. The US and GWB are meeting the Saturnian wall of their limitations now and realizing our nation’s need for the United Nations. I predicted last January that this administration would come round to recognizing the authority and legitimacy of the U.N. in the course of the year.
http://globalpsychics.com/lp/prophecy/mythic.htm


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MARS TURN AROUND & THE MARS/URANUS TANGO


"This unusually strong Mars moment with the higher consciousness
of Uranus can be imagined as an initiation of the masculine energy. Arise, knights of the grail, devotees of the Shiva-Shakti life force!
Spiritual warriors are on the rise..." - M. Kelley Hunter

THE SPIRITUAL WARRIOR AND THE SPHINX by M. Kelley Hunter ©2003

Celestial history was made last month as Mars came closer to the Sun and Earth than in 60,000 years. Yes, that’s SIXTY THOUSAND years.
Variations in orbital movements of Mars and Earth conspire to bring us this unusual moment, as the red planet is brighter than we’ve seen it in recorded history.

Mars represents vitality, desire, sexuality, and is generally related to the yang or masculine energy of the emotional body. There is that famous book that says men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but we all know some Martian women and Venusian men. We each carry both qualities within us. Mars is how we put ourselves out there in life, our assertive energy and life-affirming dynamic. Venus is the magnetism that attracts. The more appreciation and gratitude we radiate, the more happiness we bring into our lives. Simply put, Venus is what we like and Mars is how we go about getting it.

(Timing: Mars went into Pisces on June 16, just before summer
solstice. It got up to 10 degrees on July 29, then stopped,
heading back to the beginning of Pisces and going direct again
on September 27. The circle is complete when it comes back to
10 degree on November 7, in time for a very special total eclipse
of the Moon the next night--more on that in a future article).

IMAGINE a wave coming in and the undertow going out. Mars started
to catch the wave and realized there is another wave, a new and
very different wave, coming in strong. The planet Uranus is
charging things up in Pisces. Water is the element of feeling.
Mars in Pisces strengthens the feelings and qualities of psychic
perception, dreaming and yearning for transcendence that this sign
carries. Pisces can also lose itself, either in mystical bliss or
in drug-induced fogs. Mars can become frustrated and exasperated
when retrograde, sometimes building into anger and aggression.
Mars is the mythical god of war, accompanied by its Moons, named
Phobos and Demos, Fear and Terror. We could say the god of war is
shining strong, but there is another unusual factor at work here
that represents a shift in consciousness

MARS CONJUNCT URANUS
Uranus, the Awakener, moved into Pisces in March, for a 7-year
phase. Uranus is the change-agent, the revolutionary. It change
of sign reflects a new awareness opening in the collective
consciousness, new antennas budding out from the higher mind
into the aethers. Expect the unexpected with this oddball planet!
When Mars moved into Pisces, right away it contacted Uranus,
pushing the flow of change into high gear. It comes back for
another electrical charge from Uranus through September into
October. Mars and Uranus are playing back and forth across the
Aquarius-Pisces cusp, the one that defines the shift of the Ages
we are in the middle of. Uranus retrogrades back into Aquarius
and then reenters Pisces on the eve of 2004.
Then the new wave is really coming in!

This unusually strong Mars moment with the higher consciousness
of Uranus can be imagined as an initiation of the masculine energy. Arise, knights of the grail, devotees of the Shiva-Shakti life force!
Spiritual warriors are on the rise. Women, too, experience the charge of energy in clarifying their energy, preparing to march forward to the different drummer.

At such a time as this, we can be assured that the presence of the
cosmic feminine is strong, and getting stronger all the time.

Astrologer Kelley Hunter is a resident of St. John, US Virgin Islands, To be on her e-mail list for monthly articles or for astrology consultation, write kellhunter@earthlink.net


SHADOW MARS AND THE HERO

“ As above, so below- the eternal dictum of astrology. The dancing
stars in the sky mirror the steps of our inner journey. So, if Mars is so prominent in our night sky it also means our inner Mars is also very big right now, demanding that we listen to that voice in our head of the warrior, adventurer, pioneer, our passion, our desire and fury. Mars so close to Earth brings war, brings rage and aggression, accidents, emotional outbursts and the overheating of the land and of our bodies.
It is important to make a place for your Mars, to choose a place to be the warrior or the adventurer, to be bold and courageous- or others will co-opt your Mars and use it to fuel their own agendas- especially of war and violence.”
- from Mars Astro Oracle by Gretchen Lawlor light@whidbey.com

“In the past decade, the indications have been that Wizard-kind
is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two
wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us,
suggesting that the fight must break out again soon. How
soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of
certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume
and flame…”
-the Centaur Firenze,
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p 603

The close approach of Mars to Earth has been an opportunity to bring out and begin to clear shadow Mars from our hearts and from the world. This means of course that the worst of Mars has to come forth before we can fully and permanently dispel the clouds of war, end Terrorism and other bad old boy ways.

The Mars transformation story unfolds over the next eight weeks,
culminating with the total eclipse of the Moon November 8th and a
total eclipse of the Sun on November 23rd.

While Mars can mean many things, we've lately been seeing the worst of Mars in the form of terrorist bombings and other violence. Over the last two months, retrograde Mars has cast an ugly shadow on the world that has shown up most strongly on Tuesdays (Mardi or Mars days) and at quarter Moons (Moon square the Sun).

THE RED PLANET

Mars is red and all that’s red in nature resonate with Mars. Iron,
the metal most often used in warfare (also for plowing), has from
ancient times been identified with Mars. The planet Mars is red
because of the presence of iron oxide on it surface. Mars rules the blood (and vitality) and blood is red because of the presence of iron.

Red herbs, e.g. cayenne pepper and paprika, are blood stimulants and blood purifiers. These and garlic - another Mars herb - also help
reveal and release emotional blocks that hook into lower astral /
shadow Mars energy. Garlic has long been thought a safeguard against vampires - and of course vampires are ruled by Mars as are all other biting creatures, e.g. dogs and mosquitoes.

Mars conjunct Uranus opposing Jupiter in the New Mercury chart for
9/10 signals an opportunity for our transforming shadow Mars. Mars
in tango with the Thunder God activates the power of the Tower
(Tarot Arcanum XVI). This is the tower of liberation as its energies are directed to clear old ego patterns and overthrow the false king and queen within. The Uranus conjunction of Mars all September is transmuting Mars energy into new modes of expression. Mars emerges in new form as it starts forward movement again September 27th, then the Spiritual Warriors will arise.

During September 2003 Mars has been having a near Earth experience
while in transforming conjunction with Uranus. Many aspects of
shadow Mars: terrorism, war, greed and pestilence have come up
these past weeks to be transformed. Only when patterns of behavior
are brought to full consciousness can they be transmuted and cleared. All things Uranian, e.g. violet colored, amethyst, lavendar oil, manganese mineral, etc can help in this process.

The electric bolts of Uranus may now be directed to blast patterns
of belief that promote violence, fear mongering and warfare. When
a pattern is broken, energy released can be blessed to serve a good. As in the carnival game, the more cups knocked down, the bigger the prize; the more psychic bolts well directed, the fewer exploding bombs. The targeting of patterns, not people, is key to transformation. Anger directed at other souls only contributes to violence and war.

“ Every feeling of anger, hatred, envy and revenge that we have
indulged in the past, no matter whom it was directed against and
however justified we may think it, has been a handful of gunpowder
thrown onto the pile which must, sooner or later explode.”
- Sri Krishna Prem in Violence of War article,
War and Peace edition of The Quest Sept-Oct 03
http://www.theosophical.org/


“Mars is catalyzing Uranus in Pisces-two power packed, vital
and intense parts of ourselves joining forces. Mars activates and
heats up the intensity of that Awakener, lightning bolt/agent of
change Uranus- in each of our lives. Change wants to happen fast,
and its first impact may be to suddenly free us from the urge to
keep pushing, trudging to sustain some difficult element of our
lives- attitudes, alliances, jobs, relationships... old forms
that may have worked well and been precious once but now are
using up too much energy to sustain.”
- Gretchen Lawlor light@whidbey.com


“As Mars separates from Uranus, the tension held in place by their
conjunction lets go, and as it does we are likely to experience the jolt of that release in some dramatic fashion. The good news is that Mars is moving forward in Pisces, the sign of empathy, and
the sector of the Zodiac where we recognize our fundamental
spiritual unity. Mars in Pisces supports compassion, and in these
times of such extraordinary religious polarization, that gentle
approach could facilitate tolerance, understanding and kindness.”
R. Finn http://www.stariq.com/Main/Articles/P0004822.HTM

The better side of Mars will begin to be felt when Mars goes direct on September 27th. Look at it, experience it, and pay attention, as the energy builds through the early fall. - M. Kelley Hunter


NEW MERCURY CYCLE 9/10/03 - 12/27/03

A New Mercury cycle began when Mercury conjuncted the Sun in Virgo
at the Full Moon on September 10th. This is a powerfully effectual
Mercury cycle is as it began in Virgo, the earth sign (grounding,
manifesting) that Mercury rules. Mercury went direct in Virgo
on September 20th. Now is time to get our thoughts and
communications clear. The Mercury magic continues through
December 27th.

The inferior (between Earth and Sun) conjunction of Mercury
is similar to a New Moon only instead of a new emotional cycle,
it beginS a new intellectual and communication cycle.

A Full Moon New Mercury on the eve of 9/11 is propitious for
deepening understanding of the events of our time. By the close
of this Mercury cycle on December 27th we will be able to see
much more clearly the pattern of an emerging new paradigm of
world consciousness and culture.

This Full Moon New Mercury cycle brings deep healing that occurs
first in mind, then in the heart, body and world.

The Sun/Mercury 18 Virgo Sabian symbol is: A Ouija Board.
Dane Rudhyar’s keynote for this degree is “The ability to contact
deeper recesses of the unconscious psyche, sensitiveness to psychic
impressions and omens.” Inner Guidance is the key note.
(An Astrological Mandala, p 162 by Dane Rudhyar)
More info http://miva.zodiacal.com/oracle.mv

An exact Sun/Mercury square Pluto in the New Mercury chart
is reminiscent of St Paul’s injunction “Be ye transformed through
the renewal of your mind.” The transforming power of Pluto and the
Sun in Virgo Full Moon healing influence carry through the Mercury
ending December 27th.

Like the waxing crescent Moon, the New Mercury becomes conscious
and fully effective when it appears in the sky. The NEW MERCURY
has just become visible in the last few days. Look for it just
below bright Jupiter an hour or so before Sunrise. Mercury rising
before the Sun is Mercury Prometheus bringing new fire.

Star Gazing/Planet Watching Links
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp


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