ASTROSHAMANS

Astroshamanic Touch: The Way of Multidimensional Sexuality

2012-02-21T08:01:00.002Z

The Massage, 1883 Edouard Debat-Ponsan

Astroshamanic Touch is an outstanding multidimensional approach to spiritual healing bodywork, which Franco Santoro has developed since 1988. This unique approach to energy bodywork utilises the potent dynamics of shamanic trance to create energetic states of harmony in your body, soul and spirit.

Through the sensitive and empowering use of ritual strokes, contacts and postures, operated in alignment with the earth and celestial rhythms, astroshamanic touch works on the multidimensional body, reawakening the remembrance of our original nature and purpose.

During the workshops or group sessions, by practising closely with other human beings with clear boundaries and a deep sense of mutual acceptance, the aim is to create remarkable opportunities for releasing individual and collective blocks, becoming a gateway for healing energies and directing them towards honourable intentions.

In particular astroshamanic touch works on the skeleton and bone structure, which is regarded as a core multidimensional hardware for storing, distributing and redeploying information and energy.

The third dimensional physical world is a mass of atomic material, which receives decisive animation from multidimensional substances dwelling far beyond our conventional field of observation. Whatever appears in the ordinary reality emanates from multidimensional energy fields, which astroshamanic touch aims at stimulating and bringing to our pragmatic human awareness.

The task here is to align the human skeleton structure and all its outer layers (tissues, muscles, flesh, blood, organs, etc.) with our multidimensional self, bearing in mind that, as a result of this connection, our entire perception will drastically shift.

Our physical body is not a frozen structure hooked in a separated reality based on limited time and space. It is a dynamic vortex of energy, continually relating with a multidimensional field of energy. What we humanly perceive in the ordianry reality about our body is merely the product of human belief systems based on separation and denial of our multidimensional nature.

The Birth of Venus, 1863 Alexandre Cabanel

When you are open to release such belief systems, new and definitely much more exciting configurations emerge. Once these are consciously and pragmatically experienced, they can be gradually integrated in everyday reality, healing its fragmentation and reconnecting it to its original source.

In our upcoming workshops on astroshamanic touch we will discover ways of employing physical contact and sexual energy to foster expanded states of consciousness, retrieve soul parts, reawaken healing talents and integrate them in everyday life.

We will explore the multidimensional sacred dynamics of shamanic sexuality, employing the body as a keyboard aimed at recovering and grounding planetary forces. The intent is to release blocks that hinder our potentials, celebrating the sacredness of our multidimensional body in alignment with the healing flow of energy. With deep trance body work, we will share ways of channelling profound passions, tranforming and merging them in accordance with one’s life purpose.

All physical touch in our workshops is voluntary and optional, with boundaries set according to what is safe for each participant.

Astroshamanic Touch is covered in the following workshops, and especially in our two-week training from 10 to 24 March 2012 (see below):

Jesi (Italy), 1-2 March 2012, AstroshamanicHealing®Touch, Air
10-16 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week One, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson

17-24 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week Two, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson
Jesi (Italy), 14-15 April 2012, AstroshamanicHealing®Touch, Fire
Jesi (Italy), 26-27 May 2012, AstroshamanicHealing®Touch, Earth
Jesi (Italy), 30 June-1 July 2012, Bona Fide Sexuality – Multidimensional Way of the Heart
Tolé (Bologna, Italy), 7-13 July 2012, The Sensuality of the Void - Advanced Retreat

Short afternoon workshops are taking place regularly at the Findhorn Foundation.

Elements of AstroshamanicHealing Touch are covered in all astroshamanic workshops. Click here for our complete calendar of holistic awareness and astroshamanic events.

For information contact: info@astroshamanism.org

New Moon in Pisces (21 February 2012)

2012-02-14T12:02:00.002Z

Cluny Astroshamanic Grid - Pisces post

The coming of the New Moon in Pisces heralds the end of the year cycle and the gift to merge all our experiences into the web of life. The New Moon will take place on 21 February 2012 at 22:34 GMT and in 2° Pisces 42'.

Pisces constitutes the final frontier of human awareness, including the power to dissolve physical boundaries and expand into multidimensional worlds.

A Pisces New Moon is ideal for giving birth to creative and artistic ideas, stemming from multidimensional realities and deeper aspects of our nature.

This New Moon takes place on the last day of Carnival, which strongly encourages the potential to break through consensus reality, challenging the limits to the free expression of our potentials and shape-shifting into what truly serves our best intentions.

The New Moon is an active and male phase, a period of transition when the seed is present, yet it has not taken a definite form. This is an excellent time to develop new ideas, plan and contemplate any Intent you might wish to consider or implement. This allows to set the Intent and foundations for new projects or to release old cycles and grievances. Yet, since the whole scenario is obscure, it may be a time of vulnerability and uncertainty, encouraging abstention from daring initiatives in the outer world.

It is an ideal moment to relate with one’s multidimensional self, to take some rest and reflect upon the lessons of life, to release what is no longer needed. The purpose of this phase is becoming aware of your multidimensional Intent, letting go of conditionings.

The question here is: “What do I truly want?” This requires an honest answer, which is not affected by what I am supposed to want according to my social conditioning.

Be aware of your Intent, no matter whether it appears as a sheer illusion or fantasy to your ordinary mind. This is not the time to be pragmatic or to concern about how to accomplish things. It is the moment to open up to visions.

Later, as the cycle progresses, there will be chances to refine and orient them towards manifestation and understanding.

The New Moon is related to the androgynous state, mysterium coniunctionis, the mystical union of Sun and Moon, the sacred marriage which allows the emergence of the true Self, the gateway between dimensions, the Winter Solstice.

The exact degree of the New Moon (2° Pisces 42’), as it is reflected in your natal chart, provides clues regarding your Intent and the energies that may emerge during the new cycle.

Pisces is an ideal time to explore our relationship with all aspects of the web of life, expanding our horizons and encompassing the wholeness of our multidimensional nature.

During this lunation cycle we focus our astroshamanic healing work on the retrieval of our multidimensional nature with a unique training on Astroshamanic Healing Touch, see details below:

10-16 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week One, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson

17-24 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week Two, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson

3-4 March 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

Click here for a full calendar of astroshamanic events

For books on Pisces click here
For music on Pisces click here
For movies on Pisces click here

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

If this is feasible for you, please support our blog with a donation. Every donation of any amount is most welcomed. Also very small contributions are most appreciated

Blog post final

Blessed February: Candlemas, Imbolc and more (by Franco Santoro)

2012-01-29T17:12:00.001Z

The first two days of February have since ancient times been celebrated as a midwinter sacred festival in honour of the upcoming return of the Sun. This is the decisive time of midwifery, when the divine mother enters into the final gestation for spring.

The term Candlemas comes from the tradition of the Roman Missal where the celebrant of the Mass on 2 February blesses the beeswax candles for use during the year. According to ordinary history candles have been used for more than 5000 years and were first developed by the Egyptians, although the Romans are credited with introducing wicks. The name candle comes from the Latin candere, which means “to shine”.

Candlemas is an ideal time for reawakening our capacity to shine who we truly are in the separated darkness of this world. “Wake up sleeper. Rise from the dead. Let the Christ enlighten you.” teaches the Gnostic Paul, summing up the core message of Christianity, which implies releasing our dormant identities based on separation and resurrecting our united luminous nature. Blessing candles on this day can be an empowering ceremony to exemplify this process and to remind it throughout the year, whenever those candles are used.

Candlemas commemorates the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple 40 days after his birth. It is the Christianised version of the Pagan celebration of Imbolc. Imbolc means, literally, “in the belly” (of the Mother), “in milk” or “milk wolf”.

This festival marked the mid-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and was celebrated with lights so as to accelerate the coming of spring. Although darkness was still prevalent in the sky, light gradually unveiled and needed encouragement to finally triumph.

In the Pagan tradition Cernunnos, the Horned God, was the virile male deity ruling darkness. Imbolc represented the impregnation of the feminine deity by the masculine. The God of Darkness lit up his abode with candles to welcome the Goddess of Light and impregnate her. Light and Darkness are two inseparable polarities, who play their loving dance through the cycle of the year. Candles are sacred instruments for awareness and soul retrieval. Their light requires darkness in order to be seen, just as awareness and visibility are sustained by a background of unconscious and unseen reality.

Blessing and using candles is a way to celebrate the light and to honour the dark roots of the path towards illumination. In the lunation cycle Candlemas is associated with the Crescent Moon, corresponding to 3 am in the daily cycle.

Brigit

The festival is also called Imbolc (from the Old Irish i mbolg "in the belly), or Brigit’s Day, with reference to the Irish triple Goddess Brigit (pronounced “breed”), known in Scotland as Bride, transformed by the Catholic Church into St. Brigit of Kildare, the patron of Ireland. Brigit is a Goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry, and healing. Similarly to the Roman Vesta, Brigit was associated with the perpetual and sacred flame, which is still maintained by 19 nuns at her sanctuary in Kildare. She was the goddess of whatever was regarded as non-ordinary at a high level, and a triple goddess

In the United States and Canada, Candlemas evolved into Groundhog Day celebrated on the same date. Candlemas is often a reference for predicting the weather for the coming year. An old British rhyme tells that “if Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year”. Another custom is weaving “Brigit’s crosses” from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rituals of cleansing and purification, placing a lighted candle in each window of the house for a whole day, and obviously making candles.

In ancient

Greece

the beginning of February was also the time of the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries or Festival of the Returning Daughter: an initiation into the lower mysteries, which unlike the Greater Eleusinian was open to many people. For both Celtic and Roman cultures, February was a period of physical and spiritual purification and initiation.

Lupercalia (source)

During the mid-month Roman celebration of Lupercalia priests of the god Pan dressed in goatskin and carried thongs with which they whacked young women to make them fertile.

Young half-naked men also ran around the Palatine Hill and Rome, and lashed young women with strips of skin from a slaughtered goat. The women appeared to appreciate the attention and often stripped in order to afford better targets. This was considered to bring fertility and good luck. The Lupercalia was a celebration of sensuality and one of the most popular festivals in Rome. From the Lupercalia and the earlier Saturnalia come the celebrations of Carnival typical of Catholic countries.

February comes from the Latin februa, literally “tools of purification”. In ancient Roman times the term februa indicated a large variety of purification implements, such as the clothes used to asperse the blood of sacrificial victims, the toasted spelt focaccia salty buns held by the priest during the purification of homes, and whatever was employed for purification purposes. From februa comes the verb februare, “to purify”. Februus was also the Roman god of purification.

February unveils the arbitrary nature of human time and is a multidimensional setting par excellence, It is the shortest month and the only month with 28 or 29 days. The month has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four, except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400! In other years the month has 28 days. 2012 is a leap year.

February is about shape-shifting, unbridled freedom, and reversal of social customs, as exemplified by the Carnival celebrations. This makes it an ideal month for exploring alternative configurations, working with out of the ordinary reality or simply moving out of daily routine and doing something absolutely unpredictable or atypical.

February, and the sign of Aquarius, exemplifies the Heyoka spirit. A Heyoka or Contrary is someone who does everything backwards. For example, instead of saying “Hello!”, he says “Good-bye!”. He chants songs in a reverse order and before eating makes his hands dirty. These people upset consensus reality and smash down its barriers. Their presence serves to remind us to stay in the present and not to take our human setting for granted. Their capricious behaviour causes shocks and shifts in awareness that unveil gaps in the ordinary mind, thus making it possible to open up to new lessons.

According to the Lakota tradition, the Heyoka are amazing people who have received a special initiation involving great powers and commitment. This often involves hiding their major spiritual powers under a false facade of shyness or foolishness.

Similar sacred obligations, which were once common in many traditions, are now carried out by some wise teachers in disguise who can hardly ever be acknowledged in the ordinary reality. These people do not exhibit their talents and are not concerned with ordinary achievements or recognition. They operate behind the scenes and are often the true teachers or inspirational sources of many popular spiritual authorities.

Please find below a scene from the movie Little Big Man (1970), where a Heyoka is featured.

UPCOMING ASTROSHAMANIC EVENTS:

3-4 March 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

31 March-7 April 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), Restoring the Fragmented God: A Healing Voyage into Christian and Gnostic Shamanism, with Franco Santoro

14-15 April 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

If this is feasible for you, please support our blog with a donation. Every donation of any amount is most welcomed. Also very small contributions are most appreciated

Bona Fide Sexuality - Multidimensional Way of the Heart (30 June-1 July 2012)

2012-01-27T22:15:00.001Z

Jesi (Italy), 30 June - 1 July 2012

Bona Fide Sexuality

The Multidimensional Way of the Heart

With Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani.

This workshop is for those who intend to embrace their ecstatic nature, being transparent regarding their autthentic passions and allowing them to serve the emergence of a planetary healing consciousness.

Bona Fide Sexuality is holistic sexuality embracing every aspect of life, including physical intimacy and chastity, spirituality and the Divine. It is aimed at unveiling and expanding the awareness of our multidimensional nature, releasing denial and conditioning, while promoting forgiveness with a deep sense of integrity and service.

AstroshamanicHealing® Touch & Primal Embrace is a shamanic application of bona fide sexuality. Its aim is to explore the body's spontaneous energies of ecstasy and arousal, uncovering and directing their healing potentials with integrity and clarity of intention.

Drawing from the practices of ancient mystery schools, Astroshamanic Touch & Primal Embrace works on the multidimensional body, through the empowering use of shamanic trance, according to clear boundaries and in alignment with planetary rhythms.

The physical body is a dynamic sexual vortex continually relating with a multidimensional field of energy. Yet what we humanly perceive about the body is mainly the product of belief systems based on separation and the denial of our holistic nature. When we are open to release these belief systems and forms of conditioning, new and much more exciting configurations emerge. Once these are consciously and pragmatically experienced, they can be gradually integrated into everyday reality, healing the fragmented self and reconnecting it to its original source.

During this basic workshop we explore ways of employing physical contact and sexual energy to foster expanded states of consciousness, retrieve soul parts, reawaken healing talents and allow these to integrate into everyday life.

Through the sensitive and empowering use of ritual strokes, contact and postures, we work on the multidimensional sexual body, reawakening the remembrance of our original nature and purpose.

The intent is to release blocks that hinder our potentials, celebrating the sacredness of our multidimensional body in alignment with the healing flow of energy.

With deep trance bodywork, we share ways of channelling profound passions, transforming and merging them in accordance with our life purpose.

Firm and clear group agreements are held at all times to create a safe space and participants are invited to set their own boundaries and do only what simultaneously honours both themselves and other participants.

Participants of all genders and sexual orientations are welcome.

The workshop is in English and Italian.

For information and booking: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 o 3489231998letizia@astroshamanism.org

This workshop is part of the:

The 3-Week Special

The three weeks include the following:

JJesi (Ancona) 30 June - 1 July 2012, Bona Fide Sexuality - The Multidimensional Way of the Heart

Jesi (Ancona) 2-6 July 2012- Intensive Integration 5 days of integration, with sessions, rituals, walks, rest, etc.

Tolé (Bologna) 7-13 July 2012, Emilia Retreat Three

Jesi (Ancona) 14-20 July 2012, Intensive Integration, 5 days of integration, with sessions, astroshamanic theatre, rest, etc.

Jesi (Ancona) 21-22 July 2012, Astroshamanic Healing Theatre Workshop

It is also possible to take part in a reduced programme and attend single workshops or days.

For information and booking: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 o 3489231998 letizia@astroshamanism.org

Emilia Retreat Three - Advanced Workshop

2012-01-27T22:11:00.006Z

Tolé (Italy), 7-13 July 2012

The Sensuality of the Void -

Emilia Retreat Three

With Franco Santoro, Letizia Mocchegiani and the Provisional Emergency Training Core Group.

Open only to previous participants in astroshamanic workshops.

This advanced retreat takes place in a rural complex situated in the ancient ceremonial Etruscan mountains of the Western Bolognese Appennine, a few miles from Tolé and Marzabotto, in the Italian region of Emilia and province of Bologna.

This residential week provides a major opportunity to explore astonishing dimensions of consciousness and experience a potent rapport with the Earth and the multidimensional functioning of the body

We will share key aspects of astroshamanic research through simple, pragmatic and experiential teachings. Embracing the healing qualities of the starry sky, we will explore sensual rites of passage, community and mystery plays. In particular, we will use advanced application of Astroshamanic Healing Touch.

In this workshop we use physical contact to foster expanded states of consciousness, sacred intimacy, and bona fide sexuality, promoting healing of deep collective wounds of our multidimensional nature. We will explore the shamanic and holistic dynamics of sexual energy, aligning ourselves with the flow of life and opening up to new horizons of purpose and harmony.

This retreat involve physical touch and interaction, with clear group agreements held at all times to create a safe space. Participants are invited to set their own boundaries and do only what honours them and the other participants simultaneously.

This gathering, held in English and Italian, requires previous participation in an astroshamanic workshop and an interview, which can be arranged either with Franco Santoro or Letizia Mocchegiani.

Catering, house organisation and assistance will be dealt by Grazia Romano, Letizia Mocchegiani and the Sacred Cone Circle.

Food ingredients and preparations, largely from nearby farms and organic, will be frequently drawn from ancient recipes aimed at promoting delight and cleansing, inducing specific shamanic states of consciousness, and supporting the energy needed to gain the maximum from the retreat.

The event is open to seekers attending the Operative Training in Astroshamanism and to previous participants in astroshamanic workshops.

The fee for the workshop - including tuition, accommodation (in five or six-bedded large dormitory rooms), breakfast and dinner, basic lunch (fruit and salad) from 7 July (dinner) to 13 July (breakfast) - is income related as follows: Euro 495 (low), Euro 545 (medium), Euro 595 (high).

Prices have been deliberately kept low, yet some bursaries are available depending on availability in the bursary fund. We welcome contributions to the bursary fund in order to support those who are unable to pay the full amount.

Given the limited number of places and the requirement to confirm accommodation in advance, we invite you to book as soon as possible, and not later than 6 May 2012.

Please enclose a deposit of Euro 150 upon booking, or full payment.

Cancellations received less than 40 days prior to the start of the workshop will be subject to the additional cancellation fee of Euro 150.

The events starts at 19:00 on 12 July 2012 and ends in the morning of 13 July 2012.

For information and bookings: Associazione Provordo, Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 o 3489231998 letizia@astroshamanism.org or info@astroshamanism.org

The retreat takes place at Agriturismo La Lodola, 45 minutes from Bologna. For information on how to reach it, please contact us using the above addresses.

Please see below a video of one of our previous retreats at La Lodola.

For the second part of the above video please click here.

This retreat is part of the:

The 3-Week Special

The three weeks include the following:

Jesi (Ancona) 30 June - 1 July 2012, Bona Fide Sexuality - The Multidimensional Way of the Heart

Jesi (Ancona) 2-6 July 2012- Intensive Integration 5 days of integration, with sessions, rituals, walks, rest, etc.

Tolé (Bologna) 7-13 July 2012, Emilia Retreat Three

Jesi (Ancona) 14-20 July 2012, Intensive Integration, 5 days of integration, with sessions, astroshamanic theatre, rest, etc.

Jesi (Ancona) 21-22 July 2012, Astroshamanic Healing Theatre Workshop

It is also possible to take part in a reduced programme and attend single workshops or days.

For information and booking: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 o 3489231998 letizia@astroshamanism.org

Astroshamanic Healing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid

2012-01-27T17:53:00.001Z

Astroshamanic Healing Touch is a multidimensional bodywork application of astroshamanism aimed at exploring the human spontaneous energies of ecstasy and empowerment, uncovering and directing their healing potentials with integrity and clarity of intention.

Participants are initiated into basic and advanced elements of Astroshamanic Healing Touch, including the use of physical contact to foster expanded states of consciousness, retrieve soul parts, reawaken healing talents and allow these to manifest and integrate in everyday life.

They will also explore ways to connect with multidimensional deeper parts of themselves, receiving guidance and sense of purpose. The aim is to reawaken and operate our multidimensional body, also in times of emergency, which we identify as a Multidimensional First Aid.

Participants will learn ways to release blocks hindering their potentials, channelling profound passions, while transforming and merging them in accordance with their current intentions.

The physical body is a dynamic sexual vortex continually relating with a multidimensional field of energy. Yet what we humanly perceive about the body is mainly the product of belief systems based on separation and the denial of our holistic nature. When we are open to release these belief systems and forms of conditioning, new and much more exciting configurations emerge. Once these are consciously and pragmatically experienced, they can be gradually integrated into everyday reality, healing the fragmented self and reconnecting it to its original source.

Through the sensitive and empowering use trance bodywork and ritual strokes, contact and postures, we work on the multidimensional sexual body, reawakening the remembrance of our original nature and purpose.

All physical touch in our workshops is voluntary and optional, with boundaries set according to what is safe for each participant.

The workshop is held by Franco Santoro, Letizia Mocchegiani with the assistance of other competent astroshamanic practitioners.

Each workshop deals with a different application of Astroshamanic Healing Touch in accordance with the seasonal rhythms and elements.

14-15 January 2012, Astroshamanic Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, Basic Workshop
3-4 March 2012, Astroshamanic Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, Pisces Workshop
14-15 April 2012, Astroshamanic Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, Fire Workshop
26-27 May 2012, Astroshamanic Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, Gemini Workshop
30 June - 1 July 2012, Bona Fide Sexuality- The Multidimensional Way of the Heart
15-16 September 2012, Astroshamanic Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, Virgo Workshop

Cost: income related as follows, Euro 155 (low), Euro 185 (medium), Euro 215 (high). Bursaries are available. The cost does not include accommodation and meals. For information on accommodation contact the address below.

For booking and information:

Provordo, via Raffaello Sanzio 12,

60035 Jesi, Ancona, Italy

provordojesi@gmail.com or letizia@astroshamanism.org

Tel. +39 0731206687 or 3489231998.

AstroshamanicHealing Touch is also covered in the following workshops:

Findhorn Foundation (Scotland) 18-25 February 2012, Spiritual Practice & Holistic Sexuality
Findhorn Foundation (Scotland) 10-24 March 2012 The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive - Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch
Tolé (Bologna, Italy), 7-13 July 2012, The Sensuality of the Void - Advanced Retreat

The Stars and the Voyage to the Higher World (by Franco Santoro)

2012-01-23T16:17:00.000Z

Touch the Sky, by ~NusiaxD

The Higher World is shamanically regarded as the realm of cosmic beings, spiritual masters, wise people, gods and goddesses, planets, galaxies and universes.

The relationship with this dimension has always been present since the dawn of human race. The first human rituals were meant to honour the energies of the Sky in exchange of well-being and abundance for the Earth. These ceremonies worked as real acts of exchange and were regularly practised in order to assure balance and the survival of the community.

In this context, as time went on, a few individuals emerged. They became the specialists of such practices. While the majority of people invested their energies in agriculture and the manipulation of natural cycles, these individuals continued to keep and develop the capacity to move along the vertical axis to travel in the areas of the three shamanic worlds.

In the course of various ages their role underwent shifts and contamination. When the majority of human beings definitively gave up their relationship with non-ordinary reality, they assumed the roles of shaman, priest, astrologer or medicine man and began to give form to specific hierarchical structures aimed at mediating between Sky and Earth. Ordinary men resigned themselves to resort to such category of few elects and the mysteries of the Sky became a heritage accessible only to a very privileged minority.

In the last decades, the Sky, both from the spiritual and scientific perspective, is meeting a growing interest. Astronomical discoveries, space voyages, science fiction movies and books, UFO, channelling from other galaxies, etc. currently play a major role in the collective thought system. Many eyes are pointed toward the starry sky, as they were in ancient times.

From the Earth, looking at the night sky, it is possible to see up to 20000 stars with the naked eye. A small number if we consider that only in the Milky Way there are more than 200 millions stars. Among the visible stars, 110 of them have had a special significance in the course of human history. They are called fixed stars. As a matter of fact they are not at all fixed, but as their distance from the Earth is so remote, they appear so because their movement is not perceived by human eyes. The views of astrologers about fixed stars are different: some ignore them, others employ them only in particular situations.

A fixed star is generally considered significant only if it is in a close aspect of conjunction (the same longitude) or parallel (the same declination) with an angle or a prominent planet in the natal chart, and also when it stresses characteristics which are emphasised in the general theme.

Some channellers maintain that the function of certain stars toward the Earth is that of involving it in an activity of exchange meant at releasing grievances and receive blessings. According to such visions the power of stars is emanated through rays that reach the Earth in different ways. This power is often considered as the element of activation and transformation of the whole universe and is also seen as providing the energy to connect with the Higher World. From this perspective each human being on Earth becomes a channel through which starry waves flow.

Stars and planets are here like teachers that educate us on how to grow and transform ourselves. “At the time of the creation of the universe, the heavier elements, which our bodies and other physical matters are composed of, were not created. These came from the explosion of a great star, a supernova even. The immense heat generated by a supernova resulted in a fusion that, in turn, resulted in carbon, iron, and so forth. How paradoxical that the unimaginable destruction of a star resulted in the creation of the ingredients of physical matter. We are star-born, literally.”.[1]

Most tribal cultures have many myths and wisdom about the stars. Among them some cultures give special privilege to the Sky and have developed an understanding of the universe preceding the astronomical discoveries that took place after the invention of the telescope.

For example, the Dogon (Mali) were already aware of the Saturn’s rings, the four main satellites of Jupiter, the elliptic orbit of the planets around the Sun and the spiralling form of our galaxy. The source of this awareness is traditionally due to the descent of a group of superior beings from the stellar system of Sirius. They were the first founders of civilisation on Earth. The Dogon religion acknowledges the star Sirius as the centre of the universe, together with its twin and smaller satellite star called po tolo (tolo means “star” and po is the smallest cereal grain known to the Dogon) which is actually considered as more important than its much larger counterpart. The latter is totally invisible to the naked eye and can only be identified with a very powerful telescope. The Dogon, like other people, aspire to reconnect to their star of origin and wait the return of their forefathers.

Another example is that of the Skidi Pawnee who once lived in the prairies of what are now Kansas and Nebraska (USA). While most Native American cultures consider the Earth as mother and the Sky as father, the Skidi Pawnee look at the Sky as their only parent. They, together with the Earth, are sons of the Sky. The Sky is therefore their place of origin to which they are going to return. This has probably already happened as the Skidi Pawnee no longer exists on this planet. One of their myths says that “when the time comes for things to end our people will turn into small stars and will fly to the South Star, where they belong. When the time comes for the ending of the world the stars will again fall to Earth. They will mix among the people for it will be a message to the people to get ready to be turned into stars”.[2]

The role of stars as heralds of divine will and the reference to their fall is also mentioned in the Bible: “the sun turned black as a funeral pall and the moon all red as blood; the stars in the sky fell to the earth, like figs shaken down by a gale; the sky vanished, as a scroll is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.” (Revelation 6, 12-14).

In the Kabalah and many other esoteric traditions, the seven stars of the Pleiades (and in particular Alcyone which is the brightest) are considered the core or central sun of our universe. In the Game of the Sacred Cone they are called Urplei and are regarded as the upper core of one of the two spirals that make up the Sacred Cone or Pahai which lies within the Grey Sphere. The Pleiades and other stars are also credited in the Bible: “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades or loose Orion’s belt? Can you bring out the signs of the zodiac in their season, or guide Aldebaran and its train?” (Job 38, 31-32).

In general terms the Higher World can be astrologically connected to the planets Neptune and Uranus. The energetic prevalence of these planets is indicated by various factors in the natal chart: for example, the conjunction of Uranus or Neptune to one of the angles, to the Sun or Moon. Those who have such traits tend to develop, at times prematurely, a strong sensitivity to the Higher World and make it the major inspiring factor in their lives. Their experiences are often in contrast with those of ordinary human beings and the attempt of having their perception being acknowledged by the outer world can be a source of instability, pain and shocks.

For those who are closely connected with the above planets, the limitations and illusions of conventional life are very tangible, as well as the need to rise one’s awareness to another level. This necessity can often express itself through rebellion, escapism, lack of grounding, addictions, repulsion for material life, etc. Such attitudes often indicate an incapacity to accept the responsibility as regards one’s presence on the Earth which can render impossible a true connection with the Sky.

Shamanic wisdom emphasises the need to retrieve, understand and heal the relationship with the roots of our past and the current state of the Earth. Before being able to transcend material reality, I need to incorporate qualities like self-discipline, integrity, maturity, constancy, respect for traditions, etc. In astrology these characteristics are represented by Saturn. This planet, which was once the limit of our solar system, gives grounding and stability to access the powers of Uranus and Neptune.

The relationship with the Higher World can be stimulated in any moment through the exposition to the Sky, dreams, inner journeys, meditations, rituals, stellar epics, science fictions, etc. Apart from the predominant glamorous effects available in such field, an effective connection with the power of stars is feasible only to those who have an awareness which is particularly rare on this planet. This can be defined as galactic consciousness.

For the majority of people on Earth it is already uncommon to go beyond the identification with one’s family, race, country or nation. Only a minority of individuals is able to fully experience, and not only intellectually, a planetary consciousness. This means to consider oneself, and virtually live, as a cell of this planet. Such attitude is possible when a deep relationship with the Lower and Middle World has been established. It requires time to progressively release the grievances and the sense of separation usually perceived on this planet. And this is only the first step.

To develop a galactic consciousness, after the identification with the Earth, I need to move on to experience that with the solar system. Here I acknowledge the Sun as my Centre and enter into full communion with all planets and bodies that exist in the solar system. Once I have achieved such goal, I can proceed further to a wider identification.

This does not mean that I have to give up my relationship with the Sky and the stars until I am able to accomplish the above. If that gives me wisdom and pleasure, there is no reason why I should renounce to create a dialogue with the stars at my current level of awareness. I am a product of the stars and the long path of retrieval of my memories will inevitably lead me to them. It is natural to feel attraction toward the stars: what appears above is just a spark of the memories of my original dwelling place. A place to which I can access if only I am ready to open up to and take full responsibility for what brought me on Earth.

In astroshamanism the work with the Higher World usually consists in visiting one’s star or planet of origin and connect with the Guide of the Higher World. The latter is, according to various traditions, a member of the Trinity of the Spirit Guides (one for each world). His function is to introduce and guide me into the infinite landscapes of the universe and make me aware of what exists beyond my limited identification as inhabitant of planet Earth. This Guide operates in conjunction with the other two. His task consists in receiving grievances from the Lower and Middle World, and then in letting them flow to the Higher World where they can be transformed. He also regulates the descent of blessings and finer energies as part of this interchange.

Each one of us has his own connection with the Higher World due to our original link with such dimension. According to some channellers this connection can be activated through specific codes (in form of images or vibrations) that allow the access to a sort of Central Galactic Programme. Here the user can access information specially prepared for his understanding and level of awareness. As a way to conform to our current social schemes, this system can work as a highly advanced virtual computer. The aim is to activate the circuit of the receiver through a constant process of deprogramming, insertion and processing of data.

In astroshamanism, for example, a similar system is employed which is named Sacred Cone Initiation Programme. In this context the individual concerned receives, or the facilitator provides, a first key of access that then find definition and complete development through the work with the Spirit Guide.

A major operation here can be described as the reunion of the starship crew and its organisation for the return to the original land. Here the Earth is considered as a starship blocked in a net of oblivion and separation. The purpose is that of allowing its engine to function again, gathering the whole crew and inverting the sense of direction so that the Journey Home can take place.

[1] Page Bryant, Starwalking: Shamanic Practices for Traveling into the Night Sky, Bear & Co., p. 92.

[2] Von del Chamberlain, When Stars Came Down To Earth, p. 144, quoted in Bryant, op. cit., p. 212.

UPCOMING ASTROSHAMANIC EVENTS:

3-4 March 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

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New Moon in Aquarius (23 January 2012)

2012-01-19T15:52:00.001Z

On 23 January 2012 at 7:40 GMT, the New Moon will be in Aquarius (2°42’).

The New Moon is the beginning of a new cycle, an ideal time for setting honourable intentions. Defining these types of intentions is not merely an intellectual process. It involves having a clear and direct imaginary experience of its accomplishment with all your senses.

The New Moon in Aquarius is a special time for seeding honorable intentions. This entails truthfully acknowledging what you most genuinely intend to manifest in your life at a higher octave and from a multidimensional perspective, which implies not being conditioned by the apparent limitations of your ordinary life. Setting these intentions is a stage of multidimensional rebirth, aligned with the synergetic qualities of Aquarius.

Synergy is the coincident action of various energies aimed at manifesting a specific intention. It is that property of systems whereby the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Such circumstances can produce an unpredictable and miraculous power of manifestation that extends far ahead the apparent content of the forces involved.

Aquarius’s challenge involves laying aside our everyday emotional dramas so as to allow emergence of alternative healing configurations. This process includes releasing the conventional scripts that mar our authentic nature, breaking out of our autistic existence and opening to those paradigms that truly serve your intentions.

An honourable intention is not aimed at changing other people or situations. I can work with the intention of changing my attitude towards someone or something, yet not at altering his or her attitude towards me. Here Aquarius is a good medicine for gaining honourable detachment from our emotions and acquiring a multidimensional perspective on the true nature of emotions.

Honourable detachment is a most empowering quality for it allows loving unconditionally, while at the same time being able to take distance from the negative implications of emotions, when anger, fear, abuse, possession and all sorts of grievances prevail.

Aquarius is the exemplification of the shift from personal consciousness to global awareness. Its frequency is exceptionally advanced, residing somewhat in the future, far away from the concerns of consensus reality, yet with a sincere interest for the destiny of the planet and mankind.

During the New Moon in Aquarius there is a profound potential for quantum leaps and anything involving change, bringing about unprecedented advancements in life, as well as major shocks in everyday reality.

A relevant question on the Aquarius New Moon is: “What can be my contribution to make this world a better place both for the current and next generations?”

The degree of the New Moon, or Lunation point, indicates an area of life that will operate as Intent and driving force during the next cycle. In this New Moon it is 2° Aquarius 42’.

UPCOMING ASTROSHAMANIC EVENTS:

3-4 March 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

10-16 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week One, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson

17-24 March 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), The Blessed Way of Passion Intensive: Foundation Training in AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Bona Fide Sexuality - Week Two, with Franco Santoro, Ash & Symon Balderson

31 March-7 April 2012, Findhorn (Scotland), Restoring the Fragmented God: A Healing Voyage into Christian and Gnostic Shamanism, with Franco Santoro

14-15 April 2012, Jesi (Italy), AstroshamanicHealing Touch & Multidimensional First Aid, with Franco Santoro & Letizia Mocchegiani, (Italian & English).

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

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Into Aquarius (by Franco Santoro)

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001Z

Astroshamanic Cards

The Sun enters Aquarius on 20 January 2012 at 16.09 GMT.

Aquarius can be a time of sudden changes and contrasts, encompassing strident peaks of rebelliousness, revolution and inventiveness, as well as sheer simplicity, nudity, stillness and silence.

The Aquarian cycle of the year is superlative for releasing whatever keeps us unconscious and separated, promoting alert awareness and questioning anything we take for granted regarding what we see or do.

For example, if we now look at the objects or people in our room, and whatever or whoever seems known and familiar, do we truly see them, or are we just projecting past experiences and ideas on them?

What do we know about them apart from what we learned in the past?

Are they, then, truly familiar?

Do we really see and know them?

Acknowledging that this is not the case, far from being a put down, is the first giant stride on the way of healing and true forgiveness.

Now we can choose to lay aside our judgments, be still with our mind, genuinely opening our eyes and ears, learning to listen to and see. And when we are willing to do so, this is the gateway to miracles.

Our human perception is based on a past rooted in separation, a sense of isolation, deprivation and lack, which is projected upon everything and everyone.

This keeps us in a state of ongoing captivity, which rules as the only possible reality, until we decide to question it and work relentlessly, yet gladly, in order to regain our original freedom.

The first step in this process is purification, forgiveness, letting go of all tarnished conjectures that clutter our mind, yet without rushing to replace them with other ideas and then fill our consciousness with further muddle.

“Miracles are everyone’s right, but purification is necessary first.” (ACIM, T1.1:7)

The Aquarian challenge is to dwell in the stillness that comes after true forgiveness, the silent nakedness of the void, the glittery transparency of the soul, superbly depicted by the Star in the tarot cards (click here for our article of the Star).

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, In the Tepidarium

It is about stripping off, undressing and standing entirely nude, in the Tepidarium of the soul, accepting to deeply cleanse all parts of our being.

Aquarius is the profound immobility that follows the fury of a devastating tempest in the night, when darkness is still all-pervading. Yet, although fright appears to reign supreme, an innocent silence emerges, furtively sliding the gateway of liberation and redemption. And, in this silence, all nightmares and terror vanish, giving way to the sole unreserved presence of the Beloved.

Aquarius is also the seasonal time of Carnival, which this year officially takes place from 11 to 21 February (Mardi Gras), although it is basically celebrated throughout the whole Aquarius month.

The Carnival was originally an initiatory celebration into the mystery of the multidimensional realms and parallel universes. Duplicate of ourselves or entities from other worlds or times could slide into our earth and human beings could also shapeshift and take on other identities. Despite the separation from other dimensions, which occurred in later times, this awareness is still preserved by the custom of wearing masks and costumes at Carnival.

Carnival is the longest non-ordinary holiday period of the year formally aimed at allowing expression of the multidimensional. During this time the consensus social order is exceptionally and provisionally suspended, giving legitimate space to elements belonging to alternative configurations.

Aquarius is indeed about alternative configurations, whatever provides freedom from the stagnation of consensus reality, often outrageously, yet with deep inner purity and authenticity.

French filmmaker, François Truffaut, with Sun and Moon in Aquarius, in as exemplification of the Aquarian spirit. See below a clip from the movie Jules et Jim, starring Jean Moreau, also with Sun and Moon in Aquarius.

Hence, if alternatives are not your cup of tea, stay away from Aquarius (see below, from Truffaut's The Man Who Loved Women).

For films on Aquarius' themes click here.
For books on Aquarius' themes click here.
For music Aquarius' themes click here.

© Franco Santoro, Findhorn Foundation Cluny Hill, Forres IV36 2RD, Scotland; info@astroshamanism.org

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Blog post final

The Star (Aquarius): Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot (by Franco Santoro)

2012-01-17T09:08:00.001Z

For the introductory article to this series please click here.

The Star is the seventeenth trump of the Major Arcana, which in most traditional decks is associated with Aquarius. In the Rider Waite Tarot the Star depicts a naked woman kneeling by a pool of water, with one foot in the water and the other on the ground.

She holds two jugs: one in her right hand, from which she pours a liquid into the water, and one in her left, which she uses to pour the liquid on the earth. In the background a bird stands on a tree, while above the woman there is a large eight-pointed star, together with seven smaller stars, making a total of eight stars.

From a Gnostic perspective the eight stars represent the eight starry spheres beyond the visible planets, the gateway to Heaven and what lies beyond human awareness. In this respect the naked woman relates to Sophia, a representation of the human soul in its purity, the ultimate and lowest emanation of God, and the mystical Bride of Christ. By pouring water on the land and on the pool the woman shows mastery in the shamanic art of combining polarities, which is what finally allows true ascension to higher realms.

Following the stormy features of the Devil and the Tower, the Star brings a radical soothing shift, which provides an inevitable sense of calm and relief. It heralds the end of a time of turmoil and the return of peace and stability.

This reminds me of a famous poem by Giacomo Leopardi, titled La quiete dopo la tempesta ("The Calm After the Storm”). “The storm has gone, I hear the joyful birds, the hen, returning to the path, renews her cackling. See the clear sky opening from the west, over the mountain: the landscape clarifes…..”

This is especially because the true calm to which Leopardi refers to in the end of the poem, far from residing in the provisional cessations of pain and troubles, abides in a dimension existing beyond our mortal awareness, which is generally provided only by death.

“To be free of pain is our delight. You scatter ills with generous hands: grief appears of itself, and pleasure, that’s so often born of trouble, through the monstrous, and the miraculous, is our only gain. The human race, dear to the gods! Happy enough to gain a breathing space from sorrow: blessed when death heals you of every grief.” (For a video with “The Calm After the Storm” in the original Italian click here.)

Death here is death of the personality, the ego identity based on false perception and separation. It is not a physical death, but rather a moment of epiphany in which what was obscured by the ego finally emerges, providing a sense of unexpected relief, balance and harmony. The storm may come again, and yet the Star brings increased awareness that the space of calm will return and that its presence can be ongoing if we learn to remain connected.

The Star is generally a most attractive card, which most people love, for it provides an immediate sense of healing and peace, suggesting unexpected help, or a gift often coming out of the blue. As a result, it is welcome in readings, especially in times of pain and darkness.

Since the Star is far away in the sky, it does not necessarily provide practical solutions to earthly issues, which are likely to remain troubled unless we take pragmatic action. Yet the Star brings the gift of hope, blessing and inspiration, which are surely a most motivating point in order to promote practical actions. Hence when the Star comes in a reading this can be a sign that we are on the right track and also that our intentions are blessed. And yet, in order for these intentions to be manifested we need to move further, embracing the blessing and doing what is needed.

Celestial Virgin by Augustus Knapp

The Star has a deep connection with the mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also popularly referred to with the title of Star of the Sea (Stella Maris), Morning Star and Queen of Heaven. Mary is often traditionally depicted with a crown of twelve stars on her head (Revelation 12:1)

During the recent New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat, we held a ritual on New Year Day, which in the Catholic calendar is a solemnity devoted to Mary, Mother of God. On that occasion each participant established a connection with their own star. According to many legends there is a star that shines for each one of us throughout life and also shows the way back home when life here is over. This New Year ritual was accompanied by the sound of many versions of Stella Splendens, a popular round dance polyphonic song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. And since I am writing all this on the day of the Epiphany, with the star energy being very intense in my body, I have had enough, and I cannot write much more!

The connection with the stars abides in the deepest roots of our nature. Our physical bodies are the result of a fusion generated by the explosion of a great star, a supernova that eventually produced all the ingredients of the physical world. As Harvard professor of astronomy Robert Kirshner remarks “supernovas created the elements we take for granted – the oxygen we breathe, the calcium in our bones, and the iron in our blood are products of the stars.”

We were born from the stars, and the connection with the starry realms allows us to be linked to our original home, where we come from and our primary intention. The power of the stars is the element of transformation of the whole universe and stars operate as teachers, educating us to move on and renovate ourselves.

I dedicate the song “Stella Splendens” to all the readers and to all those who never cease to enamoured of the Star(s) and constantly hold her (their) tender and passionate embrace with the Earth.

I also devote it to those who have provisionally lost their love for the Star(s), knowing that this love keeps being available at all times, up in the sky and in the reflection of the stars down on the earth, and inside ourselves. After all, as Des’ree sings “in this great big universe, we are the stars on earth”.

I am so passionate about “Stella Splendens”! Only by listening to a little bit of its music stars begin to vibrate within and without me, spontaneously, with no effort. Yes, because, whether we want it or not, we are made of stars, and no matter if we get trapped in the marshes of our gloomy thoughts, stars continue to shine the light of whom we truly are.

Hence, for God’s sake, let’s enjoy these stars!

And then, if I also dare to dance this music, well, what comes is everything that I have always wanted to write about stars (but were afraid to tell).

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Gurdjieff (born 14 January)

2012-01-11T07:42:00.002Z

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: born on January 14, 1866? (10.6.7) with Sun in Capricorn conjunct Saturn, Moon in Virgo, and Ascendant in Libra, died on 29 October 1949, was a master of the gap between ordinary and multidimensional realities.

Gurdjieff described ordinary reality as a form of sleep where men live. He believed that the development of the capacity to wake up from this sleep required a consistent work on oneself, guided initially by a teacher. The work implied being aware of the ordinary unconscious details of life, such as eating, walking, speaking, standing, etc, and also practicing specific movements.

Gurdjieff employed the "Stop" practice: ordering his students to freeze suddenly and without notice no matter what they were doing and keeping the position they found themselves in when this signal was made. Gurdjieff is known mainly through the works of his pupil, P.D. Ouspensky and other authors.

Three books by Gurdjieff, forming the trilogy All and Everything were published after his death. Out of his 10.6 (Capricorn/Virgo) dexterity, he was able to fix anything. People would give him something broken and he would find a away to mend it. He promoted the harmonious connection of the 'wisdom' of the East and the 'energy' of the West in order to save the planet from destruction.

Gurdjieff describes his cosmology as a hierarchy of scales, starting from the all-encompassig Absulute, or God, followed by the universes, galaxies, all the suns of our galaxy, our Sun, and so on, with the Earth being at the bottom of the scale before the Moon. Each scale receives energy from the scale above and passes it to the lower. In this process organic life on Earth, including mankind are merely “food for the Moon” (see: In Search of the Miraculous).

The Moon is regarded here as a planet in the process of being born, operating as a huge magnet sucking into itself the vibrations generated by intense human experiences, such as death, fear, pain, anger. This view that mankind is merely food for someone else is common also to the Gnostic and shamanic traditions.

According to Gurdijeff the amount of energy needed to feed the Moon is exactly the same released by disciplined people through their inner work and practices “by means of conscious labours and intentional sufferings”. If this is not the case, the required energy will be extracted in huge amounts causing major and unavoidable suffering. Conscious labour and intentional suffering are astroshamanic synonyms or Intent and Function.

For Gurdjieff's views on awakening and group work see: http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Life_of_Masters/Gurdjieff/gurdjieffgroups.htm

Quotes:

The present period of culture is, in the whole process of perfecting humanity, an empty and abortive interval.

One of man’s important mistakes, one which must be remembered, is his illusion in regard to his I.

Man has no individual I. But there are, instead, hundreds and thousands of separate small "I"s, very often entirely unknown to one another, never coming into contact, or, on the contrary, hostile to each other, mutually exclusive and incompatible. Each minute, each moment, man is saying or thinking, "I". And each time his I is different. Just now it was a thought, now it is a desire, now a sensation, now another thought, and so on, endlessly. Man is a plurality. Man's name is legion.

I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself.

By teaching others you will learn yourself.

Conscious faith is freedom. Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.

Love without knowledge is demonic.

A considerable percentage of the people we meet on the street are people who are empty inside, that is, they are actually already dead. It is fortunate for us that we do not see and do not know it. If we knew what a number of people are actually dead and what a number of these dead people govern our lives, we should go mad with horror.

A man may be born, but in order to be born he must first die, and in order to die he must first awake.

In properly organized groups no faith is required; what is required is simply a little trust and even that only for a little while, for the sooner a man begins to verify all he hears the better it is for him.

Every ceremony or rite has a value if it is performed without alteration. A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books.

Meetings with Remarkable Men is a 1979 British film directed by Peter Brook about the early life of Gurdjieff and his companions. It can be seen online at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3813872527827778135. See a scene below:

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Full Moon in Cancer (9 January 2012)

2012-01-06T14:51:00.002Z

Pegasus by Ian Hornak, born 9 January 1944, with Full Moon in Cancer (10.4)

The Full Moon is usually a vibrant and particularly stimulating moment, exposing the key ingredients of the dynamics between polarities, while also embracing the pinnacle of the fundamental wholeness existing beyond all apparent conflicts.

In the lunar cycle this sense of wholeness is particularly in force with the New Moon, when both Sun and Moon are conjunct. Hence the sign where the Sun and Moon were located at the initial New Moon, which in this case was Capricorn, set the rhythm of the entire cycle, reaching its climax on a Full Moon. In that moment whatever was conceived during the New Moon, strives for direct limelight and realization. Hence, this is the moment when you can confront and manifest the practical implications of the intentions set during the New Moon.

The last New Moon occurred on 24 December 2011 at 18:06, which was also Christmas' Eve (please click here for an article on this New Moon). The previous New Moon, besides exemplifying the start of the Capricorn lunation, stood also for the birth of the Christ in us, the unveiling of our Core Multidimensional Identity, our authentic nature.

The Full Moon represents a climax of this unveiling, its essence taking form in our actions and life, in whatever we choose to do during the time of the Full Moon to express our true self, to allow it to be visible to the environment and others, while also inviting others and the environment to express their authentic nature.

The Full Moon will culminate when the Sun in Capricorn opposes the Moon in Cancer (Binary 10.4) at 7:30 GMT on 9 January 2012 in 18° Cancer 26’. The major features of this process will however be effective also at least one day before and after exact Full Moon.

Another key for this Full Moon is exemplified by the qualities of Tenderness, Obedience and Integrity. Tenderness is a typical Cancer feature endorsing the way of nurturing and safety. This includes both the awareness of our own needs as well as those of others, taking actions that reveal the abundant generosity of the web of life, operating with care and kindness towards others.

Obedience is a Capricorn quality emphasizing the will to pursue our deepest truth with responsibility. True obedience also encompasses the Art of Disobedience, as Osho puts it.

Any idiot can be obedient, in fact only idiots can be obedient. The person of intelligence is bound to ask why? - "Why am I supposed to do it?" And, "Unless I know the reasons and the consequences of it, I am not going to be involved in it." Then he is becoming responsible. Responsibility is not a game. It is one of the most authentic ways of living - dangerous too - but it does not mean disobedience for disobedience's sake. That will be again idiotic. (Osho)

Integrity blends Capricorn and Cancer qualities, combining mother and father roles, as well as any polarity, into one harmonious whole.

A theme for this Full Moon appears to be honourable nurturing and discipline in alignment with the web of life. This involves operating with expanded responsibility in consideration of ourselves, our children, as well as their children, the future generations and the entire planetary environment.

This implies in a nutshell, and as usual, finding out who we are and what we are doing here, and take any necessary action in this respect.

Blessings and Happy Full Moon, the first in 2012!

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

For a list of books on Capricorn themes click here.
For a list of movies on Capricorn themes click here.

For a list of music on Capricorn themes click here.

For recommended movies on Christmas click here

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Alan Watts (born 6 January)

2012-01-04T17:04:00.001Z

Alan Watts: was born in Kent (England) on 6 January 1915 (10.6.9) with Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Virgo and Ascendant in Sagittarius. Philosopher, writer, speaker, author of more than twenty books,

Watts is a milestone in the investigation of the true nature of reality and alternative states of consciousness.

Well-known autodidact, playful, outsider and eager spiritual researcher, he experimented with Eastern traditions, Christianity, psychedelic drugs, ecology, mysiticism and art.

His main concern was to create bridges (between East and West, spirit and body, etc.) and to move beyond the boundaries of human separated reality.

He was an explorer of the empty spaces, the void, nothingness, unveiling the close relationship between the visible and the unseen, and the human denial towards nothing as opposed to something. "I we spend a say sitting on the couch, or being unproductive... we say we did nothing, usually in a detrimental way. Society tells us we need to make something of our lives, rather than nothing..." And yet the something depends upon the nothing to be seen, just as any form cannot be seen without the empty space that surrounds it. Something and nothing are interdependent, and life cannot make sense if only one prevails.

He believed that life is a marvelous game based on what he called: 'the hide and seek' and 'now you see it now you don't'. Much of our human problems are due to the incapacity of understanding the game of life. Existence for Watts is a spontaneous process and the universe is at play. What frustrates spontaneity and the game of life is our human concern with time lines. The preoccupation with the past and future takes us away from the here and now, where the game of life is actually happening.

Please find below some quotes:

I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.

I owe my solitude to other people.

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

Some believe all that parents, tutors, and kindred believe. They take their principles by inheritance, and defend them as they would their estates, because they are born heirs to them.

Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

It must be obvious... that there is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity.

Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself. Just as the word "water" is a noise that symbolizes a certain liquid without being it, so too the idea of ego symbolizes the role you play, who you are, but it is not the same as your living organism.

The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing.

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Paramahansa Yogananda (born 5 January)

2012-01-04T10:39:00.000Z

Paramahansa Yogananda: born on 5 January 1893 with Sun in Capricorn, Moon and Ascendant in Leo (10.5.5), Chiron Instrument, he was the first Indian yoga master to move and take up residence in the West. He taught the need for direct experience of truth, instead of blind adherence to belief systems.

“The true basis of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience. Intuition is the soul’s power of knowing God. To know what religion is really all about, one must know God.”

His teachings came from a lineage of gurus (including Sri Yukteswar, Lahiri Mahasaya and Mahavatar Babaji) and were based on Kriya Yoga, described as a "spiritual science of Self realization."

Yogananda considered Self-Realization as “the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence; and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.”

Yogananda was also very familiar with astrology, which he defined as “the study of man's response to planetary stimuli. The stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of cause-effect equilibrium that each man has set into motion in the past."

Yogananda is widely known for his best-seller Autobiography of a Yogi, which was an outstanding source of inspiration on my early spiritual path.

Outwitting the Stars: the following excerpts are taken from Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi and refer to astrology. It is a conversation between Yogananda (Mukunda) and his guru Sri Yukteswar. The full text is available at: http://reluctant-messenger.com/yogananda/chapter_16.htm

"Mukunda, why don't you get an astrological armlet?"

"Should I, Master? I don't believe in astrology."

"It is never a question of belief; the only scientific attitude one can take on any subject is whether it is true. The law of gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos would be fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the sanction of human belief.

"Charlatans have brought the stellar science to its present state of disrepute. Astrology is too vast, both mathematically and philosophically, to be rightly grasped except by men of profound understanding. If ignoramuses misread the heavens, and see there a scrawl instead of a script, that is to be expected in this imperfect world. One should not dismiss the wisdom with the 'wise.'

"All parts of creation are linked together and interchange their influences. The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in reciprocity," my guru continued. "Man, in his human aspect, has to combat two sets of forces—first, the tumults within his being, caused by the admixture of earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal elements; second, the outer disintegrating powers of nature. So long as man struggles with his mortality, he is affected by the myriad mutations of heaven and earth.

"Astrology is the study of man's response to planetary stimuli. The stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward operation of cause-effect equilibriums which each man has set into motion in the past.

"A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its probable future results. But the natal chart can be rightly interpreted only by men of intuitive wisdom: these are few.

"The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of birth is not meant to emphasize fate—the result of past good and evil—but to arouse man's will to escape from his universal thraldom. What he has done, he can undo. None other than himself was the instigator of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his life. He can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own actions in the first place, and because he has spiritual resources which are not subject to planetary pressure.

"Superstitious awe of astrology makes one an automaton, slavishly dependent on mechanical guidance. The wise man defeats his planets—which is to say, his past—by transferring his allegiance from the creation to the Creator. The more he realizes his unity with Spirit, the less he can be dominated by matter. The soul is ever-free; it is deathless because birthless. It cannot be regimented by stars.

"Man is a soul, and has a body. When he properly places his sense of identity, he leaves behind all compulsive patterns. So long as he remains confused in his ordinary state of spiritual amnesia, he will know the subtle fetters of environmental law.

"God is harmony; the devotee who attunes himself will never perform any action amiss. His activities will be correctly and naturally timed to accord with astrological law. After deep prayer and meditation he is in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no greater power than that inward protection."

"Then, dear Master, why do you want me to wear an astrological bangle?" I ventured this question after a long silence, during which I had tried to assimilate Sri Yukteswar's noble exposition.

"It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any convenient short cut. The ancient rishis discovered many ways to curtail the period of man's exile in delusion. There are certain mechanical features in the law of karma which can be skillfully adjusted by the fingers of wisdom.

"All human ills arise from some transgression of universal law. The scriptures point out that man must satisfy the laws of nature, while not discrediting the divine omnipotence. He should say: 'Lord, I trust in Thee, and know Thou canst help me, but I too will do my best to undo any wrong I have done.' By a number of means—by prayer, by will power, by yoga meditation, by consultation with saints, by use of astrological bangles—the adverse effects of past wrongs can be minimized or nullified.

"Just as a house can be fitted with a copper rod to absorb the shock of lightning, so the bodily temple can be benefited by various protective measures. Ages ago our yogis discovered that pure metals emit an astral light which is powerfully counteractive to negative pulls of the planets. Subtle electrical and magnetic radiations are constantly circulating in the universe; when a man's body is being aided, he does not know it; when it is being disintegrated, he is still in ignorance. Can he do anything about it?

"This problem received attention from our rishis; they found helpful not only a combination of metals, but also of plants and—most effective of all—faultless jewels of not less than two carats. The preventive uses of astrology have seldom been seriously studied outside of

India

. One little-known fact is that the proper jewels, metals, or plant preparations are valueless unless the required weight is secured, and unless these remedial agents are worn next to the skin."

"Sir, of course I shall take your advice and get a bangle. I am intrigued at the thought of outwitting a planet!"

"For general purposes I counsel the use of an armlet made of gold, silver, and copper. But for a specific purpose I want you to get one of silver and lead." Sri Yukteswar added careful directions.

"Guruji, what 'specific purpose' do you mean?"

"The stars are about to take an unfriendly interest in you, Mukunda. Fear not; you shall be protected. In about a month your liver will cause you much trouble. The illness is scheduled to last for six months, but your use of an astrological armlet will shorten the period to twenty-four days."

I sought out a jeweler the next day, and was soon wearing the bangle. My health was excellent; Master's prediction slipped from my mind. He left Serampore to visit Benares. Thirty days after our conversation, I felt a sudden pain in the region of my liver. The following weeks were a nightmare of excruciating pain. Reluctant to disturb my guru, I thought I would bravely endure my trial alone.

But twenty-three days of torture weakened my resolution; I entrained for Benares. There Sri Yukteswar greeted me with unusual warmth, but gave me no opportunity to tell him my woes in private. Many devotees visited Master that day, just for a darshan. 2 Ill and neglected, I sat in a corner. It was not until after the evening meal that all guests had departed. My guru summoned me to the octagonal balcony of the house.

"You must have come about your liver disorder." Sri Yukteswar's gaze was averted; he walked to and fro, occasionally intercepting the moonlight. "Let me see; you have been ailing for twenty-four days, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please do the stomach exercise I have taught you."

"If you knew the extent of my suffering, Master, you would not ask me to exercise." Nevertheless I made a feeble attempt to obey him.

"You say you have pain; I say you have none. How can such contradictions exist?" My guru looked at me inquiringly.

I was dazed and then overcome with joyful relief. No longer could I feel the continuous torment that had kept me nearly sleepless for weeks; at Sri Yukteswar's words the agony vanished as though it had never been.

I started to kneel at his feet in gratitude, but he quickly prevented me.

"Don't be childish. Get up and enjoy the beauty of the moon over the Ganges." But Master's eyes were twinkling happily as I stood in silence beside him. I understood by his attitude that he wanted me to feel that not he, but God, had been the Healer….

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Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (born 4 January)

2012-01-03T10:27:00.002Z

After Frederick II, born on 26 December, another major birth in the city of Jesi (Italy), where our Italian astroshamanic centre (Provordo Jesi) abides, is Pergolesi's.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was born in Jesi on January 4, 1710 (10.11.8) with Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Aquarius, Ascendant in Scorpio, Uranus and Pluto on the Medium Coeli (Uranus and Pluto Flower), and died very young in Pozzuoli (March 16/17, 1736).

He was a most relevant composer, violinist and organist and the most important early composers of opera buffa (comic opera), such as La Serva Padrona.

Among Pergolesi's other operatic works are his first opera La conversione e morte di San Guglielmo (1731), Lo frate 'nnammorato (The brother in love, 1732), L'Olimpiade (31 January 1735) and Il Flaminio (1735).

In such a short life he was able to compose many other works.

There are various controversial anecdotes regarding Pergolesi. He was born as a Uranus and Pluto Flower. Flowers, in astroshamanic astrological strategies, often denote transiting multidimensional folks aimed at creating gateways or gaps of consciousness while they head into other higher configurations, paving the way for those who are ready to move on with them, at any time and space. Hence the music of Pergolesi or, in more concrete term, places closely related and devoted to Pergolesi (such as Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, as well as Jesi itself) hold this quality at any time and space.

Please be aware that Pergolesi was a nickname and the original surname of Pergolesi was Draghi (Dragons). His family came from Pergola, a village where there is one of the few churches devoted to the Three Kings (Chiesa dei Re Magi).

Pergolesi's birth is celebrated as a feast in the Provordo Calendar, with a symphonic basic ritual of the Sacred Cone, featuring some of the musician's works, according to the stages of the ritual, such as:

First Stage: L'Olimpiade, Concerto per violino.

Second Stage: Fac ut portem, Ogni pena più spietata, Quando Corpus Morietur (Stabat Mater).

Third Stage: Magnificat, Concerto per flauto e orchestra.

Our next workshop in Jesi is on 14-15 January 2012, see details at: https://www.facebook.com/events/281304415247239/

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2012 and the Art of Deleting the Past (by Franco Santoro)

2011-12-26T20:35:00.001Z

The Time Traveler, surreal art by Xetobyte

2011 is reaching its date of expiry and soon the most glamorous 2012 is going to take over.

2012 is claimed by many to be the deadline of a major transformation or apocalypse, leading to either a shift to higher consciousness or a global catastrophe, or even both.

How this will come about is a question that many ask.

For more detals see our article: Apocalyptic 2012.

This can either be the repetition of the same monotonous cycle or a shift into a brand new configuration.

Perhaps, more realistically, it is a mixture of both.

This initial time of the year is a most delicate stage in the healing process, and a very challenging space to manage.

Luminous parts of our being take shape and get ready to be born, yet the gestation of this newness occurs in the darkness, while in the outer environment the dynamics of the past year continue to dominate.

This is a most promising time heralding the beginning of a new journey and the birth of precious hidden treasures.

Our multidimensional nature is ready to dispense the most abundant signs of its presence, awakening the memory of our original unity and power.

Yet, this intensifies the contrast with the separated self and all the blocks from of our conditioned past. Hence, if such grievances are not properly released, a vortex of confusion and turmoil can follow.

The individual involved may then be forced to take resolute measures, which may entail the commitment to explore and heal these areas of darkness, or the option of hiding them away.

Being at such a crucial threshold between past and future, the first days of the New Year are ideal for recapitulation.

Recapitulation is an ancient healing practice aimed at retrieving and releasing energy. The assumption is that past events block vital energy until they are finally sorted out and released. When this is not the case the past keeps being held in the emotional body and we lose the connection with whom we truly are.

We merely become the condensation of unrefined fragmented memories, which are constantly recycled, reactivated and condensed in the present.

As human beings we tend to invest enormous energies in these memories until, just like in a computer, the memory space is used up, and our lives crash, hang or freeze.

Releasing the past may not be an easy task. Many people regularly focus on their memories and justify whatever they do and the way they feel based on their past.

They say things such as, “My father abused me”, “My partner left me”, “I lost my child” or “I was fired”, and use them to validate why their life does not work. As they focus on those things they feed those negative past experiences, which then keep being recycled in the present, preventing new experiences to emerge.

Other people take a totally different stance. Being aware of how the past limits their freedom they elect to wipe it out with an instant spring clean. They start a thorough enterprise of deletion of whatever refers to the past, people, places, situations, belongings, etc.

The relationship with my girlfriend is over! Ok, let’s burn all her photos, letters, presents, also deleting e-mails, text messages, and so on, until I can say, often by quoting lines from a New Age book, that I have finally cleaned up my past and now I am liberated. And from that moment all will be really different!

Well, this is a universe of immense possibilities, and this can truly be the case if I can move radically beyond the syntax of this separated reality. Since the past, as we perceive it is an illusion, deleting it can be as easy as erasing files from a computer.

The moment I wake up from the dream, it will be all gone. And yet, unless I have mastered the art of not falling asleep again, the past will eventually seep though, exactly in the same way, and the only difference will be the actors and the settings.

Releasing the past is not necessarily deleting the past. Far from being erased the past is first of all in vital need of being truly acknowledged and honoured, then healed and, if it truly does not serve, released.

Release is not throwing the past in the bin and then relying on the local authority to get rid of it. Release is liberation, allowing the past to flow in the present, undoing fear and supporting luminous elements, so that this can provide blessings for the present and future.

Release is forgiveness, and as A Course in Miracles puts it, “To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection” (ACIM, T354).

The problem is not in the past, it is getting stuck there, being frozen in the past. And this happens when we consider only the past, as well as when we deny it.

I can pretend that my ex girl-friend never existed, and remove all the evidence of her presence. This may be temporarily effective if I can’t cope with the situation, yet if there are unresolved issues with that girlfriend they will return in one way or the other until I choose to truly release.

And if I don’t release those issues during my life, well, those issues may be carried over in my “next life” or be taken up by the following generations.

I stress these two options because I believe that the major obstacle in releasing the past is not the nature of the past itself but the way we perceive it.

I can regard myself as a separated individual having to deal with personal problems throughout my life, and even in past and future lives, or I can acknowledge myself as part of the collective, a planetary larger being, which includes all mankind, past, present and future.

In shamanism there is the notion of "deleting personal history", yet this is not the past, it is the illusory past created by our separated minds. Hence here the deletion applies to the ego involvement with the past and its separated reality.

The perception of separation from others and the world is the human arbitrary configuration that needs to be dropped in order to experience our true identity and move into a much wider reality.

And this is not a spring clean; it is an ongoing and enduring process, which gradually allows the emergence of the collective past, a realm where all minds are joined. Here personal thoughts, being separated, do not exist or are mere hallucinations.

Shamans, more or less universally, receive most of their guidance from that realm and work intensively with ancestors. They experience past, present and future as a time continuum through which they travel in order to gain knowledge and pursue their shamanic intentions.

For many native traditions all life is based upon this time continuum, with ancestors representing the major reference in cults and social practices. Any type of conflicts developing in the present is acknowledged in relation with the past. And the past is explored as the matrix level, the realm of templates, or archetypes, that can unveil the tools to heal any conflict for the benefit of present and future generations.

May we all be blessed by our luminous past shining into the most joyous present radiating into the ecstatic future, and moving on into the past in an everlasting circle of bliss and love.

Now if you want to take a break from all this, you can watch The Immaculate Art of Deleting the Past below by Cut! (filmmakers from Glasgow University).

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Frederick II (born 26 December)

2011-12-25T11:52:00.000Z

Castel del Monte

The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, known as Stupor Mundi (the amazement of the world) for his epic multi-dimensional deeds, was born in Jesi (Italy) on 26 December 1194, (10.3.5) with Sun in Capricorn conjunct with Saturn (Saturn Alien Power), Moon in Gemini and Ascendant probably in Leo. He is a major exemplification of the enlightened Capricorn, with the capacity to transfer, give shape and build in the third dimensional reality what exists in the multidimensional realms.

Monument to Frederick II

Wherever he went, Frederick built castles, palaces, churches, while also being the patron of poets, artist, scientists and shamans, and funding their work. Most of his buildings are in Southern Italy and Apulia. For a list click here.

The most famous of such buildings is Castel del Monte, (see picture) a massive 13^th century multi-dimensional equilateral eight-sided esoteric and initiatory castle and preferred residence. The castle is a major multidimensional temple, with a special emphasis on release and Scorpio (eight sides, eight rooms on each floor, eight eight-sided towers, and eight medieval sophisticated toilets). The shape of the castle is a bible of esoteric, astrological and geometric interpretations. Please click here for further information.

He often made most outrageous statements on religion and morality, and as a result was excommunicated on various occasions. He openly supported and practiced non-ordinary extravagant sexual practices.

Frederick's natal tent in Jesi

He called Jesi his special city, its very name seeming to recall that of Jesus. His mother, Constance of Sicily, in order to quell rumours her child’s legitimacy, had a tent erected in the main square of Iesi, and with the whole town witnessing, gave birth to her son, Frederick was in the public spotlight since birth.

This controversial monarch and his multidimensional context have had a profound effect on astroshamanic work. Our main astroshamanic healing centre is in Jesi at Provordo Jesi, where we hold our most advanced workshops.

(review by Franco Santoro)

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Carlos Castaneda (born 25 December)

2011-12-24T16:56:00.001Z

Carlos Castaneda: was born in

Peru

on 25 December 1925, with Sun and Jupiter in Capricorn, Moon and Ascendant in Taurus (10.2.2), and Jupiter exactly conjunct to the Midheaven. For Castaneda's birth chart click here.

This is a most earthy and solid astrological make-up, which explains Castaneda’s pragmatic attitude towards shamanic work, his dislike for the term “spiritual”.

This astounding capacity is also proved by the superlative success of his books (selling more than 8 millions copies and translated in 17 languages) and tools.

Castaneda is one of the major champions in bridging the multidimensional and the ordinary reality, or, in Castaneda’s terms, nagual and tonal.

In his work he describes one’s own initiatory training with a Yaqui shaman named Don Juan.

Castaneda kept himself out of the public eye and it is not clear whether or not his books are documented fact or entirely fiction.

For Castaneda, the primary goal is the continuation of awareness after physical death, which requires discipline and procedures representing the way of the Warrior.

His practices are aimed at maximising personal power, avoiding waste of energy (impeccability) and mastering awareness through the operative use of the assemblage point.

According to Castaneda humans are glowing cocoons of awareness set in a universe described euphemistically as all-pervading filaments of light. Such cocoons are intersected throughout by these filaments, producing perception, but they filter our perceptions by concentrating on only a small bundle.

The assemblage point is the focusing lens which draws from the emanations and produces the human separated reality. By shifting the assemblage point it is possible to perceive other realities, which are no less real that ordinary daily life.

Typical of Carlos Castaneda's work is also the emphasis on the power of Intention.

This Intent has nothing to do with struggling to achieve objectives and desires in the physical reality, as we humanly perceive it. Goals, purposes, manifestation, or self-assertion, as they apply in everyday life, are merely pale shadows of the Intent. This does not abide in our conditioned awareness of the world and is entirely unrelated to our identification with the body, as we see it.

The Intent is a pure energy wave flowing through the empty spaces left vacant by our ordinary sensory perception. It is far beyond the world we purport to know, existing in an unseen realm, which is completely alien to our cognition, and yet paradoxically it is the matrix that produces every aspect of our life.

The unveiling of this Intent requires an enormous investment of energy, an unattainable task as long as we keep using energy to sustain our conditioned perception of reality. When all our energy goes into supporting our separate identity, and its sense of self-importance, there is no space for anything else.

Self-importance was regarded by Don Juan Matus as the supreme enemy of the shaman and the nemesis of mankind. This is evident in the unceasing concern for the way we present ourselves to the world, the focus on being liked by people, the desire to be acknowledged, which also compels us to invest massive energy in the acknowledgement of others, so that they can then acknowledge us.

Don Juan argued that if we were capable of letting go of some of that preoccupation with self-acknowledgment, “two extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and, two, we would provide ourselves with enough energy to enter into the second attention to catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe.” (Carlos Castaneda, The Art of Dreaming, p.37).

One of Castaneda’s final tools is Tensegrity, a series of meditative stretching and posing ttechniques. These tools, together with most of Castaneda’s ideas and views have caused major disputes and controversies.

Some quotes from Carlos Castaneda:

A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting.

A path without a heart is never enjoyable. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy— it does not make a warrior work at liking it; it makes for a joyful journey; as long as a man follows it, he is one with it.

A warrior acts as if he knows what he is doing, when in effect he knows nothing.

A warrior considers himself already dead, so there is nothing to lose. The worst has already happened to him, therefore he’s clear and calm; judging him by his acts or by his words, one would never suspect that he has witnessed everything.

A warrior doesn’t know remorse for anything he has done, because to isolate one’s acts as being mean, or ugly, or evil is to place an unwarranted importance on the self.

A warrior is a hunter. He calculates everything. That’s control. Once his calculations are over, he acts. He lets go. That’s abandon. A warrior is not a leaf at the mercy of the wind. No one can push him; no one can make him do things against himself or against his better judgment. A warrior is tuned to survive, and he survives in the best of all possible fashions.

A warrior must cultivate the feeling that he has everything needed for the extravagant journey that is his life. What counts for a warrior is being alive. Life in itself is sufficient, self-explanatory and complete. Therefore, one may say without being presumptuous that the experience of experiences is being alive.

A warrior must learn to make every act count, since he is going to be here in this world for only a short while, in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it.

A warrior takes responsibility for his acts, for the most trivial of acts. An average man acts out his thoughts, and never takes responsibility for what he does.

A warrior thinks of death when things become unclear. The idea of death is the only thing that tempers our spirit.

An average man is too concerned with liking people or with being liked himself. A warrior likes, that’s all. He likes whatever or whomever he wants, for the hell of it.

Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that a warrior has to ask: 'Does this path have a heart?'

Personal history must be constantly renewed by telling parents, relatives, and friends everything one does. On the other hand, for the warrior who has no personal history, no explanations are needed; nobody is angry or disillusioned with his acts. And above all, no one pins him down with their thoughts and their expectations.

The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.

The most effective way to live is as a warrior. A warrior may worry and think before making any decision, but once he makes it, he goes his way, free from worries or thoughts; there will be a million other decisions still awaiting him. That’s the warrior’s way.

Whenever a warrior decides to do something, he must go all the way, but he must take responsibility for what he does. No matter what he does, he must know first why he is doing it, and then he must proceed with his actions without having doubts or remorse about them.

An immortal being has all the time in the world for doubts and bewilderment and fears. A warrior, on the other hand, cannot…because he knows for a fact that the totality of himself has but a little time on this earth.

(review by Franco Santoro)

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24 December - New Moon & Christmas' Eve

2011-12-22T16:00:00.001Z

Cosmic Child by Alex Grey

The New Moon in Capricorn takes place this year on Christmas’ Eve, 24 December 2011 at 18:06 GMT in 2° Capricorn 34’, and conjunct Pluto.

This represents a climax of major transformational factors. Adding to the relevant rebirth connotations of the New Moon in Capricorn per se, there is also Christmas, the birth of the Christ, and Pluto, whose most common keywords are great renewer, transformation and rebirth.

On one side we have the two main celestial bodies coming together on a New Moon and Christmas' Eve, while on the other we have the conjunction with the furthest celestial body of our solar system. This bridges the greatest gap in our consciousness, as represented by the solar system, bringing together all parts of ourselves into a climax of interconnection.

The days of Capricorn, including Christmas, have always been significant times because they marked the entrance into our separated world of a solar deity, a luminous being completely at one with God and a perfect manifestation of our true multidimensional nature on earth.

Jesus, like other such luminous beings, was either a historical person, a myth or both yet the Christ I refer to here is an eternal multidimensional condition, the representation of our true nature.

The ego, our separated self, hides our true nature and throughout ages on this planet seekers have tried to transcend this split identity, which is the cause of all pain and evil.

The ego in itself is not evil, when it defines the boundaries of the ordinary identity we need in order to cope with everyday reality. Yet the ego is a major calamity when it imprisons us in a separated self, devoid of any connection with others and with the infinity of our being.

The best way of transcending the ego is through the path of forgiveness, which is a path of true Love, a way of uncovering our connection with God and with who we truly are.

Every human being has the capacity to experience true Love and the presence of God. For many people the term God has lost interest and is also regarded with repulsion and resistance.

This is because many concepts of God are largely derived from scriptures and rules that provide a false image of God, one that triggers fear, guilt and judgment. Also in the name of God, mankind has committed some of the most horrible crimes and for some people it is totally legitimate to release this term forever.

There is a God created by the ego, which is only a bogus idol aimed at maintaining our separated world. Yet there is another God, the authentic one, whom we can call differently, if necessary. This is the object of my search.

When fear, guilt and judgment are at work the ego is in command and there is no trace of the real God. This God is unconditional Love and is experienced deep in our hearts, in the inner landscape of our being.

It does not matter what name we use for God. As for me, I call it often Core Multidimensional Identity. God takes many forms and names, and Christ, Holy Spirit and Jesus are only terms used mainly by Christians, among thousands of other names. What counts is obviously the experience of God, rather than the form we employ to address God.

What most people on the path seek today are not spiritual formalities, doctrines, gurus or creeds, but paths of direct experience. We seek a direct communion with God, a direct experience of Love and the truth regarding who we are.

Forgiveness is the way to release the separated self, which blocks this experience, and unveil the reality of true Love, who is God Himself. It is a path that involves the systematic resolution of conflicts and dualities, a road that firmly paves the way towards unity and release from all the misery of the separated world.

These days of celebrations are powerful because they can allow us to bring into the present the birth of the Christ, meant as our Core Multidimensional Identity, and of all related luminous beings that have lived on this earth.

During this time, as many Christians commemorate the Nativity, we can celebrate the birth of the Christ in us, the unveiling of our true nature.

This authentic nature is reborn in us when we turn within and unveil our inner source of true Love. Each time we stop and look within, inviting the presence of genuine Love, the Christ is reborn in us and the way of forgiveness resolutely unfolds.

What does it actually mean to have Jesus reborn in us? What does it practically mean to move along the way of forgiveness? At times these terms sound like abstractions or void concepts, susceptible to misunderstanding and confusion, especially when we are caught by dramatic and painful issues in everyday life. Having the Christ reborn in us means giving our Unified Self permission to lead us out of the misery and pain of separated life.

This is what forgiveness is about. It is the ongoing practice of identifying ourselves and all there is with only the loving and the lovable, actively expressing it, while letting go of whatever is alien to it.

The Christ is reborn in us, and forgiveness unfolds, when we look within for God, when we remember who we truly are, when we let go of our illusory identity and open up to the luminous mystery within. It is reborn when we choose to see the face of Christ in all our brothers and sisters, including ourselves.

Here forgiveness is the practice of sending the Good Eye, which is the antonym of the Evil Eye, and involves looking at others through the loving eyes of innocence, without seeing grievances and misery. And in this way we all glow and shine in full beauty, not because something physical has happened, but merely because we can see without the projections of guilt and pain that we had once cast there.

Practising forgiveness entails scanning our mind and heart, looking for areas of grievances and pain, and offering them as a gift to God.

With the New Moon in Capricorn we have the apex of obscurity, separation and density, yet this maximum expression of darkness is followed by the triumph of light. This is the time of the year marking the peak of darkness, when obscurity comes as a gift in order to be blessed by the emerging light.

“The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come. He comes demanding nothing. No sacrifice of any kind, of anyone, is asked by Him. In His Presence the whole idea of sacrifice loses all meaning. For He is Host to God. And you need but invite Him in Who is there already, by recognising that His Host is One, and no thought alien to His Oneness can abide with Him there.” (ACIM, T15, XI.3)

Forgiveness implies expressing the firm choice of allowing pain and misery to be released. We realise that we do not intend to hold onto our grievances anymore. We become aware that it does not serve us to keep our grievances so as to demonstrate how unfortunate we are, how awfully someone has hurt us, how desperate our life is.

The essence of the Winter Solstice and Christmas is Love. Spirit is manifested in the separated world through the birth of a luminous human being. Each year during this time the Christ energy slides into the Earth, pervading our world with the seed of unity and the calling to merge with God. Jesus is an example of such embodiment, yet so are we!

We can all become the manifestation of God, the vehicles of Love in this world. Yet, this is not a solitary enterprise. God and Love are unity, and their manifestation is only feasible when we join together, acknowledging the same Love within each one of us. We cannot see God with our physical eyes, yet we can see our brothers and sisters as they truly are. By unveiling the light and love in them, God will be embodied in them and we will uncover who they truly are. As we see the light in our friends, we learn to acknowledge God expressing through them, and in this way we also learn to become aware of how God operates in us.

Forgiveness is the art of learning to perceive all our relationships as a proof of our holiness, rather than as sources of grievances. It is about letting go of the garbage we have projected on our brothers and sisters, which is the same garbage we have projected on ourselves. It is allowing the starry sky to pierce the obscurity of the winter firmament, shedding blessings on whatever surround us, within and without.

The entire zodiac can be explored from the perspective of forgiveness, using the 12 different signs as representations of all aspects of life, all the others within and without, letting go of their grievances and supporting their return to the original light they all belong to. And in this way the Christ is born again in us, for it is reborn in everyone and everything.

As we enter this holiday season, let’s allow every Christmas tree, every decoration we see in the streets, every time we send or receive a Christmas card, every moment we wish Happy Christmas to someone or receive their holy wishes, to be a confirmation that the Christ has come within us and through us to everyone and all there is.

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For a list of music on Capricorn themes click here.
For recommended movies on Christmas click here
For recommended books on Winter and Christmas click here

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Happy Winter Solstice!

2011-12-20T19:58:00.001Z

Kicking Winter, from: Corriere Fiorentino

The Winter Solstice is exactly at 5:30 GMT on 22 December 2011.

The Sun attains the lowest point in the northern hemisphere and the apex of obscurity, while in the southern hemisphere it is the other way around.

This obvious realisation is sufficient to unveil one of the most significant mysteries of life – the ongoing mutual interaction between opposites and their simultaneous presence beyond our limited perception of what appears to be present.

In the northern hemisphere the Winter Solstice is the gateway into winter and the North. It is a time of inner change of gear, when we have the chance to slow down and even stop or go into reverse. Here we can question all the things we take for granted about ourselves, what our assumptions are, laying aside the mechanical interaction with the world for a while and reaching out for the matrix.

The aim is to allow our intentions and any further action we may take to stem from a deeper understanding of life, becoming aware of authentic purposes and letting go of the conditioned mind based on fear and ignorance.

Winter is an ideal time to dismiss the restrictions of human ordinary perception, releasing the soul from her tarnished chains, letting her loose to reach where it belongs. This holiday season can be the golden opportunity for welcoming the nativity of our uncorrupted multidimensional nature, becoming receptive to its vision and setting honourable intentions in preparation for upcoming luminous enterprises.

Winter is also a major time of healing connection between the visible and the unseen, body and spirit. The power of this season involves all aspects of life and death, reaching a climax in our perspective and awareness.

The Winter Solstice, and the week that follows, in particular, has traditionally been a time for acknowledging the cycles of the Earth, for slowing down and gaining awareness of what is happening in life, where we come from, where we are going to, where we are and what truly matters on this journey.

This time of the year is ideal for recapitulation, a most healing practice. Recapitulation involves experientially reviewing one’s life and releasing emotions and grievances trapped in the past.

These unconscious elements are constantly recycled into our personal history from the collective planetary memory. They are the source of all persistent conflicts and unpleasant issues we experience in life. They are what keep us entangled in a separate reality, draining the access to who we truly are. These grievances continue to cause a continuous state of emotional confinement, until they are fully handled and released into the web of life.

In this holiday season at the threshold of 2012, I wish to convey my gratitude for being a reader of this blog. Having the privilege to connect with you, whoever and wherever you are, is a most shining gift I am pleased to acknowledge.

You are always most welcome if you choose to attend our events at Findhorn (Scotland) and Jesi in Italy (see calendar below), sessions and courses. Also any comment you leave is most appreciated and feel free to connect directly with me if you wish to share about your experience.

Merry Solstice and Christmas!

May you experience your loving and radiant self throughout these festive days, and may you generously share it with others at all levels.

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For a list of music on Capricorn themes click here.

If this is feasible for you, please support our blog with a donation. Every donation of any amount is most welcomed. Also very small contributions are most appreciated

The Devil - Capricorn: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot (by Franco Santoro)

2011-12-20T11:04:00.001Z

For the introductory article to this series please click here.

In most traditional tarot decks Capricorn is associated with the Devil, the fifteenth trump of the Major Arcana.

In the Rider Waite Tarot the Devil is depicted squatting on a small altar where two naked demons, male and female, are held in chain. He keeps his right hand raised, with his palm depicting the astrological glyph for Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn. In his left hand he holds a flaming torch. His forehead features a reversed pentagram, which is a symbol of matter triumphing over spirit.

The pentacle is also a representation of the human body, and when it is reversed the genitals are above the head, indicating sexual desire or reproduction prevailing over higher consciousness.

Although the Devil is conventionally regarded as antagonistic or opposed to God, its etymology discloses a striking and controversial affinity. The term “devil” derives from the Indo-European deva, which is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity". As a result, many languages directly descended from Sanskrit, such as the Gypsy language, use the term devil as the name of God. Also in many other cultures the name used for God in ancient times became the term employed to identify the devil and also vice versa.

For the Gnostics, the Old Testament god, Yahweh, is indeed regarded as a demonic and evil being, as opposed to the true God. The Devil is here a lower god, a flawed consciousness, a Demiurge, the creator of the physical world where we live and the author of the realm of separation (kenoma), or Human Arbitrary Configuration (HAC).

The most common meaning of the Devil relates to its capacity to generate illusions and arbitrary limitations. The main of such illusions is the perception of a separated reality, and the lack of awareness of whatever exists beyond the physical world.

In general, the Devil is a card of bondage and addiction, which may range from one’s entire experience of life or to just a specific area. It can therefore refer to my whole perception of reality, when this is based on rigid belief systems that exclude and deny whatever does not belong to them. It can also relate to one particular aspects of life, such as eating, smoking, or drinking where I may be enslaved or also have preconceived ideas. The Devil applies to addictions as well as to attitudes of excessive control and rigidity, which are still forms of bondage.

The trump can traditionally indicate a situation where the individual is blocked, dominated by his narrow mind or by strong obsessions, vices, sexual urge or other things that are usually regarded as abominable or unacceptable. It may indicate a binding attraction towards people, behaviours or situations that the individual hates, and yet he is unable to stop either because the urge is too strong or due to fear of consequences. It can be an invitation to being aware of such obsessions and urges, not allowing them to spread unconsciously or taking some action so that they are safely released or transformed.

The Devil may also denote an invitation to take it easy in a certain situation and accept to be a bit mischievous, not getting too serious, controlled or rigid, letting go of shyness and fear.

Yet, there is a deeper element in the Devil, which constitutes the arcane essence of this trump. In this respect it stands for an awesome resource of power, which the seeker needs to master in order to move on the path.

This power is a most terrifying element, something generally regarded as wicked or sinful, which may be seen as such simply as a result of deeply rooted conditioning and denials. Here the Devil relates with the crucial use of sexual energy, in all its expressions, and its capacity to raise our multidimensional awareness and liberate us from the bondage of separation, or to cause obsession, addiction and violence.

by A. Carracci

The awakening of our multidimensional nature is a most ecstatic experience with radical effects on every aspect of our perception, especially the physical body. Yet there are very close links between these ecstatic experiences and addictive, violent or weird behaviours.

The neural activity our brain produces whenever facing any extreme, shocking and risky situation, no matter whether this is a shamanic experience or a criminal act, is basically the same, and this can lead to a lot of confusion. The borderline between enlightenment and insanity, ecstasy and perversion is very thin, which is what makes the shamanic path a most controversial and often perilous one.

The Devil is a most stirring and devious initiatory card, a major test on the way of healing, which can unveil its original nature as Pan , the traditional horned god of pastoral life and vegetation. The Devil, as Pan, is the keeper of the so called bona fide horny bit, the climax of libido, and the guardian of the threshold between HAC and non-HAC.

Pan is an all-embracing god comprising all aspects of life. His name means “all”, and was given to him by the gods to acknowledge the libido drive as the all-inclusive feature of the entire universe. Hence Pan is the god of everything and everyone, HAC and non-HAC, good and evil, representing the Great Whole at all levels, from the most intense physical sensuality to the peaks of transcendental asceticism.

To the people of ancient times Pan represented the complete spirit of unity, blending the apparent polarities of the third-dimensional world, life and death, day and night, light and darkness. Pan was once the most popular god in the western world and his horned statues could be found more abundantly than those of any other god. Yet, since Pan was the god of unity and multidimensionality, when the current HAC took over, there was no place for Pan anymore and the emerging HAC cultures began to demonise him. Hence, soon Pan became the Devil.

Pan is mythically located in the constellation of Capricorn and is the representation of Saturn, and the original inspirer of the Saturnalia. Shamans and healers of ancient times would embody the spirit of Pan especially on the Winter Solstice, in order to preserve the balance between polarities and the alignment to the vertical axis, or Core Multidimensional Identity.

The ancient Pagan custom to gather around an evergreen tree, revived with the current Christmas Tree, is connected with another obvious feature of Pan: i.e. Father Christmas or Santa Claus.

Santa and Pan are alter egos, sharing the same nature in different contexts. Just move the n of Santa to the end and you get Satan! There is a legend that Pan died at the exact moment of Jesus’ crucifixion. Pan’s alleged death was supposed to represent the end of Paganism or, more pragmatically, the separation from our Core Multidimensional Identity and the castration of our human original ecstatic nature.

The legend about Pan dying at the same moment as Jesus, may obliquely imply that Pan is also born, like Jesus, at Christmas. Hence, watch out!

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For a list of music on Capricorn themes click here.

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Winter Solstice

2011-12-16T09:50:00.003Z

Entrance To The Sacred Tree (Industrial Forest)

As the Sun enters Capricorn on 22 December 2011 at 5:30 GMT, we face the peak of our being, reaching the top of the inner trees and contemplating the longest nights, the peak of obscurity.

The Winter Solstice is the doorway into winter and the North.

It is a time of slowing down, when we have the opportunity to withdraw in the inner world, embracing the highest dreams and aspirations.

Here we can easily come to a deeper understanding of life, giving up outworn patterns, becoming receptive to wide visions, setting honourable intentions in preparation for upcoming luminous enterprises.

Winter is also a major time of healing connection between the visible and the unseen, body and spirit. The power of this season involves including all aspects of life and death, reaching a climax in our perspective and awareness.

It is a time when we can rise above the limitations of our narrow perception, releasing our soul from her rusty chains, letting her unleash her wings and soar to her original abode of love, freedom and unity.

This Winter Solstice is also the gateway into the long awaited 2012. See: http://astroshamanic.blogspot.com/2011/03/apocalyptic-2012-by-franco-santoro.html

The holiday season can be the golden opportunity for definitely ceasing to delay ourselves and accepting a resolute Nativity of our true uncontaminated nature.

Let’s open our heart and mind to the beauty and bliss that resides beyond the grim veils of the separated world, creating a glorious Christmas bridge of reunification of our fragmented self.

Click here for our calendar of holistic and astroshamanic events.

For individual consultations with Franco Santoro and Associates click here

If this is feasible for you, please support our blog with a donation. Every donation of any amount is most welcomed. Also very small contributions are most appreciated.