House of Daedalus

The Metaphysical Properties of June Birthstones

2013-06-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

[Different colors of pearls, one of the birthstones of June.]

THE METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF JUNE BIRTHSTONES

“Who comes with summer to this earth,
And owes to June her hour of birth,
With ring of agate on her hand
Can health, wealth, and long life command.”

~”June”, from a 19^th century birthstone poem~

What is a birthstone? Where do the listings originate?

A birthstone is a gem associated with each month, believed to bring good luck to those born during it. The 18^th century jeweler Jean Henri Prosper Pouget believed the custom originated in 16^th century Germany, while the 20^th century mineralogist George Kunz suggested 18^th century Poland instead. Because the historical evidence is so limited, both origins are speculative. Both authors theorize the birthstones were first modeled on lists of gemstones in the Bible, said to symbolize specific zodiac signs, religious figures, and virtues by later authors.

The modern birthstones originate in 1912, after the National Association of Jewelers met to standardize the list, which varied greatly between older sources. Subsequently alternate stones have been added, as they became available in the market.

What are the June birthstones?

Pearl and moonstone are the modern birthstones for June, alexandrite was added in 1952. Older sources list agate and emerald instead. Each stone is thought to symbolically represent something about the month. Both pearl and moonstone are associated with the Moon, which rules the zodiac sign Cancer (~June 21^st - July 22^nd), while alexandrite, agate, and emerald are all associated with Mercury, which rules the zodiac sign Gemini (~May 20^th – June 20^th).

Pearl: A pearl is an organic object produced by certain molluscs, most notably the oyster. They form to protect the animal from injury or a foreign body, wrapping it in layers of the minerals calcite and aragonite and the protein conchiolin. Natural pearls are a rare occurrence and were once the most precious jewelry material available, known as the “queen of gems”. In the early 1900's techniques were developed in Japan to produce cultured pearls, which made them available to the greater public.

Because of their white color, biological purpose, and layers, pearls represent purification, spiritual protection, and the overcoming of obstacles. Since they come from the ocean and are round like the Moon, they are lunar symbols, connected to the emotions, romance, and traits culturally associated with the feminine like intuition. Pearls are also said to have a calming effect, just like they help the oyster with an irritant, or are used to reveal and pacify the root of a personal wound.

Moonstone: The name moonstone comes from the1^st century CE Roman naturalist Pliny, who described a mineral named selenitis (Latin, “stone of the Moon”), said to change its appearance based upon the phase of the Moon. Today the term refers to stones that display a certain optical effect, a sheen that moves across their surface, rather than a particular mineral. Those with a blue or white flash are orthoclase or albite feldspars, or an intergrowth of both, while those with a rainbow flash are a variety of labradorite instead, with a colorless background. The shimmer is produced by light reflecting off and between the layers of the mineral.

As the name suggests, moonstone is connected to the Moon, taking much of its metaphysical properties from its symbolism. It is used to support personal growth during changes, safe travel, especially over water or at night traditionally, and romance. Because the Moon symbolizes women in many cultures, it represents all things feminine, from the Divine Feminine, fertility and menstruation, to traits culturally associated with the gender, like emotion, intuition, and creativity. Finally minerals with optical effects are associated with contemplative states of being, like inspiration, meditation, and devotion.

Alexandrite: Alexandrite is a rare color changing variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Known as the “emerald by day, ruby by night”, it appears green to greenish blue in sunlight and red to pinkish purple in candle light. It also displays pleochroism, appearing to be a different color when seen at different angles, in the same light. It was first discovered in Russia in the early 19^th century. Originally called diaphanite (Greek “two” and “unseen, appearance”), it was later renamed in honor of Czar Alexander II. Its optical effects are due to trace amounts of chromium replacing some of the aluminum in its crystal structure.

Because of its color changing ability in natural or artificial light, alexandrite is associated with balancing the material and spiritual, psychic gifts, and altered states of consciousness like dreams, meditation, and shamanic journeys. Both green stones and those with multiple colors were historically ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, the mental realm, and everyday life. In contemporary metaphysical sources, Alexandrite's red to purple and green to greenish blue coloring suggests it integrates the physical world, spirituality, feeling, and thinking. It also symbolizes good luck, abundance, and balanced relationships.

Agate: Agate is a banded variety of chalcedony, a form of quartz that grows in masses rather than points. Chalcedony is the mother of many gemstones, given different names depending on its appearance: onyx is black or black white chalcedony, carnelian is red, chrysoprase is green, etc. The different colors are caused by inclusions of other minerals. Some forms of agate are more porous and may be dyed.

Throughout antiquity agate was engraved to make amulets and seals. When pressed into wax or clay, their images made documents official and protected goods by proving ownership. Seals were important symbols of authority, so agate came to represent victory, public favor, and protection. Because of its hardness and resistance to most acids, agate is used to make mortars and pestles for medicine, so it also came to symbolize healing, longevity, and fortitude. Historically stones with multiple colors were ruled by Mercury, which further associated agate with business, mental clarity, and spiritual defense.

Emerald: Emerald is a rare green variety of the mineral beryl, colored by trace inclusions of the metal chromium. Some sources also include stones colored by vanadium. Beryl colored green by iron is more common, but has a much less vibrant color, and is known as “green beryl” instead. Like chalcedony, beryl is the mother of many gemstones, given different names depending on its appearance: aquamarine is blue beryl, heliodor is yellow, morganite is pink, etc.

Traditionally green and blue gemstones represented the life giving qualities of water and its role in plant growth. Therefore emerald symbolizes abundance, well being, and the transmutation of negativity, since it was once believed to be an antidote to poisons. In antiquity it was sacred to Venus and other love goddesses, connecting it to romance, fidelity, and balancing partnerships. Finally both emerald and beryl have historical associations with spiritual and physical sight, used to create both gazing spheres for divination and eye glasses, before advances in glass lenses.

The Metaphysical Properties of Ammonites and Ammolite

2012-10-09T06:25:00.002-07:00

Do fossils have metaphysical properties?

Fossils are neglected in modern stone books but they are a potent union of the mineral and animal kingdoms. Metaphysical properties can be drawn both from their geology and biology and many were used for spiritual reasons historically.

What is an ammonite?

The Ammonoidea or ammonites (“am-uh-nights”) are an extinct group of shelled cephalopods that lived ~400 to ~65 million years ago. The name may specifically refer to one branch of them, the Ammonitida, that lived ~200 to ~65 million years ago. Their living relatives include the octopus, squid, and nautilus.

Ammonites lived in an external chambered shell, usually in the shape of a coiled spiral. Depending on the species, it could also be straight, partially bent, or corkscrewed. Their body was in the last and largest chamber. As they grew they added progressively bigger compartments to the mouth of their shell, walling off the old ones.

This chambered shell is called a phragmacone (“frah-muh-cone”), from the Greek phragmo, “fence, enclosure, partition”, + konos, “cone”. A thin organ called a siphuncle (“sigh-fung-kuhl”) connected each segment to the body chamber like a strand of beads. The word comes from the Latin sīphunculus, meaning “a little siphon”. They used this tube to maintain their buoyancy, regulating the mixture of water and gas in each compartment through their blood.

Ammonites may be found with a small curved shell called an aptychus (“ap-tea-cus”) or a symmetrically mirrored pair of them. The word comes from the Greek aptychon, “a folding panel with two parts”. There is debate among scientists if they were part of their jaw, a protective cover like the hood of a nautilus, or both. While ammonite shells were grown from aragonite, the aptychus was made from calcite. Although they are chemically related, calcite is more durable so many were preserved on their own, washed away from their shells. They were misidentified historically as a species of clam.

Although an incredible number of shells are preserved, very little soft tissue was fossilized. Therefore no one knows what an ammonite looked like exactly. Although their shells resemble a nautilus, their teeth are similar to the octopus and squid. So a spiral shelled animal with eight to ten tentacles is the best deduction.

What symbolism did ammonites have in antiquity?

The word ammonite references a historic name for the fossil. The first century CE Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder called them hammonis cornu, meaning “the horns of Ammon”. Ammon is the Latinized version of the name Amun, the ancient Egyptian god of creation, later interpreted as a form of Zeus by the Greeks. Amun was depicted as a ram, a man with the head or horns of a ram, or a ram headed sphinx. Pliny states:

“The horns of Ammon [“ammonite”] is reckoned among the most sacred gems of Aethiopia [“the upper region of the Nile”]; it is of a golden color, like a ram's horn in shape, and ensures prophetic dreams, it is said.”

Do the historical lapidaries mention ammonites?

Many historical gem books include stones found in animals. Some actually come from living creatures like bezoars, mineral concretions produced in the digestive tract, while others have proven to be fossils. Most period “toadstones”, allegedly from the head of a toad, are instead teeth from the extinct fish species Lepidotes.

Likewise some scholars believe the legendary draconites, found in the head of a snake or dragon, could be an actual stone. Something with a resemblance, like the toadstone. Ammonites are a strong candidate since some draconites were described as displaying a serpent pattern. Depending on the text, it protected the wearer from poisons, venomous creatures, or adversaries.

Ammonites actually have a long association with serpents. According to English legend, the 7^th century Saint Hilda of Whitby turned an infestation of snakes to stone to allow for the construction of an abbey. These petrified “snakestones” are ammonites. Sometimes artists would carve or paint a head on them, to produce pious souvenirs. English fossil hunters during the early 19^th century called ammonites cornemonius, a corruption of their Latin name hammonis cornu.

Ammonites were used in folk medicine across Europe for snake bites, fertility, and birthing pains. In 18^th century Germany and England they were added to water as “drakestones” (“dragonstone”) or “crampstones” to treat livestock.

What do ammonites mean in some Native American traditions?

To the Niitsitapi nation (“Blackfoot”), portions of ammonites, baculites, and other fossils are iniskim, meaning “buffalo stone, buffalo calling stone”. Baculites are a variety of ammonite with only a slightly bent shell. Fossil ammonites often come apart, breaking down into their individual chambers. Those with sutures become lobed, roughly resembling an animal, traditionally a buffalo. According to legend the first iniskim revealed itself during a famine to a young woman. It taught her the songs and ceremonies required to call the buffalo to be hunted. They reveal their presence by chirping like a bird and are associated with abundance, good luck, and healing.

What do ammonites represent in Hinduism?

Stones can have a special relationship to the divine in Hinduism, like the egg shaped linga of Shiva and the rounded black shaligram shila or salagram shila of Vishnu. Shila/Sila means “stone” in Sanskrit, shaligram/saligram is a regional name of Vishnu, and shalagram/salagram refers to a location where they are found. In Hindu thought God takes on different forms for the benefit of humanity. Vishnu is the divine as preserver. He is typically depicted as blue skinned, carrying a mace, lotus, conch shell, and a discus like weapon called a chakra.

The shila or salagram is a fossil concretion from the Gandaki River in Nepal, often with prominent ammonites. They are typically black in color but pyrite inclusions may make them golden. The fossil patterns are believed to represent sacred symbols like the attributes of Vishnu, especially his chakra. In mythology Vishnu transformed into vajra kita, aquatic worms as hard as diamonds, to carve them. An interpretation of the snake like ammonites found inside. The stones are traditionally used for devotion.

What do they mean in Chinese culture?

Some feng shui practitioners recommend ammonite and ammolite, an iridescent ammonite shell used as a gemstone, as wealth cures. Ammolite may be known by the trade name “kirin stone”, after the mythical Chinese composite animal, more commonly spelled qilin or ch'i-lin. They symbolize non-violence, virtue, and longevity. The iridescence of ammolite is said to resemble their fiery scales.

19th century English texts say the Chinese call ammonites the "kosmos stone", for its resemblance to their symbol for the cosmos. They mean its comma-like shape resembles the black and white sections of the taijitu (“yin and yang symbol”), especially as a pair. The spiral of an ammonite is believed to draw in chi (“spiritual energy”) and radiate it out, promoting abundance, health, and well being.

The Hidden Virtues of Ammonite

The metaphysical properties of a fossil are revealed in its geology, cultural associations, and effect on the chakra system:

1. Fossil: Because of their literal connection to the past, fossils support longevity, memory, and past life recall. They are also used to contact spirit guides, honor ancestors, or connect to ancient sources of knowledge. Ammonites are especially well suited for past life work since they are used as an index fossil. They help date the rock layers in which they are found because of their wide distribution, large numbers, and specific time span.

Ammonites only lived in the last chamber of their shell, using their phragmacone to stay afloat. Sometimes we are so focused on the future or the past, including our past lives, we neglect today. Use ammonites to regain perspective on the present, to integrate information about the past or potential future, or reorient after altered states of consciousness like shamanic journeying.

2. Shell: Because they come from the ocean, shells are connected to the Moon, water, and qualities culturally associated with the feminine like intuition, emotions, and the unconscious. Because ammonites are fossilized shells, they help transform the emotional past, releasing dysfunctional family patterns, childhood trauma, or suppressed feelings. Lunar materials are also associated with sleep, dreams, and techniques like lucid dreaming. This is especially true for ammonites since they were used historically for prophetic dreams.

3. Home: Both shells and materials ruled by the Moon symbolize the home. A lot of ammonite terminology is domestic: their shell is a phragmacone, Greek, “a cone of fences”, each chamber is a camera, Latin “a vaulted room”, and the dividers between them are septa, Latin, “walls”. Because of this architectural connection, ammonites are used for the spiritual protection of a house. Since the animal moved from chamber to chamber as it grew, walling off the old ones, they support individuals selling a home, in the process of moving, or adjusting to a new location.

4. Spiral: Both ammonite and nautilus shells are commonly used to illustrate the golden spiral, a growth pattern based on the Fibonnaci sequence with a ratio of 1.618. Unfortunately research suggests this is only rarely true. The nautilus is a logarithmic spiral but its average ratio is 1.33. Because these numbers are close, the inner chambers resemble the golden spiral but the outer ones deviate from it. While an individual shell may be a golden spiral, it is not true for all of them.

The 17^th century Swiss mathematician Jakob Bernoulli called the logarithmic spiral the spira mirabilis (Latin, “miraculous spiral”) because of its importance for living things. It allows shells to grow larger, without having to change their shape. Bernoulli wrote:

“... since our spira mirabilis [“miraculous spiral”, ie. logarithmic spiral] remains, amid all changes, most persistently itself, and exactly the same as ever, it may be used as a symbol, either of fortitude and constancy in adversity, or, of the human body; which after all its changes, even after death, will be restored to its exact and perfect self...”

Ammonites are associated with change, resiliency, and overcoming obstacles. Like the labyrinth, the spiral represents the journey of life, death and rebirth, and repeated cycles like the seasons and movement of celestial bodies. The spiral shell of the ammonite literally represents their life, created as they added chambers to the open end of their shell. Cross sections of an ammonite are popular wedding gifts because they represent a journey and two parts coming together to make a whole.

5. Animal Totems: An octopus in a nautilus shell that looks like a ram, snake, dragon, or buffalo. Rarely does one fossil have so many animal relationships. Ammonites can be used to connect spiritually to any of these medicines or animal totems in general.

6. Abundance: Ammonites represent abundance in several cultures. The Zeus and horn connection even suggests the cornucopia (Latin, “horn of plenty”). One variety of ammonites is named after it. When he was an infant, Zeus was hidden in a cave from his tyrannical father Cronus. A goat named Amalthea nursed him. When he accidentally broke off one of her horns, it became a symbol of divine generosity, overflowing with food and drink.

7. Aligning the Chakras: Energy follows the structure of a material, producing a similar effect within us. An ammonite shell is a series of chambers, connected together by the siphuncle tube, which regulated the balance of water and gas in each section. The chakra system is very similar. In the original Hindu and Buddhist models, spiritual energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, “flow, river, conduit”). The body has three main nadi, one in the spinal column and two that wrap around it. The chakras occur where they intersect.

Because of this structural similarity, ammonite and nautilus fossils are used to adjust the flow of energy in the nadi, aligning the chakras. In most nautilus species the siphuncle tube is centrally located. In most ammonite species, it is found along the bottom of the chambers instead. This suggests that a nautilus is better suited for the central nadi and an ammonite the side channels, although either can be used. They can even be combined to balance the entire system. However the snake symbolism of ammonites associates them with kundalini, which is produced in the central channel by joining together the energies of the side ones.

8. Balancing the Chakras: In many spiritual traditions clockwise motion is used to open and counter clockwise is used to close. Clockwise vs. counterclockwise is always a matter of perspective. On one side of an ammonite, moving from the mouth to the center of the shell is clockwise, on the other side, counterclockwise. From the center to the mouth instead is reversed. A chakra that is too open or too closed is out of balance. Running energy through an ammonite in a specific direction can help regulate a chakra: out or clockwise to help open, in or counterclockwise to help close.

9. Healing Properties: Ammonites were used historically for fertility, pregnancy, and birth in both people and animals. Fossils in general are related to Saturn, astrologically oriented healers recommend them for parts of the body ruled by it like the legs, bones, joints, teeth, skin, and hair. Because they come from the ocean, ammonites are also linked to the Moon, which rules the breasts, stomach, digestive system, and womb.

Healers who use the modern chakra system instead associate fossils with the Root Chakra. Because most ammonites are brown, reddish orange, to golden yellow in color, they connect to the Root (brown and red), Second (orange), Third (yellow), and Crown (gold) Chakras. They support parts of the body below the heart and the top of the head.

This article is part of a series for Enter the Earth, located in Asheville, North Carolina. To find some incredible ammonites, check out both their retail and online stores:

1 Page Avenue
Suite 125
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 350-9222

Online Store: http://www.entertheearth.com/
On Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/entertheearthinc
On Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnterTheEarth

The spiritual use of stones is one tool among many for helping us with our problems. This information is not intended to replace the care of your doctor or mental health professional.

[]

To recognize the difference between an ammonite and a fossilized nautilus shell, read Ammonite vs. Nautilus.

Ammonite vs. Fossilized Nautilus

2012-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

How do you distinguish between an ammonite and a fossilized nautilus?

Both the ammonite and nautilus are members of the cephalopod family, whose living members include the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. The ammonites are extinct, having lived from the Devonian to the Cretaceous eras (~400 to ~65 million years ago). The nautiluses first appeared during the late Cambrian era (~500 million years ago) and some species still remain today.

Examine the siphuncle tube in the shell:

Both ammonites and nautiluses lived in an external chambered shell, usually in the shape of a coiled spiral. Depending on the species, it could also be straight, partially bent, or corkscrewed. Their body was in the last and largest chamber. As they grew they added progressively bigger compartments to the open end of their shell, walling off the old ones.

This chambered shell is called a phragmacone (“frah-muh-cone”), from the Greek phragmo, “fence, enclosure, partition”, + konos, "cone". A thin organ called a siphuncle (“sigh-fung-kuhl”) connected each segment to the body chamber like a strand of beads. The word comes from the Latin sīphunculus, meaning “a little siphon”. They used this tube to maintain their buoyancy, regulating the mixture of water and gas in each compartment through their blood.

A: Nautilus: In most nautilus species the siphuncle passes through the middle of each chamber. It may be visible when cut in a cross section.

B: Ammonite: In most ammonite species the siphuncle is found near the bottom of each chamber, along the inside surface of the outer edge of the shell. It may be visible when cut in a cross section and in polished but uncut specimens.

C: Nautilus vs. Ammonite: The siphuncle is in the middle of each chamber in a nautilus and the bottom in an ammonite. There are species exceptions for both animals. Early nautiluses had the siphuncle at the bottom of the chamber and one branch of ammonites, the Clymeniida, had them in the middle.

Examine the septa and sutures of the shell:

The chamber walls in both animals are called septa, pronounced “sep-tuh” from the Latin saeptus, meaning “enclosure, fence, wall”. If the shell has been broken, exposed to the elements, or polished, patterns may be visible on the surface where the septa connected to the outer shell. These are called sutures, pronounced “sue-tchers”, from the Latin sutura, meaning “a seam”.

A: Nautilus: A nautilus has a thicker shell and its septa are concave, curving away from the mouth of the shell when cut in a cross section. Its sutures are a simple rounded line.

B: Ammonite: An ammonite has a thinner shell and its septa are convex, curving towards the mouth of the shell when cut in a cross section. Some species had folded septa, producing intricate leaf like sutures. These distort their convex orientation.

C: Nautilus vs. Ammonite: Nautilus sutures are concave, ammonite sutures are convex. Complex sutures may not appear convex. Simple sutures are found in both nautiluses and ammonites, complex sutures are only found in ammonites.

This article is part of a series for Enter the Earth, located in Asheville, North Carolina. To find both ammonites and fossilized nautiluses, check out their retail and online stores:

1 Page Avenue
Suite 125
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 350-9222

Online Store: http://www.entertheearth.com/
On Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/entertheearthinc
On Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnterTheEarth

© 2012, C. L. Matthews

www.houseofdaedalus.blogspot.com

To read about the metaphysical properties of ammonites, see: The Metaphysical Properties of Ammonites and Ammolite

Where Do the Metaphysical Properties of Minerals Come From?

2012-10-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

[Many of amethyst's metaphysical properties are derived from its etymology, the origin of its name.]

Where do the metaphysical properties of minerals come from?

Sources typically list the metaphysical properties of a mineral without explaining their origin. Knowing how to reverse engineer them is a useful skill, especially when looking for a specific need not listed.

How were they discovered historically?

Gemstones were once popular medicinal, spiritual, and symbolic tools in the West. People thought their metaphysical properties, known historically as virtues, powers, or true meanings, were encoded by God in their shape, color, or physical qualities like electromagnetism. This concept was known as the doctrine of signatures during the 16^th century, especially in herbalism. The 17^th century herbalist Robert Turner wrote:

“God hath imprinted upon the Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, as it were in Hieroglyphicks [hieroglyphs], the very Signature [“mark, sign”] of their Vertues [virtues, ie “properties”].”

The ability to read hieroglyphs was lost from late antiquity until the early 19^th century. During the Renaissance scholars thought each image was a symbol instead, used by Egyptian priests to conceal spiritual knowledge. The natural world was interpreted the same way. God had produced two important texts, the Bible and the book of nature. While the printing press made the Bible available to all, the wisdom in nature needed to be deciphered.

A: Resemblance: Because of ideas like the doctrine of signatures and the book of nature, metaphysical properties were often derived from resemblance. For example, the red color of minerals like carnelian, bloodstone, and ground hematite associated them with blood.

B: Astrology: The stars and planets were believed to transmit a spiritual force, giving gemstones their properties by infusing them with energy. Specific minerals were associated with each planet, taking on their qualities. For example, copper and green to blue gemstones were associated with Venus and used for abundance, love, and fertility. They healed parts of the body ruled by it.

C: The Bible: The Bible has two lists of precious stones: the breastplate of the High Priest in the Book of Exodus and the building materials of New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. Stones were associated with individual Jewish tribes and Christian apostles. For example, aquamarine was given the traits of Saint Thomas like public speaking, learning, and safe travel over water.

D: Etymology: Metaphysical properties often came from a mineral's name, including its trade names and equivalents in other languages. For example, amethyst comes from the Greek amethystos, “not intoxicating”. Cups carved from it were believed to prevent drunkenness in antiquity. The Hebrew name for amethyst is achlamah, from the root chalam, meaning “to sleep, dream”, “to be young, healthy, strong”, or “to recover”. Amethyst's associations with sobriety, dreams, and healing all come from its etymology, the origin of its name.

How are they discovered today?

Metaphysical properties are still determined using methods like resemblance, astrology, and etymology. Traditional Biblical meanings are rarely encountered. New techniques also exist, like finding meaning in the chemistry, shape, and color of a mineral.

F: Religion, Mythology, Folklore: Sacred texts, mythology, or gem folklore may be used as references. For example, Shiva lingas are sacred to the Hindu deity Shiva, who represents beneficial destruction. Their metaphysical properties of purification, healing, and spiritual development come from Hindu beliefs.

G: Chemical Composition: Metaphysical properties may be derived from the mineral's role in the human body, medicine, and industry. For example, fluorite comes from the Latin fluor, meaning “to flow”. It is used as a flux in smelting, to remove impurities in melted metals. Its associations with purification and restoring the flow of thoughts, feelings, and energy are derived from its industrial use. Because fluorite is related to fluoride, books often recommended it for healing the teeth.

H: Crystal Shape: Spiritual energy is believed to follow the crystal structure of a mineral. For example, “Herkimer Diamonds”, a variety of quartz from Herkimer County, New York, are associated with attunement, helping individuals acclimatize to new places, people, or states of consciousness. “Herkimer Diamonds” typically have points at both ends. Their metaphysical properties are derived from this double termination, suggesting a balance between two things.

I: Modern Chakra Colors: Most metaphysical properties have a surprisingly simple origin. They are qualities of the chakra that correspond to the mineral in color. The theory of the chakras comes from Hinduism and Buddhism. Spiritual energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, nāḍi,“flow, river, conduit”). The body has three main nadi, one in the spinal column and two that wrap around it. A crossroad of energy called a chakra (Sanskrit, cakra, “wheel, circle, turning”) is produced where they intersect, traditionally depicted as a spoked wheel or lotus flower.

Texts describing the chakras were first translated into English in the early 20^th century. Since then their exact number, location, and associations have varied between sources. A rainbow colored version has become fairly standard in the metaphysical community, with some variation:

Crown Chakra = White or purple.

Third Eye = Dark blue or purple.

Throat Chakra = Light or dark blue.

Heart Chakra = Green or green and pink.

Navel Chakra = Yellow

Second Chakra = Orange

Root Chakra – Red or black.

While the positions are traditional, the color scheme is contemporary. It only comes from the late 1960's/early 1970's in the writings of Christopher Hills. However almost all contemporary stone books are based on it. Minerals are given the qualities of their correspondingly colored chakra and they are believed to heal body parts near it. For example, kunzite is the pink variety of the mineral spodumene. It is used for love, emotional healing, and stress relief, all traits of the heart chakra.

The Metaphysical Properties of Goldstone (Aventurine Glass)

2012-09-21T19:27:00.001-07:00

[Goldstone glass]

THE METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF GOLDSTONE

What is goldstone?

Often mistaken as a mineral, goldstone is actually a glittering man made glass. It is typically reddish brown with coppery flecks but also comes in green, blue, and purple, with more silvery specks. The other varieties are named after it, like green goldstone, blue goldstone, etc. Goldstone was known historically as aventurine glass, from its Italian name avventurina, “accidental”, from the root avventura meaning “by luck, chance, or risk”. The name may refer to the random nature of its spangles or the difficulty in producing it.

In gem folklore, it was first produced accidentally. The legend has many variations. A monk, or factory worker, randomly knocked copper shavings into molten glass, alchemists discovered it during their attempts to produce gold, or monks practicing alchemy created the secret recipe. This explains its trade names: monk's stone, monkgold, gold flux, and even goldstone itself. Sometimes it is falsely represented as a natural material secretly mined by monks or still hand crafted by them.

When is the earliest documentation for goldstone?

The 17^th century Venetian glass maker Vincenzo Miotti is credited with the invention of goldstone, although some believe it existed in antiquity. The island of Murano, part of Venice, has been a center of glass making in Italy for centuries. As a major trade good, glass artists were discouraged from leaving and their techniques were safely guarded. Goldstone was especially prized by the Chinese, who called it jinxing boli, “gold star glass”. It remained a trade secret until the process was disclosed during the early 19^th century.

The word aventurine was later applied in geology to minerals that resemble the glass, most notably glittering varieties of included quartz. Green aventurine is a quartz colored by small pieces of fuchsite, a green mica colored by chromium. Confusingly both aventurine feldspar and goldstone may be known as sunstone.

How is goldstone made?

Glass is produced by melting silica (SiO₂), made from ground quartz or quartz sand, with other chemical ingredients. The specific recipe depends on the application. When making goldstone, copper salts are added. While the glass slowly cools in a low oxygen environment, the copper transforms into a purely metallic state, producing the shiny flecks. Each is actually a microscopic copper (Cu) crystal suspended in the glass, triangular or hexagonal in shape. The other varieties use different coloring agents: chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) for the green, cobalt (Co) compounds for the blue, and manganese (Mn) for the purple. The highest quality goldstone, with the most consistent color and flecks, is at the heart of each batch and must be chipped out.

THE HIDDEN VIRTUES OF GOLDSTONE

Does glass have metaphysical properties?

There is debate today in the metaphysical community whether glass has energetic qualities. Some popular stones are naturally occurring glass: obsidian, tektites like Moldavite, created by meteor impacts, and fulgurites, produced by lighting strikes. Historically man made glass was used spiritually. Ancient Egyptian amulets were made both of gemstones and substitutes like glass and faience, a ceramic made from silica, rather than clay. Both materials are essentially melted quartz. These alternatives were luxury goods and often given the same names as their mineral equivalents, based on color.

Many people unknowingly work with man made glass. Some materials called “quartz” in the metaphysical market, like crystal singing bowls, are in fact fused quartz, a type of glass produced from high quality stones. "Reconstituted quartz" is the same thing. Trade names like “cherry quartz” may be an actual stone or colored glass.

Like treated and synthetic stones, the use of glass is a matter of personal preference. Natural forms of it are popular, man made kinds were used historically, and many people unknowingly work with it today. Because it forms quickly and lacks a crystal structure, the energy of all glass tends to be more diffused.

What are the metaphysical properties of goldstone?

The hidden virtues of a mineral are revealed in its geology, cultural associations, and effect on the chakra system:

1. Glass: Because it is reflective and forms a transparent barrier, glass represents spiritual protection. Traditional uses from Egyptian amulets to Greek evil eye beads draw on this symbolism. While goldstone is specifically associated with alchemy in gem lore, all glass supports personal transformation. Natural glass like obsidian, tektites, and fulgurites are the product of heavenly or underworld fire. Man made glass was once as magical. Because it allows light to pass through it, glass signifies the flow of spiritual energy between the physical and spiritual realms.

2. Good Fortune: Because of its etymology from the Italian avventura, “by luck, chance, risk”, aventurine glass is associated with abundance, good luck, and games of chance. It can also be translated as “by fortune”, so it is associated with reading future trends, like divination.

3. Adventure: Adventure, venture, and aventurine glass all come from the same Latin word, adventura, “a thing about to happen”. The words are so close, many people mispronounce it as “adventurine” glass. Many of goldstone's contemporary meanings come from this word play. It is recommended for ambition, confidence, and evaluating risk. Also safe travel, trip planning,and enjoying life.

4. Copper: There are ancient associations between copper, the planet Venus, and love goddesses across cultures, from the Egyptian Hathor to Greek Aphrodite. Each of the spangles in goldstone is a microscopic copper crystal that formed as the glass cooled. Goldstone shares the metal's metaphysical properties: attracting abundance, harmonizing relationships, and creativity. Because copper is a good conductor of electricity, it is a popular tool to direct spiritual energy. Goldstone can be used for energy work, physical vitality, and to charge other minerals.

4. Gold: Although it is produced from copper, its golden color and trade names associate it with gold. Gold is the metal of the Sun and goldstone may also be known as sunstone. Like copper, the metaphysical properties of gold are abundance, energy, and creativity.

5. Second Chakra: Most modern stone books derive their metaphysical properties from the mineral's corresponding chakra color. Goldstone's coppery brown connects it to the second or sacral chakra, located on the spine at the level of the pubic bone. It represents water, sexuality, and the unconscious. Use goldstone to transmute heavy emotions, balance pleasure, or become more creative. The second chakra represents the womb, where things develop before being released to the world. Stones connected to it help us develop the things we intend to manifest.

6. Healing Qualities: Where do the healing properties listed for a mineral originate?

A: Chakra: Healers who work with the modern chakra colors recommend goldstone for the second chakra parts of the body: the lower back, the urinary tract, and reproductive system.

B: Planet: Healers who work with astrology instead associate it with Venus or the Sun. Like the second chakra, Venus rules the lower back, urinary tract, and reproductive system but also the neck and throat. The Sun rules healing generally but specifically the heart, spine, and back.

This article is part of a series for Whatever Works Wellness Center, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. To find goldstone, check out their retail location:

7433 Montgomery Road

Cincinnati, OH 45236

(513) 791-9428

For more information about Whatever Works, check out their website and Facebook fan page:

Website: www.whateverworkswellness.com

Facebook: Whatever Works Wellness Center, White Willow School of Tai Chi

The spiritual use of stones is one tool among many for helping us with our problems. This information is not intended to replace the care of your doctor or mental health professional.

The Metaphysical Properties of Girasol Quartz

2012-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

[Tumbled Girasol Quartz]

GIRASOL QUARTZ

What is girasol quartz?

Girasol ("jir-uh-saul" or "jir-uh-soul") is a clear, milky white, or extremely pale pink variety of quartz. The word comes from the Italian girasole, “turn towards the Sun”, and originally referred to a milky blue glass first produced in Venice during the Renaissance. The term in geology describes any mineral that displays the girasol effect: either an internal floating glow that moves with changes in the light, often white, blue, or golden yellow in color, or a haziness produced by scattered light instead.

Varieties of opal, moonstone, and sapphire are the best known examples. Their resemblance to girasol quartz explains some of its other trade names: moon quartz, blue opal quartz, and girasol opal quartz. Unfortunately this also leads to confusion among them, especially girasol opal and girasol quartz.

While girasol refers to several minerals, this optical effect is specifically called adularescence ("adj-uh-luhr-ess-ence") in moonstone. It comes from the word adularia, after a Swiss location where stones with the effect are found.

How are girasol quartz and rose quartz related?

Girasol quartz comes from the same mines that produce star rose quartz. It can appear pink, especially on a white surface, sometimes smoky, and may be starred itself. Polished gems can display a star shaped sheen on their surface if they contain fibers of another mineral, typically rutile. Recent research suggests not only the star effect, but the color, cloudiness, and small crystal size of most rose quartz are instead due to a previously unknown variety of pink dumortierite. These fibers are so small, they are only visible with a scanning electron microscope.

These inclusions produce the opalescence and girasol effect in girasol quartz. Star sapphire and girasol sapphire are related in the same way, although rutile is responsible. Because of this connection to star rose quartz, girasol quartz is also known as white rose quartz or white star quartz.

What other materials are called girasol?

An opalescent glass more commonly called opalite may also be sold as girasol. Also milky quartz colored by inclusions of water or rutile. Because rutile contains titanium, titanium quartz is another trade name for that variety. However the girasol quartz mined with star rose quartz does not contain rutile.

READING THE HIDDEN VIRTUES OF GIRASOL QUARTZ

The hidden virtues of a mineral are revealed in its geology, cultural associations, and effect on the chakra system:

1. Light: Its milky color and optical phenomena are both produced by light scattering off the microscopic fibers within it. Light is a traditional symbol of spiritual energy. Girasol quartz is a good tool for energy workers using modalities from Reiki to Healing Touch. It helps them tap into the flow of universal energy at the heart of their practice. Girasol quartz also supports those undergoing channeled processes like Light Body and Merkaba Activation, with its connection to light and six rayed stars.

2. Alignment: In regular rose quartz, the pink dumortierite fibers are more randomly distributed. In star rose quartz and girasol quartz, they are aligned along the axes of the crystal. This creates the star and girasol effects when the material is polished into a rounded shape. Like a double terminated crystal, minerals with parallel inclusions are used to align the chakra system, attune to people, places, or new energetic states, and connect to the Divine or individual spiritual beings like angels, ascended masters, and guides. Historically starred gemstones represented the watchful eye of God and were worn for protection, good luck, and psychic development.

3. The Sun: Because of its etymology, from the Italian girasole, “turn towards the Sun”, girasol quartz could be considered a solar mineral. In both Italian and Spanish, girasol also means sunflower. Just as the plant turns to follow the daily path of the sun, the internal glow of the girasol effect moves with the light. The Sun is an ancient symbol of the Divine and reflective materials represent devotion. Girasol quartz can be used for spiritual development, meditation, and psychopomp work, helping the dead transition into the afterlife.

4. Solar Flares: Its solar name, electric qualities as a form of quartz, and optical effect produced by scattered light reveal that girasol quartz can help the subtle body readjust after phenomena like solar flares.

Its white to pink coloring and blue to golden glow associate it with the chakras above the navel. They are the most likely to be thrown out of balance by electromagnetic events, as shown by their effects in sensitive people: lethargy, fluctuations in energy levels, stomach and digestive issues (Third Chakra), difficulty communicating and thinking (Throat Chakra), irritability, agitated emotions (Heart Chakra), headaches, psychic congestion, and inability to ground (Third Eye and Crown Chakra).

Like New Moon and a solar eclipse, other potentially harsher expressions of solar energy, solar flares can be harnessed for your benefit. Because they draw heavier energies to the surface, use them for purification. Because they over activate certain chakras, use them to balance and align the subtle body.

4. The Moon: Rather than the Sun, most trade names reveal a lunar or water connection instead: Moon quartz, Blue Moon quartz, milk quartz, and pearl quartz. The energy of girasol quartz is soothing, cool, and peaceful. With its frosted appearance and bluish white glow from scattered light, it looks like the Moon. It can be used to harness its energies, set intentions based on its monthly cycle, and connect to lunar spiritual beings. Watery minerals help us develop qualities culturally associated with the feminine like intuition, emotions, and dreams. Since divination is also ruled by the Moon, girasol quartz is good for scrying and keeping tools like Tarot cards cleansed.

5. The Upper Chakras and Beyond: With its white to pink coloring, and white, blue, or yellow glow, girasol quartz bridges the Crown to Third Chakra. Although it is primarily focused on the Crown and Throat Chakras. It helps balance thinking (Crown) and feeling (Heart) and supports their expression (Throat). It is a powerful tool for psychics, mediums, and channelers to maintain their connection (Crown) and accurately pass along their messages (Throat). Some models of the subtle body have an additional eighth chakra above the Crown, called the Soul Star, which represents our connection to the Divine. As a starred white mineral, girasol quartz is especially well suited for it.

Dumortierite, the fibrous mineral responsible for the color and optical effects of star rose quartz and girasol quartz, is typically dark blue. It is associated with intuition, psychic abilities, and communication.

6. Healing Properities: Because of its lunar connections, astrologically oriented healers recommend it for parts of the body ruled by the Moon: the stomach and digestion, chest and breasts, reproductive system, bodily fluids, emotions, and unconscious mind. Those that use the modern chakra system instead recommend it for parts of the body ruled by the fifth, sixth, and seventh chakras: anything between the throat and top of the head.

This article is part of a series for Enter the Earth, located in Asheville, North Carolina. To find girasol quartz, check out both their retail and online stores:

1 Page Avenue
Suite 125
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 350-9222

Online Store: http://www.entertheearth.com/
On Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/entertheearthinc
On Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnterTheEarth

To find more information about using girasol quartz and other tools for solar storm mitigation, check out my counterpart Stacie's blog: Solar Storm Mitigation.

The spiritual use of stones is one tool among many for helping us with our problems. This information is not intended to replace the care of your doctor or mental health professional.

[Image Source: Enter the Earth]

Mercury Retrograde's Web of Influence (July and August 2012)

2012-07-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

[Mercury retrograde's web of influence, its major aspects.]

STAR MATH

Why doesn't everyone experience Mercury retrograde the same way?

Not everyone is equally influenced by Mercury retrograde. Because they are ruled by the planet, Gemini and Virgo can be sensitive to its changes generally. Those who are not directly aspected will see the themes around them but not experience them personally.

How will I experience it?

Determining if you will be influenced by a retrograde planet requires some star math, a basic understanding of your chart and transits, or the assistance of an astrologer.

When a planet turns retrograde, it slows to a stop, appears to move backwards, and then slows to a stop again, to correct its direction. These two motionless points are called stations and define the area of its influence. For EST, Mercury stations retrograde at 12' 32” Leo on July 14^th, 2012 and stations direct at 1' 23” Leo on August 8^th, 2012.

A transit is when the current location of a planet interacts with an element of your natal chart. Those with planets or points from 1º – 12º degrees Leo, or the zodiac signs connected to it by major aspects, will personally experience this Mercury retrograde.

What are some points to consider?

A: What house/houses is Mercury transiting in your natal chart? This Mercury transit will include its themes.

B: What house does your natal Mercury fall in? All Mercury transits include these themes for you.

C: What aspects is Mercury making to your natal planets? Those that are strongly placed or aspected tend to do better under a challenging aspect with Mercury, those that are poorly placed or aspected tend to do worse.

There is debate on the correct orb for transits, 3 degrees or less is common. Therefore planets just outside the borders of this retrograde zone may also be influenced. Not all degrees are equal, the station locations (12 and 1 degrees Leo) are the most potent, since the planet slows to a stop on them. Also the tighter the orb, the stronger the experience.

What are the potential aspects for this Mercury?

Each celestial event casts a greater geometric web of influence, touching specific signs differently. This is an extremely general guide, each experience of Mercury retrograde is very personal, depending on the person's natal chart.

~1º – 12º Leo: Conjunction (Yellow)

A conjunction is incredibly strong, blending the energy of the two planets together. Whether this is challenging or not, depends on the two planets involved: Mercury + natal plant. Those with planets or points in early to mid Leo are likely to feel Mercury retrograde strongly.

~1º – 12º Taurus, ~1º – 12º Scorpio: Square (Dark Red).

~1º – 12º Aquarius: Opposition (Light Red)

Historically the square and the opposition are the malefic (“harmful”) or hard aspects. They are disharmonious, producing tension, conflict, or challenges. However, the friction they produce can be harnessed to make adjustments to your life, so they are seen less harshly in contemporary astrology. The opposition can be more easily balanced then the square. Those with planets or points in the early to mid signs of Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius are likely to feel Mercury harshly but with the potential for greater change.

~1º – 12º Aries, ~1º – 12º Sagittarius: Trine (Dark Green)

~1º – 12º Gemini, ~1º – 12º Libra: Sextile (Light Green)

Historically the trine and the sextile are the benefic (“helping”) or soft aspects. They are harmonious, producing ease, flow, and opportunity. Because they feel so good, their potential is often wasted, we don't do the work to capitalize on them. The sextile is less prominent than the trine. Those with planets or points in the early to mid signs of Aries, Sagittarius, Gemini, and Libra are likely to feel Mercury more gently but unintentionally waste its blessing.

For more information about this Mercury retrograde, see:

Mercury Retrograde (July 14-15, 2012 – August 7-8, 2012)

For traditional and modern planetary gemstones used to harmonize its influence, see:

The Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

For an introduction to retrograde motion, see:

The Meaning of Retrograde Motion

Mercury Retrograde (July 14-15, 2012 – August 7-8, 2012)

2012-07-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

[16^th century engraving by Hans Sebald Beham, with Mercury and the two

zodiac signs Virgo and Gemini]

MERCURY RETROGRADE
(July 14-15, 2012 – August 7-8, 2012)

The dates for this Mercury retrograde depend on your timezone. It turns retrograde on July 15^th GMT but July 14^th for EST (Eastern) and PDT (Pacific). It turns direct on August 8^th GMT and EST (Eastern) but August 7^th for PDT (Pacific).

What happens when a planet goes retrograde?

Retrograde comes from the Latin retrogradus, “to move or step backwards”. A retrograde planet slows to a stop, moves backwards, and then slows to a stop again, to correct its motion. These changes are actually an optical illusion created by differences in the relative orbital speeds of Earth and the other planet involved. Mercury goes retrograde three or four times a year, for approximately three and a half weeks.

Why do we experience retrograde themes beyond these dates?

A retrograde planet not only goes in reverse, it slows to a stop twice, called a station, and remains slower moving. These standing periods, and the extremely slow motion that precede and follow them, are often the strongest part of the retrograde cycle. The dates above are unintentionally deceptive because they only represent the backwards portion. Slow and motionless planets are potent, because they stay at a degree longer than normal, making their aspects stronger.

[Mercury's changing speed in minutes (') for its July 2012 retrograde.

Its speed is a relative indicator of its strength.]

Mercury's average daily speed is 59' 8”, just under 1º. Almost two weeks before it turns backward, it begins to fall below that. The dates around the motionless stations are exceptionally slow. By the middle of the retrograde, the planet has picked up some speed, but is still about 3/5 its average.

How long can we actually experience this retrograde then?

[The triple pass of Mercury through the same part of space.]

June 27^th, 2012: Mercury crosses the degree where it will eventually turn direct, 1º Leo 26'. Mercurial themes can already begin, especially when closer to the retrograde station. The planet slows to a stop, before changing direction.

July 14^th – July 15^th, 2012: Retrograde Station at 12º Leo 33', 2:16 GMT, 7:16 PM EST. Mercury appears to stop, then moves backwards. It stations approximately three days, July 13^th – July 15^th or July 14^th – July 16^th.

July 29th, 2012: Mercury's Inferior Conjunction with the Sun. The middle of Mercury retrograde and its fastest speed.

August 7^th – August 8^th, 2012: Direct Station at 1º Leo 26'. Mercury appears to stop, then corrects its motion. It stations approximately three days, August 6^th – August 8^th or August 7^th – August 9^th.

August 22^nd, 2012: Mercury crosses the degree where it turned retrograde, 12º Leo 33'. Mercury themes can continue, especially when closer to the direct station. The planet remains slow, after changing direction.

THE TRICKSTER

"She [Maia] bare a son [Hermes], of many shifts, blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle rustler, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates."

~Homeric Hymn to Hermes~

Isn't retrograde bad?

Retrograde is a buzz word with lots of fear unnecessarily projected on it. When a planet turns retrograde, it gets close, bright, and makes a loop in the sky. The retrograde planet highlights certain areas of life, just like it appears to circle parts of the sky. A backwards planet is extremely strong, things ruled by it become prominent but experience delay, disorder, or repetition. Ultimately, retrograde motion is corrective, giving us a second chance to look at the affairs of the planet.

What can be expected during Mercury retrograde?

A: THE TRICKSTER: Mercurial spiritual figures like Hermes are associated with knowledge, including the crazy wisdom of the trickster. Tricksters break the rules, usually through theft, playing pranks, or violating boundaries. Their actions can be a form of radical compassion, revealing dysfunction by highlighting, inverting, or amplifying imbalance.

(-) Situations are brought to an extreme to reveal a truth, unresolved business resurfaces, the past returns to be addressed.

(+) Breakthroughs in difficult situations, insight into repeated behavior, a new perspective finally reveals a solution. Humor, play, and encounters with the absurd restore fluidity.

B: THE UNEXPECTED AND THE HIDDEN: Since Mercury is closer to the Sun than Earth, it stays near it in the sky and retrogrades frequently. These traits make seeing the planet difficult, it is usually lost in the glare of the Sun. Many things now associated with Uranus were once qualities of Mercury, because of its unseen and changing nature: the unexpected, hidden, and reversal.

(-) Oddly repeated events, things move in unforeseen ways, complications for new projects, especially if Mercury ruled (related to communication, transportation, the mind, etc.). Things feel fated, inevitably moving towards a specific goal, or need to be repeated to come to a conclusion.

(+) Experiences of synchronicity, research yields previously hidden information, inspiration from esoteric subjects, fields of specialty knowledge, like astrology. Bargains, unusual finds, and the discovery of lost objects.

C: THE EVERYDAY AND SHORT DISTANCE TRAVEL: One reason we experience Mercury retrograde so personally is because the planet rules the everyday, from our neighborhood to our daily routine.

(-) Delay, disorder, or reversal in our daily routine, schedule, and short distance travel. Complications with technology, especially if related to transportation, communication, or machinery with moving parts, including cars.

(+) Random but beneficial encounters with friends, extended family, and business contacts. Shaking things up causes us to focus on life, not on the routine.

D: THE IN-BETWEEN: Mercury begins each retrograde as an evening star, disappears in the glare of the Sun, and reappears as a morning star. Because of this motion, many Mercurial spiritual beings like Hermes are associated with the in-between: travel (between your home and your destination), business (the exchange of goods between people), and communication (the exchange of information between people).

(-) Miscommunication, from spelling errors, missing information, and failed delivery, to misunderstanding. Delay, difficulty, or reversal in agreements, contracts, and purchases, especially if Mercury ruled (related to communication, transportation, the mind, etc.). Many people refrain from signing paperwork, purchasing mechanical things like cars, electronics, appliances, or anything related to communication like computers and telephones.

(+) An adjustment of our personal interactions with others, especially our siblings, extended family, and neighbors. Because many Mercurial spiritual beings are psychopomps in myth, guides to the recently lost, an end to grief, coming to terms with the dead, and remembrance.

D: THE MENTAL REALM: Mercury represents the mind, our thoughts, perception, and ability to process the world around us.

(-) Indecision, forgetfulness, absent mindedness. Confusion, reversal of decisions, and misperception, especially if the subject is Mercury ruled (related to communication, transportation, the mind, etc.).

(+) An adjustment of our thoughts, perceptions, and understanding. While outer communication may be complicated, creativity is high, meditation is deep, and profound ideas can surface, especially insights into the past, complex problems, and the inner workings of our minds.

THE TOUCH OF MERCURY

“Learning is like mercury [the liquid metal], one of the most powerful and excellent things in the world in skillful hands; in unskillful, the most mischievous.”

~Alexander Pope~

Where am I most likely to experience Mercury's energy?

Since Mercury is turning retrograde in Leo, we may experience its themes around creativity and the arts, love affairs and sex, children, and sources of pleasure like gifts, hobbies, and games of chance. Those with planets or points in Leo, or the zodiac signs geometrically related to it, are the most likely to be influenced.

What if I must do something Mercury related now?

We are often given advice like “Don’t sign that contract during Mercury retrograde!” Life is rarely that accommodating. If you must do something Mercury related now, honor its repetitive movement by examining it thoroughly. Things may move in an unexpected way in the future, not necessarily badly, when Mercury turns direct.

For those mostly likely influenced by this Mercury retrograde, see:

Mercury's Web of Influence

For traditional and modern planetary gemstones used to harmonize its influence, see:

Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

For an introduction to retrograde motion, see:

The Meaning of Retrograde Motion

[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons. Graphs by C. L. Matthews, 2012.]

The Meaning of Retrograde Motion

2012-07-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

[Retrograde motion is an optical illusion, created by differences in orbital speed. Both planets continue to circle the Sun but from the perspective of Earth, the other slows, stops, and changes direction.]

THE MEANING OF RETROGRADE MOTION

“Watch the stars, and from them learn. To the Master's honor all must turn, each in its track, without a sound, forever tracing Newton's ground.”

~Albert Einstein~

What does retrograde mean?

Retrograde comes from the Latin retrogradus, “to move or step backwards”. A retrograde planet appears to be moving normally, then slows down to a stop, moves in reverse, then slows to a stop again, to correct its direction. These changes are actually an optical illusion created by differences in the relative orbital speeds of Earth and the other planet involved.

Since the effect is produced by our perspective, the Sun and Moon never appear retrograde. The North and South Lunar nodes always move backwards, compared to the planets. Although they seem random, the retrograde and direct motion of each planet is part of a regular pattern.

How is retrograde motion experienced energetically?

1. STRONG: When retrograde, a planet is at its nearest point to the Earth and appears very bright in the sky, if visible. Things ruled by the planet become prominent, both their issues and the means to address them.

2. ILLUSIONARY: Since retrograde motion is an optical illusion, things ruled by the planet are easily misperceived now or our own misperception of them becomes apparent.

4. SLOW: A retrograde planet makes several changes in both direction and speed. Coming both in and out of retrograde, it slows to a stop to change direction. While moving backwards the planet remains slow moving, compared to its direct motion. Planets at their extremes (fast, slow, and stopped) are potent. A slow or stationing planet stays near the same degree, making its aspects last longer.

5. REORIENT: Exactly halfway through its retrograde motion, most planet makes an opposition to the Sun. They move like the Full Moon. They rise at dusk, are visible during the night, and set at dawn. Since they are closer to the Sun than Earth, Mercury and Venus form an inferior conjunction instead. They begin as an evening star, disappear in the glare of the Sun, and reappear as a morning star. The Sun represents our conscious mind and the night, the unconscious. Just as the planet moves from night to day, we must reintegrate things into our conscious mind.

THE LENGTH OF PLANETARY STATIONS

How long does the planet actually stay motionless?

If we look around the exact time Mercury turns retrograde, we see the planet is only stationary a short time. Otherwise it moves so slowly, in seconds, that it only appears motionless. For example, look at the movement of Mercury around its July 15^th, 2012 retrograde station:

3:16 PM EST = 1' minute

6:16 PM EST = 12” seconds

7:16 PM EST = 0º 0' 0” NO MOVEMENT = RETROGRADE STATION

8:16 PM EST = -12” seconds

11:16 PM EST = -1' minute

º = degree, each zodiac sign has 30 degrees

' = minute, each degree has 60 minutes

“ = second, each minute has 60 seconds

The apparent width of Mercury, more formally called its angular diameter, varies in historical sources, from 3' to 1' minutes. Contemporary astronomers use a much smaller number, a range of 4.5”to 13” seconds. (Celestial objects appear larger to the naked eye than in a telescope, so figures in older sources tend to be bigger.) This size suggests a planet would have to move at least a few minutes before the change was noticeable.

How long is a station?

Different sources have conflicting numbers for the length of Mercury's station, from one to seven days. The answer depends on your definition. For example, look at the movement of Mercury around its July 15^th, 2012 retrograde station:

7/11/12 11º 53' Leo = Different degree = 17 minutes movement

7/12/12 12º 10' Leo = Same degree = 12 minutes movement

7/13/12 12º 22' Leo = Same degree = 8 minutes movement

7/14/12 12º 30' Leo = Very little movement = 3 minutes movement

7/15/12 12º 33' Leo = RETROGRADE STATION = 0 degrees movement

7/16/12 12º 31' Leo = Very little movement = -2 minutes movement

7/17/12 12º 24' Leo = Same degree = -7 minutes movement

7/18/12 12º 12' Leo= Same degree = -12 minutes movement

7/19/12 11º 56' Leo = Different degree = -18 minutes movement

º = degree, each zodiac sign has 30 degrees

' = minute, each degree has 60 minutes

“ = second, each minute has 60 seconds

On the day Mercury turns retrograde, it appears motionless. On the day before and after, it only moves a few minutes. Two days before and after, it moves several minutes but is still at the same degree.

A station is a planet resting at the location where it changes direction. (Technically, it is only motionless for a brief period. Otherwise it moves incredibly slowly near this time, in seconds.) By this definition, Mercury stations one day. If very near that point is included, then Mercury stations for three days. A difference of only a few minutes would not be visible to the naked eye. Generally the degree where a planet stations becomes very sensitive, Mercury stays at the same degree for seven days. This explains the wide range of days listed for planetary stations.

[After Mercury stops to turn backwards, it is still slow moving compared to its direct motion. Slow moving planets are potent since the aspects they make are longer lasting.]

Why is speed important? Retrograde is about backwards motion.

A retrograde planet makes several changes in both direction and speed. Coming both in and out of retrograde, it slows to a stop to change direction. While moving backwards the planet remains slow moving, compared to its direct motion. Retrograde Mercury's fastest motion is between the two stations, at its inferior conjunction to the Sun. During the July 2012 retrograde, its fastest motion is -44' minutes. In comparison, at the middle of its next direct movement, its superior conjunction to the Sun, it moves +1º 54'. Almost twice as fast. Its average daily speed is 59' 8”, just under 1º.

The number of days, degrees, and speed varies slightly each retrograde for each planet. The slower the motion, the stronger the retrograde. Their backwards speed at the inferior conjunction (Mercury and Venus) or opposition (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) to the Sun, is an indicator of relative strength.

Planets at the extremes of their motion (fast, slow, and stopped) are potent. A slow or stationing planet stays near the same degree, making its aspects last longer. Although we focus on the motionless station, very slow planets are also powerful. This explains why we feel the influence of a retrograde planet before and after the dates listed for it, they only represent its change in direction, not speed.

Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

2012-06-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

[A drop of liquid mercury on cinnabar.]

PLANETARY GEMSTONE OF MERCURY

Although mostly forgotten today, there are ancient connections between astrology and the mineral kingdom. The 20^th century lists of birthstones echo a much older belief that each planet and zodiac sign had stones associated with it, used to counter balance difficult astrological aspects or maximize beneficial ones. Confusingly these listings vary but do follow a simple rule: each material has a symbolic connection with the planet and therefore can serve as a vehicle for its energy.

THE IMMORTAL POISON

As the name suggests, the metal traditionally associated with Mercury is mercury. It is the only common metal liquid at room temperature. Also known as quicksilver, from the Latin argentum vivum (“living silver”), because it moves on its own like a living creature. It is gunmetal gray, heavy, and uniquely drawn to itself, rolling into little drops. Its chemical symbol Hg comes from its Latin name hydragyrum (“water silver”).

Mercury has a strong attraction to sulfur. The native metal is rare, since it usually combines with sulfur to form the compound cinnabar (HgS), sometimes known as “dragon's blood”. (Also the name of a fragrant red resin, produced from several tree species. There can be confusion in historical sources if the plant or the mineral is being referenced.) Cinnabar is red, powdered to produce the pigment vermillion, a symbol of life giving blood. The mineral's combination of sulfur (hot, solar) and mercury (cold, lunar) represents the union of male and female energies in many spiritual traditions.

Mercury is toxic. It is included here for its symbolism, not actual use. Its dangers were known historically but the mineral's unique physical properties paradoxically associated it with transmutation, healing, and immortality. Cinnabar is generally safe, since the mercury is chemically locked up with sulfur, but can become dangerous if heated, ground, or ingested. Handle with care, washing your hands after.

The name “cinnabar” also refers to Chinese cinnabar lacquerware. Lacquer is combined with a pigment and applied layer after layer, to produce a durable and beautiful object. The red color came from cinnabar, other pigments are used today. It may also be a resin imitation instead, with no safety concerns, especially in jewelry.

Hematite is a popular energetic substitute for mercury since it resembles it when polished.

Mercury
Mercury compounds like cinnabar.

Many of the qualities associated with Uranus today, the unexpected, innovative, and esoteric, like the study of astrology, were once attributes of Mercury. Historically man made materials like glass, and blended substances, especially alloys like bronze (copper plus tin) were ruled by the planet. The metal mercury produces alloys with other metals very easily, called amalgams.

During the 18^th century, many new metals were discovered, the most familiar being platinum, aluminum, and titanium. Platinum occurs naturally, but usually alloyed with other metals. The Spanish first encountered it in the Americas and named it platina (Spanish, “little silver”), thinking it was an inferior form of silver. Scientists determined it was a new metal in the mid 1700's. Aluminum and titanium do not occur freely in nature, requiring human effort to be produced. Interestingly, liquid mercury damages aluminum, causing the normally resistant metal to corrode. In contemporary astrology, these new metals are associated with the innovative planets Mercury and Uranus.

Man made materials, like glass, and metal alloys: brass, bronze, etc.
Metals discovered after the Renaissance: platinum, aluminum, titanium, etc.

THE CHILDREN OF MERCURY

Not only do the planets correspond to certain areas of life, each is traditionally associated with specific animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the 16th century German writer Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa lists the following materials under the rulership of Mercury:

“Amongst metals, quicksilver (mercury), tin, and the silver marcasite (arsenopyrite); amongst stones, the emerald, achates (agate), red marble, topaz (may refer to any clear yellow stone but also peridot/olivine) and those which are of divers colors, and various figures naturally, and those that are artificial, as glass, and those which have a color mixed with yellow and green.”

(The notes in parentheses are mine. It can be difficult to correctly identify stones in historic texts. Names drift over time and minerals recognized today as different species were unknowingly seen as one gemstone, named by their color. For example, topaz once meant peridot and spinel was seen as a variety of ruby.)

Silvery gray minerals: mercury, tin, and “silver marcasite” (arsenopyrite). Although planetary metals became standard by the Middle Ages, older alternatives do exist, which list tin or iron as Mercury's metal.
Yellow and green gemstones: emerald and topaz. During this period, “topaz” referred to any transparent yellow stone, like yellow corundum or citrine. At one time, it meant peridot/olivine instead, especially with a yellowish tint.
Stones with diverse colors and various figures: agate, because of its range of colors and patterns.
Trade goods, since the Roman god Mercury was a patron of merchants: red marble, a luxury in antiquity. The 11^th century Persian scientist Al-Biruni includes,“all coins struck with name and number such as dinars, dirhams and coppers”.
Talismanic Minerals: He also lists “amber... turquoise, coral, tree-coral”. Amber, turquoise and coral are traditionally protective stones, used to dispel the “evil eye”. Another trait associated with Hermes and Mercury.

GREEN WISDOM

There is a long tradition of using gems in India to counter balance problems with both the natal chart and transiting planets. Large, flawless stones, usually set in specific metals are prescribed. Each planet has a primary gemstone, if one of sufficient size can not be found or is too expensive, then an alternative in a similar color is used. The primary stone of Budha (the planet Mercury, not the historical teacher Buddha) is emerald and its secondary substitutes are also transparent and green: verdelite (green tourmaline), tsavorite (green grossular garnet), and peridot. Some lists also include precious jade, although it is translucent, not transparent.

The legendary figure Hermes Trismegistus, who combines traits of the Greek God Mercury and the Egyptian god Thoth, is also associated with emeralds. Many spiritual texts were attributed to him in late antiquity. The rediscovery and translation of some of them during the 15^th century revolutionized Renaissance thought. At the time, he was believed to be an actual historical figure, presenting the wisdom of ancient Egypt. The most well known text is the brief Tabula Smaradina (Latin, “emerald tablet”), mythically first discovered on a tablet of green stone. (Although usually translated as emerald, the word smaragdus could refer to several precious green stones at the time.)

Emerald.
Other transparent or translucent green gemstones: verdelite (green tourmaline), tsavorite (green grossular garnet), peridot, jade.

MODERN SOURCES

Astrological texts rely mostly on gemstones known in antiquity. Many new minerals have been discovered, others have become readily available, and familiar ones have turned out to be more than one species. Many other minerals now have correspondences with Mercury:

Mercury is associated with the Throat Chakra today. Both the planet and chakra represent communication, thought, and personal interactions. Many contemporary sources depict it and its stones as blue or light blue: kyanite, aquamarine, chrysocolla, etc.
The planet also has associations with divination, dreams, and esoteric knowledge, all qualities given to the Third Eye today. Many contemporary sources depict it and its stones as blue, dark blue, or purple: lapis lazuli, sodalite, iolite, etc.
Minerals associated with memory, thought, and perception. Fossils like petrified wood, amber, and jet are used for memory, because they share a link to the past. Colorless minerals (like quartz, clear calcite, and topaz), those that have a metallic sheen (like hematite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite), or those yellow in color (like tiger's eye, citrine, and golden imperial topaz) are all associated with the mind in modern stone books.

For an introduction to the metaphysical properties of minerals, known historically as the "hidden virtues of gemstones”, see:

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Venus Turns Direct (6/27/12)

2012-06-27T06:29:00.002-07:00

[Aphrodite riding a swan, from a 5th century BCE drinking cup.]

VENUS TURNS DIRECT

Venus turns direct today (6/27), ending her six week retrograde period. However, her influence is far from over. Although facing the right way, it now sits motionless. Planets are potent when still. It appears to station around 12 days (~6/21 to 7/3). When turning direct, they build up pressure to move things ruled by the planet forward, like one on one relationships, money and material goods, ethics and mentors. This intensity decreases as the planet corrects not only its direction but also its speed. Venusian themes may continue until after it crosses the degree where it first turned backwards, around July 31st.

Venus is stationing direct at 7 degrees Gemini, for ~12 days. Those with planets or points in the early mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are the most likely influenced.

For more information on Venus Retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 - 6/27/12)

For gemstones to harmonize the influence of Venus, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Guru Purnima (07/03/12), Asalha Puja (07/03/12 or 08/02/12)

2012-06-26T19:15:00.002-07:00

[18th century painting, depicting Vishnu resting between the periodic destruction and creation of the universe.]

FULL MOON OF THE TEACHER

“My Lord is the Lord of the universe, my Guru is the teacher of the universe, and my Self is the Self of everything.”

~Guru Stotram~

July 3rd, 2012is the Hindu holiday Guru Purnima. It takes place on the full moon in Asadha, the Indian month equivalent to July/August. The date is different each year since it is a lunar holiday. Guru means “teacher” in Sanskrit, purnima means “full moon”. On Guru Purnima people pay their respects to their gurus, both living and dead. Not only spiritual teachers are honored but other sources of lineage based knowledge, like art, music, and dance instructors.

The Sun enters Cancer in the sidereal zodiac during Asadha (July/August), a month later than the Western tropical zodiac. While the West associates Cancer with heat, it signifies rain for many parts of the world. After a hot dry early summer, the monsoon season begins in India in July. Like the annual flooding of the Nile, which happens around the same time, the cool rain renews the fertility of the land.

Travel can be difficult, especially historically. Ascetics who spend the rest of the year wandering, temporarily go on rainy season retreats. This period is called Chaturmas in Sanskrit, meaning “four months” (July-October). Being in one place allows students to visit their teachers, to receive teachings and blessings before travel gets complicated. In return people often give gifts, traditionally to support them materially during the retreats. Not all teachers wander but the holiday of Guru Purnima originates from this custom. The four month retreats are also observed in Jainism, a faith rooted in non-violence. By not traveling monks avoid accidently killing the increased number of insects, animals, and plants.

THE NIGHT OF THE GODS

The monsoons bring life giving rain but also storm damage, venomous snakes, driven from their homes by rising water, and disease. Since the outer world is disturbed, it is a period for inner work. Chaturmas is sometimes described as “Hindu Lent”, since many lay practitioners fast, give up a favorite food, or take religious vows. Some people just observe Guru Purnima, others the entire Chaturmas. It technically begins on the eleventh day of the waxing cycle, ~4 days before the Guru Purnima full moon (June 30th this year).

In Hindu mythology, every year is a day to God. The four month Chaturmas symbolizes the night and the gods themselves are believed to rest. Ceremonies like weddings are postponed, since they are less active. For example, Vishnu goes into yoganidra ("deep meditation, conscious sleep"), floating upon the back of a huge serpent. He is usually depicted resting like this after the periodic destruction of the universe. Vishnu begins to dream and a lotus rises from his navel, bearing the god Brahma, who starts recreating the cosmos. The yearly monsoon season is like creation in miniature, new growth rising from a chaotic wet mixture.

TURNING OF THE WHEEL

“Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, he [Brahma, the Hindu creator god] knelt down with his right knee on the ground, saluted the Blessed One [Buddha] with his hands before his heart, and said to him: "Lord, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma [the teachings of Buddhism]! Let the One-Well-Gone teach the Dhamma! There are beings but with a little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma."

~Ayacana Sutta~

The Buddhist holiday Asalha Puja usually falls on the same day as the Hindu Guru Purnima. Confusingly, two different dates are listed this year. Periodically lunar calendars need to add an extra day or month to keep them aligned with the solar one. The Thai calendar has an extra month this year. So there are different dates for Asalha Puja, depending on the country.

Asalha is the Pali name for the lunar month, puja means “to honor, worship”. Before he became enlightened Siddhartha Gautama was an extreme ascetic, using methods like starvation to develop spiritually. He had five yogi companions, who abandoned him as a failure when he chose more moderate practices. After he reached enlightenment the Buddha struggled to put his insights into words, fearing they would only confuse others.

When Siddhartha Gautama was born, his father assembled eight Brahmin astrologers to examine his natal chart. Kondanna was one of them. He predicted that Buddha would become enlightened and became an ascetic himself based on that hope, the other seven predicted he would either become a great king or a religious leader. This first sermon is called the Turning of the Wheel and represents the birth of both the Buddha Dharma and the Sangha. The Asalha Puja holiday commemorates them.

The day after Asalha Puja begins the Theravadan Buddhist observation of the rainy retreats. They are known as Vassa, from the Pali word vasso, meaning “rain”. They last for three months. The first was observed in the deer park in Varanasi, where Buddha gave his first teachings. Later kings and wealthy patrons offered the Sangha places like groves and royal parks, some of which would later develop into monasteries.

Today monks observe Vassa by not leaving the grounds of their home temples unless necessary. It is a time to deepen spiritual practice through meditation, study, and the support of community. Like Hindu Chaturmas they are sometimes call “Buddhist Lent”, since lay people can observe them by fasting, give up a favorite food, or taking religious vows.

Since other parts of Asia do not experience the monsoons, not all branches of Buddhism observe the rainy retreats. However most do have a summer retreat, believing Buddha gave his first discourse mid-summer. For example, Chokor Duchen, the Tibetan holiday that commemorates the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, is in July this year.

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public domain, Wikipedia Commons]

The Astrological Body: Part One: The Planets and the Chakras

2012-06-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

[The classic planetary rulers.]

THE HOUSES OF THE PLANETS

As with anything associated with them, different sources have contrary correspondences for the chakras, zodiac signs, and planets. The most elegant version adapts the classical model of sign rulership, first described by the Greek author Ptolemy in the 2^nd century CE. Traditionally every planet rules two zodiac signs, except for the Sun and Moon, which rule one each. These were known historically as the planetary domiciles, “the houses of the planets”, since the sign and planet have a similar nature.

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer solstice has the most heat and daylight, so the zodiac signs near it were given to the two brightest celestial objects, the Sun and Moon. Because both planet and sign are traditionally “masculine”, the Sun rules Leo. The Moon rules Cancer, because both are “feminine”. The other planets were then assigned two signs each, further down the zodiac wheel, in the descending order of their orbital speeds. Because winter solstice has the most cold and darkness, the zodiac signs near it were given to Saturn, the slowest moving of the classical planets.

The ruling planets of the zodiac signs:

Planet:	Zodiac:
Sun	Leo
Moon	Cancer
Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Venus	Libra and Taurus
Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

There was a belief in antiquity that the planets held these positions at the moment of creation. If not literally, at least as an ideal model to explain planetary rulership. This mythical chart was called the thema mundi (Greek, “horoscope of the world”). The Sun was in Leo and the Moon was in Cancer. Mercury was in Virgo, Venus was in Libra, Mars was in Scorpio, Jupiter was in Sagittarius, and Saturn was in Capricorn.

[The classical rulers as the origin of the planetary chakra correspondences.]

THE INNER SKY

"Marvel not if we say that these are within thee, but understand that thou thyself art another world in little, and hast within thee the sun and the moon, and also the stars ."

~Origen, 3rd century CE Egyptian, Christian theologian~

Many chakra systems derive their astrological correspondences from these planetary rulerships. According to Hindu texts, energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, “movement, river, conduit”). There are three main nadi: one along the spine and two that wrap around it. One side carries warm “masculine” energy, like the Sun, and the other cooling “feminine” energy, like the Moon. The center blends them but is rarely active. A vortex of energy called a chakra/cakra (Sanskrit, “wheel, circle, turning”) is produced where they intersect, traditionally depicted as a spoked wheel or lotus flower. Although their number and symbolic associations vary in sources, the most popular version uses seven chakras, five along the spine, one on the skull, and one above it.

The borders of Leo/Cancer and Aquarius/Capricorn represent the spine and skull, the top and bottom of the main nadi. The six pairs of zodiac signs represent the solar and lunar side channels, wrapping around it, and their planetary rulers, six of the seven main chakras.

The chakras, planets, and zodiac signs:

Chakra:	Planet:	Zodiac:
Crown Chakra:	- - -	- - -
Third Eye:	Sun	Leo
Third Eye:	Moon	Cancer
Throat Chakra:	Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Heart Chakra:	Venus	Libra and Taurus
Third Chakra:	Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Second Chakra:	Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Root Chakra:	Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

The central nadi along the spine is associated with the lunar nodes. The North and South Node are two moving points opposite in space, created where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun in the sky. If a new or full moon occurs near one, an eclipse is produced. Unless consciously directed, energy rarely moves in the main channel. Like the nodes and eclipses, it represents a unique union of opposites: combining the hot/solar/”masculine” and cold/lunar/”feminine” energies of the side channels to produce kundalini. (Sanskrit, kuṇḍalinī, either from kunda “coiled, in a spiral” or kund, “to burn”.) A dormant spiritual force resting in the Root Chakra, coiled like a serpent. When awakened it travels up the spine like a ladder until it reaches the Crown Chakra, producing mystical union with God.

It is not unusual for lists of Indian correspondences to stop at the Third Eye, most elemental and sacred sound lists end there too. Although this popular model use seven chakras, it is traditionally called sat /shat chakra (Sanskrit, “six chakras”), because the Crown Chakra is so different than the others. As the symbol of divine union, it has few other attributes. The lower chakras are found within the body, it floats above the head. The others have three nadi, it only has one, the main channel that strands them all together. The two side channels stop at the Third Eye, representing the end of duality.

The chakras, elements, elemental sounds, planets, and zodiac signs:

Chakra:	Element/Sound:	Planet:	Zodiac:
Crown Chakra:	- - -	- - -	- - -
Third Eye:	Thought (Om)	Sun	Leo
Third Eye:	Thought (Om)	Moon	Cancer
Throat Chakra:	Akasha (Ham)*	Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Heart Chakra:	Air (Yam)	Venus	Libra and Taurus
Third Chakra:	Fire (Ram)	Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Second Chakra:	Water (Vam)	Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Root Chakra:	Earth (Lam)	Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

* = akasha (Sanskrit, “space, vibration, aether”)

These chakra correspondences represent pairs of opposing qualities:

Light vs. Dark: In the Northern Hemisphere, Cancer is the sign of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and Capricorn the winter solstice, the longest night. The upper chakras correspond to increasing light and the lower chakras increasing darkness.

Fast vs. Slow: While the Sun and Moon rule Leo and Cancer, the other planets are assigned pairs of zodiac signs based on their orbital speed. After the luminaries for the Third Eye, the upper chakras correspond to faster moving planets and the lower chakras slower ones.

Light vs. Heavy: The elements are arranged heaviest to lightest. The upper chakras correspond to the most non-material and the lower chakras the most physical.

WHERE DOES PLUTO LIVE

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were not discovered until after the 18th century. Debate continues today in astrology what sign they rule or even if they have planetary rulership at all, since it upsets the symmetry of the classical model. Most contemporary astrologers believe Uranus rules Aquarius, Neptune rules Pisces, and Pluto rules Scorpio.

Hindu astrology does not work with the outer planets at all, so they have no traditional chakra correspondences. If we associate them with their modern rulerships, then Uranus would rule the Root Chakra with Saturn, Neptune would rule the Second Chakra with Jupiter, and Pluto would rule the Third Chakra with Mars. However, because these outer planets relate to transpersonal themes, many place them with the Crown Chakra.

Mineral vs. Rock vs. Gemstone vs. Crystal

2012-06-22T03:14:00.002-07:00

[13th century crosier, a stylized staff used in Christianity, carved from rock crystal (clear quartz).]

The words mineral, rock, stone, gem, gemstone, and crystal are often used interchangeably but each has specific meanings.

MINERAL

The word mineral comes from the Latin minerale (“obtained by mining”). In geology, a mineral is a naturally occurring solid substance. Each has a specific chemical composition, made of either one or more elements, arranged in a regular three dimensional pattern, producing a crystal structure. Some minerals do not meet all three criteria, lacking a crystal structure, like liquid mercury. They are called mineraloids instead. This category may also includes materials produced by an organic process, like amber, jet, and pearl.

ROCK AND STONE

Rock and stone are often used interchangeably in American English but they have different meanings historically. Both words come from Old English. Rock meant something large, like a rock formation, and stone meant something smaller, often transformed by human hands, like a millstone, tombstone, or gemstone. This distinction still remains in British English.

In geology, a rock is a material made up of two or more minerals. For example, pyrite is a mineral but lapis lazuli is a rock, a combination of golden pyrite, blue lazurite, and white calcite.

GEM AND GEMSTONE

The word gemstone comes from the Old English gimstan, combining the Latin gemma (“a precious stone, a leaf bud”) and the Old English stan (“a small rock, a stone shaped for a particular purpose”). Gemstones are valuable minerals and rocks that are rare, durable, and have distinctive color or clarity. However, lists of gemstones are very subjective, changing over time. Organic substances like amber, coral, and pearl may also be included. Diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire are historically called “precious gemstones” and others, “semi-precious”. Amethyst was once considered precious until the vast deposits of Brazil lowered its monetary values.

CRYSTAL

The meaning of crystal has changed over time:

A: Quartz: The word crystal comes from the Greek krystallos (“ice, frost, crystal”). The ancient Greeks theorized that quartz was a petrified form of ice, since it was water clear, cool to the touch, and resembled an icicle. Its alternative name rock crystal reflects this etymology.

B: Colorless Glass: From antiquity to the late 19^th century, quartz was a luxury item, often carved into vessels like pitchers, along with other semi-precious stones. Because these objects were so expensive, both labor intensive and wasteful of materials, imitations in glass developed. During the 15^th century, Venetian glass makers produced an incredibly popular faux quartz called cristallo (Italian, “crystal glass”). Since then, high quality colorless glass has also been called crystal.

C: The Structure of Minerals: During the 17^th and 18^th century, the chemical patterns that produce minerals began to be studied scientifically. Because the geometric nature of quartz is clearly visible, they were named crystal structures, after it. In geology, a crystal is a substance with a regular shape, due to the repeating internal structure of its atoms.

Walk a Labyrinth this Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

2012-06-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

WALKING WHEN THE SUN STANDS STILL

Go walk a labyrinth this summer solstice, June 20th, 2012.

A labyrinth is a patterned path, walked slowly to support contemplation, meditation, or prayer. Once you reach the center, you turn around and follow the same path back to the entrance.

Many traditions interpret labyrinths as solar symbols. The Hopi believe the seven circuit form represents Father Sun, with the cross it makes in the center, the four directions and seasons. Someone walking a labyrinth moves back and forth between two points, briefly pausing at them, the center and the entrance. This pattern mirrors the yearly path of the Sun. Depending on the season, it rises and sets at different points on the horizon, stopping twice to change direction. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it reaches its southernmost location on the winter solstice and its northernmost location on the summer solstice. Solstice comes from the Latin solstitium, meaning “Sun stands still”. The Sun’s position on the horizon changes slightly daily, except around a solstice, when it stays the same for three days.

Because they represent the Sun’s path, walking a labyrinth is a potent tool to harness its energy. The solstices and equinoxes are the yearly solar equivalent to the monthly Moon phases. Energy is temporarily heightened, making them opportunities for deep meditation, ceremony, or setting intentions. Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, for the Northern Hemisphere. Its energy is therefore similar to Full Moon, supporting manifestation, bringing things to fruition, and facing inner or outer darkness.

Certain periods are traditionally auspicious for spiritual work on it, like the turning points of the Sun (dawn, noon, and dusk) and the specific time of the solstice: 7:09 pm Eastern Time, (23:09 Universal Time). Like a major lunar phase, the energy is strong for three days (June 19^th – June 21^st) but strongest on the actual date (June 20^th).

I helped create the labyrinth at Whatever Works Wellness Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rather than follow a traditional pattern, the path winds through a small grove with statues, standing stones, and colorful prayer ribbons. It is open during regular business hours, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, please call the store at (513) 791-9428, find us online www.whateverworkswellness.com, or at our pages on Facebook:

Whatever Works Wellness Center, White Willow School of Tai Chi

Whatever Works Wellness Center Labyrinth

For more information about the symbolism of the solstice, see:

The Symbolism of Summer Solstice

For information about gemstones traditionally associated with the Sun, see:

Gemstone Cures for the Sun

To find a labyrinth in your area, check out this great Labyrinth Society resource:

http://labyrinthlocator.com/

Symbolism of Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

2012-06-20T04:30:00.004-07:00

WHEN THE SUN STANDS STILL

“Now she is like the white tree rose that takes a blessing from the Sun: Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.”

~C. Day Lewis~

June 20th, 2012 is the summer solstice this year, the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. It is more neutrally called the June solstice, since it is also winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. The exact date varies each year, some time between June 20^th to June 22^nd. Astrologically, the Sun enters the zodiac sign Cancer.

The yearly cycle of the Sun is similar to the monthly cycle of the Moon, summer solstice is equivalent to a full moon. The next three days (19^th - 21^st) can be harnessed spiritually to bring things to fruition or call on divine light for blessing, healing, and facing the dark. The first day of summer for half the planet, it is associated with abundance, fertility, and the sweetness of life.

The Sun has two important cycles, its daily and yearly movements:

Every day, the Sun rises is the east, reaches its zenith in the south, sets in the west, and passes beneath us in the north.
Every day, the Sun rises and sets at slightly different points on the horizon. The only time it stops wandering is around a solstice, when it appears to stay at the same location for three days, and then reverses its direction. The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium meaning “Sun standing, Sun standing still”.

At the summer solstice (June), the Sun reaches its northernmost position, appearing to rise more to the northeast and set in the northwest. It then moves further south, rising due east and setting due west on the autumn equinox (September), and reaches its southernmost position on the winter solstice (December). It then turns north, to restart the cycle.

EVERY EXTREME CONTAINS THE SEED OF ITS OPPOSITE

The symbolism of the eight directions (E, S, W, N, NE, SE, SW, NW) originates in the Sun's daily and yearly positions. For example, in vastu vidya, the Indian art of arrangement, similar to Chinese feng shui, temples are aligned along a northeast to southwest axis. This represents the polarity of sunrise on the longest day of the year (summer solstice dawn = northeast) and sunset on the shortest (winter solstice dusk = southwest). The northeast is sacred to Shiva and represents amrita vela (“the nectar time”) or Brahma muhurta (“God's hour”), the period just before dawn when spiritual work is at its deepest. Likewise, some Peruvian shamanic traditions recognize a southeast to northwest axis, the equivalent in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed.

Because of the Sun's daily motion, the east is associated with increasing light, the south with the most light, the west with increasing darkness, and the north with the most darkness. Paradoxically, many traditional cultures associate the summer solstice with the north, because of its position on the horizon. For example, Chinese emperors offered at the square Altar of the Earth on summer solstice, in the northern part of the Forbidden City. Although summer was seen as yang (“the masculine”, light, day, fire), the site itself was associated with yin (“the feminine”, darkness, night, water). In Chinese yin-yang theory, every extreme contains the seed of its opposite. As the longest day of the year, every day after summer solstice increases in darkness, until we reach winter solstice and start the cycle over again.

Traditionally the Sun has three periods of increased spiritual power each day, represented by changes in location and/or appearance: sunrise, around noon when it reaches its zenith, and sunset. Most importantly on a solstice day, the time of the event itself: 7:09 PM Eastern (23:09 Universal Time). Any of these times can be worked with through intention, meditation, or ceremony to honor this day of most light.

For information about gemstones traditionally associated with the Sun, see:

Gemstone Cures for the Sun

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

2012-06-19T03:29:00.001-07:00

LIKE THE NATURE OF STARS

“There is no doubt that gemstones have something of the hidden virtues of the bodies that are above the vault of heaven... beyond the powers of the four basic elements of nature... some stones have something in them of the nature of stars.”

~Thomas Aquinas~

Working with minerals was once mainstream in the West, for hundreds of years. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, gemstones were not only luxury goods, they were medicines for healing. Texts called lapidaries (Latin, lapidarius, “on stones”) described both their mineralogy and meaning, derived from classical sources, gem related Biblical passages, and astrology.

Their metaphysical properties were called virtus occulta (Latin, “hidden, secret, concealed virtue”). Virtue in this context does not mean morality but rather efficacy, the capacity for something to produce an effect. Most things had virtus elemantaris (Latin, “natural, elemental, manifest virtue”), an obvious quality like one of the four elements: some are warming like fire, others cooling like water, some make things wet like air, others dry things out like earth. Only some things had hidden virtues (virtus occulta), the most common example being lodestone.

Lodestone is a natural magnet, a variety of the mineral magnetite, that attracts and repels iron. Its hidden virtue, an influence over iron, was “hidden” because it did not correspond to an elemental quality (hot/cold, wet/dry); it could be understood intellectually, but not perceived directly with the senses. Other mysterious phenomena, like the negative electric charge of amber, were also included among the hidden virtues. (Scientific models of magnetism and electricity would not develop until the late 16^th century.) However, most hidden virtues were similar to the metaphysical properties attributed to minerals today. According to a medieval Arabic lapidary, attributed to King Solomon:

“Some give favor in the sight of lords; some protect against fire; others make people beloved; others give wisdom; some render men invisible; others repel lightning; some baffle poisons; some protect and augment treasures; others cause that husbands should love their wives.”

Because they did not have qualities like the four elements, many attributed the hidden virtues to celestial influences instead. Following classical models, the universe was divided into two realms: the celestial one, filled with the fifth element aether, and the ever changing terrestrial one, home of the other four elements. The planets and stars were eternal, consistent except their position; their light, heat, and invisible influences were responsible for changes in the material world. Their motion was ultimately attributed to God himself. While magic might rely on demons, the hidden virtue of gemstones was seen as completely natural, created by God, originating in the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars.

THE ORIGINS OF ASTROLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCES

“God hath imprinted upon the Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, as it were in Hieroglyphicks, the very signature of their Vertues.”

~Robert Turner, 17^th century astrological botanist~

Different animals, plants, and minerals were believed to have an affinity, correspondence, or rulership by a planet and/or zodiac sign. The terms vary by source. The 16^th century German physician Paracelsus popularized the concept in herbalism, calling it the doctrine of signatures: a belief that many plants displayed signatum (Latin, “signature, mark, indication”), distinctive characteristics that indicated their healing uses. These signs were left by God, like wax impressions made by a seal, to reveal their virtues. The most common example was Saint John's wort, used to treat wounds; it appears to bleed when crushed, releasing a red oil, and has small holes in its leaves.

A material's astrological ruler was determined in a similar way:

Each planet was associated with particular colors, shapes, and traits.
Each planet was assigned certain parts of the body, things used to treat them were ruled by the corresponding planet.
Like an element, each planet was associated with a combination of qualities (hot/cold, dry/wet).

Since Mars rules the blood, Saint John's wort could be a Martian plant, but is is traditionally Solar instead. It has yellow flowers with radiating stamens, blooms around summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and was used cross culturally to dispel darkness. The 16h century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper lists it as a “hot and dry” plant, the qualities also associated with the element fire and the Sun.

For information on Solar stones, see:

Gemstone Cures for the Sun

For information on Mercurial stones, see:

Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

For information on Venusian stones, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

Glossary of Oneness/Deeksha Terms

2012-06-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

[Footprints at Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, a church just outside Rome, mythically attributed to Jesus.]

Although many of the terms used in Oneness derive from Sanskrit, they correspond to universal truths found across spiritual traditions.

Bhakti: (Sanskrit, bhakti, “devotion, love”.) There are many spiritual paths: prayer, scholarship, helping others in need, etc. Bhakti is the way of love, connecting to God through heart felt devotion.

Chakra: (Commonly pronounced as “shock-ra”, but technically “chak-ruh”, like chalk, with the “r” slightly rolled.) Energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, nāḍi, “flow, river, conduit”). The body has three main nadi, one in the spinal column and two that wrap around it. A vortex of energy called a chakra (Sanskrit, cakra, “wheel, circle, turning”) is produced where they intersect, traditionally depicted as a spoked wheel or lotus flower. Their number, location, and symbolic associations like color vary between sources. However a seven chakra model that originated in Hinduism is the version most recognized in the West, slightly altered by a rainbow color scheme.

The chakras are centers of consciousness, the organs of our spiritual anatomy. Many of their positions correspond to nerve plexuses that connect the spine to specific parts of the body, showing a relationship between the spiritual and material. Although primarily located on the back, they are often visualized at trigger points on the front of the body called kshetram (Sanskrit, “place, field, location of a sacred site, like a temple”). For example, the Heart Chakra is located on the spine at heart level but we focus our awareness on the middle of the chest.

Chakra Dhyana: (Sanskrit, “meditation on the chakras”.) See also, Chakra.

Individual Chakra Sounds:

Lam: Pronounced “lah-ng”. Lam represents the element of earth. Chanting it balances the Root Chakra, represented as red, located at the base of the spine.

Vam: Pronounced “vah-ng”. Vam represents the element of water. Chanting it balances the Second Chakra, represented as orange, located on the spine at the sacrum.

Ram: Pronounced “rah-ng”. Ram represents the element of fire. Chanting it balances the Third Chakra, represented as yellow, located on the spine at the level of the navel.

Yam: Pronounced “yah-ng”. Yam represents the element of air. Chanting it balances the Heart Chakra, represented as green, located on the spine at the level of the physical heart.

Ham: Pronounced “hah-ng”. Ham represents the fifth element, akasha (Sanskrit, “aether, space, sound”). Chanting it balances the Throat Chakra, represented as light blue, located on the spine at the level of the throat.

Om: Pronounced “aum”. Om balances the Third Eye, represented as dark blue, located in the skull at the level of the forehead.

Ogum Satyam Om: Pronounced “oh-goom saught-yahm aum”. This phrase balances the Crown Chakra, represented as purple, located above the skull.

(Ogum is difficult to find information on. It is not found in Sanskrit dictionaries. Mantras can have slight regional variations. For example, the longer version of the Gayatri mantra prefixes some words with Om, other versions include Ogum. In that context, each "Om/Ogum + word" group represents a level of the cosmos. Satyam means “absolute truth, goodness, divine reality” in Sanskrit. Om/Ogum Satyam symbolizes the highest heavens and the phrase is used to bless the head. The Oneness meaning may be related. Bhagavan was born in Tamil Nadu and Tamil versions of the longer Gayarti use Ogum.)

(Other versions of chakra dhayna use Om alone for the Crown Chakra, adding Sham for the Third Eye, or use silence instead to represent it.)

Kundalini Visualization:

Om Kundalini Arohanam. (Sanskrit, arohanam, “climb, rise, ascend”.) See also, Kundalini.

Deesksha: (Sanskrit, dīkṣā, “dedication, consecration, initiation into a mantra, spiritual practice, or religious order”.) The term generally means a transfer of divine energy between a guru (“spiritual teacher”) and student, passed by touch, sight, or word. For example during mantra diksha, the guru not only teaches a mantra to the student, they unlock its spiritual potency. In the Oneness community, the term deeksha is also used for the Oneness blessing, a transfer of divine energy via a blessing giver, by placing their hands on the recipient’s head or by intent.

Kundalini: (Sanskrit, kuṇḍalinī, either from kunda “coiled, in a spiral” or kund, “to burn”.) (Commonly pronounced as “kun-duh-lee-nee” but technically kun-duh-leh-nee. The first “i” is like the “i” in bit, the last “i” is like the “ee” in feet, said twice as long as the first “i”.) A dormant spiritual force resting in the Root Chakra, coiled like a serpent. When awakened it travels up the spine like a ladder until it reaches the Crown Chakra, producing mystical union with God. See also, Chakra.

Mala: (Sanskrit, mālā, “a garland of flowers, prayer beads”.) The ancestor of the rosary, a mala is a circle of prayer beads. It supports meditation by passively counting the number of mantras or breaths. They are typically made from 108 beads or one of its divisors like 54, 27, or 18. The number itself is richly symbolic. For example, there are 9 planets and 12 zodiac signs in Indian astrology. 9 X 12 = 108. Other symbolic numbers like 21 are also used.

An additional one, two, or three beads hold the loop together, known as the guru (“spiritual teacher”), Meru (“mythical cosmic mountain”), or Buddha bead. It is not counted but marks both the start and end of recitation. Begin with the bead next to it, moving forward one with each repetition. Some sources also recommend spinning the bead as you say the mantra. If doing more than one round, do not cross over the guru bead. Instead flip the mala over your fingers, making the last bead the first and begin again. Malas are typically counted with the thumb and middle or ring finger of the right hand in Hinduism or the thumb and index finger of the left hand in Buddhism.

Mantra: (Sanskrit, mantra, from man-, “mind, to think” and -tra, “tool, instrument”, “protection”, or “release, free”.) Mantras are sacred Sanskrit sounds, ranging in length from a single syllable to paragraphs long, repeated to focus the mind. Many religions teach a relationship between sound, divinity, and the true nature of reality. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (Bible, John 1:1) Beyond an object of concentration, mantras are also spiritually charged. For example, in Hindu thought the six lower chakras support a copy of the Sanskrit alphabet on their petals, the Crown Chakra another twenty on its one thousand petals. Saying a mantra activates them like a keyboard, changing the way energy flows through our mind, body, and surroundings.

Moola Mantra: (Sanskrit, mūlā, “root, foundation, base”.) The term generally refers to the main mantra associated with a spiritual being. In the Oneness community, it specifically refers to the mantra: Om Sat Chit Ananda Parabrahma Purushothama Paramatma Sri Bhagavathi Sametha Sri Bhagavathe Namaha.

Om: Om symbolizes the primordial sound of creation. Often found at the start of mantras to bless the beginning.

Sat Chit Ananda: Meaning “existence (also translated as ‘truth’), consciousness, and absolute bliss”. The three main attributes of divine nature in Hinduism.

Parabrahma: Meaning “Beyond Brahman”. The formless transcendent aspect of God.

Purushothama: Meaning “Supreme Being”. When God incarnates in human form (Christ, Krishna, etc.)

Paramatma: Meaning “Supreme Soul”. The aspect of God that dwells within the consciousness of all living beings.

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.

Bhagavathi: Meaning "the feminine aspect of God".

Sametha: Meaning "together with".

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.

Bhagavathe: Meaning "the masculine aspect of God".

Namaha: A traditional mantra ending, translated many ways: “Salutations, I offer obeisance (a gesture of homage, like bowing), I respectfully call upon the name”.

Many mantras follow the pattern Om + (Name) + Namaha, calling on one representation of God. The Oneness Moola Mantra instead honors whatever form is appropriate to that individual, ranging from the abstract (Parabrahma), in a human form, either male or female (Purushothama), or the higher consciousness within all living things (Paramatma). The mantra moves from the most abstract to that with the most form, like gender. See also, Mantra.

Sri Murthi: (Sanskrit, śrī, “blessed, auspicious, holy”, often formally placed before a title or name to show respect. Sanskrit, mūrti, “representation, form, image”.) The term generally refers to a physical representation of God, like a statue or painting. Murthi is similar to the Christian term icon (Greek, eikon, “image”): art that supports God’s presence manifesting in the material world but not confused with the divine itself. In the Oneness community, Sri Murthi specifically refers to an image of the teachers Sri Amma Bhagavan, believed to have attained an elevated state. See also, Puja and Paduka.

Paduka: (Sanskrit, pādukā, “sandals, footwear”.) In many ancient cultures, washing the feet was an act of hospitality, performed by a servant or even the host for a highly respected guest. An unnamed woman anoints the feet of Jesus in the Bible, washing it with her own tears and hair (Luke 7:36), and Jesus later shows he is the servant to all, by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13). Likewise in India, the feet of an elder, guru, or depiction of God are touched or offered to as a sign of respect. A pair of sandals (“paduka”) or footprints alone may be used to represent God or our teachers. See also, Sri Murthi and Puja.

Puja: During a puja (Sanskrit, pūjā, “to worship, honor, show respect”), God is invited into a representation like a statue and treated as a guest; given water to drink, a place to freshen up, and food. Many religious traditions believe the divine can manifest in material objects during ceremony, often as a charge of spiritual energy. Since God does not get thirsty, dirty, or hungry, the materials offered are instead conduits for that energy and also help turn our senses and mind towards the divine. See also, Sri Murthi and Paduka.

Shavasana: (Sanskrit, shava “corpse-like, lying down flat on your back without moving”, and asana, “yoga posture”). If physically possible, laying down after receiving deeksha, to assimilate the energy.

ऊँ सत् चित् आनन्द परब्रह्मा

पुरुषोत्तम परमात्मा

श्री भगवती समेत श्री भगवते नम:।

(Oneness Moola Mantra in Sanskrit)

“Om Sat Chit Ananda Parabrahma

Purushothama Paramatma
Sri Bhagavathi Sametha Sri Bhagavathe Namaha”

For more information about Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana, see:

Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana

© 2012, C. L. Matthews, Version 2
[Image Source: Wikipedia Commons]

Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana

2012-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

WHEN THE GUEST IS GOD

This information is for blessing givers who have completed certain Oneness coursework, to continue the practice at home. Please keep it private. I only post it here as general guide to give context to those unfamiliar with the terms and materials, to understand what is going on at Oneness Bhakti Yoga. The different flower offering mantras have been intentionally left out, so only those who have actually attended the corresponding course may complete the ceremony in full.

The research and translations are my own and I have noted where they deviate from the brief instructions given in the Oneness packet.

Since mantras are considered sacred speech, texts that contain them are traditionally handled with respect: they are not set down directly on the floor, not stepped over it, nor everyday materials set on top of them, etc.

What is a puja?

During a puja, God is invited into a representation like a statue and treated as a guest: given water to drink, a place to freshen up, and food. Many religious traditions believe the divine can manifest in material objects during ceremony, often as a charge of spiritual energy. Since God does not get thirsty, dirty, or hungry, the things offered are instead conduits for divine energy. Puja may also be performed to honor a distinguished guest, elder, or spiritual teacher.

Sometimes the word pooja/puja (Sanskrit, pūjā, “worship”) and archana (Sanskrit, arcana, “worship”) are used as equivalents. Both are used in Oneness. Archana may also refer to a shorter puja, focused around saying the names or mantra of a spiritual being.

Symbolically the offerings represent both the five elements and five senses, the historic building blocks of the material world and our perception of it. They also have associations with the five lower chakras. When we include our thoughts, consciousness, and ego identity, the elements associated with the Third Eye, we create a bridge to the Crown Chakra, the seat of divine connection. Puja turns our physical, mental, and spiritual aspects all towards God.

Traditional Chakra Elemental Associations:

Divine Union = Crown Chakra

Intellect/Thought = Third Eye

Aether = Hearing = Throat Chakra

Air = Touch = Heart Chakra

Fire = Sight = Third Chakra

Water = Taste = Second Chakra

Earth = Smell = Root Chakra

Although this style of offering originated in the religious traditions of India, it is used in the Oneness community to honor all representation of the divine.

What is a Murthi, Sri Murthi?

Murthi/Murti, with or without a Sri/Shree/Shri, generally refers to a physical representation of God, like a statue or painting. (Sanskrit, śrī, “blessed, auspicious, holy”, often formally placed before a title or name to show respect. Sanskrit, mūrti, “representation, form, image”.) Murthi is similar to the Christian term icon (Greek, eikon, “image”): art that supports God’s presence manifesting in the material world but is not confused with the divine itself. In the Oneness community, Sri Murthi specifically refers to an image of the teachers Sri Amma Bhagavan, believed to have attained an elevated state. Besides a representation of God, other things like padukas (Sanskrit, pādukā, “sandals”) may be used instead during a puja, to temporarily house the divine presence.

What are the steps of a puja?

The different steps of a puja are called upachara, (Sanskrit, upacāra, “offering, act of respect, service”). They derive from Indian hospitality. Specific numbers are common, like five, ten, and sixteen, but the actual steps vary in different instructions. This version has shodashopachara, meaning “sixteen articles of homage”. Pujas vary widely.

Why are there so many different ways to write the same word?

Several spellings for puja related words are included, since there is not a standard way to translate them into English. I've tried to use the form most commonly encountered. Vowels are often left off the end of words in contemporary India; Ganesha becomes Ganesh, Shiva becomes Shiv. Finally there are several ways in Sanskrit grammar to write a noun when it is not part of a sentence. They may be left as a stem, like mantra, or used in their accusative declination (representing an object), like mantram.

PRELIMINARY STEPS

How do I set up the temporary altar?

Before the puja, the Oneness instructions say to clean the physical environment, cover a table with a white cloth for the Sri Murthi, padukas, and other representations of God. Light incense, oil lamps, and/or candles to create a meditative environment. Although flowers plucked from their stems are used during the puja itself, vases of whole flowers are commonly placed on an altar.

What are some lesser known altar customs?

Because the English word altar has historic associations with animal sacrifice, many Hindus and Buddhists prefer shrine instead. For example, altar is still used in Christian contexts because the bread and wine symbolize the sacrifice of Christ.

Traditionally you bathe before a puja and put on clean clothes, or at least wash your hands and face, and brush your teeth. A preliminary step in many pujas is to pour water over the hands to clean them. Water is sprinkled around the head and used to wash the mouth out too. The directions may also say to scatter it across the offerings, to spiritually cleanse them.

The offerings are put in individual dishes or in smaller bowls together on one tray, known as a puja thali (Sanskrit, thāli, “plate, tray, dish”). Water is put in a kalasha/kalasham, (Sanskrit, kalaśa, “water pot, jug, pitcher”), a wide bodied, small mouthed pot without handles. If you can not find one, a pitcher is fine. A dish to collect offered water and a spoon are also needed. Offering is primarily done with the right hand, since the left hand is used for personal hygiene in India. If something is heavy like a tray, both hands are used. Traditionally the left hand may be used for specific tasks, like ringing a bell.

Move a statue like you would pick up a child, from below or around its arms, not by the head. The custom is to not intentionally breathe on images or offerings. The exception being when breath is used to move energy, like blowing to transfer the spiritual charge produced by a mantra.

INVITATION

1. Chant the Oneness Moola Mantra three times, while performing arati. (Light an oil lamp, candle, or camphor. Offer it three times in clockwise circles, with the right hand or both if heavy. For more context, read the arati section below.)

2. Sashtanga Namaskaram = Show respect to God by bringing your hands together at your heart in the prayer position (“namaskaram/namaskara”).

Traditionally prostrations may be offered instead during this step. Sashtanga/Ashtanga Namaskaram/Namaskara is usually translated as “eight point (prostration)”, meaning eight body parts touch the ground; the list varies between sources but typically two feet, two knees, the chest, two hands, and the forehead. Woman traditionally perform Panchanga Namaskaram instead, “five point (prostration)”; once again, the list varies but two feet, two hands, and the forehead is common. The two terms are paired together because after the prostration (Sashatanga or Panchanga), the person then puts their hands together in the prayer position (Namaskaram). If space is tight, simply do the hand gesture instead.

The main mantra used during the puja is familiar, it is the last third of the Oneness Moola Mantra:

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.

Bhagavathi: The feminine aspect of God.

Sametha: Together with.

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.

Bhagavathe: The masculine aspect of God.

Namaha: A traditional mantra ending, translated many ways: “Salutations, I offer obeisance (a gesture of homage, like bowing), I respectfully call upon the name”.

This part of the puja has three steps, the first and third use this truncated version of the Oneness Moola Mantra above but add a word to the end:

3. Shorter Version + Dhyayami = “I meditate”.

4. Chant the complete Oneness Moola Mantra once.

5. Shorter Version + Avahayami = “I invite (God into my home and heart).”

These two steps usually begin pujas, often combined with a third, sankalpa (Sanskrit, sańkalpa, “intention, desire, objective”), declaring your intentions for the ceremony. Traditionally the sankalpa step includes a listing of the date, location, your name, etc.

During the first step, you meditate on God to prepare mentally for the puja. The Oneness instructions say to close your eyes and visualize your divine in your heart and/or Sri Amma Bhagavan. During the second step, you invite the divine presence into the representations on the altar. Although God is both omnipresent and ultimately formless, we ask for its energy to manifest within the images for our benefit, that we may interact more closely. The different steps of the puja transform the image into a conduit for divine energy. Clearing it with water, charging it with powders, incense, and flowers, and then transferring that energy to us.

SIXTEEN OFFERINGS

Most of the remaining mantras follow the formula: Sri Bhagavati Sameta Sri Bhagavate Namaha + (different word) + Samarpayami. Samarpayami means “I offer”. The different words simply describe the things being offered.

1. Shorter Version + Padhyam Samarpayami = “I offer water to wash your feet”. (Offer water in a spoon with your right hand, then pour it into a dish. Visualize washing the feet.)

2. Shorter Version + Argyam Samarpayami = “I offer water to wash your hands”. (Offer water in a spoon with your right hand, then pour it into a dish. Visualize washing the hands.)

3. Shorter Version + Achamaneeyam Samarpayami = “I offer water to drink”. (Offer water in a spoon with your right hand, then pour it into a dish. Visualize giving water to drink.)

4. Shorter Version + Snanam Samarpayami = “I offer water for bathing”. (Offer water in a spoon with your right hand, then pour it into a dish. Traditionally water may instead be poured over a statue in a dish, or sprinkled over it with a whole flower three times. Visualize giving water to bathe.)

5. Shorter Version + Snanaan Antaram Achamaneeyam Samarpayami = “I offer another drink of water, after bathing”. (Offer water in a spoon with your right hand, then pour it into a dish. Visualize giving water to drink again.)

When water is combined with other ingredients and offered to a representation of God, it is called theertha/theertham (Sanskrit, tīrtha). Especially if it was poured over something like a statue. The term also refers to the source of water for a temple or a place of pilgrimage associated with water. This double meaning symbolizes that contact with the divine has transformed it, making it like water from a sacred place. The recipe for theertham in the Oneness instructions is: good drinking water, three cardamom/cardamon seed pods (Elettaria cardamomum), and tulsai/tulsi leaves, also known as holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), not to be confused with regular basil (Ocimum basilicum). Be sure to draw water from a spiritually pure place like your kitchen, rather than a bathroom, if possible. Or use bottled water.

6. Shorter Version + Vastram Samarpayami = “I offer clothing”. (Offer some cloth or rice. Visualize giving clothing and ornaments like jewelry.)

Traditionally in a puja, if you can not find, afford, or directly use a material, like offering water over a photograph, it can be substituted with something else like rice, flowers, or water. But you visualize giving the actual thing. The next two steps are commonly replaced in pujas. The instructions say to offer cloth or rice for the vastram (“clothing”) step and rice for upaveetam (“sacred thread”).

Only “unbroken rice” is traditionally offered during pujas, known as akshata (Sanskrit, aksata, “not broken”). A percentage of all rice gets damaged when being milled. This “broken rice” is much less expensive but releases its starch when cooking, so is reserved for desserts and brewing. Most rice in grocery stores is unbroken but both varieties are found in Asian markets. The akshata is offered uncooked but colored yellow by turmeric in the Oneness instructions. Turmeric easily dyes fabric and skin yellow, so handle it with care. Directions for other pujas may suggest different coloring agents, like kumkum. For more context, see the kumkum section below.

7. Shorter Version + Upaveetam Samarpayami = “I offer a sacred thread”. (Offer rice. Visualize giving a sacred thread.)

Upaveetam/upavitam, also known as yajnopavitam, is a sacred circular thread traditionally worn by male Brahmins. It loops around the left shoulder and under the right arm. It represents purity, knowledge, and adulthood. Often made with three loops with three knots, it symbolizes many Hindu trinities: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer, sat chit ananda (“existence, consciousness, and bliss”), and respect for our parents, spiritual teachers, and God, etc. The three strands can also represent the main channels of the chakra system, kundalini's path up the spine to produce mystical union.

8. Shorter Version + Chandanam Samarpayami = “I offer sandalwood powder”. (Apply sandalwood powder to the forehead and/or feet using the ring finger of the right hand. Or mix sandalwood powder with water to make a paste, then apply. Visualize giving a ritual powder mark.)

Chandan is an off white to yellowish brown powder produced from sandalwood (Santalum album). The same name is used for the tree. Sandalwood is associated with mental clarity, meditation, and coolness.

The dot on the forehead is called a tilak/tilaka/tika (Sanskrit, tilaka, “freckle, spot, religious mark”). Also known as a bindi (from the Sanskrit, bindu “drop, point, spot”.) The terms are often used interchangeably. However tilak can specifically refer to:

-a mark worn by either sex for spiritual reasons.

-produced from ritual powders.

-placed primarily on the forehead but also other body parts.

-may have many shapes.

While a bindi is:

-worn by women on the forehead.

-may only be decorative.

-made from a wider range of materials, including stick on ones.

-usually tear or dot shaped.

The main chakras are located along the spine but have corresponding spots on the front of the body where they are visualized, called kshetra/kshetram (Sanskrit, kṣetra, “place, field, location of a sacred site, like a temple”). The middle of the forehead is the kshetra of the Third Eye, the chakra associated with our thoughts, consciousness, and ego identity. Placing a smear of blessed powder here is believed to deepen meditation, calm the mind, and bring us closer to God. Like acupuncture needles, tilak may be placed at other points across the body, to call spiritual energy into the physical. Specific shapes are associated with different spiritual beings. For example, three horizontal lines on the forehead for Shiva, two or more vertical lines in the shape of a “u” for Vishnu. So they can also show membership within a spiritual community.

While it is easy to understand offering water to a guest, there are multiple ways to contextualize powder offerings:

As a cosmetic: Since a bindi can simply be decorative, the powders are understood as cosmetics. After bathing, there is personal grooming, including make up. Powders like turmeric may also be worn medicinally in India.

As a religious mark: Both devout men and women wear a tilak to symbolize turning their consciousness towards God. The blessed powders are infused with energy which enters the subtle body through the Third Eye.

To support divine presence: During a puja, a representation of God like a statue becomes a conduit for spiritual energy. The water offerings cleanse it, the remaining steps build up the spiritual charge. Just as tilak may be used at specific spots across our spiritual anatomy, the marks help the spiritual ground into the material.

While offered on the forehead or feet in the Oneness instructions, ritual powders may be sprinkled in other pujas or used to completely cover a statue. Traditionally if using them directly would be damaging, like on a photograph, a flower can be set in front of the representation and the powders applied to it.

9. Shorter Version + Kumkumam Samarpayami = “I offer kumkum powder.” (Apply kumkum powder to the forehead and/or feet, using the ring finger of the right hand. Visualize giving a ritual powder mark.)

Kumkum is a reddish powder, traditionally made from the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). The color is altered from yellow to red by the addition of slaked lime (Calcium hydroxide). Most kumkum today is produced with synthetic color instead. Because blood is red, the color symbolizes life. Kumkum represents abundance, fertility, and good luck. Wearing it may also represents a woman's marital status in India. Confusingly it may also be called sindoor/sindur, the name for another red powder colored by vermillion, a pigment derived from the mineral cinnabar (Mercuric sulfide). Sindoor/sindur may also refer to orange colored powders, while kumkum is used for red. Kumkum easily dyes fabrics and skin red, so handle it with care.

For the next few mantras, the ending changes. Each is a different offering verb, related to the thing being given.

10. Shorter Version + Pushpaihi Poojayami = “I worship God with an offering of flowers.” (While saying one of the mantras used during the course, offer flowers with the right hand, at the end of each repetition. Visualize giving flowers, garlands, ornaments for the hair, etc.)

Usually flowers are plucked from their stems or petals alone are used. The custom is to not intentionally smell flowers before using them during a puja, since the fragrance itself is part of the offering. If gathering your own flowers, those that have fallen to the ground already are not offered traditionally.

11. Shorter Version + Doopam Agrapayami = “I display an offering of incense.” (Light incense sticks, usually an odd number. Offer them three times in clockwise circles, with the right hand. Visualize giving incense.)

To ensure a complete circle, a looping pattern may be used instead. Visualize a clock face. Begin at the 6. Make a clockwise circle but stop around the 8. Move counter clockwise briefly, stopping around the 4. Then move clockwise around the circle again. Repeat as needed.

The custom is to not intentionally smell incense before using it during a puja, since the fragrance itself is part of the offering.

12. Shorter Version + Deepam Darshayami = “I present to you an offering of light.” (Light an oil lamp or candle. Offer it three times in clockwise circles, with the right hand or both if heavy. Visualize giving light.)

Now we return to the Samarpayami ending.

13. Shorter Version + Naivedyam Samarpayami = “I offer food.” (Place some food in front of the representation of God or present a tray three times in clockwise circles, with the right hand or both if heavy. Visualize giving food.)

Usually fruits and sweets are used, alcohol and meat are generally avoided. The custom is to not intentionally smell or eat the food before offering it.

14. Shorter Version + Mangala Arati Samarpayami = “I offer the blessed arati”. (Light an oil lamp, candle, or camphor. Offer it three times in clockwise circles, with the right hand or both if heavy. Often a bell is rung in the left hand at the same time, but the Oneness directions do not mention one. Visualize giving light.)

Mangala,“blessed, auspicious, good fortune” and arati/arathi/aarti, “an offering of light, often accompanied by music”. (Sanskrit, mańgala-ārati.) During an arati, an oil lamp or an arati tray (an oil lamp accompanied by other offerings like incense, flowers, and food) is presented in clockwise circles before a representation of God. The light becomes blessed by the contact, allowing us to receive energy from the flame afterwards. Cup both your hands, as if gathering up the blessing from the light, and draw your hands back to your eyes or the top of your head. The fuel for the lamp is typically ghee, a type of clarified butter.

Camphor may be burned instead. A fragrant white powder derived either from the essential oil of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) or produced synthetically. It burns with an intense flame, black smoke, and medicinal scent but goes out quickly. Camphor slowly evaporates when exposed to air, so it should be stored in an air tight container.

To ensure a complete circle, a looping pattern may be used. Visualize a clock face. Begin at the 6. Make a clockwise circle but stop around the 8. Move counter clockwise briefly, stopping around the 4. Then move clockwise around the circle again. Repeat as needed.

15. Shorter Version + Prartanam Samarpayami = “I offer my prayers”.

16. Shorter Version + Atma Pradakshina Namaskaram Samarpayami = “With hands together in prayer, I offer clockwise motion to honor the aspect of God that dwells within me”. (Join your hands together in the prayer position above your head, spin in place clockwise [turning to your right] seven times, and then prostrate to God at the altar.)

Namaskaram is familiar from the beginning of the puja, putting the hands together at the heart in a position of prayer. Atma (Sanskrit, ātma, “soul, self, living being”) is the aspect of the divine believed to exist in all living beings. Pradakshina (Sanskrit, pradakṣiṇa, “circulambulation”) is moving around something in a clockwise motion, to show respect. Many religions circle sacred sites, objects, and people, to help us find a still center. In this version of pradakshina, we spin around in place, to honor the divine energy now building up within ourselves. In other pujas, the motion is around the altar itself.

CONCLUSION

When the puja is complete, the theertham (“holy water”) is distributed to those who attended the puja, along with the prasadam/prasad (Sanskrit, prasāda), anything edible that was offered, now believed to be infused with divine energy. Traditionally the sandalwood powder or kumkum is also shared, to make a tilak on our own foreheads, with the ring finger of the right hand.

Before moving a charged representation of God, visarjana is traditionally performed (Sanskrit, visarjana, “departure, release, the sending back of a deity”), the opposite of the avahana (Sanskrit, āvāhana, “invitation, invocation, calling”) that began the ceremony. Thank God. Set a flower on the altar at the feet of the divine, then bring it to your heart, while visualizing the energy still in it entering your Heart Chakra. While being physically transported, images should be respectfully wrapped up in cloth like a scarf.

Water, food, and flowers can be brought home to share the blessing. Later these remnants of the puja, like dying flowers, are still handled with respect, since they had contact with the divine. They are traditionally scattered into a local body of water like a stream, river, or lake. Of course, that’s littering today! So any clean place in nature is also acceptable, like your yard, especially near the roots of a tree.

MATERIALS

Puja Samagri (Sanskrit, sāmagrī, “materials, items, ingredients [for a Puja]”):

Tray (“thali”) with small bowls or individual dishes for offerings.

Water pot (“kalasha/kalasham”), spoon, dish to collect water.

Drinking water to produce holy water (“theertha/theertham”).

Three cardamom/cardamon seed pods (“elaichai”)

Holy basil (“tulsi/tulsai leaves”)

Cloth.

Unbroken rice.

Turmeric powder.

Kumkum powder.

Sandalwood powder (“chandan”).

Flowers removed from their stems or flower petals. Whole flowers in vases for the altar.

Incense holder.

Incense.

Oil lamp or candle.

Camphor and/or ghee.

ऊँ सत् चित् आनन्द परब्रह्मा

पुरुषोत्तम परमात्मा

श्री भगवती समेत श्री भगवते नम:।

(Oneness Moola Mantra in Sanskrit)

“Om Sat Chit Ananda Parabrahma

Purushothama Paramatma
Sri Bhagavathi Sametha Sri Bhagavathe Namaha”

Birth of the Morning Star: Heliacal Rising of Venus (06/12/12)

2012-06-11T18:06:00.004-07:00

[19^th century representation of Venus, on the Cardiff Castle clock tower.]

AND THE DAY STAR ARISES IN YOUR HEART

"There was a lamp drunk on his own oil who boasted one evening to everyone present that he was brighter than the Morning Star and that his splendor shone more conspicuously than anything else in the world. A sudden puff of wind blew in the lamp's direction, and its breath extinguished his light. A man lit the lamp once again and said to him, `Shine, lamp, and be silent! The splendor of the stars is not ever extinguished.'" ~Aesop's Fables~

The planet Venus has complex symbolism because of its unusual movements when retrograde. For the past few months, Venus has been our night time companion as the Evening Star. After turning retrograde, it quickly passes from the sky, temporarily disappearing in the glare of the Sun, and reappears during the day as the Morning Star.

Because it can appear either in the day or night, the spiritual beings associated with Venus often have a dual nature. The Sumerians associated Inanna with the planet, the goddess of both love and war. In antiquity, they were represented as siblings. The Evening Star was Hesperus (Greek, “evening star”) or Vesper (Latin, “evening star”) and the Morning Star was Phosphorus (Greek, “light bearer”) or Lucifer (Latin, “light bearer”).

When the Bible was translated into Latin, the Roman name Lucifer was used for the Hebrew Helel (“Shining One”, Venus as Morning Star). This tradition continued when the Bible was translated into English. The name appears in Isaiah 14:12, where the prophet proclaims the downfall of the King of Babylon. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!” Because the passage talks about a figure falling from heaven, interpretive traditions read it as the fall of Satan.

In other passages, like Revelations 22:16, Christ is associated with Venus instead. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” Other resurrection figures like the Sumerian goddess Inanna and the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl are also associated with Venus, its retrograde movements representing their death and rebirth.

The Morning Star is paradoxically associated with enlightenment, overcoming darkness, and rebirth but also pride, rebellion, and folly. After the Sun and Moon, Venus is typically the brightest object in the sky. When retrograde, it returns to the day moving backwards. It appears before the dawn, but disappears in the increasing light of the rising Sun. Depending on the source, these changes were interpreted as prideful, Venus challenging the Sun, the traditional symbol of both God and rulers, or supportive, Venus adding its bright light to the dawn.

THE SLAYING ARROWS OF VENUS

“And so when he [Venus] goes forth [heliacal rising], they know on which day sign he casts his light on certain people, venting his anger at them, shooting them with darts.”

~Codex Chimalpopca~

The reappearance of Venus was seen as dangerous, associated with warfare, violence, and accidents in some cultures. The Mayans associated it with the death of kings and wars were timed to harness its energy. Known more technically as its heliacal rising, when the planet is first visible in the eastern horizon, just before dawn. It occurs around eight days after Venus' inferior conjunction with the Sun, on June 12^th, 2012 this retrograde cycle. (The date can vary by location, due to latitude and obviously visibility.)

Contemporary astrologers interpret the Evening Star as the more introverted or “feminine” expression of Venus and the Morning Star as the more extroverted or “masculine”. Danger exists only because of the radical and rapid shift in the expression of its energy. Venus has lit the early evening for months. During the retrograde cycle, it suddenly falls backwards from the night sky within a few weeks and ends up in the day. We can experience a similar shock. The night sky represents our personal underworld, the unconscious, and the day sky, the conscious mind. When Venus returns to the day, she brings things with her to be addressed: one on one relationships, money and material goods, ethics and our mentors. Just as the Morning Star can represent rebirth or rebellion, the heliacal rising of Venus can be challenging or an opportunity to consciously work on her themes.

To continue today's Biblical theme, the name Lucifer, translated here as "day star", is used positively in 2 Peter 1:19: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts..."

For more information about Venus retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

For gemstones to harmonize its influence, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

Venus Transit of the Sun (06/05/12)

2012-06-05T10:11:00.001-07:00

[19^th century painting by Ford Madox Brown, of William Crabtree observing the Venus transit in 1639. He and Jeremiah Horrocks were the first astronomers to calculate and document the phenomenon.]

Venus Transit of the Sun (06/05/12)

The term transit means different things in astrology and astronomy. In astrology, a transit happens when the current location of a planet interacts with an element of your natal chart. In astronomy, a transit happens when a smaller celestial object passes in front of a larger one. During a Venus transit of the Sun, Venus passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, appearing to move across the Sun's face as a black dot.

Halfway through its retrograde motion, most planets make an opposition to the Sun. Like the Full Moon, they rise in the east as the Sun sets in the west. Since Mercury and Venus are closer to the Sun than Earth, they can not make an opposition. Instead, they form a conjunction. Conjunctions occur when two planets are at, or near, the same degree of the zodiac. However, they rarely make actual contact, hanging above or below one another in the sky.

Venus turns retrograde every eighteen months. Each time, at its heart, it makes a conjunction with the Sun. However, only very rarely does that conjunction mean a Venus transit. They have a regular 243 year pattern: a pair of transits eight years apart, followed by a gap of 121.5 years, a second pair of transits, also eight years apart, and then a gap of 105.5 years. The last Venus transit was in June 2004, the next will not be until December 2117.

Astrologically, planets in a conjunction are strengthened, blending their energy. A Venus and Sun conjunction is interpreted fairly neutrally today. Planets in conjunction with the Sun are classically seen as “combust”, hidden from sight by its light, and therefore debilitated. Except when the conjunction is very tight, within the width of the Sun's disk itself, a planet is then "cazimi" (from the Arabic, "in the heart [of the Sun]"), temporarily well placed. During the hours of the Venus transit, the planet is actually beneficially strengthened.

How can we bridge such radically different interpretations? The Sun represents our ego identity, conscious mind, and creative life force. Venus disappearing in its light is the heart of her retrograde lesson, asking us to personally realign ourselves with the elements she represents: one on one relationships, money and material goods, ethics and sources of guidance like mentors. Her themes will be temporarily strengthened, even potentially more challenging, but can be harnessed to radically transform the self, as she burns in the alchemical fire of the Sun.

For more information about Venus retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

For gemstones to harmonize its influence, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

[Image Source: Wikipedia Commons]

Planetary Gemstones of Venus

2012-05-17T19:04:00.004-07:00

[Polished specimen of native copper.]

PLANETARY GEMSTONES OF VENUS

THE COPPER GODDESS

Both the planet Venus and love goddesses across cultures are associated with copper. The word comes from the Latin Cyprium aes, meaning “the metal from Cyprus”; not only was the metal famously mined there in antiquity, the island was sacred to Aphrodite. The ancient Egyptians associated the planet Venus with Hathor, goddess of fertility, beauty, and the arts. Her sacred colors were blue and green, like the life giving waters of the Nile and the green rebirth created by its annual flooding. Hathor was also the patron of miners, especially the copper mines of Sinai. Minerals like malachite, turquoise, and azurite are found near copper deposits, since they are produced by weathering, the chemical interaction of groundwater and the metal below. Because of their color and associations with copper, these were sacred to Hathor, along with the dark blue mineral lapis lazuli, imported from Afghanistan. They were powdered to produce paint and cosmetics, not only used for beauty but medicinal reasons.

Not only copper, but green and blue minerals, many of them colored by copper, continue to be associated with Venus today:

Copper
Green and blue minerals, like lapiz lazuli, especially those derived from copper: malachite, turquoise, and azurite.

THE CHILDREN OF VENUS

Not only do the planets correspond to certain areas of life, each is traditionally associated with specific animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the 16th century German astrologer Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa lists the following materials under the rulership of Venus: (The notes in italics are mine.)

“Amongst metals, silver, and brass, both yellow and red (red brass has more copper, so is reddish in color); amongst stones, the beryl (referencing aquamarine historically, not the mineral family), chrysolite (peridot), emerald, sapphire, green jasper, carnelian, the stone aetites (“eagle stone”, a hollow geode that rattles, popular in antiquity for childbirth), the lazull stone (lapis luzuli), coral, and all of a fair, various, white, and green color.”

We know the reason for brass, an alloy of copper, and lapis lazuli. The others make sense once their symbolism is explored:

Materials associated with the ocean: aquamarine and coral. Other historical sources include shell and pearl. Silver is usually linked to the moon but reflects like water. While Venus was originally a Roman goddess of gardens, fields, and vineyards, Aphrodite was born from the sea in Greek mythology.
Green and blue minerals, like water and fertile plant growth, the original definition of abundance: emerald, peridot, blue sapphire, and green jasper. Of all the green stones, emerald would became the most associated with Venus in the West.
Minerals associated with attraction, sexuality, or fertility: carnelian and eagle stones. Alabaster jars were historically used to hold perfumes, so symbolizes beauty. Other historical sources include lodestone, a natural magnet, pyrite, which sparks when struck, and antimony, a metallic gray mineral, used in antiquity for cosmetics, although known to be toxic today. A component of the mineral stibnite.

ALL OF A FAIR, VARIOUS, WHITE AND GREEN COLOR

Because of its brilliant white appearance as the evening and morning star, colorless stones represent Venus in Hindu astrology, rather than green and blue. There is a long tradition of using gems in India to counter balance problems with both the natal chart and transiting planets. Large, flawless stones, usually set in specific metals are prescribed. Each planet has a primary gemstone, if one of sufficient size can not be found or is too expensive, then an alternative in a similar color is used. The primary stone of Shukra (Venus) is diamond and its substitutes are also colorless and transparent: clear quartz, white sapphire, white topaz, goshenite (the colorless variety of the mineral beryl), and zircon.

Because of Venus' brilliant appearance as the evening and morning star, diamond and other colorless translucent stones: clear quartz, white sapphire, white topaz, goshenite (the colorless variety of the mineral beryl), and zircon.

Astrological texts rely mostly on gemstones known in antiquity. Many new minerals have been discovered, others have become readily available, and familiar ones have turned out to be more than one species. For example, red spinel was identified historically as a variety of ruby. Many other minerals now have associations with Venus:

Rutilated quartz. Known poetically as fleches d'amour (French, “arrows of love”), hair of Venus, or Cupid’s net.
Over time, the color pink has increasingly become associated with love, beauty, and the feminine. Contemporary metaphysical sources also associate green and pink with the Heart Chakra, the center of love, one on one relationships, and self acceptance. Both historically familiar pink stones like rose quartz and relatively new discoveries like kunzite, rhodochrosite, and rhodonite, all first documented scientifically around the 19^th century, can be used to connect with Venus today.

WORKING WITH A STONE

Indian sources are very careful about selecting stones for astrological purposes, often leaving it entirely in the hands of the astrologer. Most Western sources are completely the opposite, leaving it to the reader. The sensible medium is to select something for yourself with intention. Try a few different options until you get the strongest energetic response. You can determine this by sensing the energy personally, using a divination tool, or asking for spiritual assistance from a guide.

Finding a stone is just the beginning. Gemstones are believed to work by channeling and building up spiritual energy, influencing the way it flows around and within us. This charge is maintained by meditation, prayer, or ceremony and keeping the stone cleansed, through techniques like smudging.

For more information about Venus retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

For an introduction to the properties of minerals, known historically as the "hidden virtues" of gemstones, see:

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

2012-05-15T16:28:00.002-07:00

VENUS RETROGRADE (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

RETROGRADE MOTION

“Watch the stars, and from them learn. To the Master's honor all must turn, each in its track, without a sound, forever tracing Newton's ground.”
~Albert Einstein~

What does retrograde mean?

The word comes from the Latin retrogradus, “to move or step backwards”. The regular movement of the planets was traditionally seen as a symbol of order in the universe, a retrograde planet goes against this. It appears to be moving normally, then slows down to a stop, moves in reverse, then slows to a stop again, to correct its direction. These changes are actually an optical illusion created by differences in the relative orbital speeds of Earth and the other planet involved.

How is retrograde motion experienced energetically?

The changes in the planet's motion reveal its energetic qualities:

1. STRONG: When retrograde, a planet is at its nearest point to the Earth and appears very bright in the sky, if visible. Things ruled by the planet become prominent, both their faults and the means to address them.

2. ILLUSIONARY: Since retrograde motion is an optical illusion, things ruled by the planet are easily misperceived now or our own misperception of them finally becomes apparent.

3. REPEATED: The planet passes through the same part of the sky three times: once before it stops, backwards when retrograde, then forward again after correcting its motion. Things ruled by the planet are repeated, delayed, or feel inevitable. Since the planet is retracing the same ground, the past can return to be addressed, while new projects move in unexpected ways, or lose steam until after the planet corrects its motion. Often things from the recent past are repeated, especially the few weeks just before the planet turns backwards, after the planet crosses the degree where it will eventually correct its motion. (For this Venus retrograde, events after April 11^th, 2012.)

4. REORIENTATION: Exactly halfway through its retrograde motion, the planet makes an aspect to the Sun. Most planets form an opposition but Mercury and Venus form a conjunction, since they are closer to the Sun than Earth. Planets in opposition to the Sun move like the Full Moon; they rise at dusk, are visible during the night, and set at dawn. The Sun represents our conscious mind and the night, the unconscious. Just as the planet will now move from night to day, we must reintegrate the elements of our own psyche that the planet represents.

How long does it last?

Venus goes retrograde about every year and a half, for six weeks. It is proportionally the shortest retrograde, when you compare the length of its reversed and direct motion. Confusingly we often feel it before and after the dates listed, since they only represent the planet's change in direction. When a planet moves in or out of retrograde, it slows to a stop, called a station. Venus stations for ~12 days, changing direction in the middle of it. These motionless periods, and the slow motion that precede and follow them, are often the strongest part of the retrograde cycle.

May 15^th, 2012: Retrograde Station at 24 degrees Gemini (Venus appears to stop, then moves backwards. ~May 9^th to May 21^st is the true length of its retrograde station.)

June 5^th, 2012 Venus Conjunct Sun/Venus Transit at 16 degrees Gemini (Venus directly crosses the face of the Sun.)

June 27^th, 2012 Direct Station at 7 degrees Gemini. (Venus appears to stop, then corrects its motion. ~June 21^st to July 3^rd is the true length of its direct station.)

THE GODDESS OF LOVE

"...Bless these rites, whether radiant in the heavens, or presiding in the temples of Syria, guiding your golden chariot over the sacred floods of Egypt, or dancing on the azure shores by billowing seas... Come, divine union, for you I call with holy, reverent mind."

~Orphic Hymn to Aphrodite~

Isn't a retrograde planet bad?

Retrograde is an astrological buzz word with lots of fear unnecessarily projected on it. When a planet turns retrograde, it gets close, bright, and makes a loop in the sky. The motion of Venus is slightly different. For months it has been the evening star, staying slightly later each night. When it turns retrograde, it quickly passes from sight, disappearing in the glare of the Sun, and reappears as the morning star. The retrograde planet is trying to get our attention, highlighting certain areas of life, just like it appears to circle parts of the sky.

What can be expected during Venus retrograde?

The planet of abundance, relationships, and ethics, Venus asks, "Who and what do you value?" The next six weeks are an opportunity to reevaluate your finances, matters of the heart, and personal integrity.

A: LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS: An adjustment of our one on one relationships, from romantic to business partners, including people we have open conflict with. An opportunity to resolve unfinished personal business, deepen a connection, or finally see things as they are, sometimes leading to the end of a relationship. People can experience pressure interpersonally, often because of misunderstanding. The realm of love makes unexpected turns as old friends and lovers reappear, suppressed feelings resurface, or we are tempted by a fling. It is traditionally an inauspicious time to get married, unless you are renewing your vows, marrying the same person again, or rescheduling a delayed ceremony.

B: THE FEMININE AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS: Personal interactions can be awkward, tense, or lack courtesy, group events like meetings or parties may not go as planned. Traditionally women and relationships with women are especially charged. Since agreements are ruled by Venus, resolutions in ongoing diplomacy, business negotiations, or legal issues can have an odd momentum. For example, something from the past finally gets resolved but the results of current discussions gets delayed. We can misread new personal contacts, from romantic to business partners, only seeing them clearly when Venus turns direct.

C: VALUES AND VALUABLES: A fruitful time to take stock of our money and material resources, careers, and things of a more intangible value like our self worth. We examine not only who and what we value but our values themselves, and the things that influence our conscious actions, like our mentors. Both spending and earning money can have odd movement; money owed from the past unexpectedly appears but future projects temporarily stall. Because our perception of value can be skewed, we should carefully consider large investments, purchasing luxury items, or beginning beautification projects like home renovations. However, for the same reason, people often score great deals, especially on art, jewelry, or other things of beauty.

D: BEAUTY AND PLEASURE: There are fluctuations in life force. Some feel a deepening of creativity, especially for delayed or incomplete projects, suddenly having creative breakthroughs, others feel no inspiration at all. There can be excess in consumption, purchasing, or sex, often as a coping mechanism for increased emotional sensitivity. The need for affection, desire, or our sexual identity may need to be addressed. There is often a strong desire to change our appearance, surroundings, or possessions. However, since Venus rules beauty, this does not always turn out as planned, needing to be redone or altered.

THE TOUCH OF VENUS

“Throughout the ages, stories with certain basic themes have recurred over and over, in widely disparate cultures; emerging like the goddess Venus from the sea of our unconscious.”

~Joan Vinge~

Where am I most likely to experience this Venus retrograde?

Because Venus is turning retrograde in Gemini, look for its themes in our thoughts, perceptions, and communications with others, our everyday environment, business transactions and short distance travel, interactions with neighbors, siblings, and extended family, and early education.

What if I must do something Venus related now?

We are often given advice like “Don’t sign that contract during Mercury retrograde!” Life is rarely that accommodating, especially since Venus retrograde lasts six weeks! If you must do something Venus related now, honor its repetitive movement by examining it thoroughly. We can misperceive value and taste during Venus retrograde, thinking we like something only to find out later we do not. Be sure you know how you really feel and its true value, both in the monetary and less tangible sense. Expect things to potentially move in an unexpected way in the future, when Venus turns direct.

Who are the most likely influenced?

Not everyone directly experiences an astrological influence, most people will just see these themes around them. Those with Venus retrograde in their natal chart experience it less intensely. Since they are ruled by Venus, both Sun sign Libra and Taurus are sensitive to its changes generally.

Since Venus is turning retrograde in Gemini, those with planets or points in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are the most likely influenced, especially at the degrees where Venus is stationing retrograde and direct: 24 degrees Gemini, 7 degrees Gemini. (And the same degrees in the other mutable signs.)

For gemstones to harmonize the influence of Venus, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

C. L. Matthews, 2012

[Image Source: C. L. Matthews, 2012]

2011-09-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

BALANCED BETWEEN SUMMER AND WINTER

September 23^rd is the autumn equinox this year, for the Northern Hemisphere. The word equinox comes from the Medieval Latin equinoxium, meaning “equality of night (and day)”. Twice a year the amount of darkness and light are approximately equal. Like the major lunar phases each month, sacred places have amplified energy on these solar dates. We invite you to walk the labyrinth here at Whatever Works Wellness Center this Friday.

The four directions come from the daily path of the sun. It rises in the east at dawn, reaches its zenith in the south around noon, sets in the west at dusk, and passes hidden beneath the north. The sun actually rises and sets at different places on the horizon daily. During our winter it moves further south, stopping on the winter solstice. During our summer it moves further north, stopping on the summer solstice. Between these two extremes, twice a year on the autumn and spring equinoxes, it rises due east and sets due west.

Just as sunrise and sunset appear similar but herald light or dark, many traditional cultures associate the equinoxes with east and west. Although equal today, night will increase until we reach winter solstice. Autumn equinox is therefore associated with the west, the direction of sunset. The corners of the labyrinth are roughly aligned to the cardinal directions, as are the stones in the center. You can pause at the areas that honor the west to connect with the day’s energy:

Western Corner: When entering, the back left corner is the west. When you are walking the labyrinth, it is the corner with the stone table and statue of Saint Francis.
Western Stone: Standing stones symbolically link heaven and earth. They were used historically to mark seasonal celestial events on the local horizon. (Unfortunately we cannot accurately do this is our wooded urban location.) When you first enter the center, the standing stone furthest from you is south and the one nearest is north. East is to your left and west is to your right.

You can pray, meditate, set intentions, or offer at these points. The autumn equinox is the yearly solar equivalent to the last quarter moon. People across religious traditions harness this day of balanced light and dark to:

Align with the cycles of nature.
Call on the Divine to balance your own inner light and darkness.
Call on the fruitfulness of autumn, pray for abundance, fertility, or success.
Make a personal harvest. Determine what you want things you want to carry with you, what things you want to shed as chaff.
Harness the day’s increased energy to bless and charge spiritual tools like crystals, flower essences, gem elixirs, etc.
Reach deeper states of meditation.

I hope you can visit this autumn equinox! This is not a scheduled group event, just an invitation to visit sometime today. Specific times are stronger energetically, like the daily turning points of the Sun (dawn, noon, dusk) and the actual solstice time (5:05 a.m. Eastern Time). The labyrinth is only open during regular store hours, 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Fridays.

C. L. Matthews, 2011

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whatever-Works-Wellness-Center-White-Willow-School-of-Tai-Chi/162305195481

For images of the labyrinth, check out its page too:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whatever-Works-Wellness-Center-Labyrinth-Former-Burnet-Woods-Labyrinth/108008915894167

Guru Purnima, Asalha Puja (07/15/11)

2011-07-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

For 2012 information on Guru Purnima, see:

Guru Purnima (07/03/12), Asalha Puja (07/03/12 or 08/02/12)

FULL MOON OF THE TEACHER

“My Lord is the Lord of the universe, my Guru is the teacher of the universe, and my Self is the Self of everything.”

~Guru Stotram~

July 15^this the Hindu holiday Guru Purnima. It takes place on the full moon in Asadha, the Indian month equivalent to July/August. The date is different each year since it is a lunar holiday. Guru of course means “teacher” in Sanskrit, purnima means “full moon”. On Guru Purnima people pay their respects to teachers, not only spiritual gurus but other sources of lineage based knowledge like instructors in music, dance, and the visual arts.

The Sun enters Cancer in the sidereal zodiac during Asadha, a month later than the Western tropical zodiac. While we associate Cancer with heat, it signifies rain for many parts of the world. After a hot dry early summer, the monsoon season begins in India in July. Like the annual flooding of the Nile, which happens around the same time, the cool renewing rains bring fertility to the land.

Travel can be difficult, especially historically. Ascetics who spend the rest of the year wandering temporarily go on rainy season retreats. This period is called Chaturmas in Sanskrit, meaning “four months” (July-October). Being in one place allows students to visit their teachers while they can, to receive teachings and blessings. In return people often give gifts, traditionally to support them materially during the retreats. (Not all gurus wander but the holiday originates from this practice.) The four month retreats are also observed in Jainism, a faith rooted in non-violence. By not traveling monks avoid accidently killing the increased number of insects, animals, and crops.

Some Hindus choose to observe Guru Purnima, others the entire Chaturmas. It technically begins on the 11^th day of the waxing cycle, right before the full moon. Chaturmas is sometimes described as “Hindu Lent”, since many lay people fast, give up a favorite food, or take religious vows. It is a period for inner purification, meditation, and reflection since the outer world is a mixture of wet chaos and growth.

TURNING OF THE WHEEL

~Ayacana Sutta~

July 15th is also the Theravada Buddhist holiday Asalha Puja. Asalha is the Pali name for this lunar month, puja means “to honor, worship”. Before he became enlightened Siddhartha Gautama was an extreme ascetic, using methods like starvation to develop spiritually. He had five yogi companions, who abandoned him as a failure when he chose more moderate practices. After he reached enlightenment the Buddha struggled to put his insights into words, fearing they would only confuse others.

He left Bodhgaya to find his former companions, believing they might understand him. He found them meditating in a deer park near Varanasi. They rejected him at first but after listening to his teachings, their leader Kondanna also reached enlightenment. He became the first member of the Sangha, the monastic order of Buddhism. When Siddhartha Gautama was born, his father assembled eight Brahmin astrologers to examine his natal chart. Kondanna was one of them. He predicted the Buddha would become enlightened and became an ascetic himself based on that hope. This first sermon is called the Turning of the Wheel and represents the birth of both Buddhism and the Sangha. The Asalha Puja holiday commemorates it.

The day after Asalha Puja begins the Theravada Buddhist observation of the rainy retreats. They are known as Vassa, from the Pali word vasso, meaning “rain”. They last for three months. The first was observed in the deer park in Varanasi, where Buddha gave his first teachings. Later kings and wealthy merchants offered the Sangha places like groves and royal parks, some of which would later develop into monasteries. Today monks observe Vassa by not leaving the grounds of their home temples unless necessary. It is a time to deepen spiritual practice through meditation, study, and the support of community. Like Hindu Chaturmas they are sometimes call “Buddhist Lent”, since lay people can observe them by fasting, give up a favorite food, or taking religious vows.

House of Daedalus

The Metaphysical Properties of June Birthstones

The Metaphysical Properties of Ammonites and Ammolite

Ammonite vs. Fossilized Nautilus

Where Do the Metaphysical Properties of Minerals Come From?

The Metaphysical Properties of Goldstone (Aventurine Glass)

The Metaphysical Properties of Girasol Quartz

Mercury Retrograde's Web of Influence (July and August 2012)

Mercury Retrograde (July 14-15, 2012 – August 7-8, 2012)

The Meaning of Retrograde Motion

Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

Venus Turns Direct (6/27/12)

[Aphrodite riding a swan, from a 5th century BCE drinking cup.]

VENUS TURNS DIRECT

Venus is stationing direct at 7 degrees Gemini, for ~12 days. Those with planets or points in the early mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are the most likely influenced.

For more information on Venus Retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 - 6/27/12)

For gemstones to harmonize the influence of Venus, see:Gemstone Cures for Venus

© 2012, C. L. Matthews[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Guru Purnima (07/03/12), Asalha Puja (07/03/12 or 08/02/12)

The Astrological Body: Part One: The Planets and the Chakras

Mineral vs. Rock vs. Gemstone vs. Crystal

Walk a Labyrinth this Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

Symbolism of Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

Glossary of Oneness/Deeksha Terms

Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana

Birth of the Morning Star: Heliacal Rising of Venus (06/12/12)

Venus Transit of the Sun (06/05/12)

Planetary Gemstones of Venus

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 – 6/27/12)

Guru Purnima, Asalha Puja (07/15/11)

For gemstones to harmonize the influence of Venus, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]