The Daily Moon Muse

Monday, June 21, 2010 (11^th waxing; Libra/Swati – “She Who is Flexible Like the Wind”)

The longer I live the more assured I am of one thing: nothing is ever lost.  What seems to disappear from our life for good eventually finds its way back.  Life is truly not linear, but circular wherein we often find ourselves in a continuous cycle of endless return.

The lilac blooms, dies and comes back again next year at the same time.  The love we kindled, loses its charm and then regenerates.  Old friends we thought we lost reappear at the exact moment they are most needed.

Patience to see this truth is the only thing we have to cultivate.  And truly I feel patience is just a willingness to be okay with what is happening right now and to trust that a larger order of life is taking care of everything that I feel I must do.

What other choice do you really have?

Tuesday, June 22, 2010 (12^th Waxing; Libra/Scorpio – Vishakha – “She Who is Intent on Achieving an Impossible Goal”)

There are times when it’s appropriate to sit and wait for something to happen that’s supposed to happen and there are times to rise up and take dynamic action.  The latter is the right way to act today.

The iron is hot so strike it.  The goalie’s attention has shifted so kick the ball in and score the point.  The sun is shining so make your hay.  Do all of the above but most importantly, do something.  And know one thing: 99% of success is simply showing up.

The fire in you to act is kindled by a force higher than you.  You just need to be awake enough to respond.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 (13^th Waxing; Scorpio/Anuradha – “She Who is Devoted to God; She Who Serves God in All Things”)

I don’t know if there is anything worse than a promise that’s been neglected, abandoned, or simply not kept.  It’s not so much the disappointment that offends me, but the incomplete karma it generates.

Personally, I like all my karma to be accounted for.  Suppose I give something, it’s reasonable to expect the equivalent in return.  If I do harm, I should receive the equivalent harm.  If I do good, I should receive the equivalent good.

I should be able to manage my karma like I pay my monthly bills.

But in truth, it never works that way.  Since karma is not isolated to the individual, one person not keeping their promise, performing bad deeds or simply not showing up when they said they would show up affects each and every one of us.  It offsets the perfect balance that is nature’s way.

I want everyone in this world to know that there is only one person who acts through billions of bodies!

Thursday, June 24, 2010 (14^th Waxing; Scorpio/Jyestha – “She Who Acts With Authority; She Who Lords Over”)

I’ve spent a lot of my life trying to appreciate the Scorpio spirit.  There’s much to be admired, of course, not the least of which is the love of the underdog these zodiacal types exude.

But it’s their contradictory nature that always throws me for a loop.  On the one hand, they love to question authority yet they have to be in charge.  They are fearful of many things, yet they possess the poison to keep any enemy at bay.  They can hold on to the smallest of slights for a long, long time, yet once they are committed to a higher calling they will never let go of the deep devotion in their hearts.

Today is really a Scorpio day when every possible form of contradiction is possible.  And I think the lesson is that you really aren’t meant to figure it all out with your intellect alone.  In fact, you’ll be a lot happier if you realize that the heart is like the Scorpio – strange, unpredictable, deep, and is in supreme control over your life.

Friday, June 25, 2010 (Full Moon; Sagittarius/Mula – “She Whose Deep Roots Cultivate the Highest Fruits”)

Ever since Jupiter moved into Pisces on May 26^th, I’ve felt a lot of joy.  And I’m noticing that joy is infectious.  Babies are being conceived.  Homes are being bought.  New cars are rolling in on the lot.  Plans that once seemed impossible are now being made with great hope for their positive outcome.

Today’s full moon ought to spread inside your being like a brilliant golden light.  Like a seed that’s been dormant under the earth since last season has suddenly sprouted roots and sprung to the surface.

But please don’t take this blessing for granted, my friends.  Take the responsibility of right desires very seriously.  Don’t waste it on something frivolous.  Yet don’t adopt an attitude of false altruism when you secretly want something good for yourself.  You actually may do more good for the world if you could for once simply be happy.

Saturday, June 26, 2010 (1^st Waning; Sagittarius/Mula – “She Who Thrives in Chaos”)

Everyone – and I mean everyone – needs to visit India at least once in life.

It’s a place that teaches you above all else that everything can exist together at the same time in harmony even in the worst of possible circumstances.

It teaches you that everyone is a brother, a sister, a father, a mother, a daughter, a son, an aunt or an uncle.

It teaches you that you can believe something totally different from another person — who belongs to your same religion even – and you don’t have to kill each other or declare war on each other because of it.

It teaches you that one bucket of water is truly a blessing from God.

It teaches you that you could give everything you have to someone else and feel like the wealthiest person on the planet.

It teaches you that a little dirt, a few bugs, and a pile of poop will not kill you.

It teaches you to not fear a stranger, to appreciate the absurd and ridiculous, to accept a gift with grace even if you don’t want it, and to value the beauty of a simple and innocent heart.

Above all, it teaches you that we are part of an immense humanity and we all pulse with the same life.

Sunday, June 27, 2010 (2^nd Waning; Sagittarius/Purva Ashadha – “She Who Made a Selfless Sacrifice in a Previous Birth and Now Enjoys the Reward”)

Ego is nothing other than the conviction that you are separate from everyone else.

You don’t need to slay the Ego.  He is actually quite a nice friend who makes your time here more interesting.

To quote the great lover of God and poet, Ramprasad: “I don’t want to become honey; I want to taste honey!”

So savor the joy of difference, the beauty that arises from contrast, the great palate of emotions you get to experience before you eventually dissolve back into unity.

Dear Friends ~ Before I publish this week’s Moon Forecast, I want to thank my loyal readers for their support of this blog and to respond to some questions and suggestions that have been brought to my attention.  First of all, the thoughts in this blog are not meant to serve as individual forecasts based on your unique astrology.  To do that would be a daunting, if not impossible task.  These are simply my reflections on the way the Moon is configured on any given day.  If they don’t apply to you as I interpret them, it’s because of the unique way that you perceive based on your planetary “friendships” that may not be the same as my planetary “friendships.”  So please take what serves you and disregard what doesn’t.

And to my reader who wanted better visuals in this blog, I thank you for your advice.  I am a writer, not a designer and I would love help in making this blog pop and zing like other more snazzy blogs sparkling up the internet.  Alas, I drive a Ford Pinto when I really want a BMW.  It’s coming.  I know it.  But for now, you’ll just have to join me in the Pinto.

Now onto this week’s muse…

Monday, April 5, 2010 (8th Waning; Sagitarrius/Purva Ashadha ~ “Discerning the Real from the Unreal”)

The other day I woke up and suddenly realized that what I thought about a situation that happened a while back actually wasn’t the way it really was. At the time, I made myself so upset – sick even – projecting a story that only I believed.

Meanwhile the other players in this so-called story believed an entirely different version of it.

So we fought, sent bitter messages back and forth, held grudges, and relinquished our friendship. Now almost seven years later I finally realized that both parties were just making up reality and couldn’t see that for no other reason than a rather impersonal force of karma was preventing something from happening that wasn’t supposed to happen. And we were just its puppets.

What a stupid waste of time to get all upset about something that has really nothing to do with you anyway? Why not wake up right now?

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 (9th Waning; Sagitarrius/Capricorn – Uttara Shadha ~ “The Universal Laws of Goodness”)

I have to tell you the truth, my friends: superheros are real. Masquerading as ordinary citizens, when the need arises they don their spandex superhuman outfits and valiantly fight off the forces of evil that wreak havoc across the universe (and in your life), asking nothing in return. These are those exceedingly handsome good guys who intervene on your behalf when you need them the most.

Who are they?

Your Ancestors: great-great-great-great grandmothers and grandfathers of yours who have nothing left to do but bless your sorry ass.

Right Timing: that miraculous moment that comes out of the blue that you could never have planned for but rescues you at the last possible minute – like when Michael J. Fox spent his last dime at a phone booth to find out that he just landed the role that made him hugely famous.

Right Place: the place you ended up when you thought you should be somewhere else except that it didn’t work out that way – and you realize that the place you ended up served you better anyway.

Forbearance: the strength that arises out of nowhere that makes it possible for you to keep going long after you decided to quit or your body gave out.

Willpower: the strange and unknown force inside of you that pushes you toward a goal that seems crazy to everyone else and even to yourself most of the time.

Obstacles: the annoying thing that stands between you and something that will ultimately hurt you but you don’t know that.

Victory: you can want it all you want, but unless it wants you it will always elude you.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 (9th/10th Waning; Capricorn/Shravana ~ “The Tree Full of Ears”)

Most of the time I’m fairly okay with the modern world, as long as I don’t have to think about it too much. But more often than not, I do find myself really annoyed by all the unnecessary noise that’s constantly bombarding us in every grocery store, dental office, coffee shop, restaurant, and even outside of my window every day.

About the only thing we can do is plug our ears with headphones and at least listen to our own noise.

What is it about silence that scares us so much?

Thursday, April 8, 2010 (10th Waning; Capricorn/Aquarius – Dhanishtha ~ “The Intelligent Dolphin”)

I read an article recently in which some scientist declared dolphins to be “non-human persons.”

I actually think he got it backward. Humans are the “non-human persons” and dolphins are the “real human persons.”

I don’t see dolphins making bombs and dropping them on other innocent dolphins. I don’t see certain elite dolphins owning everything at the cost of all the other dolphins who struggle just to live. And I don’t see dolphins forming ridiculous governments that do nothing but fight with each other over imaginary things like borders and yet destroy the very environment that sustains them all despite their so-called borders.

When ever have you seen a community of so-called humans relating to each other in joy, kindness, play, and mutual cooperation as an ordinary, everyday way of life?

Friday, April 9, 2010 (11th Waning; Aquarius/Dhanishtha ~ “The Drum of Change”)

And then there are days like today. You really can believe that maybe it will all work out, like there is such a thing as a benevolent God, and that you really might see something extraordinary happen that allows us as a race of beings to evolve out of the shit hole that we find ourselves in.

It’s as if a seed someone planted a long, long time ago with the intention for it to bloom at this very moment suddenly broke its skin.

Doesn’t it inspire you to plant a similar seed knowing that you’ll never see it blossom in your lifetime, but some very distant generation way off in the future is already grateful to you for doing it?

Saturday, April 10, 2010 (12th Waning; Aquarius/Shatabhisha ~ “The Empty Circle”)

All I can say is that I’m happy I have this weekend off. I just need to find a vacant cave and surrender my busy mind. You might be happy to do the same.

Sunday, April 11, 2010 (13th Waning; Aquarius/Pisces – Purva Bhadrapada ~ “A Single Ray of Hope”)

A wise person once observed that a match once lit changes the experience of darkness forever.

I believe this is why when someone has a near-death experience, they lose their fear of dying forever.

It only takes a small glimmer of something beyond your limited perception of yourself to cause your spirit to evolve past the cage of this human birth.

Monday, March 29, 2010 (Purnima; Leo/Virgo ~ Uttara Phalguni, “She Who is Noble and Dignified”)

I always found the tradition of the captain going down with the ship to be especially puzzling. I mean – why should his loyalty be so firmly connected with something that is a losing bet? What is he proving by sinking with the ship?

At the same time, when the odds are stacked against you and everything is going to hell around you there is great comfort in losing with dignity and nobility rather than running around screaming and panicking.

When you feel you’re being screwed over by the universe or by the petty, selfish world why not pour yourself a nice cup of tea, take a long last look, and let yourself sink down?

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 (1st Waning; Virgo/Libra ~ Chitra, “The Casting of Illusions”)

Life plays a really dirty trick on us. We’re led to believe that everything we project is somehow real and lasting. Whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant, we firmly believe that our experience actually has some kind of substance to it.

We’re like a yo-yo in the palm of some great trickster who takes great delight in pushing our emotions out and pulling them back in – until we wake up to this ridiculous game. It brings depression at first and then laughter.

Why should you get so serious about anything when it’s all just going to change into something else? Lighten up and beat the trickster at his own game.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 (2nd Waning; Libra/Svati ~ “The Light Hearted/The Strong Hearted”)

One time when I was in India with my spiritual teacher we were visiting some ancient hills in the southern state of Karnataka. There were many caves set in these hills where countless sages had spent their lives in the pursuit of deep meditation and enlightenment.

At one point, my Guru started to climb these hills with great speed leaving the group that was following him far behind. Suddenly something inside of me became very strong. I really didn’t want to be left behind. There was nothing more that I wanted at that moment than to be next to him exploring these sacred caves.

I’ve never been a fast runner, yet somehow I found myself almost flying in the air and ambling effortlessly over big boulders (in a sari, no less!). When I caught up with my teacher he pulled me into a tiny cave and we sat for a long time in profound meditation.

And I realized that with a strong heart you can fly.

Thursday, April 1, 2010 (3rd Waning; Libra/Scorpio ~ Vishakha, “The Power of Persistence”)

You should never set out to do something with the idea that you might fail.

Friday, April 2, 2010 (4th Waning; Scorpio/Anuradha ~ “The Sage Who Carries the Staff of Wisdom”)

The wise sage who carries a staff didn’t purchase the emblem of his wisdom from Walmart. He earned it.

The way you earn the staff of wisdom is to bear the grief of separation with courage and dignity – like Mother Theresa. She only had one experience of the reality of God in her entire life. Only one.

The rest of the time, she suffered not knowing if that experience was real or if she’d just made it up because she’d been conditioned by the Church to believe in the tangible presence of God’s love. The only way she could live with the pain of that uncertainty was to distract herself with service.

The same truth applies to all the lovers of the world. You can’t really know if your beloved loves you as much as you do. Your job is to bear the pain of exquisite love and when it becomes too much, know that you’ll be given a staff to help you walk through this life.

Saturday, April 3, 2010 (5th Waning; Scorpio/Jyestha ~ “The Jealous Queen and the Alteration of Fate”)

In every fairy tale when a beautiful princess is born inevitably an evil stepmother or witch arrives at the birth bearing a great grudge. She can’t help but curse the precious life because what makes someone an evil witch is the pain of non-belief in her own beauty.

And that conviction of ugliness alters the fate of beauty, which in order to be real must undergo a test. So really the bitter stepmother plays a very crucial role in making beauty strong and not superficial.

Your good qualities are meant to be tested by the injustices of this world. Try not to feel outraged when they arrive uninvited. They are here to cast your most highly valued jewel in an everlasting ring of gold – with fire!

Sunday, April 4, 2010 (6th Waning; Sagittarius/Mula ~ “Abide at the Source”)

When the storm comes, it’s not the time to attempt to swim to shore. When the waves of emotions rise, it’s not the time to make a decision.

Procrastinate your anxiety. Put off your fear. Worry about your self-doubts and insecurities tomorrow. Schedule your anger for next week.

You don’t have to do anything today about your problems.

Monday, March 22, 2010 (8th Waxing; Gemini/Taurus – Mrgashira ~ “The Deer Who Lures the Mind Away”)

All I can say is that I’m happy the Sun is burning up Mercury, so that you only feel restless and hopeless. Your mind, on the other hand, is happily dissolved in some distraction enough not to notice that you may be stuck in a bit of a rut.

The last thing we need is your mind to start going around about why you should have done something different but you didn’t and now wish you had.

Ignorance really is bliss, my friends. So bask in it!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 (9th Waxing; Gemini/Ardra ~ “The Evolutionary Storm”)

Do realize how difficult it is for an egg to hatch or a seed to sprout? Have you ever watched a butterfly emerge from a cocoon or a baby from the womb?

Nothing rare or beautiful or precious or amazing happens without a struggle.

But of course when you’re the one giving birth or hatching from an egg, you don’t need this kind of insight. (In fact, if I were foolish enough to wax philosophical at this moment in front of you, you might scream out some *x!& expletive at me.  So good thing I’m safe within this blog!)

You just need to hold on. Breathing helps. Prayer soothes the heart. And having faith with deep surrender is about all you can do right now.

In fact, all the big ones apply today – Faith. Hope. Forgiveness. Letting Go. Trust.

(And if all else fails, there’s always chocolate!)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 (10th Waxing; Gemini/Cancer – Punarvasu ~ “The Light Always Returns”)

Do you suppose when Moses led his people out of the Pharaoh’s Egypt, he had any idea that the Red Sea would miraculously open up for him at the last minute?

Do you think he expected to be stuck in the barren desert for 40 years without any clue as to how to keep the people’s spirits up and faith in his promise of a holy land? (And you know they complained. A lot.)

And finally, can you believe after everything he went through he never actually got to enter into the land of Israel and feast on all that alleged milk and honey?

I often wonder if he felt ripped off in the end.

Do you think you could also follow the loud command within your heart and accept whatever comes to you even if it isn’t what you wanted when you started out?

Thursday, March 25, 2010 (11th Waxing; Cancer/Pushya ~ “The Wheel of Progress”)

I think it’s really clever to refer to progress as a wheel instead of as a straight line. Real progress always returns you to where you started out and gives you a fresh start.  You never really go anywhere – just around and around and around.

Like the planets in their orbits around the Sun, you just keep going around the same experiences – get dealt the same hand – and play it exactly the same way.

The only part of the wheel that has any sense at all is the hub.  It never moves.  It never changes.   It’s always present.

What in you has never changed – is ever watchful – and is free? Discover that and then you’ve made real progress.

Friday, March 26, 2010 (12th Waxing; Leo/Magha ~ “The Lion’s Mighty Roar”)

I have to admit a secret desire of mine: I’ve always wanted to break into the zoo at night and liberate the big cats.

I desire this because I almost can’t bear their intense apathy.  I often wonder if they wish they were out on the hunt with the adrenaline of uncertainty pumping through their veins – Will I catch the antelope? Will I miss it by a single breath?

It’s got to be more fun than waiting for their trainer to toss the daily hunk of meat over the fence for dinner.

Aren’t you tired of your predictable life? Sure – it’s safe and all, but don’t you long for something you can’t rely on? Wouldn’t it be worth it to at least prowl out on the open tundra at midnight and search for some unsuspecting game?

So what if you don’t get it — at least you’d feel alive!

Saturday, March 27, 2010 (13th Waxing; Leo/Purva Phalguni ~ “The Cat in the Hammock”)

And then there are days like today. Go ahead. Sleep in late.

Sunday, March 28, 2010 (14th Waxing; Leo/Virgo – Uttara Phalguni ~ “Reaping the Fruits of Your Best Actions”)

The best kings are always the best servants.  It’s just not always obvious to the onlooker.  Yet while he’s being fed grapes and fanned by his harem, he’s already rescued, saved, and fortified the multitudes in his kingdom with a single policy.

He doesn’t look like he’s done anything, but meanwhile with a single command so much good has been accomplished – much more than someone with no power but with lots of a big ideas could ever hope to achieve.

Get powerful. Serve intelligently. And relax deeply.

Monday, March 15, 2010 (1st Waxing; Pisces/Purva Bhadrapada ~ “The Commitment to Growing Beyond Boundaries”)

Have you ever noticed that right before you’re about to land your big break, you most feel like giving up?

I can’t tell you how many times I decided to give up on something right before my fate aligned with the miraculous.

I distinctly remember crying on innumerable occasions in my doctoral adviser’s office sputtering that I wasn’t cut out for all the cruelty of academic rigor. He’d just nod his head as he’d feed me sheets of tissues and (pretty good) pieces of dark chocolate.

(A note to all you graduate school hopefuls: former rabbis make the best PhD advisers. And actually, for that matter, probably the best cellmates, the best bankruptcy attorneys, and the best chess players.)

I tell you — after the tantrum, the drama, and the catharsis, the rainbow always came out.  I’d get some boon.  I’d be shown a sign. I’d pass some difficult test.  And I’d take a few more steps forward.

I became such a believer in this every-now-and-then-the-universe-tosses-you-a-bone magic, that even now I profess it every chance I get.

Believe me, I’m not a pom-pom wielding Polly Anna on this one, my friends. This is genuinely a good start to a good week to a good spring to a good financial recovery. The seed is definitely spinning under ground almost ready to pop forth in all its green goodness.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 (2nd Waxing; Pisces/Uttara Bhadrapada ~ “The Blessed Lotus Feet”)

Finally a Tuesday I can feel good about. Our noble Moon has won the heart of the lovely and lusciously beautiful princess Venus, while our heroic Sun-king battles the intrusion of the rival prince Mercury – the unwelcome guest at the fest who threatens to steel away the princess and the royal bounty together.

I say – fie on you Mercury!

Now where is my May Pole? Where are all the fine young lads and maids?

Let us frolic. Let us frolic. Let us frolic.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 (3rd Waxing; Pisces/Revati ~ “A Fish Swimming in the Transcendental Ocean of Bliss”)

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds…
O no! It is an ever fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken…
(Sonnet 116 ~ Shakespeare)

Don’t give up on the reality of perfect, joyous and ever-lasting love. But know this: you’ll never find it until you realize the perfect, joyous, and ever-lasting love inside of you.

You are what you seek.  Open your eyes and see how everything is nothing other than what you project.

Thursday, March 18, 2010 (4th Waxing; Aries/Asvini ~ “The Twin Brothers Who Rescue Us With Truth and Hope”)

Okay enough with all this sickening sweetness already.  Time to ride out bareback onto the open prairie and find some damsel in distress to rescue at the last minute.  Or a hungry orphan to adopt.  Or a load to take off the back of a tired old man.

Who are you meant to serve in this lifetime? What story do you want to tell around the fire when your riding days of glory are over? If this were your last breath, what in your life just lived would bring the biggest smile to your lips?

Stop thinking about it.  Pretend the house is on fire.  And just do it.

Friday, March 19, 2010 (5th Waxing; Aries/Bharani ~ “The Boatman Who Rows You Across the River of Samsara”)

Call me weird, but I must confess that when Death arrives at my door with his crooked grin and poor timing I kinda feel like I’ve woken up from a dream to what’s really real.

Of course I don’t like the grief part.  At the same time, I feel so grateful with each Death who comes to visit for the opportunity to straighten things up for myself.  I like the resolutions I make to laugh at how foolish we are when we think we have a plan, to go ahead and love even when you know one day you’ll have to move on alone, and to not resist the tremendous urge I sometimes feel to run –  full on — into the ocean totally naked and shout “hurray!”

So what if the boatman arrives at your shore today? Are you ready to step aboard? Will you let him take you across the river of your fear, doubt, and insecurity over what you did in the past or what you’re worried about happening in the future — to the eternity of the present moment?

Saturday, March 20, 2010 (6th Waxing; Aries-Taurus/Krittika ~ “The Ascent of Kundalini, the Liberating Power”)

I must confess one thing: I genuinely love all people.

Sunday, March 21, 2010 (7th Waxing; Taurus/Rohini ~ “The Fertile Goddess”)

Have you been trying to conceive a child, a new career, a satisfying love life or even a single good idea for a long time, but nothing adheres?  All lights are green today.

Thinking about dumping the old paradigm, packing up the bags and heading out of town?  The train just arrived at the station.

Wondering if the karmic retribution due to you will ever be paid back in full?  The tax man is at your door with your refund check in hand (with compounded interest).

Tired of seeing everyone else get all the happy breaks, while you continue to pine away in your self-pity, unworthiness, and impoverishment of spirit? Good news! You’ve just placed first in swimsuit AND evening gown.

Now practice a bit more on the self-confidence act and you just might win this pageant, baby.

To the faithful readers of this blog: My sincerest apologies for the absence of the Weekly Moon Forecast last week.  No excuses, except for too many things for this one set of hands to accomplish.

Monday, March 8, 2010 (9th Waning; Sagittarius/Mula ~ “She Who Dissects the Roots”)

These days it’s a tough to be a Guru. In the old days, you never had to leave your village to impart wisdom. You just lived simply, practiced deeply, and gave freely. And everyone in the village took care of you in exchange for your blessings.

But nowadays, Gurudom is big business. In order to get the spiritual message out, resources are required to market, build, and spread. And with resources acquired, the power to maintain them becomes necessary.

It’s so complicated that simple human needs are often kept from the holy realm of the spiritual teacher. They can’t hardly shit without someone being scandalized.

In the old days, in the village, you just shit along side your Guru in the field. You heard him making love to his wife in the next room. You observed him getting annoyed with his servant. And in all his ordinariness, you realized that you in all your ordinariness are also Divine.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 (10th Waning; Sagittarius/Purva Ashadha ~ “Good Merit Experienced on Account of a Prior Noble Deed”)

This week is a killer for idealism. Even here in The People’s Republic of Boulder, I saw a sign in someone’s yard that read, “WarBama.”

I mean – come on, people.

Are we such silly ninnies that we could actually believed that our President in one year could magically wave a wand over our nation’s problems and ZA-ZAM we’re all skipping rope again?

Progress in the real sense takes a long time, often over many lifetimes. In fact, you may not see the benefit of your goodness in your own lifetime – because time is so vast. But just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that every action we take has no affect.

Plant the seeds every day – and let them sprout when they want to.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 (11th Waning; Sagitarrius/Uttara Ashadha ~ “She Who Achieves the Highest Victory Through Skillful Means”)

In the elephant world, the matriarch is chosen because of the size and strength of her tusks. To all the others in her tribe with inferior tusks, they trust that her great tooth is tougher than all the rest to get them through their obstacles.

Today sharpen your inner tusk and garner some courage. See beyond your usual instinctual reactions to the difficulties in your life and imagine a totally unique solution that is so obvious, she is standing in front of you – a great elephant queen.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 (12th Waning; Capricorn/Shravana ~ “She Who Listens to What’s Before the Words”)

In one of his ten incarnations on the earthly plane, the preserver of the universe, Lord Visnu, appeared as a dwarf. His mission was to slay the demon-king Bali who was gigantic beyond measure.

Lord Visnu realized that in his tiny demeanor the demon would be difficult to conquer, so he did what all great strategists do: he used psychology to defeat him.

Bali had one weakness that Visnu knew all too well. He was excessively generous. So Visnu approached him with a request he knew the demon wouldn’t deny – to grant him sovereignty over all the territory he could cover in only three strides.

Seeing the dwarf, Bali laughed and whole-heartedly conceded to the request.

With his first step, Visnu conquered the entire earthly realm. With his second step, he conquered the manifest universe. And with his third step, he became master of beyond the beyond.

So today, take a small step in the right direction. You’ll master way more than anyone ever believed you could (including yourself).

Friday, March 12, 2010 (13th Waning; Capricorn/Shravana ~ “The Silence Prior to the Mantra Om”)

Today it’s probably best not to say anything. When you find yourself wanting to react, stop yourself and question whether it’s really worth it.

The truth is that there really isn’t any value to words at all. In fact, they just confuse you and take you out of your heart, which can only feel.

So better to stay in your heart than to get entangled in the messy realm of words and their multiple meanings and distractions. Just let it go.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 (14th Waning; Aquarius/Dhanistha ~ “The Drum of Evolution”)

Sometimes the greatest accomplishment that you can realize is that you got through a difficult week. It’s over now and trust me, you definitely grew.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 (New Moon; Aquarius/Satabhishak ~ “The Empty Circle”)

Today the Sun moves out of Aquarius and into Pisces – thank god! He’s really been a pain this past month deflating our self-esteem, devaluing our self-worth, and like a guest who’s outstayed his welcome keeping us from a good night’s sleep.

And while I don’t like him much in Pisces, at least he’s stoking the fires behind your great ideas and dreams that you all but forgot about.

Like an annoying parent, he’s reminding you to finish your homework. So get to it!

I must confess that this week’s Moon Muse ran away from me.  I sat down to write my insights and my mind drifted elsewhere.  It roamed outside the window, across the field, and up into the sky of future possibilities.  I then fell into a pleasant and deep sleep in which I found myself in a dreamscape covered in snow.  I looked up to find myself under a cherry blossom tree that bloomed in front of my eyes.  And I felt full of hope.

When I awoke, I realized my dream was a prophecy of this week ahead.  The timing of my sleep corresponded perfectly with Venus’s movement out of combustion in Aquarius, which came to me in the symbol of the flowers blossoming in the snow.  There is one thing we can always be assured of:  Hope will resurrect again and again.

This week truly embodies this message of hope and resurrection, which is always written about in heroic epics.

Our life is a hero’s journey that we set out on in a quest for love and acceptance.  When you strip everything away, you can see that we all want to be loved perfectly — which, like Dorothy and her quest to find home, we already possess but need to realize it for ourselves.

So Monday begins with an attraction to something that we think we don’t have.  This is due to the Moon’s placement in Taurus, connected to the beautiful, reddish star, Rohini — “the fertile cow.”  In the mythology, it’s said that Rohini was so beautiful that everyone and everything chased after her.

What has captured your heart so much that you can’t bear its ache any longer?

It’s the thing that causes us the most struggle in our life, but also brings a sweet, melancholic pain.  This feeling we can expect to endure in full force on Tuesday, when the Moon journeys into Gemini and radiates the Ardra energy — the storms, the struggles, the difficulties.

Whenever we do anything that’s really important, we can expect to encounter obstacles.  And when the obstacles arise, we start to doubt ourselves and our purpose.  This arises especially on Wednesday, when the Moon moves into Gemini/Cancer and projects the energy of Punarvasu — the hero on a start of a great mission.

But if we realize that we only doubt what is good in our life (you never doubt, for example, if someone says they hate you; but if someone expresses their love, you can never believe that), then we can move forward with confidence and complete our mission.  On Thursday, toss the ring you promised to bear into the fires of Mordor and return triumphant to your happy self in the shire of your heart.

On Friday, you can brag to your friends about how many dragons you had to defeat in your life to realize that you are free right now.

And like a good blockbuster, just when you thought you were “safe” from the monsters of your negative thoughts, Saturday comes in with a frightening roar — just to test your resolve.  Did you really overcome your self-doubts this week or not?

By Sunday, you receive your happy ending.  It was all just a dream.

Monday, February 15, 2010 (Waxing 2nd Phase in Aquarius/Purva Bhadrapada ~ “The Man Who Wears a Mask”)

When the goddess Parvati fell in love with Shiva and he expressed no interest in return, did she give up?

Absolutely not!

Instead, she stood on one leg for 40,000 years in an attempt to impress the die-hard ascetic.  But was he impressed?

No way!

Then she refused to eat – not even one leaf – for 10,000 years living on prana and sunlight alone. And at that point, Shiva felt her devotion and took notice. He then took greater and greater notice with each act of dedicated devotion until she finally won her heart’s desire.

When nothing seems to be working for you, will you make the choice to collapse or endure?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 (Waxing 3rd Phase in Pisces/Purva Bhadrapada ~ “The Man Who Wears a Mask”)

The opposite of despair is empowerment. And today you feel empowered, especially when you realize that by refusing to give up you gain tremendous strength.

But how will you use your power? Will you curse your enemies or bless them?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 (Waxing 4th Phase in Pisces/Uttara Bhadrapada ~ “The Lucky Feet”)

I’ve always been fond of swimming, especially when I can dive deep in the water and skim along the bottom of an ocean or a lake.  I like to pretend I’m the Lochness Monster who can simply disappear when I sense danger or unwelcome eyes on me.

Today is a great day to dive deep when the storm rages on the surface of your mind.  Know that it’s perfectly fine to put off for tomorrow what’s troubling you today.

In other words, we always procrastinate when something really important is brewing in our life. It’s like our inner sabateur just doesn’t want us to succeed at anything.  Somewhere deep inside we think we don’t deserve the goodness that’s coming – so we put off those actions that could help us to move toward our highest fulfillment.

But today instead of putting off the steps you know will lead you to success, put off your feelings of limitation. Be lazy about worrying. It’s too much work to be afraid. Feel insecure about being insecure.

It really is too much work to be a lazy failure.

Thursday, February 18, 2010 (Waxing 5th Phase in Pisces/Revati ~ “The Wealthy, the Spiritual”)

When I was eight, I was given a task that changed my life. I was asked by our minister to light the candles at the altar for one Sunday service.  I got to wear a beautiful dress, walk down the aisle with a golden torch, and illuminate the sanctuary by lighting three gigantic candles at the front of the church.

I knew then that I’d found my life’s calling: whatever I would do from that day forward, I would light the light so others could see.  Nothing felt more natural to me or fulfilling.

You’ve already been shown your dharma at some blessed moment in your life. The light has already been lit. Now open your eyes and see.

Friday, February 19, 2010 (Waxing 6th Phase in Aries/Ashvini ~ “The Divine Healers”)

If you’ve ever jumped rope with two people swinging it on both ends, you’ll get what this day is all about.

You start off jumping in sync with the rhythm and then at some point you make a decision to change your pattern. You don’t do it right away.  You first think about it.  Then you feel the rhythm, sense the right moment to switch, and go for it!

Jumping rope in perfect timing is the same as being successful in life.  Sense the change that’s coming.  Think what move you need to make.  And then let go of your fear when the time comes and jump in!

Saturday, February 20, 2010 (Waxing 7th Phase in Aries/Bharani ~ “She Who Bears the Responsibility — Lightly!”)

If there’s one thing we women in the West wonder about Islam is why Muslim women choose to wear the veil.  To us it’s a symbol of repression.  In our culture, by contrast, everything is exposed for all to see.  That’s how we define freedom.

But what I think cultures that value the harem and the veil have figured out (that we haven’t) is that there’s perhaps even greater freedom in non-exposure.  Beauty is much more powerful when there’s something left to wonder about.

It’s like when you already know what you’re getting for Christmas, it’s no fun. But when you thought you weren’t getting anything and something appears wrapped, mysterious, and unexpected, the beauty that arises inside you is indescribable.

So if your relationship to anything or anyone has reached a point of absolute predictability, add a veiled surprise to it. Wear a mini-skirt under your burkha. Hang out behind the curtains in the harem naked. Show only your sultry eyes.

Sunday, February 21, 2010 (Waxing 8th Phase in Taurus/Krittika ~ “She Who Cuts Through the Superficial to Reach the Truth”)

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, friends. Today sucks.

If you want to feel better, visit your local humane society and walk a homeless dog. Read news reports from Haiti or Burma or South Dakota where orphans and disaster victims need our compassion. Remember the countless scores of humanity who’ve survived wars and slavery and repression. Light a candle for those still missing.

Or at the very least, know that even the most angry, ungrateful and mean person has a beating heart underneath their heavy armor.

Monday, February 8, 2010 (Waning 11th Phase; Scorpio/Jyestha ~ “The Eldest Queen; The Jealous Queen”)

The most primitive human emotions are greed and jealousy.  They arise in a flash, grip the belly, and impel us to curse our fellow beings with the belief that such curses will somehow benefit us.

Greed and jealousy are our instinctual responses to the astounding beauty reflected back to us by people, places and things in our world and our unfailing conviction that we don’t possess it ourselves.  As soon as we spot this elusive beauty, these green monsters take us captive –  hungry and burning, uninvited and adamant.

Today when you encounter someone who has a much better life than you do, who makes more money, who’s better looking, and who seems to have it all – look inside yourself.  Boldly march past the imaginary green monster in your belly with deep breaths.

You are no different from what is in front of you.  You are the beauty you seek.  Beautiful is your being.  Beauty are the steps you take.  Bright is the beauty that surrounds you and fills you with each breath you breathe.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 (Waning 12th Phase; Sagittarius; Mula ~ “The Innermost Core; the Center of the Galaxy”)

Frankly, I’m pretty sick of this Mars transit of Cancer.  The political arguments shouting in the collective mindspace have moved past boring and are starting to annoy me.  Petty squabbles with friends and associates are about as unproductive (and unimaginative) as Detroit.  And I wish the antsy feeling in my mind/body (projected onto the world’s mind/body) would end its insomniac rant and rave and get some sleep already.

Aren’t you tired yet of the cycle of passion/arousal/argument/isolation/regret?

Yes?  Then fulfill your promises instead of blaming others for not fulfilling theirs.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 (Waning 13th Phase; Sagittarius; Purva Ashadha ~ “Blessings Arise From Previous Sacrifice”)

Okay — since we’re all still wallowing in the same shit today, you may as well take a look at your regrets.  Why is it that you torture yourself over and over again for something you can’t do anything about?

Your mind is a nagging wife constantly reminding you of all the times you forgot to take out the trash.  And the trash keeps heaping up, forming mountains of stinking guilt all around you.

Get up — you couch potato of self pity! — and know this:  All your regrets would disappear immediately if someone just told you the truth about your life.  You’d wake up and see why you couldn’t help but make the choices you made, why it was so necessary that your first love broke your heart, and why losing your shirt gave you such a gorgeous tan.

But no one ever does.  So I guess I’ll have to be the one who reveals the secret:  It’s all absolutely, amazingly, and astoundingly perfect.

Thursday, February 11, 2010  (Waning 13/14th Phase; Capricorn; Uttara Ashadha ~ “The Arrival of the Victorious King”)

I often wonder about the cavalry and if anyone was really happy about their arrival.  Before they showed up with their constitution of moral law and order, the wild west was at least wild.  You could still sneak into someone’s camp at night, extract your revenge and then ride off — just you, your horse and a bleeding scalp.

But when the cavalry trumpeted in with its border patrol, encampments of barbed wire, roads and pavements, stockyards and slaughterhouses, we traded our unencumbered freedom for the nice guys of civilization, safety,  national security, and the homeland.

And in making your cub scout pledge, you’ve lost your wild self.

Where did you stash your freedom before your parents came home early or someone called the cops?  When was the last time you howled at the Moon with your heart burst wide open and didn’t worry about the stupid neighbors?  How long has it been since you rode out onto the open prairie not knowing what was coming – an ‘injun or a buffalo, an outlaw or pioneer – all wanting the same thing as you do right now: To feel the sun burning in your eyes, the wind blowing in your heart, and the blood pumping warm in your body.

February 12, 2010, Friday, Waning 14th/15th; Capricorn; Shravana ~ “She Who Listens; The Enlightened Tree Full of Ears”

Maha Shiva Ratri!

In the Vedic calendar, today is the most auspicious day of the year for tiptoeing past the sleeping tigers of your thoughts and emotions and taking a clandestine skinny dip into your transcendental Being, known tonight as Shiva.

Shiva is called Omkareshvara, or “The Lord Who Sings the Om Mantra.”  And tonight you can hear him.  He’ll be singing the three syllables of Om – A-U-M (with a dot!) — through the three stars shining in the translucent New Moon.   Most of us don’t realize that behind this endless round of creation (A), preservation (U) and destruction (M) – recurring every day in waking, dreaming, and deep sleeping – there lies a fourth state of consciousness.  But tonight we can.

It was there with you before you were born.  It’s here watching the antics of your life’s drama.  And with profound compassion, it will witness your last breaths.

Today is good for nothing else but savoring its sweet nectar.

February 13, 2010; Saturday, Amavasya (New Moon); Aquarius; Dhanishta ~ “The Dolphin Oracle”

Vedic astronomy and astrology calculate the passage of time through the zodiac by the precession of the equinox.  What that means is that every 70 years, the start of the Vernal Equinox moves backward across the zodiac by one degree.

Every major shift in the history of humanity begins when the start of the equinox moves to the next zodiacal sign.  And this shift is always accompanied by new paradigms of spiritual knowledge and technologies that reflect the energy of the constellation.

The Age of Leo revealed the riddle of the sphinx and the mystical technologies of the pyramid.  The Age of Aries sounded the message of Moses from the ram’s horn.  And the Age of Pisces brought us fishes and loaves.

What will happen in the next Age of Aquarius when the fishes spill out onto the dry land?  Who’s the new prophet who’ll herald the change?  And why is s/he taking so long to arrive?

February 14 2010; Sunday, 1st Waxing; Aquarius; Shatabhishak ~ “The One Hundred Physicians; the One Hundred Healers”

There’s an expression I often heard in India: When you take one step toward God, God takes 10,000 steps toward you.

Go ahead.   Take one small, tintsy step toward self-healing.  For one moment simply trust the amazing intelligence behind everything in your life – a design so complex and perfect you could never have come up with on your own – that’s constantly managing the grand course of life from the super nova to the ant.

You don’t have to solve every problem.  In fact, all you have to do is look for the window that opened after the door closed.

On one level of experience, you think you’re in charge of the timing of your life’s events.  Your belief is confirmed when your desires align with the ease of the present moment.  You wanted it and it happened.  You call this “being happy.”

But then other times — no matter how much you want something — it just never seems to happen.  You feel frustrated in those moments.  And even devastated in others.  You call this “being unhappy.”

When my father died suddenly and unexpectedly, everyone commented at his funeral:  “He had so many plans!  This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Life happens while we’re making other plans.  And our plans are always the expression of our deepest desire to control time.

If you notice from the moment you were conceived, you’ve been totally under the control of time.

Your cells divided according to a rhythm.  Your mother’s contractions came in rhythmical intervals.  Your first breath started a sequence of timed inhalations and exhalations.  Your heart beats – an endless instinctual drum.  You awaken, remain conscious, and go to sleep only to repeat the same pattern every day of your life.

And all this happens at the same moment that day turns to night, as the Moon moves through its phases, as the stars predictably rise and set, and as the planets never deviate from their orbit of the Sun.

Every moment in this grand succession of time has intelligence – an intelligence that creates, preserves, and destroys — which has absolutely nothing to do with how you think about it, what you want to gain from it, and how you experience it emotionally.  And you can only perceive the intelligent design inherent in time when you surrender to the present moment with an openness to learn from it.

Surrender opens the gateway to the higher intelligence in time, which is akin to knowing the mind of God. When you surrender to the present moment without preconceptions, you allow the profound wisdom that’s at the basis of time to culture your awareness, to raise you out of limitations, and to cause you to ponder the miraculous.

This usually happens by no effort on your part at all.  The decision to surrender is made for you.  You have no other choice but to let go when bankruptcy, death, terminal illness, painful breakups, car accidents, and invasions of foreign armies are upon you.

You realize you’re under the grip of something far more powerful than your little mind and its limited ability to fulfill your desires.

Yet, though painful and unwanted, these moments are amazing portals to profound realizations that transform you forever.  You’re forced to accept something beyond your rationalizations and desires.  You’re brought to your knees.  You let go.  And you see something you couldn’t ever conceive of before.  It fills you with awe and wonder.

In Chinese the word for disaster is also opportunity. In this moment, which is it?