What does the natal chart say about physical fitness?
Astrology can help you discover what types of exercise are most beneficial for you.
 The placement of Mars indicates the types of activity that would be most beneficial for you.
Mars in the Fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) you are stimulated by physical activity, constant movement and competition. Think about running, fencing, skiing, etc.
Mars in the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) you are stimulated by strenuous activity, self -discipline and meeting challenges. Think about bodybuilding, backpacking, rock climbing, etc.
Mars in the Air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) you are stimulated by mental challenges, social activities and learning new skills. Think about martial arts, dance, orienteering, etc.
Mars in the Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) you are stimulated by persistence, intensity of experience and spiritualizing your experiences. Think about swimming, yoga, tai chi, etc.
Call or e-mail Inga if you need help locating Mars in your natal chart!
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| How often should I review my astrological chart?
We all celebrate New Year's Day as the beginning of the year. We approach this day full of hopes and wishes for the new year when in reality all it is is a commemoration of turning over a new calendar page (or hanging up that new calendar you received for Christmas. That is my theory on why the millennium was such a letdown to so many people. The calendar dates are arbitrary not cosmic. We earthlings don't even all agree to use the same calendar. The human codification of time matters little to the Universe. The Earth tells time by the seasons, the ages and the tides not by our calendar.
We each have our own "New Year's Day" every year: That is your birthday or the day in which the Sun returns to its natal degree in your birthchart. This is your Solar Return. The astrological chart cast for the moment of the Solar Return will show the themes and accurately forecast the coming year. Clients who regularly get Solar return charts cast for them tell me that they feel much more prepared for the next year and that they waste less time focusing on non-issues.
The celebration of your birthday should be your personal commemoration of time. Celebrate the resetting of your biological and Astrological clock. Take the day off, review the past year, review your notes from your Solar return consultation and make your plans and resolutions for your New Year. Maybe that is why New Year's Resolutions seldom stick- because they are not based on our own time for making those plans.
Click here to learn more about astrological consultations.
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| Peg asks, "Who is this Chiron guy and weren't we better off before we started using him?"
Okay Peg, I will attempt to show why Chiron is necessary for our time.
There is a longstanding tradition in Astrology that a planet or other cosmic body is discovered when its time has come. Synchronicity plays a huge part in how and when planets are discovered, named and understood.
William Herschel discovered Uranus, the planet of upheaval and revolution, in 1781. It was the first planet discovered through the use of the telescope. Saturn had always been considered the outer boundary of the Solar system. Uranus placed its stamp on its era with the American and French revolutions, widespread emigration and the beginning of the scientific and industrial modern age.
Pluto, the planet of transformation and elimination, was postulated in 1914 and discovered by Percival Lowell in 1930. He called it Planet X until a letter was received from an 11-year-old British girl suggesting the name Pluto (the God of the underworld) which was immediately accepted by the team of astronomers. Two world wars, the stock market crash, the great depression and the era of gangsters as well as tremendous advances in medicine and industry define Pluto's era.
So... What does this have to do with Chiron?
First, some background...
The legend of Chiron, a chief of the Centaurs, is about wounding, sacrifice and healing. Originally, Chiron was a Thessalian god of healing, but in later Greek mythology he survived as one of the centaurs. Cronus became smitten with the nymph Philyra. She took the form of a horse in order to run from him. He took the form of a stallion and chased her, caught and raped her. When her baby was born, a half-colt and half-human centaur, she abandoned him. Her son Chiron, unlike the other Centaurs, was wise and became learned in the healing arts. Apollo taught him and he in turn was the tutor of Asclepius, Theseus, and Achilles. Chiron was friends with Hercules/Heracles and developed the poison with which his arrows were treated. A poisonous arrow shot at another centaur by Heracles accidentally scratched Chiron. Chiron was immortal and unable to die from the poison but he was unable to be healed either. He lived in great pain, until finally he relinquished his immortality (in favor of Prometheus) in order to be allowed to die. After his death he was commuted to the heavens as the constellation of Sagittarius.
Chiron could also be said to relate mythically to the half-animal gods of shamanism. In this way he ties together the stag-headed god of the Celts with the centaur of the Greeks. Shamanism is inherently holistic healing: it integrates the body and soul, which are driven apart by stress or fear. The words that we derive from Chiron's name are all words relating to healing: Chiropractic is healing by means of manipulation, Chirothesia is energy in the hands during sacred rites, Chirotony is a blessing without hands, Chiromancy is divination by palmistry, Chirurgery is an ancient word for surgery.
For more information see the Encyclopaedia Mythica at www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/c/chiron.html
Now we can move forward to our century...
Charles Kowall discovered Chiron at the Hale Observatory on Nov 1, 1977. He thought Chiron was a new planet orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. The new point was named Chiron after the Centaur who taught heroes such as Hercules, etc. Astrologers began using Chiron in their interpretations until in 1981 when he was reclassified as an asteroid. Not only an asteroid but a quirky asteroid that orbited in an area outside the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter. Then in 1988, Chiron was reclassified again as a large comet. Astrologers do not generally take note of comets in natal interpretation; there are millions of comets, after all. However, Chiron's "shape-shifting", complicated orbit and reclassifications seemed to fit his story. Now, over 33 years since his discovery, most (but not all) astrologers use him today.
Chiron in your chart...
Chiron is referred to as "the bridge" between Saturn, the limiting traditions of the past, and Uranus, the new openness of the future. Chiron's placement in the birth chart shows an area we need to confront and heal. This area also shows where we have the potential to teach and heal others. When Chiron's placement is stimulated by transits you'll find yourself either dealing with the issue yourself or helping someone else through it. There is controversy among astrologers about what Zodical sign is most closely related to Chiron. Sagittarius and Virgo both have their merits.
Chiron's era, in the tradition of the planets, is about all of us becoming more aware of pain and the need for healing. Since 1977 there has been a tremendous shift in people's willingness to talk about abuse, rape, addiction and abandonment. I feel that this is the influence of Chiron forcing us to bring these issues out into the open so they can be dealt with. I also credit Chiron with the increased availability and acceptance of alternative and holistic healing modalities. Like Philyra, we cannot run from our problems. Like Chiron, we must work through them and gain by our sacrifices.
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| What are the Elements?
This month, in honor of Pisces, I had planned to start with Water but I think we need an introduction first. So I'll start next month with Fire for Aries, then Earth for Taurus, Air for Gemini and we'll finally get back to Water for the Cancer issue.
The elements are part of the ancient legacy of Magic and Astrology. Elements, in theory, are the metaphoric building blocks of all matter. The four elements as they are used in Astrology are Fire, Earth, Air and Water. We speak of someone being all fired up, earthy, an airhead or wishy-washy without even being aware that we are referring to astrological symbols. This symbolic language is still able to communicate meaning across cultural boundaries.
The Chinese, Indians and Egyptians each had systems of elements that are similar while expressing their own cultures and language. The Chinese include metal as one of the elements. Some New Age teachings list a fifth element: Akasha or Ether. However Akasha is understood in the Indian and Tibetan religions to be the universal Spirit or energy from which the elements originate. It should not be considered one of the elements. The system of elements that became the occidental standard had its heyday in ancient Greece. It enjoyed resurgence in Renaissance Europe when Marsilio Ficino translated the "Corpus Hermeticum" for Pope Cosimo de Medici. Whole systems of medicine, alchemy and mechanics were built around these fundamental teachings
The doctrine of the four elements is still an important part of our cultural imagery today. In a scene from the recent film "The Tuskegee Airmen" the flight instructor asks two cadets to name an element. One of the cadets names Air and another names Fire. Interestingly, no one answered iron or argon or anything else on the periodic table of elements. The Airmen's motto becomes "We live in air, we die by fire." I see this as a significant demonstration of how deeply and unconsciously we carry this philosophy. Even though most of us haven't set out to learn it, this symbolic language resonates within us.
 What are Elementals? Each element correlates to a particular type of elemental. These are entities that embody the energy of that element. Every culture has had traditional names for these energy-beings and here is a list you will probably be familiar with; Sparks and salamanders are of Fire, gnomes and elves are of Earth, fairies and sylphs are of Air and mermaids and naiads are of Water.
Our ancestors thought of material objects as sentient. I believe that this was because they comprehended the consciousness of the elemental(s) who comprised that object. Hold a material object and try to focus on its personality. Try to visualize what it would look like if it was a physical entity. Tell it what you intend to do with it and ask for its participation. Try to become more aware of the elementals surrounding you as a way of getting more in touch with Earth's consciousness.
Click here for more information about "The Tuskegee Airmen" at www.tuskegee.com/theairmen.htm
Click here for information about the movie at www.hbo.com/hbohomevideo/Releases/airmen/cmp/feature.html
Click here to read translated documents from the "Corpus Hermeticum" at www.levity.com/alchemy/index.html
Click here for more information about Elementals at www.dunthor.com/html/iemelementals.html
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| Fire
 Fire is representative of life force. It is the driving, competitive, aggressive energy within us all. The mythic Prometheus stole fire from the Gods in order to make man God's equal. Fire, here, symbolizes the spiritual wisdom that differentiates man from God. Prometheus, in this story, symbolizes the courage needed to challenge materiality. He was punished by the other Gods by being chained to a rock where every day an eagle (sacred to Zeus, Jupiter) came to eat his liver (because he was immortal, it grew back every night) He was freed from this horror when Chiron offered to change places with him.
Fire is a Yang or Masculine element. It is represented by the color red: symbolizing flame, passion and blood. It denotes enthusiasm, dynamism, spontaneity, and a lack of introspection. Lanterns represent fire, as does incense, and the Phoenix, who rising from his ashes symbolizes resurrection of the indestructible spirit. In Scandinavia the bodies of Viking Chiefs were cremated in their ships, the rising smoke representing the return of the spirit to the Sun. The Sun gods of all cultures represent fire, celebrated as the life giving light. In Native American culture smoke symbolizes the spiritual peace which frees itself of the fire (strife) to rise to heaven.
Fire Elementals: These are the sparks, fire elves or fire fairies. Their colors are the violet, orange and red of flame. They are recognized in fires of all types, especially bonfires, the hot days of summer, heat mirages, incense and candle rituals. Sparks or fire sprites are the little dancing lights that you see in the woods sometimes. Ritual items relating to Fire elementals are charcoal or ash from a ritual fire, pitch pine, lava rock, obsidian, and moldavite.
Torun is my guide among the elementals. Last summer he took me to a meeting room used by the gnomes and elves. I asked them, "Who will tell me about fire fairies?" A little guy, who looks just like a leprechaun dressed in a red coat, jumps onto the table and as he whirls, his form changes and he is a living flame dancing on the table. When he stops he tells me people used to know his name way back when we made our own fire with tinder. Now we don't even realize that fire is a living thing that should be coaxed out of wood and treated well.
"People used to tend their embers all night and keep fires burning constantly in their homes. They used to space out in the evening by gazing into their fires not watching TV. The fairies used to be able to teach man a lot of information and answer many of man's questions in this way. This is why the hearth of a home was a sacred place."
"You have forgotten how to talk to fire. Man has learned to make heat without using fire and this isn't good because it takes us away from this friend." I ask if electricity isn't just another form of fire? And he says, "Electricity can be seen in its fire fairy form if we look. It is the blue spark and crackle of lightning. But with your light switches and light bulbs it is easy for you not to think about it."
Torun assures me that "What Christmas tree lights are supposed to emulate is the little spark fairies flying and dancing in the dark trees." Then he really warms up and says, "This how fireflies evolved. Nothing can eat fairies because they can materialize and dematerialize at will. So fireflies are really trying to camouflage themselves as fire fairies." When I look doubtful he adds, "What do you think of dragonflies?"
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Earth
 Earth is a Yin or Feminine element. It denotes reliability, stability, solidity, stoicism, sensuality, and practicality. The Earth Signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The relative emphasis of Earth in our natal charts determines our practicality, managerial ability and organizational ability.
The best way to increase the power of the Earth element in your life is to regularly practice "grounding." Grounding is an electrical term for giving electrical current a path into the earth or ground. The process does the same thing for a human, thereby merging our energy with the energy of the Earth.
This is a basic grounding visualization. Try it outdoors first to practice connecting to Earth. Then you can do it anywhere! Try it 4 times a day at first to fully feel the connection.
- Stand with your feet solidly beneath you shoulder width apart.
- Balance yourself by swaying front to back and side to side until you find your "center".
- Bend your knees a few times to limber up your legs and get your energy circulating.
- Inhale deeply and exhale fully, then repeat.
- As you continue to breathe deeply, picture yourself as a tree. Your arms and hair are branches. Your torso and legs are trunk. Picture roots extending from your feet into Earth.
- Each time you inhale, feel energy coursing up into your body through your roots and into your legs, torso and finally into your arms.
- Each time you exhale, feel your roots extending deeper into Earth seeking new energy.
- When you feel "full", thank Earth and let your roots retract until they disappear back into your feet. You are now "grounded" in your body.
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| Water
 Water is a Yin or Feminine element. It symbolizes our emotions, nurturance, security, caring, and comfort. Water is where Life originated on this planet. Regardless of the fact that we call it EARTH, when seen from space - this is obviously a water planet. Likewise, we are water creatures. Before our birth we grow and live in water. While we are alive we carry huge amounts of it in our bodies. Water is the fluid that conducts all the impulses and electrically "carries" our consciousness. None of us are isolated because the sacred fluid is in and around us all.
Water is sacred, it is cleansing as well as nurturing. Water is used ritually to symbolize that "flow" of inspiration or consciousness from deity to mankind. Rain has always symbolized divine favor and revelation. All cultures use some form of anointing, baptizing or libation to commemorate this flow. Meditate on this for a moment when you bathe, shower or drink. Your daily shower is a perfect time to cleanse your being and re-consecrate it to your goals. When drinking, you are drinking in Ch'i or elementals, allowing their consciousness and intelligence to become a part of your own.
The Water element best coincides with the inner-child part of the psyche in psychology. The water or feeling capacity must be allowed to flow without blockages. Blockages of the water element or inner-child in our lives may show up as weight-gain or depression. The way to increase the power of Water in your life is to 1) spend more time in or near water, 2) become more conscious of its elemental form when you use water and 3) allow your feelings and intuitive intelligence to move through you and to be truly felt. This includes feelings of anger and confusion as well as joy, sensuality, and playfulness. It would be hard to say which feelings are easier or more problematic for us to validate and express in this culture at this time. But, we must begin to own them all.
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| How do I program a stone?
You can program, or empower, any stone, amulet or magickal article you choose. Without your intentionally programming it for a particular goal, it is just jewelry.
Hold the article in your right hand and focus on your need. Visualize yourself attaining it and then project that image of yourself into the stone. You can take as long a time with this process as you wish, but allow your visualization to become vivid and real to you. Repeat whatever affirmations you have composed for that particular goal. This procedure is all about focusing your intent, so really plug your power into your desire. The stone will store your programmed image and help attract to you what you need to attain your goals. Wear it within your auric field, hold it and look at it often to remind you of your goal.
You can add more trappings of Ritual to the procedure if you wish. Wear a scented oil or clothing in a color appropriate to the goal, light colored candles, repeat the ritual every night for three, five or seven nights in the hour of Venus; whatever works for you. Check out our Table of Intentions and Moon Phases pages in our library for more ideas.
Periodically, or if you have had a particularly difficult day, your gemstones should be cleared of any negativity which they may have collected. Cover with salt overnight, hold under running water or in sea water for a few minutes or hold in incense smoke while visualizing the dissipation of negative energy. Don't worry...your programming will remain.
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What
do the days of the week mean?
The
answer, as it is so often, is: different things to different people and
cultures. Most Middle-Eastern countries simply number the days while
many European countries use a latin-based planetary system. The
associated planets sometimes seem more obvious in French so I have added
the French names too. English uses a Latin planetary system with
Teutonic names for some of the planets, Interestingly, Saturday, Sunday
& Monday. German uses some planets but is mostly practical like:
Wednesday is mittwock or midweek.
| English |
Planet / God |
French |
Planet / God |
Color to wear |
| Monday |
Moon |
Lundi |
Moon |
White
|
| Tuesday |
Tir |
Mardi |
Mars |
Red
|
| Wednesday |
Wodin |
Mercredi |
Mercury |
Clear
crystal, pale yellow |
| Thursday |
Thor |
Jeudi |
Jupiter/Jove |
Blue/purple |
| Friday |
Frig/Freya |
Vendredi |
Venus |
Pink/green |
| Saturday |
Saturn |
Samedi |
Saturn |
Black/grey |
| Sunday |
Sun |
Dimanche |
Sun |
Gold/orange |
(Dimanche
is a relatively new name signifying a religious aspect to the day. The
old name was Dies Solis, the Day of the Sun)
Does
anyone besides me remember the Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme?
-
Monday's
child is fair of face. (Moon corresponds to fullness and fairness)
-
Tuesday's
child is full of grace. (Mars corresponds to martial agility)
-
Wednesday's
child is full of woe. (Mercury corresponds to intellect so woe
from knowing too much, maybe? Like Cassandra or shoot the
messenger?)
-
Thursday's
child has far to go. (Jupiter's grandiosity and wanderlust always
pushing you forward)
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Friday's
child is loving and giving. (Venus is as well known for her
generosity as for her beauty)
-
Saturday's
child works hard for a living. (Saturn is a tough boss)
-
The
child born on the Sabbath Day is loving, kind, good, and gay.
(Blessed by the energy of the Sun)
The
old wisdom was taught orally so rhymes were a practical way to memorize
information. I speculate that the rhymes are innocuous enough that even
when other knowledge was banned some of these lived on as a part of our
heritage saved by the fact that no one remembered the meaning. How many
old rituals, formulas, and teaching devices are hidden in Fairy tales?
Here
is a link to a great educational website on the Fact Monster website
regarding our Days
of the Week.
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How do
I make an altar?
I am going to answer this question over a couple of
months because I want to give everyone a chance to add their input. The
word Altar refers to a high place because this is where ancient
people gathered to worship. The altar was originally the stone platform
where sacrifices were left for the god or goddess. The modern altar is
generally a place for prayer, for giving thanks and invoking divine
guidance. Creating your own altar can add a sense of sacred space to
your life and home. An altar can commemorate an event or being like a
shrine to Buddha or to Jesus or to the Goddess, or can be set up with a
single goal in mind as a spell to draw energies like protection,
love or prosperity. Many of us have a place where we sit and meditate or
pray with a meaningful picture, book, statue, and vase of flowers or
candle. Any ritual space or group of objects where you meditate or
otherwise concentrate your energy on a regular basis becomes very
powerful on its own.
I chose to represent the Elements for my altar set
up: chalice for Water, censer for Air, stone bowl for Earth, candle for
Fire. We don�t have space to keep it permanently set up so these items
all fit nicely in a case with a beautiful gold silk altar cloth from
Sangeeta and Charanjit. If we are doing specific ritual or spell work,
then we may choose the appropriate statue or stones for the intention or
sometimes we'll make offerings of flowers or leaves from the garden.
Here are
some traditional ideas for items to place on your altar:
-
A
blank book of shadows: This is book with blank pages. It is used
to keep your recipes, spells, dreams, etc.
-
Sea
salt: Used to cleanse, represent the Element of Earth, and
purify crystals.
-
Stones:
Used to represent the Earth Element or to correspond to an intention.
-
Wand:
Used for cleansing, healing, rituals, spells and to project and
receive energies.
-
Sage:
This herb is used in Native American traditions to banish unwanted
energies and spirits, to cleanse new houses, to create sacred space
and for healing rituals.
-
Silver
Chalice: Used on the altar or in ritual to hold the Element of
Water, to represent the Goddess, used to hold ritual drink and used
in casting spells.
-
Rosemary:
Herb used ritually for healing, purification and protection.
-
Dragon's
Blood Resin: Used for adding power to a spell and protection.
-
Runes
or Tarot cards: Divination tools to guide your way. They are
used in spell work as well as meditation symbols.
-
Pentacle:
Used to represent the body and spirit of Earth, protection and
Nature.
-
Incense:
Used on the altar and in ritual to represent the Element of Air.
-
Cast
Iron Cauldron: Represents the goddess, for scrying work or for
burning powdered incense.
-
Charcoal
Tablets: Used with powdered incense.
-
Candles:
Used to represent the Element Fire and can be used in colors
corresponding to the spell work.
-
Candle
Holders: Used to hold your candles.
-
Candle
Snuffer: Used to snuff your candles. Blowing out candles is said
to be an insult to the Element.
-
Bells:
Can be used for ritually invoking the Spirit or the Goddess, or to
represent the Air Element.
-
Ritual knife or athame: Used to
project energy, open and close a circle, in spell casting or to
ritually cut cord or herbs.
Also see our Library for the Table of Intentions
and What
Gemstones Should I Wear?
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Jim asked about Goal Setting:
- We each have our ways and techniques for achieving our goals. Most
of these methods involve some form of affirming, planning,
daydreaming, programming and acting. But first must come choosing
the goal itself. Sometimes the most difficult part of getting what
you want is deciding just what it is that you want. A goal should be
a real desire, simple, achievable and not complicated by other
entwining goals.
- Choose something you actually want, not just something that sounds
good. A client says: I want to be a straight A student. I ask: Why?
She says: because my mother wants me to. The real goal is
Mother�s approval. Not the grades at all.
An ambiguous goal like this can be very difficult to achieve.
What if you become so focused on good grades that you neglect the
other things that win mother�s approval? Then you achieve your
stated goal but your true goal is unsatisfied. Along the same lines
is: I want to be a millionaire. But when I ask why? He says:
So my colleagues will look up to me. I say:
If what you really want is their respect you should focus on
rapport and teamwork and forming relationships. Another person may
wish to be a millionaire because she really wants to be independent
of authority and she thinks that wealth will achieve this. So try to
get to the core of your desire to find the true goal.
- Choose something doable. In the most basic sense, this means that
if you weigh 265 don�t choose as your goal: I will weigh 120. That
may be your ultimate goal but your achievable goal would be to
reduce your weight by 10 or 20 pounds. Then you can make a new goal
to reduce another 20. In the same vein, if you never get up in the
AM to exercise, don't set: I will get up every morning and
exercise as your goal. Your achievable goal could be: I will get up
and exercise three mornings a week.
- Reward
yourself for your achievements. When you successfully reach a goal
you must reward yourself and then make a new goal. Not rewarding
yourself for a success is cruel and will only sabotage the process.
In the same way, punishing yourself for not reaching a goal can
sabotage your future success. Examine both your successes and
failures to study what works and what does not work to motivate you.
- To
be successful, your goal must be in accord with your values and
self-image. If, after trying a few different approaches, you cannot
reach success in a certain area then it may be that what you are
trying to achieve contradicts some of your basic personal
programming. A male client was seeking insight about his repeated
business failures. He had a good history of starting and nurturing
his projects but just when it looked like the hard work was about to
pay off he would start drinking, or gamble his money away. When
regressed with hypnosis he saw himself, in a 15th century
lifetime, committing to a religious order and taking a vow of
poverty. This vow was still operating like a hidden computer program
in his life. He was able to see that he had already lived out that
promise and that there were other ways to serve his view of God now.
He said afterward that he felt free to commit to the success of his
projects rather than just to the hard work.
- For further research: see The
Mind Tools website.
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Journaling
Stewart gave me the gift of a beautiful purple Oberon
journal. I spent some time thinking about what I was going to use it for
since I keep my date book and book of shadows on my laptop. I thought
about interesting quotes, a list of books I've read, an inventory of
my nativity guys. anything but something as trivial as a journal of my
ruminations!
So I pulled a card and got JUSTICE. I interpret this to
mean that journaling isn't trivial at all because it is an aid to
introspection and evaluation. A few words written and examined can resolve a situation
which otherwise might require a great deal of laborious mental work. It
serves also as a reminder to look beyond the easy answer.
I always tell clients to write out their hypnotherapy
sessions when they get home. Just the process of writing can jog the
memory and help you to get more detail from the session. Journaling can
bring on its own meditative state and is a good adjunct to hypnotherapy.
Another thing that I have found that journaling does: it
saves a lot of talking to yourself. So often we talk out an idea that
would be more appropriately written out. Ye Gods, there is that word
again! So spare your partner, spare your friends and start a
journal.
Most importantly: Thank you Stewart!
-- Inga Duncan Thornell >^..^<
Oberon Design's official website: http://www.oberondesign.com/index.htm
The best deals I have found on Oberon Products are at: http://www.mystic-caravan.com/oberon.htm
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What makes something sacred?
Inga quotes from Itzhak
Bentov: �Imagine a rock
in the desert. This inanimate (yet not �dead� as we perceive it)
object has a very low level of consciousness. Its threshold of
consciousness is stimulated by contact with various small animals in the
area who regard the rocks as a safe haven against predators and the
elements. When a human being who is sensitive to vibrations travels
through this stretch of desert, he may sense something �different�
about this particular stone. If he is of a faith which accepts the idea
of animism and spirits, his awe of the stone may turn into homage, and
then worship of it, thereby boosting the rock�s embryonic
consciousness even further and eventually the spirit of the stone is
turned into a God.�
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| What do you mean by
meditation? I use the term �Meditation� for any pure
consciousness, or out of body experience. Prayer, guided meditation,
meditation in motion and astral travel all qualify as meditation to me.
You can practice a mantra. Ponder the attributes of the divine: Truth,
Love, etc. Talk to a god or archetype. Relax your senses and allow your
inner voice to speak to you. Experience your oneness with the Universe.
Above all, take some time several times a week to stop receiving input
from the TV, radio, your own inner narration and experience non-ordinary
reality by listening to the voice inside you.
Don�t worry if your inner voice doesn�t have much
to say at first � It isn�t like you�ve given it much of a chance
to get a word in edgewise over the years. There is no trick to
meditation, its keys are practice and discipline. You can train yourself
to listen. But only if you schedule yourself the time to do it.
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What is Hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy, or hypnosis is an effective tool to solve problems such as mental and emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias and confidence issues, and eliminate destructive habits. Hypnosis is one of the oldest therapies mentioned in ancient texts and is also one of the newest to be accepted by medical science. Paracelsus (1493 - 1541) developed a theory of magnetic power to explain cures wrought by suggestion (hypnosis) and Mesmer (1734 - 1815) further asserted the presence of an invisible fluid that pervades and envelopes all human beings. He named it animal magnetism and popularized hypnosis through many spectacular cures. Later proponents of hypnosis were Abbe
Faria, James Braid, Joseph Bruer and Sigmund Freud. Hypnosis has been widely studied as an adjunct to medicine in surgery and dentistry as well as it obvious psychotherapeutic role.
Is Hypnosis safe?
The general consensus is a resounding YES. Hypnosis (at least the way I do it, I can't speak for all practitioners here) requires the client to go along with the suggestions. If the client chooses not to relax, or go to the meadow, or look at the picture on the wall, there is no way for me to compel them. I take my role as guide seriously and try to point out what I think might be of benefit but a client will often decide to defer opening a door, or speaking to a particular astral entity they meet along the way. Ultimately, it is your trip and you decide what you are there for.
I'll continue to address this subject over the next couple of issues with real-life examples. I'll also answer any questions on this subject that you send me. -- Inga Duncan Thornell
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What is incense and how is it used?
Incense can be as simple as a sheaf of herbs thrown
on a fire to an elaborate mixture of gums, oils, wood, and herbs that
burns on its own. The probable origin of incense is that herbs and
spices were burned to disguise the odor of burning sacrificial animals.
It seems logical that our common use of burning incense or smudging for
purification evolved from banishing bad smells and then evolved into
banishing negative energy and then finally into attracting positive
energy. Another theory from the prayer wheel and church music school of
spirituality portrays the smoke as an offering, carrying prayers to the
Gods.
Powdered incense is easy to make and your recipes
can be adapted to the needs of the moment. Use a coffee grinder or
mortar/pestle dedicated to incense because some of the resins will
remain in it and likely are not good for you. Grinding your ingredients
by machine is more efficient whilst grinding them by hand is certainly
more magickal.
A powdered incense recipe that I would recommend
for this season of Cancer:
Grind each ingredient separately and combine them
in an airtight container while visualizing the attributes of Cancer you
would like to experience more of in your life. This would be burned a
pinch at a time on a charcoal block in a fireproof censer.
I prefer to buy Swiftlite
charcoal tabs from Monastery Icons. They sell two different sizes of
tablets and they sell a lot so it is fresh. The tabs that I have bought
over the years from new age shops aren�t as fresh and don�t ignite
nearly as well.
The above recipe actually smells good. Many people who
have made herbal incense recipes are surprised when they don�t always
smell good. Ritual magicians concoct their recipes by tables of
intention and correspondences (see Library) and so don�t care what
they smell like only what power they can attract. Some resins can smell
nasty when they start to char which leads into one of the benefits of a
powdered rather than cone incense. You can scrape the nasty bubbling
resins off your charcoal and put some fresh powdered incense on. You
can�t refresh a burning cone.
To make cone incense you would add the above recipe
to a base of sawdust or charcoal, mix in a binder or glue and add
saltpeter to help it burn. Here is the recipe I use:
Dissolve 1-tablespoon gum tragacanth in a cup of
hot water let it sit so it will get goopy
Mix (wear a mask)
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6 parts powdered charcoal or ground Sandalwood, Cedar or Pine
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2 parts powdered Benzoin (or Frankincense, Myrrh, etc.)
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l part ground Orris root
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3 to 5 parts empowered incense mixture
Weigh the combined powdered ingredients and add ten
percent potassium nitrate.
Mix, add 6 drops essential oil (use the oil form of
one of the incense ingredients) & the gum tragacanth glue, combine
again, mold into little cones shaped like witch�s hats and let them
dry. It takes about a week and then they'll usually burn. No recipe I've
ever tried for cone incense has a better than 80% burn rate. -- Inga
>^..^<
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What does the natal chart say about
physical fitness?