Thursday, May 16, 2002
Reflections On The Current Planetary Alignment And The Possibility Of The Beginning Of A New World Calendar

During these past three months I�ve had the opportunity to give numerous presentations and to facilitate many events relating to the five-planet alignment in the evening sky, now culminating as I am writing this. Our most recent Shamanic Astrology event, at Faywood Hot Springs from May 2-5, really solidified the many insights that have been developing since the events surrounding 9/11. My growing intuition is that the May 2002 planetary alignment may well be a celestial event auspicious and significant enough to warrant the inception of a NEW WORLD CALENDAR.

Since the early 1990�s when myself and a very few other researchers noted the so-called �Galactic Alignment� (see the chapter on the Turning of the Ages in The Shamanic Astrology Handbook), many other voices have emerged heralding the �ending� of world calendars. There is the now well known end of the Mayan calendar around the December solstice of 2012. Last year Moira Timms popularized a timeline from the Great Pyramid with a last date of Sept17, 2001(see her book Beyond Prophecies and Predictions). Since the time when myself and astrologer Raymond Mardycks were like voices calling in the wilderness, now there is much greater awareness of the galactic alignments and their implications for world calendrics.

A galactic alignment occurs only 4 times every 25,820 years, which is the length of one precessional cycle, the cycle caused by the combined effects of the earths tilt and wobble. In Shamanic Astrology we assert that this precessional cycle is the longest natural cycle that can be perceived by the senses from one lifetime to the next. In fact, one criterion for determining whether we are in a Dark Age is if humanity loses its awareness of the precessional cycle. Many if not most of the known world calendars were sourced 5000-6000 years ago at a time when the equinoxes were in alignment with the intersection of the galactic plane and the plane of the solar system. Even today, one of the few things that astronomers and astrologers agree on is to start their coordinate systems at the Spring Equinox (that is to say, at 0Aries. At the time that these calendars began (As the Age of Gemini shifted to the Age Taurus) the spring equinox was not only at a galactic alignment but also inside the Sacred Hoop, a very special area of the sky which we will have much more to say about soon.

13,000 years ago (half way back in the precessional cycle) the winter solstice was located in this same region of the sky. In the Egyptian mythos, as developed by West, Bauval, and Hancock, this was understood as the �first times�. The great sphinx can be seen as a calendric device, a lion like being facing due east, which would have observed the constellation of the Lion rising in the East at Spring Equinox. Today, the sky is a mirror image of then. Now the Water Bearer (the constellation of Aquarius) rises at Spring Equinox. And most importantly, now the Summer Solstice is located exactly at a galactic intersection, the intersection where the galactic plane meets the zodiacal constellations, in between the Bull and the Twins (the constellations of Taurus and Gemini), inside the Sacred Hoop. Meanwhile the Winter Solstice is located at the other galactic intersection with the zodiac, in between the Scorpion and the Archer (the constellations of Scorpius and Sagittarius). Again to re-iterate; these alignments are only possible 4 times within a 25,820 year precessional cycle, about every 6000-6500 years. And they are happening now. When and how long is �now�?

Since the precession moves 1degree every 72 years, then a good general answer could be that a calendric shift occurs within a span of 72 years (close to an average human lifespan).The exact center point of the 72 years can be calculated exactly. The astronomer Jean Meuss (in Astronomical Morsels) calculated the date when the winter solstice colura precisely intersected with where the exact center of the plane of the galaxy crosses the exact center of the plane of the solar system and came up with May 1998. The Mayan calendrics indicate the zone from 1987-2012 as the final phase of their calendar. From this, my sense is that right now is right near the middle of the end and the beginning. But how does the May 2002 planetary alignment fit in? So far we are just setting the stage.

THE SACRED HOOP There exists a configuration of stars visible in the winter and spring evening sky that current age astronomers sometimes call the �winter hexagon�. Starting at what is currently at positioned at the top of the Hoop moving clockwise, the stars comprising the Hoop are: Pollux, Castor, Capella, the Pleiades, the Hyades, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon. The Ecliptic (plane of the solar system) and the Milky Way (plane of the galaxy) cross through and intersect near the middle of this configuration, actually forming a cross within a circle. The place of the intersection is between the feet of the Twins and the horns of the Bull. At this current time the exact placement of the summer solstice (0 degree Cancer) falls on this intersection. Also to be noted is that the location of the galactic anti-center (looking out into deep space from our vantage point as an outlier solar system in the Milky Way galaxy) lies very close to this grand intersection just slightly off the ecliptic.

The Lakota Sioux and some other Plains Indians called this region THE SACRED HOOP. It was considered to be extremely auspicious when the Moon and Planets moved through the Hoop. It is worth noting that the current five visible planet alignment is taking place inside the Sacred Hoop. From May 13-16,2002 the Moon is joining the planets in the Hoop.

Numerous myths and oral histories from Native American to Egyptian to Northern-European to Babylonian have referred to this intersection of the Milky way with the Zodiac as the place where souls enter into incarnation. This was sometimes known as the �gate of Cancer�. (Note that the opposite point of the sky, between the Scorpion and the Archer in the direction of the galactic center, known as the �gate of Capricorn� was seen as an exit point, where souls leave upon death.) The soul was seen to be flowing down the Milky Way and then entering between the Bull and Twins in these tellings.

Inside the Hoop we also have the constellation most popularly known in the western world as Orion. The Mayans perceived the sword of Orion as a sacred fire of creation inside a fire pit. Amazingly, modern astronomers have discovered that this region of space is actually churning out new stars! As a last example, an Alaskan shamanic tradition perceived the great equilateral triangle in the Hoop formed by Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse, as a �heavens gate�, another version of an entry point or entrance into incarnation.

The point of all this is to demonstrate how this region of the sky relates to beginnings and origins. Remember that the equinox based calendars all began whilst the Spring Equinox was located inside the Sacred Hoop. And the Egyptian �first time� mythos was connected to these configurations inside the Hoop, when the Winter Solstice was located there. And now, 13,000 years later, the Summer Solstice is precisely there.

FIVE VISABLE PLANETS INSIDE THE HOOP At this time in the Precessional cycle, the degrees of the sign-based zodiac that crosses through the Hoop, extends from about 29 degrees of Taurus at the Pleiades to about 23degrees of Cancer at the fixed star Pollux. Jupiter and Mars will both exit the Hoop around July 4th, 2002. Mercury remains in the Hoop until July 18th. Venus leaves the Hoop around June 10th. Saturn will be in the Hoop until May 2005, crossing over the grand intersection (where the Summer Solstice is aligned with the intersection point inside the Hoop) in June of 2003.

Shamanic Astrology recognizes the visible configurations of the naked eye planets to be near the top of the list of celestial significators. Only eclipses and great comets can be of a greater import. We know the Chinese calendar is an example of one ancient calendar sourced via a great conjunction of the visible planets. This occurred when the all the visible planets gathered in the morning sky between the Fish and the Ram.

The beginning of the 2002 planetary alignment occurred when Mercury entered the Hoop on April 29,2002. This indicates the timing for the inauguration of a NEW WORLD CALENDAR maybe taking place now between April 29-June 10, 2002.

The following data gives some possibilities for exactly when this might be occurring:

MAY 12-May 15 Beginning with the New Moon, passing into the hoop and then over the next few nights aligning with Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Mars, and then Jupiter on the evening of the 15th. The Moon-Venus conjunction on May 14 is a third Chakra initiation when Inanna or Venus representing the sacred feminine principle passes through the third gate out of the underworld and recovers a healthy relationship with her personal power.

May 26 Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse; also the day of the culmination of the Saturn-Pluto opposition.

June 5th Saturn is conjunct the North node at17Gemini52

June 10th NEW MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE is at 19gemini54. This is followed on June 12th by the Moon-Venus 4th Chakra heart initiation as Venus is exiting the Hoop.

At the time of this writing (May 11) my personal leaning for the exact date of the New Calendar is towards May 13th (the very closest planetary grouping with the Moon present) or June 10th highlighted by the Solar Eclipse conjunct with Saturn.

Sunday, August 19, 2001

REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW MARS CYCLE AND THE AMAZING SUMMER SOLSTICE ALIGNMENTS

In the Shamanic Astrology paradigm, the synodic cycles of the visable planets are amongst the most powerful tools available. Its the understanding and experience of these cycles that are the very essence of "AS ABOVE-SO BELOW". On June 13th,2001, the day of the Mars opposition, Mars began a new 26 month journey of archetypal integration; a hero or warriors quest within the context of the emerging archetype of the universal animus (male principal for men and women) represented by the sign of Mars at opposition. Mars was at 23Sagittarius at opposition. The intent of our inquirey is into the nture of the Sagittarius quest. It is noteworthy that within the last 100 years, only twice before was Mars in Sagittarius at opposition:June 10th,1922 at 19Sag and May 31,1969 at 10Sag. That information may inspire imaginative research. An important element of shamanic astrological work involves ceremony, which usually means simply creating sacred space to honor, observe, and be present for the celestial alignments. This seeds the imaginative faculties and allows for cocreation with Great Mystery, herein described the framework of the 'As above-So below'.

An important element of Shamanic Astrology work involves ceremony, which usually means simply creating sacred space to honor, observe, and be present for the celestial alignments. This seeds the imaginative faculties and allows for cocreation with Great Mystery, herein represented by the framework of "as above, so below". And sometimes, from the ceremonial presence, will spring forth inspiration for theatrical creativity and the acting out of a new mythos. It happened that way around this past Summer Solstice. I was cofacillitating a Venus Rising Shamanic Breathwork healing retreat near Calistoga, California. The whole group was using the Shamanic Astrology paradigm as a context for healing and transformation.

Using a variety of techniques: breathwork, guided meditation, and night sky work, some amazing insights emerged which sourced the creation of healing theatrical ceremony. During a guided meditational journey, it came through that Mars in Sagittarius was King Arthur holding the Sword of Truth (Excalibur). Additionally, that Mercury was Merlin. Mercury had just begun a new synodic cycle June 16th in the sign of Gemini. Later, in sharing this with Starwolf, the other prime facilitator and the creator of the Shamanic Breathwork process, it became clear that the Solar Eclipse, with the Moon covering the Sun in the sign of Cancer in alignment with the galactic anti-center at 0Cancer was the Lady Of The Lake. Over the course of three days from the night of Solstice until the first appearance of the visible new Moon, we performed ceremony around the theme of the quest for a new Camelot. As part of the ceremony, each member of the group, representing their job in their tribe from their lineage, brought forth to the Lady of the Lake, the wounds and poisons that had destroyed the previous Camelot. For me, I released the attachment to the Law as being higher than the Truth of Love, certainly one of Arthur's issues. Each in turn released their burden to the Lady, who then, through the new Arthur holding the Sword of Truth, passed the poisons on to Lord Chiron, who then released them into galactic center (both Chiron and Mars were located very close to galactic center) to be transformed into a healing elixir for the benefit of the new Camelot.

The planetary alignments at Summer Solstice were truly awesome! On ome side of the Earth stretching towards galactic anti-center (between the Bull and the Twins) and towards deep space outside our Milky Way Galaxy were the MOON-SUN-MERCURY-JUPITER. And looking the other direction towards Galactic Center (between the Archer and the Scorpion) were MARS-CHIRON, with Pluto also almost in line. I would love to hear of other persons experiences around the time of the Summer Solstice alignments. Remember that it is quite rare to have the Eclipse Season exactly straddle the Solstice Season; that is a Solar Eclipse happening almost exactly at the Summer Solstice which is 0Cancer. Extremely fitting symbolism fot the TURNING OF THE AGES.

To recapitulate: The next 26 months (beginning June 13th,2001) will accent Mars in the sign/archetype of Sagittarius. We mythically portrayed him as King Arthur, holding the Sword of Truth, with the support of the Lady of the Lake, on a quest to create a new Camelot. This is very different, indeed, from the animus essence of theprevious 26 month Mars cycle which had Scorpio as its overtone. That journey was of the feeling function masculine essence emphasizing passion, depth of feeling, sexuality, an altogether more kinesthetic approach. (As well as the wellknown shadow expressions of this version of the God!). In short, it was a quest for authentic passion and eros, in the body and emotions. This current Mars quest is of the intuitive Fire function. Not about feelings, but a quest for THE TRUTH. And 'The Truth Shall Set You Free!'. The highest expression of this is the LOVE OF TRUTH, and at that level are expressions of the same thing. However, the Shadow of Sagittarius is not to be ignored. That would be fundamentalism, the Jihad...forcing others to believe in what you believe in( as if to assuage your own fear that what you believe in might not be right). Or the deeper fear that prevents many to actually have the freedom to see for themselve what their truth actually is. It will be extremely interesting to see how these next 26 months play out.

Meanwhile, the Summer Solstice Solar Eclipse at the galactic anti-center symbolized the Lady of the Lake, she who holds the mysteries of Avalon-26,000 years of Avalon teachings now linked to a new transmission of teachings incoming through the Bull-Twins anti-center gate, relinked with Arthur who is now again holding the new Excalibur, the Sword of Truth. And what of Merlin? He was reborn during this synodic cycle (sign of Gemini) also very close to the 0Cancer area. And this particular synodic archetypal integration cycle for Mercury, one of 22 different expressions, is very likely the master cycle of all 22. So, once again, we have Merlin, Arthur, and the Lady working together. A final note. Coincidentally??? Synchronistically???As Above-So Below!!THe MISTS OF AVALON finally came out as a film on TV. Did you see it? I thought it was amazing. Really true to the book, miraculously so. (I didn't know it was on as we do not have TV) Only after our ceremonials at the Solstice did I become aware that it was to be on. My mother video-taped it for me. The final confirmation of our insights.

Watch Mars in the sky now. During this summer, its the brightest in 13 years. Only the opposition in 2003 will be brighter. Watch him as he dances near Antares to his right, notice the snakes of Ophiuchus above him, and notice as he draws ever so closer to galactic center. Being brighter than Antares, it seems it feels as if he can enlist the aid of the Scorpion, also to enlist the aid of the healing snakes of Aesclepius as allies for building the New Round Table and Camelot. No longer will the snakes and scorpions be viewed as bad or evil, but rather as life force and healthy eros, as well as magical agents to assist in shamanic death and rebirth (themes associated with being 'twice-born' or even "thrice-born". Mars, now the warrior of Sagittarius, could use our prayers. He has been in his 'war-camp' , preparing for the quest for Camelot with his sword of Truth since June 13th. This camp, with the allies, and with the help and council of Merlin and the Lady, ends around August 23, 2001 when Mars

again reaches 23Sagittarius, the degree at opposition on June 13th. For the next year, Mars will be in the "labors of Mars' part of the synodic cycle. His adventures will be easily seen and tracked on the evening night sky. We welcome comments and feedback on this unfolding mythic planetary drama.

July 30 first entry
Monday, July 30, 2001

Amazingly, at long last, I begin Daniel's diary! Its been difficult getting started, partly due to a long road schedule, with little time at home. And given my neo-Luddite disposition, I haven't been inclined to get into the habit of carrying a lap-top when I travel nor am I even inclined to look at emails when I'm on the road. These current habits are unlikely to change anytime soon! So these notes and reflections on Shamanic Astrology will not come on a regular schedule.

Monday, July 30, 2001

REFLECTIONS ON BEING 52

Shamanic Astrology occupies a niche within the larger context of the astrological world. Whilst rejecting many of the dogma's of western traditional astrology, it frequently will incorporate useful elements of many astrological and shamanic traditions, Eastern, Western, Mayan or aboriginal. The Mayans, for example, in their sacred calendrics, reset to 0 at 52 years as that is where the sacred and secular calendars intersect. Their ideas seem to be a convergence of starting over and of entering into the 'Council of Elders'. I have indeed found that almost without exception, that my clients and friends having this kind of experience. And definitely that goes for me. What corresponds in the framework of western astrology and in the planetary cycles generally used in Shamanic Astrolgy? I believe it to be the timeframe from the Chiron return (a 9-10 month cycle surrounding the 50th birthday) up until the conclusion of the Saturn square that occurs between age 51 and 52. Chiron had not been an astrological symbol until its discovery in 1977, yet what he symbolizes is pre-technological, archaic and shamanic. His mysteries emanate from a nearly lost lost libretto pre-dating the more patriarchal sky stories that have been projected over most of the night sky. There is a region of the below the southern ecliptic including Centaurus, the shaman Centaur, the original constellation of Chiron. Also in this region are Lupus the she-wolf, Ara the alter, the magical and sexual thyrsus held by Centaurus, and Corvus, originally the oracular Ravens of Coronis, the mother of Aesclepius, who later became the great constellation Ophiuchus. Giuseppe Sesti writes eloquently of this lost libretto in his masterwork, The Glorious Constellations. This area of the sky was far more elevated in the Southern sky in antiquity, and then due to precession was pretty much lost to view in Northern latitudes. And thus, the Chironic mysteries were somewhat lost to the masses, until an invisible to the naked eye comet/asteroid like body was found in 1977 and named Chiron, establishing a brand new class of celestial objects now called 'Centaurs'. My sense is that Chiron the asteroid draws attention to these constellations and their mythological implications. So what does the Chiron return symbolize for contemporary humanity? The Chiron return process around age 50 radically exposes the interface, the 'fracture', between the psyche and the soul, between the personality and the essence of who we really are. It catalyzes a process that restarts the 'spiritual path' on an essential level by exposing the 'sacred wound', which is the core of our humanity. You might remember that Chiron, after suffering greatly from his wound was allowed to die. Being an immortal, he would have had to suffer eternally.

In the Chironic process, an elixir can be produced from the poison of the sacred wound. One result of this is to really be able to help and heal others as the 'wounded healer'. But perhaps more importantly, the key here is that COMPASSION FOR OURSELVES is obtained. We all have a wound, a fracture point. We are all both mortal and immortal. The Chiron return shows us where it is and leads us to compassion. For some of us, myself included, extreme measures were required to reveal the fracture. Frequently encountered fracture points are around family of origin issues and ,as it was for me, around self-love. But there is an even more powerful Chironic motiff, no doubt due to the close connection between the Chiron return process and the Saturn square. The Chiron return exposes the "myth of perfection" and I do mean myth in the connotation of untrue!

A spiritual path is found to not be about self-improvement or getting better or achieving 'perfection'. These approaches just give more opportunities for self-judgement and guilt, and then cynical disappointment. How many there are (I had been one) , particularly in the New Age movement, and other metaphysical and spiritual groups who will feel guilty when they get sick or have financial difficulties. This reeks of recycled and upleveled Calvinism. Remember Calvinism? How can you tell if you are the elect of God? Well, just check your bank account! That was Calvinism. The Chironic approach is more like radical Buddhism in flavor. In the Buddhist view, if you get Cancer, then its seen as a tremendous opportunity to do your spiritual practice at that level. Compassion towards self and non-judgemental. The way I remember all this is to remember that there is no reward for perfection and nothing to atone for. Or the more 'humorous' reminder that 'perfection itself is not good enough!' Get the joke? A foundational element of the current Shamanic astrological paradigm is that now is the Turning of the ages, at which point the evolutionary process accelerates. While traditionally, the second Saturn return at 59 was the most important turning point, from one phase of life to the next, now it may well be the Saturn square at 51-52. In India, the shift at 59 was from 'householder' to 'seeker'. It seems that a similar shift is now happening at 51-52 augmented by the Chiron return. And its still speeding up. The younger generations may find the Saturn opposition at 45 to symbolize the same kind of shift.

For those of us at or around 52, what else can we say of this Saturn square? Its definitely a time to CHANGE THE GAME. A time of reconfiguration. And of completing the phase of life where structure matters. Imagine the 52 cards in the playing card deck. By 52, you have gone through all the cards and you're back to ZERO. And then...the Wild Card or JOKER year! Pretty scary stuff, particularly if you have a Capricorn moon like me. It could be that at 52, everything we have thought that life was about, particularly the accomplishments and achievements, the structured knowledge, the answers, are all an illusion. We were trained that at this point we would have it all together and would 'know'. But guess what, its now that we begin to dis-assemble the structure. Or as the psychologists would put it, tear down the superego. At its here at 52, as an adult, reinvestigate the MYSTERY with the curiosity and beginners mind of a child. My training didn't prepare me for this! But then how could it. In summary I offer a poem that has given me some comfort: There is no answer There never was an answer There never will be an answer THATS THE ANSWER! (originally by Gertrude Stein and modified by Paul Kantner) Next time reflections on the New mars cycle and the amazing Summer Solstice initiatory window.