Archive for Timeless Articles

A Shamanic Look at the Turning of the Ages – Revised

Posted by Awen Labow on

January 2, 2022

A Shamanic Look at the Turning of the Ages

by Daniel Giamario, article edited by Cayelin K Castell, and revised by Giamario in January 2022.

Author’s note: The original form of this article appeared in the second edition of the The Shamanic Astrology Handbook, edited by Cayelin K Castell*. The essence of this information, developed in the late 1980s, has been a regular part of my classes and workshops for years. For me, the original spark igniting this investigation came from a wonderful essay written by Robert Hand in Essays On Astrology (and elsewhere) concerning the movement of the solstice and equinox points into new constellations. Hand’s essay was inspired by C. G. Jung’s treatment of the same subject in his book, The Aion.

Over the years, my experiential and ceremonial work with the night sky, as well as teaching the night sky to others, crystallized the workability of these ideas. In those days, over thirty years ago, very few in the astrological community were interested in this subject. The only other person I knew of, who was aware of the solstice galactic alignments, was constellational astrologer Raymond Mardyks, whose fine work can be accessed as an example of other directions this same data can lead to.

In the late 1980’s, I began corresponding with European master astronomer Jean Meuss, via a recommendation from astronomer-publisher Guy Ottewell, concerning the precisely calculated dates of entry, into different constellations, of the solstices and equinox coordinates. I sent a communication to Meuss in 1991 asking him to calculate the exact date of the winter (December) solstice alignment with the intersection of the galactic plane and the plane of the solar system. He responded with May, 1998. I have been sharing this date in my talks and workshops ever since. Jean Meuss references the May, 1998 date in his book Mathematical Astronomy Morsels.

Now, in 2022, the greater part of the Astrological community still largely ignores the perspectives offered here. There are significant exceptions, however, such as Gemini Brett and Linea Van Horn. Also, with few exceptions these observations are ignored by most astronomers. I have found that ceremonially oriented persons, often with indigenous backgrounds, can more easily understand it. As the Turning of the Ages continues to accelerate, many more people, from many different backgrounds, will surely become aware of this larger calendric frame of reference. I suspect this awareness and understanding has occurred at other times in history, then was forgotten for a time, and remembered again.

In any case, these insights are not necessarily original or new. What is offered here is not dogma, but rather is intended to inspire speculation and imagination. This body of knowledge is, however, a organically growing foundational element of our school and the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™. The clues are all in the sky. All we need do is look and be open.

The topic of the Turning of the Ages will now be gaining greater emphasis in our school. I felt it appropriate to go back here to an updated version of the article that started it all.

My latest research was recently presented at the Turning of the Ages seminar presented December 29th, 2021, which you can see here:2021 December Solstice Presentation. A similar presentation takes place January 14th for the Tucson Astrologers Guild—LINK HERE.

Also included here is a new glossary of terms used in this article and forthcoming articles.

Where Solstice and Equinox points are currently, graphic by Cayelin Castell

The Turning of the Ages going beyond the Age of Aquarius
At the end of the millennium, whilst entering the year 2000, there was, and continues to be, much speculation about the so-called “end times.” Catastrophes, apocalypses, various end points of cultural calendars, as well as world renewal and oncoming Golden Ages are common themes. In an astrological context this is often referred to as the beginning of the “Aquarian Age”.

Since the late 1890’s, literally scores of scenarios have been developed claiming conclusive dating for the beginning of this Aquarian Age.(*2) The question of when the Aquarian Age actually begins is a highly interesting field of inquiry, and worthy of several entire books. Included as part of this topic is the general misunderstanding that the “Age of Aquarius”, generally referring to the sign of Aquarius and its usual meaning, actually should refer to the constellation of the Water-Bearer, with a really different image and meaning. We have many videos and articles, over the years, on this subject. However, I prefer to now investigate a larger context, raising questions and issues that should render the timing of the “Aquarian Age” moot. I believe experiential shamanic methodology demonstrates that humanity is within the time-frame of the end and beginning of an entire 26,000 year cycle (and 1997-1998 was the center point).

The Tilt and the Wobble
The longest cycle in the natural world that can be apprehended by the human senses, in a single lifetime, is the 26,000 year cycle marked by the precession of the equinoxes and solstices.(*3) This phenomenon is caused by the interaction of the twenty-three-and-a-half degree tilt of the Earth’s axis (creating the seasons) and the wobble of the Earth’s axis (causing entirely different stars to mark “North” over the 26,000 year cycle, among other things). The interaction of the tilt and wobble of the Earth’s axis causes the solstice and equinox points to move backwards or precess one degree every seventy-two years through the zodiac.

Astrological Ages
There is a huge amount of literature concerning the so-called astrological ages, their connection synchronistically to history, and their remarkable relationship to esoteric and occult mystery schools. Personally, I consider that the western scientific view (also held by some astrologers) contending that the precession of the equinoxes and solstices was unknown before Hipparchus is pretentious and oblivious to the obvious. It is on par with the belief that no culture, prior to the age of western science, had any awareness of the eighteen to nineteen year Lunar Standstill Cycles.

Within the last ten years, scores of ancient sites, throughout the world, are now known to have as their basis in the extremes of the Moon’s orbit.(*4) This defied the previously held notion that these people couldn’t possibly have known about the 19 year cycle of the Moon. The next Lunar Standstill season has already begun, and peaks in 2024-2025.

Even if no one knew about the precession of the equinoxes and solstices prior to 300 BC, it still serves as a valid basis for the investigation at hand, a shamanic investigation of The Turning of the Ages.

The Platonic Year or 26,000 Great Year
The Neo-Platonists compared an entire 26,000 year cycle to one year, and referred to it as a “Platonic Year” or the “Great Year”. This analogy is extremely useful. Just as one year has twelve months and four seasons, a Platonic Year also has twelve months and four seasons. However, one month in a Platonic Year is 2160 years long and each season is 6480 years long. These figures are arrived at using simple math, but where do we start the Platonic Year or the 26,000 year cycle? What establishes the boundaries for beginning and ending the Platonic Year?

This is identical to the problem of where to begin a circle. In this case the circle can be represented with the plane of the solar system, or the ecliptic, marked by the constellations of the zodiac as a background. The best way to begin a circle is to cut through the circle from the outside. For example, Aries, 0 Aries, is the first sign of the zodiac (or circle), because conventionally it is the first thirty degrees following the March equinox. Therefore it is the March equinox that cuts the circle of the zodiac to begin a standard solar year.

However, where do we begin marking the beginning and ending of the entire 26,000 year cycle? Is there something else we can use to begin the circle relative to an entire Platonic year? If so, this issue of where to begin and end the greater cycle could be resolved. This also means that the smaller issue of where to begin and end one of the Platonic months (i.e. Aquarius) becomes considerably less significant.

A Shamanic Approach to the Night Sky
A mytho-shamanistic approach to astrology involves the direct observation of the night sky, connecting with natural phenomena using the human senses. It is not based on an abstract, complicated computer-generated solution to a problem. In the night sky, there is one very clear and even dramatic phenomenon that cuts the circle of the zodiac – the plane of the Milky Way!

Graphic created by Cayelin Castell

The plane of our galaxy cuts the zodiac/ecliptic belt at about a sixty-six degree angle in the region of the zodiacal constellations of the Archer and Scorpion (aka Sagittarius and Scorpius). The Milky Way intersects the zodiac near the center of the galaxy in an extremely rich and thick field of stars. Looking out towards deep space in the opposite direction, another intersection takes place in the vacinity of the constellations of the Twins and the Bull (aka Gemini and Taurus) where the Milky Way is barely noticeable. The phenomenon of precession does not change these intersection points. The Milky Way’s fixed star relationship to the zodiacal constellations creates a visible framework far grander, and much longer lasting than even the 26,000 year precessional cycle.

Where Does the Circle (Cycle) Begin?

Graphic by Cayelin Castell

We have now established what intersects the circle, thus establishing a wider context, however, a timer is still required to determine the end and the beginning of the 26,000 year cycle. The majority of the world’s cultures have chosen the solstice or equinox points within a solar year to determine the beginning of a new year.

The only exceptions to this are locations on the planet, that are closer to the equator, where the seasons are similar, and not much difference is noticed between solstice time and equinox time.

These cultures, such as the Hawaiian and Egyptian, chose the rising of a star or constellation (i.e. the Pleiades or the star Sirius), and then calibrate the event with a new Moon to mark a new solar year. Most cultures, however, have chosen either the March equinox, December solstice, September equinox, or occasionally the June solstice as the new year’s starting point. For example, our modern western secular calendar, beginning January 1, originally began near the December solstice. Meanwhile, both astrologers and astronomers today begin their coordinate and calendric systems with the March *(Vernal) equinox.

The solstice and equinox points can also be used as the timer for the wider 26,000 year framework. These points can be used to determine the astrological age, or Platonic Month, the Platonic Season, as well as the Platonic Year, as they precess at approximately one degree every seventy-two years.

It’s the arrival of the solstice and equinox points at the intersection of the plane of Milky Way and zodiac that clearly determine the Platonic Seasons, which occur about every 6480 years. But what Platonic Season determines the end and beginning point of the entire Platonic Year? How do we determine the more important intersection points? Of the four seasonal points, is it the solstices or equinoxes points that may have precedence?

Galactic Center
The intersection between the Sagittarius/Scorpius constellations is visually impressive, and is also the area of the “Galactic Center.”(*5) If the Sun is central to the solar system, galactic center is like the central Sun that all the stars of the galaxy circuit around about every 250,000 years. When the equinox or solstice points are aligned with this intersection, the Sun rises at galactic center on certain dates – occurring about every 6480 years marking a change of Platonic Seasons. It’s happening now, and using one degree equals 72 years, we suggest the zone of 1962-2034 as a great Turning of the Ages.

Why 1998 was so Significant

The Solar Gates Equinoxes and Solstices

According to the calculations of Astronomer Jean Meuss,(*6) famous for calculating stellar occultations and so many other things, the December Solstice coordinate exactly reached the intersection of the plane of the Milky Way with the zodiacal plane in May of 1998. This is the only time in the 26,000 year precessional cycle that the December Solstice (Winter Solstice in North America) is exactly aligned with this cross.

The Sumerian/Babylonian civilizations chose a spring equinox calendar and modern astrologers and astronomers still use it. There are two possible reasons for this choice. For one thing, around 4000 BC, the equinoxes were in alignment with the Milky Way/Zodiac intersection where the Solstices are now located. This was one whole Platonic season ago – about 6500 years ago. This cosmic frame of reference had an equinox priority then.

Secondly, during the third millennium BC, the March equinox formed precise alignments with the royal star Aldebaran and then with the Pleiades. The rising Sun at the March equinox was conjunct the Pleiades during the very same years that the Sun rose at the June solstice with the royal star Regulus. Recent research has suggested that the famous Mayan Long Count was backdated to begin with the heliacal rise of the Pleiades at the March equinox. It is easy to imagine this was quite impressive and worthy of creating a new calendar! So, at that time, the Sun rising near Galactic Center was also at the September equinox, and that was overshadowed by the dramatic celestial events occurring in the constellations of the Twins and the Bull (a.k.a. Gemini and Taurus).

Many cultures have considered the December solstice to be the time of greatest density, the deepest descent of spirit into matter, the longest night, and then the return, or rebirth, of the Sun. It is the esoteric turning of the year. The December solstice, not coincidentally, was chosen by the current world culture (through its secular calendar) to be the most important of the four calendar turning points, to mark the turning of a solar year.

We can imagine then that the December solstice has higher calendric priority (in this case, more than the equinoxes) for marking the end and beginning of an entire Platonic (Great) year, because of the primacy the shamanic and traditional cultures give to the December Solstice. However, this can and should create a great stimulating debate on this issue.

Is it the Turning of the Great Year or a Seasonal Shift?
At the very least, we know humanity is at a seasonal shift. If now isn’t the end and beginning of the Platonic year, then at the very least, it is the “mirror image” of what happened 12,500-13,000 years ago, when the December solstice was at the galactic edge. This marked the time when the vernal (March) equinox was entering the constellation of the Lion (represented by the Sphinx of Giza), facing due east as silent witness to those historical events). Today, the great sphinx is witness to the March equinox Sun rising with the constellation of the Water-bearer, (not the sign of Aquarius).

In my travels to Peru, Bolivia, and Scotland, I have had impressive direct experiences of numerous ancient monuments built to capture the precise rising and/or setting of the December Solstice Sun. It is as if these monuments were built with this time in mind. For only now, (and the mirror image time 12,500-13,000 years ago) can the rising and setting Sun be experienced at the solstice, Milky Way, and zodiacal intersection, that is one of the two crosses.

I propose that all shamanically and experientially oriented individuals prepare for participating in conscious ceremony and festivals, especially during the December solstices from 1962 to 2034(*7) celebrating the end and beginning of a galactic great “year”. The rising or setting Sun at the December solstice is a marvelous opportunity to receive a transmission of galactic intelligence directly from galactic center, for dreaming and co-creating the next great age. This cross is known by many as the Golden Gate. The arrow of the Archer, the stinger of the Scorpion, and the thyrsus/spear of the centaur constellation all point to this gate. It’s an exit point, a place of composting, of dissolution and of ascension. At the same time, at the June Solstice is the other cross, known often as the Silver Gate, seen as an entrance point, as souls enter at the Galactic Edge.

Glossary of Terms:

AEON (or Eon): Possibly the most appropriate term for this inquiry as it was used by Jung in his late writings (the book “Aion”) and this “god” having major astrological implications. It refers to the zeitgeist of an astrological “age”. Dane Rudhyar refers to “Eonic” consciousness in this context. The etymology comes from notions of age, a vital force, or a long period of time. Check out “Age” further down. Aeon or Eon has often been used synonymously to refer to any particular span of time. Significantly, it is always less than the age of the manifest Universe itself.

EPOCH: Has a fixed suggested starting point in time, with some world changing event. Its etymology suggests a point marking the start of a new period of time. This is like BCE, AD, or BC, with reference often to a suggested birth of Christ.

ERA: This refers to what follows the beginning of an Epoch, such as the “Christian era”. Refer back to Epoch.

AGE: This is like Era, but more general, not necessarily needing a fixed starting point. It is often seen with expressions like “Victorian Age” or “Tudor Age”. Of course, this is quite connected to the commonly used expressions in astrology like the “Age of Aquarius”. As I have written and shared about so often, there are scores and scores of suggested starting dates (epoch) for this age. Our school and this presentation can hopefully resolve this issue.

GREAT YEAR: A Great Year is one entire precessional cycle, or 12 ages as one year….sometimes it’s called “The 26,000 year year. Each astrological age is one of 12 months in a year.

Other Important Words Often Used:

SAGA: This is a long story, usually from oral tradition. Our school uses this with reference to the long interactions of Venus, Mercury, and Mars, and various “stories” that can be applied to their dance.

SAECULUM: An ancient Etruscan concept, later incorporated by the Romans, and others. Originally it was meant to refer to the oldest living elder at any given time, usually seen as about 90 years. Later on it was used to sometimes mean 100 years or a century, or almost any somewhat long period of time. It was also used to refer to the fact that four entire generations would turn over within one saeculum. This understanding is expounded in the essential book: “The Fourth Turning”. It also has greatly contributed to our school’s understanding and teachings regarding the shamanic timeline cycles, and four seasons of life.

MAYAN LONG COUNT: 5,125 years. Said to begin in 3114 BCE, but that is controversial. The long count was said to end Dec.21st, 2012, and that also is controversial. Recent research suggests that the Mayans backdated this start date (an epoch) to the year that the Pleiades conjoined the Vernal Equinox. Five of these Long Counts nearly equal the current accepted length of a precessional cycle. See the Last entries.

KALPA: This is a concept from the Indian sub-continent that usually describes the very largest views of creation and dissolution. As with the Yuga understandings following, it can refer to really long time frames, or somewhat shorter time-frames. There are many competing opinions. Some current teachers believe that we are now at the end and beginning of an entire Kalpa.

YUGA: This is a concept from the Indian sub-continent, and can be applied to really long periods of time, or as recent research and scholarship has established, can be synchronized with the precessional cycle. Like the Kalpa, there are many competing opinions. This is discussed in these presentations.

FOUR SUNS or FIVE SUNS: Within the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan world views, they perceive either five or four Suns. This refers to four or five different periods of creation and destruction, and then a complete rebirth. I favor the five sun approach, as it so elegantly corresponds with the recent Yuga scholarship, as well as the precessional cycle. This is discussed in these presentations.

THE PRECESSIONAL CYCLE: Currently calculated as 25, 920 years (or sometimes 25,772 or 25,800), this is the great cycle produced by the wobble of the Earth, in space; that creates the phenomenon of different North stars, over time, as well as the creation of new “ages”. This is also the most important astronomical factor that illustrates how every constellation will align with every astrological “sign”, over the course of 26, 000 years. There is an emerging view that this precessional cycle is not constant, and can vary over time. Sri Yukteswar, in the late 1800’s, based on the research at that time, believed the cycle to be 24,000 years. Hipparchus, the alleged “discoverer” of precession once thought it oscillated back and forth in a much shorter time, and then later, 30,000 years was suggested.

GALACTIC ALIGNMENT: Proposed by Raymond Mardyks in the 1980’s and popularized by the books of John Major Jenkins, this refers to the truly significant alignment of the solstices and equinoxes with the intersection of the plane of the galaxy and the plane of the solar system. This can occur 4 times in a 26, 000 year precessional cycle. The very first presaging of this was in the book “Hamlet’s Mill”, from 1969.

THE TURNING OF THE AGES: Originated from Daniel Giamario in the 1980’s, this is another term somewhat similar to the Galactic Alignment. Our school suggests a time period from 1962-2034, as the current Turning of the Ages, when the December Solstice Sun is located at the intersection of the Galactic plane and the plane of the Solar System. Giamario consulted Jean Meuss in the 1990’s to have him calculate the exact date of the intersection, which was determined to be May, 1998.

COSMIC YEAR: 225-250 million years; the amount of time for our solar system to go around the Galactic Center

Notes

*1. The Shamanic Astrology Handbook by Daniel Giamario with Cayelin K Castell

*2. Some of the more interesting proposals are:

1962 AD The great conjunction of planets in Aquarius
2012 AD The movement of the star Regulus into the sign of Virgo (from Dane Rudhyar)
2376 AD Vernal Equinox enters the constellation of Aquarius as defined by the sidereal zodiac of Fagan and Bradley

If we use the tropical zodiac to create twelve equal ages, then each age is about 2160 years long. If we date the beginning of the Piscean age at approximately 100 BC, then the current time is very near the entry into the next constellation of Aquarius. If we use the constellational boundaries of Ptolemy, the vernal equinox will not reach Aquarius until after 2600 AD.

*3. Various numbers of years have been given for this cycle. The number of years is probably not entirely stable and may oscillate a bit over time. Dane Rudhyar uses 25,868 years because that is used in Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine. Charles Jayne uses 25,694 years. Most popular literature currently uses 25,920 years. My personal favorite exact figure is 25,800 years used by many astronomers such as Guy Ottewell. To simplify, I use the rounded figure of 26,000 years for the cycle.

*4. Chimey Rock, Colorado, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, Callanish, Scotland and many others

*5. The precise location of Galactic Center, currently at about 27 degrees Sagittarius, lies below the ecliptic and thus below and to the right of the intersection of the Milky Way and zodiacal constellations. But it’s pretty close.

*6. From a personal correspondence

*7. These could be the exact ceremonial timings, but note that the greater festival is at least a 72 year window lasting from 1962 to 2034.

Suggested Bibliography for Research on The Turning Of The Ages:

Hamlet’s Mill by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha Von Deschend, Boston: Gambit 1969
The Myth of Replacement : Stars, Gods, And Order In The Universe by Thomas Worthen, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1991
Astrological Essays or Essays on Astrology by Robert Hand
The essay which is a commentary on Jung’s book The Aion, concerning the movement of the vernal equinox through the stars of Pisces.
Astrological Timing by Dane Rudyar
The Origin of the Zodiac by Cyril Fagen
The Astronomical Companion and The Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell, Astronomical Workshop, Furman University, Greenville, S.C. 29613
The History of the Zodiac (pamphlet), Astro Communication Services
The Glorious Constellations, History and Mythology, Giuseppe Maria Sesti, Harry N Abrams, Inc. New York, 1987

The Shamanic Astrology Handbook Info and Order

Daniel's Articles Timeless Articles

The Shamanic Astrology Paradigm™ is not predictive!

Posted by Kimmberly on

September 3, 2021

· 1 Comment

By Daniel Giamario

“It’s Tough to Make Predictions, Especially about the Future” – Yogi Berra, baseball playing philosopher

“Prediction is Very Difficult, Especially about the Future” – Niels Bohr, Danish Physicist

The assumption is often made that astrology is a predictive science. Many still cling to that notion. But it had seemed in the late 1960’s, and early 1970’s, that the era of predictive astrology was over. In these times now, within the time-frame of a great Turning of the Ages, prediction is a dubious and often perilous enterprise.

It often seems that simply making a prediction, and placing attention on something, be-it positive, or negative, could even be seen as a strategy to insure that it does not happen! This may well be related to a principle of quantum mechanics, where the consciousness of the observer connects mysteriously to the outcome. The Shamanic Astrology Mystery School™ has never been about prediction. Let me explain.

I first became aware of astrology through the books of Dane Rudhyar (1969 through 1973), and was part of a movement that, at that time, was known as Humanistic Astrology. Later, Rudhyar changed the name of his approach to “Transpersonal Astrology”. I had the great fortune of having Dane and his wife Leyla Rael as early mentors. It was the era of an astrological renaissance, with many, many young people taking a keen interest in astrology. This was actually a part of the overall cultural revolution that gripped the world in the late 1960s.

Interestingly, the excitement and interest that astrology held for us had little connection with a predictive or deterministic kind of astrology. Rudhyar, and the others who inspired us in those days (including Zipporah Dobyns, Stephen Arroyo, Tony Joseph, Richard Idemon, and many others) favored an approach blending mythology, psychology, and spirituality. Before I even began using the expression “Shamanic Astrology” (starting in the early 1990s), I had always steered clear of predictive astrology.

Highly influenced by Rudhyar, I have always felt that astrology is about “intent” (see note below) with the capacity of the astrologer and the client to tune into, as best they can, the intent and purpose of a natal chart or any astrological timing. The chart, or any particular timing, is a set of potentials, likened also to a set of instructions, that can either be carried out, or not.

As Jung so beautifully stated: “Free will is doing gladly, and freely, that which one must do.” It’s the responsibility of the astrologer to illumine the highest set of possibilities and the full potential of the client. This will then assist in discerning the purpose and meaning of their lives, the higher purpose of a person, not the egoic desires of the client (or the needs of the astrologer to be right).

By focusing on intent, it stands the predictive approach on its head. Instead of looking for a fixed future outcome, by tuning into intent it’s easier to align with lines of probability that most likely will produce the intended outcome. I suggest that we look at the extraordinary global configurations and my recent explorations of the US chart from that perspective.

Two other experiences have galvanized my non-predictive approach. The first was my involvement with the Ridhwan School, also known as the Diamond Heart Approach. The One Reality that we are all part of is in motion and it evolves according to certain natural laws.

An expression of this is known as “The Holy Plan.” People who love astrology generally love getting close with this holy plan, and then end up believing that they have it all figured out. But the “problem” is that the astrologer is part of the evolving One Reality, and can never be separate and objective to it. Therefore it’s not really possible to know for certain what the holy plan is intending. That’s why it’s also known as Great Mystery!

In concert with these insights, I have also been quite impressed by the work of English astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius, the author of The Moment of Astrology. One point he makes is that there is no such thing as “objective time.” Without the existence of objective time, prediction as normally understood is simply not possible. Astrology is actually just an infinite number of divinations. And as many of us are experiencing, there are seemingly an infinite number of possible timelines, even if not really infinite, then certainly a rapidly expanding number of lines of probability.

These two sets of insights remove prediction, as it has been known, entirely off the table. There is no way of knowing completely, ahead of time, what is going to happen. Each birth chart, or each specific astrological timing, when seen as a divination, in and of itself, can be seen to have an intention, with its own meaning and purpose, which the astrologer can then form a relationship with, in concert with the client. From this, an awareness can develop concerning the intent, meaning, and purpose of the chart, or any specific timing or cycle.

Shamanic Astrology is completely in harmony with this view. As astrologers, and as lovers of astrology, of course, we love our closeness to the holy plan. We would not be in this field if we did not feel the intimacy derived from this closeness. However, the greater this closeness and this intimacy, the greater a humbleness and humility will grow, because it’s not possible to really know what Great Mystery has in mind. We can only get close. And that is a thrill indeed.

Much has changed since that halcyon late 1960s and early 1970s. Much to my shock and disappointment, a good deal of mainstream astrology has regressed in my view. So much astrology has gone back into Medieval, Hellenistic, and often deterministic Vedic systems, not to speak of “Sun Sign Astrology”. Dane Rudhyar would be rolling over in his grave!

Many of the gains from the astrological renaissance of the 1960s and 1970s have been seemingly lost, stranded on the shores of determinism and prediction. I suspect it’s time for another Renaissance. Certainly there are other astrologers who are part of this Re-Renaissance. To name a few, there are: Mark Jones, Gemini Brett, Dale O’Brien and Eric Francis. The Shamanic Astrology Mystery School will always stand firmly on its Rudhyarian, humanistic, divinatory and non-predictive foundation.

Note: Regarding the word “intent”. It stems from Old French and Late Latin: Intentus; meaning a “stretching out” and a “leaning toward”. It is actional, and includes concepts like goal, an end, aim and purpose.

Lion’s Gate Portal Demystified

Posted by Kimmberly on

August 7, 2021

· 4 Comments

by Levi Banner, M.A.

You might have noticed more and more people posting things about the 8/8 Lion’s Gate Portal coming up each year on August 8th. This article is an attempt to make sense or possibly talk some sense into those with this popular intention.

Though I love to align my chakras towards ascension and manifest my destiny as much as the next spiritual person, I thought that perhaps the information out there isn’t so accurate. Most of it is quite vague and not written by credible astrologers. I want to share what I have found surrounding the subject.

Is there a portal opening on the 8th day of August that has to do with your solar plexus chakra, lion or Leo energy, the Sirius star group, the great pyramids, sphinx and the Sun? Well… let’s discuss.

To start, there is no such thing as a Lion’s Gate Portal from ancient Egypt or any ancient culture. Simply put, it seems to be a new age terminology utilizing pieces of ancient ideas and renaming and putting new meaning on them. I’m not necessarily saying this is a bad thing. Though, when so many people are subscribing to an idea I tend to ask questions. Also being an avid Shamanic Astrologer who bases much of my astrological approach on not only mythological and cosmological events, though also practical and tangible alignments that I can connect to personally, I wanted to know what was actually aligning, when and why.

So, what is in alignment? What is all the fuss about?

The star Sirius is said to play a large part in this portal opening. There is some depth to this statement. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky other than the Sun and does in fact begin to rise around this time of year in the early morning sky. The ancient Egyptians did honor this rise with ceremonial reverence and even based one of their calendars on this very star. The pyramids are said to have possibly been built in part to align with Sirius as well as the constellations such as Orion.

They would celebrate or honor the heliacal rise of Sirius, or Sopdet to them, and they noticed it was right before the annual flooding of the sacred Nile river. However, the ancient Egyptian event of Sirius rising would have happened in early July and not August. Due to a wobble of the earth and what is called precession, it has shifted into August. So the August event practiced nowadays couldn’t have been on 8/8.

Back then they believed that Sirius gave heat to the Sun and added to the summer weather. One of the many meanings of the word Sirius means scorcher or one with heat. Back then Sirius rising also coincided with the “Dog Days of Summer” as the star Sirius is in the neck or nose of the Canis Major or Dog constellation. Though, the Dog Days started in a different month than now.

Orion is the other star group mentioned a lot in the new age Lion’s Gate lore. Known to the Egyptians as Osiris or Sah, this constellation was indeed revered and rises before Sirius in the year. It is said that the 3 stars of Orions belt, sometimes referred to as the 3 magi or the 3 wise men from those great mythic stories are aligned to the 3 great Giza Pyramids. Even though that seems to be plausible, and very incredible, however debatable, it was not at this time of year the Pyramids would have been built to align with that star group.

I have also read in recent Lion’s Gate activation invites that the Galactic Center is aligned with the Lion’s Gate Portal. However, if they are referring to the Sun at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, well the Sun is aligned to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy during the December Solstice. Not anywhere near August. Galactic Center is below the horizon at sunrise and above at sunset in August, though not precisely straight up on that day.

Sirius is not conjunct the Sun in early August either. Sirius was conjunct the Sun on July 5th this year. This bright star is just barely far enough from the Sun to become visible again during Leo season. Yes, this is sometime around August 8th, sure… Though in 2021, it’s more like August 11th, depending on your sky visibility.

Let’s say you were watching the Sun rise at the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. This would be the time in each year that Sirius would start to become visible just before the sunrise. This is true, though it rarely happens exactly on the 8th day of the 8th month in the calendar we use.

So there was no “Lion’s Gate Portal” in ancient Egypt on 8/8 or any date.

Think about it. Did the ancient Egyptians use the Gregorian calendar at all? No, they did not. They used several different calendars. One Sothic, aligned with Sirius, one lunar aligned with the Moon cycles, and one solar comprised of three seasons with 9 day weeks.

The beginning of the Sothic calendar would start with the first sighting of Sirius. Though definitely not August 8th in the Gregorian calendar by any means.

Numerology is an amazing tool, though it can be misused.

The very calendar we are set to in society is not aligned in any way to nature. Not that it’s bad or wrong, as it is quite a challenge to create a system everyone can follow. However speaking with nature, it’s quite hard to confirm dates each year as the pattern of the planets and stars are slightly more fluid and change from year to year. Hence the leap year making up for the lost time of a 365 day solar year.

So is it actually the 8th day in the 8th month anyways?

Well not originally. The word August is named after Augustus Caesar who wanted 31 days in his month like his brother Julius in which July was named for. They took days from poor February. This along with Pope Gregory changing the beginning of the year to January 1st made all the months off schedule to their very names. Oct means eight… October is the 10th month… Oops.

So when you see the clock on your phone say 11:11 again and again, there could be some magic involved. As if spirit is speaking to you or giving you a message. Though on the other hand, if we literally name what time is and what months are called and what a month even is, and it’s misaligned with the natural rhythms of the earth and sky, the very makings of spirit, then don’t we then lose some of the magic and meaning?

There are also a myriad of numerology schools that say completely different meanings for the sacred number of 8. From infinity, to abundance, to balance and harmony. What meaning do you give it? Regardless, Numerology works best in its intended form like we find in the way the sacred geometry of the ancient pyramids and indigenous temples were built, all in relation to seasonal and star alignments.

More important to the ancients and to me is actually following the lunar cycle for each month and the Sun’s precise timing for a year or tracking the rising of certain stars. The Sun conjuncts Sirius on July 6th this year and Sirius is visible on more like August 11th.

However, this year, 2021 out of all years, the August New Moon does fall on this magical date of 8/8. It won’t do that again for a very long time. Though the Moon aligns with the Sun every month and in this sign of Leo once per year, every year, there is some potency on that day this particular year.

Indeed a good date for New Moon intentions and manifesting abundance ceremonies or whatever else you might fancy. Though that’s because New Moons are always good times to set intentions and quite literally plant seeds. Depending on the time of year.

However, in regards to the New Moon aligning with the Lion’s Gate, well, the Lion constellation has nothing to do with the sign of Leo (wait, what?). The signs and constellations are not the same thing in western or tropical astrology, the astrology that most everyone in western culture follows (Mind Blown).

That could be a lot to take in if you don’t yet understand the precession of the equinox. In brief, the stars move slowly in the background of the seasons over long periods of time. That’s why Sirius was not rising in the middle of summer in ancient Egypt and the Lion constellation is in a different part of the sky during Leo season.

The Sun is not in the Lion constellation during Leo sign time. Sorry if this disrupts your projected image of the Lioness Queen or Leo King of the jungle. Though you could easily pick a different king like animal to identify your Sun sign with.

On August 8 the Sun is actually near the beehive cluster or the Crab constellation. Not even a bit of the Lion is covered by the Sun in Leo time. This is why a Vedic or Sidereal astrologer will say you’re a Cancer after your horoscope always said you were a Leo. Though, those that use western or tropical astrology are working with the seasons as the signs, not the stars! The season of Leo will always be Leo season, regardless of the star grouping behind it. In either case, the Lion Gate date of 8/8 is not aligned with the Lion constellation.

The Sphinx is said to have been facing the Lion constellation during March equinox when it was built. Now, the Sphinx looks due East to where the Lion constellation rose 12,800 years ago. Today, it’s a mirror image, as the Water-Bearer constellation is beginning to rise there at that time.

What is a portal anyways? What is this gate leading to really? In the many years I have been tuning into astrology, ceremony and global meditations, I haven’t seen anyone transcend into 5D during the Lion’s Gate Portal except if they got a new cell phone.

I hope this sheds some light on the light coming from Sirius and the timings aligned with pyramids, lions and gateways. If you’d like more info or have something to tell me that I missed, please reach out.

My intention with any of this info was to encourage reverence, respect and gratitude for ancient and indigenous star wisdom that is speaking to us now in this modern world.

Sincerely,

Levi

Timeless Articles

An Investigation Of The Astrological Chart Of The United States: 2021-2025

Posted by Kimmberly on

August 6, 2021

· 2 Comments

Part 3 of 4 by Daniel Giamario

THE NEPTUNE AND GEMINI FACTORS

Introduction and an embarrassing admission

I have been working extensively on the chart of the United States for maybe six months now, in monthly “ramblings” newsletter posts, a number of FaceBook posts, as well as seminars and vlogcasts. I have covered the quadruple eclipse pathways, the Chiron return, the Pluto return, as well as important Jupiter, Saturn and Lunar Node transits. I have even been mentioning the US natal Neptune square to Mars. But through email exchanges with Greg Knell, who has become a marvelous researcher in related areas of inquiry, out of nowhere, I realized that I had totally not seen that the United States is in its Neptune opposition! I just had not noticed! Very humbling indeed! This part three will hopefully remedy this situation. I will weave this currently happening second Neptune opposition to the natal US Neptune into the larger scenario that I have been developing. And I think you will agree that it’s as important as any of the other factors so far presented.

The Neptune Factor

I believe that the natal square of Neptune to the US Mars is one of the most important elements of the US chart. Neptune is 22Virgo25 in the 10th house, and Mars is 21Gemini22 in the 7th. Using the windows of initiation that we use with the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ applied to a natal chart, here is a complete accounting of cycles of 2021-2022 related to this US natal square. The window of initiation lasts from March 3, 2021—December 4, 2022. Read More

Daniel's Articles School News Timeless Articles

Ramblings, Reflections, and Ruminations from Daniel Giamario – June 2021

Posted by Kimmberly on

June 7, 2021

· No Comments

A Very “Mercurial” Annular Solar Eclipse by Daniel Giamario

As we approach the end of the first eclipse season of the year with the Annular (Ring) Eclipse on Thursday, let’s check in on a few of its most interesting features.

The Eclipse occurs at 6:53AM EDT…included is the chart for Philadelphia, Pa, the site of the Declaration of Independence. Also on Thursday is the exact Sun conjunct Mercury (6:13PM EDT) and the Moon conjunct Mercury at 8:37AM EDT. A reminder that the US Mars is 21Gemini22 and the DSC is 13Gemini10. And a reminder that this is a North Node eclipse, making it future oriented. So why a “Mercurial” eclipse? And of further interest, the US Mercury is actually retrograde at 24Cancer11, with a Pisces synodic overtone, with the hermetic evening star phase, and just beginning the alchemical metamorphosis from the Pisces to Cancer.

The Sun/Mercury conjunction is a super important point in the alchemical metamorphosis of the Aquarian synodic overtone of Mercury into Gemini, fully developed at the Stationary direct point on June 22^nd at 18Gemini08.

The word “mercurial” certainly is a wonderful word that captures most all of the essence of Mercury/Hermes, and particularly the Gemini synodic overtone. An on-line dictionary begins with the words: eloquence, ingenuity, and thievishness; followed by unpredictable changeableness. Other synonyms follow including: capricious, fickle, fluid, inconsistent, mutable, skittish, temperamental, unstable, unsteady, volatile, and variable. Sound like Mercury in Gemini retrograde??? Just wait for the full synodic cycle after June 22^nd! It also reminds me a lot of one of the three main shadows of the United States (as I have written and spoke about a lot recently).

The annular eclipse offers many ceremonial opportunities, whether you can see it or not. Those of you in Eastern and Central Canada have quite a good view, and the Northeast US gets a great partial eclipse, where the Sun at sunrise is already partially eclipted. Philadelphia gets a 71% partial eclipse, for example. See the chart of the path included. A solar eclipse is a super new moon, and can be worked with as a tremendous seed planting time for at least six months, and maybe as long as 3-4 years. This is a presaging of the quadruple cross of 4 eclipses over the US from 2023-2024, involving the solar eclipses of 2012, 2017, 2023, and 2024. See my current vlogcast for more information.

Being a North Node eclipse, there is a great potential for envisioning a better future. But, in the partial phase, prior to totality, place the greatest emphasis on the past shadow of Gemini, personal and collectively, with a strong emphasis on the actual historic behavior of the US, honestly and objectively, without any propaganda. And then, at the nearly 4 minutes of annularity, imagine a portal appearing, through which new bursts of creativity, vision and imagination stream through, from outside the galaxy, by way of the galactic edge, where souls pass by the gates of duality and polarity. Should you witness this, the flames and radiance of the Sun’s corona, clearly seen around the Moon, can represent the brilliance of celestial creativity. Following the time of totality, then its seed planting time, at least for the next 6 months; but considering what is coming, I suggest envisioning through 2025, as this eclipse season presages the upcoming quadruple-cross of 2023 and 2024. This is the most “active magic” portion of a super new moon total eclipse, where we can co-create with “Great Mystery”.

Astrological News Daniel's Articles News and Articles Sun Moon Eclipses Timeless Articles