Message for Friday 1 May 2020

Friday 1 May 2020

^Pulling Beginning out of Chaos^

Moon in Leo-->Virgo

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week ENDS at 3:29a PT | 6:29a ET | 10:29a UT  

Moon goes void-of-course at 9:05a PT | 12:05p ET | 4:05p UT

until it enters Virgo at 10:36p PT | 1:36a(Sa) UT | 5:36a(Sa) UT

Things may seem dark and gloomy, but needed work is the cure for foul moods.  "A man handling baggage" may seem reduced to one of the lowest sorts of jobs, and yet he is lucky to have a job, one might say, and his muscles are engaged in honest industry which is sure to bring good karmic payback.  He makes a niche for himself performing a function which is as important as any other.  Normal living lifts drudgery to virility.  

While the moon is void-of-course we may question some of our ideals, or question our honesty in following them.  Our "mountain pilgrimage" might be a parade of false virtues among superficial allegiances.  We could rather devote ourselves to some worth-while task at hand, like the baggage-handler.  "A big bear sitting down and waving all its paws" is trying to get attention, or else is dramatizing his own and others' potentials in a friendly helpful manner.  Meher Baba had a planet in this degree.  He literally waved his hands to communicate because he remained silent.  Some thought he was a charlatan, others found him immensely inspirational. One might say one cannot "handle baggage" while waving one's hands.  But also, one cannot give forth a very inspiring message while handling baggage. Again we have "too much Neptune" as it were, while Venus is closely square that planet.  Meher Baba was Pisces, ruled by Neptune (he had Mercury and Neptune in mutual reception) and he demonstrated the paradoxicality of that sign.  His devoted followers loved his hand-waving and gladly handled his baggage.  With the moon void-of-course for thirteen hours, we may wonder what is going on.  

Even more of the mysterious is locked up in the symbol of "two men, well clad, standing together; one holds a white horse by the bridle."  They are discussing occult verities or, some would say, occult delusions, and how to gain advantage from influential or notable individuals.  Is this a good path or a dangerous one?  Neptune does not answer but suggests "Follow your heart."  Wishful thinking could be converted into "a tireless capture and recapture of life throughout the constant and confusing shifts of being."  This adds up to daybreak, springtime, and genesis.

{Friday}  ^Pulling Beginning out of Chaos^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 20 April 2020

Thursday 30 April 2020

^Varied Truths as Re-Creative Aspiration^

Moon in Leo

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week continues until early Friday at 3:29a PT | 6:29a ET | 10:29a UT

Being useful is not the same as being ambitious.  The former is recommended for now. We are still in the |difficult third| of this week which wants us to focus on chores, but the mood lightens as the day progresses into Luna's sextile with Venus in the evening.  One may feel content with doing those usual tasks well with no hullabaloo.  Yet at the same time one could be visualizing the future along lines of one's desires, as if "window-shopping."  Things at a distance now unattainable yet could inspire one to keep going in the hope of acquiring them some day.

High aspiration is one thing, and recreation is another.  Both are favored.  "A mountain pilgrimage" is a long trek requiring patience, holding on to ideals through sheer faith plus persistence.  One's ultimate course asks for unquestioning devotion.  It is not vain to be climbing toward those peaks.  On the other hand, it is not vain to enjoy some recreation as if on "a rug placed on a floor for children to play."  Comfort and convenience lead to leisurely recreation which refines one's manners and ways of interacting with fellow "children" in the romp of life.  At some point the "pilgrimage" can re-begin, refreshed by the playtime.  

Venus's square with Neptune can bring out vivid dreaming, or psychic phenomena.  Sometimes the two are one.  It is not always obvious when a dream is just a creation of one's subconscious and when it is "veridical," linking one to real beings on other planes of consciousness.  I like to think that the latter happens more often than we realize.  I have been reading about Cagliostro and his occult adventures, which exalted him but ended tragically (so far as we know).  The Neptune vibration creates hopes which some call false, others call true and inspiring, such as the story that Cagliostro escaped from the dungeon into which the Inquisition had thrown him, to turn up in Russia as a miracle healer once again.  I hope that is true.  Like much else about his life,  the details are hard to verify, and that again is the Neptune vibration.  It can be soul-pleasing or soul-satisfying, as in this symbol:  "Two men, well clad, are standing together, one holding a white horse by the bridle" while the two discuss "strange" or occult studies, and their friendships with notable and influential persons.  Is this dangerous? Perhaps, as it has been for Cagliostro and others, yet that is only if there is serious disproportion in one's hopes, aspirations, and truth-detecting.  Neptune's truth is true yet maybe impossible to capture.  We give the benefit of the doubt to the yarns of "an old sea captain rocking" because it is pleasanter to do so, and who knows, his retrospection could be veridical.  

{Thursday}   ^Varied Truths as Re-Creative Aspiration^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 29 April 2020

Wednesday 29 April 2020

~Watchful Self-Service~

Moon in Cancer-->Leo

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week continues until Friday morning and could be most intense today

/moon goes void-of-course at 12:31p PT | 3:31p ET | 7:31p UT

until it enters Leo at 6:07p PT | 9:07p ET | 1:07a(Th) UT

A desire to have company, changes, adventure, seems mostly squelched by circumstances and necessities.  You probably can't go out "rowing in a boat with a friend" even if that sounds like fun.  Rather it is important to be watchful, even shrewd, attending to your own needs so you can build up wealth and fame, those mainstays of human hope.  Your position in the world is high in your consciousness.

Opportunities at a distance may be premature, so you can make do with what is closer at hand.  Rustic country scenes could be good if they calm your feelings and keep your feet on Mother Nature's soil.  Disappointment and disillusion clear away outmoded expectations so you get in touch with what is really happening in your circumstantial possibilities.  

We have the interesting "refranation" phenomenon in the trine of Venus and Mars.  That is when one planet is applying in aspect to another but slows down and does not complete it ("refrains").  Venus is slowing down and shall go retrograde on May 13.  Her amorous trine with Mars shall continue for a while but decrease and end by May 15.  And so we may be feeling that a personal relationship is in decline or not as exciting as it was.  This could be sorrow but might better just be realism plus ever-springing hope.  Venus and Mars will be in a happy sextile at the end of June and through July, but once again they "refrain" from consummating the aspect!  Still there will be good feelings aplenty.  Meanwhile, today you could wisely assume a more impersonal stance, developing your will power and completing official duties with valor.

{Wednesday}  ~Watchful Self-Service~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 28 April 2020

Tuesday 28 April 2020

~Wellsprings of Renewal~

Moon in Cancer

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week begins at 2:21p PT | 5:21p ET | 9:21p UT, continuing until Friday morning

Resting is good; laziness is not.  There is a tendency to give up and be self-indulgent.  This comes partly from deep sensitivity, an impressionable and mediumistic trend.  That is good, if it leads to psychic or telepathic connections which revitalize your hopes.  Sympathy in itself may be passive, but can lead to sharing at subliminal levels which results in happy developments.

"A woman disappointed and disillusioned" is someone of either sex who has become bored or satiated with a current life set-up and does not see anything better on the horizon.  Maybe the "bright lights and big city" seem far away or a lost dream, and one feels reduced to the culture and activities of the "boondocks."  Yet in non-urban or rustic scenes a touch with nature, and frank rugged people, can bring renewal.  

The squares of Pluto-Jupiter-Saturn with Mercury-Uranus-sun have been stressful for many.  The continuing trine between Mars and Venus is helpful, yet can be love in memory and imagination rather than in tangible interaction, so one might feel deserted or even betrayed, and on one's own.  Faith in the Supreme's goodness and grand design would help.  There are invisible resources which no one can define or put in a box.  When all else seems pointless, just tidying up around home or headquarters can bring surprising renewal and zest for living.  Both mental and tangible structures sustaining us remain reassuring. 

{Tuesday}  ~Wellsprings of Renewal~

Cosmic Piper 

Message for Monday 27 April 2020

Monday 27 April 2020

~Hopeful Prospects Contoured~

Moon in Gemini-->Cancer

/moon goes void-of-course at 10:01a PT | 1:01p ET | 5:01p UT

until it enters Cancer at 10:29a PT | 1:29p ET | 5:29p UT (just 28 minutes later)

The gloom which the pandemic has spread may be around us, yet there are ways to circumvent or overcome it with the moon's good aspects all day.  Caring for one's home and young persons is favored.  One inspires confidence and faith in others, and one associates with those who do the same.  "A portly man walks among pigeons which flock at his feet."

Sincere and genuine people may express themselves ruggedly and naturally.  If they have worked close to the soil, their rusticity is pleasing.  For all there can be the hovering presence of transcendental wisdom, strengthening a constructive attitude of mind: "A big white dove, a message bearer."  The heart's convictions, convincing beyond reason's worry, show when to act and what to do.

A desire to feast, and indulge the appetites somewhat sensually, would fit Luna's sextiles with Mercury, Uranus and the sun from Cancer to Taurus, both sometimes "food" or nourishment signs.   This could get out-of-hand, or else express richness of heart and camaraderie.  Mercury's square with Saturn brings out sharp, inquisitive, careful thinking, keenly penetrating mental powers.  When you cut out your own line in life you attract attention.  Executing your unique plans (Uranus strong) is not impossible.  We have a Bright Hermetic Epoch until June 2, and are approaching the core of it (May 4, a week from now).  Plans may be well-crafted and seaworthy.

{Monday}  ~Hopeful Prospects Contoured~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Sunday 26 April 2020

Sunday 26 April 2020

}Through Oppositions and Dialectic to Peaceableness{  

Moon in Gemini

Mercury in Aries (a sometimes belligerent sign) square Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn can be argumentative and we have the emblem "Two men engaged in a fight" showing, says Charubel, "one ever ready to oppose anything and everything."  Rather than fisticuffs it would be good for them to settle things through honest competition, as in "Two men running a race." Sometimes such "argumentation" is just internal dialectic within one's consciousness.  Moon with Venus in Gemini conduces to seeing both sides of a disagreement.  

There can be a playful tendency, "A youth throwing coins into a cup as if in play."  This could be self-amusement while not heeding what others are doing, a sort of cavalier indifference.  That would be dangerous if there were something like "a forest fire" requiring remedy, but since that fire is "quenched," apparently we are alert enough to awaken to concern for the future and escape from escapism long enough to solve crucial issues. 

There are mental powers and keen aspirations, so that it is possible to aim at a result and advance toward it like "a flying arrow."  This would bring out and make practical the independent, original force of the sun's conjunction with Uranus.  There is also a more peace-bringing ritualistic tendency, "A man standing on two swords (forming a cross on the ground), with a scepter pointing heavenward."  He is "confiding in the higher power" in order to bring about peace.  He has conquered the warring tendencies of the two swords representing the bitter fight of paragraph 1.  Such individuals wherever they reside and however they work are the salvation of the planet.

{Sunday}  {Through Oppositions and Dialectic to Peaceableness}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Saturday 25 April 2020

Saturday 25 April 2020

}Beyond Cruelty or Crisis to Dominion{

Moon in Gemini

(except for early hours after midnight when it is v-of-c in Taurus; see yesterday's report)

There are days when I wish I were not writing these reports, when the symbols for the day seem dreary or ugly.  But I have seen the value of their indications repeatedly,  and so continue.  I am trusting in you to work with the clues and make up for what I am unable to say directly. 

To begin, the warning indications.  Again there is the danger of spilling things, fruit on the ground spilled from a broken pitcher.  This could be indiscretion, or clumsiness, or impotent, vain pursuits which put one in the hands of someone who could be hurtful.  That would lead to torture, or some sort of supposed punishment which is probably excessive or completely wrong.  We ought to pray for an end to cruelty everywhere.  May there be no cruelty in the mind and heart of humanity; may it be replaced with kindness everywhere.  May this kindness extend to animals and to prisoners and to the impoverished.  Lord, hear our prayer.  (Of course, what makes the prayer even more effective is when we are introspecting to make sure we are not harboring cruel thoughts, words or acts consciously or semi-consciously.  If we find them, we can "confess" them and ask that our hearts be purified.)

If we become concerned about things which need to be corrected, we can attain a peak of self-expenditure at a crisis point, illustrated by "A forest fire quenched."  We need to beware of subtly delighting in some threatening calamity, because afraid to face and conquer it.  That fire just needs to be stopped.  We work with or alongside others and in a sense are "competing" in a friendly way with them, "Two men running a race."  

When we get past a crisis point, we are like someone "in a garden, pruning some trees."  'Tis the season for gardening, for those who like it.  That could be literal or metaphoric or both.  The Empress of the Tarot cards seems prominent, "The figure of a woman holding a globe in one hand and a scepter in the other."  She is queen of the natural world, dignified and conscientious, her calm mind fit for governing.  Therefore she has Dominion.

{Saturday}  {Beyond Cruelty or Crisis to Dominion}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Friday 24 April 2020

Friday 24 April 2020

\Bridging Over Gaps and Difficulties/

Moon in Taurus

/moon goes void-of-course at 5:44p PT | 8:44p ET | 12:44a(Sa) UT

until it enters Gemini Saturday at 0:21a PT | 3:21a ET | 7:21a UT

Sometimes Mercury square Jupiter can indicate bad judgment or awkwardness in handling things, so we have "a broken pitcher lying on the ground with spilled fruit around it."  One might feel embarrassed by some mistake or fumble.  "A man unmasked" is anyone who feels the competence he claimed has been called into question as if it were merely a "front."  We are not always called into account by the world but when it happens we need enough psychological resiliency to get through the embarrassing moment.  Our consequent self-analysis can prevent the same thing from happening again. Or, the "unmasked" person "spilling fruit" could be someone else, and then you can become wiser to his or her faults while nevertheless being supportive for something better to develop.

A friend just sent me this as a petition to sign in favor of finding safe housing for the homeless, and that is rather remarkable in that the very next degree-symbol for Friday is "An out-house with a dark loft to which a ladder conducts the homeless ones."  We ought to be very grateful that we are not begging on the streets and sleeping in corners.  Some get by somehow with endeavors such as those of "a native American woman selling beads."  Others may feel that in this economic crisis they are reduced to low-paying occupations they have never been in before.  The spiritual lesson of this is, according to Dr. Jones, "Detachment" or "creative aplomb."  

There is still the "mountain pilgrimage" beckoning to us, as a symbol of climbing upward in our hopes and aspirations so that we cooperate in rebuilding our economy and society however that becomes possible.  This requires perseverance born of the faith that we can do it.  It also might require "A bridge being built across a gorge" or "conquest of natural difficulties by conscious means."  This is happening insofar as we become channels for intelligent practical instincts.  

A few hours before the moon goes void-of-course and a couple hours after (time above), we have Luna trine both Pluto and Jupiter, good for optimistic and friendly feelings.

{Friday}  /Bridging Over Gaps and Difficulties\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 23 April 2020

Thursday 23 April 2020

\Reorienting Emergence into Lightness/

Moon in Taurus

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week ends at 10:03p PT | 1:03a(F) ET | 5:03a(F) UT

The challenging four-times-a-year hard-aspect between the sun and Saturn seems to be churning up appropriate symbols, such as, today, "A widow at an open grave."  Dr. Jones suggests that she needs to be ready to move on from "outworn experience," find her "personal aplomb" and proceed to major reorientation through self-discovery.  This would be better than emulating the "man sitting upon his heels and breaking stones with a hammer."  That would be unfruitfulness through failing to use one's abilities in a helpful direction.  (Some who are out of a job may feel they are just "breaking stones" until they find something better to do.)

The "watchdog standing guard" is trying to prevent us from going berserk through fear or anger (Luna square both Saturn and Mars).  Probity or integrity can be our guide, and then the intuitive dog stops barking.  Maybe at that point he will accompany us on "A mountain pilgrimage" which wold be our way of enveloping ourselves in "a complete harmony of all the ideals and values ever developed by man" (Dr. Jones).  This intensifies "every vision to which intelligence might aspire."  If this seems too high a climb, we can yet persevere. 

Oh, here's a mountain plateau with a large lake!  Two persons are rowing a boat.  We are ready for changes, company, adventure.  The pilgrimage is real but so is this relief of shared pleasure.  Along the shore "shellfish are groping and children playing."  Different levels and potentials of being emerge playfully, fostered by Nature's smile during these early days of a fresh lunar cycle.

{Thursday}  /Reorienting Emergence into Lightness\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 22 April 2020

Wednesday 22 April 2020

\Alone yet Companioned by the Universal Matrix/

Moon in Aries-->Taurus

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week continues (until late Thursday)

/moon goes void-of-course at 5:33a PT | 8:33a ET | 12:33p UT

until it enters Taurus at 12:37p PT | 3:37p ET | 7:37p UT

New Moon of Taurus occurs at 7:27p PT | 10:27p ET | 2:27a(Th) UT

With both Sol and Luna in a tight square with Saturn, this is the hardest day of the week for many.  It is wise to slow down and be cautious.  This is specially true because it is also the final day of an Old Moon.  The New begins in the evening but does not have much force at this point.  

Symbols for the day concur.  We have again "A large figure 2 comes before my vision" which shows, says Charubel, "living alone, isolated mentally; not in sympathy with the present state of things."  This was with us also Monday, and that evening I wrote an extended Facebook essay on loneliness, on feeling that one has lost friends.  We may expect more of that today, and with it "A ram standing alone, looking toward a flock of sheep in the distance."  That explains itself.  The neon in the bar does not blink on a likely lover.  (Oh, I forgot, no pubs.) 

Still, Venus and Mars remain in a trine until mid-May, so we will still be searching for something, perhaps romantic, like "A woman holding a bundle of faggots, her hair loose and disordered by the wind."  There may be versatility and mental brilliance plus eccentricity, which in this case do not yield helpful results.   Confusion results in impotence and vexation.  However, "A watchdog is standing guard."  We are not tonally confused when we pull back and heed the barking intended as a warning.  The keyword Probity means uprightness and integrity.  Smart dog.

If we rise higher in this test-of-Saturn day, we could be like someone on "A mountain pilgrimage."  This is "a total reconciliation of mind and heart in an unquestioning devotion to some worth-while task at hand" according to Dr. Jones.  Perseverance is required for this long hike.  What keeps us going? Idealism, but also "The rainbow's pot of gold" which we see when sunlight illumines the peaks.  We have developed inner assurance, otherwise known as faith, and this keeps us steady within the colorful promising "universal matrix of life itself."  A pot of gold is not to be sneezed at.

{Wednesday}   /Alone yet Companioned by the Universal Matrix\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 21 April 2020

Tuesday 21 April 2020

^Natural Fulfillment^

Moon in Aries

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week begins at 9:43a PT | 12:43p ET | 4:43p UT (until late Thursday)

I believe in fostering longevity by a healthy lifestyle and by healthy thinking, including spiritual development as taught by Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Fillmore and Sri Aurobindo among others.  And so I do not speak of death in these reports, in general.  I believe that we increase the number of deaths by thinking of them as inevitable rather than countering the thought of death with the "antibody" thought of Life.  (Which is really, of course, pro-body.)  Nevertheless we are confronted by evidence of deaths in the world at this time and two of today's symbols fit with that syndrome.  One emphasizes the need to care for the bereaved, such as widows and widowers as they go through a specially difficult mourning period.  The other suggests that we ought to understand the fact that death of the body is not the end, but think of immortal life as the reality for others and ourselves.  To that end, I recommend the book Surviving Death by Leslie Kean, the most recent and comprehensive work on the subject (to my knowledge). 

Yet surrounding those suffering bereavement there goes on life, whether chaotic and overeager or disciplined and organized.  "A woman holding a bundle of faggots, her hair loose and disordered by the wind, wandering in search of something" represents us when we seem eccentric, trying to do more than we can complete, perhaps brilliantly yet with vexation because of multiple confusions.  Contrasted with this is "A big-business man at his desk" whose organizational powers create personal stability. When we are like him we give constant attention to our fundamental interests through the ebb and flow of circumstances.  That leads to slow but sure success.  

Country folk can also demonstrate success through their rustic honesty, gruff frankness and genuineness.  This can be a calm and peaceful lifestyle in harmony with the earth and its produce.  "A woman gathering grapes with which she fills many baskets" is ourselves when acquisitive designs become fulfilled in the vintage of autumn, pleasures of maturity.  They are with us now if we recognize and accept what has graciously appeared upon our vines of life-cultivation.  

{Tuesday}  ^Natural Fulfillment^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Monday 20 April 2020

Monday 20 April 2020

^Security-Yielding Choices^

Moon in Aries

Sun entered Taurus yesterday

You are likely to be more upset and worried than necessary.  You may feel mentally isolated, "not in sympathy with the present state of things."  "The number 2" in this case means separation and division.  One fears one's ambitions are void and that there is nothing to do but lie down.  Well, we are in the final days of an Old Moon when extra rest or napping could be natural and helpful.

The beast in us desires easy paths, such as those found out and traversed by "A masked man standing beneath a tree at night; at his feet there is a dead cow."  Plundering the world by doubtful means to gain wealth is a dangerous path.  Whatever is gained is a social responsibility.  It might be good to imagine oneself living a rustic, rugged but quiet country life without conventional polish.  One displays off-hand kindness together with frank gruffness.  There is calm and peace in such an attitude even for city dwellers.  

"Branch roads parting in four directions.  A finger-post points but one way."  Choices seem multiple.  If one has missed one's way, one can still recover it with the aid of the "finger-post" in one's consciousness.  Sharing illumination with others is possible; Mercury is sextile Mars on one side and Venus on the other.  It is easier to see the direction than follow it decisively in the final days of a lunar cycle; the New Moon arrives Wednesday evening.  Meanwhile tonight Luna is in good aspect with both Mars and Venus, and "Two lovebirds are sitting on a fence."  Loving at a distance is possible.  

{Monday}  ^Security-Yielding Choices^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Sunday 19 April 2020

Sunday 19 April 2020

~From Worry toward Affirmation~

Moon in Pisces

The sun leaves Aries and enters Taurus at 7:47a PT | 10:47a ET | 2:47p UT

/moon goes void-of-course at 4:32p PT | 7:32p ET | 11:32p UT

until it enters Aries Monday at 0:01a PT | 3:01a ET | 7:01a UT

If you are 40, you have been through the hard aspects of the sun with Saturn about 150 times (approximately four times a year, a little less).  And so ordinarily it is nothing to fear, though it is always challenging.  This time it is exact today through Tuesday, and also the sun is approaching a conjunction with Uranus.  One might say that that "explains" some of the hard symbols turning up today, such as "An earthquake."  Earthquakes have definitely been observed to occur often during intense Uranus aspects.  I hope that if this should be literal, no lives will be lost.  More likely it could be care or worry that something one has been building or laboring on could be upended.  Such a reversal is not inevitable and so we could seek within ourselves for spiritual integrity and pray to the Highest that we will be enabled to carry on with our lives with as little upset as possible.  

To those who believe that all the ills of the world are the result of karma, or the immature or "sinful" actions and thoughts of human beings, I offer the first degree of Taurus wherein the sun is today, and where it was when Hitler was born and when some misguided American young people enacted mass killings.  According to Charubel it is "A black diamond-shaped figure" indicating someone of a morose disposition with magical powers, reserved and inclined to be cruel.  (Charubel gave out this symbol for the degree when Hitler was an unknown four-year-old.)  We have that today and also, again, "Two wolves devouring a carcass in the moonlight."  Oh, is that your Sunday dinner date?  (I shouldn't joke, because I feel seriously that eating animal corpses is a cause of a lot of our problems as a human species.)  The moon's sweet sextile with Jupiter, exact at the moment it goes void-of-course (time above), could save us from trauma or show us ways to prevent it.  Also the good "cushion" configuration among Venus, Mercury and Mars mentioned yesterday is still strong.  We can keep our heads and figure out where we are going.

In that case we could be back "running a race" toward good fortune.  Competition can be wholesome and pleasing to all, with each a winner in one way or another, if not in this race then in another.  Many sporting events are canceled, but I guess bowling, tennis, shuffleboard, pool and a few others could be pursued while observing the 6-foot rule!  (Well, be careful.)  Also Venus and Mars remain in their long-lasting trine (into May) and "Two lovebirds are sitting on a fence" two yards apart!  We can approach a tender, romantic "embrace" at a distance if need be.  We affirm consistency in our affections' destiny.

{Sunday}  ~From Worry Toward Affirmation~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Saturday 18 April 2020

Saturday 18 April 2020

~Self-Command and Command~

Moon in Pisces

The sun's square, opposition or conjunction with Saturn, four times a year, is always a challenge, a feeling that one has to live up to standards set either by others or by oneself.  And so it can be a feeling of failure coupled with a desire to do better.  It's exact within three degrees now and will be exact on Monday.  Some feel that their lives are hard and that there is nothing to do about it, like "a man wheeling a barrow load of earth over a hollow run" again and again.  Or if they rise to the occasion they may feel that they can ultimately "win the wheelbarrow race" or compete somehow for a better position in the world.  This is made easier by Mercury's exact sextile with Mars today, good for games or for competing in the game of life.   Because also Venus is trine Mars and sextile Mercury, this need not be at all a bitter, angry conflict but a smiling competition based on goodwill, trusting the outcome win or lose. There is always another game or race.  Meanwhile, techniques and skills can be practiced and mastered.

There are possibilities, for some, of secretive success which is rather crafty, "two wolves devouring a carcass in the moonlight."  This could be voracity and self-seeking,or, for the more mature, just enjoyment of something one has acquired honestly.  One does not always put one's motives and aims right out in front for everyone to see and this is not always dishonest but just prudent, a matter also of courtesy.  Privacy is sometimes letting others tout their hopes, plans and prowess rather than touting one's own.  When one is beyond the "wolfish" stage one performs community service as valuable both for oneself and the community.  

We have "a train entering a tunnel" and "an arrow in flight passing through a cloud of smoke."  These suggest that others, and oneself, may not be able to perceive exactly what is going on while one is intent on goals.  One may wonder if all is lost while in the tunnel or the smoke, yet eventually all is well.  There is light on the other side of the crisis.  What seemed inaccessible becomes accessible.  Charubel suggests that you could be "a true solar man" or woman, that is, shining by your own light on this final day of Aries, the sign of Sol's exaltation.  Ruling and commanding some factors in your world is your right.

{Saturday}  ~Self-Command and Command~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Friday 17 April 2020

Friday 17 April 2020

~Measured Progress~

Moon in Aquarius-->Pisces

/moon goes void-of-course at 7:35a PT | 10:35a ET | 2:35p UT

until it enters Pisces at 11:31a PT | 2:31p ET | 6:31p UT

When one's sincere affections seem to get no response, there can be despair and a sense that one's hopes have been spoiled.  Then there could be resulting anger at others than the object of one's affection, as if they had caused the trouble.  It is hard to see this happening unless one gets a solid basis of self-observation and holds to it so that one can calm one's stormy emotions.

The ways of life and thought may seem labyrinthine.  One follows myriad paths, tangled with each other, before one finds the exactly right approach. Measurement is helpful, through being keenly alert to useful indications.  

Competition is implicit in a  lot of what is going on, as if one wanted to prove oneself in comparison with others attempting similar things.  That is healthy when it is not marred by anxiety or anger.  Finally, there can be convivial sharing, as if at a feast, while Luna is sextile Uranus in the evening.

{Friday}  ~Measured Progress~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 16 April 2020

Thursday 16 April 2020

}Toward a Harmonious Panorama{

Moon in Aquarius

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week ends at 12:34p PT | 3:34p ET | 7:34p UT

Although the lunar trends (above) are improving, we have "a large disappointed audience" on our hands, whether this is a group you have disappointed or whether you are part of the unhappy crowd   Maybe we are tired, during  the "lockdown," of observing other people's doings on the internet, Zoom, or in TV series and movies.  Yawn.  Or, if others are not applauding you, remember that excellent comics and actors have bombed before you.  You could "rest secure in your own creative potentiality, catering to nothing exterior to yourself" in the words of Dr. Jones.  Then you will regain your poise and come back with a revival role, album or gig.  "A woman disappointed and disillusioned" for whatever reason likewise illustrates that we cannot depend on exterior factors to sustain us enduringly if we are not making a constant contribution to them, or "paying our dues."  Where is that stimulus deposit, or that unemployment payment, or that small-business loan? Through the clearance of outer dependencies one can "press on and gain increased powers with every setback." 

The "gypsies seated around a cauldron" may be looking forward to eating too much, or may be ready to move on the next day to some new precarious locale, yet may be seeking by their vagabond lifestyle something transcendent.  Whether through Tarot cards or crystal balls they have minds "open to receive the truth and reflect it in daily life."  These are not cheating frauds (gyp-less gypsies!) but "scrupulously just and honorable."  So we enter into a mood where we see everything as a supernormal panorama and feel that no matter what happens we will find our way.

"A mountain pilgrimage" may seem too lofty to aspire toward, but suggests an intensification of ideals and values toward which we can persevere through devotion to an immediate task.  There is glorious cascading harmony within "pyramiding spiritual reality."  People are competent on different levels, as symbolized by "People on stairs graduated upwards"; but a given individual's place on one stairway is higher than it is on a different stairway measuring a different competence-progression.  So we look downward beneficently and upward admiringly.

{Thursday}  {Toward a Harmonious Panorama}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 15 April 2020

Wednesday 15 April 2020

}Vanished Opportunities Re-cultivated{

Moon is void-of-course in Capricorn

until it enters Aquarius at 0:38a PT | 3:38a ET | 7:38a UT

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week continues until Thursday afternoon

"Lost opportunity regained in the imagination" may be embarrassing, but there is no reason to be ashamed of past mistakes if we are trying to rectify them and "regain" those missed opportunities, albeit in other forms.  Then we are like "a flag," that is, a listless thing blowing in the wind, "turned into an eagle," that is, empowered to soar toward our hopes and dramatize our aspirations.  

A restless streak keeps us moving toward desires, while Luna is with Mars and both trine Venus, romantic in essence.  We could be like "vagrants or gypsies seated around a cauldron in which food is preparing" provided we keep two yards apart from one another!  The fickle fortunes of a wandering family are built on ever-fresh seeking, with many golden opportunities vanishing in the sunset.  Yet there is the cauldron, and tomorrow.

Still, tonight could be a happy time.  Something you have been doing to tend the "garden" of your income is sure to be prospering before long and, anticipating that, you enjoy yourself for a while.  "Man tete-a-tete with his inspiration" is yourself living your ideals in a solid practical way which lifts you sometimes into ecstasy.  Transcendental experiences are personal and unique, yet open into satisfying solidarity with all others. 

{Wednesday}  {Vanished Opportunities Re-cultivated}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 14 April 2020

Tuesday 14 April 2020

\Enthusiastic Quest for Inspiration and Attainment/

Moon in Capricorn

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week continues until Thursday afternoon

/moon goes void-of-course at 4:49p PT | 7:49p ET | 11:49p UT

until it enters Aquarius Wednesday at 0:38a PT | 3:38a ET | 7:38a UT

A restless impulse is seeking high and low, up and down, in and out.  Imagination on display results in spontaneity.  "A large forest of big oaks; no underwood; plenty of scope for wandering."  One feels like chasing things.  

With the Part of Fortune climaxing at the midheaven (career, position in the world) one is impelled to go for what one's inner self is hepped up about. "Man tete-a-tete with his inspiration" could feel ecstatic, yet one has to remember one's self-interest and remain practical (Luna with Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn).  There is a blend of happy complacency, when optimistic about the future, with reserve forces which come forth under stress. 

The exact square of the sun and Jupiter is, by Sabian formula, "a masterful approach to enthusiasm."  This leads to making one's merits clear to those who have power or authority, "A kingly person presents a scepter to one kneeling."  One receives assistance toward the attainment of ambitions.  Venus and Mars in a close trine is good not only for erotic or romantic love but for simple kindness, so we have "A woman of pleasing appearance offering a glass of fluid to a child."  Sympathy and hope help the sick or needy, and they are qualities in high evidence as we continue to confront a crisis requiring both bodily and financial healing.

{Tuesday}   /Enthusiastic Quest for Inspiration and Attainment\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Monday 13 April 2020

Monday 13 April 2020

\Escape or Dominion/

Moon in Capricorn

|Karmically serious or sobering third| of this week begins at 7:10p PT 10:10p ET | 2:10a(Tu) UT (until Thursday afternoon)

"A dark loft to which a ladder conducts the homeless ones" is a reminder that the homeless and destitute, or "street people" as they are rather cavalierly termed, are in need as well as others who have recently lost their jobs.  I hope that local agencies and charities will work to assure that they receive $1200 (maybe converted to cash since they might have trouble cashing a check) as well as everyone else.  I would not trust the government to go out of its way in providing for them.  "A popularity that proves ephemeral" could apply to many of them, who are often charming and interesting, but whose patrons tire of them after tossing them a crumb.  It might also apply to the patrons, who are popular when giving but not so popular when wanting to be left alone.  Sigh, we are all still learning the meaning of charity.  

Would it be easier to flee to a foreign land? "An Eastern town such as Constantinople" could have varied meanings, but of course we are all stuck in our homes, or nearly so, during this peculiar time.  "An open seascape on which are distant sailing ships" also suggests a desire to get away but of course that is futile for most everyone, except in imagination or travelogues.  Sepharial says this degree indicates "a thoughtful temperament" with "a kind, genial and sunny nature," "gentle but irresistible."  The sun is out nicely on Easter where I live.

For a back-to-business Monday we have Luna in Capricorn, often a no-nonsense business sign, together with Jupiter and Pluto whose conjunction there has coincided with the huge shakeup in financial matters worldwide.  Many are feeling ready to get back to work, whether it has a semblance of normality or not.  "A man of powerful form riding upon a restive horse" is small-and-large business persons trying to get going with the "restive horse" of a changed economy.  "The figure of a woman holding a globe in one hand and a scepter in the other" indicates "wide knowledge and power, a mind fit for governing, and a position of security after middle life."  Well, we are in the "middle" of something.  This lady---dignified, conscientious and self-reliant---attains to dominion in her world.

{Monday}  /Escape or Dominion\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Sunday 12 April 2020

Sunday 12 April 2020

^Social Niceties^

Moon in Sagittarius-->Capricorn

/moon goes void-of-course at 4:47a PT | 7:47a ET | 11:47a UT

until it enters Capricorn at 5:06p PT | 8:06p ET | 12:06a(M) UT

Easter's promise is in the background, for those imbued with Christian teaching or others open to it, yet today is also another "ordinary" day in terms of the astrological aspects, which keep pace with divine purpose as they always have.  And so not everything in the following will be as edifying as an Easter sermon.

We are not entirely over the square between Mars and Uranus, which is quick-tempered and impatient.  "A man rushes along on horseback, sword in hand, to meet a company of armed men."  We might show more courage than discretion, and get in trouble through rashness.  It is better to calm down, especially through the void-of-course twelve hours pointed out above.  "A house on fire" shows domestic squabbles often, so it is good to water them down with tolerant understanding and sympathy for opposing viewpoints.  People are getting ahead of themselves, and therefore impatient with anyone who seems to hold them back.

Sometimes people's choices, mannerisms or words may seem revolting, coarse, or "sinful" in accord with Charubel's "too revolting to be given" degree.  This could happen even when otherwise one had been feeling quite good about them. Their popularity "proves ephemeral."  You might find yourself also the victim of that syndrome, someone rejecting you so that you are impelled to question the reason for it.  One lesson seems to be tolerance; another, wise discretion or discrimination.  These two poles of social nicety may seem in conflict unless one is savvy in blending them.  Unconsciously we judge, and are judged, rather harshly.

Finally we have a true Easter symbol, "A man standing alone in a dark and gloomy valley.  A ray of brilliant light comes direct from the heavens on the crown of his head."  This is someone (like the Saviour) with a mission.  That high destiny is revealed in the midst of gloom, as if the gloomy side of life had prepared its possibility.  Charubel says this is one who "lives beyond his day" and is not always understood.  Finally a pleasant Spring portent:  "A green field surrounded by shrubberies, with a nice villa on the northeast side."  When this symbol has turned up in the past, I have been blessed with a fresh temporary or lasting place to live.  Or it could be hours spent in a homey place fructified by nature's spring bounty.

{Sunday}  ^Social Niceties^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Saturday 11 April 2020

Saturday 11 April 2020

^Nascent Restoration^

Moon in Sagittarius

"A black hole or cavern in a rock" fits perfectly the tomb Jesus was in for two days.  This is Holy Saturday honoring his time among the "dead."  "A comet with a very long tail, pointing toward the earth" indicates, says Charubel, "an instrument in the hands of evil powers so as to bring evil on this earth."  This is what Jesus conquered during the period before his resurrection, and all who accept Him participate in that protection and redemption.

The "too revolting to be given" degree is with us again.  This is more of what Jesus had to conquer, the carnal mind or sinful nature of humanity.  Charles Fillmore says that "when Jesus arose He was entirely free from the carnal mind with all its limitations.  He had overcome all the carnal tendencies which He had taken on that He might free the race from its bondage." "A house on fire at night-time" is burning because of human strife, for "a house divided against itself cannot stand."  Jesus faced the strife between Jews and Romans, Jews and Samaritans, believers in Him and unbelievers, and His grace and that of his Father put out those fires, for those who accept it. 

"A man in a very dark room with books, papers and mathematical instruments distributed about him promiscuously" could be any of us pondering difficult problems, or it could be Christ Jesus trying, while his body lay in a tomb, to solve the problems of the human race.  I believe that He did that in essence, at least for those who accept Him, though it may have taken centuries to bring the problem-solutions to full manifestation.  Are we ready to accept them?  "A flag turned into an eagle" is not really a political symbol. It shows loyalties as a foundation of human living, but the fundamental loyalty is not to a nation but to the Supreme Lord.  We spring to action in defense of the highest we know.  Our eagle-aspiration soars.  Lesser loyalties follow in train automatically.  "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the rest shall be added unto you."  

{Saturday}  ^Nascent Restoration^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Friday 10 April 2020

Friday 10 April 2020

^Toward Peace^

Moon in Scorpio-->Sagittarius

/moon goes void-of-course at 12:36p PT | 3:36p ET | 7:36p UT

until it enters Sagittarius at 1:36p PT | 4:36p ET | 8:36p UT

I try not to obtrude my Christian faith into these forecasts, for they are meant for any human being who finds them meaningful.  Astrology is not a religion.  (Although there is a group called the Church of Light, formerly the Brotherhood of Light, and they call their approach "The Religion of the Stars."  That has a beautiful ring to it.)  I have known and respected astrologers who are non-Christian and even anti-Christian.  If they understand how to sense the meanings of the planets, signs, and aspects in the lives of those they study or work with, they are astrologers.  

The Friday before Easter, the day Jesus was crucified, is inexplicably called Good, but I understand that originally it was called "God's Friday" which designation eventually evolved into "Good."  I do not see how a horrible failure of the human race can be called "good" in any way.  I would call it "Sad Friday" or even "Grief Friday."  Christians do not have a single understanding of what the Crucifixion means or represents, or how we are to experience it in our approach to living consciously with the Supreme.  Nor do the Scriptures---in this case especially the four Gospels---present a single infallibly clear or correct  theological interpretation of what it all meant.  I believe it is much more profound than a "logical" dogma could possibly elucidate.  I study the four Gospels, a chapter every day, and have been doing that for almost fifty years.  The meaning of the crucifixion and the resurrection is somewhat different, for me, every time I ponder the accounts.  Fresh understandings are revealed as one grows spiritually, or attempts to do so.  And so I am not going to preach a Good Friday or Grief Friday sermon here.  Whatever your spiritual path, I hope it will deepen in significance for you.

Life goes on, and I'll attempt as usual to look at the chart, aspects and symbols of the day:

Friday:   Mars and Uranus have been in a square aspect (very harsh) since March 26 (by a 7.5 degree orb) and it continues until April 19.  I have been in seclusion most of the time but have sensed the anger, the temper-tantrum likelihood, the discord, tension and explosiveness.  Today I watched a video commercial on my phone that went on for more than a half hour, and was increasingly angry at it, speaking loudly to the perpetrators of this "infomercial" in resentful tones.  "Just get to the pitch, stop repeating the nonsense, how many hundred dollars are you asking from me for this miraculous product?"  Finally when the thing inexplicably stopped or got stuck, I gratefully dropped out and didn't even get to the "pitch."  But I think I startled a neighbor by yelling at the phone and slamming a coffee mug on the desk.   This is pretty tame in comparison with violence which can happen during such times.  So today we have the symbol "Two men striving to hold a mad bull with ropes about his head."  Aries is a "headstrong" sign, though not the bull but the ram.  Some are self-willed and "will have their way."  Likewise "A man standing with drawn sword" is aggressive physically or mentally.  There could be litigation, or taunts intended to wound.  Those more mature may be above all this but could witness it.  

"Beautifully gowned wax figures" may represent infamous as well as noble persons.  We sense how individual character of a striking nature dramatizes our potentials, good or bad.  The latter may be unpleasantly unveiled, as they were on a horrible Friday 2,000 years ago.  Charubel says of another designated degree, "Too revolting to be given."  He recommends "Keep out of bad company.  Indulge not in stimulants; keep clear of the gambling hells, and seek to develop thy higher nature; by such a course thou mayest save thyself."  Appropriate advice for a holy day.

I remember one Grief Friday when I sat with a friend on a doorstep in the afternoon discussing whether I ought to go to a place of entertainment that evening.  It did not seem compatible with the sad nature of the day.  Eventually I did go out but not for long.  Today we have "A place of amusement with music, dancing and singing on the program.  A large ballroom."  Charubel says that the entertainer one may encounter here "will never become a great musician or actor, nor yet a great anything."  And so at last one might turn to "A peaceful valley; a lake on which a swan is floating.  At the back rises a high mountain."  Here there could be contentment and quiet happiness.  One could have "peace in all relations."  Luna's sextile with four planets generates not crude but smooth tendencies.  A calm and thoughtful mind breeds courteous and graceful manners.  

{Friday}  ^Toward Peace^

Cosmic Piper