Earth Mother Moon Journal Issue 14. Balance into the New Moon in Taurus on Wednesday May 16th.
Happy New Taurus Moon! This month's journal shares a bit of information on the journey moon and taurus moon sign, along with information on a Mother Goddess, and mothers day quote to ponder. Also is an article written about my latest readings and thoughts on Mary Magdalene, and Yoga.
I'd like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to my family. My husband and children showed me so much love this mothers day. We were upnorth and I found myself being grateful for hot water, hot food, and all of the simple and not so simple things. Then I was able to enjoy my mothers day gifts- which was made so sweet by watching the children, who were filled with such joy from the act of giving. In fact, after gifts, they went and wrapped up lots of their own toys and books for me as more presents:) There is nothing sweeter than the love of a child, and I am blessed with two. There are moments in a persons life that call to them, that stand out like a photograph and a true treasure...
Enjoy and blessings to you this fruitful time of year!
Love,
Calesta Ana
I'd like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to my family. My husband and children showed me so much love this mothers day. We were upnorth and I found myself being grateful for hot water, hot food, and all of the simple and not so simple things. Then I was able to enjoy my mothers day gifts- which was made so sweet by watching the children, who were filled with such joy from the act of giving. In fact, after gifts, they went and wrapped up lots of their own toys and books for me as more presents:) There is nothing sweeter than the love of a child, and I am blessed with two. There are moments in a persons life that call to them, that stand out like a photograph and a true treasure...
Enjoy and blessings to you this fruitful time of year!
Love,
Calesta Ana
Musings on Mary Magdalene and... Yoga?
(All Quotes are from: Starbirds's Magdalene's Lost Legacy, Symbolic Numbers and the Sacred Union in Christianity).
As some of you know, I've spent the last few seasons immersing myself in the stories of Mary Magdalene, and other gnostic texts. Now I know, this is not my traditional area of study, but it's been truly fascinating for me. The following shares one of the things I've pondered while reading certain texts!
I have been struck by the commonalities between Yoga and early Christian teachings. I know you might think, what on earth does Mary Magdalene and Jesus have to do with Yoga??? But over and over and over again I see the words "yolk", "union", "fusion", "harmony" and my mind immediately comes back to the practice of yoga.
Yoga means to yolk, or union. Hatha Yoga, which is this practice most of us are familiar with in the West- that means Sun/Moon Union. I've always taught that the union in this practice is of "Body, Mind, and Spirit"- which is certainly is. But that is not what Hatha literally says. Hatha is the balance of the sun and moon energies. The balance of the masculine and feminine, the light and dark, Shiva and Shakti, the yin and yang, the Goddess and God.... Mary and Jesus. The balance of it in our bodies, mind, and spirit.
What Starbird argues in many of her texts and incredible years of study in this field, is that Christianity has lost the feminine principle, and that the true teachings of Christianity showed a balance of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. Through deep study of numerology, she shows that much of the Gospels teachings used numerology (more common at that time) as a code and additional teaching. Through this, the SUN (masculine, 666) and the LUNAR (feminine, 1080, similar to the repetitions taught in yoga chanting), are combined into 1746. "In the ancient canon, the number 1746 represented the marriage of the oposites, the union of sol and luna, of the masculine and feminine.... The number 1746 represents the fertilized cosmic seed and is the number equivalent of the hieros gamaos expressed as a hexagram. According to this use of gematria in his teaching, Jesus actually proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was the harmonious union of opposing principles, the fusion of the lunar 1080 and the solar 666- the reconciliation or sacred union of the opposites."(my underlining)
In another text, The Gospel of Mary Magedalene, translated by Jean-Yves Le Loup, there a great deal writen on the importance of this linking of masculine and feminine, along with the spirit and the earth, the animal and angel, and how to do it (such as aspects of the brain, language, etc.). What was most striking was this, "Human beings become the bridge between plant and archangel in the heart, through the slow gesture- movement that is both supple and permeated with awareness." Yoga!!! Here we connect that earthy and spiritual aspects of ourselves.
This idea of combining this sun/moon or masculine feminine energy, is one of the many, many examples of the commonalities between all religions and spiritual paths. If so many of these ancient teachings call for us to recognize this important balance of these opposites, it seems something worth looking in to! For me, I've spent so much of my time balancing out from the current patriarchy, allowing myself to grow and be nurtured fully as a woman. I have seen women do this in all kinds of ways, most importantly building community together that allows for the soul to be enriched and grow- without being dismissed or demeaned.
Women's place has been pushed into a smaller and smaller corner over millennia- but that is changing. Goddess, Priestess, Women Ministers, women's circles- this is all becoming more and more commonplace. Women in a place of power, strong, independent- we are seeing this too! And the popularity of the Da Vinci Code- the idea of women's place in spirituality as equally important (atleast in some areas of the world- we do have a long way to go yet!)- is coming closer and closer to a place of balance. We begin to see the destruction that is created by forcing the sun's relationship to be in power and dominating and overshadowing the moon.
"In its unmitigated extreme, the number 666 represents the exercise of raw, abusive power, the power of the tyrant... the power principle of tyranny itself. The distinguishing remarks of a society that adulates the authoritarian 666 are a callous disregard for the poor, the powerless,and the 'little ones', and women. It is important to point out that the creative male principle is both necessary and good: the number 666 representing this solar energy (victory, power, authority, order, action, righteousness, obedience to law) is positive. But in it's extreme, when not properly complemented with the feminine principle, it becomes both dangerous and destructive."
Sound familiar?!
It seems after 2000 years, and these new texts coming to light and being translated for the lay person to read them Mary and Jesus's teachings are beginning to be acknowledged and heard by more people. Something that Yogis have been teaching for thousands of years- that we do need love- but without attachment, compassion without judgement, acceptance of ourselves, and to connect to that deep place within- the kingdom of heaven that resides inside... and we can not do this harmoniously without the balance between the masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves. I don't think that is possible until we embrace all of ourselves fully. The light and dark, our sexuality, our body/mind/spirit. And on a global level coming back to embracing the Goddess. We must to return the Sacred Feminine to her rightful place.
Mothers Day Goddess
Mothers Day is celebrated Sunday the 13th, just before the new moon on wednesday. To honor the mother, I've chose to share about a mother Goddess, quoted from the book "Maiden, Mother, Crone by DJ Conway".
"Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, among other things, was said to be older than time. In Her Middle Eastern version as Asherah or Astarte, She had the oldest continuously operated temple in the world. Since She, under the name of Venus, gave birth to Aeneas, the Romans considered Her their ancestral mother. The city of Venice is named after Her. The island of Cyprus, noted for it's copper mines, was one of Her major worship centers; Aprhodite's sacred metal is copper. in Her shrine at Mount Eryx, Her high priestess was called Melissa, or Bee; Her emblem there was a golden honeycomb. This goddess ruled birth life, love, death, time, and fate.
The Journey Moon
This month we enter the Journey Moon, which teaches us about... balance of course! The following is quoted from my very favorite and useful lunar book, Earth Time Moon Time, by Annette Hinshaw:
"The energies of the Journey Moon deal with balances between the new and the old, the unknown and the familiar, change and permanence. If our present society seems overbalanced in its love of technical innovation, we also see movements to overbalance in the opposite direction, in backward looking fundamentalists of all persuasions... In our personal lives, one practical and balanced way to handle Journey Moon energies is expressed in the old adage, "Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside." The only constant in our world is change, and if we cannot adapt to new ideas and facts, we stultify in stagnant pools, dying by degrees as we deny the renewal that should be our birthright as humans. on the other hand, if we chase post of gold ad the ends of rainbows beyond every distant hill, and never stop to examine the riches on the hill we presently occupy, we will never gardner enough energy and grounded knowledge to produce something worth having. We can die of having no roots as surely as we can of not moving. Our challenge is as always to find the balance. This time the balance lies between, on t he one hand being open and taking risks, and on the other appropriately valuing what we already possess. the mother offers us both green valleys and far horizons, the renewal of change and the stability of safe harbors. It is our task to find the best use for both and all that lies between."
Taurus New Moon
This month we are starting out with the energies and influence of taurus moon (and taurus sun sign for a bit longer yet). This is my moon sign, so be aware of my own personal bias and special affinity for this one:) Here's what Llwellyn's 2007 Moon Sign Book has to say about Taurus Moon energies (and remember, the moon sign switches every couple of days, and each month going through the zodiac in about a month, but it is on a new or full moon just about once a year):
"A taurus Moon's energy is feminine, semi- fruitful, and earthy. The moon is exalted- very strong- in Taurus. Taurus is known as the farmers sign because of its associations with farmland and precipitation that is the typical day-long "soaker" variety. Taurus energy is good to incorporate into your plans when patience, practicality, and perseverance are needed. Be aware, though, that you may also experience stubbornness in this sign.
Things started in Taurus tend to be long lasting and to increase in value. This can be very supportive energy ina marriage election. On the down side, the fixed energy of this sign resists change or the letting go of even the most difficult situations.... If you want to make changes in something you start, it would be better to wait for Gemini (which happens the very next day!) This is a good time to get a loan, but expect people in charge of money to be cautious and slow to make decisions."
Mothers Day:
"Rediscover the experience of being rather than doing and accumulating things; and renew in yourself the art of giving and receiving rather than producing and exploiting. our purpose on Earth is not to manipulate things... but to meet each other in living encounters. Life is too short to be lived by exploiting eachother. There is something better for us to do, and the time we have is barely enough to learn how to love one another. And no one can learn this for us..." The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Jean Yeves LeLoup.
This month where we celebrate mothers day, think on this quote. I will be too! On learning how to love one another authentically.
I wish you the best during this Moon Time:)
Feel free to email me using the contact form.
<< Previous Moon Journal Entry
Next Moon Journal Entry >>
(All Quotes are from: Starbirds's Magdalene's Lost Legacy, Symbolic Numbers and the Sacred Union in Christianity).
As some of you know, I've spent the last few seasons immersing myself in the stories of Mary Magdalene, and other gnostic texts. Now I know, this is not my traditional area of study, but it's been truly fascinating for me. The following shares one of the things I've pondered while reading certain texts!
I have been struck by the commonalities between Yoga and early Christian teachings. I know you might think, what on earth does Mary Magdalene and Jesus have to do with Yoga??? But over and over and over again I see the words "yolk", "union", "fusion", "harmony" and my mind immediately comes back to the practice of yoga.
Yoga means to yolk, or union. Hatha Yoga, which is this practice most of us are familiar with in the West- that means Sun/Moon Union. I've always taught that the union in this practice is of "Body, Mind, and Spirit"- which is certainly is. But that is not what Hatha literally says. Hatha is the balance of the sun and moon energies. The balance of the masculine and feminine, the light and dark, Shiva and Shakti, the yin and yang, the Goddess and God.... Mary and Jesus. The balance of it in our bodies, mind, and spirit.
What Starbird argues in many of her texts and incredible years of study in this field, is that Christianity has lost the feminine principle, and that the true teachings of Christianity showed a balance of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. Through deep study of numerology, she shows that much of the Gospels teachings used numerology (more common at that time) as a code and additional teaching. Through this, the SUN (masculine, 666) and the LUNAR (feminine, 1080, similar to the repetitions taught in yoga chanting), are combined into 1746. "In the ancient canon, the number 1746 represented the marriage of the oposites, the union of sol and luna, of the masculine and feminine.... The number 1746 represents the fertilized cosmic seed and is the number equivalent of the hieros gamaos expressed as a hexagram. According to this use of gematria in his teaching, Jesus actually proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was the harmonious union of opposing principles, the fusion of the lunar 1080 and the solar 666- the reconciliation or sacred union of the opposites."(my underlining)
In another text, The Gospel of Mary Magedalene, translated by Jean-Yves Le Loup, there a great deal writen on the importance of this linking of masculine and feminine, along with the spirit and the earth, the animal and angel, and how to do it (such as aspects of the brain, language, etc.). What was most striking was this, "Human beings become the bridge between plant and archangel in the heart, through the slow gesture- movement that is both supple and permeated with awareness." Yoga!!! Here we connect that earthy and spiritual aspects of ourselves.
This idea of combining this sun/moon or masculine feminine energy, is one of the many, many examples of the commonalities between all religions and spiritual paths. If so many of these ancient teachings call for us to recognize this important balance of these opposites, it seems something worth looking in to! For me, I've spent so much of my time balancing out from the current patriarchy, allowing myself to grow and be nurtured fully as a woman. I have seen women do this in all kinds of ways, most importantly building community together that allows for the soul to be enriched and grow- without being dismissed or demeaned.
Women's place has been pushed into a smaller and smaller corner over millennia- but that is changing. Goddess, Priestess, Women Ministers, women's circles- this is all becoming more and more commonplace. Women in a place of power, strong, independent- we are seeing this too! And the popularity of the Da Vinci Code- the idea of women's place in spirituality as equally important (atleast in some areas of the world- we do have a long way to go yet!)- is coming closer and closer to a place of balance. We begin to see the destruction that is created by forcing the sun's relationship to be in power and dominating and overshadowing the moon.
"In its unmitigated extreme, the number 666 represents the exercise of raw, abusive power, the power of the tyrant... the power principle of tyranny itself. The distinguishing remarks of a society that adulates the authoritarian 666 are a callous disregard for the poor, the powerless,and the 'little ones', and women. It is important to point out that the creative male principle is both necessary and good: the number 666 representing this solar energy (victory, power, authority, order, action, righteousness, obedience to law) is positive. But in it's extreme, when not properly complemented with the feminine principle, it becomes both dangerous and destructive."
Sound familiar?!
It seems after 2000 years, and these new texts coming to light and being translated for the lay person to read them Mary and Jesus's teachings are beginning to be acknowledged and heard by more people. Something that Yogis have been teaching for thousands of years- that we do need love- but without attachment, compassion without judgement, acceptance of ourselves, and to connect to that deep place within- the kingdom of heaven that resides inside... and we can not do this harmoniously without the balance between the masculine and feminine aspects of ourselves. I don't think that is possible until we embrace all of ourselves fully. The light and dark, our sexuality, our body/mind/spirit. And on a global level coming back to embracing the Goddess. We must to return the Sacred Feminine to her rightful place.
Mothers Day Goddess
Mothers Day is celebrated Sunday the 13th, just before the new moon on wednesday. To honor the mother, I've chose to share about a mother Goddess, quoted from the book "Maiden, Mother, Crone by DJ Conway".
"Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, among other things, was said to be older than time. In Her Middle Eastern version as Asherah or Astarte, She had the oldest continuously operated temple in the world. Since She, under the name of Venus, gave birth to Aeneas, the Romans considered Her their ancestral mother. The city of Venice is named after Her. The island of Cyprus, noted for it's copper mines, was one of Her major worship centers; Aprhodite's sacred metal is copper. in Her shrine at Mount Eryx, Her high priestess was called Melissa, or Bee; Her emblem there was a golden honeycomb. This goddess ruled birth life, love, death, time, and fate.
The Journey Moon
This month we enter the Journey Moon, which teaches us about... balance of course! The following is quoted from my very favorite and useful lunar book, Earth Time Moon Time, by Annette Hinshaw:
"The energies of the Journey Moon deal with balances between the new and the old, the unknown and the familiar, change and permanence. If our present society seems overbalanced in its love of technical innovation, we also see movements to overbalance in the opposite direction, in backward looking fundamentalists of all persuasions... In our personal lives, one practical and balanced way to handle Journey Moon energies is expressed in the old adage, "Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside." The only constant in our world is change, and if we cannot adapt to new ideas and facts, we stultify in stagnant pools, dying by degrees as we deny the renewal that should be our birthright as humans. on the other hand, if we chase post of gold ad the ends of rainbows beyond every distant hill, and never stop to examine the riches on the hill we presently occupy, we will never gardner enough energy and grounded knowledge to produce something worth having. We can die of having no roots as surely as we can of not moving. Our challenge is as always to find the balance. This time the balance lies between, on t he one hand being open and taking risks, and on the other appropriately valuing what we already possess. the mother offers us both green valleys and far horizons, the renewal of change and the stability of safe harbors. It is our task to find the best use for both and all that lies between."
Taurus New Moon
This month we are starting out with the energies and influence of taurus moon (and taurus sun sign for a bit longer yet). This is my moon sign, so be aware of my own personal bias and special affinity for this one:) Here's what Llwellyn's 2007 Moon Sign Book has to say about Taurus Moon energies (and remember, the moon sign switches every couple of days, and each month going through the zodiac in about a month, but it is on a new or full moon just about once a year):
"A taurus Moon's energy is feminine, semi- fruitful, and earthy. The moon is exalted- very strong- in Taurus. Taurus is known as the farmers sign because of its associations with farmland and precipitation that is the typical day-long "soaker" variety. Taurus energy is good to incorporate into your plans when patience, practicality, and perseverance are needed. Be aware, though, that you may also experience stubbornness in this sign.
Things started in Taurus tend to be long lasting and to increase in value. This can be very supportive energy ina marriage election. On the down side, the fixed energy of this sign resists change or the letting go of even the most difficult situations.... If you want to make changes in something you start, it would be better to wait for Gemini (which happens the very next day!) This is a good time to get a loan, but expect people in charge of money to be cautious and slow to make decisions."
Mothers Day:
"Rediscover the experience of being rather than doing and accumulating things; and renew in yourself the art of giving and receiving rather than producing and exploiting. our purpose on Earth is not to manipulate things... but to meet each other in living encounters. Life is too short to be lived by exploiting eachother. There is something better for us to do, and the time we have is barely enough to learn how to love one another. And no one can learn this for us..." The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Jean Yeves LeLoup.
This month where we celebrate mothers day, think on this quote. I will be too! On learning how to love one another authentically.
I wish you the best during this Moon Time:)
Feel free to email me using the contact form.
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Next Moon Journal Entry >>