Cancer New Moon ~ 2015

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/nh-charon.jpg

Today's sky reveals ~ or does not reveal ~ the Cancer New Moon. However, it's also the day that reveals the New Horizon's images of Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, up close and personal. What a remarkable event!

The Cancer New Moon is all about emotional fulfillment... finding what sparks your deepest love and most expansive passion. It may refer to partnerships. I'd say look beyond those because even partnerships are sparked by something within your heart. Be aware that this New Moon may bring with it more intense and rapidly changing emotions, perhaps creating some raw and exposed feelings. Breathe through them. Continue to love yourself and honor all parts of who you are.

The images from Pluto ~ and its moon Charon ~ arrive in perfect timing. In mythology, Charon is the ferryman who carries the souls of mortals into the Underworld, Pluto's realm. Since Pluto is the symbol of the hidden, of what seeks to be revealed, of the deeper darkness within, the New Moon is the most auspicious time to be in the presence of Charon, the guide into that Underworld.

What passion is bursting forth in your life right now? How is the hidden part of you peaking through and showing itself? What is the coinage you will use to pay Charon to cross into  the Underworld? What will you bring back?

Scorpio Full Moon Myths

This Full Moon arrives conjunct with the asteroid Lilith. Lilith bears Her own set of myths that are only magnified when She comes in contact with the Moon Mother. Many of the myths of Lilith cast Her in the role of a power to be confronted and perhaps even subdued. But Lilith is not one to succumb to the demands for Her to bow to what others, especially men, want of Her.

In one of Her aspects, Lilith scares Inanna ~ One of the powerhouse Goddesses ~ because She carries dimensions of Inanna's own archetypical nature. Who, indeed, is She? How does She bear to carry so much power?

In another aspect, She does not accept Adam's demand that She be the particular type of partner he wants. She does not falter in Her belief that the animals do not need Adam, or Her, to name them. Even when that belief means She can no longer be in Paradise and another is created to replace Her. She leaves that Paradise fully understanding She must, and will, survive on Her own. She lives into the fullness of the meaning of virgin as an autonomous, self-sufficient woman; one not needing to answer to any man.

Lilith's story is a cautionary tale, meant to scare women into submission. If a woman dares to challenge the system, she will be banished. This, however, backfires as soon as one realizes that banishment is not necessarily a bad thing.

Lilith is the dark, hidden side of Lunar Myths. She is the One strengthens as well as scares. She can live in the darkness. She can shine like moonlight and pierce that same darkness.

What is your favorite tale of darkness and light? What is your reaction to the stories of Lilith? Why would a Dark Goddess be representative of the light of the Full Moon? How does Her tale touch you?

The 100

For the past several days, I've bean watching episodes of the dystopian TV show The 100. The online description:

When nuclear Armageddon destroys civilization on Earth, the only survivors are those on the 12 international space stations in orbit at the time. Three generations later, the 4000 survivors living on a space ark of linked stations see their resources dwindle and face draconian measures established to ensure humanity's future. Desperately looking for a solution, the arks leaders send 100 juvenile prisoners back to the planet to test is habitability. Having always lived in space, the exiles find the planet fascinating and terrifying, but with the date of the human race in their hands, they must forge a part into the unknown.

Fascinating prospects. I'm amazed at the continued creativity. Dystopian stories are a significant genre in recent years: the Hunger Games and Divergent series, to name two of the most popular. One thing this show has that the others miss is some level of specificity as to what created the altered future. This one clearly states that it was a nuclear war. Like others of this genre, there is an element of outside control ostensibly for the good of all. Yet in this one, that force has no inherent evil or hunger for power. It's more of an established mythos of who and what they are.

Another difference is the element of colonization and encountering unknown others who are similar yet different, infused with their own sense of how things should be. It takes the confrontation to a level that is not only internal, but inter-relational. The leaders, as with Hunger Games and Divergent, are young, flawed and adaptable.

I've written previously about dystopian literature. I like the genre. The stories have been around for a long time, showing up lately with more frequency. It seems to be a creative response ~ as the preceding books were ~ to the strong sense of destruction that permeates so much of our society today, including global warming, economic disparity, state-sponsored torture and military excesses.

Have you read or watched dystopian stories? Which ones? How does the genre affect you? What else do you see happening in response to the difficulties and destructive forces in our society?

Dawn Reaches Ceres

From the NASA site:
"NASA's Dawn spacecraft slipped into orbit around Ceres on Friday morning. Dawn's job is to tell all about the mini-planet, discovered more than 200 years ago. The biggest question is, of course, could Ceres harbor life?"

In my research, I discovered that Ceres has been considered an asteroid as well as a dwarf planet (or mini-planet, depending on the source). It was 'discovered' on January 1, 1801 by the Italian monk Giuseppe Piazzi, who also named it. He observed it for 41 days, fell ill, then lost it in the halo of the Sun.

The dwarf planet was named after the Roman goddess Ceres. Ceres is a goddess of agriculture, fertility, grain, midwifery. Ceres also supports death ~ the growth and intensity that occurs as death comes ever nearer. The soul grows and blossoms as that unknown, unknowable time approaches. She is the midwife at the gate between the worlds.  Yet in that research, there is no reason given why an astronomer and monk would name an object in the night sky after a Roman goddess.

Another fascinating tidbit, from a 2008 report in New Scientist magazine, alleges that Ceres and Pluto were originally from the same place because they are comprised of the same compounds, which doesn't happen anywhere else in the Solar System, even though they are four billion kilometers apart (approximately). What makes this fascinating is that this corresponds to the mythology: Pluto and Ceres are siblings and part of the Olympian pantheon. Pluto takes Ceres daughter Proserpine away from the world of light and into the Underworld ~ difficult to reach and a significant distance away.

All of this information wrapped up together makes the news of the NASA spacecraft Dawn orbiting Ceres a more complex story than at first blush. I love how the science, astrological information and mythology come together. I believe in the veracity of the Chinese proverb: May you live in interesting times. I certainly do!

What do you think of the news about the NASA spacecraft Dawn? Are there other points you've learned about Ceres? What more would you want to learn? What do you think of the interweaving of science and myth?

Predicting

"One cannot predict the next mythology any more than one can predict tonight's dream; for a mythology is not an ideology. It is not something projected from the brain, but something experienced from the heart."

~ Joseph Campbell, The Inner Reaches of Outer Space

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I love Joseph Campbell and I am grateful for the breadth of his work being recorded in some way. His books, interviews and presentations are fascinating and his creativity boundless. The above statement, two sentences, is packed with meaning.

"[T]he next my mythology..." What does that mean? Are mythologies created? Can they change or adapt to the current age? How much control do we have over their development? or their creation?

To better understand Campbell's statement, I looked for a definition for mythology that went beyond "a collection of myths" and found "...a set of legends, stories or beliefs, especially ones that have a religious or cultural tradition." In that context, each new or emerging culture could potentially develop its own mythology. I like that; it rings true in relation my experiences.

In the media, every 'generation' has received a reference term (Millenials, GenXers, Boomers, etc.). Each of those generations seems to develop some portion of its own mythology. What are the stories, the legends Boomers believe? What about Millenials? How are they different? How are they similar?

Belief in particular stories does come from the heart more than the head. There was a legend that grew around 9/11 regarding who had 'weapons of mass destruction.' Even though the reality proved different from that legend, many people choose to believe the myth.

Now there's a growing movement regarding Marriage Equality. The challenge from the old belief system and from the new mythology are clashing ~ and the new is emerging with a spreading victory across the country.
                                                                        
Although both of these are political situations, their truth lies in the beliefs of the people more than in anything solid. Our culture shifts with each new mythology as it builds momentum and finds footing. Joseph Campbell's statement bears validity today too.

What are the myths you've grown to believe? Do you think mythologies change with each new cultural group that arises? Have your beliefs shifted with the tide? or as you've grown older?

Watching Like a Cat

In myth and lore, magic and mystery, Cat has nine lives, curiosity, independence, cleverness, unpredictability and healing, and is at home in the dark, often associated with fears. Cat helps people move through their fears efficiently.

The energy field of a cat rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the opposite of a human energy field, giving cats the ability to absorb and neutralize energy that affects humans in a negative way. This is part of cat's healing medicine.

I'm always fascinated by the poses my cats take. Lazing across a chair on a hot afternoon, this cat practically hangs his head over the edge of the chair, surveying his domain. He looks half asleep, but if anything moves, he's up and ready to pounce.

One of the qualities attributed to cats is patience. I've found that patience is and is not a cat trait. On the one hand, it often appears Cat can wait forever for something to move. On the other hand, if something moves elsewhere, Cat shifts focus to the new movement. Personally, this exhibits Cat's propensity for being in the Moment. "Well," Cat seems to conclude, "if there's no movement or life here, maybe the movement over there will be tasty." Yes, I also believe everything Cat does is related to its stomach.... Why else does it need to pounce?

How does that single-mindedness relate to me? I often find myself so completely focused on a thought or description or desire that nothing else matters. What I like about Cat's way is that when there is movement elsewhere, perhaps I would be better off with a refocus of my attention. Something new to practice while I laze around on a hot late summer afternoon!

What trait or traits do you see in Cat? Which draws your attention? How does that trait show up in your life? How can you practice it?

Re-Mything Noah

http://www.zekefilm.org/

After seeing the new movie Noah, I was most struck by the minor, yet significant, alterations from the Biblical story of Noah.

Foremost, this is not intended as a critique of the movie itself. It was the epic tale itself that caught me up.

I've read the Biblical story of Noah more than once. I've heard it read in church and I've seen various movie segments that have encompassed that version of the story.

What the new movie Noah brought clearly to light were the details that were not in the other versions. As I watched, I was reminded of the enormity of the task of building a craft to house two of every creature on the face of the earth. The myth in my head was the Playskool boat with the two giraffes, two elephants, two gorillas, and whatever other animals were on it, that was often found in Sunday school classrooms. The myth played out had two of every kind of snake and bird and insect as well. I had not considered the lion needing to be beside the zebra. Predator and prey. All were included.

The other significant, yet rarely mentioned and often overlooked, factor was that all of those who were on the ark heard the cries of those not on it who were drowning. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights ~ not an unusual amount for the Pacific Northwest or Hawaii or a rain forest. For a land that consisted of significant desert? Different story. [Something else: 40 is a number of completion in Biblical mythological terms.]

What would it do to you to hear the wails of people dying? How would you handle that kind of choice? What myths/stories from your childhood do you see in a different light as an adult?

Pandora

Because of my relationship with and comments on the word HOPE in my previous post, I decided to check out the myth of Pandora. Wow! There's a lot of confusion around her ~ who she was, what she was, what she did, whether hope stayed in the container, what the container was..... the list goes on and on!

Here is part of the problem ~~ an amphora in the Ashmolean Museum with a depiction of Pandora rising from the earth. In 1903, Jane Ellen Harrison wrote: "Pandora rises from the earth; she is the Earth, giver of all gifts. This is made doubly sure by another representation of her birth or rather her making. ... Pandora, half statue half woman, has just been modelled by Hephaistos, and Athene is in the act of decking her. Pandora she certainly is, but against her is written her other name (A)nesidora, 'she who sends up gifts.' Pandora is a form or title of the Earth-goddess ... entirely humanized and vividly personified by mythology."

So Pandora begins life as a manifestation of the Earth-goddess Gaea... then loses her place when Hesiod writes about her as the blight of humanity? Certainly, a patriarchal culture would continue that mythos.

Why am I so intrigued by the myth of Pandora? Because I believe it, and other myths laying the troubles of the world at the feet or hands of female characters, instills in our youth a subtle and continuing blame of women. We talk about these myths as though they are simply stories that we can easily dismiss. Yet we continue to read them, to teach them, to use them as instructional tools. We've always used myths to explain natural or cultural phenomena. Why would we think that our teaching of these myths would be any different? Do we use other myths to counter them? Do we teach/share all the variations?

What stories/myths have shaped your life? Which ones still do? How do you want to re-vision them?

St. Patrick's Day 2014

http://www.jimfitzpatrick.com/

The legend of St. Patrick contains the story and image of him driving the snakes out of Ireland. Although snakes were not prevalent in Ireland when Patrick lived there, the myth remains. Many speculate about the persistence of and reasoning behind that particular element of his myth. My personal favorite: Many cultures connect snakes with the Goddess. Since a snake sheds its skin without dying, it is also considered a symbol of regeneration.

The image to the left is Eriu, the eponymous matron Goddess of Ireland, one of three Goddesses who ruled Ireland together. Eriu is considered Goddess of Sovereignty.

That particular assignation left me smiling. My blooming theme for Lent this year is related to sovereignty: autonomy, choice, responsibility. Although I didn't go in search of this Goddess ~~ or know Her story when I found Her ~~ I know She will reveal more about the reason She appeared in my life at this time. She is strong, powerful, balanced ~~ all qualities fitting my Lenten theme.

Who shows up in your life for St. Patrick's Day? What does s/he reveal to you about yourself? about your path? Who does s/he encourage you to become?

The Storm in the Heart of the Sun

Again, here's the same quote as posted previously ~~ with a different focus: the storm in the heart of the sun. Since time immemorial, we humans have looked up into the heavens. We have followed the progress of the sun and the moon and the stars. We have watched the various styles of weather and shifts in our capacity to see.

We also follow the effect of the sun and the moon on our planet ~ and on ourselves. In this snippet of the mythos of Dr. Who, he is a Storm of the Sun. This correlates most closely with what we know and name Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections which "are extremely large explosions on the photosphere. In just a few minutes, the flares heat to several million degrees F. and release as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT. ...

Solar flares emit x-rays and magnetic fields which bombard the Earth as geomagnetic storms. ...during sunspot maximums, the Earth will see an increase in the Northern and Southern Lights and a disruption in power grids and radio transmissions. The storms can even change polarity in satellites which can damage sophisticated electronics." [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/?n=sunspots]

A Storm in the Heart of the Sun. Think about the power of that image; the possibility of influence over a vast array of power. What would you do with that kind of power? What in your life influences you that much, that completely? How many 'storms' have you weathered? and of what magnitude?

Ancient and Forever

Doctor Who, The Family of Blood, 2 June 2007:

Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever... He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe... And... he's wonderful.

What fantastic writing!
At first read, the phrase "ancient and forever" appears redundant. Especially since the tone and tense of the statements remains in the present. Ancient generally implies the past, but clearly not in this statement. It's about a being that has been alive for a very, very long time. Forever implying that this being will continue on for a very long time as well.

I know that this particular quote came from a Doctor Who episode ~ yet it can describe any being from any mythology with an eternal presence. Ancient and forever ~ past, present and future ~ one who is everpresent in the conscious world.

That's why the writing is so glorious! Paul Cornell, the writer of this episode, captures the essence of the eternal being in mythology. The obverse is that this being is also ageless.... and capable of changing appearance!

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "ancient and forever"? How important is an eternal being in your life?