New Moon, New Love, New Life

NOVEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 1

WANING CRESCENT TO WAXING CRESCENT

MERCURY RETROGRADE POST-SHADOW TILL DEC 4

NEPTUNE DIRECT WEDNESDAY 27

(Painting by Pat Erickson 2015, "New Moon")

Yeehar, Mercury Retroshade is nearly fully over, we’re (just) into December at last (by Sunday) and what better way to kick off a week that was destined to be full of surprises, emotional upset and continued retrograde disturbance, than with Israel Folau blaming the bush fires on gays and pro-abortionists. It’s such a bizarre statement, I don’t even know where to start.

One thing’s for sure, God is shaking his head and telling the big J that he better high-tail his patchouli’ed-buns back down to earth sooner rather than later to talk some sense back into those followers who have obviously taken parts of His gospel a little too far.

Traditional custodians of all indigenous cultures never did fathom the missionaries’ insistence that there was a heaven and a hell when they rocked up to their land and started trying to convert them. They had been honoring Mother Earth for generations, waaaay before these strangers came along and they were quite happy thank you very much, to continue holding their rituals, living with nature and invoking the gods and goddesses that were very real and very interactive with them. The concept that there was only one god and that he would hold you accountable for your sins and punish you when you didn’t do as you were told, was unimaginable to them. Still is.

It’s an out-dated dogma when you think about it and if we are going to get anywhere together at this point in our evolution, we really need to stop using The Bible, The Quran (Muslim) or The Tanach (Jewish), as spiritual weapons. As propaganda that ultimately polarises.

God isn’t someone or something that exists outside of us. It/He/She, is the one divine energy that we are all made up of; and that isn’t blasphemous, it’s sacred truth. The word is even derived from “good”, meaning god is good, you are good (inherently) and hence, you aren’t “born in sin”; nor are you required to spend your life flagellating yourself to make amends or prove your devotion.

Religion is not spirituality. Religion is a construct created by man, to make it easier to control others who share the same opinions and beliefs and as a way to justify condemning those who didn’t. That’s why there are so many of them peppered around the world – and just look at how well that’s been working! Terrorism for a start, was born from religious fanaticism. War, ditto. Even genital mutilation (which frighteningly, still happens), murdering your first born (if they weren’t male) and (underage) arranged marriages – all acceptable practices in the name of ‘religion’.

So Israel, take a step back brother and breathe. I understand you need to speak your truth and I respect that, but we’re about to start a new century, one ripe with conscious awareness, loving kindness and a deeper-than-ever-desire to dissolve all inherited boundaries and barriers that don’t serve the highest good of all, so if you’re not down with that dude, maybe don’t press record next time you’re in church.

Luckily god forgives ignorance as much as he welcomes same sex marriage and tolerates the Alan Jones’ of the world.

The footballers’ inflammatory comments come hot on the heels of another man on a mission – senator Barnaby Joyce – who also feels the necessity to use bush fire tragedy to get his distorted point across; this time as an avenue to attack his opponents, the Greens party.

Let’s be super shiny, squeaky clear here: these bush fires are not an ‘act of judgment, of god’ nor are they the manifestations of any action or inaction of any particular political party. These firestorms, these escalating catastrophic weather events, are very much connected to climate change and the continued (governmental and individual) mismanagement of Australian land.

You know the saying, “if you want a job well done, do it yourself” – but what we have forgotten as British hand-me-downs living on land that isn’t ours and never will be (regardless of how much money we pay for it), is that the ‘job’ of looking after the land – that is, the role as a custodian of the earth – isn’t one any of us ever learned how to do ourselves, properly, here, in this country. We just swept in with our noisy ships and nasty guns and took over, arrogantly applying knowledge gleaned from elsewhere and ever since then, white man has been like the blind leading the blind as far as cultivating land that was never meant to be farmed the way it has been, and in the process, has completely disturbing the natural flow for all inhabitants.

Meanwhile, our aggrieved first nations peoples have been forced to stand by and watch us destroy their property, generation after generation; and put up with being treated like 2nd or 3rd class citizens to boot! How would you feel if the tables were turned? Not too good I would imagine.

It’s all much of a muchness now anyway because pretty soon this whole country be entirely owned by China and none of us – neither black nor white – will have a say in how things roll.

So yes. Last week started off with a bang and it only got louder as Mercury prepared to move direct, taking as many prisoners as he could. Personally, my week started with me feeling wiped from the get go and anything but enthusiastic or excited about what the cosmos was offering. As mentioned, Mars entered Scorpio on Monday and instead of inspiring me to stop “pussyfooting around my own power” and get out there in front of the camera, I spent the day (after teaching yoga), lazing on the couch nursing a full body ache and showering myself with lemons; which is only going to make sense to my fellow Maa devotees. Luckily the virus had lifted enough by Wednesday morning as Mercury moved direct, to enable me to eat solids and put coherent sentences together again.

It’s an interesting trip when you get sick as a energetic healer or healing practitioner of any kind. It’s almost like there’s this unspoken expectation because you work with energy or epitomize a healthier than usual lifestyle, that you are immune to germs, when the exact opposite is true. With the extra crazy and toxic energies that are circulating at present (and have been for a while) and you’re working closely with people 24/7, I’m surprised more of us haven’t dropped like flies and been unable to work and support others.

Those of us who hold big space in particular – for the planet for example – are often more susceptible to getting ill because we are conduits that can transmute larger loads. It might not always give us physical colds or flu, it might express as emotional overwhelm that makes us want to stay under the doona and hibernate, or mental fatigue, where the feeling of everybody else’s feels as well as our own, has gotten a bit too much to handle and we joke about how nice it would be to be spiritually ignorant again. Of course these moments pass because we understand it’s all part of the job and part of our personal rites of passage, but despite our abilities to speak with spirits and remove trauma with grace and ease, it’s important for others to remember that we are only human too! Illness also doesn’t make us any less of a healer or less powerful either.

Illness (and injury) are actually great teachers.

I remember the first time I injured myself as a newbie yoga teacher and couldn’t execute many postures at all and instead, had to sit and rely solely on verbal instruction to teach the class. It was challenging and not only made me step up my skills but also appreciate future students who came nursing injuries and needing more TLC. It reminded me to remain the perpetual student and to never take my (or anybody else’s) body for granted.

Unfortunately, I had learned how to ‘suck it up and soldier on’ from working in the film industry for so long (decades ago now), so yes, in the past I have taught yoga with fluids threatening to explode in all directions and yet nobody ever noticed, not one twitch. Thanks NIDA for all the lessons!

I did this a lot of the time because I didn’t want to let anyone down, but what I needed to learn through those experiences, was that I was letting myself down by not listening to my body; and that wasn’t yogic at all.

We all have to learn in our own (time) and way of course, but forcing yourself to teach when you’re ill is not a compassionate or comfortable space to move from, so if you can avoid it, please do. If you’re not feeling 100%, don’t teach, don’t work, don’t mind your neighbors kids even if you said you would and certainly don’t put yourself in a position where you have to pump yourself full of medication in order to function because that can be outright dangerous. The only heavy machinery you should be operating, is the kettle.

Stop, rest and restore. This is really important not just during those astrological phases when the planets are out there stirring up trouble and channeling full on energies into our atmosphere that brings all manner of old debris up and out of us, but also during your moon time, because there is nothing more unpleasant than feeling like death warmed up and bleeding. Be gentle with yourself and take time to integrate as you purge and you will find your gifts will expand and strengthen because you are consciously respecting your process.

Let the illness or imbalance show you where you need to reclaim and regenerate your power.

Always walk your talk no matter what because as a healer of any sort, you must lead by example and honor yourself first, as that conduit. Otherwise you’re no help to anyone.

Onto the astrology now.

Wednesday this week was a transitional day offering a couple of amazing gifts from the universe, the first being Mercury stationing direct, at 11’ Scorpio, at last, and also a 2:2 and 11:11 portal, which brought heart expanding and harmonious juju with it plus a second wave of the peaceful and awakening energies from the recent 11:11 gateway that opened on November 11. On the upside, you may have noticed your senses were heightened or that you suddenly felt more aligned internally, different to how you have before. On the downside, you may have been hit with debilitating flu or some other virus that numbed your senses instead. Either way, it ‘was what it was’ and exactly what you needed to experience. Equanimity remember.

With November being a #11 month, plus #20 reduces to #2, this also tied in with the vibe of 2020 and what’s coming next year, so whatever you experienced on Wednesday 20, take notes and take note of them, because there will have been hidden messages there. Personal hints from the universe, just for you.

This coming hump day, Wednesday 27, Neptune will station direct at last (at 15’ in Pisces), creating some seriously delicious (and very welcome) spiritual awakenings. Think unconditional love spreading through the collective matrix to a new level, receiving powerful messages from your dreams and then being able to find the focus to integrate these dreams and make them come true. MAGIC!

It's also the Sagittarius new moon (at 3' in Sag) on Wednesday with Mars opposite Uranus (at 4’ Scorpio, which was the exact position of the recent NM in Scorpio), at the same time. This all happens at 2:05am in Sydney. This is a super fortuitous alignment that promises to bring a sense of renewed freedom, liberation, creativity and a deep desire to explore and embrace all your amazing ideas. New Moon is where our feminine yin energy peaks, so make time to nourish and rest and honor the wisdom that rises when you embrace this primal power within. This is the best time in the lunar cycle to address any issues around self care, self love and inner fulfillment, especially if you’ve had some niggling issues but haven’t made time to or been too afraid, to accept and face them. Do so now, otherwise these things will escalate into bigger health problems down the track and you don’t want that.

It's also a pertinent time to question who you are and where you are going in life.

Take a chance and step off the yellow brick road that everyone else is walking, otherwise you will keep following all the other little piggies to the abattoir. You know in your heart that you are more than this, that you deserve more than this and that you are programmed to receive and give, more than this, so make the change! Sagittarius is all about travel and movement, so get in sync with that and start moving, in any shape or form, so you create change that is healthy and conscious, inspiring and fresh. This may manifest as an inner journey or a physical outward one where you have to get off your butt and actually do something. Think of Chiron, the centaur who broke free from the confines of culture and habit, to better himself through study so he could embrace his calling as a healer. This new moon is trine to Chiron (coincidentally, not), reiterating the call to you, to get up and get going in the direction that you are meant to in this life!

And because Chiron connects to the throat chakra, this is the perfect time to speak your truth and voice your wounds so they can clear and upgrade and set you free, as Sagittarius invites. When you do so, you inspire others to do the same. That is the path of a true spiritual teacher and leader – one who shows up regardless of their own fears, illness or blockage, to authentically share their story. They trust that when they do this, it not only brings healing for them, but it helps others find the freedom, strength and peace that they too deserve.

Now is a time where we can experience mental breakthroughs and embrace change where we couldn't before. It's time to stop shoving yourself through life and re-creating the same old dramas and instead, relax, sit in your heart and allow your destiny to find you. Don’t repress yourself in any way in regards to sharing your unique self. Guard against anger or opposition this week and make quick decisions when your gut guides you too. Don’t sit on the fence basically, or wait for someone else to call the shots, because they most likely won't be ones that you'll dig. Mars and Uranus will support you through any challenging developments and ‘have your back’ as you stand up and speak out, so be brave. Trust that you can manifest anything with their help; because you can, all you need to do is believe. And with the Sun and Moon both quincunxt (150') Uranus today, this is the time to let your genius express itself. Act on your instincts and intuition because with the Moon trine to Chiron at the same time, this will help you understand your own spiritual awakening so you can feel people’s vibes and then respond to them (and yourself) with more compassion than usual. Your ability to make new plans that align with your new expanding vision, has the potential to go through the roof!

On Wednesday 27 also, Neptune will station direct at last (at 15’ in Pisces), creating some seriously delicious spiritual awakenings. Think unconditional love spreading through the collective matrix to a new level, integrating powerful messages from your dreams and then being able to find the focus on how to make these dreams come true. MAGIC!

Thursday 28 sees Venus trine Uranus, making your desire for independence really strong and opening your mind and heart, to exploring new options. Dive into that creative project that you've had on hold (during Mercury Retrograde for obvious reasons) and focus wholeheartedly on receiving the financial abundance that you deserve. They will come IF you honor your uniqueness and what you offer in service to the world. 'Divine compensation' will be rewarded to you when you choose to just BE YOU. The universe always rewards the embracing of highest self.

Now, to Thanksgiving quickly because it also lands on Thursday 28 and we can’t ignore how ‘big’ this is to the majority of our American friends. Like us here in Australia, we still celebrate historical days without really understanding (or acknowledging) what they are all about and Thanksgiving is no different. It only started here in Australia after it was brought over by whaling ships from America and that’s a nice connection isn’t it. NOT.

The event commonly called ‘Thanksgiving’ was celebrated between the Pilgrims and Native Americans after their first harvest in October 1621. Around 90 natives and 53 pilgrims attended. Initially symbolising intercultural peace, Thanksgiving actually only lasted till 1675 when King Phillip’s War broke the treaty; resulting in thousands of people dying on both sides. Some historians pinpoint Thanksgiving as a day declared by governor John Winthrop in 1637 to celebrate the colonial soldiers who had just slaughtered 700 Pequot men, women and children, in what is now Mystic, Connecticut.

Even that word ‘Connecticut’ suggests bonds being broken: ‘connect’ and ‘cut’. Cutting of conscious cords.

Like our education system, America’s still has a little tweaking to do. Schoolchildren there are taught that the pilgrims who helped establish their early colonies, were initially approached and taught by the locals about how to survive in this new land. They celebrated with a feast that lasted three days and became the best of friends (apparently). This is not the whole story of course, only the ‘shiny’ bits that people want to remember; or that we are allowed to remember.

Truth is, whilst the US Archives from 1939 state that the "last Thursday in November falling on the last day of the month", shall be dedicated to Thanksgiving, President Roosevelt was more concerned about his failing economy than sticking to history and facts and hence, changed the date so people had more time to go Christmas shopping.

Yep, you read that right. Retail over detail.

32 states complied with this decree whilst another 16 refused. As a result, TWO Thanksgiving’s were celebrated annually until finally someone in Congress with a brain managed to initiate and pass a joint resolution that Thanksgiving would be the last Thursday in November for everyone. October 6, 1941 was such a day.

Seriously, you’d think they had more pressing matters to be concerned about, like I dunno, THE SECOND WORLD WAR!!

Just goes to show how (white) man has manipulated history to suit his agenda. We’ve seen it here in our own country in regards to Australia Day. Our schools don’t teach the truth about what really happened when whites arrived nor do they detail the extensive massacres or familial trauma suffered by the aborigines, as it really happened. We (still) can’t even agree on a national flag design to honor the first people’s, when it’s their home to begin with!

With everything that is happening in our world at the moment, how quickly awareness is growing and with more people each day, stepping up to speak against injustice and ignorance, I feel it’s really important to stop and question exactly why we continue to ‘celebrate’ these markers each year (that have become excuses for holidays basically) and discern whether it truly is a good and conscious thing, to keep doing so.

Mercury will remain in post-shadow mode till December 4 however, before moving through Scorpio and then Sagittarius and finally landing in Capricorn alongside Saturn, The Sun and Pluto for the first time in like, 500 years! This is a big deal people! This kind of astrological configuration heralds a huge swing towards higher consciousness, deeper activations occurring within our DNA matrix and a wave of awakening of souls ready to receive their next set of spiritual instructions.

It is evolution in real time and we are here to not only witness this but participate in making it manifest!

A most inspiring example of people deciding to say ‘no more’ and manifest change, comes from Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin who announced this week that the band will no longer tour unless they find venues that are all eco-friendly and don’t sell/use any single use plastics! How fantastic is this?!! I’m even more in love with these guys now and I really hope this sets a precedent for other musicians (and the industry) to follow. 2020 is the year of perfect vision and divine manifestation after all, so why shouldn’t we anticipate seeing more people, groups and corporations, raising the bar and setting a higher example for their peers to follow?

What this means for you is this: it’s time to see with your heart not just your eyes and to engage all your senses to their fullest and highest frequencies in order to create the life you deserve, regardless of any imagined flak or fallout. Sounds like a good plan, relatively easy, but it will require each one of us to choose love and ourselves, above all else, for only when we embody our true essence – which is love – can we experience our true nature.

So whatever you do during these next few weeks before the end of 2019, please spend as much time as you can re-wiring your inner programs and dissolving anything that no longer aligns with who you know yourself to be. It could be via small, simple things like stopping the self sabotage dialogues so you don’t bring yourself down all the time, or it might be bigger and more serious like making the decision to leave a relationship (or career) that no longer nourishes you (or them) and that has reached its use-by-date. Which happens for many people by the way (I have been there myself, in both above scenarios) and its not the end of the world if it does; it’s just the end of the world you co-created with that person (or company) that isn’t matching either of your highest vibrations anymore and hence, must evolve like everything else.

Listening to your gut and your truth, will always end well.

I can’t wait to share all the exciting things I have been creating that will support you with whatever this transition is bringing up for you, but in the meantime, keep trusting that you are on track and that you do have what it takes to change your life, wherever you feel its not working or expanding anymore. My annual New Years Eve medicine circle will be held again at Qi Freshwater on the afternoon of December 31, so please book in early as this gathering always fills up and its such a potent ritual to clear and heal and enlighten you, especially this year before the next century begins.

Here’s the link for you: http://www.qiyoga.net/events/newyears-eve-transition/

I went to see John Edwards on Friday night and OMG, what an incredible gift this man has; and IS. There never was any doubt in my mind that he was the real deal, but seeing him in action, speaking to random strangers about the most bizarre and intimate experiences and with 100% accuracy every single time, there is absolutely NO WAY that anyone could fake that. NO WAY. Plus, I could see his aura and the guides around him. Extremely powerful. This man is absolutely mind blowing and if you ever get the chance to see him live, please do! He is also incredibly patient, for inevitably there is going to be someone out of a 1000-or-so audience, that feels it’s important to ask about whether their cat has passed over – there’s always one – instead of asking something that could relieve the pain of grieving parents and help the whole of humanity, such as say, “What happens to those souls that take their own lives; are they really okay on the other side?”

That was my question, but unfortunately I missed out the chance to ask because of limited opportunities and time. So I have messaged him and hopefully I will get a response because he really does seem like the kind of guy that genuinely cares about people and wants to spread the light and love wherever he can and goddess knows, we need more like him in the world, ‘coming out’.

I got several gems from the evening that have not only helped cement my trust in my own intuitive gifts but have also explained a few things to me in relation to family and karma and for that, I am eternally grateful.

On that note, I will leave you with something John Edwards’ said last night before he left the stage. Words to live by, literally.

“Don’t live your life in the shadow of loss; live it in the light of love.”

Blessings to all,

Denby

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