GRATITUDE
On this day in the US we celebrate Thanksgiving, a day to count our blessings and give thanks for the past year. There is much talk of Gratitude between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is also the time of year when brotherly love, kindness to others and giving to the “needy” is encouraged (… in addition to shopping our little hearts out.)
This has always seemed strange to me; shouldn’t we strive to be grateful, kind to others and help people ALL YEAR LONG? It would seem that in the enlightened year of 2013, the majority of us do not practice Gratitude and Kindness on a regular basis.
Why?
Because a genuine practice of Gratitude means being grateful for every event, the good things that happen to us as well as the bad. Many of our greatest gifts come from terribly difficult people and events in our lives, for these are our greatest teachers. However, in this age of instant gratification, and pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, this is not a popular thought. Practicing Gratitude in every moment of our lives is not an easy thing to accomplish by any means, but I believe it is a worthy goal.
And then there is the double-edged sword of Kindness, practicing kindness when going through difficult times is challenging at the very least. Helping others, when we ourselves are in desperate need is not an easy feat to accomplish.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
― Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In astrology Saturn is known as the Lord of Karma, and brings the gift of accountability for our actions. Saturn’s gifts are not those of the ever expansive buoyancy of Jupiter; they are restriction, delay, disappointment, painful experiences, limits, and yes, no matter what anyone tells you, there are many limits on Earth, and for some of us more so than others. The positive aspects of Saturn are humility, patience, wisdom and compassion, and these are usually learned only by the experience of hard lessons.
It has always struck me as odd, that Saturn is such a breathtakingly beautiful planet, and yet the energies associated with it bring so many challenges in our lives.
Perhaps the gift of Saturn is finding the beauty in our most painful experiences.
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon on December 2, 2013:
(SAGITTARIUS 11) IN THE LEFT SECTION OF AN ARCHAIC TEMPLE, A LAMP BURNS IN A CONTAINER SHAPED LIKE A HUMAN BODY
[Keynote: The value of “return to the body” advocated by modern thinkers in order to balance the stress on intellectuality and objective consciousness.]
(Rudhyar)
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The New Moon in Sagittarius (Mutable-Fire), is ruled by Jupiter, King of the Gods. Saturn (Cronus) was Jupiter’s father, and was usurped from the Throne of Power on Mount Olympus, by Jupiter. The expansiveness of the son being forever shadowed by the patriarchal father. Both of these energies affect our physical bodies, Saturn our structure (bones), Jupiter our muscles (movement), these energies, unlike the outer planets, are very much immersed in the material planes of Gaia.
The New Moon trines Uranus in Aries (Cardinal-Fire) and squares the wounded healer, Chiron in Pisces (Mutable-Water). This New Moon may bring us new ideas in medical innovation, or energy healing. It may also bring obstacles to the relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan refugees, as well as victims of the devastation in the US brought by massive tornadoes in the Midwest earlier this month.
Chiron reveals our deepest wounding, and although this New Moon may bring obstacles, it connects with Uranus in Aries, this aspect prompts innovation, brilliant flashes of intuition, and in the pioneering sign of Aries, opens new pathways to healing our wounds.
To further support healing, Saturn in Scorpio (Fixed-Water), trines Jupiter in Cancer (Cardinal-Water) and they both widely trine Chiron in Pisces (Mutable-Water), forming a Grand Water Trine. Trines provide us with an easy flow of energy, much can be accomplished during this time. Mercury is moving through the late degrees of Scorpio, thus promoting deep, intense emotional communication for healing.
This Lunation also connects with the Asteroid Goddess Ceres at 11 Libra (Cardinal-Air) providing further support for nurturing and healing. The last few months have been intense, as the energies grind down our personal and collective shadows, the continual pressure eases up at this Jupiter ruled New Moon.
BE LOVE
BE PRESENT
PAY ATTENTION
In Gratitude,
jody