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Sabian ExpressionsAPPETITEGemini 6 - 10By Richard Grey
Someone with appetite has strong desire, is often passionate, sees potential and wants it all. Appetite, (and here we’re talking about appetite for life, for the spirituality of life itself), is an aspect of desire; it motivates us. Any liking develops only when curiosity and interest have been sparked, stimulating a kind of hunger. It is good to have appropriate hunger since the absence of appetite manifests as apathy or boredom and brings entropy – a gradual decline leading to a kind of ‘death-in-life’. Appetite is expressed when we make our desires known, and sometimes that very expression is enough to bring about satisfaction in some mysterious way. Yet also, and more usually, knowing how to get our needs met is a necessary life skill, which requires a ready willingness to acknowledge and communicate our appetites. Yet also, especially if our appetite is passionate, we may need to be careful that others are not badly inconvenienced or made uncomfortable by our over-zealous enthusiasm to fulfil our self-centred requirements. This is made easier by our faith that our needs will be met – trusting in life’s abundance. Sabian Symbols6 Drilling for oil.
7 An old-fashioned well. 8 An industrial strike. 9 A quiver filled with arrows. 10 An airplane falling. GEMINI EXPRESSION of APPETITE Having a zealous appetite for knowledge (6) teaches us how to trust in life and rely upon Nature (7). We learn that an assertive expression of self (8) demands that we study, through mastery of the lower nature, the wisdom and skill of focusing of mind (9) in order to uncover its majestic power (10). |
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7 Words QuestionnaireAwakeningAre you awakening?
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Joie de VivreBy James Burgess
Rodway Common was where we went when we couldn’t think of anything else to do. If Clive was out with his dad, his football was usually with him, so we had to come up with new ideas. In the 1950s that centred on outdoorsy things like catching snakes, stealing apples from a neighbour’s tree and putting pennies on the railway line to see how they looked after they'd been squashed by a freight train. An oasis of green in an increasingly suburban environment, Rodway had lots of special features to delight a 10-year-old's appetite for adventure. There would often be kite-fliers, cricketers, footballers and picnickers, and sometimes we'd see hand-holders and kissers, old couples in their 40s wheeling babies in their buggies across the uneven turf, and teams of rugby-types in training. We loved them all – but the expression of our love was most often misinterpreted – as rude, cheeky, naughty or downright insolent. That didn't matter because we would always be able to run faster than the victims of our teasing and mischief-making. Early on in the game we had learned a special secret – we would always run towards the hill, and carry on running down getting faster and faster until we reached flat ground at the bottom. We fell to the earth then, on the flat, and we laughed. We knew that no one else would dare the descent at break-neck speed. Old people, (and for us that meant 30+), would always be afraid of falling over. And indeed, if they tried to slow down or stop on the slope, then invariably they would. We lived a helter-skelter kind of life, always in the fast lane and always wanting more; the thought never crossed our minds that anything was dangerous and ill-advised. When the hill's steep slope forced the pace, then the appropriate behaviour was not to slow down but to scream with delight and run faster! I thank my lucky stars that no one ever managed to teach me anything different, and all these decades later my joie de vivre is undiminished. |
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Council of Elders by ShaRyn Maatthews
In that beautiful place where sleep meets wakefulness, I first heard the word “Dana” spoken as if in my ear. I know myself to be clair-audient (see my article last month for more information) but I’ve always heard the voice internally. On this spring day, I heard the voice externally and my eyes popped open as I looked around the light filled room. It’s quite a way to wake up! Dana is considered by the Tu’atha de Danaans to be the goddess of alchemy, the great mother creator goddess. Her name stems from Dan or knowledge. I was grateful to meet with her and held that space for our communion to expand. I had already started to think about the many allies I appeared to have in the non-physical world, Beings I felt in some way connected to, and this visit from Dana (or Danu) began to further shape my thinking. What if, these beings were making themselves known to be a part of a council of elders? To come forward with their special gifts to support me, as and when the situation arose. It felt a little fanciful (and somewhat egotistical) and yet the idea very quickly took root and a life of its own, and I began to research. Perhaps there could be a council of 12 who might sit with me around the table not dissimilar to the Knights of the Round Table, where each one took a role in the community that aligned with their specific strengths and gifts. Maybe this was on offer as a gift from the magical realm? Could there be help and support from different deities for the many aspects of life, creating a community within/out me? Being drawn to Druidism I began my research with the deities of the Celts. I sat outside in the sun and brought to mind each of the deities in my book on the subject, asking them if they were indeed part of this council of elders. Then I expanded my invitation to include any deities I’d ever met or worked with. Some of them said “Yes”, and some said “No” and amusingly one even said, “Not yet”. At the end of my session in the sun, I had a council of 12 goddesses, which felt a little strange as I have never particularly been gender focussed, however they worked with me over the time I was in that house (which I instinctively felt was built on or around the site of an ancient medicine wheel). My connection to this group of deities has waned as I moved out, and actually 12 seems too many for me to hold and build strong relationships with at one time, so during this month of focusing on Honour I intend to revisit and perhaps invoke a new council of 7 and we will explore this concept together in the Unicorn Magic Circle which meets each Thursday at 4pm. I’ve already started, beginning to explore what honouring myself means. I’m at the table too! I begin by recognising and embracing all aspects of myself without judgement. To redefine my values, my thoughts, my action in the world without the pressure of being in service or on purpose. I’m imagining that just my presence on earth is more than enough, so any next steps, acts of service or purpose can be born truly from joy and curiosity. Then I’ll turn my attention to honouring those who wish to walk the path with me, in the physical and non-physical realms. For me honour is like the breath. A circle of giving and receiving. There is a mutuality to it, being honourable, engaging honourably with other honourable people, receiving honour. Knowing when there is a lack of honour and stepping back, gracefully. All important aspects of the same thing. I’m looking forward to how this unfolds as we explore this expression in our Sabian Mysteries groups. |
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Gemini & The Sabian Mystery ofAPPETITEby Heidi Wang
“I see, and when the eye is opened, all is illumined.” How does the expression of Awakening relate to Taurus and its five Sabian Symbols? TAURUS 16° : THE LIMITATIONS OF LANGUAGE The first expression of Awakening is An Old Man Vainly Attempting To Reveal the Mysteries. In the tarot, Taurus is represented by The Hierophant, also known as the Pope or the Teacher in other decks. At the feet of The Hierophant, a pair of crossed keys represent the unlocking of the mysteries. Secret knowledge which only he, ‘an old man’, can teach. The ‘old’ refers to the tradition of passing on knowledge (such as spiritual traditions, religious beliefs, ancient scriptures) as well as to Time itself as a construct. Honouring Time calls for both the respect of the ancient knowledge that has travelled eons of time on the evolutionary plane, just like the light of a star, as well as a respect for the current times and its demands. In his attempt to teach the secrets of the universe, the old man is unsuccessful. We are confronted with the limitations of language. A two-year old child stares in wonder at a butterfly. Then the parent names the miracle ‘butterfly’ and steals the mystery. Does the child know ‘butterfly’ any better? As such, the first Sabian Symbol of Awakening raises a question: how do we translate the ‘old’ to the modern world? Or more: how can we, by revealing the mysteries, support the global awakening expressed by the air of the time? What do we teach and how? Revealing the mysteries asks that we bring the subconscious and superconscious to consciousness. Yet a true secret can not be told. Humans feel things to be true through their personal experience. It’s through ‘inner-standing’ rather than ‘understanding’ that we learn. Taurus is the 5-sensory experience –smelling the roses, listening to music, painting, massages, cooking a delicious meal and the art of enjoyment –which precedes Gemini’s language and thinking. Taurus has the ability to experience and enjoy the butterfly rather than to ‘kill’ it with a label. TAURUS 17° : THE LAW OF DUALITY Also, we can’t say one thing without saying the opposite. Taurus 17°, A Battle Between The Swords And The Torches, brings in the Law of Duality. The torches represent the inspiration, the lightbulb moments that motivate us on the spiritual path, and the primal truth of fire. The swords represent the air-element, our thinking, where all the contradictions flow together. Because words can cut like swords, this Sabian Symbol invites us to investigate our inner monologue. The way we speak to ourselves reveals the need to purify our thought body. Venus, ruler of Taurus, also declares Duality due to her guardianship over two schools: the school of ‘self-love’ through Taurus and the school of ‘love shared with others’ through Libra. How do we reconcile duality? The battle of Taurus 17° stipulates that we are required to choose a direction. Once we made the decision, we are to lay down the sword and commit to the path we’ve chosen. The inner battle served as a teacher: there is no right or wrong, but there is such a thing as what is right for me. We have left the war-stricken land of judgement for the sunlit fields of discernment. TAURUS 18°: TRANSCENDING DUALITY What lies beyond duality? What lies beyond binary thinking? This is the mission of Taurus 18°, A Woman Holding A Bag Out Of The Window Our journey of Awakening is a pilgrimage to wholeness. In contrast to the man in Taurus 16°, this Sabian Symbol speaks of a woman and thus integrates the opposite perspective: the feminine, Feeling. Choosing feeling, she holds the bag out of the window. She lets go of the baggage of the past, the old narratives that limit her experience. The exploration of duality through experiencing ‘the other side’ teaches that outer reality is merely a reflection of our inner reality. In Taurus, we become present. We learn that our consciousness is spacious enough to hold two opposite perspectives at once in equanimity. From this point on, Duality only exists to reveal the harmony underneath the binary. Our inner polarities become resources. As we thread further on the path towards union, we can flip the perspective and awaken to the ability to think from the heart and feel from the mind. Feeling from the mind restores the mind to its essence as a white canvas upon which fresh content can be impressed. Such unbiased receptivity opens the door to the quantum field of infinite possibility that lies underneath our stories and our fiery passions. TAURUS 19°: ANCHORING OUR AWAKENED SELF Now A Newly Formed Continent, Taurus 19°, can rise. This new continent provides the playground for us to practise our spirituality in the material world. How will we direct our energy? What shall we express? Through Venus’ receptivity, the constellation of Taurus initiates us into the Law of Attraction. We attract who we are, vibrationally. Our thoughts and our emotions shape this vibration which attracts to us the creative opportunities and experiences that will guide us further on the path of awakening. How our material desires and choices – our job, lifestyle, house –reflect our spiritual values, is a Taurean matter. However far ‘up there’ our journey of Awakening hurls us, it’s essential for our evolution to embody and give expression to the cosmic laws within the 3-dimensional world. It’s by materializing our desires that we integrate our values and test the fertility of the intuition. TAURUS 20°: REVEALING THE INTUITION Taurus 20°, Wind, Clouds and Haste, confronts the fixed earth of Taurus with the mutability of the air-element: the ever-changing thoughts that drift like clouds through our minds, but also the air of the time. The wavering, dynamic and uncertain weather of our lives requires a unique identity that grounds us in reality. Taurus wants to monetise a unique talent so the individual is able to fulfil its own physical needs and grow self-sufficient. Whichever way the wind blows, establishing our identity in the community and world at large nurtures our self-love and awakens us to our sovereignty. The journey of becoming ever continues, and a strong sense of inner security gives us roots so we can more easily cope with the winds of change. Legend tells that the Buddha was born a Taurus. Siddharta lived a Taurean life of luxury in a palace when spirit, Wind, Clouds and Haste, called him away. The symbol instructs us to root in self-love and tend to our inner weather, ‘our vibration’, while staying open to divine guidance, because tomorrow Life might have us on the road again. Human consciousness hastily speeds towards novelty to accommodate our ever-evolving desires. Haste as the antidote of Taurus teaches the technique of Presence, Patience, and slowing down: the art of allowing. In Buddhism, thinking is considered a sense, something we receive, like the song of the birds, the smell of grandmother’s soup… The Buddha is ever depicted seated in meditation, eyes closed, with the third eye. This symbol takes us deeper into our meditation practice. We’re now invited to also let go of the sensory experience and to open the one and unique eye by looking within. When we are still, silent and at ease, we can awaken to our inner voice, our intuition. Taurus’ mantra: “I see, and when the eye is opened, all is illumined.” Wind, Clouds and Haste is the womb of the next expression of Taurus, Authority, where we embrace our responsibility to be someone and to care for the planet. In truth, we can not offer our planet anything, for Earth already offers us everything: these bodies we borrow, our food and water, the air we breathe… The only gift we can bring to the table is the purification and beautification of our thoughts, so that we clean the air we share, the atmosphere of our planet. |
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Videos Relating to Taurus Expression of Awakening
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