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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in 2015
Comet Lovejoy—What Does it Represent Astrologically?

Image by Damian Peach of the Space Exploration Network (SEN), taken from the NASA website.

Comet Lovejoy has been in the news lately, being visible to the naked eye, and expected to be at its brightest in the first two weeks of January.  This celestial survivor was first spotted on the December 2, 2011 by an amateur astronomer named Terry Lovejoy.  It was expected to head into our Sun and be destroyed, as are many small comets.

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Simple joy and reflections for 2015

There is nothing like the overwhelming opportunities for renewal and reflection that New Year's Eve celebrations can bring.

Last night I bid 2014 farewell by sharing a few beers on the beach with a good friend, and we had a good view of the 'kids' fireworks that were at 9pm. We were alone on the beach to watch the sun set, but as 8.30 rolled around local residents started strolling down to the beach to get a view of the light show that was being held in town. There was so much cheer - people bidding "Happy New Year" to strangers, kids covered in glow-stick jewelry jumping out of the skins with anticipation, and just a lot of general positive feeling.

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Reciprocal Resolutions: Incorporating the Sacred Principle of "Ayni" When Looking to 2015

There is the giving of gifts and the receiving of gifts. There is the counting of how many who gave what and the reminders to say "thank you". Within the roots of holiday gift giving I find a lovely example of the Andean people of Peru's belief in "ayni" or sacred reciprocity. Ayni is the idea of the sacred balance of giving and receiving as the foundation of all life.

Different than the concept of fairness, ayni is not a dry calculation to balance the scales, but a living example of the Divine in action in our world. Gift giving, at its core, is the same. When we give gifts for the holidays there are certain social mores honored. We strive to choose gifts that will please the other person and show them our love. No matter what the content is of that next box we open, we plan to act delighted upon its unveiling because we care for the feelings of the person who gave it to us. Being a thoughtful giver is as important as being a gracious receiver.

In Peru, sacred reciprocity is not dependent on a holiday; it goes on in every moment. Every breath is considered a sacred exchange, taking in the One and letting out the One.

"Of the five principles, ayni is the single most important concept of the Andean way... it means the interchange of lovingkindness, knowledge, and the fruits of one’s labor between individuals, between humans and the environment, and between humans and nature spirits. Reciprocity implies that one’s labor is shared: I will help you today, and tomorrow you might help me. The purpose of reciprocity is the maintenance of life.

Ayni also implies respect for life... When we return the good that comes to us and show respect without judging the giver or what is received, it becomes benevolence in its highest form." - from The Shaman's Well

The act of holiday gift giving is meant to be a sacred act that is a demonstration of love and a celebration of the gifts of life. Ultimately, it is meant to be a ceremony revering the Divine no matter what religion or spirituality you practice. If that is always the case is another discussion and a hot debate in our avid consumerist society. However, for the sake of this line of inquiry, I am simply talking about the traditions at the heart of holiday gift giving.

When the holidays are over the cycle of giving ends in many of our lives. Any other times of year when we give gifts, the exchange is lop-sided or spread out over time. It is your friend's birthday. You give her a gift. She does not give you one until your birthday months later. The sacred act of giving and receiving at once is tucked away until next winter.

Already, by New Year's Day we have set aside reciprocity. We start out with our resolutions stating what we want for the year. It may be what we want of ourselves, what we'd like the universe to provide for us or what we'd like for the universe. Without taking a survey, I would say most resolutions are in the form of wishes which have us looking outward, waiting to receive.

What will we give this year?

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New Year, New You: An Experiment in Magical Radical Transformation

My muse and I have an on-going disagreement of sorts.  Well.  I do.  She is indifferent as usual to my thoughts and feelings.  She clomps into my bedroom, Manolos in hand, Aviation martinis from the Lambs Club and a burrito from Taco Morelos on her breath.

 
She (kicks the bed):  Hey.  Get up.
 
 
Me: What?  It’s bedtime and we’re not talking friends –
 
 
She: Whatever.  I have an idea.
 
 
Me: Your ideas are disorderly and often inconvenient.  I’m going back to bed.
 
 
She: No, you’re not.  I’m going to keep poking you in your brain pan until you listen.  Are you listening now?  Are you listening now?  Are you listening now?  Are you listening now?  Are you listening now?  Are you listening –
 
 
Me: JESUS CHRIST, I HATE YOU!
 
 
She: So it goes like this:
 
 
So, you’re supposed to be, like, magicians, occultists, witches in the woods and the kitchen and on the soccer field, right?  Workers of wonder.  Dream weavers.  People who get shit done.  Isn’t this the year to make your own luck?  You’re feeling especially awful with the nights that never end and run over by the holidaze. You can’t drink endless amounts joie forever before needing a meeting.  So now’s the f*cking time.  
 
Don’t wait until that stupid glitter ball drops and you’re already making drunk and/or sentimental mistakes, start now.  Start now when it’s hardest.  Start now when you feel so weighed down with emotions better left to glittery and not so glittery vampires and when you feel like you could sleep forever.  Now is the time you need to wake up.  Get up, get up!  Don’t miss this moment.  
 
Create magics great and small, mundane and mystical.  Find everything you’ve been looking for, mysteries revealed in every form of divination and song and when you f*ck it up, when you are too tired to try, bring each other up from bloodied knees to get back up smiling.  You are all made of the cosmos and you have stardust in your veins.  Do something about it.
 
 
Here is what you’ll do, Tiny Charge of Mine.  You’ll write prompts.  You’ll explore.  You’ll fall down.  Sometimes you’ll lay there awhile, finding things under rocks that you never wanted to know.  They’ll pull you back, using yarn, glue, cajoling and stern words.  You’ll keep sewing yourself into who you’ll want to be and you’ll tell them, sometimes too much, because that’s your way and what’s needed.  You’ll find how far you can really fly when you’ve made wings to carry you and be breathless from your accomplishments.  
 
 
Here is what they’ll do.  Form a community of tealight hearths and skyscraper high bonfires.  They’ll whisper their stories, spirials of success and failure.  You’ll learn from each other, make each other laugh, piss each other off.  You’ll get things done together and alone.  You’ll be afraid together, so knees up.    
 
Ready?  Let's go.
 
The entirety of my free New Year, New You: An Experiment in Magical Radical Self Transformation course can be found here, with a prompt for every week for 23 weeks.  I suggest doing them in order, starting at week 1 ("Making Way").  You can do the course in a self-guided manner, either privately journaling your process or publicly, whichever you prefer.  If you want me to see that you're doing it, link each prompt on your blog and I will get the pingback about your entry and I can find it and read about it.  
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