SHADOW ZEN© 10 STEPS TO FIND YOUR ZEN DURING THE ECLIPSE OF THE FIRE MOON

SHADOW ZEN

                 10 STEPS TO FIND YOUR ZEN DURING THE ECLIPSE OF THE FIRE MOON 

The lunar eclipse on September 27-28 occurs in the star group known as Uttara Bhādrapadā. Uttara Bhādrapadā is a star cluster situated in the Pisces constellation. It is said to be ruled by Varshodyamana śakti – the ability to bring rain.

The presiding deity or devatā is Ahirbudhnya अहिर्बुध्न्यदेवत्य. Ahirbudhnya is sometimes symbolized as a coiled snake which resides in the depths of the ocean, but is generally part of a class of atmospheric deities which reside in the clouds.

Ahirbudhnya is one of the 11 Rudras born to Sage Kaśyapa and Surabhi in order to eliminate demons who at the time were causing the gods great trouble. The Rudras are primarily atmospheric deities who catalyze the creation of prāṇa in nature which invigorates and gives life to all creatures on earth. Ahirbudhnya resides in the clouds like a coiled serpent. When he uncoils, he unleashes purifying and life giving rain to all creatures and plants on the earth.

 Ahi अही is a synonym of cloud – megha. The ancient scholar Yaska writes, "The cloud (ahi) is named this on account of its motion in the atmosphere. The other meaning of ahi is serpent." Yaska goes on to write, "budhnam means atmosphere, waters are held bound in it ... budhnam meaning body, is derived from the same root; breath is held bound in it. He who is ahi is budhnya बुध्न्य swelling in the atmosphere...may Ahi who dwells in the atmosphere not put us to injury."

In some lineages of Taoism, the Blood Moon is referred to as a Fire Moon. A Fire Moon exhibits qualities of extreme yang, and thus is considered to spur more quarrels amongst men, saber rattling, and accidents due to haste. The cutting of trees are considered one of the main reasons the moon turns red. It symbolizes the pollution created by man's destruction and the spilling of the blood of the plant world.

1. Harvest Moon

The Lunar eclipse on September 27th falls on the Harvest Moon. Vegetables, fruits and herbs should only be harvested 24-36 hours before the eclipse begins or 24-36 hours after it ends. Furthermore, once the produce is harvested, extreme caution must be taken that neither the shadow nor the eclipsing light of the Moon touches the freshly harvested produce, lest it will wither and decompose much faster than what the farmer would expect.

2. Holy Water

Though one should not drink water exposed to the eclipse, water is made holy for ritualistic and bathing purposes during an eclipse.

3. Rudrākṣa to the Rescue

Rudrākṣa beads work as a talisman and are very beneficial to wear during eclipses.

4. Pregnancy

Women that are pregnant should do everything to avoid the light of the fractured moon as well as its shadow. This principle is not only followed in India and China, but in Central America amongst the Mayans and Aztecs as well.

5. SEX

Full Moons tend to rally the libido into party mode. It is beneficial to not engage in any form of copulation 48-96 hours before to 48-96 hours after an eclipse. It is absolutely forbidden to impregnate a woman during this time, for all types of issues may affect the child. In India, farmers will go as far as to separate livestock to insure no mating occurs during the period of an eclipse.

6. Food

All food and water should be kept away from the shadow and splintered light of an eclipse. Food and water exposed to the light or shadow of an eclipse will decompose quicker and lose its ability to nourish the body.

One must not consume food during the eclipse of the Sun or the Moon —  Viṣṇusūtram

7.Donations

Good karma is said to multiply during eclipses when donations are given.

~ The fruits secured by giving away dāna during solar eclipse at Kurukshetra would indeed exceed the recitation of the Sahasranāma ~ Lalita Sahasranāma

8. Sprirtual Practice

Though one can find ślokas that say that spiritual practices performed during an eclipse are magnified a thousand-fold, we can also find passages that say otherwise. Obviously it seems to be a specialized practice in which you should get guidance from your guru before you proceed. In India one can observe that many temples are closed and deities are covered from the light and shadow during an eclipse

The reasons to discontinue recitation of the Vedas till the next day are earthquake, lightning, fall of meteors or an eclipse ~ Gautama

~ The worship of Shiva during sankranti, or during solar/lunar eclipses is very auspicious ~

He who recites the Gaṇapatyarthavaśīrṣa during solar eclipse, on the shores of great rivers or in front of Gaṇeśa every month, would obtain siddhi and all he tells would become true ~ Gaṇapatyarthavaśīrṣa

9.Commencement ceremonies, Marriage

 Aside from very few highly esoteric practices, new works should not be commenced during an eclipse, and marriage on this day is strictly forbidden.

  10.  Tulasī (Tulsi), Dūrvā,  Kuśa

Though they should not be harvested during an eclipse, Tulasī (Tulsi), Dūrvā,  and Kuśa grass are considered sacred during the time of an eclipse. There is a particular practice that lays pregnant women on a bed of Dūrvā grass, and it is also placed on their sides while they rest during the periods of an eclipse. Food and even idols are covered in the sacred grasses during times of an eclipse.

One should wear a new Tulsi mala, after taking a bath, or after the impure period following a solar or lunar eclipse. The old mala should be dropped under a tree or in a natural body of water; ocean, river, lake ~ Śrī Vallabhacharya

ANDROMEDA

As Pisces is the last sign of the natural zodiac, it generally represents the conclusion of matters. The star of Uttara Bhādrapadā is a close neighbor to the Andromeda galaxy located in Pisces. Andromeda is one of very few galaxies that can be seen by the naked eye. Astronomers predict that within 4 billion years, the Andromeda galaxy will collide with our own Milky Way galaxy, bringing an explosive mind-boggling conclusion to our humble little place in the universe. It is quite curious to think that thousands of years ago, the ancients classified Pisces as the zodiac sign that represents the end, and Andromeda may very well cause the end of our entire galaxy. Current studies suggest there is at least a 50% chance our solar system will be swept 3 times farther out of its current orbit in our galaxy, and a 12% chance that our solar system will be completely ejected during the collision. I predict a 90% chance of rain showers with strong winds that day.

When our galaxy collides with Andromeda it will basically look like this.

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MERCURY RETROGREAT! 10 Steps on How to be a Mercury Retrograde Ninja

MERCURY RETROGREAT!©

                       10 steps on how to be a Mercury Retrograde Ninja!!

As many of you are retrograde veterans, at this point you are all familiar with the cliches that abound during Mercury retrograde cycles. You will probably misplace your phone charger, or your cell phone service will go on the fritz, or  your mail will accidentally end up in unexplored regions of Siberia for a few months, or that you will likely be cursed-out by a 6 year-old school girl, or that your computer will be fighting off colds, flus, vaccines and other viruses, or that your car you just got out of the shop won’t start. The good news is that after years of training in the Mercury Retrograde Dojo, I can probably assist you to gleam some insights into the ancient art of Retro-Do with ten easy to follow rules to get you in shape for the retrocalypse.

             The following are excepts from The Stars are the Windows of the Soul© series

                                                     Pātañjalayogaśāstra    2.33                                                                                                 1. वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्

                                      Vitarkabādhane Pratipakṣabhāvanam

~ When the hinderances of negativity arise in our minds, we should shift our focus to the opposite polarity – positivity ~

The word bhāva in this śloka suggest that we need to connect our experiences with a positive sensation and make it more cellular and not just merely intellectual. The word bhāva indicates that we need to adopt a state of being.

Since we mainly create karma through our actions, thoughts and speech, we should consider applying Pratipakṣabhāvanam to our thoughts, words and deeds.

                                            
                                                        THOUGHTS

When you find yourself having negative thoughts, project positive thoughts and sentiments instead. Connect with some good vibes, and if you’re feeling yourself incapable of that, then read or listen to the words of worthy pundits or enlightened teachers. If your still experiencing obstacles, then listen to some Bob Marley and let it sink in. 

~ Keep a positive mantra or affirmation in your thoughts as much as possible ~

                                                          ACTIONS

 To align yourself with more harmonious actions it helps to perform more austerities and puja. Engage yourself in charitable works, or donate clothes, food or money to a good cause. Savor the Seva.

                                                     2. LANGUAGE

Mercury rules language. Mercury retrograde is a great time to re-enlist in that language you stopped practicing years ago and re-work your communication skills.

It is important to employ your words gently during Mercury retrograde periods. Read Romeo and Juliet and try to throw some positive words of love and good vibes in someone’s direction. Whisper positive mantras or affirmations to yourself and others as frequently as possible.

Words are co-creators of our reality. Use words to massage the boundaries of your constructs, or better yet, renovate or deconstruct your reality altogether and build it anew. Your words are your contractor, build a vernacular pyramid to align to the stars.

 ~ Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace ~ Buddha.

                                                        3. YOGA

  Mercury is one of the main planets that rule yoga. When his course is retrograde it is a good time to perform your asana routines in reverse.

Employ more inversions to your practice, and if your poses are stronger on your right-side, then spend a few more seconds performing the asana on your left-side everyday.

Work on the sympathetic responses in your body. Have a weak left knee? Then gently open the right one first. Have a weak right shoulder? Then gently stretch the left one first, and then transfer the feeling of lightness and openness to the other side that is challenged.

                      

                                                      BREATH

                                                  नाड़ी शोधन प्रानायाम

                                             Nādī Shodhana Prānāyāma

   Nādī Shodhana Prānāyāma is one of the best Prānāyāma techniques to navigate the chaotic alternating polarity paradigm of Mercury retrograde cycles.

                                              4. LAUGHTER

 If you didn’t laugh at some of the minor tragedies in your life, Mercury retrograde will most likely take you back in time, so you may harvest some humor from some otherwise sad and disturbing situations.  If you are having some problems with laughter in your life, then the Mercury yogis say you should go to You Tube and bask in the darśana of the George Carlin Sūtras, or the Robin Williams Saṃhita. These two pundits of the mercurial loka should help start you on the path.

                                       5.     Gāyatrī  Mantra

Mercury is spending a lot of time in this cycle of retrogression in the star cluster of Hastā. This star cluster is ruled by Sāvitrī. The shakti or power of this star group is Hasta Sthapaniya Shakti, the ability to manifest with one's hands, or to hold manifest reality in your hands. This manifestation is usually derived from hard work, piercing intellectual breakthroughs, and austerities.

Sāvitrī is a manifestation of Gāyatrī Devī, and the Gāyatrī  Mantra

is one of the most beneficial mantras you can do to align with this most auspicious divine feminine mojo. Start with at least 3 to 108 repetitions a day, and if you can’t feel anything from that, then check yourself into the Mercury Retrograde Emergency Room for a soul transplant.

                                           6. Viṣṇusahasranāma Stotra

Viṣṇu presides over Mercury. One of the most beneficial ways to transform every aspect of your life during Mercury influenced periods is to perform the Viṣṇusahasranāma Stotra. It takes a little more work than the Gāyatrī Mantra, but the benefits are transformative, profound and well worth it.

                                                 7. SCULPTURE

  Mercury rules sculptures. The art of sculpture is the ultimate dichotomy – you are challenged to create something fluid from something immoveable (kind of like my last relationship).

 When sculpting,  if you carve off too much, your plans for your sculpture will suffer. While sculpting, you are forced with each stroke of your tools to move in small increments to carve minute impressions of what you are aspiring to create. Mercury spurs us to reflect on those tiny steps. Mercury retrograde periods remind us that it is the little things in life that make the big things fluid. Just call up your nagging, nit-picking, overanalyzing Virgo friends for advice if you have any problems with this concept.

Mercury retrograde usually unveils tiny mistakes we made in our speech or contracts. Minutia is your friend, avoiding big broad strokes is your Zen.

                                                           8. FRIENDS

                "To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person" – Bruce Lee

  Mercury rules friends. Lets face it, some of our friends have some major issues. Sure, we must try to help some of them out, but cast ye not pearls before swine, and definitely cast ye not bacon before vegans.

Our friends can make us or break us. The Mercury Ninjas say that you should be liberal in casting out the parasitic pretenders that are just sucking up valuable oxygen and depleting your prāṇa.

Honor the friends and healthy associations you have, but if you sense a disturbance in the force, do what the great Jedi knight Kim Kardashian always does and turn the other cheek.

                                ~ With friends like you, who needs the Taliban? ~

                                                 9.    AlCHEMY

     Mercury is the ruler of alchemy and compound ingredients. Mercury retrograde periods are optimal times for reworking and reassessing the syllabus of your life. It is the best time for reassessing the mixtures of activities and the best times they should happen for your schedule. It is also a great time to reflect on or investigate new mixtures of herbs, cooking recipes, teas, chai and even smoothies. Mixing the right combination of factors in the proper proportions is the trick to making your life Mercury Retrogreat!

                                     10. HABITS and ROUTINES

 Mercury rules habits. Mercury retrograde will urge you to extinguish bad habits and start beneficial new ones. It may also trigger old habits even if you are already aware they may not be serving you. Good habits will set you free, bad habits will lock you up in a prison of suffering. As the master of polarity, Mercury can assist you in analyzing bad habits, and replacing them with productive ones.

"A zoo is an excellent place to study the habits of human beings" ~ Evan Esar

Virgo rules routines. Mercury is transiting Virgo as per the Vedic system of astrology, so now is an opportune time to re-cast your routines so they may guide you on the route to Mercury Retrograde Ninja Mastery!

                      "We first make our habits, then our habits make us" ~ John Dryden

  The following have been excepts from The Stars are the Mirrors of the Soul© series
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