February 2014 Spiritual Insights
30 Jan. 2014
This month there is no New Moon until the last day of January. This shows the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar created by the Romans which is the calendar we use. Julius Caesar wanted a month named after him, hence July, then the emperor Augustus wanted a month named after him, so we have August. Each insisted that their month be 31 days long.
Many cultures use the lunar calendar which was created in Persia and is still used in Turkey today. It is precise with the lunar cycle of 27 days. The lunar calendar is a part of the astrology of India for it connects to the 27 lunar mansions or the nakshatras. The nakshatras are called the lunar mansions because the moon stays in one nakshatra per day. Each nakshatra covers 13 degrees 20 minutes of the zodiac, and the rate of speed the Moon travels in a day is 13 degrees 20 minutes. In the Indian calendar each month is named after the nakshatra the Moon is full. So the month of February 2014 is Magha.
This month is the beginning of very intense world activities for transiting Mars is slowing down and coming into alignment with Saturn and Rahu in Libra. Mars enters Libra February 4. It will go retrograde on March 1 at 3 degrees of Libra. It will be hovering around 1-3 degrees Libra this entire month. This will intensify anger, hostility and acts of terrorism. Things are definitely heating up for more violence that is soon to take place. The beginning of March will be very violent. Mars will be close to Rahu and turn retrograde. But Venus, the planet that is the dispositor of Saturn, Mars and Rahu will go into Capricorn, and Mars will aspect Venus on March 3. From January through February 27, Venus is in Sagittarius (Jupiter’s sign) in opposition to Jupiter. The Venus and Jupiter and Venus opposition has saved the planet from great difficulty. When Venus goes into Capricorn ruled by Saturn, Venus and Saturn are in Parivartana (mutual reception) and Mars’ aspect will weaken the power of Venus causing more difficulty in the world. Venus rules money and finances and Saturn is the government so the financial predicament in the world becomes unstable. The financial markets will drop somewhat due to fear but next summer I predict the markets to really drop when Jupiter goes into Cancer due to the fact that Saturn will be aspecting Jupiter. The volatility of the markets will be extreme. Governments will fail and cause great problems financially for many but the stock market will rise and fall till summer where there will be a huge drop, July-November. This is when Jupiter will be aspected by Saturn temporarily.
On another note when Venus goes retrograde it shifts from an evening star to a morning star. In ancient times during this shift Venus becomes invisible in the night sky till its return in the sky as a morning star. This was heralded as a time of great difficulty and usually indicated an outbreak of war. It disappeared from sight the first week of January and reappeared as a morning star January 17. Not to mention that the nakshatra Venus is in, Purva Ashadha, can indicate the announcements of war. So the events this spring will begin to really intensify.
Additionally, Mercury will be retrograde for most of this month going retrograde February 6, around the time Mars enters Libra. It will turn direct by the last day of this month on February 28. It seems many planets are slowing down to shift directions. Saturn will turn retrograde March 2 and Jupiter turns direct March 6. Planets moving at very slow speeds are very intense and powerful.
http://www.galacticcenter.org/main/retrogrades/2014-planetary-retrogrades.html
This means on many accounts things are about to change gears. The world is about to explode with big changes. Mercury will turn retrograde in Aquarius conjunct Neptune indicating a time of confusion and misunderstanding. As always pay closer attention to communications, directions and have patience in your travel plans. As Mercury backs up into Capricorn governments around the world go into panic and confusion.
As Saturn begins to station it is at the last degree in Libra (29 degrees) indicating a massive ending of many regimes that are currently in power. But the powers that control the world are not ready to give up and will strike out with all their force. Saturn will reach 29 degrees again in November where the process of change will be complete; meaning the powers that are in control will have to let go.
The Olympics begin February 7 and end February 23. What are they thinking? Obviously they didn’t ask an astrologer because this is around the day Mercury goes retrograde on February 6. This means nothing will go as planned and there will be many mishaps.
Comparing the birth chart for Russia there may be more mishaps and terrorism than expected. Transiting Uranus is on their natal Mars, indicating explosive events. And transiting Mars will be aspecting their natal Saturn, Moon and Rahu. Look out for unexpected events. http://www.galacticcenter.org/world-predictions/world-predictions/2014-predictions-by-country.html
In the U,S., February is the time of the Super Bowl, and again what are they thinking? It is in one of the coldest areas in the U.S. and the game will be played in an outside stadium.
Super Bowl Sunday is February 2, 2014 and begins at 6: 25pm in East Rutherford, New Jersey. At this event some of the most powerful people in the world will be assembled at the same time. This would be a terrorist’s dream. But luckily I don’t see anything horrific in this chart. It does, however, look totally inconvenient and troublesome.
What is my prediction, who will win this most esteemed game? This one is not an easy prediction – this game will be exciting! I believe it will begin with the Seattle Seahawks coming on strong but then the Denver Broncos will take the lead and win. But this prediction is only valid if the game starts around the time of 6:25pm.
February 4: Mars enters Libra, Mars/Rahu/Saturn in Libra
Mars and Rahu in Chitra (ruled by Mars)
February 6: Mercury Retrograde: 9 degrees Aquarius conjunct Neptune 10 degrees Aquarius
February 11: Sun square Saturn: 28 degrees Capricorn/Libra
February 14: Full Moon: 2 Degrees Leo/Aquarius, nakshatra: Magha
February 15: Mercury conjunct Sun: 3 degrees Aquarius
February 19: Mercury square Saturn: 29 degrees Capricorn/Libra
February 23: Sun conjunct Neptune: 10 degrees Aquarius
February 26: Jupiter square Uranus
February 28: Mercury direct 24 degrees Capricorn
Spiritual Insights: My return from Istanbul, Turkey
When I go to Turkey my schedule is packed with events and appointments. This trip was unusually busy. I was featured on the most popular talk show in the country called Saba, had a book signing, and gave a powerful lecture on the coming world events due to take place this year. On my workdays I did 8-9 readings each day.
Aside from the packed schedule I had the opportunity to experience the whirling Dervishes and meet with my son Christian and his girlfriend Rebecca who came to enjoy the mysteries of the magical city, Istanbul.
But I noted the energy brewing in this gateway to Europe from the Middle East had changed considerably from the first time I arrived a year ago. Istanbul is a true mix of western and eastern cultures. There is no place like this in the world, but the melting of such diverse cultures and religions is not as peaceful as my first visit.
I had the great opportunity to be introduced to the whirling Dervishes by a very kind and spiritual teacher named Murat from the spiritual center I stay at called Bilgi Paylasim Merkezi, Murat’s passion is in the Sufi tradition. I have never attended a Muslim ritual and I found it fascinating. I believe there are many sects of the religion just as Christianity has different extensions such as Baptist, Episcopalian and Lutheran. Many sects in Istanbul are a part of the Sufi teachings connected to the spiritual teacher Rumi.
About Rumi the Sufi poet and mystic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi
Rumi believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dance as a path for reaching God. For Rumi, music helped devotees to focus their whole being on the divine and to do this so intensely that the soul was both destroyed and resurrected. It was from these ideas that the practice of whirling Dervishes developed into a ritual form. His teachings became the base for the order of the Mevlevi which his son Sultan Walad organized. Rumi encouraged Sama, listening to music and turning or doing the sacred dance. In the Mevlevi tradition, samāʿ represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and love to the Perfect One. In this journey, the seeker symbolically turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds the truth and arrives at the Perfect. The seeker then returns from this spiritual journey, with greater maturity, to love and to be of service to the whole of creation without discrimination with regard to beliefs, races, classes and nations.
Those at the spiritual center believe like me in the power of our spirituality and our inner connection to the Divine more that any man-made laws from religions. But as I witnessed the Muslim practices in this mosque I realized so many interesting points concerning many religious practices. Many of the practices are steeped in old traditions. But some of the rituals are a part of many spiritual practices that are known to induce higher consciousness. My impressions of the old traditions are about the segregating of the men and women. Women are not to participate in the gathering and must be in the back of the room separated and must have a shawl over their heads. This is the same in the Catholic church where men are the priests and woman had to wear lace coverings on their head not that long ago. In most mosques the men must wash their feet before entering.
The power I felt in this gathering was amazing. There was music, chanting and alongside the Dervishes with their graceful flowing skirts were continually spinning to the music. The chanting began very slow and intentional but the momentum of the chants steadily increased getting louder and louder with intense almost violent swaying of the heads and heavy breathing. I was amazed no one fainted, and I was informed that many do. The uses of repetitious beats, chants and breath work are used in many culture’s rituals to find an altered consciousness. This is a part of the American Indians, Africans, Aborigine, and many indigenous cultures to induce altered consciousness. As the group reached a crescendo then the tempo began to slow and return to the beginning level. Following this ritual the leader of the group voiced what seemed to be very powerful messages, the group shouted forcefully their rage in agreement. I had no idea what was happening. It seemed to me as though he was speaking statements like the 10 commandments and then the people shouted hurrah! But I found out he was speaking of the disagreements he had with how their government was not acting in accordance with the spiritual laws of God. The group of people I was with from the spiritual center suddenly became alive with interest as he spoke. He was speaking from the heart and was asking that Turkey must come from a place of love and non-violence. I came to realize the reason for this mystical ceremony was to move the energy of peace and love in Turkey. There is a movement now in the government to over take western ways enforcing more conservative radical Muslim laws. The idea that Muslims are violent like terrorists is completely wrong, and is an ignorant belief of many westerners. There are fanatics in every religion and I am hearing from the people around me in Turkey the political leaders are taking the side of fanatics.
As the week went on I noticed the gathering of more police and at one point on Saturday night in Istiklal, street protestors were blasted by the police with tear gas which broke up and ended the protest.
The most interesting comments came from my clients in their readings for many of them expressed the desire to leave Turkey due to the social uprising that is occurring. They are not in agreement with the government or the current prime minister and his policies. The government in Turkey is secular, meaning religious viewpoints are not to be a part of the government rulings yet the current prime minister is not abiding by this law and enforcing many Muslim beliefs. This is one of the main reasons the people are protesting. One law he is enforcing is that alcohol is not to be served in the city after 10pm, although many do not abide by this law. Likewise, I thought the U.S. government was not to bring religion into our government rulings, but here in Texas alcohol is not sold at all in some Texas cities, called dry counties and it is not sold before noon on Sundays throughout the state. Isn’t this the same thing? I find so much of this is so interesting where we believe we are so different but we are actually all the same.
But this year, 2014, is all about moving away from conservative laws or traditions from the past. The Uranus and Pluto square are about to change the old outdated laws. Pluto rules the old rulerships, dictatorships and power, and Uranus is the break down and sudden shifts to a new future. As transiting Mars triggers this configuration involving a grand cross of Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars we will have a sudden aggressive shift around the world.
In the U.S. we now have the legalization of marijuana in the state of Colorado with decriminalization of it in a dozen more states with others soon to follow. This is so much like prohibition in the early days of our nation. And coming from my generation of hippies from the 1970s, this is unheard of. What a revolution occurring now, yet the old dictators of this world are rearing their heads in disapproval and are becoming very violent in their enforcement of their rules, mainly because that believe they are losing ground.
As I was giving readings in the front room of the Spiritual Center directly in front of the park on Taksim Square, I could hardly hear myself talk over the noise of the chants of protestors of the government. But to go the malls where I had my book signings you would never believe this is a country in a social uprising for all was normal.
I was invited on the Saba Tümer's Turkish show “Saba” where I spoke of the lighter side of astrology, careful not to get too political. They put an earpiece in my ear and while Saba spoke to me in Turkish I was hearing the English translation and when I spoke English a translator’s voice was heard on the television with the Turkish translation. The only complaint I got was my shoes were not sexy enough, as Saba is known for her sexy shoes. Before she arrives her shoes are placed on the floor where she sits. She never even stands up in them.
Then the following night I gave a prediction night at the Center. Here I was told I could be honest and true about my predictions, for on most public television I cannot tell the real future for it may scare the people. My predictions are that Turkey will be a melting pot and center for the big transitions this world is about to experience. Istanbul is the merging of east and west cultures. I have made these predictions quite clear on my YouTube videos which you can find now on my website. Remember this is not the end of the world as many want to dramatize this into, but just major social uprisings that will change the world into a better place. This usually does mean the loss of lives. We have lived through many of these transformational events in history.
I am due to return to Turkey in October and I feel it will be a different and better place than before. I do know that the government in rule currently will go through a major transition by the end of 2014 by looking at the prime minister’s birth chart but that is all I will say for now. I don’t want to be a part of their political vengeance.