ND #136 – Last Total Lunar Eclipse

Closeup of the last total lunar eclipse which occurred on 16 May 2022 – Photo: L. Weikel

Last Total Lunar Eclipse

I couldn’t get ‘you guys’ out of my head as I took a walk this evening. Observing the waxing gibbous moon snuggling up to Jupiter, both bright as headlights in the sky, my thoughts turned to the total lunar eclipse we’ll be experiencing at 5:59 a.m. (EST) this Tuesday. This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025, which feels significant. Good grief, it’s hard to imagine the geopolitical circumstances under which we’ll (hopefully) be experiencing that celestial event.

So we might as well look up and appreciate this one. For those of you in the eastern Pennsylvania region, here is a nifty link.

 

Waxing Moon Flirting with Jupiter 4Nov22 – Photo: L. Weikel

Momentous

We all know how momentous this Tuesday, November 8, 2022, will be for all of us. Of course, I’m speaking to all citizens of the United States – but I’m especially looking at you, fellow women (and those who identify as female). If we don’t step up now and take responsibility for ensuring our bodily sovereignty by voting for those who will protect and defend our rights as equal citizens, we could easily find ourselves living in a Christofascist hellscape by the next total lunar eclipse.

I can only hope that we learned our lesson in 2016. As shell-shocked and pit-in-the-stomach terrified we felt at the result of that election six years ago, I’m pretty confident few of us would’ve predicted the tidal wave of misogyny, racism, antisemitism, outright cruelty, and insanity that would nearly drown our country in its wake. But here we are.

And of course, the momentous nature of our election impacts the rest of the world, too. “With great power comes great responsibility,” which means our responsibility to not only vote but also stand up for democracy and the rule of law extends beyond our own precious lives. The fate of many hang in the balance of how we respond to the myriad shameless attacks being made against facts, truth, and reality. We are responsible not only for ourselves and our country, but also the myriad countries that rely on us as an ally and role model. Perhaps most importantly, the consequences of our election will impact the very planet on which we all live and depend.

Last Total Lunar Eclipse (May 2022) – Photo: L. Weikel

A Perfect Storm

It’s no secret that circumstances are such that a perfect storm is brewing on both an emotional and ideological level. That’s why the fact that our turmoil is mirrored in the sky takes on even more chilling significance.

There’s the total lunar eclipse (with eclipses often providing jarring, unexpected revelations and reactions).And we’re still experiencing the final ‘pass’ of the Saturn squaring Uranus configuration that we experienced three times in 2021. You may recall Saturn is associated with rules, foundations, and tradition, while Uranus is often thought of as revolutionary, unpredictable, a disrupter of the status quo, and an innovator of lightning-quick change.

Too much of either energy can lead to unintended and chaotic results. And we’re pretty much assured that we’ll experience both, at least in the short term. We can only hope (and set our intentions) that balance can and will be achieved sooner rather than later. We had our warning on January 6th. Shame on us If something similar unfolds as a result of this election. There’s no excuse for us not to see it coming.

Our Best Strategy

As always, our best strategy is to keep our own centers and allow our sense of calm, faith in our system, and peaceful respect for ourselves and each other to ripple out into our environment. When challenged, we need to feel our feet connecting to Mother Earth, reminding us of who we are and why we care. We also need to look up, and remember that while the Earth may be causing the moon to be in dusky, blood-red shadow for a moment, this will pass.

What matters is that we hold firm to our values and the common good of all, including Nature and Mother Earth. We must stand strong for each other, ourselves, and our ancestors – those who’ve passed and those who will inherit the results of our decisions today. Remember to keep looking up, my friends; no matter what. The next seven generations are depend upon us.

(T+136)

What Happened Last Year – ND #30

Photo: L. Weikel

What Happened Last Year

I don’t want to write about what happened last year. It seems like all the words have been used up and there’s nothing but actions left to define who we are and what we are becoming.

At this point, nothing matters if we don’t ensure voting rights for every citizen in the country. I say that because there’s no way we will get anything accomplished on climate change if our democracy is shot. Indeed, there’s no way we’ll discover the truth about who was involved in planning and implementing last year’s attempted coup, either – not if we haven’t learned it already by the time the midterms roll around. Because as appalling as it may be, it’s all but certain that Republicans would kill any investigations into the January 6th attack on our capitol as soon as they came into power.

While I know this is true, I want to run and hide when I hear it stated.

How can it be that Representatives and Senators would actually – willfully – choose to torpedo an effort to get to the bottom of an outright attempt to thwart the will of the people?

Good Question

That’s a question that bounces around in my heart and soul every day. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the Republican Party is so in lock step with Donald Trump (Donald Trump! Think about that!) that Representative Liz Cheney (with her father at her side) was the only serving member of that party to attend any of the events that took place in Washington D.C. today.

From honoring the Capitol Police who, blindsided and left unsupported for hours, risked their lives to protect all members of Congress to solemnly marking the historic significance of the terrorist attack that took place at the hands of fellow Americans last year, the Republican Party was AWOL. The disrespect and dishonor is palpable. How dare any of them ever utter the words “Blue lives matter” or “We support the police” again.

I’m disgusted with my Senator (Toomey) and my Representative (Fitzpatrick). Their hypocrisy is inexcusable and the breach of their oath of office egregious. As they circle their wagons and protect their own, more and more are exhibiting complicity in the attempted overthrow of our government.

We must demand accountability. If we don’t, it’s likely we’ll lose everything we thought we stood for and realize that, in truth, we never were quite the beacons of democracy we thought we were.

Get involved. Use your voice. We must not remain silent.

(T+30)

Colossally Distracted – ND #28

Twilight 4 January 2021 – Photo: L. Weikel

Colossally Distracted

Yikes. How could I have been so colossally distracted as to neglect to comment on the new moon we just experienced this past Sunday? Here we were, celebrating the beginning of the next cycle of the Gregorian calendar, and I didn’t even notice that the moon was new as well?

I hang my head in shame.

But you know what? Luckily for me, the moon herself reminded me of her recent ‘new’ status by revealing just how lovely her crescent self is becoming. She revealed herself in such utter beauty tonight, it was impossible to complete our walk without stopping over and over again to try to capture the beauty that seemed to only build as the night progressed.

Macro Meaning

As you all know, my natural inclination is to focus on setting our own personal intentions and aspirations at the new moon. Obviously, they may or may not coincide with the intentions (or ‘resolutions’) you declared for the new year. But the coincidence of the new moon happening so close to the turning of the calendar increases the power of anything you set your mind to in these intense times.

It’s interesting to contemplate the ‘macro-meanings’ of outer events and their timing, too. For instance, I wonder if there will be anything new – any new investigations – announced in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s speech tomorrow afternoon regarding the insurrection. Will we be surprised and relieved? Or will we continue to be lament the fact that not a single ‘mastermind’ of the attempted coup has been indicted.

Only time will tell.

But I think I speak for many of us when I express my fear that my faith in justice will remain unrequited if those who plotted this slow moving coup are not held accountable.

Before Our Eyes

We all know what we saw unfold before our very eyes last year. That was no ‘tourist visit,’ and to even suggest that ‘spin’ on those events with a straight face is insulting. Shame on the Representatives who tried to float that narrative.

I keep coming back to the idea that we all watched it unfold in real time – right before our eyes. And now we’re starting to get an idea of just how deep into the inner circle of the Administration the plotting took root and flourished. I for one would love to see some Justice Seeds get planted this week.

New moon, new year. Yeah, fresh accountability would be a great complement to these energetic patterns of hope and new beginnings.

Tonight’s Newly Waxing Crescent Moon – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+28)

 

Never Challenge Worse – ND #20

Trouble on the Horizon? – Photo: L. Weikel

Never Challenge Worse

Here we are, living the last week of 2021. If nothing else, I trust this year has been an object lesson in the truth of the adage: “never challenge worse.” Last year at this time, I cringed every time I saw someone declare how 2021 would haveto be better than the abysmal year we’d just experienced. And it didn’t take long for everything to fall apart to an even greater degree than it had before.

Even the dramatic inroads that were made vis-à-vis vaccine availability and the possibility that opened up to get the virus under control seemed promising – at first. But alas, we know how things unfolded in that area. I don’t need to hash and rehash here.

The same goes for our political leadership. We thought we dodged a bullet. And undoubtedly we did. But now it seems we’re realizing we better hope we’re capable of dodging a bazooka. Or maybe a grenade launcher. Or heaven forbid – a nuke. Because the bullet we dodged was, viewed with a longer-range lens, probably the least of our worries.

Can’t Close Our Eyes

And that’s the rub, isn’t it? We keep thinking, “It can’t get any worse.” And yet it does.

What do you remember thinking and feeling as you sat before your television or computer screen on January 6th? I can tell you what I wrote about that night – fresh from the experience. This is my post from that night.

Even more surprising to me? I just searched my posts with the key word insurrection and discovered 26 entries. But even more chilling is my first mention of insurrection: the warning I wrote the night of September 21, 2020. I’m equally surprised by my entry the evening of January 3, 2021. And wow – I called it on the evening of January 6th.

I’m not providing these links as proof that I’ve got some super cool oracular powers. Far from it! If you read the posts, you’ll see I actually just stated what was right before our eyes the whole time. And if I could see it, we all could see it. But our eyes seemed to be firmly slammed shut. I dare say the Capitol Police felt unheard and unseen.

Calm Before the Storm

I don’t want to be an alarmist. Indeed, I seek peace. I yearn for justice and equality. I do my best to promote communication and connection. But I’m feeling a sense of foreboding. This week feels like the calm before the storm.

My worry – as is being conveyed in other outlets; I don’t claim to be a singular sage – is the lack of accountability. The fact that 51 weeks have gone by with no major players or instigators being indicted is exponentially emboldening the insurrectionists. We cannot let this stand without imperiling everything we rely upon and hold dear in this country.

And I don’t think it will simply play out, lah-dee-dah, and disappear into the memory hole. No. I suspect within the very near future we’re going to see other additional direct attempts to subvert our democracy. Or perhaps we’ll finally see some well-investigated and highly documented indictments (and then convictions, if our system works at all).

Either way, I’m not betting 2022 is going to be a ‘relief.’ It may, however, bring relief. If we can manage to keep our republic.

(T+20)

New Moon in Libra – Day 1058

Stars Through Trees – Photo: L. Weikel

New Moon in Libra

There’s a new moon in Libra arriving this Wednesday. The precise moment this will occur will be 7:05 a.m. EDT. Being a new moon, it means the sun and moon are ‘conjunct’ or lined up exactly with each other from our perspective here on Earth. And the sun recently entered Libra at the equinox on September 22nd.

There’s a lot going on in the cosmos this Wednesday, and I find it fascinating that there are some extremely important and potentially provocative deadlines scheduled to take place that day vis-à-vis Congressional investigation into the January 6th insurrection. Is there a will to truly get to the bottom of who and what organizations were behind this attempted coup?

I’m guessing we’re at least going to see this week whether we’re actually represented by people who honestly want to figure out what happened and how we can protect ourselves from another such appalling attack on our democracy in the future. I dare say we know what it feels like to be represented by people who pay lip service to democracy.

October Looks Intense

As I’ve mentioned before, an astrologer who’s been around for a while whom I respect is Rick Levine. He recently gave an analysis of the transits that will be affecting the entire planet during October in a podcast hosted by Astrology Hub. Here’s the link.

There are a lot of uncomfortable aspects nudging and needling us to make some major changes. It also feels like a huge new beginning, a powerful opportunity to effect real transformation in our structures and beliefs is approaching. Yes, we’ve been asked to embrace these structural shifts all year. But we’re really getting to the point where those of us who resist these changes can no longer hold it back.

What does that mean to each of us as individuals?

And perhaps even more provocatively, what does that mean to us as a country? (That question can legitimately be asked in several countries across the globe…)

(T-53)