Following Your Bliss / Hearing the Sirens' Call

The keynote of our Pisces weekend on The Alchemical Journey was Joseph Campbell's famous line "Follow Your Bliss".  This was something we connected to quite profoundly during our recent workshop, when we explored our lives through the Piscean perspective and the myths and symbolism of that sign.  One of the greatest realisations that came out of the weekend for people was that bliss is not something that you can simply attain, acquire or hope to covet.  Rather, it is something that must be surrendered to.  Like death, it requires us to release the control of our ego and take an uncertain journey into an unknown realm.  In order to touch that realm, it seems that we must become like the poet in enchanted reverie for his/her muse, intoxicated with a divine, more-than-human desire.  Yet that bliss that we crave will elude us the moment we try to capture it, possess it or explain it.  If we truly desire transformation, then we must surely surrender the safety of the well-reasoned mind, for bliss can never be experienced through purely rational means.

Surrendering to the Enchantment 

Yet what happens to us when we do surrender to the enchantment?  The magic straw or golden bough that offers access to the otherworld, might come to us through falling wildly in love with someone, through ingesting a psychedelic substance, through ecstatic dance, kundalini meditation or through other means.  Yet it seems that we must also guard against the experience until we are ready, lest we lose oursleves in that otherworld and lose touch with this one. For if we do not have a strong anchor, a strong sense of alignment or orientation, then it could destroy what we have, our relationships, our vocational path, everything we have worked for.  Sometimes, perhaps that is necessary, in our own spiritual journey.  However, it occurs to me that unless we approach the experience with a strong commitment and intention, the experience may lead us too wildly off our intended course, distracting us from our deeper purpose, path and commitment.  If we do not have a sense of these prior to entering the enchantment, then the enchantment itself may become our "way" and we may become so consumed by the experience of bliss, that we completely lose touch with those around us. We could become messianic in our quest to recapture the experience, once the intense period of divine revelation has passed. In such a case, we are also more likely to attach the experience of bliss to the agent that apparently brought it about.  So we end up associating the bliss with a particular lover, drug, dance form, or meditation technique - rather than embrace the deeper realisation that the capacity for surrendering to divine love lies deep within us and that the agent is simply a catalyst that releases an already existing potential.

I have a Pisces ascendant and Mercury in Pisces rising in my chart, and I feel know this perspective well.  I have had experiences of intense "bliss" several times in my own life, sometimes through love or longing or loss, occasionally through an experience of spiritual awakening, and, earlier in my life, through psychedelics.  And these have always been periods of intense, transformational learning for me.  As I've got older I've learned to handle them better, and found ways to experience the enchantment and taste the "elixir of life" without completely losing my way.  The zodiac has been my greatest teacher, and my greatest anchor in that way.  I have found that the wheel both facilitates the possibility of me experiencing bliss, yet it also helps to bring me back and re-orient myself again in the world with a transformed perspective.

Odysseus: The Piscean Hero
The story of Odysseus and the Sirens really captures the spirit of the Piscean journey. I consider Odysseus (Ulysses) to be the archetypal mythological hero of the Pisces perspective.  Although Odysseus has the sympathy of most of the gods and goddesses, his journey home to Ithaca is thwarted time and again by Poseidon (Neptune), who claims the modern astrological rulership of Pisces. Poseidon whips up ferocious storms that continually blow the hero off course.  (Odysseus angered the God of the Sea, when he put out the eye of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, who was Poseidon's son).  So Odysseus meets many trials on his journey home, and in each case he uses his famous wit and cunning to overcome these dangers.  The most Piscean of his adventures is surely his encounter with the Sirens.

Odysseus & the Sirens
The Sirens are great enchantresses, they have bird-like forms with beautiful female heads and faces, and they resonate with the sweetest, most divine music such that even the strongest will cannot resist.  When sailors pass by their island, they are invariably lured by the sirens call to their deaths and the shoreline is littered with the debris of ships that have crashed on the rocks there.  But Odysseus the wily hero, enacts a cunning plan to avoid this fate.  Advised by Circe, he blocks the ears of his crew with beeswax, so they will not hear the sirens' call, and instructs them to tie him to the mast of the ship, so that he will not be lured by them.  He also tells them that each time he begs to be released, they should tighten his bounds, which they dutifully do.

The question that is always asked, of course, is why does Odysseus not simply stuff his own ears with wax?  And the answer, I would say, is this.  It has because Odysseus must experience bliss in order to learn, in order to grow, in order to transform his perspective.  He knows that it is part of his journey to hear the sirens call, to be driven half-mad with passion and desire, to give up the control of his mind and surrender himself to the divine muse.  Odysseus, of all the heroes in Greek mythology, is the one most willing to learn, and most prepared to experience deep transformation.  Yet he also has a clear mission - to return home to his beloved Ithaca, and his ever-faithful wife, Penelope. 


What The Story Has to Teach Us
In our Pisces workshop, we enacted the story of Odysseus and the Sirens.  I myself played Odysseus, strapped to the mast, while the rest of the group played the sirens and the crew.  It was a powerful experience, and we all learned a great deal from it.  It prompted us to enquire into how willing we each were to surrender ourselves to bliss and what conditions we needed to have in place in order to take that journey.  We discussed the meaning of the mast to which Odysseus is strapped and how important it is to have a strong support as we embark on our otherworldly journeying - a strong anchor that can allow us to journey into unknown lands, and that has the strength of commitment to bring us back to our more familiar reality, and then allow us to process the transformation that has taken place.  In the alchemical work that we are doing on this programme, the container or alembic is crucial to the journey, and it is something that we pay great attention to.  One of the greatest revelations for me has been the way that the zodiac itself acts as as a sacred container, particularly when we work with it in line the seasonal journey.  It keeps us aligned and well-oriented as we go through these transformational adventures each month. It seems to have helped foster commitment and strong intention within the groups that we have taken through The Alchemical Journey process so far.

Penelope: Weaving & Unweaving the Cosmos

In our mystery play over the Pisces weekend, we also had someone playing Penelope, his wife, back on Ithaca.  Penelope shares some of Odysseus's cunning, and she has her own way of deflecting the attentions of the many suitors who attempt to win her hand while her husband is away.  She announces that she will only taker a suitor when she has finished making a particular dress.  So she weaves the dress during the day, and then unweaves the thread at night, so the dress is never finished.  Symbolically, then, Penenlope really encapsulate the mutable dance of Virgo (the weaver) and Pisces (the unweaver), the two signs opposed in the zodiac.  At some level it seemed to us that Penelope was in some way the architect of the whole Odyssey, as if she were at some level weaving together heavens and earth, and cosmic drama of events that unfold through the narrative.  And as Odysseus adventure unfolds itself between the integrity of her weaving that gradually guides him home, and the unravelling chaos of her unweaving through which he learns and transforms.

Reflections on An Extraordinary Alchemical Year

Last weekend, we completed the final stage of the 2009-10 Alchemical Journey programme with our sublime Pisces weekend.  In the two years since we've been running The Alchemical Journey as a full 12-month course, I don't think I have experienced a weekend of cathartic wonder quite like that.  It was an absolute treat for me, as we had the whole of this year's core group, and the whole of last year's group participating - the old school meets the new school - it was amazing!  It was the perfect way to complete was has been a really extraordinary year.  Moving The Alchemical Journey to Glastonbury, bringing Anthony on board, and working directly with the landscape zodiac temple has added immense depth to the course, and I believe we now have one of the most genuinely powerful transformational programmes out there - and definitely one of the most original.

When I think back to The Alchemical Journey's humble beginnings began back in 2006, when I created it as a 12 week course, working with the twelve zodiacal dimensions of the law of attraction, it is incredible to think how far we have come since then.  We are now effectively running a zodiac mystery school, working with profound alchemical principles connecting us to the cyclical / spiral wisdom of seasonal round and the astrological journey of the Sun through the twelve signs of the zodiac. And the work we are doing is providing the context for the most extraordinary transformation in people's lives.  I am continually moved by the shifts that our participants are making in their own lives.

Our journey around the Glastonbury Zodiac has brought us full circle, from our start point up on Walton Hill and the "village" of Street, we again found ourselves on Sunday close to where we began.  We walked along the "Beckery Salmon" to Bridies Mound, Pomparles Bridge (from where King Arthur is said to have thrown his sword Excalibur into the River Brue, as a final gesture before his death) and Wearyall Hill, where Joseph of Arimathea planted his staff out of which grew the Palestinian Thorn Tree, which flowers around Christmas time.  It was one of the most meaningful walks of the year for me, and it embodied so much devotional Piscean energy.  Wearyall Hill holds the unique distinction of looking like a fish on the map and in three dimensions when viewed from above.  And we completed our walk, by parading down Fishers Hill back into Glastonbury.

I feel we are perfecting and refining a great work with The Alchemical Journey and we have moved so far this year in terms of that.  It has become so clear to me this year how this way of working with the zodiac can really liberate our creative potential, whilst deepening our connection with the soul, and at the same time allow our spirits soar to new heights of awareness and revelation.

My Highlights of the Year:
I've been thinking about some of the things that stand out for me this year.  So many rich, vivid memories - and as they say, "you really needed to be there", but I'd still just to honour them briefly here:

• In Aries, it was the mask dance, and the ceremony with David Hatfield at Wagg Drove on the tail of the Girt Dog of Langport.
• In Taurus, the process we did around money & the beautiful walk through the woods in the Taurus figure.
• In Gemini, the flutter and buzz game, and connecting to the Spring at Dundon Beacon.
• In Cancer, it was that beautiful Sunday we had with Marina and Celia offering their ways of accessing the wisdom of the ancestors, and then visiting Bradley Spring (which feeds the rines that make up the Cancer figure), and meeting Sheila Jeffries, its guardian.
• In Leo, the stand out memory was the catwalk and coronation ceremony, one of the absolute highlights of the year.  "All hail the King / the Queen".  Unforgettable.
• In Virgo, I felt we went some way to reclaiming the power and wisdom of the sign of the Goddess, and the walk around the village of Babcary was amazing - so deeply suggestive of the feminine mystery.
• In Libra, I remember the wonderful altar that Colette created, dancing our ascendant / descendant positions on Sunday morning, the synchronicity of the dove feathers and the tranquil beauty of Sunday's walk in the Libran dove figure around Barton St David.
• In Scorpio, the shadow process that was so profound, the Pluto dances on Sunday morning, and the underworld wood we found - complete with its own River Styx - in Alford.
• In Sagittarius, what stands out is the guided journey & divining from our artistic renderings, then the walk up to Baltonsborough Flights on the third eye of the archer, my personal favourite spot in the Zodiac.
• In Capricorn, the initiation process which was so deeply meaningful and then the walk along the Unicorn's horn.
• In Aquarius, I'll always remember us pouring the rainbow waters of life over each other, dancing our Uranus positions and the magical walk around Glastonbury.
• And in Pisces, so many memories still so fresh - the fish dance, Orpheus, the river of life, the Odysseus mystery play, the Neptune astrodrama pieces, and then the most sublime walk in the zodiac and discovering Bridies Mound within such a profound ritual context.

Well the cycle continues, and while we may pause for breath for a couple of weeks, our attention will soon turn to the new programme, when it all begins again in Aries, as buds break through on the branch and Spring begins in earnest with its full-on fiery force!  Our Aries weekend, "The Alchemy of Intention" takes place in Street (near Glastonbury) on 27th / 28th March.  Hope those of you reading this will join us on the journey this year as and when you can.  I have a strong feeling it's going to be the best year yet!

love & blessings
John

Pisces: Diving Deep into the Mystic Ocean

“And the seasons, they go round and round, and the painted ponies go up and down. We’re captured on a carousel of time…in the circle game”. I find Joni Mitchell’s sublime lyric quintessentially Piscean and it always reminds me of this phase of the year as the Sun journeys through Pisces and returns symbolically to the ocean of possibility from which new life can emerge in the Spring.

Melting...
Pisces epitomises the ups and downs of the circle game better than any other. It is traditionally considered the 12th and final sign of the zodiac, and is the third sign of the winter triad returning us to Spring Equinox where the astrological round will begin again in Aries. In Pisces, the contracted crystalline forms of winter are dissipating and becoming less defined. The ice is melting, and as the earth begins to warm up again, ground water breaks the surface and rivers flow. Nature is softening her brittle edges and dissolving her winter identity.

Surrendering...
Pisces is a sign that is full of paradox and apparent contradiction. It is famously associated with struggle, the two fish tied together pulling in different directions, yet is also the sign of surrender, where we sacrifice our attachment to a particular identity and learn to accept what must be. To sacrifice really means 'to make sacred' - or to return to what is sacred - through giving up something of significance to which we have become attached. In the Christian calendar, the Pisces phase corresponds with the season of lent, the season of fasting, traditionally a time to go on retreat or retire to a meditative or reflective place so that we might become ready to receive the new creative shoots of life that break forth at the Spring Equinox.

Poeticising...
Pisces is associated very strongly with the poetic impluse, where attempts at reason and logical deduction must be suspended if we are to be granted access to the mystery of who we really are. The Piscean phase of the journey resonates with the idea that the truth can only be reached through myth and metaphor. Pisces is synonymous with a profound ambiguity where nothing is certain. It is the phase of the journey where we might be well advised to seek guidance from those in our society whose perspective might normally be overlooked - the underdogs, the mystics, the artists, the storytellers, the disenfranchised and disadvantaged in society, for they may understand something that we have forgotten in our quest for distinction and success, clarity and order.

Dreaming...
The dreamtime of aboriginal Australians is far from delusion or escape, but rather connects the tribe to its origins, and to its deepest more-than-human reality. Our over-rational western biases tend to marginalise the importance of dream time and reduce the imaginal realm to mere thought projection, thus explaining it away in the rather narrow terms of humanist psychology. Yet the Piscean injunction is to truly to surrender rational control and open ourselves to the diverse possibilities that emerge from the mystic ocean. We can learn from nature at this time of the year, just as the crystalline forms of nature dissolve and dis-integrate, so we might which explore aspects of our own hard shelled identity we might be willing to relinquish.

Enchanting...
In numerous ancient mystery traditions from cultures spanning the globe, it was the task of the initiates to pass through astrological twelve gateways of experience in order that they might truly come to know themselves from the rich diversity of perspectives that the zodiac presented them with. Each sign of the zodiac carries within it the potential for philosophical transformation and as we journey around the year, consciously embracing and embodying these 12 archetypal energies, we are in essence, enacting an ancient, alchemical mystery play. By entering into the mysteries of the astrological wheel, with its ancient symbolic coherence, we can reconnect us to a paradigm of meaningful co-respondence, which Jung called synchronicity. Indeed, the enchantment that the zodiacal wheel casts on our imagination can liberate us from the suffering we experience from our attachment to the carousel of time.

"To Make a Difference, We Must Be Different"

"To make a difference, we must be different".  Aquarian Abraham Lincoln said something along those lines - having the willingness to stand out, go against the grain, dance like no-one is watching, and love like it's never going to hurt.  Aquarians seem to have a way of being themselves regardless of what others think of them.  And as we enter the mystery of this zodiacal perspective, our work is to release that freedom of expression that flies in the face of social convention and throws a spanner of works of the rules of etiquette and decorum.  Yes, free-spirited Aquarius gives us the wings to fly into a future of our own choosing.  Yet the goal for Aquarius is an impersonal one.  Unlike heart-centred Leo with his proud individualism, the water-bearer pours forth the waters of life for humanity as a whole, as a community as network of interconnected beings.  So we remove our own ego from the centre of the play and become "just" another member of the troupe.  The trick is to do that without losing our individual expression!

The Aquarian perspective seems to elevate our consciousness to a higher plane and lifts us above the fluctuating contingencies of feelings and passions, to a cooler, more detached realm of ideas and ideals.  It puts us in in touch with the humanity that we share in common with one another, and by adopting this perspective we can begin to glimpse the possibility of how we might live together in a community of shared values and principles. 

The sign of the water bearer holds the tension of sameness and difference and can help bring us together as diverse communities. Through accepting that we originate from a common source, it teaches us to release our need to protect only our own clan, as we learn to accept our differences, embrace the myriad expressions of life.  It's rainbow colours remind us that any form of meaningful unity can only ever be achieved through preserving and encouraging its diversity, and allowing that to emerge organically from its grass roots.  Indeed this is really the great tension that exists in Aquarius, for it is so much the sign of ideals, and marvellous plans and schemes that seem to work perfectly on paper yet can prove a disaster in practice if they (all too easily) overlook the contingencies inherent in the creative unfolding of life.  During our Aquarian weekend, we looked in some depth at Living Systems Theory, and one of the things that really struck a chord with me about that was the life never unfolded just according to the plan, but always with an element of innovation and surprise.  The key to evolution, according to Fritjof Capra is not adaptation, as Darwin had it, but creativity.  This is so evident in the human beings evolve their understanding, but equally it is a key component of how living systems evolve also.

The Aquarian Bird's Eye View

The Alchemical Journey will shortly be entering its Aquarian phase and on 22nd/23rd January, we will be entering into the Aquarius perspective for our monthly weekend workshop. Having climbed to the summit of the mountain in Capricorn and entered the consciousness of the initiate, made our declaration of commitment and taken our stand in the world, it is now time to come down the mountain and share our elevated understanding with the world. From its lofty elevation, looking toward humanity from a high place of understanding, Aquarius is able to see life as an interconnected web, a network of relatedness, the unity in diversity. In this way Aquarius is like an eagle, flying high above the world, able to see the bigger picture and offer that up as wisdom. Katharine Maltwood identified Aquarius as an eagle in The Glastonbury Zodiac, rather than the more familiar water-bearer and the symbolism certainly seems to fit the sign.  This is a freehand drawing of hers, depicting the Aquarius figure. Note the chalice well marked on, and Glastonbury Tor, which is the beak of the bird.

Anthony and myself have walked the Aquarius figure with Alchemical Journey groups on two previous occasions, the last being when we made our promotional film. The walk takes in many of Glastonbury's most prominent sights, including Glastonbury Tor (the beak), the Red and White Springs, the so-called Gog & Magog oak trees, and St Edmund's Hill (which is one of the bird's wings).  A remarkable thing happened at the top of the Tor.  Anthony was addressing the question of why Aquarius was represented by a bird, rather than a human figure, and at that moment a hawk flew close to us and turned and looked directly at us.  It was a remarkable moment of synchronicity and the timing of it seemed to confirm the "rightness" of the bird symbolism.  Kevin and Tim, our film-makers, were sharp enough to catch the moment on camera and it features in our film and some of you may have seen it. We walked the figure in the snow in early February last year - here's a pictures from that walk:

So perhaps what that hawk was reminding us of was the way that Aquarius gives us that bird's eye view.  Aquarius is unique among astrological perspectives in having the ability to rise above the human condition and to some extent detach itself from the unpredictable contingencies of human emotions.  Aquarius must stand apart from the human experience, and at times, fly close the wind in order to appreciate the web which connects the nodes of our unique identities together into a seamless dance.

Aquarius challenges us to hold the tension between our uniqueness and our similarity to those with whom we share the web and it challenges us to express whatever it is that makes us stand out in the world.  In Capricorn we stood up and accepted the mantle of responsibility.  Now, in Aquarius, we stand out from the crowd and express our difference, and through that, realise the unique difference that we each make in the world. This is the sign of the future and we will be journeying into the future in our imaginations, as together we co-create a coherent vision of what is to come as we prepare to enter the Aquarian Age.

For more details of our forthcoming Aquarius workshop, click HERE

Walking the Horn of Capricorn

I began 2010, on new year's day, with three friends walking along Ponters Ball, the Horn of the Capricorn figure in the Glastonbury Zodiac.  Blessed with fine weather we walked slowly and deliberately along the ancient earthwork in the direction of the setting sun, imagining that we were taking into ourselves the magical energy of this most sacred of landscape symbols.

The horn of the goat, or in some representations, a unicorn, starts at the pineal gland in the head of the animal and then stretches to the south-west for about 2/3 of a mile, as Ponters Ball rises about 20ft in elevation.  The Capricorn figure itself ranges over an area of about four miles across north-eastwards in the direction of Shepton Mallett, stretching from Havyatt at the head/horn (closest to Glastonbury) to Launcherley Hill at his hind leg.  On our alchemical journey walk in December we focussed on the horn as being the potent symbol of initiation, the threshold between worlds, the experience of cornucopia (nature's abundance), and the realisation of our true nature.

The raised earthwork of Ponters Ball marks the boundary of the sacred enclosure of Avalon, demarcating it as sacred, protecting it from unwelcome intruders, and signalling the appropriate way by which to enter it.  The name Havyatt was originally hagyatt, "hagy" meaning heaven or sacred place, and "yatt" meaning gateway.  So this is the gateway to Paradise (one of Glastonbury's former names), and this indeed was certainly the traditional way that one would approach Avalon, which is olden times was surrounded on three sides by water.  Here's a photo of Ponters Ball taken by Lone Bang, who has been taking groups around The Glastonbury Zodiac for several years.  Her website is:  http://www.zodiactours.co.uk

So, having parked our cars in a makeshift little parking bay off the A361, we crossed the road and walked through the field down to Norwood Farm on the nose of the goat and then back up through the head to the pineal gland gland, all the while blessed with the most stunning views of Glastonbury Tor.  The pineal gland at the base of the horn is also considered by Serena Roney-Dougall to be the third eye point of the Glastonbury figure.  Serena has identified third eye points for most of the zodiac figures and indeed most of them are water features in the landscape.  In the Capricorn figure a stream extends north-eastwards from the pineal gland and it is indeed a powerful spot.  From there we walked up toward the horn.  And here's a shot of us walking along the horn.

A curmudgeonly old gatekeeper lives at the house by Ponters Ball where it crosses the A361 - a real Saturnian figure - and he prevented us from taking the short cut to rejoin the horn across the road, so we we had to take a roundabout route via the Baltonsborough road and cutting the across fields on the north side of the A361.  We then began our walk along the horn in ritual silence.  It was a deeply profound, moving experience and one I would highly recommend you do as and when you have the opportunity.  It seemed an entirely appropriate way to enter the new year.

The Astrology of 2010

So here we are in 2010, a new decade, and, according to the traditions of numerous ancient civilizations, the most anticipated decade for millennia. And while many are speculating about the Winter Solstice of 2012 & the end of the Mayan long count calendar, we astrologers are still very much focussed on the astrology of 2010.

The Cardinal Grand Cross - 7th Aug 2010
This year sees some very powerful planetary line-ups. The most striking of these occurs as Saturn, Pluto & Uranus form a challenging t-square in the cardinal signs over the summer. Indeed between 30th July and 7th August this year, we will experience a specific planetary configuration of the highest potency, prompted by Saturn & Mars entering the sign of Libra and a cardinal t-square forming into a grand cross. On 7th August, Saturn, Mars & Venus are conjunct in Libra opposing Uranus & Jupiter in Aries - making a grand cross with Pluto in Capricorn opposed Moon in Cancer. This whole configuration is exact within 5 degrees spanning the first 5 degrees of the cardinal signs. (see chart below).

It is many years since we have experienced a cardinal grand cross of this magnitude and it suggests to me that the events of this year carry tremendous significance for the future of humanity and our planet. We could call it a make-or-break year, a year where the choices we make and the actions we take carry a greater weight and importance and we may feel the weight and expectations of generations past and future upon our shoulders in a particularly intense or focussed way. I see this as a year where we are all being held to account, challenged to act with the highest integrity, to stand up for what we believe, align ourselves to our own deepest truth and act from that place. We are living in extraordinary times of unprecedented change, both in terms of consciousness shift and in geo-polictical-economic terms. As an astrologer, I cannot help but identify the energy of 2010 as being absolutely pivotal to those changes. (I will publish a longer article that goes into more detail about this in the near future).


Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice 2010
One of the most remarkable astrological phenomena of the year concerns the winter solstice sunrise, which, on 21st December 2010 coincides with a total lunar eclipse. This is the only lunar eclipse that will occur over this period of 36 years or so during which the winter solstice sunrise is directly aligned to the Galactic Centre. The Mayans, among other cultures, have identified this dark rift in the milky way galaxy (between Sagittarius & Scorpio) as the cosmic source of all creation (and destruction) and they have specifically tied their mythological and calendrical traditions to its winter solstice alignment. It is the place to which the Mayan shamans have always ventured on their visionary journeys in order to gain wisdom and understanding. On Winter Solstice this year, thanks to the lunar eclipse, and for the only time during this period of solar alignment, the Moon, Earth, Solstice Sun and Galactic Centre will all be in perfect alignment.

On a personal level, the astrological energy of this year has may have very significant implications - we all have our part to play in the incredible story that is unfolding on our planet. Those of us with planets in the early degrees of the cardinal signs may feel this alignment particularly powerfully this year, but we will all experience it at some level in our own personal lives. This is a challenging time, but also a time of extraordinary opportunity.

Astrological Consultations with Myself - January Discount
If you would like to gain some personal insights into how best to work with the astrology of 2010 in your own life, then I am offering my customary January discount on astrological consultations. So until 31st January, a 90 minute consultation with me will cost £70 (normal price: £90). Consultations can be conducted either face-to-face in Glastonbury (where possible) or by phone. All sessions can be recorded digitally and sent to you as an mp3 file, or recorded onto a CD.

Capricorn: Taking a Stand

The Gateway of the Initiate
In the midwinter phase of the astrological calendar (21st Dec - 20th Jan) we encounter the sign of Capricorn, the goat fish, and this sign really holds a unique place in the astrological mystery tradition.  For it is both the doorway of initiation, through which enlightenment is finally attained, and the portal through which the initiate willingly surrenders his/her divine condition, and returns to earth, cloaked in human form, to serve humanity.  An esoteric keynote for Capricorn runs:  "Lost am I in Light Supernal, yet on that Light, I turn my back."

Capricorn's Myths and Traditions
Capricorn is represented by a goat with a fish's tail, and we can trace its origins back to the founding Mesopotamian deity, Oannes or Ea.  This great being of wisdom, vision and vast intellect, brings forth the arts of civilisation to humanity, and periodically re-incarnates during periods of crisis or cultural/spiritual transition in order to instruct mankind.  In the Greek tradition, Capricorn is Pan, the goat-foot god, the god of wild hills and mountainside, overseer of shepherds and nature's sensuous delights.  In the Christian tradition, the sign of Capricorn becomes demonised along with its ruling planet Saturn (who becomes Satan), and Pan (along with the pleasure of the flesh that he invokes) becomes synonymous with the Devil.  Indeed, Capricorn has always been a sign traditionally revered, feared and made "scapegoat" in more -or-less equal measure. As I mentioned, Capricorn is the also the sign of the spiritual initiate or teacher, and it is into this sign that the dying-and-rising saviour of the culture is traditionally born; Jesus following Mithras, Horus and many other great mythical half-human/half divine figures are symbolically born on 25th December, the moment when the winter solstice sun begins to rise again. Esoterically, Capricorn represents the gateway through which the soul ascends, and this is traditionally with the moment when the Sun experiences its annual re-birth at Winter Solstice.

Proving Your Worth
Capricorn is a practical earthy sign, dour and determined, strategic, marked by an uncompromising ambition and single-pointed focus. The sign is ruled by the planet Saturn, Cronos, Old Father Time. It is Saturn who checks our stride, keeps us in time, and trips us up if we ignore the dictates of the unforgiving winter season that he presides over in his guise as Father Winter. Under Saturn's auspices, the Capricornian perspective commands respect and discipline, order and structure. In the yearly round, the Capricorn phase is a time of resolution and commitment to a long term future.  Saturn demands his pound of flesh and he often materialises in our lives as an authority figure who confronts us with limitation, criticism and examination.  Saturn demands that we prove our ability, commitment and dedication to task before we may be allowed to pass through the portal.

Saturnalia
It is a wonderful paradox that in the Capricorn cycle of the year, with all its weighty associations, we should also encounter the tradition of Saturnalia, out of which our modern Christmas festivities, and likely the "12 Days of Christmas", most probably originate. This is where we see the Capricornian Pan come to the fore.  Saturnalia was a time of the year around winter solstice when society's roles were reversed.  The servant becomes the master and the master temporarily becomes his the attendant of his own employee.  The name Saturnalia derives from a tradition where the people of Rome would bind the statue of Saturn with ropes as an act of defiance against authority - and this was sanctioned by the powers that be every year for a limited period of time. Saturnalia was, and still is, a time to make merry, to unleash the wilder side of one's nature and reconnect to the free spirit of Pan.

Declaring Your Stand in the World
Saturnalia aside, Capricorn remains a sign of mission and purpose, accountability and integrity. When we walk the Capricorn way, we must consider what it is that we are willing to stand for, what we are prepared to put our weight behind, and put our head above the parapet for. On The Alchemical Journey this month, we are enquiring as to whether we have a sense of mission in our lives, asking questions like: “What am I here to do?”; “What am I setting out to achieve?” and “What is my stand in the world?”. We’re exploring what success really means to us and how to balance our worldly ambitions with our need to stay connected spiritually and to remain meaningfully engaged with those around us.