As winter solstice approaches, we experience the year’s shortest days and longest nights.  Where I live it is dark before 5 pm and not light again until just after 7 am.  This is a time to enjoy snuggling under the blankets, sleeping long hours, dreaming deep, and waking late.  Our bodies tell us to slow down, to rest, to turn inward.  This is a time to reflect.  Not a time for doing anything.  

Decorate your home with lights and colored balls, enjoy your friends and family, eat well.

When New Year comes there will be time enough to decide what you want and need to do to save yourself and the world.

Yesterday we ushered in the month of December with a Full Moon in the astrological sign of Gemini. I watched wide-eyed as the enormous orange globe rose at dusk. I woke just before the sun rose to watch her set, deeper in color and larger in influence.  On the morning of December 2, the moon appeared larger because she was at perigee to Planet Earth, close in orbit. On the morning of December 2, there was also a subtle, barely perceptible change in the air. The planet Uranus had stationed and was preparing to go direct.  Is it possible that one speck of energy as small as myself could "feel" or perceive an event so far away?  Or was it a mind trick of hope? Does it matter?

I prayed to the Moon Goddesses, Artemis and Hecate, that humanity be filled with her light. I rattled my rain sticks in a sharp winter wind on the high desert plateau of Santa Fe and asked the Twin Moon Goddesses to bring on the fulfillment of hope and the release of fear and doubt. It's time to manifest a new destiny.

"Be gone the old paradigm of fear-based patriarchal societies", I chanted, as I danced with my shadow. "Fill me with spirit. May I be inspired and grateful for all the goodness in life."

This is what the cosmic wizards say about December. In numerology, December is a five month, and five is the number of change. Prepare for warp drive because the planetary conditions and the opening of energetic portals, (11/11/09 and 11/29/09), along with the wondrous magnetic light of the full moon are illuminating a gateway for the shift to a paradigm of collective consciousness rooted in the sacred feminine.
 
November is gone. And many might say good riddance, except for the joy of a four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the States. The trouble with November was
Saturn squaring Pluto, described by astrologers as the strain of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  There was a lot of challenge in that friction, which is now said to be resolved. We are now, in December, ready to receive an enormous amount of new information that cannot but shift our terre forever.

The first two days of December have removed the roadblocks and light up the yellow brick road of resolution. The pipeline of information is flowing and the information is visible. So open all of your senses and tune your frequency to a high vibration. Turn  your virtual faucets on and let the water flow; be open to experiencing the unexpected.  Watch the waves wash positive change onto your shore of reality.

It's time to let go of the old and live each moment as a new and precious gift. It's time for us to expand into new spiritual frontiers.

The Sabian symbols for this Full Moon are evocative pictures of what that shore of reality might look like:  

The Moon at 11 Degrees Gemini: "Newly opened land offers the pioneer new opportunities for experience; the power and joy of new beginnings."

The Sun at 11 Degrees Sagittarius: "In the left section of an archaic temple, a lamp burns in a container shaped like a human body; the value of the 'return to the body' advocated by modern thinkers in order to balance the stress on intellectuality and objective consciousness."

So don't get lost out there on the ethers exploring the higher realms of spiritual frontiers.
Stay grounded, anchor your kite to the ground and remain in body…and in touch with your physical reality.

As Stephanie Austin, writing for The Mountain Astrologer, aptly puts it, "Uranus' station direct reminds us that each of us is a butterfly—that each thought, word, and action contributes to the global weather of our times…[t]he Full Moon propels us to release what is no longer working…"

Full throttle into a pioneering month of December. May we all be fearless and bold as we explore with love our new frontiers. From Uranus, the God of Chaos, the Great Void, let us create beauty through love.

Wishing you love and light and fearless acts. Until the next time, remember: Magic is Afoot and the Goddess is Alive!

Juliette
We must continually change to become ourselves.
Teilhard de Chardin

Ps.  More news next time from Kikki and her journey in Hotel Atlantis.

Pss. And stay tuned for news on the mystical conjunction of Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius to take place on December 7 and the energetic portals of 12/12/09 and 12/21/09.

It's the holiday season, and for our American Thanksgiving weekend, we have had much for which we can be grateful.

It's been awhile since I've written. Not since September when I began to post excerpts from my mystical thriller, Hotel Atlantis.  So I beg your patience as I find my "blog" voice.

I hardly know where to begin.  It's a busy time of the year for most people operating in the conventional world. Sometime toward the end of the week last, as the moon waxed to full, I began to hear the world grinding its gears in fever pitch. As the light of the moon increased to full on Monday, intensity increased.

A mere two or three days later, I still feel Luna, the glorious Moon Goddess beat her drums. She wants something from us. Something from me. I am listening. I talk to her when she appears and my dreams are vivid so that when I awake, I feel as if I haven't slept but have been out riding the ethers in and out of adventure.

Fittingly, the Moon was full, or nearly so, for Halloween, a holiday and festival of old known as Samhain, marking the end of the pagan year. Witchs' New Year, as it is known to many.

Time to have a bonfire and burn the old. Time to sing and dance with friends. Time to reflect quietly and turn inward to see where the magic will be for each of us in the days and months to come. An opportunity and a clean slate.

I've read the celestial news from a variety of astrologers and cosmic watchers and the news is pretty dramatic. It seems it has been thus for some time.  Today, as your celestial muse, I can tell you this. With the Full Moon in Taurus opposite the Sun in Scorpio, we find ourselves at a point when the divine feminine is manifesting in its destructive abilities, breaking down outworn structures. We've got to go with the flow. Resistance is futile.

Destruction of the old is as inevitable as change. Think of destruction as creation, because it surely is.

The old order is breaking down and this is exciting as long as we don't go into fear. Stay awake and proactive. Watch for your portals, however small. There will be signposts. Move in and explore. Follow your intuition and lose your mind. (A neat trick that works wonders of EveryDayMagic.)

Hang your witch's hat on the hope that is brought with the direct motion of the great benefic, Jupiter. As I write this blog, know that both Jupiter/Zeus and Neptune/Poseidon are in direct motion, joined by Chiron, the Wounded Healer of the Tarot and the Rainbow Bridge between the inner and outer planets. This continuing triple conjunction (loosely speaking), in Aquarius, the 11th House of hopes and dreams renews collective spiritual gifts, building a new collective bridge with more solid humanitarian foundations. A bridge to a new beginning. Watch out for your bridge person, an evolved Fool of the Tarot, who rather than leaping into the chasm will take your hand and guide you across.

So create magic and tear down together. Reset the balance and harmony. Do both with honor, integrity and beauty. And while you play and work, know that your actions, your thoughts are part of the quantum universe. We are co-creating as a collective consciousness, (and subconscious, too).

Slow down, smell the fresh damp dirt mixed with newly fallen leaves. Hear the music as leaves crunch under foot. The subtle whispers and rattles as a breeze dances through the leaves that still cling to branches. Marvel at the clever black ravens gliding and squawking. Watch for the small miracles of magic. And yes, mourn the old, grieve for what is lost among the passing of summer pleasures. And then luxuriate in the deep energies of the autumn. Be in awe at sunrise and sunset. Be grateful for the more intense blue of November skies in the Northern Hemisphere. Pay attention. Feel. Breathe.

Be fearless in your actions and audacious in building your dreams. Trust that you are on the divine path. Don't hurry magic or love. Greet them both eagerly.

The Sabian Symbol for the Full Moon at 11 degrees Taurus is: "A woman watering flowers in her garden; development of the powers of the mind on which ego-consciousness is based."  For the Sun at 11 degrees Scorpio,   "A drowning man is being rescued; the deep concern of the social group for the safety of individuals."

We need to look out for each other as a society and focus our minds on renewing what is really essential.

I had Kikki, my alter-ego heroine of Hotel Atlantis draw a card for me this morning. The first card was the Seven of Swords, Orestes, stealing into the castle to commit matricide against his mother Clytemnestra to avenge his father's murder at her hands. It was the same card she drew in the first chapter of the book.

She nodded wisely, and whispered, "Destruction of the old order through the feminine." I grimaced and asked her to draw another. Her eyes were downcast when she drew The Tower. This time, I cried aloud just as a raven squawked angrily, hovering over the pond.

The Tower depicts King Minos' Labyrinth struck by an earthquake, as it tumbles into an angry sea. Poseidon, God of Earthquakes and God of the Sea rises from the stormy depths, trident thrust toward the King's castle. The card symbolizes the shattering of structures and the destruction of the old order. Perfectly in keeping with the energies of the times.

I will write more on this card next week. Better yet, Kikki will tell you what happens when old patriarchal structures become riddled with power, greed and the need to dominate no matter what the cost to the whole—and how the Goddess can fight back on her terms.   

In the meantime, watch out for earth movements, rising waters, violent storms, falling rocks and an angry Mother Goddess. And remember:

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it's about learning to dance in the rain!"

With light and love until the next time,

Juliette

I am journeying to the sacred centers, sacred mountains, and sacred caves on the Goddess Pilgrimage to Crete.  Do consider joining us next spring or fall for a life-transforming experience.

Meanwhile enjoy this song to Brigid by Patti 0’Luanaigh who is taking an internet course with me in the Women’s Spirituality Program at California Institute of Integral Studies.

 Brigid of the Triple Flame*
Brigid of the triple flame, 
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns brightest Brigid,
and it burns for thee.
Brigid of the triple flame,
Goddess of poetry,
the force that flows through you Brigid,
sings life's song through me.
Brigid of the triple flame, 
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns hottest, Brigid,
and it burns in me.
Refrain
Brigid of the triple flame,
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns brightest, Brigid,
and it burns for thee.
Brigid of the triple flame,
Goddess of healing ye be,
the force that flows through you, Brigid,
channels healing through me.
Brigid of the triple flame,
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns hottest, Brigid,
and it burns in me.
Refrain
Brigid of the triple flame,
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns brightest, Brigid,
and it burns for thee.
Brigid of the triple flame,
Goddess of alchemy,
the force that flows through you, Brigid,
shapeshifts through me.
Brigid of the triple flame, 
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns hottest, Brigid,
and it burns in me.
Refrain
(After each of these stanzas, which are sung in a lilting tune I composed, I sing in an Irish brogue this following syllabic refrain)
Die...die...da...da...da...die...
da..da....die...die...da...die...
Da ...da...die...die...da...da...da...die...
die...die...da...die...
(Then one last time)
Brigid of the triple flame,
the flame we can't see,
is the flame that burns brightest, Brigid,
and it burns for thee,
flame that burns brightest, Brigid,
and it burns in thee....
*Patti writes: I call her "Breej.”

As a continuing seasonal offering to the Earth Mother Goddess, Demeter, following is Part Three of an excerpt from my forthcoming novel. This will be the last posting of the season. Good things come in threes.

This post is dedicated to my father, an inspiration, a man of light and Mother Earth.

             Hotel Atlantis

Kikki shuffled, hands and fingers moving as if she inhabited a mystical dimension. She fanned the deck out on the table face down and drew three cards: The High Priestess, The Moon and The Wheel of Fortune.
“Wow!” Cleo said.
 “Powerful cards—all from the Major Arcana, the archetypal quest.” Kikki studied the colorful images of Greek mythology.
     Cleo picked up The High Priestess with two long scarlet talons. “Persephone in her bridal whites, pomegranate in hand, walking down a long set of stairs into Hades’ cave. Marriage to the Lord of Death.” Cleo put the card quickly back on the table as if it were fire.
“She crossed over into the secret enclaves of the Underworld to learn its hidden mysteries,” Kikki said.  “As the story goes, no mortal could cross the River Styx without paying a coin to Charon the Ferryman.”
“But Persephone got a free ride—sort of.”
“Cute, Cleo.”
“So are we all taking a ride across the river of death this weekend, or just me?”
 “All of us.” The question is, Kikki thought to herself, who would come back?
When Kikki touched The Moon card her fingers vibrated heat. “Hecate, the Full Moon Goddess, a powerful and terrifying beauty, and Cerberus, her animal form, the three-headed mythical beast dog.” The card caught a strange blue-green flash from the sun’s last light. “Look, Cleo. She also has three faces, for the phases of the moon—most importantly, Artemis, Huntress of the Dark Night skies, also known as the Wild Child.”
 “Wild Child, eh?” Cleo said wryly. “I can do that!”
“I expect nothing less. The Moon has been pounding her magnetic energy on this already highly charged island for days. Tonight she will hit maximum light, the most powerful moon of the year. Full on Goddess power. The Sacred Feminine will rule their ancient feast, with Mary along for the ride to heaven on Greek Summer Easter, Feast of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin.”
Cleo caught Kikki’s eyes, now twinkling with storytelling and merriment.
“Not to worry, Cleo. We’ll both be riding our brooms with the Moon Goddesses!”
     Cleo leaned carefully over The Wheel of Fortune, not touching the card. “And the Three Moirai, Goddesses of Fate—grim job if you ask me.  Look at them!” Three black-robed and hooded women sat around a golden spinning wheel in a dark cave, while four tiny humans clung to the wheel. “More caves. What is it with Greeks and caves?” Cleo bit her upper lip and then chuckled and said, “Totally suitable melodrama for a Greek summer weekend. I’m not sure the Virgin Mary would think much of these three witches. They even give me the shivers." Cleo glanced at the sun and said, “Be right back. I’ll get the champagne.”

He waited in the shadows and willed her friend to leave his woman’s side.  Just for an instant.  That was all he needed to work his alchemy.
His eyes sparkled sea green in anticipated pleasure when the red-haired woman pirouetted out of her seat and rushed inside.
He began to draw his message in the soft dirt, primitive pictures with colored chalk, as he had always done.  He focused on the image and imprinted it on his third eye.  And then he let it fill his body and fly out through the window of his soul. He sent her an ancient choice.
He froze the red-haired siren inside the house. His woman must be alone to fully receive and understand the message. Zephyr, Goddess of the West Wind, slammed the front door shut, knocking over a pot of geraniums.  Scattered red petals formed drops like blood in the shape of an arrow.  It pointed toward him.
He thanked the gods and stepped out of the cave.  Silent moccasins covered the short distance down the gully of the cliff, closer to his love.    

Kikki was startled out of a dark voyage of spirit when she heard the door slam. An ill wind embalmed her with a fine layer of red dust and pumice. And then the wind stopped, as suddenly as it had come up out of nowhere. She crossed her arms across her solar plexus and pinched her thumb hard to stop the otherworldly vision that threatened. And then she sent him an answer in a silent scream. “Never!”


With joy and light, thanks for reading. Stay tuned.

Juliette

Ps.
Click here for Part One on 17-18 September and here for Part Two on 28 September.

Hotel Atlantis Copyright © 2009 Juliette Lauber and VGT Holdings