Raising Music Consciousness for the Masses

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Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if we engaged in more purposeful music? Sure, the pop industry has its place, but it doesn’t seem to revolve around music consciousness or even healing with music. That’s not to say that some pop songs haven’t lent themselves to healing for some folks, only that the musicians were hardly thinking I’m going to write a pop song that heals others.

I was once a folk-rock musician and while I was heavily into the social messaging of my songs, I wasn’t aware of how the rhythms, melodies, and text affected other people by either raising or lowering their frequency. I had yet to learn about quantum physics and although I did study metaphysics, none of that had to do with sound.

I have encountered sound healers (some famous now) who started out as rock musicians. And I just thought that for younger folks, rock music provided the start of a journey into music consciousness, but let’s not forget about all the obstacles the ego placed in the way, like gnarled branches blocking a hiker’s path–not to mention the boulders of arrogance and greed as musicians desperately sought validation from the outside world in the form of fans and  record contract.

The ancients hardly cared about those trappings when it came to working with organized sound. In fact, their musical training involved alchemy and shamanism often. They learned about the power of seed sounds (mainly vowels) and in some traditions, the initiates into various music tradition began their study of sound through silence. They weren’t permitted to speak and they developed superior listening skills.

Sadly, we hardly have that height of awareness when it comes to music these days. I’ve seen new age shops fill the room with crystals (which broadcast frequencies) then play disturbing music (hard rock or goth rock) in the background. And you would think the new age folks would get this bit of wisdom. I’ve also walked into new age shops who do get it and play high frequency music in shops that have crystals. I know which shop I’ll buy my gemstones.

There is no excuse for ignorance when it comes to the power of organized sound, also known as music. There are plenty of books on the topic anyone can easily check out from a library. PBS has aired specials on the topic and many musicians (mainly from world, classical and jazz) have come on board the music awareness train. And if books aren’t your thing, watch how urban wildlife and domestic animals respond to music in their environment–that should give you a clue.

This week, begin your journey into greater music awareness by starting a music diary. When you listen to a particular piece of music or song, write down your emotional, physical, and spiritual responses to the music.  Keep doing this and you’ll change your music diet quickly, unless of course, the music you currently listen to nourishes your mind, body, and spirit.

Astrology–Take Responsibility and Surrender To Saturn

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Here’s a Whole Astrology article I pulled from the archives. I wrote it when Saturn was in Libra squaring my Sun/Mercury and Ascendant.

http://wholeastrology.blogspot.com/2012/12/surrendering-to-saturn.html

I have strong Saturn in my chart but I hope that you Jupitarians and Uranians also pay attention to Saturn’s lessons.

Whole Astrology–Reinterpreting a Natal Chart

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People often say to me, “Oh, you’re an astrologer. I had my chart read once.” As if once is enough. The problem with reading a chart only one time is that the complexity of the configurations and aspects of a chart take years of understanding. And as we evolve those configurations, challenges, and blessings take on new meanings.

For instance, a chart before a Saturn Return and a chart after this major life event provide the client with lessons already learned. At that point, he or she leaves childhood behind and begins the journey to the second Saturn Return which occurs around age 60 since a Saturn Return happens every 28 to 30 years. A chart with a yod or singleton planets also changes flavors over time. Someone coming in with a yod at 28 or even 40 years of age will talk about their frustrations. They will explain that none of their projects reach fruition, or that others don’t understand them. But when the same person goes to an astrologer after age 45, they tell a different story of synthesis and having learned some hard lessons that brought them wisdom.

I found that three aspects in my own chart dogged me in my younger years, but now, at age 51 I feel like I’m finally ripening or becoming the woman I was meant to become as a self-actualization process occurred with my Singleton Venus (retrograde), Pluto transiting over my Capricorn Ascendant and me learning that people with Saturn conjunct Moon in a birth chart (mines in Pisces), age more slowly than the rest of the population. So any astrologer worth their salt would have noticed when I was going through my 1st Saturn Return that I was blooming slowly and my life would seem arduous at times.

This is why comparing ourselves to others is never a good idea. It’s not like we’re running a race against our neighbors anyway. And if you ever noticed, fruit ripens at different times on a tree, despite the amount of sunlight and rain the fruit receives. There is no wrong or right way to take the life journey. Some people bloom at an early age, even in their teens and early 20s then they burn out in their 40s (having done this and done that already). While others take a more scenic route like I did. While some people will ask me about my accomplishments (which come off like a quilt instead as a linear progression), they will wonder what the heck I did with my life. It’s the same for people with planets in the 12th House or parked in a Yod.

So let’s look at the Singleton Venus (which I’ve written about extensively on my Whole Astrology blog). I’m always finding new meanings and life experiences from this single unaspected planet (despite it’s square with Chiron and inconjunct to Neptune). First, I’ve never found myself terribly attractive, though I’ve not thought of myself as unattractive either. Yet, I have experienced people commenting on my looks favorably, I was followed by men in college and my younger years which I could never figure out since I thought of myself as too thin and too inexperienced (hardly sexy in the conventional sense). But having a Singleton Venus is similar to having Venus in the 12th House or planets in Taurus or Libra hidden in the 12th House. I didn’t have full access to my feminine side and thought of myself as a tomboy who got along better with boys than girls growing up.

Perhaps if you also have Venus in one of those situations in your chart and you’re a woman then you can relate to what I’m saying. When I get a chance I would like to revisit Audrey Hepburn (a Taurus not comfortable with her body) and other gamine actresses (tomboys with short cropped hair) and see where Venus is in their charts.

When I combine my RX Singleton Venus with the Capricorn Ascendant and Saturn/Moon in Pisces (with a one degree orb), I adopted the belief that I’m ageless. I’ve had people remark that I resemble a 30 year old woman and yet, I’m in my 50s. I find this disconcerting when no one believes my age, but my mother, a Capricorn had the same problem over time. Capricorn and Saturn rule time and delay progress such as the progression of aging. Also having Venus in the youthful sign Gemini helps.

I haven’t had to worry about aging, though I do just like anyone. But I don’t use any special face creams or dress like a teenager. But I have struggled with feeling comfortable in my own skin (unlike those French gamine actresses). And my life has been one big head game with me spending more time in my thoughts than my body (Venus in Gemini). I spent most of my time trying to outwit others and using words as my defense. But how long can I hide behind well-placed words? Has this been your experience too?

Let’s return to the idea that every chart deserves multiple reads from multiple astrologers. But even beyond that, if you have an interest in astrology, then read as many books and websites on the topic as possible while looking for examples in your own chart. This is after all part of the self-discovery process. I dare you to find an astrologer and get a new reading on your chart today or at least read an article on an astrological topic new to you and use your chart as an example.

I’m a metaphysical coach and astrologer based in Bellingham, Washington. Learn more about my astrology at Whole Astrology. And get a personal reading.

A New Take on Pluto (Planet has a Heart)

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When I first saw new Pluto photographs unveiled, my first thoughts revolved around taking astrology back to its astronomical roots while keeping the psychological and self exploration along with spiritual lessons. That is and has always been the essence of my astrology practice which I call Whole Astrology.

When I saw the recent stunning images of Pluto along with millions of viewers around the globe, I knew practicing “whole” astrology would become one of my life missions. Just like the bottom portion of the glowing planet (the color of scorpions and the ruling planet of the Zodiac Sign Scorpio) reveals a heart, experiencing the planets as gravitational forces that shape our lives leads me to my own heart or passion. Pluto after all represents passion in modern Western Astrology. And we experience too the adage of So Above is Below. Shakespeare too would agree that the planets and stars rotating in the heavens affect the daily course of humans and non-humans.

Since my childhood, I knew on some level that the inner workings of our psyches (I didn’t call it psyche back then), have more to do with shaping events on the planet then our outer trappings. This of course I experienced as emptiness and yearning for truth or wisdom to live by (also known as existential angst or depression). Just like Saint Francis of Assisi once shouted, “There has to be more than this toil and struggle!” I believed the

same sentiment, but I didn’t have the words or knowledge at the time to express that.

I knew this on a soul level and yet, just like everyone else in the mainstream, I mistook analyzing outer trappings such as trends and human behavior and my reactions to that as self-exploration. I confused the outer with the inner and later astrology helped me to sort that all out. After years of numerous types of therapies to alleviate depression, taking a deep dive into astrology, brought me back to my authentic self as written in the stars. Obviously this realization led to some profound experiences that transformed my life and Pluto had a lot to do with that, planet or not.

Even though us humans, domesticated animals, and urban wildlife have lost touch with our connection to nature and the natural cycles, as well as, our inner guidance (the part of us that hides like a shy child behind our wounded egos), I have a sense that gravitational forces of the luminaries and planets known and unknown lead us to evolve and destruct what no longer serves us.  And as we continue this cycle of death and rebirth, new planets such as Ceres (declared as a planet in 2006), and what should be called a planet Chiron (an asteroid discovered in the late 1970s), take us to a whole new level of developing self-love which encompasses compassion and understanding for all lives and beyond.