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5 Keep It Magic Topics You Do Not Want To Miss

In the summer of 2011, I was in an awkward state. I began psychotherapy a few months earlier for unresolved sexual abuse trauma and social anxiety disorder. I was doing well – or at least better than I had for the 10 years prior. I was getting the relief I needed, and began to live my life rather than let life live me. After doing years of radio prior (hosting 2 radio shows and the co-host of another), doing another radio show was the last thing I thought I would do.

Enter – Jacki Smith!

Jacki and I had worked on a radio show together in the past. She contacted me to see if I would help her with her own show which she wanted to call “Keep It Magic”. I offered to help her get her show going and would host the first 10 episodes with her so that she would eventually feel comfortable running her own show.

Keep It Magic was born in the fall of 2011. It is now the spring of 2014 and we are in the middle of our third season. I guess you can see that Jacki talked me into more than ten episodes. Moreover, the last 100 episodes of KIM (our shortened name for Keep It Magic) have been awe inspiring, transformative, and the most fun I have had in radio. Our goal is to provide our listeners with as much content as possible in order to help them achieve their own personal desires in their lives.

In order to celebrate this milestone accomplishment, I have put together a list of my favorite “Keep It Magic” episodes. These are the episodes that helped change my perspective on living and helped me “Keep It Magic” in my own life. Hopefully, they will help create some magic in yours!

5. Honor Thy Mother and Father With Reservations:

This episode was produced during the holidays and one of the most frustrating and stressful time for our listeners. Often we are forced to deal with relatives that we have unresolved issues with and/or have to deal with past traumas of our childhood. This episode explores how to honor your roots and at the same time remain an individual and firmly planted in your boundaries.

4. Getting Your Needs Met Once and For All: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

This series was divided into three parts. Jacki and I explored needs from a spiritual, magical, and astrological perspective. This is a great show if you feel lack in your life and what you come up empty handed in regards to getting your needs met. Sometimes what we think we need and what we really need are actually different.

3. Does God Really Wear Lipstick? Part 1 and Part 2.

In this series we explored Karen Berg’s book, “God Wears Lipstick – Kabbalah for Women”. Since I know Kabbalah and its theories pretty well, listening to Jacki’s experience was rather interesting to say the least. Her first reaction was that Kabbalah had the same misogynistic ideals as other Judeo Christian religions, but as she got deeper into the book she realized how different it actually is. This series will teach you the Kabbalistic purpose for women on this planet and how they can help others achieve fulfillment.

2. Dispelling Inner Ghosts and Demons: Part 1 and Part 2

During the month of October, Jacki and I decided to take a detour away from the traditional pagan and Wiccan ideals of Samhain and instead focused on the inner world. If you are haunted by things from your past and need to learn how to manage your personal ghosts then these episodes will truly waken you up to how much our personal hauntings control us in our day to day lives.

And finally…

1. Getting to the Core of Your Desire.

Danielle LaPorte’s latest book, “The Desire Map” is one of the most transformative books of my life. It is ground breaking and eye opening. If you live your life based on attempting to achieve goals and satisfaction through the physical world, then this episode will help you flip the switch. You will get to the root of your desire not through what you achieve, but rather though your feelings through the process.

Plus… don’t miss the latest episode of Keep It Magic

Check Out Spirituality Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with KeepItMagic on BlogTalkRadio

Storm Cestavani is the co-host of the top rated metaphysical show “Keep It Magic” and the co-creator of the “Tarot Magic” with Coventry Creations. Storm is available for consultations by setting up an appointment to speak with him. Simply click on Book A Reading with Storm at the top of the page.

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Astro 101 — The Astrological Signs Part 3 — Astrological Modalities

Astro 101 – The Astrological Signs Part 3 — Astrological Modalities

In our last lesson we learned about the astrological elements (fire, earth, air, and water) and now is time that we move on to the third ingredient to prepare for interpretation which is the astrological modalities. Additionally, everyone can get a copy of their horoscope which you can get for free on my website. If you do not understand the chart, you can always check out the tutorial that I created to help you understand your horoscope.

Have you ever wondered why a Libra does not respond to life exactly the same way as an Aquarius? How about Leo and Sagittarius? There is a reason for this – every astrological element (fire, earth, air, and water) are divided into three subsections. These subsections are called cardinal, fixed, and mutable in astrologese (that’s the language astrologers speak) and these subsections represent the modes or quality of a sign. In essence, they represent the way that the sign orients itself to achieve something in the outer world.

In “Astrology for the Light Side of the Brain”, Kim Rogers – Gallagher has this to say about modalities:

“Qualities (modalities) show the signs “energy flow” and describes the general M.O. of a sign – that is, whether it’s more likely to lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

The three modalities are as follows:

Cardinal — Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn
Fixed – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius
Mutable – Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces

Let’s Get to the Meat and Potatoes!

As I stated earlier each of the three elements are divided into three subsections. These three subsections have different ways of manifesting the elemental qualities of the three signs that exists within each element. In each case, the natural energy of the element remains the same. All three of the fire signs seek to find potential and possibility and keeps its eye on the future, all three earth signs seek stability and like to create concrete structures in order to manifest life concretely, all three air signs seek to find meaningful patterns in order to perceive in a logical manner in which everything follows a system or pattern, and all three water signs seek to find meaning through its relationship with others and its tribalistic connection to an honored past. However, each of the three signs achieve results in vastly different ways and a signs modality describes how the sign is going to take action.

The Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn)

The cardinal signs are the go-getters of the zodiac. They love to start things up and get things rolling. In the Jewish or Kabbalistic tradition, the world was created while the Sun was in the sign of Libra. On day one (or 1 degree of Libra), the Hebrew Yahweh created the heavens and the earth and the process of creation began. The cardinal signs are the ones that come up with all the wonderful ideas and are constantly in a state of creating, but unfortunately they often do not finish the projects they begin because they are quickly moving after the next thing. They are natural leaders and they are often the instigators of action in the world. However, when the cardinal planet is not working properly or operating from the shadow, they can be controlling, impatient, forceful, and conniving. The cardinal signs need to realize that although they may create the most perfect mold, it is necessary to let the cement set in order for a structure to have a solid foundation.

The Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius)

The fixed signs are the ‘stubborn’ signs of the zodiac. They do not like to be pushed around and if you try to force them to do anything, you will find yourself in a pitch battle that you will most likely lose – that is unless you are fixed yourself and then you have achieved the classic ‘stalemate”. Planets in the fixed signs are stable, like to get things done, and love to complete projects. Whereas, cardinal signs like to begin things they often leave the fixed signs to manage them. Fixed signs have enormous endurance and can often patiently wait for things to occur or manifest; whereas, the other modalities may have either moved on to the next thing or given up hope out of boredom. However, this stabilizing quality of fixed signs often leads to rigidity and once a habit is formed it’s difficult to get them to let go of it. Fixed signs like to feel established and are very determined to achieve their goals. However, when the fixed planet is not working properly or is operating from the shadow, they can be obstinate, resistant to change, and their internal growth becomes stifled because they often stay stuck in their circumstances. It is necessary for fixed signs to realize that although having a stable foundation and reliability are great qualities to have; sometimes, one must allow change to occur in order to stay with the times to foster future growth.

The Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces)

The mutable signs like to remain flexible and keep all their options open. Unlike cardinal signs that like to get things rolling and fixed signs that like to manage things, mutable signs like to remain interested in anything that they are interested in – and usually a lot of different things are on their never ending menus. If mutable signs become disinterested in something they will often find something else that catches their attention and move on to it quickly without any regret. Out of all three modalities, mutable signs are the most adjustable and adaptable to circumstances or situations. They welcome change in its variety of manifestations because change is interesting and the last thing a mutable sign wants to be is bored. Mutable signs like to avoid strife because conflict requires mental effort which mutable signs would rather use on things they may enjoy. Mutable signs like to be flexible, versatile, and malleable. However, when the mutable planet is not working properly or is operating from the shadow, they can be scattered, unfocused, distracted, and restless. People with a majority of mutable planets need to realize that life is about change and adaptability, yet sometimes it is necessary to take charge and formulate decisions in order to find solid meaning in life. Although mutable signs are the classic “jack of all trades”, they often make the mistake of never being a master of anything.

Putting It All Together

In our last lesson, we added up the planets to find out which element dominated the horoscope. It might be beneficial for you to review that lesson once again. We will do that again for the modalities – here is a cheat sheet for the astrological glyphs if you need them. I will list them out for those who are not familiar with the glyph symbols.

Here is a list of all the planets currently in the heavens at the time of this writing.

Sun 09 Capricorn
Moon 29 Scorpio
Mercury 09 Capricorn
Venus 28 Capricorn Rx
Mars 11 Libra
Ceres 22 Libra
Jupiter 17 Cancer Rx
Saturn 21 Scorpio
Chiron 10 Pisces
Uranus 9 Aries
Neptune 4 Pisces
Pluto 12 Capricorn

Below is an image to show you the grid I am using created with the program Solar Fire. You can create a similar grid using the free astrological service available on my website.

The Breakdown:

8 planets in cardinal signs (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto)
2 planets in fixed signs (Moon and Saturn)
2 planets in mutable signs (Chiron and Neptune)

Interpretation:

The current astrological planetary positions are overwhelmingly cardinal. Someone born on this particular day (and I am sure that many babies were), leans towards being an initiator and go-getter. Goals will be achieved by going out into the world to make things happen. They are natural leaders, inventive, and will take charge of a situation or circumstance if given a chance. However, with both fixed and mutable planets deficient, it may be difficult for them to sit around and watching things develop, and they may experience difficulties communicating their ideas effectively because they have an adverse relationship with change. It will be necessary to develop patience and malleability to achieve the far reaching success desired.

The Astrology of 2014 — Your Survival Guide

On December 2, I posted a message on Facebook that said, “Jacki Smith and I will record ‘The Astrology of 2014’ later this week. What would you like to know about the upcoming year?” I will admit that I was rather shocked by the answers, yet knowing the current astrology in the sky, I should have not be surprised. The topic most asked about was “world peace”.

Now, I will admit that everyone wants world peace. I mean who wants to live in a world that is filled with war, pestilence, death, disease, poverty, and other maladies of tribulation? However, despite our generalized good will towards our fellow man (which are often evoked during the holiday season), I doubt that will occur in 2014 with our current astrological transits. In fact, matters may become more intense as the current transit of Uranus square Pluto continues.

So, what will occur in 2014? Let’s get into the MEAT of next year’s astrology!

Grab your charts. If you do not have one then you can get one for free here on my website. Plus, if you need help interpreting your horoscope, I have created a tutorial.

Happy New Year

The birth chart of an individual expresses all the potentials, possibilities, patterns, and dysfunctions that an individual has to work with through the course of his or her lifetime. The natal chart is constructed (thankfully with an astrological program now) using the date of birth, time of birth, and place of birth. In many ways, it is a picture or a snapshot of the cosmos for that moment of time (birth) until the natives (old astrological term for a person) comes to an end (death). You can create a chart based on anything – beginning of a football game, birth of a chicken, or time that an event occurs based on the moment the event occurs and using astrology you can delineate the chart to learn information that might not be apparent on the surface. Likewise, you can create a chart for the New Year and learn information that will be applicable over the course of the year.

Astro Tool Box:

To create a chart for the New Year, cast a chart for 12:00:01 AM on January 1, 2014 with the coordinates for capital city in your country. For example, if you live in England, you would use London as your capital city. Canada would be Ottawa, and the United States would be Washington, DC. Also, you can cast a horoscope for your local municipality, which will describe the energy of your location over the period of the next year. If you do not have an astrological program, you can always create a horoscope for free on my website.

The New Year Chart for the United States:

The New Year begins during the tail end of a waning lunar cycle. In fact, the New Moon in Capricorn will occur at 6:14 AM on New Year Day. Waning cycles reflect the end of a cycle and perhaps this falling on New Year’s reflects the beginning of the end of a tumultuous period which has been active since 2011. However, the New Year chart does scream that it is time for us to create structure and organization in our lives if we wish to succeed through 2014.

The most standout feature of the New Year Chart is the significant amount of planets below the horizon in the chart – every planet except for Jupiter in Cancer and Uranus in Aries. This reveals that it is time for us to focus on inner issues and inner concerns. Things have reached critical mass and it’s time for us to ask ourselves about our personal responsibility in the present day world climate rather than sit back idly projecting our ills onto the outer world. This does not mean that the world stage does not share its own responsibility in the mess we have made of things, yet in order for us to overcome these issues we need to realize that problems begin within and are symbolized by events in the outer world. In order to do this, we need to become fundamentally honest with our personal responsibility in the scheme of things. This does not mean that everything will be bad in 2014. In fact, I discussed on Keep It Magic (the podcast companion episode is below), that 2014 is a seed level year for us. The beginning of the end is almost near, but in order for us to achieve a positive new beginning we need to begin planting those seeds now – as difficult as this may be.

There are large similarities between the New Year’s Chart and the New Moon chart (again it occurs at 6:14 AM on Jan 1, 2014). The most significant is the angular cardinal cross which includes the Moon, Sun, Pluto, and Mercury all in Capricorn, Mars in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer, and Uranus in Aries. This is a very combustible combination that also occurs later in the year. Cardinal crosses basically hold all of the energy within a closed configuration (think a square having four sides and the energy is trapped within the square with no-release) and with the volatile planets (Mars, Uranus, and Pluto) involved this could create significant tensions throughout the world during the months of January and again in April. Expect to see more governmental wrangling, issues and concerns regarding health care and taxes, and the national debt. The political landscape will increasingly become more volatile as the year progresses.

The most significant area to keep our eyes focused on will be the country of Iran who is significantly impacted by these energies over the course of the next year. However, the tensions and divisions within Iran may actually reflect some very intense energies within all of us – the urge to be free of the confines of an ever constricting society in which the government(s) no longer have a concern with the issues of the people and instead are concerned only with their own personal ability to wield power.

Why is this energy occurring?

CLASH OF THE TITANS:

The most significant aspect of 2014 will occur in April and December when Uranus in Aries will square Pluto in Capricorn. The roots of any outer planetary aspect can be found in its seed level with the conjunction. In the case of Uranus and Pluto, the conjunction occurred in the late 60’s in the sign of Virgo. The conjunction of these two outer planets seem to be linked to deep collective changes within the fabric of political structures that are no longer serving the larger collective goals. The sign of Virgo has a lot to do with our day to day lives, jobs, and service to our country. During this period of 1963-1969 the Vietnam War broke out, and for the first time the citizens (especially in the United States) questioned the ruling authority’s purpose for going to war. The planet Uranus likes freedom and being confined in Virgo brought the urgency towards a more meaningful life and to be free from the confines of a military state and possibly corrupt government. In addition, the 60’s brought about the need to address issues such as sexual, racial, and LGBT equality.

In 2011, an interesting similarity occured as Uranus and Pluto were within orb of their first square aspect. Citizens across the Middle East were abandoning their oppressive regimes in favor of a more democratic state, workers right issues in America were on the front of the newspapers as many politicians began dissolving union laws in certain states, the divide between the haves and the have not’s has risen to an epic level, and the judicial system is addressing the legality of LGBT restrictions and moving more towards equality and justice for all rather than some. Unfortunately the square aspects tend to make us side with one planet and project the other onto the outer world of government and countries. In this case, the citizenry seems to be siding with Uranus and the dark aura of corruption is projected onto all powerful governments funded and possibly bought by corporations. The aspect seems to prevent us from seeing gray areas in the world, and everything appears to be black and white, good or bad, holy or evil.

2014 will be more of the same. We will continue to see the same political ideologies that are influencing the current world stage continue. As I stated earlier, Iran is harpooned by this aspect over the course of the next year and continued political civil wars (Syria, Egypt) will continue. In the United States, expect the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s (Democrats and Republicans) to continue their political rhetoric leading up to the midterm elections. Unfortunately, the charts are not showing any change to our political climate throughout 2014. In fact, these issues may become more inflamed and incendiary as Jupiter gets into the mix in April. Jupiter tends to expand the energies of planets it forms an aspect to and when it gets involved in outer planetary cycles it tends to add a bit of gasoline to an already burning fire. However, despite the foreboding message that these planets bring, it is often through difficult and trying times that enough people wake up so that change is possible.

Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn will continue to move through the sign of Scorpio throughout 2014. There will be noticeable shifts in the areas of life that he has recently undermined (relationships while he was in Libra in 2012). Saturn in Scorpio likes emotional dominance, and would prefer to create circumstances where people are dependent on us. He loves control and he sees any question of his authority as betrayal. This can create a rather intense emotional period in our relationships as questions of partnership and independence within relationships come to the surface.

The anecdote for the emotional imprisonment and oppression that occurs while Saturn is in Scorpio is forgiveness. We must learn how to forgive other people and more importantly we need to learn how to forgive ourselves. Saturn loves to revel in the past, because he can stir up our own hurts, pains, and frustrations; yet we must learn to get beyond them in order to live in the world of potential and possibility. Through forgiving and loving others we can create an eternal light, and our relationships with others do not become incidents of consented slavery but true partnerships.

Jupiter in Cancer:

For the first part of the year, Jupiter will continue to move through the sign of Cancer. In many ways, Jupiter is considered the planet of luck because he tends to expand the natural energies of the sign that he passes through and in Cancer he is in the sign of his exaltation. The sign of Cancer is about families, communities, and ones allegiance to one’s nation. At the roots of the sign is the deep need to feel secure and receive emotional warmth from others. Cancer abhors isolation and can be extremely mood driven (after all it is ruled the Moon) when it feels that is being alienated or separated from others. Jupiter in the sign of Cancer amplifies and expands these needs and often comes out through renewed interest in real estate (the home is where the heart is) and the food industry.

Throughout 2013, more focus has been places on how our food is produced and developed than ever before in history. More advertisements and articles against companies such as Monsanto have percolated throughout social media along with numerous memes about ‘being old school’ (lovely Cancerian attachments to the past). Jupiter is the natural ruler of laws and legal matters (after all Zeus was King of the Gods) and while he was in Cancer we seen the first steps towards protecting individuals from bullying and the legal considerations over what is considered a “family”. These themes will continue through the first half of 2014. Jupiter will move out of Cancer and into the sign of Leo in July.

Jupiter in Leo

Halt – we may need to declare a social media emergency. For the first time since social media has launched, Jupiter will move into self-oriented Leo. So for those who do not like pictures of what someone ate for lunch, their personal fitness regime displayed on Facebook, or the tweets of the latest fashion statements, need to close their accounts down now. It’s only going to get much worse!

Jupiter makes the sign of Leo BIGGER, BADDER, and BOLDER than ever before. Leo likes color and full scale drama! However, beneath the surface, Leo is really about the creative self, and its outward expressions are about expressing oneself as a unique and individual person. This can be extremely creative – and I am sure we will see this within the entertainment industry with epic blockbusters and new forms of recreation, yet we will also see bloated egotism rear its head like never before.

For those that were born under the sign of Leo though (or your ascendant or Moon is placed in the sign), you will find 2014 to be a great year of promise and potential. Luck is on your side, but be careful how you use it.

Jupiter trine Saturn

Although 2014 does seem to have its fair share of lessons and challenges, Jupiter in Cancer in trine to Saturn in Scorpio provides us with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. This trine occurring in March, provides us with a little bit of needed optimism to make our way into an increasingly uncertain future. Since this trine occurs in water signs our emotional sensitivity to things may be enhanced, yet the ability for us to build roots, firm structures, and the ability to intuit our way into the future is the name of the game when these two planets are in trine.

There are several ways to work with this aspect. One may find themselves seeking more foundation and security in their lives and since Jupiter is the natural ruler of the 9^th house of higher education, returning to school or seeking new forms of training is suggested. Jupiter trine Saturn may help us seek more solid foundation in regards to our existent careers. Further, if you have an idea or a goal you wish to pursue (especially on the business level), 2014 is a great year to begin to plant seeds for a prosperous future. Just remember, Saturn likes to take time to develop, so instantaneous success might not be apparent. It is necessary for us to look at the big picture rather than the immediate environment under this aspect. Take advantage of this fruitful energy while you can because it doesn’t occur again until 2026.

Eclipses

Another ray of sunshine (no pun intended), during 2014 is two very harmonious and benefic solar eclipses. The first solar eclipse occurs on April 29 at 09 Taurus (get out your charts if you have planets between 7-11 degrees, this eclipse cycle will have more meaning for you) and the second occurs on October 23 at 01 Scorpio (check for planets between 29-3 degrees). After looking at the eclipse charts, it appears that a healing is going to begin to occur around finances and debt. Since solar eclipses are associated with governments and leaders, we could begin to see signs of “reform” in the financial sector. Of course, often this is preceded by a crisis. So, look towards our banking industry, stocks, and the overall financial status of governments to begin to appear in the headlines around the time of the eclipses.

On the personal level, this is a great time for you to get clear about your finances. Begin to take a deeper look at your budget issues and begin to trim all the fat. Both of these eclipses making favorable aspects to Neptune, which can purify and heal old wounds if the energy is viewed in a favorable way. Neptune offers us redemption and as long as we are willing to “confess” (most importantly to ourselves) our current financial condition, cleansing can begin to occur in this area. However, failing to work with Neptune in a positive manner can often be destructive because the planet is the natural ruler of the 12^th house of self-undoing.

Closing:

Motivational speaker and author Roger Crawford stated, “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” Throughout 2014, we will continue to go through similar events and energies that we have gone through for the past few years. The year will probably be frustrating, governmental standoffs are sure to occur, and financially things may be a bit tough. However, we can make an active choice as to whether or not we are consumed by these events or if we chose to take the challenge that the planets require to begin to build a more solid tomorrow. The choice is up to us.

Make sure to listen to the podcast companion to this blog article by using the player below or you can visit the Keep It Magic show page.

Listen To Spirituality Internet Radio Stations with KeepItMagic on BlogTalkRadio

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Astro 101 – Astrological Signs Part 2 – Introduction to the Elements

In our last lesson we learned about gender in the horoscope (introversion and extraversion) and now is time that we move on to the second ingredient to prepare for interpretation which is the astrological elements. Additionally, everyone can get a copy of their horoscope which you can get for free on my website. If you do not understand the chart, you can always check out the tutorial that I created to help you understand your horoscope.

Introduction to the Elements of Astrology

Although many in the psychological field want to credit Jung with the foundation of the psychological types, it is in fact a system that has more classic roots. If one studies the works of Plato or Sicilian philosopher Empedocles one gets a whiff of a system that is much older than our modern lens and even ancient alchemists dipped their feet in the ambiguous world of matter. Astrologers have also used a “system” of types for over 2,000 years and they were referred to as elements – they are fire, earth, air, and water.

So, what are these mysterious elements that ultimately lead to Jung’s typological map?

Kim Rogers – Gallagher says the following about the astrological elements in her book, “Astrology for the Light Side of the Brain”.

“Everything that you know about the elements is absolutely the same when it’s applied to the signs. The four elements, then – fire, earth, air, and water – act the same way in human form as they do in their natural forms. We all know folks who can only be described as “fiery”, “earthy”, “airy”, or “fluid”. Each of these words describes the general temperament and basic motivation of the three signs that belong in its group.” (pg. 59)

The four groups are as follows:

Fire signs – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius,
Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air signs – Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Although Jung did not originate the concept of elements, he did extrapolate them and make them understandable through a psychological lens. Jung felt that the functions (elements) reflects a particular mode of perception that would allow an individual to understand life through his conscious mind.

A Critical Dictionary of Jungian Analysis (Andrew Samuels, Bani Shorter, and Fred Plant) describes the functions as the following:

Some individuals are more excited or energized by the internal world and others by the external world; these are the introverts and extraverts respectively. But in addition to these basic attitudes to the world, there are also certain properties or functions of consciousness. Jung identified these as thinking – by which he meant knowing what a thing is, naming it and linking it to other things; feeling – which for Jung means something other than affect or emotion, a consideration of the value of something or having a viewpoint or perspective on something; sensation – which represents all the facts available to the senses, telling us that something is, but not what it is; and, finally, intuition, which Jung uses to mean a sense of where something is going, of what the possibilities are, without conscious proof or knowledge. A further refinement is that the four functions divide into two pairs – a rational pair (thinking and feeling) and an irrational pair (sensation and intuition). (para. 1 pg. 153)

Now, before we go further — Jung’s functions were not mean to be a form of “typecasting” or “profiling”. In fact, Jung believed that our “type” changed over time as new material is integrated from our unconscious into our conscious mind. (In Astro 201 we will learn an astrological tool called progressions which is a great way to explain Jung’s ‘change over time’ belief). However, we can translate Jung’s typology into astrological language. Thinking becomes air, feeling becomes water, sensation becomes earth, and intuition becomes fire.

Samuels, Shorter, and Plant go on to say:

“We are now in a position to describe a person’s overall style of consciousness and his orientation towards inner and outer worlds. Jung’s model is carefully balanced. A person will have a primary (or superior) mode of functioning, this will be one of the four functions. The superior function will come from one of the two pairs of rational or irrational functions. Of course the person will not depend exclusively on this superior function but will utilize a second, or auxiliary function as well. This, according to Jung’s observations, will come from the opposite pair of rational or irrational functions depending on whether the superior function came from the rational or irrational pair. Thus, for example, a person with superior function of feeling (from the rational pair) will have an auxiliary function of either sensation or intuition (from the rational pair)”. (para. 3, pg. 153-154)

Like all Jungian theories, typology can be extremely dense and takes a bit of consideration in order to understand its complexities. Let me break it down for you.

In our last lesson, we added up the gender polarities to help ascertain whether someone leans more introverted or extroverted. It might be beneficial for you to review that lesson once again. We will do that again for the signs – here is a cheat sheet for the astrological glyphs if you need them. I will list them out for those who are not familiar with the glyph symbols.

Here is a list of all the planets currently in the heavens at the time of this writing.

Moon – 10 Libra 37
Sun – 06 Sagittarius 39
Mercury – 20 Scorpio 24
Venus – 19 Capricorn 55
Mars – 25 Virgo 12
Ceres – 10 Libra 17
Jupiter – 19 Cancer 44
Saturn – 16 Scorpio 52
Chiron – 09 Pisces 09
Uranus – 08 Aries 44
Neptune – 02 Pisces 38
Pluto – 10 Capricorn 08

Below is an image to show you the grid I am using created with the program Solar Fire. You can create a similar grid using the free astrological service available on my website.

Fire planets – Sun in Sagittarius, Uranus in Aries
Earth planets – Venus in Capricorn, Mars in Virgo, Pluto in Capricorn
Air planets – Moon in Libra, Ceres in Libra
Water planets – Mercury in Scorpio, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio, Chiron in Pisces, Neptune in Pisces

Based on the current planetary standings, the energy leans more towards introversion and dominated by water planets.

Activity 1: Get out your own chart. If you do not have a copy you can get one for free on my website. Use the instructions above and generate your own personal profile. What element dominates your chart?

Interpreting the Four Astrological Elements

Jung felt that each of the elements had an opposite and although they do not match up with astrological opposites (we will get into those when we do aspects), my experience has found them valid. Let me give you the quick astro-formula:

Thinking (Air) ————————————- Feeling (Water)
Intuition (Fire) ———————————— Sensation (Earth)

Activity 2: Get out your own chart. Which element dominates your chart? What is your opposite element? For example, if Water (Feeling) dominates your chart as it does in our example, then the opposite or shadow element is Air (Thinking).

Now, let’s go through the four elements.

The Fire Signs: (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)

I decided to start with the most difficult to understand first. The element of fire corresponds with Jung’s idea of intuition. However, in modern pop culture, the word intuition is highly charged and is defined as anything from a “gut feeling” to “precognition and mediumship” – many of which would be more appropriately defined as perceptive. Fire signs, though, are not necessarily motivated by talking to the dead (although some may be) or being overly sympathetic and emotional, they are more concerned with potential and possibilities.

In mythology, the element of fire is assigned to the gods. It is volatile, imaginative, uncontainable, and separated the godhead from mere mortal flesh. The most famous story, of course, is Prometheus stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mortals. Zeus has a fit and punishes Prometheus to hang off a mountain for eternity having his liver eaten out by an eagle. For the gods, worship by human beings is intrinsic to their survival. If humans could envision the future and/or experience insight (all fiery qualities), then the worship of deities (that are really not concerned with the plight of man) would become irrelevant.

So, what is this potent thing we call fire? Simply put, it is the power of the imagination. Fire is our ability to look into the future and hope for tomorrow, and all three of the fire signs have copious amounts of this inspired vision. You can find them everywhere using their creative powers to make the world a better place (which can often be as ill-conceived as any other vision). However, if the fire signs blaze has been snuffed out, it tends to smolder, is often angry, and can suffer maladies such as depression and apathy.

The biggest difficulty with the fire signs is that they have problems with physical reality. The world of rules, responsibilities, and structure are rather dull, banal, and boring for the fiery types. After all, fire cannot be contained and when it is trapped it will often burn itself out. Fire needs to be free in order to envisage a vast world of colorful creations in order to tap into their own unique style and purpose. Being ordinary is not acceptable and when one is entrusted with the element of the gods; it should be taken seriously.

The Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)

The element of earth is the most tangible. We can see it, feel it, touch it, smell it, and taste it. It’s connected deeply to our senses and Jung referred to it as the function of sensation. The world of earth and its signs represent the material world. It’s our banking institution, our values, the rituals we do on a daily basis, our career, jobs, and our position in the world. Earth is the skin we wear that protects us from external influences and allows us to adapt to the physical world and survive. Earth signs are motivated by what they can achieve and what is accomplished after hard work is performed and these industrious signs will work endlessly to achieve their goals.

In mythology, the element of earth is symbolized by the Great Goddess. The Greeks called her Gaia and she represented the laws of nature and physical reality. She presides over the seasons, time, life, and eventually death. As human beings became more advanced, the worship of Gaia eventually became more humanized and morphed into the worship of her daughter Rhea and eventually her granddaughter Demeter (we will meet her when we study dwarf planet Ceres) who presided over the Eleusinian Mysteries. In the age of Judea Christianity, much of the worship of the cycles of time have been discarded by more fiery ideas of everlasting life and the redemption of the soul through faith, yet as much as we try to run from her domain, the goddess always (one way or another) comes to claim us.

Earth is what provides our lives with structure and foundation. You can find them thriving in the financial world, business management, pet clinics, and in our agricultural fields. Individuals who are dominated with earth have a need to actualize their desires in concrete form and tend to avoid areas of life that are “iffy” or based upon random speculation. If earth is not working properly within a horoscope, then problems with the body and health can begin to occur and in many cases blind fanaticism can erupt from their unconscious forcing them to form allegiances with curious bedfellows in order to feel grounded and stable.

The biggest difficulty for earth is the world of the irrational and intangible. For earth, if you can’t use one of your senses to experience something then it simply does not exist. However, this creates a black and white construct of the world, which often lacks color, originality, and spontaneity. Many later in life, often look back at a life that has been unlived and replaced by the pursuit of the physical which leaves one wanting more of the physical in order to feel accomplished. Earth needs reality and its ability to cope with the world is admirable, yet in order for earth to feel fully complete it needs to couple reality with inspiration and success to achieve individuality.

The Air Signs: (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius)

We move out of the world of the imagination and the physical realms and land smack in the middle of the vast fertile land of ideas which is what the air signs are all about. You see, they dig communication, education, understanding, and most of all sharing their ideas and opinions with others. The fastest way to drag an air sign down is to eliminate their freedom of speech and you strip them of their capability of relating to others.

In mythology, if one wants to breathe in the freshness of the airy realms, one only needs to look towards the heavens, which is the home of God or the mountainous realms of Olympus where the 12 Olympians Gods decree their will upon more chthonic mortals. Of the 12 Olympians, the daughter of Zeus, Athena, is the most humanized and represents the power of mental prowess and diplomacy. She is the goddess of Justice of the mental and cerebral worlds and it is through her domain that we have evolved into democratic societies with legal systems that are just and appropriate for the offenses committed. Further, through the Orestes myth, she formulates the first human jury – where an individual is judged by his peers rather than by the systems of authority alone. In essence, Athena represents progress. The progress of the human mind as it acquires knowledge and experience then applies it to everyday life.

Air represents the human mind which has the capacity to learn, think, and reason. It’s responsible for all those groovy and cool electronic devices that you have scattered throughout your house. Every time you make plans, create strategies, come up with that brilliant idea, or sit around in conversation with friends you are using the airy functions. In addition, air provides us with our capability of having relationships with others.

The difficulty for the airy realms is the world of emotions. They are messy, sticky, and overly connected to the instinctual realms. They can be overwhelmed by emotional outbursts or covert moods which air finds manipulative, controlling, and uncivilized. Although relationships are in the airy domain, this is an arena of great difficulty for many air signs because relationships require emotional connection and empathy not problem solving and rationalizations. At times, this gets air into enormous trouble because those of a more sensitive nature might feel undervalued or ignored. Although air needs the rational intellect, in order for air to evolve and live a more rounded life they need to embrace their feelings and primal connection to their roots which ultimately matter more to them than abstract ideas and concepts.

The Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)

The element of water is magical, mythical, destructive, monstrous, and redemptive. Jung referred to water as the function of feeling in his typological system, and astrologically water refers to the world of human emotions. Water loves to feel – in fact it thrives on it. Water signs are usually found in the helping professions and doing good charitable works because it helps them inwardly feel connected to the human condition. They become connected to all of life which is the primal waters that the cold blooded creatures that represent the water signs crawled out of.

In Mythology, water deities are elusive, at best. In Greek myth, the lord of the seas is Poseidon who is not really that watery of a deity as he is most noted for being the god of earthquakes. In many myths, water is simply the primal life force that all life emerges and eventually the depths of where all life returns. In essence, the sea reflects the cycles of time and is a close cousin to the introverted earthy realms. Yet, whereas earth is structured and firm, water is elusive and mysterious and filled with monsters and creatures that have terrified people for aeons. However, behind that monster (which often reflects an inner monster) is the buried treasure that holds the secrets to our individuality.

Water is our connection to the instincts. It connects us to the primal world of the animal kingdom, which despite our modern airy attempts (see above) to rationalize and civilize society, we are part of. It joins us to our family and our roots, our heritage and our patriotism, and our urge to protect and sustain. The element of water connects us to the similarities of man rather than the differences, and through this experience we experience compassion, understanding, and unconditional love.

Water does have its weak points. Our urge to be part of a group and feel bound to other individuals, not only through our need for community and our binding connection through our DNA, often minimizes our need to be individual as a unique. Those with a strong emphasis of water, often have difficulties expressing their own opinions, and instead opt to repeat arching collective idealisms that are not truly their own. Although water signs often have strong values and loyalties, those values are often based on societal and familial allegiances rather than the true essence of their individual nature. For water to experience wholeness, it is necessary for them to leave the “pack” long enough for them to experience what they truly believe themselves and add those beliefs to society, rather than allow society to dictate and often dominate their lives.

In our next lesson, we will add modalities to our understanding of the astrological signs and then put it all together to give you a profile of your temperament. However, we will explore the elements more deeply as we begin to move through each astrological sign.

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments in the section below. If you are confused by anything or need further clarity, I am here to assist you.

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Psychological Hauntings — Dealing With Our Inner Ghosts and Demons

I don’t like tarot reversals. I never have. I don’t really get them. I suppose I’m a little geeky and prefer elemental dignities or astrological attributions. But, I don’t like reversals.

I mean there are 78 cards in tarot deck and many of them are already difficult. Why would one need to add another whole set of difficult cards to a reading? But, I digress… this is not a post about card reversals.

This blog post is about “Psychological Hauntings”, which is the theme of “Keep It Magic” for the month of November.

However, when I pulled out the tarot and asked the cards a simple question (whatever that means), “What are psychological hauntings?” The tarot card I drew was the Two of Cups Reversed (Rx). Ordinarily, I would just turn the card upright and move right along to interpretation. I must admit that I was “haunted” by this ordinarily graceful card that represents “relationships”.

Sigh.

Before I go into personally being haunted by the “2 of Cups Rx”, let me explain what a psychological haunting is.

In “Hauntings: Dispelling the Ghosts Who Run Our Lives” written by Jungian Analyst John Hollis, we come face to face with the reality that ghosts and spectral objects don’t necessarily come after us in the physical world (although in some cases they do), yet more often than not the demons we need to exercise live within and are the result of psychological traumas that the psyche has difficulty integrating. In many cases, these are a direct result of the “complexes” we have developed and/or those we inherited.

Hollis has this to say:

“We all have complexes because we have a history, and history charges our psychic life with energized clusters of valence. Some complexes exercise a benign protective role in our lives. Without some positive experience of bonding and trust, we would be prevented from forming commitments and relationships. Yet others bind us to trauma, immaturity, and outdated prejudicial perspectives. The recrudescence of these fragmentary histories invariable usurps our purchase on the present and plunges us into our replicative pasts. Some complexes even dominate an entire life.” (Hollis, Kindle Edition)

In essence, what Hollis discusses is that we are the sum of our experiences good or bad. Our experiences tend to create the foundation of our personality and as such our complexes are built around them.

In my article on “The Psychological Model of the Psyche”, I give three descriptions of complexes as follows:

The Dynamics of Complexes:

Clusters of feeling toned associations around a common theme
All complexes have experiences associated with them. We all have experiences with mother, father, money, work and career, and our ego (and many many more).
Complexes make us behave in ways that are not part of our usual everyday personality. The complex temporarily takes over. This is called ‘complexing out’, and it is where the Ego (center of personality) suffers from a reduced ability to operate appropriately. For example, during your early life you lived poorly, and your family struggled with lack of opportunities and poor job conditions. You grow up and you achieve some success. An event occurs in your life, where you either lose your job, or some form of financial struggle occurs and you go back to the feelings of financial suffering in your childhood. The anxiety you are feeling and the reactions to your situation may cause you to behave in ways that you normally wouldn’t. This is called complexing out.

(Astro 101 fans we will discuss complexes thoroughly when we get to aspects)

Hollis goes on to say:

“When one has resided long enough in a toxic zone, one carries the toxin within, always, and all one can do is flush it out into the realm of consciousness and wrestle with it.”

What a powerful statement! The only way for us to deal with the psychological hauntings (this can be fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, sexual abuse, and lack of parenting) is to wrestle with them. This means we have to pull it out of the haunted house of our psyche and deal with it. Otherwise, the ghosts take over and we are then controlled or for lack of a better phrase “possessed” by our inner demons.

So, let’s go to my personal haunting created by my pulling the 2 of Cups Rx. As I stated, this is traditionally a relationship card and usually a good one. Now in a humorous synchronistic way (also discussed in Hollis’ book), if you take reversals to mean the opposite of what the upright position states, then the 2 of Cups Rx is rather fitting. Rather than being a “happy relationship”, it reflects dysfunctional relationships.

Karen Zondag in her book, “Tarot as a Way of Life,” refers to all of the two’s in the tarot as conflict cards. Although she states that the female two’s (cups and pentacles) refer to a gentler and more graceful way of dealing with conflict than the male two’s (wands and swords); nevertheless, a conflict exists. Why? Every relationship that enters our life on some level reflects a cast of inner characters. In some cases, these inner characters are a “match” and they act benign. However, some relationships stir up our complexes (even parental relationships especially in dysfunctional systems) and can then when we experience “feeling toned associations” that are similar to the initial experience, the complex then will take over or as I stated earlier, “we complex out”.

According to the tarot, the key to “psychological hauntings” is our relationships. Psychology says that our outer relationships are also inner relationships. A cast of our own characters. Creating relationships with these inner characters helps cure our internal hauntings and as a result our “complexes” can be used in a creative rather than a destructive manner.

You can learn more about ‘psychological hauntings’ on the next episode of Keep It Magic which will air on November 12, 2013.

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Let’s Ask The Tarot — Akashic Records

Let’s Ask the Tarot – Akashic Records

I am excited when new books come out – especially if those books come from people that I know and respect. On October 1, 2013, Jacki Smith and Patty Shaw released their book, “DIY: Akashic Wisdom”. In one day it reached #1 on Amazon. Since I have become addicted to ‘wisdom readings’ lately, I have decided to turn the mighty tarot on the akashic records.