Earth Pathways Showcase

‘The Red Tent’, a concept based on the book of the same name by Anita Daimant, is a safe place for women to meet and share using many different modalities. One of these is song and chanting. Chanting is an important tool used by people everywhere to quieten their minds and bring the sacred into their lives. Chanting releases stress, connects us with the Divine and helps us bring peace to our beings and to our world. The chants are chosen based on the astrological energy of the day, and are designed to lead you into a deep space where you can best utilise these energies for empowerment and inner peace. It isn’t necessary to be able to sing. It’s about simply allowing yourself to join in. It is empowering, unifying, uplifting and healing. Sharing with divination cards is a tool to reflect what is going on in the outer and inner worlds and helps us to access our own inner wisdom. We’ll sing chants of Mother Earth, songs of the Divine Feminine, the Moon and Stars and the Goddess. Sharing songs of the land and the sky helps us to remember our story, herstory.

The Red Tent © Aline MacInnes 2014

Moon Through The Signs

Grandmother Moon circles Mother Earth every 29 days taking 2 and a half days to move through each sign. Observing the qualities of each sign can guide us in our daily lives.

Moon in Aries - governs the head. A yang Fire sign that brings inspiration, desire and the energy to get things done. Ruled by Mars - can be impulsive and impatient but encourages us to take risks and be pioneering.

Moon in Taurus – governs throat and neck. A yin Earth sign ruled by Venus, it encourages us to ground and take time to cultivate our gardens, relationships, home, plants and body and kindles maternal instincts.

Moon in Gemini – governs lungs and chest. A yang Air sign ruled by Mercury, lightening the mood, reminding us of the sacredness of communication and community. We may feel restless and scattered at this time. Important to breathe and focus.

Moon in Cancer – governs stomach and breasts. A yin Water sign, ruled by Grandmother Moon, emotional and oceanic. Nurture yourself and family and make your home sacred. If you feel overwhelmed become objective, look at the bigger picture.

Moon in Leo – governs the heart. A yang Fire sign ruled by the Sun, abundant and playful calling on us to express ourselves. A good time to celebrate with the Pride, be aware of melodrama and stay in Truth.

Moon in Virgo – governs the abdomen and intestines. A yin Earth sign ruled by Mercury helping us digest new information and experiences. Also helps with discriminating between what is and isn’t working in our lives and lets us weed out with compassion and forgiveness.

Moon in Libra – governs the kidneys and lumbar region. A yang Air sign ruled by Venus, when we seek harmony, light encounters and keeping everybody happy. A peaceful time, good for weighing things up but not necessarily for making decisions.

Moon in Scorpio – governs the sex organs. A yin Water sign ruled by Pluto, intense and powerful, encouraging us to dive deeper into our own psyches and take a look at our shadow self with more willingness to look at our fears and what lies behind them. Sexual desire may be stronger than usual.

Moon in Sagittarius – governs the hips and thighs. A yang Fire sign ruled by Jupiter that brings us out of the depths and encourages us to strive for more, to shoot our arrows high, to seek justice. Full of optimism and potential we plan anew. Only take on what you can handle once the expansive Jupiter energy moves on.

Moon in Capricorn – governs the knees and bones. A yin Earth sign ruled by Saturn that encourages us to seek order, strength and wisdom. The architect of the Zodiac helping us to build strong foundations and sow seeds for the future. Good for group work. Practise self-acceptance and flexibility.

Moon in Aquarius – governs the ankles. A masculine Air sign, ruled by Uranus and Saturn. Let your uniqueness and individuality encourage you to think outside the box but also see that in the bigger picture there are no boxes. Helps us see where we fit into the community and what we can do for the greater whole.

Moon in Pisces – governs the feet. A yin Water sign, ruled by Neptune. A nebulous longing to merge with the void, the cosmic womb and go home. Be aware of escapist desires and find a positive outlet such as meditating, visioning, spiritual work and being creative.

Phases of the Moon

There are eight moon phases during the 29.5 day lunar cycle and each phase lasts approximately 3-4 days.

The New Moon Phase (0-45 degrees ahead of the Sun). Moon rises at dawn and sets at sunset. The Dance begins with the Sun and Moon in conjunction, both in the same astrological sign. The waxing Moon is not yet visible but seeds are in place and the vision is felt but not yet seen. A good time to begin a new project.

The Crescent Moon (45-90 degrees ahead of the Sun). Moon rises mid-morning and sets after sunset. The first visible sliver of Moon is seen, first glimpses of the vision also, as the seed tentatively pushes its first shoots above ground.

The First Quarter (90-135 degrees ahead of the Sun) is the Waxing Half Moon. Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight. Light and Dark are in balance and Light is ascending. The outline of what is to be comes into form as projects and ideas gain ground.

The Gibbous Moon (135-180 degrees ahead of the Sun). Moon rises mid afternoon and sets around 3am. Now it’s time to perfect what can be seen more clearly as the Light becomes more powerful.

The Full Moon (180-135 degrees behind the Sun). Moon rises at sunset and sets at dawn. At the moment of the Full Moon the Sun and Moon are in opposition, in opposing astrological signs. This is the flowering of the cycle, the gifts of whichever signs the two luminaries are in. Be open to receive them and also aware of high emotion that can accompany this phase.

Disseminating Moon (135-90 degrees behind the Sun). Moon rises mid evening and sets at mid morning. The first stirring of the Dark. The seeds planted at the New Moon have flowered and fulfilled their destiny. Now with the first stirring of the dark these gifts need disseminating and sharing.

Last Quarter (90-45 degrees behind the Sun). Moon rises at midnight and sets at midday. The Light and Dark are once again in balance but the Dark is gaining and the energy is drawing back inward. We begin to slow down and begin the process of shedding what has served its purpose and is no longer needed.

Balsamic Moon or Dark Moon (45- 0 degrees behind the Sun). Moon rises at 3 am and sets mid afternoon. Time to retreat, withdraw, meditate and reflect on what has been accomplished and what no longer bears fruit in our lives. A time to recharge on the inner planes.

Retrograde Planets 2015

Retrograde is when a planet, as seen from the Earth, appears to be moving backward from its normal direct motion. This is due to the angle of the Earth and the planets in their orbits. When a planet is in direct motion, planetary energies are more straightforward and when retrograde they become more unpredictable and convoluted. We do not operate in the same energy field when a planet is retrograde as when it is direct. It is a tine to reassess and re-evaluate how we interact with our world at large.

Mercury Retrograde:- Planet of mind and communication. Back up your computer, be prepared for communication breakdowns, telephone glitches, internet connection issues and travel delays! Repair, review, research, rehearse but most of all be here now, present and aware of what’s happening and how to deal with it. Panic is not the solution; acceptance helps; be clear in communicating to prevent misunderstandings.

Venus Retrograde:- Planet of Love, relationships, possessions, pleasure and nurturing. Relationship issues may need addressing and old relationships may need revisiting for closure. Be patient, gentle and kind. Be careful what you buy as you may regret it later! Our values and material values are being reviewed, challenged and changed. This will be revealed in the areas of finance, relationships and your concept of all things beautiful.

Void Of Course Moon

Grandmother Moon is said to be Void of Course from the last significant lunar aspect in each sign until the Moon enters a new sign, every two and a half days, and is once again aspected by another Planet. This can last for a few minutes or up to hours.

It’s a good time to go with the flow as much as you can and not push the river. Take time to ground and centre yourself; it’s not a good time to begin any new ventures. Like the Dark Moon it’s good for meditating, journeying and visioning.

Astrology for 2015 © Aline MacInnes 2013