Blue Libra Full Moon, Aries Solar Festival, Easter and Passover 2018 Cosmic Weather Forecast

Welcome to this month's Satya Center Cosmic Weather Forecast! Warm greetings from your co-Editors, Curtis Lang and Jane Sherry.

This week, for the first time in years, Passover, Easter and the Full Moon all occur within a few days of one another. It's time to celebrate life, love and ascending light as days lengthen, flowers blossom, and we prepare for a new season of growth and positive change. 

The Full Moon at 10°44′ Libra occurs on Saturday March 31, at 8:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, as we celebrate the Aries Solar Festival. There are some difficult aspects this weekend, but also some very sweet and uplifting aspects, that should help us to rise above our difficulties and assume the carefree attitude of the Spring Greenman or Fool of Medieval lore.

An extremely unstable and confrontational cosmic weather pattern could last another week or so, following the Full Moon, until mid-April when some of the more conflicted stellar aspects begin to dissipate and Mercury goes direct on April 15th. 

This Full Moon, the Sun in Aries, conjunct Mercury retrograde, squares the full moon in Libra. Sun, Mercury and moon are all square Mars and Saturn in Capricorn. This creates yet another Cardinal T-Square, which dominates celestial configurations this weekend, resurfacing the issues of global political, financial and environmental breakdown we associate with the many such Cardinal T-Squares we have experienced during the years of conflicts and crises from 2008 to the present. Several such T-Squares evolved into the infamous Grand Cardinal Cross configurations we all remember so vividly, and which herald the end of the existing institutional frameworks that underpin our global fossil fuel powered capitalist social structures.

So it's not surprising that global financial markets are swooning this last week or two, while political leaders engage in saber-rattling in many countries including Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Russia, the UK and the US.

The scandals surrounding Silicon Valley technology companies such as Amazon, Theranos, Facebook, Uber and Tesla are also a part of this energy signature, triggering a widespread distrust of existing social media technologies and even the basic business models that underpin the Silicon Valley financial miracle.

"Even as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook continue to reap immense riches, they have faced questions that could not be answered with flippant declarations of rectitude: Is Google the Standard Oil of search engines, a monopoly best broken up?" asks David Remnick, Editor of The New Yorker in his latest editorial. "Does Apple, which has a valuation nearly three times greater than ExxonMobil’s, exploit factory workers in China? Why is Facebook—'the biggest surveillance-based enterprise in the history of mankind,' in the memorable phrase of the critic and novelist John Lanchester—allowed to exploit the work of “content creators” while doing so little to reward them financially? Does the company care that its algorithms have helped create an informational ecosystem that, with its feeds and filter bubbles, has done much to intensify raw partisanship? What does Silicon Valley intend to do about the disparities of race and gender in its ranks? What is the cost of our obsession with the digital devices in our palms—the cost in attention, civility, and moment-to-moment consciousness? The triumphs and wonders of the Internet age have been obvious; the answers to such questions less so."

What we had thought to be harbingers of a New Age of connectivity and technological Utopia now seem to be mere manifestations of the dying old order of Wall Street venture capital, monopoly capitalism, runaway individualism and inequality and dysfunctional technophilia.

Of course with upheavals and disruptions of the status quo, space opens for new, creative cultural movements and we can already see hopeful signs emerging here and there around the world. The young people's March for Our Lives demanding stricter gun controls in the wake of the epidemic of mass murders in American schools is a more positive manifestation of the current global cultural upheaval. So is the #MeToo movement which is currently setting about to rebalance relations between the sexes in every area of life.

It's no coincidence that last Friday, for the first time, after 30 years of climate denial, Chevron oil company admitted that "the company supports scientific conclusions that humans are causing climate change, a response to a lawsuit that accuses five major energy producers of misleading the public for years about their role in global warming," according to an article in the Insurance Journal. 

"The cities of San Francisco and Oakland, California sued Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and BP PLC last year, seeking an abatement fund to help the cities address flooding they say is a result of climate change," the Insurance Journal reported.

The oil companies, who have conducted a vast propaganda campaign for decades similar to Big Tobacco's PR blitz years ago denying that smoking causes cancer, still claim to have no responsibility for the global disaster, but the lawsuit will now enter the discovery phase, and new revelations are sure to come. The climate change deniers are on the ropes everywhere in the world, except of course, the White House, where Donald Trump operates on a reactionary philosophy of "Drill, Baby, Drill". 

Change is in the air. The way forward is unclear, but even major oil companies are preparing to join the green energy bandwagon.

"Royal Dutch Shell just laid out a proposal to move us away from its own product," according to an article that appeared yesterday on the website Inhabitat.com. "The company’s Sky Scenario is a plan to help the world meet the goals set forth in the Paris climate agreement. The plan would shift people away from oil and towards hydrogen and electric transportation in order to keep global warming under the 2 degree limit that most scientists think is the tipping point for climate change."

The influence of the Cardinal Cross and the series of Uranus-Pluto Squares that formed the basis of the last decade's tumultuous celestial weather patterns is on the wane, so now we are beginning to see the first green shoots of new life popping up amid the rotten remains of yesterday's obsolete political, financial and cultural institutions. 

That's good news for all of us!

In May 2018, Uranus will enter Taurus, bringing a temporary end to the explosive Uranus-Pluto squares that have rocked our world for the last decade. In November, Uranus will retrograde back into Aries for a few months, but in March 2019, Uranus re-enters Taurus until late April 2026. There will be new challenges in these years, but the Grand Cardinal Cross and the Uranus-Pluto Squares in Cardinal signs will at last be over. 

On a personal level, the aspects this Full Moon could trigger anger, fear and reactive responses in ourselves and those around us, so it's best to exercise caution in all things.

Mercury is retrograde, so we may find ourselves stuck in old mental maps of the world and old ways of responding to novel situations, which is less than optimal behavior. Retrograde Mercury in Aries wants action, despite any and all obstacles, and without much concern for practicality. Mercury opposes the Moon in Libra, which indicates we can achieve equilibrium through reflection.

Because Mercury in Aries opposes the Moon in Libra it could be hard to process our feelings and bring them to consciousness, much less share them with others. That can be frustrating, and with all the conflicting energies prominent in our stars, we will want to resist the temptation to just explode with anger. If anger overtakes you, just breathe deeply, know that this is an impermanent condition, and allow yourself to relax into the moment, allowing the impulse to dissipate as quickly as you are able.

The conjunction of Mars and Saturn in Capricorn has been considered by many astrologers to indicate an experience of cruelty, so it's important for all of us to take a deep breath, perform frequent reality checks, as Saturn counsels in all cases, accept limitations we cannot easily overcome, and channel that Mars energy into slow, steady progress toward long term goals without concern for the instant gratification that Mars is sure to crave.

Saturn square the Moon and Mercury can also tempt us into negative thoughts and feelings, depression, anxiety and fear based responses to the many challenges we all face in today's tempestuous world. That is when we can benefit from taking refuge in reflective practices, meditation, ritual and prayer.

There are also some excellent, benefic aspects the Full Moon that will provide support and positive energy for us as we celebrate Passover and Easter with friends and family, and during the weeks to come.

Jupiter in Scorpio is sextile Pluto in Capricorn, through the end of April 2018. This aspect brings a sense of continuous, harmonious flow to the deep transformations triggered by Pluto in Capricorn. We may have a sense of ease and grace touching those areas of our lives where we most need radical change. That change may come about organically, simply, and thoroughly, without us having to manage it mentally. That will be a tremendous blessing for all of us. Normally we should begin to experience golden opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. Be alert, because the Universe wants to gift you with magical moments that open doorways to expanded consciousness and deep healing.

From March 30-April 24, 2018, Venus is in Taurus, which is one of the happiest, luckiest possible placements for the planet of love and sensual opulence. We will all be presented with opportunities to slow down, smell the roses, and enjoy life more than we have done the last few months.

Venus in Taurus drives the will to accumulate material possessions, and individuals with this aspect exert a magnetic attraction for the objects of their desires. If you wish to attract abundance into your life at this time, Venus in Taurus can be extremely supportive. During this auspicious time, you can become an abundance magnet in all areas of your life! 

Mystery school teachings of both East and West emphasize the idea of sacrifice as a spiritual tool in any invocation of abundance in our lives. That is why Christians traditionally give up treats and engage in fasting prior to the Feasts of Easter and Christmas, which are in large part, invocations of spiritual and material abundance. Purification of body, heart and mind will help us create a clear channel to Beings of Light in subtle realms, so that we may exchange energies with those realms of clarity, love and light, to our immense benefit. So be sure to make purification a prerequisite to your abundance rituals.

Fasting and forsaking meat, sugar and other treats for a day or two are only a couple of ways to purify oneself. Take a walk on the beach, with your feet immersed in salt water, walk in a stream in the woods, or take a bath activated with sea salt and lavender oil to purify your body, clear your mind, and ease your troubled heart prior to performing your abundance ritual.

You may want to put flowers, candles, crystals, water and food offerings on your altar. Sit in meditation and direct loving energy toward your Guides and Teachers, or the Angelic presences with whom you have a known affinity, as a personal offering and token of gratitude. On or about the Spring Equinox those who honor Mystery School traditions stemming from Chinese mythology place a raw egg upright on their altar, and it is said to remain in equilibrium at that time. The egg represents Universal Life Force Energy.

Beings of light in subtle realms appreciate these energetic offerings from suffering humanity and will return that loving energy many times over. Ask that abundance enter your life in the forms you feel are most needed, and ask that this be done in a way that is for the best and highest good of all concerned.

When your abundance ritual is complete, eat any food offerings, drink water offerings, and return flowers to the Earth as compost. This will ground the energy of your abundance ritual and complete the circuit you have established between Earth and Heavens. Give thanks, and put your worries out of your mind. This is the exercise of faith and trust in the Divine.

Individuals primarily guided by their intuitive guidance and aware of their Higher Purpose tend to be sensitive to subtle energies, and these individuals will find that Venus in Taurus sensitizes them to the energetic forces animating personalities around them, and attunes them to the subtle energy signatures contained within the material forms of places and material objects in the world around them. So this Venus aspect enhances our intuition, and helps us to discern the true nature of our reality with startling clarity. This is another flavor of abundance, a spiritual abundance, which is most welcome this spring season!

Jane and I offer you our blessings this Easter Festival weekend and we ask that your Guides and Teachers and the Cosmic Christ grant you the will to seek accelerated spiritual development during these times of vastly accelerated global change. We ask further that you be given the grace and guidance you need to be of maximum service in the world, and to fulfill your loftiest spiritual goals!

Happy Easter!

Love and Light,

Curtis and Jane

Meditation Moment: The Secret of the Seed

"Spring is the season of renewal, the time for the energies concentrated in the seed to be released. But in order for this release to occur, the seed must first die. This death is the necessary condition for the sprout to appear and form roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit… Until then, the seed is a fixed, inert creature, waiting for the right conditions to perpetuate life and produce fruits, which in turn will provide new seeds.

For a while, the seed definitely seems to be dead, like a corpse left in a tomb. But in the spring, as warmth returns, with every seed comes resurrection – each tiny tomb opens, the stone is removed and the sprout appears. The cause of this resurrection is the light and warmth of the sun. And similarly, for those human beings who have long been exposed to the light and warmth of the spiritual sun, one day the moment arrives for resurrection." -- Omraam Mikhail Aivhanov