Generally, an eclipse lunar cycle is a time of relinquishment--the solar of releasing roles that are no longer appropriate in our lives that have to do with self, our self-perception, and self-expression. The lunar eclipse is of releasing the emotional bonds within ourselves that reach out and glue us to involvements that are less than we truly want or deserve. This is about our experiential aspect of our relations with others and with the world. The eclipse lunar cycle marks the ending of a life phase and the beginning of another. Of course, the area where an eclipse occurs in each individual's chart defines the unique area in one's life where the eclipse has influence.
Also in this lunar cycle, just nineteen hours after the Full Moon eclipse, at a time of "Realization of the Theme," we will experience the Second Grand Quintile Portal. The first occurred in the previous lunar cycle on Oct 1. See the Oct 1 Grand Quintile Addendum. These two Grand Quintiles, occurring in the same ecliptical location create a geometric wormhole through which we are passing. The first one of Oct 1 opened the entry portal and the one occurring on the Full Moon eclipse of Oct 27 / 28 creates the exit portal. Subtle but powerful transmutational forces are at work while we are in its midst.
Our Lunar Eclipse Grand Quintile creates a potent exitway to leave the past so we can mobilize a new and expanisve creative expression--to dramatically realize (to make real) our dreams. This portal provides a powerful impetus to abandon all of the "reasons why not" to step forth into a new creative expression, and to simply and radically do it.
The New Moon
Our Lunar Cycle begins in the later part of sidereal Virgo, under the auspices of Boötes, the Protector, and conjoining the most luminous, massive, and energetic star known in our galaxy, Eta Carina, which lies quite south in the heavens.
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Eta Carina
Billowing clouds from Eta's last eruption obscure the star itself. Image Credit: Hubble Wide Field Planetary Camera. |
Eta' s influence in this lunar cycle provides, at the very least, a powerful emotive force to burst forth through the Lunar Eclipse Grand Quintile portal with a subtle power that makes it possible to fly. Of a greater influence: dramatic explosions that catalyze profound change. Stellar energies such as this catalyze a renaissance in consciousness.
Higher and Higher
Blasting, billowing, bursting forth
With the power of ten billion butterfly sneezes,
Man with his flaming pyre
Has conquered the wayward breezes,
Climbing to tranquility far above the cloud,
Conceiving the heaven clear of misty shroud.
Vast vision must improve our sight,
And perhaps at last we'll see
An end to our home's endless blight
And the beginning of the free.
Climb to tranquility, finding its real worth,
Conceiving the heavens, flourishing on Earth.
Higher and higher,
Now we've learned to play with fire,
We go higher
And higher
And higher.
(Moody Blues - 1969)
In our mythical image, Boötes, guide and protector, stands over the Virgin as she gives birth. Boötes provides for the new birth (the virgin principle), mapping places and time to ensure safe passage through the calamitous journey for the new birth, proper growth, and safe ascension of the soul.
Our Eclipse New Moon lies just in front of the (base chakra) of the Virgin (~26° sidereal Virgo)--just in front of the ecliptical longitude of Spica of Virgo, the vesica pisces of the Virgin, and Archturus, the genitals of Boötes, which conjoin at 29° sidereal Virgo.
To learn more about Boötes, the Virgin, Spica, and Archturus please visit: The Astronomical Truth of the Virgin.
Our New Moon lunar theme resides at a place in our mythical image where Boötes provides intimate support to the Virgin. It is at a place in Virgo of finding, moving to, or creating new places or environments that serve our gestation and birth of a new creative expression of our lives. As an eclipse, we have opportunity to release roles or involvements that would otherwise keep this theme from occurring
Other conjoining forces contributing to our Lunar Theme are Muphrid and Seginus of Boötes, a potent seyfert galaxy also in Boötes, and Alpha Volantis, the flying fish.
Muphrid just above the left knee of Boötes, on his thigh (support), is the facilitator to the transmutational process involved in the new birth. Muphrid provides personal and intimate support by making possible and ensuring proper energetic environments are created so the spiritual to physical transmutation can occur. Conjoining Seginus, the left shoulder of Boötes (responsibility), inspires us to take the responsibility to ensure proper environments are maintained and not interfered with by meddling forces or ill-intented world powers that would like to see otherwise and that attempt to manipulate such destined or sanctioned outcomes. Boötes functions not by brute force but by spiritual awareness and prowess in the application of the knowledge about such external environmental issues and transcendent subtle forces. Muphrid and Seginus lie over the lower spinal sacrum (sanctum) of the Virgin--protecting the principles of sacred sex, of purity and sacredness of that space.
Conjoining Muphrid and Eta Carina is Alpha Volantis, the Flying Fish, which lies quite south under the keel of the Argo in the area associated with navigational mapping and directing of evolutionary currents that guide our lives. Piscis Volantis is associated with the soular plane (not earth plane), specifically, the foundation for souls, the ability to support souls' uninhibited true expression. The flying fish provides an extraordinary force and ability to leap into and spread its wings to glide through new or other dimensional realms. Alpha Volans stimulates a powerful soul-level creative force from deep within ourselves to birth a new expression.
Lying between Muphrid and Seginus (in latitude) is the seyfert galaxy NGC 5548. Seyfert galaxies express as an intensely focused purpose. They reveal a tendency to be self–dependent on inner core beliefs and convictions, thus undaunted by external affairs of the human world. They provide an explosive power to overcome obstacles in the outer world. When challenged, this unbounded energy can express vehemently if not applied in a focused way. Seyfert 5548 provides the powerful creative force, undaunted will, and inner determination of Boötes to ensure safe passage on Earth, to ensure humanity's evolutionary fulfillment (the Archturus theme).
Alpha Volans and Eta Carina's conjunction with the thigh of Boötes and the sacrum of the Virgin indicates Boötes awareness about the subtle but powerful soul-directed forces stirring within the Virgin and his prowess to intimately guide them with powerful sensitivity to birth a new life expression.
The Sliver Moon
The night when we first see the emerging crescent of the moon just after sunset is when we can realize the personal opportunity for growth that the lunar cycle offers. Try it. Simply be perceptive to the thought or feeling that comes into your mind when you look up and see the sliver moon.
Expanding on the Theme
The hours before the Crescent Moon provides a time when we relinquish patterns of the past that would limit our creative ability to expand on the theme now unfolding. The crescent moon is the time when the sprouting seedling sloughs off its protective coat of the past, and emerges in its new expression. As the Crescent Moon unfolds, the growing phase of the lunar cycle begins and we start to amalgamate our personal creativity with the original lunar theme.
Our Crescent Moon occurs on Oct 17 conjoining Antares, Heart of the Scorpion, which marks the middle of sidereal Scorpio. Antares is one of the "Four Royal Architects" along with Aldebaran, Regulus, and Fomalhaut, each in their respective quadrants of the sky. Antares, the 15th brightest star, is about 700 times the size of our sun, and is one of the largest stars. It is quite elongated with a polar diameter about 63% of its equatorial diameter, red in colour.
In classical astrology, Antares is the star of war and weaponry, (meaning anti-Mars), and with further meaning, to challenge the established opposing politics (common to the Antares / Aldebaran axis) with a tenacious willingness to fight and even destroy. Antares demands we "take a stand" for our truth against the established conditions of our personal lives and against the established order or authority directing our lives when those conditions and that authority are no longer in our best interest nor supporting or evolutionary freedom.
Directly opposite Antares in the sidereal center of Taurus is Aldebaran, eye if the Bull. The Aldebaran / Antares axis is indicative of political systems, their people, and their opposing politics. Aldebaran holds and radiates vision for ideal physical logistics for authorities to put in place so as to aid the peoples of the Earth through evolutionary process and transition. Antares ensures that the current and accepted approaches and visions do not become static or antiquated. Antares ensures growth, evolution and change. If the Scorpion meets those bullheaded and stuck in their antiquated modality of life, the Scorpion's sting is not far off--hence its classical association with rebellious and destructive forces. Antares keeps the vision of Aldebaran up-to-date by challenging authoritarian powers. When there are rebellious or terrorizing forces assaulting the established order, this reflects the need to realize that the established order is no longer supporting in ways truly nourishing to the needs of the people, and requires some type of reform--reform that if denied, may result in some level of, otherwise unneeded, destruction.
From an embracing transcendent perspective, Antares is the administrate seat directing the education of the incarnate souls regarding application of raw creative power. Antares oversees and stimulates the use of raw creative forces and use of power so that we can learn what is required for our true incarnational freedom and to become responsible creators of it. Antares is not a negative force or evil star, nor does it harbor any negative extraterrestrial faction, as is sometimes erroneously believed.
Initiate Action
The First Quarter Moon of each lunar cycle draws an external stimulus to initiate action as we move from the inspirational quarter of the lunar cycle into the action quarter. Our First Quarter Moon lies just into sidereal Capricorn (also opposite Saturn). Here lies the challenge to take the steps so we can concretize and manifest our expanding theme--to make it real.
The first couple of degrees of sidereal Capricorn reveal the dynamic of translating and applying the high visionary ideals of Sagittarius and Lyra into concretized practical application in the physical world. Here we have the support to do so but also experience the aberrations or distortions of those ideals when doing so. These first few degrees of Capricorn can also involve areas of all esoteric sciences, as well as the secret places and orders associated with those artsciences--places of personal retreat, seclusion, hermitages--places strategic to one's purpose. Siderealist Andrés Takra adds that the first few degrees of Capricorn are also of magic, hermetism, esoterism, and religion. Here is where the pure spiritual essence of sidereal Sagittarius gets converted into manipulative religious doctrine.
Opposing factions or established groups, whether those of our personal lives or those political may resist movement, but it is each of us who are challenged to create a new life. Those who do it for themselves open portals for others to do the same.
Attraction & Involvement
Oct 23 is the day of perseverance, of pushing through in the lunar cycle, as we approach our Gibbous Moon of Oct 24 when the pressure releases and we enter the magnetic pollinating phase of the lunar cycle--a social and communicative time.
The Moon and Vesta (which is stationing about to complete its retrograde) conjoin in late sidereal Aquarius with two fortuitous and significant stars: Achernar of Eridanus and Ankaa of the Phoenix.
Eridanus is the River of Life, and Achernar, Alpha Eridanus is the end of the river. Achernar indicates fulfillment, completion, integration, and rewards from what has been gained along the winding incarnational journey of life. Achernar reveals we have paid our dues, we have arrived from winding tumultuous river of life to the ocean of being.
Conjoining Achernar is Ankaa, Alpha Phoenix, the lucida of the Thunderbird. Ankaa embodies the essence conveyed in the symbol of the phoenix rising from the ashes of the trials upon the long and winding road in full illuminated glory. In another mythical imaging, Ankaa is the talisman upon the staff of Aaron, the high priest-scientist, brother of Miriam and Moses. The Ankh / Ankaa emblematic of a journey, a galactic mission begun long ago, is Aaron's amulet of power.
These are but two clues as to why this is the area of the sidereal zodiak where Neptune is exalted. Neptune is dissolver into universality. Here is where our dreams and vision can come true.
With the Gibbous Moon conjoining Vesta our pollinating phase is about being clear, focused, dedicated, committed and open in our communication and interactions regarding the outcomes we desire. Vesta's station in Aquarius inspires a humanitarian focus.
To learn more of the asteroid Vesta, please see: the asteroids#Vesta
Vision, Enthusiasm, and Realization
Our Full Moon Eclipse occurs on Oct 28, 3:07 GMT (Oct 27 MST-PM) in the initiatory fires of sidereal Aries as it moves into place to open the Grand Quintile Portal about nineteen hours later (Oct 28, 22:17 GMT).
The Full Moon Eclipse at 10° sidereal Aries lies under the auspices of King Cepheus, Queen Cassiopeia, Princess Andromeda, and Cetus the sea monster. To learn of the background theme of this area of the zodiak please see the story of the Royal Family at:
http://www.lunarplanner.com/Andromeda.html
The primary Full Moon stars are Caph, the benevolent hand of the Queen and Alphirk of King Cepheus. Also adding to our lunar eclipse theme are Sharatan, Beta Aries (and Mesartim, Gamma Aries); Alpha Fornax of the fiery furnace; Tyl of Draco; and the stars of Triangulum, the Holy Trinity.
Classically, Aries is figured as a reclining ram with its head looking back over itself, admiring his own golden fleece. The theme of Aries the Ram, whether articulated by the Royal Family or Jason and the Argonauts search for the golden fleece is about the initiatory challenges with authority figures that continually create obstacles and limitations across life's path. These obstacles, created from righteous arrogance to start with, create painful and repetitive lessons in the fires of life about that very thing--pride, arrogance, and greed--lessons that ultimately produce the alchemical honing of self. The lessons of Aries awaken us from our denial and naiveté regarding how arrogance and greed create our own entrapment in the Jaws of Cetus--the jaws continually pulling us into the transmutational fires of human experience.
Tyl of Draco lies far north of sidereal Aries. Tyl is one of many stars composing Draco the Dragon which lies coiled around and guarding the North Celestial Pole. Tyl (along with Nodus Secundus--Delta Draco) makes the convolution in the Dragon's neck, here concerning primordial transformation of the soul through the experience of human life. Tyl is the Human Cry--not that of grief, but of anguish, of the pain of the human plight. Tyl is the scream of our human struggle. Tyl's cry is for fulfillment at a very fundamental human level. Tyl is the cry of desire for one's physical needs to be met, for one's truth to be heard, and for one's dreams to be realized. Tyl is the burning cry in the initiatory fires of life.
Tyl asks us to honor that life's fire hurts like Hell; to hear the cry; to not deny, squelch or pretend all is well in either denial or uppity arrogance. Tyl asks us to be real, to honor the pain we feel, to honor our humanness, and to have compassion for the struggle of others. Only unconditional acceptance of all emotion--especially pain--not the suppression of it, opens the transmutative process within to allow the searing, burning, digestive juices of Cetus to truly transform our lives and to set us free. It is not with denial or arrogance that Perseus flies above Cetus, it is by claiming his mastery while in the initiatory fires of life.
South of the ecliptic lies Fornax the Furnace that provides the transmutational fire while in the whale (Cetus) of human experience creating the alchemical process of turning mortal to god. Alpha Fornax is the lucida (brightest star) of this southern constellation. Nearby is Fornax A, a spiral galaxy of the Fornax Galaxy Cluster that provides the intense heat under initiatory, fiery Aries.
Conjoining is Sharatan the Beta star of the Ram. Sharatan is two marks, scars, wounds, or rounds in the initiatory fire of life. Sharatan provides a warning: Pursuits from arrogant righteousness or adamant denial can lead to great resistance and will perpetuate the human cry in the transmutational fires of life.
Although there are stars in Cassiopeia and Cepheus that embody the human aspects of arrogance and denial (as presented in the story of the Royal Family), there are also stars in these constellations that are of a refined quality. These are Caph, the palm of Queen Cassiopeia's hand, and Alphirk, the truly wise essence of the King--and let us not forget Triangulum--the golden key.
Triangulum, also called the Holy Trinity, a golden triangular channel embodies the essence of seeing unity beyond duality. To free Andromeda from human bondage, gallant Perseus, while flying over Cetus on Pegasus, holds his sight upon Triangulum so as to not be pulled into the dramatics of the fear-based drama of the human world. Triangulum is the gate of ascension through the initiation of the fire of sidereal Aries. Beta Triangulum teaches the way and Apin, Alpha Triangulum, the channel, reveals the way to ascend above the genetic dilemma of duality--to be pure light free from the bounds of fear-based and greedy primitive mind. Triangulum's message is "Let Thine Eye be Single," and asks us to see that the one and only issue to overcome is our judgment of right and wrong, of white and black. As long as we carry judgment we are lured into the dramatics of the affairs at hand. Only by surrendering our judgment can we see solution beyond the apparently impossible and act beyond the entrapment of the fear instilling, opposing, and tormenting forces comprising collective human consciousness (Cetus). Apin of Triangulum supports unbiased action from unity consciousness. To live in unity consciousness is to live beyond the judgments that create separation. Conflict exists in the double-banded DNA that makes us bio–logical beings. Bio-logical refers to the limited capacity of reason, of comparing opposites, the shadows of life. We must let our bio–logic stop, to let thinking cease and get out of judgmental mind to see the illuminated way. This is to open the third eye that sees unity, the Oneness of all things, to see the world as the undulating ocean of light that it is and through which we can move without resistance. The relinquishment of judgmental mind establishes the resonance that opens a higher vibrational portal beyond the lower psychic strata of opposing forces and beyond the limited choices that duality holds. When we embrace the essence of Triangulum and find the golden corridor of light through the tumultuous world of human affairs, when we transform our human arrogant attitudes, we can then receive the benevolent aid supporting our passage to our rightful places in life.
Caph, the palm of Queen Cassiopeia's hand, expresses a gentle and tender ability to be a true guiding and stabilizing force. Caph provides an in-between or holding place, and indicates the need for arbitration, meeting, and compromise in the midst of our conflicts and struggles in life. Caph offers a truce, even honoring what appear to be irreconcilable differences. Caph provides a calming force, bringing the composure, level-headedness, and emotional balance that are required to come to this place in-between. Most always, some type of conflict is a necessary prerequisite to come to this receptive place of the Heart. Caph is sometimes indicative of a female in an authoritative position offering aid.
Alphirk, Beta Cepheus, brings empathetic support, a door easily opened in the physical, but only manifesting after a long and arduous journey through the initiatory fires of life. Alphirk is a demonstrable force working though the world that actually lifts us from the struggles of life, or alters conditions in a way that otherwise would be impossible through our own power alone. Alphirk is sometimes indicative of a male in an authoritative position offering aid.
The Full Moon eclipse preceding the Grand Quintile indicates there is something that must be relinquished before making passage through this portal. This is our emotional attachment based in our arrogant righteous attitudes that energetically keeps away the very thing we want and have right to. Here lies the perquisite to transmute the arrogant attitudes that keep us bound in the tormenting pain articulated by Tyl of Draco into the capacity to offer and receive the benevolent gifts articulated by Caph and Alphirk.
The Grand Quintile of Oct 28, 2004
The First Grand Quintile of Oct 4 was composed of Uranus, Pluto, Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon. Our current quintile as all of the same players except the Sun has moved on and Jupiter has taken Sol's place. Uranus and Pluto have moved negligibly and Saturn about a degree along its course. Thus I will forgo any discussion about Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn as their stellar themes were presented in the Grand Quintile addendum of the last lunar cycle.
Jupiter's arival on the scene brings a mobilizing and expansive force to our portal.
Jupiter is of wealth and reciprocity: Jupiter embodies the totality of the wealth that the soul has gained throughout soul's entire incarnational journey; and the reciprocation of that wealth as a gift back to the world. Jupiter's force is mobilizing and expansive. This is why on a mundane level Jupiter governs money and finance (along with Venus), simply because money is a mobilizing agent. Jupiter is sociable, governing travel and finance, is of fulfillment, and is future oriented. Jupiter is the Spiritual Law Giver (beyond the laws of man), supporting us to mobilize and live our greater Spiritual Truth. Jupiter expresses as fluidity in movement, vitality, and enthusiasm. Jupiter expresses openness and willingness to palpate and embrace life, people, and experience. Jupiter holds a kinesthetic and magnetic quality; is of physical fitness, strength, and coordination. Jupiter is serendipitous, opportunistic, fortunate, and lucky; with taste for an appreciation of elegance and beauty (along with Venus). Fun loving, good natured, free, and independent Jupiter provides the ability to participate freely in the world and to live in universal flow.
Jupiter lies slightly earlier in sidereal Virgo than the Sun did in the previous Grand Quintile. Jupiter conjoins Diadem of Coma Berenices, which was also discussed in the Grand Quintile addendum #Diadem. (Use your browser's back button to return here.) This is a magnificent place for Jupiter, and Jove's message is clear.
Diadem, in brief and simply, is about getting out of lower personality mind and attuning to and following soul guidance. Jupiter, of higher law, simply and succinctly asks us to mobilize that inner guidance in its fullness without judgment of what it looks like from our human biases. Trusting in the higher powers at work is what is required to move through this portal--providing we have done our Full Moon Eclipse homework.
Our Moon has moved 10 degrees through sidereal Aries since the eclipse. Now it resides exactly where it did during the previous Grand Quintile (within 1/4 of a degree), turning on this star gate once again.
The moon's star alignments were discussed in the Grand Quintile addendum #Moon. (Use your browser's back button to return here.)
The Earthgrid
The Quintile (72°), bi-quintile (144°) and the co-quintile (108°) strongly resonate to Earth's energy grid, which can catalyze a strong intensification of Earth resonances. To see a map of the Earth with the latitudes and longitudes attuned to the quintile harmonics, please see: "Pentagonal Earthgrid Harmonics." Perhaps Earth may have something to say about our human follies.
Manifestation and Demonstration
The Disseminating Moon occurs on Oct 31 / Nov 1 in the last degree of sidereal Taurus, marked by Al Hecka, the south horn of the bull and the famous (to some of us star folk) Super Nova Remnant of 1054 A.D., which was catalyst for the separation of church and state--which some world governments seem to have forgotten. Both lie over the belt of Orion, the impious warrior. Fighting antiquated crusades is merely beating our heads against the wall. There comes a time to simply let it go and move on. It seems the portals of these last couple of lunar cycles have intensified the apparent separation on Earth--those who will move on into a new era of humanitarianism and universal love and the terrors who will continue to hate and war for their righteous causes.
Time for Change
Our Last Quarter Moon of Oct 5 and stimulating our inner need to initiate change occurs in the midst of sidereal Cancer, commonly called the crab today. Cancer is also the Egyptian Scarabaeus, an image that articulates the theme of humanity's emergence from darkness, dogma, and delusion and the reawakening back to light. The Scarab is an appropriate mythical figure, as no one knows the exact time of the emergence of the beetle from its snuggle in its own dung because it does not seem to follow any natural cycle in nature. This theme can also apply to an individual's emergence from the family nest, or from any limiting mode of being or state of consciousness. Pluto is particularly empowered here, due to its exaltation at ~18° sidereal Cancer.
Our Last Quarter Moon conjoins Kochab, Beta of Ursa Minor; Acubens, the claw of the crab; Zeta Hydra of the water serpent; and Dubhe of the Great Bear.
Acubens, Alpha Cancer, indicates entrapment in dogma. This can be the dogma of the times, the current political /religious belief, as well as that created by our personal belief structures, the ideas about our lives and experiences we have in our lives. Acubens indicates a tenacious hold and stubborn resistance to release our dogmatic propensity.
Zeta Hydra lies immediately south of Acubens. Delta through Zeta Hydra and Pulsar CP0834 (which conjoins Gianfar of Draco, the poisoned heart) create Hydra's head. Zeta Hydra and surrounding stars indicate a multifarious undermining source of destruction (every time Hercules took off one the Hydra's heads, it immediately grew another). The conjunction of Acubens and Zeta Hydra reveals that the repetitive undermining experiences in our lives are manifest from our own tenacious belief structures.
Associated Quasar 3C206 of Hydra, one of the brightest & closest quasars, suggest that although our dogmatic beliefs can take rather strange and unexplainable forms, they are not outside the realm of our own creation. They are however laser-like in their power. Quasar 3C206 reminds us to not be naïve to the powerful manifestation power of our beliefs and the undermining behavioral patterns they can create. This quasar tells us to not turn our backs on that momentum, to know it may take more than one attempt to overcome our dogma's hideous tenacity.
In the northern heavens lies Dubhe of the Great Bear inspiring us to persevere in our efforts for a greater vision to unfold on Earth--one that is nourishing to all peoples of the world. And further north lies Kochab of the Little Bear cub, inspiring the need to provide care and nourishment for all life to prosper, the ultimate role of the Great World Powers exemplified by the stars of the Great Bear.
Focus to the Future
The Balsamic Moon marks the time in lunar cycle when we coalesce the experience of the lunar cycle into its seed essence, which will then sprout through the theme of the following lunar cycle. It is when we turn our attention from this lunar cycle in anticipation of the next to come. The hours before the Balsamic Moon is our time of coalescence while those after mark the time when we turn from looking back over the past cycle and look toward the future cycle to come.
Our Balsamic Moon conjoins our Super Galactic Center, the spiritual center in which our galaxy floats along with many others. A good place to come to considering the intensity of the last two lunar months.
Our Galaxy, the Milky Way, is a whirling disc composed of hundreds of billions of stars, of which our sun is one, spinning around a dense and massive bulge of stars and a black hole called the Galactic Nucleus or Galactic Centre. Our galaxy is one of about 30 galaxies comprising a cluster of galaxies called our "Local Group." The galaxies in our Local Group gently revolve around each other much like organisms floating in a protective embryonic fluid.
Our Local Group is merely one galactic cluster of many that comprise yet a large group called our "Local Super Cluster." All of these embryonic clusters, harboring many evolving galaxies and forms of life, are like protective cocoons floating within the care of the Super Cluster.
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| M 87 is a giant elliptical galaxy and the brightest in the Virgo Cluster. What look like fuzzy stars in the halo of M 87 are Globular Clusters (of stars). Image: Kitt Peak Observatory |
If this is not expansive enough for one's mere mortal mind, this vast field of consciousness, which suspends an unlimited number of Galactic Clusters, all unique with their own galaxies and their diverse star systems, is also filled with "Dark Matter," matter that we do not see. Space, at one time thought of as empty, is now recognized to be comprised of substance--perhaps a step toward recognition of the creative intelligence permeating space. Honoring this underlying or transcendent nature of reality, astrophysicists have come to call Dark Matter, "Quintessence," a term once used by Aristotle to describe the eather. We call this, all of the astrophysical diversity we have come to detect, this field of magnificent stellar creation, our "Known Universe"; and what we see in it, is but through our very limited, electromagnetic-spectrum, lightspeed-dependent modality of perception. Yet still, it appears this Known Universe is too but a bubble of perception amongst an infinity. So let us keep perspective of our lives on Earth and rise to the embracing awareness of the precious gift life is.
Uranus completes its retrograde just prior to the New Moon conjoining Enif, Sadalmelik, and Fomalhaut in sidereal Aquarius, bring fortuitous support for radical non-conforming change. Our next New Moon occurs on November 12 in late sidereal Libra. More to come then.