A constant yearning for transcendence
with discernment
Note: after I recorded the audio, I checked and it is a bit low, next time I will do a better job…
Polarities and the illusion of separateness
I woke up inspired, a very Neptunian quality, tapping into the mutability of the zodiac. I have started feeling a lot of love expressed in others while simultaneously feeling a heavy burden on those who suffer when they stay in victim mode.
How do we discern our thoughts within the ecology of our environment? What we eat, what we choose to focus on, and what we absorb in all shapes or forms—all of these affect us.
— Where you put your attention, you put your energy—
Neptune is at 29° of Pisces, which is the last degree of the whole zodiac. The last time it was here was at the brink of American civil unrest. Neptune entered Aries on April 13th, 1861, just one day after the start of the Civil War. We still have until 30 March 2025 for the Aries ingress, before it turns back to Pisces and commands the rulership of the upcoming lunar eclipse axis (January 12, 2025 – July 26, 2026)1.
What is it about transcendence that differs from transfiguration, or transformation? All three words imply crossing a border, moving beyond a line, point, essence, or even form, yet they each carry distinct nuances in their meanings.
…Marco’s answers and objections took their place in a discourse already proceeding on its own, in the Great Khan’s head. That is to say, between the two of them, it did not matter whether questions and solutions were uttered aloud or whether each of the two went on pondering in silence. In fact, they were silent, their eyes half-closed, reclining on cushions, swaying in hammocks, smoking long amber pipes.
Marco Polo imagined answering (or Kublai Khan imagined his answer) that the more one was lost in unfamiliar quarters of distant cities, the more one understood the other cities he had crossed to arrive there…
~Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
A constant yearning for transcendence
Transcendence, as in reaching higher states of consciousness, is going beyond the ordinary limits or boundaries, often in a spiritual or metaphysical sense. It implies surpassing the constraints of the material world or one's current state of existence, a mystical state perhaps…
A man sets himself the task of portraying the world. Through the years he has created a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and people. Shortly before his death, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the image of his face.
~Jorge Luis Borges, Dreamtigers
Transfiguration, however, is about a visible change in appearance, often linked to something divine or elevated, like the transformation of Jesus in Christian belief, the unio mystica, or sacred marriage, where all elements dissolve into one another.2
As a Daoist disciple, I've encountered countless tales of enlightened beings (immortals) capable of changing their form.3 Mastery of life force or qi could enable feats like levitation or sustaining oneself solely on breathing air. Whether these stories are factual is not the focus here.
What's noteworthy is the symbolic resonance in contemporary culture. Figures like Jordan Peterson and his daughter Mikhaela, Russell Brand, Candace Owens, and Jordan Hall seem to be rediscovering Christ's consciousness. There seems to be a universal yearning for connection to a higher, more profound, and divine essence.
Could this yearning be a response to current events, such as genocide or imperialistic forces that perpetuate suffering while devaluing humanity as the currency is also losing value? The current zeitgeist feels like a battle of light and dark, reminiscent of the David and Goliath tale. It appears that more individuals are awakening from the collective dream. In recent times, there has been a noticeable increase in the practice of spirituality and devotion with a near-religious fervor. It's interesting to note that the word "disciple" inherently implies a relationship with a higher mentor. Through disciplined devotion, one may attain an elevated state of consciousness.
-Are people repenting?
if so, of what?
Are people feeling lost?
if so, why?
I am not questioning the how, the inquiry, but rather turning to its polarity in Virgo: discernment.
-How can one know when and to what to surrender?
-Will a logical, judgmental stance help?
-No? Then is it some sort of curiosity (Gemini/Mercury) that can lead to seeking truth?
One learns to accept the wisdom of intuition through knowledge (Jupiter/Sagittarius). One doesn’t have to know the scriptures to be one with the Creator. It is a question not of faith but of trust. That is what I feel.
A looming crisis of faith or disillusionment is on the horizon, as institutional structures begin to crumble, or an ecstatic transcendence can occur. In the summer of 2025, when the Nodes square Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn aligns with Neptune's current position, conjuncting the North Node, a significant opportunity will arise to observe the outcomes of current celestial alignments. This period will shed light on the seeds planted during the April 20th, 2024, new phase Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Taurus. The transformation will enter a new phase, with Saturn, Neptune, and the North Node aligning to support profound change, aided by the challenging and metamorphic quality of Pluto. These shifts will likely bring about dramatic changes in many aspects of life, particularly in our relationship with the intangible and tangible aspects of existence, checking our connection to the body, the breath, and even how resources are important will support the spirit to create an equilibrium instead of disassociation or falling into a nebulous seduction that will keep you dormant at the most important times of our lives. (Note: I analyze and write about astrological transits well in advance to prepare and make the most of their energies.)
I can only sense that there will be a path towards finding meaning not in philosophy or machines, but rather an innovation of a deeper connection to the source, creating a new structure based on individual needs and communities that thrive in the contribution of authentic selves. Attention. It can also fall into a complete delusion, a state of government intervention, where all civil rights are taken away as the people have voluntarily started to worship the master pushing people even more into serfdom.
Therefore, discernment is crucial for your ecology of practices. Check your judgment barometer and allow new perspectives to show you the way.
Transformation, while also involving a change or crossing of boundaries, tends to be broader and more encompassing. It can refer to a fundamental and comprehensive change in nature, character, or form. Transformation can occur on various levels - physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual - and involve gradual or profound shifts in identity, perspective, or behavior.
How have you been transformed since 2020?
IMPULSE TO BE
During the New Moon on May 7th, occurring at 18° Taurus4 in Gate 2, there may be a recollection of events from August 1st, 2022? On that date, there was a conjunction of Uranus, the North Node, and Mars in Gate 2 at the same degree. This gate is associated with the monopole that binds us within the illusion of our separateness5. It feels like we were presented with a clear direction back then. Can you recall what it was?
As this New Moon aligns exactly with the same position, what are your intentions now? Saturn is currently conjunct with my Chiron at 17° Pisces, and I no longer fear feeling vulnerable. The sextile it forms with the New Moon is supportive as traumas around self-reliance, boundaries, and opening my heart have been deeply and slowly healing.
Reflecting, when Saturn was last at the same degree around March 26, 1995, Uranus was entering Aquarius, and the South Node in Taurus was on my Sun. I was certainly embarking on new territories, having just moved to the USA, where the value I placed on becoming a visual artist was so strong, that it certainly gave me meaning and I was able to manifest a career that paid off. I am contemplating how time serves as both a healer and an inspiration, guiding us along the spiral of love.
Neptune 29° Pisces- (one reads the next degree)
PHASE 360 (PISCES 30*): A MAJESTIC ROCK FORMATION RESEMBLING A FACE IS IDEALIZED BY A BOY WHO TAKES IT AS HIS IDEAL OF GREATNESS, AND AS HE GROWS UP, BEGINS TO LOOK LIKE IT.
KEYNOTE: The power of clearly visualized ideals to mold the life of the visualizer. Nathaniel Hawthorne's story "The Great Stone Face" is used here in an allegorical sense to show the capacity for self-trans-formation latent in man. This power can be developed through visualization, when the emotions and the will are poured into the visualized mental image. At the highest spiritual-cosmic level this is the power used by the God-like Beings at the close of a cosmic cycle in projecting the basic Formula (the Word) which will start a new universe. In a biological sense, it is the power latent in all seeds—the power to produce and guide the growth of the future plant. A most fitting symbol for the last phase of the cyclic process. Within the end of the cycle the seed of a new beginning exists in potency—unless the entire cycle has proven to be a failure.
This is the last stage of the last scene of the great ritual play of cyclic transformations. It brings to us a realization of the power of archetypes as factors conditioning life processes. Thus we could use as a final
Keyword: ARCHETYPAliZATION.
~Dane Rudhyar, an Astrological Mandala
To live is to imbibe energy's flow, In purpose's sway or forces' undertow, Each consumption births a unique glow, Positive essence in one, in the other, a shadow.
Ancient minds saw the cosmos' grand design, Crafted by intelligent beings, divine, Seeds of cosmic pasts or God's line, A contrast to modern science's confined, View of self-moving forces, undefined.
While some scientists remain aglow, In the light of metaphysical truths to show, The focus on material facts tends to grow, Belief in forces, not powers, in life's ebb and flow.
~Some sort of poem
While the South Node is in Virgo, it signifies a time to let go of the tendencies associated with Virgo energy. This includes striving for perfection, getting stuck in over-analysis, using vices or addictions to cope with stress, experiencing worry and anxiety, preferring to do things alone or with difficulty, being controlling or overly critical, micromanaging situations, being skeptical, ignoring your intuition or spiritual guidance, and engaging in gossip or hurtful speech.
On the other hand, the direction of the North Node in Pisces suggests embracing qualities aligned with Piscean energy. This includes tapping into artistic talents, acting as a healer, utilizing imagination, trusting and developing intuitive abilities, having faith in the universe, accepting support and guidance from higher powers, surrendering to the flow, processing emotions without relying on substances, recovering from addiction, and using words to provoke thought.
People born with this nodal axis will be having a return: Jul 27, 1950 – Mar 28, 1952 - Apr 20, 1969 – Nov 2, 1970 -Dec 3, 1987 – May 22, 1989- Jun 23, 2006 – Dec 18, 2007
Transfiguration denotes a visible transformation in the physical appearance of a religious practitioner. It is a term that, in the West, is most clearly associated with the story of Jesus that appears in the synoptic gospels (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9: 2-8; Luke 9:28-36; see also 2 Peter 1:16-18). In this story, Jesus led his disciples Peter, James and John up a high mountain. There Jesus underwent a physical metamorphosis in which his “face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Matt 17:2). ~Transfiguration, Spirituality and Embodiment: Perspectives from Christian and Daoist Scriptures, James Miller. Queen’s University
Given that the focus of these practitioners’ religious quest is the attainment of immortality, it is not surprising that this should entail some transformation within the body of the practitioner. It is within this broad category of somatic transformation that I would like to relay some of the findings of my 2008 study of one particular hagiography, that of Perfected Purple Yang (Ziyang zhenren 紫阳真人). This hagiography, prized with the Highest Clarity (Shangqing 上清) tradition of Daoism, narrates the quest of Zhou Ziyang 周紫阳 to attain the rank of a perfected immortal (zhenren 真人). He does so by embarking on a journey through China’s mountains to seek guidance from teachers and, crucially, to obtain a vision of increasingly powerful immortal gods who will guide him in his quest. The mode of spiritual practice advocated in this text is that of visualization (cun 存) in which the adept closes his eyes and visualizes an encounter with the god that takes place within his own body, with the consequence that it is gradually transformed into an immortal body. Like the Biblical story of the transfiguration, the text is replete with imagery of light, sunshine, and visualization.
{…} His father considered this strange and asked him what kind of activity he practiced. Lord Zhou remained kneeling for a long time, then replied: “I, Yishan, deep in my heart love the splendor of the sunlight and its eternal radiance. This is the only reason why I worship it. (Miller 2008: 111)~Idem
PHASE 52 (TAURUS 22*): WHITE DOVE FLYING OVER TROUBLED WATERS. KEYNOTE: The spiritual inspiration that comes to the individual in the overcoming of crisis. Here also we are confronted with a symbol of guidance, and the dove flying over troubled waters reminds one of the story of Noah and the Ark. Noah met his and mankind's crisis courageously and in complete obedience to God's promptings. The test was completed, and he received the dove's message. It is a message from the Holy Spirit announcing a new Dispensation. This symbolic scene can be applied to personal crises resulting from emotional upheavals or from the irruption of unconscious forces and impulses into the consciousness—if the crisis has been faced in the right spirit.
This second stage symbol is in contrast to the preceding one because here it is not the product of a culture, a "book," but instead the rhythm of cosmic, God-ordained cycles that reveals its conclusive beat through a living and concretely significant sign—a REWARD TO THE FAITHFUL
There’s something else as well, this area of the bodygraph is the most advanced area of the bodygraph. Because the Monopole needs to hold together the illusion of this reality, it also has to hold together the illusion of the next potential reality, and the next. It holds together the memory of all the previous potential realities, and as such is enormously sophisticated in its potential. In other words, the potential inherent in the G Center is to lay the foundation of correctness for what will be the mutation of the new Raves (new human beings), while at the same time being able to provide that for humanity.
Ra Uru Hu