Aries Lessons - I am Consciousness, I love Me

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #146 - March 28, 2008

This issue gives you a short summary of the essential goals of the Aries archetype. If you are interested in how to take advantage of the special gift of your Self, this issue is for you. It also offers directives to use during your practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation to cultivate an energetic experience of I AM.

Planetary Alignments

• The Sun moved into Aries March 19th at 10:49pm PDT (March 20th 5:49am GMT). The Sun grazes into Taurus April 19th at 9:51am PDT (4:51pm GMT).
• Libra Full Moon March 21st at 11:40am PDT (18:40pm GMT)
• Aries New Moon April 5th at 8:56pm PDT (April 6th at 3:56am GMT)
• Pluto goes retrograde April 2nd through September 8th.

Every Planet except Saturn is direct through April 2nd, when Pluto goes retrograde. (Saturn goes direct May 3rd at 1° Virgo.) Pluto retrograde makes us more aware of our motives. Pluto demands accountability for our actions, our choices and how we use our resources. We are still being supported by the direct movement of the other planets. The Aries energy adds an additional source of fiery motivation to take action and to get things done.

At the Libra Full Moon, the Sun and Moon opposed each other and squared Pluto in Capricorn and Mars in Cancer, creating a grand cross in the cardinal signs. Cardinal signs are action oriented. Grand crosses demand change. Take a look at your life. Does your strategy for getting what you want produce the results you want? As you take your next step, examine how you use your power and your resources. A shift in mode could be instrumental in propelling you forward. When we are at a crossroads in life, we need to hold hands with both courage and kindness. Aries reminds us - Don't forget to be kind to yourself!

At the Aries New Moon (April 5th), the celestial bodies line up in activation mode. The Sun and the Moon are both in Aries (16°), inviting us to be courageous, and to step forward without hesitation. The Sun and the Moon square Jupiter in Capricorn (20°) and Mars in Cancer (13°). Jupiter in Capricorn and Mars activate our entrepreneurial spirit. Mars in Cancer asks us to examine our motives, to check in with our feelings, and to shift our priorities to align with what we really want and need. It is time for realistic and heart-directed action.

Each Archetype influences us Differently

I find it fascinating each month to work with the energy of the zodiacal archetype of the current Sun sign. Last month, when the Sun was in Pisces, it took me days of meditation to connect with the messages being delivered by Pisces. Sometimes when I was writing I couldn't find the right word, which rarely happens to me, and then I remembered, I am in Pisces territory. Just let the right word float in on the next cloud, and sure enough it always did.

The day the Sun entered Aries, I felt a dramatic shift. I experienced more vitality. I felt like I had finally recuperated from my fever in January. I had myself and my fire back. I was definitely feeling the influence of Aries. The experience of the fire of self is the pure essence of the Aries archetype.

If we just pay attention, we can witness the power and potential of the energy of each sign of the Zodiac. The archetypes speak to us. Their unique energies profoundly influence us, whether we believe it or not.

Aries Lesson is I AM

Each archetype has its own mode. We certainly wouldn't choose to be in combat mode with Pisces, which would simply disappear on us, making us look like a fool. Aries has an entirely different mode. Aries is direct, courageous and straightforward. This is ME! When I started preparing my classes on the Aries archetype, the most basic lesson seemed so simple. Instead of pages of explanation to choose from, I had only two!

The most important Aries lesson is I AM. How many pages does it take to explain I AM? I guess we could talk about it forever, like many philosophers have done, but mental discussion diverts us from our task. I AM cannot be understood by an explanation. I AM is not a mental concept. I AM is an experience that we enjoy in our body. The subtle sensations have no words.

The Birth and Discovery of Self

Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. It represents our entrance into a physical body and the birth of Self. Aries leads the way toward the awakening of our human consciousness of our soul. Aries initiates our journey and quest to discover our Self & our Soul. Aries represents the search for our identity and our path toward individualization.

Imagine how life would be if we were all real, all authentically ourselves! The closer we get, the happier we become.

Aries introduces us to the basics:

1. We are a soul who has come to Earth for a physical experience.
2. Our soul lives in a body created especially for this incarnation. Isn't that amazing?
3. It is important to take care of our body, and to keep it vital and healthy.
4. Our physical body helps us get in touch with, and express, our identity.
5. We appreciate the dynamic elegance of our body, because it is the vehicle of our soul.

Be and Do - I Am Presence

Aries is the first fire sign. The Ram is active and constantly on the move. The DO energy of Aries too often overpowers the BE energy, also represented by this archetype. Our culture rewards us primarily for that we DO, but if we look closely at our lives, much of what we attract, including recognition, love and appreciation is a result of who we are.

Take a moment to feel the truth of "I attract because of who I AM. My presence speaks and works for me".

Equally important, self-love, self-confidence and self-esteem come from being in touch with the BE energy of our soul. When we value ourselves, our state of mind and emotional state are not dependent upon our perception of the success or failures of our actions. Then our joy comes, not from worldly accomplishments, but from simply being alive. From Aries' perspective:

1. We need no justification for our existence.
2. We do not have to please anyone, or take care of anyone else.
3. Our life is special, and we deserve the best, and
4. Our job is to take advantage of being alive, and to live life to the fullest.

Quest for Personal Freedom

Aries quests for personal freedom, which is found within. The energetic realization, that we are an independent entity, is an essential step in setting ourselves free. Being free also requires establishing our inner authority. Following our inner authority requires finding, and listening to, our own voice. Finding our own voice requires being in touch with our inner spirit in our body.

The Aries archetype represents our battle for existential freedom. Our battle is to liberate and fully express the essence of our soul. Yet the aggressive, conflictual mode characteristic of the Aries archetype doesn't work. We have to let go. We have also to love who we are, exactly the way we are. Love yourself and your life, and you will find freedom!

I Am Consciousness

When Rene Descartes was 22 years old he came up with the statement, "I think therefore I am". This phrase has been the source of much discussion since, but our essence is not about endless thoughts. Young Descartes was searching for an experience of consciousness. Consciousness is the stable male polarity of the soul. If we are tuned into the right channel, and pay attention, we can experience pure consciousness in our mind. In addition to the stable polarity, there is the flowing, feminine polarity of our soul. This evolutionary force, or aliveness, exists and animates our body independent of our thoughts, and the desires of our personality.

Our Aries goal is to experience I am this force. I am this energetic aliveness. I feel, therefore, I AM. I am consciousness.

We experience this life force as a dynamic impulse; a warm inner fire that makes it possible for us to move, act, grow, breathe and be alive. This force vivifies our body. This hidden force animates every desire and action. When we let go, this force is still present. We discover that we can trust this force to be with us whether we think about it or not.

The Simplicity and the Dramas of Life

Aries reminds us of the simplicity of life. Aries teaches us, firstly to experience a sense of self, and secondly, to love what we experience as ME. Our priority in life is to simply enjoy experiencing and expressing our innate aliveness, our pure spirit.

We must keep in mind that Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. It is both naïve and eager to explore life. Its childlike enthusiasm can get it into trouble. Aries is like the Fool of the Tarot - off on great adventure without paying attention to the fact that it will soon to walk off a cliff. Aries is willing to experiment and experience life. In the process of exploring new territory, Aries creates dramas and puts itself into predicaments, buut the enthusiastic Aries spirit keeps on going.

Life on planet Earth is about experimentation and experience. No one was given a manual to direct his or her journey. That is why we are well advised to spend time connecting with ourselves at least twice a day.

AM Before our life gets complicated, before we get ensnarled in the dramas of the day, we are invited to spend some sacred time with ourself. In Kundalini Yoga, we call our spiritual practice Sadhana.

PM At the end of the day, we need to take some time to come back to ourself. We are invited to leave the stories of the day at the door, and simply be present to and love ME.

Kundalini Yoga - Cultivating an Energetic Experience of I AM

The practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation facilitates the conscious awakening of Self. Every day, we can experience how the activation, alignment and integration of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies bring us more and more into wholeness. Between exercises, and after the set, take time to feel and appreciate the aliveness in your body, and to simply love your energetic self. Below are some directives to guide you into I AM consciousness.

You can use these directives with any Kundalini Yoga kriya or meditation. The kriya I chose to use is Exercises for Beauty, Radiance and Grace on pages 70-71 in Sexuality and Spiriuality. It is a great set for awakening to an experience of Self.

I Am Awareness Directives

There is a force, an aliveness within me that exists and lives independent of my body, my thoughts and the desires of my personality.

• I am this force. I am this energetic aliveness.
• I am more than a thought or a doing.
• I am a feeling. I am consciousness. I am alive. I breathe. I AM.
• I experience this life force as a dynamic impulse, a warm inner fire that makes it possible for me to move, act, grow, breathe and be alive.
• This force vivifies, brings life into, my body.
• A subtle hidden force animates every action, and empowers my every desire.
• When I let go and relax, this force, this power is still present.
• I can trust this force to be present, whether I remember it or not.
• I simply enjoy experiencing and expressing my innate aliveness, purity, innocence, and the gift of being MYSELF.
• As I go deeper into a richer experience, I witness and feel my body as the vessel for my soul.
• I awaken to an awareness of the power and pleasure of MySelf.
• I love what I experience as ME.
• The more I love myself and my life, the more I find happiness, peace and freedom.

Sat Nam!

References and Footnotes

"Libra Full Moon, Aries New Moon", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #137, Feb/March 2008, p. 103-5.

"Archetypes of the Zodiac", Burt, Kathleen, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, 2002.

"The Astrology of Fate", Greene, Liz, Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, Maine, 1984.

"Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil", Greene, Liz, Samuel Weiser, 1976.

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