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Leo - Soul Awakening

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #184, July 25, 2011
Planetary Alignments
Awakening to Deep Truths - Uranus Square Pluto 2011-2015

The planetary alignment of Uranus and Pluto sets the tone for massive change during the years 2011-2015. This issue offers some insights about how these energies affect our personal lives, and how we can use them to move into deeper levels of self-love and soul awakening.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are termed the 'outer planets' because they orbit farthest away from the Sun. It takes Uranus 6-7 years to pass through one Zodiac sign, Neptune 12-14 years and Pluto 16-24 years (because of its elliptical orbit). The sign and interaction of the outer planets provide the overall context and set the tone for our Earthly experience.

When outer planets interact, the intensity of their influence increases. A new cycle of planetary evolution is announced when these planets conjunct (in the same sign and the same degree at the same time). Uranus and Pluto meet up only once every 125 years. Their three time rendez-vous in 1965-66 unleashed a new wave of unrest, creativity and transformation. The two planets were within 10° of each other during most the of sixties decade.

From Inspiration to Action

After the conjunction, the next major marker is when the two planets form a square or a 90° angle with each other. When Uranus re-entered Aries March 11th, 2011, it was only 7° away from squaring Pluto. By mid July, 2011, Uranus and Pluto will be within 1° of an exact square. They will be within 5° of each other through the end of 2011. Then they move towards each other to form seven exact squares from June 2012 through March 2015! That is a lot of energy that we have to deal with.

Conjunctions initiate new phases, inspire visions and seed ideas of evolutionary change. Squares require action, and provide the energy to make our dreams into reality. At the beginning of a new cycle, we are awakened to new possibilities, but the weight of the previous cycle is still heavy in our psyche. We can be simultaneously enthusiastic and overwhelmed by dealing with and trying to release the past.

The energy at the first square is very different. The protest, visionary phase is over. We have to manifest, create new structures and implement our grand plans. Squares mark major turning points. Things must and will change. There is no hiding from the pressure, and no escaping the need to take action. There is only the choice of how we choose to use this dynamic force.

Evolution and Revolution

Uranus, the planet of revolution, precipitates quick, shocking changes. Uranus is the 'wake-up' planet that acts though surprises, accidents, magic and miracles. Uranus pops the balloons of illusion, and sets off the 'get real and deal with reality' alarms. Uranus gets our attention. Pluto's impact is much more subtle. To deal with Pluto we must be attentive to what is going on deep in our psyche. Pluto, the planet of evolution, specializes in exposing our dark side, the abuse of power, and the fears that stand in the way of experiencing love.

Uranus in Aries focuses our attention on individual freedoms and personal liberation. Pluto in Capricorn uncovers what is preventing us from being our own authority. Accountability, integrity and the grand play of cause and effect (karma) are key Pluto themes.

While Pluto is in Capricorn through 2024, we are each part of a massive overhaul of economic, political and social institutions. The intolerability of gross inequality, exploitation, corruption, and all forms of abuse, will precipitate revolutionary protest, and necessitate reforms and the restructuring of our collective institutions. Individually the Capricorn archetype is about self-mastery.

Enter Leo the Sun - New and Full Moons

Fortunately every year we have Leo, the majestic Lion, to remind us that who we are is important. Leo teaches us that we are each both artist and architect of our own lives. Leo helps us shine our heart light so that we can become conscious of our soul. Leo gives us the courage to create, to discover, to experiment, and to dare to do what we love. Leo calls forth our genius, activates our gifts and makes sure that we enjoy being ME. Leo tells us that if we really want to make a difference, and be noticed, our most effective strategy is to shine the light of our soul so brightly that it causes other lights to ignite.

The Leo New Moon, July 30th, invites us to listen to and trust our soul. Venus in Leo conjuncts the Sun and Moon at this new moon, reminding us to love ourselves.

Mercury Retrograde, August 2nd-26th, invites us to discover the light that shines in our heart, and to use it to appreciate our specialness. Mercury is in Leo July 1st-28th and August 8th-September 9th.

The Aquarius Full Moon, August 13th, reminds us that we are all connected, and that we each have a role to play and gifts to contribute to the collective. This Full Moon is intensified by the fact that Pluto and Uranus are only 1° from an exact square. In addition, Mars adds passion and initiative to the mix. Mars squares Uranus and opposes Pluto a few days before the Full Moon.

At the Full Moon, Venus conjuncts the Sun, and Mercury is also close by in Leo. Three days later, on August 16th, Venus, Sun and Mercury (retrograde) join at 24° Leo. Together they pull us deep into our hearts, where we can find our soul and listen to its guidance. This is an opportune time to cultivate self-love and acceptance.

Self-Love and Self-Acceptance

Soul awakening is the personal theme of the Uranus-Pluto squares from now through 2015. There are many ways that we will be touched by the deep desire to connect with our soul, to be authentically who we are, and to express our soul qualities and gifts. Our journey to experience self-love is a featured component of awakening to our soul. There are many techniques that can help us along the way.

One popular self-help healing technique is the Emotional Freedom Technique. EFT is a simple, effective and quick method, that reduces the emotional charge of our issues through reciting a statement, and tapping on acupuncture points. The idea is that the body/psyche can heal, once the emotional imprints from traumatic memories are released. The tapping sequence sends calming signals to the brain. The conditioned stress responses are disengaged, and the brain is re-programmed with a positive response of safety. (You can find out more about this technique and print out a small booklet and instructions for free at EFTUniverse.com. The process is summarized in one page).

What I want to share from EFT is an valuable insight into emotional healing. The formula for the statement used is:
"Even though" + concise description of issue, problem or situation that is causing distress + "I completely and deeply love and accept myself".

The latter part can be wording in various ways:

Affirmation vs. Acknowledgement of Our Humanness

This formula differs from commonly practiced affirmations that attempt to affirm something that we wish were true, but our subconscious computes the contrary, i.e. we really do not believe it is true. Positive affirmations can be easily sabotaged by our self-defeating negative thinking, which gives voice to our wounded conditioning.

With the EFT formula, we acknowledge our issue, and we create self-acceptance despite the problem. My interpretation is that we are telling ourselves, "Even though I have human issues that I must deal with, and lessons to learn, my soul is pure and loving, and the light of my soul supports and accepts my humanness".

This technique recognizes that, underneath all our life issues is some form of lack of self love and self-acceptance. The core cause of the emotional charge associated with our programming, or traumatic events, is a variation on the theme of lack of self-love - We think something is the matter with us. We feel we are unlovable, incompetent, unworthy, not good enough, etc. These negative beliefs undermine our success, happiness and peace of mind ... and they close our heart to our soul and to love. Self-forgiveness, and compassion for our humanness, are required components of our human journey to soul awakening.

Soul Me and Human Me - Experience of Love Within

When the Sun shines in Leo we are supposed to indulge in feeling good about ourselves. We are invited to stand up and claim our gifts and special role in the world. Leo is not about puffing up with self-importance: Leo is about deeply listening to our heart so that we can have a conversation with our soul.

Self Awareness and Self Love

Belief does not deliver us into a state of authentic self-love. We must experience love inside ourselves. We can replace negative feelings with peaceful, satisfied and happy feelings, by going inside to our core, where peace and love patiently await our attention.

Self awareness is a required skill that must be developed. Self awareness makes it possible to:

  1. choose how we direct our attention and emotional energy,
  2. identify our true identity, and
  3. find love within.

With deep self-awareness, we can let go of misconceptions and embrace our authentic being, and we can move out of fear into the dimension of love.

Reach In for the Soul Experience

Soul awareness requires finding the deep silence, sweetness and peace within, and IDENTIFYING with it. We must experience for ourselves our untapped reservoir, both to BE love and to give and receive love. The trick is to train ourselves to stop reaching outside for love and acceptance. Instead, we train ourselves to FEEL deep into our heart for guidance, emotional satisfaction, approval, acceptance, comfort and love!

Leo tells us - Find the love you need inside. Let your soul reassure you, love you and satisfy you. Feel safe being inside with yourself. Be comfortable having your own opinion and needs.

The more we experience love within our own heart, the less we engage in actions and behaviors that are feeble, and ineffective, attempts to find love outside ourselves.

Yogi Bhajan
My Relationship betweem ME and ME - Personal Me and Soul Me

I remember Yogi Bhajan telling us - "Your primary relationship is between YOU and YOU!" Like many things he shared, this too sounded like a great idea. It took me a long time to figure out how cultivate a relationship between ME and ME. Here is the formula I have come up with:

  1. Define ME and ME. One ME is personality/human/conscious/ego me. The other ME is our soul.
  2. Identify who speaks for human me, and who speaks for soul me. Our rational, dualistic mind speaks for human me, and our neutral mind/heart speaks for soul me.
  3. Identify who is talking in our inner conversation. If we are in our dual mind, our negative and positive minds are talking to each other. This is usually the case! Or their conversation is between personality/ego me and someone else. This is also usually the case!
  4. After we identify WHO we are talking to, we have to break the dualistic mind loop (between our negative and positive mind) by talking to the right person - OUR SOUL!
  5. We find our soul voice in our neutral channel and our heart. We have to awaken our neutral mind, and heart, to hear the communications of our soul.
  6. To establish a conversation between our dual mind and our neutral mind - between our human personality (ego) and our soul, we have to LISTEN! (Not just endlessly indulge in dual mind chatter) ... and we have to FEEL. We listen and feel the communications from our soul.
  7. We allow our soul to communicate with us by listening to our intuition, and feeling its instinctual messages. SOUL ME communicates non-verbally and energetically. Its non-verbal messages are translated into words by our mind.

With practice you will be able to tell the difference between dual mind and neutral mind/soul communications. SOUL ME does not have a judgmental opinion.

Years ago, someone asked Yogi Bhajan why, after ten years of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation practice, he had made so little progress. Yogi Bhajan answered, "Because you don't listen".

Choose Love

We either operate out of fear or love. We are either in a state of trust or doubt. Fear and doubt are expressed by our limited, wounded ego. Love and trust are expressed by our soul.

Stress, unhappiness, depression, negative karma, are all a result of giving value to, or choosing, our limited ego over our soul truth - when we choose fear over love, when we choose wounded self over soul self.

To train ourselves to operate from our soul, not our limited ego, in our relationships and with all the events and interaction in our world, we practice monitoring and asking ourselves:

Self-Acceptance and Forgiveness

Of course, it takes time to loosen the grip of our dualistic mind, and its habit of producing self-effacing negative thoughts. Here are a couple more tips that help us access our soul.

  1. When something comes up that generates negative self-talk, we can respond by saying, "I am sorry. I love you". We can also add, "I forgive you. Please forgive me. Thank you. Sat Nam".
  2. When you need help, place your hands on your heart and dial the emergency number (911 in the US, 123 in Russia), to call upon your soul and the Infinite. Say the above phrases, and communicate from your heart to your pain. Pay attention! LISTEN! Make yourself available and receptive to get support, guidance and love from your soul and the Infinite.

    Deeply listen to your neutral soul channel and feel your heart, until you experience resolution, peace and self-love; until you hear a sweet voice saying, "I Love and Enjoy Myself Exactly the Way I Am!"
Transitions to a Heart Centered World by Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

 
Transitions to a Heart-Centered World by Guru Rattana, Ph.D., is a rich and unique compilation of the core teachings and Kundalini Yoga kriyas and meditations of Yogi Bhajan.

The new Second Edition, revised and updated,is ready to welcome a whole new generation of students to this life-changing technology. It offers powerful and effective techniques to both teacher and student, to empower your lower chakras and open your heart to unconditional love.

Contains literally dozens of meditations to access heart and soul consciousness.

Kundalini Yoga - Heart Opening

There are numerous kriyas and meditations to open your heart in Transitions to a Heart-Centered World 2nd Edition. 'Heart Connection' on page 76 is an easy set that covers the basics. After each exercise, pull the locks on the suspended exhale. While applying the diaphragm lock, move the fire energy from the navel up to awaken your heart. Use the locks in this way with whatever kriya or meditation you practice. Often we forget to apply the locks and take advantage of their power, to awaken our chakras and Kundalini.

'Heart Shield Meditation', on page 147, will open your heart, and create a strong magnetic field that serves as an energetic protection or boundary. When you experience energetic containment, it is easier to listen to and follow your soul's guidance.

During your personal sadhana, practice developing a relationship between personality YOU and soul YOU. Use the guidelines set out above. With daily practice, you will soon identify who is talking to whom, and be able to listen to the voice of your soul.

References and Footnotes

"2011 Outlook", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #154, Dec/Jan, 201l, pp. 25-36.

"Leo New Moon - July 30", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #157, June/July 201l, p.113.

"Aquarius Full Moon - August 13", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #158, Aug/Sept 201l, p.103.

Leo Classes - Guru Rattana Online
There are some great Leo classes on Guru Rattana Online. Under the Fire/Spirit lessons you will find "Individualization - Radiating the Fire of Self", "The Heart Center and Self-Love", and "The Heart Center and Auric Field", and more!

If you haven't already subscribed, you will need to do so to watch these classes. For a low monthly rate you can enjoy unlimited viewing.

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