Libra - In Relationships with Everything

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #197, September 22, 2012

Planetary Alignments

• The Sun enters Libra on September 22nd at 7:49am PDT (2:49pm GMT), at the moment of the Fall Equinox (Spring Equinox in Southern Hemisphere).
• Ceres enters Cancer on September 25th, where it will remain through June 22nd, 2013.
• Aries Full Moon on September 29th at 8:19pm PDT (September 30th at 3:19am GMT).
• Grand Cross in the cardinal (action) signs on September 29th. Uranus and the Moon are at 7° Aries, Pluto is at 7° Capricorn, the Sun is at 7° Libra, and Ceres is at 1° Cancer.
• Saturn moves into Scorpio on October 5th at 1:33pm PDT (8:33pm GMT), through September 18th, 2015. (Saturn will enter Sagittarius on December 24th, 2014 until June 14th, 2015, but because of retrograde will move back into Scorpio from June 14th, 2015 until it enters Sagittarius on December 24th).
• Jupiter goes retrograde in Gemini on October 4th at 6:18am PDT (1:18pm GMT).
• Mars in Scorpio from August 24th through October 6th.
• Libra New Moon on October 15th at 5:03am PDT (12:03pm GMT).

Using the Planets as Guides and Gurus

In every issue I explain the dynamics of the impactful planetary alignments, which offer us invaluable insights into what is transpiring in our personal and collective lives. Mix all the planetary energies together, as they dance through us and the Universe, and we have the formula for a quantum shift in consciousness, and a major turning point in human history.

Collectively, the bottom line is that if enough of us are able to shift our inner reality from one of conflict to one of peace, together we can create a collective field and energetic foundation for a new operating paradigm on Planet Earth.

Personally, the bottom line is about upgrading our level of consciousness, so that we can witness our current challenges from a higher perspective, and find resolution in the heart. Our task is to constructively embrace, use, and integrate the highest expressions of all these energies to empower ourselves. How we relate to ourselves is the key to creating an evolutionary shift in how we relate to each other, Mother Earth, and the Divine.

Representing archetypal universal forces, the planets are our guides and gurus. Astrology helps us understand the unfoldment of evolutionary change, and gives us the tools to define the specific energies we are working with. Kundalini Yoga offers us a powerful technology to align with the ever-evolving Universe, and to grow and transform ourselves and our lives. First, I will interpret the significance of the current planetary interactions, and then I will suggest how to use Kundalini Yoga to take advantage of the energies that are awakening and brewing within us.

Relationships, Polarities and Peace

This is an important moment for Libra. Saturn (the heavy taskmaster) entered Libra July 22nd, 2010, and remains there through October 5th, 2012. Libra doesn't like heavy, so Saturn's shift out of Libra into Scorpio will initially be a relief. I say initially, because Saturn in Scorpio is going to present us with another set of challenges (see next issue). Whatever sign Saturn occupies, it obliges us to operate within the limits of physical reality, and to abide by natural laws. Saturn, one of the 'get real' planets, intensifies the dynamism of the on-going Pluto/Uranus square, which involves 7 intense wake-up calls in 3 years!!

Relationships are the major theme of Libra. Libra's symbol, the scales, indicates the subtle dynamics at play to achieve balance in all types of relationships. The first and pivotal dynamic is finding and maintaining our internal balance. For our inner scales (mind and emotions) to achieve balance, we have to access and operate out of our neutral mind. Saturn in Libra grinds us until we are able to operate from our neutral space in our interpersonal relationships. To do so, we must consciously cultivate a peaceful relationship within ourselves - between the two polarities of our soul.

In Libra territory, relationships, and various themes and interpretation of 'masculine and feminine', are hot topics. I invite you to observe the nature of these conversations. Below I offer some ideas that can help you monitor the nature and depth (or lack thereof) of these discussions.

Two Universal Polarities

The Libra archetype brings our attention to how we humans relate to, and express, the two universal polarities, which are often referred to as masculine and feminine. Some of the discussions concerning the relationship between the masculine and feminine include the following topics:

1. The problems created by patriarchal economic, political and social structures, that have destroyed the environment, exploited the precious resources of Mother Earth, concentrated wealth in the hands of a few, structuralized poverty, denigrated the status of women, and erased the Goddess/feminine principle from the definition of the Divine. We need to focus on how to correct these imbalances.
2. Women's rights and empowerment, the role of women in our society and gender equality.
3. Dysfunctional codependent relationships between men and women, and how the conflict between the sexes can be resolved.
4. The reintroduction of the Goddess archetype into our personal psyche and collective consciousness, and how the feminine/feeling polarity can be integrated into the consciousness of both men and women.

Off the Mark Conversations

Some of the commentaries on these topics, that appear to me to be off the mark, superficial, and disconnected from obvious reality include the following:

1. Blaming men in general is not fair, accurate or useful. Both men and women suffer in an inequitable system.
2. Focusing on victimization and blaming nails us deeper into the box of fear and anger, and supports the current power structure.
3. Claiming that men step aside, and that women take over major political, economic and power positions verges on fanatical fantasy. Men and women are here together on Planet Earth. We have to, and should want to, collaborate to get out the mess that we have both, in our unconscious state, created together.
4. Concentrating exclusively on the feminine, women, and feelings misses the reality of the interactive dynamic between the two polarities in both men and women, and distances us from our ultimate goal of experiencing inner and outer peace.
5. Many interpretations of 'feminine' and 'masculine' are rooted in misunderstandings about the true nature of these universal energies, which are NOT gender specific. Anyone who has a mind expresses 'masculine'. Anyone who has a physical body and emotions embodies the 'feminine'. Both polarities are integral components of both men and women.(1)

The Issues are Wholeness and Consciousness

The inner and outer dynamics of, and relationship between, the two universal polarities as expressed in both men and women, are deeper and more existential than some of our superficial definitions and interpretations. Fuelled by anger, rage, inner discontent and lack of self-worth, some positions unintentionally serve to perpetuate the structural violence, and keep us in the fear and struggle mode.

The most fundamental problem that plagues both men and women is that we are at war within ourselves. The cause of our inner war is the dysfunctional and unconscious expressions of, and relationship between, the two polarities of our soul - our masculine/mind/ awareness polarity and our feminine/emotional/feeling polarity. The existential challenge facing both men and women is how to transcend our internal battleground, and experience inner peace and self-love.

What is up for examination is not a simplistic 'resolution' of gender issues, the take over by women, the reinstallation of the matriarchy, or substituting Goddess for God. The basic issues for both men and women concern doing our inner work so that we can:

1. Experience WHOLENESS AND PEACE within ourselves,
2. AWAKEN AND FOLLOW OUR INNER AUTHORITY, and
3. ELEVATE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS to our heart, so that we can actually feel compassion for ourselves and each other.

Identity Crises

In terms of gender, both men and women suffer from our respective IDENTITY CRISES. In our quest for equality and fairness, we have identified ourselves as persons. In wholeness and awakened consciousness, men discover the essence and gifts of their embodiment as a man. In wholeness and awakened consciousness, women discover the essence and gifts of their embodiment as a woman.

When both men and women discover compassion in their hearts, attitudes of power over, and victimization and power struggles between, the sexes won't compute in our psyche.

As we become more whole and authentic, our superficial fantasies about ideal, storybook relationships are going to be less important to us. What is really interesting is the synergistic alchemy between empowered men and women. When we embody the universal dance of polarities within ourselves, our partnerships can quantum leap in quality, meaning, and satisfaction. Most of what we once considered 'issues' will become non-issues. We will be able to deal with our planetary and relationship challenges from an awakened, heart-centered consciousness.

Elevated Expressions of Both Polarities

The openings symbolized by the planetary alignments create the space for us to release ourselves from old habits of being victims, complaining about our problems, and faulting (someone else, the system) for them. We are awakening to a critical truth - Our personal and global problems are rooted in the dysfunctional expression of BOTH the male and the female polarities. They manifest as a result of:

1. not connecting with and acting from universal truths (male polarity), and
2. from acting out our emotional anger, rage, sadness and fear (female polarity).

The result of both dysfunctions is exploitation, greed, abuse, and wars.

Dominated by our rational/dualistic mind, we have lost touch with the elevated expression of the male polarity - our neutral mind. In our neutral mind, both men and women have access to the truth, to the qualities of peace and non-judgment, and to the support and guidance of the Divine.

Without access to our neutral mind, both men and women remain internally conflicted. When we do not operate from our neutral mind, our feeling polarity invariably expresses in dysfunctional ways. It feels ignored and abused, and goes underground into our subconscious, where it creates more conflict, confusion, and havoc.

To find peace within, both men and women must access the higher conscious expression of both polarities. In our neutral mind - elevated male polarity - we are not tempted to compromise the truth for wealth, position, or power. In our relaxed feeling polarity, we are not emotionally reactive and upset - we flow with the unfoldment of life and respond with grace and kindness.

Aries Full Moon and Cardinal Grand Cross - September 29^th

The Aries Full Moon highlights the self in relationship (to everything else). Thus our touchstone is ME - How am I reacting? Am I able to maintain my center and self-focus and not be pulled off balance by external forces?

This Full Moon is energized by a grand cross in the cardinal signs, which amps up the effects of the Uranus/Pluto square. Complex and compelling, this planetary alignment offers another opportunity to radically shift our perspective, paradigm, and direction in our lives. As is always the case, a more profound and elevated level of awareness is required to truly understand and integrate the lessons we can learn.

Kundalini Yoga - Access and Anchor in Neutral

To take advantage of the current energies, our most important tasks are to:

1. access our neutral mind,
2. anchor into our body feeling awareness of the peaceful quality of neutral, and
3. awaken to the natural rhythm of your feeling polarity, feel your breath as it breathes in your body.

Between exercises, take time to tune into the neutral space in your mind. Experience that this peaceful space is always available to you. As your body feels the peaceful nature of your neutral channel, it will begin to relax and let go.

Feel your skin breathing. Be with the rhythm of your breath. Focusing on the rhythm of your skin breathing will awaken you to the peaceful natural flow, of both your emotional and physical bodies.

Daily Sadhana

During these intense and transformational times, it is critical to have a daily spiritual practice.

A minimum set includes:

1. Tune in with Ong Na Mo Guru Dev Na Mo.
2. Arms out to the side, palms up, breath of fire for 2-3 minutes.
3. Chair pose for 2-4 minutes.
4. Sat Kriya for 3 minutes
5. Long Sat Nams, and of course
6. silent feeling awareness between the exercises. and at the end of your practice.

An easy kriya is "Preparation Exercises for Lungs, Magnetic Field and Deep Meditation", on pages 122-3 in Transitions to a Heart-Centered World 2nd Edition.

If you prefer guidance, there are over 70 streaming video classes on Guru Rattana Online. The Libra/Air Sign classes awaken the neutral mind. The Cancer/Water Element classes work with feeling awareness and the emotional body.

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 access to all my classes.

References and Footnotes

(1) Discussed in depth in my latest books:

• The Gift of Womanhood - Inner Mastery, Outer Mystery, and
• The Inner Art of Love - Awaken Your Heart with Kundalini Yoga.

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