Recent Experience with the Celestial bodies...

Two nights ago it was interesting.

I went outside friday night to chant to Venus, (its her day, and also I chose an hour owned by her) and observe the various celestial bodies.

It was rather cloudy at the start but then the clouds cleared. The moon was brightly shinning, Vega and Altair were spotted quickly, and I'm beginning to recognise the Libra constellation, Scorpio is still the easiest to spot :)

I'm really keen to understand different calendar systems at the moment. Especially, why different cultures picked particular points as the beginning of their year, and differences between lunar and solar, and lunisolar and what they were used for.

Jupiter was rising in the east. And I started my Osiris chant, and then I saw a really huge shooting star!

Also the Moon had that coloured ring it around it, that is rainbowish coloured.

Was really beautiful, sometimes my mind feels transported to times and place where there was that deep connection to living in tune with the movement of celesital bodies and alignments etc.

It just seems to create these extra passageways in the brain just contemplating it.

I also thought it would be interesting to see which Nakshatra the new moon lies in at the beginning of the Chinese Calendar each year. And I found through trying about six random years, that it was commonly in Shravana or Dhanishta.

The general idea they follow to calculate the beginning of the year is the second new moon after the December solstice.

I also thought it interesting to note which Nakshatra the equinox and solstices are currently falling in:

March Equinox is in Uttarabhadrapada. Autumn Equinox in Southern Hemisphere, Spring in North. Water/Pisces.

September Equinox is in Uttaraphalguni. Spring Equinox in Southern Hemisphere, Autumn in North 

Earth/Virgo.

December solstice Sun in Mula. Summer Solstice in Southern Hemisphere, Winter in North

Fire/Sagittarius.

June solstice Sun in Mrigshira Air. Winter Solstice in Southern Hemisphere, Summer in North

Air/Gemini.

Looking at these like "four corners" of the seasonsal points, also each one currently falls in a sign of each element (using four element system), which I have placed with them.

It is also interesting in relation to the 2012 solstice, Sun aligning with the galactic center, that nearly everywhere I read it only mentions it in a "Northen Hemishphere centric" way. Its always, "The Winter solstice". This is purely speculative, but I wonder if there would be different effect in the different hemispheres?  As far as whatever occurs on the date. Obviously there is a lot of hype about the date, and all sorts of different ideas floating about... but just thinking along the terms of how the winter solstice is about the returning of the light, and the summer solstice is the receding of the light, I wonder if it could be that those in the Northern Hemisphere would more likely experience a "return of light" (such as wisdom, enlightening etc) and the Southern Hemisphere plunging into darkness... (ignorance  etc)????

Sometimes I don't know if my mind is just demented trying to make connections with things that bare no resemblance to reality or if I'm actually on to something...

In the past it seems when I have been able to verify the results of my little attempt at making connections it usually turns out to be a 50% success rate. Sometimes they are so spot on, and other times completely off!

I want to prepare some research on "menstuation in various cultures" soon, found a really interesting part in the Garuda Purana, about the reason behind women having "menses", that sparked me off thinking about it.

Sun Gazing...Devotion

Been experimenting with Sun gazing.

It's been rather cloudy of late so difficult to do to full extent.

At sunset I go to the beach, take of my shoes, stand bare foot on the sand, say a prayer and bow to the Sun, then I gaze at the Sun.

When I've done it for awhile I will talk more here about the results.

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To me its a delight to cut away all manner of things that have outlived their usefulness. I'm not sentimental about the past.

I never once looked back fondly on a period of my life and thought "ghee I wish that summer of 89 never ended"...

I'm glad it ended! Cause whenever I grow into a new skin, I couldn't care less about the old one!

And anyway... If it was so 'great' it wouldn't of ended..... only the eternal is so great it never ends. Why try to make the impermanent the eternal? When it clearly isn't????

Where I am at the current moment is always better then where I was in the past, when new things enter my mindstream and lay waste to old ideas, I welcome it. The funeral pyre is a happy place...

My favourite current prayer:

"I offer myself as a conscious sacrifice to the Divine fires of transformation".

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Oh it feels really primal to chant the name Osiris, in a real low base-y voice. Which is what my last post was about, as I had made a promise that I needed to keep, sometimes I feel there are just too many deities to relate to in one day!!!! I just want to have as many bases covered as possible. And not only that, I feel my life force just gravitating towards certain ones.

Ideal shrine:

Rock formations that relate to different astrological bodies, or important calendar dates etc.

Creating out in some natural environment, a field where in each direction is the domain of the corresponding planet, and having in that space, things pertaining to that planet. Such as the foods relating to each, colours, deities, symbols, geometric patterns etc

The Pact is renewed...

Isis laments...

Osiris

Osiris

My tears they fall...

Osiris

Osiris

My tears they fall

Upon your lifeless form

And I chant the secret words

To restore you

Osiris

Out of clay I fashion you anew

Osiris

Osiris

May the blood that runs through me

Warm you

May you be restored to me...

Ossssiiiiiiiirrrrriiiiiiiiiiiissssssss

Osiris

Ooooosiriiiiisssss

May you be restored...

I found this part really interesting from the Srimad Bhagavatam

The Guild has been meeting once a week to explore different spiritual texts. We have been through the Bhagavad Gita, and the Dao De Jing, and we are also making our way through the Srimad Bhagavatam.


Very interesting.


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Chapter 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali

(1) Sûta said: "There [at the Sarasvatî river] the king observed how a s'ûdra who was dressed like a king was beating a cow and a bull with a club, as if there was no one to protect them. (2) The bull, that was as white as a lotus, terrified of being beaten by the s'ûdra urinated and trembled out of fear, standing on one leg only. (3) The cow also, on itself a religious example but now rendered poor and distressed because of the s'ûdra who beated her legs, was without a calf and had tears in her eyes while she in her weakness hankered for some grass to eat. (4) From his with gold embossed chariot Parîkchit, well equipped with bow and arrows, asked with a thundering voice: (5) 'Who are you to think that you in this place can violently kill the helpless who fall under my protection! As an actor you make a powerful appearance dressed up like a God-conscious man, but you behave like someone who never saw the light of civilization [of being twice-born]. (6) Do you think that because Lord Krishna and the carrier of the bow the Gândîva [Arjuna] have disappeared from the scene, you can secretly beat an innocent cow? Being a culprit that way you deserve it to be killed!'

(7) 'And you', he said turning to the bull, 'are you just a bull that, as white as a lotus, moves on one leg and has lost three legs or are you some demigod who in the form of a bull makes us sad? (8) Except for the case of you having tears in your eyes because of someone else, under the protection [of the arms] of any of the kings of the Kuru dynasty there  has never been such grievance on earth. (9)  O son of Surabhi [the celestial cow], in my kingdom there will be no lamentation and therefore do not fear the s'ûdra, and dear mother cow, do not cry. As long as I am alive as the ruler and subduer of the envious you will fare well! (10-11) O chaste one, he in whose state the living beings are terrified because of miscreants, will lose his fame, longevity, fortune and good birth. It is certainly the supreme duty of the kings to subdue in order to put an end to the misery of the ones who suffer and therefore I shall kill this most wretched man who is so violent with other living beings. (12) Who is the one who has cut your three legs, o son of Surabhi? What happened to you has never happened before in this royal state of kings who live in respect of Lord Krishna. (13) O bull, you are honest and without offenses, tell me therefore about him who mutilated you and tarnished the reputation of the sons of Prithâ. (14) Those who make the sinless suffer may fear me wherever they are, for I will curb the actions of the miscreants and restore the wellfare of the ones who are honest. (15) The upstart who offends innocent living beings I shall forthwith defeat, whether he's a demigod from heaven with armor and decorations or not. (16) It is certainly the holy duty of the head of state to always protect the ones who faithfully perform their duty and, safely according the scriptures, chastise those in this world who have strayed from the path.'

(17) The personality of religion said: 'All you said speaking for the sake of the freedom from anxiety of those who are suffering is befitting for someone of the Pândava dynasty, the dynasty of which the qualities led Lord Krishna to behave like a servant and such. (18) O greatest among the human beings, because the person is bewildered as a consequence of all the differences of opinion, we cannot tell who [or what] would be the cause of all human suffering. (19) Some declare in defiance of all duality that one suffers because of one's own actions, others speak of supernatural causes, while still others say that it is all due to the operation of material nature or the consequence of accepting outside authorities.(20) Some also conclude that it is a matter which defies explanation and comprehension. Who of them would be right in this matter o sage amongst the kings, is left to your own power of judgement.' "

(21) Sûta said: "Parîkchit, who attentively had followed what the personality of religion had to say, o best among the brahmins, mindfully replied. (22) 'You o knower of the duties, o dharma in the form of a bull, speak this way [of the unknown cause] only because you know that [just as it is with a guru who pointing out the karma takes the karma upon him] he who points out the wrongdoer ends up in the position of doing wrong himself. (23) In other words: the Lord His ways with the material world can not be put in words nor be conceived by living beings. (24) Penance, cleanliness, compassion and truthfulness [tapas, s'auca, dayâ, satya] are the legs that established the age of truth [Satya-yuga, the 'old days'], but because of irreligiosity three of them have broken in conceit, clinging to intercourse and intoxication. (25) At present, o personality of religion, you are hobbling along on the one leg of truthfulness while quarrel personified [Kali] who flourishes on deceit, irreligiously tries to destroy that leg too. (26)Through the actions of the Supreme Lord personally mother earth has been relieved of a great burden. His all-auspicious footprints brought good fortune everywhere. (27) Lamenting with tears in her eyes the unfortunate and chaste one [mother earth] who was deserted by Him is now enjoyed by lower-class people who, devoid of the culture of learning, pose as rulers in my place.'

(28) Thus the personalities of religion and mother earth were pacified by the great warrior who took up his sharp sword in order to kill Kali, the root cause of irreligion. (29) Realizing that the king wanted to kill him, Kali, stressed from the fear, abandoned his royal atire and in full surrender bowed his head down at the feet. (30) Out of compassion he who is kind to the poor and capable of handling worship with a smile refrained from killing the one who had fallen at the feet of the hero that he was, he, the hero of whom one says that he is worthy of being glorified. (31)The king said: 'Do not fear, for you have surrendered yourself with folded hands. We certainly inherited the fame of Arjuna, but that doesn't mean that you can be allowed to stay in my kingdom. You are a friend of irreligion after all. (32) With you physically present as a god of man, everywhere the irreligion of greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery, misfortune, cheating, quarrel and vanity and all of that will be abound in the masses. (33) For that reason, o friend of irreligion, you do not deserve it to remain in the vicinity of those places where the experts of religion and the truth duly and expertly are of worship with sacrifices for the Lord of Sacrifices. (34) In such sacrificial ceremonies the Supreme Personality of God, the Lord, is worshiped as the Soul of all worshipable deities. In that form He spreads welfare, for He is the to all desires inviolable Supersoul who is present inside as well as outside, just like the air is for all that moves and not moves.' "

(35) Sûta said: "That way being addressed by king Parîkchit, the personality of Kali seeing him ready with a raised sword speaking like Yamarâja, the Lord of Death, trembled. (36) Kali said: 'Wherever I may live under your order, o Emperor, I will always have to face the reign of your bow and arrows. (37) Therefore please, o chief of the protectors of the religion, allot me a place where I may count on a permanent stay under your rule.' "

(38) Sûta said: "Thus being petitioned, he gave Kali the permission to dwell in places where the four sinful activities of gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter [dyûtam, pânam, striyah, sûnâ] were taking place. (39) Next to that  the master, upon his insistent begging, alotted him the place where there is gold, for gold by passion is the fifth sin bringing falsity, intoxication, lust and enmity. (40) Thus under the direction of the son of Uttarâ were the five dwelling places given to Kali where indeed irreligion is encouraged. (41) For that reason a person desiring his well-being should never resort to any of these places, especially not those persons who follow the path of liberation, the royalty, the state officials and the teachers. (42) By encouraging activities that restored the bull's three lost legs of austerity, cleanliness and compassion, the earth [by King Parîkchit] was  perfectly improved. (43-44)