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Full Moon Tuesday
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May 17th 7:09 am EDT
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Greetings on this Full Moon,
Unless you have been in hiding yourself, you are probably well aware that the United States found and killed Osama Bin Laden after nearly 10 years of searching. The jubilee and celebration that spontaneously erupted when the news went out was surprising in its sheer joy and exuberance. People actually cared. America was strong again. Justice had been done.The bogey man had been caught. He was no longer hiding under the bed or crouching in the dark of our national closet keeping us in terror while waiting for the opportunity to scare us to death.
There is a part of me that is struck by the mythological and archetypal significance of it all. Bin Laden, the Shadow who represented our nation's darkest hour and greatest fear had been found. He had been brought to light to be examined, along with a treasure trove of files to shed even more information. He was jettisoned into the depths of the ocean never to be seen again. We are elated in our sense of freedom, alive in our liberty.
Isn't this national sigh of relief just the way we personally feel when some dark hidden part of ourselves is brought to light? When our own deepest fears no longer hold us hostage? This Full Moon in Scorpio is all about acknowledging that we have a dark fearful part deep within ourselves that is called the Shadow. And this Full Moon is a perfect time to get in touch with our personal fears within and bring them into the light of consciousness, so we can be set free and feel more alive. Let's take a clue from the healing of our national psyche and realize how important it is to look our fears in the face so that they can be eliminated and laid to rest.
May you find your way from darkness into light,
Lilan
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Scorpio Moon illuminates the Shadow
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 | by Bernie Lopez
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The Moon represents our unconscious, feelings, and intuition. It is the part of ourselves that is in the dark and hidden from our conscious mind, which is represented by the bright and penetrating Sun. During a full moon the Sun and Moon are opposite each other in the sky, and the bright light of the Sun is reflected off the surface of the Moon, creating a luminous glow that is bright enough that it illuminates the depths of night so we can see what lies within our psyche and stirs within our soul.
With the Moon in Scorpio, (opposite the Sun in Taurus) we have the opportunity to illuminate the darkest and most hidden depths of ourselves, the part that Carl Jung called the Shadow. The Shadow is made up from the parts that we don't want to acknowledge. It is our failure, our fears, our insecurities, our mistakes, injuries, illness. and pain. It is everything that the Ego doesn't think belongs in the more perfect world of its creation. So, the unwanted garbage of the Ego gets buried, deep, hidden and out of sight; it becomes the Shadow. We can even forget the Shadow exists, just like the US did with Bin Laden. It was too damaging to acknowledge that he could still be out there, so we downgraded him to a symbolic threat, a powerless fugitive on the run. But the truth with Bin Laden, as the truth in us, is that just because we want to pretend the Shadow doesn't exist and has no power, doesn't mean it's true. If we don't acknowledge that the Shadow exists we tend to project it outward, and put our fear and shame onto other people. Instead of acknowledging our fear of the elusive Bin Laden, we put fear on Muslims in general, or dark skinned foreigners. But the fear really lives within ourselves, always under the surface, waiting.
This Full Moon in Scorpio is an opportunity to illuminate that which would normally be left unseen. This stark and powerful image represents to me the meaning of this Full Moon in Scorpio. Striped bare, it hold just the essentials. Everything is clear in the light, the raven watches over a landscape of red, a color that eludes to the battles that have gone before. An intelligent scavenger and carrion bird, it senses where the bodies are buried. It is fearless in uncovering them. The pure truth of our hidden fears is exposed. It is brought up to the light, to be dealt with and healed. Our Shadow might even be sent into the watery depths of the ocean to be reabsorbed by the collective psyche for regeneration and renewal.
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How to discover your Shadow
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 | | Carl Jung from The Red Book |
This Full Moon in Scorpio is a perfect time to face your fears and acknowledge your hidden Shadow. Take some time to really ponder what it is that you fear; what it is that you avoid; what do you hate; how do you hold yourself back; what inner messages keep you paralyzed; what makes your anger explode; what causes you to shut down and withdraw. Ask yourself, or those close enough to you to tell you the truth, what part of yourself you have buried. Realize that those are the part of your Shadow that are holding you captive, keeping you from being fully free.
Often people don't really want to discover their Shadow, and avoid dealing with it at all. But, that is really impossible, since it is always creeping around in the psyche, causing trouble in your life. This wonderful image is by Carl Jung as he was exploring his inner life and finding his Shadow. He used a process he called Active Imagination, which is like dreaming while awake. He would talk to the different parts of himself and try to understand the workings of his mind and soul. I often find my Shadow in dreams, sometimes as a figure clothed in a dark cape, just on the edge of darkness. You can work with your dreams to find out about your Shadow. I also love film, and so many good movies deal with facing and overcoming the Shadow, including Star Wars (Darth Vader) and Lord of the Rings (Sauron). Even just watching those movies can be cathartic and illuminating. Take time to journal and be honest with what is hidden within yourself. For in doing so, you will find a hidden jewel that can be acknowledged, brought into consciousness, and reintegrated.
I want to include these writing by Jung in his Red Book (114). May they inspire your journey from darkness into the light as you struggle with your Shadow.
I hear the roaring of the morning wind, which comes over the mountains. The night is overcome, when all my life was subject to eternal confusion and stretched out between the poles of fire.
My soul speaks to me in a bright voice: "The door should be lifted off its hinges to provide a free passage between here and there, between yes and no, between above and below, between left and right. Airy passages should be built between all opposed things, light smooth streets should lead from one pole to the other. Scales should be set up, whose pointer sways gently. A flame should burn that cannot be blown out by the wind. A stream should flow to its deepest goal. The herds of wild animals should move to their feeding grounds along their old game paths. Life should proceed from birth to death, from death to birth, unbroken like the path of the sun. Everything should proceed on this path."
Thus speaks my soul. But I toy casually and terribly with myself. Is it day or night? Am I asleep or awake? Am I alive or have I already died?
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Lilan Laishley,Ph.D. Astrologer ~ Counselor
|  Your astrological chart shows not only your darkness, but also your light. It is a treasure map of information to help you find balance and live life with an illuminated consciousness. Dr. Laishley offers astrological consultations by phone, skype, and in her Chattanooga, TN office. She will map your changing landscape and explain the current cycles of the planets through your life. She also does on-going counseling and coaching using astrology, dreams, symbols, and active imagination. Lilan has been a consulting astrologer for over twenty years, in addition to being a university professor and licensed counselor. You will find her unique in the depth and breadth of knowledge she brings to her astrological readings, coaching, teaching, and speaking. For more information go to www.laishley.com , call 423-503-5474 or email drlilan@laishley.com. |
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