In the Himalayas, The Scorpio Full Moon is traditionally a time to celebrate the birth and death of Buddha - the festival of Wesak. Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, a town not far from Katmandu, the epicenter of the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was born the son of a warrior king, and is believed to have lived in India sometime between the 4th - 6th centuries BCE.
At the time of Wesak, the Taurus/Scorpio full moon usually in May , devotees engage in acts to honor Buddha's teachings. Slaughter houses are closed, and caged animals are set free as an affirmation of soul liberation. Basins of water with flowers are placed at the temples and devotees pour the water over a statue of Buddha as a declaration of washing away negative karma.
This newsletter is more about astrology than Buddhism, but there are strong correlations. I also wish to acknowledge the suffering of the kind people that my daughter and I met last November while traveling in Nepal.
We were fortunate enough to have visited Durbar Square while it was still intact. Under the shining Light of this year's Scorpio full moon - it all looks very different now.
Ancient things laid to waste are a fitting image for the sun in Taurus and moon in Scorpio. The 'heart' of the matter is exactly that - HEART.
Compassion is another teaching of spiritual growth. Compassion for self and others is the high path of Scorpio; to learn not to self-destruct, or, like a Phoenix, to rise from the ashes - once again.
The Four Noble Truths
As the Taurus/Scorpio axis is one of desire and satisfaction, the Four Noble Truth's are a perfect reflection of our astrological matrix. They are (in a simplified form):
1) Conditional experiences of the human condition are not ultimately satisfying
2) Clinging to the senses and not being able to release what is physically or emotionally painful keeps you bound in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth
3) Putting an end to clinging and craving will release you from the relentless cycle of rebirth
4) Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and living a compassionate life releases you from this cycle of frustration, of death and rebirth.
More . . Mercury Retrograde Alert, Transits of Mars
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Last month I began a regular monthly spot on the Conversations with Klarque Garrison radio show where I talk about the do's and don'ts of Astrology. I'm on the first Wed. of every month and come on at 10 min. past the hour. I hope you'll join me and listen in. 
