Cork Pop Camera
Sunday February 25th
Pisces season persists, and in fact the watery divide of ontological dissolve both deepens and widens as we proceed into what is contemporarily considered the final phase of the zodiacal process. Particularly on the morning of Sunday February 25th we awaken to Venus squaring Mars around 6am EST; all the swelling currents of free flowing art and pleasure with no boundaries pull, push, surge and churn against intemperate emissions which wrestle jet streams of will in an attempt to sustain and not sink mind, body, spirit and philosophy, which are sailing to distant shores. This churning could begin with a burbling in our hearts that swells into a tsunami, obscuring our beaches so they cannot be identified with any telescope; or they could be eddying waters of the loins pulling sensual strings like Nereid’s harps, beckoning the crew overboard down into the deeps. It might become important to keep the wave behind and beneath you, like a surfer, and make the appropriate steps as you are propelled forward to keep you from being plunged into tropical whitewater. This is a matter of improvisation and equilibrium; both faculties may suffer in this pair of Jupiter signs, but accessing therm from within can be the key to transcending todays zodiac and arriving us on the sands of our choice, delivered by the curling pipeline. Essentially the picture I’m painting is our own emotional surges, whether they be spiritual blazes roaring up from sparks or moods which move us into artful escape may both cause us to wipe out if we are not careful, and once we do we are at the hands of elements, so for the duration try to hang ten.
Easier said than done, or maybe even difficult to say as Mercury here conjoins Neptune by 7am, convincing our already right brained logic to swallow drugs. Our imaginations soar, taking our ability of speech up with them, and all the rules of syntax and number remain down on the ground, shrinking to ant size or even microscopic memories of how we used to think. Cloud creatures emerge from our mouths, interpretations of dreams within dreams circle back around to influence our thoughts when we dream again that we’re awake. We count on our fingers but start over halfway through to check how many digits our hands actually have. How long has the world been this way? We can’t remember, but what we do know is that the strongest symbols get the longest play, and those archetypes inflate freely like God sculpted cumuli chiseled by the Sun replace the minutia, our once silver, scissor tongued talker takes the biggest blocks of meaning and juggles them into an enchanting illusion; we wake and rise to find ourselves in A Midsummer Night's Dream, with our only allies Oberon and Puck we proceed through the day sketching caricatures with our quills and singing nonsense songs to our callers, penning poesy in place of grocery lists. All the names of God we can think off, the best moments of our lives, the most beautiful movies we’ve ever seen, the most perfect places we have yet to travel. They shift and slide around the page, ordering themselves into crystal lattice, then in dripping waves, and then into mathematical sound, and then battalions of soldiers, slashed T’s and musket ball I dots, they run down the flanks of the paper forming ideographic columns like Japanese characters, the bend and weep, and winnow away, but we look again and there they are, so strange, as if nothing ever happened.
But the day is not done, it has only just begun, as the Moon in Cancer opposes Saturn at 9:30am full realization of needs, comfort and safety comes into opposition with foundation laying, the rules of nature and hierarchal strategy. This makes sense considering the rest of our faculties expressed thus far and must be put into some sort of balance manually. Get your bearings. Luckily the Moon is also trine the Sun, as protection, incubation and nurturing are in harmony with visions of fantasy, identification with imagination, intuition, the compassionate and the mystical. The Sun is also sextile Saturn in Capricorn; There is something here to stand on, and it is ultimately Saturn beneath it all; time and nature, there are scarcely firmer foundations than that.
Tuesday February 27th
As the week gets rolling, Venus proceeds into the third decan of Pisces and immediately sextiles Pluto. In the third decan she embraces the finality of uninhibited pleasures, desiring fulfillment and fulfilled by attaining desires, so there is no reason to not use everything up, swooning in the pleasure and beauty of it all, of the whole of life and existence, when we are finishing the bottle, or throwing the cap away the moment we crack it. This is quite interesting as she is assisted here by a collaboration with Pluto who offers an all access pass into void, out beyond the beyond, the depths of mystery, obsession, traumatic change, and source of ultimate power. Quite a beautiful and overwhelming movement, if it were a symphony, but as reality it can become crushingly obscure, arcane and and even bleak. This is a full drink of hell, or at least a bottomless cup of infinity itself; we may try to drown ourselves in the awesome beauty of dark matter, whatever it is. Some are partial to embracing the void, where as others may find themselves flailing in the weightlessness of the abyss, or suffocating in the vacuum of black ink.
Mercury has just made it beyond combustion by the Sun’s rays, and even though he is still under the beams, he can now begin expressing himself outwardly rather than internalizing this fantastical and even fanatical logic-poem blend; this is probably a good outlet for dealing with the potency of what Pluto brings to the collaboration with Venus, although keep it impersonal, bring it to the desk of Poe rather than the post office; if you’re thoughts are leaning towards excessive darkness, write them down, or draw them out, map this Underworld expanse rather than inflicting it on the ears of those who simply need your attention for practical, or supportive purposes.
Wednesday February 28th
We may flinch and stir some more as planets shift in their zodiacal sockets midweek; with Mars moving into Sagittarius’ 3rd decan around 8 am, the Sun into Pisces 2nd decan by 11 am and Mercury into Pisces 3rd face at 4 pm and perfecting a square to Mars by 7. The energetic motivation of our actions, the struggle to the end of what is quested after requires exhausting all energy in the process of attaining our ideals; while visions and identities find themselves between worlds attempting to navigate the upswells of elation and avoid bad vibes and things that just seem to be a drag, although identity in this water sign is malleable enough to trample into any circumstance even if it gets distraught when forced into the mundane. When merry prankstering you avoid the conveyer belt and the chain gang, but Pisces here sometimes thinks being a cowboy looks like fun and freedom, until its forced to wake up before sunrise and endure extended hours of labor. Mercury steps up telling the story of the Tumble Weed gang that sounds more like a creation myth or foundational fable of human history, and walks right into Mars’ forced march to the promise land. Maybe some of the soldiers are inspired by what he says, and up on their shoulders the tale of how it all came to be quickens their step to victory; or maybe the parables scatter under foot where they are stomped by bigger agendas, or maybe a bit of both, because in a pair of Jupiter signs, ideas and emotions can get so inflated the narrative sprawls like a Robert Altman film, where the one scene you keep rewinding to find is wandering through the pages of Where’s Waldo into Invisible Cities Of The Red Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere, or Twelfth Night , or Arabian Nights or Night Flights, or Night Moves or Remains Of The Day, or Independence Day or Groundhogs Day. We’re lost until morning, following a subjective story line that makes you feel like we were all there, from the discovery of fire to the invention of the wheel to the Macintosh computer that fell on Isaac Newton’s head and killed so many tall tales that this one being told today could be the only story to survive. There are no longer myths, just simply a myth, and its a trick to get us all to face unfinished business. Or so it seems, depending on which way you squint and see the cloud of smoke that rises from the mouth of the man on the shoulders of the soldiers.
But this is Mercury moving swiftly, and even though such stories as these cause a stir, the Messenger moves along and is gone before the throngs think to find him; just a pair of smoking boots. The trickster steps into the wallpaper and disappears into the pattern.
Thursday March 1st
Next up Venus trines Jupiter at 6am; pleasure, fantasy, desire, and indulgence in its freest and most flowing form in perfect harmony with the expanding coherence of perpetual satiation cycles. A particularly interesting and peculiar trine between the benefics. Here we witness the wisdom and knowledge only obtained from indulging in drugs or deep psycho/spiritual depth dives— when a beautifully debaucherous bender is therapeutic and thoroughly inspirational. Every tenth time bacchanal does exactly what its supposed to. Of course there is enough full swing escapism and abundant over optimism behind engagement with depraved intensity that this could lead some down the wrong alleyway, so as the sign above the Oracle Of Delphi read “Man, Know Thyself.”, whereas if you are not up to skiing the black diamond slope the sign should instead say “Abandon All Hope—Ye Who Enter Here.” This is a matter of disposition, and whether this means for you too much of a good thing in an amazing way or simply the straw that makes the camel fall off the wagon, there is so much benefic energy going around I’m sure we can all figure out something to do with it.
Then of course this night we at last receive the Full Moon in Virgo (7:50 pm), the first regular lunation since January 16th, officially ending eclipse season. We may by nightfall Feel like strapping in knee deep in personal projects and processes, on task and in control of creative crafts and meticulous operations. This is an odd combination with the Venus to Jupiter trine, but it’s just the kind of thing that steers a bacchanalian attitude through the night without sinking the boat; up all night doing projects or following and in fact tweaking set sequences. As this puts the Sun opposite in Pisces near Neptune, this might be a perfect op to catch it all on tape as lenses come Vaseline smeared out of the wrapper and magic hour lasts all night. This is also a full Moon occurring on Moon night, so there is no reason whatsoever why Luna can’t stand up and speak, especially as Virgo’s ruler, Mercury, is in Pisces applying to Venus, so extra juicy and artistic logic gets poured over the brim, keeping our itineraries highly detailed yet fluid and lubricated, for wide sweeping stories told in flawless order. This might be one of those times that the shot of tequila and three flutes of champagne did actually add to the fluency and delivery of your toast. Everyone cheers, and you even carefully pass the mic rather than drop it.
Saturday March 2nd
Though neither aspects perfect until the afternoon on the 4th, Saturday will be highly affected by the Sun applying to Neptune and Mercury applying to Venus on her highest degree of exaltation. We see not only between worlds, but so many worlds at once our identity and even our wills become kaleidoscopic. We may find ourselves taking the photo as well as in the photo we just took, or even the character followed by the camera in the film that projects onto every surface we see. This identification with the intuitive and fantastically diverse realm of illusion can cause a certain sensitivity to vibes, as well as an adaptable nature which leads our vision and identity and intellect into extra sensory or alternate conscious states, identifying with fantasies and dreams, illusory vision, delusional egos; we are susceptible posing for photos of not only ourselves and our many subconscious stigmas but also as other people or impossible characters completely, as our conception of reality temporarily reads any which way whatsoever, who we are is less important, taking a backseat to what we can imagine. Guru’s may part posters and step into our presence, coming out of the walls from behind paintings or framed photos; spiritual teachers and fantasy enablers, dream weavers, Morpheus himself, son of Hypnos, and their colleague who come through gates of horn and ivory; We take then orders from Jodorowsky for the day, and are able to follow Arrabal around, or relax and let Parajanov drive, or at least shut up and listen temporarily to our inner avant-garde director.
Mercury applying to Venus while she’s approaching her highest degree of exaltation revisits the vast story of cosmic creation and all of myth indistinguishable from free love and easy attainment of all desire; an exclusively subjective, expansive fairy tale that floods logic with aesthetic appreciation and beauty beyond any boundary. Obviously this is an amazing romance night, especially if you stay sensitive to healing old wounds through love, pleasure and narrative fantasy, as the pair also conjoin Chiron, but this is an equally opportune night for art of all sorts, as long as they be capable of freedom and bolstering beauty as the balm of the world, even if its a potent escape, the rush of oblivion at the end that is so sweet and total. A night its ok to fully escape reality and dissolve into suspension of fantasy, except, of course, be sure you are not falling into deleterious deception or sexual/substance over indulgence you’ll later regret. “Man, Know Thyself”. before passing through the gates. Otherwise let the cameras roll and the corks pop and the foam unfurl, as magic abounds.
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Moon of Hyldemoer Herbal Notes for Liminal Light
February 25-March 3, 2018
These notes are suggestions for herbal allies to assist with the effects of the cosmic influences of this week. Before imbibing any of the herbs recommended, research what is a recommended dosage, & ask yourself & research such questions as, Does this herb interfere with any medications I am taking?, Does this herb match with my constitution?, Do I really need to take this herb into my body? Be wise: listen to your own body, intuition, guiding spirits & the plants themselves.
Imbibing the herbs recommended is of course only one way of meeting the herbs. There are multitudinous manners of developing relationships with our herbal allies including sitting with the fresh or dry herbs, or a picture/drawing of the herb, making an amulet to wear or have on your altar (adhering to planetary hours/days is important here), visioning or meditating with the plant, & taking an herbal body or foot bath (In this case remember your skin is the largest organ of your body). Use your imagination & listen to the plants, they have been on this planet much longer than we have, are our Elders & have great wisdom to offer.
Sunday, February 25
Venus in Pisces squaring Mars in Sagittarius at 6 am EST today spurs us to call upon Mars ruled Damiana (Turnea diffusa) as this aphrodisiatic ally also has a strong role in promoting the openness & mutability so akin to watery Venus. While sipping on your early morning cup of warming, engaging Damiana tea, nibble on a poppy seed muffin or some tahini/honey/poppy seed snacks to continue encouraging the dreamy side of a Pisces landscape.
Piscean California Poppy (Eschscholzia califonica) is a wonderful, relaxing nervine to call upon if this wistful, waterlogged week becomes overwhelming. California Poppy offers sedative qualities due to its ability to increase fluids & moistening, helping one to be more of a native of this landscape. (Caveat: California Poppy is contraindicated during pregnancy or for use with any MAO inhibiting medication.)
Saturn in Capricorn opposing the Moon in Cancer at 9:30 am, EST, while the Sun in Pisces sextiles Saturn, allows for Capricornian Saturn to be the strong pillar in this Atlantian realm. Calling upon the moistening, yet structure supporting Saturnian herbs like Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) & Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum ssp.) will offer a staff in this oceanic journey.
Comfrey’s demulcent & emollient qualities make it a glorious mucus membrane moisturizer, from the skin to the lungs to the digestive system. It is wonderful in facial steams for opening the pores & allowing toxins to leave & in salves for nourishing the skin, our largest organ. Herbalist Susun Weed drinks an infusion of Comfrey leaf each week. (Comfrey leaf infusion: 1 oz. comfrey leaf/1 qt. boiling water, letting this sit at least 4 hours before straining) After straining the mucilage rich Comfrey leaf from the liquid, the leftover herb, can then be added to a foot soak while sipping the mineral rich, moistening infusion. (Caveat: Comfrey has a stigma of controversy as it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids in its leaves that have been shown in tests to cause liver damage. Herbalists hold a wide array of opinions on this matter, but when we use Comfreyas whole plant medicine, & not just extracting one chemical constituent (as is done in the above mentioned scientific tests), there are buffers in the whole Comfrey plant that protect us from these possibly harmful alkaloids & other substances that may be found. We of course must practice moderation in our use of certain herbs; listen to your body!)
The rhizomes of Solomon’s Seal are full of nutritious sugars & carbohydrates as well as moistening & soothing mucilage. This mucilage soothes the digestive system & can restore the flora of the colon to a healthy environment with the healthy sugars of Solomon Seal’s starchy rhizomes. Inflammation in the intestines due to dryness will be cleared up & restored to health by the use of Solomon’s Seal tincture, 10-20 drops, 3x/day. (Caveat: Solomon’s Seal’s berries are potentially toxic, causing vomiting & the leaves can cause nausea if chewed, but the rhizome has been eaten for centuries by Native peoples. The roots are macerated in water, & boiled, yielding a starch-like substance & the young shoots, boiled, are eaten like asparagus.)
Both Comfrey & Solomon’s Seal have the ability to reset bones back into place through their moistening approach to life. A poultice of these plants, as well as taken internally, will assist with the Saturnian structure of bones in our bodies. Both roots are protectors when worn on ones body.
Monday, February 26
As Venus in exaltation in Pisces III sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, hopefully one is still working with ones warrior herbal allies who are well versed at attending to Underworld matters (See Liminal Light Herbal Notes for January 7-13). These will continue to assist, especially whenever Pluto is involved, even if it is a more gentle sextile. Mercury leaving combustion, as stated in the forecast, can be called upon to assist in mapping the Underworld. One of my favorite Mercurial (& Venusian) herbs to open the eyes wider to possibilities & allow the brain to have some (dreamy Piscean) clarity is Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Peppermint has been used for millennia in spells of healing & purification. The vibration of an area is increased with the presence of Peppermint, & placed under ones pillow, this ally can bring dreams of ones future. Rubbing Peppermint leaves against furniture, walls & floors dispels negative energies.
Peppermint tea/infusion increases virility & all mints are considered to be mild aphrodisiacs. It has long been considered an aid for frigidity in all peoples & in the past has been given to stallions & bulls when their sexual prowess was waning.
Peppermint’s stimulating & anodyne (pain relieving) qualities are felt when added to a foot or whole body bath. Peppermint infusion is like a new breath of fresh air & an uplift of spirit. It can allay insomnia, anxiety & dizziness as well.
Wednesday, February 28
This day of Mars in the third decan of Sagittarius at 8 am, the Sun in the second decan of Pisces at 11 am, & Mercury in detriment in the third decan of Pisces at 4pm, squaring Mars in Sagitarrius, does not lead to a comfortable day, albeit a surreal day. Once again Damiana (Turnea diffusa) is a dreamy, opening & flowing ally to call upon as well as Nettle (Urtica dioica) who at the same time of assisting the kidneys in eliminating wastes from our bodies, is also fortifying the whole body with vitamins & minerals, the seaweed of the land, an anchor in these watery times. A Nettle/Damiana tea sipped on throughout the day will allow for a fortified fluidity through the wild underwater wilderness.
Thursday, March 1
Beginning the morning, bright & early with Venus in Pisces trining Jupiter in Scorpio (6 am EST) & welcoming the Full Moon in Virgo in the early eve (7:50 pm, EST), ending the eclipse season until the summer, we may find the expansively ethereal day to be given a touch of Virgo’s great organizational & processional talents as the Full Moon engulfs the night. Etheric & Lunar Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) calls to me for this Jupiter day/Moon night as a tea, tincture, or spirit guide. “Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory, and powerfully chasing away melancholy.” stated Herbalist John Evelyn. Lemon Balm drives away bad dreams & melancholy. This aromatic perennial offers solace, uplift, & soothing calmness to the nervous system, at the same time as a centered alertness to the mind. It is one of the only sour mints & this sour flavor imparts cooling & sedating properties. Lemon Balm has antidepressant anesthetic, & tranquilizing properties that ease pain, inspire feelings of wellbeing & protect against dementia. It is sedative to most people, but is especially relaxing to those whose nervous systems are on hyper alert, run on hyperadrenalism or are dealing with hyperthyroidism. Heart palpitations, high blood pressure & aneurysm have found healing with Lemon Balm. (Caveat: Lemon Balm is contraindicated for those dealing with hypothyroidism, those taking thyroine, a thyroid medication, & can counteract the effects of certain anti anxiety & sedative medication. Check with ones doctor. Also Lemon Balm iscontraindicated in large doses for pregnant and breast feeding mothers, but in small amounts, Lemon Balm is perfectly safe.)
Saturday, March 3
As the Sun is applying to Neptune & Mercury is applying to Venus, all in Pisces, let Damiana & Nettle continue to guide during this romantic eve, creative eve. Rose (Rosa ssp.) & Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) can be added to the mix to support the heart & sensitivity of Chiron’s bringing old wounds to the surface.
Roses lift the spirits & act as an aphrodisiac. Rose petal or hip elixir is a delicious anxiety & tension lifter & can be taken 20 drops, 2-3x/day. Two –three tablespoons of the vinegar or honey will nourish & enliven taken 2-3x/day. Adding a dropperful of Rose glycerite to water or tea will nourish & ease tensions.
Tulsi, warms & uplifts the spirit & body, clears the mind, and helps to heal old wounds & retrieve lost parts of our souls. These four allies will assure that soothing love & magic will reign tonight.
References:
Cunningham, Scott. Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Llewellyn Publications, 1997.
Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants North Atlantic Books, 2008.
Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants North Atlantic Books, 2009.
Moon of Hyldemoer, Suzanne Stone, Community Herbalist.
This information is not a substitute for a health care practitioner. Not to be reproduced without permission.