Spiritual Astrology in May 2009 - It's A Happy Buddha Birthday at the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio, also known as The Wesak Festival!

by Robert Wilkinson

A Full Moon represents a potentially enlightened state, where the Moon, which represents form, perfectly reflects the greater light of the Sun. It marks a time when the seeds of the previous New Moon begin to actualized. The Full Moon of Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio is a very special lunation, since for millennia it has been celebrated as marking the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, said to be the first human to attain full enlightenment, and then return to the world to teach the truths that help all to transcend suffering.

The Wesak is said to be the 2nd of the "Three High Moons" of Spring, anchoring the outpouring of life into forms of awareness that can help us transcend suffering as well. This year the Wesak falls on Friday, May 8, at 9:01 pm PDT, which is May 9 in the Eastern Daylight time zone and points east. This one falls at 19 degrees of Scorpio and Taurus, marking a point of channeling a new spontaneity and getting beyond ego limitations.

For my friends and visitors around the world, this Full Moon falls at 0:01 am May 9 in NY and Washington DC, 5:01 am Greenwich, 6:01 am in Amsterdam and Western Europe, 7:01 am in Istanbul, 10:31 am in India, 12:01 pm in Perth, Australia, and 2:01 pm in Melbourne, Australia.

Before we explore the Wesak legend, a few comments on the astrological chart of this Full Moon. Because this Full Moon is where a specific type of wisdom is poured out to humanity to use over the next year, the qualities of the Taurus-Scorpio Full Moon are very significant for a longer span than all the other Full Moons of the year except for the one preceding it and the one following it, these being the Three High Moons of each year.

The Sun is on a technique degree of spontaneity, originality, and creativity within the Span of Enjoyment. The Moon is on a technique degree of channelship, transmission of knowledge, and attunement to higher messages. It continues the ongoing series of Full Moons that yield a Seesaw Jones pattern, again showing the need for a balanced perspective and centeredness to avoid getting out on the periphery of things.

The Sun is "A New Continent," showing the light is one of re-establishing ourselves in new powers and opportunities where we may show an "original light," and revolutionize our universe. The Moon, focusing the light in form, is "A Parrot Listening and then Talking," showing we can shape our conscious existence through intelligence, and project that image in a continual self re-creation.

This shows exceptional skill in bringing "circumstances to the service" of our personal aspiration. Through a sustaining, ideal, general material responsibility, we can use efficiency to express the universal.

The Moon makes a sextile to Saturn while the Sun makes a trine, showing this coming year's wisdom to be a rehearsal for things to come, where we must subject appearance to necessities. Follow any compulsions of a great task to be performed, and seize the opportunity!

We shall all "take walks with the wisdom" this year, and find our Teacher, or strengthen links with our Teacher. Go to the Soul to strengthen the body, and be alert to that which frees you from old socio-cultural karmas.

Mercury is retrograde, promising gifts from the Spiritual world and turning points in our destiny and responsibilities, thanks to the biseptile to Saturn. You can find more by going to the two posts previous to this one.

Venus, ruler of the Sun, is conjunct Mars, the ruler of the Moon and final dispositor of all the other planetary energies. This shows the backdrop to the wisdom of this Lunation involves new initiatives, the ability to live on multiple levels and find fulfillment and happiness in both, and a creative stirring of new perspectives that will reveal a new identity.

The Grand Irrationality is in full swing in the chart due to Jupiter conjunct Chiron and Neptune all septile to Pluto at 3 Capricorn. No doubt we'll all be yearning for new experiences so that our Soul can find expression in a material form. By cultivating volition to override reflexive instincts, we can find healing ways to pick up and deliver a higher power as well as more subtle, delicate feelings that link us across generations, space, and time, with other seekers for the highest.

It's also a "death Moon," where we will say goodbye to things and people, walking on into our "poetry of inner Being." By what is left behind, a new spontaneity can come forth, unencumbered by old ego limitations and considerations. This is shown by many factors, not least of which is Moon in Scorpio semisquare Pluto and sesquisquare Venus, focusing the Venus square Pluto energies. We will all find new ways to dance, and new people to dance with.

On a final note, the Moon is quintile its North Node and Sun tredecile the North Node on the degree of a yogi suddenly revealing himself to be a great healer. As you know from previous articles, the NN symbolizes the line of greatest evolutionary development. This would imply that we all can find a healing power of some sort that can assist us in helping ourselves and others to an integration or other form of healing.

We can find hidden faculties within ourselves and others, and consciously utilize "divine potency" to reveal elements of our Higher Self concealed before now. Whenever and however, practice a disciplined use of spiritual energies utilizing compassion, purity of motive, and faith to restore harmony through identifying with a higher order. Not a bad line of development for the next year!

And now, a brief explanation of what the Wesak Festival actually is. From last year's post:

Each year the Wesak Festival is celebrated at the Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio in May. This global festival celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and teachings of the Buddha, said to be the most enlightened human ever to walk this planet. He taught the doctrine of compassion and the ways to end suffering around 500 BC, and his teachings have spread through the entire world since then. This is the largest spiritual celebration in the world, and has nothing to do with religion, since the Buddha was focused on how to live, not what to believe.

It is said that the Wesak Festival is when the Gautama Siddhartha, known to history as the Buddha, “opens the treasure chest” and sends out a new global energy of compassion to end suffering every year. Supposedly when He left the Earth plane, his blessing for all time was a thought-form of “Buddha Nature,” which would renew the loving-compassion on the Earth whenever it was sent forth. This is the time when it renews itself for another year.

As a friend of the site offered in a previous discussion, on a deeper, more spiritual level it is said that every Wesak the Buddha actually briefly descends from the Heavens to return to that secret valley in the Himalayas known as Shamballa. There, surrounded by the Adepts, Disciples and others, he pours out an annual blessing for all sentient beings on this planet.

He taught the 4 Noble Truths about life on Earth, and the 8 Fold Path as a way to live to end suffering for ourselves and others. While this is not the forum for an exhaustive discussion of the 4 Noble Truths and the 8-fold Path, if you haven't already seen it, (and even if you have!), please get a copy of "Little Buddha" to know more about the life of this most amazing man for the ages.His life and teachings were dedicated to shine a light on the Way beyond suffering.

Though there are many ways his teachings have been stated and interpreted, anyone who actually practices the techniques will in fact find they are lessening suffering in their lives, and finding peace in a higher way of doing their Being. To quote HH Dalai Lama, “There is one thing we can all agree on. More suffering is bad. Less suffering is good.” This is the time of the renewal of energies that can lead all of us to less suffering in our life, and maybe be of service in lessening the suffering of others we know.

I was asked to comment about the "Three High Moons" of which the Wesak Full Moon is the 2nd of the 3. The so-called "Three High Moons" of Spring relate to the teachings of the Tibetan Master D.K. Briefly, they are the three Full Moons of Spring each year when the life force reawakens, is poured out, and refined into a higher vision and understanding by the World Teacher.

The Full Moon of Aries-Libra is the awakening of Nature Herself, with life blooming everywhere there is a living process occurring. The Full Moon of Taurus-Scorpio is the Wesak, the anchoring of the awakened life force in a form of compassion that will lessen suffering for all Earth's creatures for the next year. The Full Moon of Gemini-Sagittarius is said to be the "Christfest" where the World Teacher takes the new outpouring and through multiplication and distribution, spreads the teaching in infinitely varied ways according to local conditions.

So these next days meditate, open, feel the global compassion becoming stronger and more evident, and purify your life and consciousness however you need to in order to open to the timeless truths offered long ago by the one who set the pattern for the Ages. A Happy Buddha Birthday to you all, and may you all find a form of Buddha nature which increases your wisdom and compassion throughout the next year!

For more information on the celebrations happening this weekend at Mt. Shasta, you can check out this site, with more about the Lucis Trust activities at this link. You can find out more about the Wesak legend and festivities at the Souled Out site here, and the festivities in Glasgow at this site, with even more links to celebrations around the world at Wesak.org

This celebration is happening all over the world, so enjoy this Happy Buddha Birthday however you can wherever you are. It's all good. Aum Mani Padme Hum!!

© Copyright 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Marie]

Hi,Robert,,,

In past years I have been friends with Buddhists,finding them on some levels easygoing and amiable,other times I confess, a little flaky and too light about their world view.

I tried chanting with them,found their discussion groups self serving and abound with common sense...enjoyed the yoga very much but ultimately, I think it didn't work for me because I was not ready and did not,,,yet...accept the fact that I was a divine being, deserving of Love and happiness...Thankyou to those Buddhist friends and for me to experience this freely in the beauty that we can express our truth in whatever way we are attracted to.

[Justine]

Hi Robert. Today is my partner's solar return (b. 5/7/82 10:59 am in mineola, ny) and the powerful energies in his return closely mirror mine from my past b-day (9/25/84 12:14 pm brooklyn, ny) and I Google these aspects for some hope that it will clear up confusion and clear the skies from the doom and gloom that the search results portend for the tense Venus square Pluto. I have some Virgo issues and I worry worry worry, and I hate it! But the aspect does makes sense, our relationship is strong but it has been a challenge, spiritually and emotionally, and my partner is also starting a new business venture with some risk involved. He is smart as a whip but also young and apt to make errors. Penny for your soothsaying?

[Lee]

Marie, I am sure that the contentment many Buddhist practicioners experience could make their world-view appear "too light". But Buddhism is a serious practice and takes consistent effort. It is not nihilism ("we can express our truth in whatever way we are attracted to"). It takes suffering as something to be studied in the minutest detail, and afflictive emotions (those which literally hurt to feel, like sadness, anger, jealousy & such) as resulting from wrong ideas and wrong behaviors. Skillful practice gradually yields insight and awareness about the causes of suffering in oneself and in others. Buddhists abandon or relinquish the thoughts and actions that cause themselves and others pain. As anyone who has ever tried to given up an addiction or other self-defeating attachment can attest, this is often only accomplished through great effort. Buddhism is not an "anything goes" free-for-all mentality. It is not the idea that Nothing is Real therefore All is Permissible (that would be nihilism).

[Valerie]

Dear Marie, you have to find your own cup of tea. I'm a Quaker and even find many of my fellow Quakers flaky and "out there". Some people think I myself am flaky and "out there". LOL. Often when you go to a new place of worship you will find the practices and people peculiar. Lee is right that Buddhism takes practice and consistent effort. Generally speaking, it takes many years for growth or advances in enlightenment to become apparent, no matter what your new-found beliefs are. This is what you are here for and it doesn't happen overnight. Be patient with yourself. You are still a divine being, deserving of Love and happiness! Learn to meditate a little every day (which by the way takes practice too) and even if you don't, things will eventually fall into place.

"Little Buddha" is an excellent film, I finally got my own copy recently on the internet. I highly recommend it.

Namaste everyone. :)

[Marie]

Indeed. As I said,Thankyou to my friends for showing me this:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCSsiF3BQoQ

Marie

[Lee]

Yes to Valerie & Marie! Yes to Marie because there are so many ways we are conditioned to accept pain, sorrow, frustration, lack of fulfillment- as necessary evils. Whether it's the belief we must remain in an unfulfilling job or relationship, or that we are stupid, ugly, useless, etc., we are all of us subject to a multitude of societal messages that restrict and limit us, even telling us there are no better ways to live. It is indeed a radical notion to suggest - as Buddha does - that we are perfectly equipped in this very moment to liberate ourselves. Buddha says "You can do this" when so many messages make us feel or think that we can't, are stuck, or are hopeless.

[Kira]

Hello Robert,

Happy Buddha-mas, as we call it in our house. :)

I have a question about the Jupiter/Neptune/Chiron conjunction. This will occur as a conjunction to my natal 7th house Venus and quintile my MC. Transit Saturn will be conjunct my natal Pluto (exact) and Transit Venus (9th house) will be inconjunct my natal Neptune and Mars (do you count it as a Yod if the planets involved are transit to natal?).

So... am I being a delusional Pisces to hope for some good things in the romance department or will it be more career oriented?

Interestingly enough, I have an exact opposition between natal Jupiter and natal Neptune... so I feel kind of attached to both of them.

Thanks so much.

[A59]

Hi Robert, et al: Happy Taurus Scorpio Full Moon....
Om Mani Padme Om
Om Mani Padme Om
Om Mani Padme Om

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_lNuNUVd4&feature=related

[Liz]

Hi Robert,
This year's Wesak appears to have great significance for me altho I'm not at all sure how to interpret it. The full moon falls directly on my 19 deg Taurus Mercury and cusp of 8th house as well as hitting my 19 Scorpio True Node on the cusp of my 2nd house. Money issues have been an ongoing concern for me (hasn't they been for everyone lately?)but there must be more to glean from this important transit. Can you help?
04/23/57 Summit, NJ

[DianneM]

Old bull here! Almost my birthday - don't like them much, never have - and it is not the aging thing. They just make me feel uncomfortable.
That said, I am nicking off to where the river meets the sea, the crocodiles roam and the sea eagle's fly. A place called Yorkey's Knob, Far North Queensland...romanitc name.Yes?

Very happy with the "Death Moon" I KNOW what that is about. I live with less and find I have more. True.

Greetings to all and esp. fellow Taureans oxo (Taurean joke)
DianneM

[Jeremy]

Robert,

Thanks for your kind words my friend. Thanks so much for your response to my letter. Enjoying this fine Scorpio moon I am and awaiting the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune to yield insight upon my 12th house.

Sarveśām Sāntir Bhavatu

[Robert]

Hi all - Getting ready to go out of town to care for the dead and dying for a week, so cannot comment on comments right now. Death Moon indeed! Blessings to all sentient beings, and may there be least suffering for everyone everywhere.

[Kira]

Dear Robert,

Take care of yourself and safe travels.

Kira

[Morvah]

Holding you in Light

[Isabel]

Dear Robert,

I do not know exactly what you mean by "taking care of dead or dying" but if it has anything at all to do with people you are in some way going to help, may your trip be light on you and your help be steadfast and luminous! Blessed be...

Listen, I found this Full Moon VERY POTENT but increadibly aggressive as well (throughout the world, one could witness a crescendo of trouble and suffering, as if a sort of "purge" was on!).

We had a beautiful group Ceremony to celebrate Wesak and the Buddha Birthday but all around, during those days (and still) a lot of suffering and need for change became apparent.

Sometimes, even a sense of being "stuck" although one recognizes the need to move on!

Do you ahve any insights? Once you are back, of course...

Hope you travel safely and with a Heart full of compassion.

Namasté

Isabel

[Robert]

Hi Marie - There are many kinds of Buddhists. I am a "Buddhist with an attitude." Still practicing the practice as best I can. Nothing flaky about it. BTW - most Buddhists do not chant. That's Mantra Yoga, and not Buddhism per se. In the only "Buddhist" sect I know that chants, long ago I was initiated into the NSA (not the National Security Agency!;-)) and found that chanting for a role in a movie or beemer just wasn't my style. Also, we're ALWAYS "ready" and "deserving of love and happiness" whether we or others think so or not. The video featuring Alan Watts' words is great. He's the one who said (long ago) that usually disciples cannot live the life and message of the teacher, so they make a cult around worshiping the persona of the teacher.

Hi Justine - Venus square Pluto merely shows a time when we will clear out corrosive or dishonest people from our lives, and let go of things we no longer want or need. An aspect never takes away something that we ARE, or need to hold on to. We all make errors for all kinds of reasons. That's why we (hopefully) learn from our experiences and don't make the same mistakes twice. If that aspect is active in both your SR charts, then make sure the people you're with are honest and "straight up" kinds of folks.

Hi Lee - You're definitely right on when you state Buddhism is a serious practice and takes effort. It does take diligence in searching for primal causes and the sources of what seems to be manifesting. Of course, the practice of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha does help us strip away the apparent realities and find centeredness in what sustains our apparent existence in this impermanent world in our impermanent forms. I have found that life as we know it in this 4 dimensional reality is painful, whether coming in, going out, or in between, but we do not have to suffer. That means we have to become aware that we are suffering, and break the link between that and the pain that accompanies life as a function of "fire by friction." We definitely are perfectly equipped to end suffering through doing our Being, or to put it another way, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done, Nothing you can sing that can't be sung, Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game, It's easy..... Nothing you can make that can't be made, No one you can save that can't be saved, Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time, It's easy...."

Hi Valerie - Another synchronicity! Though raised Methodist (and allowed to attend many other churches) I finally settled on The Friends in the 70s, since there's no preaching and we get to commune in the "empty center." As a Kabbalistic Taoist Christian Buddhist, I don't identify myself with any specific religion, since ultimately Buddhism is not a religion or belief system, but simply a life practice. And meditation, even for a little each day, works wonders over time.

Hi Kira - And a Happy Buddha-mas to you as well! Yes, Yods can be formed by transits to natal, as long as there are at least two planets in sextile with a third at the inverse midpoint. Saturn in the solar 7th definitely brings new relational lessons. Other than that, it takes more info and analysis to be more specific regarding your questions about one or the other. Am definitely walking in the light!

Hi A59 - Aum Mani Padme Hum to all... Great meditational video!

Hi Liz - Your Mercury will be illuminated and vitalized through roundabout ways and things, while the Moon will put the focus on your line of greatest evolutionary development. You should be able to regenerate, or attract something or someone who can help you do what's already familiar in some way. 42 is the first year of a cycle, and therefore things probably won't be as clear as you'd like. Just remember that if it works it's true for you, but if it doesn't work it's not, regardless of whether it used to be or could be at another time.

Hi Dianne - Happy Solar Return! Why not regard them as reset buttons in the spaceship of your existence? I hope your trip was all you wanted it to be and more. Stripping away forms often leads us to the gold of alternative realities.

Hi Jeremy - You're most welcome. You should reap many rewards for what you've learned and done these past 11 years. May the Sacred Word go on until time is not...

Hi Morvah - Thanks. I brought the light to quite a few who are living between worlds, waiting for check out time.

Hi Isabel - With Jupiter conjunct NN in Pisces in the 8th, I'm often the one who walks with those who are on the edge of transition. Sometimes a smile lights up the universe. Saying goodbye is seldom easy, but it's better than missing the moment and not communing when we have the chance.

I do believe there is a huge disturbance, since the inertia of the past dying forms is inadequate to greet the Guest appearing before humanity's heart. I doubt much will stay stuck for very long, given Pluto in Capricorn and the approaching square from Saturn just after the exact Saturn opposition Uranus that will be intense for months to come.