Starshine News Spring 2019
Starshine News
Vol.23, # 2
Spring 2019
wind.jyoti@gmail.com
www.jyotiwindastrology.com
Dear friends,
Our minds go back and forth between the past, and all those memories that spring up…and the future of what might be coming…and the attending fears, apprehensions, etc.
How can we look out of our eyes and desire to be in the present moment more and more.
How do we firmly bring our attention back to this moment in time. Our minds wander off. It’s its nature to do that. How do we kindly, yet firmly, affirm to have our attention in the now, in this moment we are alive in.
It’s an interesting practice, not only in meditation, but in real life. As the old saying went, when we eat, we eat. When we breathe, we breathe. Meaning that all of our attention is there with us in those moments.
This allows us to have consciousness in everything we do, including when we slip out of the body at the end of our life. How present can we be?
Right now, this moment.
Love, Jyoti
Spring Meditation
Take a few deep breaths. Clear the mind.
Listen to your Heart. Hear it beating and
keeping you alive. Send your attention
into your heart. Ask your heart what it is
for you to do right now. Trust what you hear, sense. Trust your heart.
Astrological Services
Consultations are $120.
They include:
Natal, and Transit Reading.
Relationship Charts.
Astrocartography Maps.
Shamanic Journeys.
Spiritual Consulting.
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“Be patient where you sit in the dark, the dawn is coming.” Rumi
Spring 2019 Astrology Column
We begin April with the New Moon on the 5th at 2:50AM/MDT. A new cycle of pushing back at limitations, dominating situations, and taking back your power. Our philosophy of life is re-thought from the 8th-12th as Jupiter stations to turn Retrograde (Rx). Time to work on those new ideas. The 13th brings power plays and challenges as Sun squares Pluto. Mercury catches up from it’s last Rx cycle and moves into new territory on the 16th. The Full Moon on the 19th at 5:12AM/MDT pushes transformation for a larger view, a larger agenda. Pluto stations to turn Rx from the 19th-29th and brings an intensity to the days (turning Rx on the 24th for the next 6 months and we begin our yearly inner transformative process. Expect the unexpected on the 22nd.
May begins with the New Moon on the 4th at 4:46PM/MDT and gives staying power and a need for focus and clarity. Trust issues emerge on the 7th, insights on the 8th and a sense of stability on the 11th-13th. The Full Moon on the 18th at 3:11PM/MDT brings opportunities for deep self-learning and being able to do something with it. Spiritual questions may arise on the 29th.
June starts with the New Moon on the 3rd at 4:02AM/MDT and brings challenges. Are you stuck in the details? Look at the larger picture of possibility. The 13th brings us to really live our truth. The 14th brings challenges to self-imposed limitations. The Full Moon on the 17th at 2:31AM/MDT feeling like a push-pull. Opposing energies tug at us. From Mercury and Mars to Saturn and Pluto. Communication and action vs old oppressions. Gives us an idea of what 2020 might hold. The 19th says, pick your battles. Mercury enters the shadow of its next Rx cycle on June 20 and asks us to look at priorities around family and what constitutes home for us. The Summer Solstice on the 21st at 9:54AM/MDT says for the next quarter of the year, create win-win situations wherever you can. Happy Summer!!!
New Moon April 5 2:50AM/MDT
Full Moon April 19 5:12AM/MDT
New Moon May 4 4:46PM/MDT
Full Moon May 18 3:11PM/MDT
New Moon June 3 4:02AM/MDT
Full Moon June 17 02:31AM/MDT
Mercury enters its shadow June 20
Summer Solstice June 21 9:54AM/MDT
Liberation
You are dancing
on an evolutionary edge.
No cookie crumbs here.
Anything you give your all to
is liberating.
Keep your heart open,
and you will know
when to take that leap
into cosmic stardust
and be free.
Jyoti Wind
(From Liberation: Thoughts in Poetic Form, title poem, 2019).
Spring 2019 Book Reviews
River of Darkness by Rennie Airth. Chief Inspector John Madden is sent on a case of murder. A couple and their servants have been killed in their home. A young child is found in a hidden corner, mute. She cannot say what she saw. Madden is haunted by the death of his own wife and daughter and the ghosts of the men he served with in WWI. Twists and turns and some page-turner moments. The author has 4 books that follow Madden. Loved them all.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Jean Perdu, a bookseller aboard his book barge, The Literary Apothecary moored at the Paris harbor, uses books as medicine. A 6th sense tells him which books will heal whom. He’s isolated himself in his personal life for many years, and a series of events has him looking at wider pastures which bring light to the deep grief/deep love he has carried. The author’s language is stunning. I savored this book like a fine meal.
This Side of Murder: A Verity Kent Mystery by Anna Lee Huber. Verity’s husband, Sidney, has been killed in WWI and she’s devastated. And sad that he never knew she worked for Secret Services. She accepts an invite to a country estate party on an island, of one of Sidney’s best friends and fellow soldiers. Over the course of several days, rumors abound, secret notes are found, murder begins to show itself, and a few twists and turns along the way.
Remembrance of Earth's Past: The Three-Body Trilogy (The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, Death's End) by Cixin Liu For Sci Fi readers who like variety while grappling with the problems of being human. This sci fi series offers space battles, other dimensions, time travel via suspended animation, alternative futures, and very human characters...all in a well written form. I love it! An added plus is seeing it all with the eyes of Chinese culture.
The Shamanic Journey, A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Shamanism by Paul Francis Excellent for Beginners and Others on the Shamanic Path. This volume, first in an upcoming series, is an excellent way to begin learning about shamanism. Paul Francis gives a grounded, step by step approach and addresses many common pitfalls. Even more exciting are his insights and sharings about the place of shamanism in history and the current world. Well worth your time and money. (Guest Reviewer: Terra Rafael)
Rewilding Yourself - Discovering Your Soul’s Deep Roots through Shamanic Practices by Paul Francis Vol 2 in Therapeutic Shamanism series Step clearly into Lower World journeying After journeying some on my own, this book helped me clarify working in the Lower World and some techniques for healing work there. I loved the explanation of the parts of being human and the pitfalls to watch for when working on others. This gives more understanding about the Middle World as well. His examples and personal experience really flesh out practicing. Looking forward to Paul Francis' next book! (Guest Reviewer: Terra Rafael)
Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal. Her latest book in the Maggie Hope series. I’ve read each of the books as they came out and enjoyed each one. In the WWII setting in London, Maggie begins Churchhill’s secretary and moves into being a spy in France and Germany. This novel places her back in Scotland, relegated to an island ‘sanctuary’ with other agents. Reminds me of a few of Agatha Christie novels. Excellent.
New Book!
Liberation: Thoughts in Poetic Form by Jyoti Wind
”Jyoti pulls you into her realm, as she does so well, calms you with her wisdom, comforts you with poetic words accompanied by meditations that soothe and reinforce you. She leads you through her life to the path she walks today. Reading Liberation takes you on the journey with her by your side.” Arlene S. Bice, non-fiction author, poet, teacher, editor, publisher.
“In this poignant collection of poetry and meditation Jyoti connects the lyrical with the imperative to bring intention into form, a sacred duty of all visionaries who serve to heal our beloved planet.” Estere (nee Cindy Morris). Astrologer, author, visionary
Go First to Your Heart
Go first to your Heart
Feel it unfurl-
the slow opening, petal after petal
of Everbloomingness
Your throat then sings with joy to the Sun & Earth-
Father Sun shines in the crown of your head,
His light warming muscles, skin, & bones
until it melts your margins
and all of That
becomes part of the Bloomingness
Mother Earth meanwhile cradles your roots,
feeding you the Milk of Matter
that makes your Glowing Love.
Terra Rafael
From her new book: Divine Wine – Blessings, Prayers and Invocations
Available on Amazon.
On Plein Air Writing
(This was written before I knew other people were interested in this writing venue.)
Sitting at an Anza Trail Head near the Santa Cruz River I watch leaves fall to the earth, listening to the rattling before their fall. I feel the chill of mid autumn air as leaves float like snowflakes in a wayward wind.
Why can’t a writer carry a lightweight portable desk, set it up by the river or on the trail or at a dusty roadside and write where inspiration leads?
I thought, “Did Robert Frost compose his lovely poem by the woods, or did bits and pieces pop up in his head and then in his toasty room at his cozy desk compose? Did Thomas Gray eulogize in the country courtyard or did fragments of thought fill his head and he write them down later at his desk?”
Today I saw a handful of artists at a roadside with easels erect, brushes busy, hats and smocks in place painting the picturesque scenery-en Plein Air. I felt a sudden yearning to be among writers working at their desks or on boards, en Plein Air!
Carolyn Hardisty
Autumn 2018
blueskiesandtumbleweeds.net
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The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. A female spy in WW! meets up with a post WWII young woman looking for a lost friend. Together they stitch together the people, the enemies, and the years in between. An excellent read.
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How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan.
Have you ever wanted to tear down the fences in your mind—the fences that keep you repeating the same thoughts and feelings, around and around and around? Meditation, music, ecstatic dancing, sex, drugs—ways to quiet the monkey mind—are integral to every civilization. Remember the sixties? Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll attracted a generation wired for revolution. Now, fifty years later, the groundswell of revolution is bursting forth again.
I believe one of the leaders of this revolution, on hindsight, will be acknowledged to be Michael Pollan, author of numerous bestsellers including The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan’s newest book, will dissolve (and possibly already is dissolving) the polarizing narratives that have swept the planet.
Following an admittedly long history of the use of psychedelics and the eventual downfall of the very public movement near the end of the sixties, we learn that research and use of psychedelics did not die; they merely went underground. Pollan is catching the wave—and helping to amplify that wave—with his meticulous exploration of both the subjective and objective effects of psychedelics. He made himself vulnerable by reporting on four guided trips he experienced with LSD, psilocybin, toad venom and ayahuasca, which helped him better “grok” the research he compiled from trips by people dying of cancer and suffering from addictions, depression and anxiety.
When I was a young, anxious and depressed perennial student in the seventies, I was scared of all drugs. I didn’t want to risk damaging my brain, which at that time I viewed as my most valuable commodity. However, this book succeeded in helping me change my mind. Pollan presented neurological research which illustrated consistent changes in brain functioning on psychedelics. The (oversimplified as I’m not a scientist) bottom line is that we humans appear to have a default mode network; certain portions of the brain which work together when our brain is idle and when we are thinking about ourselves (think Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). I had a flash of seeing this default mode network as a cylinder that goes down through the center of the brain, from neocortex to reptilian brain, and all our ruminations, worries, and usual boring commentaries activate the habitual neurocircuits, swirling around and around the cylinder. ad nauseum. Psychedelics appear to break down the walls of the cylinder so that the circuits inside the cylinder can reach out to the rest of the brain. Whoa. Whole brain activity. Users feel they are receiving messages about cosmic truths; they have creative ideas; they feel connected and in love with all of creation. They realize death is nothing to be feared. They gain perspective on old traumas and struggles and addictions. Treatment research indicates that the more “mind-blowing” the trip, the more extensive the long-term changes in perspective. Whether the actual neurological connections change permanently remains to be researched, but individuals, including Pollan, report that remembering the feelings and realizations from their trips helps reinforce the changes in their perspectives.
I thought Pollan did a wonderful job pulling together the history and research on psychedelics, although critics can say that he emphasized the pros and scarcely addressed the cons. Pollan, however, reiterated that sixty years of research and experiences have demonstrated consistently that the setting in which tripping occurs totally colors the positivity of the trip. Soothing, safe, supportive guides in a quiet, visually attractive environment virtually insure a positive experience. Tripping alone and using substances of questionable purity are believed to be responsible for most “bad” trips, many of them highly publicized in the sixties and seventies as a deterrent to the younger generation, to prevent them from jumping out of windows in the grip of fearful hallucinations.
I am a convert—just letting you know this is not a dispassionate book review. If I can find a reputable guide, I’ll trust my precious brain’s default mode network to an expansive shakeup or meltdown. I can feel the experience of ecstatic Oneness is just out of view, just outside the walls of that cylinder. I confess I’m willing to take the easy path to transcendence. What about you? Read Pollan’s book and others on this topic, and decide if you want to surf this new wave.
Psychedelics apparently are popular in Silicon Valley and amongst some of the financial elite. I eagerly await the era (coming soon to a government near you!) when politicians trip together to experience oneness, a global perspective, and their connection to our precious Earth. Ah, then we’ll see a peaceful revolution. Guest Reviewer: Ann Cowles.
Bring Love
Wherever you find yourself,
bring love.
The world is a vast wasteland,
a desert to love.
Bring caring and compassion
to that desert.
Be magnanimous with love.
Be large and flamboyant
with love.
That desert will drink deeply.
You will be emptied of energies
that make you crazy,
drive you day and night,
to find meaning.
Wherever you go,
bring love.
You will know
meaning.
Jyoti Wind from Liberation: Thoughts in Poetic Form
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April is National Poetry Month. Challenge yourself to write a poem a week for the month.
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Book Reviews continued
The Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen. Young Lady Georgian (Georgie to her friends)in 1932 England, is requested by the Queen (her distant relative) to be her ‘ears’. The Queen was concerned with her son’s American consort. Along the way, Georgie encounters a few dead bodies, those quirky others of her set (the upper class) and, to her regret, the local constabulary. Very enjoyable light reading. First volume in Her Royal Spyness.
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin. Based on real characters of 1875 England, the author spins a tale of a budding woman photographer, a Hungarian Empress, and a Captain whose exploits with women were only rivalled by his knowledge of horses. Enjoyed this.
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Homeopathic home remedy kits contain remedies in a 30C potency that allows you to treat your family in a safe way. I used remedies for my kids when they were young. Below are the most common remedies found in a First Aid or Home Remedy Kit, and will cover headaches, coughs, colds, fevers and digestive upsets.
Taking a Homeopathic First Aid weekend with a local homeopath is a great learning experience and helps one take back responsibility for the health of their family. Pets also benefit from homeopathic treatment.
ACONITUM ALLIUM-CEPA APIS ARNICA ARSENICUM BELLADONNA BRYONIA CANTHARIS CARBO-VEG CAUSTICUM CHAMOMILIA COLOCHICUM EUPATORIUM- PERP EUPHRASIA FERRUM-PHOSPHORICA GELSEMIUM HYPERICUM IGNATIA IPECECAC KALI-BICHROMIUM LACHESIS LEDUM LYCOPODIUM MERCURIUS NUX-VOMICA PHOSPHORUS PODOPHYLLUM PULSATILLA RHUS-TOX RUTA SARSAPARILLA SEPIA SILICEA SPONGIA SULPHUR.
This is the book that I used with my kids when they were growing up:
Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family with Safe and Effective Remedies, By Stephen Cummings, FNP and Dana Ullman, MPH.
Sites that have Homeopathic Remedy Kits…Books…etc.
Washington Homeopathic Products www.homeopathyworks.com
Natural Health Supply www.a2zhomeopathy.com
Hahnemann Labs www.hahnemannlabs.com
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Soul Retrieval Shamanic Journey Workshop
April 28, 2019
Boulder
12-4PM
Soul Retrieval is an act of reclamation. Retrieving pieces for yourself and working with another person to bring back pieces of them, creates a healing environment and a gathering of tools to work with others.
Jyoti Wind
2635 Mapleton Ave.#9
Boulder, CO 80304
303.541-9106
wind.jyoti@gmail.com
www.jyotiwindastrology.com
