Venus in Leo

How many times have you read something and then read the same thing later only to discover information than what you learned before? It is a common experience that happens to us all! In kabbalah, there is a belief that if we have not elevated (fancy word for ‘ready’) to receive information a screen or a curtain is produced that prevents us from fully absorbing what is being read or studied, and as a result we frequently forget the material all together. So, the next time you are reading something for the second time and realize how much material you missed, it was not because you are mentally deficient it is because you were not ready to receive the material.

This week we read the Kabbalistic portion known as Vaetchanan. It is one of my favorite portions because it reveals that we should always be absorbed in our spiritual studies. Why? When you disconnect from your spiritual studies, you separate yourself from the energy of life and disconnect from mastering mind over matter. In other words, you begin to live in the physical world only.

Vaechenan2011 — Scan the Hebrew Letters from right to left to make a connection

According to the Zohar (above), if we continue to focus on spirituality and spiritual studies then it will remove all forms of fear from our lives. This can be outside fears, inside fears, fear from other people, fear in the stock market, fear of financial failure or any other fear that you can imagine. Why? When we are connected to the laws of mind over matter, we realize that our day to day problems are simply there to teach us a lesson. If we stay connected to the Light and our tools (prayer, meditation, and continued inner work) there is simply nothing to fear.

This week there are two different tools that I want to introduce that are powerful tools to assist with awareness and transformation, but first the astrology…

The Astrology:

The Astrology for this week is rather interesting because it involves the building up of a rather challenging grand cross that will occur next week. Whenever, we have challenging aspects of this nature it is always good to stay up to date on weather activities especially next week as there is a strong likelihood for a rather intense weather to occur – this could include hurricanes, floods, and tornados.

Venus Sextile Saturn:

On Sunday and Monday we have our first astrological aspect which is a sextile (opportunities) between Venus and Saturn. Any aspect with Saturn will make us feel a bit more withdrawn than normal, but since this is an easy aspect we will often find it easier to get the support that we need from the people around us. However, we still may feel very wary of social circumstances. This is a week for us to begin to focus and concentrate all of our efforts into our work life. Saturn is the natural ruler of the 10^th house of work and Venus is the natural ruler of the 2^nd house of money, and with these two in positive aspect it is a time for us to be resolute, reliable, and not swayed by our emotions. It is a great day to put the nose to the grindstone and complete any projects that have been collecting dust or need to be completed.

Mars square Uranus/Mars oppose Pluto:

On Tuesday and Wednesday, two rather intense aspects occur – Mars will square Uranus, and then Mars will oppose Pluto. This is a very potent and powerful combination that is the beginning of the grand cross (Saturn joins the fun) next week. The planet Mars has to do with getting what we want, and has the ability to aggressively go out and get it. He is the fighter planet! However, with Uranus (liberation and freedom) and Pluto (survival) Mars becomes a super charged powerhouse that is not concerned with limitations of civilized society. Needless to say, this will create an enormous amount of friction (especially with others) throughout the week, as everyone attempts to get what they want. Although it will be very difficult try to remain calm throughout the week, because the smallest provocation could easily raise our Martian spirit which likes to fight. Furthermore, the likelihood of power battles, unresolved conflicts, and spitefulness could arise. If you can stay out of the ‘den of iniquity’, then do so!

Full Moon in Aquarius:

At the end of the week, The Full Moon will occur in the sign of Aquarius. This is a beautiful Full Moon because the Sun will be conjoined with Venus and opens us up to social situations. This will be a great weekend to go out and spend time with friends and associates. Moreover, we can use this weekend as a great day to take advantage of the Venusian energy (love and money), and do some intention work to bring in money and love.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

The portion of Vaechanan is filled with many secrets. However, one of its most potent messages involves our need to study spirituality. As I stated earlier, when we are connected to spiritual issues we are not concerned with outside influences or outside difficulties as we know they are lessons to teach us to grow spiritually. However, if we are not connected to a spiritual system, then we tend to focus only on the 1% reality that is presented to us.

Of course, we are not connected spiritually (even me) 100% of the time, and there are certain pressing issues that no matter how hard we focus and how hard we try to restrict it takes us over. According to the Ari (Isaac Luria – the father of modern kabbalah), these areas of difficulty are called ‘husks’ (klipot) that we have to break through and crack, and his own remedy for breaking through difficulties that cause us problems is through study. We can do this in two different ways – bibliomancy and bibliotherapy.

Bibliomancy is a long standing tradition in many spiritual ideologies about using sacred books to receive messages that are important to you. You simply grab a book (I did this to write about this week and what you are reading is the message) that you find sacred and lay the book on its spine. Close your eyes and let the book open to a certain page. That page will hold a message for you. If you are using a book such as the bible, once you get your page open then you close your eyes again and place your finger down on the book. The verse that your finger lands on will have a message for you. You can also use a random number generator (many are available online) and tell the program how many pages are within the book and it will select a number. You can then use that page information to get your message. However, if you land on a blank page while doing bibliomancy it is recommended that you do some form of spiritual cleansing before proceeding.

Recently, psychology (as of the 1930’s) has entered into the fray of bibliomancy with a unique form of bibliotherapy (which is not really that unique considered the Ari wrote about it in the 1500’s). Bibliotherapy is the use of books and our relationship to the books content as a form of therapy or healing. This has been very successful when treating depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder. So, whatever issue you are going through you can get a book on the subject matter and you will begin to notice (over time) a healing beginning to occur for you on the subject matter. According to the Ari repetition (studying the same material over and over to get a breakthrough) is one of the most powerful tools that we can use to break through our self-defeating behaviors that are preventing our spiritual growth. I will state, that I have been playing with bibliotherapy (rather ironic that when I used bibliomancy to find a topic to write about it would be on this subject matter) for a few weeks and have found some amazing personal results with it.

Tarot Tune-Up:

Step 1: This week we are not really going to use Tarot, but I am still going to call it a Tarot Tune-Up. Get out a book that you value and you treasure. Ask the book the following question – what lessons do I need to learn in my life now? Lay the book on its spine (if you have problems with the pages opening up, just use your fingers to find a page while your eyes are closed) and allow it to open up to a page. What message did you receive?

Let me know in the comments below what message you received!

Step 2: Whatever message you received, get yourself a book on the subject matter. You can get this on amazon, on kindle, or you can even go to webpages that deal with the message. You will find out tons of information to help you resolve your problems and make lasting change in your life.

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I believe that we can find the spiritual in everything if we are willing to look closely. Often, it is hiding in the most unlikely places. We can find it in the most evolved and esoteric or veiled in the mundane, the hilarious, and even the absurd. However, like the mysteries contained within the High Priestess card of the mystical tarot, it is up to us to have the courage to seek out the spiritual nuggets presented to us.

Believe it or not a movie that has an overflowing basket of spiritual nuggets is the 1995 comedy, Clueless. I am sure your kneejerk reaction to this revelation is “as if!” But seriously, there is much insight that can be gleaned from this movie. The adventures of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and her group of Beverly Hills friends as they journey through the angst of young adulthood is something we all experience on one level or another. Although our problems in adulthood can be more complex and sophisticated, they truly are not all that different. We all go through love problems, the need to be accepted, the need to feel secure, and the need to find ourselves in a world that can seem overwhelming. We all make mistakes, and we all learn from them. However, when we look back at our past problems and difficulties, we often realize how clueless we were.

So, what does Cher Horowitz have to do with the energy of the week? Everything! But first the astrology…

Astrological Energy of the Week:

After several weeks of rather intense astrological energies we finally get a break. Get out those margaritas, fun in the sun toys, and if you live in the southern hemisphere some hot apple cider with cinnamon while snuggling in front of the fire will do the trick. Enjoy this break while it lasts because Mercury will go retrograde on August 2^nd.

There are two sign changes this week. First, Venus will move out of emotional Cancer and into fiery Leo. Leo is all about glamour and pampering ourselves. Go out and get your hair done, buy yourself a new outfit, or simply bling up your outfits with a little glitz and frost. Venus is in her joy when she is in Leo, and it is a great time for us to explore possible new romantic relationships or spice up our current ones; however you need to try to remain grounded. Often Venus in Leo can get so caught up in the romantic drama that the reality of relationship and structure becomes more than she can handle. Secondly, Mercury moves out of dramatic Leo and into meticulous Virgo (the sign it will retrograde in). In Virgo, Mercury understands life by creating structured order in what can feel chaotic and unorganized. It is a great time for you to do research, take on mental projects, and be very clear about what you want out of life. If you are finishing up a writing or research project this will be an incredible week for you. However, keep in mind that Mercury will turn retrograde so this window of opportunity will quickly close.

In addition to the two sign changes, there are two planetary aspects this week as well. On Wednesday, the Sun in Leo will trine Uranus in Aries. This aspect is a powerful juggernaut, and being in fire signs will give you an enormous creative urge over the next week. New ideas will come to you rather spontaneously and you will feel highly stimulated. Often, the intensity of this aspect will make you feel high strung, alert, and restless, so try to contain yourself and be as grounded as you can be throughout the week. Further, this aspect directs you to focus on technical gadgets, so make sure you back up your computer before the retrograde hits! On Thursday, Mercury will oppose Neptune. Normally, this is a rather confusing aspect that can make you feel out of sorts (and for airy people it still may), yet your advantage is that Mercury is in its own sign of Virgo. If you begin to feel confused or need to make order out of chaos (see above), Mercury will provide you with the ability to sort things out and make sense of it all. All Mercury – Neptune aspects are a great time to do creative or artistic work, or connect to your inner spirit.

Finally, on Saturday we will have a New Moon at 8 degrees of Leo. At its core, the sign of Leo is about individuality. This is a great time for you to do intention work that focuses on your individual talents and gifts. Also, if you are interested in attracting love to you, this is a great time to do it. If you have any planets around 8 degrees of a sign, this New Moon could be a channel for new beginnings and new opportunities heading your way.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is the heroine of the movie Clueless. She is not the normal image of a heroic figure that fights dragons, engages in warfare, and topples kingdoms, yet she is a heroine nonetheless. Unlike other heroic female figures, such as Wonder Woman or Xena, Cher is a heroine of the heart. Her battles are in the name of love, and rather than using swords and power she uses the depth of her feelings and emotions.

Through most of the movie, Cher spends her time being a matchmaker for other people, yet her own desire to be in love is denied. The one instance she attempts to connect with another classmate, she shockingly finds out that he is gay! However, severe crisis (which occurs with all heroic figures) strikes when she fails her driver’s exam, which gives Cher insight into her own personality, and she begins to reflect. This process of reflection allows Cher to realize what she wants in her own life and the depth of her own emotional feelings – however awkward those may be. Once she takes the steps to honor herself, she finally falls in love.

This week the kabbalistic portion is called Massei. It is a story that retells the places that the Israelites stop on their journey from Egypt

to Israel. To be honest, it is one of the most boring portions of the Torah, and it drones on and on about each place the Israelites set up camp. I truly have to force myself to stay awake when reading this portion. Further, there is no Zohar assigned to this portion, so the meaning is hidden and obscured. However, this portion has one of the most powerful messages of the entire Torah.

According to the Kabbalistic sages, the portion of Massei is all about our spiritual journey. It includes the things we learn, the things we get wrong, the places that we are reactive, our moments of joy and happiness, and those periods of our life that we are in pain. It is through our spiritual journey and process that we learn what we want to achieve, and we decide what our priorities are. In essence, the trip from Egypt to Israel describes different spiritual lessons (and those teenage years are part of them) we learn to complete our correction.

Many new students of kabbalah become overwhelmed by correction. They believe (and trust me I have been there) that you need to fix everything as quickly as possible and then you will achieve some form of spiritual ascension. However, the Kabbalists state that in order for us to achieve our correction we must take action. What kind of action? It is rather simple – the actions we must take to perform our correction are bound up in living our lives. It is our journey, our path, the way we experience it, and the choices that we make along the way.

True spiritual change does not happen overnight. It is a series of trial and error. We learn by our perceived failures and triumphs, and we adjust and modify our lives based on those experiences. Sometimes we hit a crisis (like Cher does), and we begin to realize what it is in life that we truly want. We feel clueless, but through our confusion we achieve our next step on the journey. We learn that it is the process that is our spiritual ascension, not the destination.

Tarot Tune-Up:

Get out your favorite Tarot or Oracle Deck. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Ask yourself the following question, “What do I need to know about my current process within my journey?” Draw three cards. Let me know which ones you picked!

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The Power of Books and How They Can Heal Your Life

The Secret Spirituality of the Movie ‘Clueless’