Friday, January 31, 2014

Happy Lunar Year of the Wood Horse

'Ike aku, 'ike mai, kokua aku kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohona 'ohana.
Recognize and be recognized, help and be helped; such is family life.

The Year of the Horse begins today. This year according to Chinese interpretation is the year of the wooden horse. Several thoughts and feelings come up for me as I consider the meaning of that. Horses: I have little relationship with them personally but respect their beauty, speed and largeness. When I think of 'wooden horse' it's my history of Western mythology and story that reminds me of the wooden horse at the gates of Troy filled with soldiers destined to storm the barricades and take what they believe is theirs. Unexpected and quick changes! That's what's possible in the Year of the Horse. 

What was started long ago and what is now part of the legacy and history of family moves forward with each new generation. There is always room for change even with the knowledge of history. So many bits of history are hidden from each successive generation. Families keep secrets. As this new year begins Pete and I have had many conversations about what it feels like to be growing old. I learn more about my husband and his personal and genetic view of growing, aging, projecting into the future. We share today, have a past that is filled with adventure and the future? Well, we can't know that exactly. What I can do is to recognize and be recognized for who I am and write the story, tell the mythic journey. Weaving fact and hybrids of truth to make sense with a broad lens. Makua o'o, this blog and the practice of elder training is an application of that broad lens. My family include storytellers and upon their backs I ride forward over bridges known and unknown. Like the backbone of a strong and graceful horse, my ancestors give me the kuleana the personal responsibility to record the many journeys. The new forms of storytelling come with each day and night lived in this body -- aging border witch, sensitive woman, vulnerable being. 

There's a new medicine story written for this new lunar year. It's a work-in-progress being attended by an intimate audience of friends as the New Year of the Horse begins. If you'd like to read it, the story is here. It is called The Joy Weed Journal and at its core it is about family.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Preparing for the New Moon and New Year of the Horse

 
Link for innovation and rap


Astrologically today is one of these sorts of days "... There’s likely to be tension and a feeling of restriction. Some will pop off like an over-wound spring. Others will grizzle. I’ve found that the best remedy is to work at something. It doesn’t matter a whole lot what it is, but it should be something necessary, not frivolous..." Satori continues with her view of today with this "Innovative thinking paired with traditional action is favored, and it also helps if you enlist an accomplice. For instance, ask for an edit"

The new moon, and new year is a good time to set your intentions for the coming month, and the coming year. It's a Moon in Aquarius for both and a few ideas for intentions that harmonize with the stars and planets come from Elsa P.  The Aquarius Moon will be in my First House. Aquarius in the First House writes Elizabeth Rose Campbell asks 'How can I embody authenticity, up-front and in person?'

Taken together all three bits of astrology help me focus the tension and feeling of restriction (in my belly) by first boiling and drinking fresh ginger tea. The tea's in there calming things down. I'm preparing for the first showing with an intimate audience of friends and readers of my second medicine story The Joy Weed Journal. These medicine stories are a thread or branch of telling that is different than posts of mostly astrology (the sort many readers most enjoy here); yet they include astrology in the myth-making. What I'm up to as I prepare for the New Moon and New Year is the ongoing journey of harmonizing with the whole whirl. Caught up in the process too intensely I can easily pop off like that over-wound spring. Pausing and napping to feel where I'm at "Ginger tea" sings to me.

The Lunar New Year always begins with the (western) astrological sign of Aquarius, the innovator. Sweet that is, for me the Scorpio Sun because if I look at my Progressed Chart, my sun sign is now in Aquarius the innovator. So many details and alternatives to navigation. Mostly though, I sort through the many and focus on today, one day at a time, with the long view gentle on my mind. Progress not perfection is a principle that works when I remember to live this day as fully as possible. Imperfect is okay, it's the progress -- the journey. So here's where I plug in my awareness of the progressed sun sign. My birth chart at birth (natal chart) is empty of planets in the First House. "The first-house identity is generally what a person offers in response to, "And who are you?" says Elizabeth Rose Campbell.  With the New Moon in Aquarius at the start of the Lunar New Year I view this as an opportunity to be innovative in the way I answer that question. At 66, I have been many things but mostly I am a teacher with whazy and whimsical approaches to healing and occupations. Uranus is natally in my 6th House Gemini. I communicate innovation.

What I do and feel with the energy of today's Capricorn Moon (a flavor of moon familiar to me) is to notice and make room for innovation that comes riding in on a horse later this week. Uranus as innovator knows I don't do horse very well, but there is more than one way to ride and so I find a way to make it work for me. My writing is focused and mostly behind-the-scenes as I prepare to be with a small audience where I ask for authentic feedback on my newest work. It's an innovation for me, an old horse trotting down her personal Route 66.

And you? What intentions have you for the New Moon?





Thursday, January 23, 2014

Aloha Moon

"The Moon will be in Scorpio tomorrow [Friday, January 24, 2014] , heading towards conjunction with Saturn which is tightly square Mercury in Aquarius. I'm sending this early because I think it's important...
Scorpio is associated with depth and psychology and pathology. The moon represents your family, your emotions and what's internal and private to you...Some will dialogue (Mercury) with their psyche (Scorpio) at this time, with excellent results. It's as if the intellect can fathom the depth and perhaps mastermind (Mercury) a way to to be healed (Pluto) and liberated (Uranus) from some kind of binding (Saturn) pathology (Saturn). - a snip from Elsa P.'s Free Astrology E-Newsletter
The past three moon phases are what are called the 'Ole Moons. It's one of my favorite topics, and I write about those moons a lot. These times are reflective and deeply informative cycles; traditional Hawaiian practices considered these the rest, do no new planting and harvesting (both from the sea and ground) until after the 'ole phases are done. As my personal practice as makua o'o grows and I age, the respectful nature of Hina's (the moon)influence on Earth works deeply within me. During the 'ole cycle just passed I cleaned things up a little on my blogs and prepared for the coming season. As Elsa described in her most recent newsletter, Scorpio is associated with depth, internal (workings) and private issues. During the 'ole moons my dreams have been heightened arenas of deep reflection. Reliving my path and the choices I've made play out during the dreams. Sleep? Well that is not precisely right, for the activity during a deeply Scorpio time is not restful. A duality to be active when asleep: yes.

An elder in training conscious of the journey experiences life awake and asleep. The depth of conversation with the whole happens while I an dreaming; the words not as important as the impressions and the sense of the messages. Reliving choices made as a maiden of twenty-five I listened to what I thought, and watched as many words did not get said. Witnessing the seduction of power during the decades of a very active corporate career I have regrets. These dreams recur, I will them away, hoping to chase them out of my head with determination. That doesn't work. The journey continues, and count this as a blessing: I live this life further and practice letting go ... deeply letting go. (Pluto) Astrology factors the mystery into a real human life, I open to it and translate horoscopes into practical mythology: deeply private issues (seduction, power) are infused with Uranus (in Aries) action in my house of communication. I take the dreams into the myths I write and let the words connect for healing...mine, and others who read the stories. There is a lifetime of my life available to heal those issues of seduction to move me along the path.

Time and time again, I re-post and connect with astrology and my reliable sources. The principles of makua o'o are flexible tools that apply themselves differently over time. They are not rules so they are not meant to limit the way(s) in which they can be useful. They are not confining so they allow for personal interpretation, like astrology. Aloha Moon says a lot without using many words. Many images might come to mind; there are many definition for 'aloha' so it's a principle sort of moon. Any way you translate the word, it comes down to 'love' and there you are. Aloha is Love. Love Moon. What do I see as an image that is both childlike and innocent, sustaining and healing? Here's one ...

"Good Night Moon"



Sunday, January 19, 2014

Here comes TROUBLE: Another Toast Story

My friend, Jt, the person who inspired the character The Gypsy Woman in Medicine Story #1: The Safety Pin Cafe is always on the prowl for good stories. We have been pals for a long time and that says something for the tsunami and drought experiences, that is life in general or made specific with illness and trauma, wipe connections and friendships out with little hope. We in many respects are two ends of the pole with her Taurus opposing my Scorpio. Fortunately for me, and perhaps for our friendship, I am a committed student of astrology and turn my obsessions and tight-fitted control-isms over to a power greater than myself and that power includes the stars (and the moon!). With time, quite a lot of it, I feel and open to the quality of Taurus a Scorpio like me needs. Astrologically? My North Node of the Moon is in Taurus and in my daily life that means feeling at home with exactly where I am in my own skin. Taurus loves a cozy home! So, The Gypsy Woman emailed me with a toast story this morning. Thanks Jt. Another toast story. Another toast story you might ask? If you ask, it might be you have not read, nibbled and swallowed the medicine and speciality on the menu from The Safety Pin Cafe. " A plate of fine bone china, only slightly chipped but sparkling clean was arranged with cinnamon toast cut into stars and moons and ... ducks."

Where's TROUBLE? CLICK here to read on.


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Mercury square Saturn, January 25, 2014

 “This relates to this aspect. You want to ask the right person, the right things, but I also have to stay out of situations I’ve not been asked to get involved in, which is exactly what I will do.” There’s the gold! - ElsaElsa
There's an interesting exchange of question and comments going on over at my astrology's place. Mercury, the planet of communication/messages and 'how one thinks' is retrograde in Scorpio. One thing that happens when Mercury (appears to us from Earth) to be traveling backward (retro) is issues get a re-do and a second shot. In Scorpio, the exercise will be deep and probably serious. An astrological 'square' means the energy of two planets (in this case Mercury and Saturn) One of my favorite descriptions for a 'square' in astrology is from Elizabeth Rose Campbell. From her book Intuitive Astrology Campbell wrote, "Sometimes we must develop very sophisticated methods of combining talents to maximize our creative gifts to the world. To do this, we need to be like the carpenter building a table--aware of variables, present with our tools, our full attention, and a substantial fund of patience."

"putting legs on a table"

Sometimes, a square will bring out the all-too-serious sides of an angle. Especially with Saturn involved the pressure of 'the task master' (one of Saturn's descriptors) a transit with this energy can be harsh. The thing is, I have benefited from studying astrology influenced by people like Elizabeth Rose Campbell who viewed astrology with this mantra: "When you follow your best instincts, you follow the stars." Saturn square Mercury is in my natal chart; I was born with it. The long-term practice of learning how to express myself with authority (and not tyranny!) is my kuleana. Kuleana in Hawaiian means, living your life responsibly and in harmony with all; in all my relationships.

The Mercury-Saturn square is a short term transit, and for most people, not a life-time lesson or opportunity. What it does offer any and all of us, especially free-thinkers, is practice with when to speak and when to be silent; or, you might just want to put your legs on a table and not try to be a carpenter. Who said Saturn or Scorpios have no sense of humor?




Today on Maui: Hiiakakanoeau

"A new full-length hula drama delves into the creative center of the Hawai’i sense of practical beauty by recreating occupational images and messages from mele. The hula performance reincarnates the wisdom of the kupuna in making things both useful and beautiful through the poetry of movement, just as Hana Kapa reincarnates that functional aesthetic through the poetry of the fiber”.
The Maui Arts and Cultural Center presents Halau o ke Kekuhi in their premiere performance of Hiakakanoeau
The Maui Arts and Cultural Center is a magnificent space for performance art. Located in Wailuku on the island of Maui, that place recalls fond and enlivening memories for us: First Night on New Years' Eve; Sweet Honey in the Rock with dear friends plus a visit from The Night Rainbow that same night stretching between from Haleakala; Keola and Nona Beamer. Tonight's January 18, 2014 performance will without doubt be an occasion to remember. Halau o kekuhi shares the kuleana of hula at its finest; passing the legacy of 'oli and dance with all the regalia and protocol essential to the timeless practice while also being wholely-present. Click here for a conversation between Pualani Kanakaole and her daughter Kekuhi. They speak about the process of passing the family legacy of hula from generation to generation. This mother and daughter is part of the 'ohana responsible for the performance Hiiakakanoeau. The family legacy behind this presentation of Hiiakanoeau expands with the 'ohana of Nalani Kanakaole ( Pualani's younger sister), her husband artist Sig Zane and their son Kaha'o Kanakaole Zane. Click here to see and listen to the contributions and kuleana this branch of the family shares with the universe and learn how hula is like photosynthesis.

Hawaiian culture and art are inseparable ... the culture is art--practical and useful, and the expression of both are manifest in the flow and continuity from ke'ia to kela here to there. I post this here today, in the late morning of January 18th from my metal chair seated in a Quonset hut in the middle of the tall trees of Whidbey Island. My roots penetrate this place and seek out the ancient call of my ancestors, the kupuna, the 'ohana who remain where they were born. I on the other hand live across an ocean and wish I had a seat in the Maui Arts and Cultural Center tonight when 'oli, hula and kapa intertwine to make time and space a timeless channel. I dream the seat, and pray for my place there. If you are on Maui tonight, there may be a seat for you ... fill it, lucky you!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

The four full moons of Kaulana Mahina (the four full moons of the Hawaiian Moon Calendar)

Nä Mahina Mä‘ama‘ama Loa
Nä Mahina Mä‘ama‘ama Loa are the full moon phases, the brightest and largest moon phases in our mahina’s lunation. Hawaiians recognize four full moon phases in the lunar sequence.
AKUA is the first full pö mahina that Hawaiians recognize. Akua rises approximately 5:00 – 6:00 pm and sets about a half an hour before sunrise on the following morning. Akua is almost completely round and very bright. Akua is in the sky for almost the entire night.
HOKU is the second full pö mahina. Hoku rises in the east at the same time that Lä sets in the west. Hoku is directly overhead or zenith at midnight. Hoku sets on the western horizon the next day at the same time that Lä rises over the eastern horizon. Hoku is in the sky for the full night and it is recognized as the true full moon phase.
MÄHEALANI is the third full pö mahina. Mähealani rises approximately an hour after sunset. Mähealani is usually an orange or reddish color and is also known as Malani. When this pö mahina is about to set in the morning, it is called Hoku ‘Ili. Hoku ‘ili means “stranded star”.
KULU is the fourth full pö mahina. Kulu rises in our sky approximately two hours after sunset and sets on the western horizon approximately two hours after sunrise.
-from MAHINA the ebook

Last night we bundled up and took a ride out of the woods to watch the moon rise over the Cascade Mountain Range. From our encampment, the sentinels of Tall Ones hide Mahina until she has moved in her counter-clockwise path and is quite high in the night sky.  Mahina was to rise minutes after the sun set, so if one is trying to be 'precise' about which of the four moons it was, it was probably a Hoku Moon. (See the description above) The drive to our moon sighting spot is also the highway that takes ferry traffic down to the landing. Most folks are on a mission to get that boat, so it's not uncommon to be tail-gated by the anxious driver. We, the anxious driver behind us, and Pete and I got to our destination in good enough time. The ferry was there, and the driver made the boarding. With a bit of re-positioning Pete got our little Scout car into a good angle facing the Cascades.

It's too easy to slip into that anxious driver role, even when I'm not the anxious driver wanting to make the boat. With multiple chemical sensitivities life without a spiritual program is life with the burner turned on HIGH all the time: one is sure to burn! There was a challenge to juggle before going to the moon rising ... an episode with toxic smells happened minutes before driving down. I was triggered. Without room for God, I was on my way onto that burner turned HIGH. Fortunately, the Moon is a companion to my Higher Power and in practice, she tames me when I 'think' it's not possible and floats me in the waters of transformation (full moon) when I wall myself off so I get a better perspective.

I donned my I Can Breathe Mask with the red rose on it and surrendered to the episode: let go, let God and placed no blame while speaking up. I made room for letting the glory of the Hoku Full Moon be magical.There was too much wood smoke at the little park where we waited for Mahina to rise, so we sat and looked out the windshield at the zigzag of snowy peaks that trimmed the tops of the Cascades. The sky was hazy, but the mountains were visible. Our chances for spotting the moon were good. Behind that mask I breathed and relaxed. Letting go and feeling the goodness of being alive on Honua (Earth). The light of the sun was dimming but still present. A shade of apricots simmered in the heavens. And then, boing. There she was a golden globe of what I can only call moon yellow slipped from behind a crest trail snow cap.

We clapped, and I found a rhythm of celebration and drummed the dashboard. I pulled the mask from my face and breathed normally. The moment of a triggered exposure had passed. The company of the present was rewarding. We watched and chatted. We watched and breathed her in. If you missed the moon rise last night, there's another one tonight. My ancestors were keen and consistent observers of nature, and recorded their relationship with nature and the elemental forces of connection. Living on island worlds in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there vantage points were unobstructed ones with horizons and access to the heavens that etched in their na'au (gut) bodies like indelible tattoos. I am lucky to have been reminded of this in time to live the rest of my life on Honua with that spiritual connection.

Mahalo Mahina ... shine on! It's so good to be able to count on the moon.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Full Moon in Cancer, January 15, 2014



"...The Cancer Moon will be involved in the Cardinal Grand Cross on her way to becoming full. This creates an exceptional situation. Most notably she gets a big fat kiss from Jupiter (exalted) in Cancer just before she reaches the peak of her brightness...It may be that people who don’t like the full moon, prefer to operate in the dark. I enjoy the full moon, because I like to know things.  She’s also so beautiful, it’s hard to deny her..Overall, I expect good things from this full moon. To maximize her positive impact on your life, be open to all possibilities and ready to make real (Capricorn) the opportunities (Jupiter) that are personal (Moon) to you.."  ElsaElsa
Elsa continues to suggest the positive effects of tomorrow's Full Moon (in her free newsletter), " I think this energy is benevolent and most people will receive a gift of some type over the next few days. I am not talking about a lotto win. I am talking about "mom" coming 'round and making things better..."
My old friend jt sent me a very cool, and very funny bit of astrology from someone we have both followed over the decades. Back when I was living in Iao Valley, Rob Brezsny's column "Free Will Astrology" appeared in the Hawaii Island Journal (the fine free newspaper where I first wrote "Makua O'o"). We read his weekly horoscopes and always got a big kick out of his perspectives. I remember once when Pete thought to play a practical joke on a friend who didn't get Brezsny's weekly column. Pete made them up and sent them along via email, which in 1996 was very hi-tech. We thought she was really 'buying into his-version of Brezsny. Taking inspiration from my husband's already nimble but unusual juxtaposition of words, I can only guess at how that old friend reacted upon first read. Years later she said she always knew they were made up. But whose to know for sure!

I digress, but now back to the Brezsny horoscope that showed up in my email this morning. It was for Scorpio, and it reads:

"In his book Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition, Ben Schott dreams up new compound German words for use in English. Here's one that would serve you well in the coming week: Fingerspitzentanz, meaning "fingertips-dance." Schott says it refers to "tiny triumphs of nimble-fingered dexterity." His examples: fastening a bracelet, tightening a miniscule screw, unknotting, removing a recalcitrant sticker in one unbroken peel, rolling a joint, identifying an object by touch alone, slipping something off a high shelf. Both literally and metaphorically speaking, Scorpio, you now have an abundance of this capacity. Everything about you is more agile and deft and limber than usual. You'll be a master of Fingerspitzentanz."
I wrote back to my friend jt and told her the horoscope was making me laugh. I could clearly and whimsically identify with "fingerspitzentanz" ... it's one of my favorite pass-times and perhaps, one of the reasons I dreamed up my passion for Pete. Literal and metaphoric meaning is at the heart and core of life for me. Without angles and angels the box is too tight, the pot way to small for a growing view of what life is. The full moon in Cancer does feel expansive. Many episodes are "home" oriented, family-centered: the daily chats I have with my Ma when I see her picture right above the tiny stereo system playing Hawaiian music. "Hi, Ma," I say to her before taking a shower. "Take good care of the boy," I ask when I am feeling the challenges my son (her grandson) wrestles with. I leave the c.d. on even after I finish listening and tell her, "I know you love hearing it."  We package up parcels for my son and keep him in my hearts. The changes taking place on this island, and the island of my birth sadden us. But still, life comes one day at a time and we made this one as good as it can be. The old program from the 12 Step Rooms are the tired and true and I keep coming back in spite of my physical limitation of not being able to step into the rooms.  I started this day with this reading from my battered and worn copy of Courage to Change (and discover CTC is on Facebook)"Our spiritual growth is unlimited and our reward endless if we try to bring this program into every phase of our daily lives." :::there's a kiss:::
 

This full moon tomorrow will light up my 7th House of relationships: intimate, friends, business connections. The possibilities abound, the agility for making real the possibility? It's in the being aware and allowing for "a kiss from mom." Wherever the full moon is in your astrological world feel the kiss, make it real. And if you're a sister/brother Scorpio "Fingerspitzentanz"!

P.S. To listen to the pronunciation of some of those German juxtapositions (including " "Fingerspitzentanz") from Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition, link here. It's a hoot!!

And, since this is such a BIG FULL Moon, something from Satori is here.




Saturday, January 11, 2014

The genius involved in The Tire Iron: how to change "a flat" during the Cardinal T-Square

The Tire Iron: a tool needed to change your flat tire.

Astrologically, The Cardinal Grand Cross will be with us through mid-summer of 2014.
Here's how my mind worked and played with the image of a tire iron that floated in with the wind (that is howling around me outside!) when I considered the challenges and opportunities involved with that Cardinal Grand Cross. My astrologer wrote this morning, "...With Uranus square Pluto and the Cardinal grand cross, this is a really good time to take control of your life. Quit acting like you’re not in a ditch, if that’s what you’re doing. Quit acting like you’re not going in circles, if that’s what you’re doing..."
This is what the Cardinal T-Square (or Grand Cross by another name) looks like when you lay out an astrological chart. The Cardinal signs (Libra, Aries, Cancer and Capricorn) are in the sky above Earth like the points of a tire iron. In the image above Capricorn is in the 12 o'clock position, Cancer is in the 6 o'clock position, Aries is at the 9 o'clock position and Libra is at 3 o'clock. The planets involved in this T-Square are: Mars (in Libra), Uranus (in Aries), Jupiter (in Cancer) and Pluto (in Capricorn). Now try to stay with me on this romp. Laying out the basics is like making sure you have all the ingredients you need to make that yummy recipe. 

Using that tire iron image my mind and the genius within, that is a playful old gal, who learned from her Poppa Honey a long, long, long time ago how to change flats, has this whole picture (integrated perspective) on the asto-personal challenge question raised by Elsa P. The Researcher within me who loves a good life-puzzle considers all the angles and makes room for her angels; a woman feeds on both the angles and the angels. So I an inspired (wind-infused Uranus) in the 3rd House of Communication. I ride it out and find this blog where the tire-iron photo above was found. The blog WomenWithWrenches has a brilliant juxtaposition of practical information for a woman whose husband had never taught her to change a tire safely and easily. She did not have a Poppa Honey like mine, poor thing! But it makes no nevermind. The genius lies in what happened after I found the blog, read the instruction and saw the big picture of connecting information the way I do to overcome obstacles: "I am permeable" information/teaching will seep into me and that is one of the only ways I learn. Telling me what I must do has NEVER worked. I will do exactly the opposite, for good or ill. We all have our special brand and style of learning, or "being reached." I learned something the other day when I read the astrology of "how to be reached."

Here's a snip from WomenWithWrenches' short-version for changing a tire and rewards conclude the venture! The question is:
"My well-meaning husband has never taught me the safe and proper way to change a tire! Can you help?
Sure! He probably assumed you knew . . . hopefully. Anyways, you want to start by making sure you are on a flat, level surface. We seriously can NOT stress that enough! For your safety’s sake, and for our peace of mind, don’t try this on a dirt road or the side of a hill. Please! Flat and level.
In a nutshell, you grab your spare tire, jack, and tire iron. Loosen the lug nuts while the car is on the ground, line up your jack with the metal “tab” jack points, make sure your car is not in neutral and the parking brake is set, and raise it up. Once the flat tire is clear of the ground, remove the lug nuts and take the tire off.
Line up the spare tire and hold it in place with your knee or arm while screwing the lug nuts back on by hand. Get them snug with the tire iron and lower the jack till your car is back on the ground. Pull the jack away, and tighten the lug nuts again with the iron, going in a star pattern to make sure they go on evenly. Pitch that miserable flat tire into the trunk with the tools, and head home carefully. Remember, the little “donut” spare isn’t designed to drive like a normal tire, so take it easy!
When you get home, have some delicious truffles for your trouble!
Still with me? Hope so. If you need a break, go get that cup of something, or take a look at those delicious truffles for comfort without calories; then, come on back. Here's what I like about living, learning and playing with "issues" that keep putting me in the ditch, or have me worried when one of the tires on my metaphorical vehicle is flat. The metaphor is useable because if it's MOVEMENT that I'm after my vehicle or my our dear self with bad habits or sticking thinking could be aided by a look through different eyes, or a view from another angle. Changing a tire or using the stars (astrology) is something that can be learned, and it's very useful to know what your personal style for being reached is. It maybe my early training as a teacher that makes this approach genius-sense. Even then, as I taught, there has never been an in-the-box approach to it. I didn't learn much in the box, but I have learned that I was convinced of one-way thinking, only to discover the error of my ways later in life. Saturn has been there to remind me I learn things over the long term.

The point? That's it. Sometimes the point is many points. The position of the planets affects Earth because Earth is part of the whole. I, you, we are all affected by the whole. Old habits that are making me drive around in circles because one tire is flat gives me cause to look at the position of those slower-moving planets (Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Aries, Jupiter in Cancer) and weigh their effects on Mars' (faster moving, but in retrograde until mid-May, 2014). In my case, Pluto in Capricorn will be in my 12th House of deeply hidden secrets until 2025. That's a long stretch. My deeply private nature (I have Moon in Capricorn) is being asked "Is that one of my personal flat tires?" A Scorpio like me will remain private all her days and nights, but the subtle and powerful difference is in knowing and accepting truly good and nurturing relationships to be my gift (both received and given). Jupiter is in Cancer, and Cancer is in my 7th House opposing Capricorn. THERE'S a clue. Cancer is all about home, family, security. Coming up in a few days/nights is the Full Moon in Cancer, January 15th. "Maximize the positive impact" says my astrologer.

Life is a journey, a process with step-by-step experiences varied with the lightning and wind-inspired flash of the big picture incorporating all there is: it's the genius of being inseparable from all. On my way back home on my small donut of a spare tire, I give myself rewards for getting where I was headed before the flat. There's plenty to commend and mistakes are part of the whole. Look at the giraffe! The Full Moon next week will give me something to be positive in my close relationships/home and that's a sweet treat to have faith in. A truffle without  calories:) Pluto in Capricorn will be there for a long time, pacing seems important and Grace under fire may just enjoy a bit of a truffle so why not make up a tea tray for two: tea for you and Grace.

What a romp, a juggle, a fun time. Almost as good as sex.





Friday, January 10, 2014

Malama ka 'aina i ke kai ... care for the land and the sea


Link to the story behind the wave
 Liko Martin, composer of "All Hawaii Stands Together" speaks of his composition, sings the song and plays music

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Teachability

 “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”
Dr. Seuss


My astrologer, Elsa P. posed a seemingly simple question on her blog today: "How can a person reach you?"  As I wrote in a comment to her query I couldn't answer the question and that really puzzled me. I've learned over time to leave something (a question, a puzzle) alone, relax (that's not always easy, but there it is!) do something good for myself, and most of all go to sleep/rest/dream. As I wrote yesterday, these are the 'Ole Moon times; today is 'Ole Pau the last of the four rest and reflective phases prior to the Full Moon coming up in the sign of Cancer (January 15, 2014). Something sweet and sour about 'Ole Pau phases is the potential to be "without" ('ole) for a long time (pau). On the one hand you might not want to get married on this day if there's any hesitation in your gut if marriage in your culture is a forever no nevermind sort of value. Then again if this is THE one and you both know it, this one will be long lasting one "without end." Everywhere you look there is the duality of answers, an axis of opposites and ultimately and every time, both are true depending upon your point of view.

So, on an 'Ole Moon the reflection with Elsa's query is on the value of being teachable. To teach well and truly, the teacher must remain ever teachable; that in a nutshell is the reason Makua o'o is a lifetime journey and practice. "There is so much to learn," as Pua Kanakaole Kanahele exclaims in this YouTube presentation.

Astrology and genealogy are long-term teaching experiences that serve me well and differently as I grow and age. Both tools have given me the long-sighted view of being human that I suppose would not require so much time, if I were an astronaut. The chance for that to happen in this lifetime is scant, but the lesson of being human and appreciating Earth as the Mother-she-is could not be better served than to see and feel what space-travelers see when they are on their way back home after being on the moon. What happens for me when I see the photo of Earth from space, and read the quotes from astronauts is inspiration-insight-infusion from the Gods. Astrologically, Neptune transforms any doubt in me that we are all connected. Genealogy. Long-view perspective integrates and I feel the heartbeat of my culture as woman with blood of the kanaka maoli. I am reached and know why "malama 'aina" means love the land and the land is Earth. I have a heavy signature of Capricorn and Saturn (long term work). If I'm not teachable the hard becomes brittle, and brittle break. Flexibility comes from Jupiter and Venus. Astrology teaches me how to appreciate those angles, not all at once, but with practice. So I practice.


Seated here in front of the computer screen in a tiny hut that just barely separates me from hundreds of tall and rooted trees I am awake and aware to the presents: those trees root me and us to the ground and to Earth; without them it would be a very different place/home; all that green the astronauts saw from space? Trees. A pot of chicken stew steams on the burner, I hear the water simmer making lunch for us. The simple and ordinary process of cutting up carrots, Kabocha, onions and collards involves in what we'll eat in an hour. Pete my husband is resting deeply, worn from the weather, the doing of a very action-oriented Cancerian man. His body senses the need for the rest and these 'Ole Moons take on a very sensual reality for him, for us. There are many steps, many processes involved in living this life from tiny rooms built in the woods. Work is involved. Someone needs to do things, even as the reflections are important the dishes, the stew, the composting toilet, the feeding of chickens and the feeding of the cat: things that must be done.

Gently now than perhaps at other times the role of doer and being flips and for now I do more, while also being grounded like the Tall Ones (the trees), or the wakame (the seaweed, the kelp) that is held fast to sea stones and moves with the push of wind or tides. The wind and water influence me, the trees remind me they cannot dance unless they are firmly rooted. I remain teachable and give thanks that I can be reached. You?



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The 'Ole Moons

The beautiful illustration of "Kaulana Mahina" (the Hawaiian Moon Calendar) is done by Holly Camp found in an article in Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine written by Paul Wood
These (yesterday, today, tomorrow and Thursday) are the 'Ole Moons if you keep track of time via Kaulana Mahina The Hawaiian Moon Calendar. The anahulu (10 nights/days of the week) leading up to the full moon includes 4 phases of 'Ole Moons. On the other end of the moon's near 30 days/nights of illumination, there are 3 phases of 'Ole Moons. Traditionally, our ancestors knew to keep these days/nights as times of weeding, repairing, resting, and resting the cultivation or harvesting of ka 'aina a me ke kai; leaving planting and harvesting from land and sea for other times of the month. The Kanaka Maoli are not the only culture which attunes to the inseparable nature of give and take between all-that-is. Most indigenous people lived and maintained life with that value.

As a life practice in today's reality the application of living, planting, fishing and being in sync with the moon is one that begins when the makua becomes aware. Solar time and the male domination of the sun-driven culture is addictive and subtle. We tell time and set our goals primarily by solar time. The shift into living by mahina came for me and my husband as a result of a major crisis in identity and lifestyle. From that loss we came to know the regularity of moon time and have not been quite the same since. I have written many articles about The Hawaiian Moon Calendar on this blog. And have facilitated on-line workshops focused on The Hawaiian Moon Calendar. You can link to those workshops here. They are open to the public now.

The 'Ole Moons are a time of pause, not just one day/night but several during the moon's monthly cycle. It's a rest and reflective time and though I love the sight and feel of all of mahina's 'faces' it is the 'ole that affects me with much appreciation. Surrender applies to 'ole moons. Being replaces doing. Yes, here I am writing and it makes me feel the appreciation for those Hawaiian roots that tether me when I feel lonely for the warmth of Hawaii ... reflective and weeping, I greet my roots through this writing and give thanks. New work can wait for other times. Awareness of Kaulana Mahina is the beginning, an idea that tickles at our minds and our gut. Integration of that perspective is the gentle and patient application into body knowing; that takes time.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Solar Return Chart for Makua o'o (a blog born in the year of the ox!)

This is the solar return chart for this blog. Yesterday was Makua o'o's solar return, it's the start her 5th year. I see the Capricorn stellium in mutual reception to Saturn (in the 7th House) in Scorpio (in the 9th House) in a trine. Giving many opportunities to relate (7th House) to other forms of publication-philosophies (9th House) through consistent commitment in relationships. That same Capricorn stellium is in trine with the Pisces Moon giving the energy of transformation to what is valued (Venus), in forms of communication (Mercury) and how this blog can shine in the world (Sun). The Pisces Moon is sweet in aspect with Saturn in Scorpio, aiding the deep and murky with a comforting place for emotional retreat. There is the challenge of Mars in Libra in the 6th House to balance the exuberance of the Year of the Horse energy. Makua o'o was born in 2009, the Year of the Horse   Ox, so slow, steady effort is what characterizes this blog. (I caught myself and corrected my thinking ... good thinking:) Uranus in Aries squares the Capricorn stellium. Unexpected and sudden changes will be part of the Year of the Horse energy of this year. And finally, Jupiter in Cancer opposes that same Capricorn stellium. I think, it's all that cardinal t-square stuff that will be with us through July, 2014.

I ordered a Solar Return Chart Report for Elsa P. last week to consider the new year here at Makua o'o. I'm glad I did, and excited by the energy, opportunity and challenges here. What do you see in the chart?

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Riding in on The Year of the Horse

The Chinese New Year 2014 is The Year of the Horse. Link here for a bit of silliness about what rides in on the year of the horse.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Now for something completely different!

Midst the deep and ancient dreams I've been having, and the aches that only prove I'm still alive though pained Pluto in Capricorn has brought old, not quite vintage, old dames into our lives. Hauling old things around is not a new thing for us, and among them is the hand-me-down television set from our friends in Everett. The set, mostly color, though it does sometimes waiver and we have a flash back to black and white. Perhaps the old tubes are cold or damp from the shared residence that television set experiences in our wash house. Onward ... once a day, after the sun is set and our dinner et we plug in the old t.v. fiddle with the cords from the d.v.d. player and settle on the futon for a nightly dose of some old, or new, movie. Recently our entertainment has been episodes from the 1990's Brit cooking show TWO FAT LADIES.


Pete and I started watching the outrageously funny women on BBC when we lived in Iao Valley on the island of Maui. It was 1996 and we were two not quite young nor not quite old dears beginning a life together. After days of work at the hotel where we both worked once a week their capricious romps on Jennifer Patterson's motorbike with Clarissa Dickson Wright packed snug with her leather helmet in the sidebar was pure entertainment. Looking back at those Iao Valley times and the episodes of the Two Fat Ladies is rather like appreciating life, food, conversation and the odd conventions we all consider and too often judge. Pete said last night, "We should buy ourselves these videos." He was surprised and nightly delighted at the old-fashioned hands on and absolutely devoid of politically correct choices of ingredients, and opinions. Both ingredients and opinions being strong, and liberally funny.

The cooking show ran on BBC for four seasons, but ended unexpectedly when only four weeks after she was diagnosed with lung cancer, Jennifer Patterson died of the disease. She was a heavy and unapologetic smoker. According to the Guardian's account of Patterson's death, she is quoted as having said, "Thousands die from smoking each year, but knowing this I continue to smoke myself. It is my informed decision." The second half of the two fat ladies, Clarissa Dickson Wright was a fine balance of visual example wearing bluntly cut not quite blond hair with little or no makeup, a single ring on her pinkie contrasting Patterson's darkly colored black hair held back in a pony tail, with large black rimmed glasses, glossy red lipstick with manicured nails to match and emeralds on her fingers. Their physical appearance and their zest for life and conversations spread liberally with lyrics from Portugal or Ireland made the Two Fat Ladies a source for cult followers.

These women were(are) cooks, not chefs. That was an important point. Jennifer and Clarissa loved to cook with their hands in the works, fondling raw fish for bones being one of those tips that really made a hit with me. (I have found too many fish bones in my throat!) We're on the third of four seasons now, and though the choices we make today about what we eat might exclude some of the meats and a pound of the butter, the two fat women's facility and joy for food is something worth savoring. Their techniques (stomping dried bread in a wrapped bag for bread crumbs, hand pressing lovely pastry on a tablecloth) and their conversations embrace the potential to be fully alive beings. The production and assembly of film is an illusion, I know, I know. But, sometimes that's exactly what one needs. "Now for something completely different!"

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Elder wisdom from Hopi Elders as told to ChoQoah Auh'Ho'Oh

These teachings printed here are not easy to read; it will take a commitment to get at it, but, it seems  good practice for applying the principles in real life. Use your bifocals (or borrow you mother's) or hit the 'ctrl and +' keys to magnify your screen; use your creativity to get the message.

Thank you jt for sharing this on Facebook. 

The first few lines of this powerful message reads ...

"Rise with the sun. Pray alone. Pray Often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path.
Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul.
Pray that they will find guidance..."
The final lines of this message ends with ...

"...and the people must know the truth, share what we have taught you. There can be no more secrets now if we are to survive as a thinking species through these times." "This," they said, "must be done because the dream of humanity can only be preserved through the combined efforts of all peoples and the joining and merging of all cultures into a oneness."

Mahalo nui loa a pau na kupuna