I’ve been thinking about Saturn, or hard work and hard truths, entering Pisces, the sign of interconnectedness, alongside Neptune, a/k/a “Enlightenment, Deception, and Delusion,” next week. And it’s interesting. Astrological transits often point to something and its opposite at the same time. Saturn and Neptune in Pisces could be experienced as a profound deepening of spiritual work, or increased spiritual rigor, over the next three years. It could also be describing a significant increase in cults, scam artists, and wellness culture conspirituality. But what is most likely for individuals is a vast miasma of mediocrity, in which there are a lot of good intentions around spiritual depth, but those good intentions are consistently dissolved by inaction, stagnation, or fear.
This is where our decision-making power comes in! It is often a good idea to pick what side you want to be on when a transit comes, and proactively commit to things that enact that story. For this reason, next week I am beginning two new sessions that are all about developing and deepening the spiritual and philosophical supports that undergird your use of astrology.
Discovering Your Why
Saturday April 6, 22, May 6, 2023 2:00-4:00 PM EST, $20
Why do you think astrology works? And what does that say about how life and the universe works?
In this two hour group workshop, you will get a basic introduction to a set of concepts drawn from religion, philosophy, and the natural sciences that can be used as building blocks to form a considered and realistic philosophy of astrology. You'll interrogate how these puzzle pieces fit with your pre-existing beliefs, popular astrology content, and skeptical points of view. And you'll leave with journal prompts and a reading list that can help you develop a practice of continually considering why astrology is a part of your life, how it might work, and how it informs your beliefs.
Astrology can be a helpful part of a practical, thoughtful, modern life. But consuming astrology content without a clear sense of why you are using astrology and what you believe it is can generate a lot of unproductive anxiety and dread!
Come ground yourself in the context of a fun and provocative group conversation that will serve you years into the future.
To ensure group participation, registration is capped at 15.
Virtual Zazen
Most weekdays 12:00-12:15 EST beginning March 6, 2023, Free
Astrology is information about the future. It can help you wait out a bad situation by telling you when it will end. All by itself, it can't help you relate to the bad situation with more skill, equanimity, or grace. But pairing astrology with a wisdom tradition or spiritual practice can.
This regular weekday session is for anybody who signs up. It is designed for folks who know how to meditate, but who need an invitation to make their practice more regular. It is also designed to function for people at a workplace. All you need is the ability to sit still without interruption for fifteen minutes. The tradition will be Zen, but there will be no chanting or prostrations, cushion optional. It is short because the primary goal is simply to establish a regular practice with what you have. All you have to do is register to get the link, and hop on Zoom at noon.
Each session will begin with one minute of awareness practice to get people settled in, followed by a short reading. Then there will be ten minutes of silent meditation. Why virtual Zazen every day instead of a recorded guided meditation that you can use anywhere or at any time? They’re different things! The purpose of sitting is simply to face oneself. It is carving out a separate space and time that is radically simplified, in which we can begin to know ourselves, not as our thoughts or our emotions or our needs, but as who we actually are. That kind of inquiry is not easy to sustain by yourself–constructive peer pressure and an invitation to be part of a community really matter. So consider yourself invited, and noticed if you come!