hey man
evening on the ground
and there is no one else around
so you will
blame me
blame me for the rocks and baby bones
and broken lock on our
garden
garden wall of eden
full of spiderbites and all your lovers
we were
we were born to f*** each other
one way or another
but i’ll only lie
down by the waterside at night

– from Down by the Waterside (Lilith’s Song) Iron & Wine*

To be alive is to be burning. -N. Mailer

New Moon Aries Solar Eclipse, Friday, April 8, 2005 1:32 PM PST

We’re easily caught up, the pace of life is the quickening of beginnings. All the personal planets except Mars in cardinal signs, in the ‘getting on with things’ manifesto of Aries its easy to feel our trailblazing energy. The energy is impulsive, like a knee jerk reaction to the bondages of winter, what made it through is alive and kicking. God bless him, the pope finally left in body, but in spirit his death has renewed age-old arguments.

As the cycle unfolded from the full moon two weeks ago, Easter rose like the holy ghost, with Venus and the Sun and brought the feminine back to life. We see powerful women in the news, her tragedies and triumphs. Unfortunately, this is the state we meet her, Terry Schiavo kept artificially alive for years, with no life of her own save the machines of science, to which we owe her mechanized breathing. Nourishment is so vital to the feminine, and we meet her eating through tubes, counter to Venus’ love of food’s sensual pleasure. For Venus life without sensual pleasure is a life not worth living.

Jane Fonda just published a book ‘My Life So Far’, a self-described ‘lightening rod’ personality. She was the outspoken heroine, both Barbarella and war activist, truly a Venus in Aries type. She speaks of self-sacrifice, how she changed her self for every man she partnered with by becoming whoever he wanted her to be. She’s also still defending her anti-war stance 30 years later, some Vietnam Vets still call Hanoi Jane a traitor- for visiting and dialoguing with the ‘enemy’.

I’m reminded of Lilith, the original Eve. Completely written out of history by the Church’s secularization, her story is found in Hebrew texts, the Talmud. Lilith was Adam’s first mate, they fought all the time. She wanted equality and he disagreed. She wants to be on top some of the time, he wants her beneath him. And so, she leaves. Enter Eve as the domesticated good girl, a stepford wife accepting her place as lower than Adam’s. Eve fed Adam the apple, but it was Lilith (now the serpent according to the new bible) who gave Eve the apple. As women, we feel this story in our bones, grieving a little bit each time a woman is judged, suppressed, denied her voice or even natural life cycle. We feel Lilith’s banishment to the netherlands of the earth, understanding her choice of life without personal relationship as a sad consequence to one filled with inequalities.

Aries energy is ‘the beginning’ part of ‘in the beginning’- Arian beginnings appear straightforward and intuitively logical, the rush of spring. Straight shooter Aries so quickly forgets the road behind, the mountain climbed, and this leads to unnecessary battles & false starts. Impulse doesn’t have memory; in the rush for ‘beginning’ we may forget that each of us has a larger score card to settle. The tools may appear as worldly forms of new achievement and acquisitions, but we’re tooling around in the soil of the original garden – our agreement to the very essence of truth to self and others. This is the agreement drawn for us, before time, by the infinite. A contract beyond the life events of periodic costume changes, the obligations we’re here to make good. What is the mission you’ve been elected by us all to fulfill? If you’re growing & evolving us all, you’re shaking the tree to make good on this promise.

We sense this in the solar eclipse; part of a series of eclipses Saros 129 includes 80 eclipses spanning about 1,425 years, the last one occurring March 29, 1987. For this series, history reflects issues of secular vs. sacred power, regime changes, sexuality and procreation. Lilith’s legacy of banished identity became sexualized; what was one part of her became constellated into larger than life shaming. Remember, this ‘original sin’ was born of inequality, not lasciviousness. What happens when something essential is denied? Lilith/Eve has become all the guilt of Eden-sexually wild, untamable, and free to love whomever she pleases, not to be confused with lack of moral fiber, contrary to popular opinion. Case in point: So-called ‘Desperate Housewives’ women want to enjoy the accomplishments of housework and vibrant sexual lives. Simultaneously, perchance? Now that’s good viewing! The only desperate thing about this show is America’s starvation for some apple pie eroticism. Certainly this has nothing to do with the current moral climate of conservatism. All hail the erotic life!

Eclipses have the potential for unexpected shake-ups, beginnings and endings, the variation in intensity depends on how it aspects your natal chart. To some degree, almost all of us have begun a new phase in life, one chapter beginning, and one closing. If this is hard to discern, that’s the nature of eclipse- out of the blue happenings occur just as easily as obscuration & removals. Due to the positions of Venus & North Node with New Moon all square Saturn, in this new road you’re trailblazing, you have the potential to create great change and thus great karma aka consequence of action. Before you move ahead into that gleaming Ferrari promise of desire, look in the rearview mirror. Take stock: Yes, that’s you, gorgeous. You are in the driver’s seat and where you are now in life is a consequence of every choice you’ve made. That’s power for you alone, to make choices even when appearances dictate the circumstances. Reflect on this and give yourself, in true Arian spirit, a running head start.

4/08 The New Moon, Sun, Venus and Node in Aries square Saturn. This emphasizes the frustration and pain of relationship or financial needs right now; what you want is at odds with the reality of the situation and this is painful. Maybe someone has left the picture. Pallas Athene, the Goddess of truth-to-self faces off with Juno, Goddess of loyalty to another. This powerfully procreative eclipse impels us: ‘do something’! Turn your frustration into initiative; let yourself get caught up in a passionate scheme of your own initiative. Warning: the time is ripe for troublemaking, too. Fantasy is heightened with Mars and Neptune float with New Moon in a too good to be true trine. The movie ‘Sin City’ opens this weekend, perfect for this combination of edgy sexuality meets illusion.

The end of the weekend begins Sun square Saturn seriousness, exact 4/10 and the trend can be felt a day earlier and extend through mid-week. Sunday is a day of effort; obstacles may appear Herculean and irritating. Remember some obstacles are a matter of mindset, others are quite tangible. We may sulk or continue forward until mid afternoon throws a confusing curveball. Watch for overexertion, as you push and possibly suffer a setback. Take a break, its all enough to test the patience of a saint. Late evening, sleep restfully in the accomplishment of knowing your limitations.

4/11- 4/14 Over the next few days, strange passive-aggressive behavior is king (see 4/13). Some reprieve comes on 4/12 when Mercury goes direct for less hassles in transportation, communication, paperwork and computer snafus. An early morning glitch is just course-correction. By afternoon, we’re optimistic and clear-minded, more or less.

4/13 is a charismatic day that starts of with a potential misfire- an early morning Mars/Neptune exact conjunction. With this ambiguous and slightly off focus pair, sexual/physical energy meanders and easily finding itself in a whole lotta trouble without really knowing what happened. Mars rules cars so pay attention while driving. This energy extends backward and forward a few days. Later in the day 4/13, intensity and focus create opportunity for greater precision. Exchanges of value, financial or interpersonal, are best accomplished late evening.

4/15-16 Venus enters Taurus on a Moon in Cancer day. ‘The safety of objects’ makes us feel loved and secure– possessions of people and things provide satisfaction. For the next month, love is the art of mutual appreciation in relationships and bank accounts. The pleasures that money can buy, yes, but also the sensual abundance of nature and creature comforts like good food and company. Remember, true style, just like true appreciation of another’s essence, cannot be bought or sold. Venus in her home sign teaches us to value meaningful indulgences of the senses. What is an essential pleasure for you? We learn that by treating ourselves we enhance self-worth.

Venus provides fodder for the evening of 4/15, when we may feel emotionally tested by all we think we don’t have. Saturn on this first quarter square commits to a course of action, within limits. By the evening of 4/16 things are upbeat and chatty, carrying through Sunday 4/17, as both are a green light for fun with friends.

4/19 Sun moves into Taurus finding the collective turn toward natural resources, where to find ’em, how to keep ’em. No doubt, oil, liquid gold, continues to headline the news. Like any good Taurus, we want to use our inner resource to create wealth & substance. Now is the time to appreciate the earth with early morning nature hikes, anywhere with scenic, lush vegetation. Springtime fruits and vegetables bloom, buy from your local farmers market. Gardens beg to be sown, dirt never smelled so clean. Mother Nature makes it look so easy-so don’t forget to give gratitude on Earth day, 4/22.

4/22 moon in Libra joins Jupiter for some attitude of gratitude. Early morning generosity extends throughout the day, enhancing our relationships. The evening is sweet and soulful, perfect for enjoying music, artistic or spiritual pursuits.

On 4/23 the moon fills up with light for a full moon lunar eclipse in the sign of the Scorpion. Like the soap opera ‘Passion’, magnetism is high and relationships have potential for hopeful new developments. The light of the moon has almost reached her maximum, yet the sun crosses her path for some temporary obscurations. Stay tuned-

****From the EP release Woman King

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/i/iron-and-wine/woman-king.shtml

For you with email firewalls or delicate sensibilities, I use f*** to kindly soften the 4-letter word.

Sometimes the angels are cursing gravelly-voiced men from Florida. Hallelujah! Sam Beam gives us a heartfelt tribute to rescue and revive the inner feminine- as shamed, repressed and ultimately heroic.

‘Let Love Eclipse Your Fear’ Bonus: In perfect timing, I received a solution for this New Moon’s Saturn (fear) Venus (love) conflict. Right now, I’m saying this prayer for you: Let Fear eclipse your Love no longer!

A psychology professor asks his students for their thoughts on Love and Fear. The music is Love and Fear by Morcheeba. (you’ll need flash)
http://members.shaw.ca/yofrizb/