New Moon in Leo: Using Your Big Voice

Coming down off the eclipses earlier this month (read about them here), so many folks are scratching their heads, after major surprises have flown in the window early July.

Did you experience a tectonic shift? I sure did - and more than one. Surprises were being dealt from the cosmos like a high-stakes poker game. The whole time, I kept saying to myself, thank Goddess I know astrology. And, I know that none of this is personal. I know that this is cosmically necessary, because it is what is happening. I know this is Right. On. Time. And, most importantly, I know that none of this is in my control…

Now that we’ve moved out of the Cancer/Capricorn eclipses, we’ve shifted into Leo Season extraordinaire. Everyone wants to be heard, to be seen, to be acknowledged for their natural shine. This is healthy, even if it seems unfamiliar or out of character. We are tapping into our innate kingliness or queenliness. Royalty. It’s time to use our Big Voice.

Because so much on the playing field has shifted in the past few weeks, we are having to speak our truth and make major decisions involving other people. Leo is a relational sign, ruling the fifth house of love affairs, children, playtime, karma, and – to some extent – an extension of the fourth house of family (small kingdoms/queendoms).

Leo can be hugely loyal when the heart is engaged. We want to express our Love fully, and have it returned and recognized. When we trust and shine our heart-light brightly in relationship, in our personal or professional lives or the greater world stage, and we don’t have it returned, we get glum, feel unseen and ignored.

After the pouting is over, we can use the more evolved energy of Leo season to speak up for ourselves and, in a gentle, non-bullying fashion, explain our perspective and request the needed changes. Feeling the fire of anger or upset is not a bad thing. It’s arising for a reason: the energy needs to come up and out, consciously. Perhaps, take a few days to ride the wave before making a brusque action. You may find that you get the same results, but even better. The change can be made with grace and respect of self and other. (Caveat: if the action or declaration arises instantly, without waiting, that is just fine. No mistakes. Trust yourself.)

As of tomorrow’s New Moon on July 31/August 1, the Sun, Moon, Venus and Mars will all be in the sign of the Lion. This fiery pride of planets will be joined by Mercury in Leo as of August 11. Wherever Leo falls in your chart, this is the realm where you will be called to express your power, leadership and true self, from the heart.

 For example, having this stellium of planets transiting your third house, you will be called to literally speak, teach, or write your truth, interacting with your community in a new, vibrant way – even showy. If Leo falls in your fifth house of fun, put on your party shoes. Maybe you’re dating up a storm on OK Cupid, Bumble, or Tinder. You might be performing, literally, for others, or involved with kids who are self-expressing 24/7.

Leo Season inspires us to use our Big Voice. To feel our power fully, and creatively express it with Love. If you notice others are creatively tooting their own horns, don’t be put off too quickly – that’s healthy pride, self-love and self-respect they’re modeling! Be inspired, and let your own lion’s mane of hair down a little, too. All the world’s a stage, and we are players. You have a part to play, too. We need you, your role is vital and large, even if it’s a one-liner – it’s critical. Show us your stuff!

 

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, teacher, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.

The End of Suffering: Monthly Satsang starts August 1st in Oakland

Are You Done with Trying to Fix, Change, Improve Yourself?

In other words, are you ready to stop suffering? To wake up from the dream that somehow, you are in control?

The attainment of enlightenment from ego’s point of view is extreme death,
the death of self, the death of me and mine, the death of the watcher.
It is the ultimate and final disappointment. 
– Chogyam Trungpa from The Myth of Freedom

I am sending this out to my dear community.  Among you are clients, mentees or just the curious; those who understand that I am holding both the non-dual and dual Realities simultaneously in our work together.

If you feel the need for satsang, a meeting in Truth and Consciousness, or you are interested in the spiritual teachings I have to offer, this email is sent heart to heart.

For the past two years, I've been meeting in satsang with a small group of folks online. It is now time to meet in person!

In my own experience, it is one thing to read about awakening and the end of suffering in a book. It is another to practice meditation, mindfulness, beingness, and so forth. And, it is another entirely to commune directly with an awakened guide. Someone who has been there, with their head in the tiger’s mouth. And someone whose head has been lopped off by the Master.

If you’re at the end of your rope, if you’ve tried everything and NOTHING is working. If you keep striving, seeking, practicing and still feel a sense of frustration, a deep dissatisfaction or even misery. If you want off the wheel entirely, to be FREE, even in bondage. To be AT PEACE.

This is what awakening has brought in my life, and I wish to share this with you. Indeed, I have to share it! I have received a gift and it is beyond time to speak up and out.

First Monthly Satsang in Oakland ~Thursday, August 1st!

These talks will be held monthly, on the first Thursday of each month, in-person in Oakland.

Thursday, August 1st

Where: Grand Lake, Oakland (address given upon RSVP)

When: 7pm to 8:30pm Pacific

Cost: $20 suggested donation (no one turned away due to lack of funds)

I will have a non-dual topic in mind, a jumping-off point of something to share and discuss. Most importantly, I welcome your dialog and your questions.

It is through having all your questions answered (jnana) that the ego is ultimately exhausted from trying, and the liberation can drop into the heart. Bhakti (devotion, the path of love) is another way this occurs, through relationship with the teacher, the teaching, grace itself.

This satsang is for sincere seekers! The focus will be on non-dual understanding. Individual spiritual counseling or intuitive consultations will be by appointment, separately as per usual.

To Register: Simply reply to this email. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about location and attending the meeting.

   

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.

I am looking forward to meeting you in Presence and Truth.

With love,

Erin

Click here to listen to the audio of a live online satsang with Erin:

“The end of suffering” – March 1,2018

 

For background reading:

Short awakening story available for $2.99 on Amazon Kindle

Ramesh’s Grace: A Simple Story of Waking Up by Erin Reese

FREE GIFT BOOK! Download here for the next two days, July 26 and 27^th

A bit of background: 
Many of you know a bit of my own story. Here’s a bit to remind us of the playing field...

I was deeply suffering before I met my Teacher, Ramesh Balsekar, an advaita (non-duality) master in India. I was lucky enough to receive transmission from him over the last two years before he died. My experience is that once I had my questions answered intellectually, with no more arguing with what is, what could be - knowing that it is all part of the inextricable whole ("God's will"/ cosmic law/ existence unfolding), I was able to endure whatever pain was arising in me.

For me, the pain was mostly psychological and involved my utter and complete failure to be happy in relationship. I had been suffering for 20+ years in this department and had totally exhausted myself with working on myself and trying everything, and then stopping, and then trying... I was beyond miserable. This was primarily regarding relationships, but also had to do with my complete dissatisfaction with 'the world' and 'work' and the Bay Area, etc.

At that time, 2007, through a true surrender and falling away of all else, all other desires in my life (because I was ready to die - not to commit suicide, but to die, to end it all), I was led by a thread to my Teacher, who over the next 2 years was my intellectual (jnana) teacher and ultimately the teaching pierced my heart (bhakta). By 2009, there were no further questions and I was totally relieved of intellectual, identified suffering. In early 2011, I experienced a falling away of the identification with the separate self (the 'me' thought) which has not returned.

You may ask... how to be with it and support the process? I would say, continuously dialog, ask your questions, with me and/or another non-dual teacher who has gone through it. Often, the ego has to experience total exhaustion and there often needs to be an apprehension of the whole, a complete seeing, for the falling away of identification to occur. In my experience, this happens in regular intensive satsang/meeting with Truth. That's why I suggest we continue to meet regularly. I suspect there will be a transmission of grace, but there is no guarantee.

Let’s get to the heart of it.

“Events happen, deed are done. But there is no individual doer or experiencer thereof.” ~ The Buddha

The July Eclipses: Staying Centered

Last week, just before Independence Day, we experienced a pivotal solar eclipse in Cancer, the cardinal water sign ruling home, family, mothering, lunar mysteries and sensitivities of all sorts. Almost every client I’ve spoken with over the past two weeks has reported a sudden, surprising occurrence, whether personal, intimate, or professional. Something big has shifted.
 

Sophia, 1989. Alex Gray

I liken eclipses to the cosmic chessboard. The hand of God, karma if you will, takes a piece – say, a bishop or knight, and plucks it from one square to another. You are the chess piece. The universe has deemed it time for a new perspective entirely. This movement has been entirely out of your control. It had to happen, however. This is your destiny. Everything looks different. And now, here you are. 

Speaking of chess, I’ve been reading The Art of Learning by international chess champ Josh Waitzkin, profiled in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993). After Waitzkin’s wildly successful youth chess career, he took up the martial art of Tai Chi Push Hands, and became an international champion in that sport as well. Waitzkin writes about “controlling the center,” no matter what is going on outside of you – whether on the chessboard or with a martial arts opponent.

We notice and respond to the tugs and pulls that are occurring, never losing contact with the center. Even if we are playing or favoring one side of the board, we always orient at the center. This is the true key to peace and real happiness.

I call it the seat of the Self. Resting in the I Am. I am never not here. I am nowhere, and everywhere, simultaneously.

Does this make me untouchable, such as during wild eclipse season? Disengaged? Unaffected by chaotic or disturbing events occurring in my life? No, and yes.

There is a place and a space, a plane, in which I live both in this Reality, and outside of this Reality. As I said, I am nowhere and everywhere. 

This is always the case. It is never not true. I am the constant, abiding awareness. I am the eternal subject.

The body comes and goes. Relationship comes and goes. All that exists in duality comes and goes.

If you want peace, you must Realize the Self – that which never comes and goes. It is outside of Time.

Imagine it as “freedom within bondage.” This is because we simultaneously must live through the experience of existence. The pains, the pleasures, the joys and heartaches, the relative successes and failures. It is all a play, an unfolding of maya. This is not to spiritually bypass, no. We still take action and make effort to change, to grow and develop, as our soul – and external and internal influences – dictate.

We are not separate from everything else, an infinite (infinite!) number of causes and effects occurring all at once. We both have volition, and we are subject to all – freedom in bondage. We live in paradox. When this is fully realized, there is no need to remember, and nothing to forget.

We have another eclipse – a full moon, lunar in Capricorn – coming up on Tuesday, July 16. During eclipse season, it’s wise to remember the above teaching. This will help you keep your serenity – to be the center – even when everything or everyone around you is rattled, reactive, insecure. Settle into the seat of the Self, pop the popcorn, and watch the show.

Summertime in the High Sierra

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, teacher, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.