The Gemini-Sag Eclipses: Be Crazy Dumbsaint of Mind

Holy Fool in Convertible on New England Coast

These are wild times, eclipse days. Many of us felt the recent Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius like being in a washing machine on ultra-spin cycle. Sagittarius – expanding our view, stretching us even further beyond the beyond. And now, we gear up for the New Moon solar eclipse on June 10 in the mutable air sign of Gemini. Whew, another wild card en route!

Yakety-yak, don’t talk back – or DO talk back. Gemini Twin energies want us to keep talking, writing, dialoguing with self and other. We need new information, and we need to think critically (remember that?) about what we are reading, imbibing, hearing. How do you know what you read or hear is True? Because your heart, gut, intuition give you a green light. How do you know if what you read or hear or even think is false? Because, if you give yourself a second to sit with it, you’ll feel a subtle or strong feeling of disgust, heaviness, repulsion, insidious anxiety. Allow serenity to be your barometer to Truth. And, that doesn’t mean you are never angry, sad, frustrated, upset. These are gifts, pointers to Truth as well.Simply remember that peace is the ultimate root underneath it all.

Another theme with Gemini/Sag eclipses is dissemination of information, through books and travel and movement, long and short distances. Where are you being moved to gather new inspiration? Are your mental moorings needing to be loosened, freed? Are you, as Kerouac wrote, allowing yourself to “be crazy dumbsaint of mind”? As we gear up for next week’s New Moon Solar Eclipse, we might have a chance of enjoying, loving, laughing and easing through it by cultivating our HOLY FOOL archetype.

Pilgrimages to Cultivate Your Holy Fool

Recently, my Beloved and I took a trip to the East Coast for a family wedding on the Maine coast (see Exhibit A: Holy Fool in Convertible). We also spent time in Boston and Western Mass. I took the opportunity to make many a literary pilgrimage to bless my Book Baby. I took my new book Truth Seeker to all of these sites to request the spirit of writers whom I admire to imbue the book with their love and to show them what their inspiration contributed to! Thoreau, Dickinson, Emerson – and most importantly, to me – Kerouac.

I invite you to make large and small pilgrimages to sites and spots that symbolize that which inspire you, that you want to amplify. Pilgrimages are powerful nods to the personal and collective psyche. I wanted to not only enhance my own connection to these writers’ work, I was remembering the metaphysical principle that “as we do one thing, we do all things.” We are not separate. My visitation to these sites was not just for me, for Truth Seeker – it was for YOU, too. I wish for YOU to keep reading, learning, thinking CRITICALLY and questioning the mainstream narrative. To keep digging in deeper. To keep jumping off your cliffs, and diving in to deeper evolutionary waters. Tell yourself the truth. What do you KNOW? What do you most need to admit to yourself? Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, or barely journal – you can use the principle of journalistic observation to tell yourself the Truth about how you feel, what you sense about the world, the cosmos, Consciousness within and without.

For this reason, I made an effort to visit these great masters of the written word.

#1 Parker House Hotel in Boston, MA, where Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathanial Hawthorne et al gathered to discuss topics of the day and their Transcendentalist writing. Parker House is the oldest running hotel in Boston and an historical hotspot, no doubt. Erin’s key inspiration in high school: Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” (1854) – a treatise on individuation; highly recommend.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Emerson

Walden Pond, Concord, MA

 #2 Walden Pond in Concord, MA to pay respects to Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). Literary pilgrimage, asking for blessings for my new book from this great Transcendentalist and early environmentalist advocating simple living; Thoreau was of course a disciple of Emerson and author of "Civil Disobedience."

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

-Walden; or Life In the Woods, 1854

#3 Paying respects at the Amherst, MA grave the great poetess Emily Dickinson, way ahead of her time. She inspires me in her depth of wisdom and clarity and soul. If you're a fan, I recommend watching The Belle of Amherst (1976) with Tony winner Julie Harris.  Streaming on Kanopy with your library subscription. 

Here’s another I drool over:

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – 236

I keep it, staying at Home –

With a Bobolink for a Chorister –

And an Orchard, for a Dome –

 

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice –

I, just wear my Wings –

And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,

Our little Sexton – sings.

 

God preaches, a noted Clergyman –

And the sermon is never long,

So instead of getting to Heaven, at last –

I’m going, all along.

-Emily Dickinson, 1864

 

#4 THE CRESCENDO. At the Lowell, MA grave of Jack Kerouac. “The road is life.” Bless you, Ti Jean.

I am a Beat Lit freak. Kerouac is a cornerstone, yet just the tip of the iceberg. I devour it all – Kerouac, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Snyder, and the women Beats Joyce Johnson, Diane Di Prima, Patti Smith, JoAnne Kyger – these are my people. Spontaneous Bop Prosody. Allow Consciousness to do the writing.

We placed a cig for Jack on the grave, next to my book and the empty minis of tequila others had left. Inspiration: Belief and Technique for Modern Prose – must read! Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind.

As I said, pilgrimages are beyond recognized spiritual spots. It can be a coffee shop where you first met your lover. A chaparral trail where you saw your first phainopepla. Any place where magic has occurred. Where your hero/heroine was born, walked, loved, ate, taught, died. Your psyche, your soul will know – you are connected. Let Gemini move your feet to the beat.

Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind. Your Consciousness will live forever, for it is not separate from All That Is, and Ever Was and Ever Will Be.

All my love,

Erin
 

BOOK REPORT!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy with my book launch, which turned out GREAT. If you were there, THANK YOU. I appreciate the support! It was a lot of fun, and I was totally astounded by the geographical range of turnout. The two live Zoom calls, celebrating the birth of my book, Truth Seeker: A Spiritual Adventure of Love, Loss, and Liberation, had folks from the following places (among others!) in true Full Moon in Sagittarius international spirit:

 

Croatia

London, England

Glastonbury, UK

Berlin, Germany

Essen, Germany

The Netherlands

Malaysia

Bali, Indonesia

Japan

NY, NY

Philadelphia, PA

Portland, OR

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Joshua Tree

Santa Fe, NM

Tucson, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Costa Rica

Oakland/East Bay

Mallorca, Spain

Chicago, IL

Portugal

Lake Tahoe, CA

Baton Rouge, LA

Florida

Sacramento, CA

Houston, TX

 

Have you read Truth Seeker yet? If you prefer supporting your local brick and mortar bookstore, you can order the book straight from your local bookseller. Otherwise, it’s available on Amazon Prime in paperback and Kindle here. I continue to be touched by the reviews (keep 'em coming, please), like this one from an appreciative reader in Washington State:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is alive!

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021

This story is an energetic and forthright articulation of a personal journey written in easy flowing prose. The narrative flows outward from the pages and engages one's deeper attention in a subtle manner becoming a bridge of consciousness - as if one were bathing in her vision. It is a "living" experience pointing at the core, inexpressible truth of love and life shared from the heart.

 

Holy Fool in Convertible on the New England Coast

 

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information.  

 

 

 

Sun Enters Aries: Spring and the Super-Powered Seed

Jet Martinez, Te Quiero Tantito (2016)

Tomorrow in the wee hours of March 20, the Sun enters fiery Aries, the sign of “I AM.” We celebrate the vernal equinox with its full potential of springtime, and all that is new. Our hearts and minds, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, are prickling with fresh energy.

At this point, however, we know not exactly how this potential energy will take shape. It is tempting to force it into being, to have a plan, to make up a story with your ideas of how this, that, and the other thing are going to unfold this season and into summer. We immediately impose a mental framework onto this new baby potential of springtime. When this happens, we are in great danger of missing the magic.

I am about to launch my second book, Truth Seeker: A Spiritual Adventure of Love, Loss, and Liberation, into the world. It’s a matter of days now before the paperback and Kindle version go live on Amazon. I’m relieved, and thrilled, that this seed is going to burst onto the scene – finally! People will be able to read this spiritual memoir that I’ve toiled with for over ten years. Finally!

Now, have I any firm intention as to how this book is going to find its way in the world? How and when it will start walking and talking? To find its way to a bookstore virtual reading, an interview, a top-book-pick list? Nope. Do I have an agenda as to what it’s going to result in – more recognition, more students, more money, more, more, more…?

Nope. When I think of imposing a limited collection of thoughtforms – ideas of how it should be – onto this book baby, I lose all the magic, all the wonder, all the faith in Existence to show the way.

Of course, I absolutely hope that people enjoy the book and benefit from it, are inspired by it, or even transformed. But is that up to me? Not a chance.

I’ve done my part. I’ve fertilized the soil, I’ve weeded and tilled and toiled. I’ve been pregnant for years, had many false labors, premature contractions. I was in the delivery room for eons, it seemed, without epidural. Without drugs. A raw, natural childbirth that had both mother and emerging babe screaming and wailing in fits and starts. So many breach moments, so many crownings, fantasizing about forceps, asking for help, and more help, and more help.

Until finally, the little truth-seeking infant lands on the scene. Just about ready to be shown to the world. Packed chock-full with all its DNA ready at the helm, a life stored within from start to finish, a blessed star is born.

And of course, I have heard, seen, and felt pressure within and without to do a book launch the right way, the correct way. To get Facebook ads, more advance reviewers, a larger mailing list. To which I say, let’s see what happens! Let’s let the baby herself have a moment to show me the way.

At this time of Spring Equinox, when the potential energy within and without is throbbing, pulsing, ready to burst forth, see if you can take a moment to let it reveal itself to you, rather than imposing an idea of what should happen next.

We are coming off a year of being isolated, limited in movement, and more turned inward than ever before. We are ourselves blessed new seeds. Rumblings of reentry back into the bustling world are being heard across the globe. They are real rumblings, and surely we will reengage in a new way. Yet, let Life lead the way, try not to push too quickly or too hard. Lest you miss the magic.

Art by Casey Weldon

Equinox 2021

 

Reenter the world

come out gently but slowly

like a tiny bud at the tip of a branch

barely quivering at first sun.

A babe is borne, really raw

very tender and fragile.

 

What have you learned this past year?

Must you pick up all the old crap?

Can you leave those old patterns,

dust motes, habits, compulsions,

convictions aside?

Salvador Dali, Rosa Papilio

Can you accept the spaciousness

of a raw, empty palate-palette?

 

This is the opportunity you have been

waiting for.

The unknown, the void

with pure potential.

A seed with all life force energy

packed inside.

 

Release the need to control the outcome.

Trust the unfoldment of life.

 

Allow the sun, the rain, the

rainbow to feed the seed.

No need to know.

All by itself, life will grow.

~ Erin Reese

 

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information. 

 

 

The Saturn-Uranus Square and the Collective Crunch

 

From French sculptor Etienne Meneau's Elastic House

This week, we are experiencing a transpersonal, global transit that is affecting everyone, consciously or otherwise. I am noticing it in almost every client I talk to, and as an empath, in my own body. Saturn in Aquarius is squaring (90-degrees) Uranus in Taurus. The aspect was exact on Wednesday, February 17 and is still in full effect.

There will be two more passes of this aspect this year due to retrogrades: June 14 and December 23. Essentially, all of 2021 we will feel this influence. The first pass was particularly strong this week due to the large amounts of planets in fixed signs resisting change. Liken it to having a strong dose of what's being asked this year, and a huge preview of what needs adjusting in your personal sphere this year.

There can be a feeling of whiplash as these two big boy planets are having a loud and rather bitter argument. Uranian disruptive events, personalities, circumstances will challenge your sense of order, of what makes sense, of what you belief to be reasonable and disciplined (Saturn). Physical tensions could arise as there is an attempt to hold on to the old order.

Stability is all well and good but here we have the influence of evolution – Uranus the awakener – asking you to be not only flexible, but even radical in your willingness to change, if need be. Where do you need to break free?

Any rigid beliefs or constructs are being thrown up in your face. If your beliefs or desires feel blocked or thwarted from the outside, ask yourself what you are holding on to, and is it worth it? How flexible are you with time, lifestyle, energy, money, goals, focus? Are you being willful when Life is clearly asking you to adjust?

The more unconscious the need for change is, the more physical and mental stress you will feel at this time. It is a good idea to talk with someone or write about it openly and honestly, to face yourself and ask yourself the hard questions. You can trust that the release of these old beliefs, goals, ideas and structures will make room for massive amounts of creative, free-flowing energy and life force.

Take good care of your animal body and tenderheartedness during this time. With such huge collective pushes occurring from 2020-2024 (involving Pluto, Uranus, and Saturn), we will do best to stay in wonder and flexibility with all that wants to unfold in, around, and through us. Try not to hold on so tight. Trust the process. All will be well.

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information.

P.S. If you missed the February Aquarius Transmission - Meditation and Messages - you can download the audio from my website here.

Topics include:

individuation in order to evolve
money as energy and ease

the embodiment imperative

the future is here and now