By Rev. Lisa Lockhart

The Full Moon during the constellation of Taurus will occur at 8:43 pm PDT on Sunday, May 3.  The actual timing of this full moon puts it into the complementary opposite sign of Scorpio, the watery sign of deep initiations.

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Christopher Dilts – Angel Intuitive – Wesak Update

Wesak is my very favorite full moon and the only full moon where there is a direct dispensation of energies that is literally downloaded from the Spiritual Hierarchy for an 8-minute period, just before and after the time of the full moon.  According to Wesak tradition, the bridge for this energy is formed by Siddhartha Guatama, The Buddha.

How Full Moons Influence You in Your Life

Here’s a great tip… go to www.astro.com.  Roll over Free Horoscopes in the menu at the top of the home page and then select “Chart Drawing, Ascendant.”  Following the directions and enter your birth information. You can print this chart as a pdf to keep it, or just print it as a page and bring it to the ceremony.

The chart will show you which areas in your life are being impacted by the two signs of each full moon.  This can lead to many insights and make it easier to work with the energies.

For example, I have Neptune (glamour, illusion and mystical awareness) in Scorpio in my 7th House, which is House of Relationships.  So I can expect this time to have opportunities and challenges in relationships with regard to my perceptions of others and how other people perceive me.

I have nothing in Taurus in my chart, so I can use those energies in my life as I choose.

The Wesak Full Moon

The full moon of Taurus is the time when the Buddhist tradition celebrates Wesak. (pronounced wee-sack)  Wesak is like the Buddhist version of a combination of the Christian Christmas, Pentacost and Easter rolled into one. Wesak celebrates the birth, journey on the path, enlightenment and ascension of The Buddha, which literally means “One Who is Awake.”

I have spoken about the birth, life and enlightenment of Siddhartha Guatama, The Buddha, many times before groups on the East and West Coasts.  It is easy to refresh yourself on the story on the Internet.  PBS has a high-quality documentary on the life of the Buddha.  You can also check out the movie “The Little Buddha, which stars Keanu Reeves and is interesting, entertaining and very accessible from a western point of view.

The archetypical idea of Taurus is the mastery of the physical, emotional and mental natures of humankind (the so-called “Lower Self” or Personality Self) until the Eye of Taurus is opened.  The mastery of these three natures is universal and represents the first, second and third initiations.  Within this darkness, the Eye of Taurus gives a place to Light and Illumination.  The eye is opened, which is the spiritual Third Eye.

All inner traditions speak of this and the New Testament in the Bible attributes this quote to the Master Jesus:  “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”  (Matthew 6:22, King James Version)

This is a wonderful description of the vision of the two eyes of the Personality Self (physical, emotional, mental) transmuting to the vision of the single eye (Spiritual / Higher Self).  It is about the journey on the path from personality-dominated consciousness to Soul-infused consciousness that connects the Personality Self to the Higher Self, which is pure Spirit.

Here’s the progression of moons, according to the Theosophical Tradition:  First, there is the Resurrection Full Moon of Aries, during which we are re-born to a higher vibration of our selves and our being.  Following that moon, the Wesak Full Moon is a time when we are able to receive enlightenment at a new level—because of our “spiritual rebirth.”

Please keep in mind that Wesak is the 2nd of the very powerful set of 4 Full Moons (Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer) that determine how we will embody and live out these energies for the remainder of the Astrological Year.

Taurus is an Earth (physical) Sign.  And according to Theosophical Tradition, Wesak is literally a PHYSICAL bridge that is built by the Hierarchy between Humanity and Divinity.  It is held by The Lord Buddha with the Hierarchy.  The charge is “downloaded” during a brief approximately 8-minute period during the full moon.  Meditation during the Full Moon is particularly productive in harmonizing and integrating the physical, emotional and mental natures with the spiritual nature—keeping the Soul (the connecting principle entity) and Spirit in right relationship with the threefold Personality Self.

Scorpio Energies of Initiation

The timing of the day of this particular Full Moon places it under the influence of Scorpio, which is the sign of deep emotions, shadow and profound initiation.  In inner / mystery school traditions, Scorpionic energies affect Sex, Death, Birth and Re-Birth—why you’re here, what you’ve contracted to do at a Soul Level before you pass, how you relate most intimately and deeply to others… and helping others incarnate.  So this can be an intense full moon, in spite of the calming and grounding effects of Taurus.  Scorpio can be the metaphysical equivalent of tough love.

This is a unique, rare and potent dual opportunity for initiation, during which the Christos / Anointed energies of the Aries Resurrection are transmuted and then released as Enlightenment at Wesak. Which is why the Wesak Festival is such a wonderful opportunity for expansion and initiation.

Manifestation, Shadow and Courage

Taurus is about bringing Spirit into Matter–MANIFESTATION in 3rd dimension of your heart’s desires.  So this is a great opportunity to plant seed thoughts on what you want to manifest this year… and also a great time to work with emotions and Shadow (beliefs that don’t serve your highest good) that may be coming up and hindering you from manifesting them.

Here’s what I believe to be a core question of this full moon:  Do you have the emotional courage to embrace, manifest and embody the beliefs that you hold dear and sacred?  In other words, are you brave enough to literally walk your talk?

Earnest Hemmingway defined true courage in a wonderful way.  It’s not about being unafraid.  It’s about being afraid and yet still finding the courage to move forward.  Anais Nin once said “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”  I believe that these capture the essence of what takes to survive and thrive during the Taurus / Scorpio Wesak Full Moon.

There is another quote from a man that I have always admired, yet not always agreed with—Theodore Roosevelt.  And yet I believe that this is truly a divinely inspired quote that is appropriate to the Wesak Full Moon.  Please substitute “human” for “man” for the true meaning… and forgive the plethora of semi-colons that were standard punctuation at the time.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

I am reminded that the root of enthusiasm is “En Theos,” which means “to have Divine Source within.”  And “courage” or “coeur-age” means literally in Latin “to have heart.”

Working with These Energies

Those of you who know me know how grateful I always am to have survived the intense energies of Aries to receive the kinder, gentler enlightening energies of Taurus. We survive the rebirth of Aries to achieve the ability receive the higher understanding, feelings and BEING of Taurus.  This moon promises to be intense as well, because of the Scorpionic energies, but I find great comfort in the stabilizing and grounding influence of Taurus.

Realistically, it is also a good thing to be aware that Taurian energies will bring forth to your consciousness any conflicts that you have between Matter and Spirit.  So areas where you are not in alignment with your true Spiritual Purpose and Path may be brought to your attention.

As with everything in life, you will receive the charge of Wesak to the degree that you have prepared yourself to receive it.  So think of your preparation like a Spiritual TiVo, where you can set your intentions ahead of time.  Ask and you shall receive.

I have always found that sitting quietly in front of my altar or outside under the moon about 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the actual time of the Full Moon in a light meditative state is best at Wesak.  Ocean and nature settings are always good too. Taurus is an Earth sign, so grounding to Mother Earth (sitting on dirt or grass) is great.  Scorpio is a water sign, so being at the ocean or near water is also beneficial.

In your meditations, you might also ask for Guidance to take you to the Wesak Valley in the Himalayas—and see what experience there.  We ask for blessings on those who passed in the recent quake, the survivors of the quake and those brave people who are performing rescue operations.

Here is my Wesak wish for all of you:  May you have the Wisdom to KNOW what to do next, the Insights and Skill to know HOW to do it, and the Virtue to DO it.

Many Wesak Blessings to You!

Lisa

Rev. Lisa Lockhart

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