Sunday, December 2, 2012

December and "No-Thingness"

When I prepared for my last teleclass about six months ago, I drew a tarot card for each of the months that we were going to discuss. As I got ready to choose a card for December, I had extra anticipation as I considered what card would represent the end of the Mayan calendar.

The card I drew (using the Osho Zen tarot deck) was number Five of the major arcana, entitled "No-Thingness":
At first I felt some disappointment that it wasn't a more spectacular card -- and yet, as I read its interpretation, it began to make sense:
"Being 'in the gap' can be disorienting and even scary. Nothing to hold on to, no sense of direction, not even a hint of what choices and possibilities might lie ahead. But it was just this state of pure potential that existed before the universe was created.
"All you can do now is to relax into this no-thingness...fall into this silence between the words...watch this gap between the outgoing and incoming breath. And treasure each empty moment of the experience. Something sacred is about to be born."

It is that last sentence, especially, that speaks to me now, as we enter this last month of 2012. It does feel that something sacred is being born in each of us. At the same time, I can also relate to the lack of an image on this card, because it is feeling to me that we are clearing the energy fields and ready to begin a new cycle of creation.

I'm starting to like this "No-Thingness" card more and more.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Pam, I'm so glad I read your post as I'm living the gap you describe both professionally and personally since July. Funny enough last night I slept like a baby and it felt wonderful. I'm a sun in Libra, taurus rising and moon in 27ºSag. I feel hopeful with what you've posted. :) thank you. Sheila.

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  2. Yes. That is exactly how it feels right now.

    On another point, in astrology, we track the placement of all of the planets, the sun & the moon and some of the asteroids - except earth!
    Why isn't the position of earth listed in an ephemeris?

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  3. That's a great question!

    In geocentric astrology (which is what most astrologers use), everything is viewed from Earth's perspective. The sign placement of the planets, whether they're retrograde, what aspects are created between the planets -- all of that is based on where they appear from our viewpoint on Earth.

    That's why most charts will not have the Earth included. I actually visualize the Earth being at the center of every chart, with the other planets in our solar system in relationship accordingly.

    But, there is heliocentric astrology, which views things from the Sun's perspective. Those charts do contain the Earth. And, as you would expect, a birth chart using heliocentric astrology looks very different from a geocentric version.

    While I have not worked with heliocentric charts, my understanding is that the location of the Earth in a heliocentric chart is opposite the location of the Sun in the geocentric version of that same chart.

    The Sun leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn on Dec 21, which means in heliocentric astrology, the Earth must be leaving Gemini and entering Cancer at the same time.

    In geocentric astrology, the alignment of the Sun with the Galactic Center (at about 27 degrees Sagittarius) is on December 18-19 every year.

    Thanks for asking!

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