Thursday, April 23, 2009

Saturn in Virgo and Seeing Through Neptunian Spiritual Glamour


Photo: Willow

So here we are. Tail end of the tail-end Piscean Era. As the winds of Aquarian change blow stronger, the crystallized Piscean Age spiritual set-ups are starting to decay. As with everything, these spiritual set-ups have to change to maintain relevancy and effectiveness. But a lot of people are clinging, clinging to the old forms right now. And oddly enough, as the old spirtuality set-ups become less effective, people seem to want more and more from those set-ups.

I guess people are freaked out by the change and the shifting structures of Pluto in Capricorn, and they're looking for answers.

Fair enough. Things certainly are on the odd side right now and other perspectives can help a lot in making us feel less crazed.

But for the sake of looking in the right places for perspective, there are some cautionary points I'd like to share so people don't get caught up in the collective frenzy and fear being stirred by the changes we're dealing with. It's when you get swept up in that that you can end up getting burned instead of getting the insight and perspective for which you were looking. 

What I'm hoping to arm people with in this article is the ability to cut through Neptunian spiritual glamour to get at what is truly personally valuable and useful - and hopefully with the most effective expenditure of money possible.

So yeah. The industry of spirituality is in full force. Angel readings, past life readings, soul purpose readings, cleanses, books, lectures, workshops, sessions, retreats, crystals blessed by Tibetan monks.

There are a lot of people selling their personal spiritual perspectives and products in these shifting times, and I'm not saying there's necessarily anything wrong with this. We live in a society where money is necessary (for the most part) and people sell their skills, whatever those skills may be.

What I'm saying is, to gain the information and perspective that will be most meaningful to you personally (while getting the most bang for any bucks you shell out), the ability to cut through layers of Neptunian glamour and spiritual ego is a valuable tool.

Now, it's lots of fun to go into a darkened room, candles lit, indigo-coloured tablecloth draped over a table to meet a person playing up the gypsy-hippie-"spiritually-in-the-know" vibe for all its worth. Long, flowing hair. Maybe dreads. Wearing loose, sustainable cotton clothing and magical beads. Maybe some tattoos and piercings. Playing up the "spirit love" eyes. You know, the whole "smiling with your eyes" full of glossy unconditional love and bliss thing. Clasped prayer hands and "Namaste" thrown down as both hello and goodbye. Pouring open the heart chakra to show how spiritually evolved they are.

Yes, it's lots of fun. But it's also something to be aware of as potentially part of the hook - hitting someone with the "I'm so spiritual" Neptunian energy and glazing their eyes over with glamourous sights and sounds, words and vibes. Dropping their supposed spiritual credentials. My father was so-and-so. My great-great aunt was the spiritual adviser of so-and-so. I studied under so-and-so. I was so-and-so's muse. I've lived in an ashram in Sedona. I camped on Machu Pichu. I wrote a book with a foreword by Deepak Chopra. I've been on Oprah.

All this could possibly be impressive to you on some level (it usually just makes me roll my eyes), but it doesn't necessarily mean much to you personally. It doesn't mean this person has the goods.

You have your own story, your own spirituality, your own equally important lineage, and this is something to keep firmly in mind so as not to become overly influenced by the spirity, spirity Neptunian vibes. To keep some grounding and balance.

This advice can be a bit of a bummer and not in the "Super Fun Spiritual Romp" category, so if you're looking for that, disregard everything I have previously written. But if you're looking to deepen your understanding of yourself and the times in which you're living in practical ways, realize that what goes up must come down. Keeping your feet on the ground is very helpful.

I think it helps to ask yourself: Would the information I'm receiving be so mind-blowing if it were being told to me by a plain-looking, balding, middle-aged dude in a sport coat who reminded me of my uncle? (Nothing against plain-looking, balding, middle-aged dudes in sport coats, either - more a commentary on how beauty and spiritual vibrations are sometimes misused.)

Is it about you getting the information and perspective you need for use in your own life or is it more about creating an atmosphere permeated by the supposed spiritual vibrations and impressiveness of the person giving the reading/lecture/workshop/whatever?

We have to make sure we're getting past the realm of parlour tricks and glossy language to the real meat and bones. Substance over image.

Again, except if you're looking for parlour tricks. There's nothing wrong with parlour tricks or resulting Neptunian thrills, except when they're being sold as something with more long-term usefulness and depth.

The power of personality - especially when infused with Neptunian "spirituality," glamour, and charisma - is very seductive. Combine that with "alternative" good looks, confidence, and the particular spiritual understanding the person has developed, and you can see how this may become overly influential. (Cult leaders often use this potent mix of characteristics to suck people in...)

Piscean/Neptunian energy can have an intoxicating quality, and people can become addicted to it. They can take leave of their senses around it. They can also become addicted to the person dispensing it. Tail-end Piscean Era Pisces/Neptune energy, with 2,000+ years behind it, can be especially potent in this regard.

There are a lot of people setting themselves up as spiritual superstars who desire the rewards and perks that go along with that superstardom. The lecturers, the wannabe gurus, the authors of the bestsellers, the YouTube or T.V. personalities.

And there are a lot of people selling stale, old, spoon-fed spiritual hierarchy as Aquarian evolution.

That stuff has most definitely passed its Best Before Date.

There's a fine line between appreciating someone's perspective and skills and setting up the master-student spiritual hierarchy thing where the balance of power can be manipulated, consciously or unconsciously.

Hold your own power always. Don't give it away or allow it to be siphoned off.

There is a promoted Neptunian idea these days that you have to be "open" to everything that comes your way and that this is the meaning of "diversity."

Not to me.

To me, real diversity means being exactly who you are while allowing other people to be exactly who they are. 

As part of being who you are, I think it's absolutely imperative to use your own discernment and your own judgment about what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, meaningful and not meaningful to you. This is the Virgo balance in the Virgo-Pisces polarity.

This means if something confuses you, irritates you, or feels wrong, you honour those feelings, take a step back, and figure out what's going on.

This might mean out-and-out rejection of things (or people) you don't find personally meaningful or appropriate.

Saturn in Virgo requires that we take responsibility in this way - defining these things for ourselves, realizing and honouring our personal preferences, tailoring things specifically to ourselves.

As long as people are doing this, there is less chance of tail-end Piscean Age energy being misused for power and profit.

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