Return of the Ancestors
Fellow Lightworkers and friends
Please take time to look at this link about a global event occurring April 18 to about April 28th this year.
It is referred to in Mayan Astrology as the Return of the Ancestors.
Indigenous people and spiritually aware persons around the globe will be connecting through ritual and prayer to bring back the ancient wisdom of our wise ones. This is a time to directly reconnect with the powerful divine forces within your own family line, and also the guardians and wise ones of the earth itself.
I will be forwarding on a prayer to use during ritual in honor of this event. It is meant to invoke the highest forces of love and wisdom both personally and universally.
Also, I will be having a ceremonial event for those who wish to meet and work with this doorway between dimensions. This will be in Oklahoma City for those who can attend.
Email eileenadairh@yahoo.com for more information.
Below this email I have posted the information about this.
More to come soon.
Eileen
Return of the Ancestors Gathering
Written by Adam Yellowbird
Monday, 14 January 2008
Northern Arizona April 18-28, 2009
The Institute for Cultural Awareness presents a historic International multicultural gathering and sacred pilgrimage welcoming Indigenous elders and future wisdom keepers representing the voice of Mother Earth, beginning Earth Day weekend, April 18-28, 2009 throughout Northern Arizona. The heart of the gathering will be the 4th reunion of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. The intention is to unite and share the invited wisdom keeper’s visions and prophesized ceremonies for peace and harmony for Mother Earth and all humanity.
The Institute for Cultural Awareness’ goal is to sponsor 72 or more global spiritual/cultural leaders and 28 youth council leaders from around the world. These wisdom keepers will share a harvest of harmonic wisdom and understandings that will enable the world to fulfill the prophecies of the ancestors. This gathering’s commitment to ceremony as a focal point offers pilgrims of the world the privilege to witness councils sharing wisdom from their ancestors, songs and sacred ceremonies. This intention is to bring inspiration to the world thus birthing clear decisions and manifesting a conduit of hope for our children, the future wisdom keepers of the world.
Humanity has waited for the day of peace and harmony to reign in this world for hundreds of years. We are at a pivotal point where action needs to be taken. We must move in a new direction towards each individual seeking the healing of their ancestral memories to enable humanity to move forward. A proclamation will be made for the ancestral memories to be healed globally for all time and space.
We are now living in a time of our truth and an intertwined field of destiny mending the circle of life. Let us look at the truth: the tree of life, the seed of life, the flower of life. The world has awaited a renewed life’s plan. We look towards our grand elders and wisdom keepers’ Cosmovision for specific instructions and guidance towards the reconnection to the natural laws. The seen and unseen from the past, present and future unfold. Destiny brings us all to this point in time. The men and women of wisdom have returned. History and Herstory is unfolding in front of our very own eyes.
Whether attending the gathering physically or through private ceremony, everyone is being called to participate in this historic and extraordinary event. Through humanity’s enlightenment, once again we will live in balance and harmony with Mother Earth. All is in divine timing!
One Mayan prophecy states, “At the time of the 12 Baktun and 13 Ahau is the time of the return of our ancestors and the return of the men of wisdom.” “That time is now,” says Grandfather Alejandro Cirilo Oxlaj, President of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala and President of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas.
http://spiritofmaat.com/apr09/ancestors_gathering_astrology.html
The Astrology of the Ancestor's Gathering
By Cal Garrison
"At the time of the 12 Baktun and 13 Ahau is the time of the return of our ancestors and the return of the men of wisdom." "That time is now."
— Grandfather Alejandro Cirilo Oxlaj, President of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala and President of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas.
Back in the fall of 2008, Adam Yellowbird and Carmen Goudin asked me if I'd be willing to take a look at the astrology of the Ancestor's Gathering. Both of them felt that knowing what the stars have to say about this ten-day ceremonial event would shed some light on what's going on at the energetic level and perhaps helps us prepare ourselves inwardly for an experience that is probably the biggest thing that will ever happen to any of us.
Considering their request, I had no problem doing the work, but I felt a little intimidated because I am new to Indigenous things and clueless as to why the Elders consider the dates between April 18th and April 28th so auspicious. Even so, I am wise enough to know that there are many ways to looks at things and if the April dates were significant from the Indigenous perspective, I was sure that they would look just as auspicious if examined from the perspective of Western Astrology.
When I first began to think about this I opened my ephemeris and did a scan of where the planets would be and what the Moon would be doing between the day that they plan to light the first fire and the last day of the gathering on April 28th. The initial overview revealed a lot — in fact it revealed so much, I figured that alone would be enough to go on. As the months passed and the reality of the gathering came closer and closer I got out my charts and started studying them in more detail — and they are full of imagery that will shed some light on what the Return of the Ancestors Gathering is all about.
One of the things an astrologer needs when they do this kind of work are accurate times and specific locations. This project has been interesting because the Elders have made it very clear that the locations and the timing for each ceremony must be kept secret. Without the usual tools I've had to figure out how to approach it a little differently, using among other things, planetary midpoints and Sabian Symbols.
The First Fire
On the day that the first ceremonial fire is lit, the chart shows the North Node at five-degrees Aquarius. The North Node represents the point of fulfillment in an individual horoscope — in a chart for an event, it can represent a lot of things but it always has a great deal to say about where the focus needs to be kept.
The Sabian Symbol for that degree of Aquarius reads like this:
"PHASE 305 (AQUARIUS 5-DEGREES): A COUNCIL OF ANCESTORS IS SEEN IMPLEMENTING THE EFFORTS OF A YOUNG LEADER
KEYNOTE: The Root foundation of past performances which power and sustain whatever decision is made in a crisis by an individual.
The whole past of mankind stands behind any individual effort, especially in times of critical decisions. The endeavor of the priests who built the California missions had behind it the whole past of Catholic proselytizing, i.e. the attempt to bring the "Good News" to all people of the Earth. Every individual is far more dependent upon the strength of his ancestors' achievements — or oppressed by their failures and lack of vision — than he usually believes. This can mean a hidden foundation of individual strength, or the inertia of a tradition unable to transcend its limited origins.
This is the last symbol in the sixty-first five-fold sequence. It suggests that in many situations RELIANCE UPON PRECEDENTS will enable the aspirant to greatness to tap the power of his deepest roots."
Not bad for openers. It tells us exactly what is happening. Taken literally it tells us that this is a time when we have to turn to our Ancestors for strength and wisdom. It could also be saying that our Elders have returned, at a decisive moment to implement the growth of their Younger Brothers. Long established precedents will secure the effort and allow us to tap into our deepest roots, provided those precedents aren't bogged down by traditionalism that no longer serves any useful purpose.
The North Node will sit on that degree, and that imagery will be active on the day of the opening fire and on the last day of the gathering. It seems as if the symbol exists as potential on the first day — and I have a feeling we will know if that potential has been met by the time the gathering ends.
In between the first and final fire the Node will retrograde back to four-degrees Aquarius and hold steady there until April 28th. Reading the imagery it's easy to see what will be required of us during this time — let's take a look at the Sabian Symbol for four-degrees Aquarius:
"PHASE 304 (AQUARIUS 4-DEGREES): A HINDU YOGI DEMONSTRATES HIS HEALING POWERS
KEYNOTE: The disciplined use of spiritual energies in restoring the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind.
Civilization implies a process of transcending compulsive and rigid biological drives while making use, in a refined and mentalized way, of what it cannot control. The goal of a true civilization — Western civilization being to a large extent a caricature of it — is the development of a humanity composed of self-motivated and responsible individuals freely associating according to harmonic patterns in order to produce a vast spiritual chord of consciousness fully actualizing the potentialities inherent in the archetype MAN. The process of individualization and civilization is full of dangers, and for a very long time it is obsessed by Karmic shadows, the results of individual and collective deviations and perversions. Such results most often lead to disease. It is the spiritual duty of individuals who have been able to tap the vast reservoir of spiritual forces pervading our planet to use these energies for healing their less fortunate comrades.
This fourth stage symbol refers to a technique which not only can be used for the healing of physical illnesses but for the 'making whole' of whatever has lost its natural root integration and has not yet reached the holistic state of perfect harmony and identification with the 'divine' whole. Self-discipline, purity of motive, compassion, and faith in the divine order are required — and the FOCUSING OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY".
If you've been wondering what the Ancestors Gathering is all about, the two symbols make it pretty clear. It would seem that the implementation process will require the Council of Ancestors to focus their wisdom and their healing powers on restoring peace and harmony to our world. And I get the sense that they have come to remind us of what we have forgotten — because there are few who remember the original teachings and the original ways: only the Indigenous ones have guarded those precedents and kept to those ways — and I have a feeling their ceremonies will open the space for humanity to return to them. In order for that to happen, those of us who are present at this gathering need to remember that, "It is the spiritual duty of individuals who have been able to tap the vast reservoir of spiritual forces pervading our planet to use these energies for healing their less fortunate comrades… Self-discipline, purity of motive, compassion, and faith in the divine order are required — and the FOCUSING OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY".
That the Elders are returning is one thing; what we need to keep in mind is that we are all returning. Humanity is about to find its way home. If you plan to participate, in Spirit or in the flesh, know that your ability to tap into the spirit that lives, and breathes, and moves through everything needs to be yoked to your ability to direct that energy into healing both the planet and all of her people.
They say, "We are the ones we've been waiting for". It looks like it's time to take our spirituality out of the ashram and bring it down to Earth so that what's in our hearts can finally manifest outwardly. The Elders are coming to show us the way. Our part in this has to do with paying close attention to what they have to teach us so that we can know what to do about the changes that lie ahead and balance ourselves in preparation for them — because ultimately the intent behind the Ancestors Gathering is to restore "the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind".
The Union of the Male and the Female
Venus and Mars will be within orb of a conjunction for the duration of the gathering. In layman's terms, when two planets are conjunct it means they're right on top of each other, on or near the same degree of the zodiac. Coming out of the later degrees of Pisces, Venus and Mars will conjunct the Aries Point between the 21st and the 23rd of April. In my opinion, those three days are loaded with significance — and I'll tell you why.
Venus is the female archetype; Mars is the male. Whenever they form a conjunction it implies that the Male and the Female are vibrating in unison because there's nothing to separate them when they're this close together. Everyone knows how rare it is for the male and the female to be in synch with each other — but when it happens, the sense of love and oneness is so complete we connect automatically with the unity that pervades all of life. During the gathering the emanations from the Venus-Mars conjunction will infuse the event with a feeling of unity that's bound to remove every barrier. With no duality, the polarity factor that always exists just won't be there.
If that sounds wonderful, it gets even better. The two planets will conjunct the Aries Point pretty much the whole time. That aspect will be closest to exact between the 21st and the 23rd of April. To make things more interesting, the Moon will join Venus, Mars, and the Aries Point on April 22nd. My hunch is that the most important ceremony will be held on that day.
I say this for a number of reasons. The Aries Point is loaded with significance, but one of the things it represents is "all of humanity". From the standpoint of Mother Earth, that point is doubly significant because it governs the descending axis of her horoscope (Yes, Mother Earth has her own horoscope) or the angle that represents who and what she decides to be in relationship with. Because we are her children, and she is our Mother, we are in a primary relationship with Mother Earth — and that's why the Aries Point has come to symbolize all of humanity.
Any transit to this point sets up a resonance that ripples out and impacts large segments of the human population. Ultimately, planets moving over the Aries Point have the potential to touch absolutely everyone. With Venus and Mars functioning in unison, or the male and the female vibrating on the same frequency, what do you suppose will happen when the two planets come together on the point that rules every man, woman, and child? If I'm right about the dates between April 21st and April 23rd, the Elders couldn't choose a better time to do ceremony — because on those three days the law of correspondence will instill a sense of unity and oneness that will reinforce our efforts to focus our energies on the creation of a new vision for the planet.
If the Venus-Mars-Aries Point conjunction isn't enough, the Moon will cross the Aries Point, and join Venus and Mars at approximately 8AM on April 22nd. I am pretty sure there will be a big ceremony on that day because the planetary influences are perfect for it — and this will be the one that the public gets to participate in, because the Moon holds rulership over the general public too; when it meets the Aries Point that energy multiplies times two — so I have a feeling April 22nd, and the days on either side, will bring us all together as one, totally unified presence. And because the Moon also rules the plant, and animal, and mineral kingdoms, you can bet that the soul of every living thing will be there for it.
As I write this the enormity of it really hits home. I keep getting the picture of us finally remembering that we're all one family. I can even envision all of us waking up to this simultaneously — because I think that's what will be going on, on the etheric level — we will be awakened to another, more respectful way of relating to each other, and to the planet, and a whole new way of being will begin to come to life.
The thought that prompts me to see it this way came up while I was feeding the birds; all of a sudden I remembered that the Aries Point is the Alpha and Omega point in the zodiac; zero degrees Aries is where all things begin and end! Do you get the picture? Between the 21st and the 23rd of April the music of the spheres will be singing one, unified chord, and the planets, along with the Moon will call all of humanity to get on that wavelength and beam up high enough to see that what appears to be ending is really just the beginning of a whole new world. That we live in momentous times is obvious — that we get to witness this and be stewards for it is mind boggling.
Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius
There's another powerful conjunction that will be active throughout this time; Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune will be within orb of a conjunction during the entire gathering. All three planets are sitting in the later degrees of Aquarius, within two degrees of each other. There's a lot to say about this configuration. It took me a while to figure it out but I think I've got the picture; let me see if I can make it easy to understand.
Jupiter has to do with the higher mind and our ability to access it. It is the part of us that wants to grow spiritually. The natural impulse to expand beyond the mundane is fueled by the faith that there is a First Cause or some ultimate truth that absolutely has to be discovered. It is for this reason that we have come to associate Jupiter with tolerance and diversity; because his search for the truth takes him everywhere — he is the archetypal seeker, always on a vision quest — and he often finds himself hanging out with people whose beliefs are rooted in traditions that are different enough from his own to catapult him into seeing life and God from a totally new perspective.
Out of the twelve houses in the horoscope, Jupiter rules the ninth, and it is the planetary ruler of the sign Sagittarius. The Sagittarian/ninth house connection has to do with a lot of things. For the purposes of this discussion we'll focus on its association with religion and philosophy. Both the sign and the house are geared toward finding out more about those things and that's why Jupiter rules them. Forty years of doing charts has taught me that these three influences often point to Indigenous or Earth Based traditions as the primary spiritual focus, or the way that the client has to follow in order to connect with Spirit. Stretch that observation onto a collective chart and we could assume that the same thing would apply.
With Jupiter sitting in the sign Aquarius, the Aquarian penchant for gathering together in groups of likeminded people will be layered over the planets' need to move into a deeper understanding of the universe. It seems as if we'll all be wide open to finding out why we've come together and where we need to go from here.
That there will be a change, I have no doubt, because Chiron, the maverick, 'Mr. Natural' archetype, is involved in this conjunction too — and Chiron always calls us to take a different route. Interestingly, this planet was discovered the year they introduced the Native American Freedom of Religion Act into congress. A symbol for the aspect of Spirit that is inextricably rooted in the wisdom of the Earth, out of all the planets, Chiron is the hallmark and standard bearer for the Indigenous people of the world.
In Aquarius, Chiron always reflects the need to bring some long awaited dream to life. In an individual horoscope it usually means that the native has had a deep desire, something they have always wanted to do but have never found the faith to believe in their hearts that it could be done. At a certain point they realize that if they don't start believing it can be done, their life will never meet its purpose.
On a collective level this could translate as a group of people going through the same process. Our long awaited dream could very well be 13,000 years old; or, it could be the wish that we've had since we were children; either way, Chiron in Aquarius seems to be telling us that we have finally come to believe in that dream firmly enough to make it real.
Now, Neptune's blending his influence in with all of this too. The full import of that connection could fill a book so let's look at the condensed version and start off with Neptune's reputation as the unconditional lover. He's the archetype of that higher kind of love that lives beyond the finite, outside of possession, structure, and expectation. Neptune's the one who tunes us in to love for all life, everywhere; he's the one who knows we're all one.
Picture that blended with Jupiter's desire to grow and expand into new realms of consciousness; it feels limitless to me. Neptune and Jupiter together — with all that love, no boundaries, and a natural need to expand — how far do you think we could go?
Combine this with the idea that Chiron and Neptune will be adding their chord to the conjunction. This will open the channel to the higher realms. That portal switches to wide open and full on when Chiron and Neptune come together; it's a mind blowing thing. It's like a tube of white light that goes directly to the Source and there's no stopping the flow. And whether we are conscious of it or not we become in inlet for a higher form of energy that can be used to heal pretty much anything when that channel is open.
Imagine a group of people coming together with one heart under these influences. The Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction is such a big thing, it's almost too big to wrap my mind around. And because I am afraid that the picture I've painted may be too subjective I thought it would be good to check in with the Sabian Symbols to get a more objective perspective. Since three planets are involved in this conjunction, I've used the midpoint, and just for the sake of experiment, taken that and calculated the midpoint between it, and the Aries Point.
For those of you who don't use or know about midpoints, they're a tool that helps an astrologer figure out what the essence of a situation might be. It's based on the concept of the Trinity. Most of the time, when an astrologer interprets an aspect, they're analyzing the angular relationship between two points. This is useful when it comes to getting the general idea, but when you want to find out what's really at the bottom of things, the answer to that question is usually held in the point that sits halfway between the two points in aspect. The midpoint is the "Holy Ghost" in the story and it'll tell you more about what's really going on than any other element in the configuration.
That being said, the midpoint between the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction and the Aries point works out to be the 12th degree of Pisces. Let's see what the Sabian Symbol book has to say about it:
"PHASE 342 (PISCES 12 DEGREES): IN THE SANCTUARY OF AN OCCULT BROTHERHOOD, NEWLY INITIATED MEMBERS ARE BEING EXAMINED AND THEIR CHARACTER TESTED
KEYNOTE: The ever-repeated challenge presented to the individual by the group in which he has claimed acceptance — the challenge to prove himself and his ability to assume responsibility effectively.
At any level of activity, sooner or later life demands of the individual that he or she stand up clearly and unequivocally to the ideal he himself has declared publicly his own. At the occult level the testing seems to be controlled and irrevocable. The 'initiate' has become a constituent part of an integrated field of mental-spiritual activity. He is therefore controlled by the structural order of the group. He is no longer seeking; having found his place, he must prove himself able to fulfill the function associated with it. He is no longer 'free' as an individual, for he has become part of an integral Whole operating under structural principles of immense antiquity.
This second symbolic stage of unfoldment stands in contrast to the first in that the individual is now bound by collective laws and traditions. At a mundane political or business level he is the junior executive incorporated in a hierarchal institution. He has at all times to prove his worth. QUALIFICATION is an apt keyword."
Underneath everything we've said about awakening to a whole new world depending upon our collective ability to focus and direct our healing energies it should be pretty clear to anyone who's reading this that what we do to connect with Spirit isn't just about us anymore. All of us claim to want the same thing; and in wanting it we have to assume that having it will require certain things of us.
We are being invited to take part in an event the likes of which none of us have ever seen — and if we are to participate, do we understand that being included in this integrated field of mental-spiritual activity is an honor? Are we willing to lay down our egos and our personal needs and interests so that something greater can happen? It might help to ask ourselves if we know how important this gathering is. What qualifies any of us to be part of it?
Which brings us to a whole other issue; what I've written so far makes it sound like we're all going to be walking on air for ten days — maybe so, but there are a few things that could be problematic.
Isis squares Hopi in the chart for the first fire. Isis has to do with splitting things into pieces and putting them back together again. She fragments and creates factions, but she knows how to integrate too. Hopi is the Indigenous asteroid. This asteroid also rules different forms of prejudice. The one thing that could get in the way will be the tendency for disparate factions to disagree on how things ought to be done.
Different tribes have different traditions; it would be naive to expect that there wouldn't be some level of disagreement, even among men of wisdom. It will be interesting to see how the Hopi-Isis square plays out. Like I said, as much as she knows how to split things up, Isis is just as good at bringing them back together — and the same force that looks like it could divide things in the beginning, could also find a way to integrate everyone's traditions without making one superlative to another by the time the gathering ends.
Hades, the asteroid that governs mistakes, old debris, 'ancient history', back breaking work, and whatever's going on underneath the surface, is conjunct Klotho in the first fire chart. Klotho tells us what the conditions are at the beginning of any venture. It's quite possible that early errors and oversights could lead to complications that don't become apparent until the last minute, or don't come to the surface until it's too late to do anything about them.
On the mundane level the physical work involved in the preparations could be more arduous and time consuming than expected. Anyone who's signed up to help out with the mechanics of the event needs to be ready to put out their best effort. Hades association with filth and debris suggests that it would be good to cover the clean up/garbage/and Jiffy-John issues with extra care; all the details need to be covered. Whatever those tasks involve they will require more labor and materials — more wood for the fire, more garbage bags and garbage cans, and twice as much toilet paper!
Both Hades and Klotho square Zeus, the asteroid that has to do with fires, displays of anger, and issues that revolve around, 'who's the boss?' I have a feeling we'll need to pay extra attention to the fire element — more so than usual; whoever's tending the fires needs to be totally clear and on the ball — and whoever thinks they're the boss will have to find a way to keep their ego and their temper in check.
On a totally superficial level, the Hades-Klotho-Zeus configuration could manifest as some attendees getting miffed over the fact that they have to live in primitive conditions for the duration of the event. If you plan on participating, be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors, in the desert heat and make sure you've got the right gear. This won't be Club Med — don't expect it to be.
As far as old debris, ancient history, and what's going on underneath the surface; 13,000 years of cellular memory will flow through this gathering — some of it will be laced with pain and torture — who knows what that could bring up? Ancient emotions and instincts, memories of things long forgotten could arouse anger over old humiliations, power struggles, and defeats — all these things will be floating around within this integrated field of mental and spiritual activity. None of us knows what we will be called to process during this gathering — but whatever form it takes we're going to need to be able to handle it and maintain our ability to focus on the work at hand at the same time.
I could spend another week analyzing the astrology of the Ancestors Gathering but I think this thumb nail sketch will be enough to cover it for now. If what's written here gives you a clearer sense of what's about to happen and what it all means, it might be good to think about how you want to participate. Regardless of whether you are here in person, or choose to join the gathering in Spirit hopefully you understand that this is no small thing. Our collective future is on the line right now. All of us are part of it.
Look into your hearts and think of April 2009 as a time of prayer and purification. Call up all of your dreams and picture them blending with the smoke of the ceremonial fires that will be burning out here in the Four Corners. May the light in the spirit of every man, woman and child mingle with those flames, and with the spirits of our ancestors, and with all of the invisible forces that are guiding our passage through these changing times — and may the magic that comes to life at the Ancestors Gathering serve to ease our emergence into the Age of Light.
Return of the Ancestors website
Link
Please take time to look at this link about a global event occurring April 18 to about April 28th this year.
It is referred to in Mayan Astrology as the Return of the Ancestors.
Indigenous people and spiritually aware persons around the globe will be connecting through ritual and prayer to bring back the ancient wisdom of our wise ones. This is a time to directly reconnect with the powerful divine forces within your own family line, and also the guardians and wise ones of the earth itself.
I will be forwarding on a prayer to use during ritual in honor of this event. It is meant to invoke the highest forces of love and wisdom both personally and universally.
Also, I will be having a ceremonial event for those who wish to meet and work with this doorway between dimensions. This will be in Oklahoma City for those who can attend.
Email eileenadairh@yahoo.com for more information.
Below this email I have posted the information about this.
More to come soon.
Eileen
Return of the Ancestors Gathering
Written by Adam Yellowbird
Monday, 14 January 2008
Northern Arizona April 18-28, 2009
The Institute for Cultural Awareness presents a historic International multicultural gathering and sacred pilgrimage welcoming Indigenous elders and future wisdom keepers representing the voice of Mother Earth, beginning Earth Day weekend, April 18-28, 2009 throughout Northern Arizona. The heart of the gathering will be the 4th reunion of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas. The intention is to unite and share the invited wisdom keeper’s visions and prophesized ceremonies for peace and harmony for Mother Earth and all humanity.
The Institute for Cultural Awareness’ goal is to sponsor 72 or more global spiritual/cultural leaders and 28 youth council leaders from around the world. These wisdom keepers will share a harvest of harmonic wisdom and understandings that will enable the world to fulfill the prophecies of the ancestors. This gathering’s commitment to ceremony as a focal point offers pilgrims of the world the privilege to witness councils sharing wisdom from their ancestors, songs and sacred ceremonies. This intention is to bring inspiration to the world thus birthing clear decisions and manifesting a conduit of hope for our children, the future wisdom keepers of the world.
Humanity has waited for the day of peace and harmony to reign in this world for hundreds of years. We are at a pivotal point where action needs to be taken. We must move in a new direction towards each individual seeking the healing of their ancestral memories to enable humanity to move forward. A proclamation will be made for the ancestral memories to be healed globally for all time and space.
We are now living in a time of our truth and an intertwined field of destiny mending the circle of life. Let us look at the truth: the tree of life, the seed of life, the flower of life. The world has awaited a renewed life’s plan. We look towards our grand elders and wisdom keepers’ Cosmovision for specific instructions and guidance towards the reconnection to the natural laws. The seen and unseen from the past, present and future unfold. Destiny brings us all to this point in time. The men and women of wisdom have returned. History and Herstory is unfolding in front of our very own eyes.
Whether attending the gathering physically or through private ceremony, everyone is being called to participate in this historic and extraordinary event. Through humanity’s enlightenment, once again we will live in balance and harmony with Mother Earth. All is in divine timing!
One Mayan prophecy states, “At the time of the 12 Baktun and 13 Ahau is the time of the return of our ancestors and the return of the men of wisdom.” “That time is now,” says Grandfather Alejandro Cirilo Oxlaj, President of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala and President of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas.
http://spiritofmaat.com/apr09/ancestors_gathering_astrology.html
The Astrology of the Ancestor's Gathering
By Cal Garrison
"At the time of the 12 Baktun and 13 Ahau is the time of the return of our ancestors and the return of the men of wisdom." "That time is now."
— Grandfather Alejandro Cirilo Oxlaj, President of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala and President of the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders and Spiritual Guides of the Americas.
Back in the fall of 2008, Adam Yellowbird and Carmen Goudin asked me if I'd be willing to take a look at the astrology of the Ancestor's Gathering. Both of them felt that knowing what the stars have to say about this ten-day ceremonial event would shed some light on what's going on at the energetic level and perhaps helps us prepare ourselves inwardly for an experience that is probably the biggest thing that will ever happen to any of us.
Considering their request, I had no problem doing the work, but I felt a little intimidated because I am new to Indigenous things and clueless as to why the Elders consider the dates between April 18th and April 28th so auspicious. Even so, I am wise enough to know that there are many ways to looks at things and if the April dates were significant from the Indigenous perspective, I was sure that they would look just as auspicious if examined from the perspective of Western Astrology.
When I first began to think about this I opened my ephemeris and did a scan of where the planets would be and what the Moon would be doing between the day that they plan to light the first fire and the last day of the gathering on April 28th. The initial overview revealed a lot — in fact it revealed so much, I figured that alone would be enough to go on. As the months passed and the reality of the gathering came closer and closer I got out my charts and started studying them in more detail — and they are full of imagery that will shed some light on what the Return of the Ancestors Gathering is all about.
One of the things an astrologer needs when they do this kind of work are accurate times and specific locations. This project has been interesting because the Elders have made it very clear that the locations and the timing for each ceremony must be kept secret. Without the usual tools I've had to figure out how to approach it a little differently, using among other things, planetary midpoints and Sabian Symbols.
The First Fire
On the day that the first ceremonial fire is lit, the chart shows the North Node at five-degrees Aquarius. The North Node represents the point of fulfillment in an individual horoscope — in a chart for an event, it can represent a lot of things but it always has a great deal to say about where the focus needs to be kept.
The Sabian Symbol for that degree of Aquarius reads like this:
"PHASE 305 (AQUARIUS 5-DEGREES): A COUNCIL OF ANCESTORS IS SEEN IMPLEMENTING THE EFFORTS OF A YOUNG LEADER
KEYNOTE: The Root foundation of past performances which power and sustain whatever decision is made in a crisis by an individual.
The whole past of mankind stands behind any individual effort, especially in times of critical decisions. The endeavor of the priests who built the California missions had behind it the whole past of Catholic proselytizing, i.e. the attempt to bring the "Good News" to all people of the Earth. Every individual is far more dependent upon the strength of his ancestors' achievements — or oppressed by their failures and lack of vision — than he usually believes. This can mean a hidden foundation of individual strength, or the inertia of a tradition unable to transcend its limited origins.
This is the last symbol in the sixty-first five-fold sequence. It suggests that in many situations RELIANCE UPON PRECEDENTS will enable the aspirant to greatness to tap the power of his deepest roots."
Not bad for openers. It tells us exactly what is happening. Taken literally it tells us that this is a time when we have to turn to our Ancestors for strength and wisdom. It could also be saying that our Elders have returned, at a decisive moment to implement the growth of their Younger Brothers. Long established precedents will secure the effort and allow us to tap into our deepest roots, provided those precedents aren't bogged down by traditionalism that no longer serves any useful purpose.
The North Node will sit on that degree, and that imagery will be active on the day of the opening fire and on the last day of the gathering. It seems as if the symbol exists as potential on the first day — and I have a feeling we will know if that potential has been met by the time the gathering ends.
In between the first and final fire the Node will retrograde back to four-degrees Aquarius and hold steady there until April 28th. Reading the imagery it's easy to see what will be required of us during this time — let's take a look at the Sabian Symbol for four-degrees Aquarius:
"PHASE 304 (AQUARIUS 4-DEGREES): A HINDU YOGI DEMONSTRATES HIS HEALING POWERS
KEYNOTE: The disciplined use of spiritual energies in restoring the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind.
Civilization implies a process of transcending compulsive and rigid biological drives while making use, in a refined and mentalized way, of what it cannot control. The goal of a true civilization — Western civilization being to a large extent a caricature of it — is the development of a humanity composed of self-motivated and responsible individuals freely associating according to harmonic patterns in order to produce a vast spiritual chord of consciousness fully actualizing the potentialities inherent in the archetype MAN. The process of individualization and civilization is full of dangers, and for a very long time it is obsessed by Karmic shadows, the results of individual and collective deviations and perversions. Such results most often lead to disease. It is the spiritual duty of individuals who have been able to tap the vast reservoir of spiritual forces pervading our planet to use these energies for healing their less fortunate comrades.
This fourth stage symbol refers to a technique which not only can be used for the healing of physical illnesses but for the 'making whole' of whatever has lost its natural root integration and has not yet reached the holistic state of perfect harmony and identification with the 'divine' whole. Self-discipline, purity of motive, compassion, and faith in the divine order are required — and the FOCUSING OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY".
If you've been wondering what the Ancestors Gathering is all about, the two symbols make it pretty clear. It would seem that the implementation process will require the Council of Ancestors to focus their wisdom and their healing powers on restoring peace and harmony to our world. And I get the sense that they have come to remind us of what we have forgotten — because there are few who remember the original teachings and the original ways: only the Indigenous ones have guarded those precedents and kept to those ways — and I have a feeling their ceremonies will open the space for humanity to return to them. In order for that to happen, those of us who are present at this gathering need to remember that, "It is the spiritual duty of individuals who have been able to tap the vast reservoir of spiritual forces pervading our planet to use these energies for healing their less fortunate comrades… Self-discipline, purity of motive, compassion, and faith in the divine order are required — and the FOCUSING OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY".
That the Elders are returning is one thing; what we need to keep in mind is that we are all returning. Humanity is about to find its way home. If you plan to participate, in Spirit or in the flesh, know that your ability to tap into the spirit that lives, and breathes, and moves through everything needs to be yoked to your ability to direct that energy into healing both the planet and all of her people.
They say, "We are the ones we've been waiting for". It looks like it's time to take our spirituality out of the ashram and bring it down to Earth so that what's in our hearts can finally manifest outwardly. The Elders are coming to show us the way. Our part in this has to do with paying close attention to what they have to teach us so that we can know what to do about the changes that lie ahead and balance ourselves in preparation for them — because ultimately the intent behind the Ancestors Gathering is to restore "the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind".
The Union of the Male and the Female
Venus and Mars will be within orb of a conjunction for the duration of the gathering. In layman's terms, when two planets are conjunct it means they're right on top of each other, on or near the same degree of the zodiac. Coming out of the later degrees of Pisces, Venus and Mars will conjunct the Aries Point between the 21st and the 23rd of April. In my opinion, those three days are loaded with significance — and I'll tell you why.
Venus is the female archetype; Mars is the male. Whenever they form a conjunction it implies that the Male and the Female are vibrating in unison because there's nothing to separate them when they're this close together. Everyone knows how rare it is for the male and the female to be in synch with each other — but when it happens, the sense of love and oneness is so complete we connect automatically with the unity that pervades all of life. During the gathering the emanations from the Venus-Mars conjunction will infuse the event with a feeling of unity that's bound to remove every barrier. With no duality, the polarity factor that always exists just won't be there.
If that sounds wonderful, it gets even better. The two planets will conjunct the Aries Point pretty much the whole time. That aspect will be closest to exact between the 21st and the 23rd of April. To make things more interesting, the Moon will join Venus, Mars, and the Aries Point on April 22nd. My hunch is that the most important ceremony will be held on that day.
I say this for a number of reasons. The Aries Point is loaded with significance, but one of the things it represents is "all of humanity". From the standpoint of Mother Earth, that point is doubly significant because it governs the descending axis of her horoscope (Yes, Mother Earth has her own horoscope) or the angle that represents who and what she decides to be in relationship with. Because we are her children, and she is our Mother, we are in a primary relationship with Mother Earth — and that's why the Aries Point has come to symbolize all of humanity.
Any transit to this point sets up a resonance that ripples out and impacts large segments of the human population. Ultimately, planets moving over the Aries Point have the potential to touch absolutely everyone. With Venus and Mars functioning in unison, or the male and the female vibrating on the same frequency, what do you suppose will happen when the two planets come together on the point that rules every man, woman, and child? If I'm right about the dates between April 21st and April 23rd, the Elders couldn't choose a better time to do ceremony — because on those three days the law of correspondence will instill a sense of unity and oneness that will reinforce our efforts to focus our energies on the creation of a new vision for the planet.
If the Venus-Mars-Aries Point conjunction isn't enough, the Moon will cross the Aries Point, and join Venus and Mars at approximately 8AM on April 22nd. I am pretty sure there will be a big ceremony on that day because the planetary influences are perfect for it — and this will be the one that the public gets to participate in, because the Moon holds rulership over the general public too; when it meets the Aries Point that energy multiplies times two — so I have a feeling April 22nd, and the days on either side, will bring us all together as one, totally unified presence. And because the Moon also rules the plant, and animal, and mineral kingdoms, you can bet that the soul of every living thing will be there for it.
As I write this the enormity of it really hits home. I keep getting the picture of us finally remembering that we're all one family. I can even envision all of us waking up to this simultaneously — because I think that's what will be going on, on the etheric level — we will be awakened to another, more respectful way of relating to each other, and to the planet, and a whole new way of being will begin to come to life.
The thought that prompts me to see it this way came up while I was feeding the birds; all of a sudden I remembered that the Aries Point is the Alpha and Omega point in the zodiac; zero degrees Aries is where all things begin and end! Do you get the picture? Between the 21st and the 23rd of April the music of the spheres will be singing one, unified chord, and the planets, along with the Moon will call all of humanity to get on that wavelength and beam up high enough to see that what appears to be ending is really just the beginning of a whole new world. That we live in momentous times is obvious — that we get to witness this and be stewards for it is mind boggling.
Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius
There's another powerful conjunction that will be active throughout this time; Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune will be within orb of a conjunction during the entire gathering. All three planets are sitting in the later degrees of Aquarius, within two degrees of each other. There's a lot to say about this configuration. It took me a while to figure it out but I think I've got the picture; let me see if I can make it easy to understand.
Jupiter has to do with the higher mind and our ability to access it. It is the part of us that wants to grow spiritually. The natural impulse to expand beyond the mundane is fueled by the faith that there is a First Cause or some ultimate truth that absolutely has to be discovered. It is for this reason that we have come to associate Jupiter with tolerance and diversity; because his search for the truth takes him everywhere — he is the archetypal seeker, always on a vision quest — and he often finds himself hanging out with people whose beliefs are rooted in traditions that are different enough from his own to catapult him into seeing life and God from a totally new perspective.
Out of the twelve houses in the horoscope, Jupiter rules the ninth, and it is the planetary ruler of the sign Sagittarius. The Sagittarian/ninth house connection has to do with a lot of things. For the purposes of this discussion we'll focus on its association with religion and philosophy. Both the sign and the house are geared toward finding out more about those things and that's why Jupiter rules them. Forty years of doing charts has taught me that these three influences often point to Indigenous or Earth Based traditions as the primary spiritual focus, or the way that the client has to follow in order to connect with Spirit. Stretch that observation onto a collective chart and we could assume that the same thing would apply.
With Jupiter sitting in the sign Aquarius, the Aquarian penchant for gathering together in groups of likeminded people will be layered over the planets' need to move into a deeper understanding of the universe. It seems as if we'll all be wide open to finding out why we've come together and where we need to go from here.
That there will be a change, I have no doubt, because Chiron, the maverick, 'Mr. Natural' archetype, is involved in this conjunction too — and Chiron always calls us to take a different route. Interestingly, this planet was discovered the year they introduced the Native American Freedom of Religion Act into congress. A symbol for the aspect of Spirit that is inextricably rooted in the wisdom of the Earth, out of all the planets, Chiron is the hallmark and standard bearer for the Indigenous people of the world.
In Aquarius, Chiron always reflects the need to bring some long awaited dream to life. In an individual horoscope it usually means that the native has had a deep desire, something they have always wanted to do but have never found the faith to believe in their hearts that it could be done. At a certain point they realize that if they don't start believing it can be done, their life will never meet its purpose.
On a collective level this could translate as a group of people going through the same process. Our long awaited dream could very well be 13,000 years old; or, it could be the wish that we've had since we were children; either way, Chiron in Aquarius seems to be telling us that we have finally come to believe in that dream firmly enough to make it real.
Now, Neptune's blending his influence in with all of this too. The full import of that connection could fill a book so let's look at the condensed version and start off with Neptune's reputation as the unconditional lover. He's the archetype of that higher kind of love that lives beyond the finite, outside of possession, structure, and expectation. Neptune's the one who tunes us in to love for all life, everywhere; he's the one who knows we're all one.
Picture that blended with Jupiter's desire to grow and expand into new realms of consciousness; it feels limitless to me. Neptune and Jupiter together — with all that love, no boundaries, and a natural need to expand — how far do you think we could go?
Combine this with the idea that Chiron and Neptune will be adding their chord to the conjunction. This will open the channel to the higher realms. That portal switches to wide open and full on when Chiron and Neptune come together; it's a mind blowing thing. It's like a tube of white light that goes directly to the Source and there's no stopping the flow. And whether we are conscious of it or not we become in inlet for a higher form of energy that can be used to heal pretty much anything when that channel is open.
Imagine a group of people coming together with one heart under these influences. The Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction is such a big thing, it's almost too big to wrap my mind around. And because I am afraid that the picture I've painted may be too subjective I thought it would be good to check in with the Sabian Symbols to get a more objective perspective. Since three planets are involved in this conjunction, I've used the midpoint, and just for the sake of experiment, taken that and calculated the midpoint between it, and the Aries Point.
For those of you who don't use or know about midpoints, they're a tool that helps an astrologer figure out what the essence of a situation might be. It's based on the concept of the Trinity. Most of the time, when an astrologer interprets an aspect, they're analyzing the angular relationship between two points. This is useful when it comes to getting the general idea, but when you want to find out what's really at the bottom of things, the answer to that question is usually held in the point that sits halfway between the two points in aspect. The midpoint is the "Holy Ghost" in the story and it'll tell you more about what's really going on than any other element in the configuration.
That being said, the midpoint between the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction and the Aries point works out to be the 12th degree of Pisces. Let's see what the Sabian Symbol book has to say about it:
"PHASE 342 (PISCES 12 DEGREES): IN THE SANCTUARY OF AN OCCULT BROTHERHOOD, NEWLY INITIATED MEMBERS ARE BEING EXAMINED AND THEIR CHARACTER TESTED
KEYNOTE: The ever-repeated challenge presented to the individual by the group in which he has claimed acceptance — the challenge to prove himself and his ability to assume responsibility effectively.
At any level of activity, sooner or later life demands of the individual that he or she stand up clearly and unequivocally to the ideal he himself has declared publicly his own. At the occult level the testing seems to be controlled and irrevocable. The 'initiate' has become a constituent part of an integrated field of mental-spiritual activity. He is therefore controlled by the structural order of the group. He is no longer seeking; having found his place, he must prove himself able to fulfill the function associated with it. He is no longer 'free' as an individual, for he has become part of an integral Whole operating under structural principles of immense antiquity.
This second symbolic stage of unfoldment stands in contrast to the first in that the individual is now bound by collective laws and traditions. At a mundane political or business level he is the junior executive incorporated in a hierarchal institution. He has at all times to prove his worth. QUALIFICATION is an apt keyword."
Underneath everything we've said about awakening to a whole new world depending upon our collective ability to focus and direct our healing energies it should be pretty clear to anyone who's reading this that what we do to connect with Spirit isn't just about us anymore. All of us claim to want the same thing; and in wanting it we have to assume that having it will require certain things of us.
We are being invited to take part in an event the likes of which none of us have ever seen — and if we are to participate, do we understand that being included in this integrated field of mental-spiritual activity is an honor? Are we willing to lay down our egos and our personal needs and interests so that something greater can happen? It might help to ask ourselves if we know how important this gathering is. What qualifies any of us to be part of it?
Which brings us to a whole other issue; what I've written so far makes it sound like we're all going to be walking on air for ten days — maybe so, but there are a few things that could be problematic.
Isis squares Hopi in the chart for the first fire. Isis has to do with splitting things into pieces and putting them back together again. She fragments and creates factions, but she knows how to integrate too. Hopi is the Indigenous asteroid. This asteroid also rules different forms of prejudice. The one thing that could get in the way will be the tendency for disparate factions to disagree on how things ought to be done.
Different tribes have different traditions; it would be naive to expect that there wouldn't be some level of disagreement, even among men of wisdom. It will be interesting to see how the Hopi-Isis square plays out. Like I said, as much as she knows how to split things up, Isis is just as good at bringing them back together — and the same force that looks like it could divide things in the beginning, could also find a way to integrate everyone's traditions without making one superlative to another by the time the gathering ends.
Hades, the asteroid that governs mistakes, old debris, 'ancient history', back breaking work, and whatever's going on underneath the surface, is conjunct Klotho in the first fire chart. Klotho tells us what the conditions are at the beginning of any venture. It's quite possible that early errors and oversights could lead to complications that don't become apparent until the last minute, or don't come to the surface until it's too late to do anything about them.
On the mundane level the physical work involved in the preparations could be more arduous and time consuming than expected. Anyone who's signed up to help out with the mechanics of the event needs to be ready to put out their best effort. Hades association with filth and debris suggests that it would be good to cover the clean up/garbage/and Jiffy-John issues with extra care; all the details need to be covered. Whatever those tasks involve they will require more labor and materials — more wood for the fire, more garbage bags and garbage cans, and twice as much toilet paper!
Both Hades and Klotho square Zeus, the asteroid that has to do with fires, displays of anger, and issues that revolve around, 'who's the boss?' I have a feeling we'll need to pay extra attention to the fire element — more so than usual; whoever's tending the fires needs to be totally clear and on the ball — and whoever thinks they're the boss will have to find a way to keep their ego and their temper in check.
On a totally superficial level, the Hades-Klotho-Zeus configuration could manifest as some attendees getting miffed over the fact that they have to live in primitive conditions for the duration of the event. If you plan on participating, be prepared to spend a lot of time outdoors, in the desert heat and make sure you've got the right gear. This won't be Club Med — don't expect it to be.
As far as old debris, ancient history, and what's going on underneath the surface; 13,000 years of cellular memory will flow through this gathering — some of it will be laced with pain and torture — who knows what that could bring up? Ancient emotions and instincts, memories of things long forgotten could arouse anger over old humiliations, power struggles, and defeats — all these things will be floating around within this integrated field of mental and spiritual activity. None of us knows what we will be called to process during this gathering — but whatever form it takes we're going to need to be able to handle it and maintain our ability to focus on the work at hand at the same time.
I could spend another week analyzing the astrology of the Ancestors Gathering but I think this thumb nail sketch will be enough to cover it for now. If what's written here gives you a clearer sense of what's about to happen and what it all means, it might be good to think about how you want to participate. Regardless of whether you are here in person, or choose to join the gathering in Spirit hopefully you understand that this is no small thing. Our collective future is on the line right now. All of us are part of it.
Look into your hearts and think of April 2009 as a time of prayer and purification. Call up all of your dreams and picture them blending with the smoke of the ceremonial fires that will be burning out here in the Four Corners. May the light in the spirit of every man, woman and child mingle with those flames, and with the spirits of our ancestors, and with all of the invisible forces that are guiding our passage through these changing times — and may the magic that comes to life at the Ancestors Gathering serve to ease our emergence into the Age of Light.
Return of the Ancestors website
posted by Eileen Hetherington | 9:22 AM
