Gone Retrograde

Mercury went retrograde on December 2nd, 2017, spinning its skyway loop de loop through December 22nd, for the fourth time this year. I wrote a series of articles on Mercury and the celestial phenomenon going back to 2012, and thought to slide them on over to this site's expanding library. Here's the original post with some more backspin to follow, as its usually a similar story with Mercury's seemingly backwards motion: 

Well, Mercury has gone retrograde for the first time in 2012, starting on March 12th and continuing through April 3rd. Does this ring any astrological bells for you? Mercury’s retrograde motion occurs three or four times a year, when the innermost and smallest planet in our solar system appears to slow down, stop, and then move backward (retrograde) through the zodiac. According to modern science, this traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in our solar system. It’s a bit like traveling on the road watching another car beside you; as you speed up or the other car slows down, it appears to be moving backwards. Planets are never actually stationary or moving backwards, they just seem that way due to the cosmic shadow play.

Retrograde periods aren’t uncommon and in fact all planets retrograde except the sun and the moon. Although a powerful astrological influence, Mercury is quite a small planet that travels at a fast speed through the zodiac, yet a Mercury retrograde period  can prove problematic for people.

In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. Mercury retrograde then can gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry. It is not exactly wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Looking up some online Mercury retrograde images, one warned: “Don’t sign anything. Don’t buy anything. Don’t get married… until it’s over.” I’m not sure about all that, but I think being aware of its potential influence is sound advice.

During the Spring Mercury Retrograde, the planet will  pass through both Uttara Bhadra and its next-door neighbor, Purva Bhadra.  Both of these nakshatras are symbolized by a funeral cot.  Both of them are also associated with the awareness of the temporary quality of life.  These nakshatras are designed to motivate us to look within for what is real, making this period a great time for reflection on the indisputable fact that life is temporary, and recalibrating our attention to the here and now.  And don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to reapply your powers of concentration again when Mercury goes retro. for the second and third time in 2012, from July 14th – August 8th, and again in November, from November 6th – November 26th, 2012. NOTE: And again in 2018, from March 22nd-April 15th, July 25th-August 18th and Nov. 16th-Dec. 6th. 

The Value of Private Meditation Lessons

A quick, informative article on the value of taking private meditation lessons with one of the world's most adept meditation teachers - Me - is order. . My Ego aside, Having run The Higher Haven’s One-Day retreats for a little over a year now, well over a hundred people have heard my overview on the internal skills and abilities developed by establishing a daily meditation practice. While several attendees had some form of practice in place, the majority of the participants have been beginners. And I like to say that meditation, like snowboarding, offers an extremely steep learning curve out of the gate. When I communicate with our growing posse of alumni, I'm quick to ask how their daily practice is coming along. The consensus usually comes to down a need for a some sprucing up to say the least.

All that said, a little guidance goes an awfully long way. Such has been the case with a student of mine whose life was notably roused by recently attending a retreat and taking part in Ceremony. Janine and I first crossed paths in, of all places, the local Wellness Center's Sauna. A local resident of South Haven along with her two canine side-kicks Bear and Brett, she expressed a keen interest in learning to meditate, having learned of its relaxation benefits. Six months later, we crossed paths again at the Meijers check out counter and I invited her back out. After participating in a One-Day mid-summer retreat, she signed up for a six-session meditation series of hour-long meetings.

Working with Janine has been an immense pleasure. She’s delightful – inquisitive, kind, and  hard working. She also speaks French, which has made our communications quite charmant. “Bonjour Paul... de rien... je suis ici (thank heavens for Google translate). I kidded her that this very article should be titled A Tale of Two Janine's - the one who came out a bit unknowing and the one who returned, awake and alive in a new way. At one point during our run together Janine's car wasn’t working well, so we met at South Haven's South Beach. Side by side, relishing the silence between us, we turned my little Volvo C30 into quite the effective mobile meditation Hall, the noon chimes of St. Basil's bells magically ending our session. Amazed by Janine's transformation, I asked her to convey thoughts on her experience:

“I have been so fortunate to meet Paul Tootalian, the founder of Higher Haven Retreat Center, at a very timely moment in my life.  Evidently, the Universe saw fit to intercede and show me a new way of being.  Taking part in Ceremony at a One-Day Retreat lead to a major shift in my outlook on life.  Though I have, generally, understood that our possessions can never provide real happiness, within twenty-four hours of experiencing Ceremony, I began to question, even more intensely, the purpose of my small existence. Instincts told me that a huge transformation was on the horizon.  Paul confirmed that Ceremony can be an impetus for significant growth and change, and I thought that Meditation could provide some sense of tranquility while also focusing on the needed work at hand. I have completed six individual meditation sessions with Paul. 

My words can not sufficiently convey the benefits of this practice.  The calm that pervades the physical is a true blessing, and it permeates the mental aspect of the Self as well. This feeling of peace and oneness, a palpable tranquility, is then with me as I continue through the day. I have found Paul to be a wonderful teacher, with great compassion and skill.  He is able to guide his students to understand that real happiness comes only from within.  I would never have imagined that this ancient practice could be so meaningful in our chaotic world.  Tears of joy do not lie. Meditation will be a part of my life, for the rest of my life.  Imagine if we all were as fortunate to learn this craft.”

And we all are. Merci Beacoup Janine. If attaining a peace that passes understanding from simply sitting down with regularity is of interest to you, contact me for more information on gaining the merits of private meditation lessons. 

"God Enriches": Arizona's State Motto

“The desert is the environment of revelation, genetically and physiologically alien, seriously austere, esthetically abstract. historically inimical… Its forms are bold and suggestive. The mind is beset by light and space, the kinesthetic novelty of aridity, high temperature and wind. The desert sky is encircling, majestic, terrible. In other habitats, the rim of sky above the horizontal is broken or obscured; here together with the overhead portion, it is infinitely vaster than that of rolling countryside and forest lands… In an unobstructed sky the clouds seems more massive, sometimes grandly reflecting the earth’s curvature on their concave undersides. The angularity of desert landforms imparts a monumental architecture to the clouds as well as to the land....

To the deserts go prophets and hermits; through deserts go pilgrims and exiles. Here the leaders of the great religions have sought the therapeutic and spiritual values of retreat, not to escape but to find reality” – Paul Shepard, Man In The Landscape, A Historic View of the Esthethics of Nature