Astrology's Present Moment by Barry D. Cowger - HTML preview

The 2 Septile @ 51.42 Degrees of Separation, or 21.42 Taurus

Basic Training and Beyond

Basic "spiritual" training focuses on the health and strength of the physical body as well as the energy or "big C" Consciousness that constitutes and moves through more bodies than one. While it can be enjoyable to do nice things for the physical body with time and resources, this aspect portal does not stop there. There is energy potential and effort potential in spirituality that will pass through as if nothing is there, because there isn't. "All signs brim with their spiritual potential or present-moment nature" and this aspect portal is no exception. Energy is readily available and being redirected in Chapter 1. In this chapter we make or produce things with it. Here on Earth we use our hands and minds to make things happen. The earthy quality of this aspect portal, similar to that of a domesticated cat, or a contented frog, seeks to maintain the status quo by only putting in the effort necessary to maintain basic survival or comfort levels and then stopping there. However, this aspect portal, by phase or sensitive degree, cannot not stop there because the Consciousness or activity of awareness itself never stops as "activity." In practical spiritual terms, any drill as awareness will eventually reach the end of that limit, or will punch through it. "Body awareness" is a much larger topic that is not limited to one (physical) body. For these individuals, awakening realization experience is this experience. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Source Consciousness and "The Body"

Paradoxically, the same energy that helps these individuals maintain their physical health and strength is also meant to carry them into a deeper and more fundamental level of their existence beyond the constraints physicality. In other words, awareness can't remain stagnant either. Awareness makes its way through the physical body and will continue if given the chance. Source Consciousness is unlimited. The celestial body and house position of this aspect portal will reveal how the individual reconnects to the other bodies that awareness moves through. A key or helpful insight is that while individuals have temporary stewardship of their physical body, or may feel that they "own" it, they do not own the Consciousness or awareness that runs through it. This aspect portal is designed to widen or enhance that very sensitivity or awareness in terms of the celestial bodies that endure that very awareness. Sometimes it is easier, and sometimes it is harder. The energetic truth "within" the physical body has an intent to awaken to what is seemingly beyond it. For these individuals, awakening will not begin as a top-down, or "light bulb" experience. It feels more like a softening, like water seeping into earth at increasingly subtle levels as awareness would have it. They have sensory capabilities qualities that move or tunnel to deeper levels of "body" sensory awareness. They are going back to spiritual basics, learning to live more comfortably by listening to all of their bodies, not just what their physical body is telling them. This is often not as easy as it sounds because some grooves are very deep or harder to get through. Greater awareness or awakening can be developed through sitting when any sensory quality, such as extreme discomfort or pain, changes into another sensation or vanishes altogether. In other words, "real" pain or discomfort is shown to be relative and not nearly as real as it appears to have been. Body consciousness is a spiritual thing, and one may have a lifetime of discovery ahead as awareness reaches a limit, pauses or rests, and then continues to delve into deeper levels of "the body" once again. With the help of their body's increasing sensory capacities and sensitivities, individuals can redefine what constitutes a body and explore the "spiritual" insights that may accompany it. One of those insights is that Earth is not a fundamental element. It only appears that way. The good news is that body signals are happening 24/7/365. The potential for self-educated body awareness is constantly present. They have a feel for it. Even though it can be difficult to sit for long periods, or to simply relax into and move through their comfort zones, individuals know that sustained effort in this "direction" is a spiritual resource that will reveal more insights and subtleties as they progress. They awaken through the body and nowhere else.

The Crazy Pain of Nothing Fundamentally There

Time and again, -and this is no exception, all aspect portals encapsulate paradox and will reveal it here through more than the physical body. A key or seminal awakening experience is encountering what one believes to be a physical sensory limit and relaxing beyond it. It is important not to attempt to "hold" or limit any experience. It is more truthful and accurate to unfold naturally, rather than trying to steer or corral it toward enjoyable sensory experiences or away from discomforting ones. The gross physical body is designed to sense the finest subtleties or levels through awareness, but Consciousness knows that the body is not substantive and extends beyond it. This insight releases the tendency to be stubborn about holding anything physical. These new levels of truth are alchemy in the making. For these individuals, a milestone or resonant experience occurs when they observe their physical discomfort arise, build, change in its quality or intensity, and then dissipate back into nothingness. It's a healthier relationship with awareness that allows for these experiences to come and go. Awareness alters the perception or previously felt-sense of the physical body suggesting that the boundaries between "inner" or physically "real" and "outer" as "out there" are not as distinct as once adopted or vicariously believed.

Phases are Relationships

All phases as aspect portals define here, are created by two celestial bodies that have a greater or lessor working relationship to each other. I like to refer to the slower one as the "feeder" and the faster one as the eventual form, expression, or outcome of the two. The 2 Septile is focused on the physical and the other bodies through which Consciousness flows, making awareness more, or endlessly, acute. The good news is that the maximum elongation of Venus to Mercury is 73 degrees which includes this aspect portal at 51.42… degrees. This is one of the more mathematically likely and beneficial combinations to consider when working towards a more favorable relationship with "body consciousness." When Venus acts as the feeder and Mercury as the outcome or expression, lines of sensory communication are open and easily accessible for collaborative learning. Having Mercury or Venus as outcome planets, because they are faster moving planets than most others, would also tend to be favorable to awakening realization experience through their bodies. Consider various combinations of celestial bodies and their natures. The possibilities are vast. Some combinations would be easier to work with, while others would be more resistant to awareness. In all cases, a lifetime of study and discovery may await these individuals in a more conscious relationship to any number of bodies or memories accessible through greater awareness or effort.

Sound, Frequency, Vibration and "Grounding"

Buzzing or trilling sounds, sensory and physical vibrations can be a result of awareness moving and having more access to various bodies. Don't freak out. Take notes because everything is transient. Stay curious as different "bodies" seek a more cohesive consolidation with each another. These experiences can redefine one's physical health. Pay attention to how the physical body reacts to physical and bio-electric fields, both natural and artificial. The Earth's bio-electric field which our bodies have known for millions of years, is the most significant. Consciously "ground" with it while sitting or meditating is a powerful way to align all bodies with their natural rhythms and the Earth's. This will also tend to neutralize free-radical oxidative stress chain reactions leading to chronic inflammation which is to be avoided. The Earth's "hum" or frequency is "coincidentally" 7.83 Hz, and repeated direct contact with it will not only help to neutralize this stress, but will also support the physical body's health, contributing to its longevity, awakening or remembering.

Doing It

Find your favorite chair and sit down, or choose to sit on the floor in your preferred room or space. Take a moment to just breathe. Channel your inner cat (or frog), and stay completely still for five minutes, whether your eyes are open in a soft focus or closed. Now take a break and enjoy a cup of tea. Then make the effort and try sitting motionless for ten minutes, with as much present-moment awareness as possible. Success in a ten-minute session would be quite an accomplishment for any beginner. If you managed to do so, congratulations are in order! Initially, sitting still for ten minutes with complete present-moment awareness may seem like a dauting task. What's even more surprising is the level of discomfort that can arise simply from being present and aware of all sensations and how they change. The goal is not to endure discomfort for the sake of some "spiritual" experience, but rather to become more attuned to sensations as they come and go. The aim is to push the boundaries of your awareness and sensitivities. Remember to let go of each experience or sensation as is arises and observe as it fades away or transforms into something else. Don't "hold" anything. Recognize how energy flows and shifts, uncovering any areas where energy may be stagnant or blocked. Sensations can range from hot and burning to sharp, wispy, scratchy, tingling, cold, numb, or frozen. The effort is to direct awareness toward any pockets of trapped energy and to allow it to flow freely through any body once again. By nature, small "c" consciousness does not range into new experiences. It doesn't want to go anywhere new. It wants to stay where it is. On the other hand, awareness and Consciousness are free-ranging and will always find a way. It's how these individuals expand their sensation library, from "normal" to what can be entirely new sensory ranges, sensitivities, and intensities. All of this usually translates into greater sensitivity, health and longevity and sometimes an awakening experience through it.