Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

[A drop of liquid mercury on cinnabar.]

PLANETARY GEMSTONE OF MERCURY

Although mostly forgotten today, there are ancient connections between astrology and the mineral kingdom. The 20^th century lists of birthstones echo a much older belief that each planet and zodiac sign had stones associated with it, used to counter balance difficult astrological aspects or maximize beneficial ones. Confusingly these listings vary but do follow a simple rule: each material has a symbolic connection with the planet and therefore can serve as a vehicle for its energy.

THE IMMORTAL POISON

As the name suggests, the metal traditionally associated with Mercury is mercury. It is the only common metal liquid at room temperature. Also known as quicksilver, from the Latin argentum vivum (“living silver”), because it moves on its own like a living creature. It is gunmetal gray, heavy, and uniquely drawn to itself, rolling into little drops. Its chemical symbol Hg comes from its Latin name hydragyrum (“water silver”).

Mercury has a strong attraction to sulfur. The native metal is rare, since it usually combines with sulfur to form the compound cinnabar (HgS), sometimes known as “dragon's blood”.  (Also the name of a fragrant red resin, produced from several tree species.  There can be confusion in historical sources if the plant or the mineral is being referenced.)  Cinnabar is red, powdered to produce the pigment vermillion, a symbol of life giving blood. The mineral's combination of sulfur (hot, solar) and mercury (cold, lunar) represents the union of male and female energies in many spiritual traditions.

Mercury is toxic. It is included here for its symbolism, not actual use. Its dangers were known historically but the mineral's unique physical properties paradoxically associated it with transmutation, healing, and immortality. Cinnabar is generally safe, since the mercury is chemically locked up with sulfur, but can become dangerous if heated, ground, or ingested. Handle with care, washing your hands after.

The name “cinnabar” also refers to Chinese cinnabar lacquerware. Lacquer is combined with a pigment and applied layer after layer, to produce a durable and beautiful object. The red color came from cinnabar, other pigments are used today. It may also be a resin imitation instead, with no safety concerns, especially in jewelry.

Hematite is a popular energetic substitute for mercury since it resembles it when polished.

1. Mercury
2. Mercury compounds like cinnabar.

Many of the qualities associated with Uranus today, the unexpected, innovative, and esoteric, like the study of astrology, were once attributes of Mercury. Historically man made materials like glass, and blended substances, especially alloys like bronze (copper plus tin) were ruled by the planet. The metal mercury produces alloys with other metals very easily, called amalgams.

During the 18^th century, many new metals were discovered, the most familiar being platinum, aluminum, and titanium. Platinum occurs naturally, but usually alloyed with other metals. The Spanish first encountered it in the Americas and named it platina (Spanish, “little silver”), thinking it was an inferior form of silver. Scientists determined it was a new metal in the mid 1700's. Aluminum and titanium do not occur freely in nature, requiring human effort to be produced. Interestingly, liquid mercury damages aluminum, causing the normally resistant metal to corrode. In contemporary astrology, these new metals are associated with the innovative planets Mercury and Uranus.

3. Man made materials, like glass, and metal alloys: brass, bronze, etc.
4. Metals discovered after the Renaissance: platinum, aluminum, titanium, etc.

THE CHILDREN OF MERCURY

Not only do the planets correspond to certain areas of life, each is traditionally associated with specific animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the 16th century German writer Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa lists the following materials under the rulership of Mercury:

“Amongst metals, quicksilver (mercury), tin, and the silver marcasite (arsenopyrite); amongst stones, the emerald, achates (agate), red marble, topaz (may refer to any clear yellow stone but also peridot/olivine) and those which are of divers colors, and various figures naturally, and those that are artificial, as glass, and those which have a color mixed with yellow and green.”

(The notes in parentheses are mine. It can be difficult to correctly identify stones in historic texts. Names drift over time and minerals recognized today as different species were unknowingly seen as one gemstone, named by their color. For example, topaz once meant peridot and spinel was seen as a variety of ruby.)

5. Silvery gray minerals: mercury, tin, and “silver marcasite” (arsenopyrite). Although planetary metals became standard by the Middle Ages, older alternatives do exist, which list tin or iron as Mercury's metal.
6. Yellow and green gemstones: emerald and topaz. During this period, “topaz” referred to any transparent yellow stone, like yellow corundum or citrine. At one time, it meant peridot/olivine instead, especially with a yellowish tint.
7. Stones with diverse colors and various figures: agate, because of its range of colors and patterns.
8. Trade goods, since the Roman god Mercury was a patron of merchants: red marble, a luxury in antiquity. The 11^th century Persian scientist Al-Biruni includes,“all coins struck with name and number such as dinars, dirhams and coppers”.
9. Talismanic Minerals: He also lists “amber... turquoise, coral, tree-coral”. Amber, turquoise and coral are traditionally protective stones, used to dispel the “evil eye”. Another trait associated with Hermes and Mercury.

GREEN WISDOM

There is a long tradition of using gems in India to counter balance problems with both the natal chart and transiting planets. Large, flawless stones, usually set in specific metals are prescribed. Each planet has a primary gemstone, if one of sufficient size can not be found or is too expensive, then an alternative in a similar color is used. The primary stone of Budha (the planet Mercury, not the historical teacher Buddha) is emerald and its secondary substitutes are also transparent and green: verdelite (green tourmaline), tsavorite (green grossular garnet), and peridot. Some lists also include precious jade, although it is translucent, not transparent.

The legendary figure Hermes Trismegistus, who combines traits of the Greek God Mercury and the Egyptian god Thoth, is also associated with emeralds. Many spiritual texts were attributed to him in late antiquity. The rediscovery and translation of some of them during the 15^th century revolutionized Renaissance thought. At the time, he was believed to be an actual historical figure, presenting the wisdom of ancient Egypt. The most well known text is the brief Tabula Smaradina (Latin, “emerald tablet”), mythically first discovered on a tablet of green stone. (Although usually translated as emerald, the word smaragdus could refer to several precious green stones at the time.)

10. Emerald.
11. Other transparent or translucent green gemstones: verdelite (green tourmaline), tsavorite (green grossular garnet), peridot, jade.

MODERN SOURCES

Astrological texts rely mostly on gemstones known in antiquity. Many new minerals have been discovered, others have become readily available, and familiar ones have turned out to be more than one species. Many other minerals now have correspondences with Mercury:

12. Mercury is associated with the Throat Chakra today. Both the planet and chakra represent communication, thought, and personal interactions. Many contemporary sources depict it and its stones as blue or light blue: kyanite, aquamarine, chrysocolla, etc.
13. The planet also has associations with divination, dreams, and esoteric knowledge, all qualities given to the Third Eye today. Many contemporary sources depict it and its stones as blue, dark blue, or purple: lapis lazuli, sodalite, iolite, etc.
14. Minerals associated with memory, thought, and perception. Fossils like petrified wood, amber, and jet are used for memory, because they share a link to the past. Colorless minerals (like quartz, clear calcite, and topaz), those that have a metallic sheen (like hematite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite), or those yellow in color (like tiger's eye, citrine, and golden imperial topaz) are all associated with the mind in modern stone books.

For an introduction to the metaphysical properties of minerals, known historically as the "hidden virtues of gemstones”, see:

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

© 2012, C. L. Matthews

[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Venus Turns Direct (6/27/12)

 [Aphrodite riding a swan, from a 5th century BCE drinking cup.]

VENUS TURNS DIRECT

Venus turns direct today (6/27), ending her six week retrograde period. However, her influence is far from over.  Although facing the right way, it now sits motionless.  Planets are potent when still.  It appears to station around 12 days (~6/21 to 7/3).  When turning direct, they build up pressure to move things ruled by the planet forward, like one on one relationships, money and material goods, ethics and mentors.  This intensity decreases as the planet corrects not only its direction but also its speed.  Venusian themes may continue until after it crosses the degree where it first turned backwards, around July 31st.

Venus is stationing direct at 7 degrees Gemini, for ~12 days.  Those with planets or points in the early mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are the most likely influenced.

For more information on Venus Retrograde, see:

Venus Retrograde (5/15/12 - 6/27/12)

For gemstones to harmonize the influence of Venus, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Guru Purnima (07/03/12), Asalha Puja (07/03/12 or 08/02/12)

 [18th century painting, depicting Vishnu resting between the periodic destruction and creation of the universe.]

FULL MOON OF THE TEACHER

“My Lord is the Lord of the universe, my Guru is the teacher of the universe, and my Self is the Self of everything.”

~Guru Stotram~

July 3rd, 2012 is the Hindu holiday Guru Purnima. It takes place on the full moon in Asadha, the Indian month equivalent to July/August. The date is different each year since it is a lunar holiday. Guru means “teacher” in Sanskrit, purnima means “full moon”. On Guru Purnima people pay their respects to their gurus, both living and dead.  Not only spiritual teachers are honored but other sources of lineage based knowledge, like art, music, and dance instructors.

The Sun enters Cancer in the sidereal zodiac during Asadha (July/August), a month later than the Western tropical zodiac. While the West associates Cancer with heat, it signifies rain for many parts of the world. After a hot dry early summer, the monsoon season begins in India in July. Like the annual flooding of the Nile, which happens around the same time, the cool rain renews the fertility of the land.

Travel can be difficult, especially historically. Ascetics who spend the rest of the year wandering, temporarily go on rainy season retreats. This period is called Chaturmas in Sanskrit, meaning “four months” (July-October). Being in one place allows students to visit their teachers, to receive teachings and blessings before travel gets complicated. In return people often give gifts, traditionally to support them materially during the retreats. Not all teachers wander but the holiday of Guru Purnima originates from this custom. The four month retreats are also observed in Jainism, a faith rooted in non-violence. By not traveling monks avoid accidently killing the increased number of insects, animals, and plants.  

THE NIGHT OF THE GODS

The monsoons bring life giving rain but also storm damage, venomous snakes, driven from their homes by rising water, and disease.  Since the outer world is disturbed, it is a period for inner work.  Chaturmas is sometimes described as “Hindu Lent”, since many lay practitioners fast, give up a favorite food, or take religious vows.  Some people just observe Guru Purnima, others the entire Chaturmas. It technically begins on the eleventh day of the waxing cycle, ~4 days before the Guru Purnima full moon (June 30th this year).

In Hindu mythology, every year is a day to God.  The four month Chaturmas symbolizes the night and the gods themselves are believed to rest.  Ceremonies like weddings are postponed, since they are less active.  For example, Vishnu goes into yoganidra ("deep meditation, conscious sleep"), floating upon the back of a huge serpent.  He is usually depicted resting like this after the periodic destruction of the universe.  Vishnu begins to dream and a lotus rises from his navel, bearing the god Brahma, who starts recreating the cosmos.  The yearly monsoon season is like creation in miniature, new growth rising from a chaotic wet mixture.  

  

TURNING OF THE WHEEL

“Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, he [Brahma, the Hindu creator god] knelt down with his right knee on the ground, saluted the Blessed One [Buddha] with his hands before his heart, and said to him: "Lord, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma [the teachings of Buddhism]! Let the One-Well-Gone teach the Dhamma! There are beings but with a little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma."

~Ayacana Sutta~

The Buddhist holiday Asalha Puja usually falls on the same day as the Hindu Guru Purnima.  Confusingly, two different dates are listed this year.  Periodically lunar calendars need to add an extra day or month to keep them aligned with the solar one.  The Thai calendar has an extra month this year.  So there are different dates for Asalha Puja, depending on the country. 

Asalha is the Pali name for the lunar month, puja means “to honor, worship”. Before he became enlightened Siddhartha Gautama was an extreme ascetic, using methods like starvation to develop spiritually. He had five yogi companions, who abandoned him as a failure when he chose more moderate practices. After he reached enlightenment the Buddha struggled to put his insights into words, fearing they would only confuse others.

He left Bodhgaya to find his former companions, believing they might understand him. He found them meditating in a deer park near Varanasi. They rejected him at first but after listening to his teachings, their leader Kondanna also reached enlightenment. He became the first member of the Sangha, the monastic order of Buddhism. 

When Siddhartha Gautama was born, his father assembled eight Brahmin astrologers to examine his natal chart. Kondanna was one of them. He predicted that Buddha would become enlightened and became an ascetic himself based on that hope, the other seven predicted he would either become a great king or a religious leader.  This first sermon is called the Turning of the Wheel and represents the birth of both the Buddha Dharma and the Sangha. The Asalha Puja holiday commemorates them.

The day after Asalha Puja begins the Theravadan Buddhist observation of the rainy retreats. They are known as Vassa, from the Pali word vasso, meaning “rain”. They last for three months. The first was observed in the deer park in Varanasi, where Buddha gave his first teachings. Later kings and wealthy patrons offered the Sangha places like groves and royal parks, some of which would later develop into monasteries.

Today monks observe Vassa by not leaving the grounds of their home temples unless necessary. It is a time to deepen spiritual practice through meditation, study, and the support of community. Like Hindu Chaturmas they are sometimes call “Buddhist Lent”, since lay people can observe them by fasting, give up a favorite food, or taking religious vows.

Since other parts of Asia do not experience the monsoons, not all branches of Buddhism observe the rainy retreats. However most do have a summer retreat, believing Buddha gave his first discourse mid-summer. For example, Chokor Duchen, the Tibetan holiday that commemorates the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, is in July this year.

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public domain, Wikipedia Commons]

The Astrological Body: Part One: The Planets and the Chakras

[The classic planetary rulers.]

THE HOUSES OF THE PLANETS

As with anything associated with them, different sources have contrary correspondences for the chakras, zodiac signs, and planets. The most elegant version adapts the classical model of sign rulership, first described by the Greek author Ptolemy in the 2^nd century CE. Traditionally every planet rules two zodiac signs, except for the Sun and Moon, which rule one each. These were known historically as the planetary domiciles, “the houses of the planets”, since the sign and planet have a similar nature.

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer solstice has the most heat and daylight, so the zodiac signs near it were given to the two brightest celestial objects, the Sun and Moon. Because both planet and sign are traditionally “masculine”, the Sun rules Leo. The Moon rules Cancer, because both are “feminine”. The other planets were then assigned two signs each, further down the zodiac wheel, in the descending order of their orbital speeds. Because winter solstice has the most cold and darkness, the zodiac signs near it were given to Saturn, the slowest moving of the classical planets.

The ruling planets of the zodiac signs:

Planet:	Zodiac:
Sun	Leo
Moon	Cancer
Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Venus	Libra and Taurus
Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

There was a belief in antiquity that the planets held these positions at the moment of creation. If not literally, at least as an ideal model to explain planetary rulership. This mythical chart was called the thema mundi (Greek, “horoscope of the world”). The Sun was in Leo and the Moon was in Cancer. Mercury was in Virgo, Venus was in Libra, Mars was in Scorpio, Jupiter was in Sagittarius, and Saturn was in Capricorn.

[The classical rulers as the origin of the planetary chakra correspondences.]

THE INNER SKY 

"Marvel not if we say that these are within thee, but understand that thou thyself art another world in little, and hast within thee the sun and the moon, and also the stars ."

~Origen, 3rd century CE Egyptian, Christian theologian~

Many chakra systems derive their astrological correspondences from these planetary rulerships. According to Hindu texts, energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, “movement, river, conduit”). There are three main nadi: one along the spine and two that wrap around it. One side carries warm “masculine” energy, like the Sun, and the other cooling “feminine” energy, like the Moon. The center blends them but is rarely active. A vortex of energy called a chakra/cakra (Sanskrit, “wheel, circle, turning”) is produced where they intersect, traditionally depicted as a spoked wheel or lotus flower. Although their number and symbolic associations vary in sources, the most popular version uses seven chakras, five along the spine, one on the skull, and one above it.

The borders of Leo/Cancer and Aquarius/Capricorn represent the spine and skull, the top and bottom of the main nadi. The six pairs of zodiac signs represent the solar and lunar side channels, wrapping around it, and their planetary rulers, six of the seven main chakras.

The chakras, planets, and zodiac signs:

Chakra:	Planet:	Zodiac:
Crown Chakra:	- - -	- - -
Third Eye:	Sun	Leo
Third Eye:	Moon	Cancer
Throat Chakra:	Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Heart Chakra:	Venus	Libra and Taurus
Third Chakra:	Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Second Chakra:	Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Root Chakra:	Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

The central nadi along the spine is associated with the lunar nodes. The North and South Node are two moving points opposite in space, created where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun in the sky. If a new or full moon occurs near one, an eclipse is produced. Unless consciously directed, energy rarely moves in the main channel. Like the nodes and eclipses, it represents a unique union of opposites: combining the hot/solar/”masculine” and cold/lunar/”feminine” energies of the side channels to produce kundalini. (Sanskrit, kuṇḍalinī, either from kunda “coiled, in a spiral” or kund, “to burn”.) A dormant spiritual force resting in the Root Chakra, coiled like a serpent. When awakened it travels up the spine like a ladder until it reaches the Crown Chakra, producing mystical union with God.

It is not unusual for lists of Indian correspondences to stop at the Third Eye, most elemental and sacred sound lists end there too. Although this popular model use seven chakras, it is traditionally called sat /shat chakra (Sanskrit, “six chakras”), because the Crown Chakra is so different than the others. As the symbol of divine union, it has few other attributes. The lower chakras are found within the body, it floats above the head. The others have three nadi, it only has one, the main channel that strands them all together. The two side channels stop at the Third Eye, representing the end of duality.

The chakras, elements, elemental sounds, planets, and zodiac signs:

Chakra:	Element/Sound:	Planet:	Zodiac:
Crown Chakra:	- - -	- - -	- - -
Third Eye:	Thought (Om)	Sun	Leo
Third Eye:	Thought (Om)	Moon	Cancer
Throat Chakra:	Akasha* (Ham)	Mercury	Virgo and Gemini
Heart Chakra:	Air (Yam)	Venus	Libra and Taurus
Third Chakra:	Fire (Ram)	Mars	Scorpio and Aries
Second Chakra:	Water (Vam)	Jupiter	Sagittarius and Pisces
Root Chakra:	Earth (Lam)	Saturn	Capricorn and Aquarius

* = akasha (Sanskrit, “space, vibration, aether”)

These chakra correspondences represent pairs of opposing qualities:

Light vs. Dark: In the Northern Hemisphere, Cancer is the sign of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and Capricorn the winter solstice, the longest night. The upper chakras correspond to increasing light and the lower chakras increasing darkness.

Fast vs. Slow: While the Sun and Moon rule Leo and Cancer, the other planets are assigned pairs of zodiac signs based on their orbital speed. After the luminaries for the Third Eye, the upper chakras correspond to faster moving planets and the lower chakras slower ones.

Light vs. Heavy: The elements are arranged heaviest to lightest. The upper chakras correspond to the most non-material and the lower chakras the most physical.

WHERE DOES PLUTO LIVE

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were not discovered until after the 18th century. Debate continues today in astrology what sign they rule or even if they have planetary rulership at all, since it upsets the symmetry of the classical model. Most contemporary astrologers believe Uranus rules Aquarius, Neptune rules Pisces, and Pluto rules Scorpio.

Hindu astrology does not work with the outer planets at all, so they have no traditional chakra correspondences. If we associate them with their modern rulerships, then Uranus would rule the Root Chakra with Saturn, Neptune would rule the Second Chakra with Jupiter, and Pluto would rule the Third Chakra with Mars. However, because these outer planets relate to transpersonal themes, many place them with the Crown Chakra.

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: © 2012, C. L. Matthews]

Mineral vs. Rock vs. Gemstone vs. Crystal

[13th century crosier, a stylized staff used in Christianity, carved from rock crystal (clear quartz).]     

The words mineral, rock, stone, gem, gemstone, and crystal are often used interchangeably but each has specific meanings.

MINERAL

The word mineral comes from the Latin minerale (“obtained by mining”). In geology, a mineral is a naturally occurring solid substance. Each has a specific chemical composition, made of either one or more elements, arranged in a regular three dimensional pattern, producing a crystal structure.  Some minerals do not meet all three criteria, lacking a crystal structure, like liquid mercury.  They are called mineraloids instead.  This category may also includes materials produced by an organic process, like amber, jet, and pearl.

ROCK AND STONE

Rock and stone are often used interchangeably in American English but they have different meanings historically. Both words come from Old English. Rock meant something large, like a rock formation, and stone meant something smaller, often transformed by human hands, like a millstone, tombstone, or gemstone.  This distinction still remains in British English.

In geology, a rock is a material made up of two or more minerals. For example, pyrite is a mineral but lapis lazuli is a rock, a combination of golden pyrite, blue lazurite, and white calcite.

GEM AND GEMSTONE

The word gemstone comes from the Old English gimstan, combining the Latin gemma (“a precious stone, a leaf bud”) and the Old English stan (“a small rock, a stone shaped for a particular purpose”). Gemstones are valuable minerals and rocks that are rare, durable, and have distinctive color or clarity. However, lists of gemstones are very subjective, changing over time. Organic substances like amber, coral, and pearl may also be included. Diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire are historically called “precious gemstones” and others, “semi-precious”.  Amethyst was once considered precious until the vast deposits of Brazil lowered its monetary values.

CRYSTAL

The meaning of crystal has changed over time:

A: Quartz: The word crystal comes from the Greek krystallos (“ice, frost, crystal”). The ancient Greeks theorized that quartz was a petrified form of ice, since it was water clear, cool to the touch, and resembled an icicle. Its alternative name rock crystal reflects this etymology.

B: Colorless Glass: From antiquity to the late 19^th century, quartz was a luxury item, often carved into vessels like pitchers, along with other semi-precious stones. Because these objects were so expensive, both labor intensive and wasteful of materials, imitations in glass developed. During the 15^th century, Venetian glass makers produced an incredibly popular faux quartz called cristallo (Italian, “crystal glass”). Since then, high quality colorless glass has also been called crystal.

C: The Structure of Minerals: During the 17^th and 18^th century, the chemical patterns that produce minerals began to be studied scientifically. Because the geometric nature of quartz is clearly visible, they were named crystal structures, after it. In geology, a crystal is a substance with a regular shape, due to the repeating internal structure of its atoms.

  

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: Public domain, Wikipedia Commons]

Walk a Labyrinth this Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

WALKING WHEN THE SUN STANDS STILL

Go walk a labyrinth this summer solstice, June 20th, 2012.

A labyrinth is a patterned path, walked slowly to support contemplation, meditation, or prayer. Once you reach the center, you turn around and follow the same path back to the entrance.

Many traditions interpret labyrinths as solar symbols. The Hopi believe the seven circuit form represents Father Sun, with the cross it makes in the center, the four directions and seasons. Someone walking a labyrinth moves back and forth between two points, briefly pausing at them, the center and the entrance. This pattern mirrors the yearly path of the Sun. Depending on the season, it rises and sets at different points on the horizon, stopping twice to change direction. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it reaches its southernmost location on the winter solstice and its northernmost location on the summer solstice. Solstice comes from the Latin solstitium, meaning “Sun stands still”. The Sun’s position on the horizon changes slightly daily, except around a solstice, when it stays the same for three days.

Because they represent the Sun’s path, walking a labyrinth is a potent tool to harness its energy. The solstices and equinoxes are the yearly solar equivalent to the monthly Moon phases. Energy is temporarily heightened, making them opportunities for deep meditation, ceremony, or setting intentions. Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, for the Northern Hemisphere. Its energy is therefore similar to Full Moon, supporting manifestation, bringing things to fruition, and facing inner or outer darkness.

Certain periods are traditionally auspicious for spiritual work on it, like the turning points of the Sun (dawn, noon, and dusk) and the specific time of the solstice: 7:09 pm Eastern Time, (23:09 Universal Time). Like a major lunar phase, the energy is strong for three days (June 19^th – June 21^st) but strongest on the actual date (June 20^th).

I helped create the labyrinth at Whatever Works Wellness Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rather than follow a traditional pattern, the path winds through a small grove with statues, standing stones, and colorful prayer ribbons. It is open during regular business hours, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, please call the store at (513) 791-9428, find us online www.whateverworkswellness.com, or at our pages on Facebook:

Whatever Works Wellness Center, White Willow School of Tai Chi

Whatever Works Wellness Center Labyrinth

For more information about the symbolism of the solstice, see:

The Symbolism of Summer Solstice 

For information about gemstones traditionally associated with the Sun, see:

Gemstone Cures for the Sun

To find a labyrinth in your area, check out this great Labyrinth Society resource:

http://labyrinthlocator.com/

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: © 2012, C. L. Matthews]

Symbolism of Summer Solstice (06/20/12)

WHEN THE SUN STANDS STILL

“Now she is like the white tree rose that takes a blessing from the Sun: Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.”

~C. Day Lewis~

June 20th, 2012 is the summer solstice this year, the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. It is more neutrally called the June solstice, since it is also winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. The exact date varies each year, some time between June 20^th to June 22^nd. Astrologically, the Sun enters the zodiac sign Cancer.

The yearly cycle of the Sun is similar to the monthly cycle of the Moon, summer solstice is equivalent to a full moon. The next three days (19^th - 21^st) can be harnessed spiritually to bring things to fruition or call on divine light for blessing, healing, and facing the dark. The first day of summer for half the planet, it is associated with abundance, fertility, and the sweetness of life.

The Sun has two important cycles, its daily and yearly movements:

1. Every day, the Sun rises is the east, reaches its zenith in the south, sets in the west, and passes beneath us in the north.
2. Every day, the Sun rises and sets at slightly different points on the horizon. The only time it stops wandering is around a solstice, when it appears to stay at the same location for three days, and then reverses its direction. The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium meaning “Sun standing, Sun standing still”.

At the summer solstice (June), the Sun reaches its northernmost position, appearing to rise more to the northeast and set in the northwest. It then moves further south, rising due east and setting due west on the autumn equinox (September), and reaches its southernmost position on the winter solstice (December). It then turns north, to restart the cycle.

EVERY EXTREME CONTAINS THE SEED OF ITS OPPOSITE

The symbolism of the eight directions (E, S, W, N, NE, SE, SW, NW) originates in the Sun's daily and yearly positions. For example, in vastu vidya, the Indian art of arrangement, similar to Chinese feng shui, temples are aligned along a northeast to southwest axis. This represents the polarity of sunrise on the longest day of the year (summer solstice dawn = northeast) and sunset on the shortest (winter solstice dusk = southwest). The northeast is sacred to Shiva and represents amrita vela (“the nectar time”) or Brahma muhurta (“God's hour”), the period just before dawn when spiritual work is at its deepest. Likewise, some Peruvian shamanic traditions recognize a southeast to northwest axis, the equivalent in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed.

Because of the Sun's daily motion, the east is associated with increasing light, the south with the most light, the west with increasing darkness, and the north with the most darkness. Paradoxically, many traditional cultures associate the summer solstice with the north, because of its position on the horizon. For example, Chinese emperors offered at the square Altar of the Earth on summer solstice, in the northern part of the Forbidden City. Although summer was seen as yang (“the masculine”, light, day, fire), the site itself was associated with yin (“the feminine”, darkness, night, water). In Chinese yin-yang theory, every extreme contains the seed of its opposite. As the longest day of the year, every day after summer solstice increases in darkness, until we reach winter solstice and start the cycle over again.

Traditionally the Sun has three periods of increased spiritual power each day, represented by changes in location and/or appearance: sunrise, around noon when it reaches its zenith, and sunset. Most importantly on a solstice day, the time of the event itself: 7:09 PM Eastern (23:09 Universal Time). Any of these times can be worked with through intention, meditation, or ceremony to honor this day of most light.

For information about gemstones traditionally associated with the Sun, see:

Gemstone Cures for the Sun

© 2012, C. L. Matthews
[Image Source: © 2012, C. L. Matthews]

The Hidden Virtues of Gemstones

LIKE THE NATURE OF STARS

“There is no doubt that gemstones have something of the hidden virtues of the bodies that are above the vault of heaven... beyond the powers of the four basic elements of nature... some stones have something in them of the nature of stars.”

~Thomas Aquinas~

Working with minerals was once mainstream in the West, for hundreds of years. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, gemstones were not only luxury goods, they were medicines for healing. Texts called lapidaries (Latin, lapidarius, “on stones”) described both their mineralogy and meaning, derived from classical sources, gem related Biblical passages, and astrology.

Their metaphysical properties were called virtus occulta (Latin, “hidden, secret, concealed virtue”). Virtue in this context does not mean morality but rather efficacy, the capacity for something to produce an effect. Most things had virtus elemantaris (Latin, “natural, elemental, manifest virtue”), an obvious quality like one of the four elements: some are warming like fire, others cooling like water, some make things wet like air, others dry things out like earth. Only some things had hidden virtues (virtus occulta), the most common example being lodestone.

Lodestone is a natural magnet, a variety of the mineral magnetite, that attracts and repels iron. Its hidden virtue, an influence over iron, was “hidden” because it did not correspond to an elemental quality (hot/cold, wet/dry); it could be understood intellectually, but not perceived directly with the senses. Other mysterious phenomena, like the negative electric charge of amber, were also included among the hidden virtues. (Scientific models of magnetism and electricity would not develop until the late 16^th century.) However, most hidden virtues were similar to the metaphysical properties attributed to minerals today. According to a medieval Arabic lapidary, attributed to King Solomon:

“Some give favor in the sight of lords; some protect against fire; others make people beloved; others give wisdom; some render men invisible; others repel lightning; some baffle poisons; some protect and augment treasures; others cause that husbands should love their wives.”

Because they did not have qualities like the four elements, many attributed the hidden virtues to celestial influences instead. Following classical models, the universe was divided into two realms: the celestial one, filled with the fifth element aether, and the ever changing terrestrial one, home of the other four elements. The planets and stars were eternal, consistent except their position; their light, heat, and invisible influences were responsible for changes in the material world. Their motion was ultimately attributed to God himself. While magic might rely on demons, the hidden virtue of gemstones was seen as completely natural, created by God, originating in the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars.

THE ORIGINS OF ASTROLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCES

“God hath imprinted upon the Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, as it were in Hieroglyphicks, the very signature of their Vertues.”

~Robert Turner, 17^th century astrological botanist~

Different animals, plants, and minerals were believed to have an affinity, correspondence, or rulership by a planet and/or zodiac sign. The terms vary by source. The 16^th century German physician Paracelsus popularized the concept in herbalism, calling it the doctrine of signatures: a belief that many plants displayed signatum (Latin, “signature, mark, indication”), distinctive characteristics that indicated their healing uses. These signs were left by God, like wax impressions made by a seal, to reveal their virtues. The most common example was Saint John's wort, used to treat wounds; it appears to bleed when crushed, releasing a red oil, and has small holes in its leaves.

A material's astrological ruler was determined in a similar way:

1. Each planet was associated with particular colors, shapes, and traits.
2. Each planet was assigned certain parts of the body, things used to treat them were ruled by the corresponding planet.
3. Like an element, each planet was associated with a combination of qualities (hot/cold, dry/wet).

Since Mars rules the blood, Saint John's wort could be a Martian plant, but is is traditionally Solar instead. It has yellow flowers with radiating stamens, blooms around summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and was used cross culturally to dispel darkness. The 16h century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper lists it as a “hot and dry” plant, the qualities also associated with the element fire and the Sun.

For information on Solar stones, see:


Gemstone Cures for the Sun

For information on Mercurial stones, see:

Planetary Gemstones of Mercury

For information on Venusian stones, see:

Gemstone Cures for Venus

© 2012, C. L. Matthews

Glossary of Oneness/Deeksha Terms

[Footprints at Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, a church just outside Rome, mythically attributed to Jesus.]

Although many of the terms used in Oneness derive from Sanskrit, they correspond to universal truths found across spiritual traditions.

Bhakti: (Sanskrit, bhakti, “devotion, love”.)  There are many spiritual paths: prayer, scholarship, helping others in need, etc.  Bhakti is the way of love, connecting to God through heart felt devotion.   

Chakra:  (Commonly pronounced as “shock-ra”, but technically “chak-ruh”, like chalk, with the “r” slightly rolled.)  Energy flows through the subtle body along channels called nadi (Sanskrit, nāḍi, “flow, river, conduit”).  The body has three main nadi, one in the spinal column and two that wrap around it.  A vortex of energy called a chakra (Sanskrit, cakra, “wheel, circle, turning”) is produced where they intersect, traditionally depicted as a spoked wheel or lotus flower.  Their number, location, and symbolic associations like color vary between sources.  However a seven chakra model that originated in Hinduism is the version most recognized in the West, slightly altered by a rainbow color scheme.

The chakras are centers of consciousness, the organs of our spiritual anatomy.  Many of their positions correspond to nerve plexuses that connect the spine to specific parts of the body, showing a relationship between the spiritual and material.  Although primarily located on the back, they are often visualized at trigger points on the front of the body called kshetram (Sanskrit, “place, field, location of a sacred site, like a temple”).  For example, the Heart Chakra is located on the spine at heart level but we focus our awareness on the middle of the chest.

Chakra Dhyana: (Sanskrit, “meditation on the chakras”.)  See also, Chakra.

Individual Chakra Sounds:

Lam: Pronounced “lah-ng”.  Lam represents the element of earth.  Chanting it balances the Root Chakra, represented as red, located at the base of the spine.

Vam: Pronounced “vah-ng”.  Vam represents the element of water.  Chanting it balances the Second Chakra, represented as orange, located on the spine at the sacrum.

Ram: Pronounced “rah-ng”.  Ram represents the element of fire.  Chanting it balances the Third Chakra, represented as yellow, located on the spine at the level of the navel.

Yam: Pronounced “yah-ng”.  Yam represents the element of air.  Chanting it balances the Heart Chakra, represented as green, located on the spine at the level of the physical heart.

Ham: Pronounced “hah-ng”.  Ham represents the fifth element, akasha (Sanskrit, “aether, space, sound”).  Chanting it balances the Throat Chakra, represented as light blue, located on the spine at the level of the throat.

Om: Pronounced “aum”.  Om balances the Third Eye, represented as dark blue, located in the skull at the level of the forehead.

Ogum Satyam Om: Pronounced “oh-goom saught-yahm aum”.  This phrase balances the Crown Chakra, represented as purple, located above the skull.  

(Ogum is difficult to find information on.  It is not found in Sanskrit dictionaries.  Mantras can have slight regional variations.  For example, the longer version of the Gayatri mantra prefixes some words with Om, other versions include Ogum.  In that context, each "Om/Ogum + word" group represents a level of the cosmos.  Satyam means “absolute truth, goodness, divine reality” in Sanskrit.  Om/Ogum Satyam symbolizes the highest heavens and the phrase is used to bless the head.    The Oneness meaning may be related.  Bhagavan was born in Tamil Nadu and Tamil versions of the longer Gayarti use Ogum.)

(Other versions of chakra dhayna use Om alone for the Crown Chakra, adding Sham for the Third Eye, or use silence instead to represent it.)

Kundalini Visualization:

Om Kundalini Arohanam. (Sanskrit, arohanam, “climb, rise, ascend”.)  See also, Kundalini.

Deesksha: (Sanskrit, dīkṣā, “dedication, consecration, initiation into a mantra, spiritual practice, or religious order”.)  The term generally means a transfer of divine energy between a guru (“spiritual teacher”) and student, passed by touch, sight, or word.  For example during mantra diksha, the guru not only teaches a mantra to the student, they unlock its spiritual potency.  In the Oneness community, the term deeksha is also used for the Oneness blessing, a transfer of divine energy via a blessing giver, by placing their hands on the recipient’s head or by intent.  

Kundalini:  (Sanskrit, kuṇḍalinī, either from kunda “coiled, in a spiral” or kund, “to burn”.)  (Commonly pronounced as “kun-duh-lee-nee” but technically kun-duh-leh-nee. The first “i” is like the “i” in bit, the last “i” is like the “ee” in feet, said twice as long as the first “i”.)  A dormant spiritual force resting in the Root Chakra, coiled like a serpent.  When awakened it travels up the spine like a ladder until it reaches the Crown Chakra, producing mystical union with God.  See also, Chakra.

Mala: (Sanskrit, mālā, “a garland of flowers, prayer beads”.)  The ancestor of the rosary, a mala is a circle of prayer beads.  It supports meditation by passively counting the number of mantras or breaths. They are typically made from 108 beads or one of its divisors like 54, 27, or 18.  The number itself is richly symbolic.  For example, there are 9 planets and 12 zodiac signs in Indian astrology.  9 X 12 = 108.  Other symbolic numbers like 21 are also used.

An additional one, two, or three beads hold the loop together, known as the guru (“spiritual teacher”), Meru (“mythical cosmic mountain”), or Buddha bead.  It is not counted but marks both the start and end of recitation.  Begin with the bead next to it, moving forward one with each repetition.  Some sources also recommend spinning the bead as you say the mantra.  If doing more than one round, do not cross over the guru bead.  Instead flip the mala over your fingers, making the last bead the first and begin again.  Malas are typically counted with the thumb and middle or ring finger of the right hand in Hinduism or the thumb and index finger of the left hand in Buddhism.

Mantra: (Sanskrit, mantra, from man-, “mind, to think” and -tra, “tool, instrument”, “protection”, or “release, free”.)  Mantras are sacred Sanskrit sounds, ranging in length from a single syllable to paragraphs long, repeated to focus the mind.  Many religions teach a relationship between sound, divinity, and the true nature of reality.  "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (Bible, John 1:1)  Beyond an object of concentration, mantras are also spiritually charged.  For example, in Hindu thought the six lower chakras support a copy of the Sanskrit alphabet on their petals, the Crown Chakra another twenty on its one thousand petals.  Saying a mantra activates them like a keyboard, changing the way energy flows through our mind, body, and surroundings.

Moola Mantra:  (Sanskrit, mūlā, “root, foundation, base”.)  The term generally refers to the main mantra associated with a spiritual being.  In the Oneness community, it specifically refers to the mantra: Om Sat Chit Ananda Parabrahma Purushothama Paramatma Sri Bhagavathi Sametha Sri Bhagavathe Namaha.     

Om: Om symbolizes the primordial sound of creation.  Often found at the start of mantras to bless the beginning.

Sat Chit Ananda: Meaning “existence (also translated as ‘truth’), consciousness, and absolute bliss”.  The three main attributes of divine nature in Hinduism.

Parabrahma: Meaning “Beyond Brahman”. The formless transcendent aspect of God.

Purushothama: Meaning “Supreme Being”.  When God incarnates in human form (Christ, Krishna, etc.)

Paramatma: Meaning “Supreme Soul”.  The aspect of God that dwells within the consciousness of all living beings.

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.  

Bhagavathi: Meaning "the feminine aspect of God".

Sametha: Meaning "together with".

Sri: Sri is formally placed before a name or title to show respect.

Bhagavathe: Meaning "the masculine aspect of God".

Namaha: A traditional mantra ending, translated many ways: “Salutations, I offer obeisance (a gesture of homage, like bowing), I respectfully call upon the name”.

Many mantras follow the pattern Om + (Name) + Namaha, calling on one representation of God.  The Oneness Moola Mantra instead honors whatever form is appropriate to that individual, ranging from the abstract (Parabrahma), in a human form, either male or female (Purushothama), or the higher consciousness within all living things (Paramatma).  The mantra moves from the most abstract to that with the most form, like gender.  See also, Mantra.

Sri Murthi: (Sanskrit, śrī, “blessed, auspicious, holy”, often formally placed before a title or name to show respect.  Sanskrit, mūrti, “representation, form, image”.)  The term generally refers to a physical representation of God, like a statue or painting.  Murthi is similar to the Christian term icon (Greek, eikon, “image”): art that supports God’s presence manifesting in the material world but not confused with the divine itself.  In the Oneness community, Sri Murthi specifically refers to an image of the teachers Sri Amma Bhagavan, believed to have attained an elevated state.  See also, Puja and Paduka.

Paduka: (Sanskrit, pādukā, “sandals, footwear”.)  In many ancient cultures, washing the feet was an act of hospitality, performed by a servant or even the host for a highly respected guest.  An unnamed woman anoints the feet of Jesus in the Bible, washing it with her own tears and hair (Luke 7:36), and Jesus later shows he is the servant to all, by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13).  Likewise in India, the feet of an elder, guru, or depiction of God are touched or offered to as a sign of respect.  A pair of sandals (“paduka”) or footprints alone may be used to represent God or our teachers. See also, Sri Murthi and Puja.

Puja: During a puja (Sanskrit, pūjā, “to worship, honor, show respect”), God is invited into a representation like a statue and treated as a guest; given water to drink, a place to freshen up, and food.  Many religious traditions believe the divine can manifest in material objects during ceremony, often as a charge of spiritual energy.  Since God does not get thirsty, dirty, or hungry, the materials offered are instead conduits for that energy and also help turn our senses and mind towards the divine. See also, Sri Murthi and Paduka.

Shavasana: (Sanskrit, shava “corpse-like, lying down flat on your back without moving”, and asana, “yoga posture”).  If physically possible, laying down after receiving deeksha, to assimilate the energy.

   

ऊँ सत् चित् आनन्द परब्रह्मा

पुरुषोत्तम परमात्मा

श्री भगवती समेत श्री भगवते नम:।

(Oneness Moola Mantra in Sanskrit)

“Om Sat Chit Ananda Parabrahma

Purushothama Paramatma
Sri Bhagavathi Sametha Sri Bhagavathe Namaha”

For more information about Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana, see:


Oneness Bhakti Yoga, Sri Murthi Archana

© 2012, C. L. Matthews, Version 2
[Image Source: Wikipedia Commons]