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Lammas: Time to honor Self and Sun

By Dana Gerhardt

Whether you’re in the midst of a creative high or low, Lammas is an auspicious time to pause, measure, and appreciate your journey.

Lammas is the cross-quarter holiday most often ignored. We’re no longer an agrarian culture. Yet this “first fruits” celebration still runs in our blood, making this an ideal time to evaluate your year so far.  So under-celebrated, today we could even call this practice a “secret.” Here it is:  an August mid-year review can be as pivotal to productivity as your January new year’s resolutions.

Okay–technically we’re just about a week past the official Lammas date.   The farmers “first fruits” holiday is traditionally celebrated on August 1 and is astrologically exact on August 6/7 (when the Sun reaches 15 degrees Leo).   It is energetically exact whenever you become aware of the spiritual truth that you are an expression of the Sun–that everything in your life–if you trace it back far enough–begins with the Sun.

Your energetic throne

In the body, the solar plexus, the chakra behind your navel holds your sunniness. This is your energetic throne, the seat of your power and authority. Feeling punched in the gut is a common sensation if you suffer a blow to your ego, who is your internal Sun, the star of your own show.  To summon this archetype into awareness, start with a gentle awareness of your solar plexus. A good Lammas warm-up would be to gently breathe into this part of your body and notice, how are things feeling here?  You might even do this every day for a week. Notice the ups and downs. Become aware of your inner king’s triggers.

A vital solar plexus feels confident, energized, powerful. A tired king feels inadequate, depressed, directionless. On the scale between feeling “special” and “lackluster/ordinary,” rate yourself. What’s your Lammas score this year? The quality of each year’s first fruits may be different. I hope this is a great one for you, but if not, remember, a wise farmer doesn’t beat himself over a poor harvests. He learns from them.   Honor this cross-quarter moment with a sincere appreciation of how far you’ve come this year. Gift yourself with a Lammas break!

Your ceremonial review

Journaling is a great way to honor Lammas.  Think back to January, the first weeks of spring, summer arriving.  Where did you labor?  Were there stormy weeks, any dark days of fear or doubt? An “achievement list” may be in order.  Most of us cut short the celebration of our accomplishments.  It’s important–especially now–to acknowledge those efforts that are beginning to bear fruit. As a parent, you may see a subtle maturing in your child; as a writer, you may see how an abstract idea took root to become a fully-formed project; or, if you are a businessperson you may notice how your company is beginning to prosper.

If you like ceremony, improvise an altar and in the center, put a candle or a picture of the Sun.  Beside this, place a symbol for the “first fruits” of whatever work you’ve put your heart into over the past six months. It could be a stone, a doll, an image drawn on paper, a dress or a hat representing someone important, a flower from a garden, a business ledger, musical instrument, a digital mouse.

Light the candle and/or draw your hands together.  Close your eyes, and first in imagination, enclose yourself and your altar in a bubble of energy.  Take the energetic temperature inside your bubble.  In other words, notice how you’re feeling. Once you have this baseline, get ready to work some magic. You’re going to empower yourself and others. The instruction is simple. Fill your bubble with the potency of gratitude. By doing this, you will charge and change the energy in your field. If you don’t feel it, pretend it’s happening. Eventually you will.

Repeating the mantra Thank You is quite helpful in altering your field.  But do more than think gratitude, try to feel it. Likely you’ll feel gratitude more in your heart than the solar plexus, but you may notice an interesting synergy building between these two centers. Likely it will be warm and bright. There may be a special person or deity you’re grateful to. Use this emotion, although finding honest gratitude for yourself is a talent worth developing.  It lets others off the hook!  Being less needy for recognition is liberating.

Remember how your bubble felt when you began. Is it different now? Have you charged your aura with the positivity of thankfulness? This emotion is a wonderful natural resource. You can create energetic works of art with it.  Can you feel how the space around you has transformed?  I hope you do!  For a moment or two or three, just enjoy this. Once you’ve soaked in as much uplifting energy as you need, allow this positive bubble to lift and float skyward, where it grows bigger and bigger, so that it hovers over your whole town. Then, quietly, majestically, it bursts, sending your magnified good vibes around the world.

Enjoy imagination and support with Dana’s monthly  Moon workshop and Mooncircles’ fabulous astrology reports.  If these times are especially crazy for you, check out your transits and progressions in the wonderful Skylog report. Got a birthday coming up?  Be sure to order your Solar Return! 

Filed under: Home Full Moon Post 3

About Dana Gerhardt

A popular columnist with The Mountain Astrologer since 1991, Dana Gerhardt is an internationally respected astrologer. She has lectured extensively and written for astrology publications on several continents. Her ongoing passions are the moon and living the intuitive life. Dana worked for many years in the corporate sector, where she observed the undeniable influence of natural cycles. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles and did graduate work in literature at Columbia University and CSULA. Dana can be contacted by email.

Comments

  1. Jelena says

    Aug 11, 2018 at 4:15 am

    Thanks for the great post. The card illustrates the time so perfectly for the Northern Hemisphere. We’ve just had Imbolc here and you can certainly see it in the light and feel the change in energy.

    Reply
  2. John Sameluk says

    Jul 26, 2018 at 2:03 pm

    Dana,

    Wanted to share this link to Amber Straughn’s presentation (She is a NASA astrophysicist) for 60 Minutes.
    Quoting Amber: “We are made of stardust” 🙂

    I think programs like this help us to stretch our imaginations – L. Frank Baum did that for us – btw, he was a theosophist).

    You do it so well !

    H.P. Blavatsky’s VOICE OF THE SILENCE blends the terms Buddhi with Fohat and Kundalini. It is that force that provides “imagination” to Mahat – Universal Mind.

    “Just follow ( i.e. keep following) the yellow brick road!”

    Thanks for your astrological heart and imagination!

    John Sameluk

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-spectacular-revelations-courtesy-of-hubble/

    Reply
    • Dana Gerhardt says

      Jul 26, 2018 at 5:07 pm

      Yes, I saw this on 60 Minutes this weekend! I did not know L. Frank Baum was a theosophist, how fascinating. And I love your Blavatsky tip–those three words are igniting. Thanks for sharing, John.

      Reply

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The Moon is in its
First Quarter Phase

in the
Sign of Leo


Today's Lunar Aspects:

  • Moon square Sun, 6:59am  Apr 20 2021
  • Moon square Mercury, 10:08am  Apr 20 2021
  • Moon square Venus, 8:21pm  Apr 20 2021
  • Moon square Uranus, 1:11am  Apr 21 2021

Venus is currently
In the Underworld

in the sign of Taurus


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m  Conjunction:  Like peas in a pod, planets in conjunction tend to come from the same place. They act together, but it’s also hard to tell them apart. This aspect can increase talent, focus, and intensity (“two are better than one”). Or one planet can disappear as the other dominates. Their connection feels so natural, it’s easy to think everyone blends these planetary energies just as you do—but mostly, they don’t!.

p  Sextile:  Planets in sextile are compatible, though without any fireworks. This aspect doesn’t demand your attention. It quietly presents an opportunity. You can join these archetypal forces. Donna Cunningham has called this the “Oh, that!” aspect, because that’s generally what her clients say when she describes their benefits.  To get the most from sextiles you need to actively work them.

q  Square:  Squares are wild and wonderful—but difficult too. The power struggle between these planets was likely defined in your youth, when they were impossibly challenging. People are usually aware of their squares. They force the issues that make you to grow. And that’s their gift. They ensure you learn your lessons. When you rise to the occasion, they bless you with energy, action, and success.

r  Trine:  Michael Munkasey has dubbed this the “goddess aspect” because it’s so lovely. Identifying talents you may have perfected in a previous life, trines can bring you joy. There’s a nice flow of energy between planets in trine. They support and reinforce each another. But without any struggle, you might take them for granted—neither using nor developing their gifts. An unattended trine can sometimes trick you into negative behaviors.

t  Inconjunct/Quincunx:  Your quincunx planets are innately incompatible. Bringing them into harmonious expression requires constant adjustments. This can be stressful, also motivating. You’ve got to keep changing your process, opinions or attitude—which promotes highly creative solutions.

u  Opposition:  They say opposites attract—and planets in opposition are never far from each other, though they’re constantly bickering. You may be triggered into awareness of this aspect by other people who seem to resist or undermine you.  An opposition can make you feel uncertain, insecure, or discontent, until you can accept and see yourself in both energies. Typically people find it easier to identify with one side and project the other onto unsuspecting others in the outer world.

First House: Personality, physical body, beginnings. Includes the Ascendant and rules physical appearance, the image you project to others, your general outlook on life, how you start things; may describe your role in your family system, often guides your first impression of immediate environment.

Second House: Money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions, talents.

Third House: Communication, thoughts, language skills like writing and speaking, early schooling, siblings and neighbors, short trips, coming and going around town.

Fourth House: Your home, psychological foundations and roots, family, parents, domestic life, instinctive behavior, ancestry, your connection with the past, sense of security, domestic life, real estate. conditions at the end of life.

Fifth House: Children, creativity, romance; pleasure, entertainment, self-expression; all forms of “play”, speculation, gambling, and attitude towards taking risks; hobbies, attitude towards romance, lovers as opposed to partners, attitude towards having fun.

Sixth House: Work and job (as opposed to career), daily life, attitude towards service and coworkers, helpfulness, pets, attitude towards routine and organization, how you refine and perfect your skills.

Seventh House: Partnerships, one-to-one relationships, marriage, the first marriage, the “significant other”, business partnerships, competitors, open enemies, lawyers, mediators, counselors, contracts, negotiations, agreements. clients/the public.

Eighth House: Transformations and crisis, your ability to meet and rebound from crisis and change, sexuality; sex, death and rebirth, rituals and personal growth, your partner’s resources, addictions, psychology, other people’s money, taxes, divorce/alimony, inheritance.

Ninth House: Attitude toward expanding horizons, religious beliefs and personal philosophy, higher education, long-distance travel, morals, foreign languages and cultures, personal truths, publishing, commerce, advertising, your sense of adventure.

Tenth House: Career and profession, your contribution to society, social status, public reputation, material success, how you carve out a public identity for yourself; attitude toward authority figures, parents, caregivers, bosses, governments, attitude towards responsibility, desire for achievement.

Eleventh House: Friends, groups, organizations; hopes, wishes, aspirations, personal goals; your philanthropic attitude, concern for the collective, humanity; like tenth, can bring recognition and honors for fulfilling hopes and dreams.

Twelfth House: What’s hidden beneath the surface, karmic dustbin, limiting childhood/past-life messages, self-undoing, hidden enemies, hidden weaknesses, dreams, secret affairs, lost items, hospitals and prisons, hidden strengths, spiritual studies and soul growth.

A  Sun: Our vitality and magnetism; self-identity, ego.
Roles: The Self, the Hero, the Performer, the King.

B  Moon: Intuition, emotion, nurture.
Roles: The Mother, the High Priestess, the Child.

C  Mercury: Mind; physical dexterity and mental agility.
Roles: The Thinker, the Communicator, the Student, the Trickster, the Merchant, the Thief.

D  Venus: Our capacity for pleasure, receptivity, creativity, and social connection. Also indicates our relationships, self esteem, and financial abundance.
Roles: The Lover, the Seductress, the Artist.

E  Mars: Desire, initiative, anger.
Roles: The Protector, the Athlete, the Warrior.

F  Jupiter: Luck, opportunity, expansion, higher learning, religion.
Roles: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Traveler, the Monk, the Professor.

G  Saturn: Hard work, commitment, focus, inadequacy, leadership, suffering, loss.
Roles: The Task Master, the Grim Reaper, the Wise Old Man, the Builder, the Cynic, the Boss.

H  Uranus: Change, breakthroughs, upsets, discoveries.
Roles: The Revolutionary, the Humanitarian, the Visionary, the Snob.

I  Neptune: Imagination, spirituality, idealism, addictions, deception, compassion.
Roles: The Artist, the Romantic, the Guru, the Addict, the Martyr, the Victim.

J  Pluto: Transformation, power, psychological dynamics, helplessness.
Roles: The Terrorist, the Detective, the Psychotherapist, the Dictator, shady people.

a  Aries: Pioneering, competitive, selfish, impatient, courageous, reckless, independent, dynamic, domineering, “Me first!”

b  Taurus: Patient, stable, lazy, dependable, practical, sensual, stubborn, artistic, possessive, greedy, gentle, loyal.

c  Gemini: Intelligent, curious, adaptable, quick-witted, restless, clever, scatterbrained, lacking follow-through.

d  Cancer: Nourishing, intuitive, protective, moody, sensitive, maternal, domestic, childish, cautious, creative.

e  Leo: Proud, dignified, vain, expressive, romantic, generous, childish, overbearing, self-assured, creative.

f  Virgo: Perfection-seeking, practical, methodical, petty, critical, studious, discriminating, cautious, never satisfied.

g  Libra: Charming, sociable, peace-loving, refined, diplomatic, artistic, indecisive, apathetic, easily deterred.

h  Scorpio: Passionate, secretive, penetrating, resourceful, suspicious, manipulative, jealous, sarcastic, intolerant, determined, aware.

i  Sagittarius: Freedom-loving, philosophical, optimistic, enthusiastic, careless, impatient, talkative, a know-it-all, broadminded, athletic, honest.

j  Capricorn: Serious, responsible, practical, hardworking, stubborn, brooding, inhibited, status-conscious, domineering, unforgiving.

k  Aquarius: Progressive, individualistic, unpredictable, cold, intellectual, artistic, eccentric, shy, impersonal, scientific.

l  Pisces: Compassionate, intuitive, ungrounded, romantic, impractical, self-sacrificing, seductive, musical, artistic.