Back To School, Back To Business & Movement Towards The Autumn Equinox

Ari & Elisha at Mount Shasta

A Full Corn Pisces Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse will happen on September 7, 2025. This full moon is a Total Lunar Eclipse, which is like a full moon on steroids. Sensitivity and perceptiveness of surroundings are greatly amplified now. It’s hard to go wrong with sensitivity and perceptiveness.

Yes, powers of perception do have their egoic enticements. But that’s OK, it’s just something to be mindful of is all. Nothing to get hung up on, develop an attitude about or demonize.

Looking ahead, another New Moon in Virgo will happen on September 21, 2025. This new moon is a partial solar eclipse. A sense of order and clarity can breathe in feelings of safety and security.

Energetically, Eclipse seasons are always reflective of shakeups in consciousness. It’s as if the old ways of being and paradigms of thought are blown away with the winds of change.

Eclipses are uprooting and are certainly inviting opportunities for spiritual awakenings and getting out of our comfort zones.

Getting uncomfortable and dealing with unpleasant experiences are typically not our preferred outcome measures. And yet, they are necessary for growth so that we can grow and move forward along the trails.

Insecurity is part of the human condition; as well as being heightened at this time. Allowing for creative and spiritual rituals that are organically built into our daily routine flows very naturally with imaginative Pisces. Fish are good reminders about going with the flow, and mindfully surfing the waves of life.

Like in football, we don’t need to get too cute; we can just just run the ball. In the spiritual community, there’s plenty of ‘Kitch’, and show and tell, like in other circles. There’s nothing wrong with show and tell or spiritual bling. It’s just that what’s beyond those items of power that really matters, if you’ll pardon the spirited pun.

Uncertainty is a cold hard fact of life that can bring up plenty of excitement, anxiety and of course fear. Feeling uncertain can be terrifying. And yet, there is predictability within the unpredictable.

For example, we know for certain that the Empire’s rule by few mindset, and power and control issues have been a longstanding behavioral trap in human history. On some level, we have all been conditioned.

What is uncertain is that because these old systems are breaking down, we can see that the chinks in the Military-Industrial Complex’s armor are being revealed. There’s a heightened and amplified sense of uncertainty in the airwaves these days.

The bad news is that we will not be solving the problems of the human plight with the current or devolved consciousness.

The good news is that; from an elevated state of consciousness that is aligned with the figure 8 sign of infinity . . . Perceptible solutions abound. Alas (and this is a big thing), it’s pretty impossible to do this without trust or an open heart and mind.

Some pragmatic and practical ways to explore uncertainty is to answer (or don’t answer) your phone without screening your call. Many people really struggle with even entertaining this possibility even in their minds. Just another way to play with life’s creative juices. Take a different route, use your non-dominant hand to do mundane tasks, like opening a door. I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of the KISS (keep it simple sweetheart) model.

Might as well say yes to the Climate Change and move with the process as gracefully as possible. But as you already know, all systems naturally resist change, humans notwithstanding.

Remember that the theater of life reveals the interplay between order and chaos. Try to have a more tolerant and accepting attitude of life’s imperfections; as well as allowing life to unfold as it does.

When we trust the process of the river of life, we are more equipped to let go of our expectations and wake up to what might spring up around the bend, if you’ll pardon the water pun.

Paradoxically, this invites a deeper sense of power and control by opening up to the organically sensuous and mysterious fruits that the Universe has to offer.

Besides, like the old taichi meditative joke goes: “one more case of getting what I no longer want.”

The Autumn or Fall Equinox will happen on September 22nd, in the Northern Hemisphere at least. Light and dark energies are in equal alignment at this time in both hemispheres. Our days will start getting darker after that, as temperatures are also cooling down, and leaves are changing color.

But in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be their Vernal or Spring Equinox. Feminine and Masculine energies will also be equal. Their days will start getting longer after that, while temperatures will rise.

Recently, I went on a spiritual retreat at Mt Shasta in Northern California. To say the energies there were majestic would be an understatement. Like a wise guide said, “there’s a lot going on in Mt Shasta.” I have always wanted to embark on a spiritual retreat, and I’m so thankful I did. I feel that the digestion process will be unfolding for quite some time. Our group was larger than I had thought- approximately 25 people or so. We had some downtime to socialize, sub-group or whatnot, which was nice. However, our daily routine was filled with lots of meditation, group process and debriefing, some hiking and connecting with nature spirits on and around the mountain, and skywatching at night. For many of us, that was a highlight, if you’ll pardon the skywatching laser pun.

In my estimation at least, part of what the ETs love about us is that we are on the cusp of an awareness that is old news for many of them. This is part of why they are so interested in us. They want to engage with us in a playful way that includes co-regulation and positive self talk. This is the mindset of Unity Consciousness. From this perspective, contact is safe and healing. Earth is like a reform school and we are here to learn. Unity Consciousness is in alignment with the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth; beyond the realm of manipulation. From this dimensional and vibrational frequency, we are in alignment with welcoming, allowing and arriving in Unity Consciousness. It would be absurd to manipulate, exploit or try to control someone else’s energy in this space. But really, this isn’t a far cry from the Golden Rule.

I feel deep gratitude for being around a group of people that are in alignment with a heartfelt and high minded commitment to operate from that place consistently; as well as help others along their way as needed.

When we skywatched and saw them ‘power up’, it’s like when we were kids and someone would make the pull gesture to a highway trucker to blow their horn, and then they would. The trucker and the passerby travelers awaken to a peaceful easy feeling that captures the G’Day Mate sentiment. Of course the internal telepathic communicative experiences folks had during the retreat were what made everyone’s collective experiences unique. In sum, “Mt. Shasta was the perfect place for deep connection, reflection, and realignment.”

Finally, after almost 20 years of working in the same school community as a social worker, it’s a very strange and surreal feeling to not be returning this Fall. However, I’m looking forward to awakening to what will be the unfolding new book of my journey. As such, I will use this Leave of Absence period wisely, and give myself spaciousness to make room for what’s next. I feel this aligns with the time to let go of our collective trauma. Everyone needs to hit the pause button and reset for self-care, healing and support their mental health.

May all beings be free and awaken to the dimension of inner peace.

Ari

Swimming Further Into The Natural Waters Of Life By Staying Grounded & Anchoring Into Mother Earth

A Full Sturgeon Moon jumps out of its murky waters today on August 9th, 2025. Their prehistoric experiential intelligence is worth reflecting on.

Unlike modern humans, these ancient fish do not appear to argue about their beliefs or pontificate about whose systems of thought should be more alluring than others, if you’ll pardon the pesce pun. Humans can stand to aquire and access their mirror of resiliency. We need to build resiliency now more than ever. We can swim through our murky waters and find common schools of thought, regardless of our superficial differences.

Everyone has bias, and of course this is part of the human condition. It isn’t about setting aside our biases, beliefs or judgments. Rather, it’s about moving beyond them. Perhaps humanity’s violent tendencies are waking us up. Abusive language, temper tantrums and micro-aggressions or even giving someone the cold shoulder are subtler examples of this. That’s why there is a growing trend of non-violent communication workshops out there so that we can wake up in the ways we relate to each other.

Remember Ghandi’s wisdom, “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” Or President Lincoln’s assertion that we need to evoke our better angels, instead of devolving into drawing our swords or going to war with one another.

Mercury In Retrograde goes back direct on August 11, after being in Retrograde since July 18th. Time to tend to what needs to be addressed, as in dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

Keep in mind that it usually takes about 10 days for the fog to clear till Mercury’s shadow leaves the dirge of its wake behind. Until this time, we are guided to listen to our inner voice and not get caught up in the voices of the world around us.

Knowing the difference is key. Parroting FOX News talking heads, or other media outlets, including social media, isn’t your inner voice. That can be tricky because it can be difficult to recognized when getting sucked in to those experiences, like conspiracy theories. Truly, these Deep States can be suffocating and feed on us like parasites, psychic vampires, bloodsuckers or leeches.

What lost messages or hidden information need your attention so that they may step into the light? May we allow the light to illuminate the shadows so that they may be a sound mantra in your river of dreams and a life preserver in your waking reality.

Speaking of messages and hidden information, has anyone else out there experienced their neurological systems triggered to the point of seemingly no return? Wow, to say that I had some intense experiences with anxiety recently would be an understatement. To someone who likes to stay ahead of the weather, these moments of crazed inner circuitry reared their ugly head seemingly out of nowhere without rhyme or reason.

Ah, but we know better because they do serve their purpose, even if unrecognizable at during the moments they occur. It’s easy to forget that purification comes often during unpleasant episodes in the body, the most powerful portal to consciousness. I try to remember that during episodes like these, but it can be really challenging, to put it lightly.

A New Moon in Virgo will happen on August 23. Earthy, organized, efficient and often perfectionists; the critically acclaimed Virgo energies remain dominant till September 23rd . . . Only a day after the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere at least. Light and dark energies will be in equal alignment by then.

Feeling safe now connects to breathing in order, clarity and emotional regulation. It’s back to school and back to business coming down the pike. Tis the season to bring order into chaos and organization into disorganization. Building in tolerance and acceptance with life’s imperfections are key dynamics to mental health.

But if only we can allow for things to unfold in their own due time. There’s so much beauty in the cracks and crevices of the tapestry of life.

Meditate on the Japanese spiritual tradition of Wabi Sabi; as well as the spirited guidance of Swan. It is better to trust life and let it run its own way. Meeting expectations can be a good egoic reinforcer. Educators especially like to talk tough about expectations and striving in education. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s critical to emphasize letting go of expectations and focusing on arriving too. Walking in the center of the circle of paradoxical thinking isn’t always easy, if it ever is.

We are living in a time to let go of trauma, and remember our primal first stage of psychological development; trust versus mistrust. It’s a personal choice of freedom versus victimhood. To blame is to be a victim.

By the way, you can’t let go of something until you acknowledge the reality of its grip on you. For example, trauma isn’t an excuse, it’s an explanation. If you don’t own the reality of it, then you are in denial of it. Denial is a primitive, yet powerful defense mechanism. And it a’int just a river in Egypt.

Appreciate the subtleties of messages as they become louder while approaching the Virgo New Moon on August 23rd. Consider this New Moon an official portal into the Eclipse Season. Major shakeups in consciousness take place during Eclipses, especially the more consciously we work with these energies.

Or you can hunker down and ride out the storm front until the dust settles. But those of you that still do that already know that’s getting harder and harder to do these days.

Furthermore, as we switch horses from Leo into Virgo season, notice feeling much better preparedness for the strong winds of change that are on their way. The season of Virgo will help us to ground our energy, and create some structure and routine amidst any of the chaos that may be happening.

Like Master Yoda says; the future is fluid, rather than etched in stone commandments. Let’s use the Force aka Chi to state our desires to the Universe, and imprint on the reality we envision. This is a powerful time for us in our individual and collective consciousness to get out our paintbrushes to co-create the canvass of New Earth we envision together.

Spending time in meditation, focusing on positive energy, abundance, hope, etc., will be incredibly powerful and healing, not just for ourselves, but the entire planet. Keep hope alive, like my wise old spiritual counselor Leo would say.

A Full Corn Pisces Blood Moon Eclipse will happen on September 7. Given the energies of the fish, this Full Moon embodies their sensitivity and perceptiveness of surroundings.

Additionally, feelings of insecurity can be mitigated by being passive, and a wait and see approach to what is unfolding in your life. A creative and spiritual way of being aligns nicely with imaginative Pisces.

I can dig on how Ram Dass says that he has become identified with Love. Back when he left Harvard and went to India in the late 60s, he didn’t believe it was possible when his guru told him that he was called to love everybody in his lifetime.

Or like how Dave Chappellle says that he doesn’t hate anybody, he just works with that feeling. Comedy has a way of getting us to look at things differently.

And let’s echo Mother Theresa’s wise heavenly callback to stay as close to Love, and as far away from fear as possible while we are breathing.

Love is all around us. Don’t get sucked into the fear because fear is chock full of trigger happy weapons of mass deception.

May all sentient beings be free from suffering, live in harmony, and awaken to the dimension of Inner Peace.

Ari

A New Moon In Virgo, Full Harvest SuperMoon and Autumn Equinox In September Will Yield A Fall Powerful Eclipse Season In October.

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

Dewdrops are the perfect metaphor for the transience in life.

Or as the echoes of the late musician Jimmy Buffet reverberate; changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes . . . nothing remains quite the same. As beautiful dewdrops are when we see them- the sun will shine, the temperature will rise and then they will dry up.

But there is a space between the intersection between joy and pain. If we can make friends with their transience, then we will relax the grasping and clinging of and our attachments to all moments; pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.

Between Tao and Zen, death is just another transition, even if a mystery for certain. In the mirror of the mind meditations, time spent with the ancestors is so much longer than the time spent here on this earth. Jimmy Buffet’s recent death reminds us that his lyrics live on in our heads and hearts.

On a deeper level, the energies of Parrot awakens the healing of bright color magic and the power of the sun. Buffet’s famous lyrics, searching for my lost shaker of salt is a synchronicity to the Pueblo connection of Parrot and its association with the gathering of salt.

It can be helpful to have a longitudinal mindset in life. If we pay attention to the signs and synchronicities of the Universe to light our way, then we realize there are no coincidences.

A Virgo New Moon on September 14, 2023 can draw us inward and travel back to the past, getting us to examine things to ensure we fully understand where we have been before we move forward.

We may feel that life or certain situations are at an impasse. It may be hard to move on or hard to know how to shift a dynamic.

But Mercury will go back on the 15th, so clearing skies ahead will be happening now.

While the changing energies will reveal themselves slowly, we may find it a welcomed relief to be stuck or stagnant for a moment. We may wish to enjoy the view a little longer or really soak our feet in wherever we have landed. By taking this time, we may feel more adjusted, better prepared, and more accepting of our situation and where we will move to.

This New Moon is the last before the Equinox and the Autumn Eclipse Season. This New Moon will set the foundation for the changes that are destined to come.

Returning to the grounding energies of Virgo are a good reminder that we are sovereign beings, free to be, free to express, and free to access a wealth of knowledge contained within.

On a more practical level, we can also channel the energies of the Virgo New Moon to plan, create a schedule, and get organized in our lives. We can use its energy to take a methodical and practical approach to all that we need to get done.

While we will still very much feel the stagnancy from all the retrograde activity, this New Moon acts as a turning point, lighting a path to help release us from the old.

Trust that the fog will lift and the veils will thin; in much the same way as they powerfully do during the end of October and early November, energetically speaking.

A Full Harvest Moon September 29, 2023 will be the fourth & final Supermoon. Our ancestors gave this name to the moon closest to the Autumn Equinox because it marks a time to reap what was sewn in the spring. Time to celebrate the bounty of summer while preparing for the long, cold dirge of Winter.

A historical, cross-cultural synopsis of this Full Moon reveals the powerful link between this Full Moon and the importance of an abundant harvest it yields around the world.

Eclipse Season will feature a New Moon Solar Eclipse on October 14 and a Full Moon Lunar eclipse on October 28. Remember that eclipses are catalysts for change and shaking up the status quo in our inner and outer world. New and Full Moons during eclipses are like regular New and Full Moons on steroids.

Connecting with Nature is good medicine for staying in alignment with the Universe’s orientation of Love and Truth. They go together and we need both. Perhaps you get out in your garden or listen to the waning sounds of crickets. I always forget how much I will miss their singing till Summer wanes and Fall approaches.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

A Bell Of Mindfulness, New Moon In Virgo, Full Harvest Moon And An Autumn Equinox In The September Of Our Years

Photo by Kristen Bouse

Have you ever heard the expression Bell of Mindfulness? Although this writer didn’t invent the expression, he recognizes it in his common language with regularity.

Many moons ago, my first inspiration of this meditative expression arrived when reading, At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey From War to Peace, by an American Zen Buddhist Monk and Vietnam veteran named Claude Anshin Thomas.

Whatever your trauma, if you are a survivor and have put in the work, you know the journey from suffering to inner peace.

But when you work with that, it isn’t without its moments of struggling.

And if you are doing the work, you already know these journeys are not always linear and sometimes intersect and coexist with each other seemingly simultaneously.

Of course there is a tension of opposites, like when we were kids playing on the teeter totter.

Heaven and hell are inner states of consciousness that reflect back to us in the outer world.

Shamans called the current state of affairs a collective nightmare that we see playing out on the fiery Planet today.

Prophesies of a Golden Age are a co-creative New Dream. Remember that out of the ashes, the Phoenix Rises!

Truly, we all have what Taoists call the Chattering Monkey Mind, and this anxious mind can dominate our lives if we let it.

For example, chasing, clinging or indulging in darker thoughts (or any thoughts) are part of being human. It’s how we approach them that really matters.

Do we respond with mindful consultation with our Higher Self or do we react to the provocations of our lower self?

Do we resist and fight our shadowy thoughts or do we gently let them pass till an awakening of clearer thoughts emerge? We all have emotions and feelings that tend to accompany our thoughts. It is wise to take personal inventory of them through the light of loving compassion.

A New Moon in Virgo will happen on August 27, 2022. Feeling safe is connected to order, clarity and emotions right now. Perhaps there is a need to organize everything chaotic and disorganized.

Working Virgo energies in the positive tempers the self-critic with self-acceptance and finds self-expression of its soul purpose through service. In this way, you are more likely to take care of others if you are taking care of yourself. The inner critic is leveled by an internal state of acceptance. The situations are what they are. We might as well say yes to them on the inside, instead of meeting them with resistance (what we resists, persists!). From there, we can take corrective action if necessary.

Inner peace is a practical replacement for going to war with yourself (or others). It’s easier to replace with inner peace than it is to extinguish going to war. More inner peace replaces the likelihood of going to war.

Virgo stands on mutable ground to teach us that it is healthy to give consideration to being more tolerant and accepting about life’s imperfections. It is better to trust life and let it run its own way. Not everything must be according to our expectations or controlled. The Japanese spiritual tradition of Wabi Sabi reflects this way of being. Beauty exists in taking risks and making mistakes. It’s very Growth Mindset.

In many ways, we live in a Virgo world. It’s easy to get caught up in the do’s and don’t and should and should nots and consumed by fixing problems and perfectionism in the material realm. Chaos is especially hard on Virgo. But there is order in chaos and disorder is part of balance. Movement into the New Aquarian Age awakens possibilities that might be hidden or unseen to the predictable mindset or preoccupation with the headlines.

Energetically, Autumn is a good time of year to practice letting go. Tis a good mantra to Fall back on, if you’ll pardon the pun.

September’s Full Harvest Moon will peak on September 10, 2022. This Full Moon always happens closest to the Autumn Equinox on Thursday, September 22nd.

In Ojibwe, the Full Moon during this time of year is called the Falling Leaves Moon. Watch the leaves falling and observe their process of changing colors. Seasons change no matter what we are doing or not doing.

Furthermore, feminine and masculine energies are equal around the Fall Equinox. Meditation on balance of the yin and yang is in perfect equitable alignment with Nature at this time. Give this special consideration when you see people struggling with their identity issues, like sexuality and gender identifications. Appreciate the confusing times we are living in with open hearts and minds. In much the same way as race, disabilities, religion and ancestry, these are key Civil Rights issues to be mindful of in the here and now.

Reflections on the Harvest Moon, invites looking back at when our ancestors farmed the land before artificial light existed.

Back then, their work day depended on the natural cycles of the sun and the moon. They were more active and slept less during warmer weather and brighter days. Conversely, they were less active and slept more during shorter days, colder temperatures and darker nights.

This is the only Full Moon that rises at nearly the same time for multiple days, giving farmers several evenings of extra moonlight to finish their harvests before the arrival of fall frosts. Abundance is in the sky and on the ground. The harvest is in and yields its bounty.

Today, it is wise to pay attention and return to these natural rhythms and cycles. There is a time to do and a time to rest. Meaningful work is good for the soul. So is play.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Ari

Feathering Our Cosmic Ripple Effect with Duck Paddling Our Boat

Do you remember Duck’s medicinal power?
Feathering our memory . . .

We are all travelers here.
Waking up to an understanding that we are
Living in a deeply sacred and mysterious Universe.

Journeying through symbolic and archetypal energies
Streaming through our individual beings
binding us together as One.

Duck’s presence loosens up our resistance to untangling from
internal emotional webs during our changing tides.
Opening up our Hearts to systemic equilibrium.

Are you in balance?

“Oh Captain My Captain”
Duck paddles through Life’s muddy waters . . .

Mindfully exploring our surface and depth.
Singing the blues amidst flat energy _
Learning musical high note security by staying afloat with grace and comfort.

Returning to innocence –
Somewhere in time . . .
To a familiar place where we feel safe and comfortable.

Conversations with Duck remind us that
“Birds of a feather, flock together”
In like mind and spirit.

Do you need to be more adaptable?

Nurture you emotions as you would water other areas of life.
We are emotional beings!

Do you need to pay more attention to your emotions and close relationships?

Dig in to grounding New Beginnings with New Moon in Virgo.

Movement toward Autumn Equinox means waning light
bringing us closer to fine with balance of light and dark.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari