Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 7:00-8:30 pm MT (via Zoom), free
My husband and I will be presenting an online program during February’s meeting of the Denver Theosophical Society.
ALAN LEO- Astrologer & Theosophist
Join us for an examination of the life of Alan Leo, “the father of modern astrology.” Discover how this Victorian theosophist revitalized the occult science of astrology introducing the concepts of reincarnation and karma. Learn how sun sign astrology became part of his legacy and how it continues to influence our culture.
Email me: himalayaspencerellis@yahoo.com for the access link for entry into the Zoom meeting.
Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 7:00-8:30 pm MT (via Zoom), free
My husband and I will be presenting an online program during February’s meeting of the Denver Theosophical Society.
ALAN LEO- Astrologer & Theosophist
Join us for an examination of the life of Alan Leo, “the father of modern astrology.” Discover how this Victorian theosophist revitalized the occult science of astrology introducing the concepts of reincarnation and karma. Learn how sun sign astrology became part of his legacy and how it continues to influence our culture.
Email me: himalayaspencerellis@yahoo.com for the access link for entry into the Zoom meeting.
This is a book that exposes the reader to a branch of evolutionary astrology where the birthchart can be used as a tool to glimpse an archetypal story of one’s past-life themes. According to the author, evolutionary astrology examines the way consciousness evolves through lifetimes subject to the free will of the individual. In this context, evolutionary astrology can be thought of as a form of psychological astrology merged with metaphysics.
While the techniques to figure out who you were and what your circumstances were like are outlined, the emphasis of the book is on recognizing patterns and situations from the past which are recurring. These are the ones that need the soul’s attention and work for healing and growth. This is an astrology of symbolism that may not be an actual past-life but rather a similar version of a prior life. The value of doing an evolutionary astrology analysis is to identify unresolved issues from prior lives that exist in the present life, so that they can be resolved, and the soul can evolve.
So this then, is reincarnation astrology. Who knew?
In this fairly technical book, you’re unlikely to make it very far with the techniques without a good grasp of astrology and the knowledge of how to read a birthchart. This is a book for astrologers. It is, however, possible to have your chart read by an evolutionary astrologer if you’re so inclined. I’ve worked with the material using my chart and I have to say, the results are pretty startling- mostly in the way it confirms what I sense is right about my (archetypal) past and the way it diagnoses current life difficulties. I’ve also done further analyses on other birthcharts and I have to say, there does seem to be an uncanny correctness about the data it produces.
The key into the past is an exhaustive examination of the south node of the moon in the natal chart. To construct a past-life story, the south node’s sign, house, and any planetary conjunctions must be assessed. Further analysis of the ruler of the south node along with hard and soft aspects give more insight into the soul’s past-life situations and challenges. It’s a complicated and fascinating methodology that appeals to the storyteller in some of us. But- it is not necessarily easy or straightforward in practice because there are often contradictory bits of information. The technique does require time and practice to perfect. To that end, there are five case studies in the book to try your hand with. Unfortunately, these are mostly famous people and the astrological “hits” feel like cherry picking. Perhaps generic charts stepping through the technique might have proven more effective (at least, for me).
In the end, I spent hours with the book working with my own chart. Although I never quite came up with a cohesive archetypal tale, I did grasp certain aspects about the past which ring loud and clear in my existence today. Compelling so! The book also sounds the call for journeying toward the soul’s evolution through the work of the north node. If you are familiar with your birthchart, give this book a try. If you’re interested in past-lives and your soul’s work but can’t fathom taking this on, consulting an evolutionary astrologer or doing a past life regression might be worth looking into. Remember though, evolutionary astrology does NOT produce an actual past life but rather is symbolic of the kind of existence you were likely to have had.
Discover Ellis’ books by following the link below.
This is book two of a series with Giordano Bruno (defrocked-friar,
philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist)
starring as master sleuth.
Queen Elizabeth sits on the throne while rumors of her demise
circulate. It is the time of the Great Conjunction when Jupiter and Saturn align,
signaling the cataclysmic end of the age. Fear and uncertainty grip the nation.
France and Spain are eager to exploit any opportunity. Giordano Bruno is on the
run from the Inquisition and under the King of France’s protection in England.
He is also a mole for Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham.
When several murders happen within the palace walls, Bruno
must rely on his wits and his friends to survive. Luckily, he has John Dee
(personal astrologer to the Queen) and the extensive spy net.
A very good historical thriller. Would have liked more astrology, occult material, etc. This is essentially an Elizabethan period, who-dun-it. So, a bit disappointing for me who wanted more depth on Bruno and his inner mind.
There are many misconceptions about astrology. This book attempts a survey of its effects on Western Civilization. It’s a big job! This is a history book and astrology has been around a very long time. Most of us think astrology can be summed up by those little paragraphs written about your sun sign that commonly occur in magazines and papers. Some who have delved deeper know astrology is a science- one that predated and in part, gave birth to modern science. How is it that this thread is all but missing from history books? It is said that history is written by the victors and from that perspective (I suppose), astrology did not win. Bobrick’s book is not a book about whether astrology is a valid science. Rather, this is a book about how ideas and people’s understanding of them played a role in history.
Bobrick opens the book with a very compelling case about how Columbus would never have set sail on a voyage of discovery except for having been inspired by an astrological idea that had come from the Persians through the Arabs and finally to the West by way of a French Cardinal and astrologer, Pierre d’Ailly. Known as the great conjunction theory, where Jupiter and Saturn unite, it was thought to herald great changes. The once- in- 960- year astrological event so excited Columbus, he decided it heralded the end of the world and everyone on the planet would need to be converted. He adopted the name Christophorus, “the Christbearer” and sought the financial aid of Spain. Columbus’ copy of the astrologer’s work who so influenced him, including his personal notes, can be seen in Seville. Ideas are no small matter!
Man has always been intrigued by the skies. The origins of astrology go back to Mesopotamia, the Chaldean East, including areas of Babylonia and Assyria. From there, it spread to Egypt and Greece. Astrology was known in Greece at least as early as 1184 BC. Plato was tutored by a Chaldean astrologer. Astrology eventually incorporated Pythagorean concepts. But it wasn’t until Hellenistic Egypt that astrology came into its own and combined with Greek mathematical astronomy. By 150 BC, the earliest handbook on astrology was written. These ideas spread throughout Greece and on to India.
Babylonian astrology tablet, (photo: Poulpy)
Astrological disc, Egypt (Ptolemaic 332-31 BCE)
During the Roman Empire, all classes of people were influenced by the practice of astrology. Astrologers were consulted at the highest levels and several Emperors were skilled astrologers (including Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian). The fundamental work on astrology (Tetrabiblos) in the classical world was done by Claudius Ptolemy who drew on ancient sources.
Zodiac, (6th cent.) synagogue, Beth Alpha, Israel
From Tetrabiblos (9th cent. Byzantine manuscript), zodiac & months
As the Roman Empire declined and the West fell into darkness, astrology flourished in the East and the lands held by the Byzantines. By the 9th century, Islamic, Jewish, Greek. Persian, and Hindu scholars gathered in the intellectual capital of Baghdad. This was Islam’s Golden Age when cooperation, innovation, and learning flourished! The Arabs translated Greek texts and got to work on pioneering science. Arab scholars pursued astronomy, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, introduced a system of numerals, created a decimal system, refined the lunar calendar, and built observatories. What came into existence then was what is today called “Arabic astrology”- a fusion of Greek thought and Arabic science. From this tradition, the formidable astrologer al-Biruni’s text, The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology (1029), had a strong mathematical basis and he firmly believed no one could call himself an astrologer without a thorough understanding of all the sciences. Such was the nature of the profession.
Astrolabe, Islamic (1067AD), (photo: Luiz Garcia)
Timbuktu manuscript
All of this is a fascinating way of viewing history through the perspective of the emergence of science. From this lens, astrology is the science that underpinned what we think of as modern science. This was the need to watch the skies, to take measurements, to create the mathematics and instruments for observations, and then to make it relevant. Of course, astrology is also the oldest of the occult (meaning “hidden”) arts. And so much more than those little paragraphs in magazines that pass as horoscopes.
In part 2, we’ll look at how the Church and European Courts have viewed the practice of astrology. (Have you ever seen an astrological clock or a stained-glass window with the full zodiac?)
I’ve always hated my birthday. December 21 falls too close to Christmas for it ever to have been celebrated like a normal birthday. As a child I can remember (and remember vividly) the one and only birthday party where I had neighbor kids over. The rest of the time, birthdays were small family events squeezed in among the hubbub of Christmas. Not fun and not special. That coupled with the yearly reminder from my mother that I was born on the darkest day of the year did much to cement my feelings of apathy about my solar return. For a few years, I moved the event to January hoping for a better outcome. But there was no escaping it.
2017 turned out to be quite an eye-opening experience living abroad, and in an attempt to take advantage of some once in a life-time opportunities, I thought maybe this year marking my birthday with the rising sun of solstice at Stonehenge would make a memorable birthday. It was!
The tour bus left London in complete darkness at 4:20 AM and we made our way to the plains of Salisbury where we picked up some light rain. We were given the option of walking 50 minutes to the site or waiting for a shuttle bus. Luckily, the English Heritage organization that controls access to Stonehenge has done this for years and there were plenty of shuttle buses, so we boarded the bus and rode. We were dropped off, in the misty blackness at the edge of a parking lot with hundreds of others. All along the way, my husband and I were looking for the famous stones to orient ourselves but even standing with the crowd, we had no idea in which direction we’d eventually be led.
Finally, someone from English Heritage ventured by with a flashlight to tell us that they were waiting for some light before they’d open the field for us to go up to the site. When someone asked her where, she gestured to the left behind a wire fence where again we saw nothing. The crowd was animated. In the distance and to the left, drums beat, and a lone bagpipe played. More shuttle buses came and left, and we waited.
Not long after, the stones were lit on the hill above us and the pasture fence dropped. Stonehenge emerged from the black night on the first morning of winter. Druid drums beat a rhythm as the crowd and I were led through the marshy pasture and up to the historic site. I felt very emotional going up the hill and had to focus on my breathing to circulate the energy. Whether this was a reaction to ley lines, the crowd’s festive spirit, or my own internal work I don’t know, but it was powerful and deep (and Scorpionic?). There was a sense of rightness in this crowd moving up to take back this site.
By the time I reached the stones, several hundred people were already massed in and around the site. Stonehenge is a relatively small area. The center was held by Druids and pagans who had begun their ceremonies. Eager to join in, my husband and I moved in as close as we could. Our initial position was just outside the center ring. Gradually things began to lighten. We honored the four directions and offered prayers of peace being led by, I believe, a Druid priest. We chanted, sang songs, and summoned the ancestors. It was a festive, lively, and inclusive ceremony. The official sunrise came without notice as the clouds never permitted the sun to shine. Once the ritual part of the gathering had concluded, a group of pagan singers dressed in red streamed into the center of the stones and led the crowd in more songs. After a while, it felt like time to leave and my husband and I walked around the circle. I had a chance to touch some of the stones and walk the grounds of the site.
One of the most important reasons to visit Stonehenge at one of the solstices is that people are allowed in among the stones and on the grounds. During the rest of the year, tourists are allowed only to walk a paved path behind a barrier around the site. Those restrictions have been in place for some years now to protect the site. Only on limited rare occasions can visitors access and touch the stones (although technically you’re not supposed to, but everyone does).
Stonehenge is positioned on the top of a gentle hill with a panoramic view of surrounding fields. It’s isolated and unexpected, retaining its mystery. I settled on a fallen stone with some others. Revelers in the distance kept up the party atmosphere as I dropped into a healing mediation with the aid of the beat of a steady drum. It was easy to ground and go deep. I emerged sometime later, cold and stiff. It was time to leave.
The visit had been characterized by three different phases. First, there had been the emotional climb to the site. The stones themselves and the experience of greeting the solstice was joyous and a shared one. The final phase was solitary, deep, and healing. No bolts of lightening but more a gladness that I’d been there. That this birthday was memorable and special.
I was surprised that I had not felt more in the way of energy at the site, but then I had done some shielding ahead of our arrival. An unexpected thing happened the next day in London though. While we were waiting to get the underground, I suddenly started running energy that intensified in my palms. This lasted for some time and I think was connected to the previous day’s work. So, I’m keeping an open mind and we’ll see where this goes. Maybe a blog in the future.
I’ve been watching Maga’s astrology videos on Youtube for months now. What I like most about her presentation is the focus on spiritual growth and evolution. As my birthday approached, I decided to take the plunge and have her do my natal chart. I’ve been playing around with my chart for a few years so some of what Maga outlined was very familiar, but what was really helpful was that she looked at it from a perspective of soul mission and growth. Turns out, that’s the thing I most needed to hear as we head into 2016. I immediately reached out to Maga to see if she’d be interested in appearing on the blog. She’s here today to share her knowledge and perspective on astrology and healing. Before I launch into some questions I want to share a little about Maga’s background.
Maga is a professional healer, intuitive, astrologer, and artist. She holds a bachelor of science degree from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, is a Usui Reiki master, a licensed massage therapist, and is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor. She has been teaching since the late 1990s after going through her own transformative spiritual experience.
Welcome, Maga!
Mama Maga has answered the interview questions in the following audio file. Please click to listen to this fascinating interview.
1. What was your life like prior to 1995 when you experienced what you call “the Plutonian Passage”?
2. Was it then that you were called into the world in a new way or were you always interested in the spiritual side of life and healing?
3. As I’ve started learning some of the basics of astrology, I’m struck by how large and technical the art and science is. Can you share how you first became interested in astrology and how you proceeded to acquire your understanding?
4. When I was listening to your natal reading of my chart, I wondered how having some of these things pointed out early in my life might have made a difference. How can astrology be a practical tool in people’s lives? For a beginner, how should someone get started?
5. How can astrology be used for those with a spiritual inclination? How can it aid to our evolution and growth?
6. I’ve been watching “The Daily News” on your YouTube channel and I know you’re offering a special program starting in mid-January. Please describe what the 5 Month Membership is and who you think would most benefit from it?
7. As we look at 2016, what astrological aspect(s) should we most be aware of?
Thank you, Maga, for spending some time with us. Maga offers a wide range of astrology and healing services (at affordable rates, I might add). Please check out her YouTube channel and websites for more information.
In 1991, Barbara Hand Clow posited a theory in which planetary cycles could be used to predict the onset,progress, and completion of certain transformative growth cycles. The most powerful of these occurs at mid-life (early 40s) and can viewed as spiritual emergency. Her earlier work has been updated and re-released as Astrology and the Rising of Kundalini.
I was really intrigued when I learned my own crisis occurred within the predictable parameters and how my experience can be seen as a classic case of kundalini rise. My biggest regret is that I didn’t have this book about ten years ago when it would have been so informative and comforting!
Clow insists that everyone undergoes a rise in kundalini energy according to the movement of Uranus in a person’s chart. This rise triggers mid-life crisis. Mid-life crisis does seem to be a fairly common experience but we all know people who sail through life seemingly immune to life’s ups and downs. Certainly not everyone goes through spiritual crisis. Regardless, the information is very pertinent to the spiritual seeker and this is where it can be most useful.
The key astrological transitions to look at are the first Saturn return (age 30), Uranus opposition to the natal chart (ages 38-44), and the return of Chiron (age 50). The exact dates are given on charts in the back of the book. It’s interesting to try to look back and remember what was going on at each time. All of the dates held some significance for me. In addition, the key wounding dates for Chiron were also significant, but oddly enough, I wouldn’t say they were my worst wounds. This trend continued with my husband and son who could sometimes recall incidents connected to their dates, but also felt they were not the most significant ones they’ve experienced.
There is much to ponder over reading this book. It should be required reading BEFORE mid-life, especially for the spiritually-minded. Anyone going through spiritual crisis will find some practical help to treat the symptoms and comfort knowing it will settle down (eventually). The material is presented in lively way with real life examples. No prior knowledge of astrology or the kundalini phenomena is necessary. All the charts needed to do your own analysis are included.
