One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.
~ Joan of Arc (1412 — 1431), at her trial for heresy, witchcraft, and dressing like a man

Image © 1918, US Department of the Treasury;
WW I poster by Haskell Coffin depicting Joan of Arc (1412 — 1431)

You had the power all along my dear.
—Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Dear Friends;
This week, we celebrate International Woman’s Day. I chose 19yr old Joan of Arc for this week’s issue because she is a well-known figure in the West who imbibed both the feminine and masculine qualities. Pictured is a 1918 illustration of her created to inspire American women to buy war stamps during WW I to help support the American war effort.

The artist offered an excellent rendering of the gentleness of the feminine in harmony to the firmness of the masculine. With a bright, moon-like visage and slightly upturned gaze indicating humility, respect, and devotion towards a higher power, Joan is depicted wearing armour and holding an upraised sword imparting the Mars masculine of right action at the right time. You might even say this illustration is the West’s version of Ardhanarishvara, the form of Shiva indicating the complete synthesis of the masculine and feminine qualities, an example illustration of which I used last week.

The short life of Joan of Arc becomes an interesting metaphor for the interplay of the masculine and feminine qualities. Born in a French village during the Hundred Year’s War between England and France, Joan began experiencing visions of Christian saints telling her that her destiny was to help coronate Charles VII and push the English out of France. That she was able to inspire the French military to accept her as a leader is quite a remarkable story. That she maintained her commitment to Christ even as she burned at the stake (Jésus! Jésus!) is transcendent…

The masculine and the feminine. Two sides of the same coin. Two interlocking sets of qualities that form the basis of this whole Cosmos, including us. Indeed, the human experience reaches its full potential only when these qualities are allowed to express freely, without limiting the inherent potential of each.

I lived in the ashram of the enlightened spiritual master Gurumayi Chidvilasananda for over ten years. It was an amazing period of my life filled with experiences beyond typical human understanding — from the miraculous to the otherworldly. Yet, some of the most affecting experiences were the unscheduled moments when I saw who she was beyond the big crowds and the formal events. She was always anchored in a masculine/feminine aliveness that was so profound and vibrant I would fall into a state of ecstasy knowing I was witnessing my own destiny.

Once while working in the ashram kitchen, Gurumayi came striding in like a gas flame on high. She was Mars incarnate and chastised management for not preparing a special feast as it was the day a much beloved guru of the Siddha lineage had left his body. Mahasamadhi is when an enlightened being leaves their body through their own will and such a day is always celebrated for it signals their final merging into the Ocean of Consciousness.

After making sure management would not make the same mistake, Gurumayi came to the counter where several cereal box sized containers of spices were sitting on the counter and instructed a bowl to be placed on the floor to prepare the batter for bhajis, vegetable fritters. When I say bowl, I mean BOWL. The ashram was feeding 5 — 10 thousand guests at the time, so the bowls we used were rather large. I set the bowl on the floor and squatted down with a whisk and began whisking as one of the chefs threw in heaps of besan (gram) flour and water. Gurumayi then began to pick up a select number of spice containers and without looking at the label, dropped a portion of their contents into the batter. No measurement, no indecision, no taste test. One after another she threw in the spices like she was feeding a hungry dog biscuits.

As I stirred, I became lost in this show of complete awareness. I was witnessing perfection in action and I became ecstatic. Suddenly, I felt a rap on the top of my head as if someone had hit my crown chakra with a broom handle. Not painful, but definitely attention getting. I glanced up to see Gurumayi looking at me with an amused smile and indicating with a small gesture to stop whisking. Placing the bowl on the counter, Gurumayi turned away while the cooks tasted the batter. Perfect.

The bhaji batter Gurmayi had just spiced was exquisite, beyond compare. To see her take from an assortment of at least a dozen spice containers without looking and tossing with seeming abandon into the mixture without measuring was a profound testament to the state of complete freedom. In this simple display, she was demonstrating what it means to be a complete human being. Through decisive action and laser-like focus, she expressed the masculine and through gentleness, compassion, and intuition, she expressed the feminine.

As it was, her rap on my head opened a space within me, a clear indication of how energy can be harnessed for the benefit of all when supported by conscious action. I was like a drunkard the rest of the day, intoxicated on the experience of being alive, an experience I gained simply by being in her company.

Let me be clear: when we are completely involved in Life, Life answers back with Love. It matters not what you do, but how you do it. This is what it means to be half man and half woman and when we come to know this within ourselves, we have solved the mystery of our existence.

 🤗

David 🔆

astrologyofjoy.com


In this issue:

• Weekly Planning Forecast
• Special report: Eye on the Globe
• Hero’s Journey: Free App

Moon Planner
Has the Moon got you hurried and harried?

No worries! As a symbol of the feminine quality, the Moon represents your capacity to receive. In this sense, the Moon is about recognising the resources you have available and using them for your benefit.  Too often, we do not recognise what is available around us to make our life more fulfilling. Instead, we get distracted with what is not ours to have and miss out on the available opportunity, experiencing disappointment and disillusionment… or worse, like the poor fellow in the photo.  😄


This week:

If you evolve in your ultimate context, you will be half a man and half a woman – not a neuter – a full-fledged man and a full-fledged woman. That is when you are a full-blown human being. You are not skewed development, you are not just masculine or feminine, you have allowed both these things to grow.

~ Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, yogi, mystic, humanitarian, NYT bestselling author

Dear Friends;

A Night of Awakening
Mahashivratri (FEB 26; Live webcast) is one of the most important celebrations in India and recognises a natural alignment of the Sun and Earth that creates a tremendous spiritual opportunity. Mahashivratri commemorates the divine wedding between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati representing the union of the masculine and feminine energies, the harmonious interplay necessary for cosmic order and creation.

Sadhguru says this about this auspicious opportunity:

On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is a natural upsurge of energy in a human being. This is a day when nature is pushing one towards one’s spiritual peak. It is to make use of this, that in this tradition, we established a certain festival which is nightlong. To allow this natural upsurge of energies to find their way, one of the fundamentals of this nightlong festival is to ensure that you remain awake with your spine vertical throughout the night.

For a more in-depth explanation of Mahashivratri and why it is such a powerful opportunity for families, entrepreneurs, and spiritual seekers, follow this link.

The live webcast includes a talk and midnight meditation by Sadhguru.
…

I wrote recently that I have been making more use of the Adityas, an ancient form of astrology which predates Western and Hindu astrology. First referenced in the Rig Veda, India’s oldest scripture, this system is estimated to be at least 6000 years old. Unknown to most practicing modern astrologers, it offers a deep and profound window into the life of an individual through twelve equal “seasons” related to the Earth’s yearly path around the Sun. I now use the Adityas in all my readings.

Of particular interest is in reference to the current locations of the planets. Currently, Saturn is in the division referred to as Dhata which corresponds to Pisces in the zodiac. Dhata represents the capacity to bear the burdens of responsible change. Unfortunately, Saturn is not welcome in this division. Saturn is about letting go and turning away and resisting. Sometimes it is good to resist what is unhealthy, but in Dhata/Pisces, the resistance is slowing down the germination of something new and groundbreaking. In short, especially through May 2025, there is a tendency in society and in ourselves to resist meaningful change and look for shortcuts so as to avoid the work necessary for real change. 

For individuals, there is a need to strengthen the capacity to be objective, rational, and practical. This is not the time to fulfil unstable emotional needs or seek to resolve our emotional pain through others. Like a farmer, now is the time to til the soil and plant the seeds so that in the spring, healthy sprouts can rise.

As a society, there is a need to shoulder the responsibility for healthy change. For too long, we have resigned ourselves to simply following the agenda’s of others. We saw this during Covid when lockdowns and the vilification of alternative views became business as usual. We must be on guard against knee-jerk reactions detrimental to longterm gains. Knee-jerk reactions are not objective nor do they have the force of beneficial transformation behind them. They are products of our conditioned past and serve no value in the present.

Fortunately, Jupiter is in the Aditya of Varuna through this same period. Varuna is related to the one, all-encompassing Love. Jupiter is the planet of all encompassing Love. Along with Jupiter ruling as lord of Saturn in Pisces, Jupiter in Varuna marks a chance for an opportunity the world has not witnessed in a long time.

Being objective in all aspects of life and towards the global life is the best way to take advantage of this time. Now is the time to exchange reaction for response. Responding is being responsible not only to yourself, but to your neighbours and to the world. And one of the best ways to be responsible this week is by joining the Mahashivratri celebrations Wednesday night. Stay awake, spine erect. Good things can happen.

I’ll see you there. 😉

 🤗

David 🔆

astrologyofjoy.com


In this issue:

• Weekly Planning Forecast
• Necessity of the Feminine
• Hero’s Journey: Events and Programmes
• Consultations

Moon Planner
Has the Moon got you hurried and harried?

No worries! As a symbol of the feminine quality, the Moon represents your capacity to receive. In this sense, the Moon is about recognising the resources you have available and using them for your benefit.  Too often, we do not recognise what is available around us to make our life more fulfilling. Instead, we get distracted with what is not ours to have and miss out on the available opportunity, experiencing disappointment and disillusionment… or worse, like the poor fellow in the photo.  😄


This week:

 

Friday, 28 February: New Moon in Pisces (00:44 GMT)
New Moons are best spent quietly in meditation and reflection to allow for latent insights to rise to the surface so you can allow them to work their magic. Occurring this week in Aquarius, especially be mindful of a blossoming of hidden talents, unrealised attributes, and a you that has been hidden under a fear to let go. This is the beginning of a new cycle of emotional involvement that can find you engaged in helpful actions that benefit not only the neighbours, but yourself.

Moon/Pluto in Aquarius, Tuesday, 25 FEB: The Moon with Pluto indicates an opportunity to transform what we believe we need from others or the world, from false belief to the ultimate truth, that all nourishment comes from inside. Like a sprout making its way through rock to the sunlight, the possibility is real.

Moon/Saturn in Pisces, Friday 28 FEB: This can be a difficult conjunction as the Moon relates to our needs and Saturn relates to delay, obstacles, and an overemphasis of obligation. Allow Saturn’s ascetic qualities to help you let go of what you don’t really need by staying objective and philosophical.

Auspicious day: the second day after a New Moon is considered especially auspicious to start new projects as the Moon has begun its journey in the bright half towards full.

The reason there have always been more men in religion than women
is because men need it more.
~ From a talk by Sadhguru

Dear Friends;

With International Women’s Day approaching on 8 March, the next few issues of Astrology of Joy will be dedicated to the feminine… 

On 18 February, the Sun moves into Pisces, the 12th sign of the zodiac related to the water element. Like water, Pisces embraces the feminine quality: nurturing, life-giving, healing, empathetic, compassionate, fluid, imaginative, creative. In Vedic astrology, Pisces is also associated with intuition, insight, emotional sensitivity and connection, enlightenment and liberation.

In astrology, fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) and air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are masculine. Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) are feminine. Thus, there are six signs masculine and six signs feminine indicating our nature as embodying both qualities… equally. An issue arises, however, when we skew too much to one side or the other. A man who skews feminine becomes indecisive, hesitant, and confused. A woman who skews masculine becomes aggressive, impatient, and opinionated. Imagine if these two come together in relationship… fireworks and hurt feelings! 😁

To live life to its full potential means we have fully accessed both our healthy feminine and our healthy masculine. After all, as human beings, we have been endowed by the Creator to be a reflection of the Cosmos which embodies the masculine and feminine qualities. Still, we live in a community of humans…

What happens when society skews to one side or the other?

The masculine qualities are primarily about the survival of life and the feminine qualities are primarily about the quality of life. As you can see, both are necessary. Without the masculine, we would have never learned to make a spear to hunt a wooly mammoth; without the feminine, we would have never created intricate tapestries from its wool. 

An issue of concern raised by many mystics like Sadhguru and Baba Muktananda tell us that one of the major roadblocks in modern society is the continued masculinisation of the feminine which in turn contributes to the feminisation of the masculine. Initially, the women’s movement was a pushback on the trampling of women’s rights and began in earnest in the early 1900s, but like many things that start out well, movements get hijacked by those with more power and resources — and whose agenda’s may ultimately prove to be at great odds with the original intent.

Indeed, “International Women’s Day” has roots back to the Russian Revolution when Vladimir Lenin designated the day to commemorate the 8 March demonstration by women textile workers in Petrograd against poverty and the war in Europe (WW I). According to Leon Trotsky, the women’s protest was the unexpected beginning of the Russian Revolution which exploded four days later, a revolution that eventually claimed the lives of ten to twelve million people and ushered in a period of socialism that is estimated to have killed upwards of 200 million people in the 20th century. What began as a worthy cause became an utter nightmare for untold millions. Do you think this is what those women in Petrograd had in mind? 

The Sun, a masculine symbol in astrology, loves being in Pisces, a feminine sign. Why? Because the masculine energy needs guidance. It needs love, compassion, and empathy, otherwise the masculine becomes destructive. Sadhguru has said many times that the most destructive person is a confident person without clarity…

Clarity is fuelled by the feminine — by love, compassion, and empathy. This is not saying emotions should dominate for the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but neither should the masculine dominate lest we experience war and famine again and again.

We need both. In perfect balance. During the month of Pisces, we have a real chance to understand this not only in our own life, but as it relates to making the world a better place — for all of us.


Every man who is any kind of artist has a great deal of female in him. I act and give of myself as a man, but I register and receive with the soul of a woman.
Orson Welles (1915 — 1985), American director, actor, writer, and producer who is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. 

 🤗

David 🔆

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
— Mignon McLaughlin (1913 — 1983), American journalist, writer who was noted for three volumes of aphorisms (The Neurotic’s Notebook series)

Dear Friends;

Perhaps it’s my near religious respect for the innocence of childhood or simply three decades of seeking the inner stillness beyond animal instinct that my fondest memories of Valentine’s Day are not as a star-crossed adult offering a box of chocolates and proclamations of never ending love but as a shy fourth grader slipping a Valentine into the Valentine box of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who sat next to me in class. Receiving a Valentine in return, the warmth I felt through my heart was unexpected, exhilarating, and an awakening — a taste of what I would later discover within my own being. 

Most people on the internet who have commented on Mignon McLaughlin’s aphorism (above) attempt to understand its meaning from the perspective of needing to “do” something, the implication being that a marriage (or any relationship) survives if we actively maintain our feelings towards the other as we did in the beginning. This is an impossible task, however, for unless we find the source of love within us to at least some degree, the pain body that got us into the relationship in the first place will ultimately cause the relationship to fail because no person can forever be our answer. Besides, there is also what neuroscientists call sensory referenced suppression, the brain’s way of telling us we have seen something before… the bane of many relationships and no doubt the reason someone coined the phrase “familiarity breeds contempt”. 😅

In Vedic astrology, the answer to everything in your life is found through the Moon’s nodes, Ketu and Rahu. The planets just give more details. Simple, right? Not exactly. The Moon is the mind, and as points of eclipse, the nodes represent the shadow mind, the doors you don’t want to open, the secrets you don’t want revealed — and it begins with Ketu, the South node, your karmic past, the countless subconscious impressions that cause you to put survival over substance. Regarding what is most affected, relationships occupy the top spot.

A simple test: if you want to determine how well you have resolved your past trauma, examine your relationships: who still makes your blood boil? Who do you detest? With who do you find impossible to relate or hold a conversation? Your mother? Father? Spouse? Sibling? Perhaps it’s a particular teller at the bank or the neighbour who always complains about your dog. Our relationships reflect back to us our state of being because we are seeing what we dislike in ourselves. Our relationships hold a mirror before us and ask, “Do you like what you see? Well, do ya?” If we think it is they who need help, understand that it is first you who need help and you can begin by looking at your horoscope’s nodes.

Resolve your Ketu and Rahu and you will resolve all the issues in your life. To actually resolve the areas of life that are constricted (Ketu) and out of control (Rahu) needs courage, a strong will, and perhaps third-party intervention. As an astrologer, I seek to play the third-party role and alert you to what you need to work upon. This forms the fundamental basis of what I seek to convey to you because addressing your Ketu and Rahu is the ONLY way you can resolve the issues in your life. Deal with these and all else falls into place.

Because of the fundamental importance of the Moon’s nodes in your life, I am adding a new 90 minute consultation which focuses on Ketu and Rahu, their signs, the elements associated to their sign, the planets they are influencing directly, and how they are impacting every aspect of your life. Most importantly, I will share what astrology says about befriending your Ketu and Rahu so they act as supports and not blocks. Expect this reading to be blunt. You cannot acquire the things you want in life in a beautiful and harmonious way without addressing Ketu and Rahu and this means tearing down your castle’s walls.

New Ketu Rahu Consultation!
90 minute audio recorded online session…. £75
Designed for both new and existing clients; concessions available
Contact David for more information.

 🤗

David 🔆

astrologyofjoy.com

You’ve only got one problem to solve and that’s your Rahu/Ketu axis. There’s no other problems!! Yes, we all have a huge, apparently insurmountable problem to solve — that’s why we’re on Earth. If we didn’t have a huge, nearly insurmountable problem to solve, we would be somewhere else… We’d be on a whole other solar system with a whole other set of planets and a whole different set of rules, but because we’re on this planet, we have a huge problem –each and every one of us — that needs solving.

~ Ernst Wilhelm, acclaimed Vedic scholar and astrologer, author, teacher
 

Moon Planner
Has the Moon got you hurried and harried?

No worries! As a symbol of the feminine quality, the Moon represents your capacity to receive. In this sense, the Moon is about recognising the resources you have available and using them for your benefit.  Too often, we do not recognise what is available around us to make our life more fulfilling. Instead, we get distracted with what is not ours to have and miss out on the available opportunity, experiencing disappointment and disillusionment… or worse, like the poor fellow in the photo.  😄


This week:

 

Wednesday, 12 February: Full Moon in Leo (13:53 GMT)
According to mystics like Sadhguru, full moons magnify whatever your state of mind, good or bad. There is science behind this: just as full moons create higher than usual tides on earth, so there is a natural draw of fluids into your brain. Full Moons are a great opportunity to ascend to new emotional heights which can bring on deeper insights and intuition.

The Leo Full Moon can help you make a stronger connection to the world by channeling real emotions into your life situation that are in alignment to your true identity. Taking calculated risks can prove beneficial.

Mother Moon milk: an enlightened guru once shared with me two ways one can use to harness the full moon energy. The first is to simply go somewhere quiet and gaze at the beauty of the full moon for an extended time. Another is to leave some milk in a clear, covered glass overnight in a window sill where it will catch the full moon’s rays. In the morning, consume the milk. Milk is known to absorb energy and is used to purify jewellery of negative energies or unhelpful karmas that may be associated with the jewellery maker or previous owners — or even as a rejuvenator done every six months or so. It is best to use organic whole milk, raw if possible.

Dear Friend;
 

Happy holidays,
 

Meister Eckhart (1260 – 1328)

December’s Frivolous Frolic
A retelling of an old (Texas) Aggie joke

An unexpected storm came upon two Congressmen driving back to Washington, DC. for an important vote. The rain was so fierce, all the bridges across the Potomac had washed away. Parking near the water’s edge, the two of them got out and surveyed the flooded river. 

“There’s no way across,” observed the Democrat. “We’ll have to raise taxes to build another bridge.”

The Republican shook his head, “That will take forever,” he said, adding, “but, I have a solution.” Withdrawing a flashlight (torch) from his pocket, he said, “I will shine this light across the river and you can walk across on its beam.”

The Democrat looked at him incredulously, “Do you take me for a fool? You’ll switch the light off when I am halfway across!”

The Republican thought for a moment, then stuck the light in the crook of a tree with its beam pointing toward the opposite bank of the river. “There! Now we can both cross together.”

“A perfect bipartisan solution, ” said the Democrat, beaming with delight.  🤗