First Summer Round 3--Tapas, the Fire to stay in the Fire and be Purified by it

MYOGA SEASONS for Subscribers

Today, as I post this, Pluto is transiting into Aquarius after 15 years (ish) in Capricorn. The dwarf planet of the deep, dark down-under will be in this sign of the stars, freedom, and humanitarianism for the next 20 years (ish). Don’t worry if that’s gibberish to you. Astrology means language (logos) of the stars, so, like any language, it requires a bit of learning. A dear friend asked me my perspective on this shift so I mulled it a bit…

Although humanitarian is a key term to describe Aquarius, I feel we need to widen our scope to include lifeforms beyond just humans. Let’s re-see humanitarian, a term coined in the late 18th century as a conjunction of human and unitarian, as trans-species-tarian or just transtarian.

After this encounter with Hugo the sea lion at Coffs Harbour, Australia in 2023, I wept. When a concerned staff member asked if I was ok and I explained I had just met Hugo she said, “Ah, you’re an empath.” As if that explained it fully.

Each of the 4 elements, as they progress through the Zodiac, evolve from personal to societal to transpersonal in the elements fire, earth, air and water. The air signs expand outwards in the realm of communication.

Gemini’s focus of communication is with oneSelf and one's siblings in the home, and then extends out a bit wider to encompass the neighborhood. Libra communicates with one's significant Other and one's Others in the hood, and then widens out to communicate across society. By the time we cycle around to Aquarius, the communication goes beyond bounds and extends intra-species-ly, extra-terrestrially and extra-sensorially.

Which is why I suggest we update our wording for Aquarius. Humanitarian, a key word for Aquarius, indicates only humans. But we must include all life and shift to a transtarian way of being. Our empathy has been too blinkered for too long.

So if we're going to raze, and then re-raise, with Pluto in Aquarius for the next 20-odd years, let’s wake up to how we relate to all beings conceptually and communicatively. We've had resistance to widening our gaze, as Moriarty says to Sherlock, while Pluto has been in Capricorn. Resistance to the unity in diversity that Aquarius is. Resistance to the star-bearer’s web-like structures rather than the hierarchical ones of its predecessor Capricorn. Resistance to grassroots arisings has been rife from the top-down controllers in recent times. Consider the collective storytelling of constellations rather than the one way up or down of ladders.

The re-raise portion of that equation may have been the impact of one of our newest dwarf planets that has only recently come into view, but whose effects we would have felt and conjoined with Pluto without even knowing it. For just because we can’t see or name a thing doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or impact us. And our hubris of saying we discovered a planet needs to be known. What we “discovered” was the equipment to see what was all-ways there. Haumea has been conjunct Pluto for some of our current older generations, which has coloured our view of the Lord of the Underworld with a certain optimistic rebirth that more rightly belongs to the Hawaiian goddess's realm of rejuvenatory nature.

Transmutation is a word and super power I associate with Pluto. It’s what I activated in writing PocaHauntUs where I specifically intended to “transmute ancestral poison into potion for current and future generations”. Transmutation personified is perhaps most widely recognized in how Peter Parker becomes Spiderman. His body has the power to change form from the spider bite, rather than perish by its poison.

Through the technological ties that Aquarius gifts us in the innovation, ingenuity and electrical connectivity that its ruler, Uranus, bequeaths in lightening spurts and splashes of inspiration, we will further establish the networks that prove unity is in diversity. “Ice Can Burn” is a perfect example of one such flash of insight that came through me during Aquarius season a couple years ago.

Transtarianism is the only way forward. All living beings, no matter how differently their intelligence manifests, have a place on this planet worth honoring and even protecting. Hear me clearly though. Accepting all life forms does not condone wanton predatory behaviour. In fact, by its very nature of unity-in-diversity, transtarianism means genocide is not acceptable. Ecocide is not allowable.

Transtarianism means we are all connected whether we know it or not, or whether we like it or not. So now that you know it, what's not to like? And how is your aversion a reflection, a mirroring, a Plutonian dredging up and facing-to, of what's within you?

I get a bit exasperated with the level to which people get distracted by the dire news everywhere. Do as much as you can for what pierces your heart. Not only to alleviate the suffering you empathically feel, but because we are all one so what is done to one is done to all. Likewise, what you do to address your own darknesses, shadows and inequities inevitably ripples outwards. Whichever direction your gaze is turned, do the work only you can do and resist the distractions that keep you from it.

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes and inspirations in living:

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself.

If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself.

Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”

―Lao Tzu

But this is only my grain of colour in the kaleidoscopic mosaic of how Pluto in Aquarius will manifest. To answer my friend’s query about how I see Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius, in true Aquarian style I suspect the signature of the next 2 decades of societal transformation will be a journey of all voices coming together in harmony. It comes down to each of us singing the song only we can sing, while simultaneously harmonizing with all the other celestial strains.

So, on that note, let’s get on with the Seasons show! Sat Nam is our celestial strain in this Season, and for good reason. It is a seed or bij mantra that encapsulates and emphasizes the necessity of fully being one’s own truth. Our next and final round of First Summer (arriving in your inbox in 2 weeks) and focused in Manipura Chakra, is titled, “strengthening your stem to the core and polishing your gem even more” to celebrate our work, on so many levels, of be/coming who we already essentially are.

That link is Sat Kriya on its own, for those new to Kundalini Yoga, or looking to do a shorter practice, or not yet an insider to MYOGA Seasons.

For the uncovering, polishing and strengthening work here in First Summer at Manipura Chakra, we call on our superpower of Tapas. The 3rd Niyama or personal observance that, like the title of this practices indicates, is “the Fire to stay in the Fire and be Purified by it”.

While I have tapas to spare, my personal growth arena has been in what Gautama the Buddha called the supreme tapas, patience. For me, knowing that it’s a skill and a virtue worthy of prophets, saints and bodhisattvas, I have more readily taken on the task of channeling my anger and cultivating patience. Buddha’s quote inspires us in this 3rd Round:

“Khanti paramam tapo titikkha" (Patience is the supreme tapas).

This article goes into more depth but in the end says, “Only in the absence of anger, and by practising patience, mindfulness and metta will become developed.” And it is metta that we will encounter as we move up from our stem/navel Manipura centre to the heart centre Anahata in our Fullest Summer Season coming up in a few weeks. Everything builds on, and for, everything else in MYOGA Seasons.

One way to cultivate patience is to work with where and how we are right now. When we create confidence by supporting ourselves we can then edge the intensity out each time we practice. My mom has been visiting and the first time we did this set she used the wall to support herself in our tricky pose Trikonasana. The second time was still challenging but she felt confident enough to not use the wall. Here’s the wall option:

Another inspiration in this intense session comes from Yogi Bhajan:

"Patience pays. Wait. Let the hand of God work for you. The One who has created you, let Him create all the environments, circumstanceste, and facilities and faculties. 

Oh individual, why you are in a very doubtful state? The One who has made you will take care of you. The One who has created this Universe, all the planets, planetary faculties and facilities on Earth, He is the One who has created you. Wait. Have patience. Lean on him. And all best things will come to you.

Dwell in God. Dwell in God. Dwell in God. Befriend your soul. Dwell in God and befriend your soul. Dwell in God and befriend your soul. Dwell in God and befriend your soul. All the faculties and facilities of the Creation, which are in your best interest shall be at your feet. You need million things. Million things will reach you if you are stable, established, firm, patient. Remember, Creator watches over you and Creation is ready to serve you, if you just be you.

So please take away the ghost of your life and stop chasing round. Consolidate. Concentrate. Be you. And may all the peace and peaceful environments, prosperity approach you forever. Sat Nam"

In this 35 minute practice you'll rely on the strengthening you developed in Rounds 1 and 2 of First Summer to support you in our "tricky" poses of Parsva Konasana and Trikonasana. Our theme here is that Patience is the supreme Tapas, or fire to burn through blocks and resistances, so cultivate patience within your practice by staying steady and strong, whatever that looks like for you in the moment. You have the rest of your life to "perfect" these postures!

Here's what Others have to say about this practice:

"Over the last 10 days I have cycled through the first three levels of this season three times, and what wealth I have received! Feeling a bit intimidated by Seasons for some reason, I finally just said enough, stop dabbling, be slow and steady and intentional and do the work the way you have in Basics, Barbara. Patience pays indeed. I feel as though I have stepped into Trikonasana for the first time today, and that sense of radiating out of the core is powerful. I will stay here awhile as I am sensing all that needs to open, and all that needs to be left behind. Thank you!" ~Barbara