Aspects for the week beginning 3 September 2017

Louise L. Hay

Louise L. Hay, one of the mothers of the New Age, died last week, virtually on the two year anniversary of the passing of Wayne M. Dyer, another of its leading lights.  To a great extent, Louise was a pioneer of the idea that negative thoughts and experiences can give rise to discomfort or dis-ease in the body, and compiled a list of possible metaphysical causes for many conditions, and affirmations to help in their healing.  Later, she published many other books and founded the Hay House publishing company (at her second Saturn Return).  She lived to the ripe old age of 90.

Birth Chart

She did have a very interesting and revealing birth chart, complete with birth time and Ascendant, fortunately for us.  Her Sun in Libra was in the 3rd House of Communication and Affirmations, representing her approach to healing, with a successful trine between the Sun and Jupiter.  Her Moon was in the deeply emotional sign of Scorpio, conjunct Mercury, hence the ability to bring the rational mind together with the emotions.  This conjunction was at the I.C., which is the foundation of one’s life.  Her chart marks her out as a healer, in that the asteroid Chiron (“the wounded healer”) was at the Midheaven (Careerpoint).  Chiron represents one’s wounding, which propels us to find a way through to healing, thereby preparing us for passing that knowledge and method on to others.  Which is exactly what happened in her life.  Her Mercury was also closely sextile Neptune, giving her mental sensitivity.  The Midheaven was closely trine her Neptune, a compassionate career.  Neptune was trine Chiron, a sign of spiritual healing, and Pluto conjunct the North Node (a gritty karmic mission, often at the coal face of life and death).

Life

Louise’s Sun square Pluto and the Nodal Axis is reflected in her difficult early life, growing up in Los Angeles with her mother and abusive step-father. She was raped at the age of 5, and fell pregnant at 16, having the baby adopted.  She married Andrew Hay around the time of her first Saturn Return, and 14 years later was divorced due to his infidelity.

In New York, she joined the First Church of Religious Science, which introduced her to the power of positive thinking.  She also studied transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Around the time of her Chiron Return (also at its natal conjunction with her Midheaven), she was diagnosed with vaginal cancer (a Plutonic brush with death), which she connected with her earlier experiences, and decided to heal by natural means: therapy, forgiveness, nutrition, reflexology and colonic enemas, in her own words:

“I immediately began to work with my own teacher to clear old patterns of resentment.  Up to that time, I had not acknowledged that I harbored deep resentment…The other thing I did was to go to a good nutritionist and completely detoxify my body.”

She lived for another fruitful forty years after that.

Affirmations

Her first book “Heal Your Body” was written in 1976, affectionately known as “the little blue book”.  I bought it in 1987, digested and memorized it, and used it as a bible!  It was followed in 1984 by “You Can Heal Your Life”, a book whose scope was much broader than the list of physical ailments and their metaphysical causes with affirmations.  At the time of writing it has notched up more than 50 million sales.

I was introduced to the idea of affirmations via the rebirthing movement in 1986, and learned that they could be used to monitor one’s responses and divine the subconscious resistance to them.  I really enjoyed using them as I am attracted to the concept of healing through consciousness, but have since learned that not everyone feels the same about them.  Some find them an oppressive pressure, or too shallow to work, or even guilt inducing if they don’t feel as they are supposed to feel.

Others have copied Louise’s approach and expanded the lists of ailments and their causes and affirmations, so now there are many authors on the market who echo this work, e.g. Deb Shapiro in “Your Body Speaks Your Mind”.  Whenever I am at a loose end, for relaxation, I like to go through all these books and compile comparative interpretations and affirmations, rarely getting past the letter “C”.  I can’t tell you how many times I have done this in my life, but at the same time I rarely go back and refer to the earlier production, always starting from scratch, incorporating the latest book (in case you’ve ever wondered what I do for hobbies).  The point of it all is of course to find your own individual interpretation and the words that suit you.

Karma

When I write anything vaguely related to medical astrology, I like to include the Louise L. Hay affirmation as a contemplation point for more research on the subject.  Thus it was that another problem with Louise’s work was revealed to me when I wrote about Lou Gehrig and his reincarnation in April this year.  Regular commenter Dia wrote:

“I admit I have a knee-jerk reaction to Louise Hay and her approach to illness. I can almost no longer be rational when I hear someone saying that their friend-loved one-co-worker developed [insert terrible disease here] because they didn’t love themselves enough or some such….. I feel like her approach is too one-sided and far too often interpreted in a way that leads to victim blaming. Seriously, if you grow up in a toxic place, thing will go wrong with your cells.” (see blog for 16 April 2017 for the full comment)

That was a revelation, and a valid viewpoint, which reminded me of Glen Hoddle’s (the football manager’s) sacking after he made some comment about someone’s suffering being due to karma.  In the Times Obituary for Louise, it is reported that:

“In the 2008 Times magazine interview, she was asked if the notion that people’s thoughts were responsible for their condition meant that victims of genocide were to blame for their own deaths.

‘I probably wouldn’t say it to them,’ she replied. ‘I don’t go around making people feel bad. That’s not what I’m after.’ ”

I often promise myself that one day I will write a blog just on the subject of Karma.  But for the time being, I came across this summary recently in the new book by healer Barbara Ann Brennan (“Core Light Healing”):

“…the divine universe simply waits for us to initiate creativity in our lives. Then it responds, in kind, to all our thoughts, desires and actions (including the negative ones). This is simply called cause and effect.

While many people refer to cause and effect over lifetimes as karma, this term can have a negative connotation – as if it were punishment, especially when we take it personally. But it isn’t God directing punishment. Cause and effect is simply how the universe functions. If we don’t get the effect (outcome) we want, we just don’t know how to create it yet…”

There is a whole conversation to be had on this subject alone.

Death

At her death, Mars was on her Neptune in Leo in her 1st House, activating consciousness beyond the veil.  Uranus was opposite her Mercury/Moon/I.C., a very important focus in her chart and life.  Uranus was also exactly conjunct her Midheaven, signalling a change of life direction, in this case her departure to a new dimension.

Love

If “Know Thyself” was the keynote of philosophical enquiry for the ancient Greeks, “Love Yourself” is the exhortation in this New Age, very much called forth by the goddess Louise L. Hay.  If you feel in need of uplift, and are not allergic to affirmations, I recommend scrolling through her lists of affirmations to remind you to do that.  So many of her recommended thought patterns include that sentiment.  I leave you with a few.

I love and approve of myself.  I am loving and lovable.  (for Aches)

I am part of the Universal design.  I am important and loved by Life itself.  I am powerful and capable.  I love and appreciate all of myself.  (for AIDS)

I am love.  I now choose to love and approve of myself.  I see others with love.  (for Arthritis)

I love and approve of myself.  I see myself and what I do with eyes of love. I am safe.  (for Headaches)

Aspects

For the record, yesterday, Sunday (3rd September) started the week with Mercury conjunct Mars, an incisive aspect which produces sharp words, incisive speech, critical expertise and analysis, and brisk mental and physical action and co-ordination, with a need to be alert to possible minor cuts and bruises.  This was of special application to Geminis, Virgos and Aries people.  Some Astrologers are equating it with North Korea’s latest and greatest nuclear venture.  This aspect comes round once every two years, so I would not normally give it too much weight.  However, it has been pointed out that Mars has been revisiting the point of the Solar Eclipse of 21st August, giving it greater power.

Tuesday (5th) brings an opposition between the Sun and Neptune, with a potential for confusion.  Certainly no one seems to know what to do about Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.  The Course in Miracles says that confusion is a high state.  So, what are we supposed to do with this confusion?  We can seek the answer through meditation, that’s one way.  Some people feel that any action is better than no action.  If you have any answers to this conundrum, please leave them under comments.

The day contains other distractions.  Mars enters Virgo, and energies pass from the hedonism of Mars in Leo through to a more purposeful,  nose to the grindstone shoulder to the wheel application.  At the same time, we find ways to be economical and resourceful with our energy.  A well-timed astrological shift for what is the beginning of term and back to work for many.

We also have Mercury stationary, prior to turning direct that day, welcome news for many.  I heard that one of my birthchart folders went missing in the post during this stint of Mercury retrograde (though I don’t tend to suffer much usually under the retrograde).  So I am hoping it will be miraculously found.  Waterloo Station is once again in operation, having been out of bounds during that period.  You may have your own pet Mercury retrograde story awaiting a happy ending…

Wednesday (6th) brings emotions to a flood,  with the Full Moon at 13 degrees Pisces, and may perhaps be felt the night before.  This is normally one of the most emotional and compassionate Full Moons of the year, but this one will be closely conjunct Neptune in Pisces, so super emotional and super sensitive, with the possibility of more flooding to add to recent floods of Texas and India.  You can see this Full Moon as a sense of release or culmination of pent up emotion, as Pisces is the sign of culminations.  Have a good clear out.

On Saturday (9th) September the Sun trines Pluto.  As this is good for settling deep psychological issues, maybe Trump and Jong Un can come to some arrangement.  Profound solutions can be found under this aspect.  Perhaps China will find some way through on that day.  Goodness knows the matter is urgent enough!  Take the time in your own life to make the day count.

The week in bullet points:

• Sunday – brisk and risky
• Tuesday – confused, hardworking, and communications eased
• Wednesday – emotions to a flood
• Saturday – possibility of profound solutions