The Spiritual Treasure of Freedom
By Pythia Peay
 

The Sagittarius New Moon arrives one week before the holy gateway of the Winter Solstice, December 21st. As both Sun and Moon conjunct the South Node, a partial solar eclipse is triggered. The heavenly line-up in the fiery sign of Sagittarius - Sun, Moon, Pluto, Venus, Mercury and the South Node - point to this sign as an archetype of meaning shining through the tense uncertainty of the times. As this lunation's Sabian Symbol suggests, humanity is entering a "new land" led by a caravan of Sagittarian star seekers.

Indeed, Sagittarius, sign of the philosopher and truth-seeker, is known as the sign of the happy wanderer. No Sagittarius is as happy as when setting off down a highway to new adventure, either literally or figuratively. Some Sagittarians, for example, travel the world. Others rove the inner planes of the spiritual world; still others restlessly seek out the mind-expanding vistas of various belief systems, becoming scholars, writers, teachers, 
ministers, or publishers. 

Thus at heart, individuals born with a prominent ninth house or planets in this sign are free souls. Kingly Jupiter's rulership shows that Sagittarius' freedom-oriented nature confers attributes of royalty and largesse. Like the Sufi dervishes of old who dressed in rags yet whose nobility of spirit caused them to radiate the power of kings, the freedom that comes with the realization of spiritual truth can make kings and queens of us all. 

We have heard a lot about freedom these days: whether in the Taliban's tragic oppression of women, or in the debate over civil liberties in this country. Events on earth, coupled with such a cosmic preponderance in this sign in the heavens, indicate that at this time of year we would do well to meditate on the deeper significance of the quality of freedom.

Because this is the time of year when many people celebrate Jesus, you may wish to begin your meditation on the quality of freedom by reflecting upon His brief sojourn on earth. Even in Jesus' birth and youth, we see the simple outline of a myth of freedom: Guided by a star in the heavens signalling a royal birth, the Three Wise Men - the Zoroastrian Magi - set forth on a quest, where they found their Saviour in a humble manger outside a wayside Inn. Jesus embraced his mission early in life, leaving His parents, Joseph and Mary, to journey forth on His mission to teach, heal, and minister to the poor and the oppressed. His way was kind and gentle: he made wine at weddings, and warmly embraced those outcasts whom society had rejected. He died on the cross, crucified by the limitations of those threatened by his 
generous ministry that, so freely given, bestowed the gift of redemption. Jesus' simple truths conveyed the message to His followers that genuine freedom was not to be found in the narrow ways of this world, but in the kingdom of His true father in heaven.

The life of Jesus, the itinerant preacher, has resonated for centuries. For spiritual practitioners of any faith, there is great esoteric significance to be found in His teachings. Stripping away the material trappings of this world, we arrive at a more profound awareness of the majesty underlying human existence. Freed from narrow attachments, whether material or mental, our souls become liberated from the ties that bind us to darkness and ignorance. Entering the kingdom within, we discover our divine inheritance as children 
of God. Loosened from the constrictions of our unevolved personalities - the tendency toward fearfulness and mistrust, or the desire to imprison others in our own beliefs and prejudices - we are able to give the precious gift of freedom to those we love. As Jesus healed through His trust in God and His unconditional acceptance of all who crossed His path, so, too, are we healed through the freedom to claim our destinies for ourselves - and heal others through accepting their own unique fates that may be different from our own.

So this Sagittarius New Moon, take a few minutes to bless this quality of freedom within yourself. Look to the house in your natal chart ruled by Sagittarius and imagine the new adventure about to unfold in this arena. Even if you feel stuck and think you are "going nowhere" your soul has journeyed a long way to incarnate on this planet in space. So find meaning in life as a cosmic journey, rather than a goal. Let go of whoever or whatever it is you are trying to control, and let God - or the Goddess - take your place. Release yourself from that which restricts you from being free to live the life you are meant to live. Become a living democracy of one. Give the gift of true freedom, to yourself and to your circle of loved ones. Finally, light a candle and say a prayer for the release of all those imprisoned in darkness and oppression on earth.