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Scorpio Full Moon May 7th, 2001 Sun at 17.03 Taurus Moon at 17.03 Scorpio Sabian Symbol for 18 Scorpio: A path through woods brilliant with  multi-colored splendor: The exalted feeling of a work well done and a truly consummated life.
14:55 GMT	7:53 MDT
9:53 EDT	6:53 PDT
8:53 CDT	23:53 GST

FULL MOON REFLECTIONS: THE BUDDHA IN THE MOON
By Pythia Peay

As the sun in Taurus opposes the moon in Scorpio this May full moon, the heavenly fates that shape earth's destiny are aligned in a grand cosmic power play. For the third and last time, the royal king Jupiter in Gemini opposes the underworld god Pluto in Sagittarius. Mars in Sagittarius is stationing in the critical last degree of Sagittarius, closely conjunct retrograde Chiron, the wounded healer. And heavy-weight Saturn exactly conjuncts light-hearted Mercury in early Gemini. Finally, it is the Wesak Full Moon: the lunar 
placement that spiritual tradition holds corresponds with the Buddha's moment of enlightenment.

For those spiritual seekers who look to the sky to get their bearings while journeying on earth, what message can be deciphered from the esoteric map etched in the sky?

For one thing, personal ambitions-either one's own, or others-may be at a peak. Intense emotions and passionate convictions may abound. Both Taurus and Scorpio are legendary for their ability to fix on a goal and achieve it. In addition, Jupiter seeks glory and recognition; Pluto power and control; while Saturn rewards discipline and responsibility. And Mars retrograde warns of the consequences of negative energy inverted: anger and frustration. 

Yet the Wesak full moon celebrating Buddha's enlightenment illuminates the path to positive power and achievement in the service of humanity. Indeed, worldly power melts like snow before the blazing sun of spiritual power. No force can counter the power that is aligned with the deepest truth and the highest good. Thus this full moon is a time to center within oneself and to focus on what really matters. To do this, try this meditation: 

Sitting before your altar, surround yourself with a zone of peace and tranquillity. Let this zone act as a filter, as you sift through the contents of your life: What is of eternal worth? What is merely transitory, a distraction away from the golden core of wisdom at the heart of life? Imagine all that is illusory fading away, disappearing in the clear light of reality. At this point, imagine that a diamond-pure full moon dawns in your heart. Meditate on this image, allowing yourself to be wholly absorbed in the crystal lunar light. As you do this, experience every cell in your body radiating with illumination. You become one; you become light; you become truth. 

As you continue your meditation, you may wish to contemplate the image of the Buddha in the moon. Doing this, your stillness deepens further, and a transcendent peace enters into the soul of your being. It is as if a sun has dawned within the moon: enlightenment. 

Stay with this as long as you feel comfortable. Then, slowly, return to your individual consciousness. Only this time, keep the wisdom of the Wesak full moon as a secret in your heart. Meditate on these words of the Buddha throughout the day: "O Transcendent Truth that spans the troubled ocean of life and death: safely carry all seekers to the other shore of Enlightenment." *  Then bow to the Buddha in the moon, and the sun in the sky 
of your soul.

* Maha-Prajna-Paramita-Hridaya, from "A Buddhist Bible," edited by Dwight Goddard.

© 2001 Pythia Peay
All rights reserved