Contents

Issues in this month’s edition are:

• Preface

• Alan Oken (in memoriam)

• Preview month April

• Important energies

• The hare and the queen of pentacles

• Light on the path & through the gates of gold (2)

• Jupiter conjunction Neptune (a 13-year cycle)

• Astrology and astronomy in daily practice

• Wisdom of Lao Tse

Preface

When you try to understand the insights of the quantum theory, you may come upon many questions.

The most important is: What is the reason that I experience what I experience and think about things in the way I think about them?

According to the quantum theory we ourselves are the reason for this.

We create by our thoughts the actual reality. Only through our observation things become visible already being there as potential.

This is a beautiful perspective for our future. In general, we would like to live in a loving peaceful and social world. Apparently, we can create this ourselves by our thoughts and acts and drives.

What is necessary to make this happen is pure intention, transformed in frequencies of eternal cosmic love and understanding and recognizable for the quantum.

Let we, together, take care for vibrations needed to enable this.

Drop your fears, think filled with love and use these qualities to realize your dreamlike future.

Alan Oken (in memoriam)

Some weeks ago, I received the message of the dead of Alan Oken.

Alan was known from his soul-centered approach to astrology and has written a number of books dedicated to this subject.

Alan passed away on March 5^th on his beloved home island Bali, where he spent most of his time.

Alan has chosen a particular energy to go over to the other side.

At the very moment the Lunar Node axis made a transit on the AC / DC axis in his birth chart.

At the same time the actual conjunction of Sun and Jupiter was conjunct Venus in his natal chart.

He passed away in full inner peace. I once had the opportunity to attend one of his inspiring lectures in Amsterdam, it was a very impressive experience.

Preview for the month April

We live in embarrassing times, where many events do not fit in our ideas about a peaceful world based on cosmic love.

There is a lot of communication and analysis, and opinions are built on that.

This will continue this month, with Mercury (messenger of the Gods) in a prominent role.

This month, Mercury will be in contact with almost all other planets and in various aspects.

For this reason, we will have a month with a lot of communication of different kinds, asking a lot from our potential for interpretation.

Realize yourself, that real understanding is not only about logic, but needs a combination with feeling and compassion.

Mercury is also the protector of the thieves and the mentor of juristic approved theft.

This month, many issues could come out, shining a new light on everything presumed to be logic and true.

Possibly we could indicate April as Mercury month, having 10 major aspects between Mercury and other planets. 8 out of these 10 aspects are harmonic, the other 2 (squares) call for our special attention. Nevertheless, these aspects are not the most important during this month.

This is supposed to be the conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune on April 12^th at Pisces 24^th degree. The symbol of this degree is, according to the astrological mandala:

“On a small island, surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea, people are living in close interaction”.

This is the degree indicating the necessity to become aware of the own limitations (very important at the moment of a conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune) in order to concentrate one’s energies to live a centered and fulfilled life.

This is also about the issue to take one’s personal place in this ambience and to contribute to the combined challenge. A relevant challenge for the 13 years to come, until the next conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune.

In a special article in this newsletter special attention is spent to the meaning of the energy of this conjunction.

As I already mentioned, this month it will be Mercury asking our attention. The messenger of the Gods will be very present. Sometimes to connect our mental processes to our intuitive feelings, on other moments to play a role in our communication in all different formats. With Mercury in Aries (the first part of the month), this will be predominantly quickly reacting and not always thoughtful.

The New Moon on April 1^st on Aries 12^th degree is symbolized according to the mandala by:

“A triangularly shaped flight of wild geese”.

Picture: Wikipedia

This New Moon is also in conjunction with Mercury. The degree symbolizes the ideal of law and order. Wild geese fly in a triangularly formation at the beginning of a long flight. According to Beerlandt in her book “When animals could speak”, the goose symbolizes new challenge prepared for mankind.

On April 5th there is another special energy, Mars in conjunction with Saturn, a challenge to work on structure, possible the structure of the challenge symbolized by the New Moon.

While Venus changes sign and enters Pisces, our creative imagination might become borderless.

On april 7^th, Mars and, also Saturn for the rest of the month, will make a square to the nodal axis.

You might be challenged to find a balance between the use of your cosmic reservoir (the Akasha chronic) and new challenges coming on your path.

On April 10^th we must face a strong and possible dangerous energy, causing unexpected and possibly explosive events.

When Mercury enters Taurus on April 11^th, our impulsiveness will weaken, and our thoughtfulness will grow.

On April 12^th, due to Jupiter in conjunction with Neptune, a basis for societal ideals in the 13 years to come might be created. When Mars is entering Pisces a couple of days later, possibly the extreme aggressive actions will come to an end.

On April 18^th we can have genius ideas or have to face unexpected events. Also take care not to be too close to dangerous situations.

When on April 20^th the Sun enters Taurus, life will become more relaxed. We get the possibility to spend more time in nature.

About April 24^th we easily could feel frustrated by opposition from others. Try to understand what the message is behind and consider changing your plans in favor of the community. Take your ideals to guide you and stay away from your ego interests. About the end of the month the energy could be very creative and could inspire the most hidden talents out of us.

On April 30th there will be a solar eclipse on Taurus 11th degree, also representing the second New Moon this month. A new beginning, however, possibly shaded by emotional attitudes.

The degree is symbolized by: “A woman watering flowers in her garden”.

It is the degree of cultivation, dedicated to developing the consciousness of the individual in a natural manner.

Sources:

The astrological Mandala, Dane Rudhyar

Beerlandt: When animals could speak

Important energies

In the month April, the following important energies will occur. They will be the explanation for significant events during this month. Time used is GMT.

1 New Moon (08.24) at 11.31 Aries

3 Sun conjunction Mercury

5 Mars conjunction Saturn, Venus enters Pisces (17.18)

7 Mercury sextile Saturn, Mars square Lunar nodes

8 Mercury sextile Mars

10 Mercury square Pluto

11 Mercury enters Taurus (04.09)

12 Jupiter conjunction Neptune!!!!!!

13 Sun sextile Saturn

15 Mars enters Pisces (05.06)

16 Full Moon (20.55) op 26.46 Libra

18 Mercury sextile Venus, Mercury conjunction Uranus, Venus sextile Uranus,

Sun square Pluto

20 Sun enters Taurus (04.24),

21 Saturn square Lunar nodes

24 Mercury square Saturn

25 Mercury sextile Neptune

27 Mercury sextile Jupiter, Venus conjunction Neptune

28 Mercury driehoek Pluto

29 Pluto retrogrades (20.36)

30 Mercury enters Gemini, New Moon (22.28) op 10.28 Stier, Venus conjunction Jupiter

The rabbit and the Queen of pentacles

This article has been contributed by Eleonore Oldenburger a well known Dutch tarotist who has published several books about tarot in Dutch as for instance: the tarot as the key to insight. At the moment, she is preparing a new book.

A special joyful message for our readers: Eleonore will contribute in this and following newsletters with special articles related to actual theme’s.

In this issue a first contribution with a wink at Eastern: the rabbit and the Queen of pentacles.

The hare and the Queen of pentacles

 On the tarot card “Queen of pentacles”, in the foreground a hare appears from the bush. No, a rabbit, some of you may call.

Never mind, it doesn’t matter as the symbolic meaning of rabbit and hare are almost the same. The rabbit is blessed with an extreme fertility and connected to Venus, the Goddess of love and beauty. Sometimes it appears in presentations of love, especially in the Renaissance, as a symbol of sensual pleasure. But also, the hare as a symbol of fertility exists for many centuries.

In the years BC, the hare was considered to be holy, and was not allowed to be eaten.

Centuries later, for instance with the Romans, it was supposed that by eating a hare, the beauty could be supported.

An amulet with an eye of a hare was supposed to protect against sickness of the eyes and blindness and blood of the hare was supposed to support the impregnation.

Enough about all this superstitiousness. In the context of a religious symbolism the hare or the rabbit become a special meaning. A white hare, laid down at the feet of Virgin Mary, indicates with no doubt her virginity and her victory over passion. In medieval books about animals and their properties, a special quality of the hare and the rabbit is emphasized: these animals have the ability to walk very quick aloft, and thus succeed in escaping from their pursuers. This is interpreted as a symbol of mankind, escaping from the devil, by consecrating to God.

Animals like the hare and the rabbit, who can’t defend themselves against violence are called “Flee animals”. They have beautiful and big eyes on both sides of their heads, allowing them to have a good oversight on the terrain. And they possess big eyes allowing them to hear any sign of trouble.

However, the hare lives isolated and has no hole like a rabbit. For this reason, he is even more vulnerable and unprotected. He has his dog-sleep in a shallow hole, a form in the open field, where he lies with the ears alongside the body.

But as soon as he hears something he becomes active, when he is persecuted, he flies zigzagging to get rid of his pursuers.

Hares are helping each other, they jump in each other’s track, and try to mislead the enemy to save their young ones. Hares are very sacrificing and thus it can happen they “become the hare”.

Sacrifice and selflessness are shown as a quality and thus also as a meaning of the Queen of pentacles. And then something else, hares do not attack, they are peaceful, as well as the Queen.

The symbol of the hare is connected to the Christian Eastern, where the rituals origin from antique and pagan rites and the resurrection from the death is celebrated.

Ostara

Eastern with the fertility symbol “egg” plays a role in the meaning of many rites related to spring.

Spring in origin is a German word meaning becoming longer, the draw out of the days.

On Sunday March 20^th with the Sun in Aries, the first sign of the equinox, we celebrate the beginning of spring.

On this moment the Sun passes the equator, from the South to the North and day and night have the same duration. This date is exactly between the winter solstice and the summer solstice.

Ostara is the Goddess of the bright shining morning and the increasing light.

Her name is related to the East, the direction where the Sun first is seen in the morning.

In official German this Goddess was called “Eástr Ostara” and the month March was called ‘Esturmonath’, to honor the Goddess Ostara.

Every year this was celebrated in the feast ‘Ôstartage’. This feast took 2 days as well as nowadays.

In earlies years in the Netherlands, we celebrated ‘Ooster’, but the stories about the Goddess Ostara were equalized to the Jewish Pesach.

This means that in the Netherlands the feast is called “Pasen”.

The name is related from the Pesach, in religious point of view the spring is the symbol of the redemption of mankind.

Thus, we see that the hare became the Easter hare, an Osterhase in German.

The German Goddess Eáster, who is also celebrated at the ritual kindling of fires at sunrise, made a magic change of an almost frozen bird to the snow hare, the snow hare bringing us rainbow eggs.

The Goddess Eáster came walking over the rainbow in a warm scarlet colored garment, making the snow melt.

It is said, that when the snow hare appears in the forests, spring is near.

Very early and before sunrise on Eastern morning, he hides the Easter eggs, hoping that we, human beings, will try to find these new germs of life.

With all these added symbolisms, the Queen of pentacles represents the first season of the year, “spring”, representing the temporary rebirth of nature after the death (winter).

In ancient Rome, spring was identified by the Goddess Flora, symbol of fertility in nature and protector of women in joyful anticipation.

Overall it gives the impression, that Pamela Coleman Smith, the drawer of the Rider Waite tarot, has been inspired by pictures of mother Mary, the Sacred Virgin with a hare at her feet.

Or was it the Goddess Flora sitting on het throne of roses.

Eleonore Oldenburger

The legend of the hare on the Moon.

In a Buddhistic legend a special role is played by a hare. Having pity with a hungry Buddha he sacrifices his life by jumping in a fire to feed the hungry Buddha.

Actor Wim van der Zwan has told this story in the legend of the hare on the Moon.

The Buddha and the hare on the Moon

Even the Buddha had to live several lives to be born in a such a exalted state that he could find a solution for the suffering of mankind. In one of these former lives the Buddha to be had been born as a hare. This hare had as friends an otter, an ape, and a jackal. It was a special quartet; all these animals only had the objective to serve.

On a certain day the hare said: Let us fast today to purify, but let us take care to give others to eat when they need it.

As been told, so been done.

The otter went to hunt a fish, he saved for an eventual passer-by. The ape took tasteful fruit from trees, the jackal set out a nice piece of meat. Only the hare was sitting sad and worried what he could give.

He only was used to eat tough grass, and nobody would like that. The only thing he had to offer was himself.

Indra had a look on this picture from his heavenly throne. Would the hare be so subservient that he would offer himself?

He came done to the earth as a monk and went to the otter. Without hesitation he gave Indra the fresh fish. The ape gave his fruit and the jackal the meat.

After this the monk went to the hare and asked: “Do you have something to eat for me?”.

The hare jumped up, glad to be able to serve and answered: “gather some pieces of wood and light a nice burning fire. Call me when it is burning”.

The monk did what he had been asked and after a while, the flames burnt the dry pieces of wood.

When the fire was heat enough, the hare jumped in the flames.

To his surprise, the fire was not heat. “Why don’t I get burned?” he asked to his guest.

Then Indra told who he really was, He explained how he had challenged the four friends and said how impressed he was by the behavior of the hare, who, without a moment of hesitation was prepared to sacrifice himself for a monk he didn’t know.

Therefore, Indra took some juice from a tree and draw the picture of a hare on the moon.

This would inform the whole world about this symbol of self-sacrifice.

And when you look at the moon thoroughly you can see the hare can still been seen there.

Light on the path & through the gates of gold

This booklet of author Mabel Collins had been published in the first issue in 1887.

Possibly some of you know it.

When I opened it, I had been struck immediately by the contents and understood it contains messages still being of value.

At least the texts invite to reflect and offer the possibility to apply in the spiritual development of humanity.

In this issue the following texts:

Rule 5: Kill every feeling of separateness

Rule 6: Kill the longing for sensual awareness

Rule 7: Kill your hunger for growth

Rule 8: Be aware in loneliness and separateness

Also, in these rules we recognize a possible contradiction between rule 5 and 8.

Is it the message to bud, grow, and become aware, without all impressions becoming part of the EGO?

Is it the message, that everything you experience should be perceived valueless and without adding an intense feeling of longing?

Is it the message that we learn to trust that everything on our path exposes at the moment needed for your growth?

For the moment I leave it to the reader to try to understand these rules and get the answers.

Read them more often, every new exercise brings new insights.

References: Light on the path, Mabel Collins

Jupiter conjunction Neptune (a 13-year cycle)

On April 12th we have a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Neptune on Pisces 24^th degree.

This conjunction takes place once in every 13 years, and every time in the next sign of the ecliptic.

The last time in 2009 on May 27^th and July 10^th this conjunction was on Aquarius 27^th and 28^th degree.

The next time on March 24^th, 2035, it will take place on Aries 22^nd degree.

A Neptune and Jupiter conjunction can be supposed to be the top energy during the transit of Neptune through a sign.

The last conjunction in Pisces tool place on March 16^th, 1856, in Pisces 19^th degree.

The number 13 is the number of transience, the victory over death and limitation.

This is also the number of card 13 fin the Rider Waite tarot, the Death.

A card indicating transformation and the end of a difficult period, and also the breaking of squeezing ties.

Neptune conjunction Jupiter can give an indication to excessive behavior and boundlessness.

This energy has a different effect in every other house of the horoscope.

It is the challenge to overcome the primary impulse and to use the energy for a focus on a deeper social meaning.

In the 1^st house the challenge is to keep distance and develop awareness for balanced relationships.

In the 2^nd house the challenge is to develop an aware use of material resources in relation to a needed balance with natural environment.

With Venus retrograde only a few months behind us, we might recently have developed new ideas about this.

In the 3rd house, many new experiences may cross your path. The challenge is to internalize them and use them in a balanced way.

In the 4th house we get the challenge to become aware of the own values and skills.

In the 5th house we must manage an unlimited creative mood. It is about the development of restrictiveness and selectiveness.

In the 6th house we should be aware to be restrictive in our nurture and physical or psychical burden.

In the 7th house you should learn also to trust on the insight of the partner and suppress the tendency only to follow the own insights.

In the 8^th house we should learn not to trust too much on the other people. Be aware of the own responsibility and take the responsibility for this. You should be modest in everything you do.

In the 9^th house you must learn not to surrender to unrealistic dreams and, also to be aware dreams should possibly become part of reality.

In the 10th house you should learn to understand the difference between beautiful but unrealistic visions and societal reality. It is good to have trust in a good star, but also stay aware of some flickering of every star.

In the 11th house you need to make a difference between real friends and occasional friends (those who try to be friends in their own interests).

In the 12th house you should wonder to what extent your need for self-expression still is realistic and useful in society.

Astrology and astronomy in daily practice.

In March we had many days cloudless skies, offering the opportunity to see Venus and Mars early in the morning shortly before sunrise.

I managed to see them several times, however every time again my effort to take a picture was not successful.

Also, in April Venus and Mars will remain visible.

Gradually the distance between Venus and Mars grows, Venus will go closer to the Sun and Mars will have a growing distance to the Sun.

On April 26th and 27th we can see them both (still before sunrise) together with the last slice of the Moon on her way to the Ne Moon and eclipse on April 30^th.

On March 3rd we had the conjunction between Pluto, Mars and Venus. A very powerful configuration with different possibilities for the use of power, either for the worse as we see in aggressive actions in Ukraine and for the good as we see in all actions aiding people who have lost their homes.

In last month’s newsletter I wrote about it:

“But be aware the energies are very powerful and can be misused by people trying to expand their power over others. This type of misuse will always result in anti-forces according to the law of balance of power”.

At the moment it has been made clear what this could mean.

On March 25^th there was a conjunction between Mercury (meeting, communication) and Neptune (dreams, in the clouds). That day I left home to attend a meeting. When I arrived there, it turned out the meeting had been planned a week afterwards. I also had forgotten to take my handy.

Fortunately, my meeting partner was present, and we could have our meeting.

Colophon

This newsletter is edited monthly by Omegahighlighter and contains different articles and previews based on astronomical occurrences and related energies.

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Jan Weber

We learn to be tacit during our lives,

speaking we have learnt before

Lao Tse