Esoterically the sign of Aries is associated with inspiration, intuition, and new beginnings. Aries is said to be the sign that is closest to God and in Esoteric Astrology is said to be 'a point of light in the mind of God'. The purpose of Aries is to 'inspire'. The word inspire comes from the mid-14c., enspiren, "to fill (the mind, heart, etc., with grace, etc.);"(2) and means literally to "fill with spirit".


The Soul ruler of Aries is Mercury, the planet which esoterically is associated with the development of the antahkarana or Rainbow Bridge from lower to Higher Mind. Following a period of preparation in Pisces Season, where we have the potential to open our hearts and receptivity to healing the suffering of humanity by aligning with our sacred heart center, the first of the three spiritual festivals brings an influx of Christ Consciousness: inviting us to unite our hearts, minds and Souls, so we may experience this higher transcendental consciousness for ourselves.

If we fully utilised the power and potential of Pisces season to deepen our spiritual experience of the transcendent Universal love within, we have an opportunity in the first spiritual festival to bring that impersonal consciousness to a personal level and experience within ourselves the union of Higher Love and Higher Mind that is the hallmark of the integrated Aries-Libra polarity, and Christ Consciousness.

In the energetic build up to the Full Moon it may be helpful to meditate on the Soul Keynote for Aries:



Sun in Taurus - Scorpio Full Moon -The Festival of Buddha (Wesak/ Vesak/ Saka Dawa)
(for 2023 the Taurus-Scorpio Sun/Full Moon is May 5th at 17:34 UTC(1) Tropical Zodiac. Many Buddhist traditions will also be celebrating Wesak/Vesak at this time, while the Tibetan Buddhist festival of Saka Dawa will be celebrated between May 20th and June 18th, with the main festival day this year being the Full Moon on June 4th. - see explanation below)

Esoterically the sign of Taurus is associated with illumination and the opening of the third eye. No accident that the three major stages of the Buddhas life: birth, enlightenment, and death (or passing into pariniravana) all happened around the time of the Full Moon in May.


Taurus Season is about our capacity for light and, in particular, our ability to integrate light into the physical body. Taurus is an earth sign and so is very much associated with physical forms, in particular the physical body. Taurus is also closely associated with the 'fruits of the earth': minerals, crystals… and diamonds. Ruled by Venus at the personality level, Taurus is all about beauty - which is harmony in physical form. 

At Soul level Taurus is ruled by the sacred and hidden planet of Vulcan the 'blacksmith' of the Gods who transforms physical forms through the fires of purification. Venus is also considered a sacred planet, so Taurus is deeply involved with the sacred purpose of illumination and the integration of light into physical form. No accident that the Buddha himself had six planets in Taurus.

In Esoteric Astrology the keynote for Taurus is:

This same theme is echoed in the Bible, in Luke 11:34, where it is written:

In Tibetan Buddhism it is taught that we all have a 'light body' or 'Vajra body'. "Vajra' is Sanskrit for 'diamond' and it is said that it is this aspect of ourselves which is indestructible (like a diamond). We don't have to do anything to create this light body because it already exists, all we need to do is to recognize it and create the right conditions for it's unfoldment. 

When a diamond is first dug out of the ground it is covered with earth and looks like a dirty old rock. Nothing like the crystal clear, multifaceted, polished diamonds that we are familiar with. Likewise our own light body has been covered with many lifetimes of social and familial conditioning, yet all we need to do to reveal it is to keep our attention on our own presence, the 'light of our awareness'. When we do this diligently our innate light begins to shine through naturally. This is what is meant by 'keeping our eye clear'.

This time of year is an important opportunity to open our hearts, be as clear as possible, and allow our bodies to be 'filled with light'. As we continue through the forthcoming festivals of Wesak and Goodwill, you can maximize your potential for spiritual growth and illumination by:

• being aware of your own presence,
• being as clear as you can in any moment,
• being pristine in all your relating,
• holding the highest of intentions for yourself, and our human family.

On the most practical level it is the perfect time for 'spring cleaning'! Especially cleaning your windows, so your physical windows become symbols for your eyes 'the windows of the Soul'. So both inside and out you are 'keeping your eyes clear', reaffirming to the Universe your willingness to let in more light, and allow your own inner light to shine ever more brightly into the world!

In the energetic build up to the Full Moon it may be helpful to meditate on the Soul Keynote for Taurus:

When exactly is Wesak?

If you searched the internet to try and find out when Wesak was you could end up feeling very confused indeed! Why? Because different traditions have different ways of marking the festival...

Mostly you will read that Wesak is held during the Full Moon in May, when the Sun is in Taurus, which for the most part will be correct (although there are some exceptions).

In many buddhist countries Wesak Day is celebrated on the Sunday that is closest to the Full Moon in May (which may or may not be the Full Moon on the Taurus-Scorpio axis). To complicate things even further some Wesak celebrations happen on other dates, so why all the discrepancy?

The name "Wesak" or Vesak comes from the Sanskrit Vaisakha and is the festival celebrating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana (death). The name originates from the month of Vaisakha in the ancient Vedic calendar which corresponds to April or May in our Western (Gregorian) calendar. 

Although the main focus of the festival is the Full Moon, celebrations are often held throughout the whole month of May (which is why there are celebrations held on different dates). In some Asian countries the date is based on the fourth month of the Tibetan or Chinese calendar, again with the focus being on the Full Moon, but celebrations being held for the whole month.

In Tibet Saka Dawa (the Tibetan Holy Month for celebrating the Buddha) begins with the Full Moon in May and continues until the Full Moon in June. There are also differences between Western Astrology (which uses a Tropical Zodiac) and Vedic Astrology (which uses a sidereal Zodiac). 

Sun in Gemini - Sagittarius Full Moon - The Festival of Humanity or Goodwill
(for 2023 this is June 4th at 03:42 UTC)(1)

Esoterically the sign of Gemini is associated with the sisterhood/ brotherhood of humanity. It is unique in that it is the only sign that can 'touch' all of the remaining 11 signs, and is therefore a sign not only of communication, but of communion.


This is the culmination point of the three festivals when light is integrated into the consciousness of humanity and anchored onto the planet. It is no accident that the third of these major spiritual festivals takes place in Gemini Season. The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity plays an extremely important role in the evolution of consciousness, the awakening of humanity, and the evolution of our Mother Earth.

Because Gemini has the unique quality of being connected with every Zodiac sign, it is in the sign of Gemini that we have 'communion' between our human family and our Divine nature. At Soul level the ruler of Sagittarius is the Earth herself. The Earth and Sagittarius both have a deeply mysterious relationship that relates to the evolution of consciousness and the evolution of Earth herself.

Venus is the Soul Ruler of Gemini, and esoterically it is said that Earth and Venus are 'twin planets', yet Venus is considered a sacred planet while the Earth is not. At least, not yet. This is where humanity comes in. It is the role of humanity to awaken to our true nature as spiritual beings and, by doing so, to recognize our own sacredness. This is the purpose of our spiritual journey. When this happens and humanity is living fully aligned with our spiritual nature, then we will actualize Heaven on Earth and then Earth too, will be a sacred planet.

This third festival is a very important time of year for deeply embodying goodwill and extending the hand of friendship to all our human family across the planet in recognition that they are us. It is a time for meditating on peace and goodwill to all men and, if it resonates, it is said to be an especially important time to align with and recite the Great Invocation(4) (or whatever prayers or pujas you prefer for connecting, uplifting and enlightening our human family) while focusing your intention on higher love, communion, and awakening throughout humanity.

 World Invocation Day has been observed on the day of the Gemini full moon since 1952. The Great Invocation is used to invoke spiritual energies of Light, Love and Purpose, and to bring humanity together to focus our energies during this major festival of goodwill. The best time for your prayers and meditation (when they will be most effective) is during the build-up to the Full Moon (1).

Even if you don't resonate with doing something as formal as prayers, pujas or the Great Invocation, it is simply enough at this time to focus on the love in your own heart, and to consciously extend your love and compassion out to your human family.

In the energetic build up to the Full Moon it may be helpful to meditate on the Soul Keynote for Gemini:

Throughout the three spiritual festivals we see a progressive imbuing of light onto the Earth plane, through the body of humanity:

• At the first festival, Easter or the festival of the risen Christ, humanity recognizes Divine Love. Easter is a celebration of the power of love. 

 
• At the second festival, Wesak (or the Full Moon in Taurus Season) humanity recognizes the embodiment of light in the form of the 'enlightened' human, the Buddha.

• At the third festival, the festival of goodwill or the festival of humanity, humanity recognizes the Divine love and light within each one of us, and realizes our innate connectedness as one 'body of light'.

When we talk about the festivals of Christ and Buddha it is important to realise that we are not speaking here of the actual individuals that were known as Jesus Christ and Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha, but rather of the higher spiritual states of consciousness that they represent, and which humanity is moving towards.

There is a greater influx of light onto the planet during this time of year, as though a great portal is open and we are being bathed with Divine energy. If you are sensitive enough, and quiet enough in your mind, you can feel it but it is hard for many to relate to 'an influx of light' as anything other than an idea. This is why meditation is so important so that it comes out of the realm of an idea, and becomes a reality for you in your own experience.

There is so much we do not understand about light, and what light really is. Light is a spectrum, of which only a small part can be perceived by the human eye. Science is really only just touching the tip of the iceberg in research into how information is carried on light, with fiberoptic communication technology.

In meditation, as your mind becomes quieter you naturally become increasingly aware of light. You may notice certain qualities in light itself, such as awareness and clarity. You may even become aware that there is great wisdom in this clarity. In the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition this is known as 'clear light wisdom'.

As you become quieter, you may also notice that certain feeling states are also associated with light. As you drop into stillness, you may experience feelings not unlike love. In fact, it IS love! In the stillness you are more able to perceive the subtle quality of love that is always present as your true nature.

In addition to clear light wisdom, light also carries information similar to how information is carried in your DNA. Light carries information about who we are as a humanity, what your role and purpose is on Earth, and what you are here to do (which is to become aware of this very light and your relationship to it). When you become still and quiet enough you have access to the highest love, light and clear wisdom.