From tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Mon Oct 7 22:12:11 1996 Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 03:17:43 -0400 (EDT) From: tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Reply-To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com Subject: tariqas-digest V1 #168 tariqas-digest Sunday, 29 September 1996 Volume 01 : Number 168 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 10:38:21 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Dear Amy I dont think anyone called you a Liar either directly or indirectly.If it was part of a poem it is supposed to mean that much of our own life is apparently a lie and I say apparently because the secret behind the secret behind the secret is that there is meaning in everything. At 14:21 9/28/96 +0100, you wrote: >Since I have been called a liar (indirectly of course), I have to confess >that my Dog does not say huuuu. She looks at me with beautiful brown eyes, >and I imagine she says this. I imagine she loves me and God loves us all and >that she is my Sheikh because she shows such unconditional love. To the >person that wrote about the cat and dog, I apologize. I did not think anyone >would take me seriously. I am wondering if we are striving to understand, to >be peaceful or >what. I have dear friends here and would not want to be able to communicate, >but is remaining on tariqas as important to me anymore. I know this is >probably a temporary feeling on my mind. But I don't know either. >Love a friend of the sufi. Kaffea Lalla >----------- >Well after a little thought I think I have been foolish again. This is a great >group of most interesting friends. Just cause the kitchen gets a little hot >and people need to get stuff off their chests does not mean I have to be a >baby about it. I think someone says lively debate can be good, and it can. >I am pretty thin skinned and stubborn sometimes. Kaffea Lalla > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 10:39:53 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: A Poem Salam.It's the Prophet who said that some poetry is like magic or words to that effect. At 14:36 9/28/96 -0700, you wrote: >I hold a golden fruit before my face. >The sunlight glistens on its rough surface. >Forgive me if I peel that rough bit off >And throw it into the garden >Where it will nourish the new plants. >Forgive me if I enjoy the sweet taste >Of the inner fruit too much >And dare at times to say that I am that fruit. >Forgive me if I dare to refine the juice of that fruit >And make it into my own intoxicating concoction. >It is not really my concoction. >I'm following a very old recipe >Given to me by another drunkard. >In a dream he told me to bathe in this wine >And I will find in it an endless truth. > ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 22:57:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Time to separate? (fwd) Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 08:33:35 -0400 From: Sipko & Saki den Boer <106254.1277@compuserve.com> Subject: Time to separate? To: All Message-Id: <199609280833_MC1-9EB-D87B@compuserve.com> Merhaba! Reading the list I don't feel so comfortable I don't feel a need to join in. It sounds that people want to fight all the time What do you mean salaam aleikum? Who told you to talk like that? Allah? As far as I am concerned a list like this does more harm than it does heal. Is it needed to differentiate the group in a) people who where born muslim and life in the west b) people who accepted Islam and life in the west 3) people who where born muslim and life in the middle east 4) people who call themself Sufi but who are in fact universalist 5) people who are universal muslims 6) people who are angry 7) people who are confused That would make things more orderly.... The great thirteenth-century Turkish Sufi Yunus Emre said, " Let us master this science and read this book of love. God instructs; Love is His school." I feel we that we have all been failures in love. Ashiq ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 23:12:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Home!.... The Mother is crying, my friends. To: "MARY Z. HAWKINS" <103630.1611@compuserve.com>, "R. C. Ready" , Relda Elad , Rick Lewis , White Horse Subject: Home!.... The Mother is crying, my friends. Date: Sat, 28 Sep 96 09:12:57 -0500 From: "Wm. Whitney" X-Mailer: E-Mail Connection v3.0 Cc: May the Forest Be With You , New Dominion Pictures , Songlines Mailing List , Sufi Order of the West <75166.1770@compuserve.com>, Tariqas , Winged Heart Sysop - -- [ From: Wm. Whitney * EMC.Ver #3.0 ] -- 9/28/96 4:49 AM_ HC 3327`*7.... 18 Sept., 1996 The Loons of Lost Lake: A Note From Mom The loons landed at Lost Lake today! Yang called to Yin and They met half-way across the bay. Thunderous engines began their howling about midnight, Startling the wolves to seek Higher ground where the Panther prowls! Four AM, the thunder, amplified by chain eating, sap sucking, Whirlwinds of Death spitting living arrows splintering the Mourning night. The Loons landed at Lost Lake today! They left very quickly! ...........^.............. But, the Panther is on the prowl! +++++++ The Canadian/Ontario governments are guilty of Statutory Rape!.... (43.4 * Latitude + 81.2 * Longitude) is the crime scene!.... The Action Alert sounded.... The arrests begun.... Yep, ol' PE's been prowling!.... nosing around Area 51 establishing proper BLM claims granting the Western Shoshoni nation tribal access to valued artifacts and burial grounds being desecrated by greedy gravel men.... watching a First Nation win the largest land settlement ever from the State of Texas.... funding independent petroleum production for Native peoples of Oklahoma.... setting temporary winter accommodations for the spiritual family destined to steward some grandfather trees/land in South Carolina.... assisting the Pawnee community development bank - holder of the only international banking charter among the First Nations - to secure assets and funds for indigenous projects.... listening to the wolves cry to the full moon (Limited engagement; Sat. and Sun. nights ONLY due to chainsaws during the weeknights).... and trying to maintain some sanity! In a nutshell, that's been my summer! I"M BACK!.... and roaring for a good engagement or two! Let's get it on!.. .. Let's get down!.... The Mother's walkin' and she's talkin'.... all we gotta do is LISTEN! Much more soon! I've really missed you! Special Note to the Floundering Four left to face the impending downpour: My prayers were with you, my friends! And, thank you soooo much for the retreat and companionship! Remember, Mitakuye oyasin! - We Are One People.... PS: Don't let me forget to bring you up-to-date on the Rainbow Nation's new home lands! PE Wm. Whitney/Panther Eagle GaisNet Journalist (c) 1996 paneagle@peoples.net ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 11:19:13 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: Moral Theology of Satan There is a difference between the Shariat of those who dont understand and those who take things in their context.Muhammad bin Abdullah Prophet and Sufi s.a.w would be appalled over the interpretation of the Shariat that he finds in Afghanistan whether Talebani or Hekmatyari , Iran whether Khomeini or Khameini ,Saudi whether Wahabi or Sharif Hussaini for he wanted people to "communicate with the people according to their level of understanding" and laws are one way in which the Sovereign communicates with the people. As for Hell it is not the infernal torture chamber that you imagine.The Quran and the Prophet said that whatever is said about Heaven "no mind ever visualised, no eye ever saw and no ear ever heard" (roughly from memory)It applies also for Hell.Furthermore the description of Hell is in the form of allegory i.e mutashabihat and we are not allowed to accept the allegorical as literal. Indeed Ibn Arabi the great teacher of both Shariat and Sufism has pointed out that the word "azab" or punishment comes from the Arabic "uzuban" meaning pleasure so we miss the true meaning because Hell is one stage of our development beyond the grave which makes us fit for Heaven and Heaven is not a holiday with people playing harps and singing all the time.That is precisely why the Quran called Hell the mother of Believers because like a mother's womb it is only of temporary duration, like the mother's womb it prepares its baby for a higher existence , it nurtures and sustains life within it. In the Quran, Satan is no fallen Angel with an arrowed tail.He is in a sense necessary so that humans would transcend evil and tension in life.He embodies the principle of tension which is necessary for evil.THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.TO GIVE TO SATAN WOULD MEAN THAT THERE ARE TWO GODS.THERE IS NOTHING WORTHY OF WORSHIP BUT ALLAH and ALLAH allows evil as part of His evolutionary plan."From stage to stage you shall surely be brought forward" "From God we come and to Him you shall surely return" "There is no good but God" This is one of the meanings of the Koranic statements "To him belongs the most beautiful (husna)names," since the word hasan from which husna is derived , means both good and beautiful.In the final analysis Good is Being , to which all positive and beautiful attributes belong.Evil (sharr) is the lack of good , so it is non-existence." (page 290 of Chittick's Sufi Path of Knowledge) "But the Cosmos possesses the property of possibility , since it is alternately qualifiied by one of the two sides (existence and non existence) so it does not stand in the level of the Being which is Necessary through Its own Essence and hence evil occurs to it as an accident. "Evil is failure to reach one's own desire (gharad) and what is agreeable (mula'im) to one's nature.It stems from the fact that the thing's possibility does not prevent it from becoming connected to non-existence.To this extent evil becomes manifest within the cosmos .Hence it only becomes manifest from the direction of the possible thing, not from the direction of God.That is why the Prophet said in his supplication 'The good , all of it, is in Thy hands , while evil does not go back to Thee " but rather to creation in respect of its possibility. Though there is no evil in Being, the existent things suffer evil to the extent they fail to share in Being.Hence the way to avoid evil is to seek refuge from it in Being.Again we are brought back to the fundamental human imperative .Man is bound by the reality of his own essence to strive after God , who is Good, Light, Knowledge, Being, everything to which he must conform in order ot reach his own happiness and felicity. But God is unknown and unkwowable, so the only way to reach Him is to follow the Law as He makes it known to us " (page 290, 291 ibid) This is only an introduction. When something is from God like the Quran dont link it with Satan who symbolises non-existence.The Quran is scriptural equivalent of the Laws of the Cosmos , elusive and intriguing at one level, clear at another and still show the Path.This is Life challenging ,enigmatic At 18:04 9/28/96 -0700, you wrote: >The following is actually taken from an essay by Thomas Merton regarding *born again* Christians, but my experience finds it equally true of *born again* Muslims (and *born again* Sufis for that matter) and *born again* New Agers at the other end of the pendulum of sclerosed fundamentalist thinking - -- or should i say *fooled again*! I have taken the liberty to juxtapose some of the Judeo-Christian terminology with the Islamic equivalent in keeping with our theme. > >Blessings to all > >Nur > >*************************************** > >... the devotional life of those who are *faithful* to this kind of theology consists above all in an obsession with evil. As if there were not already enough evils in the world, they multiply prohibitions and make rules, binding everything with thorns, so that a person may not escape evil and punishment. For they would have hir bleed from morning to night, though even with so much blood there is no forgiveness of sin... Not love but punishment is the fulfillment of the shariah. The shariah must devour everything, even God. Such is this theology of punishment, hatred and revenge. One who would live by such a dogma must rejoice in punishment. One may, indeed, successfully evade punishment hirself by *playing ball* with the shariah and Allah as the Lawgiver. But s/he must take good care that others do not avoid suffering. S/he must occupy hir mind with their present and future punishment. The shariah must triumph. There must be no mercy. > >This is the chief mark of the theology of hell, for in hell there is everything but mercy. That is why Allah is absent from hell. Mercy is the manifestation of God's presence. > >The theology of Satan is for those who, for one reason or another, whether because they are perfect, or because they hvae come to an agreement with the shariah, no longer need any mercy. With them (O grim joy!), Allah is *satisfied*. So too is Satan. It is quite an achievement to please everybody! > >The people who listen to this sort of thing, and absorb it, and enjoy it, develop a notion of the spiritual life which is a kind of hypnosis of evil. The concepts of sin, suffering, damnation, punishment, the justice of Allah, retribution, and so on, are things over which they smack their lips with unspeakable pleasure. Perhaps this is because they derive a deep, subconscious comfort from the thought that many other people will fall into hell which they themselves are going to escape. And how do they know they are going to escape it? They cannot give any definite reason except for the fact that they feel a certain sense of relief at the thought that all this punishment is prepared for practically everyone but themselves. This feeling of complacency is what they refer to as *faith* and it constitutes a kind conviction that they are among the *promised*. > >It sometimes happens that some who preach most vehemently about evil and the punishment of evil, so that they seem to have practically nothing else on their minds except sin, are really unconscious haters of others. They think the world does not appreciate them, and this is their way of getting even. > >Another characteristic of Satan's moral theology is the exaggeration of all distinctions between this and that, good and evil, right and wrong. These distinctions become irreducible divisions. No longer is there any sense that we might all perhaps be more or less at fault, and that we might be expected to take upon our shoulders the wrongs of others by forgiveness, acceptance, patient understanding and love, and thus help one another to find the truth. On the contrary, in Satan's theology, the important thing is to be absolutely right and to prove that everybody else is absolutely wrong. This does not exactly make for peace and unity among humanity, because it means that everyone wants to be absolutely right hirself and attach hirself to another who is absolutely right. And in order to prove their rightness, they have to punish and eliminate those who are wrong. Those who are wrong, in turn, convinced that they are right... and so on and so on. > >Finally, as might be expected, the moral theology of Satan grants an altogether unusual amonnt of importance to Satan. Indeed, one soon comes to find out that Satan is the very center of the whole system. That he is behind everything. That he is moving everybody in the world except ourselves. That he is out to bet even with us. And that there is every chance of his doing so because it now appears, his power is equal to that of Allah, or even perhaps superior to it... In one word, the theology of Satan is purely and simply that Satan is god. > > > ------------------------------ From: Zainuddin Ismail Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 11:41:03 +0800 (SGT) Subject: Re: sufi words naturally O yes , I forgot to mention this.None of us , I think are Sufis or near Sufis because a Sufi is a person who has reached "Gnosis" The rest of us are what are called mutasawif ,travellers , dervishes who have not reached.So of course we will be contradicting ourselves and feeling smuggish and great when we have despatched a great post .One of the signs of reaching "realisation" is Silence and we ,all of us, are students who have not gone beyond the second stage out of seven namely NAFS LAWWAMA .I hope I have not hurt anyone.This is a reminder primarily to myself because after 30 years into Sufi studies I am still at stage two according to one of my teachers and even then slipping into nafs ammara now and then.LA MAUJUD ILALLAH.I hope I can reach that level when I can say with all my heart and being I love each and everyone one of you "How can I feel smug and great When I rush to the toilet each morning And witness my debasement How can I feel smug and great When I fear the tiny mosquito And hear its menacing music How can I feel smug and great When a cough can shake me And stay on for months How can I feel smug and great When there is an orgy in my mind Waiting to be switched on Waiting to present itself How can I feel smug and great like the prancing Peacock That refuses to look at its ugly feet And get its well-deserved shock." wELL UNFORTUNATELY i DO FEEL SMUG AND GREAT, SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP ME. At 11:26 9/28/96 +0100, you wrote: > >snip snip > > >-Michael- >----Yes Michael this is a good thought. I say we all just let go of this >and have lunch under the open sky and say to each other peace, love, and joy. >You can call me anything you want, I still will love you as I know you love me. >A friend of the sufi's...Kaffea Lalla > > ------------------------------ From: Well333@turbonet.com (Jacquie Weller) Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 21:09:52 +0100 Subject: Re: Time to separate? (fwd) > >Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 08:33:35 -0400 >From: Sipko & Saki den Boer <106254.1277@compuserve.com> >Subject: Time to separate? >To: All >Message-Id: <199609280833_MC1-9EB-D87B@compuserve.com> > >Merhaba! > >Reading the list I don't feel so comfortable >I don't feel a need to join in. >It sounds that people want to fight all the time >What do you mean salaam aleikum? >Who told you to talk like that? >Allah? >As far as I am concerned a list like this >does more harm >than it does heal. > >Is it needed to differentiate the group in >a) people who where born muslim and life in the west >b) people who accepted Islam and life in the west >3) people who where born muslim and life in the middle east >4) people who call themself Sufi but who are in fact universalist >5) people who are universal muslims >6) people who are angry >7) people who are confused > >That would make things more orderly.... > >The great thirteenth-century Turkish Sufi Yunus Emre said, " Let us master >this science and read this book of love. God instructs; Love is His >school." > >I feel we that we have all been failures in love. > >Ashiq > >---------- Dear Ashiq, things will settle down. Underneath the Antagonist mask is the Beloved. I've been thinking about that this evening. That hidden in one thing is another. We really do love each and something that appears is just a cosmic comedy. I agree, this is tariqas. We do not need to distinquish one another with you are this and I am that but we are people still stuck on some things. I have learned that these things do blow over, and hang around you will see other sides to tariqas. There really is not an us or them. It just appears this way sometimes. Family members do quarrel but when threatened they stick together through thick and thin. We also could pretend to get along and this would just be another mask. I am really just beginning to appreciate the other sides. I cannot expect everyone to understand my view and nor can I understand entirely other views...but I at least know that we do have love for each other. Now a few weeks ago perhaps I would have said forget this. Don't give up on us. We are still growing, and east and west is coming closer together, at least to talk to each other and to listen to each other. If this was not so then this list would not include all of us. Kaffea Lalla ------------------------------ From: Lilyan Kay Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 21:33:02 -0700 (PDT) Subject: failure? asalaam-u-aleikum It is the midwife who insistently nudges you toward Truth, regardless of how loud you whine or curse. The one who makes you feel good is the anesthesiologist. Lily ------------------------------ From: "Alan G. Keyes (Abdual Alim)" Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 00:33:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Time to separate? (fwd) At 10:57 PM 9/28/96 -0400, you wrote: > >Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 08:33:35 -0400 >From: Sipko & Saki den Boer <106254.1277@compuserve.com> >Subject: Time to separate? >To: All >Message-Id: <199609280833_MC1-9EB-D87B@compuserve.com> > >Merhaba! > >Reading the list I don't feel so comfortable >I don't feel a need to join in. >It sounds that people want to fight all the time >What do you mean salaam aleikum? >Who told you to talk like that? >Allah? >As far as I am concerned a list like this >does more harm >than it does heal. > >Is it needed to differentiate the group in >a) people who where born muslim and life in the west >b) people who accepted Islam and life in the west >3) people who where born muslim and life in the middle east >4) people who call themself Sufi but who are in fact universalist >5) people who are universal muslims >6) people who are angry >7) people who are confused > >That would make things more orderly.... > >The great thirteenth-century Turkish Sufi Yunus Emre said, " Let us master >this science and read this book of love. God instructs; Love is His >school." > >I feel we that we have all been failures in love. > >Ashiq > > I have also found it very hard to deal with some of the people who have of late joined our email but I am unwilling to give up the information and love I receive from this list group since I am the only known sufi in the phoenix area that will say he is. I would miss you input and love that you have passed along. I need to stay on the path and you are one of them which has help me. Abdul Alim ------------------------------ From: Gale Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 21:34:18 -0700 Subject: Re: Moral Theology of Satan Brother Zainuddin, Agreed. But the issue of Merton's words are not one of doctrinal = theology or metaphysics per say. They concern a genre of psychological = types of so-called or presumed religious individuals. For the moment = forget what the truth of a religion says, and look it as the ego-truths = we create for ourselves with respect to our mind sets. Quoting me what = Islam says about Satan, the devil, whatever is not the point -- you = don't need to, i familiar with it well enough. These are cosmological = theories, albeit sacred. How they operate in the psyche of a person is = a different matter. For me, i do not limit such a psychology to only = being found in particular movements such as those you mentioned in = Afghanistan and Iran, which one may generally characterize as = *fundamentalist*. They are found in all traditions, contemporary, = modern, traditional, past, present, and will continue in the future. = Esoteric initiates in Christianity, Buddhism (take the example of the = Japanese guru responsible for the poison gas attacks), Judaism, Hinduism = (some of Gandhi's would-be assasins were members of a Hindu = fundamentalist yogic tantric group peripherally affiliated to the = present VHS party), and Sufism (one of my informants on the Kashmir = crisis and an ex-commander of the militant wing of the JKLF party, = informs me that Wahhabi money for weapons to the militants in Kashmir = was being channeled through a Pakistani Sufi group in the Sind). Rather = than look at *fundamentalism* as simply a social group with a = religious-political agenda, if we look at it as a type of deep seated = psychology, it will be found everywhere. i do not disagree with shariah or the laws of any tradition, but i do = disagree with unhealthy relationships and interpretations individuals = develop with respect to it, and which in turn shape their attitudes, = motivations, and behavior in a way that is adversarial toward healthy = communication and respect between people. This is what Merton is really = referring to (to post the entire essay would have been too long). Yes, = we can say that at times past and present the shariah was used to = enslave people such as in Iran, but Christianity has the same history. = Look at Calvin's Protestant community in Geneva during the Reformation = - -- a real hell on earth -- all in the name of the Law. But it doesn't = have to be through social movements only. Such a psychology in fact = keeps others enslaved in the heart-mind, damning them as it were. This = is what i abhor, because what we do with our thoughts is far more = dangerous than simply killing this bag of flesh. Qadiri, Naqshabandi, = Chishtiyyia, Ibn Arabi, Suhrawardi, non-Islamic Sufi or Islamic Sufi. = Our affiliations with any of these groups are bullshit, and mean = nothing, unless we are diligently making efforts to transform ourselves, = and questioning ourselves first before judging others. With God there = is another side to every story, and to see stereoscopically is more = desireable than poking one eye out with the rod of the Law or veiling it = with an illusion of No-Law. If all human beings were wiped off the = planet, there would be no need for a written law because humanity would = be wasted. The Law is present because there are still human beings = hanging around this place. If it lives in us as a means of spiritual = transformation, it is a blessing and grace. If it lives in us but in a = stale, rigid manner in order to distance ourselves from others in = self-righteousness and lack of compassion then it is a curse, and we = would have been better off never having ever heard about spirituality, = religion, etc because we won't be judged for something we never had an = opportunity to hear about or be exposed to. But once we have been = exposed to such spiritual food, and begin to ingest it, we are partaking = of poison because we are then responsible for what we do with it. It = all depends on us whether our spirituality will be sweet nectar or a = serpent's venom. Blessings, Nur ------------------------------ From: ASHA101@aol.com Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 01:09:31 -0400 Subject: Time to separate? or time to face each other? it is interesting how, like clock work, something comes up and it disturbs our peace and each time we learn that we must acknowledge that "something" that is comming up for us ... it is not to be just ignored, it is a lot to just acknowledg that there is something that is disturbing our peace and that we can't quite seem to just remove it a little ways away from our center of peace. It is us and you can call it a failure if you like, we need to acknowedge our failures for in dealing with our failures, and courageously confronting them will prove to be like the Dhiker, digging in the ground of our beings, loosening the soil so that Allah may plant some wonderful seed. Sufis do a lot of dhiker, i'm told. - -Asha ------------------------------ From: natasha Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 21:52:30 -0800 Subject: Re: Time to separate? (fwd) All lists go thru this ignore it and happy useful posts will recur don't feed the flames heed the astrulogy la illlah but God to decide is to divide God from yourself Resent-Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 11:25:10 -0700 To: Multiple recipients of list LIST-THEWIRKS Reply-To: List-TheWirks@TOADHALL.COM Resent-From: List-TheWirks@TOADHALL.COM Sender: root@TOADHALL.COM Subject: Re: Eclipse From: CathieLeav@aol.com Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 11:21:18 -0700 Organization: Toad Hall High Octane BBS 415-595-2427 Hi Jonathan & listers, >Well I don't know how it was for you all, but from my vantage point (on top of Mt. Tamalpais, high over the Bay Area), Saturn was only about a couple of moon diameters away, not six; the eclipse lasted much longer than news reports suggested; the manner in which the shadow moved was baffling; and I realized how little I knew about celestial mechanics. >The show was however extraordinary. >Many people gathered on Tam, bringing their drums, ice chests, boom boxes, >cellular phones...When in doubt, we humans make noise. I walked up the corner 7-Eleven parking lot, since my view of the moonrise was "eclipsed" by the hill behind my house. I found a small gathering of locals (mostly with young children) comparing notes about the phenomenon and passing around bags of chips to munch. When in doubt, we humans also share food! It was impressive, and the timing did seem to be misreported in the paper. The red-hued shadow was eerie, although later, as the sky darkened, the red glow diminished and the shadow appeared grayer and more focused. I thought it was interesting that here we were, watching our planet's shadow being projected on the moon. There must be some archetypal significance to it. Here is a forwarded message from Carol Willis's e-mail astrology column regarding the eclipse: - --------------------------- Subj: Briefing on Today's Eclipse Date: Fri, Sep 27, 1996 12:45 AM EDT From: cbwillis@netcom.com X-From: cbwillis@netcom.com (C. B. Willis) To: cbwillis@netcom.com (C. B. Willis) NOTES ON THE LUNAR ECLIPSE SEPT 26 1996 by Carol Willis (C) Copyright by Carol Willis, 1996. All rights reserved. OK to redistribute this file in its entirety for non-commercial purposes, so share with friends ad lib. It has been speculated that the period from Sept 26 thru Oct 12, 1996 is a very dangerous time, perhaps the most dangerous time in human history. If so, we can correlate events to the lunar eclipse occurring 9/26/96. This eclipse is unusual in that not only is this a Full Moon with the Sun and Moon in opposition, the Moon is also conjunct Saturn, and of course the Moon's Nodes are also involved. Mercury goes stationary direct today as well. The situation is dicey. Sun will be at 4 Libra, Moon at 4 Aries conjunct Saturn. The Sun at 4 Libra is conj the previous Rx station of Mercury. So this gives 4 planets in an adversarial lineup, affecting relationships between people, organizations and/or nations. The issues are: what we say to each other, how we judge or assess each other, criticize each other, invalidate each other, what do certain actions symbolize for us -- with big problems from narrow mindedness, willfullness and not granting others the space to just be themselves as long as they're not hurting others. International relations could be strained, misunderstandings abound, and key nuances may get lost in translation. Make no assumptions; more communication is better than less. Ask questions. Strive to maintain everyone's dignity in the process, especially the other guy's. Flying off the handle will backfire bigtime now, resulting in injustices. The upside is that the energy is very high now and many people will experience ecstatic states, spiritual breakthroughs, boundless love, extraordinary spiritual light, inspiration, and initiation. Those who are on a spiritual path are preparing to handle more energy, power, responsibility in times ahead. Simplify you life so you're ready for action, and spirit can sweep through your life without obstruction. Who will be most attuned to the eclipse? Those people who have planets in their own chart in the first 6 degrees of Aries or Libra. Of course, the houses that the eclipse falls in will be "lit up" for everyone, and there will be more intense activity there, especially near 4 Aries where Saturn is now transiting. Reality checks and sober taking care of business are in order in the house Saturn is transiting for you. If you want a chart update with special attention on this eclipse in your chart, give me a call, and we can do a short reading over the phone with visa/mc if you're not able to come into the studio: 408-734-9110. The times to watch around an eclipse include: 1) the day of the eclipse itself, 2) 1 week later when the Moon squares its eclipse position, and 3) 3 months later when the Sun squares its eclipse position. These are action trigger points. Advanced note: the previous solar eclipse was Apr 29, 1995 at 8 degrees Taurus, mars was at 19 Leo then. On *Oct 12 1996*, Mars will be at 19 Leo again, so anyone with a planet, Asc, or MC at ~19 Leo will be especially attuned to Oct 12. The Sun is then in Libra, sign of harmony and justice. Where diplomacy fails and a key player is headstrong, there can be war. With Middle East situations heating up again, and politics and military tenuous in Russia, more action in those locations is a strong possibility during October. Will President Clinton run a war from a campaign bus parked on a roadside? I rather hope not - his most impressive venue will be the Oval Office. Election prediction: Clinton will in all likelihood be re-elected, since he has the higher, brighter energy when compared to Dole, he carries the Presidency well, Dole has Neptune opposing his Sun, and Uranus opposing his Mars, which drains his energy and constantly keeps him off balance in competitions. Perot will not be a factor in the election. The eclipse falls on Clinton's Ascendant/Descendant axis, nearly on his Mars/Neptune conjunction on his Asc, and on his Vesta on the Desc. He will prevail in competition, and may find himself engaged in war, a crusader and keeper of the flame of freedom, which is not the freedom to abuse one's own people or neighbors - a distinction and theme you are likely to hear him speak in public as a way to orient people to the central issue. The eclipse falls close to Aries Al Gore's Pallas asteroid, so he will be heavily involved in strategy in foreign affairs in the times ahead. Gore is very intuitive, he and Clinton are usually on the same wavelength, and Gore may do much reading of the energy in meetings behind closed doors, and will initiate or suggest strategies for action during brainstorming sessions. Carol Willis, MA Astrologer in private practice since 1970 Sunnyvale CA USA 408-734-9110 cbwillis@netcom.com To subscribe free to my astrology column online, plus supplemental articles, send note: SUBSCRIBE ASTROLOGY to cbwillis@netcom.com "When all hell is breaking loose, invite the witch to the party, and invite her to do Latin dancing -- Cha cha! Pasadoble!!" - CBW, 9/96 - ---------- .- ------------------------------ End of tariqas-digest V1 #168 *****************************