Dark Night-BEAR MODE

November 3, 1999

Dear Ingrid,

Your letter inspired me to write something about this time of the year.

I am calling it BEAR MODE. (I will also send this to the KYTraining and the

New Millennium Being Newsletter) So my apologies to those who receive it

more than once. There is always the delete button!

The main point is that your feelings are very appropriate this time of the

year.

Here are my thoughts--

Sat Nam,

RAttana

BEAR MODE

The Sun entered Scorpio October 23 and will stay there until November 21.

Daylight saving time ended October 31. Summer ended at the Fall Equinox

September 23. We are approaching the shortest day and the longest night of

the year-Winter Solstice on December 21. November 4, Mercury goes

retrograde until the evening of November 24th. Hello! Is that enough hits

from the Universe that we are entering the time of the year that I call Bear

Mode. Bears hibernate at this time of year. Wise creatures indeed. We

might not be able to replicate the bear's behavior, even though we might

like to. However, we can certainly use this time of the year to our

advantage. We call follow our own bear instincts and use these precious

months to turn inward.

The nature of autumn and winter energy invites us to pursue our inner

journey. This is the best time in the annual cycle of death and rebirth to

meditate, to cultivate our intuition and to get in touch with our internal

powers. The feminine principle is the most prevalent during the fall and

winter months. Our desires for explanations and understanding is replaced

by a deep need to experience the nature of our being. Goals that seemed so

important in the masculine mode no longer grab our attention. There is no

place to go. We realize that we are already there.

SUN IN SCORPIO

Scorpio energy is the archetype of "the dark night of the soul." Scorpio

obliges us to feel our feelings, to get in touch with our deepest emotions

and in the process to become a master, instead of a slave of our emotions.

Scorpio reminds us that real power is internal power. Kundalini yoga and

the internal martial arts are about cultivating the dynamic powers that flow

through our bodies. Used wisely, Scorpio energy facilitates profound,

thorough and lasting changes in our very being.*

SHORTEST DAYS, LONGEST NIGHTS

With less sun light, we must tune into our own inner light for inspiration

and energy. "The dark night" typically helps us get in touch with the fear,

anger and sadness that are blocking our light from our own view.

Befriending our negative emotions is a necessary step in our

self-empowerment process. But we must be careful not to indulge to the

extent that we become victims of destructive patterns. Befriended, fear

transmutes into prana or energy. Anger transmutes into light and energy for

action. Sadness transmutes into bliss. This transmutation that is an

important goal of our inner journey.

We can also simply use this time to focus on our own light. The light of

our Soul is always present, waiting to be discovered and unleashed. We can

do this by turning our attention to our heart and feeling the warmth that is

self-generated simply through attention and by placing our hands on our

heart center. We can also focus on our third eye until we awaken the light

in our mind.

MERCURY RETROGRADE

Three times a year Mercury moves into a position in the sky relative to the

Earth where it appears to go in a backward direction. Although it is not

really going backwards, its energetic impact on the Earth is altered.

Mercury is the Planet associated with communication, the mind and electrical

equipment and phenomena. During this 21-23 day period, communications are

often disrupted, misinterpreted or out of sync. This is a good time to

practice clear and direct communication skills. It is also a good time to

develop patience when things don't happen exactly the way you want them to.

It is an opportune time to notice reality as it IS, as opposed to how you

would like it to be or perceive it through your belief systems and desires.

Mercury retrograde is not a good time to sign contracts unless the

intentions of both parties are sincere and clear. From personal experience,

I would recommend not buying any electrical equipment or computers during

this period if you have a choice. The main touchstone during this period is

not to force anything that does not feel in the natural flow of things.

If we are in sync with the energy, it can be a very positive experience.

The mind wants to relax during Mercury retrograde. If we allow ourselves to

let go, it is a wonderful time for deep meditation. When our mind relaxes

is grip, our heart can open. It is also therefore a great time to open our

hearts to others and ourselves. It is a caring personal time to be with

each other and ourselves in an intimate way. We are less possessed by our

obsessions. Let your intuition and instincts run the show. Let your heart

open and enjoy it. Your mind will take over soon enough.

The best days for meditation are the days Mercury goes retrograde and direct

and the days just before and after. This month that is November 3-5 and

23-25. One can feel a bit disoriented these days, but if you use the energy

to consolidate and regroup, you can find the energy soothing and productive.

It is important to be aware that the weeks before Mercury goes retrograde

are often filled with activities and action. Then all of a sudden things

seem to slow down and we wonder what went wrong. Nothing went wrong. The

energy simply shifted. It is time to consolidate and let the Universe do

its work. The energy for action will pick up in the days after Mercury goes

direct. In the meantime, clean out, organize and get things done that have

been lingering on your to-do-list for too long. Clean up the old and

prepare for the new.

It is not a good time to initiate new projects, unless they effortlessly or

spontaneously happen. No force, no fuss and you will be fine. Projects can

come to fruition during Mercury retrograde. This is partly because we have

already done the work and also because we can let go enough to let things

happen.

DEPRESSION OR MESSAGE

People often feel depressed during this time of the year. My theory is that

depression is one manifestation of being outward when we are supposed to be

inward. Our emotions are trying to get our attention and coax us into a

deep intimate relationship with our own psyche and soul. And as I intimated

above, we will most likely experience "a dark night" before we find our

inner sun. That is the nature of the human journey. If we embrace our dark

reality instead of resisting it, we will be supported and encouraged along

the way and get to our light side quicker.

A first step in embracing our emotional energies is to feel comfortable

being uncomfortable. The adventure gets better after our peaceful

acceptance of what is. We might not like our personal reality at all times,

but at least we will not be fighting ourselves. One of the gifts of

self-acceptance is simply feeling cozy being with ourselves. So cuddle up

with your teddy bear, hug yourself and enjoy the Bear phase of the year.

NEXT ISSUE

One of the goals of this newsletter is to explore how we can work with the

energies of Universe in ways that support our spiritual journey. The 12

astrological signs embody the powers and energies of four of the five

elements--Earth, Fire, Water and Air. The fire of Sagittarius is our

spiritual path. Coming up soon-November 22.

* For a detailed expose of Scorpio see my last newsletter available by

sending a blank email to

nmb05

November 4, 1999

Thank you so much my father and I are very interested in Astrology.

Rattana Khalsa [rattanak]

Wednesday, November 03, 1999 4:53 PM

Kundaliniyoga

Re: Dark Night-BEAR MODE