2005-06-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

JOHN SANDBACH’S BEGINNING ASTROLOGY
(Each class is two hours)

Class 1

Memory techniques for knowing the signs in order – a fast, easy, and fun method.
The 10 planets – their outer and psychological significances, length of cycles, and their prismatic manifestations through personality and the world around us.

Class 2

The elements (fire, earth, air, and water) and the modalities (cardinal, fixed, and mutable). The astrological signs and how they’re revealed in our world.
Planets in signs – how to visualize energy blending to “see in” to a chart.

Class 3

Houses – the key to life circumstances, both within and outside ourselves.
Planets manifesting in houses – players on the stage of our life.

Class 4

The five major aspects and 45 planetary pairs – dynamic interaction of players on our life stage.

Class 5

East/west/north/south planets – energy distribution in our life and how we handle it.
Singletons – what energy gets the starring role.

Class 6

Grand trines and T squares – how energy gets organized in the chart.
North and South Nodes – the lights and shadows of our past life shining into this one.
Part of fortune – our source of abundance.

Class 7

Ruler/exaltation/detriment/fall – the comforts and discomforts of the planets.
Stelliums – energy collections and what they mean.
The Sun/Mercury relationship – our mental focus
Retrogrades – when energy turns inward.
Cusps – energy transitions
The career planet – what type of energy can we most powerfully bring to our work?

Class 8

Eclipses as spiritual events
The four major asteroids – stumbling blocks of the universe and what they teach us
The part of bad luck – how to overcome negative thought forms
Planetary departments – how are consciousness is arranged.
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2005-06-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

A VISION OF GEMINI

The world of today is in love with Gemini, for Gemini is the sign of information. Gemini loves to collect information and is always open to new ideas. The burning question, though, is what are we going to do with all these mountains and seas of information which are growing bigger and bigger everyday? What is the purpose of information?
Its ultimate purpose should be to help people live fuller, happier lives, and to enhance their learning and growing as they travel their spiritual path. Unfortunately, the negative side of Gemini can be over-enamoured with information for information’s sake, loving anything clever, tricky, new or different just because it fascinates. The cure for this is for Gemini to focus on helping others, for when it does this, all of its knowledge and information is then used in a karmically positive way. When Gemini bases its motives in welfare for all humankind it raises itself to the highest level. When it bases its motives on gain solely for the self it becomes facile and manipulative. This is seen in the misleading advertising techniques that businesses often use, for instance labeling a product high in sugar as being “low fat,” and a product high in fat as having “no sugar.” Both statements may be true, but rather than being mean to inform, they are used to distract the buyer from the fact that the foods in question aren’t good for you.
One of the scariest things about our current world is that important information can get lost in the vast ocean of non-important information. The more we are deluged with information the more we tend to numb out to it, put on the blinkers, and ignore it. When we do this we can easily ignore information what might really help us.
The life-suppporting Gemini is a person who maintains an awareness of their own center, and who focuses on the information what will most benefit those around him or her. The negative Gemini type is one who wants so bad to be included in what’s going on that he or she will use their knowledge and cleverness just to get attention or to fascinate or entertain others so they can feel like they are a part of what’s happening. The mind can be our greatest enemy when we allow it to roam aimlessly and to invent useless and distracting scenarios that prevent us from moving forward.
Unfortunately Gemini can be a master of avoidance by jumping from thing to thing with no particular reason or motive in mind. At worst this can tend to trivialize communication and to create confusion. When this is happening it is usually because Gemini is detaching from its emotions, probably because they are painful or traumatic. This can cause the Gemini individual to carry around debilitating stress that won’t be healed until the emotions that have caused it are recognized, accepted, worked through and then let go of.
At best Gemini can be a clarifier – one who knows how to make ideas more concise and simple and who can bring to knowledge and information a vividness and aliveness that is eternally refreshing and that stimulates us to bring even more passion to our seeking. The spiritual Gemini is truly a marvelous entity – one who is never let down or frustrated by blocks or challenges but who can use his or her cleverness to always find a way around any problem, or an alternative solution that is creative and which works.
As Gemini is the sign of communication, it is, at best, capable of receiving information from its own high self, spirit guides, angels, and the cosmos at large, and to channel this information to others who need it. Sometimes this happens without Gemini even knowing what the sources of its inspirations are. To do this Gemini must allow its natural psychic and intuitive abilities to shine forth. When Gemini is only intellectual and objective in its mindset, and disavows its intuitive abilities it greatly reduces its power to help others.
Quartz crystal is one of the stones that vibrates with Gemini. The clarity of quartz, it coolness and sharpness mirrors the crystalline clarity of the Gemini soul, and its pure ability to allow the light of spirit to shine through it.

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