PAN International 89

PAN - Provisional Astroshamanic Network
Ezine of the Sacred Cone Circle
English Edition, 19 February 2009, Issue 89

Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Scotland. +44(0)1309-672289.  PAN@astroshamanism.org.
Editorial Director: Franco Santoro. Editorial Staff: Anna Luna, Elaine Silverfire, Astrid Gude

© 2009 Franco Santoro. All rights reserved. Permission must be granted by the author for publishing and use on websites. For permissions contact PAN@astroshamanism.org


Editorial - Pisces and the Immaculate Art of Deleting the Past

Once again the year reaches the ultimate sign, Pisces, the twelfth. The zodiac cycle attains its climax, then the sequence from 1 to 12 is deleted, and everything returns to square 1, with Aries. This can either be the repetition of the same monotonous cycle or a shift into a brand new configuration. Perhaps, more realistically, it is a mixture of both. The time of Pisces is the most delicate stage of the healing process, and a very challenging space to manage. Luminous parts of our being take shape and get ready to be born, yet the gestation of this newness occurs in the darkness, while in the outer environment the dynamics of the past continue to dominate.
This is a most promising time heralding the beginning of a new journey and the birth of precious hidden treasures. In the Pisces pool our multidimensional nature dispenses the most abundant signs of its presence, awakening the memory of our original unity and power. Yet, this intensifies the contrast with the separated self and all the blocks from of our conditioned past. Hence, if such grievances are not properly released, Pisces can instigate a devastating scenario, a vortex of confusion and turmoil. The individual involved may then be forced to take resolute measures, which may entail the commitment to explore and heal these areas of darkness, or the option of hiding them away.
Being at such a crucial threshold between past and future, Pisces is the sign of recapitulation par excellence. Recapitulation is an ancient healing practice aimed at retrieving and releasing energy. The assumption is that past events block vital energy until they are finally sorted out and released. When this is not the case the past keeps being held in the emotional body and we lose the connection with whom we truly are. We merely become the condensation of unrefined fragmented memories, which are constantly recycled, reactivated and condensed in the present. As human beings we tend to invest enormous energies in these memories until, just like in a computer, the memory space is used up, and our lives crash, hang or freeze.
Releasing the past may not be an easy task. Many people regularly focus on their memories and justify whatever they do and the way they feel based on their past. They say things such as, “My father abused me”, “My partner left me”, “I lost my child” or “I was fired”, and use them to validate why their life does not work. As they focus on those things they feed those negative past experiences, which then keep being recycled in the present, preventing new experiences to emerge.
Other people take a totally different stance. Being aware of how the past limits their freedom they elect to wipe it out with an instant spring clean. They start a thorough enterprise of deletion of whatever refers to the past, people, places, situations, belongings, etc. The relationship with my girlfriend is over! Ok, let’s burn all her photos, letters, presents, also deleting e-mails, text messages, and so on, until I can say, often by quoting lines from a New Age book, that I have finally cleaned up my past and now I am liberated. And from that moment all will be really different! Well, this is a universe of immense possibilities, and this can truly be the case if I can move radically beyond the syntax of this separated reality. Since the past, as we perceive it is an illusion, deleting it can be as easy as erasing files from a computer. The moment I wake up from the dream, it will be all gone. And yet, unless I have mastered the art of not falling asleep again, the past will eventually seep though, exactly in the same way, and the only difference will be the actors and the settings.
Well, now if you want to take a break from all this, please watch The Immaculate Art of Deleting the Past at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQYw64-ckU&feature=channel_page by Cut! (filmmakers from Glasgow University). Yet do it soon for it may be available only for a very short time.
Releasing the past is not necessarily deleting the past. Far from being erased the past is first of all in vital need of being truly acknowledged and honoured, then healed and, if it truly does not serve, released. Release is not throwing the past in the bin and then relying on the local authority to get rid of it. Release is liberation, allowing the past to flow in the present, undoing fear and supporting luminous elements, so that this can provide blessings for the present and future. Release is forgiveness, and as A Course in Miracles puts it, “To forgive is merely to remember only the loving thoughts you gave in the past, and those that were given you. All the rest must be forgotten. Forgiveness is a selective remembering, based not on your selection” (ACIM, T354). The problem is not in the past, it is getting stuck there, being frozen in the past. And this happens when we consider only the past, as well as when we deny it.
I can pretend that my ex girl-friend never existed, and remove all the evidence of her presence. This may be temporarily effective if I can’t cope with the situation, yet if there are unresolved issues with that girlfriend they will return in one way or the other until I choose to truly release. And if I don’t release those issues during my life, well, those issues may be carried over in my “next life” or be taken up by the following generations.
I stress these two options because I believe that the major obstacle in releasing the past is not the nature of the past itself but the way we perceive it. I can regard myself as a separated individual having to deal with personal problems throughout my life, and even in past and future lives, or I can acknowledge myself as part of the collective, a planetary larger being, which includes all mankind, past, present and future.
In shamanism there is the notion of "deleting personal history", yet this is not the past, it is the illusory past created by our separated minds. Hence here the deletion applies to the ego involvement with the past and its separated reality. The perception of separation from others and the world is the human arbitrary configuration that needs to be dropped in order to experience our true identity and move into a much wider reality.
And this is not a spring clean; it is an ongoing and enduring process, which gradually allows the emergence of the collective past, a realm where all minds are joined. Here personal thoughts, being separated, do not exist or are mere hallucinations. Shamans, more or less universally, receive most of their guidance from that realm and work intensively with ancestors. They experience past, present and future as a time continuum through which they travel in order to gain knowledge and pursue their shamanic intentions.
For many native traditions all life is based upon this time continuum, with ancestors representing the major reference in cults and social practices. Any type of conflicts developing in the present is acknowledged in relation with the past. And the past is explored as the matrix level, the realm of templates (see article below) that can unveil the tools to heal any conflict for the benefit of present and future generations.
May we all be blessed by our luminous past shining into the most joyous present radiating into the ecstatic future, and moving on into the past in an everlasting circle of bliss and love.
Franco



Healing and releasing the past is a basic feature in all astroshamanic workshops and training modules. Yet, if you are interested to work more intensively on the topic there are some workshops that feature it very prominently. They are The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time, from 20 to 27 June 2009, Restoring the Fragmented Heart: The Way of Sacred Relationships, from 3 to 9 May 2009 and The Blessed Way of Passion: Astroshamanic Healing and Touch, from 28 November to 5 December 2009 (see details below in the calendar).
If you wish to have an in-depth and truly down to earth exploration of the Pisces cycle leading to the Spring Equinox, which will also involved practices or recapitulation and release of past, then Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden from 14 to 20 March 2009, (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco) can be your ticket. This workshop deepens trust in the guidance and healing that comes from connecting with spirit and the world of nature. The week includes practical gardening and connecting with nature in all its forms, as well as landscape healing and shamanic rituals and practices. During the week we explore the hidden magic of the gardens at Cluny, honouring the visible features and their unseen essence (see article below by Sverre, titled The Sacred Garden at Cluny)
Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat with Franco and Astrid, from 11 to 17 April 2009, is most recommended if you wish to revive your spirit, mind and body bio-batteries at the climax of the Holy Week. We will alternate periods of silence and dialogue, stillness and movement, deepening our understanding of our connection with the divine, and how to best support it in our daily lives.
Then, there is the Astroshamanic International Summer Retreat in Assisi, from 3 to 7 July 2009. This is our annual astroshamanic network gathering, which this year will focus on sacred circle management and astroshamanic group dynamics. More details in the calendar.


IN THIS 89th ISSUE

The Immaculate Art of Deleting the Past - Editorial
New Astroshamanic Healing CD to be released on the Spring Equinox
Customizing Astroshamanic Templates by Franco Santoro
The Sacred Garden at Cluny by Sverre Koxvold
Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Dave Mountjoy
The Moon – Pisces: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro
Energy Conservation by Elaine Silverfire
Upcoming Astroshamanic Events



New Astroshamanic Healing Ritual CD to be released on the Spring Equinox

After forming a duo of astroshamanic healing sounds partnership with top shamanic musician Max Mattoni almost two years ago, I am pleased to announce that following more than one year of intense visionary and practical work our first album entitled "Astroshamanic Healing Ritual” will be released on the Spring Equinox, on 21 March 2009.
This CD has been specifically produced for shamanic healing and energy work, as described in astroshamanic literature. The sounds support deep relaxation and access to expanded states of consciousness, encouraging the vitalisation and harmonisation of the subtle energy centres of the body and environment. This process aims to stimulate the release of grievances, toxins and blocked patterns, paving the way for deep transformational processes.
The CD can be used to support a range of healing practices, according to one’s guidance or spiritual path and tradition. These include: shamanic journeying and trance dance, astroshamanic touch or bodywork, active and still meditations, healing rituals and prayer. The basis for the structure of this CD is taken from the classic astroshamanic ceremony of the Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone.
The CD is available to pre-order by contacting info@astroshamanism.org


Customizing Astroshamanic Templates by Franco Santoro

If you are a bit into astroshamanism, then you may be familiar with the terms Totem Spirits and astroshamanic templates. Totem Spirits, and the equivalent term astroshamanic templates, play a central role in the whole astroshamanic healing cosmology. They literally constitute the core matrix from which all human perception and experience originate. Yet, in spite of this, or rather as a result, they are not often overtly mentioned in astroshamanic workshops or sessions.
In general, the term template, or templet, a diminutive of the Latin templum (temple), is employed to describe a mechanical pattern used to reproduce shapes, or the molecular structure of a compound utilized as a prototype for the production of another compound. In computer terminology templates are predesigned formats for text and graphics on which also web pages can be based. Their function is to enforce a standard layout, which affects multiple pages or specific content regions. When the template is changed, any page or region that refers to that template is also automatically changed.
In astroshamanism template is used as a synonym of Totem Spirit, Paheka, archetype, deva, etc. The advantage of the term template, as I see it, is that, unlike most traditional words, is devoid of romantic connotations and appears more neutral and rigorously pragmatic. The astrological equivalents of templates are the twelve zodiac signs and the seven traditional planets, which are very powerful references, yet often misleading because of the biased associations they cause. Whatever the case, in this article I will use the term template, which you can always substitute with some of the terms mentioned above if you do not feel comfortable with it.
Astroshamanic templates literally represent the patterns of reproduction that shape our entire human perception of reality. They are the generators of the collective dream that keeps our world trapped into what can be described as a simulation grid. “All welfare and adversity that come to man and the other creatures come through the Seven and the Twelve” reads the Bundahishn (a classic account of Zoroastrian cosmology) “for the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the seven planets rule the fate of the world and direct it.”
In the astroshamanic cosmogony the above state of affairs is called the Human Arbitrary Configuration (HAC), which is strategically caused by the Paheka Rubhe (the web generated by the 144 combinations of the twelve astroshamanic templates). Whatever is perceived in our world is the result of this web, which appears to operate with an intention of separation. The only way to change the effects of this situation is to access the templates and modify their programme (intention). When the programme in the template is customized, all the elements of our reality that refer to that template are also inevitably changed. The extreme disadvantage here is that templates abide beyond the reality that they generate, i.e. our human configuration (HAC). And since HAC is based on separation templates remain virtually inaccessible, thus precluding any prospect of real change. The aim of the current HAC is essentially to prevent the connection with templates by annihilating any possibility of escape from its separated reality.
Yet, within HAC there exist however few extraordinary options for escape, which are either part of the acknowledged, though secret, structure of the configuration itself, or the result of system failures. This is the realm of the Provisional Order, or Provordo Etnai (see previous articles), and of shamans. The situation is ideally depicted in the movie The Matrix, where Morpheus and his crew can enter and exit the Matrix (HAC) at will, causing failures in its programme, while the men with the black suit operate as a sort of HAC antivirus software. They can also transit to and fro HAC, yet they do so in order to eradicate threats to the system and prevent illicit escapes.
The characteristic of shamans is their ability to move in and out of ordinary reality, yet similarly to Morpheus and the men in black they do so either to promote unity or preserve separation. Paradoxically, yet perhaps more accurately, shamans also play a third function, which serves the interests of both parties. Yet, this is most contentious and we will not to go into it here. What I would like to address instead are some more pragmatic features of the work with templates.
In practical terms shamans are aware of how changes truly manifest in the ordinary visible reality. Their connection with templates is purely pragmatic. This means that their association far from being dictated by beliefs is based upon direct experience and tangible results.
Shamans produce changes in HAC by establishing a connection with alternative or parallel realities, and namely with the templates that originate such realities. For example, if in our ordinary reality (HAC) there is a conflict between two individuals, the commonplace way of dealing with it is to operate within HAC itself, i.e. by directly involving the related parties and finding ways to solve their conflict. This is certainly legitimate, and at times the conflict can be solved in this way, as long as the templates contemplate that possibility. Yet this is not always the case, and often the conflict escalates or, even worst, is repressed or disguised. A shamanic alternative is to operate on the templates themselves and give less emphasis on the outer conflict.
Here the shaman refers to the conflict or whatever happens in the ordinary reality similarly to how a typographer considers printed material. Here outer reality is merely the result of a printing process, which is determined by typesetting. Before the advent of digital publishing, typesetting of printed material was operated by compositors working by hand or with machines. Yet, although things have evolved, the general principle of typesetting is still the same. It involves the arrangement of glyphs, images and other pieces of text to make up a template, and the successive printing or transfer of that template onto paper or other media.
It is the template that produces the printed material. Yet, since it is the printed material that catches all the attention, the understanding of how printed matter is generated is often lost for most folks and remains the realm of typography or desk top publishing.
Once the shaman has identified the features of an issue occurring in ordinary reality the next step involves tracing the template that is producing the issue. Here part of the work consists of facing the template and understanding why it generates that issue, which purpose it serves in the universe and, if this is coherent with the shaman’s intention then customizing the template.
The arrangements in which the letters of the alphabet can be placed are immeasurable, yet there are only 26 letters (in the English alphabet). There are many copies of a given printed material, and they can be published in various formats or type paper, yet in the end there is only one template. Similarly, there are countless expressions of the issues we face in life, yet there are only very few templates.
The main characteristic of working with templates is the awareness that there is nothing personal or private, and that everything is part of the collective. Many events in our life seem to relate only to our private life and to the lives of those we get involved with. Yet, when we become aware of templates, we realise that what seems to happen to us is indeed happening on a much wider scale. When I deal with issues only at a personal level, I cut off from the vaster reality where this issue truly belongs. When I open up to the collective I realize that I am not alone and that I can receive support from a wider spectrum of forces. This is indeed the first step in shamanic healing: translating personal history into collective history. Before moving beyond the ordinary reality and accessing the template, I need to take the first decisive step of mending the separation between myself and my environment.
I need to realize that the level of fragmentation of the ordinary reality is of great magnitude. Not only there is a huge separation between outer and inner reality. There is also massive separation within the outer reality itself. This easily causes us to see our experiences with all their feelings, processes and emotions as separate from the experiences of other human beings, not to mention animals, plants or minerals. Before even attempting to access the template, we need to become experientially aware of the collective implications of all apparent personal processes. We need to feel at one with the outer reality for once we access the subtle realms of the templates we will confront far more complex dimensions. There is no way we can approach the templates unless we are ready to question our human illusory perception and, though provisionally, let go of it.
“Human beings are perceivers, but the world that they perceive is an illusion: an illusion created by the description that was told to them from the moment they were born. So in essence, the world that their reason wants to sustain is the world created by a description and its dogmatic and inviolable rules, which their reason learns to accept and defend. (Carlos Castaneda, The Wheel of Time, p. 133)
Templates abide beyond the perception of our illusive world based on linear time and third-dimensional space. At their level of awareness all times and spaces exist simultaneously. Moreover what seem to be serious problems from our human perspective appear totally different from the templates’ perspectives. The understanding of templates is virtually unattainable for our limited human minds, yet glimpses of comprehension are accessible when we use easier definitions of templates.
Templates are models which reproduce an enormous variety of shapes. The appearance of the shape changes, yet it keeps its essential structure. For example, if the template is a circle, I can reproduce many circles and paint them in different colours, yet they will always be circles. The same applies to triangles. In the astroshamanic cosmology there are 12 major templates. Each of these templates possesses its own characteristics. Each template consists of a specific story that constantly repeats itself. It is like the remake of a movie. The actors and the environment change, yet the story remains the same, although there may be some minor variations. There are 12 basic stories. Everything proceeds undisturbed until the story goes according to the script. The purpose of the template is to reproduce the same structure, yet allowing trivial alternatives in the content.
Since the most ancient times of human history, the teachings around the basic templates have been transmitted through the work of a few individuals or esoteric groups. The number, the form, the name and the function of these templates changes according to the strategies involved. Astroshamanism employs the astrological language as a model of reference and considers 12 templates whose associations are akin to those of the 12 zodiacal signs and their ruling planets. The first step in working with templates involves acknowledging each one of them, separately, in the same way children learn the alphabet. Each letter is identified and associated with the sound it produces, then later letters will be put together to create words and sentences. Thus, in the next issues of PAN it is likely that we will devote detailed attention to each of the 12 templates. Yet, in this respect, please be aware that the Operative Training in Astroshamanism and, on a larger scale, the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training offer the optimal solution in this respect (for details please contact astro@astroshamanism.org).



The Sacred Garden at Cluny by Sverre Koxvold

Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden is not only the title of an inspiring workshop held at the Findhorn Foundation since 2005, it is a deep ongoing experience available to whoever visits the sacred environment of Cluny Garden and has the opportunity to work with Sverre and other amazing members of the Cluny Garden team. You will find details of the workshop in the calendar, yet first I would like to introduce Sverre and provide a few words from him.
Sverre Koxvold (see picture below), besides being a dear friend, is a generous shining star in the Findhorn galaxy. He lived 18 years in London as the financial director of Hitachi for Europe. Then he retired and spent seven years sailing around Norway, Sweden and Orkney, before stumbling upon Findhorn one stormy night in 2001. He joined the community and since then has worked in Cluny Garden, of which he is the focaliser and also keeper of 120,000 bees. His grace, depth and dedication are widely known to all those who have had the opportunity to meet him. With Sverre I am holding three one-week workshops this year. Each workshop is associated with a seasonal cycle, and aims at exploring the mysteries of the connection between our inner experience with the spirit world and the outer experience of nature and the physical realm. We will start with an initiatory journey through the transition between Winter and Springs, from 14 March 2009 to 21 March. This will encompass the day of the Spring Equinox on 20 March 2009. The title of the week is Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden, which I highly recommend. For further details about this and other workshops with Sverre see calendar below.
What follows is an article by Sverre.

The gardens here at Cluny are mysterious; not unlike a secret world that is hidden behind a tall wall, with ivy growing over the old door. Most people who come here will detect that the garden is there. And with some guidance and help, will find their way to the door. They will also find the key to the door. And enter.
My inner voice has told me to make the garden available to those who come. “They will see themselves and their quests in the landscape. And it is absolutely right that you also take them to the other qualities of woods and open landscape. You can safely go there and every one will find something that helps them transition into the New Year. And into their next ‘now’.
They will see that there are some very visible and experiential moves they can make to better transform their lives and their living. Remember that it is exactly this that this place is all about; making the important visible; finding the hidden keys that can so transport and make the changes available to see.
And with these keys in their pockets can they then go back to their lives and re-shape and tweak their lives to become more exploratory. But, you should also remember that to get to this other place, you’ll have to leave the place that you are at now. And these journeys and changes to significantly lead to adjustments. You should also know that such adjustments are the very first and the most important step; as such adjustment is the actual signal for desire to live this life that you have agreed and so enthusiastically agreed to play out.
The Universe applauds you for being who you are. For being what you have chosen to do. And for making each and every step on your joyful and exciting journey.”

Becoming a part of that?
There are many ways that you can come and experience just this. To be part of the Sacred Garden at Cluny. We give frequent tours and talks for various workshops that are taking place here. You may also be one of the selected to work in the Garden. Or, you can sign up for the week long workshops Franco and I are doing together; Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden. The first one starts already 15 March 2009 for seven days.

What’s happening in Cluny Garden now?
The winter has been great. The energies of the landscape has gone deep under-ground. Deep down to rest and reconnect with the core of the Planet. And from that depth, the energies will come bouncing up once the spring time is right.
We have the Angel of Clarity for 2009. This is already manifesting itself into more care and planning in growing of vegetables for this year. We are combining the concept of raised flower beds where we use straw, compost and little disturbance to the soil, with what we have learned from Anastasia books (www.ringingcedars.com). This entails letting the seeds knowing who I am, where I am, what’s out of balance with me, and then watching the plant grow itself into what I need to balance out my un-harmonious parts. The plant becomes my own personal homeopathic provider.
But the biggest job at hand in our Sacred Garden at Cluny, as it has been for several years, is to witness the energies in nature and to encourage that to become more visible. THAT is what this place is all about. THAT is what serves the people who come here. THAT is what serves our wonderful Gaya right now.


Franco’s book on astroshamanism in Italian, Iniziazione all'astrosciamanesimo: la via astrologica alla guida interiore, published by Edizioni Mediterranee, is now partially available online at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=gVpGSxIUewIC&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=astrosciamanesimo&source=bl&ots=OwZsVtCxEx&sig=PhUTJFvjR6j93Z8gn_mMVkvc0Uw&hl=


Featured Member of the Sacred Cone Circle of the Month: Dave Mountjoy
Every issue of PAN will now feature a long term member of the Sacred Cone Circle or astroshamanic network. The Sacred Cone Circle comprises all committed members of the astroshamanic network, including certified astroshamanic practitioners, researchers in the certification process, trainees in APT (Astroshamanic Practitioner Training) and OTA (Operative Training in Astroshamanism) and other astroshamanic associates.
We continue this series with Dave Mountjoy:
For information about becoming a member of the Sacred Cone Circle, please contact Franco at info@astroshamanism.org

Name: Dave Mountjoy

Sun Sign: Gemini
Moon Sign: Virgo
Ascendant: Leo
Astroshamanic Trinity System: 3:6:5
Other relevant features in your astrological chart:
Born on the cusp of Taurus and Gemini.

Location: Sinton Green, Worcester, UK

Where are you originally from? Broadheath, Worcester, UK

Tell us about yourself and your interests.
I’m 36 years old, tall, dark and handsome, in my perception of course. I have a passion for a great many things and regularly become drunk with the beauty of what I see, which includes such taboo areas as anger and hatred. I feel like a child most of the time, which supports me in my employment as a primary school teacher. In no particular order, I enjoy: walking, dancing, eating good organic food, astroshamanic practices, being in nature, making love [also in nature], listening to and making music, being with friends, being alone, laughing and watching films.

How did you first connect with astroshamanic work?
A friend of mine made me aware of the Findhorn Foundation and in particular, his experiences with Franco. When I participated in Experience Week, I booked an individual session with Franco and this was the first connection I had.

Why are you involved with astroshamanic work?
At this moment in my life, it is necessary for me to be connected to astroshamanism. This understanding is constantly reinforced through experience and inner guidance. Although I haven’t aligned to too many healing systems, out of the ones that I have experienced, astroshamanism is currently the one that appears to be most compatible with my own programme.

What sort of things inspire you in astroshamanism?
As far as I experience it, the absolute freedom to follow inner guidance and encouragement to trust whatever the information is I have received. The fact that the emphasis is upon myself to have to decide to take each and every step, with awareness, is truly inspirational. This invitation also allows me to explore the nature of responsibility and challenges me to constantly align with my commitment to authenticity.

How long have you been involved with astroshamanism and other forms of spiritual healing or energy work?
My first connection with astroshamanism was in the Autumn of 2007. I first became interested in spiritual practices in 1992 when I began attending a yoga class. I continue to use the exercises and techniques learned during attendance at another yoga class I joined in 1995 when I feel they are necessary.

What types of astroshamanic activities, training and work do you take part in? I am currently involved in the Intermediary First Level of the Operative Training in Astroshamanism and am preparing the ground for the beginning of Astroshamanic Practitioner Training. For the past year, I have been facilitating trance dances in my home area of the south-west Midlands. These events have gradually grown and evolved and now include opportunities for participants to experience The Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone, as well as trance dance, shamanic journeying and ceremonial sharing.

What are your favourite astroshamanic practices and experiences?
I continue to experience a great passion for trance dance, yet as my involvement with astroshamanism deepens, I come to enjoy the experiential astrology practices. I have also developed an almost obsessive desire to connect with The Guide as often as possible.

Why are they your favourites?
I enjoy physical movement and the feeling of unity when my body is used as a form of conductor or mobile gateway and trance dance allows this to happen. Trance dance also appears to be the practice which gives me permission to embrace previously unknown grievances. My reason for enjoying experiential astrology practices is simply that I have discovered they are the best way for me to become more aware of the workings of the zodiac. I sometimes experience great frustration and often anger when trying to intellectually understand astrology through reading books, yet when I have opportunities to experience it first hand, I get a certain type of clarity. I enjoy connecting with The Guide because it provides the support I feel I require to be able to travel into areas where I know I have to go, yet am sometimes reluctant to.

What is your current intent?
To align with the commitment to authenticity and live my purpose as a creator of gaps and spaces.

Do you offer any astroshamanic or other healing services, sessions or events? If yes, what are they?
As mentioned above, I facilitate astroshamanic events with a core focus of trance dance, yet increasingly including opportunities for participants to explore experiential astrology and other core elements of astroshamanism. I will also soon begin a cycle of monthly meetings in my home area, with the purpose of honouring each Sun sign and developing astroshamanic connections in the area.

What advice would you give anyone who was thinking of training or going deeper with astroshamanic work?
It’s very simple – to basically honour with complete trust your inner guidance and be prepared to take the most beautiful risk.

Anything else you'd like to say to the group?
I came...I saw...I played conkers.

Contact Information: 01905 640735 / 07532 356703 d.mountjoy@yahoo.co.uk www.shamansdance.co.uk


The Moon - Pisces: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro

Please be aware that the articles in this series are merely an introductory overview on the topic. More plausible implications of the astroshamanic voyage through the Tarot are provided with individual experiential sessions or specific training. For a complete list of Astrology and Tarot correspondences according to the model used in these articles please see: http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/astrology-tarot.php

The Moon is the eighteenth trump of the Major Arcana, which in most traditional decks is associated with Pisces. In the Rider Waite Tarot the card depicts a dog and a wolf baying at the Moon, while a crayfish emerges out of the water and takes its first step on a pathway leading beyond a large gateway of two towers. The landscape is dark and gloomy, with a waxing and rather frowning Moon shining with sixteen chief rays and sixteen secondary rays, and shedding drops of luminous dew.
In the The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A.E. Waite describes the Moon as the representation of life of the imagination apart from life of the spirit. The setting looks desolate and obscure, illuminated only by the light of the Moon, which is the result of a reflection and therefore illusory and easily misleading. This light illuminates and triggers our animal and unconscious nature, the lunatic (from the Latin luna, “Moon”) side, represented by the dog, the wolf and, as Waite puts it, “that which comes up out of the deeps, the nameless and hideous tendency which is even lower than the savage beast. It strives to attain manifestation, symbolized by crawling from the abyss of water to the land, but as a rule it sinks back whence it came.”
Despite this noticeable anguish, the Moon is a zone of major power and a great learning path, if one is not swept away by the intense emotional turmoil that this trump can potentially manifest. This is an area where the structure of our human arbitrary configuration (HAC) and all the illusions that characterise this separated reality simply crush and melt away. Yet the alternatives may be insanity, addiction, despair and the most dramatic forms of psychic disturbance, unless the individual is firmly grounded on the healing path. The Moon activates processes of huge release of unconscious energy that drastically dissolve the ego identity. This may involve shape-shifting and other radical transformations, which pertain to the realm of shamans. It is an out of bound area accessible only to those who can move beyond their identification with consensus reality. When this is not the case the Moon elicits most devastating consequences from the illusive perspective of the ego self, and yet this is what can also bring about a healing crisis, a shamanic initiation, if the individual involved does not succumb.
When the Moon shows up in a reading it may indicate a challenging emotional situation, a state of deep confusion, fear, uncontrolled excitement and cravings, which might lead to escapism and various perilous addictions. This card also points to a time of high emotional and psychic sensitivity, when we are like sponges, absorbing whatever surrounds us and getting most confused and unstable. On the other hand, the card may also imply a creative opening towards the unconscious and the hidden realms, unveiling the development of great intuitive and creative powers, paving the way to great empowerment and the attainment of deep peace. As A. E. Waite writes “the message is: Peace, be still and it may be that there shall come a calm upon the animal nature, while the abyss beneath shall cease from giving up form.”
The setting of the card may seem rather threatening, yet real risks develop only if we lose our awareness and become too reactive or passive. Things immediately change when instead of being the victim of the Moon’s environment, we decide to hold and direct its force. The Moon is not there to frighten or confuse us. It is an immense source of energy, which usually causes havoc simply because our culture and social make-up is based upon its ongoing denial. The Moon merely unveils one of the two sides of our being, and causes problems only when we do not acknowledge that side. Yet, those problems are solely the result of our ignorance and limited perception of who we are. The Moon exemplifies whatever is unconscious, the unknown, the dark, and this includes also the realm of dreams and sleep.
The Moon exemplifies the emergence of a tremendous amount of energy, which can either overwhelm and destroy or empower and fortify. This basically depends on what we do with that energy. And here the best way to deal with the Moon is to be aware of our intention. Working with an intention is the best protection for any type of emotional turmoil. This establishes a focus, which not only shelters us from undesired forces, but also draws the energies that are most beneficial in the pursuit of our intent. There are basically two things that can happen when the Moon is at work. We can either react with addictive, disruptive and unsocial behaviours or embrace the power of the Moon with creative and healing activities.
The Moon is simply the other side of the Sun, the night force as opposed to the light energy. Both share an equal amount of influence through our life, yet if the lunar side is denied, as it is often the case, once it manages to erupt into our consciousness, it appears devastating. In the long run the Moon cannot be overlooked, and it will find a way to be seen. In actual fact, all the pent-up feelings will build up to an overt and undeniable crisis, a lunar burnout. This is the case for people who are mainly focused on the solar side. The Sun gives only one part of the picture, and there is much more in our individual make-up which continues to feel and act, though it goes mainly ignored, until it cannot be ignored anymore.
There are also many folks for whom the Moon energy largely prevails on the Sun. They are ruled by the Moon and yet they are not aware of it, or are forced to come to terms with a world that does not fit with their strong emotional nature. Being a Lunar type in a Solar World, which is the title of an inspiring book by Donna Cunninghan, is certainly a challenge, and yet when this is eventually acknowledged and mastered the Moon side is bound to become a major source of power.
In Robert Places’ Tarot of the Saints, the Moon is represented by Mary, the Madonna. Mary’s cult was initially discouraged by the Church for fear that she would surpass Jesus. Then from the sixth century she was given full status and was officially named “Queen of Heaven”. As such she is depicted with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars. This is a reference to Revelations 12:1, and to more ancient depictions of the lunar goddess. Mary is also acknowledged as the “Mother of God” (Theotokos) and the matrix of God’s grace and forgiveness. It is the lunar world that produces the solar world, which are constantly interrelated no matter whether one world appears to prevail on the other. Despite being portrayed with the Moon, Mary is also often surrounded by a Solar nimbus (as in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe), identifying her as the Supreme Solar Deity, rather than the classic patriarchal representation of the lunar feminine qualities.
Towards the end of the novel The Mists of Avalon, when Morgana visits a Christian convent she says “it is in Avalon, but it is here. It is everywhere. And those who have need of a sign in this world will see it always”. The Moon principle lives everlasting and will always be there, shape-shifting in any available role. In the television miniseries based on the novel, Morgana says this while watching people praying to the Virgin Mary, and she adds “Exile her as they may, she will prevail. The Goddess will never withdraw herself from mankind”. Moving beyond the illusion of duality, the two polarities will ultimately merge into a third pole, which gloriously encompasses and embraces both.

Energy Conservation by Elaine Silverfire

"Water conquers by yielding; it never attacks but always wins the last battle. The Sage who makes himself as Water is distinguished for his humility. He embraces passivity, acts from non-action and conquers the world." Tao Cheng

In Cluny Garden there are three pots of sage standing together. These are the Three Sages, the Three Wise Men bearing gifts, which leads me on to the Three Treasures in Chinese philosophy, Jing, Qi and Shen, and the treasure I am interested in at the moment, Jing.
Jing can be translated as "essence", "life force" or "sexual energy". The Chinese believe that all energy comes from sexual energy and so they are careful to conserve this vital energy by taking care of their kidneys, for in Chinese philosophy the essence relates to the kidneys.
It is believed that too much thinking can lead to a loss of energy but as we still the mind the essence builds up because we are no longer squandering the energy behind thought. The brain a very "hot" organ and uses up most of our energy so if we want to build up our energy we have to stop using our brains. We can get closest to this in meditation and this is why meditation is energising.
The Chinese believe that the organs of the body are the source of our emotions so that the organ is the emotion is the energy. The emotion of the kidneys is gentleness and so gentleness is the kidney. Gentleness is the positive emotion of the kidney and fear is the negative emotion of the kidney and so the kidneys can be damaged by fear as much as they can be damaged by "cold" weather. The kidneys are dominant in Winter* and their element is Water*. Winter is the time when everything in nature contracts and energy moves downwards into the root, a time for resting and storing. It is a time when physical energy is low so be careful to conserve your energy. Don't think too much!

*In Chinese philosophy there are five seasons relating to the five elements, relating to the five organs - Winter, Spring, Summer, Harvest, Autumn, relating to Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, relating to kidneys, liver, heart, spleen, lungs.


Astroshamanic Network in Facebook
I am pleased to inform you that an astroshamanic group, called Astroshamanic Network, has been created in Facebook. Facebook is the most popular, free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. Groups are one of the features in Facebook. They are a way of enabling a number of people to come together online to share information and discuss specific subjects. In Facebook there is now a group called Astroshamanic Network that you are most welcome to join, if you are a Facebook users. To become a Facebook user is very easy and all you need to do is to visit http://www.facebook.com
Another feature of Facebook are “pages” which allow users to “become a fan” of the service or individual involved. There is also one page devoted to Franco Santoro, and one to Astroshamanism, as an organisation, which I invite you to visit.

Astroshamanic Trainings:
Franco Santoro and his associates offer a wide range of both basic and advanced training courses on contemporary shamanism, astroshamanism, experiential astrology, spiritual healing, astroshamanic trance dance and bodywork. These also include distant learning training module. For more details please contact info@astroshamanism.org.
For details on some distant learning courses please click here.


Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events: 2009

Please be aware that new events may be added with short notice. For further details or information please contact Franco info@astroshamanism.org or alternatively go to www.astroshamanism.org
To book Findhorn Foundation workshops, please contact bookings@findhorn.org or Bookings, The Park, Findhorn IV36 3TZ, Scotland. Tel. +44(0)1309/691653. All Findhorn Foundation workshops held by Franco take place in the amazing campus of Cluny Hill College.
All events are held by Franco Santoro, except where otherwise indicated.

Findhorn Foundation, 21 February – 6 March 2009, FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM:
With Franco Santoro, Astrid Gude & Sacred Cone Circle members
This programme introduces participants to astroshamanism in a practical and effective way. Participants will experience tools for opening, discovering and supporting the relationship with their core identity and essential Intent. They will also focus on releasing blocks and retrieving hidden potentials, learning to bring shamanic healing work in their life and relationship with others. Read more… The training consists of two workshops, which can also be attended independently
21-27 February 2009, A Journey into the Inner Universe.
28 February–6 March 2009, The Voyage through the Zodiac

Hereford (England), 22 February 2009, The Spirit of Dionysus with Dave Mountjoy
(10.30am - 4.30pm), £25 / £15 concessions davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703

Findhorn Foundation, 14-20 March 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco). This workshop is an initiatory journey through the transition between Winter and Springs. It culminates with the Spring Equinox on 20 March 2009 at 11.45.
This workshop deepens trust in the guidance and healing that comes from connecting with spirit and the world of nature. During this inspiring week we explore the hidden magic of the gardens at Cluny, honouring the visible features and their unseen essence. We learn how energies in their various forms relate to and affect our inner world, while also discovering the ancient world of Cluny Hill. The week includes practical gardening and connecting with nature in all its forms, as well as landscape healing and shamanic rituals and practices. Income related price (click here for more information) £475 / £565 / £665. If you wish to attend please book at your earliest convenience, at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Cardiff (Wales), 22 March 2009, Spring Equinox Celebration with Dave Mountjoy, 1.30pm - 4.30pm, £5, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703

Stroud, Gloucestershire, 28 March 2009, The Birth of Spring with Dave Mountjoy 10.30am - 4.30pm, £25 / £18 concessions, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 28-29 March 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica: Le Energie del Cerchio. Corso Base di Gestione Operativa del Cerchio di Guarigione, con Elementi di Astrologia Esperienziale Energetica e Astrosciamanesimo Applicato (in Italian)

Rome (Italy), 4-5 April 2009, Elementi di Sciamanesimo – Angels and Shamanism (Corso di Formazione Triennale per la Comunicazione Multidimensionale) in Italian

Findhorn Foundation, 11-17 April 2009, Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat (with Franco & Astrid Gude) In the flowering environment of Cluny Hill College at the climax of Holy Week we will explore spiritual and mystical practices, promoting our inner search for truth and meaning, as well as collective and planetary healing. We will alternate periods of silence and dialogue, stillness and movement, deepening our understanding of our connection with the divine, and how to best support it in our daily lives. The retreat honours both established and innovative practices from various traditions, including prayer, contemplation, quiet and dynamic meditation, dance, rituals, shamanic work, and much more. Please book early. Income related price (click here for more information) £475 / £565 / £665. If you wish to attend please book at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Findhorn Foundation, 2-9 May 2009, Restoring the Fragmented Heart: The Way of Sacred Relationships. All relationships are a path to wholeness. Finding fulfilment through intimate love associations may be one of our greatest desires, yet this search can also cause acute conflict and pain. In this workshop we explore relationships from a spiritual and shamanic perspective, tracking and releasing blocks to our capacity to love. When the power of sacred relationships is strong it can bring incredible healing and manifest miraculous effects in our life and the whole environment. We encompass both couples and celibates, the paths of sexuality and chastity.
Please book early. Income related price (click here for more information) £475 / £565 / £665. If you wish to attend please book at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 13-14 June 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica (in Italian)

Findhorn Foundation, 20-27 June 2009, The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time (with Franco & Sverre Koxvold) A unique workshop for healing and transformation, in the mystery setting of Cluny Hill College, offering practical tools for retrieving our most genuine and whole nature. With shamanic journeys, soul retrieval, trance dances, astroshamanic touch, and rituals, we explore the power and depth of archaic roots and original lineages, translating personal stories into universal myths, transforming grievances, revealing potentials and bringing healing in our current life and environment. This workshop draws from ancient shamanic traditions and from energy work. Income related price (click here for more information) £475 / £565 / £665. If you wish to attend please book at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653.

Assisi (Italy), 3-7 July 2009, Astroshamanic International Summer Retreat (in English and Italian), with Franco Santoro. This workshop takes place in the mountains of Assisi, birthplace of Saint Francis. Its primary focus is the healing connection between Earth and Heaven, body and spirit, through astroshamanism, energy body work, sacred circle, grounded mysticism, meditation, leisure and good food. We will experience how group and individual spiritual practice and deep energy work can lead to profound luminous changes in the outer and inner environment. This gathering requires previous participation to an astroshamanic workshop. The workshop is in English and Italian.
Income related price: Euro 496 - 466 - 436. The cost includes half-board (breakfast and dinner), accommodation in two or three-bedded rooms with bathroom and kitchen. The Gathering starts at 2 pm on Friday 3 July and ends in the early afternoon on Tuesday 7 July. Please book at your earliest convenience with a non-refundable deposit of Euro 90. It is also possible to stay additional nights. The event takes place at Agriturismo Casa Faustina (see www.casafaustina.it).
Please book early. This workshop is designed for a specific number of people. If you want to attend please contact Letizia (see details below).
Information: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998 or zone25@tele2.it.

Findhorn Foundation, 1-8 August 2009, Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting Reshaping the World Through the Healing Dynamic of Sound
In this workshop trance dance and sound are used as transformational tools to open the pathway to expanded states of consciousness and a profound awareness of ourselves and our environment. During the week we employ movement to animate deep emotions and stagnant energies, redirecting them to support highest potentials, empowering our authentic visions and stepping into the healing flow that allows us to reshape the world within which we live. The programme also includes astroshamanic chants, planetary alignment dances, sound healing, shape-shifting rituals and the exploration of the basic astroshamanic drumming method. Please book early. Income related price (click here for more information) £495 / £625 / £735. If you wish to attend please book at bookings@findhorn.org or +44(0)1309/691653

Findhorn Foundation, 15-21 August 2009, Settimana di Guarigione Spirituale (Spiritual Healing Week) in Italian (yet also in Spanish, if required) with Franco Santoro

Jesi (Ancona, Italy) 5-6 September 2009, Sacred Circle Management - Formazione in Metodologie di Guarigione Astrosciamanica. Corso Base di Gestione Operativa del Cerchio di Guarigione, con Elementi di Astrologia Esperienziale Energetica e Astrosciamanesimo Applicato (in Italian)

Malvern (Worcestershire, England) 12-13 September 2009, Astroshamanic Healing with Franco Santoro. For information and bookings: Dave Mountjoy, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703.

Palma (Majorca, Spain), 10-13 October 2009, Sacred Relationships Intensive with Franco Santoro (in Spanish & English). Contact: chemamier@gmail.com or +34 985265465

Findhorn Foundation, 7-14 November 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden in Autumn (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco)

Findhorn Foundation, 28 November 2009 - 5 December 2009, The Blessed Way of Passion: Astroshamanic Healing and Touch.

Findhorn Foundation, 29 December 2009 - 5 January 2010, New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat

PAN welcomes assistance with transcription of recent workshops in English and Italian. If you would like to help, please contact pan@astroshamanism.org


Astroshamanism Book I: A Journey into the Inner Universe and Astroshamanism Book II: The Voyage Throuh the Zodiac feature the core teachings of astroshamanism. They are available, together with various drumming and trance dance CDs, and the astroshamanic cards from info@astroshamanism.org



The Operative Training in Astroshamanism (OTA) is a certificate course in core astroshamanism which allows you to study at home as part of an ongoing interactive training. Participants will learn a wide range of techniques, exploring all aspects of their soul, individual and collective, as they are reflected in the astroshamanic cosmology of the 12 Sectors, the 4 Directions and the 3 Worlds. They will receive initiation into specific healing and ceremonial practices according to each zodiac sign, integrating shamanic experiences with information drawn from astrology and other esoteric sources. The OTA can ideally be integrated with the One Year Course in Astroshamanism and the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training. For information contact: info@astroshamanism.org


Disclaimer: All information provided in PAN is presented solely for inspirational or recreational reading, and it is not meant to substitute the recipient’s direct experience and investigation. The information is also given to strategically exemplify the different features of astroshamanic cosmology and is not intended to reflect Franco’s opinion or astroshamanism in general. Franco does not necessarily endorse any of the ideas and views expressed in this literature, including his own.