Orange Chakra Alert: A Call for Sex Peace

Woke up this morning and scanned the news sites, finding amidst much rumour of war and terror an article about the Pope's midnight mass. Here's how CNN.com opened the story: "Pope John Paul II ushered in the Christmas holiday in a midnight Mass, delivering a homily where he said 'too much blood is still being shed' in conflicts around the world."

The first thing that came to my mind is that His Holiness doesn't grok something very basic, which is that there will never be peace until people are at peace with sex, and until there is peace between the sexes. Or maybe he does understand, and he's just not copping to the obvious. Or maybe the state of divisiveness works well for the Church, an institution that categorically excludes women from its leadership cadre and its working definition of human.

Here is a Pope, world spiritual leader of a billion Roman Catholics, who has done more to block progress in the area of gender equity than perhaps any of his contemporaries, which is saying a lot. Progress could have come in the form of recognising the problem of AIDS (particularly in Africa) and doing something significant about it. Progress could have come in the form of creating more openings for leadership for women in the church, but even at this late hour in history, women are banned from the priesthood and all its political privileges. At the same time, with a fast dwindling supply of priests, women take on ever more of the labour of running local parishes.

Progress could have come in the form of a more liberal (or even progressive) stance on contraception, which would encourage those in his flock of a thousand million souls to take a little more control over their power of fertility and their reproductive destiny. What common sense, at a time when world overpopulation is the gravest problem we face as a global community, when food and water are in short supply and when the economy is making the Earth so hot the ice caps are quickly melting.

Instead, to high praises, allegedly in order to protect the institution of the Church itself, the Pope holds fast to numerous positions that stop progress and feed social regression. At the same time, these same ideas drive wedges between the sexes, divide the sexual orientations and create political factions within 'straight' society that divide people and encourage more division and violence. They seem to 'bring not peace, but the sword'.

His Holiness's suspicion of women, indeed, his maintenance of traditional bigotry against them, has merely perpetuated the authority of an institution that has both waged war on pleasure, and has itself waged vicious war and inquisition again and again over the horrific two millennia of its existence. Few people today know the story of the real witch hunts, not the two brief outbursts in Salem, Massachusetts, but rather those throughout Europe, ending just several centuries ago. These efforts burned between 7 million and 20 million women at the stake. The implements of torture are still contained in museums throughout Europe and are seen every day by countless tourists, whom it is most unlikely know the full story.

The trauma of this bit of nearly-forgotten history -- history of towns in which, for example, no women were left alive after the inquisition came through because they were all burned as witches -- still haunts each and every one of us of European descent. The pain has spread into the melting pot of the Americas. The information is contained in our genetic code and was passed down the generations of grandmothers as fear, rage and shame. I have come to believe that the relative silence of women today, their frequent refusal to challenge power structures or to raise their voices, may be a direct extension of the genocide that was so recently waged against them. We think we live in a male-dominated world today, but really we live in the long, dark shadow of fear of an earlier age.

In this context, the trust of men by women is truly a precious gift.

We often overlook the effects of religion's treatment of women. Consider today that the two societies now locked in an escalating world war, the Christians versus the Islamics, are both cultures that put the suppression of women and the degradation of sex high on their political and "spiritual" agenda. Both are cultures who teach hatred of homosexuals. Those of us with an education may not be spared the emotional reflex of empathy with such hatred, since it is deeply ingrained in our bodies. But we know enough to understand that a lot of projection -- that is, directing inner feelings at an outer person or phenomenon -- is involved.

We have a long way to go, as a society, before we can get anywhere close to peace between the sexes. As individuals, there is a lot we can do. One thing is to recognise that we can never really deny sex. We can pretend to deny it, which pushes it from a source of pleasure to an insidious tool for power over others. Those are basically the two choices we have for sex, pleasure or power. Given how powerless so many people feel, using sex and reproduction as power tools is a real temptation, and giving it up would for many seem to be an enormous loss. To the extent that it's perceived as a gain, we had better count the cost. Like Gollum's precious ring, that which seems to give us power often makes us slaves, tortured and emotionally mangled.

The biological destiny of women and the fact that they tend to bond more closely with children than do men is still being used against them to this day. This one fact makes possible and even somehow vindicates all kinds of economic, social, legal, professional and personal inequities.

Therefore we need to encourage the individual men in our lives, and if we are men, also to encourage ourselves, to be as supportive to the process of mothering as possible. This goes especially for the mothers of our own children, as well as mothers from whose lives men are absent or contribute only grief, and anyone else we know of who has responsibility for children in any form, from school teachers to babysitters to midwives. We need to be in harmony with the other men in the lives of the women we know, so they can feel the safety and strength of men in harmony around them.

And if you ask me, we need to question the presumptions of what we call love. Love for the great majority of people presumes ownership of a human being. Ownership implies slavery, and denies the freedom to choose that makes love meaningful. We believe in models of love that say, "If I love you, I cannot love anyone else, and they cannot love me." This is not true, but to appear to obey the law, we often need to live in denial of what we feel. Or, we have to find ways to get around the law (commonly called, and practised as, cheating). What exactly are we cheating? Not just our partners, but the truth, growth, and love itself. Cheating is another way of saying denying love.

Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate today, loved many women, and treated women with great equanimity. He also loved many men. In the strange mythology of Church teaching, his best friend and teacher, Mary the Magdalene, was alleged to have been a prostitute. He railed against sexual hypocrisy. He was a Jew, a member of a matrilineal culture, born of a woman to whom an angel of God spoke directly. He may have been married; presumably as a rabbi he had to be. His wife is believed by some to have given birth to a child named Sarah, whose lineage persists to this day. Mary the Magdalene (or some other gorgeous, enraptured redhead) is clearly depicted at the right hand of Jesus in Leonardo da Vinci's portrayal of the Last Supper.

The priests and politicians who came after Jesus delivered a very different message, born of a vastly different agenda. The false message boils down to: your body and soul are separate, pleasure is unholy, and war is the divine gift of God. Therefore killing is divine and pleasure is of the Devil.

Track these teachings vigilantly; their effects are subtle and widespread, and they infuse our values on every level and lead us to a world of perpetual war. You already know better, but may need to remind yourself, and you may need to fuck for the love of Goddess and God a few hundred or a thousand times before the light finally dawns. Then again, it may take just once.++

For more information and a wide diversity of viewpoints about Mary the Magdalene, please see http://www.magdalene.org/

For more information in general, see truthout.


Your weekly horoscope.
This will also appear as the weekly horoscope on http://Cainer.com and in Saturday's edition of The LOOK magazine of the London Daily Mirror. Used by permission. With love to Jonathan. He asked for a homier version of the horoscope; I don't know if it's homey, but for those curious of my thoughts of 2004, these are a few of them.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
I suggest you spend some time evaluating how secure your foundations really are. You're likely to find this an enlightening, even liberating exercise. You are in a remarkably stable point in your life, in part because you have such a strong constitution, and in part because you have come through so much that has challenged you deeply. These experiences have given you many reasons to feel confident. If, however, you find yourself feeling frustrated or challenged this week, it's clear that you can gently negotiate a solution that works for everyone. The key is to keep equal emphasis on gently and negotiate.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Right now you're being appreciated as a leader and role model who possesses a measure of infinite grace, and can treat all people as equals. Don't let anyone tell you that you're being too soft as a boss or parent. You're the one with the wide view. You know in your heart that everything is going to be fine. Your small and large gestures will go a long way toward spreading peace and understanding this week, and remind you that the best way to set the tone of life is by example. You will, in the process, see that you get back what you put out.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Committed partnership is often a paradox. Looked at one way, it offers stability, a sense of belonging and a space to keep the home fires burning. Looked at another way, it seems to bind us and limit our social possibilities. It appears you desire a lot more freedom in a personal relationship, and very likely your career as well. Look back at what your original ideals were in creating your life as it's currently designed. Remember, you're here by choice. You have a great many options open to you now, and you may be surprised to discover that those close to you are on the same page.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You have begun to take certain aspects of life a lot more seriously in recent months. We could say that you've stabilized and have done a lot of growing up. For once, it seems a privilege to be an adult rather than a burden. These days, you are getting the chance to be strong so that someone else can go through long-overdue changes that, in the past, might have really rankled you. The long-term lesson here is that such mutual support provides a framework for freedom and growth, and teaches young people that adults are actually capable of peaceful coexistence.

Leo (July 22-Aug 23)
People who can receive love have it a lot better in life than those who cannot, and find their experience here quite a bit easier than those intent on only giving. In this world, accepting love seems to be the more challenging emotional space. There are no games involved with what you're being offered now. There are no conditions on the gift, and nobody is making a sacrifice. Often it takes a good deal of practice to accept even the possibility that others have your best interests at heart. In reality, it's simply a matter of taking the right perspective.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Relationships must change. Often, we don't like that fact, but growth, movement and revelations are signs of vitality. Human beings possess, above all other positive attributes, the ability to adapt, and to rise to the occasions that life presents. I suggest you take the most optimistic view of forthcoming developments. Someone around you is willing to take a chance. You have an opportunity to welcome their undaunted spirit as a rare and precious gift, and to open your heart with a sense of freedom, daring and most of all, adventure.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
At this point in history, both personal and community history, we face many questions about what makes us feel safe. It's worth pointing out that most of the time when we feel like we're not safe, we are in fact perfectly safe. Based on this, the idea or thought form of safety is more important than the reality. Why not experiment with this? One thing I've noticed is that the more we say to the people we love, the more grounded, loved and safe we feel. Yes, it takes a small risk to go there, but it's a small risk with a large reward.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Life is a matter of speculation. There are no guarantees. This state of nature keeps some hiding under the bed, while others bravely endure a necessary fact of life. You may be figuring out, however, that since nothing is written in stone, anything is possible. You're about to embark on one of the most creative, imaginative and liberated phases of your life. Your personality may shift dramatically as you throw caution to the wind, particularly where your famous emotional restraint is concerned. Words of the poet Allen Ginsberg come to mind: I have become another child / I wake to see the world go wild.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Take financial developments this week with a grain of salt, whether the news seems more or less encouraging. It would be better to step outside your belief that the situation is fated to be any certain way. Rather, invest some energy into getting organised and figuring out exactly where you stand. A household is a business, and business is very much a long-term endeavour. It's also a collective project. You're not in this alone, and you don't have to act as if you are. Consider yourself part of a community and you'll discover you have everything you need.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
Without realizing it, you appear to be sending mixed signals to the world. Your chart suggests you have something of a heavy heart, while on the outside you're projecting a soft and gentle demeanour. You will feel better if you voice your real concerns and accept the encouragement and support of others. Maintaining one's integrity in this world can be exhausting and it can often seem like a losing struggle. In truth, you're being way too hard on yourself, and can afford a lot more benevolent view of your motives and the quality of your character.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Have you ever woken up unable to remember your name? From the look of your charts, that's the kind of phase of life you're in right now, one of those mysterious, indefinable moments in between. In times of deep change, one fear we may carry is that the people around us won't allow us to become someone new, or won't recognize what feels inside like a profound shift in perspective and identity. People are noticing, and the change in you is very welcome. Understandably, it may be confusing for you, but as the reassuring events of the next few days unfold you'll feel a lot more confident.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Take a deep breath and move gently into the changes -- both expected and unexpected -- that are rushing into your life. In truth, though, it's not your life that's changing. You are changing, and the energy of progress has been building for a long time. Certain events of the past year have given you a taste of what's developing, but you're about to embark on quite an adventure. Your astrology suggests that none of this is an accident, that you're finally being freed of silent expectations and old beliefs that have outgrown their benefit, if they had any to begin with.

Early Capricorn Birthdays

Aspects: Vesta in Capricorn. New Moon on the Solstice. Mercury retrograde in Capricorn, returning to Sagittarius and back to Capricorn. Chiron in Capricorn, conjunct Nessus.

This year is already off to an interesting start, though if you're finding it a little challenging or complicated at this early stage, there's no need to worry: a lot is in the process of working out, and work out it will. You must, however, heed the caution of Mercury retrograde in your sign and slow down, make some space, and review the events that have recently shaped your life so profoundly.

The New Moon conjunct Vesta right at Solstice contains a message or two, and the message involves the nature of sacrifice. Vesta represents the "sacred" or sacrificial flame, and the priestesses of this temple gave thirty years of their lives, one Saturn cycle, to the priesthood. Vesta asks one simple question: Whose flame is it? That is, whose creative power is it, dear Capricorn? Yours, or somebody else's? This is the same question as, "Whose life is it, anyway?"

To the extent that we live as if this life were someone else's (our parents', our spouse's, our children's, our creditors'), we live a life of sacrifice, but the sacrifice is rarely held as sacred. More often, it is greeted with silent resentment, and the direct result of unexpressed resentment, which is guilt.

Venus in Aquarius suggests strongly that you have options that go beyond conventional tradition; she is offering you community, something that the principles of our capitalist culture work hard and furiously to deny.

The presence of Saturn in your opposite sign, Cancer, may be having some direct and rather intense effects on your partnerships, and under such circumstances, community will be very helpful. There is a kind of clean sweep happening, a sweep of history and a clearing of the decks. There is also a confrontation with the necessity of relationship. There is a calling to take relationship more seriously as well. In more difficult situations, marriage and other forms of partnership may be appearing as constraints and sources of great fear. But the primary message of Saturn is to teach us to use limitations for enormous gain, to work within the landscape we share with others, and to structure our lives effectively.

You really have two sane choices in any situation you find yourself. One is to see the service you offer as Seva, that is, as selfless service, and do this by freely made choice; the other is to live your life for yourself. The first choice may seem the holier. But we live in a time when the idea of self-actualisation is something we need to take a close look at. This second choice can be a decision that takes long years to enact. We so often fear freedom, and the responsibilities of freedom. But a number of factors say that you can take a cool decade off the process by beginning today. This is in part because the issues are so clear, the struggle has been so poignant and in many respects the opportunity to make critical decisions is so close at hand. Mercury retrograde, for example, bestows a clear sense of the past, unlike any other you've had recently; more than a view, but a chance to relive the experience and feelings of the past (including childhood) in your body, and to see what strange things influence your adult choices. That's a lot of information.

How you use that information is up to you, but the key factor to making the most of what you know -- says Chiron -- is simply awareness. Chiron, the messenger of human potential, is challenging you to affirm the validity of your existence. Chiron is calling on you to give up outdated beliefs about yourself, and all but pleading with you to make the changes you need to make so that you're comfortable on the planet. You know it's time.

Most of all, Chiron's message is that this really is your life, and when this news sets in, it can be shocking. You were born, you are free, and freedom means the freedom to choose.++