posted October 10, 2014 12:23 AM            

I have a close friend who is a High Priestess (she just finished a big 3 year training), and the girl knows her myth. She's a catalogue for goddesses. She always jokingly calls me "The Underworld Goddess", constantly telling me to connect with Persephone & her story. I blow it off, I'm not a big "goddessy" kind of girl. I'm deeply into Native American studies, Shamanism, Kundalini Yoga, and yes, astrology. I like the nitty gritty, she likes the pretty. Journeywork is a big part of my life, and my work, "traveling" to the darkness.

The word shaman, roughly translated, is one who can see in the dark. They are the ones who can venture to the ethers, the astral realms, the other worlds. Shamanism (which is NOT a religion) predates it all, it is an ancient practice. They are the first astrologers, the first psychics, the first healers, the first doctors. They are the wounded healers, a big reason why Chiron is often referred to as a Shaman asteroid, having a deep connection with healing THROUGH the personal wound that will not heal.

Most if not all Shamans experienced some form of trauma, illness, or near death experience in life. This experience or trauma catapulted them into their work in some way. They have been to the other side. They have seen the depths of Pluto's lair, the darkness there. They were ripped from normalcy (just like Persephone), and catapulted into the darkness. Then they have to "deal", which turns into "heal". They can navigate the unseen with ease, they can draw the experiences back into reality to help their clients.

Ami's words: "Proserpina shows up in the charts of people who had a very traumatic rite of passage from teen to adulthood. I have seen a case in which family secret opened up at the time of this man’s rite of passage. He was not the actual son of the father. I think that sexual abuse may be present in a prominent Proserpina, too."

Well, I have Proserpina conj my MC within 3 degrees, and I absolutely went through a right of passage in my teens. I also went through a rape scinario after my right of passage. I also have big FAT dad issues (damn you dad!!) - Wanted to share to give those of you who study these asteroids real life perspective.

Without going into the whole story, I was sent to a wilderness camp in Utah for 8 1/2 weeks when I was 16 (we had to literally be outside, camp, make a pack from wood, make our own fire, no tents, all do it yourself, it was torture, but it was TRANSFORMATIVE). The program was seriously called "Walkabout" which in Native American tradition IS the right of passage a child goes through to become an adult. It IS the right of passage experience, the walkabout. Immediately after the program ended my father decided to send me on to a "therapeutic boarding school" aka glorified treatment center for 9 more months. So for nearly a year of my teenage life I was "institutionalized" (HA how 12th House of me?). My pallas conjunction with my MC speaks to some MAJOR dad issues with me. MAJOR dad wounding, but just like Athena, I leaped out of good old Pop with a battle cry!! "DONT F WITH ME!!! RAHH!!" In the myth, Zeus "eats" Meta, when he realized she had already conceived. This child technically was not wanted by Zeus - he feared the power of this child, she could be more powerful than him (I resonate with that), but here she comes BUSTING out of her father's head, RAH!

Anyway - This was all deeply traumatic, having your parents ship you off. Not even that, when I came home FINALLY, they told me they really should have never sent me off, that it was really them that needed the work, not me (HA go figure?). Like, "Oops sorry kiddo, our bad!" I am 29 and I still have nightmares about it on occasion. I was raised in a massively abusive household, and was the youngest child. By the time I was a teenager, my parents were just OVER dealing with the children they screwed up, so I was sent away. I was the kid that showed all the symptoms of their messed up-ness. They didn't want to see it, so they put me away, "Lets put her way over here and make someone else deal with it". I was FORCED to grow up early, was forced to process experiences that a child shouldn't have to, I was forced to see the big picture when I wanted to just disappear. Lots of wounds, but good gracious have they effected me for the better. I have been through YEARS of therapy to deal with this, so it is not really so bad to talk about. Honestly, I'm proud of my past. Badge of honor, I earned these scars.

I guess I share this because now I see how this connects to my own right of passage, and really makes Proserpina conj MC make sense. My deep connection with Shamanism, the underworld, seeing in the dark, comfort in the darkness, fascination with crossing over to death.... wanting to make that a career, hello Persephone!!!!

Now the rape thing, I was raped when I came home from treatment. Actually, to weirdly tie into Pallas Athena (as I know she is connected to horses), when I came home from treatment, my Dad sent me (notice a theme? He likes to send me away places) to stay for two weeks with a man who taught me how to ride and train horses (I love horses). While I was there, I was raped by the son of the people I was staying with. It was awful, BUT it is a part of my past and it is ok.

Anyway, I share all this to just show the deep connections with these asteroids and real life. How they play out. I am amazed again and again and again by this. So yes, in my case, this Proserpina conjunction to my MC, the highest point of my chart, yes.