COSMOS, CHRISTOS, & CONSCIOUSNESS

Summer 2009

Friday, July 17th, 2009 7:00PM

Jupiter, Saturn & The Persian Astrology of the Magi

A Detective Story Through Astrological History

We're all aware of the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle, and the most recent conjunction in Taurus back in the year 2000. Some of us even remember the 'triple-conjunction' in Libra back in 1980-81.

However, the great cycles of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions were used throughout Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Zoroastrian chronologies to determine the rise and fall of new dynasties, prophets, and world religions, the dawn of new millenniums, and the ultimate battle between good & evil at the end of the world. Even Christopher Columbus was a great proponent of the messianic and apocalyptic portents of this cycle, but he stood on the receiving end of a long-standing and wide-spread tradition. But how and where did this tradition arise? And what gave rise to it? Tracing out an intricate pattern of interlacing triangles around the zodiac, the conjunction cycle provides a unique entry into the mysteries of Persian astrology, and their tradition of astrological histories. One of our earliest sources for its use is Masha'allah (8th century CE), who used the thousand-year conjunction cycle to place the advent of both Christ and Christianity, and Mohammed and Islam, within the Persian astrological context.

The story of the astrological use of the Jupiter-Saturn cycle is a fascinating one, stretching all the way from Babylon in the 6th century BCE to 18th century Christian Europe, and beyond. Among its many advocates we find both famous and infamous names from history, science and religion. There's a lot to learn from the historical uses and abuses of the conjunction cycle, especially as we seek to discern its relevance in our lives today.

Arizona Society of Astrologers

1700 North Granite Reef Road

Scottsdale, AZ 85257

http://www.azastrologers.org/

Saturday, July 18th 2009 1:15-4:30PM

Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto:

Revolutions in Consciousness

A unique program in three parts that gives both experienced and beginning astrologers practical, working insights into the outer planets.

In three separate presentations on a) The Age of Uranus b) The Age of Neptune and c) The Age of Pluto, we will examine the discoveries, the charts for historic events and personalities of the time, what we know about how our current meanings were derived, as well as the whole question of rulerships.

In the small group work that follows each presentation, participants can focus on exploring the significance of these three planets in their natal charts, and their current transits.

Arizona Society of Astrologers

1700 North Granite Reef Road

Scottsdale, AZ 85257

http://www.azastrologers.org/

Sunday, July 19th, 2009 4:00pm

2012:

Apocalypse, New Age, or Mayan Meltdown?

In contemporary western culture, we have taken to recycling and remodeling the cosmologies of the ancient world to our own liking, resulting in a lot of current excitement about 1) the impending return of Jesus Christ in a Christian/Muslim Apocalypse, 2) the dawning of the New Age of Aquarius, and 3) the apparent alignment of precession, the winter solstice and the galactic equator at the end of the Mayan Calendar in December 2012. Obviously, these can't all be true, but they are all fascinating in their own right.

It’s perfectly natural to want to see time and history as meaningful, and to try to organize the flow of the past, the present and the future into some far-reaching and grand design. We stand on the receiving end of some truly remarkable ancient attempts to do exactly that; for instance, the Zoroastrian Apocalypse and the Christian Millenniums, the Hindu Yugas, and the Buddhist Kalpas. There is something valuable to be learned from all of them - even if lesson one is not to take any of them too seriously!

We all seek meaning in time and our destiny and fulfillment in history. We long to fathom20the hidden, innermost secrets of the universe, but at the same time, we can’t help but impose our own desires and limitations upon it. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference, but that's why it's so important to try! So join us in this attempt to gain some perspective on the big picture. In a stimulating combination of lectures, graphics, discussions and small group work, we'll examine the most influential cosmologies and chronologies of the ancient world, along with their contemporary interpretations, while coming to terms with our uniquely personal visions of the meaning of time and history in our own lives.

Also: Pot Luck Supper!

Unity in the Valley

Tucson/Green Valley, AZ

17630 S. Camino de las Quintas, Sahuarita, AZ 85629

http://www.unitysantacruzvalley.org/index.html

Spring 2009

Sundays: June 7, 14, & 21, 2009

10:00am

Zoroaster and Persian Religion: Rebuilding the

Bridges between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that three great monotheistic religions share more in common than it would first appear. While each tradition celebrates a separate origin in divine revelation, the historical and sociological contexts reveal a much more inclusive story and a s hared set of core beliefs, stemming in part from the influence of Persian Zoroastrian religion. Who was Zoroaster? When did he live and what did he teach? This series will help to answer those questions and bring into focus the man and his message: an ethical religious system spread by the Persian Empire throughout the ancientworld. We will explore the historical contexts in which Persian Zoroastrian ideas inter-penetrated Second-Temple and Hellinistic Judasism, early Christianity, Islam, and the modern B’hai movement. In a world still often tragically divided by religious beliefs, the Persian perspective points toward a worldwide religious heritage. It is a heritage we need to recall, a more inclusive story that can help to rebuild bridges between traditions that have too frequently lost touch with their essential messages.

Unitarian Church of All Souls 1157 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10075 (Between 79th & 80th Sts.)

http://www.allsoulsnyc.org/publications/htmlbulletins/0609ebull/export1.htm

Monday, May 4th 7:30pm

Topic: Common Ground:

Zoroaster and the Origins of Western Monotheism

Rebuilding the Bridges between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West

In a world at war, where we are so tragically divided by religion, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the three great monotheisms actually have a lot more in common than not. Come explore our common ground, in this fascinating lecture/discussion on the Persian religion of the prophet Zoroaster. We've all seen how religion can tear people apart; but can it also help bring us back together again?

The Shelter Rock Center for Spiritual Growth

UU Congregation at Shelter Rock,

48 Shelter Rock Rd.

Manhasset, NY

http://members.webs.com/

Sunday, March 29th 10:30AM -12 Noon

Sermon Topic: The Signs of the Times

Courtney will be doing both the sermon and the music for this service

Church of Religious Science, Spiritual Awakening Center

The Chapel at the Hill House Inn of Mendocino, CA
10701 Palette Drive, Mendocino, California.

http://www.mcn.org/h/scienceofmind/default.html

Sunday, March 29th 7 - 9:00 PM

Topic: Common Ground:

Zoroaster and the Origins of Western Monotheism

Rebulding the Bridges between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West

Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

505 E Charleston Rd.

Palo Alto, CA 94306-4247

http://members.webs.com/MembersB/EditPage/www.uucpa.org

Monday, March 30st, 6:30 - 9:30pm

Topic: 2012 New Age, Apocalyspe, or Mayan Meltdown

Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?

We've been hearing a lot lately about
1) The imminent return of Jesus Christ in a Christian/Moslem Apocalypse
2)The Dawning of the New Age of Aquarius
3) The Apparent Alignment of Precession, the Winter Solstice and the Galactic Equator at the end of the Mayan Calendar in December 2012
These Can't all Be True, or Can They?
And why are these ideas so in focus right now?

Join us for an evening of exploration, where, in a combination of lectures, discussions, and small group work, we'll be comparing the most influential cosmologies of the ancient world with their contemporary interpretations, while clarifying our personal visions of the meaning of time and history in our own lives.

Church of Religious Science, Spiritual Awakening Center

The Chapel at the Hill House Inn of Mendocino, CA
10701 Palette Drive, Mendocino, California.

http://www.mcn.org/h/scienceofmind/default.html

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

California College of Art - Graduate Seminar

San Francisco

Thursday, April 2, 7:30pm

Topic: The Star of the Magi

The Star of the Magi

East West Books

324 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 988-980et, NY 11030

Unitarian Congregations

in Ireland

I paid a flying visit to Ireland in July. It is so exciting to be a part of the growing Unitarian congregations there. I kicked off a new lecture, 'Cosmos and Consciousness,' and it seemed to go down pretty well - Or maybe they were just being polite!

Sunday, July 8th, 2007: The Princes Street Unitarian Congregation, Cork City, Ireland

Sunday, July 15, 2007: The St. Stephen's Green Unitarian Church, Dublin, Ireland

Topic: Cosmos & Consciousness - The Universe of Meaning: Beginning with a riveting recap of the extensive, and often shocking role of astrology in Christian history, this talk moves on to a re-examination of the big questions astrology attempts, in its own vain and futile way, to answer.

This Plaque is at the door of the Historic Princes Street Unitarian Church in Cork, and it gives just a hint of the role this church has played in the history of this great Irish city.

Fritz and Margaret -

Two lovely people who both do so much to keep the Cork congregation alive and well, and growing to meet the ever-changing spiritual needs of today's Ireland.

Rev. Bill Darlision: The leader of the thriving congregation at St. Stephen's Green Unitarian Church in Dublin's City Centre.

I was pleased to hear that Church member Anne Gildea quoted approvingly from my sermon in her column in the Irish Mail on Sunday, Aug. 19th. Here is an excerpt:

"... Yet I still believe life is primarily a spiritual journey. And I still attend ‘church’ every Sunday. I call it that because of the tradition I come from, but the appropriate term is, I suppose, ‘service’. I’m a member of the Dublin Unitarian Congregation. Uni-whaa? I heard you say: Let me explain this way: they say that if you crossed a Unitarian with a Ku Klux Klan-er, you get someone in a white hood who went around at night burning question marks into peoples lawns. Or as Somerset Maugham facetiously put it "a Unitarian is someone who passionately believes in they-don’t-quite-know-what'.

A couple of weeks ago the American astrologer and writer, Courtney Roberts, gave the address. I was really struck by one of the ideas she posited: "that in the universe meaning is as intrinsic as light, and meaning, along with time and space and gravity and mathematics was encoded and exploded into the universe that blossomed with the Big Bang and each of us, you in particular, were meant to be there from the start."

I don’t know what you will take from this idea, but for me it was an expression of the most fundamental thing I chose to believe: That life has meaning. If you chose to believe life has meaning, respect supplants cynicism, and that engenders love, and hey brethren, ya’all know who, or what Is Love...

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I am a bit embarrassed writing this. But I just thought I’d tell you that weekly I go to a place where this message is reiterated, through the prism of many viewpoints, but without any dogma. As a principle it’s summarised for me in one of the Unitarian final prayers:

"Be kind to each other, as you know you should be." Given the times we live in, I find it good to be reminded of that. "

Thanks Anne - We all need to be reminded of that!

The Star of the Magi Tour

Officially kicks off in London in October 2007!

Friday night, Oct. 26th:

London College of Spirituality is Proud to Present:

Courtney Roberts & The Star of The Magi

"The Star of Bethlehem is one of the most popular, and puzzling mysteries of the Bible. But why did the authors (and editors) of the Christian gospels choose Zoroastrian Magi and astrology to herald the coming of Jesus Christ? Did the Magi have some special significance then that we have since lost? Who were they, and did their astrological beliefs really lead them to Jesus?
Once we understand who the Magi were, what they believed, and how much they influenced their Jewish and Christian neighbors, some strikingly obvious conclusions emerge, shedding an entirely new light on the origins of monotheism and messianic expectations in the ancient world."

Don't miss this opportunity to meet the author and join in an exciting group discussion exploring all the fascinating implications raised by this work regarding the past, present and future of our Western, Judeo-Christian culture, and our tragic and longstanding enmity with the Moslem Middle East.

Friends Meeting House 7:00 PM
173 Euston Road, Euston, NW1 2BJ
London

To register or RSVP: http://spirituality.meetup.com/51/calendar/6274451/

Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007: London

The 24th Annual History of Astrology Seminar

At The Astrological Lodge at the Theosophical Society:

A whole day seminar exploring various aspects of the History of Astrology.

I will be speaking on Persian Astrology and the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions: The great cycles of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions were used throughout Christian, Jewish, Moslem, and Zoroastrian chronology to determine the rise of new dynasties, prophets, and world religions. Our earliest written source for this use is Masha'Allah (8th century CE) and his contemporaries, but their references place this tradition in use within the late Sasanian dynasty (approx. 6th century CE), hence the claim of Sasanian origins. However, the Sasanians are the only Iranian dynasty whose rise (224 CE) did not coincide with the cycle! Preceding dynasties: the Arsacids, Alexander and the Seleucids, the Achaemenids, and even Augustus and the Roman Empire all did, often dramatically so, leading to speculation that this tradition could be considerably older.

For More Info on the Seminar, Speakers, and Topics: http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/astro/newsandevents/autumn2007/historyseminar2007/historysemiar2007.html

Monday, Oct. 29, 2007: London, UK:

The Astrological Lodge at the Theosophical Society: 7:00 PM

The Star of the Magi for Astrologers

For More Info: http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/astro/info/programme.html

Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007: Westport, CT

1:30 PM Berkshire Fairfield NCGR Chapter

The Star of the Magi

http://www.ctastrologers.org/2007.htm

Monday, Nov. 12, 2007: NYC

New York City Chapter NCGR

http://www.astrologynyc.org/