The Wesak Festival, Buddha Full Moon
Risa – Many years ago in the early 1970s I encountered an article in an alternative paper with symbols and shapes used for a festival called Wesak. I lost the article but I remember being deeply drawn to the geometrical shapes. Later, I found a pamphlet from Lucis Trust about the Wesak Festival and inside were the very same shapes – points, lines, crosses, interlocking circles and triangles, ending with a five pointed star. Today I know those shapes signify sacred movements (evocations, a “calling”) performed in front of a flat rock altar next to a stream in a valley in the Himalayas during a full moon of April or May, the Buddha Full Moon also known as the Wesak Festival. The shapes are accompanied by sacred mantrams and these “call down” and assist the Buddha in his yearly visit and appearance to Earth from Heaven (Shamballa).
The Wesak Festival is this Thursday night/Friday morning, April 21–22, around midnight. People from all around the world travel to the Wesak Valley for the festival. There’s a legend that Holy Ones appear in the valley, too. Buddha’s brother, the Christ, and the Hierarchy, the New Group of World Servers, preparing since Winter Solstice, all participate in Wesak. It’s part of the Ageless Wisdom teachings.
Each year the Buddha returns to Earth to bless humanity with the Father’s Love and Will-to-Good which, when received by humanity becomes Goodwill. The Forces of Enlightenment accompany the Buddha, inaugurating an era of Right Thinking and strengthening the Will to Good in all lovers of humanity.
We place crystal bowls of water outside prior to the festival. The water, absorbing the Father’s blessings, becomes sacred water under the Taurus Light. Everyone everywhere is invited to participate. At the moment of the full moon we say together, “We are ready, Buddha. Come Forth.” And recite together the Great Invocation, the Mantram of Direction for Humanity.
ARIES: Something’s (everything about you) exalted, there’s an abundance of physical and emotional energy, your moods swing into a rhythm following the stars. You seek to understand, then protect your values, possessions, becoming steadfast, like a Taurus. Although fluctuating financially you’re always prosperous.
TAURUS: Watching you these days we see activity, forcefulness, courage, leadership. You’re free, independent lead by imagination and vision. Your feelings assert themselves everywhere. Enlightenment is your purpose. Nothing obstructs this, not even relationships. You pioneer new enterprises, teach new ways of thinking. You’ve found your Path. Careful.
GEMINI: You settle into a quiet place, alert and sensitive to the needs of others. At times you’re into the mysterious or mystical through prayer, meditation or imagination. It’s good to stay behind the scenes, study things like forgiveness, apokatastasis (Greek for “being restored”, returning to an original dream), a new word from St. Gregory of Nyssa. The Earth this week is being sanctified. Is your crystal bowl ready?
CANCER: A sense of being enlightened this week and month come through communication with social groups, friends, organizations and/or communities seeking to reform and revolutionize society. You will ask what are the collective objectives? And these help define your future hopes and wishes. If they are not practical you will make them so. Your values and ideals illumine.
LEO: You seek enlightenment through interaction with and great achievement in the world. Concerned with reputation, honor, or fame you learn how to be an authority and influence others with kindness. As you take on more responsibilities you also learn how to lead with both power and love. When one is without the other leadership is hollow. Every leader learns this through suffering.
VIRGO: You have high ideals that seek justice and equality. Your actions attempt to remove the blindfold from the eyes of Mother Justice. You aspire for more education, deeper consciousness and true wisdom. You expand your mind through travel, religion or philosophical endeavors. You try to spread new ideas. Few see your spirit of adventure. Begin to carve a sacred staff.
LIBRA: You look to others, seeing how they live a life of values. You contemplate aspects of death and regeneration, the phoenix-like qualities found in those with great courage. You seek a deeper level of intimacy. Some Librans will enter into detective work diagnosing difficulties (health, forensics, etc.) Whenever you engage in conflict you are seeking to find the way to greater harmony. Think on this.
SCORPIO: Enlightenment comes through seeing those close to you with new eyes, eyes not judgmental but unconditional, filled with love and understanding. You will find harmony through cooperation, balance through diplomacy, and peace through negotiation. This sounds like the United Nations, which is also Scorpio. The Great One is always knocking on the UN’s (and your) door.
SAGITTARIUS: You will enlighten and illumine others, just like the Buddha would, by blessing everything, being dispassionate, by tending to necessities, both personal and professional, by assisting and serving others which creates a holy order of things, by tending to details, particular to your health. All with a neutral attitude. Then you walk your usual razor’s edge with grace.
CAPRICORN: You’re often very dignified, and more so this month as the Buddha’s blessings shower upon your home and garden and creativity. Your dignity allows others to see you as self-expressive, entertaining (yes, very funny sometimes), dramatic, inventive, imaginative, romantic, and playful. If anyone acts proud of themselves, praise them even more. An interesting and kind response.
AQUARIUS: Enlightenment occurs this month through family, acknowledging the foundation of your life and how you’ve adapted to and embraced early learnings. As you grew you sought new sources of happiness, love and vitality. Nurture and shelter all that you have been given. Give thanks for your early years. They honed the goodness within yourself now. Do you need a new home?
PISCES: You seek to improve upon your environments. A creativity moves within you to clean and enlighten, clear, brighten, order and beautify. This provides you with tasks and purpose, two things needed to feel comfort and fit in. It would be good to contact siblings, walk through neighborhoods, take short trips and learn a new language, maybe Sanskrit, draw the Diamond Sutra, study the Tibetan Sand Mandala. Reaching for the Light.
Risa – writer, teacher, counselor, astrologer, esotericist. Founder/Direction – Esoteric & Astrological Studies Institute, a contemporary Wisdom School. Email – risagoodwill@gmail.com Web – www.nightlightnews.org/ FB – Risa’s Esoteric Astrology