The Vatican has two observatories & many astronomers.
Astrology is the mother of astronomy.
The Vatican studied comets –
https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/sacred-space-astronomy/treasures-from-the-vatican-observatory-library-an-old-artsy-science-book/
Sun & Mercury in Virgo – Today, Sept, 3, 2025.
Virgo is the six pointed star.
The Soul calling to the personality.
The personality lifting up, blending fusing with the Soul.
Thus the six pointed star.
Virgo – I am the Mother (earth), pregnant with the Holy Child (Soul). The Father (Spirit) & I are One.
Six pointed star:
The star of Solomon (Seal of Solomon), the hexagram – appearing in all religions –
across different cultures, including Hinduism, Christianity (as the “Creator’s Star” – the Trinity), in Judaism (Star of David), in occult traditions, in ceremonial magic, in alchemy – it symbolizes the reconciliation of opposites, the elements harmonizing.
In esotericism – it’s the visualization when reciting the Soul Invocation – I am the Soul, I am Light Divine, I am Love, I am Will, I am Fixed & Perfect in my Design. I am the Soul.
And so today –
September 3, 2025 – Wednesday.
Mercury’s day today – Ray 4 day.
The color in the Egoic Lotus is the color of Ray 4.
Golden Yellow –
Mercury travelling way out in the outer reaches from the Sun – Mercury (4) in Virgo (2/6) today squares Uranus (7) & inconjuncts Neptune (6) & Pluto (1).
Mercury – communicating w/ Uranus Neptune & Pluto.
About change, about dissolution & refinement & about tranformation. A big conversation today!

Moon in Capricorn – we continue to be practical, to plan ahead, to simplify – Capricorn energy simplifies to the bare bones (Saturn ruled).

The Vatican has two Observatories.
One outside of Rome & another on a mountain in Arizona.
The Vatican knows about astrology.
And so….
Saints Day today – astronomy, Gregorian calendar.
The Seasons.
Pope Gregory XIII’s primary connection to astronomy was the commissioning of the Gregorian calendar, a reform of the Julian calendar, to correct the misalignment of Christian feasts with the seasons caused by the Julian calendar’s inaccurate length of a year. This reform, developed with the help of astronomers like Aloysius Lilius and Christopher Clavius, involved a one-time deletion of ten days and a new leap year rule, establishing a more accurate average year length. Gregory also supported the Church’s institutional interest in astronomy, establishing the Vatican Observatory’s precursor in 1582 to study the universe and ensure accurate timekeeping for religious purposes.

So much to learn & know & discover…Risa

Aspirations – what are everyone’s aspirations?
For self, then for others? A very important question to ask oneself. Aspiration is a leavening agent.
It is the upliftment of desire (personality) to the Soul.
And so…today –
Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Moon in Capricorn.
A practical day.
Sun & Mercury in Virgo – more practicality – the practicality of serving, tending, caring for self & others & the kingdoms.
Mercury (4) entered Virgo (2/6) this morning.
The conversation changed – from Leo (1/5) to Virgo (2/6).
From the knowledge rays to the love rays.
From fire to earth – to practical everyday words.
From looking at our creativity (Leo) to how to be of service.
First to the self, then to our environments around us.

Aspiration –
We ask first – what are the needs?
Aspiration – from the blue books – scientific process – aspiration raises us up – a leavening agent – the will comes in, works with desires, lifts desires up to aspiration to the Soul. Aspiration continues to lift up. We are to be aware of our aspirations.

World Events
News & Notes – keeping abreast of the news before, now & later.
1. Solar Flare from the Sun & major earthquake in Afghanistan & Sudan landslides –
https://earthsky.org/?mc_cid=a683252560

2. Elephant & Dragon Meet – Note the Rays – a recent meeting involving China (Ray 1), India (Ray 1), and Russia (Ray 7) concluded yesterday. The leaders met yesterday, September 1, 2025, during the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which was held in Tianjin, China. Ray 1 is will & power & leadership. Ray 7 anchors Ray 1. We ponder upon this meeting in terms of the Rays.
Outer world events –
Shanghai Cooperation Summit w/ Chinese leader – Putin, Modi, etc. China Ray 1. Modi/India Ray 1. Russia Ray 7. These are the energies working together. A meeting conference. Chinese prez talked about importance of India China relationship & used a phrase (remember they are Ray 1 – will).
“It is vital for the dragon & the elephant to come together.” Energies both are Ray 1. Important to look at outer events w/ esoteric lens. Shanghai & India – are the Eastern mind, the two Ray 1 power, china the dragon, India the elephant – “Our nations must come together in friendship.”

There’s ancient myths about elephant & dragon being enemies. What are the myths?

Today is World Coconut Day.

Upcoming:
Uranus retrogrades Friday night.
Full moon, lunar eclipse Sunday.

Labor Day –
Laboring in the Fields of the Lord.
Women in labor bringing forth new life on Earth.
All of humanity laboring in the field of the earth.
Matthew 11:28:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
Psalm 128:2:
“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed.”
Exodus 20:8-10:
“Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God”.
Genesis 2:15:
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work in it and take care of it”.

Labor Day – Laboring in the Fields of the Lord.
All of humanity. Each day we labor & service one another.
We are grateful –
And so….
A new month & week begin today.
Monday, September 1, 2025, a Ray 4 day.
Looking at the transits (planetary movements in the heavens) I see Saturn has returned to Pisces (until Feb. 13, 2026 when it once again moves forward in Aries). What is the difference between Pisces & Aries energie? Who can tell us?
Looking also at the heavens, we have seven “lights” retrograde.
When Uranus retrogrades on Friday night, we will have eight lights retrograde – Saturn, Uranus (Friday night), Neptune, Pluto, Ceres, Pallas Chiron.
So Saturn in its retrograde movements re-entered Pisces, for one more time into the spiritual & religious waters of life.
Sagittarius Moon today – life is a journey, a pilgrimage into form & matter, into a darkness – which is the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). We must seek & thus find the Path of Return, which is the Path of Light which is the Evolutionary Arc.
Today is our last day of Mercury in Leo – Mercury, our communication. Leo, the sign of our creativity, our creative acts, talents, gifts which are to be cultivated. When we cultivate our gifts, our self identity increases, we come to know ourselves (in the likeness & image of our Father). Then we offer all of our gifts to humanity in need.
Tomorrow, Mercury enters Virgo – a different conversation begins.

Upcoming
Friday/Saturn – Uranus retrogrades 1 degree Gemini (til next year).
Sunday lunar eclipse, full moon, Virgo solar festival 15 degrees Virgo/Pises.

A quote today – in meditation we USE our minds (we don’t still our minds). We use our minds in meditation which means we use our creative imaginations. Here is a quote from Treatise on White Magic. Disciples are White Magicians.

The process of creating thought-forms is part of the work done by every aspirant in the daily meditation process. If the student would remember that every time he sits down to his morning meditation he is learning to build and vitalize thought-forms, his work might assume greater interest. The tendency of most aspirants is to be occupied with their deficiencies in the work of meditation and their inability to control their minds, whereas both those aspects of their endeavor would be aided if they were to be occupied by the profoundly engrossing work of thought-form building. Treatise on White Magic.

Our lives – as Poems, Prayers, Temples, Gardens.
Poem today – Sunday.
Where Does the Temple Begin. Where Does it End?
by Mary Oliver – Sunday in the Temple. It could be Saturday in the Temple too –

The Poem
There are things you can’t reach. But you can reach out to them, and all day long. The wind, the bird flying away.
The idea of God.
And it can keep you as busy as anything else, and happier.
The snake slides away; the fish jumps, like a little lily,
out of the water and back in; the goldfinches sing
from the unreachable top of the tree.

I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.
Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing around
as though with your arms open.
And thinking: maybe something will come, some
shining coil of wind, or a few leaves from any old tree–
they are all in this too.

And now I will tell you the truth.
Everything in the world comes. At least, closer.
And, cordially.
Like the nibbling, tinsel-eyed fish; the unlooping snake.
Like goldfinches, little dolls of goldfluttering around the corner of the sky of God, the blue air. – Mary Oliver –

And so…
Thoughts on my mind today, this Sunday.
August 31, 2025 – our last day of August.
Thoughts all jumbled together seeking a common theme.
Today is Sunday, & with the poem today by Mary Oliver, it could be Saturday too.
A temple is a temple – it’s a cathedral, a synagogue or a tent in the wilderness, it’s nature itself. It’s ourselves.

The thoughts today – creativity, observation, prayer, temples, gardens. Finding their common theme…maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe all week.
And so…
1. that we are to continue God’s creation (that is a new thought).
2. that we begin our days outside, in nature, with a poem or a spiritual sentence or something from the bible.
3. that we find garden references in the bible.
4. that we find where the sun, moon, mercury, venus, mars are each day & apply them to our charts…then we have knowledge of the journey each day.
5. our inner temple – St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle.
The Soul as a castle of many spacious rooms (like each area of life in an astrology chart).
The castle with its rooms (the astrology chart w/ its houses) is the Soul’s journey, the illuminated Way, from darkness (the Soul imprisoned in matter) to light.
More on this later – maybe another day.
Maybe not.
On this Sunday – observing & listening. love, Risa
Mary Oliver was born w/ Sun Venus Neptune Ceres in Virgo.
See her chart below….