FSM eDigest | August 1, 2017

By Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., and Brad Deacon

Last April 24, an alert employee at a Whole Foods Market in Ann Arbor, MI, noticed a young man spritz liquid from a small spray bottle onto food in the hot food bar. The man, 29-year-old Kyle Bessemer, was arrested after the media published a surveillance image showing him carrying a red shopping basket and striding past the avocados. Bessemer told police he mixed a Tomcat rodent poison with water in a bottle of hand sanitizer and, over the past two weeks, had sprayed the mixture onto open salad and food bars at several grocery stores. He was suspected of doing the same at 15 other foodservice establishments. Surveillance photos also showed Bessemer squirting liquid on avocados as he squeezed them.

In his statement to police, Bessemer said he had a history of mental illness and thought people were poisoning him, and he ultimately was found unfit to stand trial. This time, nobody got sick from the watered-down poison, but the specter of what if? hovers over the affair. Imagine what could have happened if Bessemer had been what we call a thinking adversary, one who researched and carefully planned an operation targeting vulnerable, open salad bars. Its happened before: Back in 1984, followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh used the pathogen Salmonella to poison more than 750 residents of The Dalles, OR. They deliberately contaminated salad bars at 10 local restaurants in hopes of incapacitating voters so their candidate would win in an upcoming county election.

And what if the culprit not only knew what he was doing but was an insider, someone who knew how to avoid security cameras and pick a time when no one would see him? What if he worked in the back, prepping salad bar ingredients? An insider could get into the system, find concentration points and make sure a poisoned product was widely distributed to the public.

This could have been a very different event. Fortunately, a Whole Foods employee was not only alert but willing to speak up; store management responded immediately, contacting local police and removing all produce and salad bar items; and federal, state and local officials responded rapidly, decisively and effectively. Now, there has been enough time to look back and ponder lessons learned. The number one thing to remember is that alert employees are the most important company asset in any food defense program. Food defense plans are important, but worthless without vigilant employees willing to act decisively. Food defense has to be a team effort.

Other InsightsThe first thing that happened is that store management immediately contacted local police and removed produce and salad bar items to a landfill rather than using the food as animal feed or compost.

Lessons learned:Quick removal of contaminated food material is essential to prevent spread of the incident.

Removal of contaminated food material must be done in a way that does not allow the material to be a source of further contamination in animal feed or the human food chain.

At the time, limited samples were taken of the potentially contaminated food. Additional samples would have been desirable. Consultation with law enforcement officials before disposal of food material would also have been desirable.In the future, it would be wise to segregate food that is suspected to be contamined in a location where sampling by law enforcement can be accomplished, without danger of contaminating other, safe food or introducing the contaminated food into the human or animal feed chains.

The day after the incident, local law enforcement, the FBI, HazMat, the county emergency operations center, the county public health department, the state health department and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) mounted a coordinated, multiagency response. MDARD also notified the grocery industry.

Lessons learned:The state system worked quickly and efficiently, but may have been somewhat delayed because the incident occurred on a Sunday. A thorough after-action review is expected to assess the response time.

Incidents tend to occur at inconvenient times, including weekend and holidays. This should be considered the norm, and emergency plans should include contingencies for incidents when a minimal number of response personnel may be available, Further, it is critical that after-hours emergency contact numbers for key personnel and key agencies be readily accessible.

Emergency response plans should include contingencies for segregating potentially contaminated food materials during off hours, as well as first-run sampling of contaminated materials. States, counties and municipalities should consider identifying collection points ahead of time, where suspect food materials could be collected and initial sampling initiated. These collection points need not be a stand-alone or sole use facility, but should be secure and a location where further contamination of the human or animal food supplies can be prevented.

In the early stages, where identification of the contamination agent(s) has not occurred, it is essential that public access to the portion of the facilities and any equipment associated with the event be temporarily suspended, until which time the type of contamination be identified. Clean up in such instances should not be initiated until which time state or local HazMat does initial testing at the site, so as to ensure that radioactive materials or highly hazardous chemicals are not present.

The Michigan Public Health Laboratory screened the food suspected of contamination on April 27, three days after the incident, finding no evidence of select agents. The first multiagency call took place, and the store was notified that the risk to the public was low.

Lesson learned: Definitive identification of potential hazard(s) takes time beyond initial screenings by HazMat. There is no good go-around for this, and therefore food industry defense plans should take into consideration these types of inevitable lag times. Interruption of the process should be anticipated and contingencies built into the plan.

On April 28, four days after the incident, the Michigan Intelligence Operation Center generated an Official Use Only Bulletin and shared it with law enforcement and the grocery industry. The bulletin proved essential in the identification of the suspect by alerting other grocery store employees. An alert employee recognized the suspect and contacted law enforcement officials.

Lessons learned:The decision to release information to the public in future events will be dependent on the nature of the hazard(s) and the state of the investigation. Rather than establishing a hard and fast rule, it is advisable that each case be handled independently with the watchword being transparency, wherever and whenever possible.

Avoidance of panic by the public is an essential consideration in any decision.

Release of information must also be done in such a way to avoid investigatory compromise.

The Big PictureBig picture, what can the government and the food industry gain from the lessons learned? Overall, the system worked well in Michigan, although there were issues that both the private sector and public sector agencies are working to address. There is always room in any plan for improvement. In fact, it is not certain that another municipality or state would have been as efficient. In all, 16 grocery stores were investigated by state officials, and the breadth of the investigation was costly. Not all jurisdictions would be able to quickly muster such resources, which could translate into the event spreading quickly and becoming even larger. Illness complaints first emerged after the public announcement. Although claims of illness ultimately proved to be unfounded or unrelated to the contamination events, the investigation nevertheless expended additional law enforcement and public health resources.

The motive to date still remains unknown, which is a troubling gap that may never be answered. There are indications mental illness may have been involved. Insight into the suspects motivations might give valuable clues into how the incidents evolved. Although the investigation to date has not uncovered information indicating involvement of others, that question remains open.

A particularly troubling aspect to any event like this is whether it could lead to copycat incidents. The event revealed vulnerabilities in grocery store food defense planning and operations. One of the conundrums in any incident investigation is the question of what should be exposed. Obviously, during the incident, the grocery stores that might be affected need timely information on what transpired and what to look for if similar events were to occur in their facilities. A thoroughly researched after-action report is also essential but may, in some cases, need to include redactions, particularly if proprietary information related to the affected facilities is exposed during the course of the investigation. Specific information related to the affected facility should be restricted to the owners of the facility, while more generalized lessons learned should be distributed industrywide as soon as possible.

The possibility of thinking adversaries must always be considered in planning for future events. A thinking adversary is one who will learn from personal mistakes or those of others. It is generally safe to say that future events will not be the same as those in the past. Frequently while planning for future events, companies find security solutions for past events. Thinking adversaries know this and will plan work-arounds to overcome new strategies and safeguards implemented in response to the last incident. Planners need to anticipate generalities, rather than specific scenarios. A security camera system placed over a salad bar might be a valid response, but its placement could also cause a thinking adversary to shift attention to some other location in the grocery store. A whole-of-property camera system could be used to prevent this adversarial shifting, but can such a system actually prevent an event or just detect an event once it has occurred? Security camera systems are very good to have, but are only as good as the comprehensive food defense program of which they are an essential part.

Threats evolve with the adversaries. Food defense plans must also evolve. What might have been effective in the past is not necessarily going to be effective in the future. Essential to any robust planning and operational execution is the training of personnel, who are going to be on the front lines when something occurs. They must be empowered with knowledge of what to look for in terms of suspicious activity and authority to act with the full support of the facility or corporation leadership. That being said, one threat that should not be minimized is the potential for events to be precipitated by insiders. Disgruntled employees are the most immediate problem for any corporation, food-based or otherwise. Insiders know the system and how it works, and they also know defense strategies and gaps. It is imperative to hire only thoroughly vetted individuals whose identities are definitively known, and for supervisory staff to monitor all employees activities and demeanor. Employees showing signs of discontent or agitation should be immediately removed from critical processes or functions, such as concentration points where large numbers of food products could be intentionally contaminated.

In terms of response improvements needed, Michigan identified first the need to take more and better samples should future events occur. When in question, always take more samples, thoroughly document their source, and let the laboratories sort out what they do or do not need to test. Geocode everything and document sample location with imagery and video.

Another important conclusion in the lessons learned is the need for government agencies to better understand industry practices. This can only be accomplished if industry and government work cooperatively, which is never easy if collaboration is impeded by agencies that have both regulatory and emergency response authority. In times of emergency response, regulatory authorities must temporarily be subservient to the needs of the response. Sensitive, incomplete and rapidly changing information is very challenging to communication, but solutions to overcome these frictions must be found to prevent exacerbation of the emergency. In addition, emergencies are no time for meetings; conference calls with appropriate authorities and direct communications with liaisons should be used to communicate, not meetings. Briefings should be just that, brief and succinct, clearly communicating the knowns and unknowns. Goals for the response, as well as for the subsequent investigation, should be set as early as feasible. The most immediate goal is to identify the nature of the threat and contain its spread and therefore its impact. The investigation will come later. The investigation should never be allowed to impede the response.

Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., is a professor at Auburn University and chair of the Auburn University Food System Institutes Food Defense Working Group. A long-time consultant to federal and state law enforcement agencies, the Department of Defense and industry, he specializes in intelligence analysis, weapons of mass destruction defense and military-related national security issues. For more information on the topic or for more detailed discussions about specific security related needs, he can be reached at nortora@auburn.edu or by phone at 334.844.7562.

Brad Deacon is Michigans emergency management coordinator and director of the Office of Legal Affairs for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. He can be reached at 517.284.5729.

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Case Update: Produce Targeted by Man Spraying Mouse Poison - Food Safety Magazine

Alternative titles: Acharya Rajneesh; Chandra Mohan Jain; Osho Rajneesh

Bhagwan Shree RajneeshIndian spiritual leader

December 11, 1931

Kuchwada, India

January 19, 1990

Pune, India

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also called Osho or Acharya Rajneesh, original name Chandra Mohan Jain (born December 11, 1931, Kuchwada [now in Madhya Pradesh], Indiadied January 19, 1990, Pune) Indian spiritual leader who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and sexual freedom.

As a young intellectual, Rajneesh visited with and absorbed insights from teachers of the various religious traditions active in India. He studied philosophy at the University of Jabalpur, earning a B.A. in 1955; he began teaching there in 1957, after earning an M.A. from the University of Saugar. At the age of 21 he had an intense spiritual awakening, which inspired in him the belief that individual religious experience is the central fact of spiritual life and that such experiences cannot be organized into any single belief system.

In 1966 Rajneesh resigned from his university post and became a guru (spiritual guide) and a teacher of meditation. In the early 1970s he initiated people into the order of sannyasis, who traditionally renounced the world and practiced asceticism. Reinterpreting the idea of being a sannyasi in terms of detachment rather than asceticism, Rajneesh taught his disciples to live fully in the world without being attached to it.

The first Westerners came to Rajneesh in the early 1970s, and in 1974 the new headquarters of his movement was established in Pune. The basic practice taught at the centre was called dynamic meditation, a process designed to allow people to experience the divine. The centre also developed a diversified program of New Age healing adopted from the West. Rajneesh became well-known for his progressive approach to sexuality, which contrasted with the renunciation of sex advocated by many other Indian teachers.

Rajneesh moved to the United States in 1981 and, the following year, incorporated Rajneeshpuram, a new city he planned to build on an abandoned ranch near Antelope, Oregon. During the next few years many of his most-trusted aides abandoned the movement, which came under investigation for multiple felonies, including arson, attempted murder, drug smuggling, and vote fraud in Antelope. In 1985 Rajneesh pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and was deported from the United States. He was refused entry to 21 countries before returning to Pune, where his ashram soon grew to 15,000 members.

In 1989 Rajneesh adopted the Buddhist name Osho. After his death his disciples, convinced that he had been the victim of government intrigue, voiced their belief in his innocence and vowed to continue the movement he started. In the early 21st century it had some 750 centres located in more than 60 countries.

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Origem: Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre.

Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain ( ) (Kuchwada, ndia, 11 de Dezembro de 1931 Pune, ndia, 19 de Janeiro de 1990), foi lder religioso de uma seita de tradies drmicas, mestre na arte da meditao e do despertar da conscincia. Apesar de sua formao e docncia acadmica em filosofia, alm de ter sido campeo em debates, ele no se considerava um filsofo, mas sim um mstico, pois seu principal propsito era o desenvolvimento da conscincia, o autoconhecimento, atravs da meditao. Durante a dcada de 1970, foi conhecido pelo nome de Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh e, mais tarde, como Osho.

Foi durante toda a sua vida uma figura extremamente polmica, em boa parte, porque ele prprio raramente procurava apaziguar ou evitar conflitos. Nunca foi um moralista, enfatizando sempre a conscincia individual e a responsabilidade de cada um por si mesmo. No considerava o ato sexual como um tabu, tendo uma postura bastante liberal a esse respeito. Durante sua vida, foi perseguido em diversos pases onde esteve, inclusive em sua terra natal.

Filho mais velho de um modesto mercador de tecidos, passou os sete primeiros anos de sua infncia com seus avs, que lhe davam absoluta liberdade para fazer o que bem quisesse, apoiando suas precoces e intensas investigaes sobre a verdade da vida. Desde cedo, foi um esprito rebelde e independente, desafiando os dogmas religiosos, sociais e polticos, e insistindo em buscar a verdade por si mesmo, ao invs de adquirir conhecimentos e crenas impingidos por outros.

Sua intensa busca espiritual chegou a afetar sua sade a ponto de seus pais e amigos recearem que ele no vivesse por muito tempo. Aps a morte do av, Osho foi viver com seus pais em Gadawara. Sua av mudou-se para a mesma cidade, permanecendo como sua mais dedicada amiga at falecer em 1970, tendo se declarado discpula do neto.

Aos 21 anos de idade, no dia 21 de maro de 1953, Osho alcanou aquilo que afirmava ser a iluminao (estado de conscincia livre, tambm chamado de samadhi no oriente). Este seria o mesmo estado em que teriam vivido Jesus, Buda e outros mestres iluminados. Com sua iluminao, ele disse que sua biografia externa terminara. Nessa oportunidade, comentou: "No estou mais buscando, procurando por alguma coisa. A existncia abriu todas as suas portas para mim. Nem ao menos posso dizer que perteno existncia, porque sou simplesmente uma parte dela... Quando uma flor desabrocha, desabrocho com ela. Quando o Sol se levanta, levanto-me com ele. O ego em mim, o qual mantm as pessoas separadas, no est mais presente. Meu corpo parte da natureza, meu ser parte do todo. No sou uma entidade separada."

Osho graduou-se em Filosofia na Universidade de Sagar, com as honras de "primeiro lugar". Na poca de estudante foi campeo nacional de debates na ndia. Em 1966, depois de nove anos limitado pela funo de professor de filosofia na Universidade de Jabalpur, abandonou o cargo e passou a viajar por todo pas, dando palestras, desafiando lderes religiosos ortodoxos em debates pblicos, desconcertando as crenas tradicionais e chocando o status quo.

Em 1968, ainda com seu primeiro nome espiritual, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, estabeleceu-se em Bombaim, onde morou e ensinou por alguns anos. Organizou regularmente "campos de meditao", onde introduziu a sua revolucionria Meditao Dinmica. Em 1974, inaugurou o ashram de Poona, e sua influncia j atinge o mundo inteiro. Ao mesmo tempo, sua sade se fragilizava seriamente.

Osho se recolhia cada vez mais privacidade de seus aposentos, aparecendo apenas duas vezes por dia em suas palestras matinais e, noite, em sesses de aconselhamento e iniciao.

Em maio de 1981, Osho parou de falar e iniciou uma fase de "comunho silenciosa de corao-a-corao", enquanto seu corpo, seriamente doente, com graves problemas de coluna, descansava. Tendo em vista a possibilidade de que fosse necessria uma cirurgia de emergncia, Osho foi levado aos Estados Unidos. Seus discpulos americanos compraram um rancho no deserto do Oregon e convidaram-no a ir para l, onde recuperou-se rapidamente.

Uma comuna logo estabeleceu-se ao seu redor, formando a cidade de Rajneeshpuram. Em outubro de 1984, Osho voltou a falar a pequenos grupos e, em julho de 1985, reiniciava seus discursos a milhares de buscadores, todas as manhs.

Em setembro de 1985, a secretria pessoal de Osho deixa a comuna, repentinamente, seguida por vrios membros da administrao, vindo, com isso, luz, todo um conjunto de atos supostamente ilegais cometidos por esse grupo. Osho convidou as autoridades americanas para que procedessem a todas as investigaes necessrias. Tirando proveito dessa oportunidade, as autoridades aceleraram sua luta contra a comuna.

Em 29 de outubro de 1985, Osho foi preso em Charlotte, na Carolina do Norte, sem um mandado de priso. Sua viagem de volta ao Oregon, onde seria julgado - normalmente um voo de cinco horas - demorou oito dias. Por alguns dias, ningum soube do seu paradeiro. Nos Estados Unidos, recebeu 35 acusaes: todas foram retiradas ou consideradas infundadas com o tempo. Foi preso sem um mandado de priso e sem provas conclusivas. Passou por dez dias com paradeiro desconhecido nas mos das autoridades americanas, quando alegou posteriormente ter sido envenenado com tlio.[1]

Em meados de novembro, seus advogados aconselharam-no a confessar-se culpado por duas das trinta e quatro "violaes de imigrao" das quais era acusado, para evitar que sua vida corresse maiores riscos nas garras do sistema jurdico americano. Osho concordou. Foi multado e obrigado a deixar os Estados Unidos, com retorno proibido pelos prximos cinco anos.

Deixando o pas no mesmo dia, Osho voou para a ndia, onde permaneceu em repouso nos Himalaias. Uma semana mais tarde, a comuna do Oregon resolveu dispersar-se. Nessa poca, Osho enfrentou uma verdadeira Via Crcis para poder fixar-se num lugar, pois, onde quer que tentasse estabelecer-se, tinha sua permanncia negada pelas autoridades, por visvel influncia do governo norte-americano. Ao todo, 21 pases o expulsaram ou negaram o visto de entrada.

Os seus discpulos garantem que, depois de expulso dos Estados Unidos, Osho no conseguiu qualquer visto para permanncia nos pases que visitou aps o incidente, devido a presses norte-americanas. Alegam que nenhuma das acusaes feitas tem consistncia objetiva - fruto apenas do temor e dio das instituies representadas pelo governo norte-americano, referem os seus discpulos.

Representando sempre uma ameaa s tradies religiosas e polticas, foi impedido de entrar em vrios pases. Foi expulso da Grcia. Foi impedido preventivamente pelo parlamento Alemo de entrar nesse pas mesmo sem nunca ter pedido visto de entrada e nem demonstrado interesse nisso. Somente conseguiu aterrisar seu avio na Inglaterra porque seu piloto alegou ter um doente a bordo.

Em julho de 1986, Osho voltou a Bombaim, na ndia, onde ficou hospedado por seis meses na casa de um amigo indiano. Na privacidade da casa de seu anfitrio, ele retornou aos seus discursos dirios.

Em janeiro de 1987, mudou-se para o seu ashram em Poona, onde vivera a maior parte dos anos 1970. Imediatamente aps sua chegada, o chefe de polcia de Poona ordenou-lhe que deixasse a cidade, sob a alegao de que era uma "pessoa controversa" que poderia "perturbar a tranquilidade da cidade". Tal ordem foi revogada no mesmo dia pela Suprema Corte de Bombaim.

Osho faleceu em 19 de janeiro de 1990. Algumas semanas antes dessa data, foi-lhe perguntado o que aconteceria com seu trabalho quando ele partisse. Ele disse: "Minha confiana na existncia absoluta. Se houver alguma verdade naquilo que estou dizendo, isso ir sobreviver... As pessoas que permanecerem interessadas em meu trabalho iro simplesmente carregar a tocha, mas sem impor nada a ningum..."

O pensamento de Rajneesh est exposto em mais de mil livros que podem elucidar sobre a sua filosofia. Segundo referem os seus admiradores, Osho no pretendia impor a sua viso pessoal nem estimular conflitos. Enfatizou, pelo contrrio, a importncia de se mergulhar no mais profundo silncio, pois somente atravs da meditao se poderia atingir a verdade e o amor, guiada pela conscincia individual, sem intermedirios como sacerdotes, polticos, intelectuais ou ele mesmo. Transmitia, pois, uma mensagem otimista que apontava para um futuro onde a humanidade deixaria o plano da inconscincia e, por conseqncia, a destruio, o medo e o desamor, j que cada um seria o buda de si prprio, recordando aquilo que a conscincia imediata esqueceu. Segundo esta viso, a humanidade parece-se a um conjunto de cegos guiados por outros cegos (imagem que tambm faz parte do iderio cristo).

Os seus seguidores reconhecem-no como uma das figuras mais importantes da histria da humanidade, sendo injustiado pela humanidade ignorante. No seu trabalho, Osho falou praticamente sobre todos os aspectos do desenvolvimento da conscincia humana. Seus discursos para discpulos e buscadores de todo o mundo foram publicados em mais de 650 ttulos e traduzidos para mais de trinta lnguas.

Todo o trabalho de Osho de desconstruo e silncio. Desconstruo de dogmas arcaicos e amarras psicolgicas que aprisionam e limitam o ser humano. Segundo Osho, todo o planeta (com raras excees) est doente. Mas uma doena autoimposta. Liberdade seria, em sua viso, o fundamento de um homem auto-realizado e digno. O silncio, por sua vez seria a comunho da criatura com sua essncia divina e pura, sendo reencontrado pela meditao, onde o homem experimenta seu verdadeiro ser.

De Sigmund Freud a Chuang Tzu, de George Gurdjieff a Buda, de Jesus Cristo a Rabindranath Tagore, Osho extraiu, de cada um, o que seria a essncia do que acreditava ser significativo na busca espiritual do homem, baseando-se no apenas na compreenso intelectual, mas na sua prpria experincia existencial.

Ao dizer, por exemplo, que "o orgasmo sexual oferece o primeiro vislumbre da meditao porque, nele, a mente para, o tempo para", a mdia o apelidou de "guru do sexo". Quando se descobriu a causa da aids, Osho determinou que seus discpulos fizessem o teste de HIV. Pioneiro, recomendou usar camisinha e luvas de ltex na hora do sexo, coisas ridicularizadas na poca. Para A. Racily, que conviveu com Osho, o guru queria apenas que o sexo no fosse renegado. Ela diz que nunca houve orgias na comunidade e que esses boatos vinham de quem queria se aproveitar da liberdade sexual.[2]

Para os seus discpulos, seus ensinamentos levam realizao da liberdade pessoal, atravs da percepo individual das amarras aprisionadoras das tradies e das autoridades estabelecidas. Embora Osho nunca tenha escrito nenhum livro, 650 ttulos em 57 idiomas foram criados e tm sido publicados a partir de transcries de seus discursos e palestras.

Os livros baseados em suas palavras at hoje fazem muito sucesso em muitos pases, inclusive no Brasil, pas que possui um ativo grupo de discpulos e de simpatizantes, espalhados em muitos dos grandes centros e em algumas comunidades mais afastadas. Alguns dos discpulos exercem algum tipo de atividade teraputica alternativa e divulgam suas principais meditaes, como a chamada Osho Meditao Dinmica e a Osho Meditao Kundalini, que so marcas registradas, protegidas por direitos autorais. Alguns leigos dizem tratar-se de um exerccio aerbico que promove embriaguez por hiperventilao. Pessoas que j tiveram experincia pessoal nessas tcnicas, no entanto, afirmam que a hiperventilao, a catarse consciente e os movimentos intensos e danas ldicas presentes nas mesmas no causam nenhuma embriaguez, mas somente oxignio em maior quantidade e liberao emocional consciente que traziam disposio fsica durante para cuidar das atividades da vida.

Nos anos 1990 o brasileiro Deva Nishok criou o Centro Metamorfose, para aplicar o mtodo que leva seu nome, a partir das ideias de um guru mexicano, inspirado na filosofia de Rajneesh Osho.[3]

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Rajneesh Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre

File:Osho.jpg Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh photo: Multnomah County, Oregon, Oregon Department of Corrections, license cc-by-3.0 Biography

Indian guru and author of more than a hundred book which are sold through his organization. Rajneesh was not only was intimately familiar with the world's great religions and philosophies, but the modern psychologies

of Jung, Freud, Maslow, and the rest of the West's best thinkers in modern psychology and psychiatry. His followers felt that the depth of his intellectual sophistication was only matched by the profundity of his wisdom and the spiritual impact of his spellbinding lectures. His philosophy was eclectic, though much of it is was similar to that of Krishnamurti, who was acknowledged by Rajneesh as the only other enlightened man alive (beyond himself).

In 1981, the guru founded a commune near Antelope, Oregon of 1,700 disciples, a sprawling religious community of a hundred square miles. He had continual problems with the local government over land development along with bad press and controversy over his string of pricey Rolls Royce automobiles and fat bankroll.

Called the "sex-guru" because of his popular talks about tantric sex, Rajneeshs ashram became known as one big love fest during celebrations. With AIDS on the horizon, he was careful to warn his followers about the lethal spread of the disease and their practice of the Tantra rituals was accompanied by a genuine fear over unclean sex. The tumultuous commune became a real-life soap opera of hedonism and murder plots, with reports that Rajneesh advocated free love for himself and his disciples, a voyeur and participant.

His most prominent feature was his large, watery eyes, due to thyroid problems. He was actually very ill when he arrived in Oregon, a location that was recommended as beneficial to his health. The ashram was an attempt to build a self-sufficient commune based on ecological and organic farming principles, turning the desert into a garden, which they achieved in part. The devotees who joined the ashram came from all walks of life, devoting their money and labor to create a utopia.

The task of running the commune fell to Ma Anand Sheela

who was also the financial backer for the Rajneeshpuram venture. Ma Anand Sheela and her appointed staff took full charge of the daily running of the commune. Internal strife between Rajneesh and Ma Anand Sheela

added to the mix, as he claimed that she was trying to establish the Rajneeshees as a religion, and that her quest for personal power led to her paranoia, which eventually spread throughout the commune. He spoke often of how organized religion is an obstacle to enlightenment and he blamed Ma for her ambition of wanting to be the first Popess. The assets of the organization were all in her name.

Difficulties accumulated with not only the local citizens but with the National Immigration Service and Revenue Service and Rajneesh was arrested as he fled his strife-torn utopia on 10/28/1985 to the tune on 35 counts of conspiracy and fraud, indicted by a Grand Jury in Oregon.

On his return to India, he changed his name to Osho to signal a change in his consciousness. Less than five years later he died of heart failure at his Ashram in Poona, India, 1/19/1990.

Link to Wikipedia biography

Steinbrecher quotes correspondence with the Ashram, 5:13 pm, data from his mom's memory. (Sam Gunderson taught a class in Oregon and has the same data from one of the disciples of the Rajneesh ashram.)

There are several other birth times in circulation.

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Astrology: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, horoscope for birth ...

Rajneesh Chandra Mohan (Hindi: ) (Kuchwada, 11 december 1931 Poona, 19 januari 1990), gedurende de jaren 70 van de twintigste eeuw beter bekend als Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh en later als Osho, was een goeroe en de stichter en inspirator van een spirituele beweging (de Bhagwanbeweging) in India, de VS, Australi en Europa. In juni 1981 vertrok hij naar Amerika, maar werd na vier jaar gedwongen terug te keren naar India omdat hij problemen had met de justitie in de VS, meer bepaald het immigratierecht.

Hij is onder meer bekend geworden als bezitter van 93 Rolls Royces. De eretitel Bhagwan stamt uit het Sanskriet en is voorbehouden aan mensen die tot zogenoemde zelf-realisatie zijn gekomen. Vaak wordt het vertaald met Heer. In Maharashtra is het een courante voornaam. Sri betekent in het Sanskriet verhoogde of verlichte.

In de zen-traditie is Osh een benaming voor een spirituele meester.

Rajneesh Chandra Mohan werd op 11 december 1931 geboren in Kuchwada, een klein dorp in de staat Madhya Pradesh in India. Zijn ouders waren aanhangers van het janisme. Bij zijn geboorte voorspelde een astroloog dat hij volgens zijn horoscoop rond zijn 7e, 14e en 21e levensjaar zou kunnen sterven. Tot zijn zevende jaar leefde hij bij zijn grootouders van moeders kant. Na de dood van zijn grootvader op zijn zevende jaar ging hij samen met zijn grootmoeder terug naar zijn ouders in Gadarwara. Zijn oma gaf hem steeds alle ruimte en respect, en verwachtte van andere mensen dezelfde opstelling. Zo groeide Rajneesh op, ongetemd en zorgeloos, pas na zijn zevende ging hij naar school. Dit laatste was mede bepalend voor zijn opvattingen over het opvoeden van kinderen. Zowel rond zijn zevende (de dood van zijn grootvader van moeders kant) als rond zijn veertiende (hij informeerde toen de leraar dat hij een week weg zou blijven van school om in een tempel te mediteren en zo 'de dood uit te nodigen') had hij, volgens eigen zeggen, bijzondere ervaringen. Zo zou in de tempel een slang over hem heengekropen zijn zonder dat die hem iets deed.

Rajneesh beweerde dat hij op 21 maart 1953, op 21-jarige leeftijd, spiritueel verlicht werd, al mediterend onder een maulsari [1] in een park in Jabalpur, waar hij in die tijd filosofie studeerde.

Vanaf 1957 doceerde hij filosofie aan de Sanskrit Universiteit in Jabalpur. Zijn controversile inzichten over religie, politiek en seks leidden tot zijn ontslag in 1966. Daarna reisde hij rond, toespraken houdend tot wie luisteren wilde.

In 1974 vertrok hij vanuit Bombay, waar hij enige jaren leefde, op de 21e verjaardag van zijn verlichtingservaring (21 maart) naar Poona en zo begon de periode die bij volgelingen bekend staat als Poona I, de periode voor het avontuur in Amerika. Het was in deze periode dat duizenden mensen uit vele westerse landen naar Poona reisden om enige tijd in de ashram door te brengen. Vooral vanaf 1979 werd het zo druk in de ashram dat ruimte buiten de ashram gehuurd moest worden om de vele therapiegroepen te kunnen blijven aanbieden. In maart 1981 hield de leraar op met spreken om begin juni 1981 naar Amerika te vertrekken.

In 1981 ging Rajneesh naar de Verenigde Staten om betere medische verzorging te krijgen. Rajneesh leed aan diabetes en ernstige rugproblemen. Ook zou hij willen ontkomen aan een aanklacht wegens belastingontduiking in India.

Op zijn verzoek kochten zijn volgelingen voor 6 miljoen Amerikaanse dollar een ranch in Wasco County (Oregon). Deze droeg voordien de naam "The Big Muddy", maar werd later omgedoopt tot Rajneeshpuram. Hier verbleven zij een aantal jaren. Net als in Poona gaf Bhagwan ook hier namen aan verschillende delen van de stad (toen aan de huizen in ashram, bijvoorbeeld Jesushuis en Krishnahuis). Zo werd het door de volgelingen zelf gecreerde meer genoemd naar de 20e-eeuwse spirituele leraar en Bhagwans landgenoot Jiddu Krishnamurti, het 'Krishnamurti-lake'. Krishnamurti zou ooit in een vraaggesprek met de Nederlandse psychiater Jan Foudraine, in die tijd een leerling van Rajneesh, gezegd hebben dat 'The gentleman in Poona' slechts een ladder was (voor zijn volgelingen). Hijzelf zou een lift zijn geweest. Later reageerde Rajneesh hier weer op in een lezing door te melden dat (het zijn van) een ladder veel praktischer is, omdat die overal mee naar toe kan worden genomen, terwijl een lift vast zit in een gebouw.

Als gevolg van het bestemmingsplan ontstonden er moeilijkheden met de inwoners van Wasco County. Deze escaleerden zover, dat de aanhangers van Rajneesh (ook wel Rajneeshees genoemd) met zowat de hele staat overhoop lagen. De autocratische stijl van leidinggeven door Ma Anand Sheela zou daar ook aan hebben bijgedragen. Uitlatingen van deze woordvoerster voerden de spanning alleen maar verder op.

Rajneesh legde een belofte af dat hij niet meer zou spreken. In deze periode deden zijn volgelingen hem in totaal driennegentig Rolls-Royces cadeau. Dit luxueuze bezit werd door buitenstaanders vaak aangegrepen om de goeroe te bekritiseren. Rajneesh verklaarde dat de Rolls symbool stond voor zijn pleidooi voor zowel uiterlijke als innerlijke rijkdom. Tegelijk wilde hij met dit buitensporige aantal op een provocerende manier de spot drijven met de Amerikaanse obsessie voor (grote) auto's. "Zolang mensen vragen blijven stellen over Rolls Royces en geen belangstelling tonen voor meditatie, voor het leven dat we hier leiden (..), zal ik doorgaan met ze uit te dagen."[2]

De Rajneeshees wierven dakloze mensen van overal uit de Verenigde Staten om in Rajneeshpuram te gaan wonen. Dit werd gezien als een poging om via de stembus de macht in Wasco County over te nemen. Ook werden zij in verband gebracht met een aantal salmonella-vergiftigingen in The Dalles in Oregon. Kort daarna werd Sheela uit haar functie ontheven en vertrok zij naar West-Duitsland.

In 1985 werd Rajneesh in North Carolina gearresteerd op beschuldiging de Verenigde Staten te willen ontvluchten nadat een federale jury in Portland (Oregon) op 23 oktober 1985 Rajneesh, Sheela, en zes andere volgelingen in staat van beschuldiging had gesteld ter zake van overtreding van de immigratiewet. Twee dagen later kwam een grand jury in Wasco County bovendien met aanklachten tegen Sheela en twee anderen wegens poging tot moord op Swami Devaraj, Bhagwans lijfarts.

Op advies van zijn advocaten verzette Rajneesh zich niet tegen de aanklacht (de zogenaamde 'Alford plea') en hij kreeg een voorwaardelijke straf op voorwaarde dat hij de VS zou verlaten. Hij overleed op 19 januari 1990, ruim vier jaar na zijn arrestatie. Hij werd 58 jaar oud. Zijn as wordt bewaard in een meditatiehal in zijn ashram in Poona, India.

Volgens Bhagwan is ieder menselijk wezen een potentile Boeddha met de mogelijkheid om verlichting te bereiken. Volgens hem is iedereen in staat om onvoorwaardelijke liefde te ervaren en het leven te beleven in plaats van te overleven. "Voor mij moet de mens niets afwijzen of onderdrukken wat hem gegeven is. Laat je innerlijke bloei op de eerste plaats komen."

In zijn boeken geeft hij aan dat het ego de meeste mensen in de weg zit. Het ego is volgens Bhagwan de sociale conditionering en de beperkingen die iemand zichzelf oplegt en die in het verleden zijn verzameld. De mens schept daardoor behoeften die in conflict zijn met zijn werkelijke aard.

Bhagwan ziet het denken als een overlevingsmechanisme, dat steeds terugkerende patronen schept die in het verleden succesvol waren. Hierdoor leven veel mensen in het verleden, en vergeten ze in het moment te leven.

In plaats van het onderdrukken van behoeften, zo vond hij, zouden mensen onvoorwaardelijk zichzelf moeten vertrouwen en accepteren. "Ik aanvaard de mens zoals hij is - totaal, zonder iets af te wijzen. (..) De mens is een zaadje dat kan uitgroeien tot een geweldige boom, dat tot goddelijkheid kan uitgroeien."[3]

Voormalig Osho volgeling en onderzoeker van grensverschijnselen Robert Zwemmer, bekend met Het Urantia Boek, meent dat het geen toeval is dat Osho 1937 jaar na de geboorte van Jezus (in augustus BC 7, volgens Het Urantia Boek) verscheen, en dat Melchizedek volgens dit boek 1973 jaar voor de geboorte van Jezus verscheen. Het spel met getallen als drie, zeven - en hun veelvouden en combinaties - wordt in Het Urantia Boek (deel II, verhandeling 36) letterlijk aangehaald als 'merkteken' van de Bovenwereld.

Bhagwans toespraken en lezingen zijn verzameld in meer dan 600 boeken. Hieronder volgt een korte lijst:

Boeken over uitspraken van Jezus:

Boeken over Tao:

Boeken over Boeddha:

Boeken over zen:

Boeken over de Baulmystici:

Boeken over het soefisme:

Boeken over het chassidisme:

Boeken over de Akshya Oepanishad:

Boeken over de Oepanishads:

Boeken genspireerd door Herakleitos:

Boeken genspireerd door Kabir:

Boeken over Tantra:

Boeken over Yoga:

Toespraken gebaseerd op vragen:

De Darshandagboeken of ook wel De Darshaninterviews:

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Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh - Wikipedia

Rajneesh, Oregon was an intentional community in Wasco County, Oregon, briefly incorporated as a city in the 1980s, which was populated with followers of the spiritual teacher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho.

The city was located on the site of a 64,229-acre (25,993ha) Central Oregon property known as the Big Muddy Ranch, which was purchased in 1981 for $5.75 million ($14.1million in 2011 dollars[1]). Within three years, the neo-sannyasins (Rajneesh's followers, also termed Rajneeshees in contemporaneous press reports) developed a community,[2] turning the ranch from an empty rural property into a city of up to 7,000 people, complete with typical urban infrastructure such as a fire department, police, restaurants, malls, townhouses, a 4,200-foot (1,300m) airstrip, a public transport system using buses, a sewage reclamation plant and a reservoir.[3] The Rajneeshpuram post office had the ZIP code 97741.[4]

Within a year of arriving, the commune leaders had become embroiled in a series of legal battles with their neighbours, the principal conflict relating to land use.[3] Initially, they had stated that they were planning to create a small agricultural community, their land being zoned for agricultural use.[3] But it soon became apparent that they wanted to establish the kind of infrastructure and services normally associated with a town.[3] The land-use conflict escalated to bitter hostility between the commune and local residents, and the commune was subject to sustained and coordinated pressures from various coalitions of Oregon residents over the following years.[3][5]

The city of Antelope, Oregon became a focal point of the conflict.[3] It was the nearest town, located 18 miles (29km) from the ranch, and had a population of under 50.[3] Initially, Rajneesh's followers had only purchased a small number of lots in Antelope.[3] After a dispute with the 1000 Friends of Oregon, a public-interest group, Antelope denied the sannyasins a business permit for their mail-order operation, and more sannyasins moved into the town.[3] In April 1982, Antelope voted to disincorporate itself, to prevent itself being taken over.[3] By this time, there were enough Rajneeshee residents to defeat the measure.[3] In May 1982, the residents of the Rancho Rajneesh commune voted to incorporate the separate city of Rajneeshpuram on the ranch.[3] Apart from the control of Antelope and the land-use question, there were other disputes.[3] The commune leadership took an aggressive stance on many issues and initiated litigation against various groups and individuals.[3]

The bombing of Hotel Rajneesh, a Rajneeshee-owned hotel in Portland, by the Islamist militant group Jamaat ul-Fuqra in June 1983 further heightened tensions.[3][6] The display of semi-automatic weapons acquired by the Rajneeshpuram Peace Force created an image of imminent violence.[3] There were rumours of the National Guard being called in to arrest Rajneesh.[3] At the same time, the commune was embroiled in a range of legal disputes.[3]Oregon Attorney General David B. Frohnmayer maintained that the city was essentially an arm of a religious organization, and that its incorporation thus violated the principle of separation of church and state. 1000 Friends of Oregon, an environmentalist group, claimed that the city violated state land-use laws. In 1983, a lawsuit was filed by the State of Oregon to invalidate the city's incorporation, and many attempts to expand the city further were legally blocked, prompting followers to attempt to build in nearby Antelope, which was briefly named Rajneesh, when sufficient numbers of Rajneeshees registered to vote there and won a referendum on the subject.

The Rajneeshpuram residents believed that the wider Oregonian community was both bigoted and suffered from religious intolerance.[7] According to Latkin (1992) Rajneesh's followers had made peaceful overtures to the local community when they first arrived in Oregon.[3] As Rajneeshpuram grew in size heightened tension led certain fundamentalist Christian church leaders to denounce Rajneesh, the commune, and his followers.[3] Petitions were circulated aimed at ridding the state of the perceived menace.[3] Letters to state newspapers reviled the Rajneeshees, one of them likening Rajneeshpuram to another Sodom and Gomorrha, another referring to them as a "cancer in our midst".[3] In time, circulars mixing "hunting humor" with dehumanizing characterizations of Rajneeshees began to appear at gun clubs, turkey shoots and other gatherings; one of these, circulated widely over the Northwest, declared "an open season on the central eastern Rajneesh, known locally as the Red Rats or Red Vermin."[8]

As Rajneesh himself did not speak in public during this period and until October 1984 gave few interviews, his secretary and chief spokesperson Ma Anand Sheela (Sheela Silverman) became, for practical purposes, the leader of the commune.[3] She did little to defuse the conflict, employing a crude, caustic and defensive speaking style that exacerbated hostilities and attracted media attention.[3] On September 14, 1985, Sheela and 15 to 20 other top officials abruptly left Rajneeshpuram.[3] The following week, Rajneesh convened press conferences and publicly accused Sheela and her team of having committed crimes within and outside the commune.[3][9] The subsequent criminal investigation, the largest in Oregon history, confirmed that a secretive group had, unbeknownst to both government officials and nearly all Rajneeshpuram residents, engaged in a variety of criminal activities, including the attempted murder of Rajneesh's physician, wiretapping and bugging within the commune and within Rajneesh's home, poisonings of two public officials, and arson.[3][10]

Sheela was extradited from Germany and imprisoned for these crimes, as well as for her role in infecting the salad bars of several restaurants in The Dalles (the county seat of Wasco County) with salmonella, poisoning over 750 (including several Wasco County public officials) and resulting in the hospitalization of 45 people. Known as the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack, the incident is regarded as the largest germ warfare attack in the history of the United States. These criminal activities had, according to the Office of the Attorney General, begun in the spring of 1984, three years after the establishment of the commune.[3] Rajneesh himself was accused of immigration violations, to which he entered an Alford plea. As part of his plea bargain, he agreed to leave the United States and eventually returned to Poona, India. His followers left Oregon shortly afterwards.

The legal standing of Rajneeshpuram remained ambiguous. In the church/state suit, Federal Judge Helen J. Frye ruled against Rajneeshpuram in late 1985, a decision that was not contested, since it came too late to be of practical significance.[11] The Oregon courts, however, eventually found in favor of the city, with the Court of Appeals determining in 1986 that incorporation had not violated the state planning system's agricultural land goals.[11] The Oregon Supreme Court ended litigation in 1987, leaving Rajneeshpuram empty and bankrupt, but legal within Oregon law.[11][12] The Big Muddy Ranch was sold. Currently, a Christian youth camp, Washington Family Ranch, operated by Young Life, and the Big Muddy Ranch Airport are located there.[13]

Coordinates: 444954N 1202906W / 44.831667N 120.484928W / 44.831667; -120.484928

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Rajneeshpuram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhagwan Shree RajneeshIndian spiritual leader

December 11, 1931

Kuchwada, India

January 19, 1990

Pune, India

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh,also called Osho or Acharya Rajneesh, original name Chandra Mohan Jain (born December 11, 1931,Kuchwada [now in Madhya Pradesh], Indiadied January 19, 1990,Pune),Indian spiritual leader who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and sexual freedom.

As a young intellectual, Rajneesh visited with and absorbed insights from teachers of the various religious traditions active in India. He studied philosophy at the University of Jabalpur, earning a B.A. in 1955; he began teaching there in 1957, after earning an M.A. from the University of Saugar. At the age of 21 he had an intense spiritual awakening, which inspired in him the belief that individual religious experience is the central fact of spiritual life and that such experiences cannot be organized into any single belief system.

In 1966 Rajneesh resigned from his university post and became a guru (spiritual guide) and a teacher of meditation. In the early 1970s he initiated people into the order of sannyasis, who traditionally renounced the world and practiced asceticism. Reinterpreting the idea of being a sannyasi in terms of detachment rather than asceticism, Rajneesh taught his disciples to live fully in the world without being attached to it.

The first Westerners came to Rajneesh in the early 1970s, and in 1974 the new headquarters of his movement was established in Pune. The basic practice taught at the centre was called dynamic meditation, a process designed to allow people to experience the divine. The centre also developed a diversified program of New Age healing adopted from the West. Rajneesh became well-known for his progressive approach to sexuality, which contrasted with the renunciation of sex advocated by many other Indian teachers.

Rajneesh moved to the United States in 1981 and, the following year, incorporated Rajneeshpuram, a new city he planned to build on an abandoned ranch near Antelope, Oregon. During the next few years many of his most-trusted aides abandoned the movement, which came under investigation for multiple felonies, including arson, attempted murder, drug smuggling, and vote fraud in Antelope. In 1985 Rajneesh pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and was deported from the United States. He was refused entry to 21 countries before returning to Pune, where his ashram soon grew to 15,000 members.

In 1989 Rajneesh adopted the Buddhist name Osho. After his death his disciples, convinced that he had been the victim of government intrigue, voiced their belief in his innocence and vowed to continue the movement he started. In the early 21st century it had some 750 centres located in more than 60 countries.

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Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh | biography - Indian spiritual ...

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1931 - 1990) Rajneesh founded the Rajneesh Foundation International, and is one of the most controversial of modern gurus. In 1981 he was deported from Oregon under a bevy of serious criminal charges associated with his ashram, or spiritual community. His recent death did little to stem his influence in Europe or America. [A]lso called OSHO AND ACHARYA RAJNEESH, original name CHANDRA MOHAN JAIN, Indian spiritual leader who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, individual devotion, and sexual freedom while amassing vast personal wealth. (...) In 1981 Rajneesh's cult purchased a dilapidated ranch in Oregon, U.S., which became the site of Rajneeshpuram, a community of several thousand orange-robed disciples. Rajneesh was widely criticized by outsiders for his private security force and his ostentatious display of wealth. By 1985 many of his most trusted aides had abandoned the movement, which was under investigation for multiple felonies including arson, attempted murder, drug smuggling, and vote fraud in the nearby town of Antelope. In 1985 Rajneesh pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and was deported from the United States. He was refused entry by 21 countries before returning to Pune, where his ashram soon grew to 15,000 members. In later years he took the Buddhist title Osho and altered his teaching on unrestricted sexual activity because of his growing concern over AIDS. [...more...] (...) the only known successful use of biological weapons in the United States was by the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh cult in 1984. The group contaminated salad bars in 10 restaurants in The Dalles, Ore., with Salmonella Typhimurium, causing several hundred people to become ill. Hinduism is not by nature a proselytizing religion, however, in part because of its inextricable roots in the social system and the land of India. In recent years, many new gurus, such as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and Satya Sai Baba, have been successful in making converts in Europe and the United States. The very success of these gurus, however, has produced material profits that many people regard as incompatible with the ascetic attitude appropriate to a Hindu spiritual leader; in some cases, the profits have led to notoriety and even legal prosecution.

Name Change

In 1988 thirty years after taking the title, ''Bhagwan,'' (which means ''the embodiment of God'') Rajneesh admitted the title and his claim to be God were a ''joke.'' ''I hate the word... I don't want to be called Bhagwan (God) again. Enough is enough. The joke is over,'' stated Rajneesh saying he was really the reincarnation of Buddha and claiming for himself the new title of ''Rajneesh Gautaman the Buddha,'' (Star Telegram, Dec. 29, 1988; Sec.1, p. 3). Later he took the title, ''Osho Rajneesh,'' a Buddhist term meaning ''on whom the heavens shower flowers.'' (Ibid, 1/20/90).

Rajneesh's flock caught much of his meditative bon mots on tape, and now incessantly recycle these ponderings as spiritual wisdom under the author name of Osho.

The amazing story of the Wasco County election scandal was revealed to the conference's riveted participants by Leslie L. Zaitz, an investigative reporter for The Oregonian, and Dr. John Livengood, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control. To win the county election, the Rajneeshees planned to sicken a good portion of the population in the town of The Dalles, where most Wasco County voters live. Their weapon of choice to keep local residents from voting was salmonella bacteria. Cult members decided to test the use of salmonella and, if successful, to contaminate the entire water system of The Dalles on Election Day. First, the Rajneeshees poisoned two visiting Wasco County commissioners on a hot day by plying them with refreshing drinks of cold water laced with salmonella. Then, on a shopping trip to The Dalles, cult members sprinkled salmonella on produce in grocery stores "just for fun." According to reporter Zaitz, that experiment didn't get the results they wanted so the Rajneeshees proceeded to clandestinely sprinkle salmonella at the town's restaurant salad bars. Ten restaurants were hit and more than 700 people got sick.

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Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh - Religious cults and sects ...

Rajneesh Born 11 December 1931 Kuchwada Village, Bareli Tehsil, Raisen Distt. Bhopal State, British India (modern day Madhya Pradesh, India) Died 19 January 1990 (aged 58) Pune, Maharashtra, India Nationality Indian Field Spirituality Movement Jivan Jagruti Andolan; Neo-sannyas Works Many books, audio and video tapes (exact number not known) Influenced by Zen Buddhism, Tantra, Sufism, Samkhya, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Bodhidharma, Lao Tzu, Gorakhnath, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti

Rajneesh (11 December 1931 19 January 1990) was an Indian mystic, guru, and spiritual teacher who had an international following, the "Rajneesh movement". Rajneesh was born Chandra Mohan Jain; he was known as the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s, and finally as Osho in the last year of his life.

He was born in a small village in the Narsinghpur District of Madhya Pradesh state in north India. He spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandparents, which he later mentioned as "the blessing in his life" for its carefree environment.

He entered college at his age of nineteen. Asked by the principal to leave the college, he transferred to D.N. Jain College and completed his B.A. in philosophy in 1955. After obtaining his M.A. in philosophy in University of Sagar in 1957, he started teaching at Raipur Sanskrit College and became a professor at Jabalpur University in 1960. While teaching at colleges, he became known as a public speaker.

As a professor of philosophy, he travelled throughout India in the 1960s as a public speaker. His outspoken criticism of socialism, Mahatma Gandhi and institutionalised religions made him controversial. He also advocated a more open attitude towards sexuality: so the press called him a "sex guru".[1] In 1970, Rajneesh settled for a while in Bombay. He began initiating disciples (known as sannyasins) and took on the role of a spiritual teacher.

In his discourses, he reinterpreted writings of religious traditions, mystics, and philosophers from around the world. Moving to Poona in 1974,[2] he established an ashram that attracted increasing numbers of Westerners.

The Poona ashram was by all accounts an exciting and intense place to be, with an emotionally charged, madhouse-carnival atmosphere.[3][4][5] The day began at 6:00 a.m. with Dynamic Meditation.[6][7] From 8:00 a.m., Osho gave a 60- to 90-minute spontaneous lecture in the ashram's "Buddha Hall" auditorium, commenting on religious writings or answering questions from visitors and disciples.[3][7] Until 1981, lecture series held in Hindi alternated with series held in English. During the day, various meditations and therapies took place, whose intensity was ascribed to the spiritual energy of Osho's "buddhafield".[4] In evening darshans, Osho conversed with individual disciples or visitors and initiated disciples ("gave sannyas").[3][7]

The ashram offered therapies derived from the Human Potential Movement to its Western audience and made news in India and abroad, chiefly because of its permissive climate and Osho's provocative lectures. By the end of the 1970s, there were mounting tensions with the Indian government and the surrounding society.

A situation rose when Rajneesh entered a three-and-a-half-year period of self-imposed public silence on 10 April 1981. He occupied himself with satsangssilent sitting with music and readings from spiritual works, and gave no discourses.[7][1] Around the same time, Ma Anand Sheela replaced Ma Yoga Laxmi as Osho's secretary.[5]

Later in 1981 Osho moved to the United States, and his followers established a community, later known as Rajneeshpuram, in the state of Oregon. Within a year, the leadership of the commune became embroiled in a conflict with local residents, primarily over land use, which was marked by hostility on both sides. Osho lived in a trailer next to a covered swimming pool and other amenities. He did not lecture and only saw most of the residents when, daily, he would slowly drive past them as they stood by the road. He gained public notoriety for the many Rolls-Royces bought for his use, eventually numbering 93 vehicles.[8][9] This made him the largest single owner of the cars in the world.[10]

Ma Anand Sheela (born Sheela Ambatal Patel, 28 December 1949) was Osho's personal secretary from 1981 to 1985. On 10 July 1981, she purchased the 64,000-acre (260km2) Big Muddy Ranch to create the Rajneeshpuram, Oregon commune.[11][12] She was the main manager and spokesperson. She carried a .357 Magnum handgun, and created a Rajneeshpuram police force armed with Uzi submachine guns and a Jeep-mounted .30-calibre machinegun.[13][14] It was under Sheela's influence that Rajneesh decided to travel to the United States and begin an ashram there.[12]

While at Rajneeshpuram, Rajneesh depended on Sheela to manage the organisation.[12] She was seen as Rajneesh's principal aide, and as second-in-command of the organisation. She was also president of Rajneesh Foundation International. The two of them met each day in private to go over significant matters for the group.[12]

Sheela ran the operations of virtually all of the sub-groups under Rajneesh's movement, as well as Rajneeshpuram itself.[12] Rancho Rajneesh was administered through the inner circle of followers managed by Sheela.[12] She made decisions for the organisation in meetings with followers in her own private living space.[12] In addition, Sheela would make decisions for the organisation by herself or after meeting with Rajneesh.[12] Those followers of Rajneesh that did not abide by her rulings risked being kicked out of Rajneeshpuram.[12] According to Bioterrorism and Biocrimes, "This peculiar decision-making style had a significant impact on the group's move to employ biological agents".[12]

The Oregon commune collapsed in 1985 when Rajneesh revealed that the commune leadership had committed a number of serious crimes, including a 1984 bioterror attack (food contamination) on the citizens of The Dalles, Oregon.[15] He was arrested shortly afterwards and charged with immigration violations, and was deported from the United States in accordance with a plea bargain.[16][17][18]

Ma Anand Sheela was sentenced to three concurrent 20 year prison sentences, for assault, attempted murder, telephone tapping, immigration fraud and product tampering.[19] She served 29 months before being released on parole.[20] Upon release, she left immediately for Switzerland, where she now manages two nursing homes.

Twenty-one countries denied him entry, causing Osho to travel the world before returning to Poona, where he died in 1990. His ashram is today known as the Osho International Meditation Resort. His teachings emphasised the importance of meditation, awareness, love, celebration, courage, creativity and humourqualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialisation. Osho's teachings have had an impact on Western New Age thought,[21][22]p177 and their popularity has increased since his death.[23][22]p182

One of his strong hopes was creating what he called "new man", who embodies characteristics of Gautama Buddha and Zorba the Greek [24] at the same time. Through this concept, Rajneesh tried to reject neither science nor spirituality, but embrace them both. According to him, New man is not subject to ones sex and does not belong to institutions such as family, political ideologies, or religions.

Many books of his teachings were published. They followed a pattern: he would give talks, they would be recorded. The tapes would be worked up into a typed manuscript by some of his followers. The manuscripts would be published, at first in India, and without ISBN numbers, so they were at first bought by his admirers. Later some of the best were reprinted in the West. His talks covered a wide range of religions and philosophies. The total number of books is not known, but it was certainly more than 30.[25]

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Born: December 11, 1931, 5:13 PM In: Kutchwada (India) Sun: 1830' Sagittarius AS: 2003' Gemini Moon: 1529' Capricorn MC: 654' Pisces Dominants: Capricorn, Sagittarius, Gemini Neptune, Mercury, Sun Houses 7, 8, 6 / Earth, Fire / Cardinal Chinese Astrology: Metal Goat Numerology: Birthpath 1 Popularity: 68,983 clicks, 178th man, 325th celebrity

Celebrities born the same day: Nikki Sixx, Jean Marais, Solenn Poivre d'Arvor, Rey Mysterio, Enrico Macias, Viswanathan Anand, John Kerry, Alfred de Musset, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Carlo Ponti, Thorwald Dethlefsen, Hector Berlioz... List of all the celebrities born on December 11.

Celebrities having the same aspect Moon square Uranus (orb 002'): Justin Bieber, Katie Holmes, Carl Jung, David Beckham, Charlne, Princess of Monaco, Mike Tyson, Keith Richards, Arnaud Montebourg, Kesha (singer), Lorie (singer), Marie Drucker, Oscar Wilde... Find all the celebrities having this aspect in the database.

Celebrities having the same aspect Mercury trine Neptune (orb 135'): Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Sarkozy, Sharon Tate, Pamela Anderson, Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham, Maria Callas, Mark Zuckerberg, Johnny Hallyday, Jennifer Garner, Carmen Electra, Bernard Tapie... Find all the celebrities having this aspect in the database.

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1st Fire sign - 1st Cardinal sign (spring equinox) - Masculine

In analogy with Mars, his ruler, and the 1st House

Aries governs the head.

His colour is red, his stone is the heliotrope, his day is Tuesday, and his professions are businessman, policeman, sportsman, surgeon...

If your sign is Aries or your Ascendant is Aries: you are courageous, frank, enthusiastic, dynamic, fast, bold, expansive, warm, impulsive, adventurous, intrepid, warlike, competitive, but also naive, domineering, self-centred, impatient, rash, thoughtless, blundering, childish, quick-tempered, daring or primitive.

Some traditional associations with Aries: Countries: England, France, Germany, Denmark. Cities: Marseille, Florence, Naples, Birmingham, Wroclaw, Leicester, Capua, Verona. Animals: Rams and sheeps. Food: Leeks, hops, onions, shallots, spices. Herbs and aromatics: mustard, capers, Cayenne pepper, chilli peppers. Flowers and plants: thistles, mint, bryonies, honeysuckles. Trees: hawthorns, thorny trees and bushes. Stones, Metals and Salts: diamonds, iron, potassium phosphate.

1st Earth sign - 1st Fixed sign - Feminine

In analogy with Venus, his ruler, and the 2nd House

Taurus governs the neck and the throat.

Her colour is green or brown, her stone is the emerald, her day is Friday, her professions are cook, artist, estate agent, banker, singer...

If your sign is Taurus or your Ascendant is Taurus: you are faithful, constant, sturdy, patient, tough, persevering, strong, focused, sensual, stable, concrete, realistic, steady, loyal, robust, constructive, tenacious. You need security, but you are also stubborn, rigid, possessive, spiteful, materialistic, fixed or slow.

Some traditional associations with Taurus: Countries: Switzerland, Greek islands, Ireland, Cyprus, Iran. Cities: Dublin, Palermo, Parma, Luzern, Mantua, Leipzig, Saint Louis, Ischia, Capri. Animals: bovines. Food: apples, pears, berries, corn and other cereals, grapes, artichokes, asparagus, beans. Herbs and aromatics: sorrels, spearmint, cloves. Flowers and plants: poppies, roses, digitales, violets, primroses, aquilegia, daisies. Trees: apple trees, pear trees, fig-trees, cypresses, ash trees. Stones, Metals and Salts: copper, calcium and potassium sulphate, emeralds.

1st Air sign - 1st Mutable sign - Masculine

In analogy with Mercury, his ruler, and the 3rd House

Gemini governs the arms, the lungs and the thorax.

His colour is green or silver, his stone is the crystal, his day is Wednesday, his professions are journalist, lawyer, presenter, dancer, salesman, travel agent, teacher...

If your sign is Gemini or if your Ascendant is Gemini: you are expressive, lively, adaptable, quick-witted, humorous, sparkling, playful, sociable, clever, curious, whimsical, independent, polyvalent, brainy, flexible, ingenious, imaginative, charming, fanciful but also capricious, scattered, moody, shallow, inquisitive, opportunistic, unconcerned, selfish, fragile, ironical or changeable.

Some traditional associations with Gemini: Countries: Belgium, Wales, United-States, Lower Egypt, Sardinia, Armenia. Cities: London, Plymouth, Cardiff, Melbourne, San Francisco, Nuremberg, Bruges, Versailles. Animals: monkeys, butterflies, parrots, budgerigars. Food: dried fruits, chestnuts, ground-level vegetables: peas, broad beans, etc. Herbs and aromatics: aniseed, marjoram, lemon balm, cumin. Flowers and plants: lilies of the valley, lavenders, myrtle, ferns, Venus-hair-ferns, bittersweets. Trees: nut trees such as chestnut trees. Stones, Metals and Salts: agates, mercury, silicas and potashes.

1st Water sign - 2nd Cardinal sign (summer solstice) - Feminine

In analogy with the Moon, her ruler, and the 4th House

Cancer governs the stomach and the breast.

Her colour is white or black, her stone is the moonstone, her day is Monday, her professions are catering, the hotel trade, property, antique dealer, archaeologist...

If your sign is Cancer or your Ascendant is Cancer: you are emotional, sentimental, peaceful, imaginative, sensitive, faithful, resistant, protective, vulnerable, generous, romantic, nostalgic, tender, poetic-minded, motherly or fatherly, dreamy, indolent, greedy, devoted but also timorous, unrealistic, evasive, passive, anxious, dependent, stubborn, moody, passive, lazy, touchy, stay-at-home or inaccessible.

Some traditional associations with Cancer: Countries: Holland, Scotland, North and West Africa, New-Zealand, Paraguay, Algeria. Cities: Amsterdam, Manchester, Tokyo, New York, Istanbul, Stockholm, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Cadix, Alger, Tunis, Bern, Magdeburg. Animals: crabs, animals with shells. Food: milk, fishes, watery fruits and vegetables, turnips, white and red cabbages. Herbs and aromatics: tarragon, verbena, saxifrage. Flowers and plants: geraniums, white roses and white flowers in general, water lilies, morning glory, bear's breeches, and lilies. Trees: all trees full of sap. Stones, Metals and Salts: pearls, silver, lime and calcium phosphate.

2nd Fire sign - 2nd Fixed sign - Masculine

In analogy with the Sun, his ruler, and the 5th House

Leo governs the heart and the spine, and the eyes, according to some authors.

His colour is gold or orange, his stone is the diamond, his day is Sunday, his professions are actor, manager, jeweller, fashion and arts, and action (e.g. fireman)...

If your sign is Leo or your Ascendant is Leo: you are proud, determined, strong-willed, loyal, solemn, generous, ambitious, courageous, heroic, conquering, creative, confident, seductive, happy, daring, fiery, majestic, honest, magnanimous, charismatic, responsible, noble, dramatic but also domineering, vain, susceptible, bossy, stubborn, intolerant, self-centred, violent, quick-tempered, nonchalant.

Some traditional associations with Leo: Countries: Italy, Romania, Sicily, Czechoslovakia, Iraq, Lebanon, Southern France. Cities: Rome, Prague, Bombay, Madrid, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bath, Bristol, Portsmouth, Syracuse, Damas. Animals: lions and felines in general. Food: meat and especially red meat, rice, honey, cereals, grapes, iron-rich vegetables: watercress, spinach etc. Herbs and aromatics: saffron, mint, rosemary, common rue (Ruta graveolens). Flowers and plants: marigolds, sunflowers, celandines, passion flowers. Trees: palm trees, laurel, walnuts, olive trees, lemon and orange trees. Stones, Metals and Salts: gold, rubies, magnesium and sodium phosphate.

2nd Earth sign - 2nd Mutable sign - Feminine

In analogy with Mercury, her ruler, and the 6th house

Virgo governs the intestine.

Her colour is green or yellow, her stone is the agate, her day is Wednesday, her professions are accountant, secretary, writer, computer scientist, nurse, doctor...

If your sign is Virgo or your Ascendant is Virgo: you are brainy, perspicacious, attentive to detail and numbers, analytical, serious, competent, scrupulous, sensible, modest, logical, tidy, well-organized, clean, hard-working, provident, honest, faithful, reserved, shy, helpful, a perfectionist, but also narrow-minded, calculating, irritating, petty, anxious, cold, repressed or caustic.

Some traditional associations with Virgo: Countries: Brazil, Greece, Turkey, West Indies, United-States (the same as Gemini), Yugoslavia, Crete, Mesopotamia, Lower Silesia, State of Virginia. Cities: Paris, Boston, Athens, Lyon, Corinthia, Heidelberg, spa towns in general. Animals: dogs, cats and all pets. Food: root vegetables: carrots, celeriac, kohlrabies, potatoes etc... Also dried fruits such as chestnuts. Herbs and aromatics: the same as Gemini whose ruler is Mercury too, lilies of the valley, lavenders, myrtles, ferns, Venus-hair-ferns, bittersweets, clovers. Flowers and plants: small bright-coloured flowers, especially blue and yellow, such as dandelions, buttercups, yellow dead-nettles, buglosses, forget-me-nots ; cardamoms, oak leaves, acorns. Trees: all nut trees, e.g. the hazelnut tree... Stones, Metals and Salts: sards (red agate), mercury, nickel, potassium sulphate and iron phosphate.

2nd Air sign - 3rd Cardinal sign (autumn equinox) - Masculine

In analogy with Venus, his ruler and the 7th House

Libra governs the kidneys and the bladder.

His colour is blue or red (not too bright), his stone is the opal, his day is Friday, his professions are in the beauty, luxury or fashion industry, musician, artistic creator, lawyer, mediator...

If your sign is Libra or your Ascendant is Libra: you are sentimental, charming, polite, refined, loyal, a pacifist, fair, distinguished, light-hearted, romantic, learned, ethereal, nice, well-groomed, a perfectionist, calm, sweet, tolerant, sociable, elegant, considerate, seductive, aesthetic, indulgent, but also hesitant, weak, indecisive, selfish, fragile, fearful, indolent, cool or even insensitive.

Some traditional associations with Libra: Countries: Japan, Canada, Indo-China, South Pacific Islands, Burma, Argentina, Upper Egypt, Tibet. Cities: Lisbon, Vienna, Frankfurt, Leeds, Nottingham, Johannesburg, Antwerp, Fribourg. Animals: lizards and small reptiles. Food: berries, apples, pears, grapes, artichokes, asparagus, beans, spices, corn and other cereals. Herbs and aromatics: mint, Cayenne pepper. Flowers and plants: hydrangea, big roses, blue flowers and those associated with Taurus also ruled by Venus, namely, poppies, digitales, violets, primroses, aquilegia, and daisies. Trees: ash trees, poplars, apple trees, pear trees, fig-trees, cypresses. Stones, Metals and Salts: sapphires, jade, copper, potassium and sodium phosphate.

2nd Water sign - 3rd Fixed sign - Feminine

In analogy with Pluto, her ruler with Mars, and the 8th House

Scorpio governs the sexual organs and the anus.

Her colour is black or dark red, her stone is the malachite, her day is Tuesday, her professions are gynaecologist, psychiatrist, detective, the military, army, stockbroker, asset managemer...

If your sign is Scorpio or your Ascendant is Scorpio: you are secretive, powerful, domineering, resistant, intuitive, asserted, charismatic, magnetic, strong-willed, perspicacious, passionate, creative, independent, vigorous, generous, loyal, hard-working, persevering, untameable, possessive, cunning, ambitious, sexual, proud, intense, competitive but also aggressive, destructive, stubborn, anxious, tyrannical, perverse, sadistic, violent, self-centred, complex, jealous.

Some traditional associations with Scorpio: Countries: Morocco, Norway, Algeria, Syria, Korea, Uruguay, Transvaal. Cities: Washington, New Orleans, Valencia, Liverpool, Milwaukee, Fes, Halifax, Hull, Cincinnati. Animals: insects and other invertebrates. Food: the same strong tasting food as for Aries: red meat, garlic, onions, leeks, spices. Herbs and aromatics: aloes, witch hazels, nepeta, mustard, capers, peppers. Flowers and plants: geraniums, rhododendrons, thistles, mint, honeysuckles. Trees: blackthorns, bushes. Stones, Metals and Salts: opals, steel and iron, calcium and sodium sulphate.

3rd Fire sign - 3rd Mutable sign - Masculine

In analogy with Jupiter, his ruler, and the 9th House

Sagittarius governs the thighs and the liver.

His colour is indigo, orange or red, his stone is the carbuncle, his day is Thursday, his professions are explorer, commercial traveller, pilot, philosopher, writer, clergyman...

If your sign is Sagittarius or your Ascendant is Sagittarius: you are charismatic, fiery, energetic, likeable, benevolent, tidy, jovial, optimistic, extraverted, amusing, straightforward, demonstrative, charming, independent, adventurous, straightforward, bold, exuberant, freedom-loving.

Some traditional associations with Sagittarius: Countries: Spain, Australia, Hungary, South Africa, Arabia, Yugoslavia. Cities: Stuttgart, Toledo, Budapest, Cologne, Avignon, Sheffield, Naples, Toronto. Animals: fallow deers, hinds, and all games. Food: grapefruits, raisins, onions, leeks, bulb vegetables. Herbs and aromatics: aniseeds, sage, bilberries, cinnamon, borage, mosses, sage, blueberry, patience, balsam. Flowers and plants: dandelions, carnations, thistles. Trees: mulberry trees, chestnut trees, ash trees, lemon trees, oaks. Stones, Metals and Salts: topaz, tin, silica, potassium chloride.

3rd Earth sign - 4th Cardinal sign (winter solstice) - Feminine

In analogy with Saturn, her ruler, and the 10th House

Capricorn governs the knees, the bones and the skin.

Her colour is black, or grey, green or brown, her stone is the jade, her day is Saturday, her professions are politician, researcher, jurist, scientist, engineer, administrator...

If your sign is Capricorn or your Ascendant is Capricorn: you are serious, cold, disciplined, patient, focused, thoughtful, ambitious, indomitable, cautious, lucid, persistent, provident, steady, introverted, stern, wilful, hard-working, responsible, persevering, honest, realistic, loyal, reserved, resolute, moralistic, quiet, rigorous, attached and reliable. But you may also be curt, withdrawn, calculating, petty, cruel, unpleasant, ruthless, selfish, dull, rigid, slow or sceptical.

Some traditional associations with Capricorn: Countries: India, Mexico, Afghanistan, Macedonia, Thrace, the Yugoslavian coast, the Orkneys and Shetland Islands, Albania, Bulgaria, Saxony. Cities: Delhi, Oxford, Brussels, Mexico, Port-Sad, Gent, Constance, Mecklenburg, all the administrative centres of capital cities. Animals: goats, pigs and animals with split hooves. Food: meat, potatoes, barley, beets, spinach, medlars, onions, quinces, flour and starchy food in general. Herbs and aromatics: indian hemp, comfreys, centaureas, hemlocks, henbanes. Flowers and plants: ivies, wild pansies, amaranths, pansies. Trees: pines, willows, flowering ashes, aspens, poplars, alders. Stones, Metals and Salts: turquoises, amethysts, silver, lead, calcium phosphate, calcium fluorine.

3rd Air sign - 4th Fixed sign - Masculine

In analogy with Uranus his ruler, with Saturn, and the 11th House

Aquarius governs the ankles and the legs.

His colour is navy blue or indigo, his stone is the sapphire, his day is Saturday, his professions are astrologer, high technologies, scientist, astronaut, psychiatrist, actor, electrician...

If your sign is Aquarius or your Ascendant is Aquarius: you are idealistic, altruistic, detached, independent, original, surprising, gifted, contradictory, innovative, humanistic, likeable, friendly, self-confident, impassive, quiet, intuitive, creative, charitable, elusive, disconcerting, generous, tolerant, paradoxical, and you cannot stand any kind of constraint. But you may also be marginal, resigned, distant, utopian, maladjusted, eccentric and cold.

Some traditional associations with Aquarius: Countries: Russia, Sweden, Poland, Israel, Iran, Abyssinia. Cities: Moscow, Salzburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Saint Petersburg. Animals: long distance big birds such as the albatross. Food: citrus fruits, apples, limes, dried fruits and easily preserved food. Herbs and aromatics: peppers, hot red peppers, star-fruits, and generally herbs that are spicy or with an unusual flavour. Flowers and plants: orchids, dancing ladies, polygonatum. Trees: fruit trees. Stones, Metals and Salts: aquamarines, aluminium, sodium chloride and magnesium phosphate.

3rd Water sign - 4th Mutable sign - Feminine

In analogy with Neptune her ruler with Jupiter, and the 12th House

Pisces governs the feet and the blood circulation.

Her colour is green or purple or turquoise blue, her stone is the amethyst, her day is Thursday, her professions are seamanship and and faraway travels, musician, social and emergency worker, doctor, writer and jobs in remote places...

If your sign is Pisces or your Ascendant is Pisces: you are emotional, sensitive, dedicated, adaptable, nice, wild, compassionate, romantic, imaginative, flexible, opportunist, intuitive, impossible to categorized, irrational, seductive, placid, secretive, introverted, pleasant, artistic, and charming. But you may also be indecisive, moody, confused, wavering, lazy, scatterbrained, vulnerable, unpredictable and gullible.

Some traditional associations with Pisces: Countries: Portugal, Scandinavia, small Mediterranean islands, Gobi desert, Sahara. Cities: Jerusalem, Warsaw, Alexandria, Seville, Santiago de Compostela. Animals: fishes, aquatic mammals and all animals living in the water. Food: melons, cucumbers, lettuces, vegemite sugar, pumpkins. Herbs and aromatics: lemon, chicory, limes, mosses. Flowers and plants: water lilies, willows, aquatic plants. Trees: fig-trees, willows, aquatic trees. Stones, Metals and Salts: heliotropes, moonstone, platinum, tin, iron phosphate and potassium sulphate.

Sun Aspects Sun trine Uranus orb -258' Sun trine Jupiter orb -408'

The Sun represents vitality, individuality, will-power and creative energy and honours. For a woman, it also represents her father, and later her husband. The Sun is one of the most important symbols in the birth chart, as much as the Ascendant, then the Moon (a bit less for a man), the ruler of the Ascendant and the fast-moving planets.

It's element is fire; it is hot and dry, it governs Leo, is in exaltation in Aries and is in analogy with the heart. It represents the boss, authority, beside the father and the husband ; the age of the Sun goes from 20 years old to about 40, following the Venus age when one is aware of his seductive power.

Temperament : Bilious

Characterology : Emotive, Active, Secondary, passionate type.

Your nature is marked by a constant concern for elevation and evolution. You want to project the image of a moral person, inhabited by a natural sense of justice and fairness. Your desire for discoveries prompts you to appreciate changes of life settings, explorations of the world, spiritual and inner journeys. Your enthusiasm may conceal a form of shyness and reserve. But the will to broaden your horizon prevails over your modesty. Sagittarius gathers. He readily listens to all argumentations, even to those he is not familiar with, and he has the ability to synthesize different logics. Therefore, he is not satisfied with stiff explanations and he strives to take advantage from the diversity of approaches and standpoints, without denouncing any of them a priori. He is a born unifier, an agent for cohesion. The Tradition emphasizes his civic sense, his respect for laws and morals. Possibly. What is certain is that you respect at least your own moral. More than anyone, you understand and you integrate the rules of the game and the specificity of each situation. This is a valuable asset when a new situation emerges and it becomes important to grasp the logic of its laws. Your qualities lay in the open-mindedness that allows you to quickly understand new circumstances and their stakes.

In your natal chart, the Sun is in the 6th House. You strive to keep your life setting under control. Therefore, you prefer to limit your experiences to activities which you master, and which you know in their slightest details. Each thing has its place and its timing. You try to focus your efforts, and to gain in efficiency what you lose in fancy. What is your ideal? A professional life in which your qualities blossom: precision, logic, and sense of observation.

If the Sun is part of your natal chart's planetary dominants, in astrology, you are said to be a Solarian: you loathe pettiness and Machiavellian manoeuvre, and you are fond of natural nobleness as well as of direct and honest attitudes. You endeavour to get out of muddled or dark situations as quickly as possible. Your need for transparency may lead you to make cut-and-dried judgments such as yes or no, and black or white. However, your honesty commands your entourage's consideration. At times, you come across as authoritarian. It is true that you never want to be thought of the notable absentee, and that you manage to make people pay attention to you, as well as to your plans and your assessments. To this end, the Solarian sometimes develops a great talent for placing himself under the spotlight without missing a single opportunity to arouse interest. Some other Solarians, although more discreet, still manage to be the focus of any debate, even in situations of exclusion. It is your way of being present even though you are actually not there... More than other people, you appreciate the esteem extended to you. It is useless to cheat with you, since in all areas you consider establishing enduring relationships only with those who love you, admire you, respect you, or express some degree of affection to you. Your will to straighten out your inter-personal relationships is your strength and sometimes, your Achilles' heel. You cannot achieve anything behind the scenes. Therefore, your comportment is marked with heroism, and your stands are devoid of ambiguity, in the sense that your commitments are unfailing, and your rebuffs, final.

Passionate, wily, and spiteful character. Fire plays a major part in life, whether it represents a disaster or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with great consequences on destiny. Regardless of the nature of ordeals and opponents, and despite the losses suffered, if one displays courage, this degree indicates that obstacles can be overcome and enemies, defeated.

N.B.: symbolic degrees belong to a branch of fatalistic astrology. Their interpretation must be regarded with the utmost caution, especially given the fact that different authors give different meanings to symbolic degrees. This is the reason why they are not included in our Astrotheme reports.

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