Present Moment Awareness
is a consciously realized and relatively continuous awareness contact in the present. Through the breath and body we may begin to experience the present as an unbroken chain of awareness moments.(2) Experiencing this brings with it a far more profound and meaningful sense of freedom as compulsive attraction around objects, thoughts and emotions begin to be seen into and through. We experience these, but are not taken out of the moment by them. Present moment awareness is a doorway through which achieve less awakening can be realized.

A Primer to the Present Moment
Research suggests that the smallest increments of time that humans can register, in terms of our actual physiological limitations, are about 50 milliseconds in length, or 20 'events' per second. While this is not important per se, it may help to give us an idea of how 'full' any present moment could be experienced. And we have all experienced such moments in varying degrees. And at the end of the day this is probably the 'one thing' that we all deeply yearn for: experiences of living in such moments where we feel more alive within ourselves, deeply connected with others and with life. Simple, direct and yet the quality of such moments are beyond description, really. When your level of awareness is here, a true meaning of freedom, peace and a deep joy is yours.  
 
The first task (of three) of staying present is to simply note all habitual thought and judgment, beginning from the first second that we place our attention on the present moment throughout the length of the exercise. Habitual thought is defined as being free associating or linking story-line thoughts one after the other. Judgmental thought usually revolves around the perceived productivity or usefulness of just sitting over an extended period of time. When we first start to sit, or when we begin to sincerely apply ourselves, it is often a difficult task because we begin to collide with previous mental conditioning. 

Remain present using the sound or sensation of the breath and breathing. This is a good way to become quicker at recognizing when we are coming from awareness. Since the breath is never anyplace else but the present, we can use it as an anchor. We can also use bodily sensations to remain present.  

First, we become aware of our mind and thoughts. And secondly we remain relatively present over extended periods of time through awareness of our breath and body sensations. But you may begin to experience a distinct change in the quality of how  you experience time. This space exists in openness; it cannot be achieved as such. There's nothing we can do to awaken. We are simply open to it.

What has already happened is letting go, the third task. Doing so is not a mental act, an act of will, or anything that you can purchase on a website! Letting go is surrendering; it's a piece of wisdom. And we claim this wisdom through insight. Insight into the fact that there's absolutely nothing we can do to let go (to awaken). Realizing letting go, over and over again, is a kind of jump less jump into the present moment. And no one can say what would be required of you awaken or to liberate -whether you've sat motionless in a cave in India for a decade or sat for only a minute in your basement at home. In other words, it can happen to anyone at anytime under any condition.

Once you know that you can remain relatively present over a period of time, a world of virtually limitless awareness depths and qualities may open to you. But what happens next may be conditioned by two things: the structure or makeup of your psychology, as indicated by your birth chart particulars.(3)

To sum, we note any judgment, bring mindfulness to our immediate, inner and outer circumstances and let go without doing any such thing. This is how we can experience the power of present moment in terms of its relative (present moment awareness) and transcendent (awareness as the present moment) dimensions. In a matter of speaking, to abide in the present moment is both a skill and an exercise in realizing Being. 



1 Quoted from the forthcoming title, 'Astrology of the Present Moment.' 
The ideas expressed here are not meant to be idealized behaviors or states that we should try to achieve. This would be counter-productive. Too often however, we use astrology in this way; to justify behavior or to tell us what our lives should look like now or in the future. A sign can be described, recognized or viewed in a number of ways. The perspective taken would depend upon a person's need or circumstances. There's a world of difference between a sign's description and the recognition of its many qualities within oneself, as opposed to holding onto it now or in the future. For example, when sitting we don't attempt to get ourselves into a 'Libra' state or mind. Rather, we are able to recognize it if it comes up. As well, we don't attempt to try to change our experience by excluding certain thoughts or feelings.  Libra in awareness is completely inclusive.  Other emotional or psychological underpinnings that have usually been held onto may also begin to fall away. The same awareness can be used for all other signs in their own unique or qualitative ways as well. The material in the book is an extensive description of how signs can be given the space to transform, as well as reminders of how the signs can look like, feel like and be expressed as awareness is given a chance to do its work.

2 'an unbroken chain of awareness moments' is analogous to a stone skipping on water when thrown. As it travels, it gradually makes more and more contact with the water. This is what we do when we bring our attention to the moment. As we become more centered in awareness, thoughts may come and go, but we are not taken out of the awareness moment by them. We remain present, within the unbroken chain of successive awareness moments. As always, allow thoughts to do what they do. But as we are relatively centered in awareness, we don't exit the moment. My experience of awareness is that it's a kind of extra-sense perception in which thoughts may or may not be happening, but that does not matter. We simply remain present with the breath and/or body awareness.

3 On the one hand, we can speak of the transition from psychology to spirituality; from the relative world of our own histories to that which is not touched or changed by any of it. Strictly speaking, from the point of view of spirituality, there is no transition. There is nothing to add or subtract about ourselves that would get us any closer to our 'spiritual' identity. In addressing the former however, many of us feel that we have explored a great deal about our lives and ourselves in ways that have been available to us. Astrology is one such tool. I personally know of no one who has made the total and complete leap from what could be defined as the confines of their emotional or psychological lives to 100% enlightenment in one shot. I am aware that there are many who have 'had enough' and are willing to place the sincerity of their hearts in something else. In my experience, the present moment is what 'leads' to that 'something else' while we also cannot change the fact that we still have a foot in the world of our psychologies. The material presented here is an attempt at this transitionless transition. The descriptions are a series of signposts pointing 'that way' planted on the ground of awareness. Again, and as with everything, take what you need and leave the rest.