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Taurus Solar Eclipse 19˚ 31’

Thu, 9 May 2013 17:29:41 -0700

Taurus is the sign of the bull, an animal which was sacred in the ancient world, but now long maligned in our speech and sacrificed by culture (especially in Spain). However, without the lessons of Taurus, the soul cannot be grounded here in physical reality, cannot learn how to feel comfort, have pleasure, and feel secure in the world. Taurus is a fixed, earth sign. Fixity grounds us, it places us firmly in the now, it allows us to be certain, to be able to defend our territory, to feel solid. But when solidity betrays us, we become stubborn, unchangeable, immoveable, habituated, and even paranoid about anything that tries to make us change our ways.

A solar eclipse in Taurus asks us to see the shadow contents of our fixity. Since Taurus rules our relationship to the material world, we are faced with the need to look at how our habits have led us into ruts, into places of stubbornness, into fundamentalism. The down side of Taurus is that we cling to our judgements, and when we do, we fix reality in place, we hold it to our version of it, and thus it cannot shift and change, as is its nature, and becomes distorted.

We are in the midst of Great Changes here in the 21st century. Already we are faced every day with information that is overwhelming in its compelling nature. The Arctic Ocean is becoming acidic much more quickly that was thought; human ignorance and greed seem to be reaching new levels of frightening proportions. We are becoming overcrowded on the planet; more people are alive today, using the Earth’s resources, than have ever lived in all of human history combined. We MUST change. And every astrologer knows we are in that cycle of Uranus square Pluto that indicates massive large-scale changes in the world as we know it. Some are frightened about these changes, some say, it’s about time we changed!

Looking at the chart, we can see a strong emphasis on Taurus as Mars, Mercury, Sun, Moon Pallas/Athena, an asteroid, are all in that sign. Pallas/Athena is of particular interest since it is at the same degree as the eclipse, signifying a strong emphasis upon the intelligence that comes from the archetypal feminine energies of our psyche. Athena was born out of the head of Zeus/Jupiter and was greatly worshipped for her power in ancient times. She was the patron of the arts, and her power was valued as indispensable for the understanding of what makes us essentially human, our ability to see the beauty of Creation. In Taurus, she brings us to acknowledge the value of the land, to heal the Earth, and appreciate its sacred role in our lives. The rights especially of the indigenous peoples whose land has been usurped are especially highlighted by this eclipse. We are all victims of Colonialism, thinking in this way, of being “owners,” and taking pride in our acquisition of materials. This is the shadow of having a command of our reality, of having dominion, that it turns into domination, superiority; authority becomes superiority. And, as such heaven and earth are split asunder.

Since this eclipse is conjoined the South Node, (as are all three eclipses in this cycle) we are dealing with the past, with old beliefs that are stale-dated, ready to be replaced with new ones. The new forms and ways are already available for a sustainable culture. But there are those who benefit from the established ways that are working to maintain their position by continuing to stand by and reinforce our dependency on what has been. Witness the Senate recently voting down the gun control laws. This will only serve in the long run to create a backlash that will storm the Bastille and hopefully create change that serves us all equally.

Here again, as always, the revolution starts within. What are the old ways we have been doing things individually that no longer serve us? What are the outdated ways of our relationship to money, possessions, earning a living, that help to reinforce being stuck in the same situations time and again? If we look at Pluto in the chart it is trine (forms a harmonious angle of 120˚) to all of the planets in Taurus. Pluto in Capricorn indicates changes in established institutions, the financial markets, ways of doing business that are hidden from view. The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was from 1762 onward to the American revolution. Now since, 2008 when Pluto first entered Capricorn again, we are in another historical opportunity for groundbreaking changes.

The way to successfully navigate Pluto’s transformational power is to do the work within ourselves to revamp our outdated approaches to living in the material world. Pluto asks nothing less. If we are doing our work, no matter how much suffering is encountered, it is not for naught. Whatever misfortune we are facing now, if we can see that it is in service to transformation, then we will be shown how to use our strengths in ways we had not thought previously possible. Where have we been holding on to what we must let go of? What doors need to open that we have unwittingly kept closed? We are looking at our root level intentions, examining our deepest desires to see what they are grounded in. Pluto will be in Capricorn until 2023, working each of us in deep and compelling ways.

Let beauty be our guide. Taurus’s ruler is Venus, and her planet’s light is now in the advantageous evening sky. We are in a period in between three eclipses in a row. Shadow and strange darkness may appear even at the brightest and lightest times. If and when it does, let it be our guide, as shadow gives definition and shape to light, it shows us where the boundaries are, keeps us informed. Ceres and Vesta are still forming that Grand Trine we spoke of in the last blog. Keep focussed on what is important in order to open our hearts to loving each other and ourselves. There is Grace to be had, even in the darkest of times.

Scorpio Lunar Eclipse

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:58:32 -0700

“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” said Bette Davis as Margo Channing in the classic film “All About Eve.” In those days, cars didn’t have seatbelts, and the reference was to airplanes, which did. We are in for a bumpy ride should we resist the changes that are in store for each of us, and all of us collectively. Or we can ride the airwaves of change.

Eclipses are the harbingers of change, of the appearance of what might be called shadow contents, those events and people that come into our lives and in some way forever alter the path we would otherwise have consciously chosen. This lunar eclipse is the first of three eclipses in a row, each two weeks apart. And these occur before, during and after one of the exact Uranus/Pluto squares we’ve been talking about. The square aspect (90˚ angle) between these two outer planets signifies the transformation of life as we know it here on planet Earth. The one which happens on May 20th will be number three in a series of seven exact squares of these powerful planets, ending in 2015. Uranus (revolutionary ideas) in Aries (new emerging activity and paradigms) squaring (challenging) Pluto (deep transformation) in Capricorn (governments, institutions, organizing factors).

Looking at the chart we can see a powerful polarization of planets. The Full Moon in itself is always an opposition between the Sun and Moon, but the Sun is now joined by Mars (they’ve been together for some weeks now—and are finally, thankfully, pulling apart) and Venus, all in Taurus. The Moon in Scorpio is joined by Saturn. Sun, Mars and Venus together these past weeks has been quite a bundle of energy (see past posts) that has been either pushing us to new levels of activity or getting us into jumbles of trouble. (Maybe some of each.) Now at this eclipse with the Moon and Saturn conjoining in Scorpio, we are being asked to look at our deep feelings, deep emotional content and ask ourselves what is important to release in order to move forward. This may concern our past, our old beliefs, and our passions. Perhaps what we’ve been so passionate about has led us astray, led us away from our heart. In this case we are learning the difference between love and obsession, appetite and addiction, true desire and infatuation.

The planet Neptune forms both a trine to the Moon and a sextile to the Sun. This is called a release point astrologically, and is the key to resolving the tension of the opposition. Neptune governs what we dream about, what direction our fantasies run in, our relationship to our unconscious. Since the full moon eclipse is bringing about the revelation of shadow, here is where our work lies. Dispelling our fear around seeing deeply within ourselves and bringing in our curiosity as our greatest tool for self-discovery, we can grow powerfully during this time, both individually and collectively. Pluto is also a release point for the opposition, but its ticket price is fairly high. We must roll with the changes that happen in and around us, knowing how doors closing are often necessary to others opening. If we choose to fight against change, rebel and flail our arms, we can do so, but it will not alter the inevitable. If we fight against change, Pluto’s way is to break us down to the level at which we will accept it.

Sun in Taurus, Moon in Scorpio. What’s up for us with the Taurus/Scorpio polarity is how we fulfill our needs for stability and security in the material world, versus what we need to grow and move toward that will fulfill us emotionally and open our hearts to others around us. Are we too attached to the material world and its hoped-for gains? Do we substitute money for love? Soon, Saturn will exactly oppose the Sun (on April 28th) and Mars will oppose Saturn (on April 30th). These will be testing days to see how our grip on reality is holding. We may encounter opposition from someone else, or internally we may be fighting with ourselves.

Remember during eclipse season (twice a year) we are presented with shadow contents of the psyche, our recognition of which becomes a healing. Shadow contents are largely unconscious, and so then are often projected onto others around us. They often have a negative quality, but if we are unconscious of our positive qualities, then those become shadow as well. As we look around us, if we can see each quality in others as resonant with a part of our own psyche (however remote it may seem) then we are not immersed in separation – me vs. you, us vs. them. This is the practice and basis of compassion.

Of interest to note: two asteroids, Ceres and Vesta form a Grand Trine with Neptune and the Moon, and open the way toward grace in our lives during this shadow-y time. A Grand Trine indicates a container that holds grace, ease and flow. Ceres, the largest of the asteroids, astrologically represents the Great Mother archetype, and Vesta represents the ability to heal, maintain focus and keep the faith through the feminine energies in each one of us. Since they are both in the sign of Cancer, we are pointed toward the importance of self-care, and caring for others. This is the key to the survival of our species. Competition is the theme of the last age. We are transitioning out of the age of Pisces (duality) and into the Age of Aquarius, where we realize we are all connected at a very deep level, that humanity is a single organism with a collective consciousness. We may have far to go on that score, but the official news reports are not to be our gauge for progress. Grace in our lives, despite the tide of violence our culture seems to be immersed in, will allow us to navigate turbulent waters, connected to others in love and mutual support.

New Moon in Aries 20˚ 41’

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:35:24 -0700

How are we doing with all this potent Aries energy lately? It has been powerful in numerous ways, turning up the dial on many things in our lives. Yet “power” can express itself either positively or negatively, outward or inward, strong or overpowering. And, of course, often it emerges as somewhat of a mixture of both polarities.

This is the first New Moon of this year’s life cycle, which could be thought of as beginning at Spring Equinox. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and speaks to new beginnings, also the theme of each New Moon. This New Moon is very closely conjoined with Mars and Venus as well as Eris, a small dwarf planet that was discovered in 2003, causing an upheaval in the world of astronomy, and resulting in the re-classification of Pluto also as a dwarf planet, which is actually smaller in size than Eris.

True to her name, Eris the goddess was the “troublemaker” of the goddesses, a holder of “shadow” in the feminine psyche. In the mythology of Eris, no one wanted to invite her to a wedding where all the other goddesses were invited and so she wreaked havoc by appearing anyway, and throwing a golden apple onto the table inscribed with “For the most beautiful one” thereby causing great discord as to whom it should belong, and ultimately resulting in the great Trojan War. With Mars (her brother) and Venus closely conjoined this New Moon, we have great potential for examining our own masculine and feminine elements of our psyche, and for becoming conscious of whatever discord we may find there. Usually evidence of this will appear in our relationships, since whatever we are unconscious of appears outwardly in our lives for the purpose of integration. Since the equality of the feminine energies to the masculine has for centuries been denied and their power even vilified, Eris then must be characterized as a troublemaker, upsetting as she is to the status quo. This split is also, of course, instilled in each one of us and is in some way part of everyone’s healing journey.

The relationship between our own inner masculine and feminine energies affects how we act in the world. When they are balanced and able to dialog with each other, we can be fluid, flexible, go with the flow, and find harmonious ways of solving problems. If we overly identify with one or the other, we may find that we are at the mercy of their imbalance, either too passive, dependent, depressed and vulnerable, or too forceful, opinionated, and aggressive, creating battles where there need be none. This New Moon is asking us to do an inventory of our inner world and to make a new beginning, to make necessary changes to explore how to balance our inner Mars and Venus. Looking at where Mars and Venus are in your chart can offer clues as to what the nature and quality of this balancing is for each one of us.

Eris and Mars, sister and brother, are the closest together of the conjunctions, Mars being in the sign that it rules. This may be the opportunity for these two elements of our psyche to conjoin within each of us, to use our aggressive energy in ways that do good work, that speak out our truth, that clear the decks of what’s not been said, and create new foundations for growth. Aries is the sign of emergence, the emergence of the life force to find its truest expression in the outer world. It does not need to invalidate another in order to find validation within.

For the next week or so, the Sun and Mars will be closely conjoined, until April 17th when they exactly are at the same degree. This is a high energy period, and can be used for getting good work done. But we must also be careful to realize that others around us may not have a balanced relationship to this powerful energy. Be watchful when driving, or working around machinery or when doing strong physical activity. And be careful also to not overdo things. Most importantly, make sure that you take action in accord with your relationship to others, listening as well as speaking, since Libra, being the opposite sign, is the balancing energy of all this Aries power.

Pluto is about to go retrograde on April 12th, and as it does, it will be heading toward the exact square (90˚ angle) to Uranus in Aries on May 20th. Pluto will be retro until September, and signifies a period of inner investigation and regeneration of outdated beliefs and ways of being in the world. As it is square to Uranus during that period, the events in the outer world may also reflect to us ways that the mass consciousness is changing, rebelling against old outworn and outdated ways of doing business. Since Pluto is in the sign that rules governments (Capricorn), we may see some revolutionary changes in world government and economic stability taking place. We are also heading for a lunar eclipse in 2 weeks and following that a solar eclipse in May. So this is the time to make sure that you are establishing good foundations in your relationships as well as your relationship with yourself, to weather whatever storms may arise in the coming months ahead. Change is good! It’s what we need in order to survive and thrive into the rest of this century. As we effect positive changes within ourselves, we will then be part of the constructive changes in the world around us.

Full Moon in Libra 6˚52’

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:28:38 -0700

This is one of the most powerful Full Moons we’ve experienced in a long time. For starters, the Sun and Venus are almost exactly conjoined in Aries, Uranus is only 2 degrees away and Mars is 3 degrees from Uranus. This is a powerful Aries conjunction of planets, called a stellium in astrology. The most exact of the aspects, Sun conjoined with Venus (by less than 20’ of a degree), marks a strong emphasis upon using our will (Sun) in accord with the feminine principles: receptivity, trust, allowance and connection. But since they are both in a masculine sign, Aries, the feminine is poised to take action, to make itself known. To believe in the powerful aspects of the feminine energy that each one of us, man or woman, carries within, is to be able to make important changes in the ways we operate in the world, ways that humanity has labored under and suffered from for centuries.

Adding Uranus to the mix signifies revolutionary impulses, and adding Mars to the mix means action! Things are changing. As we look around us, we can see milestones happening in places around the world. But also we know personally that times have been indeed stressful for many, that the intensity level has not stopped increasing. We are all being pushed to give up that which no longer serves us. This Full Moon is urging us to act on what we know to be true in our deepest selves.

The stellium of planets all form a right angle to Pluto which signifies transformation and the evolution of consciousness. The square aspect (90˚) is an energy that tends to force things, to push us toward our outer limits. Here again, old beliefs that stand in the way of our soul’s growth must be released. Usually these are the things that we are attached to, the routines and habits of our lives. If we are resistant to changing our habits, then often breaking them usually only happens in “involuntary” ways, through accident, illness, job or relationship loss, etc. However, if we are able to look ahead to the possibility that we might be served by the changes in our lives that upset us, we can sometimes ameliorate the suffering involved.

Enter the Moon in Libra. Being able to connect and relate with others, to form relationships that help us and reflect to us what we need to see in ourselves is key. However, we must practice humility and allow others who love and care for us to be our guides at times, as well as performing that service for them. The Moon is also square Pluto (Pluto forms a T-square) and this means that emotional intensity is in the air. If we allow ourselves to use that intensity and learn from what it is reflecting to us, we can grow enormously from it. Jupiter forms a harmonious trine (120˚ aspect) to the Moon, which points out that there are spiritual gains possible now as we work with our emotional bodies, clearing up old attachments and freeing up energy that we will need in the near future. (Remember, Uranus will square Pluto for the 3rd of 7 times this May 20th, pushing the envelope).

Saturn, the planet of discipline and limitation, forms a trine to Neptune, Mercury and Chiron, helping to open the doors to healing that might have been closed in our lives for a very long time. Possibilities abound now, especially in such a powerful chart as this one. Venus is now not visible from Earth, as she is conjunct the Sun (see chart). The ancients described this as her being in the underworld, the place where wisdom is gathered. She will be emerging once again as an evening star around mid-April. It’s interesting that in this chart Venus and Mars are conjoined, about 5 degrees apart surrounding the Sun. This would underscore the crucial need humanity has to balance the masculine and the feminine, and not only to balance them, but to see them as two sides of the same coin. Men are not only from Mars, and women from Venus. Those personality paradigms of separation are obsolete, and can no longer sustain a healthy mass consciousness. Mars also will be too near the Sun and will not be visible until the end of May. Perhaps our collective ideas of masculine and feminine will emerge from the underworld transformed.

This Full Moon in Libra gives us the opportunity to reach out to new relationships, and to treasure the ones we already have. But with Mars and Uranus in the mix, and Mars exactly squaring Pluto, things can get somewhat volatile. Please be careful driving, and be cautious around electrical devices. There’s a lot of energy in the planets right now, and we can navigate it safely if we stay in our bodies, breathe! and sharpen our curiosity in order to learn and grow from our experiences.

Aries Equinox

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:01:44 -0700

The spring equinox was for many ancient cultures in the Northern Hemisphere the beginning of the New Year. It marks the beginning of the return of warmth, the end of dark, cold, and short days and the possibility once again of planting new crops, evidence that the renewal of life will once again emerge from the cold ground of winter. As we begin to see the re-appearance of greenery on the trees and plant life, the return of song birds, there is the renewal of our faith in the cycle of the seasons.

The beginning of the season of spring in the northern hemisphere is the moment at which the Sun enters the very first degree of Aries in tropical astrology. It can also be thought of as the birth chart for the coming year, the chart which will characterize what we plant, how we plant, what may sprout and grow in our awareness. We can also look at the chart as a way of pointing out coming events for the year.

This chart is a chart of seeming contradictions. On the one hand, there is a Grand Trine of planets, the Moon in Cancer forming 120˚ angles to both Saturn in Scorpio and a cluster of planets in Pisces – Neptune, Mercury and Chiron (blue lines). Grand Trines indicate ease, harmony, and fortuitous events to come. However, there is also a T-square of planets (red lines). The Moon also opposes Pluto, and both form right angles (90˚) to a third set of planets, the Sun, Mars and Uranus. When the Moon is in opposition to Pluto, there is bound to be emotional power plays, and even clashes regarding how we handle our money, both personally and globally. The combination of Mars and Uranus is an extremely volatile one. They will exactly conjoin on March 22. But even within a few degrees, the potential exists for impulsive behaviors, arguments, anger and rage surfacing, accidents, and trouble with mechanical and electrical objects. Remember, Uranus and Pluto are already advancing into a square relationship with each other (exact in May) and with Mars joining in, we have extra fuel in the fire. Our personal egos are involved.

Thankfully, Mercury has gone direct as of March 17th, and so some of the confusion we’ve been feeling may begin to clear a bit. This equinox chart brings hope, inspiration and change, but not without the kind of changes that cost us in some way. Old relationships, old beliefs may have to go by the wayside. We are all being pushed to update our internal software programming, to become more aligned with releasing victimhood, and the limitations of our social and cultural constructs. The Moon is a strong focal point for this chart, being key in pointing out the need to focus on how we nurture ourselves (Moon in Cancer) and other people as well. The Moon also represents our collective feelings and as we can see from the chart, we are about to go through a great deal of changes. But there is grace. The Grand Trine offers discoveries of our strengths and human rights, and the T-square with Mars/Uranus as the focal point signifies that we may run into opposition from others when these insights are put into practice.

As the Sun moves into Aries, we are now in the energy of taking action in the world, to demonstrate to ourselves and others what we truly believe in and how we wish the world around us to be. Aries is about moving forward, fearlessly and with courage. The Sun is said to be exalted in Aries astrologically, being the placement that most favors what the Sun represents – using our will and being effective in the world.

Saturn and Jupiter are also each the focus points for a Yod, a configuration in which two planets form a divining rod-like configuration (150˚ angles) to a third (orange lines in chart). This is often called the “finger of God” in astrology and indicates that destiny is lurking symbolically within the focal planet. In this case, the principles of expansion which Jupiter represents and Saturn’s symbology, which is often about contraction, are both part of our destiny this year. We may find we have to tighten our belts financially and use Saturnian discipline, and yet this may afford us some potential for inner growth, psychologically and spiritually as well, (the domain of Jupiter). How we put our insights into practice is up to us personally, but expect that those around you will either respond well or not very well at all, with little in between. This is not a chart of halfway measures.

Yods require fine tuning. In the case of Jupiter, we will be asked to fine tune our relationship to “progress” the belief that in order for things to be good we must grow and expand endlessly. This is our overpopulation problem as well as the ways in which our world economy is handled. Instead of continued “economic growth” perhaps we need economic stability. This is Saturn’s domain, to contain our desires so that no one need suffer for another’s greed.

Admittedly we have a long way to go. But we have reached a wall where the ethic of competition no longer serves us. Its roots are programmed into each of us at very deep levels, and only by becoming aware of its effects upon our relationships and our life goals can we ever begin to effect change. What Jupiter’s expansive urges ask of us now is to move more deeply into discovering our relationship to each other, to the consciousness and life force that lives in every thing on this planet. This is a spiritual quest. If our culture is only about procuring more and more, we will end up starving from our endless hunger. In a famous quote attributed to a Native American Abenaki man, Obamsawin:

“…the most affluent of countries, operates on a depletion economy which leaves destruction in its wake. Your people are driven by a terrible sense of deficiency. When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.”