Amelia’s Blog

“Things happen- people come -events
stack up
When you’re least aware of it ,
purpose happens.” Rainer Maria Rilke 

“Here’s a test to see whether your mission on earth is finished: if you’re alive it isn’t.” Richard Bach

This month’s  Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is exact at 4:20 PM EDT on July 27 at 4 degrees of Aquarius. It is likely much that has been hidden will come to light under the influence of this eclipse period- the effects of an eclipse can be felt in advance as well as following the actual event.

At the time of the eclipse Mars is retrograde and conjunct the South Node. This is likely to bring issues that have been simmering in the background into the light of day. It is a turning point in terms of bringing something to culmination.

Uranus – the planet of the unexpected – is active at this time bringing unpredictable events into play. Uranus is also the planet associated with making a sudden break for freedom. With Mars in Aquarius, innovation and futuristic thinking – as well as courage – are on the table.

Venus in Virgo trining Pluto in Capricorn can lend support to being  in the right place at the right time. It can support the actions which bring a renewal of passion and purpose.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” A council of ancestors has been called to guide a person.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Celebrate the energy that anger can give rise to when it doesn’t turn to rage, the initiative it brings into the world.” David Tresemer.

“We were born to be the companions of the angels. Let us go there again, friend, for that is our country.” Rumi

In general it is a testy time – with Mars the god of action and desire traversing the dark of the Underworld – his power held hostage. His journey extends through the end of August providing a good time to look at the use and misuse of power both personally and in the world. Mars is transiting near the South Node bringing up issues of empowerment/lack of empowerment  inherited through the culture, family lines and ancestry.  In general it is a good time to move away from old unhealthy patterns related to anger and lack of empowerment in the direction of increased balance and integration.

These themes will also be played out on the world stage and in the headlines as a new, more just and compassionate world struggles to be born amidst an atmosphere of hostility, upheaval and push back.

There is a beneficent a Jupiter /Neptune trine in the sky – a mystical combination which bodes well for spiritual growth and awareness. It also governs kindness and compassion. Given the fast paced times we live in. it’s wise  to provide extra down time for reflection,  rejuvenation and integration.

Venus is in Virgo now and this placement is about discrimination. It’s a good time to review detail oriented financial matters and for planning. It can be overly critical and it’s best to choose your words carefully as misunderstandings can more easily occur now.

Mercury is slowing down to turn retrograde on July 26. Between then and now  it will be forming a quincunx- to Pluto. This is an aspect that requires constant adjustment. It can be good for investigative work, research and getting to the bottom of things.But do be aware of assuming all the information is in. The downside of this aspect is unwarranted suspicion and lack of trust. It can  lead to power struggles.

Pallas Athene the asteroid goddess of compassionate justice and diplomacy is active in the sky this week – forming a challenging angle to Saturn – who governs the”rules of the road” and enforces them. There is a lot of tension now between the old world that is dying and the new , more just world that is struggling to be born.

Pallas will move up to the North Node this week as well – do be aware of any information that may surface about your path  forward as the North Node governs  life purpose and Pallas governs a brilliant strategic approach.

Eris the goddess of discord and chaos stations direct this week – becoming an increasingly strong force to contend with. In mythology Eris threw the apple of discord that started the Trojan War. Eris is a female goddess who stirs up chaos and sheds light on issues  people don’t want to look at but need to see in order to evolve. She is associated with the repression of the Feminine throughout time.

The Sun moves into Leo on Sunday ushering in a good time for socializing, creativity  and re-creation.

One of the  Sabian symbols for the Sun’s ingress into Leo is,” A daughter of the American Revolution.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?” Antonio Machado

“The sacred world of love and wisdom, fiery intelligence and passionate will, imagination and delight- is a world of freedom. It is liberating. But it is also binding and connecting.” David Spangler.

One of my favorite fairy tales is  about a young  mermaid who lived in a marsh near the ocean. In the day time she loved to swim out in the ocean and play with her friends and return to the marsh at night.

One day she met a merman who gave her a beautiful  necklace woven of reeds and small, glittering stones from the ocean floor.  Beautiful though it was, the minute she put it on, her feet became tangled in the roots deep in the water and she was  unable to swim away.  Though she tried and tried to remove the necklace, she could not.

This story reminds me  a bit of Thursday’s New Moon Eclipse at 20 degrees of Cancer. Cancer is a water sign whose symbol is the crab – an inhabitant of  both land and sea.  This sign is ruled by the Moon and also governs the past and the unconscious.

This New Moon Eclipse in  Cancer is opposed to the powerful planet of transformation and evolution, Pluto. In mythology Pluto is known for taking hostages- similar to what happened to the mermaid. The capturing of the mermaid involved something she couldn’t see – she trusted the merman and did not think that he would trap her.

Often  in life when there is a desire to move forward – to pursue a long sought after aspiration, to leave an oppressive job or  to make a more rewarding  life, there is something hidden that holds us back.

Very often the underlying causes of this kind of paralysis are related to the past – to ancestry, past life influences, early childhood conditioning or conditioning from religious or cultural beliefs. These influences are all related in astrology to the Moon and to the sign of Cancer. The down side of these influences can sometimes be hard to see.

This particular New Moon in a powerful alignment to Pluto is a time when secrets can be unveiled and hidden information revealed particularly about these areas of life. Jupiter is now powerful in the sky in the sign of Scorpio – another indication that what’s  hidden or deeply hidden that can be brought to light now.

And as for the mermaid, she needs someone (symbolizing a part of herself) to free her from the spell that holds her captive. And one day a hamster comes paddling along on  his raft boat and meets the mermaid. She explains her plight and he reaches over and is able to remove the necklace from around her neck.  At this point the mermaid swims happily  off to the ocean  – free.

New Moons are an excellent time to set, tweak and affirm intentions and this week is an especially powerful time for that. It is wise to raise your awareness to recognize significant information that surfaces now that has a freeing and empowering quality to it and that may have been previously hidden.

Saturn and Uranus are in a harmonious aspect now – indicating the ability to blend tradition and innovation in a  harmonious way that builds a bridge between the past and the future.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “A young woman awaiting a sailboat.”

Sabian symbol reference from Lynda Hill

“An evolved feminine will shift the balance of the archetypal qualities toward more relatedness, emotional connection and tolerance for the beauty and the darkness of the natural world.” Del McNeeley

” We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experiences, our truth, all the maps change.” Ursula K. Le Guin

Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer stations retrograde at 2 degrees of Aries this Thursday July 5.  This repeats the cycle of Chiron – having stationed retrograde at 3 degrees of Aries on July 5, 1968 – a time of great divisions, heightened tensions  and significant  upheaval in the US.

One of the major aspects which governed that time (the 60s and 70s) was the Pluto/Uranus conjunction and that planetary duo and it’s long range and significant impacts are with us once again.

Starting the week off on a generous and beneficent note is the Sun moving up to  trine to Jupiter and Neptune – forming a grand trine in water. This is a mystical influence and bodes well for increasing inspiration and compassion.

Mercury is moving up to a conjunction to the North Node in Leo making this week a good time for taking charge of your life in a more actualized way if needed. It’s a good time to be in touch with your aspirations, your progress on the path of actualizing them and your vision for the long term.

Mars is retrograde through late August. This provides a good time to reflect on your use of personal power and how you control and direct your mental energy. As the Dalai Lama wrote,”It is important to always be thinking about what we are thinking.” Without proper diligence thoughts can stir up fear and undermine intentions. Consciously directed, thoughts can support aspirations and endeavors and result in positive outcomes.

Juno, the asteroid of marriage and commitment is moving up to a conjunction with Uranus, the futuristic planet of innovation and revolution. This is bringing about a lot of change in relationship dynamics. It is a good time to stay open about possibilities for more justice, fairness and balance in relationships.
Eris, the goddess of chaos is discord is aspecting Venus the planet of love and pleasure. This in a larger sense is about the re-emergence of the Feminine (in both men and women)  on the planet and the movement away from the power-over dynamics of the Masculine.

Mercury is aspecting the North Node of fate and destiny now. Important thoughts and communications can occur this week – do heed any info that surfaces that may bode well for the future.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The wonder of the constellations of stars in the night sky.”

“If when my wife is sleeping
and the baby and Kathleen
are sleeping
and the sun is a flame-white disc
in silken mists
above shining trees,-
if I in my north room
dance before my mirror
waving my shirt round my head
and singing softly to myself:
“I am lonely, lonely,
I was born to be lonely,
I am best so!”
Who shall say I am not
the happy genius of my household?” William Carlos Williams

“Today i feel centered, and time is a friend instead of an enemy. I am happy to be alone- time to think, time to be.” May Sarton

This month’s Full Moon – exact on Thursday June 28 in the wee hours of EDT, is at 6 degrees of Capricorn. The forces of Saturn are strong at this time as Saturn is conjunct the Moon and opposite the Sun. It bodes well under these influences to take a look at how you content you are with the limitations imposed on your life – both self  imposed as well as those imposed by others and the outer world and see if adjustments are necessary.

Saturn can provide the guard rails – i.e. the kind of boundaries you need to flourish personally and succeed in  your personal aspirations. But imbalances of Saturn – not enough protection or too much restriction – can be problematic.  It’s wise periodically – particularly under these kinds of  influences- to revisit this territory if necessary.

The Saturn/Sun and Saturn/Moon combinations are associated with loneliness and feeling alone in the world. People who have these placements in their birth charts have often always felt this way.

This  is a serious Full Moon  and a time of culmination.

Venus is  inconjunct Neptune  now and Isabelle Hickey referred to this placement as a kind of longing that nothing on the material plane can fulfill. This aspect is often present in the charts of artists and spiritual seekers.

Mars is retrograde  and conjunct the South Node. The pull of unproductive habits can be strong now. This placement  can also bring people with whom you have unresolved or karmic relationships back into your life.

It’s wise to stay within the guard rails.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

“The rule of no realm is mine. but all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands, those are my care. As for my part, I shall not wholly fail in my task if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower in the days to come. For I too am a steward.” J.R.R Tolkien

“Mars reminds us that spiritual life is not some passive, safe, wimpy tour; it is bold, active, heroic and completely engaged adventure.” Caroline W. Casey

As with all retrograde periods, the upcoming Mars retrograde (from June 27 – August 28) provides a good time for some reflection – this time on the wise  use of power both individually and in the world.

Mars governs the ability to feel animated and inspired about being assertive. It governs the use of energy  and the understanding of how to allocate appropriate energy to accomplish tasks. It governs the ability to discern what is wise to pursue or not  pursue at any time. It governs the ability to stay energized through setbacks and challenges.

Under this influence lingering frustrations and hostilities – normally kept under wraps – may rise to the surface. This can provide clarity about situations which need some further form of resolution or understanding.

Mars with station at 9 degrees of Aquarius. This placement is the sign of the enlightened warrior in our time. It is the sign of the visionary and the humanitarian as well as the sign of stewardship. As Matthew Fox wrote, “Strength must be redefined not as power-over but as power- with.”

The Sabian symbol for the Mars station is,” A man who had been made to be the embodiment of an ideal is made to realize that he is not that ideal.”

 

 

“Life is the only way
to get covered in leaves,
catch your breath on sand,
rise on wings;

to tell pain
from everything it’s not;

to squeeze inside events,
dawdle in views,
to seek the least of all possible mistakes;

and to keep on not knowing
something important.” Wislawa Szymborska

Neptune the planet of the sea god and ruler of dreams, metaphysical journeys and creativity, is a strong player this week – stationing retrograde on Monday. This, in addition to the beneficent trine to Jupiter, provides a good time for spiritual  growth, artistic pursuits and being in touch with higher aspirations for yourself and the world.

But the sometimes stormy god Neptune also rules fog and thus the possibility of  illusion, deception and confusion may be about. It may be more difficult  to separate fact from fiction due to Neptune’s haze. It bodes well this week to make an effort to avoid  the pull of unproductive  thinking and habits.

The Sun enters the sign of Cancer on Thursday- marking the time of the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The sign of Cancer rules mothering, nurturing,  home, family and the kind of safety, security and protection those things can provide.

Mars and Venus – the lovers in mythology- oppose each other at this time while strongly aspecting the Lunar Nodes of fate and destiny.It is wise to be in touch with the higher meaning of love now – to move away from old models of competition and conflict and  strive to work instead through cooperation and collaboration in creative ways.

The Sun will be aspecting Uranus -the futuristic planet of innovation and discovery. It  is wise now with these two planets in the signs related to safety and security, to think about what matters now and to work in innovative ways to bring about any changes that are necessary.

One of the Sabian symbols for this week is,”During a silent hour a woman receives a new inspiration which may change her life.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Nobody started it and nobody is going to stop it. It will take as long as it wants, the rain. And as long as it talks, I am going to listen.” Thomas Merton

“If you listen carefully enough to anything, it will talk to you.” George Washington Carver

The Moon waxes new on Wednesday at 22 degrees of Gemini, ushering in a new cycle in which there is an opportunity to improve communication skills and social interactions. Gemini is the sign of the Twins – the sign of duality. Under this influence it bodes well to think about how we take in information, listen to another’s point of view and how able we are to communicate in a low key, friendly and non- threatening way.

The starry skies are a place of considerable planetary changes this week as Mercury enters Cancer, Venus enters Leo and Neptune prepares to station retrograde. It’s time of change here on Planet Earth.

Neptune is stationary in the sky now and for that reason has a strong influence. It bodes well to focus on your higher aspirations, make an extra effort to be clear in communications and avoid the pull of unproductive habits. It is a good time for spiritual endeavors, creative work and imagination.

One of the Sabian symbols for the New Moon is, “Three fledglings in a nest high up in a tree.”

Sabian symbol quote from Lynda Hill

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming is, after all, a form of planning.” Amy Schumer

“Love is not a state; it’s a direction.” Simone Weil

The Sun and Mercury are making a square aspect to Neptune this week indicating it is a good week for dreaming and being in touch with your higher aspirations. It’s good for brainstorming and collaborating with others on future endeavors but do wait until later in the week to make any concrete decisions.  Neptune’s presence in this configuration can represent foggy thinking or unrealistic goals and can blur perception.

Do make an extra effort to keep communications clear as misunderstandings in general can more easily arise. The down side of Neptune is deception so it’s wise to be aware of that this week as well.

It’s good to keep moderation in mind as Pluto is aspecting Venus. This can bring up feelings of scarcity. It also presents a good time to be in touch with the meaning of love on a more profound level.

It bodes well  to take your time and avoid impulsiveness as Mars in conjunct the South Node and squaring Uranus.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “In a huge tent a famous revivalist conducts his meeting with a spectacular performance.”

Sabian symbol reference from Lynda Hill

 

 

“I sat, a solitary man,
In a crowded London shop,
An open book and empty cup
On the marble table-top.
While on the shop and street I gazed
My body of a sudden blazed;
And twenty minutes more or less
It seemed, so great my happiness,
That I was blessed and could bless.” W.B Yeats

“We cannot solve problems on the level they were created.” Albert Einstein

There is some very inspired energy about this weekend with the Neptune/Jupiter/Venus trine in the watery element. This bodes well for creative work, meditation, spiritual endeavors and for taking a more compassionate view of life and life’s struggles.

Venus opposes Pluto this weekend as well boding well for healing old wounds through a higher level of awareness.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”In a quiet moment, a creative individual experiences the flow of inspiration.”

Sabian symbol quote from Lynda Hill