Category: Amelia’s Blog

“All journeys have a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware.” Martin Buber

“New ways of thinking about familiar things can release new energies and make all manner of things possible.” Charles Handy

When I first moved to  the country I worked  as a waitress in a historic inn. Some of the people who worked with me  were artists who lived in rustic cabins out on a wildlife sanctuary. They were a free spirited bunch who preferred to work at the inn at night and spend the daytime pursuing their artistic projects. Often at the end of a very hot summer evening when the work at the inn was done we would go for a midnight swim in the ocean or a neighboring lake or go dancing in a nearby club.

Through them I met a very mysterious elderly man who lived in old brick house downtown. He had silvery hair and sparkling eyes which time  and experience had not dimmed. When you conversed with him it seemed as if you shared some unspoken secret about the magic of life.

One day he invited me to tea at his house. His living room was formal and furnished with antiques – a good reflection of him. He liked to dress like a dapper college professor in tweeds and button down shirts and bow ties.
In his living room on the mantle were several tiny silver objects; a key, a rope, torch and a knife.

These objects were often seen in ancient paintings of goddesses who were making a trip to the underworld.  Each object had great power which could be used for good or ill – a torch could be used to light the way but also to set a fire and destroy. A rope could be used as a tether to keep something safe and close to you but it could also be used to bind you to something – an idea or emotion or person – that held you captive in some way. The knife could be used to cut you free or to harm another. A key could be used to open new doors which would require discrimination.

The Full Moon in Sagittarius which is Tuesday May 29th at 8 degrees of Sagittarius is a good time to explore these themes as related to your own personal journey. The sign of Sagittarius likes to be in new territory- on a journey of an inner or outer nature. There are some good things to contemplate – Are your horizons broad enough? Do you feel excited about the prospects ahead? Do you have what you need to proceed? How are you planning to implement your power?

The sign of Gemini rules the thought patterns established in the early childhood surroundings – the givens, if you will. The tension between these two signs can result in growth and evolution.

The rapid evolutionary changes taking place on the planet now can feel at times like a journey into the underworld- both in an inner and an outer way. With Jupiter’s transit through the sign of Scorpio,(which rules the underworld) it’s wise to remember what the Jungian astrologer and teacher Lynn Bell  has said, “Jupiter in Scorpio goes into the darkness to bring up the light.”

One of the Sabian symbols for this Full Moon is,”Deep within the depths of the earth, new elements are being formed.”

Thanks to Lynda Hill for the Sabian symbol reference and Lynn Bell, who teaches at  CPA in London.

“Sometimes life is so surprising there is nothing to do but just live.” Emily Dickinson

I often do the preparation for my astrology readings in cafes. Some of the work I do involves musing about the meaning of things and it is helpful to me to be in an environment where delicious food is being prepared and the espresso machine is busily steaming away.

This week  I had planned to work on a chart at one of our many cafes here. But when I  arrived there were no cars in the parking lot and a note on the door which said they were closed- sorry for any inconvenience.

The next day when I went back I asked one of my friends who works there what had happened. She said that the chef had  called in sick. They thought they could handle it with the staff that was there but then they found out that everything in the fridge was warm and there had a problem with the refrigeration overnight.

Ray Merriman, an astrologer with a financial background who advises investors and writes about the stock market cycles, called this summer’s Mars/Uranus square, “sudden disruptions.” It is a good time to keep flexibility in mind and a good idea to take good care of the nervous system. This aspect is active now and  will be in effect through the end of September.

Uranus is the planet of the unexpected. It governs innovations and technologies that are ahead of their time. It also governs lightning. It has a sudden, surprising nature to it which can impact the nervous system.

Mars is the god of action  and  governs how we move forward.

The Mars/Uranus aspect is like having the Hindu God, Ganesha, about. Ganesha is known for removing obstacles but he can also put obstacles in our way in order to create circumstances in which we can grow – circumstances that require resourcefulness, resilience, perseverance and steadfastness in the midst of unexpected and  sometimes rapidly changing circumstances.

One of the Sabian symbols associated with this aspect is,”An electrical storm illuminates the heavens and the forests.”

Sabian Symbol from Lynda Hill

“Is my soul asleep?
No, my soul is not asleep
It is awake, wide awake.
It neither sleeps nor dreams, but watches,
its eyes wide open,
far-off things, and listens
at the shores of the great silence.” Antonio Machado

“We are all architects of the future. When you have an inspiration, take note. It may only come through once.” Jacqueline Small

This is a very good week to tune into intuition and  heed inspiration as Jupiter makes a beneficent trine to Neptune, the planet of dreams and visions. It bodes well  to pay attention to your dreams and what they are revealing to you. Powerful perceptions can come now that can provide a deeper level of understanding and  heal wounds from the past. This planetary duo is associated with compassion as well as mystical and spiritual journeys.It is a good week to be in touch with your soul’s yearnings.

There is a considerable amount of fractious Mars energy about. It is wise to avoid impulsiveness in speech and to speak clearly and directly about the issue at hand.  Repressed anger and lashing out can be on the rise. It’s best to use the positive side of these alignments to feel energized and excited about your initiatives.

Uranus and Mars together can be wearing on the nervous system.  It’s good to nourish the nervous system, provide restorative time and cut back on the use of cyber devices.

It’s good week for transformative thinking and conversations – given patience, understanding and clarity are key elements.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Jupiter/Neptune trine is,”In a quiet moment, a creative individual experiences the flow of inspiration.”

Sabian symbol quote from Lynda Hill.

 

“I like it better here where I can just sit quietly and smell the flowers..” Ferdinand the Bull

Mercury is now in Taurus – one of the earth signs. Mercury in Taurus likes  sensual pleasures and finds them calming and comforting. It’s a good week with the ramped-up planetary activity to do things that make you feel more connected to the earth- plant your garden, visit a special place in nature, cook a delicious meal, get a massage or take a stroll through an arboretum or greenhouse where the flowers are blooming.

This kind of activity can provide grounding in the midst of the somewhat fractious planetary alignments this week.

One of the Sabian  symbols for Mercury’s ingress into Taurus is, “A duck and its young brood.”

Another one is  “A clear mountain stream flows steadily downstream.” 

“Uranus’s force is a lightning bolt, casting illumination wherever it travels.” Caroline Casey

It bodes well to plan to navigate the time between now and May 15 keeping patience and moderation in mind.  On that day there is a powerful New Moon and it’s also the day Uranus enters Taurus for the first time in 84 years.  Uranus is the planet of innovation and discovery – it governs  lightning and and inventions that are ahead of their time.

The Tarot Card associated with Uranus is the Tower which shows a castle being hit by lightning – casting out it’s regal occupants. In the old texts, lightning  was called “hand of god.” The lightning strike of Uranus breaks up old forms which are outdated. It breaks up stagnation in order to create something new. It’s an excellent time to be thinking about moving your life in a more authentic direction.

Mercury is moving up to a conjunction with Uranus in late Aries. This aspect is associated with sudden knowing or sudden illumination. It bodes well to heed any intuitions or revelations of this nature. This is the brilliant side of Uranus.

But at the same time, Mercury is squaring Pluto and Mars is squaring Uranus. Patience may be more easily tried and nerves may be more on edge. Best to avoid impulsive actions and watch for it on the part of others.
And to keep patience and moderation in mind throughout this time.

One of the  Sabian symbols for the Mercury/Uranus conjunction is,”Through imagination a lost opportunity is gained.” Lynda Hill

“Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.” Helen Keller

Venus is now in Gemini-  a quicksilver sign.  It is ruled by Mercury, the fleet footed god in mythology who had wings on his shoes and could go between the worlds in a way the other gods and goddesses could not through his use of various disguises.

Due to its highly changeable nature,  the sign of Gemini is not the most constant of signs.  But Geminis often have very bright and busy minds, full of ideas. I had a Gemini friend who had the Robert Louis Stevenson poem framed in her hallway,

“The world is so full of a number of things
I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”

Venus is Gemini offers a good time to expand and explore opportunities for a more fulfilling life. It’s a good time to consider new ideas without getting into the weeds just yet.

Ceres is conjunct the North Node now indicating that it’s a good time to factor in how you plan to take care of yourself and nurture your dreams going forward.

One of the Sabian symbols for the degree of Venus now is,”An old fashioned well with the purest and coldest of waters.” Lynda Hill

 

“Experiencing grace involves the expansion of consciousness of self to all of one’s surroundings as an unbroken whole, a consciousness of awe from which negative mind states are absent, from which healing and groundedness result. For these reasons, grace has been long been deemed “amazing.” Charlene Spretnak

“In order to receive the grace and redemption of Sagittarius, you must slay the dragons of Scorpio.” Richard Idemon

The Moon waxes full Sunday at 9 degrees of Scorpio at 8:58 PM. EDT in the sign of Scorpio – the sign of transformation. Richard Idemon, the Jungian astrologer and teacher has written about the evolutionary journey from one sign to the next in astrology. As we approach Sunday’s Full Moon in Scorpio it bodes well to muse about the elements in your life that need to be transformed – or that you need to let die- in order to evolve. Sometimes this can feel like battling dragons – with thoughts, beliefs or feelings that have held a powerful sway.

At the time of the Full Moon the Sun in Taurus opposes the Moon in Scorpio and they square the Lunar Nodes in Leo and Aquarius. This configuration marks an important crossroad as the Lunar Nodes involve incarnational purpose. It bodes well to consider how and where you are investing your energy and to what end.  And whether there are more worthy directions to pursue or whether a better balance can be struck.  Pluto, Mars and Saturn are all in Capricorn and this supports good time management and planning.

The asteroid Ceres is conjunct the North Node indicating it’s wise to consider how you plan to nurture your self  as well as your dreams and aspirations going forward. It bodes well to look at levels of self esteem and self love to see if improvement is necessary.

Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer is conjunct Juno, the asteroid of  commitments. Both Juno and Chiron are at the Aries point – the point of all beginnings. It is wise with this aspect to remember no one gets to define who you are in a way that is more important than the way you define yourself. It’s a good time to forgive unhelpful teachers or mentors along the way who, although trying to be helpful, may have given you advice which no longer serves you. It is also a good time to assess which relationship dynamics no longer serve you.

Saturn is trining the Sun indicating that planning for the long haul, being willing to commit to things and follow through on them and being  willing to work for and wait for results will bring success.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Full Moon is,”The silvery moon shining across a beautiful lake.” Lynda Hill

 

“Mars represents our anger as well as our courage in the face of adversity. In these fractious times it is important to remember that there is nothing wrong with feelings of anger, per se, but only in the way that this emotion finds its outlet.” Henry Seltzer

Pluto is very strong in the sky now – having stationed retrograde on Sunday April 22 while moving up to an exact conjunction to Mars. This is a good week for working on projects that are important to you. Mars and Pluto together are often seen in the charts of professional athletes. It is a good week for drive, for ambition for perseverance. The shadow side of this aspect is that it can easily turn to anger.

Other influences suggest that there is an opportunity this week to access  information which normally lingers just below the edge of normal consciousness – just out of reach.  So do be aware of intuitions which may surface related to a deeper sense of knowing or understanding about something that is important to you.  There can be extra clarity about about what you have been working to transform in your life if you are open to it.

Mars and Pluto will be conjunct Thursday but in effect all week. One of the Sabian symbols for this conjunction is, “A soldier receiving two awards for bravery in  combat.” Lynda Hill

 

 

“When you forgive, some deeper, divine generosity takes you over…when you cannot forgive, you are a prisoner of the hurt done to you.” John O’Donohue

“Healing is a process, a movement, a transition towards balance, connected-ness, meaning and wholeness. Healing is a movement, not an outcome.” Richard Katz.

Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer,  ends his eight year transit through the sign of Pisces when he enters Aries this week on the 17th.  Chiron is associated with the kind of chaos that results from emotional wounding or wounding to the soul.

The ancient shamans say that when trauma occurs, a piece of the soul fragments off. Their ritual of soul retrieval calls back the fragmented piece resulting in a renewed level of wholeness. The ending of Chiron’s transit this week signals the end of a cycle and the start of a new one. It is an excellent time to call the end to any chaos in your life around emotional issues; to evaluate what you have learned up to this point so you can move forward with a clean slate.

Saturn stations direct this week also. Saturn teaches us about the rules of the road and is also the stern, wise father figure or authority figure who teaches about  what we must to in order to be effective in implementing our goals and life purpose. Rudolf Steiner wrote about it this way,

“To resolve our past
Requires knowledge.

To forge our future
We need courage.

To experience the present
We must develop dedication.

Our thinking needs
Riddles to wake up.

Our feeling needs
Pain to mature.

Our willing needs
Resistance to become strong.”

“In Buddhist psychology, addiction to thought is seen as a major obstacle to enlightenment, because when our attention is focused on thought, we cannot experience reality.” Andrew Weil

“So much of our experience is predicated on the consciousness with which we enter it.” David Whyte

When Mercury stations retrograde or direct, it is associated with a culmination of information. It bodes well at this time to take into consideration any information  of this nature which surfaces – now through early next week.

Mercury stations in early Aries and along with the New Moon in Aries on Sunday, this time represents a significant threshold to a new beginning. It is a good to reconsider how you think about approaching endeavors and if new more innovative approaches might be more beneficial to future outcomes.