Year: 2016

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Astrologically there are strong similarities to the Sixties now – another time when the personal became political. And then as now we are seeing  stresses and strains placed on many friendships and relationships in a very heated climate.

One of the great gifts of Martin Luther King Jr during the upheaval of his tumultuous era was his constant reminder to keep the focus on spiritual values and Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance.

As we approach Thanksgiving in the US many families will gather together in the midst of testy times and testy astrological aspects. Venus will be conjunct Pluto – indicating a time of very deep feelings with the potential for revenge to enter the picture. It is also a time when powerful transformations can occur when coming from a deeper, wiser perspective.

In general if you have been striving to lead a more spiritual life now is the time to implement those values and – as Dr, King encouraged – to stay in touch with what is really important despite the risks, threats and obstructions. As Dr King so wisely said,“I have decided to stick to love… Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

With Mercury in close alignment to Saturn it bodes well to keep restraint in mind as well as right speech and action.

One of the Sabian symbols associated with aspects at Thanksgiving this year is,” A fire worshiper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence.”

Sabian Synbol quote from Lynda Hill

“People are like stained glass windows.They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but often when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Venus enters the sign of Capricorn today and Mercury enters Sagittarius. Venus in this earthy, pragmatic placement can bring restraint and caution to the emotional climate and Mercury in Sagittarius can open the door to a more expansive perspective.

The energy is building towards the Monday’s Supermoon – a time when the Moon will be closer to the earth than it has been in decades. Emotional tides can be strong and building at this time. This Supermoon provides a good time for looking at what true security and stability means at this time and place. With the advent of the Age of Aquarius it is wise to keep in mind that we live on a small interconnected planet and that collaboration, cooperation, respect, restraint and coalition building with like minded groups help build a more enlightened path to the future.

One of the Sabian symbol associated with this time is,”Three stained glass windows in a Gothic church, one damaged by war.”

Quotes from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Anais Nin

There are several planets changing signs this week. This influence reminds me of being at a busy intersection with a lot going on.
Mars the planet of drive and aggression moves into Aquarius on the 9th, Venus enters Capricorn on the 11th and Mercury enters Sagittarius on the 12th.
Mars in Aquarius has an erratic, electrical current and bodes well for innovation, collaboration and cooperation. Venus in Capricorn bodes well for working on finances and financial planning and for connecting with people who can be of assistance in working towards your goals. It bodes well for putting plans into form. Mercury in Sagittarius ushers in a time that is good for learning, exploration and expanding your horizons.
In general the building Jupiter/Pluto/Uranus T-square indicates a time when strong, dogmatic views are present and conflict can arise easily. It can be a heady, cerebral time of strong opinions and it bodes well to stay in touch with your intuition and to keep in mind the underlying inter-connectedness of all life on our small planet.
One of the Sabian symbols for the T- square is,”The gate opens to the garden of all fulfilled desires.”

Sabian symbol reference from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of WIsdom

“Neptune is conjoined with the South Node…and is trying to teach the practice of forgiving the past and living in just this moment with great trust and without fear and worry.” Patricia Liles

Today’s  New Moon in Scorpio ushers in a time when the powers of rejuvenation are strong. It bodes well to seek information from the deeper side of life and to get below the surface of the way you normally frame things in order to have a new energized start.

One of the things to consider is the Jupiter/Pluto square which has been a strong influence. This aspect can be associated with being right at all costs. The Sun and Moon in Scorpio are about the powers of transformation and it bodes well to examine the underpinnings of strong beliefs that may have been beneficial up to this point but may have outlived their purpose. Both Pluto and Jupiter have a connection to dogma and this does not just apply to religious beliefs but beliefs in general.

The Sun and Moon are trine the planet of dreams and inspiration – Neptune- boding well for creative solutions and approaches especially to business and financial endeavors. With Venus conjunct Saturn now do reaffirm commitments to your financial goals and stay out of the tendency to worry about scarcity. In general it is a spiritual time and tying your aspirations to the well being of all is a good idea.

It is also a good time to transform the present by honoring the gifts of the ancestors and reviewing the past through the lens of compassion and forgiveness.
One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The silvery moon shining across the beautiful gem of a lake.”

Sabian symbol quote from Lynda Hill

“The wind and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” Edward Gibbon

Once I was reading an article in a Jungian journal about the inter-generational influence of traumatic experiences – how the  traumatic wounding of people in one generation gets passed down. This is in line with shamanic teachings which refer to these issues as generational curses.

We are at a threshold time now as the Sun moves into Scorpio today and Mercury follows on Monday. This ushers in a deeper, more mysterious time. Jupiter is making a quincunx aspect (indicating a need for adjustment) to Neptune and the South Node throughout the upcoming week. This opens a door of opportunity into seeing more clearly these inherited patterns or perceptions which can be related to addictive ways of thinking and acting. Basically with the Scorpio depth of perception things that can not be easily seen normally can be exposed – sparking an understanding and recognition that can lead to increased clarity about what holds you back and how to go forward in a freer way with increased consciousness.

The down side of this aspect can be associated with avoidance, denial and illusions. These inherited ancestral influences can be seen in astrology charts – if you are curious  about their influence in your life and how best to deal with them, do get in touch and book some time.

This Jupiter/Neptune aspect will be an influence for the next nine months or so and also deals with the higher meaning of love, spirituality and religion. It provides a good time to look at how you make love manifest in your life in terms of self love, love for others, love for your life and the world without rose colored glasses.

One of the Sabian Symbols for the Jupiter/Neptune aspect is, “People traveling a narrow path seeking illumination.”

Quote and Sabian symbol reference from Lynda Hill

“To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.” Samuel Johnson.

Carl Jung has written about synchronicity – the chance occurrence of events and their a-casual meaning. Mercury is opposite Uranus this week and that does mean we are in that territory and the trickster is about!

Uranus has a strong electrical quality and when opposing Mercury can cause disruptions with electronic and mechanical devices. It will also be more easy to trigger conflict so do watch the tendency for tempers to flare as Mars and Pluto are conjunct at this time.

Much of my day yesterday was spent wrangling about how to fix a potentially damaging problem to my website in a very short amount of time  – as the person who works on the site was shortly to leave for vacation. If left unchecked the problem could result in the loss of a lot of work and the need for costly repairs. We had gone back and forth about it for a couple of days with the person who hosts the site. At nightfall I left for dinner with friends with the situation still unresolved. My nerves were on edge for sure and had been all day.

it was dark when I got home after supper and as my car pulled in the driveway a small animal was caught in the headlights. When I got out of the car it looked right at me- its eyes an electric blue.  I came into the house and opened my Medicine Card book and found from an illustration that it was an possum. When confronted by an enemy the possum plays dead with the result that predator turns its attention elsewhere.
The book advises that when a possum is seen, to adopt a similar strategy – meaning for me specifically –  to not re-engage the whole website dilemma and stop worrying that several days were likely to pass with its vulnerability totally exposed. I decided to let it go and do nothing.
Later I received an email from from one of the guys I had been working with. After departing for his vacation he had made a temporary fix which would stave off the possibility of serious problems until we could get to the source of the matter down the road.
Although I had been really worked up about the whole thing I was struck by how patient, calm and kind he had been when trying to work to resolve the problem.
Patience, empathy and kindness are good way to proceed now.
One of the Sabian symbols associated with the Mercury/Uranus opposition is, “A child giving birds a drink at a fountain.”

quote from Linda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” Muhammad Ali

This week Mars forms a conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn.This combination is highly motivated, competitive and has a tendency towards aggression. It is seen often in the charts of professional athletes.

The planet Mars is concerned with personal strength and power – making this a good time to consider how you build and fortify your strength over time with physical activity. If improvements are needed,  put plans in place and act. It is a good time for commitment and action in this realm.

Cosmic influences indicate a good time to get busy with projects and re-energize them if needed. Do pay attention to how you are directing your will and the focus needed to attain realistic goals.

One of the Sabian symbols for this aspect is,”School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits.”

Quotes from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom.

“Truth fears nothing but concealment.” Proverb

The Moon waxes Full Sunday October 16 at 0:23 AM. Eris the Warrior Goddess of Conflict and Discord is prominent in the sky now. This Warrior Goddess is associated with the archetype of the Dark Feminine and carries anger, resentment and a sense of injustice about what has been repressed due to patriarchal or “power over ” influences. This archetypal Goddess is deeply concerned with what gets fragmented or compartmentalized on the journey to wholeness – both individually and culturally. She is a fierce protector of the Feminine in both men and women.

It is a time when deep and intense information can be revealed – both in our inner and outer lives if the the energy is used consciously and creatively. Uranus the Great Awakener is a powerful influence now as well.

There can be a great deal of upheaval around the time of this Full Moon – as well as a tendency towards impulsive and aggressive action. Focusing on the deeper meaning of events personally and culturally is a good approach.

One of the Sabian symbols for this Full Moon is,” A Woman in Pastel Colors Carrying a Heavy and Valuable but Veiled Load.”

Quotes from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom

“You are not the oil,  you are not the air-merely the point of combustion, the flash-point where the light is born.” Dag Hammarskjold

The scholar and mystic Andrew Harvey has described the time we are living in as a Dark Night of the Soul period in the world’s evolution – meaning that a lot of darkness is being exposed in order to create a new world based on different, more holistic values. The birth of that new world has an inner as well as an outer component and involves the growth in consciousness of individuals which ripples out and affects the evolution of the world in a positive way. There are great powers of resistance to this process.
The Dark Night of the Soul is part of the rebirth cycle and is akin to the myth of Persephone who -when abducted by Pluto- had to walk through the Underworld with no light. This story is about the process of learning to carry your own light in a dark time or cycle  – a light which inspires your own journey and informs your concrete interactions with others in the world in a positive way.

Mercury in Libra is moving up to a conjunction to Jupiter the planet of Wisdom and Expansion now. It is a good time to bring light to your own process – your journey of healing the darkness within yourself – with the light of kindness, forgiveness and understanding. There is a lot of fear and mistrust evident in the world right now and anyone can impact on that in their own interactions with others in a positive way.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Mercury Jupiter conjunction is,”A woman feeding chickens and protecting them from the hawks.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom