Year: 2017

“Anyone can become angry- that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose in the right way – this is not always easy.” Aristotle

“When anger arises, think of the consequences.” Confucius

It is wise to factor in restorative down time this week as there are some testy aspects moving towards the Pluto station and the exact opposition of Jupiter and Uranus at the end of the week. This is pressure cooker energy.

Mercury is squaring Saturn which can slow things down and create obstacles. Mercury is in Virgo now and with Saturn in tow, it can be overly focused on the details. it’s best to sidestep being overly critical or judgemental.

Mercury will also make an awkward aspect to Eris and  – the asteroid of conflict and discord. Eris is correlated with injustices inflicted on the Feminine (in both men and women)  throughout  time that have resulted in lack of empowerment and repression. Eris stirs up discord to release what has been repressed. This can be the motive behind a lot of the anger this week.

It is good to make an effort to work with anger or irritation this week and to pause and get clear on exactly what is causing trouble and the best way to deal with it. The tendency to lash out is likely to be strong. It is also wise to remember we are in a phase of rapid evolution on the planet and  have the opportunity to build a new model – individually and collectively -for a better future.

Jupiter will exactly oppose Uranus this week which can be a disruptive force also.  But if the energy is worked with consciously there can be sudden and surprising breakthroughs about relationships with others and an opportunity to find new and more just and comfortable ways to relate. The tendency towards anger can be revealing in this area. Anger can be a good clarifying and motivating force if implemented in the right way and not weaponized.

There can also be a strong drive for freedom this week  – wise to consider this in the context of relationships with others as well with Jupiter in Libra.

With Pluto’s  station and direct motion there can be power and momentum for moving forward in a more authentic and actualized way if you are not resisting change.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Through imagination, a lost opportunity is regained.” Another is, “The Music of the spheres.”

Sabian symbols by Lynda Hill

“We live in a time when the greatest form of courage is to act as if our lives made a difference.” William Sullivan

Tuesday September 22 at 9:31 AM  EDT is the Autumn Equinox which marks the time when all the inhabitants of our small planet experience an equal amount of day and night. The Equinox also marks the time of the Sun’s ingress into Libra – the sign of equilibrium and duality.

The time around the Equinox bodes well for looking back at events of the last season and charting your course for the upcoming one.

Following soon after the Equinox comes the Feast of Michelmas – an ancient Celtic festival – which celebrates one of the quarter days of the year. These festivals in general are meant to bring us more closely in touch with the magic of the seasons, the rhythms of the earth and the earth’s connection to the cosmos.

Michelmas celebrates the passage of the earth through the late summer meteor showers and the time when the northern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun.

In many Michelmas celebrations a play is performed about how the lowly peasant George slays a dragon. George was able to face great odds and persevere with great courage due to the help and guidance of the Archangel, Michael.

The celebration of Michaelmas is a reminder to cultivate courage for the sometimes daunting tasks we all face. And to rekindle the inner fire as we move towards the darkness of the season.

“How long til my soul gets it right?
Does any human being ever
reach that kind of light?

I call on the resting soul
of Galileo
King of Night Vision,
King of Insight.”    The Indigo Girls

The Moon waxes new on Wednesday Sept 20 at 27 degrees of Virgo. This is a tricky time with the Sun and Moon inconjunct -i.e. in an awkward relationship- with Uranus – the planet of suprises and sudden occurrences. Mercury will be opposing Neptune as well – indicating that there can be easily be mixed messages or a lack of clarity in thinking and communication as well as the misrepresentation of information. Venus is sextiling Saturn indicating that it bodes well to keep your feet on the ground and keep a pragmatic approach in the forefront when dealing with any business decisions.

The involvement of Neptune can indicate a very good time for Night Vision- do tap into and heed your intuition.

Imagine. Practice compassion. Meditate. And as the shamans say, dream a new world into being.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” A woman is gaining secret knowledge from an ancient scroll she is reading.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“To go into the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.” Wendell Berry 

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”  Galileo

The light is waning here in New England as we head towards the Autumn Equinox on September 22 when the Sun will enter the sign of Libra.

This week the Sun moves up to a square to Saturn. This is a time when there is a reality check on projects and aspirations. It is a good time to check the underpinnings of plans to make sure they are secure and realistic. The Mercury/Mars influence now increases mental activity and provides a good time to think about eliminating unnecessary work or actions as there can be increased mental speed and clarity. This aspect can  also, though lend itself to irritability, rashness and impatience so do factor that in. Best to avoid decisions made in haste – this week especially.

Venus will be making a trine to Saturn – offering  stability, maturity and the long arc of time perspective into the relationship sphere. Venus is also moving up to a trine with  Uranus in Aries. Venus in aspect to Uranus governs surprising events in the relationship sphere – including “love at first sight” experiences. Saturn’s involvement can temper the erratic nature of Uranus and bring stability and maturity amidst the sometimes surprising and sudden occurrences.

And finally Venus is sextiling Jupiter – this can bring feelings of friendliness, optimism, compassion and understanding into the world. Being a trine aspect means that the influence will not necessarily occur naturally but needs to be actualized by intention and action.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Sun/Saturn square is,”A bluebird standing at the door of the house.”

Sabian symbol from Marc Edmund Jones

“Go,”  said the bird, for the leaves were full of children,
Hidden excitedly, containing laughter.
“Go, go, go” said the bird: human kind
Cannot bear very much reality.
What might have been and what has been,
Point to one end which is always present.” TS Eliot

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” William Blake

This is a very active time in the starry heavens. Mercury and Mars are hovering around the degree of the recent Solar Eclipse in late Leo and Mercury will resume his direct motion there on Tuesday.

When Mercury stations direct it can represent a culmination of knowledge. It is wise for a few days before and a few days after to consider what has led up to this threshold time and any new understandings you have as a result. The recent Solar Eclipse in late Leo represented a fiery new start and a new door of opportunity in your life depending on which astrological house it fell in your chart. The doorways represented by eclipses are evolutionary in nature and the effect of eclipses affects the past as well as the future.

The Mercury station is followed quickly by the Full Moon in Pisces on Wednesday. This Full Moon will be conjunct Neptune – the planet of dreams and spiritual journeys as well as illusions and addictions. The veil between the worlds is very thin now throughout this time. It is a time of increased psychic ability and the voices of the ancestors may make themselves  heard.
For this reason it bodes well to approach this time with appropriate boundaries in place and moderation in mind. It is good for creativity, dreaming and meditation  and there is likely to be a strong tidal pull towards addictive patterns of behavior or addictive tendencies which evolved down through the ancestral or blood lines.

It bodes well to imagine the life and world you are striving to create and improve. It is best to tie any aspirations for your own life with your aspirations for the wellbeing planet as we are living in times of rapid evolution here on Planet Earth. And as poets over time have noted, it is a very small planet but such a beautiful one.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Mercury station is,” Many little birds chirping on the limb of a large tree.”

Aspects Venus is making to Uranus, Neptune and Chiron indicate there could be jarring events related to love or finances now. If so look to a tendency to look through rose colored glasses which can undermine or derail the path forward.

One of the Sabian symbols for the Saturn station is,”A group of immigrants fulfilling the requirements for entering a new country.”

“We must create an environment in which change enlivens and enriches the individual, but does not overwhelm her.” Alvin Toeffler

We are now entering the age of Aquarius – which offers us the opportunity to usher in a more egalitarian and enlightened world. The world as we know it now is in a struggle related to the use and abuse of power. The Aquarian Age is an evolution from the Age of Capricorn with its hierarchical  structure – change coming from the top down  – to change occuring more on the local level which reverberates upward. Throughout time eclipses have been associated with the downfall of powerful rulers or kings. This does not necessarily mean a specific leader will fall, but that the power structure in general is in the process of change and several possible directions are on the table.

This theme is echoed in the upcoming Solar Eclipse at 29 degrees of Leo as it falls on the fixed star Regulus – making it a very strong influence at this time. In ancient Persia the four fixed stars- Fomalhaut, Antares, Aldebaran and Regulus were called “The Watchers”. The fixed stars were said to govern kings and powerful leaders and each star indicates the rise to power – with one specific caveat. Any natal planets falling on these points in a personal birth chart are important.

The first, Fomalhaut, at 4 degrees of Pisces – speaks of the importance of noble ideas  and indicates  that a downfall would come through the loss of integrity in thinking. The second, Antares, at 10 degrees of Sagittarius indicates success will be achieved through maintaining equilibrium and the downfall would be brought on by obsession. The third, Aldebaran indicates success through integrity and the downfall would come through the corruption in actions. The fourth – and the one being highlighted at this eclipse is Regulus – at 29 degrees of Leo which governs the ethical use of power or bringing about one’s downfall through the misuse of power.

Much of the talk we hear now about “keeping it local” – supporting local farmers and CSAs, supporting local power sources – community solar or home solar hooked into the grid, involvement in local government and community,  investing in credit unions and  food coops rather than big banks or supermarket chains – are way that help build a stronger foundation for rebuilding the structure at the top.

One of the Sabian symbols for the upcoming eclipse is,”An unsealed letter has vital and confidential information.” Another is “In a portrait, the best of a man’s traits and character are idealized.”

Sabian Symbols from Lynda Hill

“Turn a negative into a positive picture.” Lauren Hill

“Ah, to think how thin the veil
that lies
Between the pain of hell
and Paradise.”  George William Russell

Mercury will station retrograde on August 12 at 11 degrees of Virgo. When mercury entered its shadow phase it was aspecting Uranus – the planet of surprise and awakening and Chiron – the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. This indicates that an important theme of this upcoming three week period will be an opportunity to experience revelations or awakenings  about the “stories we tell ourselves” and how we can rigidly define experiences in the past related to old wounds.
These stories have a repetitive nature and are in  areas of our lives where we assume naturally that we have all the answers. Chiron in Pisces has to do with healing through a growth in awareness of the nature of suffering in the world as opposed to exclusively in our own lives.
Developing a deeper and more compassionate understanding for other people’s behavior or for the motivations behind other people’s behavior is involved here as well.  There is always the opportunity to rewrite  your life’s journey from a new  and evolved perspective. Painful experiences can create fertile territory for personal growth, deeper understanding and a wiser and less guarded and cynical approach to the future.
It is akin to what Hemingway said about becoming stronger in the broken places. Stronger and more wise, I would add.
A good thing to consider is whether the way you think about the past contributes to being more defensive or more open to life in general.
As with all Mercury retrograde periods – do check the details as miscommunications or misunderstandings can arise. This is more of a theme this time due to the station occurring in opposition to Neptune. Neptune rules fog and there can be more difficulty discerning the truth of information being circulated or how things are interpreted.

As many shamanic traditions point out a new, more just and sustainable world is stuggling to be born and birth is often a difficult process. It is wise at this point to focus mental energy on a good outcome and keep good boundaries around allowing too much fear into your life.

The Sabian symbol for the station is,”A bride with her veil snatched away.”

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born under the unworldly or otherworldly sign of Pisces and could often be seen wandering -seemingly confused or lost- on the streets of Philadelphia. The unworldliness of the sign can often indicate imaginative, creative or spiritual brilliance although it sometimes does not interface well with mundane affairs. Einstein wrote,”Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited whereas imagination embraces the whole world, stimulating progress and giving birth to evolution.”
He deeply regretted that his discoveries led to the invention of the atomic bomb.
The Sabian symbol for Monday’s Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius is, “A big business man at his desk, ” indicating it is a good time to get organized and take action in areas of your life or your work you might normally tend to resist.

Saturn has been trining the North Node for awhile now indicating that taking a step by step approach to long term goals will pay off in the long term. Best to break things down to the nuts and bolts level. There is a lot of fiery, passionate energy now which can lead to highly charged actions but avoiding impulsiveness and taking  a more moderate approach is likely to result in success.
In general this eclipse in the sign of Aquarius indicates a good time for bridge building and collaboration given appropriate boundaries are in place. It can be a more sensitive time with Venus in Cancer. The Sabian symbol for Venus is, “A small naked girl bends over a sparkling pond, trying to catch a small fish.” It speaks of innocence as the young girl tries to contain something of a fleeting or elusive nature. It is a reminder that although you might not fully understand some events in your life it is wise to keep a sense of play or mystery as events unfold. But a young girl obviously can also be naive and inexperienced about what life might bring so it is wise to keep appropriate boundaries in appropriate settings – not unnecessarily walling yourself off of by being paranoid, but protecting yourself in a savvy way given the circumstances.

Another symbol for this time is,”Children on a swing in the safety of an old oak tree.”

Sabian symbols from Lynda Hill.

Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce, has written and taught extensively about eco-commerce, sustainable and holistic business models and the impact of business upon living systems. He has noted:
“The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hope only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful.” Paul Hawken.