Year: 2019

“The bamboo for prosperity.” a Japanese friend explained to me,”the pine for long life, the plum for courage…the plum for courage because the plum puts forth blossoms while the snow is still on the ground.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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

The tiny purple and white  daisies that bloom this time of year are sometimes called Michaelmas daisies because they bloom near the feast of St. Michael or Michaelmas.

Michaelmas is celebrated around the time of  the Autumn Equinox when the Sun enters the sign of Libra. This year The Equinox falls on the 23 of September and Michaelmas on the 29th.

For centuries Michaelmas  celebrations have been held commemorating the triumph of the lowly peasant, George over the fearsome dragon who was terrifying his village.

Many others before George had in vain attempted to fight and slay the dragon and had lost their lives as a result. But it was because of the intervention of the archangel Michael- the mightiest of the archangels, known as the protector of humanity and protector against darkness- that George was able to succeed.

The symbolism of Michaelmas has to do with the battle between the forces of Light and Darkness in both our outer and inner worlds. The darkness symbolizes fear and doubt – and the Light represents hope, faith and courage – the qualities which protect us during the dark night of the soul and during times like the Fall when the power of the Light wanes and the forces of darkness grow stronger.

It is a good time to cultivate courage and keep the inner fires of inspiration burning bright.

One of the Sabian symbols for Michelmas is,”A man watches his ideals taking concrete form before his inner vision.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Redeem
The time. Redeem
The unread vision in the higher dream
While jewelled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse. TS Eliot

“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”Leonard Cohen

There’s significant astrological activity this week including the Saturn station on Wednesday and the exact square of Jupiter and Neptune on Saturday.

Both Mercury and Venus, now in Libra will make a challenging alignment to Chiron – the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. This asteroid is a reminder that the journey of wounding and healing is a lifelong one. It’s a good week to watch your words as they can be unintentionally wounding – and to watch your thoughts as there is a tendency for confusion to arise around old wounds related to self worth and self love.  It’s best all week if things seem confusing, to look to what is calling for inner resolution.

Mercury will also make a challenging aspect to Uranus this week. This indicates there are likely to be surprising or startling revelations and events. It can make it more of an intense time when irritability and frayed nerves could easily be on the rise.

It’s a very good week to provide extra downtime for the integration of information. It’s also a good week to do things that restore a sense of wholeness and connectedness. I was recently reading a book by Heather Durham called Going Feral, Field Notes on Wonder and Wanderlust. In one section she writes (and I’m paraphrasing now) “when I walk into the woods I feel all the connections – how everything is connected.”

Saturn will station direct on Wednesday conjunct the South Node. The planet Saturn governs the process of self mastery and responsibility that leads to success. This planetary duo is about taking responsibility for things that are unresolved. The South Node governs the area of life where you tend to lose your power. It’s also governs gifts and challenges that evolve down ancestral or genetic lines. The station indicates a good time for reaffirming or creating new intentions about how you plan to handle challenges to this area of life.

Mercury and Venus will be squaring  the South Node as well. Squares indicate the need to overcome something – and again this can be something of an inherited nature that has a weakening force. It bodes well to keep open to what is revealed while keeping a healthy inner balance all week.

Mars is trining Pluto. This  lends strength, energy and drive for  projects. It is a good influence for doing things that build or bring back your strength. It’s wise under this influence to do things that feel rejuvenating  like  a walk in the woods or a massage.

The final square of Jupiter and Neptune is Saturday – ending a mostly year long transit. This planetary duo is correlated with exuberance and idealism but due to the tendency to overdo or exaggerate, it  can easily  lead to confusion, denial and disillusionment. It’s wise to keep moderation and equilibrium in mind all week.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A man teaching the true inner knowledge of the new world to his students.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill