Author: Amelia Shea

Venus and Neptune

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each

I do not think they will sing to me.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back.
When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.” TS Eliot

Venus is in Pisces now and approaching a conjunction to Neptune the lord of the sea (widely in influence through the 20th of the month.) The veils between the worlds are thin as a result and this transit provides a good time for the imagination, for creative growth and for spiritual growth. Many of TS Eliot’s significant poems are about his journey towards a higher vision and faith.
This is an unearthly transit and it bodes well to keep safe boundaries in place as a result. One of the Sabian symbols associated with this transit is, “Illuminated by a shaft of light, a large cross lies on rocks surrounded by sea and mist.” An Indian proverb speaks wisely of this – “Call on God, but steer away from the rocks.”

Sabian Symbol and proverb quotes from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom

Jupiter Opposes Pluto

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

One of the gifts of a well done Astrology or Tarot reading is that it can shed light on the quagmires of life, put them in a larger or more meaningful perspective and offer appropriate guidance for dealing with them. So often in life when challenges arise what is needed is a change in perception.

When Jupiter and Pluto are opposed as they are now new challenges can arise and old ones come to a head. What is often called for is a shift or evolution of the underlying philosophy or a deepening of religious or spiritual views.

As the tension of the Cardinal Cross continues to build it is wise to reconsider the underlying philosophy of challenging areas of life – particularly those areas where we habitually invest mental or emotional energy into maintaining an idea or belief system that may have outgrown its usefulness and limits the perception of options.

*from his book The Age of Unreason

The Sun Conjuncts Uranus

“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass I can appreciate persistence.” Hal Boreland

The Sun is conjunct Uranus now (exact on 4/2) squaring Jupiter and Pluto making this a high energy, nervy time when there is a strong tendency to exaggerate and over react. Be sure to provide extra down time to relax and rejuvenate.
A good way to create an outlet for these volatile energies is to look for breakthroughs and actualize new ways of seeing and being.
One of the Sabian symbols associated with these aspects is, “A fire worshipper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence.”

New Moon in Aries

“The only limits are, as always, vision.” James Broughton

One of the Sabian symbols associated with Sunday’s New Moon at 9 degrees of Aries is, “A seer gazes intently into a crystal ball before him.” New Moons are a good time to set crystal clear intentions and as writer and astrosopher David Tresemer once said, “Intention is shown by the specificity of your attention.” Remember to back yourself up as times moves forward.

This New Moon is a very powerful time for new starts and for intentions originating from a point of singular focus – i.e. no room for doubt. Pythagoras – known mainly in our time for his Pythagorean Theory – was actually a mystic, educated in Mystery Schools who understood the metaphysical meaning behind numbers. An important part of his philosophy was to “always remember the one,” the underlying unity that is the origin of all things. In our time there is an emphasis on the overuse of the conscious mind which can cause a stalemate or stress from lingering too long in duality.

This New Moon pulls in the energy of the Cardinal Cross of late April – a very volatile and powerful configuration whose power can be harnessed to create great change. Leave unnecessary baggage behind. Question when you judge yourself harshly if the judgments originate with what you believe or whether they are the result of outgrown influences by family, patriarchy, religion or culture.
As always when there is significant Uranus involvement it is best to, “expect the unexpected” to replenish the nervous system and to provide extra down time. The meaning of sudden or surprising events will best be understood over time rather than in the present.

David Tresemer quote from an online interview about his new book, The Venus Transit with Eric Francis at planetwaves.net. Sabian symbol and Broughton quote from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom.

Mars Retrograde

“Mars is meant to help us flourish and use our vitality in order to grow and participate in life, engage our creativity and deal effectively with opposition and obstacles, conflicts and difficulties…Mars is also about the will, the application and use of intention and energy.” Melanie Rheinhart

When Mars is retrograde as it is now (through late May) it wise to reconsider how you implement your personal power to create the life you would like to be living. There are various ways power can be rerouted or ineffectively used – one of which is anger and resentment held in a stagnant form – i.e. keeping a certain amount of energy tied up or blocked in an old perception- energy which could be better used focused on your future goals. Because Mars is in Libra now it bodes well to reconsider relationships – work, personal, familial etc- in which this dynamic may be at play and make an effort to redefine and evolve the current context in order to free up the energy and implement it more consciously.

“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

Melanie Reinhart quote from The Mars Quartet, Four Seminars on the Astrology of the Red Planet , John O’Donohoe quote from Divine Sparks by Karen Speerstra

Amelia Shea specializes in issues of family, relationship, transition as well as life path and career. She can be reached at 603 654 1043 ,amelia.shea@comcast.net, www.ameliashea.com. Her readings start at $30. All times mentioned are EDT

Vernal Equinox

The Vernal Equinox – when the Sun enters Aries – is this Thursday March 20 at 12:57 pm EDT. The Sabian symbol for this degree is, “A woman has risen out of the ocean, a seal is embracing her.” In the ancient selkie tales from many parts of the world, people who drowned at sea could return to the earth as seals. One day each year- determined by the Moon and the tides – they could take human form. This image speaks of rebirth and the renewal of spring. It is a good time to heed breakthroughs and revelations about who you are becoming and to move in directions that speak of emergence and a new approach to life.

In general as we move towards the Grand Cross configuration in April tensions are mounting, schedules and routines may be more easily disrupted and the potential for conflict is running high. With Mars retrograde in Libra it is wise to examine how you implement and direct your own power and whether this escalates potential conflict or contributes to a less heated outcome. This applies in the realm of thoughts and intentions as well as the realm of action.

It is best to avoid impulsive actions and provide extra down time in your temenos – your spiritual haven. When things heat up allow time to pass to cool down. Act from a centered well reasoned place.

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom, all times mentioned are EDT

Mercury and Neptune

“Hope is a memory of the future.” Gabriel Marcel

Mercury is newly in Pisces and one of the Sabian symbols associated with this is, “Moonlit fields, once Babylon, are blooming white.” This symbol is a reminder of spring with the potential for rebirth and a return to hope, openness and innocence that can be present in each new start.
Mercury will transit close to Neptune- the planet of dreams and creative visualization- through the 29th.

It is wise to set aside sometime to return to your world of dreams and to create a space for a hopeful new start. Neptune is associated with a “lost Eden.” It also bodes well to reclaim lost dreams in order to create a form for them in your life now from a perspective of increased wisdom.

It is a good time to visit places that are sources of inspiration to you.
“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sabian symbol quote from Lynda Hill’s 360 Degrees of Wisdom, other quotes from Divine Sparks by Karen Speerstra

Jupiter Opposes Pluto

“Some beliefs are like blinders, shutting off the power to choose one’s own direction. Other beliefs are like gateways opening wide vistas for exploration.” Sophia Fah

In a recent lecture by astrologer and author Lynn Bell she described the dynamics of the powerful Jupiter/Pluto opposition now in play as “something has to die so that something else can grow.” The planetary alignment suggests that what has to die involves foundational philosophies or beliefs that have been carried to this point that need to be transformed – deepened by understanding and wisdom- and evolved. These beliefs can be ancestral in nature or be related to family, religious and cultural influences that can be seen as inauthentic or no longer true in your life.

David Whyte has written about this in his book The Heart Aroused, “So much of our experience is predicated on the consciousness with which we enter it – our future possibilities already mortgaged to past limitations.”

Saturn and the North Node are in close proximity now. It is as if we are at an important way station on a journey and it bodes well to use discrimination about which personal beliefs we are taking forward and which ones need to be left behind.

Sophia Fah Quote from her book “It Matters what you Believe”

The Full Moon, Mars and Saturn

One day the hero
sits down,
afraid to take another step,
and the old interior angel
limps slowly in
with her no-nonsense
compassion
and her old secret
and goes ahead.

“Namaste,”
you say
and follow.” David Whyte

In many fairy tales and archetypal stories there is a hero or heroine who as the result of difficult circumstances must set off on a journey alone. On this journey the seeker often encounters gatekeepers – people who will not let the seeker pass until they pay some kind of toll. Often this requires the seeker to stop and go back to find or procure whatever it is that is needed.
With Mars and Saturn retrograde now it is likely at times that you might feel like the seeker at the toll booth. It is wise to anticipate obstacles and delays, to minimize frustration over any that might occur and to practice patience.
One of the Sabian symbols for the approaching Full Moon on Virgo on 3/16 is, “ A butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.” It is best to remain undaunted and keep the focus on your evolutionary journey – your process of becoming.

David Whyte quote from his book,The Heart Awakened, Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America

Magic, Wonder and Neptune

“God is alive and magic is afoot.” Leonard Cohen

One of my favorite Tarot cards is the Ten of Pentacles. It depicts an ancestral castle. Inside the gates stand the King and Queen, two children and two white dogs. At the gate stands a Magus or magician who is wearing a long cape embroidered with astrological symbols. The children and the dogs see the Magus; the adults do not. The Magus represents the mystery and magic in everyday life which is visible to us if we are open to it.

Today when I was down at the Recycling Center people were going about their routine tasks in a methodical, humdrum way. But when I approached the corner of the building where tin and aluminum cans are separated into bins, I could hear children’s laughter and could see a father standing nearby -his eyes sparkling as he jokingly asked “ Is it magnetized? Okay so where does it go?” as the children held a tin or aluminum can next to the magnet to see if it would stick.

The children were enlivened by the task as their father – magician like – evoked a sense of wonder and mystery at the forces at play.

With many planets in creative, imaginative Pisces now it is a good time to be open to the mystery and wonder in everyday life.

With Jupiter in Cancer ancestral influences are strong now. It is best to be conscious of being in touch with gifts from the ancestors and avoid inherited addictive thought and behavior patterns that may have come down through the bloodlines. It is a time to keep moving in a direction of personal authenticity – and away from beliefs, thoughts and patterns that we may have been exposed to but that do not represent our views in present time.