Amelia’s Blog

“The problem with the world is that we draw our family circle too small.” Mother Theresa

“Spiritual practice is really about weaving a network of good relationships.” Dhyani  Ywahoo

“And indeed there will be time
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions
Before the taking of a toast and tea.” TS Eliot

Monday’s astrology draws an end to the retrograde travels of both Mercury and Jupiter as Mercury stations direct at 10 degrees of Libra and Jupiter at 22 degrees of Aquarius.

The retrograde travels of Mercury this time concerned relationships  of all kinds – how we relate to others, what we prioritize in friendship and partnership and what our personal aspirations are in this area. Retrogrades offer a good time for visions and revisions and it’s wise for the next few days to heed any information which represents a culmination of information.

The Jupiter station in Aquarius is a reminder of out interconnectedness with the natural world and the global community of which we are a part. It’s wise to keep a a healthy, sustainable future for the planet in mind along with your personal aspirations.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A canoe is approaching safety through dangerous waters.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“The act of perception is always open-ended and unfinished.” David Abrams

“Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning.” TS Eliot

Saturn stationed direct Monday October 10 and started forward motion on Monday. Saturn governs gravity and is associated with being held down or held back. Often when Saturn is retrograde, as it has been since May 23, it can feel as if little progress or forward movement can be made. But Saturn also is the ruler of time and often with more time, different decisions – or more complete decisions can be made. It’s wise for the next few days or so to make note of any new perceptions that may arise as significant information can come to the surface. Also with Mercury retrograde it may be time for a revision in thinking.

There are other planets preparing to station direct as well- on October 18 Mercury and Jupiter will both station direct. Pluto stationed on October 6. It is a somewhat rare occurrence to have so many planets stationing direct in a short time frame – and this represents a powerful time for a change in terms of perspectives and priorities. It’s likely to feel like a freer, more optimistic time where different options and opportunities present themselves.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A council of ancestors has been called to guide a woman.”

“should I greet you
as if
we had merely eaten
together one night
when the white birches
dripped wet
and lightning etched
black trees on your walls?” Mary Mackey

Venus is in Sagittarius now moving up to a conjunction with the South Node. Under this influence old friends and lovers may reappear. It is also a good time to  reach out and connect with friends of the past.

“Revelation is a window on the journey of the soul.” F. Aster Barnwell

“The universe is evolving towards an even greater destiny and we are the means of this global transformation.” Pir Vilayar Inayat Khan

It’s wise this week with two planets – Pluto and Saturn – both stationing direct – to heed any information which surfaces which speaks of a culmination of information. Revelation and breakthroughs are possible if you raise awareness and are open to the process.

We are living in times of rapid evolution – and the push back and challenges presented by that process. The time around planetary stations  provides a good time for assessing personal growth and evolution. I read recently that the kind of evolution that used to take place in three generations is now taking place in one.

Retrograde Mercury is making a challenging alignment with Neptune – the planet of dreams, visions and illusions- at the beginning of the week.  This aspect bodes well for the imagination as well as creative and spiritual work. It’s wise however to watch for idealizing people and situations.

There is a very feisty New Moon  at 13′ Libra on Wednesday at 7:05 AM EDT.  At this time the Sun, Moon and Mars- all in Libra- form a challenging alignment with Uranus, the planet of the unexpected and oppose Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. This new Lunar Cycle- for the next thirty days or so -is all about relationships and  how power is used or misused in them. It presents a good time to think about how we would like to handle relationships and if improvements can be made.

One of the fault lines of Libra is that it can have a “peace at any price” tendency which can sometimes be overly accommodating to the wishes of others, causing unexpressed resentment and anger. And as Isabel Hickey once noted, although throughout history it was  often Libras who negotiated peace agreements, it was  also often Libras who started the wars.

This New Moon is more powerful given that Pluto – the Lord of the Underworld and Transformation – stations direct the same day  at 2:29 PM at 24′ of Capricorn. Volatility is in the air all week long and it can be a more accident prone time  – so it’s wise to use extra caution when driving and moving about.

Saturn stations direct on Sunday at 6 degrees of Aquarius. This about consciousness – both personal and global – and the responsibility we take for building the future we envision. It’s a good time to assess whether is there more room for kindness, empathy, cooperation and collaboration moving forward.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”After the storms of winter, a boat landing stands in need of construction.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda hill

“Behind our existence lies something else that becomes accessible to us only by shaking off the world.” Arthur Schopenhauer

Mercury is slowing down to station retrograde on Monday  September 27 at 25 degrees of Libra – the sign of balance. The retrograde period will last through October 18.

For two or three days- both before and after a Mercury station -it’s wise to watch for insights that surface that represent a culmination of information, as the god of thinking and communication  reaches a significant milestone.

The retrograde period will last through October 18.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A person alone in deep gloom. Unnoticed angels are coming to his aid.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence . Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there or elsewhere. In my beginning.” TS Eliot

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

The Autumn Equinox, when the Sun enters Libra,  is Wednesday the 22nd . Throughout the world the solstices and equinoxes have been honored as significant threshold times as they  mark a time of ending and a time of beginning. It’s wise to honor what has come to an end in your life and what is new that is calling you into the future.

The Equinox chart is said to present a picture of the upcoming quarter. In general this looks like a time of surprises with Venus opposite Uranus. Mercury in Libra is squaring Pluto indicating that it will be a time of questioning and searching for answers. This alignment can also be associated  with the tendency to overthink. Thus providing quiet times that restore equilibrium and energy will be beneficial.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The dawn of a new day reveals everything has changed.’

Sabian symbol from 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

The purple and white Michaelmas daisies are blooming now in New England. These tiny daisies which grow throughout meadows and fields and beside ponds, herald the arrival of the Autumn Equinox .

The Equinox, September 22,  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 diplomacy.

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

With the Equinox comes the Feast of Michaelmas – 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.

Michaelmas 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 Michaelmas celebrations a play is performed about how the lowly peasant George slays a fearsome dragon. During the course of the battle George is gravely injured. He collapses under the spreading  branches of an apple tree beside a small stream. When morning dawns his wounds are healed.

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.

“Look at those dancers gliding around
Seems as if their feet
Don’t hardly touch the ground
Look at them smiling
Like they knew one another
And they never would come down.” Crosby Stills and Nash

“I sat, a solitary man,
In a crowded London shop,
An open book and an empty cup
Upon the marble table-top.
While on the shop and street I gazed
My body of a sudden blazed;
And twenty minutes more of less
It seemed so great my happiness,
That I was blessed and could bless.” WB Yeats

The week gets off to a bit of an ethereal start as Neptune, the sea god who governs  dreams and visions, opposes the Sun. The early part of the week is very good for daydreams and creativity as well as idealism and compassion.

But Neptune is also associated with illusion – and with the opposition to the Sun  it’s more easy for pragmatic judgment to be off and for trouble with details to occur. So it’s best to use more care with matters of this kind.

Mars moves into the sign of Libra on Tuesday and will transit this sign through October 30. Mars is not particularly comfortable in this sign and so it’s wise – throughout this time frame – to keep moderation and equilibrium in mind.

The Sun is moving up to a harmonious alignment with Pluto this week. This is a good aspect for reclaiming lost power and for inner growth. Pluto is associated with rebirth and wise to provide downtime for relaxation and rejuvenation.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A masked figure performs ritualistic acts in a mystery play.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“With the release of old stories a whole new perspective dawns. Fear can be transformed into presence and excitement. Confusion can open up interest. Uncertainty can become a gateway to surprise.”Jack  Kornfield

“In the beginners mind there are many possibilities. But in the expert’s mind there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer is prominent, not only in the sky now, but in general is an important influence in our time. One of the interpretations  of Chiron is that it governs the “stories we tell ourselves.” With Uranus, the planet of freedom in exact trine to yesterday’s New Moon, this Lunar Cycle (for the next month or so ) offers and opportunity to move away from outdated beliefs and into a new story for your life.

The New Moon in Virgo ushered in a time  which brings the focus to wellness. It is a good month to make improvements- if necessary- to establish a more healthy balance between body, mind and spirit. A more healthy diet, creating a daily routine that strikes a better balance between work and down time and taking the time to care for and nurture the body will be beneficial.

Venus in Virgo is aligning with Pluto this week. This combo can bring up feelings of loss and scarcity but it is also a powerful aspect for letting go, shedding or catharsis. It’s a good time for cleaning out closets and basements and letting go of things that are no longer needed. My friend and Boston based astrologer, Dietrich Pessin has written that Venus in alignment with Pluto provides a good time for purification rituals.

Venus is also making a favorable alignment to Jupiter – the planet of hope and expansion. This is associated with happiness, pleasure and abundance.
it’s a good time for socializing and enjoying the pleasures of life.

As we approach the Fall Equinox (on the 22nd) it bodes well to cultivate inner light as the days grow  shorter.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The sight of an autumn leaf brings to a pilgrim the sudden revelation of the mystery of life and death.”