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A Perfect Storm

26/3/2013

A Perfect Storm
The Equinox, Full Moon and Easter........2013

courtesy google images

12 Mar 2013 4:00 pm AEDT Sydney

For in 2012 Neptune took up residence in Pisces for the first time in 150 odd years. With Chiron also in the sign of the Fish a counter balance to the intense Uranus/Pluto energies was thus established, a beach-head as it were, easing or softening somewhat the volatile, unpredictable and oft oppressive agents of change. Many have noted that at least to a degree the energies over the past 12 months have been a little easier, and perhaps more stable, than 2011, and for that matter the period coinciding roughly with the onset of the GFC (in late 2008) when Pluto entered Capricorn and its first alignment with Uranus since the 1960’s began to build. Many of the world’s institutions and social structures have been under pressure ever since, with revolution and uncertainty being seemingly ever present threats (or opportunities for those aligned with the transformational dynamic of change).

The timing of so many planets in Pisces/Water in the lead up to the Autumn Equinox (spring in the Northern Hemisphere) and onward to tomorrow’s full moon and then Easter, was perhaps a celestial reminder of the need for balance and the conscious exercise of softer and more tolerant and compassionate attitudes; for we have now transited into a much more Fiery period where the emphasis swings back to Uranus and Pluto and more overtly yang energies. In some respects we have the ingredients for a perfect storm.

During late February and into March the astrological atmosphere surrounding our planet was dominated by Water, with up to 8 planets in the element associated most with the realm of feeling, empathy, the psyche, etc. The chart below, for 12 March, illustrates the extent to which the watery energies poured forth, with 7 planets in mutable Pisces, plus Saturn in Scorpio. The significance of so many planets, especially in Pisces, elevated not only the watery themes but the role of Neptune, the signs ruler, at this significant time in history.

courtesy google images

Equinox / Aries ingress 10:03 pm 20 Mar 2013 Sydney

Late on Wednesday evening the 20th of March (10:03 pm Sydney time) the Sun moved into Aries, marking the equinox and the start of the astrological year, a time rich in the symbolism of beginnings. Easter, in both its ancient pagan and modern Christian mystical meanings, reinforces the same themes of initiation and the cycle of new life. And beginnings flow from endings.

As the chart (reproduced below) suggests, the energies are shifting. Mars (whom March is named after) has recently moved into Aries, its own sign. With the Sun (which is exalted in Aries) also taking up residence and Uranus also in the early degrees, a threshold is crossed and a potent masculine force rises. And yet the timing of the equinox sees the Moon in Cancer (also in its own sign) forming a grand trine with Saturn (in Scorpio) and Neptune, Chiron and Mercury (in Pisces).

Venus, the Goddess, is also in the late degrees of Pisces (the sign of her exaltation), so overall the feminine force is still strong - as exemplified for example by Barack Obama’s speech (on the day of the equinox) to Israeli students, encouraging them to stand in the shoes of Palestinians. These were evocative Neptune/Pisces statements. Meanwhile on the same day the most unpredictable events would unfold in Canberra. For many commentators and experienced political observers it was an altogether bizarre and unexpected implosion. When the dust settled and heads rolled most were left pondering why? Join the Sun and Mars, planet of drives and impulses, to the unpredictable Uranus, in the action sign of Aries, with all three connected to destructive Pluto and……bingo!

At the full moon on 27 March (8:28 pm Sydney time) the balance is tipped still further. The Sun, and Mars in particular, are unleashed in Aries. They are now also joined by Venus, which opposes the moon in Libra. To a large degree these four tell a story within a story, reiterating as they do the power shift toward the masculine during this period. In its astrological context masculine and yang don’t specifically refer to men (or yin specifically to women). Rather it represents an outgoing, extroverted force which is associated with initiative, risk, impulsiveness, assertiveness, aggression and the like (which both sexes are of course capable of).

Libra, the sign of the full moon and opposite to Aries, is symbolic of beauty, harmony, justice (or equality) and relationship. And it is the relationship theme that is strongly emphasised by the alignment, for here there are 4 personal planets aligned with the Uranus/Pluto energy, forming a dynamic T-square which is strongly yang in its emanation. And not just any four planets but two pairs which are the major female/male archetypes – Moon/Sun and Venus/Mars.

Full Moon 8:28 pm AEDT 27 Mar 2013 Sydney

While the full Moon enjoys equality with the Sun (being the same visual size from our perspective on Earth) Venus is overwhelmed. She rules the full moon (being the ruler of Libra) but has moved from exaltation in Pisces to detriment in Aries, where she is overshadowed by the Sun and Mars. And she is almost exactly opposite the Moon. It is three on one. Yet in Aries (and with Mars and Uranus in the neighbourhood) there is always room for the underdog.

As reported in today’s Sydney Morning Herald a young Tunisian woman (known as ‘Amina’) recently posted two photos on Facebook as a political protest against the oppression of women in her country. In the first she is reclining topless with the words “my body belongs to me, and is not the source of the honour of anyone” emblazoned on her torso. In the second she is giving the finger, her tattooed body exclaiming “F--- your morals”.

Amina has now been admitted by her parents to a psychiatric ward (against her will). Meanwhile the Tunisian Commissioner for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (a man) confirmed to the media that "Her act could bring about an epidemic. It could be contagious and give ideas to other women. It is therefore necessary to isolate [the incident]. I wish her to be healed."

On the eve of the full moon there could be no better archetypal showing of an independent and courageous young woman (Venus in Aries) standing up for the rights of the feminine (opposite the Moon) and overpowered by a combination of the masculine (Sun, Mars and Uranus in Aries) and repressive authority (Pluto in Capricorn)

courtesy sydney morning herald

This will clearly not be in the ball park of most people’s personal experience in the coming period. But it does serve to illustrate the dynamic energies at work. With the Uranus/Pluto force stimulated by the Aries energies the yang flag is raised high and its vitality will permeate the lead into and much of the Easter period. Impulse control will be tested and volatility will be magnified. But to the extent that these can be balanced, many of the higher Aries motifs can be harnessed; qualities such as courage, enthusiasm, charisma and purity of spirit

Relationships are in many respects key to this period; significantly between the sexes and between friends, but also in regards family, community, country and, most importantly, with one’s soul or higher self. Freedom, equality, respect for and the rights of the feminine (on all levels) are also strongly emphasised and it is worth remembering that there is much strength still in the water signs to tap into during what looks like an intense yet heightened, rich and likely exciting Easter.

Till next time……Bob

courtesy google images

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Standing on the bridge to Tomorrow.....

19/12/2012

6 Comments

21|12|2012
Standing on the bridge to Tomorrow.........

courtesy google images

The eve of the most famous (or for some, infamous) date in history is a perfect opportunity to review the astrological happenings of 2012……and to reinforce what a unique year, and period, it has been.

The date is of course etched in our consciousness due to years of media focus on one primary event – the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar. Innumerable theories - some sublime, many ridiculous, have attached to the ‘meaning’ of this end date. From the mid 1980’s and onward 21/12/2012 gained more and more momentum, becoming the wagon that all manner of cosmic phenomenon and prophesy hitched itself to. From Armageddon to the Second Coming and from photon radiation to alien invasion, the juggernaut rolled on. Entrepreneurs prospered and even Hollywood jumped in as NASA and other scientific organisations sought to hose down the hype and assure us that the world was all ‘business as usual’.

courtesy google images

What can be said about the Mayan Long Count Calender is that it is an extraordinary piece of timekeeping, on a truly cosmic scale. For the Maya were a star culture, watchers of the sky and brilliant mathematicians. They developed and used many calendar systems based on the Sun, the Moon, Venus and other planetary and natural cycles, that related to their practical, social and spiritual lives.

The purpose and thus significance of the Long Count is not altogether clear. It is a 5,125 year cycle begun on 11 August 3114 BC and, incredibly, ‘ending’ on 21/12/2012. Some see it as a larger cycle; that the Maya comprehended a developmental phase for planet Earth and her relation to the solar and galactic ‘family’. For others it is more prophetic, a fated period for humanity, spelling something of an end and/or a beginning. And one of course goes with the other? Most scholars agree that the Mayan records reveal nothing categorical with few, or at best varied and inconsistent, interpretations.

courtesy google images

Which still leaves why this particular time? For what is striking are some uncanny and profound ‘coincidences’ regarding the end date, which when taken with other astrological ‘events’ during 2012 leave little doubt that something and something significant, is unfolding.

Firstly, the 21st of December is the Solstice. Twice a year the Sun reaches its maximum declination north and south of the equator. These two turning points define summer and winter and the longest and shortest days in their respective hemispheres. We define them as 0° Capricorn and 0° Cancer.

For millennia these were symbolically and historically significant times worshiped by almost all cultures. In the northern hemisphere, from whence we derive our cultural, symbolic and astrological traditions, the light (of the sun) reaches its lowest point on 21 December each year and thereafter begins to ‘rise’. Winter solstice rituals commemorated this re-birthing principle and these practices were the forerunner of Christmas and the Christian worship of the birth of the light of the world.

The Solstice is thus, like the Mayan calendar itself, representative of cyclic life - both an ending (when the light has reached its lowest point) and a beginning (the moment when the light begins to rise and is symbolically birthed).

courtesy google images

Secondly, the Solstice, at this time in history, is aligned with the centre of the Galaxy. This results from the 25,680 year precessional cycle via which the Sun transits through the 12 astrological ages (of 2,140 years duration each). In this great cycle the Sun slowly ‘moves’ 1 degree every 72 years (= 30 degrees or 1 sign in 2,140 years). The Sun will accordingly be in close alignment with the centre of the Galaxy for many years, a point that many 2012 buffs gloss over, but it nonetheless IS in alignment on the end date.

And the Maya attached a great significance to the spectacle of the Sun rising at dawn out of the very centre of the Milky Way. They saw this centre (known as the dark rift in astronomy) as a cosmic birth canal and the rising Sun as a cosmic birth. By this event the Solstice is elevated to cosmic proportions and 2 orders of birth (solar and galactic) and 2 orders of symbolism are revealed.

In every respect the end (and new beginning) of the Mayan Calendar, falling as it does on the Solstice at a time in history where the Solstice is aligned with the Galactic centre, is the pinnacle of a year already rich in astrological showings.

courtesy google images

For in addition to tomorrow’s alignment 2012 has already been a milestone year. Most of the major happenings have been reviewed in previous posts (which are referenced by their post headings and can be accessed via the Categories section in the right hand margin). They include:

o   The transit of Neptune into its own sign Pisces (Month of Pisces), where it will reside for the next 13 years, stimulating watery, empathetic and mystical qualities within people and upon the planet.

o   The first of 7 exact contacts (an extremely rare occurrence) between Uranus and Pluto - the agents’ provocateur (Volatility the New Norm), whose archetypal meanings resonate with much of the uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability seen in the world today. This combination will continue to be active for many years to come.

o   The once in a lifetime exact transit of Venus to the Sun (Month of Gemini). This was a companion to the 2004 alignment and the last passing until 2117. This was a reinforcement of the feminine. Venus was held as greatly important to the Maya and had her own calendar…… another 2012 coincidence?

o   The shift of the great star Regulus into Virgo (Leo, Virgo and the Sphinx). After 2,000 odd years (and again due to precessional movement) the star of kings/rulers and power shifted out of regal Leo into Virgo – another (and extremely powerful) sign of the rising feminine and of a changing of the guard.

o   And last, but not least, the lunar eclipse of 29 November (The Line-up of the Year). This phenomenal, interconnecting pattern of planets, with much focus on the Moon/Black Moon (the feminine again!) seemed the perfect backdrop to the coming Solstice.

courtesy google images

The nature and rate of change that flows from this special year can only be speculated upon. Yet change, great change, seems assured? That major astronomical alignments and so many astrological milestones would coincide with the Mayans stupendous calendric achievement is well beyond coincidence, I believe. Much has been spoken of a change of consciousness that can in turn support actions and decisions that are heart inspired. The astrology seems to hint, if not shout, at this, as the path forward to a more enlightened future.

Merry Solstice

Till next time

Bob

6 Comments

The line up of the year

28/11/2012

5 Comments

courtesy google images

The Line up of the Year.....

The planets seem to have left the best till last as we approach the end of this most symbol laden and significant of years – 2012!

In the early hours of tomorrow morning Sydney time (1:46 am, 29 Nov 2012) a lunar eclipse occurs. This is the last eclipse for 2012; part of the eclipse cycle begun in May/June this year and a companion to the total solar eclipse of 14 November.

Lunar eclipses occur on a full moon, usually twice a year, when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned such that the Earth blocks the Sun, casting a partial or total shadow onto the Moon. By contrast Solar eclipses occur on those new moons (again usually twice a year) when the Moon, passing between the Sun and the Earth casts a partial or total shadow onto the Sun.

Symbolically, Solar (new moon) eclipses are associated with beginnings. Depending on other considerations in a chart they are thought to point toward the propitiousness or otherwise of initiating a project, venture or romance, etc. The ancients particularly looked to the solar eclipse for indications supporting coronations, weddings, battles and the like.

Modern astrologers who focus on mundane (world) events look to solar eclipses as portents of things that are about, or are soon, to happen, such as political, economic, environmental or cultural changes. As an example, on the eve of the most recent eclipse (at 22 degrees Scorpio) the Federal Government announced its Royal Commission into Child sexual abuse. Scorpio and the 8th house are of course classic motifs of sex, including forbidden sex, and all things secretive and deceptive. The eclipse in this instance suggests the beginning of the end of the institutionalised cover ups etc. and it is the truth seeking, probing to the depths Scorpio energy that will feature heavily in a long overdue and socially confronting exposé.

By contrast full moons (and lunar eclipses, which one astrologer described as a full moon on steroids) symbolise endings or things brought to completion. As new moons then full moons occur two weeks apart each month, one has to contemplate larger (i.e. larger than 2 or 4 weeks) cycles when assessing what is being brought to conclusion? It may be a job, leading to a career change, or a project, or a relationship, or it may be the end (or the time for the end) of a habit or a pattern or a way of being? So a full moon and an eclipse in particular, can be a very good time to let go (and for numerology buffs this eclipse falls on a '9' day - another symbol of completing).

But why this is such an important eclipse (moon at 7 degrees Gemini) is because of the powerful interconnected pattern, in which planets are closely and strategically aspected to each other. In fact every planet is linked in, with the exception of Mercury. Yet Mercury is very much a player, being Lord of the eclipse (as the ruler of Gemini) and only yesterday moving direct after a 3 week retrograde stint. The messenger is thus doubly free to move around. This is good for mental enterprises and activities though unrestrained opinions and the like could pose problems, whether spoken, written or broadcast. (I did read a recent report which suggested also that those who are Gemini born should control their expenses and postpone all shopping plans till Christmas, given the current influences. Good luck to all Gemini’s!)

More significantly the chart draws in both personal and social/transpersonal energies. In previous postings I have outlined and reiterated the significance of the outer planet configurations at this time. Firstly, the square of Uranus and Pluto (presently in Aries and Capricorn) defines many of the archetypal themes visible in the world today. In play since 2008 (for the first time since the mid to late ‘60’s), these two are in particularly close proximity during 2012 – 2015.

As the unpredictable, inventive, freedom seeking and authority opposing Uranus interacts with the intense, volcanic, sometimes violent and cathartic Pluto, all manner of upheaval, uncertainty and revolution demonstrates. Change, partly exciting and partly disturbing, is in the air.

Secondly, Neptune’s entry into its own sign, Pisces, during 2012, where it contacted Chiron, represents an altogether different dynamic. This is the yin to the Uranus/Pluto yang; an energy much more representative of an emerging receptivity, particularly by those with a growing spiritual perspective and sensibility. The Neptune/Piscean energy speaks to us of emotion, empathy, creativity, sacrifice, higher inspiration and psychic possibilities, on the one hand, and all manner of naivety, deceptiveness and dreaminess on the other.

Thirdly, and only just recently, Saturn has made its way into Scorpio. Here it makes favourable contacts with Pluto (sextile) and Neptune/Chiron (trine). There is promise here that the conservative and circumspect Saturn can bridge the two patterns, drawing them into a larger and more stable and workable relationship. This will of course only be meaningful to the extent it is practiced by individuals and groups of individuals.

And into this pattern now steps Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. We thus have a unique configuration, featuring 4 conjunctions (Moon/Jupiter, Neptune/Chiron, Venus/Saturn and Mars/Pluto) made up of:

1.     Moon (eclipse) conjunct Jupiter in Gemini opposite Sun in Sagittarius, sextile/trine Uranus in Aries (an easy opposition)

2.     Moon (eclipse) conjunct Jupiter in Gemini, opposite Sun in Sagittarius, square Neptune/Chiron in Pisces (a T-Square)

3.     Neptune/Chiron in Pisces sextile Mars/Pluto in Capricorn sextile Venus/Saturn in Scorpio ( a ‘mini’ grand trine)

4.     Moon/Jupiter inconjunct Mars/Pluto, inconjunct Venus/Saturn ( a yod or ‘Finger of God’), and

5.     Moon/Jupiter sextile Uranus, inconjunct Venus/Saturn (a 2nd Finger of God).

There are enough dynamics here to fill several textbooks. But as an overlay to the outer planet themes just mentioned, a key perhaps to the larger interplay involving the inner and more personal planets, can be gleaned from the Moon.

The Moon is the most aspected body in the chart (she’s not of course a planet) and it is her eclipse. And in keeping with her many mysteries there is multi-level symbolism here and hence significance. For it is in her fullness that the Moon is most revealed.

Yet ironically she is, at this full moon, at her furthest distance from the earth (called apogee).This suggests a keeping of her distance, as if we have to work at or earn the right to her secret(s). Her connection with all the other planets (and including the Sun) confirms her significance at this time as featured especially by her aspects to the outer planets and their dynamic relationships.

But it is the relation to the inner planets that invites us onto another level. She is joined by Jupiter, planet of expansion. He inflates her importance. Then she is the focus (with Jupiter) of the Finger of God, linking to Venus (and Saturn) and Mars (and Pluto). That she is in a classic alignment with the Sun, the archetype of female/male, is heightened by the relation with Venus/Mars = female/male.

Courtesy Google Images

The relationship between the sexes (and between the Yin/Yang natures within each individual) is thus powerfully shown. But allied to that is the larger role of the feminine, in the world and for the future. For in the chart (and I kept this until last) the Moon is also conjunct to Lilith, the Dark or Black Moon.

Lilith is shrouded in mystery. She represents the unbridled, tempestuous, irrational and volcanic side of the feminine (‘a woman scorned’). In mythology she is someone to be afraid of or intimidated by. She is the chaos, carnage and decay, juxtaposed to the Moons creative, nurturing and passive nature. They are sometimes referred to as the whore and the virgin but this is more symbolic of the spectrum of their combined meanings. And it is the integration of that spectrum, the full force of the feminine, which births the Goddess who moves in and is the Mother of all planes of creation.

Through the suppression of the feminine, on many levels, has much imbalance taken root on this planet. In this chart and via this alignment I believe an important marker is revealed, pointing to an acceleration of that which has been slowly stirring in the consciousness of certain men and women and subtly appearing in the world. The strong sense is that ahead of the coming cycle the balance might now truly begin to be restored; through freedom from guilt and the correct role of sex, through the celebration of the body and the earth, through healing ,through the mystery of surrender and through the transformed feminine.

Many have hopes for a better world even as we are perched on what can seem like a knife’s edge. If enough people can support the lifting of the feminine then the hope may be even greater than we could imagine?

Till next time.....

Cheers

Bob

5 Comments

Prometheus then and now

24/10/2012

4 Comments

Prometheus.......then and now

courtesy google images

The Sun's shift into Scorpio yesterday (where it joins Saturn) seems a good excuse to review an ancient yet eternal mystery - that of Prometheus.

In the Ridley Scott blockbuster Prometheus, a late 21st century space mission sets off to a distant galaxy in search of the origins of human life. These are thought to reside with an advanced civilisation that in the distant past had ‘seeded’ humanity. Finding remnants of the civilisation and some of its sleeping inhabitants, the explorers are confronted with the bitter truth that the aliens, our forebears, have sinister plans for both humanity and planet earth itself. At the end of the film the lone survivor of the expedition goes in search of ‘why?’

The movie is great to look at and gripping enough but as an exploration of extra-terrestrial and more mystical themes is unsatisfying.

Prometheus is of course a major figure in mythology, the subject of great poets and philosophers and a significant and highly relevant astrological archetype.

So who is Prometheus and what themes does he represent?

As in most Greek and old world myths there is no one story. At different times different writers focussed on different elements, presenting it from different perspectives, adding to, subtracting from or otherwise embellishing the legend to fit the purposes of the telling. In some stories Prometheus is the creator of mankind, a theme touched on in the movie. He is said to have achieved this by breathing into clay – an image which is uncannily biblical (the origin of the name Adam, the first man of the Old Testament, is ‘red’ and sometimes ‘red earth’ – the colour of clay).

Prometheus is variously described as a great warrior, a master of the arts and sciences and an intuitive, with a rare ability to perceive the future. In another version of the myth, part of which the film-makers allude to, though quite obliquely, Prometheus creates mankind upon earth unaware that Zeus’s ulterior motive is for man to unwittingly prepare it (to keep it ‘warm’ as it were) for another race of beings at a future time. Learning of this Prometheus instils hope in the hearts of men and shields them from the truth.

Prometheus Bound

courtesy google images

A consistent theme is that Prometheus stole ‘fire’ from the gods and, in a defiant act, gave it to mankind. For his transgression Zeus (Jupiter) had him chained to a rock on a desolate mountain top, where an eagle plucked at his liver. Each night the liver would regenerate ahead of the eagle’s next daily visitation.

And on and on it went…..

In some versions Hercules did away with the eagle and finally released him, in others the sacrificial Chiron got Zeus to agree to him swapping places with Prometheus. In still other versions Zeus sends Pandora (of Pandora’s Box fame) to earth as a further punishment for mankind. Fledgling man’s encounter with a more destructive and divisive aspect of the feminine force is of course paralleled in the story of Eve’s disobedience in the Garden.

What is fascinating is the notion of fire, and what it might describe? The first use of fire by ancient man must have been truly liberating, in ways incomprehensible to our modern sensibility. With it came light and warmth and protection from predators. With fire cooking, drying and the preserving of foods and skins was made possible. It allowed prehistoric man to shape his environment, utilise new hunting strategies and employ a powerful weapon. It represented a staggering technological leap.

But was the fire brought by Prometheus symbolic more of knowledge, of mind? As some of the myths suggest did he awaken man, educating him, directing him in the ways of language and learning, of building and counting and reading the stars? This criss-crosses, again, with images of the Garden of Eden; of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that stood at its centre, and the partaking of the forbidden fruit of the tree which opened the ‘eyes’ of a still juvenile mankind.

If Zeus stands for Yahweh or Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament, is Prometheus then the lowly serpent and the architect of the ‘fall’, or a liberator, the light bearer Lucifer? Was there involvement or interference even, by some extra-terrestrial or supernatural agency (for whatever reasons) in the evolutionary development of man? Or can the legend of Prometheus and the bringing of fire equate more to a great evolutionary ‘event’ itself, the appearance of the ‘new brain’ as it is sometimes referred, the neo cortex and the even more recent pre frontal cortex?

Prometheus Unbound

courtesy google images

The new brain empowered man with a capacity for logic, reasoning and precise language. While there is debate among anthropologists as to timing and effect, a core group of scientists consider this brain ‘spurt’ to have taken place as recently as 40,000 – 50,000 years ago. This aligns with theories of a ‘great leap forward’ in which prehistoric man, little changed over aeons, would begin to demonstrate new art forms, music and culture alongside formal societal groupings, trade, mining, farming and the later emergence of architecture, astronomy and philosophy.

The process, only recently initiated in the context of evolutionary history, continues to this day as technology and science in particular, march forward. The new and extremely powerful ability to analyse brought with it powers of self-awareness and a facility to stand ‘outside’, as it were, and to observe, study and reflect. Awakened in this was thus the sense of self and of ego and an intrinsic separateness. In biblical as well as anatomical terms we see the emergence of choice and free will. Was it these that the planters of the great tree were concerned about? That mankind wouldn’t or didn’t have the maturity of being to harness the new power, which would plunge him thereafter into a ‘fall’ away from the natural world?

There is an irresistible urge, and probably all the evidence we need, to suggest that the emerging new brain, with all its potential and creativity, exposed man to hitherto unknown experiences. It would ignite his primal fears, jealousies and competitiveness with steroid like potency. And as the process accelerated an epidemic of self-doubt, isolation and insanity swept into the world, sitting uncomfortably and dangerously alongside the obvious triumphs and truly great forms of progress

We, humanity, sit atop the evolutionary pyramid. We are masters of much and slaves to more. As we struggle to put the lid back on Pandora’s Box, weighed down by nuclear weaponry, overpopulation, climate threat and the like, we are challenged like never before. And, paradoxically, we seem to be at our best when challenged. Something, perhaps truly evolutionary in nature and part of a plan beyond our comprehension, impels us to work out a solution, to draw on our Promethean inventiveness. Do we, just maybe, stand ever so precariously on the threshold of a new step in evolution? And can we band together, unify and avail ourselves of Prometheus’s most important gift – hope?

The Astrological Prometheus

courtesy google images

The planets that make up our solar system are each named after a mythological figure whose traits and characteristics correlate uncannily with their astrological meaning. An exception to the ‘rule’, perhaps not unexpectedly, is the freewheeling Uranus. The figure of the mythological sky god relates well as a symbol of global communication, technology, networking and the like, and as regards other quirks. But some core astrological themes are missing.
In Cosmos and Psyche distinguished author and astrologer Richard Tarnas makes a compelling case for Prometheus as a truer representative (or at least a co-representative) of the astrological Uranus.
In stealing the fire and defying the Gods Prometheus stands for the rebel, the free spirit, the revolutionary and the usurper of authority, all expressions that we associate with Uranus. He is inventive and cunning, also spontaneous. He acts independently. And he gives, or circulates, the fire to mankind, indicative of the Aquarian principles of brotherhood, sharing and universality. His lacking may be in discretion, for in his enthusiasm he may overlook or fail to question whether the recipients of the change he is about to initiate are ready for it? Many of the outcomes of revolutions throughout history bear this out, even as the impulse behind the urge for change seems undeniable.

The Promethean/Uranus archetype is in various guises a visionary, a change agent, an eccentric, highly individual, a confronter of the status quo and a champion of individual and social freedom.

Figures from history that fit the mould (but then sought to break it!) include Buddha, Moses, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Alexander (the great), Mary Magdalene, Hypatia, Mohammad, Joan of Arc, Galileo, Copernicus, Martin Luther, Mozart, Catherine the Great, Darwin and the greatest revolutionary of them all – Jesus the Christ.

Also Einstein, Marie Curie, Picasso, Dali, Mary Wollstonecraft, Isadora Duncan, Gurdjieff, Amelia Earhart, Ghandi, Maria Montessori, Mae West, Che Guevara, Martin Luther King, Elvis, Mikael Gorbachev, Jimi Hendrix…….and more recently Germaine Greer, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Aung San Suu Kyi, Madonna (the singer) and Mark Zuckerberg, to name but a few.

In true Promethean spirit each brought ‘fire’ to the many, pushing the boundaries of the known and the accepted and, in their own distinct way, forever changed the world.

Till next time.....

Cheers

Bob

4 Comments

LEO, VIRGO and the SPHINX

2/9/2012

8 Comments

LEO, VIRGO and the SPHINX

The crossing of the Sun from Leo to Virgo (on August 22/23 each year) is a significant astrological ‘event’. And it is especially significant at this time in history as the star Regulus sits on the cusp of the two signs. 2012 thus marks a major cycle, a change in rhythm, as the alpha (main) star of the Leo constellation shifts ever so slowly into the sign of the Virgin.

Sitting on the border of the two signs, Regulus conjures images of the Sphinx, to which Leo/Virgo has long been associated. In more ancient systems these two are thought to have constituted one sign, symbolic of a hermaphrodite stage of consciousness. The mystical Sphinx, with Leo and Virgo symbolising the co joined male/female energies,represents this stage of human soul development – the being with the body of a lion and the head of a woman.

Along the great evolutionary path the impulse toward individuality precipitated a separation, as the awakening soul pursued individual experience. Leo, the sign of individuality, emerged then as a distinct and dominating influence and has been the signature of the soul’s journey (and its fall in the Christian context) ever since. Unity consciousness was usurped by duality. Adam and Eve (Leo and Virgo) are the archetypes towards which all dualities; male/female, dark/light, heart/mind, good/evil etc. refer.

Now Regulus, the Heart of the Lion, moving into Virgo, reminds us that we stand on the cusp of an era of re-unification. There is much to suggest that Mankind’s future is tied to a shift in consciousness via which the true nature of the soul’s origin and purpose might be aroused. In the esoteric traditions this sleeping potential is protected by Virgo, the keeper of the mystery of the hidden soul nature. The process itself requires the reunification of the separated parts, the Leo/Virgo, male/female, higher/lower and heart/mind nature, into a consciously working whole. To this possibility the Sphinx has patiently waited. The story of Beauty (Virgo) and the Beast (Leo) echos the process in allegorical language while the mystic wedding, or coniunctio, is the alchemical expression. Jung dedicated his life to the very same process in developing his notion of individuation.

Each year from now, as the Sun enters Virgo, it will align precisely with Regulus, reminding us of this great possibility, this great need. And each month the full moon will be a still more immediate reminder as the Sun and the Moon, the esoteric rulers of Leo and Virgo, stand as equals.

Serendipitously this month’s full Moon in Pisces took place on the stroke of midnight (the beginning of the day) on the 1st of September (the beginning of the month), a beautiful and magical reminder of new possibilities arising from the union of opposites.

Here's the chart......

Pisces Full Moon
Midnight
1st Sep 2012
Sydney, Australia

Till next time.........

Cheers

Bob

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what's happening.......month of Cancer

22/6/2012

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Month of Cancer 21 June - 21 July

On 21 June (9:10 am EST) the Sun entered Cancer, marking the solstice and the beginning of winter in our southern hemisphere (and summer in the north). This is one of 4 celestial turnings during each yearly cycle of the Sun, those points that key-in the seasonal rhythm.

The solstices accord with the longest and shortest days of the year and the equinoxes (on 21/22 March and September) equate to those days of equal dark and light. These dates differ from the meteorological start dates (of 1 Mar, Jun, Sep and Dec) though different countries observe the start(s) at different times, dependant often on their latitudes or, in the case of Pennsylvania, on whether a groundhog sees his shadow when emerging from his burrow! Connection with the Solar rhythm is the astrological custom and these times have been revered and celebrated in ceremonies for thousands of years.

The watery, nurturing and empathetic qualities of the Crab are highlighted at this time, coloured of course by the prevailing energies. These comprise the major outer planet alignments and the contacts formed as the quicker moving planets move in and out of their many aspect patterns. Some of the meanings behind the current outer planet dynamics have been touched on in recent blog commentaries, specifically Volatility…… the new norm** which overviews the square of Uranus and Pluto (in Aries and Capricorn respectively) and the recent shift by Neptune into Pisces, where it joins Chiron, detailed in What’s happening……month of Pisces**. Suffice to say the four outer planets are all active at this time and their archetypal themes are demonstrating everywhere.
(** refer to 'Categories' in the right hand margin of this site)

The beginning of this month’s Sun cycle contains one especially significant day – the 24th of June. This is a real milestone day, a day of rich symbolism. Why? It is the day upon which the first of seven exact Uranus/Pluto squares take place between now and 2015. The vagaries of the planetary orbits (and Uranus and Pluto have somewhat ‘eccentric’ orbits) plus the phenomena of retrograde motion, means that two planets can have more than one exact contact. This occurs when the faster of the two forms an exact aspect (commonly a conjunction, opposition or square) to the slower planet, moves on, then later comes back (by retrograde motion), forming the aspect and continuing ‘backward’. After a time it changes direction once again, moving toward the aspect point before once again continuing on (called astrologically a ‘separation’).

Sometimes there is only one contact via the forward motion of the faster planet. More than occasionally there are 3 contacts (forward, back and forward). This is often the pattern of Saturn’s return (which I’ll do a piece on some time later). Rarely there are 5 contacts. And very, very rarely there are 7! Seven of course is a highly occult number and significant in astrology as the number of traditional planets, i.e. those visible to the senses, which is in turn the basis of the seven days of the week

June 24 is the first of the series of seven exact Uranus/Pluto contacts. The chart for the event is quite special and very rich in symbolism. As fate (or destiny perhaps) would have it, the Moon moves into Virgo on that day. The chart for that moment follows:

Perfect Square + Moon in Virgo
9:44 pm
Sydney Australia

I won’t attempt to interpret every element of the chart but some observations are:

1. The Sun (in Cancer) forms a T-Square with Uranus and Pluto. We’ve been subject to the Uranus/Pluto energies for some time now and will continue to be for several years to come. History of cause will reveal what the pivotal points of the cycle have been (as they have been observed in all the previous Uranus/Puto cycles). The post GFC economic environment, the Arab spring and the global ‘Occupy’ movement, to name three, have already left an indelible impression……and there is the sense of more (maybe much more) to come.

The alignment with the Sun suggests power themes – big time. There is strength and force here, potency but also purity. In a T-Square the energies are felt to be at odds with one another, pushing in different directions. But these three are all strong and the ’equality’ between them adds to the dynamism. The vacant ‘4th spot’ in Libra holds a key to how some of this force may distribute and manifest

2. For the Sydney chart the angles (Ascendant/Descendent/IC/MC) are all ‘activated’ with Neptune and Chiron on the Pisces Ascendant opposite the Moon in Virgo on the Descendent and a triple conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and the South Node in Gemini opposite the North Node on the MC in Sagittarius. Collectively they form a Grand Cross (or grand square). Generally speaking the grand cross is as tense as a T-Square, or more so. With no release point the energies potentially spin and spin until something gives. On the other hand the Grand Cross can signal a tremendous quality of receptivity where cosmic and finer energies are picked up, as if by radar, through a heightened state of sensitivity. That the planets involved in the mix are feminine in nature (with the exception of Jupiter which is friendly and adds positivity and expansiveness), contributes to the feeling of a dynamic which matches and (in this chart) transcends the masculine force represented by Sun, Uranus and Pluto.

3. Most interestingly the Sun, Uranus and Pluto feed into the Grand Cross via flowing and supportive aspects – trines and sextiles. Specifically the Sun is trine Neptune, Chiron and the Ascendant and sextile the Moon; Pluto is flowing the other way – Trine the Moon and sextile Neptune, Chiron and the Ascendant and Uranus is sextile Venus, Jupiter and the South Node and trine the North Node on the MC.

4. The sense of these patterns (squares and oppositions interacted by trines and sextiles) is of cooperation. Significantly there is a feeling of the masculine supporting the feminine on the brink of a new impulse. Adding to this potential and expressing its cosmic scope is the alignment of the Moon and the star Regulus. Renowned for its association with royalty, position and power Regulus has been the star of kings, though its meaning (from the Arabic) is ‘little king’, which conjures images of the Child and of the potential for greatness.

Greek and later Roman astrologers referred to this star as ‘Cor Leonis’ - the heart of the Lion. He is the alpha (or main) star in the Leo constellation and for thousands of years has been the ‘watcher of the north’, one of four royal stars standing in each of the four fixed signs marking the ‘cross of the heavens’. In mythology each star is associated with one of the 4 archangels – Regulus with Raphael, the angel of healing. This accords with the relation to Leo and to the vitalising and healing powers of the Sun.

5. The astronomic process by which we define the 26,000 year cycle of the ages, where each sign is seen to rule a 2,100+ year period, is known as precession. It is via precession that we are transiting from the Piscean to the Aquarian age and it is by the same slow celestial movement that Regulus is now shifting from a 2,000+ year stint in Leo into Virgo. This is taking place now, though Regulus will be at 0° for 70 odd years.

Many astrologers, as well as metaphysical scholars. view this as a significant and sacred period where a power shift is taking place from a masculine/solar order to a feminine/lunar order. In this age it will perhaps not be so much a supplanting of one by the other but a period of integration and equality, of yin and yang and heart and mind. In this is held something of the mystery of the Sphinx, to which Leo/Virgo has long been associated.

What is stunning about this chart is that on the day that marks the first of seven exact Uranus/Pluto contacts (which is unique in itself) and amidst such a potent set of alignments, the Moon is also conjunct Regulus. It will of course conjunct Regulus every month in its cycle, but perhaps never so importantly (at least symbolically) as right now. The symbol of the Queen conjunct the higher Sun is a perfect representation of the cusp of Virgo and Leo and the union of female and male; made all the more so by the Moon’s status as the soul (or esoteric) ruler of Virgo.

In this placement the Moon is a symbol of the Mother; not the mother of life (or mother nature) connoted by the Moons relation to Cancer, but the Mother of the Christ, or the Christ potential, dwelling within each human being. Here the Moon in Virgo is a symbol of the process that we enact when we have sufficiently awoken to the reality of this potential within ourselves and set about nurturing, informing, protecting and mothering this life in priority to all other activities. And much of the promise of this possibility is held in the opposition of Moon/Regulus to the mystical Neptune in Pisces on the Ascendant and the squares to the nodes – the highway from the past to the future and from the lower to the higher.

In summary then (and putting the nodal contact to one side for the moment), we have a cardinal. yang or masculine oriented T-square interwoven with a mutable, yin, or feminine oriented T-square, brought into play by the Sun (linking the cardinal pattern) and the Moon (linking the feminine pattern). The Sun and Moon are the soul or esoteric rulers of Leo and Virgo. The pattern is active on Sunday leading into Monday (after which the Moon will 'spin' off). Sunday and Monday are the days 'ruled' by The Sun and the Moon. Regulus, the cosmic ruler of Leo but now moving into Virgo, is in the mix. And this on the day that initiates a seven-fold contact (or dance!) between Uranus and Pluto - the great agents of change.

More to follow.

Cheers

Bob

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what's happening.......month of Gemini

21/5/2012

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Month of Gemini 21 May - 20 Jun

On 21 May the Sun moved into Gemini, a day marked also by a New Moon and therefore a unique double beginning - a perfect and poetic fit with the symbolism of the Twins. Gemini is the first of the dual signs, in some systems represented as two brothers and in others as two sisters. The constellation’s signature stars, Castor and Pollux, have been revered since ancient times as the heavenly archetypes, representative of all the pairs of opposites – day and night, dark and light, masculine and feminine, mortal and immortal, body and soul.

Castor and Pollux are celestial reminders of duality as the basis of the manifested world and in particular how we experience it. We only know pleasure in relation to pain, happiness to sadness, success to failure and so on. Duality enables perspective and discrimination.

This reinforces the assignment of Mercury as the ruler of Gemini. Those with strong Gemini characteristics (Sun, Moon, Ascendant or multiple planet placements in Gemini and or strongly emphasised Mercury) are most often bright, mentally active, inquisitive, versatile, social and elusive, as befits the mutable and airy quality of this sign/planet configuration.

Significantly, as the third sign, Gemini symbolises a third force, relating opposites one to the other. Gemini is thus pre-eminently a sign of relating. Through the agency of Mercury information is assimilated, analysis and comparison undertaken and knowledge gained (both useful and useless varieties alike). Add in Uranus as the ruler of technology, Aquarius as the sign associated with the world wide web and the global circulation of ideas and connections; plus Libra, the people sign, working through Venus, motivating the phenomenon of social media, and the three Air signs working together can be seen as being potently expressive and influential as we now transit into the Aquarian (Air) Age.

In Soul centred astrology it is Venus who is ascribed rulership of Gemini. By this is meant a transition from Mercurial to Venusian relatedness. Where Mercury acts to define and relate opposites by objectifying them, Venus seeks to merge and blend them. Here feeing and intuition interact with the mind to bring about a different order of intelligence, motivated by harmony and, at the highest level, by love. This unifying of opposites and the principle of union represents the true object of self or spiritual development, the Hermaphrodite (Hermes/Aphrodite or Mercury/Venus) being an eternal symbol. In this great alchemical process Gemini stands as the Child, the third aspect of the trinity, both the force of attraction between the Father/Mother (Aries/Taurus) principles and also the fruit of their union. Behind these symbols lies the deeper meaning of giving birth to oneself. Consistent with its many dual qualities and the principle of duality itself, Gemini contains both the seeds of superficiality and the deepest of mysteries.

Soul centred Venus/Gemini themes will be especially highlighted in the coming weeks by the once in a hundred plus year transit of Venus and the Sun. Students of astronomy/astrology will be aware that a unique relation exists between these two. In an eight year cycle Venus makes five conjunctions to the Sun, tracing a celestial pentagram, or 5 pointed star, in the process. In this cycle is expressed much of the beauty and symmetry so much associated with Venus. The 8 year Venus cycle is linked to a larger pattern where the orbital planes of the 2 bodies intersect every 100+ years. I won’t attempt to outline the physics here but it may be likened to the distinction between an ordinary new or full moon and an eclipse. During the transit Venus can be seen moving across the face of the Sun. This last occurred in 1874 and 1882 (note the 8 years) and before that in 1761 and 1769. The observance of the 1769 transit (to assist a deeper scientific understanding of the Solar System) was James Cook’s primary objective in visiting the Pacific. The discovery of Australia and New Zealand (the great southern lands) was assigned second!

For all of us this will be a once in a lifetime event (including the 2004 transit), the next passing being in 2117. For students and lovers of astrology there is much to ponder on the fact that each pair of transits takes place in the sign Gemini and its opposite Sagittarius (1631/1639 Sag, 1761/1769 Gemini, 1874/1882 Sag, 2004/2012 Gemini). The soul centred meaning of Venus in Gemini will be once again projected onto the cosmic stage on June 6 this year (at 15° Gemini), perhaps to remind us that heart and mind and the fusion of opposites and the power of love as the highest expression of intelligence are what we are individually geared to and capable of and where we, as a species, are ultimately heading.

The Mayans utilised and integrated a Venus calender into their intricate system. That their 5,000+ year calender 'ends' in the year of the Venus transit - 2012, gives even more food for thought on the nature of whatever new phase we are about to enter?

Until next time.......cheers

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what's happening?.......month of Taurus

26/4/2012

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Month of Taurus 20 Apr - 21 May

The Sun's shift into Taurus in 2012 is closely timed to the new moon, exact on 21 April, aligning powerfully as it does with Mars (in Virgo), Pluto (in Capricorn) and Neptune and Chiron (in Pisces). These are all yin/feminine signs that collectively form a Kite pattern. A Kite is a Grand Trine (in this case in Earth) with a fourth point (Neptune/Chiron in Pisces), adding an extra level of dynamism. A Grand Trine is most often associated with a positive flow of energy, as the planets are linked in the same element.

In a personal chart this most often demonstrates as some type of talent or special ability, and an innate sense of ease and harmony. Often however the individual is not motivated and can easily rest on their laurels, as it were, and not perfect or develop their gift. This is where square and opposition patterns are important. They are the driven, sometimes restless impulses that can spur us on.

In the Kite pattern the 4th planet (or chart point) stimulates and sometimes agitates the grand trine, usually to positive and practical effect. In the current chart Neptune/Chiron opposes Mars and forms sextile (60°) aspects to Pluto and the Sun/Moon, suggesting that this is a good period to activate plans, all the more so with the symbolic support of the New Moon exalted in Taurus.

In the Moon’s exaltation in Taurus is much to remind us of not just practical and aesthetic themes, but of that special affinity between the nurturing principle of the Mother and the living Earth (Moon/Taurus). Mother Nature is a term in common use but one that we too seldom take for granted and fail to appreciate. And it is the relationship between man and earth which reflects so many modern predicaments……climate change, over population, rampant extinction of species, deforestation, water, soil and air quality etc.

Resources are also part of this core Taurus theme. That Australia is a resource based economy/country says much about our place in the world and especially its future, as we grapple (gamble with?) the economic benefit of extracting and selling finite and non-renewable minerals etc versus acting on, innovating toward and championing more sustainable and holistic alternatives.

That values are also a key Taurean motif is a reminder that our attitude toward the planet and the collective of life forms who share it, and our management of air, water, soil, forests, oceans and natural resources, will be perhaps the defining ingredient upon which the potential of a more cooperative, universal and harmonious world rests.

This month is power packed with Taurean symbolism - with the Sun’s passage through Taurus commencing on a new moon and forming part of a Grand Trine in Earth. The sense of the Mother is heightened by these configurations via which Taurus represents a lens through which feminine and healing energies pour. They are perhaps so arranged to help focus our attention on a greater life of which we are part.

Cheers,

Bob

2 Comments

serendipity

18/4/2012

2 Comments

Those who have been bitten by the astrology “bug” often times find it difficult to explain the nature of their experience, or experiences, in precise language, even though they are of themselves deeply felt and beyond question or doubt. This type of knowing is clear and unambiguous, like a note struck or a light turned on, that resonates and reverberates somewhere in our being, registering a different order of intelligence. It may result from a chart reading or something picked up in a book or at a lecture that triggers this deep sense of connectedness.

These “aha” moments are most often highly personal. But every now and then astrological coincidences demonstrate on a larger, public stage, giving us pause for reflection on the relation between planetary/astrological patterns and terrestrial events. An analysis of the Uranus/Pluto cycle, covered in recent blog posts, is a good example of this mundane (meaning of the world) astrology. The 2010 Federal Election, where Julia Gillard/Labour obtained the narrowest of victories over Tony Abbott/The Coalition, also makes for an excellent study of astrological symbolism (and significance) come to life, to cite a recent example.

And if you hadn’t noticed there was a most interesting “showing” on the cusp of this New Year.

In the blog post “what’s happening…..the month Of Capricorn” (see below), I undertook a very brief review of the chart for midnight 31/12/11. The review was limited to some comments on the prevailing square of Uranus and Pluto (in Aries and Capricorn) and the coincident alignment of the Moon and Sun (also in Aries and Capricorn) overlaying them at that time – adding to the sense of volatility and unpredictability that will continue to be key themes during 2012 and beyond.

And to add spice to the symbolic mix I noted that “….Mars will be rising (that is close to the ascendant) at midnight Sydney time. The presence of the ruler of fireworks, accidents and other volatile activities, including anti- social behaviours, does add to the unpredictable energy, though hopefully he will be suitably refined and inhibited in the sign of Virgo?”

The Sydney fireworks went off without a hitch and news reports indicated that crowds were on the whole very well behaved. It appeared that Mars had indeed been well contained in his placement in Virgo and the Sydney fireworks themselves were executed with true Virgo precision.

Meanwhile in Melbourne at midnight something quite different unfolded. A major hitch with their fireworks display resulted in the spire of the iconic Melbourne Arts Centre catching fire, causing a large scale evacuation and the dispatch of 7 fire trucks. And amidst a string of accidents in the suburbs one man would subsequently die after a firework exploded in his face.

Interestingly, Melbourne is in the same time zone as Sydney. And excepting for very minor adjustments (for its more southern latitude) it demonstrates as essentially the same astrological chart as Sydney – with Mars rising (and lurking on the ascendant).

There is no suggestion that Mars ‘caused’ any fireworks accidents, or that the Uranus/Pluto and Sun/Moon alignments underpinned the unpredictability and volatility of such happenings, but it does remind us of the strange and synchronous workings of astrology.

The events in Melbourne reflected an almost perfect take, a mini prediction even, of the blog comments made based on the astrological pattern for midnight on New Year’s Eve. I’ll of course never know had I lived in Melbourne, rather than Sydney, or had some reason to cast my attention on Melbourne, whether I would have weighed in with the same comments? That’s synchronicity and part of what I and many, many others respond to about the workings of astrology.

And while the Sydney fireworks were flawless and without incident, reports from the city hospitals confirmed several days later that the emergency wards had their busiest New Year for many years.

..........Mars?

Here's the chart

Cheers

Bob

2 Comments

what's happening?......month of Aries

20/3/2012

2 Comments

Month of Aries 20 Mar - 19 Apr

The 20th of March marks the beginning of the astrological year, the time when the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its annual journey. The autumn equinox in the southern hemisphere and the spring equinox in the north, it is the Aries point (zero degrees Aries), the start of a new cycle and the sounding of a note whose vibration will resonate and unfold during the coming year.

Spring (in the northern hemisphere where astrology and much of our genetic/cultural heritage originates) has been celebrated since antiquity as a time of birth; a time when buds and first fruits appear and the natural world abounds with new life. The innocence and purity of the lamb, as a universal symbol of the possibility that this new life contains, is also intrinsically part of the symbolism of Aries, the sign of beginnings.

In a personal horoscope the Solar Return marks the moment when the Sun returns to its exact natal position. And a chart for this moment will indicate energies and themes for the coming year, as revealed by the planetary picture/aspect pattern, and especially by the house position of the Sun. On a much bigger scale the Sun’s entry into Aries each year suggests something of Planet Earth’s, and thus our collective, Solar Return.

So how does the year ahead look?

Aries Ingress
20 March 2012
4:33 pm
Sydney

March 20, 2012 sees the Sun join Mercury and Uranus at the beginning of Aries – a most potent placement. The Sun is of course exalted in Aries, reinforcing the significance of this annual placement. In esoteric astrology Mercury is referred to as the soul ruler of Aries, meaning that it acts as a conduit for the Aries ray, influencing the soul or finer nature (as distinct from the mundane, personality nature); via the mind (Mercury). Aries we know governs the head. Mercury in Aries in this context conveys mental clarity, perception and direction.

At a still higher level (higher than the individual Soul) Uranus is designated the hierarchical or spiritual rulership of Aries. This alludes to the higher, intuitional mind via which communication takes place directly with the realms of spirit - the akasha of the Sanskrit teachings. It is at this level that angelic guides are said to work and interact with our world, through the medium of the zodiacal rays.

In other branches of astrology Uranus is referred to as the higher octave of Mercury, reinforcing the notion of 2 levels of mind.

The Sun and Mercury joined to Uranus are thus linked to that planet’s square to Pluto (in Capricorn). I have covered this relationship in previous posts but it is worth reiterating that this is the major pattern of the period (and is especially ‘active’ till 2015). In the coming year mental (ideas) and communication themes will be fuelled by the intense, revolutionary and unpredictable qualities of Uranus/Pluto. The capacity for misunderstanding, disconnection, discovery and spiritual breakthrough will be equally poised; dependant on whether old attitudes, mob mentality or a more centred quality of consciousness prevails.

Pluto is in turn linked into the very positive and harmonious grand trine in Earth (Pluto in Capricorn, Venus and Jupiter in Taurus, Mars in Virgo). This planetary relationship shows Pluto functioning in 2 spheres and suggests something of a hiatus, or pause, in much of the volatility that has characterised the past year and more. This is a period of relative stability (Earth) before whatever other storms may lay ahead.

Mars (retrograde) in Virgo is in turn opposite the triple conjunction of Moon, Chiron and Neptune. These 3, as detailed in last month’s post, constitute a feminine, receptive and potentially transcendent energy, impacting the emotional, creative and astral dimensions of life.

Lastly Saturn, who is in a friendly trine to the Moon/Chiron/Neptune alignment, completes a picture in which all eleven members of the planetary family are ultimately connected. This perhaps says much about the potential for the coming year – the power of connection and what working together, making allowance for each other and aspiring toward clear goals can achieve. Potential is of course just that, embryonic possibility requiring activation through the agency of choice and free will - something humanity is still trying to get the hang of!

The attached chart for Sydney (and the eastern seaboard) sees the Sun in the 8th house. So an emphasis on transformation, secrets and the resources of others (income from the mining tax or the State Governments announcement today that it will seek to actively increase skilled migration to boost the local economy?) is suggested.

A good omen, perhaps, is Leo rising at the time the Sun crossed into Aries. The Sun rules Leo and is exalted in Aries, so purity of spirit and courage (and not solar flares) will hopefully define the coming year. And finally the New Moon in Aries on 22 March extends the sense and symbolism of beginnings.

Happy New Year!

Cheers

Bob

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Author

Bob Hunter
I have been studying, teaching and consulting on astrology and related subjects for 25 years. In that time I have never stopped being amazed at its multi levels and its capacity to 'inform'. From something as seemingly familiar as the Sun sign to the most oblique esoteric concept, it reveals, in the most surprising of ways, a little more of itself - often when you least expect it.
I look forward to you joining me as we journey 'across the universe'
- November 2011
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