Reality Revision In Alchemical Times

As the wheel turns towards solstice a time for reflection and regrouping comes to centre stage. This is a time for the mythical dimenions of personal space to be explored and shared, but, for us, regardless the story we are telling, in our times a  drama of heroic proportions is already unfolding in our midst.

It often appears a macabre theatre is playing out on planet Earth in which humanity is cast in the role of both protagonist and villain. For any of us to accept our own roles in this is a challenge, and, on the level of personal truth, calls upon us to engage with the drama through our own identity ~ if each of us were to closely examine the reality behind our everyday lives with unerring honesty it would not only reveal how inextricably caught up in this theatre each of us is and has been, contributing to its ongoing drama, but, it may also provide the personal incentive to transform our own lives in the face of such truths that would make the essential difference.

The 12th lunation of 2014 has brought the focus to Truth and we now enter the period before solstice, in the midst of the sixth Uranus Pluto square, with this as the central mandate. As the lunation winds down this is the time in which we can recapitulate on truths revealed and take up the outer planets mandate to either act upon what is being revealed to us, or to allow ourselves to continue to be acted upon ~ both Pluto and Uranus are intensifying how we experience the natural balance between the apparently opposing forces within this mandate in the theatre of the world.

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The sixth square between Pluto and Uranus, exact on December 15th, brings us to the penultimate period of pro-active reality revision that these two planets have been fueling over the last three years or so. Pluto is often likened to the Alchemist, a mysterious figure whose processes focus on purification and renewal, bringing transubstantiation of internal realities through the medium of intrinsic power. By contrast, Uranus is likened to the Awakener, the magician, Promethian wielder of divine fire, the otherworldly element which brings transformation through the extrinsic intervention of power unbounded by the physical ~ both radically change all that they touch. Together they reveal and activate principles at work in the world that are normally beyond the reach of human perception.

In the astrological lore Pluto is also associated with ‘control’ and Uranus with ‘freedom’, both being notions familiar to us in everyday terms, but, with these two planets their effect is archetypal, creating more field based dynamics. Pluto is process oriented, more prone to amplifying gravitational, magnetic and conditioning qualities with centripetal effect – we are pulled into the field of core issues, manifesting fundamental inherent qualities of power, conforming to the dictates of the time just as iron filings conform within a magnetic field. Uranus is by comparison interventionist, impulsive, exerting electric charge, both shocking, liberating and centrifugal – we are impulsed out of the norm by sudden realisation of alternatives, the shock of the new, the empowerment of invention. Such dynamics amplify human actions in which ‘control’ is applied and ‘freedom’ exercised, but, the square emphasises the differences between these two archetypes, their antagonistic qualities rather than their natural synthesis. Resolution is not the issue – the endgame is somewhere down the road, while we journey through the process itself, and this requires both strong sustained focus and the ability to adapt, to make sudden adjustments. The positive effect is release from restrictive patterning, the negative, intensification of polarised conditioning. We can clearly see both at work in the world.

Within such a vortex of change reality becomes alchemical by nature ~ we are caught within the alchemical vessel of our times. If the events of the last few years are a measure of which of these two outer planets has the dominant role it would be Pluto that appears to be in the driving seat – being in Capricorn in the tropical zodiac Pluto forces issues that will the process to be followed through to the end, deeply embedded within the world. Uranus interventionist influence is present, but, the collective embodiment of the ‘freedom’ principle is yet to prevail; we are still pitting the one against the other.

It is useful here to briefly consider world-changing influences that have arisen during previous times in which Pluto has transitted Capricorn. In the 16th century this transit saw the European invasion of the Americas, in the 18th century the rise of industrialisation, and, in our time, a post industrial dominance of nationalism and nationalist agendas. These are now exerted through increasing global corporatism, competative political dogma and wars. In a very real sense conflict manifests the dichotomy of competition and co-operation through the relationship between Nature and Power.

By the same token the interaction of Pluto and Uranus has proven a powerful catalyst ~ Uranian influence accompanying these historical times saw the expansive influence of the printing press, a 15th century invention born around the meeting of Pluto and Uranus, reflecting the Aquarian quality of connectivity through information sharing and technology. This expansion created one of the necessary conditions for the 16th century scientific revolution, exemplified in Copernicus’ ‘De Revolutionibus‘ of 1543, at a time when Uranus and Pluto were in opposition. The 18th century saw Independence in America, Revolution in France, again at Uranus Pluto opposition. Concurrent with this, in 1789 Antoine Lavoisier introduced the first periodic table, paving the way for the scientific revolution in chemistry and physics, and the birth of ‘evolution theory’, that arose at their conjunction in the mid 19th century.

We are witness to the unleashing of natural forces,  the consequence of scientific advances made at the time of the Pluto Uranus opposition at the beginning of the 20th century, and exemplified in the development of nuclear realities and quantum physics. Within the current era of Pluto in Capricorn the Uranian influence of connectivity through the technologies of cyberspace vies with the plutocratic imposition of controls on the freedom this has brought and we now share instant awareness of global interventions of technology based conflict and competition as its political and economic corollary.

It should be obvious that these are field influences, affecting not only the world view, but, the outlook for Life on planet Earth. Uranus and Pluto are pushing change through with both electrifying and magnetic affect. If we are caught within the alchemical cauldron of the times we are compelled to conform, collectively, to the archetypal nature of the  planetary influence. We are also fostering inventive originality, capturing the essential thrust of the times in opportunistic response in which collective empowerment embodies the vector of change. A simultaneous pulse of reductive and expansive energy creates the inner dynamics of that vector.

Like the alchemical process, each stage of reduction and expansion requires careful timing, control of the firing process and inner knowledge, both of its protocols and the elements involved. It is a highly developed skill, a high art. Where this knowledge is lacking Chaos rises, compounding its own inner tensions, both confounding and compounding the process ~ either way, a purification is at work, a seperation and clearing of pollutants from essential matter(s). Symbolically, we see this acted out everywhere, creating a kaleidoscopic patterning that clouds and reveals the world view by turns. The question is, what roles do each of us play, how do we each interpret our own part and can we navigate it with enough skill to successfully revise the reality we are acting out?

In the planetary matrix the sixth square is presaged and preceded by the full Moon on December 6th, in fact this entire lunation is highlighting how the process can be integrated at the human scale – it is no longer simply awareness in the search for truth that is called for, but, the cultivation of skillful use of knowledge gained through awareness. This is a fundamental aspect of healing which reveals an appropriate course of action, and the planetary matrix can aid us in this.

At the mid-point of 12th lunation the full Moon sees the Sun in Sagittarius and Moon in Gemini forming a T square with Chiron ~ while the Gemini Moon is full of knowing intelligence that experiences both sides of the ‘truthing’ process, Chiron asks for this awareness and experience to be acted on, with full understanding of and commitment necessary for a liberating outcome. We know what is at stake, as Chiron did in giving up his immortality to be free of pain, but, like the wise centaur, we might sense that it is our ‘sense of self’ itself that must change. There is a reality principle involved with Chiron as, in taking on a mortal frame, he allowed the physical nature of things to manifest the solution to his suffering. Some have interpreted this as an ultimate sacrifice, a view often overlaid with christ like comparisons. The indigenous view might say it is a natural consequence of initiation, of full entry into reality. Chiron is ever the shaman of the planetary matrix, transiting between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, the earthly and the divine realms.

However it is viewed, this is not a time for escapist strategies ~ We must come down to earth, and, if transcendence is sought it is realistic to follow the Chironic principle, remembering that the deeper our roots the higher our reach. Both transcendant and core truths also involve the stripping back of illusion.

Truthing is perhaps the watchword for the 12th lunation, but, what is truth here, in these circumstances? As an ideal ‘truth’ underpins much of the global stripping back process we are witness to, but, with Chiron involved it is the embodiment of our own personal truth that matters, as, without this there can be no global transformation. We could remember that we are born of far greater powers. How do we get to that, ground our true potential, when so much plutocratic pressure seeks to limit our personal freedoms. One answer is found in the chart for the Uranus Pluto square where we find Neptune in direct motion in Pisces sextiling Venus in Capricorn.

Neptunian ideals rest upon the qualities of empathy, freedom beyond boundaries and spiritual passion. Here, Compassion with a big C is the potential Neptunian gift and, in relation to the global challenge, symbolises the release from coercive illusions belonging to the plutocratic cover-up and programmes of suppression. When the illusion is seen through disillusion can be dissolved, and the true nature of the wound becomes apparent. Healing cannot take place without this awareness. By the same token, while healing may be an innate potential that we are challenged to cultivate and promote, compassion is a skill that is cultivated through both experience and holisitic appreciation of reality. We are getting the experience but can we hold the bigger picture in mind?

Chiron and Neptune in Pisces have been working together on this process within the planetary field alongside Uranus and Pluto all along. This underlying influence also brings the need to appreciate both sides or polarities of the dynamic we are involved in, awareness that both the left hand and the right hand are balanced at centre, in the heart. They encourage a willingness to come off the side lines and work with a compassion for humanity in the face of what we have woken up to! But, this too must be rooted in personal truth.

Minds that have been fogged with petty concerns and cultural indoctrination can find it hard to connect with the wisdom of the heart and this realisation is central to dissolving disillusion. Its positive effect encourages the re-kindling of one of the primary powers with which humans are so richly endowed ~ imagination, a Neptunian key-word. Here we are talking not just about personal abilities to concieve beyond the norm, but, about imagination that is integral to Life, that connects with the potential power of creative transformation within Nature.

The heart is a highly empowered organ, perhaps more so than the brain in energising our connection with Life, and the PTB know this. A human who has become numbed through shock in the face of the violence and fear mongering they mete out, whose feeling senses are diminished and emotional body challnged to remain connected, is much more easily controlled and made dependant, rather than independant. There arises from such control a collective amnesia about who we truly are at root and this has always been a game plan within the deadly games of plutocratic regimes down through the millenia. But, part and parcel of the ‘remembering’ is in re-centering in the heart. Venus and Neptune energise claiming back the imagination as a motivating force in re-balancing worldly with imaginative power in our reality revisioning. In their midst is Mars in Aquarius, and, being decile to Venus, highlights an immediate need to bring energy and courage into the heart of this reality revision. Being self determining and leading our selves brings the warrior spirit into our midst, an internal power which compassion tempers, collectivises and turns towards the aid of others.

Jupiter stations retrograde on December 9th and, with this following immediately on the full Moon, the tide begins to turn on how leadership is seen to be enacted in the world. Retrograde Jupiter in Leo empowers us to reflect upon the faults and failings of leaders in the light of our collective direction. We can consider our personal need for direction in the process and, being trine the Sun in Sagittarius in the chart for the U/P square, this makes ‘Truth’ the benchmark by which these faults and failings are perceived. We may indeed see more leaders in the global game found out, under pressure of collective awareness and energy, especially as Mercury also trines Jupiter in the chart.

Mercury is on the Galactic Centre, the well-spring of universal wisdom. This indicates how the energy of the lunation is following through and can become integrated; it is vital that we work with the psyche and intelligence of the cosmos in shaping our future. In keeping with these influences, if anything represents the foundation upon which humanity can build a viable future it is appreciation of the intelligent design at the heart of all that is. Is it too soon to begin building? The archetypal powers might perceive that we have already begun ~ the universe is watching, but, it is through our own eyes and actions that the truth of this will be witnessed.

When Saturn enters Sagittarius immediately after solstice we might well see this part of the process become activated and begin to witness the real crystalisation of those ideals we strive for. In the chart for the U/P square Saturn occupies the last degree of Scorpio, a place of determination to cross over, fully cogniscent in the knowledge of all that has become revealed, willing truth to become established as the central pillar around which our actions become manifest. The Moon sextiles Saturn here, from the first degree of Libra, and re-balancing of ‘all our relations’ will be very much on our minds as we head towards the December solstice. The last quarter of the 12th lunation comes to a close on December 21st/22nd and a series of lunations follow that open and close on the cusp of each of the last three signs of the zodiac. This augers a time of clearly defined action ahead of us. The stage is set – and, although we are in the midst of the drama, the 12th lunation presents the perfect opportunity to step into the wings, observe and gain perspective on how we arrived at this part of the drama. We might realise that the nature of theatre is both magical and skillful and remember that the roots of such magic are to be found in Nature itself.

In indigenous cosmologies Nature is often understood to be the realm of transformation, the root and source of magic, the powerhouse of change. Initiation into knowledge of this power brings the initiate into contact with forces unbounded by physical reality and such experience changes a human’s relationship with power and its uses, forever. If such a relationship is to remain healthy we are required to observe the protocols that allow natural balance to be maintained.

While indigenous cultures have millenia of experience informing the protocols that surround natural ‘power’ post industrial cultures tend to demonstrate a complete disregard for those same protocols. Power then becomes as much a pollutant as the effects arising from its disrespect. Not only does nature suffer imbalance and pollution, but, the human psyche is deeply affected and, in response, psychosis and illness develop. Nature seeks to maintain the wheel of law in this way. The role of medicine people and shamans is deeply rooted in working with Natural Law.

At an archetypal level this is the challenge, but, in human terms, it is also the signal, not only for allowing deeper personal changes to take place, as the preceding lunations have also highlighted, but, to now be open to integrating the Uranian creative impulse of the ‘higher’ mind and self in the name of ‘truth‘ and ‘necessity‘. The powerful global influence of Pluto and Uranus can be integrated through our own lives, but, the everyday mind won’t cut it unless it is embedded within and informed by this more evolved consciousness. Lets close here by considering an image, a symbol within which a sense of place and self can be recovered that will fuel our participation in this process of reality revision.

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Imagine a natural deep water aquifer emerging into a pool deep in the heart of nature. All is silent as the envigorating flowing power of the water has become suppressed and obscured, crusted over with a thick layer of detritus and oily scum. The birds, animals and beings of the wild are being driven away by the poisoning odours of the sterile scab. Imagine a hand, many hands, reaching down and sweeping aside the offending calc and pollution to reveal a momentary glimpse of what lies beneath. Illuminated in a sudden shaft of light, a glimmer of sunlight speckles the surface of the pool as a sudden breath of wind ruffles the water, just as more scum and debris rises to the surface. The hands sweep back this second layer and the water suddenly seems clearer and we can see even deeper. The air stirs again as older, deeper layers of polluting detritus rise to the top once more. The hands return and the clearing continues, repeating a third, fourth and fifth time. A truer clarity returns to the crystalline waters, remaining much longer, until more calc and silt, now from far beneath the surface, rises and muddies the waters again. We have come to the present time, are at the point of the sixth sweep of those hands, a turning point in the process of purification and revivification of the well-spring. The image remains, a reflection of the times surrounding the sixth Pluto Uranus square.

As we sweep back the detritus of an eventfull year and approach the coming zone of powerful lunations in the first quarter of 2015 change can take on a different face. Uranus stations direct at the solstice ~ there will be a rising strength at large amongst the peoples of planet Earth, fueled by a desire to clear the field for a deeper, more meaningful and inspired role in life. If there be a symbol to power us on perhaps it would be to go forward in full consciousness of re-visioning reality so that we may drink once more of the clear crystalline waters of Life.

Of Wild Fire, Ash And Oak

” We are, all of us, flying in the saddle
of a horse called Fast Home
towards the place we tore ourselves from,
to the place that is still open
and, still, there are clues
to our origins

as we live in the torso
we find the heart
and on the bottom of the foot
we find the answers written
by the miles we covered in the dark.”

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On the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius the new Moon brings the 12th lunation of 2014 alive and the journey begins anew. Here we can explore the Jupitarian imprint on the lunar cycle and follow the path of the Sun through the realms of the Archer.

The Archer’s realm is rich in possibilites, bringing the transformative power of mutable fire to light our path. The arrow of the Archer points back towards Scorpio reminding us of the journey that we have already undertaken ~ on our present journey it is an arrow named Truth, whose aim is to bring the hard won seeds of experience, the resiliant seeds of ancient knowing, out of the ashes of the Phoenix fire that burns in the last decan of Scorpio. These are the fire seeds that open when sown upon Sagittarius fields, becoming the potential growth that is embodied in the quest for knowledge.  Mutable fire is the fire that walks, that transforms all it touches, Wild Fire. Fire and spirit speak the same tongue in this place, both expressing their own essence, their truth, theirs is a language that speaks of the knowledge that lives within the world.

When Sun and Moon join on the cusp the qualities belonging to the signs either side of this threshold infuse the lunation, here bringing Scorpio’s resiliance and determination to the search for a greater understanding of Life. Sagittarian Sun, travelling the entire length of Sagittarius through this lunation, is bolstered through Scorpio’s qualities, making our drive for worldly experience and knowing that much more determined ~ however, the danger with all things Jupitarian is excess.

If allowed to go to excess the Scorpio Sagittarius mix can devolve into loud dogmatism and stubborn arrogance; these we must be on our guard for through this time. The sting in Scorpio’s tail can deliver this bombastic attitude with a poisonous and burning tongue. There are powerful survival instincts at the back of such demonstrative energy and, being sanguine by nature, Jupitarian healing must involve not only purification but relaxation and environments that support and encourage Jupiter’s gift, an expansive sense of well being. Within such surrounds instinct can be a more balanced guiding force.

Following an ancient principle in healing and, like many things in the natural world, where excessive or concentrated power is found at toxic levels the antidote is often found in the poison itself, and likewise, in accordance with this, virtually anything in excess can become toxic. Self awareness, as one of the goals available through Sagittarian exploration, is the balancing factor here. As we will see this will become particularly important in handling the energies of the full Moon in early December.

Interestingly, in medical astrology Jupiter is associated, amongst other things, with the liver and lungs – herbs that aid purification of the blood and the opening out respiration are highlighted in this and are also associated with Jupiter. Amongst these are Liverwort, Lungwort and Selfheal. The lore has it that Sagittarian links with higher knowledge connect through heart and mind and I have also come across a link between Jupiter and the endocrine glands in the brain ~ this suggests a focus for our personal medicine work. Wood Betony and Mugwort are Jupitarian herbs that can aid in decalcifying the pineal, allowing the light of the inner fire to illuminate the world. Through this the oracular wisdom innate within the human spirit begins to speak and shape the world. Betony also gives protection against malicious spirits!

Al Biruni, the medieval Islamic scholar, geomancer and astrologer who we met previously on the journey through the Via Combusta, tells us of Jupiter’s connection with sperm and bone marrow – in this, a metaphysical association with inheritance and fundamental vitality links with the soul and the forging of a soul path within the continuum of life.

We can explore our origins here, bringing all these elements together in personal work, medicine and healing. Getting to the heart of things, establishing truth, honouring the living flame of knowledge in spirit. Just as our ancestors did before us, we can undertake to understand more deeply our personal place within the wheel of life through this time. Ancestral healing and purification of the bloodlines allow the ancestors to accompany us with greater effect on this journey. The voices of the spirits can enlighten us of that which is yet unknown. Working with this lunation can give us the inspiration we most need, an informed power for change that animates the world. How this is affected through this Moon begins to take on more shape when we look further into to the lunation.

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Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, is square Jupiter as the lunation opens advising us to be mindfull of our mistakes, the ego trips that have been our stumbling blocks and the wrong turns we have taken on our journey in the past. But, by full Moon, Mercury conjuncts the Sun in mid Sagittarius and highlights the need to remain focused and not get carried away or distracted. Around mid-lunation may not be the best time to make decisions, the hightened energy of the full Moon might induce a mental overload, lunacy. True enough, this can be worked with as an ecstatic energy, but, we are also dealing with trickster energy here ~ be aware! Astrological lore tells us that Mercury is in detriment in Sagittarius indicating that we need to think before we speak, cleverness and over-confidence may backfire.

This is further emphasised as both Moon, Mercury and the Sun form a T square with Chiron on full Moon. Truth can be a powerful weapon, and, Chiron knows just how great the sacrifices can be that are made on its altar ~ pay heed to the wisdom of the centaur who taught, “decide no suit, until you have heard both sides speak”.

Chiron turns direct just after new Moon and, for a short while, leaves Uranus alone in retrograde motion within the cellestial matrix. Uranus too ties into the full Moon by sextile, trining the Sun and Mercury, but, it is at last quarter that we see the underlying influence of this lunation reach maximum intensity when the square between Pluto and Uranus becomes exact.

It will be worth our while to explore the hidden motivations at work behind uncovered truths, things we might otherwise have never have known, especially where others are trying to foist their own upon us, but, this will come out more in an upcoming reading of the sixth Ur/Plu square. Shortly before full Moon Mars enters Aquarius and, shortly after, Jupiter stations retrograde. We may well register these changes more on a global than a personal level so we will return to this in that reading as well.

The power of knowledge carries an onus to be aware of what can be spoken of and honour what must remain unspoken, and, if there is a theme underpinning this lunation, it is this. This is inherent within the responsibility of possessing power, especially when it has been or needs to remain hidden. Conversely, there is great potential for self empowerment present here. This is where elder wisdom becomes rooted in the community ~ nature can be our teacher in this and Jupiter’s trees, the Ash and the Oak can be called upon to bring our own personal power into balance and alignment, rooted within the natural world. These trees both court the lightning bolt and embody strength and resiliance, each in their own way. A strong heart and willingness to engage with all the worlds will serve our journey well. Both Ash and Oak are revered in bow-making, giving the arrow of truth a long reach.

It is in the ninth house and Sagittarian fields that we journey out in the world, and Venus travels before the Sun around the zodiac, leading by the heart. At new Moon Venus squares Neptune and approaches square with Chiron just after he has stationed direct. Perhaps, in the long run, we can make the fruit of greater knowledge a deeper sense of compassion in the world. The heart’s wise council may not be audible to those who lack compassion at the beginning of the journey, and, equally we could find ourselves hurting others if we apply too much tough love in setting off alone. Better to have company we are on the same journey with, and, sometimes it is better to wait, observe the signs and be awake to the right moment, or people. Venus too tells us here that it helps if we know how to keep our own council, but, the beneficial aspects of this lunation show that we can become wise in this ~ it is in understanding that Jupiter’s home sign illuminates our path.

For the night owl and lone traveller alike this is a time which favours research and deep thinking. It also favours creative expression as a means for transformation – get into your own stream of consciousness and allow its voice free rein. Use this time to explore, divine and seek the council of the spirits. Hold ceremony with sumptuous offerings to them. Their appreciation of the greater picture is an essential element in navigating the Sagittarian realms and we should reciprocate in kind. Make this a joyous time too, a time of good humour, as befits the joviality of Sagittarius and Jupiter. What better time for storytelling and acting up the part. Above all else be of good heart for this road leads to the cusp of the year and the return of the Sun. And, after all is said and done, we are all Earth’s children journeying towards greater wisdom……travel well!

“whenever you raise a child
leave the hairy roots on,
the dieing leaves under the new leaves
and the dirt clogs swaying behind,
so that they have something
to sashay with in life

something to show them,
remind them, that they are made
from dust of earth and dust of stars,
something to point them towards home”

The poems included here are fragments of ‘Whenever You Raise A Child’, from the ‘Theatre of the Imagination’ by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Tikkun Olam

There is a saying amongst the anti-fracking community that, when you are on the front-line, ‘if you see a job, its yours’. It’s a pro-active, pragmatic, hands-on attitude that emphasises the importance of simply paying attention to the immediate tasks in hand, not waiting for someone else to pick up the beat, and shows how mucking-in also serves the greater cause. As the 11th lunation draws to a close the focus shifts into this place and the planetary matrix suggests this is an attitude that will serve us all well now. This is a good time for knuckling down, getting stuck into ground work and for grounding activities in general. There is more power in this than may be obvious.

This is a reality mirrored straight back through Mars conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn over 10th through 13th November. On the face of it this looks like a scarey transit, but, as both planets are rulers of Scorpio it carries more of an intensifying global energy, fundamental and pragmatic, than a catalystic ‘eventful’ one. The energy at work behind this focus becomes deeper still as Venus conjuncts Saturn in late Scorpio on the 13/14th; here there are strong aspects at work and any work undertaken at this time can carry an expression of passionate, tangible commitment. It does not have to be a big deal, we are talking mundane world material here, but, talk alone won’t do it, as Moon squaring Mercury illustrates. Sun squaring Jupiter emphasises the need to stay focused on the tasks in hand and not to be dissuaded by the overwhelm of the bigger picture.

If we are carrying work forward from the full Moon and Samhain, focused on clarification, renewal and strengthening of otherworldly connections, this will serve to metabolise this work in everyday life, and will lay personal foundations of very real and much needed substance for our future actions. Still very much the business of ‘soul making’, it is here that the worlds now unite, become the Smithy of the Soul.

As Mars burns off the canker of Pluto’s deep drilling and turns up the heat on issues around ‘destructive use of power’ at large in the world it should be easier now to identify the global hot spots on which that action can be brought to bear as spiritual activists. This will not fade off either as Mars squares Uranus and then the Moon’s nodes as new Moon approaches. Expect big questions to be asked of us all, but, why wait for someone else to ask them, or find an answer. Feel the energy of your roots at work; listen for the voices of the ancestors at large in the world.

As last quarter winds down the planetary tide turns and Neptune opens outward stationing direct on the 16th. While this is a slow and subtle field effect it is the accompanying aspects that grab attention as, on this day, and, as if to emphasise the watershed nature of the moment, Venus enters Sagittarius and the Sun conjuncts Saturn. The combined movement sets the stage for what is going to be a very different lunation opening on the 22nd.

Every small thing is underpinned by the bigger picture now and contributes to it ~ we have passed the time where simply getting on with life is enough. A certain dedication is called for, and, whether or not it is acknowledged as such, it is all a part of healing the World Soul. Tikkun Olam. But, who can escape that reality now? The planetary matrix suggests, at bottom, no-one.

As we approach the 12th lunation focus and realism will be the watchwords. Both come from being able to work in the world with strong intuition and clear links to the powers that guide us from beyond the mundane sphere. This is the spiritual warrior’s prerogative. Keep your ears to the ground and hearts open ~ the Earth’s drum is still beating and the voices of the many can be heard resonating with its great spirit.

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Key Aspects

• 10-13/11 Mars conjunct Pluto, 11° Carpicorn
• 13/11 Venus conjunct Saturn, 25° Scorpio
  Moon square Mercury, 6° Scorpio
  Moon trine Uranus, quincunx Chiron and Mars (yod)
  Sun, 21° Scorpio square Jupiter, 21° Leo
• 14/11 Moon last quarter
  Moon conjunct Jupiter, square Sun
• 15/11 Moon square Venus
  Moon opposite Neptune, 4° Pisces
• 16/11 Moon opposite Chiron, 13° Pisces
  Mercury sextile Pluto
  Neptune stations direct
• 17/11 Venus enters Sagittarius
  Mercury, 13° Scorpio trine Chiron, quincunx Uranus
  Sun conjunct Saturn
• 18/11 Moon opposite Uranus, square Pluto
• 19/11 Moon conjunct North Node, 18° Libra
  Moon square Mars
• 20/11 Uranus square Pluto < 2°
• 21/11 Moon conjunct Mercury 19° Scorpio
• 22/11 New Moon 0° Sagittarius
  Mercury, 22° Scorpio square Jupiter

An Ecology of Power

It is no secret that the the world is governed by the interests of a very small minority, a priviliged few who we might call the ‘plutocracy’. The power base is at the top, so to speak, and maintains its position through imposing structure and limitation on the majority beneath. If you are not endowed with membership of this  exclusive ‘elite’ you are designated ‘canon fodder’, the ‘useless eaters’, pawns to the ‘master’s’ game. In astrological terms there are two planets that have become commonly associated with this particular manifestation of power, its deeply subversive controlling nature and top-down heirarchy of ‘authority’ – Pluto and Saturn.

Pluto in Capricorn is bringing the very nature of this monstrous misuse of power up from the depths in our times for all to see, but, Saturn…..well, Saturn has been playing the wily game of hide and seek in Scorpio, playing both sides off against each other, first through a prolonged and quite creative trine with Neptune, ‘enjoyed’ by both sides, then through a  quincunx with Uranus and simultaneous sextile with Pluto in which reflex reaction and counter-reaction of one side against the other pulled the authoritarian stand-off into brief if visceral view. Now we are about to catch a glimpse of the mysterious side of Saturn, his fundamental and challenging nature, and, that glimpse will arrive with Samhain.

Many astrologers appear to be playing up the Samhain chart, making it bouyant and optimistic, forward looking and energised above all else. The last two certainly apply, but, the bouyancy and optimism, while certainly present in the chart, are not going to arrive without first factoring in some hard truths and, if these are avoided the positive will loose its perspective and lasting meaning. In fact the dominant aspects in the chart for Samhain, cast for the world at zero hours UTC on November 1st, see the Moon opposing Jupiter from 20° tropical Aquarius and squaring Saturn at 23° of Scorpio. The Moon’s swift course through Aquarius will see the face-off with bombastic Jupiter give way to Saturns deep questioning.

By itself this T square carries the challenge, but, Mercury also feeds into the Moon and Jupiter by trine and sextile respectively, and this is where we can find reasons to be positive. It is also where our pro-active attention must be focused. Lets just start off here by saying that if you are planning to work with Samhain as a gateway, regardless your leanings in the interp, foresight and preparation will pay off bigtime ~ be mindful of what is motivating you.

Its not all bad in other areas of the zodiac either. With Mars and Neptune in sextile from Capricorn and Pisces respectively this is looking like a golden opportunity for spiritual activism to carry the full support of the ancestors and otherworlds and, through this, we’re looking to actualise really effective action in the world. Samhain is the opportunity to make ready for this pro-active and visionary fueled firing up, and, Mars meeting with Pluto over the 10th to 12th of November will be the optimum time for applying it. Fire, Air and Water are the elements highlighted in the T square, but, it is in cardinal Earth that we will be able to capitalise upon the empowering experience that can come with ‘the thinning of the veils’.

The heart of the matter is quietly brought home through Venus and the Sun, within two degrees of each other in Scorpio. Venus is emerging from behind the solar disc, is sextiling Pluto in Capricorn and is approaching quincunx with Uranus, now bringing the fruits of her own journey into the unseen to bear upon the bigger picture unfolding in these times. Venus is also coming into trine with Chiron, pointing out that the shaman’s path lends a particular  poigniancy to her qualities of courage and beauty. She tells us that these qualities are at the core of our healing work and asks us what we value most in our quest to find a new balance between established power and individual freedom. The ecology of power rests upon it……

If the People are represented by the Moon, from our earthly perspective we must also take the Moon’s position in the sky into account. At Samhain the Moon is aligned with the stars in the tail of the sea-goat, in the stellar constellation of Capricorn. Here the forces of nature are wound up in the potential energy of creative and motivating natural power. For sure, this is the power to go forward and to bring a beneficial outcome closer. The twist in the tail is that at Samhain the Moon’s degree is also occupied by the asteroid Damocles. The sword of Damocles reminds us that when our ambitions deliver us into a position of authority, we should be mindful of the unforeseen pitfalls and dangers that go with that station…..be careful to look ahead is the message! Our motivations are brought into question and we cannot afford to blindly surge forward on egotistical and reactive impulses or unconscious drives. And, at Samhain, the otherworlds will, no doubt, have much to say on this matter.

This is central to how ‘making our circle stronger’ will work in the world, not least of all because we are effectively moving deeper into the process of breaking down old circles of power that centre around individuals who rule through positions of authority and working towards a more organic power structure in which networks between individuals who are ‘in their power’  is the basis. This is an incredibly important distinction to make and being in a position to embody it is vital to our future. ‘Making your circle strong‘ serves the greater purpose. Here it is centred on investing personal power in an ecology based upon Aquarian and Libran qualities of mutual co-operation and connection, as well as mutual respect. The strength of the network is based not upon the individual alone, but, upon the power that flows through it. And, each individual contributes to that power.

This not to advocate a species of globalism or communist ideology, far from it, as the anarchic nature of the process will reveal.

Mercury is conjunct the Moon’s north node in the 20th degree of Libra throughout and, being in direct motion now, Mercury’s influence is about focusing attention on where we are all heading. The trine Mercury forms with the Moon here tells us that we should trust our intuition about how this focus applies to us personally, and, the sextile to Jupiter expands the scope of our communications and activites. Trust is clearly flagged up in relation to the messages received from the otherworlds. The spirits are here to guide us and the ancestors can help us see clearly, by example, how crucial it is to take the consequences of our own actions into account. This is not a time for agendas to be initiated that do not serve those who come after us ~ there is a far greater purpose at work.

Having said that, Mercury also brings our attention to a challenge that is very much a part of realising that purpose ~ not only is Mercury in strong aspect to the Moon, the North Node and Jupiter here, but, the ‘messenger between the worlds’ is precisely conjunct asteroid Typhon! There is no artifice in this on my part as, although the previous post, ‘The Samhain Stars‘, focused on the mythology surrounding Typhon and the birthing of Capricorn, I did not discover Mercury’s alignment with asteroid Typhon at Samhain until after that article had been published ~ it came as a real surprise, if not a strong confirmation. So, how does this affect things?

Typhon’s symbolism in the myths is heavily centred on the power of natural forces to challenge the status quo, the regime of order whose power base in the myth is present in the form of Zeus and the Olympian management team. Through Typhon the innate balance of things is disturbed, the apex of power falls to earth, and a restructuring of the relationship between the cosmological forces of Life and the human realm ensues. As an archetype Typhon brings chaotic effect and, in some measure, his is the anarchistic side of Nature.  The myth also clearly shows that Typhon’s effect is not an end in itself. It is anarchistic by nature alone. His power still manifests natural law, albeit in an unfettered and extreme state. Typhon is nature let loose.

The Moon’s opposition with Jupiter, doubling for Zeus in ostentatious Leo, speaks volumes here. The question is can We affect the outcome?! In our time it is the minority of humans in positions of authority, as well as our progenitors who have taken on the mantel of the gods and the danger is in assuming those in positions of power can continue asserting hubristic control over nature without suffering the consequences. Obviously this cannot continue. And while our ancestors will be very instructive in this, Typhon brings the truth of the matter home!

So, where does Saturn fit into all this, being square the Moon and Jupiter. Saturn’s square with Jupiter is waning, while the square with the Moon is waxing. There is a subtle shift in authority at work here but subtlety is further highlighted, enigmatically, in the asteroid named after the Sphinx. Saturn is in the scales belonging to the constellation of Libra, but is also conjunct this asteroid at Samhain and frames the Sphinx’s riddle in terms of authority, and mortality. This is the cutting edge of the moment, the balance in which the Moon Jupiter opposition is weighed. While Samhain is shrouded in mystery the bottom line of that mystery is very down to earth.

The myth associated with the Sphinx brings this out and sees Oedipus meeting with the daughter of Typhon, the Sphinx, through the agencies of fate. Oedipus, who was unaware of his true heritage, gave answer to the Sphinx to save his own life, but, this in itself was no less fateful. Although his own journey had been motivated in an attempt to avoid a fate foreseen through the Delphic Oracle, through it he had been brought to the feet of the Sphinx and the consequences invoked the very fate that he, like his true father before him, had sought to avoid.

The lesson of the Sphinx is that we cannot cheat fate, or the consequences of our own actions, even when our mortality is on the line. The Why of this story is crucial. Oedipus, while succeeding where all others had failed in answering the Sphinx, succumbed to fate through ignorance of his own origins. In following his own blind impulses he missed the opportunity to fulfill a greater destiny. He would have done well to ask again of the Delphic oracle, to seek guidance in how that destiny might be won, instead of assuming that his own choices would be sufficient.

Through being open to Mercury’s intervention, to guidance from the otherworlds centred on our own future, we might avoid suffering a similar fate and instead manifest a Capricornian restructuring of our relationship with earthly manifestations of power. If this appears over-dramatic one need only reflect upon the reality of human intervention within and disrespect for the laws of nature, as if we have the divine power to determine fate through our own choices. Through GMOs and transhumanism, weather modification and weaponisation, through continued destruction, exploitation and pollution of Nature we act out Oedipus story. As is implicit in the myth of Oedipus and the Sphinx riddle, remembering who we are and understanding why we came here is central to the question, but, we too would do well to ask for further guidance from the otherworlds before we answer. They may well help us remember what the ruling elite have tried to suppress over the millenia ~ we have been here six times before. Now is the time to put things to rights.

Samhain is a powerful time. It can serve us well to use it wisely. The augeries tell us this might mean more than we realise…….if we remain severed from our own roots, we will witness that it is humans acting as gods, catastrophically constellating hubris and reckless lack of responsibility, who have unleashed Typhon in the world. Only, here, the monster is not only manifest in the natural forces at work through nature, it is acted out through the ecology of power that has dominated the world over millenia. We can change this, but, not through our own means alone. Nature is our ally and, unlike Oedipus, for us, if we seek the further council of the otherworlds while embodying our own wiser selves, it may not be too late to change our fate and claim a greater destiny in realising a new ecology of power……in this, as has been said before, each one of us has a significant part to play.

The gateway opens offering us an opportunity to listen once more to the voices of the otherworlds ~ have fruitful journies and be strong in following their council. We’ll meet again on the other side……

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Main image : Sphinx ~ Owlmirror

Note : Typhon is designated a Trans Neptunian Object (TNO), having an orbit that reaches from just inside Uranus to well beyond Pluto, and while this gives greater depth to the astrological interp, linking this heavenly body with the far reaching, deeper archetypal and ‘trans-personal’ realms, in this article it remains within the overall emphasis of Typhon’s reach as a signifier affecting life on a ‘cosmological’ scale within the reading given.

The Samhain Stars ~ Castra, the Moon and the Origins of Capricorn

The turning of the Great Wheel through precession ushers in the new astrological ages and, with their advent, the stars show us how the change in human culture and experience also manifests a shift of focus. We are transiting now from the age of Pisces into the age of Aquarius.

As is so often the way of things with major transitions, and as the world around us shows clearly, ‘the light is darkest before the dawn’. But, the new is born from the husk of the old and, already present in our world, the seeds of the Aquarian age are being sown and have begun to germinate. In the first stages of growth there must be a breaching of old boundaries and, for the seed to grow, the husk must be broken open ~ here and in the following posts we’ll reflect on the stellar signs of how this process is now playing out. Through the positions of the planets and luminaries in the present, as reflected through the lens of Samhain 2014 and some of the myths that have come down to us which tell of Capricorn’s origins, we can see the macrocosm and microcosm working together.

Samhain sees the Sun align in the heavens with the constellation of Virgo, travelling from the legs and feet of the goddess towards meeting at full Moon with the fixed star Zuben Elgenubi, the ‘southern claw of the Scorpion’ in the constellation of Libra. In our times, this star has become integrated into the scales of ‘the balance’ now associated with the sign of Libra and Zuben Elgenubi indicates ‘the southern scale of the balance’.  The qualities brought  by the star remain unchanged – it is the socio-cultural setting that has changed and influenced how we interpret those qualities.

Within the ongoing process the Sun’s transition from the benevolent stars in the feet of the goddess to the claw of the Scorpion covers the time of the second quarter in the Moon’s 11th lunation 2014 and the full Moon gives a clear indication of the most developed nature of the change at work here. At the height of the lunation the Moon will oppose the Sun on the 6th November, in alignment with the star Menkar in the constellation Cetus, the whale or sea monster. However, the change in character of these celestial influences behind the Sun and Moon becomes clearer when we look to the stars involved with the Moon at Samhain. At zero hour of Samhain on November 1st the Moon is in the 21st degree of Aquarius in the tropical zodiac, aligned with the tail of the sea-goat in the constellation of Capricorn. The star associated with this degree is Castra. To get into the significance of Castra we need first to explore the origin myths surrounding Capricorn.

The birth of Capricorn

We can learn some interesting things about Capricorn, from both contemporary and ancient star lore, concerning how this celestial figure became established and what it signifies at this time. In our time, George Noonan tells us, “the constellation Capricorn has a great influence over human affairs portending major changes in such areas as climate and political customs. Along with the sign, the constellation is also noted as the “Mansion of Kings.” (1). The imperative need ‘for transformative action to become embodied’ is reflected by Robson’s reading of the myths when he states  that…..

…..”During their war with the giants, the Gods were driven into Egypt and pursued by Typhon. In order to escape, each was forced to change his shape, and Pan, leaping into the Nile, turned the upper part of his body into a goat and the lower part into a fish, a shape considered by Jupiter worthy of commemoration in the heavens.” (2)

Capricorn is here recognised through Jupiter’s mythical intervention.

Typhon is also associated with Set in Egypt, the nemesis of Osiris, and the shift from one age into another is very much a part of the egyptian story as well as the emergence of a new religious order, a shift of power base.

Their are many myths and stories from around the world that tell of these events, too many to recall in this article, however, I’m focusing on the greco-roman myths here as they so strongly underpin the psychological dynamics of the dominant culture in our times ~ this is where the destructive psychoses we now see playing out globaly have their root, and it is their shadow, hardened into the husk of the old world and all its attendant pitfalls, that we must break through if new growth is to flourish.

The intervention of Jupiter in giving Capricorn a home in the skies reveals how the politico-religious rewriting of the myths suited the dominant powers of the time. The gods are very much the instrument of change here, but, they are invariably given the spin that suits the victors…..Typhon warred with Zeus, and Zeus, after becoming re-instated, was superceded by Jupiter reflecting the insurgence of roman culture. Hermes helped restored Zeus to the heavens after Typhon had ripped out Zeus sinews and cast him into the earth during their battle. The figure of goat-Pan links with Dionysus and, through the assistance of Hermes/Mercury, the figure of Capricorn was born. We could get something here from remembering Ariadne’s story from the preceding post ~ after Theseus had successfully overcome the Minotaur and navigated the labyrinth with Ariadne’s help, the lovers eloped. The greek sources originally tell us that Theseus left Ariadne, having first sired a child in her. Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos, Dionysus sacred ground. In seeking to absolve the hero of such betrayal the later interpreters changed the story making Theseus the victim of a storm while at sea ~ we will soon see an echo of this in Capricorn’s story.

There are strong intimations in this drama of cosmological changes at work which radically affected the terrestrial plane, indications that powerful forces were wielded between celestial bodies and the earth which initated major shifts in both the environment and the collective of mind of the people. Hermes intervention tells us of a change of mentality, a new way of thinking and of an accompanying shift in relationship with the deities. When we look more closely into Typhon’s background the resonances become stronger.

Typhon was the most fearsome of monsters, associated, as his name suggests, with destruction and upheaval through powerful winds and a fire that flashed from his eyes – our word ‘typhoon’ may well have its origins in Typhon. His partner was the cthonic Echidna, the ‘mother of all monsters’ who had the body of a dragon and the torso and head of a woman. She was the daughter of Ceto, linking us with the constellation Cetus in our story. Their off-spring included the Sphinx, the Chimera, Cerberus and the Caucasian Eagle summoned by Zeus to daily eat the liver of Prometheus, who is commonly associate with Uranian powers. The birth of such a brood is indicative of archetypal changes within collective psyche, has an echo in it of suppression of innate psychic energies and earth energies, and, what seeded this is revealed through Typhon’s appearance.

Typhon’s lower half was also serpentine. His head was 100 serpents, his body being covered with wings, and red scales and spikes covered his back. He sounds very demonic, and the later projection of a ‘satanic’ shadow upon such a figure is clear. However, the underlying theme comes not only from how his powers were experienced, but, from how they were metabolised in the process. Typhon’s was a power of cosmological dimensions that affected earth through cthonic forces and my speculation is that we are seeing in the battle with Zeus/Jupiter an event involving telluric and electric forces which, in their earthly symbolism, the serpent represents.

The many headed serpent, amongst other similar symbols, can realistically indicate telluric pathways and electrical discharge between two charged celestial bodies….are we seeing a representation of a global catastrophe initiated in the heavens here, that affected the land and brought flooding and upheaval? Is Typhon representing the catastrophic nature of this upheaval as it was experienced? Typhon’s defeat saw him banished by Zeus to the volcanic regions and, while there is some correlation in this with Plutonic symbolism, the story makes sense when we consider what role such dramatic environmental change would have forced upon the people. The gods themselves were forced to change shape….

The aftermath of such terrestrial change would undoubtedly be profound and order would have been sought out of chaos. In the writings of Manilius, we find a description of what this may have installed in the wake of the shape shifting that brought Capricorn into existance.

“In her shrine Vesta tends your fires, Capricorn: and from her you derive your skills and callings. For whatever needs fire to function and demands a renewal of flame for its work must be counted as of your domain. To pry for hidden metals, to smelt out riches deposited in the veins of the earth, to fold sure-handed the malleable mass—these skills will come from you, as will aught which is fashioned of silver or gold. That hot furnaces melt iron and bronze, and ovens give to the wheat its final form, will come as gifts from you. You also give a fondness for clothes and wares which dispel the cold, since your lot falls for all time in winter’s season, wherein you shorten the nights you have brought to their greatest length and give birth to a new year by enlarging the daylight hours. Hence comes a restless quality in their lives and a mind which is often changed and floats this way and that; the first half of the sign is the slave of Venus, and that with guilt involved, but a more virtuous old age is promised by the conjoined fish below.” (3)

The “restless quality in their lives and a mind which is often changed” is especialy noteworthy and the strength of the leader would have been crucial. Vesta played a key role in the regulation of rulership, her priestesses, the Vestal Virgins, keeping the eternal flame alive within the holy of holies, and it was they that reminded the ruler of the sacred duty, afforded him by his position (and this is during the rise of the patriarchy), of serving the people. The political head was still religiously governed and this was a significant power afforded the Vestals, giving them a political as well as a sacred edge that could not be ignored. The Priestesses of Vesta had precidence in renewing the solar power of the ruler, and Capricorn is the cardinal cusp upon which the Sun, from whom the ruler assumed the divine power of his station, is reborn at solstice. In Manilius quote is a clear indication of Vesta’s importance on the mundane level as well, and, in it we find intimations of the advent of metalurgy as a sacred technology, as well as the relation to agrarian states that were born of climatic change. Behind all this is a carefully encoded allusion to a preceding global shift.

But, why would Venus enslave?! Venus too has been represented as a celestial body with fiery serpentine hair streaming from her head, the great comet that swept by earth in ancient times, bringing great change. The time we are looking to here is unclear in chronologically formatted western histories, but, Kronos establishment as Saturn who rules our mechanistic interpretation of time is also indicted here ~ Saturn, electric universe cosmology tells us, was transformed from a Brown Dwarf star to its present state through the intervention of a second Sun, our present one, and Venus advent came after the interaction, just as Aphrodite was born from the spume of Uranus who Saturn/Kronos castrated. Again, here is a shift from the era of the eternal presence of cyclical time, the ‘Golden Age’, to the linear chronological time with which Saturn is now associated. The planet Saturn’s present state, as represented in this cosmology of myth, is the outcome of immense upheaval  and comes at the tail end of the story that Capricorn unfolds.

The memories of that time were passed down to us in the myths and the stars can aid us in recalling them ~ and, at Samhain it is one star in particular that is highlighted by the Moon’s degree.

The stars in the tail of Capricorn have a much more benevolent nature than those in the head and belly, the lore tells us, and, as the connection is with the diluvian half of the sea-goat’s story the intimation is that it is here that we will find the Samhain Moon’s relevance to the present.

And so we come to Castra in the tail of the sea-goat.

Castra – 21 Aquarius

Robson tells us that Castra is “Of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter. It gives malevolence, destructiveness, an uncontrollable temper” (4), but, Noonan corrects this saying “the star Castra is of beneficial influence, although some modern astrologers such as Robson mistake this star as being in the belly (of the goat) and thereby gave it a malevolent nature [this star, epsilon, ε, is positioned in the fish-tail of the goat; Robson has incorrectly said it is on the belly]” (5).

The Moon’s alignment with Castra at the turning point of Samhain brings beneficial influences into play in connection with the origin myth of Capricorn. The forces that resulted in the change of the ages initiated a shape-shift that brought about a new way of living, relating to the celestial as well the cthonic powers as they were perceived. The age in question may well be connected with the sign of Cancer, ruled by the Moon, whose cusp marks the solstice opposite Capricorn. In my own journey I have heard the story relating to the advent of Venus from within the oral traditions passed down amongst indigenous mentors, the timeline they have related corresponding to the cusp of Cancer. But the present calls us to be mindful of the meaning over the timing and, being in the tail of the sea-goat, Castra brings the post-diluvial aftermath of these events to bear, a matter of no small import when we look to the changes now underway in our times.

When in tropical Aquarius the Moon brings the collective fields of communication and Uranian qualities of electric potential and invention together with the psycho-somatic sensitivites of the People. In the 21st degree of Aquarius these initiate the theme associated with third decan of Aquarius. While the lore behind the decans shows that the Moon rules the third decan of Aquarius, this decan carries the most revolutionary impulses of Aquarius, where science and transcendance meet, and the spiral in the tail of the sea-goat is the dynamic representation of the forces at work. Some have named this section of Aquarius the ‘Gateway of the Gods’, an epithet fitting to the mythical story-line given above. There are creative cosmological energies at work here, the spiral energies of creation that push the seed to germinate, and, if the transition into the Aquarian Age is mirrored in this it presages great advancements in how we relate to the use of technologies. We are looking to working in co-operation, as a people, with the innate powers of Nature, rather than exploiting them.

This ecological movement, as much spiritual as it is material, has to find expression that can both harmonise our ways of living with each other and with Nature, and expose the errors that have denied us this right. The imperative is to transcend from an age in which the misuse of power through force and technology has underpinned terrestrial life through their negative impact upon the environment, our freedoms and our health. The revolution envisioned is akin to a shape shift that addresses the networking and co-operative nature of Aquarius and, in the of growth of globalism, the corporate rulership of the body politic, as well as its accompanying  hegemony of suppression, we find the nemesis of Aquarian individualism and the freedom to initiate change. Make no mistake, this is a call to actualise a shift in consciousness, an embodied awareness, as the continued blinkering of this awareness will bring out the Aquarian shadow. That way lies a monocultural globalism, a form of collectivism that is ruled over more in the name of Leonine forms of rulership, into which the power of the shadow is projected, than owned, shared and recognised in empowered individuals. And, we should not forget that while Uranus is the modern ruler of Aquarius, Saturn was the tradtional ruler of both Aquarius and Capricorn.

While Samhain 2014 is but an eyeblink in the change of ages, there is in this immediate time an urgency about actualising the initiation of a collective change that will see the transformations necessary to the revolution realised. If this requires movement en-masse it also requires that this be realised through individuality, the right to be ones-self. The Moon, the signs and the stars highlight this interweaving. From the individual’s perspective the scale of this task is immense, a fact reflected back  to us by the fact that on the precise entry point of Samhain the Moon will exactly oppose Jupiter in tropical Leo, and both will form a T square with Saturn in late Scorpio, all within the last decans of the respective signs.

The tensions being played out here are infused within the global dramas of this time and take on monumental proportions. However, it is through the individual, you and I, that the change will come and the future will be seeded with Aquarian potential. In this, the Samhain alignments become sign-posts, encouraging us to be open to the messages left by our ancestors. Through the myths being activated in our psycho-somatic nature we are called to shape-shift spiritually as well as materially, to take advantage of the qualities of the moment at the thinning of the veils. This means bringing a closer level of co-operation into our relationships with the otherworlds. The thinning of the veils and the ‘gateway of the gods’ coincide ~ for the spiritual activist this is the prime opportunity to activate the gateway with powerful intent and seek assistance from the ancestral and divine powers, the spirits. They will not fail us, but, we must each play our part.

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In the next post we will look at how the T square between the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn further illuminates our course of action.

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(1)(5) Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990

(2)(4) The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Robson 1923

(3) Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD

Images

Shaman : Susan Seddon Boulet

Typhoon Uriga

Under the Moontree

Fourth Quarter 2014 ~ Making Big Medicine

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” Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the Wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win. ”

 — The art of War
孫子 –Sun Tzu

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The fourth quarter of 2014 is a time in which the balance between enabling power-to and controlling ‘power-over’ undergoes significant change. As a sustained period it shows strong potential for ‘big medicine’ to come into play on our planet. If the preceding months have facilitated building and gathering our own medicines and taking a deeper look into what is really motivating us, now we are entering more deeply into the time for strengthening our connections, getting organised and, drawing on all resources, to ‘knuckle down’ to the work that really matters. In this extended post we’ll look into the key themes at work through this quarter.

The celestial auguries speak of a ‘surging’ quality to the times, an influence that will serve all forms of activism and corrective action that is focused upon and supports the emergence of a new paradigm from the ashes of the old.

Our actions will be supported by the planetary matrix and the shift in energy, both emotional and psychological, will become increasingly tangible. Events will manifest opportunities for this shift to emerge. Opportunities taken will feed back into the loop to produce a kaleidoscopic cascade of Change. As the saying has it, ‘to get energy you must use energy’ – being pro-active is absolutely key.

Mars entry into Sagittarius has stimulated a wave of pro-active energy within the matrix. Emerging from the in-volving and seriously deep waters of Scorpio the tropical Sagittarian field allows the intrinsic fiery nature of the motivating planet a freer outward range. In fact, the current fire sign trine between Jupiter and Uranus, which will be in effect over much of the coming year, will be transformed into a grand Fire trine by Mars and bring the mid point of the first lunation to a shimmering climax. As this will frame a lunar eclipse of some importance, mark October 8th in particular as a day for making big medicine – it is the first of several within this quarter.

With the first lunation of this quarter opening in Libra and the full Moon being eclipsed in Aries, the importance of this axis for the coming months is emphasised. It tells us that it is now all about standing shoulder to shoulder and opening ourselves to our individual magic, ‘power-to‘, in service of the whole. This is where the strong ties and passion of the previous lunation find their purpose, and, they will be tested as this is not some fanciful Jovian projection of idealogy. Mars is on his way to join Pluto in down to earth Capricorn and, after the gateway of Samhain has opened, together they will undoubtedly shake the roots of the Status Quo.

A Mercury retrograde is embedded in the midst of this quarter and we can expect magically creative disruption to feed into the Mars effect. Couple this with the Moon’s nodes transiting the middle decan of Aries and Libra and the significance of interventions sourced beyond the physical plane, at a soul level, will be ramped up. Mercury crosses over the north node in Libra before and after stationing mid-retrograde….and, Uranus, itself retrograde, is already within 5 degrees of the south node in Aries. The eclipse on October 8th conjuncts Uranus. The transits of this time can be utilised to high effect to manifest the creative potential inherent within disruption ~ the means to do so are decidedly otherworldly.

Not only does the timing of Mars and Pluto’s meeting say there is much support from the ancestors behind this creative disruption, but, it takes place within the second lunation of this quarter, which itself opens with a partial solar eclipse! The opportunity to reset on the physical/emotional level at the first lunar eclipse finds complimentarity in mental and spiritual renewal at the second solar ~ October 23rd/24th marks the second gateway. Working with these eclipses is very tangibly about transforming Fate into Destiny! However, before looking where this is leading, beyond these watersheds, lets explore the underlying opening qualities of this quarter a little further.

With the Sun entering Libra at September equinox the context is corroboree, co-operation and relating. The quarter also opens with Pluto going direct, coincident with the new Moon one day after equinox, and soon develops momentum through that grand Fire trine between Mars, Jupiter and Uranus. There really is big transformative energy for change afoot and it is coming through our shared trajectory. Feel it in the roots of the world and invoke it. Be bold in its use, be daring in the purpose you bring to it and, acting locally, imagine globally. The matrix will support you in this, but, remember, in this context the trick to dealing with ‘big issues’ that might otherwise seem overwhelming is to simply work with what touches your circle.

Libra connects in balance, in awareness and through recognition of others, the conscious nature of complimentarity. This is the medicine of relationship, and seasonally its own energetic trajectory is shifting from the horizontal plane of spirit made manifest in nature and evolving through the quarter towards movement along the vertical axis of the spirit worlds as they intersect the physical. But, there is also within this medicine of evolving relationship the mirroring through which the microcosm reflects the macrocosm. We are in a prime time for divination, especially with the eclipses preceding Samhain in this quarter, building opening upon opening and allowing a much deeper interaction between the worlds once Samhain arrives.

That depth is essential……we need to re-connect with our Mythos. This too is supported by Mars charge through Sagittarius. Being ‘the change you want to see in the world’ is writ large on his banner. Be aware, such will not go unchallenged, especially through the second half of the quarter following that Mars Pluto conjunction, but, this is where the opportunities offered by the eclipses before hand take on a more radical significance. It is worth briefly summarising these.

The full Moon/total lunar eclipse on October 8th, conjunct Uranus, is close on the Moon’s south node. This occurs just as the Sun transits the Super-galactic Center! So, this presents the ideal time to divine into and meditate with the global Mythos. Make the big underlying picture your focus and keep an ear open to the otherworlds over the 7th, 8th, and 9th October ~ ask for a vision and share it; this presents an opportunity to remember our origins and place in the Dreamtime.

The auguries of the solar eclipse in late October in the first degree of Scorpio, framed by a Mercury retrograde, just as Mars crosses the Galactic Centre and approaches Pluto, sets the tone for the second half of the quarter.  We will really need to wise up, be alert and accept the fact that our mettle will be tested, but, the warrior heart is dedicated to protecting the Elder wisdom of the Creatrix. Holding strong the Circle is key after Samhain. All through this time the square between Pluto and Uranus has been closing, and big questions will be asked of us all to do just that. So,  the 23rd, 24th and 25th of October is a good time to connect with guides and make offerings in preparation.

An accompanying characteristic of this time is an increasingly collective realisation that we have been in this situation before. We hold those ancestral memories within the marrow of our bones. On the cusp of global meltdown recovering the memories of previous times of cataclysm is inherent to the natural survival instinct, but, the orthodoxy will do everything it can to prevent you from retrieving these realisations.

In the wake of the Mars Pluto conjunction and following the opening of the third lunation a series of squares from Venus, the Sun and Mercury to Neptune will trigger both obscurantism, deceptions and their exposure. The ruling powers of this world know the game is up and will resort to every means of distraction, false-flags and violent suppression to keep the People from the truth. Realising human culpability within these events, retrieving the memories from the deepest layers of the human story and acknowledging the inherited effect they have had upon us over the millenia is vital.

The tactics and strategies of the powers-that-be manifest the shadow inherent in the suppression of our true past, but, such ploys become ineffective once we have recovered the ancestral connection. We need to enter the otherworlds and bring back the soul and spirit attached to those memories. There is great healing and empowerment in this, for us all.

But, the People are remembering – we are constantly reminded by the effects of that shadow, the natural disasters and global destruction at hand, that what we set in motion through this time will echo down through the generations.

It is in remembering who we are, where we came from and why we are here that we will transform our human relations with the rest of nature and with our home planet. Venus entering Sagittarius on November 16th will help us feel more optimistic in the face of hard realities and connect from our heart with this, our human purpose.

We will need the stamina that a strong and shared vision brings, and, this quarter is not only a good time for creating that deeper communion, it is the temporal cauldron in which the mythos and its meaning will become concentrated, distilled and more potent, more latent within our consciousness and actions.

As Saturn approaches the last degrees of Scorpio towards the end of this quarter we should expect a backlash. A more ascerbic demonstration of power and control brought to bear where orthodoxy and entrenched authority is challenged by serious levels of change. This could be very close to home.

By the same token, the planetary matrix is clear ~ the mass of people, the critical mass in these circumstances, can be the source of that degree and quality of change if the latent power enshrined within the People is invoked and made manifest. Orthodoxy seeks to maintain the status quo by limiting that latent power, and that includes not only inculcating conformity, but, suppressing change through excercising ‘power-over’, using force and violence, and through legislation and the legal binding of freedoms and natural rights. Mars meeting Pluto brings these issues to a head, Saturn in the last degrees of Scorpio enforces them, revealing their life and death nature. If that sounds threatening, we have choices yet…..

Nature and our relationship with the natural world is the source of our greatest hope and provides us with the direct route to our origins, our ‘dreaming’. Symbolically and literally Nature manifests the dynamic of change and the origins of that dynamic, sourced through nature, are super-natural. Those origins and that connection are the birth right of every living human. Our choice is between allowing the collective severance of our connections with that power to continue, which means certain annhilitation, and fully restoring this sacred relationship within the circle of Life, which means demonstrating our ability to handle power wisely and honour its source.

The Earth will continue, but, the tree will die if the sap does not rise, if its roots are not fed and it is kept in darkness……

A highly spiritual water trine between Neptune, the Moon and Mercury develops soon after Samhain prolonging favourable conditions to sustain the dreaming, keeping the doors to the otherworlds open. Make this a time of abundant and nourishing offerings to the original beings upon whose shoulders we stand.

Shortly after Mars conjuncts Pluto, Neptune ends a long retrograde period and Mars squares the Moon’s nodes. We could come face to face with a crisis of faith, and this signals another big test of our ability to keep an ethical core at the heart of our actions. Equally, we could remind ourselves that ‘it is not good, it is not bad ~ we never know the whole story’, but, as Sun Tzu says ‘the Wise win before they fight, and the ignorant fight to win’. It is better to choose the path of the Wise, the path of peace.

Third lunation of the quarter opens in the first degree of Sagittarius on November 22nd. We can join in telling the stories at the heart of our reality through this lunation, feed our roots through our creativity, but, the stories we are living must also be realistic and uncensored if their roots are to be fed ~ Chiron, reflecting this back to us, is also ending a long retrograde period two days after new Moon.

Then, on December 9th Jupiter enters a four month retrograde period from late Leo. Use the remainder of the quarter as a time to embolden and embody the inspiring qualities encountered on the path that is emerging. Jupiters role through this time and well into the coming year will  be to amplify the creative energies we work with, to help our connections with the bigger picture become stronger, and, through the trine with Uranus, to encourage innovation and initiate more meaningful transformations within the world.

Courage in all things is Jupiter’s prerogative in Leo and is in essence at the heart of this quarter. After solstice Jupiter is the handle on a ‘bucket’ configuration formed with all the other planets on the opposing half of the zodiac. Perhaps not surprisingly, the courage needed for getting a handle on our future will be very much in evidence when Saturn changes signs, entering Sagittarius on December 23rd. If it has not already become evident, Saturn will remind us that the future and that of our descendants is our personal responsibility, expressed collectively.

As the year turns Mars comes to oppose Jupiter on the Aquarius Leo axis and Uranus will become the last planet to leave its retrograde motion…..and through all this time the Uranus Pluto square is pushing from beneath and behind, injecting the field with potential for increasingly radical change. The square becomes exact on December 14th, and stays within a degree of orb right through until the beginning of April.

As the year turns we find all the planets in direct motion, something that has not happened since January 2013, and we will want to feel that all the effort we have put in has been worth it, that the cosmos is supporting us through a great shift. Our challenge will be not so much to design or engineer that shift, but, rather to put a strong focus on creating and maintaining the conditions necessary for its manifestation. Keeping strong the circle and feeding the roots of the world tree are our human responsibility. The eclipses and Samhain are key in this. But, the last quarter of 2014 is itself a microcosm of the larger process at work, and, if we fulfill those sacred tasks, we can take from this time an intriguing clue about whats coming. The signs are that, should we make the right moves now, our future will flourish as we embrace the magical realities and deeper communion with Nature, beyond the material, that are our birthrights and living ancestral memory of who we are.

When solstice arrives the 4th quarter will close and a new one open with a new Moon, exactly on the Solstice point…….Its been that kind of year…….we are right on the cusp………

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Key Dates :

September 23rd, Equinox ~ Pluto direct at 11 Capricorn
September 24th, New Moon in 1 Libra
October 5th, Mercury retrograde at 2 Scorpio
October 8th, Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in 15 Aries
October 23/24th New Moon/Solar Eclipse in 0 Scorpio
October 26th, Mercury direct at 16 Libra ~ Mars enters Capricorn
31st October/1st November, Samhain
November 6th, Full Moon in 14 Taurus
November 10th, Mars conjunct Pluto in 11 Capricorn ~ Mercury out of retrograde zone
November 16th, Neptune direct at 4 Pisces
November 19th, Mars square Moon’s nodes at 18 Capricorn
November 22nd, New Moon in 0 Sagittarius
November 24th, Chiron direct at 13 Pisces
December 6th Full Moon in 14 Gemini
December 9th, Jupiter retrograde at 22 Leo
December 14th, Uranus square Pluto exact
December 21st/22nd, Solstice – New Moon in 0 Capricorn
December 22nd, Uranus direct at 12 Aries
December 23rd, Saturn enters Sagittarius

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A much shorter version of this post can be found in edition 85 of Sacred Hoop.

Passion and Allegiance

The ninth lunation of 2014 opens on August 25th with a multiplicity of aspects patterning the matrix. The moment, marked by the Sun and Moon conjunct in the third degree of tropical Virgo, is as ripe as the proverbial swollen fruit. It is ripe with ‘juice’, both the kind that you will find at the heart of tragedy, and the juice that is also the source of healing, which grief expresses and which delivers reparation as an inherent potential of truth. In fact, they are one and the same, and who can deny ‘we’ are in the midst of tragedy and the need for healing, globally. Yet, the moment is also ripe with potential energy and the power for seeding life with, if not the major change of context, then with a completely revolutionary wave of insight and revelation that will increase the inevitability of such Change.

And, as is the way with Nature, since there must be balance in all things, for the potential to be released, the fruit must also fall and undergo consumation.

If the intonation of the moment is writ large  and italicised it is because its theme is similarly engraved upon our times….while the dominant aspect at the opening of this Moon cycle is Mars conjunct Saturn, it is the ongoing series of seven squares between Pluto and Uranus that define the bigger picture. The tension created within that greater aspect will find two more release points before their cycle closes, but, the moot point is ‘how engaged are we with that release of potential energy?’ What are you doing in the world right now…….

In the mundane sphere, much of that collective tension has been visibly expressed through public protests, the predominant focus being exposure of violence, where ‘political lies favour political agendas’, and the allegiences that seek to sustain those lies clearly do not have the will of the people as their prerogative and prima causa…..and so, we come to Mars conjunct Saturn.

This is the defining aspect of the current lunation as it opens, the crucible out of which the events of the last four weeks have found their form and out of which the coming five months will manifest their purpose. The trick, for us now, is to participate, ‘to do’ rather than ‘be done unto’…..sound familiar?

Mars and Saturn conjunct in tropical Scorpio ask us to examine very deeply what this means to us personally, where our most meaningful motivations are rooted. ‘Be seriously pro-active with shaping the impetus of your life’, they say, but, their message is equally ‘there is, in reality, no time like the present’…..and, with more finality, forget notions of transcendance, of ascendance and the courting of immortality, and wake up to the fact that ‘you almost certainly have less time than you think, much less’! Following through on the trajectory of the previous lunation, this is where the energy we have built up over the last month can now be used to that very purpose. Pull focus, hard, and hit the ground running!

The Sun and Moon’s conjunction at the beginning of Virgo is very close to the fixed star Regulus as the lunation opens, emphasising the role of leader, and healer. Regulus is one of the four stellar guardians of the cardinal directions in the heavens. Resonating with this Mars says be prepared to ‘fight your quarter for what is right’, but, the martial code is called to ground, its competitive edge also tempered into service to the greater, more noble cause in conjunction with Saturn. It says ‘find the discipline required to lead yourself, but, not for self gain alone, only, out of devotion’. Its proviso is ‘take full responsibility, as of one committed’. Coming even more down to earth, as they say in the fracking frontlines ‘if you see a job, its yours’. And, if you cannot find the leader within, the worthy cause or personal focus, look out for one who/that rings true……wait until you hear their calling. This is not about being a soldier…..its about being a protector.

That calling might well come most strongly from the otherworlds, in unusual ways. Mercury in Virgo sextile Saturn+Mars, tantilising the current of divine inspiration to reveal itself through Uranus and seed the moment with its undeniable spark, says ‘petition the gods, the spirits, the higher self, that which commands your respect’…….and Mercury too reminds us that, in alignment with its original meaning, to be ‘in competition’ actually means to ‘co-petition the deities’. This the true nature of our endeavour.

In partnership with Mercury in Virgo, Mars and Saturn quincunx Uranus from tropical Scorpio make of Uranus a release point within the chart. Together they form a yod, the combined energies of Saturn, Mars and Mercury looking for expression through the Uranian field around 14-17 degrees of tropical Aries. Look to your own charts to see how this sensitive point and what is feeding it sits. The Sabian symbols for the degrees involved at the blunt end of the yod also point towards petitioning the otherworlds for guidance in resolving and healing the most deeply seated wounds, habits and shadows of our past…..Nature, the Uranian degree tells us, will show us her signs in response, and on this point alone we need to consider the state of Nature herself. Those signs too may be most unusual, out of kilter….think Fukushima for a start. How many die offs and mutations must we see and suffer before we manage to tip the scales of human intervention in Nature’s favour? That question is the most pertinent of fulcrums taking the weight of the human question right now. Within a Virgoan context this Moon may need to examine the causes behind that question much more closely, but, with deeper realism and commitment to healing, rather than unfeeling analysis and subversion.

There are more subtle yods seeding the field with sensitive points at the opening of this lunation, Jupiter being at the head of one that will become stronger throughout this lunation, receiving the wide sextile of Pluto and Chiron. They too bring a ‘down to the bone’ revisioning of what our purpose is and what the role of our spirit is in achieving it. Jupiter has the creative juice needed to manifest the answer. This is highlighted at the end of this lunation when Mars squares Neptune from Jupiters home sign, Sagittarius, and forces an answer. However, at the beginning of this Moon cycle Mercury opposes Chiron, so, Now is the time to get creative with the ‘Big Crayons’ ~ the fact is, it is no longer possible to simply follow one’s own calling and act solely upon that without taking in the bigger picture and recognising our own individual place within it. The kick-back is increasing and, anyway, to do so is to miss the boat……and, if you have not yet surmised from the above, the Boat is about to leave harbour!

Collectively, we are entering the final stages of the current five year wave of Change that has been so strongly figured through the series of squares between Pluto and Uranus. What we undertake over the coming lunar month, as future seeds cast in the rich earth of ‘the present’, will itself reach its own critical moment of purpose and meaning five months from now, when Uranus conjuncts the Moon’s south Node in the midst of the sixth square between Uranus and Pluto. This will coincide with the First new Moon of 2015 at 0° Aquarius. The Great Mother is awakening our awareness strongly now through the rhythm of Her lunar drum……

……and then there is Venus. She is square Saturn+Mars as this lunation opens, equally balanced either side of the equinox point of 0° Libra. That square may be shortlived but, as a part of this lunation’s template, it is absolutely key. Through it She exposes the vilification of the Feminine, the rape of Her daughters and lands by men and the masculine principle, the suppression of her/Her creative energies and the aggressive patriarchal oppression of Her-story ~ ignore her message at your peril as the fiery haired one quincunxes Chiron and firmly presses her cause into Mercury’s bargain. As the lunation opens Venus also completes a yod with the Pluto Chiron sextile ~ is that the sound of distant thunder, or did the Earth just move under our feet……..

All these factors infuse this lunation with a sense that this is our time. An even deeper sense that this is Our time presses urgently from within it. While the outer planets are out of phase with the inner, and the inner encourage us to stake our passions behind our allegiances……by the time Uranus and the Moons nodes square off with Pluto in January 2015, the moment of truth will be upon us. Will we be ready…….will you have made the difference……!?

A Lunar Healing

Over the three days of the full Moon in Aquarius a square between the Sun and Saturn is brought to a head and, with the exact mid point of this lunation, brings a dynamic balance and opportunity for release of the tension within that square.

The release of this energy is best served through vocalising and giving sonic form to its potential. It is a time for putting our words into action, for walking our talk. The ideal is to find the rhythm of the moment and let it take you where it will ~ let the power flow through you, but, be careful to keep a clear head! Here the hoof beats of this lunation’s wild horse energy find a balanced rhythm and the instinctive animal powers come into alignment with the human need for structure. For healers working with the drum this is a golden opportunity for making big medicine. The Aquarian Moon pulls on our collective connectivity.

The world view now sees a wider perspective unfolding more visibly. Now that the inflationary square between Mars and Jupiter has subsided we will notice the background emotional signature of the times more clearly and, within this, a sense of primary trends and ongoing changes within the collective will be more easily discernable. If you are of a mind to use that rhythmic power for global healing this is a good opportunity, but, again, following the call and paying attention to what pulls most deeply on your concerns in the world has precedent. Key amongst the reasons for this is the ongoing trine between Chiron and Saturn ~ this aspect has held good through much of this year and is keeping a spiritual focus for the application and pragmatic use of our deeper healing energies as an underlying presence at work in the background. Every major event in the world, as well as in our own lives, is an opportunity to make use of this energetic presence and now is a prime time to do so.

Uranus is also in a long held quincunx with Saturn, an aspect that asks us to work at reconciling the Uranian impulse for innovation and breaking from the past with the deep need for practical solutions and security that the problems of the present manifest in our lives. Many of those problems are themselves the result of the unresolved issues we have inherited from previous times, just as they also stem from persistant application of outmoded elements in traditions. The cognitive dissonance that arises from too rigid adherence to tradition is in the spotlight with this Sun Saturn square and this Moon in particular brings this into focus as a part of its underlying tension. It is a collective focus, being in Aquarius, one we are all a part of, which we can all feel to some degree. But, Saturn also indicates a stronger meaning at work as the ringed planet is now exactly opposite its August 1999 position when we saw a full solar eclipse in Leo. Saturn was also opposite Mars at that time and square to the Moons nodes – remember that last detail.

Saturn is a strong defender of tradition, of the cultural memory that lives on within us through its morphic resonance, but, all traditions must evolve, must embrace the change that is the essential dynamic of Nature and an intrinsic need of human cultural innovation, and, if we look back 15 years we find some revealing examples of the morphic resonance of the time.

This full Moon sees the Sun return to the same degree of the August 1999 full solar eclipse, an eclipse that was experienced by many millions and which preceded a pivotal moment in our current era.  It is essential we now bring light to the persistent shadow of that time. Take time to review what was transpiring in your life at that time.

Eclipses halmark the six month period following with their influences. Within that period, in the run up to YK2, for example, the world saw growing concern over the potential crash of the global computer network on the eve of the millenium. This stands as a good example of how our collective media driven emotional energies can be misdirected and manipulated, and, of course, nothing happened. It could, in fact, be justifiably labelled as a global false flag…..and, false flags are rife in our world right now, a favourite political strategy of the key players.

If the Scorpionic power of discernment and penetrating intensity, its ability to bestow stoic determination, is now being brought into concentrated Saturnian focus, this is one area of our collective lives where we can turn our healing attention at this full Moon. Clarity of perception, pattern recognition and fierce discernment can disarm, expose and defuse false flags, and, in the coming months this is going to be essential knowledge and skill, for us all. Petitioning the greater powers for help in developing these skills is in keeping with Uranus’ part of the bargain here as well, but, as a harbinger of higher awareness, the price for not paying attention will be high if we don’t!

Vladimir Putin replaced Boris Yeltsin during that six month eclipse shadow of 1999. Putin is very much a key player on the political stage right now, and his natal MC in Leo, closely conjunct natal Pluto, is being activated by this full Moon. He is also a Scorpio rising and his first house Venus is being given a warriors boost by transiting Mars, while Saturn is coming into exact opposition with his natal 7th house Jupiter. The wider embracing idealogy of his foreign policies is being challenged by both the broader and border issues of Ukraine, and the intrinsic role of the US within the Ukrainian government, while the media prefers to play blind to it,  will not have escaped his attention in respect of this. He is likely to be feeling emboldened in his moves now, but, he is a shrewd politican and, remaining strategically ahead in the political chess game between him and the US administration, neither side is far from immune to strategic deceptions and false flags…..plus, Saturn is currently applying in square to Putin’s lunar nodes, which, if you remember, was Saturns apsect to the nodes back in 1999 as well.

This will be a real test for him as a leader, how well he can manifest the innate skills he has in pursuit of ‘new ground’, and, with Pluto currently opposite the USA’s 8th house natal Sun the pressure is on both sides in this issue. Putin’s alliance with BRIC, the growing alternative to the hegemonic dollar based economy, brings his natal Venus into full play. Much that was seeded around the turn of the millenium is now finding its critical moment.

We know that the world is in major need of not only economic, but, political overhaul, that the ‘weaponisation of democracy’ is an unacceptable and contemptuous misuse of the power of the People in the pursuit of both by the powers that be.

For the people of Palestine and Israel this is a crunch issue……here the past is used as justification for action and as a defence, but, the deceptions are, once more, rife. This is a situation that must change……thousands are marching in the streets of many capitals at this time, including in London from where I am currently writing, to see that change become a reality. Here too we can join with that movement and bring our focus and healing to bear in breaking with the past and its destructive patterning.

With Mars currently approaching Saturn this aspect of the current lunation sees this current issue in particular coming to a head and the conjunction becomes exact at new Moon. But, more on that and the wider environmental issues, Fukushima not withstanding, in the next post.

The second half of 1999 also saw major earthquakes, many claiming significant loss of lives. The cycle of extreme weather that we now see accelerating has its solar roots at this time, a time where the solar minimum saw more sunspot activity than our present solar maximum. Many of these environmental events are deeply affected by the state of our Sun……but, while the Sun in Leo is leading by example, in a manner of speaking, we could take this opportunity to allow the solar/lunar heart beat of our planet to speak through us at this full Moon.

Where-ever we turn our attention over the coming days, we have a powerful opportunity now to work with the cosmos and bring the potential healing power of change present within the matrix into manifestation here on Earth. May our voices be strong and our prayers be answered……

The Wild Horse Moon

Jupiter and Mars play an important role in the eighth lunation of 2014. Jupiter in close but waning conjunction to the new Moon in tropical Leo tells us this is a month of ambitions, for pulling the stops out, getting the most out of life and taking back ownership of our personal roles within the bigger picture. It is about riding the wild horse of our ego, not so that we can become docile and ‘broken in’, but, so that we can harness its power in service to our own evolution. When we can achieve this our individual genius shines through, but, it does require self discipline, honesty and awareness. Great freedom is the gain, but, as with all the most valuable gifts, it surely will not be won without facing equally great challenges.

Mars in tropical Scorpio is in rulership, is an inner fire, a force of nature, and is out to have his/her way. This signals a time of passionate and determined willfulness which, if not outwardly expressed will almost certainly grow inwardly over the month. By the end of the lunation and the new Moon in Virgo, something will have taken shape that will give form to this potential energy and, the trick is, to be bigger than it, to make sure that it is of our making and not imposed upon us. Given that, what we cannot change at hand on an individual level, we will be bound to move by force of will collectively.

We really need to pay attention to this latter point as, when the collective is on the move, its a sure sign that the collective unconscious is in motion as well. Knowing our motivations before we act or make crucial decisions is essential. Without this awareness we risk handing our choices over to the unconscious, and, all to often that is where the ego derives its most manipulative and destructive power. The pressure is on to reach the higher expression of that power. The pressure will be on world leaders in this respect too – they will not be allowed to keep on abusing their power at our expense.

Venus in tropical Cancer opposite Pluto at the beginning of the lunation ends it in Leo square Mars conjunct Saturn! People are sick of war and death dealing. It would be a wondrous thing if we could say ‘We will prevail’ and to do so through our celebration and expression of Life over Death. But, this eighth lunation asks us to be pro-active and not wait for the miracle to happen. The planetary matrix aids and abets us in this as Venus also squares Uranus a few days after new Moon. Unique and creative expression is the ideal safety valve here and this is truly a time to celebrate human diversity, beauty and culture. Empowered creative individuals are also a force of nature when they are working together. In terms of our collective journey, this opens the door for us to manifest a significant aha! moment, which, if it comes through an unquenchable expression of life-force, could perhaps be the one that will tip the balance of power, in which it is the ‘higher level’ that we manifest that makes the difference. Uranus figures in this, especially at the end of this lunation, of which, more in a follow up post. The chart for the Virgo new Moon in August promises something extra-ordinary!

The tension between Jupiter and Mars will be at its strongest in the first two quarters up to full Moon, which is in Aquarius and will sextile Uranus in Aries. In a sense, and with Mercury squaring the Moons nodes as this lunation begins, we are now very much in the business of making our own luck! Don’t forget to petition the higher powers to bless any major undertakings during this time….around the full Moon in particular.

Traditionally the eighth lunation brings the dynamic relationship between life and death consciously into the seasonal and human sphere. The mutual energetic bond between these two poles is itself an expression of a higher power, but, while we may go about our daily business largely running on automatic and missing the presence of that higher power, we can experience it at any time. It becomes especially present through ecstacy and inner illumination. However, the emphasis in the eighth lunation is on manifesting this presence through healing powers, rather than making personal enlightenment the ultimate gain. This rests upon realising the cyclical nature of energy in manifestation. We have to let the power flow through us.

Primal power rising from the root into manifestation at higher vibrations is accelerating alongside light and ecstatic energy in a descent path of absorbtion and growth of quality. Both seasonal energetics and planetary kundalini! Within the medicine wheels this energy cycle is the sunwise flow from east through south, west and north and its return to arise anew once more in the east. Its material manifestation has a moonwise dynamic that follows the reverse path, wrapped around the sunwise flow within each lunation. The sine-wave created is the lunar heart beat followed by plant life and the menstrual cycle, and the eighth Moon is that of the Wise Woman who knows the Life-Death-Life cycle intimately and works with the plant, herb and tree wisdom in particular.

To work with these energies via the intelligence manifest within the planetary and stellar matrix we simply need to align ourselves with Nature. Natural systems align our lives with the creativity that arises from intelligent design within the cosmos. The tropical zodiac is an encodement of that design…….but, crucially, for the people of Earth now, Nature is the map, the terrain and the journey towards achieving that creative design and manifesting its beauty. May the power of Nature prevail. Go well………

Third Quarter 2014

Here is a brief forward looking glance at a soul centered astrological theme for the quarter between June Solstice and September Equinox 2014. I have chosen to look only at the sign/element placement of planets with particular reference to the predominance of those in retrograde phase at the beginning of this period. This was purely intuitive, following a similar approach to lunar station astrology. This delivered an unexpected perspective on the initiating energetics at work within the planetary matrix for the three months to equinox…..

          There is a sense of ‘back to the future’ about the coming times, a desire to advance beyond current limitations through forward projection of our soul’s path, this belonging very much to the Moon’s north node. Before such a journey can be undertaken however, it pays to remember the determining factors behind our motivations and resources, this belonging to the Moon’s south node. With this in mind, the quarter up to September Equinox opens with a call to slow down, pay attention to inner balance and reflect particularly upon how our inner and outer worlds, past and future, this world and the next, mirror each other. Where are the discrepancies, and how do we adjust them, what adjustments do they call for in us? The answer is suggested in the fact that the June Solstice sees five major planetary retrogrades in motion simultaneously. This too is just the pre-amble and preparation for what promises to be an exciting and highly active three months!

          Powerful compassion based soul work can be undertaken under this retrograde influence. Neptune and Pluto break down boundaries, while Chiron and Saturn both strengthen them, give us structure and meaning to work with. Mercury helps us to metabolise the process and maintain awareness of our inner processes. Their collective field flows inwards and aids the spirit in adjusting to the demands that the physical world makes upon it. This integrative energy is valuable in tough times. But, its true gift is in the ability to renew and evolve inwardly.

        We can usually tell, from looking at the natal and progressed moon’s nodes in our chart, what area of our lives the ‘experience producing’ challenges that our souls require for growth will be emergent within. This is where we have ‘yet to experience’, the unmapped territory, and in tough times we are all challenged to enter there, fully conscious. The field view, which provides a potential that can affect collective as well as individual soul paths, is particularly highlighted as Jupiter squares the moons nodes at the offset and, later in the quarter, Mars crosses the nodal axis at the north node. There is a strong interface between our collective and personal paths in this time, where we are all heading, but, there is more that those retrogrades can tell us about this.

          On a hunch I took a look at the Sabian symbols for each of the degrees of the retrograde planets. The Sabians tell us that Mercury in Gemini, Saturn in Scorpio, Pluto in Capricorn, and both Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, without exception, point towards the importance of actualising new beginnings, with Chiron calling us to bring this new reality into the public arena. There is an astonishing coherence between the individual Sabian symbols at work here, and this gives a sense of confidence. This suggests acting with commitment, once we have done our checks and balances. We can act upon what we feel most strongly drawn towards that fits with our deepest knowings, regardless the discomfort we may see ahead. This is not about taking the easy path, but, rather about trusting our path, and trusting ourselves to navigate it. To create it, even, because we ‘know’ it is the right one. Learnt from experience, as Chiron teaches, our ‘knowing’ is what will carry us forward now, even, and especially in the face of the unexpected. We must embody the Elder wisdom within. There is no doubt about how important this is on the global scale, but, it all begins under our own feet…….

          Elementally, this potential is initiated through water, air  and earth. The fire is provided by that Mars transit which re-enters opposition to Uranus in Aries and square to Pluto before reaching the north node. This indicates that we should bring the most important and radical lessons we have learned from the last three months in particular and act upon them to transform our way of living, finally releasing ourselves from the outlived patterns and ties of the past with a real commitment. The emphasis will very much be on ‘the viable future’ and living that future as a reality, starting now. With a predominance of water in the planetary elemental matrix that reality is carrying healing and nourishing energy as we live it.

          One week before Lughnasadh Mars will begin travelling through Scorpio, conjuncting Saturn on the way, and, by Equinox will have reached the early degrees of Sagittarius – live that reality with a passion and deep self belief that we can ‘make it so’.

        The midpoint of the quarter is also preceded by a new Moon in early Leo, this time conjunct Jupiter. Jupiter’s entry into Leo on July 16th also marks the end of the Mercury retrograde period, so this will really flag up the second half of the quarter as a time to not only embody our soul’s path fully, but, to shine through our unique individuality and genius, and to join others in doing so. This is a time to ‘see’ and be seen, as an example of how you would like the world to be, acted out in human form. There needs to be an element of acting here, of taking on the role, acting ‘as if’, as a means to realising the goal. The renewal of our human reality will become ‘earthed’. It is a powerful and, arguably, realistic basis for entraining the ‘peaceful revolution’ that is being increasingly talked of now, perhaps the most realistic, if we are to break the mould of the past and avoid our demise. The indigenous traditions tell us of multiple past ‘extinction level’ events…..we have to pay heed this time. It is not enough to rage against those who would use and oppress us – even if we succeed in removing them from the picture we must be strong enough, inspired enough and ‘knowing’ enough to embody that future we most desire.

            As the Sabian symbol for the visionary, mystical planet Neptune says of its degree in Pisces at Solstice, “tomorrow lives through today” – whatever means or roles you find your deepest and most natural passion and wisdoms realised through, we can all now be all those things with confidence………

An edited version of this article can also be found in issue 84 of Sacred Hoop magazine.…..