Astro Tips:  Uranus square Pluto on June 24^th

On June 24^th planets Uranus and Pluto reached an exact 90-degree aspect.  Astrologers have been writing about the energy of this aspect for many months. Uranus squaring Pluto is a cyclic phenomenon.  In the 1960’s Uranus and Pluto came together in a conjunction in the sign of Virgo.  Now 50 plus years later these planets are forming an aspect that symbolizes friction and challenges.  Uranus is about the unexpected, revolution, change, freedom, and adjustment.  Pluto symbolizes slow evolution.  Pluto is the underworld, both literal and figurative. Literally, there is oil in the underworld.  Figuratively, there is an underworld that tries to control the social fabric of our civilization.  Call it Plutonian power if you like.  Those in control want to stay in control.  Pluto is the compulsive heartbeat that resists evolution even though evolution is happening with every tick of the clock.  Uranus is the archetype of mankind awakening.  Uranus is the voice of humanity responding to evolution.  Those who are holding on to Plutonian power do not want to hear the awakening of the masses.  But Pluto forces humans to clean out their closets and to make way for the next manifestation of life.  This could be a new life chapter for some people.  Perhaps a new career, a long awaited move, or a surprising change in one’s relationship status.  On the collective level, this Plutonian change looks like falling dictatorships and the evolution to free elections. In the western world (United States and Europe) the change wheel has focused on the economy.  Pluto rules money.  Uranus opened up the Plutonian vaults and its many secrets and unethical dealings.  Where this will lead us remains to be seen.

This exact aspect between Uranus and Pluto occurred on June 24^th, the same day that the Egyptian election results were announced.  There was the election and then the run off election and then the final announcement of the winner.  This is an excellent example of Uranus aspecting Pluto.  The voice of the Egyptian people shook the Plutonian throne of power.  After weeks of revolution and after months of waiting for elections and then weeks of waiting for the results of the run-off election, Egypt has its first President elected by the people.  Mankind awakens and insists on being heard.  Hurrah for humankind!

Linda Sprague

stardoor@sbcglobal.net

214-741-3448

February Astro Tips

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.” [from “Open Mind” by Anahata Joy Katkin]

Neptune enters Pisces: Prepare to Dream!

On February 3, 2012 Neptune left the sign of Aquarius and began its fourteen-year visit to Pisces (2012-2026), the sign that Neptune rules. In the early morning hours of February 3, I dreamed I was locked out of the building where I live. Someone was telling me how I was going to get back in. First I would have to put my thumbprint on some pad. Next I would draw a series of pictures, all Egyptian hieroglyphics and symbols. In the dream I said: Isn’t that interesting….Neptune is right now moving into Pisces. There must be some connection between this dream and the new energy of Neptune in Pisces.

Neptune is about dreams and imagination

A funny dream! I woke up thinking, get ready to dream everybody cause here comes Neptune in Pisces. Neptune is dreams and imagination. Neptune is a Hollywood movie. Neptune is the veil separating physical reality from the numinous realms. Neptune is the ocean of love and mercy that can dissolve pain and suffering. It can also dissolve the ego and throw a person into psychosis.

The combination of Neptune and Pisces is the loss of boundaries; it is a dream world that lets us be creative; it is a land of addiction and escapism; it is fanaticism based on faith and belief; it is religion gone crazy; it is expansive compassion and service to humanity; it is sacrifice; it is the unconscious; it is confronting the mysteries of the Universe.

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac. Virgo is the polarity of Pisces. Think Virgo—organized. Think Pisces, disorganized. Think Virgo, analytical. Think Pisces, feeling. Virgo tries to tidy up everything that is contained in Pisces: mystical experiences, suffering and pain, incomprehensible dreams, the clutter of the psyche. Virgo tries to understand and explain the mystery that comes from the Piscean experience. Pisces makes sure that Virgo never gets it quite right.

Keys for Pisces are compassion, universality, faith, renunciation and sacrifice. We have been living in the Piscean Age for 2,000 years. Pisces is a spiritual sign that seems to have gone crazy over the past two millenniums. Perhaps Neptune transiting Pisces is part of the final dissolving of The Piscean Age. Pisces is the sign of compassion and goodness. It is also the energy of fanaticism and sacrifice. It is the sign of addiction because so often we want to escape from this earthly reality. Sometimes we just can’t cope with what is going on in our lives. Finally, our interest in other realities, in spirituality, in Egyptian symbols (!) and all ancient knowledge is connected in part to the sign Pisces. We are always trying to understand life’s mysteries, as well as who we are, where we came from and our place in the cosmos.

Saying goodbye to Neptune in Aquarius

Neptune in Aquarius (1998-2012) brought us the web of connection through electronic media. Neptune dissolved the barriers between people. We are now connected globally through the internet. Planet earth is smaller now that Neptune travelled in the sign of Aquarius. We are closer to understanding that “we are one”! And since Neptune also rules illusion we might say we live in the illusion that our lives are better because of technology. When I call customer service and interact with a telephone menu, I am not convinced!

Neptune and Pisces rule the oceans

Neptune and Pisces rule the oceans. While Neptune spends time in its Piscean home, we can expect a lot of attention to our oceans and to water. Neptune tends to dissolve what it touches. Will the ocean be able to dissolve the radioactive waste from Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor? Neptune cannot dissolve all the petroleum products that have been dumped into the ocean. Perhaps the future years of Neptune in Pisces will bring awareness and action to clean up our oceans. New ways to manage our water supplies are on the agenda. New discoveries about the oceans are certainly going to be in the news.

Neptune’s downside: lies and manipulation

The challenge of Neptune in Pisces is this: How will we know what the truth is? Aquarius may be the hardware of the media, but Pisces is the message within the message. Think how crazy it already is. There could be more and more lies and manipulation in the media and on the internet. It could become increasingly difficult to decipher the collective, social reality. Maybe more and more people will tune out the media and begin to get information through other means: ESP!! Seriously, strange things could happen with Neptune in Pisces.

Another grave concern is the role of religion. Pisces is about faith and spirituality. On the one hand we will have more understanding and connection with the mystery and awesomeness of our galaxy and the universe. This is going to open us up spiritually in ways we cannot yet imagine. But Pisces is also organized religion based on faith in certain beliefs. Beliefs may have no reality base, but tie them up with faith and you have a weapon. Neptune in Pisces could make the weapon of religion stronger (for those who—consciously or unconsciously--use religion in this manner). At the same time Neptune will expose the negative impact of religion.

Neptune dissolves what it touches

Bottom line for Neptune: it dissolves what it touches. In Aquarius, Neptune dissolved boundaries between people through electronic and wireless communication. Aquarius is about fairness, freedom and liberation for all people and Neptune has been dissolving conditions that hinder the evolution of humanity. What will Neptune dissolve while it transits its home sign, Pisces? Will it dissolve spiritual boundaries so we can respect differing faiths? Will it dissolve the physical plane entirely, allowing us to connect with others without even using the internet? Will we begin to be able to know what another person is thinking and feeling? Will we all become psychic? Will Neptune dissolve the boundaries between humans and other species in the animal kingdom? (Let’s face it: some people already talk with the animals!)

When Neptune went into Aquarius in 1998 the internet was getting cranked up and look at it now. Can you imagine a world without email? According to Wikipedia, by 2007, more than 97% of all telecommunicated information was carried over the internet. With Neptune transiting Pisces we may begin to communicate in some new and unusual ways. In Pisces, Neptune may dissolve the clutter in our minds. It may dissolve our self-doubt about our intuition. It may also dissolve our need to sacrifice ourselves for strange, fanatical reasons. Perhaps Neptune transiting Pisces will open our feeling channels and we will begin to more deeply comprehend that we homo sapiens are morphing into homo spiritus, homo luminous, and home pacem.

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.” [from “Open Mind” by Anahata Joy Katkin

Astro Tips for December 2011

“doors of perception”


The sign, Sagittarius, is about the higher mind and the search for truth. The end of 2011 gives us ample opportunity to expand our thinking and gain new perceptions about our reality. The “doors of perception” are highlighted with the Solar Eclipse (November 25 New Moon in Sagittarius) and the Lunar Eclipse on December 10 (Full Moon in Gemini). Eugene Ionesco (French playwright) said, “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” This is a time to ask good questions.

The Sagittarius/Gemini polarity

We have learned from quantum theory that the observer shapes what is observed. What we believe and what we assume color the data in front of our eyes. Sagittarius is a fire energy that boldly seeks to step beyond the given box of reality. The opposite sign, Gemini, is about curiosity and perception. Mercury rules Gemini. Jupiter rules Sagittarius. During December these planetary energies are highlighted. A Sagittarius person can sink into the status quo and fatten. Or that same person can open his Gemini eyes and take in expansive information. The challenge is to ask the right questions about your life and to keep your eyes open. Trust your perceptions. Start with your own subjective knowing but stay open to new information and feedback.

Do we believe it when we see it or do we see it when we believe it?

Astrologist Stephanie Austin (who writes every month for Mountain Astrologer) grasped the heart of the Sagittarius/Gemini polarity. In her discussion of the Gemini Lunar Eclipse (in the current December/January issue), Stephanie Austin suggests that we see things when we believe it (rather than believe it when we see it!). Yes. How true. There are historical accounts of indigenous people not being able to see a large sailing vessel because they could not, at first, believe such a thing was possible. This is a lot to think about. When the Sun travels through Sagittarius and the Moon reaches its fullness in Gemini, we have the opportunity to shuffle our beliefs and see things we never thought possible. Maybe there are aliens among us but we cannot imagine or believe this. Hence we cannot see it. Okay maybe that is extreme. Perhaps we are waiting for enough people to believe that we can live differently on our planet and then we will see it. The idea that all things are connected is not a new idea. We are still waiting for enough people to BELIEVE everything is connected so we can see it manifest in front of our eyes. We are waiting for enough people to really believe that we can be good earth citizens. Then we will see it. These are matters that pertain to Sagittarius and Gemini.

Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius

Mercury is currently retrograde in Sagittarius. When Mercury has a retrograde period in a sign, that sign’s energy is emphasized for a longer period than normal. Examining our beliefs and reaching for a new truth (even if it is subjective) is part of the Mercury in Sagittarius experience. Of course the usual Mercury retrograde issues are with us too. Computer problems, car repairs, and misunderstandings due to communication mix-ups are to be expected with Mercury retrograde. But please remember that retrograde Mercury brings the ability to think deeply and differently. Mercury goes direct on December 13, just after the full moon, but it will continue its passage through Sagittarius until January 7th. Sagittarius thinking can get stuck in its own ego perception or it can open up and expand and reach a new level of comprehension and seeing. If we are tempted to close our doors of perception we will miss out on the expansion and the joy of new believing and seeing.

Saying goodbye to 2011

Every year is intense and unique. 2011 has been special because it has been the culmination of all nine Underworlds alluded to in the Maya calendar. According to many impressive researchers (who are also intuitive-thinkers), billions of years of evolution and creation have culminated in 2011. Have we interpreted the Maya Calendar accurately, or is the Maya Calendar a metaphor to help us understand our evolution and our partnership with the Universe?

Meanwhile we are in a period of irritability. Planets Uranus and Pluto are the archetypal energies demanding that irritability lead to awakening and growth. Impatience and dissatisfaction will continue for years as humankind struggles to let go of old beliefs as well as outworn systems and structures. We are at the end and we are at the beginning. Scientists are learning so much about our history and about our cosmos and universe. Our beliefs are being challenged and refined. Our minds are being blown not by LSD but by discovery. Those who cannot open their minds to beautiful discoveries will be living on a different planet than those who embrace reverence for planet Earth and the entire cosmos. We are all here together but our beliefs and perceptions divide us and this is frustrating and confusing. We will continue on. The journey isn’t over. It’s just entering another cycle of unfolding.