September 1, 2016 New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Jung

This first eclipse of September is on September 1. It is a New Moon Solar Eclipse at 9 degrees of Virgo.  The Moon and Sun are conjunct at a New Moon. For a period of time the Moon blocks the rays of the Sun.  The Sun is our consciousness, our ego identity. Perhaps it is hard to be clear about who we are during this period. But since an eclipse has duration of several months, perhaps a solar eclipse gives us an opportunity to unravel some aspects about self that have been hidden from our awareness

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So who is affected?  Everyone is affected, especially the mutable signs! Listen up, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces earthlings! You are the Mutable Quartet of the Zodiac. You make sure we change. 

The  Cardinal or Moveable Signs initiate circumstances and move us along.  The Fixed Signs help keep things in place long enough for good to come of what has been initiated. The Mutable Signs stir things up and bring change so we can adjust, refine, re-start or end something.

The Planetary Line-up

The line-up looks like this: Sun/Moon in Virgo; Mars and Saturn in Sagittarius; and Neptune in Pisces.  Gemini stands alone in the heavens RECEIVING all the pulsations of this mutable bundle of cosmic information. It feels like a dentist drill or jackhammer or yapping dog that won’t stop.  Something is getting our attention and in the process giving us a headache.  The duration of Mars and Saturn interacting with the Sun and Neptune is definitely taxing.  On the one hand we want to maintain our sense of idealism (Sun connecting with Neptune).  We are also striving to let Neptune dissolve the frustrations that we have been dragging around for what seems like all year.  We want to get on with life.  The only way to do that is to focus on someting that we really care about, something we really love, and just keep going one day at a time. That would be the Mars/Saturn part of the delivery.

Virgo is the indicator of discernment and critical analysis.  Virgo strives to get it right (a softer word than perfection!).  Gemini, the other mutable sign ruled by Mercury, has domain over the collection of information but Virgo processes the information and analyses the data.

 

There is intense strain on Virgo this month for two reasons.

Number One:  Neptune (ruler of Pisces) is opposing the Sun/Moon/Eclipse in Virgo.  Virgo wants to analyze, be rational, and be correct.  Neptune waves a hand from the other side of the sky and says, “Good Luck With That!”  Neptune always reminds us that much is hidden under the barn.  There is often a mysterious agenda that we have to uncover before we can fully understand the data. Number Two:  Mars and Saturn are still holding hands in Sagittarius and they stand in the middle of this arrangement and contribute a big dose of frustration and even anger.  We are moving through fear and loathing.  It will help if we focus on positive action to release our fear and “fed-upness” with life. It’s also helpful to look at what we believe.  Maybe our beliefs are part of any problem we are facing.

Be kind to the Gemini’s you know.  They are receiving all the information and energy of the Eclipse.  Some Gemini’s will communicate about what is going on and we should listen to what they have to say.

If Gemini collects information and communicates about that information, and if Virgo analyzes the data, then what does Sagittarius do?  Sagittarius assigns meaning to the data. Jupiter rules Sagittarius and that is why Sagittarius is connected to the higher mind—the place in us that integrates and makes sense of life.  Sagittarius is a fire sign, so Mars in Sagittarius can make us impatient and mad or it can motivate us. Saturn in Sagittarius pushes us to examine our “higher mind” beliefs.  Saturn can hold on to beliefs and even dip them in concrete and put them on an altar!  The altar called, “It’s My Beliefs or the Highway.”   On the other hand, Saturn in Sagittarius gives us time to mature. Maturity leads to refining our beliefs and giving us a chance to change our circumstances.

Meanwhile, Saturn is in a face-off with Neptune.  Saturn really asks us to find our truth—a truth that is based on reality, not on Neptunian apple pie in the sky. Neptune rules the media, so we are being more vigilant to question if the media is even telling the truth!!

Throw in a little destiny if you like.

The North Node has been transiting through the sign of Virgo. During this Solar Eclipse, the North Node is very close to the Sun and Moon in Virgo. There is a sense of purpose or even “fatedness” going on for many people. Maybe we are getting messages about what direction to take in life, messages about our purpose.  In addition to our everyday life—job, family, health, etc—we are busy downloading some new files and important guidance about our destiny.

One more thing:  A Fascinating Trio in the Heavens keeps us positive and loving in spite of everything!

The Solar Eclipse horoscope holds another fascinating component.  Jupiter (planet of optimism), Mercury (left brain thinking and communication) and Venus (what we value and our drive to be in relationship) are sitting together in the sky.  Mercury and Jupiter are at 28 degrees of Virgo and Venus is 2 degrees of Libra.  This happy trio makes no aspect to other planets.  Repeat.  This trio makes no connection with the Sun and Moon, with Mars and Saturn, with Neptune or Uranus and Pluto.  This little trio sits alone.  It’s like a little room we can go to and get recharged.  We can feel uplifted and think jolly thoughts!  We can have hope!  If you get confused or upset, try to go to this little room of optimist thoughts and comforting relationships. Also, this planetary trio is excellent for research and for writing and publishing.

The September Eclipses set the tone for the next few months. We have time to contemplate what is going on in our ego mind. Do we have beliefs that are circulating on a tape loop that keeps us in a miserable rut? Are we so busy worshiping at our altar of concrete beliefs and memories that we can’t see the rainbows and opportunities offering important changes?  On September 16^th we will enter the Full Moon Eclipse.  Maybe by then we will have some new ideas, some new consciousness.  At the Full Moon Eclipse we can begin to anchor any new beliefs into our cellular being.  Remember, every horoscope contains all the signs, because everything is connected.  No one gets a pass.  We all have Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces somewhere in our horoscopes!

Astro Tip: Mars goes Direct!!

Mars Stationary Direct

June 29, 2016

Today, Wednesday, June 29, is a day many folks have been waiting for.  Mars begins to move again!!  Planet Mars entered its retrograde phase in April (at 9 degrees of Sagittarius). Now that period is over and Mars moves on at 23 degrees of Scorpio. Mars rules the sign of Aries and also Scorpio.  Individuals who are connected with Mars have got to be relieved.  The combination of Mars being in Scorpio and Mars being close to earth is significant. Symbolically it means exposure, involvement & expression with the energy of Mars.  Attributes like anger, impatience, irritation, “short-fuse” and violence are in our faces. Explosions get our attention in the news nearly every day. It will take a while for the Mars energy to chill out.  If you have felt  pent up for weeks, how can you express your discontent?  It’s time to embrace the positive qualities of Mars:  leadership, sports & athletics, positive assertion, courage, passion and desire. If anger continues to be a problem, seek out counseling or an anger management program. 

In January of this year Mars entered the sign of Scorpio, then it moved into Sagittarius, then it went retrograde in Sagittarius, then back into Scorpio again. Finally this retrograde phase is beginning to shift. Mars will travel through Scorpio and then Sagittarius (again).  Think about it!  Mars has been rolling around a small area of the heavens all year.  Usually Mars spends about 6 weeks in a sign. We get a chance to experience the energetic motivation of Mars in many different costumes. Then, every two years, Mars slows down in its orbit and we experience a long cycle of the planet hanging around a particular neighborhood. The neighborhood of Scorpio and Sagittarius is kind of hot and volatile.  By October Mars will settle into a more normal pattern, starting with its time in the sign of Capricorn. Sane, steady, Capricorn!  Who can wait? Meanwhile, enjoy the stimulation of Mars as it touches our impulses and gives us a more spontaneous involvement with life.

Astro Tips for April 2016

April  has already had devastating planetary events with earthquakes, craziness in the political arena; and plenty of frustration for a lot of people.

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces (the mutable or changeable signs) are in the spotlight.  The energy feels intense, fast moving and transformative, We want to grab hold of something tangible that feels absolutely right! At the same time, there are four retrograde planets so we also feel stymied in our attempts to get where we want to go.  The carrousel is moving so fast we can’t get off to catch the carrousel we really want to be riding. But as we approach the full moon on Friday, April 22, we might want to reflect more on Earth Day than on our own issues.  It’s all connected, right? Read on for tips on how to turn this chaos into creative opportunity.

Astrology is not about cause and effect but it helps us understand the earthly drama. 

Before we talk about the specifics, please keep in mind that astrology is not a cause-effect system.  It is a relational system.  There is a relationship between Saturn currently transiting Sagittarius and the current focus on belief systems. In the collective realm we have political candidates who represent the extremes of the bell-curve in terms of beliefs.  We have those who think we should build walls to keep all foreign elements out and we have one who thinks there is enough for everyone if we just figure out how to distribute our resources.  There are some who really believe the super rich should not have to be taxed.  There is one who believes young people should have tuition free college.  There are several who believe that women are a container for new life, but have no authority over how that new life should happen.  There is no planet causing the extreme display of hubris in the presidential race.  Saturn in Sagittarius, however, suggests hot-headed expression of beliefs.  Sagittarius is the sign we associate with the higher mind, with systems of beliefs, with religions, and with legal systems and the laws therein.  Extremes in belief systems are being aired and sorted out as we move through the political drama. Astrology is a way of understanding the drama.  What is your drama? Where are you expressing your tightly held beliefs?  Are you open to new ways of thinking?

What do we do with four retrograde planets—Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto?

April currently has four planets retrograde and Mercury will be retrograde on April 28.  A retrograde planet is not moving backwards. It appears to be moving backward because it is moving so slowly. Some of our affairs are just moving very, very slowly. What you thought might take a week, figure much longer.

A note to students of astrology:  Peter Malsin’s book, The Eyes of the Sun (1997), offers some helpful guidelines for understanding retrograde as an energy and I am using some of his insights in this article.

Reflecting—Creating—Intuiting   (read more about this in The Eyes of the Sun)

Basically, these retrograde periods give us a chance for reflection. With four planets orbiting so slowly there is a good chance we will get caught in conflicting thoughts and beliefs represented by these different planetary energies.  We have to sort some things out and take our time doing it.  This period of slowness may also stimulate creative expression. That’s a positive outcome for the big retrograde breezes! As we reflect, we put things together and out pops a new idea, project our unique integration of life knowledge. Great. For other people the retrograde cycles are times of irrational projection.  Peter Malsin suggests that retrograde planets increase the unconscious energy of the planet.  Me versus you, Us versus them.  For example, some of my best friends are immigrants, however…..we don’t have room for anymore foreigners who need to be taken care of.  Listen to the politicians and you will hear a lot of projecting. Other people may use the unconsciousness of the retrograde planet differently:  someone may just channel some intuitive wisdom or power like they are channeling form Divine Source.  Hint! Relax and let your intuition give you some advice, or go for a reading or talk to someone to sort out any confusion.

Mars and Saturn retrograde

Let’s look at Mars and Saturn together because both are currently traveling through the sign of Sagittarius. Mars says hit the peddle, let’s race ahead; Saturn says, hit the brake, not so fast, BE CAREFUL.  Right now, with Mars and Saturn sitting in the same automobile, and both planets retrograde, we are just downright afraid (at least in some area of life). Am I making the right decision?  Will I have enough money?  Should I take a job I don’t really want just to get some income or should I wait?  Should I file for divorce, or should I wait and see what happens next year? On and on. We are worrying and we feel stuck.  This is a natural response to Mars/Saturn retrograde.  Saturn makes us want to “get it right.” We don’t want to make a mistake and yet we are impatient to get on with it.  The invitation is to be with the questions and reflect on the questions. The invitation is to find creative solutions and be patient as well.

Try not to complain. The fixed star, Antares, can strike at any moment.

Mars slowed down at 9 degrees of Sagittarius and that put it right in the line up with the fixed star Antares (9 degrees of Sagittarius).  The Fixed Star, Antares, is associated with reckless behavior, dangerous events and angry situations.  Another way of saying this is Antares and Mars together means some people may suffer greatly during April or experience great tragedy.  We have already seen tragedy from big earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.  Just this week we had flooding in Texas with hardships for many people and animals. So, if you have a roof over your head,  and if you trip but you don’t fall down and break something, consider yourself lucky.   If you have a serious situation to resolve, try to be patient and do the best you can during this slow moving time.  Our problems are important and some problems need to be resolved. Just remember, it could be worse. Things will be resolved but the timing might be frustrating.

Jupiter retrograde

Jupiter is currently moving slowly (retrograde) at 14 degrees of Virgo. Jupiter is making an irritable aspect to Saturn at 16 degrees of Sagittarius. Both Jupiter and Saturn are in challenging connection with Neptune. No wonder we are all confused and irritable at times.  We want to be optimistic (Jupiter) but Saturn throws a wet blanket on our hopes and Neptune encourages us to “check out” or find some kind of escape from all the worry and diminished dreams. We can reflect on our past patterns regarding escapism as well as our belief systems. Jupiter retrograde invites us to refine our mantras, mottos and unconscious beliefs that either motivate our days or hold us back.

Pluto retrograde and Pluto squaring Uranus might be the foundation of all the trouble.

Pluto is currently retrograde at 17 degrees of Capricorn. Pluto is still in a square configuration with planet Uranus (21 degrees of Aries). So here is the foundation of everything we are going through. These two planets are far away and they always orbit slowly. For half of any year they may be retrograde and even slower in their journeys.  If you have followed astrology during the past few years you will remember that Uranus square Pluto has been in the news a lot.  When Pluto connects with a planet, it intensifies that planet’s energy. Furthermore, Pluto destroys what it touches in order to create something else.  Our entire human race is experiencing intense upheavals.  Old ways of life are being destroyed. Uranus, planet of high technology, is bringing invention after invention to create a new world. Pluto is also the plutocracy, rulership  by the wealthy. The plutocracy is destroying whatever it can to keep all the riches to itself. Uranus is often the rebel or the revolution itself (!) to bring society into a more humanitarian form. In mythology Pluto rules the underworld where riches are stashed away. Uranus is the creative progenitor who is more concerned with birthing something new than fixing dinner or attending to everyday chores.  In addition, the Uranus/Pluto connection seems to correlate with many earth changes.  Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, severe storms and flooding, and sink holes seem to be more serious and frequent during the past few years.  Finally, the fight over oil has humanity in a mess. War, terrorism, and people displaced from their homeland indicate massive migration, earth shifts, societal changes and struggles. What a mess.

Put it all together—at least say goodbye to “survival of the fittest”

I wish I could put it all together for all of you and for myself. The undertone is Uranus and Pluto in relationship to earth changes: earthquakes, violent weather, migration, holding on and letting go of beliefs, WAR, the struggle to understand we are one. Saturn square Neptune says BE WISE and walk through the Neptunian fog. Trust yourself to know your own truth. Don’t fall into the propaganda pit. Jupiter and Saturn and Neptune say sort through it, DON’T LOSE FAITH.  Be careful and take your time. Be a grown-up! Mars retrograde with all this stew says keep going and don’t give up, and don’t worry if your dreams take a little time.  There are no mistakes, there is just experience. We are here having experiences. Some people have harder experiences than other people do.

If we try to put it all together we might say the human species is struggling to move through some eye of a needle to reach another dimension where life on planet earth is improved by compassion, sharing, fairness and kindnesss. We might release the “survival of the fittest” tape that runs through our unconscious and hopefully find another motto for our existence.  If we try to put it all together we might also say that we chose to be here now.  Maybe we can remember to send love and good will to the innocent survivors of war and brutality. Maybe we can remember to be grateful that we live where we live and we are still relatively safe from much of the planetary horror. 

There is always a gift 

Hopefully you are also receiving gifts of life during this strange period.  In some ways it feels like swimming underwater or hearing through water. We are holding our breath while we move forward and get glimpses of the workings of our own psyche.  Under water, what we hear is what we hear. It is not necessarily what was said.  Remember the gifts of all this slow moving energy:  self reflection and inner dialogue; taking time to sort things out; rejoicing in creative moments that come from the introspection; being alert to projection and intuition (our own and that of others); being aware that we are fortunate if we are not struck down by lightening.

The bottom line: Stay grounded

The one thing that we can hold onto is remembering where we live! We all live on planet EARTH. No matter how much craziness is going on, I offer this little prayer by Wilfred Pelltier and Ted Poole, to help keep us grounded and to reflect on how we might move on.  It is also offered to rejoice in Earth Day.  Farther along, we’ll understand more about our connection with Gaia.

            Wherever you are is home

            And the earth is paradise

            Wherever you set your feet is holy land

            You don’t live off it like a parasite

            You live in it, and it in you,

            Or you don’t survive.

            And that is the only worship of God there is.

                                    (Pelltier & Poole)