The Cosmic Story: Gemini's Mission & the Great American Eclipse

The Cosmic Story: Gemini’s Mission & the Great American Eclipse

The Sun blew into Gemini on May 20^th, dancing with the waning Moon in Pisces. Gemini’s mission statement is all about dancing with life, going with the flow, peering under every stone that catches your fancy. Gemini loves to talk, to learn, to express its’ ideas and to sample whatever experiences come its way. The Gemini twins are also into mobility – they like to travel, so make sure you know how to maneuver through tight spots and dangerous places.

Gemini’s ruling planet is Mercury, the guide of souls, the con man and thief, the messenger of the gods. Mercury is the planet of the mind: how we use our brains, both our right-brain imagination and left-brain rationality. (The sign and element of your natal Mercury tells you a lot about how you interpret the world.) Like the sign of the mortal and immortal Gemini Twins, Mercury likes to travel back and forth between different states of awareness—the big immortal spiritual understanding of life and the more limited, focused, rational view of life. Don’t keep Mercury stuck in one realm—he’ll turn into the con artist on you. Stay flexible in your thinking and keep learning.

Mercury was retrograde from April 10-May 3 in Taurus and Aries. A few days before Mercury turned direct, it aligned with Uranus, the planet of awakening, freedom and originality. Once Mercury turned direct, he again caught up with Uranus at the Scorpio Full Moon, making sure he got the message. Awakened Mind! Both planets were in Aries, the sign of the Original Mind. Hopefully, your mind broke out of its old boxes; to think ‘outside-the-box’ and open up to new ideas, perspectives and insights. If you want a fresh start, go out before dawn and look to the East. Mercury, now a Morning Star, will rise very close to the horizon, just before the Sun, aiding us to open our minds to envision the big Aries dreams that will create our new story.

Mercury is now back in Taurus, grounding in the values of his new insights, distinguishing between what is true and what is irrelevant, planning on what he wants to build. He’s finally moved past the degree where he stopped to backtrack, so perhaps you’ve noticed that suddenly the pace of life has quickened. You’ll find that your projects will move ahead now. Even though Mercury in Taurus is practical and grounded, he is light on his feet (Taurus has rhythm and knows how to dance). Find your rhythm and go with it.

Mercury will enter Gemini on June 6^th, zipping through his own sign in 2 weeks, bringing a new lightness to your thoughts and energy – anything is possible. And keeping in line with his speedy pace, Mercury enters Cancer just after the Sun on Summer Solstice. Take a breath, you’ll need it! He’s traveling through Earth, Air and Water – all in one month. Mercury is taking up his role as psychopomp, the Guide of Souls, this June. What do your body/Earth, mind/Air and feelings/Water want? Let Mercury guide you to your soul’s desire. Write that new story.

Venus is also a Morning Star (look higher in the sky at dawn) and is approaching her maximum elevation in the morning sky, and in early June will begin her 5 ½ month journey to meet up with Sun in mid-November. Venus is also finally past the point of her retrograde station on March 4^th at 14* Aries. She met up with the Sun to begin a new Venus cycle on March 25^th at 5* Aries (especially important for anyone with planets at 5* of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn).

Venus is now a Morning Star, her Aries fire making her feisty yet compassionate, remembering what she learned as she retrograded back into Pisces. This Venus cycle asks us to be brave and stand up for those spiritual values that shape the best of our humanity. Venus enters her own sign of Taurus on June 6, giving her fire shape, materializing her vision. Use your senses this month and find your beauty.

Neptune

Both Jupiter and Neptune change directions this month. Jupiter, the ruler of the Sagittarius Full Moon, is a channel for curiosity, spiritual law, expansion and luck, and turns direct at 13*13’ Libra, shortly after the Sagittarius/Gemini Full Moon on June 9^th. This strong Jupiter in the sign of partnership, justice and aesthetics will help us shed old limiting beliefs. Neptune, the planet of spirituality, imagination, delusions and glamour, turns retrograde on June 16^th at 14*16’ Pisces. (If you have planets at these signs or in the other cardinal (Jupiter) and mutable (Neptune) signs at these degrees, watch your dreams around these dates—they can tell you what you need to see about how these energies are affecting you.) Go in and refine your vision!

Very much like both Gemini and Mercury, the energies this month are shifting and changing rapidly. So stay open to your inner life as you play in the outer world and you’ll do fine. Remember to play with the spiritual imagination (Pisces) to communicate (Gemini) your values, needs and concerns (Mercury in Taurus). And expect something new to show up in your life this month, something or someone who can help you on your way.

Gemini New Moon/ Sagittarius Full Moon: Telling Your Story to Change Your Life

Scheherazade and the Sultan

Stories are the way we communicate with ourselves and with others. They teach us about life and guide us to new perspectives. My favorite childhood heroine is Scheherazade, the crafty, beautiful and brave woman who saved her country and her tormentor by telling stories. Caroline Casey calls her a ‘trickster-redeemer’; I call her a Bard, a Wisdom Keeper. You can find her story in the book, 1001 Arabian Nights.

Scheherazade changes her world through her stories, and like her, we can change our lives when we really look at the stories we tell ourselves. Are these stories helpful? Do they still ring true or do we just get lulled into listening to them because of habit? If we’re really ready for a new story about our purpose here on Mother Earth, than we have to look at the old stories that have shaped us, take their wisdom to heart, and leave them behind so we can co-create a new life for ourselves and for our world. Your inner Scheherazade is already telling you stories through your dreams – are any of you listening? If so, you will learn and change.

The Gemini New Moon occurs on May 25, 2017 at 12:44pm PDT/ 3:44pm EDT/ 7:44pm GMT. The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 04*46’ Gemini is: A revolutionary magazine asking for action. This is a revolution of the collective mind – shared ideas that want to take action. We share an emotional connection to each other and the world, and that connection (knowing we’re all in this together) will sustain us as we contribute our talents and our energy to this Revolution.

This New Moon acts alone – no other planets make aspects to it, so basically we can do anything we choose with it, as long as it aligns with our Truth. Mars, the action planet is also in Gemini opposite Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius – we can either feel stuck or let our Truth guide our actions. Saturn isn’t such a rigid taskmaster lately because of his easy connection with Uranus, so become a disciplined wildperson and get your new act together! Also in the background is a spiritual sword we must retrieve to cut away deception and illusion to see the truth of our souls, as well as the ever continuing T-Square that is rocking our world between Uranus in Aries opposite Jupiter in Libra, both squaring Pluto in Capricorn. To misquote Sting, ‘when the world is spinning down, we’d best let our soul be unbound’.

The Sagittarius/Gemini Full Moon occurs on June 9^th at 6:10am PDT/ 9:10am EDT/ 1:10pm GMT. The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 18*53’ Sagittarius is: Pelicans menaced by the behavior and refuse of men seek safer areas for bringing up their young. All birds symbolize spiritual messenger's, and the pelican is the archetypal Mother, who will pierce her breast to feed her young with her own blood if necessary. She symbolizes survival and sacrifice. What do we need to sacrifice to survive the menace of our patriarchal society of destruction in the name of consumerism and greed?

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 18*53’ Gemini is: A large archaic volume reveals a traditional wisdom. This is the Book of Life, the important knowledge we need to survive. It’s time to stop spending our minds on trivial information as we skim the Internet (the Internet and Twitter are definitely Gemini tools – look at how our Gemini president uses the quick and surfacey technology). This Full Moon is about Wisdom, not information.

Sagittarius wants us to face the truth about ourselves and the world. Aligned with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, this Full Moon can force us in face those truths and wake up to our responsibility and destiny. So once again, keep releasing the old stories of victimization, self-doubt and stuckness. We’re all coming unstuck! Where do you want to go? With Jupiter turning direct an hour after the Full Moon, just tune in to what your inner guidence is telling you.

August 21^st: The Great American Eclipses

Did you know that America is hosting a total Solar Eclipse, country-wide, on August 21^st, 2017? The eclipse crosses the Continental US on a diagonal from the Oregon in the Northwest to South Carolina in the Southeast. (See Map below.) Because it crosses the country, millions people will experience full totality and the rest of the country will experience it as a partial eclipse. 

 

The 70 mile corridor of totally will offer up a spectacular show – the day will turn to night, and the stars and planets will shine out for about 2 ½ minutes. Check out the map below and if you live within driving distance of totality, I suggest you go and experience the mystery and magic of a day turning into night.

The whole Earth gets quiet.

This Solar Eclipse occurs at 28*53’ Leo and it conjunctions the Royal Star Regulus, the Heart of the Lion. So the first thing we know is that we have to be ‘lion-hearted’. 

Constellation of Leo

Regulus 'Heart of the Lion'

Then the Sabian symbol for this 29^th degree of Leo is: A mermaid emerges from the ocean waves ready for rebirth in human form. While mermaids have a vast mythology, their psychological meaning is a ‘personification of a stage of awareness still partially enveloped by the ever-moving and ever-elusive ocean of the collective Unconscious.’ (Dane Rudhyar: Astrological Mandala) Mermaids sing a siren song – they beckon us on with an intuition of something spectacular, that’s just beyond our reach. Will the intuition be reabsorbed back into the unconscious or will it emerge into a concrete form? This symbol expresses our deepest desire to live spiritually, consciously and creatively. Can we grow legs?

What an invitation to awaken to our creative essence! What a gift from the cosmos at this most chaotic time.

If you have any planets at 26*-30* of Leo and Aquarius as well as Taurus and Scorpio, this eclipse is calling to you.

Eclipses occur in series that last over 1300 years and that repeat every 18+ years, so we can study some of the results throughout history. Each eclipse has a meaning we glean from the first eclipse in the series. The first eclipse occurred on January 4, 1639 with the Sun and Moon at 13*49’ Capricorn. The Sabian symbol for 14* Capricorn is: An ancient bas-relief carved in granite remains a witness to a long-forgotten culture. It is an eclipse series that demands that we remember what values are important and let go of the inconsequential things. At this moment in history, we have to let go of our consumerism and neglect of our Mother Earth. We have to rise up to defend life!

This powerful eclipse can bring us a new reality based on the spiritual laws of life. Bernadette Brady rocks the astrological eclipse world and she says this is the meaning of the August 21^st total solar eclipse: the unexpected fortunate turn of events. Expectations that are unrealistic but success comes through an older person or those where you least expect it.

I’ll have more on this eclipse in my next newsletter. Just so you know, it is impacting Donald Trump’s chart in a big way. And it probably is related to what happened with him on May 15 – around the time he fired Comey and talked with the Russians. We’ll wait and see.

Walk in beauty,

Cathy

Not dawdling -- James Broughton

Not dawdling
not doubting
intrepid all the way
walk toward clarity
with sharp eye
With sharpened sword
clearcut the path
to the lucent surprise
of enlightenment
At every crossroad
be prepared to bump into wonder

~ James Broughton ~

(Little Sermons of the Big Joy)

The Cosmic Story: Libra Full Moon 2017

The Cosmic Story: Aries/Libra Full Moon 2017

Come On Up For The Rising

Primal, fiery Aries symbolizes cosmic energy bursting out in the Spring, bringing back beauty and color and new life to our Mother Earth. And to us. With the Sun shining so brightly now after a cold, dark Winter, how can we not feel awake and renewed? Especially this year, when our collective life is so awake and passionate. We are engaging Life and taking stands for what we believe in. Even in our diversity, we are coalescing (Latin coalescere "unite, grow together, become one in growth," from com- "together" (see co-) + alescere "be nourished," hence, "increase, grow up," "to grow, nourish") into one global family, with spider web connections around the world. Yes, we’ve all joined the Resistance, but more importantly, we are rising up to our roll as stewards of the Earth and of each other. Childhood’s End indeed!

I can remember feeling this way in the 60s – protesting the War united people and it felt as if we all had a purpose, that we could effect our world and change it. The energy of the time felt so alive! because we were sharing it with others. In the aftermath of the long 2012-2015 Uranus in Aries square to Pluto in Capricorn, we are now engaged in the hard work of bringing our ideals about the future into our collective life. And so these same group energies are active again, and can be used in positive, conscious ways or in mob-mentality, destructive ways.

Instead of thinking of this as a fight, think of it as Rising Up to our royal natures and taking responsibility for each other. As my allie Caroline Casey says, olly olly in come free – we need everyone to create the future, to come in free. In May, the lunar nodes will shift out of Virgo/Pisces into Leo/Aquarius. This year’s Leo North Node destiny will resonate with a large group of people – the Pluto in Leo generation (1939-57) and the Uranus in Leo generation (1956-62) – and the cosmos is going to ask us what we have to offer our world. With Leo, it’s all about creative expression. So let your inner ARTIST out and see what develops.

Libra Full Moon 2017

This Libra Full Moon occurs on Monday April 10^th at 11:08pm PDT and early on Tuesday morning, April 11^th at 2:08am EDT/ 7:08am GMT.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 22* Aries is: The Gate to the Garden of all fulfilled desires. We are asked – what will make you happy? What are your true desires?

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 22* Libra is: A child giving birds a drink at a fountain. This feels like an instinctual feeding of our spirit (bird) with the Waters of Life.

Together, the story goes: If we feed our spirit, we will achieve our true desires.

This Aries/Libra Full Moon is packed with power. The opposition between the Sun in Aries and the Moon in Libra usually involves learning to combine conscious and unconscious energies regarding our relationships. With the Sun in Aries, we seek a strong sense of self-identity – who am I and what am I here to do in this lifetime? With the Moon in Libra, our unconscious seeks a balance through relating to others – can we allow others to be themselves without judgments and expectations? Can we be ourselves when we’re with others, or do we need to hide ourselves behind ‘appropriate’ masks? Can we be ourselves in partnership? Can we find the right partners for us?

These questions get supercharged at this Full Moon. The Aries Sun joins both Uranus and the dwarf planet, Eris, so don’t expect to be in control of what happens. Let your unique genius rock the day. Uranus brings us the surprise that wakes us up to a new life and Eris will bring up any discord (against the heart) that disrupts our harmony with our true Self. What is the archetypal energy calling your name? Uranus wakes us up to our cosmic Self. Eris forces us to confront what keeps us out of harmony with this Self. With the Aries Sun lighting up this energy, embrace whatever changes come your way.

The Libra Moon is joined by Jupiter – so go out and look at them both shining in the night sky. Jupiter is a joyful, jovial planetary energy – the help from heaven we all ask for in times of need. This Full Moon will feel good, so go out and be with people. Who knows who you’ll meet? Keep your perspective wide open (Jupiter) so you don’t miss the surprise (Uranus). Here’s where you get to change (Uranus) your story (Jupiter).

Jupiter is the grandson of Uranus, and inherits his heavenly standpoint. Jupiter will want to expand and accelerate any unconscious (Moon) changes that Uranus hurls our way. Libra is a social air sign that loves good companionship and conversation, beauty and art, diplomacy and fairness. So be open to the things that make collective life interesting and worthwhile. Allow yourself to feel wonderful about who you are and go out and shine!

Elsa Elsa says this is the energy when luck and fate collide – unexpectedly. Jupiter brings the luck, Uranus adds the unexpected and Pluto brings on fate. Pluto in Capricorn, along with the asteroid Juno, square this Full Moon. Pluto is the planet of fate and evolution and its energy of death and rebirth has been undermining our collective institutions since 2008. It is our fate to live in these beautiful, dangerous times where we are called to step into our destiny to help our collective future. As our patriarchal culture dies out so a more balanced partnership culture can develop, we personally have to learn how to have these balanced relationships. As we learn, we model this new behavior for others. Mars, the ruler of Aries, is in Taurus, so it’s a very strong, determined energy that’s related to Venus – it’s a fertile, green energy. It trines Pluto in Capricorn, so we have the energy to sustain us as we rise up and emerge.

So on this magical Full Moon, let the unexpected into your lives and see if it helps you clarify and fulfill your purpose.

Filling in the 4^th leg of this pattern is the asteroid Vesta in Cancer opposite Pluto. Vesta’s energies relate to the hearth and home fires, the Sacred Fire of Life, the godforce within us. In Cancer, the homefires will be alight all over the land to guide our new story home. This grand cardinal cross (planets in the 4 cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) will move our evolution and revolution forward. If you have any planets from 18-26* of cardinal signs, you’ll be personally affected. Look to the houses where your cardinal axis lies for information about how those changes will affect you. Hopefully, you’ll meet new allies – be they human, animal, plant, mineral or airy spirits. It’s time to move things forward, even though we have lots of planetary shifts this month.

Saturn just turned retrograde at 28* Sagittarius on April 6^th until August 25^th at 22* Sagittarius. The Sabian symbol for Saturn at 28* Sagittarius is: An old bridge over a beautiful stream is still in constant use. This old bridge is a combination of natural beauty and human skill and imagination. It bridges the past, present and future – the eternal, archetypal, cosmic laws that shape us but leave us the free will to express them or not.

When Saturn turns retrograde, all that structure and disciple gets turned within. We learn to structure our inner energies in alignment with the sign’s energies. With Sagittarius, we are aligning ourselves to the cosmic laws of life. We have to learn to harmonize with these cosmic energies, so spend the next four months looking within at your beliefs and how they influence your actions. Are they aligned? Or is there a disconnect? Bridge them.

Saturn trines the Aries planets and sextiles the Libra planets, so our inner discipline and awareness will help us find ways to work together with others to bring about both personal and collective changes. We have to live our ideals now. The most important aspect of Rising Up means just that – allowing our higher Self to work through us to change the world. It doesn’t mean we have to be goodie goodies and saintly – it means we have to be authentic.

Psyche's Last Task in the Underworld

 

Saturn also squares Venus retrograde conjunct Chiron in Pisces, exact on April 8^th. Venus challenges Saturn to incorporate the compassionate healing (Venus/Chiron) that our society needs now. It’s not a time to abandon those in need, especially as we see our ‘oh so Christian’ leaders pull the rug out of under the poor, the elderly, the sick and the hopeless while they give away our world to the wealthy. Venus will finish her retrograde on April 15^th, turning direct at 27* Pisces. Our brave warrior princess dove back into the collective waters to retrieve a vital piece of wisdom that she’ll need in her new cycle, which began in Aries on March 25^th. Sabian symbol for Venus at 27* Pisces is: The Harvest Moon illuminates a clear autumnal sky. This is a symbol of consummation and completion. It’s time to harvest the karma we have sown.

Pluto also turns retrograde this month on April 20^th until September 28^th. The Sabian symbol for Pluto at 20* Capricorn is: A hidden choir is singing during a religious service. This hidden choir is the unification of our collective talents, offered for a spiritual purpose. We have to bring back the knowledge that we are indeed spiritual beings having a human experience. We have to give voice to what we know.

And finally, Mercury turns retrograde on April 9^th, the day before this Full Moon. Mercury turns retrograde on April 9^th at 5* Taurus until it ends its retrograde at 25* Aries on May 3^rd. The Sabian symbol for Mercury going retrograde at 5* Taurus is: A widow at an open grave. It sounds like the cosmos wants us to contemplate what is dead so that we can leave it behind. The past is over with. What have we learned from it? It’s time to move on.

May the twin lights of our home planet guide and enrich your life.

Cathy

All Sabian Symbols are from Dane Rudhyar’s An Astrological Mandala

Beannacht
("Blessing")

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.

And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

~ John O'Donohue ~
(Echoes of Memory)

The Cosmic Story: Spring Equinox 2017

Spring Equinox, March 20, 2017 at 6:29am EDT.

Astrology tracks the archetypal energies, symbolized by the signs and planets, that shape our world.  They are constantly moving in cycles and shifting patterns and whether we call them vibrations, holograms, energy waves or synchronicities, they shape our reality.  These energies are neither good nor bad--they just are.  It's how we relate or react to them that makes all the difference.  Astrology gives us a heads up: if we look at our birth chart we can see how the present energies affect our birth energies. Since we are always growing and changing, knowing which energies we’ll be dancing with helps us co-create our lives rather than being victimized by our lives. Astrology helps us work with these energies in the most conscious, positive ways. So let’s look at the Spring Equinox chart to see what the next few months look like. 

 

The Spring Equinox occurs on Monday, March 20, 2017 at 3:29am PDT/ 6:29am EDT/ 10:29am GMT, when the Sun rises above the equator and enters the sign of Aries. Aries is the archetypal fire of life energy that gets renewed in the Spring. Aries, the Ram, is a cardinal fire sign; fire is the divine spark of power and passion, the creative force of life. Cardinal fire means fire that wants to move and shake the world. So Aries is ready to explore new frontiers and make new beginnings. After the gentle flowing, dreamy energy of Pisces, the fire and excitement of Aries can make those dreams an outer reality. 

Spring Equinox, March 20, 2017

 

The Sun, Venus retrograde, Mercury and Uranus are in Aries. The Sun in Aries calls us to adventure. It’s time to explore and find out what we’re made of. Each new adventure adds to our ‘identity’ and gives us a sense of possibilities – I can do that! Aries wants to experience life on his own terms. And she wants to be free. 

Venus cycle (ending this March)

 

Venus' orbit does something amazing - every 7 1/2 years or so it forms a pentagram in the sky.  The pentagram contains the Golden Ratio and symbolizes the elements: air, earth, fire, water and spirit.  It is sacred to the Goddess in many traditions.  And because of her brightness, Venus is called both the Morning Star and the Evening Star.  I once saw Venus shining on the water on Christmas morning.  That's how bright and brilliant Venus can be.

Venus goes retrograde once every 18 months and during this phase the archetypal imperative is to take the journey to the Underworld and reclaim those parts of ourselves we’ve repressed and ignored.  Like Inanna’s descent to her sister Ereshkigal, we have to face the repressed loneliness, rage and despair within the psyche that our modern lifestyle can’t afford to acknowledge without breaking down. During this Venus retrograde, embrace your dark emotions, allow them their say, and come back up to the outer world knowing your value and worth. Since Venus retrogrades back into Pisces from Aries, the energy helps us align ourselves with our deepest spiritual values of truth, authenticity and wisdom. 

Marilyn Monroe had Venus in Aries. 

Venus retrograde in Aries is a force to be reckoned with. A daring, passionate, leader in Aries, Venus is more assertive and goal oriented, so watch for all the women coming forward as leaders in the coming years. ‘Western (awakened) women will change the world’ Dalai Lama. All things Venusian want to be renewed so that we are true to ourselves – so acknowledge your true feelings about love, sensuality and sex, fairness, compassion, the arts, beauty and your relationships to people and to money.

Venus turned retrograde on March 4^th – did you have an interesting dream since then? It will show you the areas of life that Venus wants to rehabilitate. Has some issue come up about your relationships or money? You might need to look at your Shadow. With U.S. Republicans wanting to defund the Arts, how can we make the Arts even more relevant to a fearful society? 

Venus has an 18 month cycle: when she is retrograde and close to the Earth, she begins a new cycle as a Morning Star and after 9 months meets up with the Sun on its far side to begin her journey as an Evening Star. As Venus descends in the western sky each night now, her bright light dims and she will disappear as she joins the Sun to start a new cycle on March 25^th. Being close to Earth makes Venus’ energy more powerful. which will give us a very feisty Aries Venus, ready to defend her world --the Women’s March on Washington was only the beginning. Women are awakening to our power and with this new Venus cycle, we will not be shut down or out. Don’t forget – self-care is a must now, so take Venus as your mentor. Venus turns direct on April 15 at 27* Pisces: A harvest Moon illumines a clear autumnal sky.

Mercury is orbiting out beyond the Sun, having just become an Evening Star after its conjunction with the Sun on March 6^th.  Mercury’s archetypal energy resonates with how we use our Minds: our ability to think rationally and perceive what our senses tell us. Mercury is the archetypal source of our intelligence and ability to communicate what we’re perceiving. With Mercury in Aries, our Mind quickens, often seeing things before anyone else does. An Aries Mercury is really intelligent, quick-thinking, fast-talking and often impatient to get his ideas out there or else move on to something new.  During this season, think outside-the-box and listen to the imagination since Mercury semi-sextiles Neptune in Pisces.  Let Mercury move between the inner and outer worlds since he is the Messenger of the Gods, so pay attention to your dreams now. Mercury enters Taurus on April 1^st, but it soon turns retrograde from April 10^th—May 3^rd and goes back into Aries where it will join up with Uranus at 25* Aries: The possibility to gain experience at two levels of Being.  Here's another indication of the possibility to evolve this Spring.

Green Man 

Mars, the ruler of Aries, is in grounded Taurus, ready to take up the hard tasks awaiting us.  Mars is our archetypal warrior energy, ready to protect and defend those who can't.  Mars grapples with issues, not giving up until he has understood what's needed.  Mars energy engages in life and does what is needed for life.  In Taurus, Mars becomes the Green Man, spirit of Nature and rebirth in the Spring. 

 Mars' only contact in this chart is with Venus in Aries; occupying each other’s signs helps us to integrate these energies of the divine feminine and divine masculine, our ‘being’ nature and our ‘doing’ nature. Mars, the Sun’s ruler, is determined to protect and defend the heart (Venus). It’s a good time to bring our values (Venus) and desires (Mars) into alignment with who we really are. Shake off the rules and manifest what you want. 

Uranus

 

Uranus is still engaged in its square to Pluto in Capricorn and its opposition to Jupiter in Libra. We feel compelled to stand up for our freedom and our beliefs as the old patriarchal structures try to assert themselves one last time before they die out. For it will die, one way or the other, as Pluto continues to bring up the dirt and hypocrisy of our cultural institutions. If anyone has planets from 19* – 25* Cancer, you will ground in the fourth leg of that T-Square, bringing big changes to your door. 

Saturn

 

The Moon at the Spring Equinox is in Sagittarius conjunct Saturn. On one hand, Moon/Saturn contacts can feel very depressed and rigid, limiting our ability to nurture ourselves. It can be an emotionally challenging time. On the other hand, when you make friends with Saturn’s limits and discipline, the Sagittarius Moon’s beliefs will grow stronger and over time, our emotional growth and resilience will stand us in good stead. Saturn needs time to ground things in so make sure you take some alone time when you need it.

Saturn conjunct the Moon is another sign that women leaders (Moon) are necessary for stability (Saturn). Both the Moon and Saturn form a fire trine to Uranus, making sure we stay stimulated yet stable. Planets from 23*- 29* Leo will make this a strong fire grand trine, creatively nourishing your new story. Saturn turns retrograde this year on April 6^th until August 26^th. This will be a time to strengthen your inner resolve.

The Saturn/Moon conjunction forms a waning square to the Aries Sun. This is a time to examine our beliefs and know what it is we value so we can bring them on our adventures. Will we grow into our power or try to hide under the covers? Everything is conspiring to wake us up to take charge of our lives. We don’t have to go into Fear (Saturn can bring that) when we read about what’s happening in our world; we can create a fear-free zone where our beliefs keep us grounded in the NOW. From there, we can plan our response to the changing world.

Saturn/Moon is also being challenged by Chiron in Pisces. Chiron was the mentor of heroes, the change agents of their world. He was especially known as a wise healer. In Pisces this energy wants to heal the rejected aspects of life that shelter in the Collective Unconscious/World Soul, working through the Arts, through compassion, through a reconnection to the cosmic laws of the universe. Chiron challenges the Sagittarius Moon/Saturn to heal our fears, strengthen our beliefs and take responsibility for our lives so we can really live our spiritual values. 

Jupiter

The Uranus opposition to Jupiter puts tremendous pressure on us to change. This is the big astrological aspect of the year. Jupiter’s archetypal energy expands and accelerates processes while Uranus’s archetypal energy works to awaken us to our freedom, undermining the status quo. While Jupiter is retrograde, meaning it’s close to Earth, its energy affects us strongly. All retrograde energies operate more strongly in the inner world. As we examine our inner life, Jupiter’s intuitive knowing wants to find the Shadow blocks and negative habits that keep us from having strong relationships. Jupiter in Libra is all about our relationships, so our social networks will also expand, but Uranus in Aries will only want to hook up with like-minded, awakened individuals. 

  

This year's Equinox chart shows us how the archetypal energy field continues the process of change and transformation, both in the world and within ourselves. The more we ‘know ourselves’ the easier it is to deal with the turmoil of the outer world changes we face. Both the Venus and Jupiter retrogrades are working to break up old behavior patterns around all our relationships -- personal and collective. This chart resonates to a freedom frequency -- the more we face repression in the outer world, the more freedom we need within.  We all chose on a soul level to be here at this time on Earth to help humanity’s initiation into higher consciousness, to help us be free. What is happening in the world is an adventure your spirit has chosen to take. Be courageous in the face of fear, be consistent with your spiritual practice and be creative in your thinking and responses. Because there is no stopping evolution.

Beginners -- Denise Levertov

Dedicated to the memory of Karen Silkwood and Eliot Gralla

“From too much love of living,
Hope and desire set free,
Even the weariest river
Winds somewhere to the sea—“

But we have only begun
To love the earth.

We have only begun
To imagine the fullness of life.

How could we tire of hope?
— so much is in bud.

How can desire fail?
— we have only begun

to imagine justice and mercy,
only begun to envision

how it might be
to live as siblings with beast and flower,
not as oppressors.

Surely our river
cannot already be hastening
into the sea of nonbeing?

Surely it cannot
drag, in the silt,
all that is innocent?

Not yet, not yet—
there is too much broken
that must be mended,

too much hurt we have done to each other
that cannot yet be forgiven.

We have only begun to know
the power that is in us if we would join
our solitudes in the communion of struggle.

So much is unfolding that must
complete its gesture,

so much is in bud.

~ Denise Levertov ~

(Candles in Babylon)

Cathy Pagano

Jungian Dreamworker

Wisdom Coach

Archetypal Astrologer

www.wisdom-of-astrology.com