The Cosmic Story: Libra New Moon, September 30, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Libra New Moon, September 30, 2016

Big Love!

New Moons nights are magical times. The night sky fills with millions of stars with no Moon in the sky to enchant our eyes. We look up and look out into the universe, just as the far side of the Moon does. We look into eternity. And a new seed gets planted in our collective psyche.

Each New and Full Moon occupy different signs of the Zodiac, and so different energies are evoked and different desires are stirred up throughout the year. Each sign adds a necessary dimension to our lives, and while some of us have our Sun or Moon, Ascendent or planets in the New Moon sign, we all embody that sign's energy in some way in our charts. So this month, all of us can say in truth, “I am a Libra!” It just depends on how much emphasis we put into this sign's purpose by astrological planet and house, and by our personal disposition.

Even more than with other signs, Libra strongly affects everyone, because Libra is the sign of the Other, so it impacts all our Relationships, even our relationship to our Self. Everytime we engage with another person, be it a business partner, a client, a friend, a child, a family member, a lover, a stranger, that's us partaking in the Libra archetype. Libra also initiates us into finding the balance between the inner feminine (our being) and masculine (our doing), so that we become whole in ourselves; so that we engage with others as unique individuals instead of as our projected shadow stereotypes.

Libra is a social air sign, interested in intelligent conversation, beauty and art as well as diplomacy, peace and social progress. Libra wants real justice, fairness and balance in our laws, our beliefs and our actions. And yet while it is an air/thinking sign, Libra has heart. With Venus/Aphrodite as the ruler of Libra, she balances her head and her heart to help us find truth, beauty and love. 

Edward Burne-Jones

 Where do you think Libra's social skills come from? Aprhodite's Courtesans throughout the ages where the ones who shaped much of our Western aesthetic. With Aphrodite comes the Muses, inspiring us to create Art That Matters to others. During this month of Libra as well as this whole next year, we get to express ourselves through any of the arts that inspire us. What about using ART to speak about this election in the US? Where are our musicians and artists in this time of dire beauty and chaos? The Arts speak to justice, beauty and truth. It is a heartfelt expression that speaks to us viscerally.

Now, to add a little more spice to this juicy energy, the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, has just arrived in the sign of Libra, and will be traveling through it until next October 2017. So the sign of Libra and all our relationships will be especially energized this year. That means, pay attention! Jupiter is a big energy. Learn to work with it. Especially through the lens of your chart. Astrology can give structure to your life and help you name parts of yourself and your gifts so you can make the best choices for your life. Jupiter in a chart indicates how you fit into the larger culture. So knowing where Jupiter and Libra are in your charts can open doors to the outer world for you. Libra says: Don't be afraid to look for partners to do it with.

Jupiter, the Light-Bringer

 Jupiter in Libra can engender in us a desire to become more noble and honorable in our actions to others and to ourselves. Jupiter gives us the enthusiasm, curiosity and wanderlust to expand our sense of the possible and in the sign of relationships, this year could very well see some relationship healing for those generations with Uranus (1968-75), Pluto (1971-84) and Neptune (1942-56/57) in Libra, since Jupiter will become part of the still ongoing revolutionary and evolutionary Uranus in Aries square to Pluto in Capricorn. More change is on its way. In fact, be prepared for Revolution 2.5 as Jupiter lights up the Pluto/Uranus revolutionary-evolutionary energies again.

Jupiter is the Roman Father god, in many ways similar to Zeus, the king of the gods of Olympus. Zeus was the Greek ideal of kingly rule, upholder of social law and order, merciful Father and judge, mediator and wise counselor. (This is why Jupiter/Zeus rules Sagittarius, the sign of cosmic law.) Sitting high on Olympus, Zeus overthrew the rule of the Titans and represented a more civilized world than that of the primal, titanic powers who ruled an earlier age. Or at least that's the story patriarchy tells.

With this expansive energy focused on the realm of relationships, we might find our hearts growing big enough to encompass the compassion we need to help bring the world back into balance. We might find ourselves stepping out of our personal concerns and opening our hearts to future generations who need us to stand up for justice now. Saving our planet isn't about saving Mother Earth—she'll heal in time. Saving our planet is about leaving a sustainable and sustaining Earth for future generations. Jupiter in Libra can encourage our more noble character to stand up and have a say in how our laws affect us and the world.

And in the relationship realm, Jupiter in Libra can help us be both noble and truthful about our relationship needs. So on all levels, this is the year to engage with zest and joy in relationships!

The Libra New Moon, September 30, 2016

This Libra New Moon occurs on September 30^th at 5:11pm PDT/ 8:11pm EDT/ and October 1^st at 12:11am GMT.

The Sabian symbol¹ for the Sun and Moon at 9* Libra is: Three 'Old Masters' hanging on the wall of a special room at an art gallery. Dane Rudhyr's symbolic reading suggests that going back to these 'old Masters' in a time of chaos can help us find the right values we need to sustain us during the deep changes we're going through. He speaks of our three-fold soul as the Rays of Power, of Love-Wisdom, and of Intelligence-in-action. That means we have to learn to be pure channels for these three dimensions of our psyches, consciously choosing how to use our spiritual inheritance.

This New Moon calls us to concretely identify ourselves with our HIGHER SELF. We do this by being inspired by great teachers and leaders and legendary characters. Jupiter in Libra will help your meditation in this way. Get back in touch with the archetype that calls your name and let its energy give you the confidence to Be in a new way and to act from that new Being. This type of meditation uses the imagination to open us to new wisdom, being and action.

The Sabian symbol for Jupiter at 5* Libra is: A man revealing to his students the foundations of an inner knowledge upon which a 'New World' could be built. Rudhyr sees this as a form of 'transmission' from teacher to student. Ancient wisdom being transferred to the student from the guru. In reality, it's the feminine embodiment of this inner wisdom which will build the new world. Once we learn to access this inner knowledge—the foundations—we open to the world of quantum possiblities. This is the feminine, heroine's journey—the inner journey of self-knowledge and connection to the Higher Self, the other side of the Hero's Journey. Both journeys are necessary to bring balance and peace to our own lives and to the world.

So this New Moon, we are being blessed with the inspiration and tools for a New Birth within our psyches, which in turn can open up the outer world for us in new and enriching ways. This winter, learn to work with the imagination so that your springtime will blossom and next year's harvest will be fruitful.

The Birth of Venus by

 William-Adolphe Bouguereau, c. 1879

As I mentioned earlier, Venus/Aphrodite is the ruler of Libra, housing her archetypal energy, which expresses itself through connection, love, wisdom, sensuality and sexuality, beauty and art. While patriarchy has done everything it can to vilify as well as dominate Aphrodite's energy and blessings, we can still re-discover her power when we express love, create art, listen to our bodies' wisdom, care for the Earth and each other. These beautiful, feminine gifts of life have been raped and pillaged, polluted like the waters of the Earth. And yet they will rise again when we consciously own them. Why have we been taught to be embarrassed by, afraid of or unconscious about our bodies? Why don't we trust Love? Why is it so hard to communicate our feelings? Why haven't we been taught how to be in relationships, since it is something we all crave? Why don't we understand ourselves and others?

Patriarchy has tried to make us forget the power, wisdom and intelligence of a loving heart. Or at least has tried to make it irrelevant to important issues of life. Aphrodite/Venus can show us how to reclaim this power. At this Libra New Moon, the planet Venus is in Scorpio, the sign of psychological transformation. Venus in Scorpio looks deeply into the heart of things and digs out the truth, whether we like it or not. This tranformative Venus can help us look at and accept our Shadows, those wounded aspects of our psyche that when seen and embraced, give us new energy and inspiration.

At this New Moon, Venus helps us dig out the truth of our hearts—what fears live there, what hopes want to blossom, what visions want to manifest. All too often in astrology, we reduce Venus/Aphrodite to a few key words like love, sex, beauty and money, values. Or even worse, flirtatious, jealous, moody, manipulative, competitive. But those words do not begin to describe the deep mystery of Venus/Aphrodite, who leads us to Wisdom! Any goddess energy that can give us that gift is deeper than a few catchwords.

If you actually go outside and follow the planets in their nightly rounds, you soon discover what many ancient cultures knew: Venus tracks a 5-pointed star in the sky over 8 years, which repeats over and over before shifting to another place in the sky. A few astrologers are working with this Venus cycle again and the results are rich indeed. Both Arielle Guttman's Venus Star Rising² and Adam Gainsburg's The Light of Venus³ shift our awareness to the living, moving night sky and its cycles and patterns. Venus makes a pentagram in our skies over an 8-year period. Both Venus and the pentagram symbolize feminine energies. These are the energies our culture has tried to deny to its detriment. It is appropriate that we reclaim this Heavenly Venus/Aprhodite again.

Venus has always been associated with the brightly shining Morning Star, rising before the Sun. As Morning Star, she is closest to the Earth and is more assertive and warlike, waxing to her fullest. She is also the Evening Star, when the planet Venus is furthest from the Earth. As Evening Star, Venus brings Heaven down to Earth as Aphrodite Urania, gifting us with Wisdom. We experience peace and tranquility and gather in the harvest of our knowing. As Adam Gainsburg³ says of this stage of the Venus cycle, this is the time to integrate the deep internal feminine transformation that we've just experienced. It's time to have practical outlets for our new understanding and intuitive wisdom.

This Venus in Scorpio is an Evening Star. She is just starting to separate from the Sun and if you go outside at sundown, you'll see her rising higher and higher into the sky. She's sending her beauty down to us, so that we too might shine brightly. As Evening Star, Venus gives us a bigger stage to act upon. What and who can you influence with your truth and wisdom? Venus is asking us to remember who we really are and to access our wisdom. We live in a livng, evolving universe. Anything is possible if we love life rather than sink into darkness and death.

Venus is the call to life. Venus is so important that I'll be working on a blog about her this month. Check in at my Lady Wisdom Chronicles to see when I post it.

Mars just slipped into the sign of Capricorn, finally leaving Sagittarius, where's he's been coming and going since early March 2016. As our Mars desire nature gets grounded, it challenges (squares) this New Moon in Libra. Whatever we're planting and hoping for and communicating with others about has to find practical outlets.

Saturn and Neptune and the Nodes are still in play. How can we release limiting beliefs to make room for new possibilities and stories that fit our Triune Nature: our Power, our Love/Wisdom and our Intelligence-in-Action. Our Body, Soul and Spirit.

We are being called home to our Selves. Don't forget you're not alone.

Walk in the Light,

Cathy

1. Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala.  All Sabian symbols.

2. Arielle Guttman, Venus Star Rising.  

3. Adam Gainsburg, The Light of Venus.

Looking, Walking, Being -- Denise Levertov

Looking, Walking, Being

"The World is not something to
look at, it is something to be in."
-- Mark Rudman

I look and look.
Looking's a way of being: one becomes,
sometimes, a pair of eyes walking.
Walking wherever looking takes one.

The eyes
dig and burrow into the world.
They touch
fanfare, howl, madrigal, clamor.
World and the past of it,
not only
visible present, solid and shadow
that looks at one looking.

And language? Rhythms
of echo and interruption?
That's
a way of breathing.

breathing to sustain
looking,
walking and looking,
through the world,
in it.

~ Denise Levertov ~


(Poems, 1960-1967)

The Cosmic Story: Mercury Retrograde Ends: What Did You Integrate?

Stepping into Our New Story

Mercury, the quickest planet in our solar system, is slowing down, stopping and reversing direction tonight at 1:31am September 22nd, hours before the Autumn Equinox.  Mercury has been retrograde since August 30th and has moved backwards through Virgo from the very end of this sign of healing, integration and wholeness to about the middle. The question Mercury tried to answer is: what do you want to become so we can begin to build it?  Virgo's energy is geared toward the integration of Body, Soul (Mind and Heart) and Spirit.  To be your Self and to own it.

It seems auspicious that Mercury will stop to observe us as the Earth comes into Balance for the Equinox--in the North, we will celebrate the Autumn Equinox while in the South, you will celebrate Spring Equinox.  For both hemispheres, there will be a balance of Day and Night.  What has Mercury taught you about Balance?  The Equinox occurs at 7:22am PDT/ 10:22am EDT/ 2:22pm GMT on September 22, 2016.  What have you harvested this year?

There are the usual rumours of Mercury retrograde breakdowns: car trouble, communication difficulties, travel disruptions, computer breakdowns.  I wonder if this happens when we aren't paying attention to some inner issues: are our goals still viable?  Who don't we want to talk to? Where are we running to? Where are we overdoing, overloading or over stressing ourselves to cause breakdowns?  And people have reconnected, rediscovered and redone things.

Within the next few days, this little planet will begin to move forward again in relationship to Earth.  Our intelligence--our rational and intuitive minds--hopefully has been regenerated in some way. With Mercury in Virgo, we get to work with a transformative, magical Mind, one that alchemizes our inner energies to create a more integrated personality.  This was a great time to work with the Unconscious and bring about changes in our beliefs that have hampered us from moving forward.

This is the alchemical Mercurius/Mercury--the transformative Mind, which is how Mercury manifests as the ruler of Virgo.  What did you purify?  What did you burn off? What did you awaken? What did you imagine and how are you bringing it into your life?

This is a very strong change of direction for a few reasons.  First is that Mercury rules Virgo so makes the best use of this energy, acting as the Psychopomp or Guide of Souls here.  It likes to pay attention to details and get it all perfect--or as perfect as it can be at the moment.  It can lead you into the Unconscious and guide you through the dangers there until you face the energies calling you down.  And then it can bring you back up into the light of consciousness, changed and whole.

Mercury Stationing Direct, 9.22.16

The second reason this planetary station of Mercury is strong is that it forms a grand mutable cross (a planet in each of the 4 mutable signs): Mercury in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces and squares both Saturn in Sagittarius and the Moon in Gemini.  The Moon and Neptune open us to the Unconscious, while Mercury and Saturn fine tune what we find there and bring it into consciousness.

We have to look at our limiting beliefs and see if they're valid.  If not, they do not serve us or Life itself.  Once we let go of old beliefs and habits of thought and know what we want, we can consciously choose what we believe. We can live our purpose and prosper once we release the chains that bind us to our past.  The lunar eclipse last week released our old stories back into the Collective Unconscious.  Now we can begin to live our new stories with focus and energy, because we've left the old world behind.

This Mercury retrograde gave us a blessing.  Let us honor it by living it.
Cathy

Mercury Retrograde Special

If you want to see how this Mercury retrograde affected you, I am offering a special 1/2 hour reading.  Just email me at cathy@wisdom-of-astrology.com and we'll set up an appointment.  If you can name and own what you learned in the past 24 days, you can use it to help build your new life.

The Cosmic Story: Pisces Lunar Eclipse, September 16, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Pisces Lunar Eclipse, September 16, 2016

Believe It or Not!

The other day when I was out doing my laundry, an aging Baby-Boomer said to me, “When are you gonna take your Bernie sticker off your car?” I looked at him and said, 'Never'. He started in on me about how Bernie was leading a 60s style revolution (yes, indeed he was) and the kids just didn't step up. I was stunned. So I said, “That's not true at all.” I said perhaps it was that the establishment just wasn't ready for such radical change all at once. But he persisted in his belief that the revolution didn't happen or won't continue (based on his 60s experience perhaps?). And he blamed it on the very people who were trying to make change happen. A bit disgruntled if you ask me. I wish I could give him some faith in us.

This encounter is a perfect example of the background energies supporting this upcoming Pisces Lunar Eclipse. While they've moved beyond their 7 squares after early 2015, we're still experiencing the backlash of the Pluto in Capricorn/Uranus in Aries waxing square. This is the energy of a crisis of action. The Hero's Journey. The overcoming of obstacles. The setting down of strong roots and sending out of strong shoots. 

 These two powerful energies—Pluto as lord of Death & Rebirth and Evolution and Uranus, the Great Awakener, the Revolutonary, the Idealist—began a new cycle in 1965-66. Like a New Moon, they joined together, and a seed was planted. A seed of Revolution and Evolution. And instinctively, many of us understood that we had to revolutionize and evolve ourselves to know where this new re-birth was headed. And because of that inner search, many hippie Boomers turned to self-examination, spiritual seeking and health rather than to power, corporate climbing and government. (And of course, many didn't.)

But now we see that if we are to establish a just and healthy world culture, we have to get involved in the governing structures of our world. Our environment knows no boundaries. We have to make this very big change together. We have to choose to consciously evolve. We have to bring our greater self-awareness into service to the world. For while people can take to the streets to demand justice and change, those people we choose to govern for us have to be of us. If we're going to take responsibility for our world, we need to get involved in it. (And that goes for me too!)

The other big celestial event that is still rippling through our collective psyches is the waning Saturn in Sagittarius/Neptune in Pisces square, which had its third and final exact square last Saturday, September 10^th. This waning square symbolizes a crisis in consciousness, where we have to choose what knowledge and meaning we want to bring forward into the next cycle. It's up to us to determine what is important to our own soul's journey. And it will be different for each of us. These two planets began their new cycle in February 1989 in Capricorn. Imagination and Spirituality. Facts and boundaries. How do we reconcile these so very different energies? What have you been learning about your beliefs since 1989? Have you arrived at some idea of your own Truth? Check the houses these planets are affecting your birth charts for clues about what you need to do now.

Saturn challenging Neptune echos the theme of the waning square, because both Sagittarius and Pisces are signs of cosmic law, belief and faith. So this square has us shifting through our beliefs, looking at our truths and illusions, discerning what Truths we will stand up for. Will we bully and bluster about our beliefs as if we owned the truth or will we stand firm in what we hope for and believe in?

Here is the celestial picture of what this man was experiencing when he made his demand of me. He felt disillusion that the Bernie revolution didn't happen just like in the 60s. (Neptune in Pisces) He has lost faith and he stood up for that lost faith by picking on me for my Bernie bumper sticker. (Saturn in Sagittarius) What he doesn't know is that this time the revolution is going to take hold, because we not only have the heavenly energies on our side, we also have lots of old hippies helping the younger 'hippies' just like Hans Solo helped the young freedom fighters in the new Star Wars. Together we now have enough people to 'radicalize the middle' in the next 4 years. Everyone wants a better life. Some of us have to go out in front and encourage the rest of us to participate in making it happen.

Change is inevitable, but now it is a matter of life and death as the Earth's climate spirals out of control. I look at my 1-year-old grandson and my friends' grandchildren and it isn't fair of us to leave them a dying world. That's where our society is heading and our leaders don't seem to care. So it is up to us to care, not only for our children's children's sakes, but to honor Mother Earth and restore balance. A life out of balance created this mess we find ourselves in. Let's help bring it back into its original balance and blessings.

To help us do that (and since the Goddess always works in 3s), Jupiter is leaving Virgo overnight and entering Libra in the early morning hours of September 9^th, 2016. Jupiter, or the Greek Zeus, is the supreme god who brings blessings and luck, a wider perspective and understanding, peace and justice when society moves to the rhythms of the cosmic order. Too often, he is also used to justify the societal order of the day. But in going back to his archetypal roots, Jupiter is the King of the Gods, the Great Benefic father-god, who stands for upholding the laws and keeping the peace in fairness and equality. On an energetic level, Jupiter represents expansion, curiosity and higher knowledge. Or too much of a good thing!

Jupiter in Libra enjoys a much easier relationship with this cardinal Air sign than it did in Earth-bound Virgo. Jupiter's lust for expansion, his curiosity and his vision are better suited to Libra's social interchanges—heaven knows we need more social justice and economic equality in the world. The revolution has just begun. Jupiter in Libra might tilt the scales of justice back to a more balanced state. And there is hope that Jupiter will manifest his better qualities, since Saturn (which is exalted in Libra) is in Jupiter's sign of Sagittarius, the great Lawgiver. Symbolically, they're living in each others homes and can use their energies more freely and compatibly, which helps with their upcoming sextile—an aspect of intellectual openness and inventiveness. If you've been wanting to figure out where you are headed, these two energies—of expansion and limitation, of higher knowledge and responsibility, of spirit and form—will be more in synch with each other through next winter. And throughout next year, Jupiter will engage that Pluto/Uranus square, highlighting the need for social renewal.

And what better way to enter a sign than to have that sign's Mistress there to greet him. Libra's ruler, Venus, is also in Libra now blessing Jupiter's arrival with the gifts of beauty, diplomacy, cooperation, connection, wisdom and love. Libra is concerned with relationships and more equality between the sexes. This will be a great year to work on all our relationships. Venus is opposite Eris and Uranus in Aries, using her persuasion to transform chaos into meaning—the arts are always a good way to make that happen. Venus is accompanied by the 9 Muses in Libra, so connect with your Muse and share your vision with the world.

Let's intend, for the next 13 months while Jupiter travels through Libra, that the Scales of Justice will be balanced, that the laws of our lands will be fair for all of us and that our leaders weld the tool of diplomacy rather than the weapons of war.

May holy Aphrodite guide Jupiter to judge our actions with mercy and compassion.

So Mote It Be!

Pisces Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, September 16, 2016

So now that we understand the background energies, we can look at the lunar eclipse coming up this Friday. This Pisces Full Moon is called The Harvest Moon because it's the closest full Moon to the Autumn Equinox (on September 22) and helps give more light for bringing in the harvest. The other interesting fact about the Harvest Moon is that since it rises near the Equator (near the horizon) it rises right around sunset for a few days, so it looks like the Full Moon lingers. Go out and look!

This Harvest Moon is also a penumbral eclipse of the Moon, meaning that the Moon only moves through Earth's outer shadow. It's very subtle and barely discernable. But the energies between Sun and Moon are still disrupted and so, as with all Full Moons, we become aware of things that we've been unconscious of, finally letting go of what no longer serves life. With the Earth's shadow kissing the Moon, perhaps we really need to look at our collective shadows—the greed, violence, entitlement, exceptionalism and waste that our first world civilization spews out along with its pollution. 

The Pisces Full Moon lunar eclipse occurs on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 12:05pm PDT/ 3:05pm EDT/ 7:05pm GMT.

 

The Sabian symbol¹ for the Sun at 25* Virgo is: A simple testimonial given at a wartime funeral, before the guns are picked up once more. We honor our war dead (even while we do not take care of our veterans) with a proclamation of a job well done amidst danger. Perhaps this symbol encourages us to recognize and honor those parts of ourselves which have sustained us through the 'dark nights of the soul' we've all experienced. Sometimes even our shadows help us endure when nothing else can. But now that part of our life is over and we have to continue to grow more aware of what we hold as Truth. This is an image of someone who is willing to stand up for Truth, even in the face of death.

The Sabian symbol¹ for the Moon at 25* Pisces is: After drastic reforms, a purified clergy officiates anew. This seems to indicate a renewal of spiritual ideals after releasing hypocritical blockages to true insight into ourselves. If we are going to find our Truth, then we have to see those shadows which have kept us blind to our unconscious actions.

The Pisces/Virgo axis of the zodiac brings together Spirit and Matter, Heaven and Earth and Masculine and Feminine energies, engendering growth and understanding. This Full Moon, aside from being eclipsed, also holds together the energies of Chiron in Pisces, Mercury retrograde in Virgo and Mars in Sagittarius. 

 The Sun in Virgo is joined by Mercury retrograde on Monday September 12^th, initiating a new cycle of intelligence that can illuminate some of the answers we've been searching for.Mercury in Virgo has more to do with Hermes Trismegistus, the alchemical Mercury--the transformed and transformative Mind.   It's a great time to unite head and heart to come up with innovative solutions to outstanding questions. And both Mercury and the Sun square Mars in Sagittarius on September 12-13^th, helping us bring some of those truths to light.

The Moon in Pisces is conjunct Chiron, showing us the deep wounds we all bear from a patriarchal culture that shames us into unworthiness rather than blesses us for our uniqueness. With the help of Sun/Mercury, we can begin to name and release some of those wounds. The pain they caused us can be released so we can go into the future without shame or blame. Once you've released old limiting beliefs of unworthiness, you can let yourself be filled with Joy! For Joy is our divine inheritance.

Mars, which has been in Sagittarius since early March (except for its retrograde back into Scorpio from late May to early August), squares this eclipsed Full Moon, challenging us to become spiritual warriors in life, standing up not only for our personal truths but also for our collective well-being. Mars' will power, courage and need for action is the tension point between the Sun and Moon. What will we do with the knowledge this lunar eclipse sends our way? Listen to your dreams. Open to your intuition and your mind's musings. Things that you've kept hidden from yourself will set you free.

Two planets station (change direction) just after this Full Moon eclipse. On September 21-22, Mercury turns direct at 15* Virgo: A mirror and a faceted bottle of perfume.¹ Mercury's message is to look at things from different perspectives. A mirror shows us another view of ourselves while the facets of that perfume bottom reflect light at different angles. Perhaps to get the whole picture, we all need to look at things from multiple perspectives.

Pluto stations direct on September 26^th at 15* Capricorn: In a hospital for the poor, a children's ward full of playthings. Pluto in Capricorn has really opened our eyes to the inequality within western society. Regardless of what we Americans think, we do have our own 'royalty'--the royalty of the wealthy, which isn't so different from the aristocrats of old Europe. As Pluto finishes up this retrograde half-way through the sign of government and finance, social institutions and our place in society, we are given an image of compassion for the new life that often feels powerless. Perhaps now, the Collective Unconscious of Pisces will be validated instead of rejected and made irrelevant. Perhaps, the will of the people will override the will of the few.

And of course, we celebrate Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere on September 22, while in the southern hemisphere you're celebrating the return of Spring. The day of balance between day and night is struck once again. In the Fall, now the days will shorten and the darkness will grow. These are the days where we once again have choices to make. What will we save from this year's harvest to sustain us over the winter months? What projects want more work? What inner desires still need to be met? When we release our old limiting beliefs, what is set free to blossom? As one of my favorite pagan chants for Equinox says:

Onward we go round the spiral
Touching darkness, touching light
Twice each turn we rest in balance
Make choices on this night
Make choices on this night. 

 

Walk in the Light,

Cathy

1. Steve Eardley, The Revised Sabian Symbols. 1982.

The Cosmic Story: Virgo Solar Eclipse New Moon, September 1, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Virgo Solar Eclipse New Moon, September 1, 2016

Are you The Captain of Yourself?

As we begin September, we once again enter eclipse season. This is the time of year when the Sun, Moon and Earth all dance on the same plane and so align with each other. The partial lunar eclipse on August 18^th just skimmed the Earth's shadow, but this solar eclipse is very close to the lunar nodes and so there will be an annular eclipse of the Sun, meaning there will be a ring of fire around the Moon. It will be visble mostly in the southern hemisphere, but as always, all of us will be affected by the disruption of energy flow from the Sun to Earth. This gives us another chance to re-align ourselves with new intentions and new energy.

NASA

The lunar nodes move through the signs every year and a half or so. The South Node shows us what we have to leave behind. With the South Node in Pisces, we have to leave behind our addictions, our feelings of victimization and martyrdom, our illusions and delusions. With the SN conjunct Neptune, it's time to release old wounds and old fantasies that no longer serve our collective evolution. It is both a personal and collective call for releasing the soul toxins that keep us stuck in a morass of 'could have beens' and 'should have dones', of guilt and shame. Pisces symbolizes Jung's Collective Unconscious, the brooding sea of our collective soul, which has been traumatized by millenia of war, domination and brutality. It is also the place of our redemption, allowing us to feel each other's pain and understand each other's needs. 

Virgo

The North Node is the place we have to develop, an energy that can heal the South Node's wounds and pain. The NN in Virgo calls us to develop a few things. First, it calls us to integrate our body, soul and spirit, becoming virginal or as my youngest, Virgo son once told me, “I am the captain of myself, mommy!” To be a virgin means to belong to yourself, to acknowledge and live out your own original being. Second, the Virgo NN calls us to service. That means that our gifts, our talents and our purpose here on Earth are meant to be shared with the world. While our SN addictions can make us selfish, our NN integrity can make us self-less, meaning we no longer have to live in the singular universe of 'I am' but can allow ourselves to gather in a universe of 'we are'. We are in this together. The Virgo NN takes the Pisces SN sufferings seriously. It's time to do something!

The Piscean pain and suffering we see in the world isn't just a matter of human suffering, but of Mother Earth's suffering, of the animal kindom's suffering. The Virgo call to service is alive and well in many places right now, as African refugees in Italy work to help earthquake victims, as firefighters battle raging wildfires in the American west and as our Native brothers and sisters work to protect Mother Earth's sacred waters and land in North Dakota. These spiritual warriors are taking a stand for Mother Earth, against the greed and insanity of the corporate machinary. We need to listen to our Native people, who still acknowledge their connection to Mother Earth. They know this is a time of choice, a time when we have to stand up for Mother Earth and each other. The keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf pipe, calls on each of us to realize that we are on the brink of destroying Mother Earth's capacity to heal herself. The healing has to begin within each of us so that we can work together to heal the Earth for our children.

Ancient astrologers called Virgo a 'barren' sign, meaning nothing can grow. But this is So Wrong! Virgo is the sign of the Virgin, a being who 'belongs to herself'. Virgin forests are full of Life, just as being virginal means we're full of potential. Virgo is the sign of the Mother goddess who gives life to the world, symbolized in many statues of Isis and Horus, Mary and Jesus. The fruitful womb which gives birth to new ways of doing things, to new forms. Virgo is the sign where we realize that potential in the world. This is the harvest of being Virginal. The alchemical vessel which transmutes unconsciousness into spiritual awareness, where we manifest the truth of our being.

Isis—ancient Goddess of the magic of the Word and so very dishonored by us calling those Islamic terrorists by Her name—brought knowledge and wisdom to humankind through her humility, perseverence and healing abilities. This is Virgo's true purpose. How can we all serve the greater good and help heal our world? Look at your chart to see where this Virgo New Moon solar eclipse occurs. It will give you a clue to where this new life wants to take hold.

Once again, please remember that we are still holding space for the powerful Uranus/Pluto square of 2012-15, which challenges us to find our unique role and do our part in transforming a deadly version of society that is poisoning the Earth, killing animals and people, and is only concerned with domination and power. This is the end of patriarchy—the rule of the Fathers and the white race—and it isn't going down easily. All myths about patriarchal fathers show us that they'd rather eat their own children than die themselves. This vision of life is so afraid of dying that it would rather kill off the world than die itself. And so, it is up to us to kill it by taking away its power.

Virgo Solar Eclipse 2016

The Virgo Solar Eclipse occures on Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 2:03am PDT/ 5:03am EDT/ 9:03am GMT. 

 

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 10* Virgo is: Two heads looking out and beyond the shadows. This interesting image seems to indicate that if we use both our heads/brains we can see beyond the shadows and find a unity within ourselves. This represents our two brains—head and heart, right and left sides of the brain, our intuitive, feeling wisdom along with our rational, intellectual knowledge. The need to see beyond the shadows of our culture and our personal lives into the real issues that face us.

Besides the Sun and Moon, we have the North Node, Jupiter and Mercury retrograde in Virgo. So we know this is part of our collective destiny now to become a disciple—a learner, a discerner, an analyzer. Mercury turned retrograde on Tuesday, August 30^th at 9:04am EDT/6:04am PDT until September 22^nd. So Mercury will be in Virgo from July 30 to October 7, energizing our analytical mind and helping us discern what we need to do. The Sabian symbol for Mercury retrograde at 30* Virgo is: Totally intent upon completing an immediate task, a man is deaf to any allurement. This image shows us the total concentration needed to achieve a spiritual goal. So Mercury will be working for us these next few months. If you meditate, you will find what you seek.

With Virgo's traditional ruler, Mercury retrograde, joining Jupiter again in the evening sky (along with Venus), we get to see the beauty and power of the cosmos speaking to us of what we need to do now. Can we let go of a false sense of separation from Mother Earth, the cosmos and each other? Can we change our materialistic view of the world and instead engage in the wonder, beauty and mystery of the life we've been given? When our hearts overflow with wonder at the beauty all around us, how can we not acknowledge a deeper, more spiritual vision of life?

A New Moon is a time when the Sun and Moon join together; a solar eclipse is a special New Moon when we get to release old habits, emotions and beliefs so something new can be planted within our psyches. This solar eclipse becomes part of the ongoing Saturn in Sagittarius waning square to Neptune in Pisces, which challenges us to leave behind old beliefs, addictions and illusions of separation and find a way to incorporate the needs of the many with the needs of the individual. Mr. Spock knew it was only through that selfless sacrifice of our petty needs that we can be rebirthed into a larger vision of life.

With this New Moon's inclusion in the Saturn/Neptune square, we now have what's called a T-Square: the New Moon is opposite Neptune and square Saturn. This aspect creates more tension than the square, putting Saturn at the point of greatest tension. Saturn in Sagittarius, along with Mars, generates the energy we need to stand up for Truth—or if unconscious, the mistaken beliefs that drive us to act aggressively and with 'righteous anger'.

When the Sun squares Saturn, we are challenged to become our own authority, otherwise someone or something else will BE that authority over us. We can fall into doubt and insecurity about what we want and what we believe. It's a question of believing we are worthy of the life we want. When the Moon squares Saturn, we can fall into fear and denial, since the Moon is about our unconscious belief in ourself and what's possible. Or Saturn can give structure to our dreams and hopes, and give us the focus we need to accomplish things.

When the Sun opposes Neptune we often have an unrealistic and confused sense of who we really are and what we want. Or we can be infused with Spirit and know that there is magic in the Unknown that supports us. When the Moon is opposite Neptune we receive information unconsciously that either supports our spiritual growth or increases our delusions. We are extra sensitive to everything and everyone around us, and might want to escape into fantasies. Or it can open up our imagination so we can visualize a bigger life and purpose.

This ongoing Saturn in Sagittarius square to Neptune in Pisces is approaching its third and final square on September 10^th (here's a shout out to my grandson Raiden on his 1^st birthday—don't let anyone tell you you can't do something today! Believe in your Self.). The T-Square insures that we integrate the Truth of our beliefs into our everyday life. It helps us shed our fear-based beliefs that our society, our family, our religions and our educational system have controlled us with.

The Sabian symbol for Saturn at 11* Sagittarius is: In the left section of an archaic temple, a lamp burns in a container shaped like a human body. I'll bet that human shape is female. The left side is the feminine side and containers symbolize the feminine. Once again, we are urged to open to our intuitive, feminine light.

The Sabian symbol for Neptune at 11* Pisces is: Men travelling a narrow path, seeking illumination. The quest for enlightenment is often a masculine task, so for men and our rational, left brain. The enlightenment really comes from the flame in that feminine container. That's why the quest for the Holy Grail is a masculine task. It is the search for the feminine source of Life.

These two symbols find their resolution in the symbol for the Solar Eclipse degree. We have to balance head and heart, letting the heart lead the way. This will lead us to great spritual awareness and the world to a more compassionate vision. We have to develop a more wholistic vision of the world, which includes embracing the magical and mystical aspects of life.

Jupiter ends his journey through Virgo on September 9^th, entering Libra at 7:18am EDT until October 10, 2017. He will bring his expansive, curious, spiritual energy to our relationships, engendering a truly fair and balanced awareness about how we relate to each other and the world.

Enjoy the energies of the Eclipse.

Walk in the Light,

Cathy

My mind was a mirror -- Ernest Hyde

My mind was a mirror:
It saw what it saw, it knew what it knew.
In youth my mind was just a mirror
In a rapidly flying car,
Which catches and loses bits of the landscape.
Then in time
Great scratches were made on the mirror,
Letting the outside world come in,
And letting my inner self look out.
For this is the birth of the soul in sorrow,
A birth with gains and losses.
The mind sees the world as a thing apart,
And the soul makes the world at one with itself.
A mirror scratched reflects no image —
And this is the silence of wisdom.

~ Ernest Hyde ~

(Spoon River Anthology)

The Cosmic Story: Aquarius Full Moon (Eclipse), August 18, 2016

The Cosmic Story: Aquarius/Leo Full Moon 2016

This late summer Full Moon featuring Leo and Aquarius reminds us to go have fun with like-hearted individuals. Find your group and celebrate! Leo is all about the Heart, and when Sister Moon comes around to face this Leo Sun, she has to shine back at him the bigger reality of Aquarius—that we cannot thrive unless we share our heart's love and creativity with others, for others.

A beautiful representative of the Leo Sun is the Egyptian Goddess, Sekhmet: Lioness, Goddess, Heart of the Sun. This ancient goddess comes down to us from the Age of Leo, when the lioness Sphinx watched over humankind. Below are only a few of Sekhmet's names that we still know of from this earlier Age. 

Goddess Temple: Women of Sekhmet Festival

 

Names of Sekhmet

Sekhmet, Great One of Magic
Mother of the Gods
Lady of the House of Books
She Who Walks On Forests of Rose Petals
One Who Was Before The Gods Were
Lady of the Place of the Beginning of Time
Lady of Radiance
Revealer of the Ancient Paths

Flaming One
Finder of Ways
Protectress of the gods
Lady of the Scarlet-Colored Garment
Pure One
She of Great Beauty and Hope
Keeper of the Light
Lady of Strong Love

Self Contained
Only One
Awakener
Lady of Enchantments
Opener of Ways
Lady of Transformations
Lady of the Many Faces 

 

(See The Temple of Goddess Spirituality, Dedicated to Sekhmet for more names)

Sekhmet, Leo and the Sun are all associated with the Heart. And like Sekhmet's names, the truth of the human heart is that we are full of possibilities; we are made up of many talents. This divine goddess shows us the abundant gifts that are possible if we trust our hearts to show us the way. This Path of the Heart is the road to Wisdom—to living a fulfilled, whole, self-aware life.

In Gregg Braden's video series Living From the Heart, he talks about the most important question we can ask ourselves: “Who Am I?” A very Leo/Aries sort of question. He then goes on explain how our left brain logic is not the only way to think about life and find direction. He talks about the new scientific discoveries that show us that our hearts actually have more neural networks than our brains. It is this Heart knowledge that gives us connection, compassion and insight into life—our feminine right-brain, the brain of the imagination. It is in uniting our head and our heart that we create a balanced life. “Fusing these two powerful neural networks, the brain and the heart, allows us to open the door to super-learning, deep intuitive wisdom and self-healing.” (Gregg Braden)

Too often, our heart wants something and our ration brain tells us why we can't have it instead of figuring out how to get it! Patriarchy has tried to cut us off from this source of deep wisdom by telling us that our hearts can't be trusted with important issues! Really????

Our feeling nature, our imagination, our wisdom. The Heart can show us how we can best express who we are. Like Sekhmet, we have many names and many abilities and many ways to express those abilities. Healer, Lover, Creator of Beauty. Transformer, Awakened, Keeper of the Light. The Heart is like Sekhmet, Great One of Magic. For our hearts are the wellsprings of magic.

We are living at one of the most important turning points in our civilization—as well as bringing in the Age of Aquarius. And one of the ways to deal with the changes and transformations coming is to understand that life does not emerge from competition and conflict as Darwin theorized, but from cooperation and connectedness. We have to understand this cosmic law if we want to create a healthy and creative future. We do better working together then alone, competing with the world. When our hearts are engaged, we know this truth.

That's the message of this Aquarius Full Moon. To shine brightly, Leo's fire has to be shared with the group. Just as within ourselves we have to unite our left-brain knowledge with our right-brain wisdom, so we have to unite our heads and our hearts. Leo rules the Heart Chakra, the energy center that unites our lower and upper chakras, our gut and our brain. It is the heart that brings it all together. Our Aquarius intelligence is as vast as the cosmos, and yet our Leo Hearts are made to open to that intelligence and transform it into LIFE.

What a blessing to us that we've been given these Hearts! Leo is generous and wants to share her bonfire. So open your heart and share in the blessings.

Aquarius Full Moon, August 18, 2016

This Aquarius Full Moon occurs on August 18, 2016 at 2:26am PDT/ 5:26am EDT/ 9:26am GMT. Although billed as a lunar eclipse, this Full Moon barely touches the edge of Earth's shadow.  It lasts around 30 minutes.  So there's not the disruption of energies usual for an eclipse. You decide—if you have planets at these degrees, you might feel it more than others.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun at 26* Leo is: After the heavy storm, a rainbow. This is a beautiful, ancient symbol uniting Heaven and the Earth. All things are in balance when these two powers are in harmony. This is the harmony of Head and Heart. The beauty of a rainbow is especially poignant after the violence of a heavy rainstorm. First we have to face our Shadows, especially the Leo shadows of pride and self-centeredness and the Aquarius shadows of judgement and rigid thinking. Then we'll be ready to fulfill the promise of the rainbow—to express our beauty, our worth, our creativity for all to see.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 26* Aquarius is: A mechanic testing a car's battery with a hydrometer. This image suggests the practical application of known universal laws. The battery gives the car electricity—the spark of life. We have to keep that in tune if we want to make our way into the future. Use your energy well. Ask for help when you need it. Your heart will know who to trust.

Uranus retrograding at 25* Aries trines this Full Moon and sextiles the Leo Sun, energizing this heart opening with the need to be yourself in the midst of your group. Like Aquarius, which it rules, we have to understand that we all have an equal part to play in the world. My image of Aquarius is of King Arthur's Round Table—a place where equals meet to join together to make the world a better place.

Saturn just turned back to direct motion on Saturday, August 13^th.. What have you learned about yourself and your beliefs since it went retrograde on March 25^th, a few days after the Libra Lunar eclipse? Saturn in Sagittarius focuses our attention on our beliefs, so we discover our Truth and have the maturity to stand up for ourselves. Now that Saturn is going forward again, keep focused on your truth so you stand up for what you really believe in as you engage with the world. Saturn is still squaring Neptune in Pisces, which can either throw us into confusion about what we believe in, or it can inspire us with bigger and greater beliefs.

The Sabian symbol for Saturn direct at 10* Sagittarius is: A theatrical representation of the golden-haired goddess of opportunity. Sometimes these symbols reflect the world-view of the psychic who spoke them. I can imagine Isadora Duncan as this golden-haired goddess! Anyway, on a deep symbolic level, this image speaks to the call of opportunities in the world around us. What is calling us? What can we do to make the world a better place? There's plenty of opportunities—just follow your heart and hear the call!

Mars is moving forward in Sagittarius and will once again join up with Saturn at 10* Sagittarius on August 24^th and squares Neptune in Pices on August 25^th. You might want to wait til then to jump into the opportunities presented to you, since the inner planets, especially Mars, triggers the effects of these outer planet squares in our lives. Stay open, listen to your heart and see what comes your way.

Mercury is moving through his own sign of Virgo now, slowing down as it gets ready to turn retrograde on August 30^th at 30* Virgo. Before his retrograde, Mercury opposes Chiron in Pisces on August 19^th and joins Jupiter in Virgo on August 22, opening the mind to the needs of the many and how we might help heal some collective wounds. It's another example of uniting the head and the heart, our logical mind and our intuitive, feeling heart.

The Sabian symbol for Mercury retrograde at 30* Virgo is: Totally intent upon completing an immediate task, a man is deaf to any allurement. 30* of an sign is important—it's the culmination of that sign's energy. Can we stay focused on our work like this man? Can we complete the task of this year—to find our unique Self and Truth as we shed the lies of patriarchy?

Venus is also in Virgo and having connected to the Neptune/Saturn square earlier in the monthn now joins Jupiter and then Mercury at the end of the month, once again aligning our heart and head as we head into the fall and our harvest time here in the North. Our friend down South will be looking forward to Spring right about now!

The Aquarius Moon and Aries Uranus form the base of a mystical YOD to Mercury & Jupiter in Virgo, challenging us to take up this sword of Light and use our analytical brains to listen to the power of the heart. The healing comes from listening to those things and people who have been made irrelevant under patriarchy. So listen to your heart, your gut, your feelings, your imagination, your wisdom and get your analytical, logical brain to figure out what you need to do.

Look around you. The world is a beautiful and fragile gift we've been given. Look at your family and friends and be grateful for the love you have. Appreciation, cooperation and creativity are all worthy gifts of Leo and Aquarius. What abundance we have to celebrate!

Walk in the Light,

Cathy

Being a Person

Be a person here. Stand by the river, invoke
the owls. Invoke winter, then spring.
Let any season that wants to come here make its own
call. After that sound goes away, wait.

A slow bubble rises through the earth
and begins to include sky, stars, all space,
even the outracing, expanding thought.
Come back and hear the little sound again.

Suddenly this dream you are having matches
everyone's dream, and the result is the world.
If a different call came there wouldn't be any
world, or you, or the river, or the owls calling.

How you stand here is important. How you
listen for the next things to happen. How you breathe.

~ William Stafford ~

(Quiet Places: Poems)