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by Boots Hart Amidst the many things which somehow managed to copiously occupy our time last month was the poignant question: "Should I…? Or should I wait a bit?" That lingers on, though we'll feel matters hanging in that particular balance come to a head around June 10, then tapering away. More important on the day-to-day level, Saturn went direct last month, an indication that life has returned to productive mode, leaving behind discussions, water-treading and planning phases we've been in since last December 31, when Saturn went retrograde. That was a particularly tense, volatile (Pluto conjunct Mars) time when among other things, hostilities broke out between Israel and Gaza—an example of how Saturn is classically associated with nations and limits (i.e., "drawing a line in the sand"). We all went through something around then; whatever that was, if you learned and got through the underlying issues of that moment, now you really begin getting past it. Matters which haven't been faced? Well, now they reappear, probably in a more recognizable format, a format which allows for open examination and discussion as precursor to personal growth on all sides and thus, true resolution. This period stretches from now until October 10, when Saturn exits the retrograde's shadow. Active efforts to confront problems yield greatest benefits, with the caveat that come August 25, there will be a distinct oppositional repetition of last December's Mars/Pluto energy. Ergo do, or be prepared to be done to. As an adjunct to all this is Mercury's having gone direct on May 31…or May 30 for those of us in the Americas or eastern Pacific regions. Mercury starts out June in late Taurus. The initial signal is about sorting things out and opening dialogues which will take time to bear fruit. Yet with Mars just entering Taurus and Venus finishing its annoyingly endless transit of Aries, we're not likely to be feeling all that patient. We may be wanting to press a personal issue, or feel irritated with those who aren't moving fast enough. Wherever possible, own the energy then express it in an "I feel…" rather than accusatory format. But cut yourself some slack, too. And if you go over the top? A dish of apology with side of humble pie will probably get you where you need to go. Then comes June 6, the day when Venus finally enters Taurus. Don't expect trumpets. Or miracles. But during the next few days you're likely to recognize that everyone's relaxing—including you. And that people don't seem so preoccupied with their own "important things" that they completely miss the fact that others (including you) have not only few important things which deserve respect, but, well, feelings! It's been a very long 122 days of Venus in Aries and hopefully we've all used this time to get to know ourselves better—the good as well as the ick. Next time Venus goes into Aries (March 2010) it will only spend a mere 23 days in the sign, so this is a once-in-a-decade (if that) adventure. One which we theoretically all needed—which is an interesting cosmic comment, coming just after the great economic crumble. Theoretically this passage has been one part getting real, one part thinking of what to do next, and one part recognizing that you're not the only person in this world. But whatever it was, it's over. If we've really grown, now we begin seeing the benefits of our efforts. If we haven't, now we feel dissatisfied and start anew. Another clue here is that Venus is entering Taurus in the company of Mars and asteroid Kalypso, signaling a joining of forces can lead to great achievements IF realistic altruism is part of the mix. It's neither all you or entirely "them" now—it's the reality of the situation, specific needs as presented and the self confrontation we each go through in the process of dealing with that. By itself, Mars in Taurus is often all want and no make-it-happen. Even Entitlement of the Self Defeating Kind. Yet when Mars combines with Venus we get the classic attraction and yearning celebrated in romantic tales and heated cravings (personal or professional). Add in Kalypso and we get an all-too-brief moment which can be magic—with Kalypso representing the test as to whether that magic is a force for good—or not. Kalypso was an enchantress who beguiled Odysseus (Ulysses) when the hero's boat came aground on her island shore. Then she fell desperately in love. But after a long hard war with Troy, all Odysseus wanted was to get home to the wife and family. Ultimately Kalypso had to face reality in realizing that if she really loved him, she would support his happiness instead of using her magic to hold onto him. Love is about the person loved—wanting their success, not your own reward. June 6 is also interesting as the current Gemini Sun (intellectual choices) conjuncts Sisyphus (endless toil) on this date. Taken together, this becomes what you want to do (that requires effort), versus what you don't want to do —the required drudgework. Best solutions involve being organized and priority-minded, so that you get the "busywork" done when it's best done, working such interruptions in around those things which will advance life's cause and which really need doing right now. Some will undoubtedly choose to use this moment to tread water. The important word is "choose." Just know why you're doing it when you choose this path—in essence, undermining your own cause. With this Sun/Sisyphus conjunction occurring in Gemini's emotional second decan (degrees 10—19 of any sign are its arena of emotional expression), your thoughts may be racing and any number of things may just feel like testy tests. In point of fact, with Eris (discord) also conjunct asteroids Achilles (strength) and Demeter (reaping what you sow) on this date you should expect some boat rocking. And some of it may be positive, showing up flaws. Or necessary—as in the case of a situation which gets you to let go of something inappropriate. This Eris, Achilles and Demeter conglomeration occurring in Aries' 3rd worldly decan (degrees 20-29) says this boat rocking is likely to involve your efforts to get something done. Or get worthwhile responses. Put simply, you may not get the answer you want, but you may in that same breath get the answer which you need. The whole Venus/Mars/Kalypso thing suggests focusing on the goal and not one's self is one good way forward. Combined with Pluto retrograding in early Capricorn (internal life recognition shifts), Saturn in latter 2nd decanate positions of Virgo (concerns about how to be supportive or make things work) and Mercury having just come out of retrograde (things finally coming together), it may be that really listening, working things through in your mind, and allowing your ideas to evolve may well explain everything. Then comes a day of magnification as on June 7, a Full Moon occurs at 17 Sagittarius in conjunction with Ixion and Byblis just after 6 p.m. GMT. With Ixion at 14 Sagittarius, a repeating of some pattern will occur about six hours prior to the Full Moon. Are you stirred to emotionalism as the Moon approaches fullness? Maybe, but with Ixion standing with Byblis there's an aura of reconciliation in the air too—very much in keeping with the standard Full Moon theme of "end of one phase" or culmination of a situation. There is one thing to be aware of here, namely the tale of Ixion, which is about penalties we pay specifically for repeated bad behavior. This Full Moon is also a moment when the Lunar Nodes move into zero degrees Aquarius (North) and Leo (South). And they're going to stay at zero Aquarius and Leo until late August, sort of taking up the "holding pattern" vibe just when Venus let go. But there's a really big difference. February through early June (Venus in Aries) was all about confrontations with, development of and realizations about the (Aries) Self. What was lacking? What needed working on? What did you need to do, get done, or do without? Because Lunar nodes are emblematic of society in action or social interaction(s), this configuration feels totally different. February through early June was all about what was happening to us and what we were (or weren't; even weren't able to be) doing. This is now all about our world, our society, our place in the world. And as we move through June into July and August, Pluto retrograde will form a semi-sextile (ego-testing) aspect with the North Node (the things we may not want to, but need to learn about through doing), automatically forming an inconjunct "adjustment required" aspect with the South Node (things we like and know how to do). As this period winds on, expect increasing pressure/resistance-to-pressure in society, from society and in terms of your feelings about society. The Pluto side of this equation says pressure will be exerted through areas affected since late November 2008 (when Pluto committed to transiting Capricorn). The nodal side tells us this is all about one's ability to function, be transformed by, and act in transforming life during this ongoing period of world (r)evolution. Put another way, as of November 2008, life moved out of 12 years of ambitious "sky's the limit" idealism all about having, being, accessing, controlling and doing "more"—often with a liberal dash of just plain wanting to have your own way. That was Pluto in Sagittarius—the most worldly of the (very yang) fire sign triumvirate. Upon leaving Sagittarius, Pluto entered Capricorn, the worldly earth/yin sign all about concrete reality, a sign known for emphasis on tangible results, hard work, pragmatism, responsibility and (re)structure(ing) through doing what needs doing. In making this shift Pluto also left the zodiacal third quadrant of "societal growth/growth of-or-through application" and entered the fourth quadrant of 'world steward/growth through what you offer," a theme which applies physically, socially and spiritually. As well, Pluto also moved from the zodiac's right hemisphere (receptivity/reactive format/retention/containment) into the left hemisphere all about initiating, creating and pro-activity. Given all this and the fact that we're all pre-disposed by our own natal chart to be more in tune with some vibes and less with others, this last part plus the yang-to-yin switch has felt great to some, and totally challenging to others. People whose charts are heavily yang (having a lot of symbols in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius or Aquarius) have just left a decade-plus with the power of a yang Pluto at their back. It's an adjustment, so they're feeling bogged down. Meanwhile, the folks with more "yin" in their natal chart (symbols in Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn or Pisces) are feeling freed up. With Pluto now in a yin sign, they feel empowered. Given all this and the ever-tightening aspect between Pluto and the nodes, over the next few months a we can all expect a lot of excitement, whoopla and threatening rhetoric—all of which is part of a karmic, cosmic (Plutonic) test on thinking, which is being delivered throughlife circumstances (the nodal part of this picture). The object is to get us to look at the balance between our individualistic and participatory natures while checking on the "groupthink" (or total rejection of) quotient. "Groupthink" is very Pluto in Sag, and that time is over. Those who continue using teachings as the end of the process instead of a means to a new end will have the hardest time; those willing to break old molds, take on new identities and formulate/implement new ways of applying existent needs and knowledge in present-day terms will revel in productivity. Yes, change is hard. And yes, we're likely to see folks clinging to ideals and outmoded notions of collective separatist thinking. The key here is all about a mindset which inspires freedom of cooperation. The chord that President Obama struck with yes, we can is now less about joining than instigating inventiveness through which we can each be provided for, and secure. This next period is likely to be tense: issues from economics to politics to religion to survival can be counted on to fluctuate wildly as this summer forces everyone to focus on what will work, not what they want. Come June 14 in the Americas and eastern Pacific (which would be June 15 for those in Europe or points east), Mercury enters Gemini and within a day exits the shadow of its recent retrograde, wrapping up many an issue and project dating back as far back as April 22. Under Mercury in Gemini, normally the pace of everything picks up, testing our ability to think things through as lots of information gets tossed at us. This has to do with the test inherent of Gemini—knowing that life is a process and series of goals towards which we build, with the choices of the moment being either those which work right now, in the long run, or both. Seeing as how the Sun's been in Gemini all month, this is an overarching concept du jour, so…. …Do you have your priorities on straight? Have you organized your activities and attitudes to suit your ultimate purpose? Do you know the difference between the really important and interesting but not totally necessary? How good are you with schedules and making a coherent set of choices which keep things going while moving you towards important life goals? And look—your life is your life. Which means you have the option to do nothing with it. But if you do, know that with that choice comes a narrowed set of outcomes. The point is to recognize the cause-and-effect, the owning of what's really in your heart. With identical location caveats (as above), June 15 is also when Jupiter goes on station and into retrograde at 27 Aquarius, a degree focusing on intelligence as a means to "cover the basics" and see us through challenges. Sound familiar? Yes, this does sound like an echo of Pluto/Nodes and Mercury, underscoring the message and the degree to which we can expect all we've been discussing to become manifest. In other words, it's one thing for an astrological message to be given, but when indicators repeat, it's like three heat lamps being turned on instead of just one. By what we choose, we thus come to either be in hot water—or a lovely, bubbly Jacuzzi. As pertains to Jupiter, the plus side of its meanings are about expansion and learning more, while the negative side is about bloat, inflexibility and closed-mindedness. Being the symbol of education, Jupiter stands for the idea that we are each teachers, and eternal students. Its station suggests a "turning point" anywhere that "learning" is involved. This could involve schools, law, research, human religious systems (not spirituality)—where ideas are evolved, discussed or any means by which they are disseminated (media, publishing, news, etc.). The basic idea here is that which goes with any planet's shift from direct to retrograde motion. The relative shift in energetic direction indicates that we learn now within ourselves rather than directly through input. The implication is that we've all "taken in" enough for the moment, and that from now until mid-October (when Jupiter goes direct) we'll continue functioning in real time but also be considering and reconsidering things which have already come to be on our plate, arriving at a few personal "aha" moments along the way. One more note here: Jupiter is going retrograde almost (if not quite) in opposition to Royal Star Regulus. This is a warning about avoiding conflicts, particularly those which arise out an energy of revenge—an idea which recalls some of Jupiter's less positive (i.e., less flexible) attributes. Given the whole Pluto/Node thing, this may indicate trouble—even erratic behavior, so be aware. Midsummer arrives as the Sun moves into Cancer on June 21 (or on the 20th in the Americas or eastern Pacific). And it does this in the interesting company of Vesta (lessons in spiritual service), Phaethon (overestimation of ability coming to disaster), asteroid Lilith (personal secrets), Kleopatra (attraction to exotic knowledge)… and with a nice flash added by asteroid Edisonia in opposition at 0 Capricorn. Working backward, Edisonia highlights brilliant ideas which may well change things, and/or opposition to anything which can change things. Which works? Well, look around you—what's working in your world? As a character, Phaethon is a brave if over-optimistic lad who, when given any wish in the world, asks to drive Apollo's sun chariot. In the all-too mortal world of Greek gods, the gods knew this was a bad idea but did the "a promise is a promise" thing and handed Phaethon the reins. The horses (representing the power of the life situation) realize their driver doesn't know what the fern he's doing and run amuck, setting Phaethon's hair on fire (being burned by ambition) and ultimately tossing him out of the chariot, making this quite literally the Greek "crash and burn" story. And Vesta? Vesta is spiritually-driven giving which asks us to know what we're doing—a real test of whether we can combine lowering our egos enough to give while knowing what we're doing in the giving. And no martyrs allowed! Lilith is a tricky symbol, starting with the idea that there are two forms of Lilith, one calculated and one concrete. Often referred to as the "other woman," Lilith really speaks to our "shadow self"—a part of our life, psyche or personality we try to ignore. Or deny. Or which we don't like talking about. Lilith energies represent whatever makes us do what we want to do in spite of knowing it'll come back to haunt us. Lilith energies drive us to submerge ourselves in some "substitute" activity or value system rather than face our true self. Sometimes Lilith is a "secret" relationship with someone, yes, but even then it's about the quality in us which that person satisfies. So Lilith is knowledge we don't want to acknowledge. Or a problem a governments wants to avoid. Or things we're attracted to or interested in but are uncomfortable admitting to. This isn't about the shame of the act or problem, it's about why we would refuse to face facts. That's Lilith, and the variations in the format (cycling calculated point versus asteroid) tell us where the energy surfaces. The calculated version is a function of the lunar nodes, so that Lilith is about interactions with society or societal situations. The tangible version (as is the case here) has to do with someone or something…but as it pertains to what goes on in our mind. Lastly we come to Kleopatra, an asteroid which stirs our attraction to Knowledge of the Exotic Kind—that evidently being what people found so very fascinating about the famous Egyptian queen of like name. Movies picture her as gorgeous, but history says she was less seductive in physicality than in her cleverness, her ability to speak many languages, and her knowledge of various cultural traditions, all of which allowed her to charm people by appealing to them in terms they would find most attractive. Kleopatra is thus about how to appeal…and what we find attractive. All this we bring to the Sun: the premise of life, will, intellect, and the process of creating what will ultimately shape our lives and the world around us. More specifically, to the Sun in Cancer. Cancer is the sign of house-home-real estate, nation-homeland-heritage, family/cultural traditions and the unconscious—hence unconscious habits. Symbolized by the crab, which lives at the tide line, the month of Cancer always presents an ebb and flow of situations which can be gentle waves, an urgent tidal surge or an out-and-out pounding on the rocks. Being a naturally right hemisphere sign, the month of Cancer is a generally responsive time, but this doesn't mean we're helpless. Far from it—it's just all about how we react. With Vesta and Phaethon standing with the Sun and Edisonia in opposition, moderation is apt. A balance between doing for others versus personal interests is necessary (echoing the Mercury in Gemini priority thing). With Edisonia in close proximity to Pluto, the whole Pluto-Node issue speaks to how change is upon us, and though the handwriting is evidently on the wall, we as our own Jupiterian jury are still thinking about what to change and how to change it. And yes, a couple of us are trying to see if we can just get away with not changing a thing, but that's beside the point…until such people hit the wall, that is. Then they'll care. Will we? To what extent are we really our brother's personal and financial keeper? 'Tis a quandary! The last astrological event of the month is a New Moon at 1 Cancer on June 22. New Moons always mark a moment of "beginning anew," with this one beginning a process which will carry us into three eclipses (two lunar and one solar) in the next month and a half. With lunar eclipses marking societal (and personal) high tides and solar eclipses marking dramatic life changes which unfold over 36 months, what's going on right now is informative. So take notes. Where does life seem headed? This is only a founding point upon which cycles will build, but as we all know, any building is only as solid as its foundations. With this New Moon having all the modifiers the Sun had entering Cancer, the basic question is all about your life vis-à-vis the world around you. So ask yourself: is your personal foundation shaky? If so, try looking within first. One more note before closing: Solar Eclipses often begin being felt a full month in advance. Notorious for initiating as a "breakdown" of something thought central to life as you currently know it, Solar Eclipses symbolize revelations we can only embrace by letting go of a status quo—as you may have done 19 years (one metonic cycle) ago, that being when a Solar Eclipse last occurred at this degree. With this one occurring on July 21-22 (depending on your location), if your birthday falls between the 17th and 27th of January, March, July or October, pay attention! And the closer to the 21st/22nd of any given month your birthday is, the more powerful the effects are likely to be. But this isn't any reason to quiver in fear—far from it. This is about becoming the person you know—deep inside—you're truly meant to be. Things which are holding you back or keeping you from being that person…those are what will now change. And though this is sometimes hard simply because we're so wedded to what we think is "supposed to be," whatever happens now, no matter how challenging, is meant to free you to become a truer Self. So open your mind to a greater inner awareness. Allow yourself to grow. After all, unbeknownst to us, the universe is actually unfolding as it should.
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© Copyright 2000-2009
Boots Hart, Daykeeper Journal. All Rights Reserved. |
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