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by Boots Hart With Mars going retrograde in Leo followed by Mercury going retrograde in Capricorn just at the peak of the holiday season, this is truly a time for reflection. Retrogrades ask us to get what we need from within, emphasizing who we are inside and what we can make of ourselves. And with these retrogrades being underscored by a Lunar Eclipse on December 31, closing out 2009 with a emotional bang? That’s either the icing on the cake, or a hard landing which results in a big fat bruise to our concept of life. Or at least our expectations for the holidays! Not that things don’t start out innocently enough. At least…sort of innocently. Since Mars entered the shadow of its upcoming retrograde back in October, we’ve all been half-distracted by an internal tug-of-war for several months now. Maybe you’ve begun facing up to it. Or even begun wrestling with it actively. Whatever the case, that thing which has been bugging you—that thing you know you really need to attend to in spite of the fact you’d rather not have to… all that hits a jouncing bumpy patch as Uranus goes direct as Venus enters Sagittarius on December 1. This makes the first days of the month a ballet of tumbling tip over teakettle through situations which shake loose thinking apart and in doing so clarify prospects and perspectives. From this comes a general recognition of the difference between want and need. Uranus’ turn to direct motion tells us that changes we’ve been resisting within (particularly since early summer) will now be encountered through people and situations encountered in everyday life. In everyday terms, Venus in Sagittarius has several themes, the most obvious of which now may be its habit of bringing the "cost" of life into the open. So for those living on credit (emotional or financial), this is a time to take stock. And yes, to realize you’re rapidly maxing yourself out in the leeway department. Or in terms of patience—yours or that of somebody else. Venus in Sagittarius often coincides with "robbing Peter to pay Paul" efforts, and disappointed expectations. Only where we have been honest (most of all with ourselves) does life flourish. The thing to remember now is that the thing isn’t really the issue. The feelings which drive you to be in whatever spot you’re in? Those are the issue! So as December begins, ask yourself: is this (whatever) going to get me where I need (note: not want, need) to go? Am I being realistic, honest and practical or am I just serving and servicing inner desires, hoping it’ll all work out? To some degree this is a funky question to sort out simply because great accomplishments often begin as impossible dreams. But in our hearts, we generally know. And particularly now the difference between success and an icy path fissured by deep emotional crevasses is likely to rest on whether our aims are coming from a place which are self protective or freeing-ly expansive. Chances are good that to some degree the answer here is going to be un-enthralling, and just that fact is going to make for dissatisfaction which one person is likely to dish out to others—leading to more dissatisfaction…etc., etc. The whole of the design here has Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron all in the latter degrees of Aquarius, opposing Mars, which is about to go into retrograde. What this sets up for us is a "correction" point where we start rebalancing ourselves against the greater system. As part of the shift, Saturn’s entrance into Libra began just in the very last moment of October. Over the last 14-odd years with Saturn traversing the six signs which fall in the lower (personal) half of the zodiacal cycle, we’ve all gotten very used to living local, living in our own worlds, developing our inner lives. All that is now changing. That Saturn will retrograde back into Virgo for a bit come next spring/summer tells us that this is both a big shift and an ongoing process. Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron standing together in Aquarius signify a gathering of energy, a coinciding of hope and faith with a growing understanding of universality and how necessary it is that a willing awareness is part of every successful process. We’re all being asked to take on difficult but necessary challenges which will take us into personally uncharted (and testing) waters. This need is highlighted by our dicing back and forth over every point as Mars slows in its transit of Aquarius’ oppositional sign of Leo. Can we? Maybe yes. Do we want to? Uh…maybe no. Here the temptation is to cling to a status quo or opt for a short-term fix. But that isn’t the real answer and we know it. Yes we can do incredible things if we’ll just try. So…why is it we have such an issue with trying? The signature here is Mars in Leo, showing us that the probable answer is “ego,” a much-maligned term really all about the ability to define ourselves and create integral individuality to a sufficient degree that we know ourselves from others and create usefully protective boundaries. All too often however, ego gets turned into fear. Fear as a direct weapon (tyranny), an indirect weapon (arrogance) or an abdication of responsibility (being fearful or disavowing of responsibility). With feelings of self-involvement running high now, there’s a lot of the ego exacerbation in the mix. And nobody’s too smart, too noble, too small or too well protected to fall into this cosmic gopher hole. For some, early December brings all to a head. These are people likely to use Mars retrograde as a time of straightening things out, finding themselves past the worst of the prickles come early March (2010) when Mars goes direct. But others will spend early December dodging. For them, Mars retrograde will be a rather trying time during which frustration arising out of feelings of isolation run high. By the time they emerge from retrograde they will like as not be grateful to have people willing to work with them again. And that would, pretty much, be the point. To the degree that you have defined your world in your own terms now, life is likely to challenge you. This period going forward is all about what works in the big picture from which we all get what we need to HAVE personal options. And improved personal options—don’t forget that! Adding another caustic touch (as if we needed that?) the Full Moon at 10 Gemini on December 2 (December 1, late, in the Pacific Basin area) brings much which has been building over the past couple of weeks to a crest. This image of the Moon at its fullest light literally indicates a "highlighting" of issues. And with this particular Full Moon being complimented by TNO Chaos on the emotional side and Hylonome (despair in the face of loss) on the life/will side, the chances of something just going plain wrong (i.e., not according to plan) is rather high. Since TNO (Trans Neptunian Objects) always refer to unexpected information, what happens is unpredictable. And though no Full Moon need be disastrous (unless you’re married to your ego!), with this Full Moon in a perfect semi-sextile to the Lunar Eclipse yet to come on December 31, there’s a dotted line connecting this moment to New Year's Eve. So do yourself a favor—take note. Be real! Moving on to December 5, Mercury enters Capricorn replacing what may have been a recent spate of slap-dash disorganization with a more realistic and sober aura. Favoring plans and problem-solving, Mercury in Capricorn favors building for the future and creating links which help achieve long-term goals. Once Mercury enters the shadow of its upcoming retrograde on December 8 in square to Saturn in Libra, considering the repercussions and possible consequences of our choices vis-à-vis others is more apt to be either important or required. So think ahead—to next spring and summer at least. Given overarching Mars tensions, you may be tempted to throw caution to the wind. And while that may work, it’ll leave more to be done down the line, asking how efficient and effective you tend to be. You know, on an overall basis? Do you need to improve that? If so, this would be the time to delve into that issue. Next comes a New Moon at 24 Sagittarius on December 16. Conjunct Scheherazade and semi-sextile the solar eclipse to come in mid-January, this is likely to be a classic sort of "earthy-and-earthly" moment when we get hit by repercussions of everything we’ve (…uh…) tossed into the fan more or less recently. With Mars now eking up to its direct/retrograde station, indecision may reign. Problems thought settled may again rear their heads. But the point here isn’t negative—with a New Moon in Sagittarius coloring the moment this is a renewed opportunity. So maybe you need to start anew. Or do things better or in a new way. The Scheherazade note here adds a touch of peril—an exotic challenge to not just save/redeem ourselves but ultimately end up achieving great things through understanding who we are dealing with and how to support them in reaching their goals. With this comes an additional cosmic (incoming solar eclipse) footnote: we are now at the beginning of a long, long process. With the indicator being a semi-sextile, there’s some sort of trying emotional quality. When combined with the fact that Solar Eclipses are notorious for beginning with a "breakdown phase," this is likely to open the period of time in which people often claim they “feel” the eclipse beginning to work. In regular terms, expect intense feelings about something (idea, conviction, situation, sense) that may need to be renegotiated or allowed to end. Whatever happens, the karmic lesson is about the difference between loving something and having it work functionally in the whole of your life or world. It’s the reconciliation now which is likely to be difficult, but who said life was easy? Finally we arrive at the actual Mars direct-to-retrograde station of December 20, a moment ripe with a "continuing on in the face of loss" theme what with Mars being at 19 Leo and Atropos (the cutting of the “life” thread) having just been passed. But if you get that a station causes a planet to go (retrograde) right back the degree or body that it just passed, the Atropos thing isn’t yet a done deal. With Industria (industry, industriousness) exactly conjunct Mars at this moment, changes are in the works both on the societal level (“industry”) and in our lives. And given the Leo/Aquarius opposition going on, the question basically comes down to whether “the” party and/or your personal “party” is over, and how you deal with these themes on the whole. This is a deep weighing up of responsibility on a soup-to-nuts, cradle-to-grave basis, inclusive of every thing and every way that could possibly be interpreted. The more limited your scope, the more problems you’re likely to have, period. As always, those with a birthday within two days of the station (or who have something important happen during the 48 or so hours before/after a station) should pay more than particular attention to the station’s themes. A birthday (solar chart) marked by this station will color the whole of your next year. A major even happening now may be a literal turning point in life. Punctuating the evolutionary quality of the moment, the Sun entering Capricorn on December 21 is a nice sign of support for those knuckling down and tending to responsibilities to self and others. That this happens as transiting Jupiter conjuncts Neptune at 24 Aquarius adds a note about dealing with facts rather than ideals. And maybe also the letting go of petty grievances. Sometimes though the belief is heartfelt, it just isn’t worth making a mountain of hurt out of it. The last time this Jupiter-Neptune synodic cycle hit conjunction was 12.7 years ago—January 9, 1997, to be exact. That conjunction took place in a late degree of Capricorn with Uranus adding a liberating note from early Aquarius. The years since have certainly manifested in a lot of people moving off in a lot of "more extreme" directions, good and bad. It’s odd to think that universality and egalitarian ideals and demands for equal rights are on the same footing as extremist violence, but they are. Astrologically, they all come from the same source. Hopefully with this latest Jupiter/Neptune conjunction occurring in late Aquarius we will all lean more towards letting go of differences and aligning along our commonalties, but… …Probably the lesson is that it’s our job to either work towards the good or deal with the bad. That would be the intrinsic human choice. Moving on…even as the sugar plum faeries and nutcrackers of Christmas give way to Kwanza, Venus enters Capricorn and Mercury goes retrograde conjunct the North Node and asteroid House on December 26. With all planetary stations getting a 48-hour plus-or-minus window, this makes the 24th and 25th possible turning points for many and loaded with telling events. And again—for those with a birthday during the two days prior or following December 26, expect the turning of thoughts and situational (Mercurial) qualities to color the whole of your birthday year—or a life, for those born within days of any planetary station. (And just to note, such things aren’t all good or all bad. There are great achievers born with Saturn direct and retrograde. There are great thinkers born with Mercury direct and retrograde and mental and physical slobs born on either side of this planetary fence, too. The only way to know which is which is to understand how the whole of a chart ties together—so don’t make simplistic assumptions. Just as you’d never want anyone to casually operate on your heart, so you should consult with fully trained and experienced astrologers if some matter astrological is of curiosity or concern.) That Mercury’s on station conjunct the North Node and asteroid House just as Venus is entering Capricorn says a lot. Venus in Capricorn is typically sober, pragmatic and contemplative. With Mercury retrograde we can expect a lot of consideration time going into long(er)-term structure/structuringwith much good in the offing even though Mars in retrograde suggests sacrifices which need to be made in the wake of owning up to the reality of things. (And yes, it’ll be annoying!) Reflecting, considering, planning—all are now not merely appropriate, they’re important! So think things through. Do your homework. Though you may feel reluctant or self-protective on an instinctual level, those feelings may simply be about like versus dislike, comfortable versus challenging and a deep inner wish that all was as you’d really, really like it to be…even though it isn’t. Obviously getting to the root(s) is the theme here, and lest we need reminding that too much pie-in-the-sky simply makes us mentally complacent, a Lunar Eclipse at 10 Cancer (with Sun conjunct Icarus and Moon conjunct Niobe) will occur on December 31. Always loaded with emotional potential, in a Llunar Eclipse, the straight line we imagine between our emotional desires (the Moon) and our aims as envisioned (the Sun) is interrupted by a dose of reality (Earth). Add in Icarus (headstrong risks) and Niobe (pride) and have a recipe for…what? Maybe arrogance? Maybe vanity? Maybe succeeding in spite of all, learning a lot about priority and proportion in the process? Whatever happens, since Lunar Eclipses tend to start promptly and unfold over a relatively short (three-month) period, though New Year's Even may be filled with emotion (or colored by irony) this will tend to be a moment of emotion, but little more (except in charts where the area around 10 Cancer is in focus) . And for those whose charts do focus on the area around 10 Cancer (or Capricorn, come to think about it)? Well for them New Years may deliver a fabled message worthy of Aesop, but this will soon pass too. Without question, December is a trying month. Coming on the heels of the great economic fracas of 2008-2009 it warns us that business is not as usual in 1990s/early 2000s terms. Things are changing. It doesn’t mean disaster is upon us but does mean we may have to give up thinking in terms of a personal paradise as envisioned ten years ago. Maybe it’s just time for an update? Yes, maybe. Boots Hart, CAP
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Boots Hart, Daykeeper Journal. All Rights Reserved. |
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