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December '13
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by Terry Lamb

November landed us in a new planetscape. The Solar Eclipse on November 3, infused with the combined power of Saturn, North Node, and New Mercury, thrust us into a quantum-leap change. We are still shaking off the dust and peering into the distance with a "what just happened?" feeling.

This feeling was intensified by the stations of Neptune (November 13) and Chiron (November 19), which revealed factors which must be dealt with in a new way in light of what we now know. It has all been very revealing, but the release is still ongoing.

December sees that release finalized for this round, as Uranus returns to direct (forward) motion on December 17, the last of the planets to do so in this cycle. Uranus brings to us often stark awareness of what already exists (especially as it makes its squares to Pluto), and sometimes new events as well. Even if they seem to come out of left field, a deeper examination will usually reveal that they shouldn’t have been so unexpected after all.

We will take what happens in mid-December (also the time of the Full Moon) into consideration as we look forward to 2014 and set our intentions for what we want to express and create next. Until then, we can’t entirely know what to do, how to plan. We dislike being stuck with so much that is unknown, and some clarifying events will occur every day—but the things we want the most to understand may elude us until Uranus breathes its energies of revitalization into our visible world once again.

Between now and then, the ruminations we engage in are essential to preparing us for what is coming. Alertness to the subtle ways that the universe tips its hand, practicing the skills we need to manage what we’re creating next—these are our solace as we await the drop of the other shoe.

Meanwhile, something is building, and we are in the process of creating a new story that will dance to the rhythms of the Venus and Mars peaks that are already in motion. Venus’s newest retrograde arrives on December 21, and Mars begins its set-up process on December 25, leading to its next retrograde commencing March 1. This creates one story that cascades into another, and which end up overlapping, even spilling over into each other to create one over-arching story.

The Venus story has to do with the question of turning a big dream into reality. Can we do it? We’ve been blindly moving forward in some way, activating our energies in a direction we can scarcely understand but feel compelled toward in some way (that’s Pluto in Capricorn and the 2012 shift). But eventually, dreams have to be made real, or we have to set them aside for another life picture. Do we now have the courage and stamina to stand up for ourselves (Saturn in Scorpio) and make something happen that is outside the box (North Node in Scorpio) of our old sense of self (Uranus in Aries)? Venus is the glue that we use to put things together, in the form of agreements and social connections. In Capricorn, it uses the energy of life’s great structures (from civilization and institutions to wood and concrete).

Pluto has shown us that the old structures do not work. Worse, they threaten to destroy us. This gives us a greater reason than usual, a compelling drive to take the risk of following what feels true and real in our relationships, livelihood, and life path. Venus brings this forward in a challenging but ultimately fulfilling form as she retrogrades through this sign.

When Venus retrogrades, she is closest to Earth (as with all retrogrades), so her influence is highlighted. She passes between Earth and the Sun, appearing to move backward through the degrees of the Zodiac, although it is more like the horses traveling on the backstretch of a race track.

Venusian things—love, agreements, social connections, anything we value (money, joy, etc.)—assume more importance, and we respond. Often unconsciously, we renegotiate our agreements with others. We rework our financial plans, sometimes making delayed purchases during this time.

What’s really going on is that the feminine assumes temporary dominance in the way we function. We see the power dynamics around us and seek changes that (we hope) create greater balance. Everyone is thinking about it, talking about it, reacting to it, as the yin gains power. This can result in shifts in the balance of dominance and power in relationships in any Venus retrograde, but especially in Capricorn, which is about power management in all types of relationship (top-down, lateral, flowing-flexible, or foundational) structures.

We got our first tip-off when Venus squared Uranus (November 14) and conjoined Pluto (November 15) as to what is developing. The key between now and Venus’s Retrograde Station on December 21 is to work with the energy without obsessing or driving it forward artificially. We all want to take the wheel, and not everyone can drive at once.

Mars will follow up on this story with an instruction in the use of male energy, which then receives more focus during its retrograde. Once Mars enters Libra on December 7, we’ll be working with this archetype of reciprocity and balance. This includes the notion of karma and the destinies we take on to create balance on any and all levels, from the personal-intimate to the global-spiritual spheres.

Both these transits will teach us about the power dynamics we share with others, and in the realm of politics, we will see dramatic shifts of power in response to the blatant imbalances that have shown up in recent years. There is hope.

But this shift frequently comes clothed at first as conflict, and we have to be willing to engage in disagreement for a higher purpose, to diverge from others if necessary in order to seek a greater harmony. Where Venus’ challenges may come as relatively soft transformations that have been building for years, Mars’s events are more likely to come with fanfare and fireworks, as they "fill in the blanks" in our understanding. But outcomes, as always depend on us. If we push, the blank may be filled in with an answer we don’t like; but if we wait, there’s a chance for a better result.

Results are likely to be intermixed, as Venus and Mars do a dance on another level via reception, but they had to invite Saturn to the party in order to get together. This means that our relationships will be facilitated by Saturnian things: business, career, building something, a plan or objective, fathers, authority figures. Often, we find safety in coming together with others in situations where there is a focus outside each other. This gives a distracting and reassuring protocol, a set of rules by which to interact. We will find ourselves building relationships in this way until early April. This is because of a three-way reception between Venus (in Capricorn ruled by)—Saturn (in Scorpio ruled by)—Mars (in Libra ruled by Venus). Romance and the romantic spirit will return when Venus enters Pisces, ruled by Jupiter, still exalted in Cancer. We’ll really know why we love someone, a relationship based on earned trust.

In the midst of the Venus-Mars dance, the next round of planetary adventures commences on January 1, when the Sun conjoins Pluto. Between now and then, we get some much-needed time to reconnoiter what’s happened in response to the rat-a-tat of recent planetary events. It’s a lot to take in, and dissuaded as we are by our culture from taking time to turn our lessons into wisdom, it’s time well spent even if we find it difficult.

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